This story was originally a one-shot named 'That Shithole of a Planet' but it was removed because the title wasn't rated G. In my defense, I haven't read the New Story guidelines in seven years and it's my first infraction in those seven years since I started on this site, on any account of mine.
I must note that Anakin swears a bit more at this age than he does as an adult and a father, though I tamed it down a bit compared to the original version. The song used in this chapter (because I'm not original enough to write my own) is Coming Home (Part II) by Skylar Grey.
September 9th, Six years before Galactic Empire
Mia sat on the floor of the cargo hold of their rickety little ship, assigned to them for this mission, a book in her hand and her pack a makeshift pillow. It was something she'd found in the found box of the lost and found at the Jedi Temple, the old Jedi Master who handled it told her the book had been there for two years and that she could keep it. Now she was two hundred and fifty-seven pages in and she couldn't put it down.
"Hey Mia, we're exiting hyperspace in a few minutes, might want to strap yourself in," Anakin's voice crackled through the old in flight speaker, "Wouldn't want you to go flying."
The corner of her mouth twitched up at that, she wasn't even sure what about it she found funny other than Anakin might not mind all that badly to see her 'go flying' considering the argument they'd had this morning about what qualified as necessary on a mission. Apparently a second first-aid kit was unnecessary because all ships came with one. He also thought taking a book was pointless because they weren't there to teach literature. She supposed he thought it was funny in his head but when it came out his mouth all she wanted to do was smack him upside the head.
Standing, she picked up her pack—full of clothing, hygiene supplies and a first-aid kit—and walked up the narrow hallway into the cockpit, silently sliding into the chair behind Anakin, going completely unnoticed by the pilot and his useless 'I don't care for flying' copilot. She watched as Anakin pushed another button, the one she was pretty sure was for the intercom for the ship.
"Mia, are you strapped in yet?" He asked, probably thinking of the less comfortable, more unstable seats in the back of the ship she'd had the great misfortune of jumping into hyperspace in.
"Yeah, and it's so much comfier up than in coach," She joked, thoroughly enjoying the way they jumped at her voice.
"Force, how do you do that?" Anakin complained, "You're like a freaking cat!"
Obi-wan sighed, "I miss the days when she didn't know how loud she was being," He muttered.
"Consider it me making up for fifteen years of being sneaked up on," Mia told them dryly.
"Okay, we're exiting hyperspace," Anakin announced before turning to Obi-wan, "Is there any way to put a bell on her?"
Obi-wan tried not to smile because he was supposed to play the ever-weary Master role, constantly telling his Padawans not to bicker. "Not if you want all your limbs attached to all the right places."
Mia was just about to open her mouth to tell him which limbs she'd start with if he ever tried that when the ship jerked. It wasn't the typical turbulence that came with coming out of hyperspace because that felt more or less the same as Obi-wan flooring the breaks in a speeder when he couldn't make a light—Anakin would just run it. No, this felt much more like someone had pushed them all into a blender and turned it on crush.
Anakin let out a Huttese curse she only vaguely recognized, "We jumped out too close to the planet," He told them, pushing buttons and flipping switches, "We're coming in too hot."
The ship seemed to shake worse at just hearing that.
"We might have to make a crash landing," He told them matter-of-factly, maintaining calm despite the situation and the shakiness of the ship.
"Why does it seem like every landing with you is a crash landing?" Mia questioned sarcastically, her fingernails digging into the seat and toes curling in her boots.
"Because the Jedi like to buy cheap parts for their ships so they can buy more fountains for their meditation room," Anakin answered, sounding both annoyed and amused by it.
Mia rolled her eyes, about to open her mouth to shoot something back in their typical banter but then she saw the ground and how it seemed to be coming all too quickly. The ground seemed to level out but Mia held out no hope, something someone told her about it breeding eternal disappointment.
She couldn't decide which was worse, the fear of impact crawling up her throat—along with her breakfast—as they fell, or impact itself. If she asked Anakin, she was pretty sure he was going to tell her it depended on the impact. If she asked Obi-wan, he'd say it depended on our perspective of falling. Mia just thought they both sucked.
They found themselves hanging by their seatbelts, legs dangling down towards the windshield of the ship. Somehow they'd landed nose first and survived. Anakin looked around, first to Mia—which was difficult with the high back of the chair—then to Obi-wan. They both appeared to be alright. With that in mind, his racing heart calmed dramatically.
"Emergency hatch?" He suggested, thinking of the door thirty feet above their heads.
"I'll grab the emergency pack," Mia decided.
Something hit the back of his chair hard, and he was guessing it was a short fifteen year old girl with too many books and not enough pilot experience. Pressing his feet to the edge of the dashboard, Anakin released the safety straps. Standing slowly and a hand gripped on the arm of his chair at all times, he looked up to see that, not only did Mia have both her pack and the emergency pack strapped to her shoulders, she was also halfway up. She looked down at them from where she was, gripping a light cover and a door frame, both feet planted on the fire extinguisher case.
"Come on, it's not that hard," She assured them before continuing up.
He looked to Obi-wan, who seemed to find it no less hard than he did. "It's not hard," He muttered, purposely making his voice a little higher pitched and a bit whiney for good measure.
Something hit him in the head, probably something from the back of the ship that had been dislodged on impact. He looked down at the windshield of the ship, where he found the book he and Mia had been arguing about earlier that morning. He was suddenly really thankful it was paperback.
"I heard that," Mia called down to them, probably already opening the emergency hatch.
"For someone deaf, you do seem to have excellent hearing when it comes to people talking about you," Obi-wan mused, his tone light.
Mia just laughed. Sighing, Anakin started climbing, and he hated every moment of it, and of course Obi-wan went first so now he had the great view of his master's butt. What was worse was that, and he hated that he noticed at all, but Obi-wan's ass jiggled just a little with every step. He was sure Mia wouldn't ever stop laughing if he told her.
"Hey Master, might want to lay off the desserts for a while," Anakin muttered, more to himself than anything.
Obi-wan turned to looked at him, "What was that?" He inquired.
Anakin plastered a smile, "Nothing, just climb faster, I'm getting claustrophobic."
When he finally made it to the hatch, and he was very relieved to, he found Mia standing on the grass next to Obi-wan, looking very bored with waiting. Jumping, he fell through the air, softening his landing with the Force. Anakin looked around, surprised to find he'd landed the ship in a giant clearing surrounded by forest. Then he found the giant skid marks behind the ship from where it had dragged through the ground and the overly convenient giant rock formation that had stopped them from continuing their landing and slowly losing momentum. Instead, stuck and with lots of momentum to go on, they'd flipped and landed on the nose of the ship. But thank the Force that rock formation didn't get injured in all this.
Yeah, that wasn't sarcastic at all, Mia muttered through the training bond she and Anakin shared. He turned to her, looking entirely unapologetic about it.
"Okay, so, what now Master?" Mia inquired, looking ready to actually getting on with doing something.
"Anakin, try and see if you can get a distress signal going out to the Temple," Obi-wan started.
Force. "You couldn't have told me that when I was actually in the ship and capable of sending one out?" He demanded, "How the hell am I supposed to get back up?"
"You'll figure something out," Obi-wan answered, turning towards Mia, "Go over the supplies in that pack and take inventory. I'm going to take a look around."
Anakin watched with disbelief as Obi-wan walked away and Mia sat down, opening the pack.
"That's horrifically unfair," Anakin muttered, "You get to take inventory, Obi-wan gets to take a nice walk around, I have to climb forty-fifty feet into a hatch with the great pleasure of having to climb back."
"Don't be the only one who knows how to send out a distress signal, you won't have these problems," Mia fired back, sarcasm laced into her tone. She looked up at him sympathetically, "I could climb up and try and do it," She offered.
He shook his head, "No, I'll be fine," Anakin assured her, "It just doesn't feel like a proper mission if I don't complain about something."
Mia chuckled, shaking her head in agreement.
Reaching out with the Force, Anakin jumped through the air, gripping hold of the hatch before pulling himself up. Looking down, Anakin decided that just jumping down would save him a bit of time. It ended up being a terrible idea that ended up with quite a few well forming bruises he would have the great pleasure of finding later. It also turned up that the entire system was fried, all of it. With a groan, Anakin started dismantling the dashboard, figuring that if he couldn't send a distress signal then he'd just build one. Ripping out anything that looked even remotely useful and wasn't blown to bits, Anakin climbed back up, figuring it was best to work on it all outside the ship instead of climbing in and out every time. Just as he was starting to climb back up he heard a throaty, guttural groan of frustration that he only ever heard come from Mia.
That bad I take it, Anakin sent through the training bond.
It wouldn't be so bad if there was just one person, Mia decided, sounding strangely calm about it considering the sound he heard a moment ago. It's that we're three, not one.
Sighing, Anakin looked up at what would be another unpleasant climb. Reaching for the book Mia had thrown at him—he should really leave it, would serve her right for throwing it at him—he picked it up and started climbing.
He found her setting up a tent fifty feet away from the ship, a very small pile of supplies next to her. Jumping down, he walked up towards her. She turned as she sensed him behind her, her eyes widening with surprise when he handed her the book.
"Thank you," She murmured before turning to their meager supplies, "So, want the bad news or the good news?"
"There's good news?" He questioned skeptically.
Mia sighed, "The bad news is that we have enough food and supplies for one person," She told him, "The good news is that, according to Obi-wan, there's a stream of fresh water nearby and that he thinks there's some edible plants nearby."
Anakin nodded, "Well, do you want my news?" He asked her.
She bite her lip before sighing and nodding.
"Well, the bad news is that the ship's too fried to send out a distress signal," Anakin explained before moving onto the good news, saying it in a fake cheery voice that was so sweet it sounded sarcastic, "The good news is that I have plenty of scraps to build my own, it'll just take me a few days."
Mia nodded, "Let's just hope the food lasts us that long," She muttered.
Anakin sighed before remembering something, a mischievous grin breaking out onto his face.
"What?" She asked, a smile slipping onto her face as well.
"You're going to get a crack up at this," Anakin told her, "I had to climb up after Obi-wan and the entire time I was in there I was basically forced to look at his ass."
Mia started chuckling at that.
"And, I hate that I noticed but I kind of couldn't help it," He told her, trying really hard not to laugh, "But Obi-wan's butt kind of jiggled with every step, and I kind of muttered that he should lay off the desserts."
Mia burst out laughing, her laughter so infectious Anakin joined in with her.
Obi-wan walked towards the clearing, his eyebrows furrowing as he heard both his Padawans laughing hysterically. As they came in view he noticed Mia hunched over, laughing as she tried to control herself. Anakin had his head tilted back, his laugh rumbling through the clearing.
"What's so funny?" He questioned.
They suddenly stopped, their laughter silenced, and looked at him for a long moment before Mia snorted in the most undignified of manners and dissolved into laughter again, Anakin quickly joining her. He walked towards them, his curiosity rising higher and higher as they seemed incapable of stopping.
"No, seriously, we've crash-landed and all you can think to do is joke around," Obi-wan scolded them, "So what's this joke you two find so funny."
Mia sobered up enough to tell him, "You really wouldn't like it Master, just one of Anakin's dirty jokes," She explained, "It's so bad it would make you blush."
Anakin tried to stop laughing, gripping his chest as he tried to breathe again, "It's pretty bad," He insisted.
Obi-wan nodding, figuring that if even Anakin thought it was bad then it was really best to not hear it. "Very well, Anakin, I assume you've sent out a distress signal."
Anakin sighed, shaking his head, "System's too fried, I've got to make one myself," He answered, "If I'm lucky I'll have it done by tomorrow but I really doubt it."
He sighed, "Okay, get on that," He told the boy before turning to Mia, "You've got a better working knowledge of foraging than I do so see what you can find. I'll gather the necessary things for a camp fire."
Anakin looked up with a raise eyebrow, "Did the emergency pack even come with matches?" He questioned dubiously.
"It did," Mia answered, looking relieved at that, "No kindle but dried leaves will do."
For dinner they chewed on tough, bland ration bars and berries, sitting around the campfire as they told stories. Obi-wan's stories were mostly about experiences he had, mostly missions Mia and Anakin had never been on. Mia's stories were usually based off books she'd read before but the way she told them was captivating. Anakin told scary stories, which sometimes had Mia and Obi-wan on edge and sometimes made them laugh because it came across as corny. After they ate Mia gave the boys the tent and took their only sleeping bag. From where she sat, unrolling it out, she could Obi-wan and Anakin complaining about how cramped the tent was.
"It was made for one person," She reminded them before adding with a smirk, "Who knows, maybe you can cuddle."
Anakin groaned, "Very funny Mia," He muttered.
"I don't know, wouldn't be so bad," Obi-wan replied, sounding almost serious for a moment, trying to get a rise out of his young Padawan for a moment.
"Uh, no, I think I'll pass," Anakin grumbled.
Mia shook her head in amusement before turning and putting the fire out the way Obi-wan told her to, by smothering it out with dirt instead of water. He wanted them to preserve water despite the fact they had a nearby stream. With the fire out, she crawled into the sleeping bag, hoping it wouldn't be too cold that night.
September 10th, Six years before Galactic Empire
Anakin woke up to a burning sensation on his back and the smell of smoke. Opening his eyes, he realized the tent had caught fire. Kicking Obi-wan awake, he shouted for him to get out of the tent. They scrambled to get out and, as soon as Anakin was out of the tent, he dropped and rolled to put out the flames. The more he rolled though, the more his back seemed to burn. Stopping, he just laid on his stomach, knowing the flames were put out and that that wasn't why his back burned so much. Mia was at his side in an instant. He felt her cut off the back of his tunic to examine him, just seeing the way the fabric was burnt gave him an idea of what the damage was.
"How bad is it?" Anakin asked anyway.
"It's," Mia trailed off, "Pretty bad."
"I'm going to have to clean it," Mia warned him, "And that's going to hurt, a lot."
Anakin groaned, "Do what you have to do," He told her, gritting his teeth as he waited.
He'd never experienced a pain like this. When he was a slave he was used to being whipped, usually on his back, but those were paper cuts compared to this. For a few minutes he just watched Obi-wan put out the tent but, after that he closed his eyes and waited it out, trying not to make too much noise as pain radiated through his body. Finally it stopped.
"Okay, this part will be much easier," Mia assured him, "I've got burn cream."
He turned and saw two things in her hands, one small and closely resembling a tube of toothpaste and the other a jar. Taking the tube, Mia squeezed as much into it as she could before spreading it on his back. It was soothing, to say the least. It still hurt like hell but it didn't feel nearly as bad as before.
"I'm never complaining about you bringing a second first aid kit again," Anakin mumbled.
Mia would have laughed if the situation weren't so bad. Instead she bandaged up the burn and gave Anakin one of his other tunics to change into, the old one completely destroyed. She gave him some basic painkillers that wouldn't knock the pain out if he took the whole bottle. But it was the best they could do at the moment.
"It's almost morning," Mia told him, "When I was foraging I found some herbs good for helping with pain, when it's light again I'll go and find them."
Anakin nodded and moved to lay on his stomach again, trying not to wince to badly as his back burned with the slightest movement.
Obi-wan sat with Anakin as Mia went looking for herbs, not knowing what to do. Logically they should wait for help but Anakin was in no shape to build a distress signal, let alone wait for one. Even with both the first aid kits they wouldn't last long. Mia had used up almost all of the burn cream from the emergency pack when she working on Anakin and, according to her, it was supposed to be applied regularly. Their second option wasn't much better, they could go and find the settlement. If Obi-wan's memory of the map of the planet and the area around it was correct then the nearby stream lead to a river and if they found the river all they had to do was go north.
But was Anakin in any shape to walk.
Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he watched as Mia walked towards them with an armful of picked plants, looking pleased with what she'd found.
"Okay, I found two for pain," She told them as she sat down, spreading the herbs apart and organizing them, "This one you grind up and mix with water to make a more-or-less cream and that one you have to chew. I also found one for infection."
Taking a small handful of leaves from one, she handed it to Anakin, "Chew this."
Anakin looked at her thoughtfully as he took it, "How do you know all this?" He asked before putting the leaves in his mouth and chewing.
"When Master Greyback gave me the basic medical training he also taught me about different herbs for healing and what they looked like and what kind of climates they grew on," Mia explained, "Even gave me a reference book."
Anakin thought she was a little too enthusiastic about learning about plants but he really couldn't bring himself to tease her about it like he normally would because the pain was fading more and more as he continued chewing.
"How are you feeling?" Mia inquired hopefully.
"Better, hurts like a bitch but it's manageable," He answered.
Obi-wan shook his head at Anakin's swearing but didn't comment considering the situation.
"We should get moving, we need to reach the village," Obi-wan spoke up.
Mia's eyebrows furrowed and she looked at him like he'd lost it, "Why?" She questioned.
"Anakin's hurt and we need to get him to a healer," Obi-wan explained, "If we follow the stream to the river, we can go north from there and reach the village in two days."
"That's a terrible idea," Mia told him bluntly, "We should stay here, build a distress signal and wait for help."
"Mia, it will take at least another day for the distress signal to be built and even then, who knows how long we'll have to wait before help comes," Obi-wan argued, "Our supplies are too limited to wait that long for help."
Mia crossed her arms stubbornly, "So you want to make Anakin walk for two days, he's hurt Obi-wan," She reminded him.
"Don't I get a say in this?" Anakin spoke up.
They turned to him as if they had just remembered he was there, "Of course," Mia told him softly.
"I think Obi-wan's right," Anakin told them, "It'll take just as much time to build the distress signal as it will to walk to the village."
Sighing, Mia nodded, "Alright," She murmured, "I'll pack up the herbs. Obi-wan, you take care of the food."
After packing up they started walking in the direction of the stream, going up-stream to reach the river. The longer Anakin walked the more pain he felt. Finally Mia took notice and stopped them long enough to make him chew more of the pain relieving herb, telling them she'd change his bandages when it was nighttime. As the sun neared the horizon they looked for shelter.
They found a nice cave. And by nice cave Anakin meant that it dripped, it was cold and it smelled like death but it was a nice cave.
"You seem to get more sarcastic the longer we're here," Mia muttered as she walked in, carrying both her pack and Anakin's.
"It's the best we can do," He reminded himself, "Considering our tent is still in the clearing, in ashes." The last two words dripped with annoyance and sarcasm.
Mia smiled as she dropped the pack, "Okay, I'm going to change your bandages and now we can apply the topical herb as well."
Nodding, Anakin took off his tunic got down on his stomach, the position becoming more and more familiar. He found that the floor of the cave was unforgivably cold and uncomfortable. Watching as Mia took the emergency pack, pulling out the first aid kits and the herbs, he closed his eyes. She made him chew more of the painkilling herb before removing the bandages, which hurt. The pain of the burn was soothed as she gently rubbed the burn cream and ground up herb salve on his back before applying fresh bandages. Sitting up again, Anakin turned and watched Obi-wan as he made a fire.
Dinner consisted of the last of their ration bars, more berries and, for Anakin, broth made of the herb that fought infection. After all that Anakin found he was still very hungry but he didn't voice that, knowing they didn't have much in the way of food.
Mia let Obi-wan keep his cloak and Anakin's to keep warm as he slept and gave Anakin the sleeping bag, assuring them that her cloak would be enough to keep her warm. Obi-wan was out like a light but Anakin and Mia were up for some time more, both unable to sleep. The cave was dark but Anakin could see Mia was shivering from the cold.
"Mia," He sighed, "There's enough room in this sleeping bag for two."
"I'm okay," She replied, almost automatically.
He shook his head, "I don't mind," He assured her, "The extra body heat would be nice too."
Getting up, Mia walked towards him and unzipped the sleeping bag enough to worm herself in before zipping it up again. Shifting slowly, she faced Anakin, just barely able to make out his features in the dark. He wound his arms around her, pulling her closer.
Anakin just held her for a while, enjoying every moment of it. She was warm and her head fit perfectly under his chin. Not sure what made him do it, Anakin titled his head down and pressed a kiss to Mia's lips. At first she froze in shock but to his great surprise she returned it after a moment. It was innocent and soft and it was enough to lull them into sleep peacefully.
September 11th, Six years before Galactic Empire
Obi-wan groaned as he woke up on the rather cold and hard cave floor, his back protesting rather loudly. Untangling himself from the two cloaks that hadn't really been all that warm he looked around, noticing the pitter-patter of rain and the way puddles formed on the crevices of the cave. Then he spotted his Padawans, curled up in a sleeping bag to keep warm. He wasn't sure what to make of that. Logically it could just be so they could stay warm through the night but he couldn't ignore the way Anakin had his face buried in Mia's hair and the way they were both smiling contently in sleep. Pushing those thoughts aside, he focused more on the rain and what they were going to do. It wouldn't do any good for Anakin to walk for miles in the rain, wouldn't be good for any of them. They could just wait it out but who knew how long it would last.
Or how long their food and bandages for Anakin would last for that matter.
There was a soft groan, making Obi-wan turn his attention back to Anakin who was starting to shift in the sleeping back, making Mia stir as well. He watched as Anakin and Mia opened their eyes slowly, looking at each other before blushing.
"Your back hurts again, doesn't it," Mia murmured, completely unaware Obi-wan was watching.
Nodding, Anakin watched her unzip the sleeping bag and get out. Then he noticed Obi-wan watching them and gave him a pointed look not to bring it up. In response he held his hands up in defeat, it wasn't an argument he was about to get into considering the current state of his Padawan. Mia returned moments later with the first aid kits, bandages and the herbs.
"I'll need to go find more," Mia murmured as she helped Anakin take his tunic off, a situation that would have them both blushing if the situation wasn't so serious. She tossed an annoyed look at the rain, finding it entirely unnecessary and completely inconvenient. "I don't relish the idea of going out in that," She muttered before turning her attention back to Anakin.
Removing the bandages, she cleaned away the withered herb-paste she'd put on the night before to see the state of the burn. It spanned from his shoulder blades to reach the small of his back. It was red and angry and there were blisters forming. Obi-wan frowned when he saw it, his anxiety increasing.
They didn't notice Anakin close his eyes at their silence, knowing it must be bad.
Applying what little of the burn cream they had left, Mia ground down the pain killing herb and placed that on top, being careful to be gentle. She casted a sad glance at the last of the bandages, knowing they wouldn't have any left after this. Placing them on with care she sat back and told Anakin he could sit up again.
She helped him get his shirt on, knowing it would be a few more minutes before the herb took its complete effect.
Anakin turned to Obi-wan, "So what are we going to do about the rain?" He questioned.
"You can't go out in that, an infection on top of this won't help," Obi-wan stated, "We'll have to wait it out."
"You could go out alone," Mia suggested, "Get help."
Obi-wan thought on it for a moment, "That would mean leaving you two alone," He reminded them, "Even then, when I found the village we couldn't come to you until after the rain."
Mia sighed, shaking her head at the situation. Standing, she reached for her cloak and pulled it on, "I'm going foraging," She muttered as she passed Obi-wan before climbing up the slippery slope out of the cave and until the torrential rain.
Anakin and Obi-wan sat in silence for several hours, some of which Anakin spent on his side with his eyes closed as his thoughts drifted away from him. Obi-wan's thoughts circled aimlessly over their chances of survival on this Force-forsaken planet. After a while they both began to wonder what the hell was taking Mia so long to get back.
Suddenly Mia slid down the slope of the cave like she was gliding before coming to a stop and pulling a stuffed canvas bag out from under her cloak. Obi-wan and Anakin sat up in surprise at her sudden appearance. Pulling off her soaked cloak, Mia walked straight towards her pack, lying next to the sleeping bag.
"I am so ready to get out of these wet clothes," Mia muttered as she pulled out a set of clean, dry clothes out.
Turning away, both Obi-wan and Anakin covered their eyes, giving her the privacy to change until she gave them the all clear. Opening their eyes again, they watched as Mia sat down in front of the bag of Force-knew what.
"I got more of those three herbs, found some berries," She turned to look at them, "How do you feel about tree bark for dinner?"
She found their faces were priceless, especially when Anakin stuck his tongue out in disgust, "Relax, I wasn't being serious," Mia reassured them, laughing, "Though I did find some tasty looking bugs."
Anakin threw a shoe in her general direction, it hit her shoulder before tail-spinning away. Rolling her eyes, Mia huffed in annoyance. She didn't give him the satisfaction of knowing it actually hurt a little, though.
The rest of the day passed at an agonizing pace. The rain seemed to show no sign of ever stopping and they were running out of things to keep themselves entertained. They tried telling stories but most of the good ones had been told more than once before—Mia and Anakin could recite one of Obi-wan's stories by heart.
"What about the time I was on Von-Ish?" Obi-wan suggested.
Mia groaned and Anakin rolled over.
"Master Qui-gon and I were assigned a diplomatic assignment," Anakin started as he stared at the cave wall, mimicking Obi-wan's accent with near perfection, "I was about your age then and at the time nothing sounded worse than another diplomatic assignment and,"
"Alright, I get your point," Obi-wan huffed, put out, "I just thought it was a good story."
Mia looked up at him and, noticing his crestfallen look, she spoke up, "Oh it was Master, it was very interested," She assured him before adding, "The first time I heard it, and then the second or third was nice, and the next few times it was alright," She trailed off, feeling she'd made her point.
They lapsed into a silence that mostly consisted of Obi-wan just thinking, Mia laying on her back and craning her neck to watch the rain and Anakin staring at the oh-so-interesting cave wall.
"Okay, I think you've made your point," Mia spoke up after the seventh or so sarcastic mental comment on the crappy planet, sitting up, "This place sucks and we all really want to go home."
Anakin smirked, "And I was just about to go into how lovely this rain was," He teased her.
Sighing, Mia fell back on her back, staring at the ceiling of the cave, "Honestly, screw the mission, I just want to go home," Mia mumbled, "We're in such sorry shape it's not as though we'd do any good here."
"A-men," Anakin sighed, exasperated with the entire mission.
With a sudden idea, Mia sat up and walked towards her pack, just now remembering the book she'd brought with them. Then her face fell when she realized the pack was wet—likely from to multiple leaks in the cave—and picked it up immediately. Digging through it, she pulled out the book.
"Oh come on!" She complained, "That's just not fair!"
Anakin and Obi-wan looked up at her, confused. Turning around, she presented her soaked book and its blurred pages. Dropping it next to her pack on one of the few dry spots of the cave, Mia sat back down.
"I hate this crappy planet," Mia mumbled, crossing her arms as she walked back to her spot, wishing the rain would just stop.
A while later the sky started to darken until the cave was almost pitch-black. Obi-wan got a fire going to try and keep them warm. They huddled together, plotting all the things they would do when they got home, just to keep their mind off the miserableness of the situation. Though, no matter how close Anakin was to the fire he just felt cold. It wasn't until Mia actually looked at him for a moment that she even noticed it. She pressed the back of her hand to Anakin's cheek, cold dread filling her when it felt warm, far too warm.
"Anakin, I need to check your bandages," She told him before standing suddenly and walking towards where she'd placed the first aid kits and their supply of herbs.
Complying, Anakin went through the terrible motions of removing his shirt even though he felt like he was freezing to death. Mia came back in an instant and carefully removed the bandages, biting back a gasp at the red tinge that colored the healthy skin bordering the burn. The burn looked angrier than before. She wanted to cry. It was infected and not for a lack of trying to keep it clean. The rain and the cold and laying on the dirty cave all day had helped kick start an infection they'd been trying to prevent.
"We don't have any more of that burn cream," Anakin murmured, "And we're out of bandages."
Mia couldn't bring herself to respond, Obi-wan looked like he couldn't breathe. Sniffling, Mia reached for the small jar that she'd kept her burn cream in, it now housed as much of that topical painkiller she could make at a time. As Mia carefully applied it she decided another trip out was in order, but farther and more thorough, she could find something that would help. Obi-wan tore up an under-tunic to substitute for bandages and gave the strips to Mia, silently giving her a look that said to do whatever she had to do to keep him alive.
After bandaging him up, Mia had Obi-wan make some more broth from last night, hoping that would help with the infection. She'd get as much of that as she could into him, it could at least help. After putting his shirt back on, Anakin moved to get into the sleeping bag but Mia stopped him.
"I know you're freezing but the best thing for the fever is to cool down," She told him, "Just relax, alright?"
Stilling, Anakin sighed temperamentally and laid down on top of the sleeping bag, shifting onto his stomach to avoid making his back hurt. The weight of the situation was making itself known and Anakin's chest felt heavy and he felt like just telling Mia to leave him alone for a while. He'd felt like that for the last hour or so. It wasn't until Mia pressed her hand to his forehead that he understood what that feeling was. Depression.
Mia and Obi-wan were sitting next to the fire and, while he couldn't see it, he was pretty sure they were looking at him. He shivered, wishing Mia would just let him get warm.
"Okay, broth's done," Mia spoke up, pouring it into one of the ration containers that had acted as bowls for them since the first night.
Sitting up slowly, he took it from her hands and looked down at the green tinted liquid in the ration container. The bitter broth made him long for those cool nights on Tatooine when his mom made soup with some of their leftover meat. The soup was warm though, making heat spread through his chest. Closing his eyes, he took another sip, wondering how much this would really help. Finished with the last of the broth, he handed Mia the ration container and moved to lay on his stomach again. Closing his eyes, he wished for some decent sleep and longed for his warm bed at the Jedi Temple, with five or six different blankets. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this miserable, it had to be back during the years on Tatooine.
"Anakin, hey Anakin, wake up," He heard Mia's voice.
Opening his eyes, Anakin looked up at her, beyond exhausted. It took a moment to realize he'd been asleep, "How long have I been out?" He questioned.
"About an hour," She told him, smiling apologetically, "I just wanted to get you to drink more of that broth."
Nodding slowly, he sat up and took the ration container from her hands, hot broth sloshing inside. She sat down next to him, crossing her legs as she pulled her long braid over her shoulder.
"How're you feeling?" Mia asked him as he was taking his first sip.
"Cold," He mumbled before taking another.
Reaching out, Mia pressed the back of her hand to his face, keeping her face neutral as she assessed the seriousness of his fever. She clearly didn't realize that by keeping a neutral face she was telling Anakin just how bad it was. Sighing, Anakin took another sip, figuring he'd ask for a second bowl of this bitter crap straight away instead of waiting for Mia to decide he needed another. He was also thoroughly enjoying the fact that it made him feel a lot less cold.
"Can I have another bowl?" He requested after he'd finished.
Mia's eyes widened with surprise. She was used to Anakin being difficult to deal with—at best—when he was sick. If he was being cooperative that must be bad. Looking away from Anakin, Obi-wan took the rest of their water supply, poured it into the saucepan and held it over the fire—at least their sparse, at best, emergency pack came with something to cook food in.
After the broth was made Anakin drank it in silence, noticing that Obi-wan had to leave to refill their current supply of water. After drinking it all he laid back down again on his side facing Mia. He took a moment to observe her as she looked out the opening of the cave, probably searching for any sign of Obi-wan. The slowly dying fire illuminated her face just enough that he could tell just how worried she was. Maybe she wasn't looking for any sign of Obi-wan, maybe she was just looking for any sign that the rain might be clearing up. Anakin also noticed the way she was shivering slightly.
"Come here," He spoke up, opening his arms up invitingly.
She looked at him for a moment like he'd lost it but then smiled softly and laid down on her side, facing him, her head propped up by her hand.
He opened his mouth to say something, not entirely sure what he'd say, but was interrupted as Obi-wan walked into the cave. He slipped and fell backwards, landing on his butt and Anakin found himself wishing he had a camera to save that moment, the look of surprise on his master's face. He and Mia would just have to remember that face.
"I got the water and while I was out I noticed a snare left by a hunter, we're likely not too far from some form of civilization," He told them, smiling.
Mia snorted indignantly at that and looked away. She didn't call villages where men beat and killed their wife and got away with it civilized. Anakin couldn't help but smirk at her.
"Personally, I'm exhausted," Obi-wan mentioned as he walked towards the sleeping bag and picked up the two cloaks he'd been using the night before, trying to suppress a cringe as he found a few damp spots.
"You're exhausted after a day of sitting in a cave doing nothing?" Anakin complained before shaking his head, "Master, you are getting out of shape."
Mia choked on laughter at that.
Obi-wan looked irked at that, "I am not getting out of shape," He insisted indignantly.
Anakin opened his mouth to retort with the jiggling-ass thing he'd noticed two days ago but a warning look from Mia told him it was best not to.
"No, you're just putting on your winter weight to keep warm," Anakin responded, layers of sarcasm hidden under a tone of condescension.
"Oh, and Mia hasn't kicked you ass in your last three sparring sessions," Obi-wan pointed out, looking more than irritated.
Anakin shrugged, "Too be fair, I've beaten you the last two times we've sparred," He replied, unoffended.
"Girls, girls, you're both pretty," Mia piped up, giving them both a look to knock it off.
Huffing, Obi-wan situated himself in the cloaks, putting the first on backwards before putting the second on the right way so it covered both sides of him. Settling down on the damp floor of the cave, he closed his eyes, thinking sleep would come easy.
Anakin looked over at Mia for a moment, highly aware of the fact that she was so close he could feel her breath tickling his neck and that if he let out a big enough breath he could move a strand of hair. Her eyes snapped up to him like she was distinctly aware of this as well. For a moment they just sat there, blue meeting grey as they thought of all the things they wanted to say but couldn't. Finally Mia looked down, unable to keep his gaze. Sighing softly, Anakin closed his eyes and relaxed, praying that sleep came easily.
Mia couldn't sleep, so she settled for watching Anakin as he slept for a while before sitting up and approaching the fire. They didn't have much firewood left so she'd make as much of that broth now as she could. Pouring more water into the saucepan, she held it over the water, needing the constant concentration of holding it still to occupy her mind from the darker thoughts that seemed to be circling around her like vultures. When the water started boiling she put the herbs in, letting it sit for a while longer until she was satisfied the broth was strong enough. Pouring it into the ration container, she slowly walked to where Anakin was laying down, on top of the sleeping bag.
"Anakin, wake up," She requested as she gently shook his shoulder.
"Huh, wha?" He slurred as he opened his eyes slowly, looking very confused.
Mia bit her lip to keep from crying because the fever was only getting worse, he radiated heat against her hand and confusion was another symptom of a high fever.
"I made you more broth," She whispered, knowing it was a fool's hope to think it would really help.
Sitting up slowly, Anakin took it from her hands and held it for a long moment, blowing on it to bring it to drinking temperature. Mia watched as he drank it slowly, praying to whatever deities may listen, deities she didn't believe in, that he'd pull through. She watched as he set it down, half gone, unable to drink anymore and fell back onto the sleeping bag tiredly, seeming to not even notice that he was laying on his back. Maybe it didn't hurt and maybe he didn't care anymore but it scared her to death. Crawling closer, she set down with her legs in front of her and gently placed his head on her lap, carding her fingers through his hair. Anakin closed his eyes, relaxing to her touch.
Anakin focused on the soft sensations of Mia's fingers combing through his hair and the way the end of her braid gently touched his right shoulder. His back hurt like hell but he didn't let himself focus on that.
Over the course of the day he'd weighed the possible scenarios and his realistic chances of survival. It didn't end well for him, he knew that. Somehow he'd come to terms with that. He was going to die. The day before, as they were walking through the forest, he hadn't even thought of it as a possibility. After Mia left to find more herbs he'd felt like shouting and cursing at the world. He kept holding out hope Mia would come back with some miracle plant that would make him better, or at least improve his chances. Hope didn't hold out long.
Somehow Anakin had come to terms with the situation, he was going to die and he was strangely okay with that but there were a few things he wanted to do before he left this world.
"Obi-wan," He croaked to wake his master, "Obi-wan, wake up, I have something I need to say."
Turning his head to the side, he watched as Obi-wan stirred and woke up, lifting himself up to look at Anakin.
"Let's face it," He whispered, his voice breaking, "I'm not going to make it."
"Don't say that!" Mia cried, refusing to accept it.
"It's going to happen and there's nothing we can do about that," He insisted softly, "It's okay, it'll be alright."
She shook her head stubbornly, "No it won't, you can't die."
He swallowed thickly, "It's alright, I've lived a good life. I trained to become a Jedi, I've had loving people in my life who would do anything for me, without being ask. I have loved and I knew happiness and I had a family."
Anakin sighed, "So I only have a few requests," He murmured, looking up at Mia, meeting her eyes, "You don't know this but, one time, a few months ago, I came home early after sparring with Obi-wan. I was in the living room, just sitting on the couch and resting. Then I heard you, singing and I'd never heard it before." Anakin closed his eyes, "You have such an amazing voice."
Covering her face with her hands, Mia tried to stop crying but she couldn't.
"Will you please sing for me, I want to hear it one last time," Anakin requested.
Nodding slowly, she searched her memory for any song she could remember. Closing her eyes, she focused on the Force, trying to pay attention to her voice, and remember the way the song sounded.
"And the blood will dry, underneath my nails, and the wind will rise up, to fill my sails," She sniffled, "So you can doubt and you can hate but I know, no matter what it takes, I'm coming home, I'm coming home, tell the world I'm coming home," She gasped, chest tight.
"Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday. I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes. I'm coming home, I'm coming home, tell the world I'm coming…" She trailed off. After a long moment Mia brought back the strength to continue singing when all she felt like doing was crying. "Still far away, from where I belong. But it's always darkest before the dawn…"
She just gasped and started crying, unable to continue, "I'm sorry," She choked out.
"It's okay," Anakin murmured, reaching up to wipe away her tears, "Don't cry."
A long silence passed through them, weighing heavily on their souls. Finally Anakin broke the silence, "I wrote you letters," He mentioned, "I was on this mission with Obi-wan, you couldn't come with, and there was this man. He'd been injured and he was going to die so he asked me to tell his wife, one last time, that he loved her. I just kept thinking of all the things I might leave unsaid, the things the people closest to me deserve to know. So I wrote you letters that, in case I died, you'd at least get some form of closure."
Obi-wan sucked in a deep breath, feeling light headed and his chest tight. He wanted to scream and tell Anakin that he'd live but his Padawan knew he wasn't going to make it. Even Obi-wan himself wouldn't believe his words.
"I hid them, in the apartment," Anakin added, taking a deep breath, he looked up at Mia, "Yours is hidden in one of your books, the one you really love. I'm surprised you haven't found it yet, it's been there for almost six months. When you get back I want you to read it."
"Why can't you just tell me now?" She asked him, gasping for breath.
"Because those are words meant only for you," Anakin whispered before looking at Obi-wan, "Yours is hidden under your mattress."
Nodding, Anakin felt like he'd said all he needed to say.
Mia watched, panicking as he closed his eyes. Her heart raced as she checked that he was still breathing, checking his slow pulse. His face looked so peaceful.
Looking up, she met Obi-wan's gaze, finding fear and grief in those light blue irises.
"You have to get help, I don't care if you have to run in the rain, you need to get someone," She told him firmly, willing herself not to cry.
Nodding, Obi-wan got up at once and readjusted the cloaks so he was only wearing one. Pulling the hood over his head, Obi-wan muttered that he'd be back with help as quickly as possible before leaving the cave. Mia watched the entrance of the cave for a few minutes like she was waiting for him to be back right away. Taking in a sharp breath, she felt an idea stirring.
"Anakin, wake up," She spoke, gently prodding his shoulder.
He groaned at being woken up, " 'mm tired Mia," He protested.
"We need to break your fever," She insisted, running her fingers through his hair again.
"Fine," He grumbled, rolling onto his side before slowly standing up.
Taking his hand, Mia lead him towards the cave opening. Realizing where she was taking him, Anakin stopped.
"I'm not going out there," He protested.
Mia sighed, "The rain will help break your fever," She explained.
"Last I checked you didn't want me out in the rain," Anakin reminded her before looking around, "Where's Obi-wan?"
"He ran to try and get help from the village," Mia explained, "So we're buying time and breaking your fever."
Casting an irritated glance at the rain outside and the cold it brought with it, Anakin sighed and nodded. Taking off his tunic, he walked into the rain. It was cold and the way the water seeped into his bandages was both soothing and irritating. Scowling, he watched as Mia stood just inside the cave entrance, still dry.
"So let me get this straight. You have no problem sending me out into the rain, letting me get soaked but you want to stay dry," He stated, glaring at her.
"I'm not the one with a fever," Mia pointed out.
Anakin grinned mischievously, making Mia wary, "Oh no, if I have to get soaked, so do you," He declared before surging forward, latching onto her arm and dragging her out, the heels of her boots making skid-marks in the mud.
Out in the rain and quickly getting drenched, Mia glared. It wasn't as heated as she'd like it to be when she realized Anakin was starting to act like himself. Stepping forward, she pressed her hand to his forehead. He was already cooler. She found herself smiling, a small, hesitant smile. She gave it another minute or two before getting him inside the cave. They slid inside in a hurry, Anakin slipping and having to stumble forward to keep from falling completely. Mia chuckled, the first time she'd really laughed since the first day on this terrible planet. Anakin quickly put his tunic back on, letting the fabric absorb some of the water. He turned and found Mia squeezing her braid to try and get some of the water out before she started undoing it.
"My hair's wet because of you," She reminded him with a more heated glare, "It wasn't even dry from this morning yet."
Anakin sighed and shook his head in dismay, he knew she'd complain about that. "How long do you think it'll take Obi-wan to get help?" Anakin asked, looking out into the rain.
"If he runs, he should be there in a few hours," Mia answered, "We might have help by morning."
Anakin turned to her, "And if he walks?" He asked.
Mia looked at him as though the answer should be obvious, "He's gonna run," She stated simply "Obviously."
"No, not obvious," Anakin disagreed, ignoring the way his body felt cold all over and his back burned.
"Anakin, you're really badly hurt and we don't know what's going to happen when morning comes, he's not going to waste a second. He loves you too much to lose you," Mia insisted.
He nodded despite the fact his head was starting to hurt and he felt light headed, he'd felt light headed all day. Mia's eyes widened when she noticed how pale he looked.
"Maybe you should sit down, you don't look so good," Mia suggested, taking his hands as she eased him down on top of the sleeping bag.
Anakin dropped down onto the sleeping bag heavily, feeling sick. Before he knew it Mia had his hand in hers and was pinching the skin on top of it.
"Hey," He complained, "What was that for?"
"Shit," Mia murmured as she watched the pinched skin slowly sink down and return to its original form, running a hand through her messy wet hair, "Why didn't I think about that?"
Anakin looked at her curiously, "Think of what?" He asked, holding his head in his hands.
"You're dehydrated!" Mia exclaimed, sounding more angry at herself than him. Her shoulders slumped, "Major burns cause dehydration, they rob your blood of fluid."
He looked up at her, blue meeting grey. In the dim light of the cave, illuminated only by a small gas lamp in the corner, her eyes were a dark, almost coal-like color. It was haunting in a way.
"Then I just have to drink some more," He stated.
Nodding slowly, Mia stood up and walked towards their water container and picked it up. Approaching the opening of the cave, Mia wished, for a moment, that she had something dry to change into when she returned. Murmuring that she'd be back in a few minutes, she burst out of the cave and dashed through the trees and shrubbery of the forest, running towards the stream. Standing on the bank of it, Mia crouched down and dipped the large water jug into the stream, pointing the spout upstream. It filled quickly and Mia screwed the cap back on before running back towards the cave. Anakin watched, impressed, as she slid down the small slope at the opening of their little cave with graceful ease. Picking up the ration container sitting next to their snuffed out campfire, Mia poured some water into it and handed it to Anakin before picking up the pot they'd use to make the broth and setting it down just outside the cave opening to collect water. Anakin drank the water quickly and poured himself a second. Mia sat across from him on the floor, legs crossed as she shivered. The next two hours passed with Anakin drinking the entire jug of water, slowly but surely.
"That's good enough for now," Mia murmured as she pinched the skin on Anakin's hand again, noticing with some delight that it sunk down much quicker, "Get some sleep, I'll wake you in a little bit to drink some more."
"You're not going to sleep?" Anakin questioned as Mia moved to pick up the jug.
Looking over her shoulder, Mia shook her head, "Get some sleep, alright?" She requested, her voice a whisper, "You'll need it."
Sighing, Anakin nodded tiredly and laid down on top of the sleeping bag, laying on his side as he tried to ignore the constant pain of his back. Sleep came surprisingly easy to him. He was out before Mia got back with more water.
September 12th, Six years before Galactic Empire
Miles away, Obi-wan broke past the trees. Alongside the river he'd been following upstream he found the settlement. It was based on a hill and at the top was the fortress of the king who ruled it. They'd been sent on a peace treaty to help end the war between this small kingdom and their rival many miles away. The houses on the hill were, save for a few lights, dark. Exhausted from the long run to reach this far, Obi-wan went up the hill, ready to collapse. As he neared the fortress he noticed the guards situated at the entrance. They looked at him, finding his appearance strange. They were humanoid, their race ranging from seven to eight feet tall, their forms human but their skin light blue and their hair dark. They were called the Svelk.
"I am Obi-wan Kenobi, the Jedi sent to aid the king in his peace treaty," He told them breathlessly, "I need to see him immediately."
They looked between each other with thoughtful looks.
"Und nala shei vara," One of them spoke.
Obi-wan sighed heavily, forgetting that they spoke in a different language, a language he knew very little of. "Vest Jedi, Obi-wan Kenobi, arm nesta—." One of them held up their hand, cutting him off.
"I speak basic English," He spoke, "Come, take shelter."
They opened the gate and the one that spoke English led him inside. The first room was clearly the throne room. The guard ordered, in their native language, a young woman. Nodding, she ran out the room, hopefully to retrieve the king. Soon after a Svelk dressed in formal clothing walked in, a large medallion hanging from his neck, the sign of the King.
"Master Jedi, we have been waiting," Sar-veina spoke once he'd sat down at the throne, his voice surprisingly deep.
Clapping his right arm with his left hand, the customary gesture of respect, Obi-wan spoke, "I came here with two other Jedi, my apprentices. We crash landed and one of them was hurt. His name is Anakin and he is in dire need of medical attention."
"Where is he?" Sar-viena inquired.
"They are camped out in a cave in the forest, he was in no condition to travel with me, not in this rain," Obi-wan explained, "They're very far from here, it would take several hours to travel there on foot."
Turning to the guard, the King ordered, "Prepare transportation, we leave immediately."
"Thank you," Obi-wan spoke, clapping his hand to his arm again.
September 12th, Six years before Galactic Empire
A few hours after Anakin had fallen asleep their gas lamp had run out of fuel and the light died away. Not long after that, just a few hours before sunrise, Mia had fallen asleep slumped against the cave wall, shivering in her still wet tunic. It was all she had left at this point. Anakin slept blissfully unaware, positioned on his stomach on the sleeping bag. The morning light shone through the trees and into the cave. Suddenly the sound of heavy footsteps, the footsteps of several animals standing on two feet and coated in feathers, known as Sauvren, were heard. Immediately Mia was awake, startled and alert, reaching for her lightsaber as she stood up. Anakin slowly woke up, confused for a moment before he noticed the footsteps.
"Anakin, Mia," Obi-wan called as he slid, almost gracefully, into the cave.
"Obi-wan!" Mia exclaimed, happy to see him.
Seconds later several strangers, Svelk, entered. Anakin and Mia immediately recognized the King. He turned to Anakin, a blank expression on his face—Svelk rarely showed emotion—and walked towards him.
"You must be Anakin," He spoke before turning to those that accompanied him into the cave, speaking in their strange language.
"He's brought medics," Obi-wan explained as two more walked in with a portable cot, similar to a gurney, in their hands.
The medics quickly removed his tunic, to Anakin's protest, and administered some sort of shot before he could stop them. The pain faded away as they carefully removed the bandages, paining Anakin for a moment. He looked over his shoulder as his mind became fuzzy, watching as they applied something similar to leaves to his back, adding bandages to hold them in placed. Mia startled as Anakin began to slump to the side, falling unconscious as the doctors caught him. Obi-wan turned to her, just now noticing how pale she looked, with dark circles under her eyes. Placing his hand on her forehead, he was stunned by how warm she felt.
"She has a fever," He spoke to the one medic who understood English, "Why are you wet?"
"Anakin got dehydrated, I had to refill the water jug," Mia answered tiredly.
Before she knew it, a female Svelk took her hand and led her out the cave. Mia protested for a moment but it either went ignored or wasn't understood. It wasn't until she was standing outside the cave that she noticed it had stopped raining. She was led to something resembling a carriage she'd only seen on planets like Naboo or where other monarchies existed. Sitting down on the bench inside, Mia almost immediately fell asleep, unable to keep her eyes open. In the carriage behind her Anakin was boarded inside, strapped to a cot.
September 13th, Six years before Galactic Empire
When Anakin woke up he was on a cot, resting on his side. In front of him, on the cot next to his was Mia, sleeping, her breath shallow and wheezing.
"She's sick," Obi-wan spoke, sitting on a stood positioned against a wall, looking pale. He chuckled humorlessly. "She has pneumonia to be precise, twelve hours in a wet tunic in the cold will do that to you."
"And you?" Anakin questioned, his voice croaking, "You ran through the rain."
"A cold but nothing more," He answered, "Small miracles, I suppose."
Obi-wan sighed, his head tilting back so it rested against the wall, "The Jedi are coming, bringing their doctors."
Nodding tiredly, Anakin noticed he didn't hurt so much. His back ached faintly, he supposed he could chalk that up to drugs.
"Get some rest," Obi-wan suggested, "You need your sleep."
Nodding again, Anakin closed his eyes, "That applies to you as well," Anakin slurred, succumbing to sleep quickly.
September 15th, Six years before Galactic Empire
The first thing Mia was aware of was someone pressing their hand to her forehead before murmuring something she couldn't quite hear and pressing something cold behind her ear that beeped. Then something cold was placed on her forehead. Her lungs felt tight and heavy. They ached in the worst way. Her throat felt thick, if that made any sense. It didn't for her. Turning on her side, Mia coughed. It made her chest rattle and brought something up.
Phlegm, her mind hazily supplied.
She kept coughing and it didn't seem to stop. Someone placed their hand on her arm, keeping her steady. As the coughing resided, Mia opened her eyes slowly. Her eyes met the grey eyes of someone familiar, someone she couldn't, at this point, name.
"Easy there," He told her soothingly, "How do you feel?"
She made a sign she was pretty sure meant 'great' but she wasn't sure if he understood her.
"Never better," She muttered, her voice thick and croaky.
He chuckled, it was dry but it was warm, "At least you still have your sense of humor," He laughed, "Just get some rest. You're on antibiotics, so you should feel better soon."
Mia nodded slowly before she suddenly remember Anakin. "Where's Anakin?" She asked, worry in her voice.
"He's fine," He assured her, "Doing better than you actually."
Looking past him, she saw Anakin laying down on a cot, watching her. Mia smiled faintly, happy to see him alive and well. The doctor—she still couldn't remember his name, her head was to hazy—stood up and walked away.
Confusion, sign of fever, Mia remembered, finally understanding why nothing made all that much sense at the moment.
"How do you feel?" Anakin asked her.
"I should be asking you that," Mia murmured, eyes starting to slowly close.
Anakin sighed, "Better, all thanks to you," He answered quietly, "I probably wouldn't have made it without you."
Mia opened her eyes again, staring into his blue eyes. There was something about that sentence she didn't quite like. She didn't like the notion that Anakin wasn't positively invincible, that it was possible she might, one day, lose him.
She opened her mouth to say something, not quite sure what she wanted to say, but was interrupted by a harsh coughing fit. Her chest seized and she could feel her heart hammering in her chest. As it subsided, she opened her eyes again.
"I hate this planet," She mumbled.
"Yeah, me too," He agreed, "Obi-wan say's we're going back to the Temple as soon as you're healthy enough to travel."
The doctor—Master Greyback, she remembered—walked over to them again, "Let's check those bandages," He spoke to Anakin.
Groaning in annoyance, ever the difficult patient, Anakin sat up slowly and turned so he was facing the wall. Master Greyback lifted up the hospital gown Mia was just now noticing and began removing the large, square bandage covering most of Anakin's upper back. Pealing it away gently, Mia was shocked to see that the angry red burn, that she was certain was going to scar, was little more than a patch of pinkish skin, almost completely healed.
Mia swore under her breath out of surprise. It was enough to make Master Greyback turn and give her a scolding look.
"How long was I out?" She asked breathlessly.
His eyes softened, "Three days," He answered.
"The Jedi brought some really powerful super medicine that healed the burn," Anakin explained, looking over his shoulder at her, "Practically overnight too."
Mia nodded, too shocked to speak. Turning to her, Master Greyback smiled gently and told her to get some rest, pulling the thin blanket up to her shoulders. Mia closed her eyes willingly as her brain slowly registered the fact that it was a bad idea to be sleeping with a blanket when she had this high a fever. Sentiment, she supposed, he'd always had a soft spot for her.
September 17th, Six years before Galactic Empire
Two days later, Mia's fever had broken and her lungs weren't so congested so Claus Greyback and Obi-wan decided that it was time to move Anakin and Mia to the Temple. Anakin was quite glad to get off this planet and he hoped he never came back. As they were loaded onto the ship Master Greyback and the other Jedi had arrived in, Anakin looked over to Obi-wan.
"Finally going home," Anakin murmured, relieved.
"Yes, after a week here, I must say, I'm quite relieved to be going home," Obi-wan agreed.
Anakin turned to Mia, strapped onto a gurney—like him—her eyes closed and her chest rising and falling slowly, almost unnoticeable.
"She sleeps a lot," Anakin whispered, still worried.
"Yes, at this point sleep is the best thing for her," Claus explained as he walked in. Turning to Obi-wan, he sighed, "She's safe to be taken care of at home, but let me know if she gets worse again."
Obi-wan nodded, "Will do, thank you Claus," He spoke, exchanging a look with the Jedi Master that Anakin couldn't read.
"Don't thank me, just make sure she gets better," Claus replied, casting a quick glance at Mia before walking away.
October 17th, Six years before Galactic Empire
Mia walked into her room and moved towards the bookshelf. It was an old, unsteady little bookshelf but she was happy with it. Skimming the titles of the books, she eyed her favorite. She hadn't read it in a while. Pulling it out, Mia walked towards her bed, opening the book. Something fell out from between the pages. Surprised, Mia looked down. Sitting at her feet was a letter with her name on it. Confused, Mia picked it up and sat down on the bed. Curious to know what it said, Mia opened it. It wasn't until she had it in her hands that she realized what it was. It was Anakin's letter to her, in the event he ever died.
Mia,
If you're reading this, you either found it without knowing what this was and opened it, or I died and told you where it was. I love you, and if I haven't told you by now then shame on me, I deserve to die. You deserve to hear it from me, to watch as I sign it and to know that you mean everything to me. I can't predict how the next mission will go, who are we kidding, there's always a next mission. I can't predict how I will make it. It's that uncertainty that made me write this letter. All I know is that I am completely in love with you and I have been for a while. It's not the kind of love that comes and goes, is marked in days and counted in gifts and words. It's the kind of love that lasts and it changes you in ways you can't begin to understand. I want you to know, more than anything. I love you.
Anakin
Mia reread it a second time, unable to believe it. As she was reading it, getting to the end, the door to the apartment opened suddenly. She knew by the Force signature and the sound of his footsteps that it was Anakin. Standing up suddenly, she walked into the hall just as he was moving towards the room he shared with Obi-wan. He opened his mouth to say something but then his eyes drifted to the letter in her hands.
"I love you too," Mia whispered as her eyes watered.
Stepping forward, Anakin held one hand to her cheek as the other pulled her closer. He kissed her, it was long and it was filled with need and love. Mia's fingers wound around the fabric of his tunic, keeping him close as his fingers tangled through her hair. Everything felt complete.
I hope you enjoyed that. Leave me a review, letting me know if you want to see more adventures from before the Empire.