The wooden walkway is deserted now. The windows of the little huts glow and flicker from the fires inside including the distancing noise of the party behind him. The sounds of the forest fill the soft night air. Anakin finds the end of the walkway and stares up at the Death Star above him.
His head in his hands, his whole body broke out in goosebumps. Breathing was heard loud in his ears and his head felt strained.
"You again," Anakin said it aloud. They had never been more distant to each other but their bond to each other seemed to be growing.
"Who are you?" Even though it sounded faint, it sounded like she was at the other end of the walkway, not her scary voice, her voice, but he couldn't see her. He wanted to see her again so badly.
"I told you." Anakin clenched his jaw, frustrated. He felt a weight on his neck, "The necklace around your neck. It's from me."
"I'm not married. I was a Jedi, and a good one, I wouldn't have gotten married during that time." Majka said, rejecting, "My master told me you would do this. Tell me where you are."
"You're right. You were an amazing Jedi. You were an amazing woman, too. We used to stay up all night sneaking off and talking about all the things we would change. Laying in one of our rooms, hiding when someone knocked on the door. Running down hallways for just one moment to be alone with you. I should've seen it coming, we should've done something." Anakin pleaded his guilt again-
"SHUT UP." Majka broke up, her brain was so confused. She felt torn to shreds.
"No!" Anakin said a bit too loud.
"Anakin?" Luke was on the walkway, behind him was his sister, staring at him confused, "What's wrong?"
He waited for a second, wiping his brow. Realizing the connection had been lost, he turned around, "Come here."
"Do either of you remember anything about your mother?" Anakin asked and Luke shook his head. Anakin just wanted one piece of memory to hold onto before he could burst into grief again.
"Just a little bit." Leia revealed, the two boys looked at her, "Not much. I mean just images and feelings."
"Tell me." Anakin said, in desperate need of some kind of hope.
"She was very beautiful. Kind," Leia began, scrunching her brows, Anakin's eyes melted as he remembered what he longed for, "but...sad. So sad. I always had this dream of her holding me in her arms, holding onto my finger, I felt so small and confused, and she would just keep telling me she would make everything ok. Why?"
"I remember that, that was real." Anakin said, remembering the night everything ended. The last thing (Y/N) did was hold Leia, "Majka is here. Now. On this moon."
"How do you know?" Leia asked.
"I felt it too. Her presence. But I didn't know-" Luke began.
"Her presence, but it's more than that. Your mother and I loved each other very much, so much our powers created a force connection. I can talk to her without being in front of her." Anakin explained, "She doesn't remember who we are, but I've gotten through to her before. I can do it again."
"But I don't understand. If she doesn't remember us - how could she know we were here?" Leia asked.
"She can feel when we're near. That's why I have to go." Anakin looked past them acknowledging the group, standing tall, "As long as I stay, I'm endangering the group and our mission here."
"I'll go with you." Luke volunteered, "You shouldn't do this alone."
"No the both of you should leave this place immediately-" Leia spoke over him.
"No, I need you both to stay here. She can feel both of you, I don't have to remind you who your parents are. If I don't make it back, you two are the only hope for the Alliance." Anakin explained, "It's time I step up and do something I was supposed to do a long, long time ago."
"You're talking about returning balance to the force." Luke's eyes lit up. Anakin nodded.
"It's time." Anakin swallowed hard, straightening his back and holding onto the rails a little tighter.
"What if you go through all of this, go up to her and she doesn't remember you?" Leia asked. having her arms crossed.
"It's my only shot. If she doesn't I'll have to do then what I maybe should've done that first night-" Anakin began calmly.
"I don't like those odds." Leia cut him off, "No, I refuse to lose my adoptive parents, my entire planet, and my real parents too."
"I'm with Leia, too." Luke said.
"We've all lost a lot. I hate to say it but, welcome to being a Skywalker." Anakin felt smug in the worst way possible, "I have to do this before someone else loses their family like we did."
"What if you don't come back-" Leia asked,
"Hey, it's me." Anakin smiled, "I'm coming back. And you two are going to be ok, you'll continue the legacy. I'll live on."
The three of them shared a long look between them, Anakin hugged them both. He couldn't let go for a few moments, for a second he felt a wavering in his never-ending confidence. This was his last shot.
"Take care of each other." Anakin walked away.
~
Darth Majka walks, practically stomping, down the ramp of the shuttle onto the platform, into an elevator, and appears on a ramp on a lower level. She walks toward another ramp exit and is met by two troopers and an Empire commander with Anakin, in binders, at their center. The Jedi gazes at Majka with complete calm but faltering when he sees her eyes. The blankness in them besides the knowledge that there is a familiarity. That's all he needed.
"This is a Rebel that surrendered to us. Although he denies it, I believe there may be more of them, and I request permission to conduct a further search of the area." The commander extends his hand, revealing Anakin's lightsaber. "And he was armed only with this."
Majka looks at Luke, turns away and faces the commander, taking the lightsaber from the commander's hand. "Good work, Commander. Leave us. Conduct your search and bring his companions to me."
"Yes, my Lady." The officer and troops withdraw. Majka and Anakin are left standing alone in the oddly tranquil beauty of the place. The sounds of the forest fill their ears as their mouths stay knit shut. He could see her face again.
"The Emperor has been expecting you." Majka practically snarled, actually looking at him in person gave her some kind of feeling that was odd and yet so faintly familiar.
"I know." Anakin said. "Really, I've just been waiting for you two to find me. But I got tired of waiting, (Y/N)."
"That name no longer has any meaning to me." Majka felt disrespected and stopped their slow walk toward the elevator. Threatening him.
"It is the name of your true self. You've only forgotten. I know there is good in you." Anakin pleaded with his eyes, "I've seen it. I see it now. The Emperor hasn't driven it from you fully. That is why you couldn't destroy me. That's why you won't bring me to your Emperor now."
"What makes you so sure?" Majka ground her teeth.
"You're still wearing the necklace." Anakin stared down at the sliver of a piece of a chain hiding beneath her tunic. She tucks it in in embarrassment. She looks down from Anakin to the lightsaber in her own black-gloved hand.
"Indeed, you are powerful, as the Emperor has foreseen." Majka changed the subject.
"Always was a race between the two of us." Anakin leaned his back against the railing, "I'd find you in the training room, you got your Knight title sooner than I did because you were never as cocky as I was. And everyone was whispering because Mace was your master, that you must've pulled some strings. or that it was just because of the war, but they were never in the training room with you. And every time someone said something about you I always defended you, I almost punched-"
"Stop." Majka said. Remembering things was physically painful for her. They stand for a moment, then Majka extinguishes the lightsaber.
"Come back with me." Anakin begged, the only option left would be if he were on his knees.
"You don't know the power of the dark side. I must obey my master." Majka said, looking him right in the eyes.
"You must? Or you want to?" Anakin pointed out the difference in the words. She didn't respond to him, only grabbed his arm with the intention to pull him into the elevator without a word. When she touched him, electricity and tingling feeling came across her fingertips.
"I will not turn...and you'll be forced to kill me." Anakin reminded her, "Is that what you want to do? Do you want to kill me? Your husband?"
"If that is your destiny-" Majka began, rushing her words out of her mouth in a panic. She can't afford to think like this not again.
"Search your feelings, (Y/N)! You can't do this! I feel the conflict within you. Let go of your hate." Anakin kept saying what he could, "I know you, we don't have a force connection by accident, those don't just happen. I love you, I always have. We- we got married at sunset in Coruscant 21 years ago. You borrowed a dress from Padme and said it was the most beautiful thing you had ever worn, you said that Padme didn't want you to go through with a relationship with me and got scared and you left me the first time. That night was the worst night I'd ever gone through at the time. Eventually, after waiting again, we got married by a friend of your parents. The Jedi should've treated you better, and I was too selfish not to do it sooner and I'm sorry. Palpatine doesn't love you, he has you do his dirty work, and you're better than that." Anakin continued and continued the whole ride up. The whole time chest pains came into her heart. She felt his pain. She squeezed his arm and he took that as a cue to continue but she only looked at him deeply. Finally, something coming back in those eyes.
"It's too late." Majka said. She saw flashes of these incidents he described. But she couldn't figure out what was real or what was not.
"Please. Before this door opens, just look at me like you know who I am." Anakin begged for a chance.
"You're Anakin Skywalker. Son of a virgin mother and theorized to be the Chosen One by the Jedi to bring balance to the force." Majka shot back. But it wasn't what Anakin wanted, he didn't want her to read off his history page. He was at a loss for words. Holding her head back up high, she went with what her master told her. "The emperor will show you the true nature of the Force. He is your master now."
"If that's the case, then my love is truly dead."