The Tragic Jedi | Anakin Skywalker

𝓢𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓮 𝟏𝟎

❝𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒔.❞ -- 𝑳𝒆𝒊𝒂 𝑶𝒓𝒈𝒂𝒏𝒂

❈✱❉✤❈✱❉

As Astrid leapt down to the soft, plush ground, the humidity hit her like a slap to her face. She let out a groan as she smacked a stray mosquito that had landed on her arm.

Anakin laughed from somewhere behind her, and he remarked, "Aren't you used to the heat, Astrid?"

Astrid tossed her eyes upwards and turned to face him as she replied, "No, even though I come from a tropical planet, the nine years I've spent on Coruscant have softened me."

Suddenly, a racket of robotic noises sounded from above them, and Astrid looked up to see Artoo flying from out of the ship. He was using some sort of thruster on the bottom of his treads. Astrid gapped at the droid as Artoo settled down beside Anakin with a small hoot.

So now the droid could fly.

Astrid's eyes rose to Anakin, and he replied with a smirk, "Just another addition I made."

Master Kenobi cleared his throat, and the two Padawans quickly diverted their gaze from each other and looked to Obi Wan Kenobi. The Jedi Master held up a commlink in his hand as he said, "According to Master Secura's last gathered coordinates, we should find the Separatist base somewhere to the south of here."

They nodded in tandem and the trio-- or more like quartet since Artoo was tagging along-- began moving south through the thick underbrush. Insects chirped and buzzed around them, and several times Astrid had to smack one off of one of her arms and face.

Thankfully, she wore trousers, so her legs were covered, although it did make her feel hotter. Soon enough she was drenched in sweat, and Astrid wished there was a cool spring she could jump into to cool off. She used to do that all the time in Scarif during the hot, tropical summers.

After half an hour of swatting through the underbrush, they heard the whining, high-pitch sounds of talking battle droids up ahead. Astrid quickly jumped into the air and swung herself up onto one of the leaf-tuffed branches of a nearby tree, while Master Kenobi, Anakin, and Artoo ducked into the thick underbrush.

A moment later, a group of six battle droids marched through where they had been standing seconds before. Each of the tan colored, skinny, almost twig-like battle droids held a blaster gun in the grips of their metal hands.

The presence of the battle droids confirmed they were headed in the right direction. The droids moved onwards, probably scouting the surrounding area, and Astrid swung back down onto the ground as the other three emerged from the underbrush.

"Well, at least we know we're headed in the right direction," Anakin remarked.

The four of them continued onwards on high alert, and finally, they reached a break in the trees. They fell to their stomachs before scooting up to the high ridge using their elbows and knees to get an overlook of the Separatist base below.

Astrid sucked in a breath at the sight. There was one massive, domed building, and scattered all around it in the surrounding cleared area in six squadrons of fifteen, were battle droids like the ones they had come across earlier.

"No doubt there are Droideka and MagnaGuards inside the base," Master Kenobi murmured from beside Astrid.

"Yeah," Anakin agreed from her other side, and Astrid was painfully aware of the fact that their shoulders were brushing.

Anakin continued, "If they were able to take down Master Secura--" He suddenly cut himself off before amending, "I mean, if they were able to capture Master Secura, then there has to be MagnaGuards inside."