WELCOME TO CHAPTER 10! This is Bluey! :D Sorry we haven't gotten this up sooner! We have absolutely no excuse. XD But this chapter is longer, so… :D
TARDISjedigirl asked: "Are you doing NaNoWriMo?" Answer: No, I am not. I've never done it before, actually. I prefer just to write fan fiction for fun ;)
Ahsoka-Tano-Padawan asked: "What does TIESHI mean? I know it's probably something like 'STOP!' But figured I'd ask anyway." Answer: And you'd be correct, LOL.
And surprisingly, that's it. XDDD on to the story!
Emblem Star
Chapter 10: We are Broken
Everyone stood around Amara in the Twilight. After the vulture droids had taken off, Amara, Ahsoka and the clones had managed to destroy the rest of the droids. They had eventually found Anakin and he told them what had happened.
"So," Ahsoka said to Amara, curiosity filling her voice, "how do you know that boy Dooku had captured?"
"He's a… very close friend of mine," Amara said. "We met each other years ago. What I don't get is why he's here."
Anakin looked deep in thought. "It is strange." He thought for a moment longer. "Dooku even tried to get him to kill us... Very strange."
Amara rubbed her wrist. "What if he got here the way I did?" she wondered aloud. "We were together when it happened. Often that can happen in teleporting, too. The people around the intended target can end up being teleported as well."
"Is it possible for the 'intended target' to get teleported to a different place than the others that were teleported? Because that seems to be the case here," said Anakin.
Amara thought for a moment. "Yes... but the distance usually isn't too far... but on certain occasions it can end up being greater than it normally would."
"In a situation such as this," said Anakin, "I don't think anything is within the ranges of normal."
Amara glanced out the window for a moment. "There was one other person with us when it happened," she added. "I wonder if she was teleported as well."
"I suppose," Anakin murmured, "we'll just have to find out."
Amara nodded, worry filling her. Suddenly her eyes widened. "I just realized something," she said.
"What?" Ahsoka asked.
She turned back to Anakin and Ahsoka. "When we were using the Force, trying to figure out which planet the Separatists were on, it kept bringing me back to the same memory of an old friend." She took a breath. "The memory was of Marth."
So she really was concentrating, Anakin thought to himself, feeling a little guilty for telling her to focus when she had told them what the Force had led her to and he had thought she wasn't concentrating. The Force had been telling her that Marth was on Felucia. "It all makes sense now..." he said.
Amara nodded. "But, what do we do now? The Separatists are gone, and they've taken Marth with them."
"We return to Coruscant," said Anakin. "The Council needs to know of this information. They will tell us what to do next."
…
Amara stared out the window during the long journey back to Coruscant, lost in thought.
Ahsoka walked over to her, looking out the window as well. "So... that guy Dooku captured... Marth's his name, right? You know him?"
Amara nodded. "We've known each other for years."
Still staring out the window, Ahsoka pondered all the mysteries and secrets surrounding Amara, Marth, and the whole situation in general. "Why do you think Dooku wants him?"
"I honestly don't know," Amara told her. "There's no reason I can think of as to why they'd want him. It's strange..."
Ahsoka looked over at Amara. Suddenly the memory she had seen from Amara's mind during their practice fight flooded back to her and she realized something almost instantly. "Amara..." She paused for a moment. "Marth... is the guy from your memory, isn't he?"
Amara didn't respond right away. "I was wondering if you'd make the connection," she said quietly without looking at her.
Eyes widening slightly, Ahsoka continued to look at Amara. She half wondered why Amara hadn't told her up until now. But then again, as she realized, it was personal information, and Amara had every right not to tell them. "Wow..." was all Ahsoka managed to say.
Amara looked at her from the corner of her eye, expression unchanging. "You make it seem like it's such a big deal," she murmured.
"Sorry," Ahsoka mumbled. "I don't get to see a lot of... romance... as a Jedi."
"It's alright..." Amara said quietly, looking away.
Are you ok? Ahsoka asked her, reaching out in the Force to touch her mind.
Amara sighed. Yeah. A memory almost slipped her thoughts, but she caught it before it reached Ahsoka's mind.
Everything will turn out fine, trust me. Ahsoka smiled a little. There's always hope.
Amara only nodded. She closed her eyes, inwardly clutching the memory close.
…
The Council listened intently as Anakin told them of their mission. "… but Dooku got away, and he took Marth with him."
Everyone was silent for a moment. Yoda looked deep in thought.
"Well done, Skywalker," said Master Windu. "Now you must find out where Dooku has taken his prisoner. That is our only chance of freeing him."
Anakin nodded.
Amara absentmindedly touched her left hand.
"Anything else, discovered have you, Skywalker?" Yoda asked.
Anakin glanced at Amara. "Well..."
It's alright, Anakin. "They did," Amara told the Council. She explained her royalty and powers of magic to them.
If the Council hadn't been trying to maintain their nearly expressionless faces and appear wise and dignified, their jaws might have been on the ground. "Interesting news, this is," said Yoda.
"Yes," Master Windu said, "with this information, we may be able to continue to search for a way to get you back home."
"A way to get both of them back home," Ahsoka spoke up. "Even if we can find a way to get Amara back home, I know she won't leave without Marth."
The Council looked at each other briefly. "Set out tomorrow," said Obi-Wan. "Try and see if you can track where Dooku has gone."
Anakin nodded.
"You're dismissed," Master Windu said.
The three of them bowed and left the Council.
…
Dooku had chained Marth's hands together, and now was having him stand in the middle of a strange-looking platform. "This will give your Jedi friends a little something... unexpected," Dooku said with an evil smirk. "Say, something to stew on?" He pressed a couple buttons on a control panel and the platform began to lower into the ground.
Marth glared at him. "What are you doing?" he growled.
Dooku didn't answer. The platform went completely into the ground, and a cold gas began to surround Marth.
Marth managed to gasp before he froze... literally. Within seconds he was frozen in carbonite.
The carbonite slab rose back up on the platform, and Dooku looked at it, the evil smile on his face growing. And this time... things will go according to plan...
…
"It's just so worrying for me," Amara was saying to Anakin and Ahsoka. They were in Ahsoka's quarters, talking over what had happened the past few days. The conversation had, of course, eventually gone to Marth. "I mean I care so much about him..." Amara looked up and saw that both Anakin and Ahsoka's expressions had suddenly changed. "... What's wrong?"
Ahsoka seemed unable to speak. Anakin looked at Amara solemnly. "When someone dies, their presence in the Force disappears. We just felt someone's presence disappear," he told her.
Amara looked at him. "Whose?"
"Reach out in the Force, Amara."
Amara looked confused. She reached out as Anakin said, and a strange look came over her face. Something was wrong... Then she realized whose presence it was that was missing from the Force.
Marth's.
Her eyes widened in horror. "No..." she whispered. "No... No, no, NO!"
Ahsoka had lowered her head in silent sadness.
"I'm... so sorry, Amara..." Anakin said. Inside he felt a flicker of something... was it guilt? He knew all too well how it felt to lose someone close to him. He had done his best to save Marth... and failed. Why does it always happen like this?
Tears were already spilling down Amara's cheeks. "No... No... God, please, no!" She fell to her knees.
Anakin sighed inwardly, feeling as if it was his fault Marth was dead. I failed. Again.
Ahsoka remained completely silent. There must have been more we could've done... why didn't we do it?
Amara buried her face in her hands, unable to control her sobbing. He couldn't be dead. He couldn't... she was nothing without him...
…
Amara watched as tear after tear dripped onto her palm. She sat alone in the gardens. Alone... she thought. The word brought a fresh wave of tears to her eyes. She swallowed hard, trying to control them.
Nearby, Anakin stood, watching her. He clenched his fist closed as memories flooded back to him again. How can I help her if I can't even forgive myself? Finally, he walked towards her, his footsteps soft in the grass. He didn't say a word at first, reaching down to touch her shoulder.
Amara didn't move, but instead answered though mind touch. Why? Why did he have to die...? She sobbed again.
I... I don't know, Amara. I've been in your situation before... and I've always asked myself the same question... He fought back tears from coming to his own eyes. There was no way he'd let himself cry.
Amara buried her face in her hands. First my parents... and now him... I feel like I'm going to die!
Believe me... I know exactly how you feel. Anakin sat down next to her.
He... was so much more than a friend... she whispered. A fresh wave of tears coursed down her face.
Anakin wondered what she meant. She could have meant it figuratively, as in he was very important to her... or... he really was much more...I'll try and help any way I can, he said.
Amara didn't answer. She couldn't.
She wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her face against them, sobbing even harder than before. She felt broken. No... I AM broken, she thought.
Anakin put an arm around her and tried his best to give her as much comfort in the Force as he was able to.
Amara pressed her head against his chest, her sobbing uncontrolled.
Keeping her in his tight embrace, Anakin nearly wore himself out sending comfort through the Force, but he didn't care.
I loved him... so deeply... Amara whispered. She kept her eyes closed, trying to focus on her breathing.
Love... That word meant a lot to Anakin. His mind flickered with an image of Padme and he blinked. "I understand, Amara. I have someone I deeply love, too..." He trailed off.
Amara took a deep breath. "But Anakin, you don't understand..."
Anakin closed his eyes for a moment, thinking to himself. You can trust her, Anakin... "You must not tell anyone of what I am about to tell you," he said to her, keeping his voice low. "If anyone were to find out..." He stopped. He couldn't bear to think what would happen.
Amara glanced at him. "I swear."
"I'm... married," Anakin said. "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to my wife..."
Amara looked at him for a long minute in silence. Finally, she said, "I won't tell anyone, but... you have to promise not to tell my secret... it's mine to share when the time comes."
"I won't say a word," Anakin promised.
Amara nodded. She took hold of her fingerless glove on her left hand and slowly pulled it off. There, on her finger, was a silver ring. She held up her hand.
Anakin's eyes widened. It's... him, isn't it...?
Amara closed her eyes and nodded. Next spring would've made two years.
I'm so sorry...
Amara looked up at him. He was my life... she murmured. He was part of the reason I accepted the throne in the first place, so we could be together.
Anakin looked into her eyes. He felt as if they belonged to someone much, much older than a 17-year-old.
Amara's eyes filled with tears again and she balled her hand that wore her ring into a fist.
As Jedi... we have to let go of our grief, and move on... Anakin said to her. It isn't always easy... To himself he added, I can barely do it myself...
Amara rested her head against his shoulder. Tell me that tomorrow... or next week... just not tonight.
Anakin nodded. She was right. Even Jedi were given time. Everything will be alright, Amara, he said. There's always hope.
Amara closed her eyes and sighed shakily. I'm so sorry, Marth... she thought to herself. I'm so sorry.
Hey everybody, Liv here. I just wanted to explain a few things. No, Marth is not actually dead, despite what everyone thinks. Dooku only froze him in carbonite. He's perfectly alive.
Also, for those of you who have more knowledge about FE, in this story, we... well, I... basically got rid of Marth's love interest in the game series, Shiida. The reason is that I had made Amara long before I knew about Shiida, and in roleplays and such, she would always be Marth's OC. So, Shiida does not exist here. Bye bye, Shiida... heh, I told you the FE part of the story may not be entirely accurate. :P