The Tragic Jedi | Anakin Skywalker

𝓢𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓮 𝟕𝟎

❈✱❉✤❈✱❉

Astrid was awoken by the sound of a familiar, ecstatic beep, and her eyes flew open to find Artoo propelling towards her with both of his utility arms extended as if he might give her a hug. A wide grin spread across Astrid's face as she exclaimed, "Artoo!"

Anakin's faithful astromech settled to a stop beside her with another gleeful beep, and Astrid gave him a loving pat on his blue and white domed metal head. "Have you been with Obi-Wan this entire time since, well, since everything went downhill?" Astrid asked the astromech. "I haven't seen you around in a while."

Artoo gave a low beep that Astrid interpreted as a glum yes. Astrid had been trying to learn droid language sounds for a while now so she could better understand Artoo's beeping, but she wasn't quite as good as Anakin was-- or had been-- at interpreting Artoo's beeping.

So, when Artoo said something along the lines of, "I had to leave Master Anakin and go with Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan said I could help Master Anakin," Astrid's earlier excitement dimmed as it transformed into confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Astrid asked in a low voice, the crease between her brows deepening as her brow furrowed further.

Before Artoo could respond, Obi-Wan suddenly entered the room from the entrance tunnel, and he greeted, "Good morning. I had to run to the town to buy some more food supplies." He held up two sacks full of what Astrid supposed was food in his hands. "I figured I could try and make breakfast since we hardly ate last night."

Astrid nodded and forced a smile in answer to Obi-Wan's tentative smile. But the moment he brushed past her, her smile dropped as she glanced back at Artoo. "Um, Artoo was just telling me something quite, uh, interesting," Astrid began uncertainly as she watched Obi-Wan's back as he rummaged loudly through his various sized pots and pans.

"Hmm," Obi-Wan hummed absentmindedly, and Astrid took that as a signal to continue.

"Artoo said that he left Anakin to go with you, and that you said he could help Anakin if he went with you?" Astrid told him, a silent question in her voice. She thought over her words in her head and grimaced at how little sense they made.

There was a beat of silence, and then Obi-Wan replied with his back still turned towards her, "I believe you may have misinterpreted Artoo. I told him to come with me because there was no helping Anakin. He'd already been killed." He cleared his throat roughly before he added, "I didn't want Artoo to fall into the Empire's hands knowing the information he undoubtedly knows."

"Oh."

They descended into silence, and Astrid frowned at the tension she detected in the air. She raised a questioning eyebrow at Artoo, who simply folded his utility arms back into his domed body with a sad beep.

Astrid remained sitting on the ground beside Artoo in the living room as Obi-Wan made them breakfast in the circularly shaped kitchen area, the sound of cackling fire filling the silence. Astrid toyed with the japor snippet necklace with a hand, something she'd made a habit of doing when she felt uneasy.

A couple of minutes later, Obi-Wan sat down in front of her with two plates of what appeared to be some sort of... sausage?... and a cut up purple fruit. Astrid accepted the plate gratefully as her stomach growled quietly.

They ate in silence for the first minute before Obi-Wan asked between bites, "What are you planning to do next, Astrid?"

Astrid looked up at him from her plate in surprise, and she quickly swallowed the food in her mouth before she answered, "What do you mean?"