Halls of Healing . . .
I feel so weird. It is as I shouldn't be able to feel the pillow I'm propped up on. Or feel the air from the vent on my face.
Where was I in that place? I know that at one point I was on the surface of an ice planet and before that on the deck of a ship.
And the Force . . . the Force had felt so cold, so empty, so Dark.
Anakin moaned at the memory of the Dark place. I wouldn't go back there, there isn't anything that they do to make me want to go back there! Not if I am going to be muttering in the Sith tongue.
"Master Skywalker, have you regained either the use or feeling in your left arm and legs?" Master Che asked. Anakin was silent for a minute as he tried to move his left arm and legs. "No, not yet." He finally voiced out loud.
Master Che nodded. "Your body is trying to adjust to what ever happened. Can you tell me what you felt?" Anakin hesitated. "I was in so much pain. It hurt to breathe and walk. I was desperately searching for someone, someone that I believed dead. They must have thought that I had lost it." Anakin said.
"Who thought that you had lost it?"
Anakin frowned.
You are weak. Anakin's thoughts froze. He's just going to turn him against you or make you kill him. Or make you watch as he kills him and makes you dispose of his body. So why don't you crawl back to your hole and die; that's what you want to do.
Who are you? Anakin thought. Me? I know you very well. You slaughtered an entire Tusken village because your mother died and they were the ones responsible for her death. You killed Dooku in cold blood. You allowed Sidious to kill Master Windu. No! I saved him from plunging to his death after a bomb went off, then I killed Sidious. There was no bomb. Yes there was. If it hadn't gone off I don't know what would have happened.
You didn't answer my question. Who are you? You were there when I slaughtered the Jedi. I was there when Kenobi left you to die. NO! I was there when the medical droids tried to save your burnt carcass. I was there when you were told that SHE died.
"NO!" he screamed.
"Master Skywalker, what's wrong?" Master Che asked.
Anakin couldn't stop gasping. "Someone . . . someone was . . . talking to me. He . . . he told me impossible things." "Like," Master Che pressed. "He told me that he knew things that he shouldn't know, that I was with him on several occasions and his version to events was off." "What events?" "He said that I . . . that I allowed Sidious . . . kill Master Windu and that I watched him as he slaughter the Jedi in the Temple."
"The Jedi were never slaughtered here, he was lying to you." Master Che said. "I know that he was lying." Anakin replied. We don't lie, Jedi. Or have you forgotten? Anakin looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. We could have lied to him and told him that Obi-Wan was the reason the he grew up fatherless. But we told him the truth and the Force shrieked with his cries of denial. We-
To Anakin's relief the voice was cut off in mid-sentence.
Good riddance! He thought. I hope to never hear from you again!
"If you regain feeling in your limbs let me know. And you might be able to go home tonight." Master Che said as she left the room.
After a few hours Anakin fell into a dreamless sleep.
Skywalker Apartment . . .
"Are they sure that it's mine?" Luke asked. "The Healers aren't saying anything." Master Thak asked to see me and she did all of these things with my hand but if it was my hand she would have said something.
"Thank you Jada, it's better hearing it from you than someone else." Luke told her.
Three months later . . .
Luke stood next Jada as his twin sister made her marriage vows. "One day that will be us, Jada." Luke whispered to her "You'll be dressed in a beautiful white gown and all our family and friends will be there." "I'd like that." Jada whispered back.
Padme couldn't believe it. Her youngest was now married. "She's all grown up Ani. It doesn't seem possible." "It seems like yesterday she was just learning how crawl." He commented.
"I wish that we could have had more." Padme whispered. "We tried, Angel. We tried."
Anakin slowly sipped a nutrient drink. Ever since he had collapsed three months ago his digestive system became touchy. He could still eat regular foods but nine times out of ten it would come back up. So it was easier just to have a nutrient drink.
Later at the Solo apartment . . .
Han Solo smiled. I am one lucky guy! I am so glad that Charly Jerrison introduced me to her.
Jedi Temple . . .
Master Yoda was meditating. A few hours ago the Ozzel had finally given them the body of a man that shared the same DNA with Kendal Ozzel.
The Jedi and others had been searching for a connection between the body of Kendal Ozzel and the bodies of other and so far the only connections were that they had their windpipes crushed with the Force and many of them were wearing fleet uniforms.
It bothered him to no end that the Force was in turmoil and that there was no known cause for that or the things that had happened.
An answer, tonight, we will not get. He thought grimly.
Yoda came out of his meditation and turned to Mace Windu. "Difficult to see, impossible to know." He told the aging human Master.
"We will figure it out." Mace promised.
Skywalker Apartment . . .
You would have thought that after a threat of death if he bothered Luke again would have made the lizard Xixor cease his attempts on Luke's life. But apparently death threats didn't work on those that thought that they were safe from his wrath because Sidious decided that they were useful. Well no one was going to kill his son; even if they did have Sidious's protection. He would see if he'd withdraw first and if he didn't-well then he would destroy Xixor's Skyhook. Time's up. "Commander, destroy that Skyhook." Good bye Xixor and good riddances! The skyhook shattered into thousands of pieces. Luke's safe for now.
Anakin sat up in bed trying to remember the dream that he'd just had. Someone had been trying to kill Luke and . . . . Anakin frowned. It was like trying to hold water in his cupped hands.
A wave through the Force suddenly washed over him and he stumbled backwards. What was that? He wondered.
He shifted to get out of bed only to see sickly white skin, horrible scars, prosthetic limbs and a thick cable that came out of a hole in his chest.
Anakin gasped in confusion and horror.
Then it all vanished.
Jerrison Apartment . . .
Mik Jerrison kissed his sleeping wife's cheek. I love you, Space Angel. Even if I don't understand what you say half the time.
He quickly checked on Kali, Rahshel and Dayvyd. They were still fast asleep. He planted a kiss on each one of his children's cheeks before leaving the apartment.
He took the family speeder to Fleet HQ. In the Rec Room Firmus Piett sipped a mug of caf and Anakin Skywalker was staring off into space.
"How did you meet your wife, Mik?" Piett suddenly asked.
Mik blinked. "Well, fifteen years ago I was sitting in The Jedi and Senator when this beautiful woman about three years younger than me asks if she can join me. I told her that it wasn't for anyone and that she could take it. So she sat down and before I knew it we were talking about our work, places we've been too and our favorite things. She gave her datapad address and her comm number and a few days later I called to ask if she wanted to go and see the band Kuschel play. She said yes and during My Sweetest Love she looked at me with a sad look in her eyes so I kissed." Mik paused for a moment. "I was surprised when she kissed me right back. A few months later I proposed and we married two months later."
"Admiral, you met your wife at a ball held in honor of the scientific minds of the galaxy. She was standing in a corner trying to pretend that she wasn't there. You were just walking around when you saw her standing all alone and so you asked her for a dance. You danced the whole night and you kissed her during the song My Sweetest Love. You escorted her back to her apartment and she gave you her comm number and you gave her your datapad address. You were married six months later." Skywalker said.
Mik frowned. "You must be mistaken General. I think I'd remember if I met her at a party." Anakin shook his head. "I remember hearing you tell General Veers, Jir and Praj about it."
Mik looked at Piett, Piett looked at him.
He must be thinking about someone else. Mik thought. That's the only explanation. Isn't it?
R/R
Authors Notes
In Kali the 'A' is pronounced short as in 'Al' and the 'I' is pronounced like an 'e'. Kinda like California. Rahshel is pronounced with kinda of lthe way it's spelt. 'Rah' then 'Shell'. Dayvyd is another way to spell the name David.
Kuschel is a German word. It means to either snuggle or cuddle.
The song 'My Sweetest Love' takes its name from from a German song called Kuschel by the band Schuffel. In the English translation the first line is 'You are my sweetest love.'It is basically the same song. You can listen to it on YouTube. I think it's sweet, but you're welcome to your opinion.
Thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews
