･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. ☆彡
( CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE!
new revelations. )
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1 year later...
Carmen had been on a few missions since becoming a Jedi and not one of them had been as hard as this one turned out to be. Maybe it was because she didn't have Obi-Wan or Anakin with her, instead, it was just her and Ragwynd along with R2 and Pk-9. Yoda wanted to see her progress and decided to send her off on her own, Ragwynd tagging along because he had been bored of waiting around while Padmé did senator things. The mission wasn't too hard, it was just the fact that she's slightly scared she'll mess something up. Obi-Wan usually helped soothe her nerves like the father-figure he is, but he isn't there, and it sucked.
Sucking in a deep breath, the blonde takes a sip of water, before letting out a sigh. Her eyes squinted at the sun that shined from Jakku, ignoring the way the annoying sand crunched beneath her feet as she walked towards their destination. What was up with this damned world always sending her to planets filled with the one thing she despised most? It's like they wanted her to suffer.
It's not like I'm going to save the galaxy or anything. She sneered in her head, rolling her eyes at the thought. Shaking her head slightly, she snaps out of it and follows Ragwynd as he walks through a tunnel that lead to a cave. Apparently, an older man had something important and they were supposed to pick it up, no questions asked. Totally not weird.
Just as Carmen goes to take another step, her senses pick up on something around them and her right foot pauses in mid-air, eyes closing for a split second to concentrate. Lightsaber igniting with a snap, eyes flying open, she turns around, cutting the creature in half with a fluid motion.
This causes Ragwynd to turn around and start shooting whatever he could see through the darkness. He could make out shapes due to the green light coming from Carmen's lightsaber, which helped a lot, but there was still so many of them. Whatever the creatures were, they sure as hell didn't like them coming into their home, that's for sure.
"Go get the information from the man, I'll hold them off!" Carmen didn't give him a look, but with the way her shoulders were tensed up, he could tell she would yell at him more if he didn't comply, so he did.
After about two full minutes of the finishing off what was left, Carmen felt lightheaded. Trying to calm her racing heart from exploding out of her chest, she takes a seat on the ground, ignoring the sand so she could get back on track. Some of the creatures had nipped at her head, but that's not the only thing to cause her to feel this way. It had to be from the stress and lack of eating on their trip here.
Her eyes start to droop and she tries to fight the exhaustion off, but it doesn't work out in the end.
Anakin stared down at his beautiful fiancé, hand clutched inside her own as she slept peacefully in the med-bay. Two full days had passed since Carmen has been stuck inside the white walls again, and he was slowly starting to get worried. He knew letting her go out on her own without him was a bad idea.
The medical droid had explained that she wasn't eating properly and passed out from exhaustion, which led to her sleeping for as long as she has now. He should've known she'd be freaking out about a solo mission without himself or Obi-Wan.
Before he could try to talk her into waking up, Obi-Wan walked through the slide doors. "It seems the Chancellor has been captured by General Grievous. The council has tasked us with rescuing him."
"Really? Now? I can't just leave her here alone, Master." Anakin glanced at his brother, slightly hoping he'd understand.
Obi-Wan gave him a sympathetic look, "We mustn't waste any more time than we already have, Anakin. I'm sure if you comm Padmé, she'd come check on her between business meetings."
With a sigh, Anakin stands from the chair beside the bed and gives Carmen a kiss on her forehead. "I'll be back as quick as I can, my love. I hope you're awake by that time."
Carmen woke up with a cough, clutching at the pain from her head. Looking around, her eyebrows furrow in confusion at the fact that she was surrounded by a long, dark hallway. Trying to concentrate as hard as she could, she realized it was the Death Star. What!
She tries to stand on her two feet, but stumbles, until someone catches her. Fear ran through her body, scared to see the one who helped with not letting her stumble. Carmen finally finds the courage and her blue eyes clash with ones that looked exactly like her's.
Blinking to make sure she wasn't hallucinating, her mouth flies open in complete and utter shock, "Luke?"
"Hello, mother." Luke flashed his signature smile, light dimples showing, and eyes crinkling.
If he wasn't still currently holding her up, she probably would've fallen over dead. No, this couldn't be happening. "Wha-how?"
"Relax, mom." He helped her take a seat on the ground. "Take a deep breathe, in and out."
Doing as she's told, Carmen slowly nods, trying not to freak out worse than she already was. "What're you doing here?"
Luke took her hand, grabbing her attention from staring at the floor. "I'm here to show you something important that you don't know yet. It's very crucial information that'll help you take down Palpatine."
"This is all very confusing, but I'm just going to shut my trap and let you talk."
He let out a small giggle and nodded, "That would be best. Any questions you have, I'll answer afterwards. Are you ready for me to show you?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." She swallowed her spit, trying not to put all of her weight on the smaller boy as he helped her stand up. "I think I'm good to stand on my own now."
"Right." He leads her into the main part of the station, where Palpatine and someone hidden behind a black cloak stood, obviously discussing something. "What you're about to see is what could happen if you succeed in saving father without knowing of the secret Palpatine had."
Carmen didn't say anything, watching everything in front of her unfold. A shiver ran down her spine at staring at the back of whoever was the undercover Sith Lord. She gasped once they finally did, "Westin?"
The blonde forgot all about him. She hadn't had a real interaction since that run in at the library and it all clicked in her head. Why the man seemed to stare with his evil eyes, twinkling like he knew something she didn't. Three years had passed which could only mean he had been getting stronger.
"He's the back up incase Anakin doesn't fulfill the destiny Palpatine has set for him. I come from the reality of this future where the Skywalker siblings are the only hope to destroy the Empire." Luke looked up at his mother, due to him being a few inches shorter, to see the fear that passed across her face.
Carmen felt his hand slip into her's and she smiled gently at him, silently thanking the boy. "This is all crazy. Can you tell me more of this future just in case, or is this all I get to know?"
"I can tell you one more thing." He nodded, turning back to watch Westin, who went by a different name to him, commanded the stormtroopers with a new order. "You were the only Jedi besides Master Yoda to survive. Father and Obi-Wan died and you had to fake your death. Without you, us Skywalker children wouldn't have been raised together and grown up knowing the ways of the force. Because of your training our whole life's, it helped us prepare to end the Sith once and for all."
She felt the tears bottle in her eyes, but she tried not to let them fall.
"And even though we were raised by you and won in the end, saving us from this fate would be better."
"H-how are you here right now? This is all so confusing." Carmen muttered, knowing if she had a beard like Obi-Wan, she'd definitely be stroking it right now.
Luke glanced back at her, squeezing her hands so she wouldn't freak out about the next part. "Because, I'm currently growing inside of you as we speak."
"Really? It's too soon! I still have to help Anakin with Palpatine and now Westin too! How could I possibly do that whilst pregnant?"
"Just tell father early, so you can make the process speed up faster. But, make sure you do it slowly and help him understand why it was best to withhold this information from him."
She sighed, but nodded, a smile lighting up on her face. "You must take after me. You're too level headed to be your father."
"I know. You've told me before." He smiled lightly.
Carmen instantly pulled him into a hug, the side of her cheek pressing up against the top of his head. "Thank you for showing me this. I'll be extra careful now." She pulled away, brushing some of his dirty blonde hair out of his face. "I can't believe this is real. I'll try my hardest to make sure your father is in your life, alright."
"That would be wonderful." The place around them started to crumble. "I'll see you in about seven months. Make sure you take care of yourself, or I won't be there at all."
Laughing, Carmen gave him one last hug before waving goodbye, closing her eyes and being met with blinding white lights.