Cure | Anakin Skywalker

chapter four

Tatooine is a dusty, barren planet. I drop low enough to the ground to be able to scan the area but all I see is sand-covered in the darkness of night. I flip the ship's tracking switch on, it's old but it should be able to pick Anakin up.

I don't yet know how I'm going to approach him or what I could possibly say that will get him to leave his mother behind in this place. I will have to help him do whatever it is he's planning if I'm going to convince him to come back to Naboo — two people working will definitely be faster than one. Once again, I think back to our last encounter and how upset he was. Who knows if he will even listen to me.

My scanner beeps loudly and a small blip appears on my screen. It's definitely him. He's moving fast enough for me to guess that he's on a speeder, only a few miles ahead of me. I increase my speed, hoping to cut him off before he gets into too much trouble.

I finally spot him, parking his speeder just a click away from what looks like a Tusken camp, and I land quickly before he can start tearing everything apart. When I finally reach him, he's hiding behind a rock, his lightsaber clutched tightly in his hand.

"Anakin," I say sternly. He doesn't turn around.

"I told you to leave me alone," He answers, eyes still focused on the camp ahead.

"I'm not going to let you run headfirst into a fight just because you're angry. Do you think your mother is there? How could you even know?"

He grips his saber even tighter. "You know, princess, I wouldn't expect you to get it since your parents died before you were old enough to form coherent memories, but I can feel her. She is here, I know it."

I glare at him. "Don't talk about my parents," I say coldly, "You were taken from your mother when you were just a kid, weren't you? I hate to be the bearer of bad news but your situation is no better than mine."

"Except my mom is alive," He snarls, spinning to face me. I step back in surprise. "That is what makes my situation better than yours. I am going to get her and take her home. What are you even doing here? Go back to Naboo."

This time it's my turn to raise my voice. "Are you kidding me, Anakin? I flew all the way out here to keep you out of trouble because we're supposed to be watching Senator Amidala. Because you are so childish that you decided to run off to another planet and pull a rescue mission that you don't even have permission for."

He shakes his head angrily. "Why do you care so much? I thought you'd taken it upon yourself to prove what a terrible Jedi I am. So go ahead, call the Council and tell them that I left my post." He walks towards me until we're nearly chest to chest, his face inching closer to mine. "Tell them how terrible I am."

I stare defiantly up at him, though our faces are millimeters apart. I can see the rage burning in his eyes, so cold it's hot, and I feel the heat radiating from his skin. But I will not cower away just because he's puffed his chest at me and thrown a fit.