Across the Stars [Star Wars|Anakin Skywalker]

72

One Month Later 

Natalia walked through the wheatmilk fields of Arafgon, her bare feet hitting the soil and pebbles below. She carried a basket of food she had collected from the fields as she walked into her small village. "Aunty Nata is back!" A couple of the village younglings cried excitedly, Natalia smiled at them and knelt down to their eye level, "Did you bring sweets?" One of the kids asked, Natalia laughed in response and she handed the kids some myila, she watched as they bit into the sweet fruit, "Thank you, aunty." They all said, Natalia smiled back at them and got up to bring the basket to her small home. After she left the Order she had been flying back to Naboo but her freighter broke down and crashed on the dirty planet of Arafgon, she wasn't sure if it was with the Republic or the Separatist Alliance. Natalia walked onto the main road, her feet hitting the muddy road as she walked to her house.

Natalia opened the door to her small wood and mud hut and she placed the basket down and walked over to the fire to check on the pot of soup. "Mommy! I'm home!" A little girl yelled from the doorway, Natalia had taken in a Force-sensitive girl named Mera after her parents were killed in a mining accident, she had vowed her life to protect her from harm. "Hello Mera, supper is almost ready, go bathe." Natalia told the little girl, she laughed as Natalia ruffled the girls hair, "Okay, I'll be right be right back, don't leave without me." Mera said to her, she always said that, she was scared Natalia was going to leave her like her parents did, and it made Natalia sad because one day she would have to go back to the Order, and she would not let the Jedi have Mera, she refused to let them do the same thing they did to her.

"Mommy!" Mera screamed from the other side of the room, "Coming!" Natalia shouted, she scrambled to Mera but nothing was wrong, Mera was just holding a butterfly. "It's beautiful, like you mommy!" Mera said with a huge smile, Natalia smiled back at her, "Are you done? Supper is ready and you don't want the wheatmilk to curdle." Natalia said as she grabbed a ratty old towel and dried Mera off, Mera grabbed a brown tunic and put her brown pants on, it resembled Jedi battle robes. "Okay, let's go." Natalia said while holding her hand, she led Mera to the eating table and she sat at her chair. Natalia grabbed the pot and an old wooden ladle and scooped some soup out of the pot, she put some in Mera's wooden bowl and put the small amount left in hers. "So, how was school?" Natalia asked Mera, "It was fun, the weirdest thing happened today." She said before shoveling a spoonful of soup into her mouth, "And what was that?" Natalia asked, "So this boy was trying to pull my hair and he was making fun of me for being adopted and something happened, I got angry and he flew into the air and he hit the wall. I don't know what happened." Mera explained, Natalia choked on her food and set her fork down, "Never let that happen again, do you hear me? Whatever you do make sure that doesn't happen anymore." Natalia said while pointing a finger, Mera looked frightened. "Is there something wrong with me?" Mera asked, Natalia shook her head, "People are scared of people like us, Mera, I know what happened back there, but you're not ready... I'm not ready." Natalia said while lowering her head, Mera looked concerned.

"Mommy, what's happening?" Mera asked again, "You're strong with the Force, Mera. You're meant to do great things and I'm holding you back, you're meant to be a Jedi Knight. Like me." Natalia told her, Mera raised her eyebrow in confusion, "You're not a Jedi, are you?" Mera asked, she was very wise for a seven-year-old girl, "I am, Mera. I was your age when I joined the Order, but I left and my status as a Jedi has been stripped." Natalia told her, Mera walked up to Natalia and put a hand on her shoulder, "I want to be like you, Momma." Mera said with a smile, Natalia returned the smile, "It's not easy, Mera. It's intense." Natalia told her, but Mera still wanted to do it, "Okay, we can go back, maybe then you'll meet my husband." Natalia said, "You have a husband? Who's your husband?" Mera asked, "His name's Anakin, and he's the sweetest boy ever." Natalia explained, Mera smiled and jumped up and down, "I want to meet him!" She said excitedly.

Natalia smiled at the young girls' enthusiasm, "You will meet him one day, he's going to love you." She said while ruffling Mera's hair, "You should get some rest, you have school tomorrow, and there's community prayer early in the morning." Natalia told her while she watched her walk into another room, Natalia walked over to the table and grabbed the two wooden bowls and used the tiny amount of water left in her metal canteen to wash them. Natalia looked over at Mera and saw her tucking herself under her itchy blanket on her thin wooden cot, Natalia never had the taste of poverty until she landed on Arafgon, a part of her wanted to change these people's lives, but she can't. Natalia set the bowls in the small wood cupboard and walked into the sleeping room, where Mera was already settled in, she climbed onto her small wood cot and lay down underneath the itchy blanket.

She fell asleep praying the Jedi Order will come find them.

A/N: Arafgon is a planet that's based off of the Force and their monarchs (Queen's, kings, etc.) are usually Force wielders and they hold prayers on the last work day of every week (Friday), because not every citizen is Force sensitive but they're members of the religion. (I created Arafgon so if you want to use it you need permission from ME and ONLY ME!)