◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈
◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈
A SMALL GROAN SLIPS FROM HER LIPS, back arching from soreness. Astrid felt as if her body had completely shut off and then started up again. Her head had a heartbeat of its own, the raging ache plaguing it making her bury her face into the silk pillow beneath her. Her mouth was dry and her throat irritated. Everything felt wrong.
Her mind was fuzzy, still too drowsy to piece together anything that had happened before she fell asleep. She could only think of how comfortable the bed was, how hot it was, and how much her body felt off. Perspiration built at her neck and just above her lips, it was too hot.
Twisting in the bed, she moves to lay on her back and discards the blanket from her body. A content sigh slips her lips as she feels the cool breeze of the air conditioning hit her. Though her eyes felt like bricks and refused to open, her mind slowly began to wake up and everything began to piece itself together.
The mission. Her crew. The Sith Lord.
Panic filled every pore of her body as her eyes shot open and her body jolted up. Her head spun from the sudden motion, her arms catching her from falling back on the mattress. As a sort of shield, though it wasn't a good one, she threw the comforter back over herself. Her chest rises and falls as the green of her eyes travel frantically over the room where she had rested. Deja vu crawled up her spine as she took in the terrifyingly similar room.
Underneath her were soft, black, satin sheets that were laid neatly over the large bed. Her lower body was covered with the black comforter, but underneath, her legs were bare of any pants–she only had on a white oversized t-shirt that fell to her thighs.
Someone had changed her clothing. A small shiver of fear curses her body as she suddenly feels exposed. She prayed that it wasn't the Sith Lord that had changed her clothes, but something had told her that no matter how much she wished it wasn't him, it was.
The bed was on a platform, which was also black. Everything in the room was black except the red lighting and her white shirt. Astrid stood out in the room because of it.
The red light made it harder to see deeper into the extremely large room, which meant if she wanted to see the room in its entirety, she'd have to walk around to see it. But the room was the least of her concerns. The large glass window spanned out from one end to the other. It had to be at least twenty feet wide and was held between two horizontal black slabs.
Outside, she could see an ashy atmosphere. Clouds of smoke and pockets of black ash tossed around in the air obscuring the view of the stars. Down below, on the land, a large river of lava flowed wildly and churned, throwing up some into the polluted air. The bright orange lighting up the planet.
She was on Mustafar. In the same room as one of her nightmares. In the same clothing.
All of her nightmares had proven to be true except for one thing. The mere thought of it alone had sent a frenzy of emotions through her head. It couldn't be true, Obi-Wan had told her himself that he'd died. He was dead, it couldn't be him.
Maya.
Astrid felt her fingers stiffen as she realized that all of her crew probably thought she was dead and would have to tell Maya. Her eyes began to burn as the unwanted tears began to rush to her ducts. She needed to get back to her, no matter what.
As she went to slip out of the silky covers, a small hiss filled the air followed by the opening and shutting of what Astrid assumed to be a large metal door. Every muscle of her body went rigid. Her stomach curled into itself with trepidation, fingers beginning to tremble.
He was here.
Her eyes moved to the side of the room, trying to find the man but it was too dark. There seemed to be no movement in the dark room, only the unbearable stillness. But she could feel him getting closer. His presence was overbearing, suffocating. Despite not being able to see him, he practically reeked of confidence and power.
And then it stopped. It was as if he'd just stopped moving. He was near, but not visible and the mere thought of him watching her without being able to see him herself sent goosebumps up her spine. Her eyes narrow as they travel along the blackness of the room straining to find even the slightest silhouette of his body.
Some sort of tension in the air made Astrid's heart lurch. She hated the overbearing silence. Astrid broke it with the most courage she could muster, "I know you're here."
She pauses for a moment as a slight chuckle fills the air. It was human this time. No device changing their voice, just their voice. But it was all too familiar. She could remember Anakin's laugh like it was her favorite song, and this was so familiar. And despite the sinister lurking in it, the chuckle brought her a bit of confidence.
"Please come out," Astrid asks, shuffling back to lean against the headboard. Her eyes quickly traveled over the expanse of the room again before she sighs in disappointment. But that was quickly taken back when her eyes moved to the bottom of the stairs.
Her eyes widened, her heart, thumping wildly. This wasn't happening, she thought, this is just another bad dream. But it was real, too real. Astrid felt her lip begin to quiver and her fingers tremble.
"No," Astrid shakes her head, eyes welling up with tears for what felt like the millionth time in the past few months. Her lips purse as the man slowly climbs up the stairs. She didn't have it in herself to move, it was as if she was cemented to the bed. Her voice wavered, "you're...you're dead."
"Who told you that, my beautiful flower?" Vader's voice was sickeningly sweet, head cocked slightly to the side. A small frown had made its way to his face as he grew closer and closer to Astrid. "Was it Obi-Wan? I told you, baby, he was trying to turn you against me. But you didn't listen."
Astrid felt like the air in her lungs had been knocked out. Her eyes sweep over her husband's beautiful face. A shadow fell on one side of it, the other illuminated by the red lights above. He looked the same as he did on Mustafar, terrifyingly gorgeous. Her mind begins to wrap around what was truly happening and in a small whisper, she gasps, "Anakin."
Vader fights the cringe that threatens to break out on his face as he hears the name Palpatine had so desperately tried to erase. The look on Astrid's face was one of betrayal—from him or Obi-Wan, he didn't know. Her lips were parted, eyes watery, and her chest heaving. A small frown tugs on his lips as he looks at her closer.
Her eye bags were very prominent against her complexion which was slightly paler than it used to be. Despite the muscles she had built from the training, Vader could tell she hadn't been eating as much as she should or drinking as much water as she should. She was hurting herself, and he'd make sure she'd stop.
"It was you, wasn't it?" Astrid's voice, despite her various emotions, was firm. She pushes herself to sit up straight. Her eyes narrow on Anakin in accusation as she continues, "you sent me the hands and were watching me that night. You..."
Astrid swallows the lump in her throat. She couldn't say it, but it only furthered the fact that he was indeed still deep in the water of the Dark Side—he had killed the man she had slept with. Her headache only grew as her brain was forced to process all of the questions she's had in the past two years.
"It was," Vader reaches the foot of the bed before crawling up to where Astrid sat against the headboard on the bed. For the first time, Astrid had gotten a good look at the man that was her husband. His face and the front of his body remained the same—sculpted by the Gods. However, there were scars on his body that weren't there before.
"You killed him because we had consensual sex?" Astrid presses herself as close to the headboard as she could. But he kept getting closer. Soon, his arms had caged her in, pressing into the pillow on either side of her. Her heart lunged against her ribs, eyes still glued to Vader.
"Consensual or not, he touched what was mine," Vader clicks his tongue to the roof of his mouth. He could feel the fear radiating off of Astrid as his face tilted closer, his nose brushing against hers. Without much thought and out of pure habit, Astrid's body relaxed.
"Why?" Astrid blurts out. She needed to know why he had turned to the Dark Side, what lies Palpatine had told him, why he didn't just talk to her. Seeing her once loving husband be so cruel and monstrous killed her. Deep down, she knew that there was still good in him.
Vader's brows furrow, "because he touched you—"
"No," Astrid shook her head. Hesitantly, she raised her hand towards his face, debating whether or not to touch Vader. Her self-control had been lost, her cold hands cupping Vader's warm face. Her thumb gently brushes against his cheekbone as her lips part once more. "Why'd you turn? Why didn't you just talk to me?"
"Baby," Vader frowns, face relaxing as he watches the tears in Astrid's eyes finally fall. The salty liquid stains her perfectly tan cheeks before being swept away by his fingers. The liquid tainted his skin, burning it with the realization of how deeply he had hurt her.
Her throat bobbed as she shook her head again. She couldn't bear the wait. Slowly, as time went on, the question chipped away her sleep. For herself, she needed him to respond. Her voice cracked as she spoke, "please just tell me."
"You were going to die," Vader opens up for the first time in years. It pained him to see Astrid so hurt and in pain. His voice was desperate as he explained, "I had to save you, and I knew you'd care more about the baby than yourself so I went to Palpatine for guidance."
"Palpatine?" Astrid mutters in disbelief, her palm slipping from his cheek to her lap. Vader catches her hand before it completely leaves his face, keeping it pressed to him. Her revelations, as she began to realize, had only created more agony. A small sob breaks her lips, "you went to that old hag for guidance? Why him? Why not Yoda or Obi-Wan? Maybe even Padme or Rex? Why not me?"
Her voice cracks at the last question, her hand trembling against his face. It was her mission during the last few weeks of her pregnancy to make sure that he would open up to her again as he did when she wasn't pregnant. It was like her pregnancy had made him sheltered like he was scared that even some bad news would hurt her.
"I..."
He was cut off by a comlink on the side of his bed. Both eyes shoot ever to the nightstand where he had gotten a call. But it was immediately accepted rather than him having a choice to answer or decline. Eyes flaring with panic, Vader's prosthetic palm presses lightly against Astrid's mouth, muffling any sound that came out of her mouth. The woman's eyes widened, her heart beating much faster than considered normal.
"My boy," a gruff voice echoes throughout the dimly lit room. Astrid felt a hot flare of anger swell at her chest as she recognized the person from anywhere. Palpatine.
Vader looks at Astrid with pleading eyes, begging her to stay quiet. He spoke in the firmest and most blank voice he could muster, which didn't mean much when he could feel Astrid's hurt, "Yes, my master."
"Did you catch the general as planned?" Palpatine spoke slowly, a light hint of accusation lacing his tongue. Astrid's body went rigid as Vader pushed himself closer to her, his eyes the brightest shade of yellow with red rims. His eyes flashed with warning as Palpatine continued. "Once we finally have her in our reach, we can use her to the Empire's advantage."
No, no, no, Astrid thought, her pleading eyes scanning over the expanse of Vader's newly emotionless face. It was scary how blank his face was, and the burning stare he poured into her didn't make it any less terrifying. Vader presses the palm harder against her mouth just enough to mute any noise and not hurt her.
"I..." He sighs, head dropping against Astrid's forehead and screwing his eyes shut. He couldn't give Astrid up to the Emperor, Force knows what the sadistic man would do to her. Voice laced in disappointment, Vader lies, "I'm afraid I didn't catch her. She slipped through my security."
"I expect you at my office tomorrow to receive your punishment, Lord Vader," Palpatine's voice was drenched with venom but Vader could care less. As long as Astrid was safe, he'd be okay with receiving the lashings that he would surely receive. The call ends and Vader's palm leaves Astrid's face.
"Punishment?" her eyes carefully examined Vader, but she couldn't read him. As much as she wanted to stay away from the Emperor, she didn't want Vader getting hurt because of her.
Vader's jaw clenches, his eyes glowing brighter. He was angry, so angry. But he'd be damned if he took it out on Astrid. With the lightest trace of his finger, he gently caresses her jaw and whispers, "go to sleep, angel."
"Don't...do...this," Astrid mutters, eyes drooping before slipping out of consciousness.
◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈
𝐨𝐡 𝐛𝐨𝐲, 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲...
𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲'𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠?
𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲'𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭!
◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈
◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈