The Tragic Jedi | Anakin Skywalker

𝓢𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓮 𝟖𝟓

❈✱❉✤❈✱❉

Astrid's head snapped up at the sound of a distant explosion. She felt the ship tremble slightly beneath her as she rested her hands on the edge of the metal bench within her new cell aboard Vader's personal ship. A kernel of hope blossomed within her, but she quickly stifled it so she wouldn't be too disappointed if this possible rescue-- if it was even that-- didn't amount to anything.

Another explosion rocked the ship, and Astrid rose tensely to her feet. She hated how secluded she was in this cell. She had no idea what was happening out there.

Astrid flinched as her cell door unexpectedly slid open, and her stomach gave a nervous flutter at the sight of Vader standing in the doorway. She searched through the Force for a sense of his feelings in an attempt to gauge whether the earlier explosions had been rebel activity or not. When she found his presence clouded with anger and annoyance, she knew the explosions had to be the rebels attacking the ship.

Her heart gave a leap of joy at the news. But her joy was quickly evaporated when Vader strode forward and, grabbing her arm, pulled her out of her cell.

"What were those explosions?" she demanded as she was tugged down the hallway that was now swarming with hurried stormtroopers hefting blaster guns. Astrid tried to wrest her arm from Darth Vader's tight grasp, but his grip was unyielding.

"Is it the rebels? Are they onboard the ship?" she pressed when he didn't respond, and he whirled towards her as he snapped, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

She stared at him, wide-eyed, unable to speak in her surprise at his harsh tone. He turned back around without another glance and resumed marching down the hallway. The stormtroopers parted around them like the two of them were contagious with an infectious disease, so the two of them moved quickly through the hallway despite the fact that the chaotic hallways were swarming with stormtroopers.

The ship shuddered violently beneath their feet as an explosion sounded, this time much closer to their location. Astrid nearly toppled over as she was caught off balance by the shuddering, but Vader's grip on her arm tightened, keeping her from face-planting on the floor. She heard a hiss as his crimson lightsaber ignited in his free hand at his side.

Suddenly, Darth Vader stopped, and Astrid nearly ran into him before she came to a stumbling halt. Tension lined his body as Darth Vader scanned the hallway in front of him-- a hallway abuzz with strangely less stormtroopers than the rest of the ship.

One of the stormtroopers began walking towards them from farther down the hallway, and Vader held up a hand as he ordered, "Stop!"

His command was a second too late.

The stormtrooper took one confused step forward, and suddenly the entire hallway burst into flame. Without hesitation, Darth Vader threw himself on top of Astrid and shoved her down onto the floor as debris and flame rained down all around them. Astrid grunted as she landed on the ground, and her head smacked against the black-tiled floor, sending stars exploding across her vision.

When the debris had settled, she lifted her head to see the entire hallway had been obliterated into smoking, charred rubble. The ceiling had caved in where the bomb had gone off, trapping her and Vader on the one side of the hallway. Astrid wondered what the point of all of these explosions were if the rebels were only hemming her into one part of the ship. It seemed like doing such a thing would make it difficult to get off of the ship since they were limiting the number of escape routes and exits.

Astrid blinked rapidly to clear the black dots spotting her vision as her surroundings came in and out of focus. She startled when she felt a hand grab her arm and haul her to her feet.