AN: I don't own Star Wars, George Lucas did, and now Disney. Anyway, thank you so much for reading the first chapter. I only hope this second chapter is good to read as well.
In the Milky Way
"SOLDIER DOWN"
Chapter 2
"Reliving the Nightmares"
He first noticed was that it was so bright. His eyes fluttered open before he shut it back once more. Where was he? What was the last thing he did? He remembers getting out from all the noise, the sudden flashbacks…
The war.
And just like that his eyes snapped wide open and he sat up immediately. Ahsoka's party! He groaned, he hoped he didn't disrupt it too much, or destroyed it. It was supposed to be a great event, and he hadn't congratulated her just yet. The door opened up and Anakin looked up to see Ben, a bruise on his lips, which made him feel all the worse. "It's not as bad as it looks." Ben started, "You don't hit as hard as you think." He added. Of course, that was a lie, but Ben would lie if he felt it would make Anakin feel a little better. Knowing him, he was probably wallowing in self-guilt as soon as he awoken.
"Don't lie Ben." He muttered, "I ruined the party didn't I?"
"I'll be the judge of that." Ahsoka came up from behind Ben, "How you feeling Skyguy?"
"Worse than before." He admitted, "I'm really so sorry Ahsoka, I didn't mean to-"
"It's alright Anakin." Ahsoka said and smiled at him, "To be honest, everyone else was getting quite bored." Anakin chuckled lightly…
"Nice to know I was your entertainment of some sort."
"Well I'll leave you boys to your devices." Ahsoka said and left the room. Ben closed the door and sat on his bed, looking at Anakin right across from him…
"What time is it?" asked Anakin and Ben looked at his wrist watch…
"Almost noon." He replied and Anakin nodded, "Are you still headed to Tatooine after this?" he nods in response, "Want me to come along?" he shakes his head. "Alright, but you need food in your stomach first Anakin. Promise me you'll take care of yourself."
"I promise Ben."
After he had eaten brunch he had immediately packed his bags. He left Ahsoka and Lux's house along with Ben and Satine before they went their separate ways. They drove west to get to Stewjon, he had to drive east to get to Tatooine. Along the road there wasn't much to do, nothing much to see. There was just the long gravel road winding on endlessly before him. He fingered the pendant that hung around his neck along with the military ID he's been given.
He doesn't know what he'll expect to find. He stopped a couple of times to try and relax in the middle of the road. The sun was blazing so high up above him, cactus growing along the boundless sands around him. Electric posts were the only indication that there was a civilization coming up close. He took a swig of his water bottle and screwed it into a tight close before getting back in on his vehicle and drove back continuously towards Tatooine.
He passed through a road sign of some kind of giant slug billboard with words all in capital saying WELCOME TO TATOOINE! He drove past the sign and the first shops of the small desert town greeted his gaze. He rolled down his window and parked the car outside a small souvenir shop for those that pass by the town. He got out and locked the car, pocketing his keys and went up the wooden stairs and onto the front porch. The signboard above his head was pretty much faded already. He pushed the doors open and was greeted by dust and cobwebs.
"Hello!" he called out and someone got out from behind the door behind the counter and a familiar face greeted him…
"Hello young man, can I help you?" an elderly woman asked him and he smiled at her…
"Gee, I didn't know I was away from this town too long Jira." She stared at him for a moment, trying to remember who he is before she burst out into a smile…
"Oh my, Ani!" she cheered and got out from behind the counter and hugged him, "Well, you certainly outgrew that young troublemaker you've been before." He smiled sheepishly as she doted on him like a grandmother, "Oh I'm so sorry about your mother." Anakin nodded at her, smiling politely…
"I guess that's why I'm here." He said, "I don't know where she was buried. Can you help me?" she smiled at him sadly…
"Why don't you go and stay over with Cliegg and Owen? I'm sure they would be happy to help you."
"I, I don't think I can bear to see them." He won't be able to take it if he comes to them and they stare at him with bitter eyes and all for missing his mother's final moments. Jira seemed to notice his struggle and pitied him. Something Anakin couldn't bear as well…
"She's buried somewhere in Mos Eisley." She said, "That's all I know Ani." Anakin nodded and kissed her lightly on the cheeks…
"Thank you Jira." He said and walked away but before he got out, she called out to him. He turned around and saw her putting some stuff in a bag before handing it over to him, "I couldn't." he started and she just sighed and hugged him…
"You'll need it for the road." She told him, "Indulge an old woman would you?"
"But-"
"Young man, don't you know it's rude to refuse?" she told him pointedly and he laughed before nodding in defeat, "Now off you go."
"Thank you Jira." He told her once again, "I mean it." he walked out the shop and waved goodbye to her as he drove out the dust road and met a signboard on his way with words written YOU ARE LEAVING TATOOINE. COME BACK SOME OTHER TIME. He somehow doubts he'll ever come back once more.
All that's left for him to do is move forward.
He arrived at the cemetery named Mos Eisley. He left his car by the gates and walked amongst the headstones lined up. He watched as some had wilted flowers, some had burnt out candles. Others had faded letters on it, when he finally came upon the one he was looking for…
SHMI SKYWALKER-LARS
"You can't stop the change, any more than you can stop the sun from setting"
Beloved wife and mother
19xx-20xx
He crouched down in front of the headstone and caressed it with such gentleness, "I wasn't strong enough to come back in time to you, mom." He started, "I wasn't strong enough to finish our mission faster. But I promise you I won't fail again. And I'll find the girl I love. I won't rush it. I'll make sure I've made all my dreams come true. I promise you I won't follow you too soon." He placed a single rose he bought from a flower store on his way just by the foot of the headstone before sitting down on the soft grass, "I miss you." he whispered, "So much." Tears flew freely from his eyes as he grieved for his mother.
The next thing he knew he was feeling cold all over. Everything was just so quiet, before the explosions come forth once again. The ground shook from beneath him, and the screams follow immediately. Bullets were being exchanged back and forth as he crouched in his position before looking through the scope of his rifle and shoot down the enemy lines, hitting them dead at the chest or giving them a head shot. He ducked to dodge a bullet headed towards him, and the next time he looked through his scope he was now looking into the eyes of a young child, a gun in its hand as he shot a wounded soldier.
His hand squeezed the trigger before he could even stop himself.
He woke up with a start and realized he was back on his mother's grave. Sweat was pouring down his face despite the cold night. He looked around him and realized he was alone. He stayed longer than he anticipated, but maybe it was good he fell asleep on a place as deserted as a cemetery. He rubbed his palms over his face before running his hands through his dark curly blonde hair. He needed a haircut, he knows it. It was starting to grow long, and before he gets call to duty he should trim it at least, but that was the least of his worries right now.
He couldn't sleep over at this place all the time. He was lucky no one reprimanded him.
The population was thin in these parts, but he knows another town is just right up ahead, though it was fairly far away.
He got up begrudgingly from his spot and placed a kiss on his mother's headstone before walking away and back towards his vehicle. He got in and slammed the door shut before he checked his phone and realized he had multiple missed calls and some messages. Lots of them were from Ben and Ahsoka, a couple were from Cleigg and Owen. He threw his phone back into the depths of his bag before grabbing some snacks Jira had given him and nibbled on it for a while.
He let the cool night air ease him up, before he started to feel unsafe once more. He inserted the keys in the ignition and started up the car before driving out of the road and began to move forward. A couple of kilometers from Mos Eisley were a gas station and a motel. He booked a room there and stayed the night, watching television and the news. He scanned through the channels and paused at a chess game. He popped some nuts in his mouth as he watched them make their moves before switching the channels once more.
The next he saw was a movie about a man recovering from his serious injuries that came from a car crash. He switched it, and it showed a series of men in prison trying to break out. He switched and switched and switched the channels until it was all too clear for him nothing would interest him. He stopped at a news channel that reported about the weather, before it went back to the headlines and featured the fight against the terrorists and he shut the television off.
He got up and brushed his teeth and washed up before settling down to get some sleep on the soft bed.
He stared up at the moonlit ceiling, wondering if he'd ever get a sense of normalcy back in his life. Maybe it wasn't so bad to turn back and take Ben's offer of a spare room, at least then he's around people he knows has his back. He turned to his side and saw the light coming from the hallways before shadows passed it by and the familiar jingle of keys. The guard was making his rounds. There was nothing that would disturb him here. He was alone. No one would kill him in his sleep…
Unless of course the keeper of the keys to the motel was a terrorist and decided to use the master key to get in his room and blow his brains out.
He groaned and buried his face on his pillow.
He was thinking of bad thoughts once again. He needed to clear his head, but he doesn't know how. His calming thoughts before had been his mother, but now thinking of her just brings tears in his eyes. He tried to think of Ben, his best friend who had been like an older brother to him, but all he could think about was Ben's defeated expression as he expressed he had been rejected by Satine and that split lip Ben had been sporting when he woke up. He tried to think of Ahsoka, that young woman who was like his little sister in ways more than one before guilt starts to eat him up for ruining her engagement party despite the assurances he's had he didn't ruin it.
"Mom," he whispered, "I can't do this mom." He mumbled as he cried out, "I'm lost; I don't know what to do anymore. I can't," he heaved a breath before sitting up and buried his face into his hands once more, "Why am I even fighting anymore?" he asked to himself, and truly, he doesn't know why. He steered clear of relationships, thinking his mother was all he needed. And now that she's gone, he doesn't know who to return to anymore. Why he's doing what he's doing. He looked outside the window and sees the moon shining so high up above the night, "I can't live like this mom, not without you." he whispered hoping she was hearing him…
I will always be with you, be it the gentle breeze in the wind, of the soft rays of the sun upon your cheeks. I may even be that soft grass beneath your feet, cushioning your fall, or that dreadful sand that gets into your things.
The words of her letter echo through his mind like his mother's gentle caress when he was still a little boy.
"You can't stop the change, any more than you can stop the sun from setting"
The writing on her headstone flash through his eyes and wished he hadn't been part of the change. He didn't want this kind of change. He remembers that fragile old missionary back at the base, Father Yoda. He went to the old priest after he received word of his mother's death…
"Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transcend from their physical forms into the spiritual world. Mourn them, do not. Miss them, do not." The fragile old man looked at him with strength Anakin knows he doesn't possess, "Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose. Only then can you move on."
"I'm afraid Father Yoda, what if I can't let them go?"
"Then move on, you can't." he answered, "Remember, they're around you always and in here." He placed a gentle hand on Anakin's chest, "If remember them, we do, gone they are not."
He laid back down and closed his eyes just as he was about to drift to sleep…
His nightmares begin once more, replaying the war horrors he's witness first hand.
This time with each explosion, with each bullet that was exchanged, droplets of blood form on his hands, soon it splatters to his clothes, when he was soaked, droplets of blood pour down from the skies. He runs to take shelter when he slips and looks down to see the dead eyes staring back at him. He yelps and pulls out his hands from the ground when soft squishy sounds were on everywhere he stepped.
The repulsing smell of the dead invades his nostrils and he realizes he's stepping on dead bodies.
He breaks into a run and stumbles into a swamp. Dead bodies floated everywhere when he starts to sink into the water. He struggles to grab onto solid ground when he finally grabs hold onto something and uses it to haul himself up. The blood on his skin was partially washed off, when he realizes he's holding onto a severed hand.
He hastily lets go of it and starts to feel sick. He turns and sees the broken bodies splattered everywhere. He heaves a breath before he gives into the frustration and the exhaustion and sits on the blood puddle and cries, trying to pull his hair out, trying to make himself wake up. He opens his eyes and sees the bullet chamber of a gun pointed between his eyes and a dark blurry figure holds it. His hands were bound, and he was gagged. Aquariums were positioned behind the blurry figure holding the severed heads of people he knew and cared about…
Ben, Satine, Ahsoka, Rex, Cody, and the list go on and on and he struggles to scream for help, for some kind of release, when the trigger is pulled…
He sits up immediately and realizes he's still by the motel, unbounded, ungagged, clothes fully cleaned and dry. His hands were washed and blood free as well, and the lemon scent of the room filled his senses. He groaned and pulls himself out of bed and realizes it was almost six o' clock. He wasn't getting any peaceful sleep at all. He decides its time to move once more. He washes up quickly and pack his things before paying and checking out of his room. He fills up his tank before finally driving away.
He passes by a road sign NABOO 5MI AHEAD.
He's never ventured this far out in the east side of the country. He's never heard of Naboo either. He looked out to see mountains filled with endless green grass, small flowers decorating the fields, and a glittering stream running down at the side. The sun was rising, and filled him with such peace.
He stopped a few times, delaying his arrival at Naboo as he breathed in the fresh air. One of his favorite stops was when he hung out with a few of the locals, sharing breakfast with him before he needed to move forward once more. He wonders why he's never done this kind of road trip before. It was a refreshing change.
Five miles later, he reaches Naboo, and the town was bustling with children. It was a very wonderful place as far as Anakin could deduce. Everyone was very welcoming and noticed an outsider whenever there is one. They gave him a map and marked some of the beautiful spots in town and even showed him to some cabins that could be rented for the time being. He thanked them for their hospitality. "So military huh?" a man with darker shade of skin asked him as he sat beside Anakin, "I'm Typho by the way." he introduced and Anakin shook his hand, taking in his appearance.
He was wearing a yellow shirt and some old blue jeans with a red apron over him. He was probably one of the people that worked in the café, "Anakin." He stated and Typho nodded at him, one of his eyes covered by a patch…
"I always admired soldiers." He stated, "You have my respect sir." He told Anakin as he poured him another cup of coffee which Anakin greatly appreciated, "Can't be easy going out there and fighting wars." Anakin chuckled and sipped his coffee before putting it down…
"No, it's not." He said, "This place is wonderful." He said and Typho smiled…
"I know." He said, "Must be a wonderful change too from what you've seen so far then?" he asked and Anakin smiled and nodded. Typho glanced at the clock and to the front door, "Well she's late." He mumbled and Anakin stared discreetly at the front door, sipping at his coffee and eating some pancakes. He couldn't resist the wonderful smell even though he's just had breakfast…
"Who's late?" he asked as he swallowed the food down. Typho picked up a rug and started to wipe the tables that had just been vacated…
"Oh, it's our local supplier. Their youngest, Padmé, delivers their harvest weekly. Occasionally she's on time, sometimes too early, and only seldom late."
"I see." He says, making small talk, "She seems like a systematic girl." Typho laughs and refills the coffee maker…
"She's a very organized woman, sometimes she helps out at the local management. Everyone knows her and the Naberries." He said a certain twinkle in his eyes as he speaks about her, "You'll find no finer woman than her." Anakin smiles at him amusedly…
"You sound as if you're in love with her." Anakin stated as he finishes his meal…
"The better question would be who wouldn't fall in love with her." Typho tells him. Anakin pays him and Typho salutes him and Anakin laughs before nodding at Typho, "It was nice talking to you Anakin, sir."
"No, it was a pleasure of mine." Anakin tells him and exits the café. He gets into his car and drives away. A minute later his car has driven away, a woman with a braided brown hair, and matching brown eyes comes inside the café, carrying her delivery and was greeted by smiles with everyone…
"Ah Padmé," Typho greeted, "You just missed the guest of honor."
"Guest of honor?" asked Padmé in confusion, "Oh, you mean that talk about some military man passing by Naboo?" she asked and Typho nodded. "What did he want?"
"A change of scenery." He replies as he takes her delivery from her petite hands, "Shame really, good looking lad."
"Typho. I'm not in the mood." She says and sits on the stool Anakin had just vacated and Typho pours her a cup of hot cocoa, "I can't believe I woke up late. My alarm didn't go off." She complained, "And now I'm running late to most of my deliveries for the day I only have a few spare minutes left to enjoy this cocoa." She grumbles and drinks from the cup. "So where's this mysterious soldier staying?"
"Never really got the chance to ask." Typho says, "Where are you headed off to after the delivery?"
"Oh you know, the usual place, the one by the waterfalls."
"Ah, of course." He says and looks at the watch, "Well you better finish up quick if you're gonna catch up to those deliveries." Padmé looks at the time as well before gulping down the cocoa and hopped off the stool, waving goodbye to Typho, "Bye Padmé!" he tells and she nods and gets out of the café before getting into her pickup truck and drives away as well.
He was full and had tried just about everything Naboo had to offer to fill up his food deprived stomach. Naboo was amazing. He'd probably come by to this place once more after he gets summoned back for duty. He sat down at the roots of a big old tree. He leaned back on the sturdy trunk and let the sound of the rushing water soothe his senses. He watched as the water fell from the top, and as the stream glistens as it flowed to wherever it was going to.
He could hear the birds fluttering above before he pushed himself away from the tree and laid his head on the grass and looked up the leaves of the trees that obscured the sun from his view. He placed his arms behind his head and breathed in the refreshing country air and closed his eyes. Maybe this was all he needs to get a peaceful sleep…
He didn't know how wrong he was.
As soon as he closed his eyes and drifted off to oblivion he was pulled back to the front lines. Where they had to hide into the houses of civilians, where they had to evacuate the place and its inhabitants as they laid a trap in the house.
He relieved the moments as he watched the perfect garden and backyards exploded to dirt. Where he saw bulldozers knock houses down or tanks run over the ruins. He dreamt of the fathers staying behind to stall the pursuers to give their family a chance of escape. He dreamt of the civilians who got caught in the cross fire.
He felt a hand shook him and he grabbed onto the person's hand and met the face of an angel…
Padmé had finished her deliveries and immediately gone back to their house. She dropped the keys and took the mail and smiled as she spots the letter from his sister, who was living in Manhattan with her husband and two children. She changed her shoes into hiking boots and changed her sweaty shirt into a plain white spaghetti strap and wore a plaid shirt over it, not bothering to button it up and removed her hair from its bun. She fixed it up into some lose braid and passed by her parents' room and saw them taking their afternoon naps.
She smiled before grabbing the house keys and locking the door. The walk towards the waterfall wasn't too far, and she'd rather walk there than drive to it. The breeze was welcoming and cool. The afternoon sun wasn't too hot either seeing as it was almost three in the afternoon. She could start to see the waterfall and smiled as she started to hear the soft rush of the water when she spotted a vehicle parked on the road. It was painted with not the welcoming kind of green she was used to, but the kind where it could blend in the jungle.
So the mysterious military man was already here. She thought about turning back to her house and let the man be, but shook her head.
This was a routine of hers, and she wasn't about to break it for some newcomer because they got here first. She neared the big old oak tree when she started to hear some mumbling. Curious, she drew closer and saw the man lying on his side, his back turned to her. His hair was longer than the prescribed military cut, and was probably two inches long. Its color was brownish or blonde, she wasn't too sure. His shirt clearly from the military and his biceps rippled as he mumbled in his sleep again.
Was he having a nightmare? She wasn't too sure, but she was starting to get worried. She drew closer and shook him once when an iron grip pulled her down and his eyes snapped open. The first thing she thought about was how blue his eyes were. The second thing was how expressive they were. The third thing was what he had just said to her…
"Are you an angel?"
She didn't even care if his grip was too tight upon her wrist already.
And that's the end of chapter two folks! Tell me what you think :)