anchor | anakin skywalker

four

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WORD COUNT: 3.6K

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~ 3 Years Later~

"BB-Eight I don't think that's such a smart idea, well, not as smart as you're claiming it to be," Colben said to her companion as she ducked around the corner, her lightsaber ignited in front of her, just in case there was an unsuspecting attack. 

The orange and white droid beeped again, but this time more slowly.

"I heard you the first time, I'm choosing to ignore your suggestion." BB8 beeped once more, and it caused the woman to gasp and look at him incredulously. "That's a rude thing to say about someone who constantly looks after you!"

She went back to sneaking up the hall before coming to a stop at the elevators. "You locate the Chancellor, send me the coordinates through coms," she said and waved her com around a little before tucking it back into her robes. Colben had gone on this mission solo, even though the clones in her division offered to come along with her for back up. 

Over the course of the Clone Wars, Colben had found herself in charge of the 44th Special Operations Division, a division that had previously been under Major Kendal Ozzel's command. Colben never questioned why the division had been passed to her, but she took the title of General, and the responsibility of the clone troopers, and ran with it. 

Pushing her hood back, Colben pressed the button on the elevator and waited, glancing down at BB8 once the doors finally slid open. "Be safe, okay?" She asked the small droid who beeped before speeding back the way they had come from.

Colben stepped into the empty elevator, closed the doors and hit the button to go up to the highest floor of Grievous' ship. A sudden feeling of familiarity settled in her stomach, like someone she had met previously was near, but she couldn't figure out who it was, it was too distant. 

She rode in silence for a few moments before the elevator came to a stop, long before it should have, resulting in her freezing in fright. As the doors opened, Colben pulled her lightsaber out and ignited it, holding it out in front of her, ready to attack, but she was only met with two people doing the exact same thing.

"General Kenobi? Anakin?" She asked in surprise and put her lightsaber away, her voice squeaking when she said the latter Jedi's name.

"Colben Rahl, what a pleasant surprise!" Obi-Wan said and greeted the woman with a hug as they both entered the elevator.

"Colben..." Anakin muttered, completely lost for words. It had been a little over three years since they had seen each other face-to-face. Of course they had spoken during the time of the Clone Wars but that was over holo-call, it wasn't the same. 

She looked at him and smiled widely, the longing feeling of warmth spreading through her cheeks as she did so. Colben didn't want to admit it, but she hadn't stopped thinking about the boy for three years. Every night, she dreamed of him, every day her thoughts would wander to him, putting her in many dangerous situations that could have been easily avoidable. And now, he was finally standing before her after so long. All the times she had rehearsed what she would say to him became an utter waste of time because now, she could only muster up one word, and it was only his name.

"Anakin," she said in somewhat relief, taking notice of the different features on his face. A scar ran from the top of his right eyebrow to the top of his cheek, and his hair was far more curlier and longer than it was before. It suited him far better, he looked more mature. Of course he would look more mature, he is older now, Colben thought and struggled to refrain herself from rolling her eyes.