Solitary (Anakin's perspective)
Anakin Skywalker, the prophosized
chosen one to bring balance to the Force, a great hero of the Clone
War, now sat alone in solitary confinement, shrouded in darkness and
in total sensory depravation. His stomach churned in fear and anxiety
melted with his own depression. Suddenly he heard footsteps coming
down the corridor and what he thought was Jordana's faint voice
telling the guards not to touch her.
"Jordana?" He cried
hopefully, but got no repsponse. His lonliness pushed him further
into despair. Padme, his beloved wife, was leaving him, and he had no
doubt that Obi-Wan would side with his precious Council. Palpatine
would be of no use, since the Council's decision can override that
of the Chancellor's. If there was ever a time when he needed to
hear Jordana's understanding voice, it was now.
Not too long
after they found her, after weeks of being tortured by Asajj
Ventress, he had begun having these murderous urges, and feelings of
helplessness. It was then he spilled his guts to her. He told her of
what he had done to the Tuskens that had killed his mother, of his
fear of losing everyone he loved, of the anger and frustation he felt
towards so many, of of how it conflicted with his Jedi duties.
"I
understand." she had whispered.
Jordana, of all the people he
knew, would understand. Ventress had beaten and tortured her in
captivity. When they found her, she was beaten so badly she was
almost unrecognizable. Both her eyes were blacked out, her lips and
nose were bleeding, and there were clear indications she had been
whipped. In her bloodied hand was what appeared to be Ventress'
head. Upon further examination, however, it was instead an android's
head, identical to Ventress.
"Bitch didn't even have the balls
to torture me in person!" she cried as she hurled the head at the
cave wall. It exploded on impact. She then collapsed into his arms.
Upon arriving to the Temple, she was treated so poorly by the Council
it made him sick. She wasn't some derranged murderer! She'd been
through hell, and her capturer wasn't even human. Fortunately,
Obi-Wan used his influence on the Council to finally convince them of
this. And Anakin made sure the real Asajj Ventress paid dearly for
what she had done.
Later, he had asked if she felt any remorse,
even though it was a replica droid.
"I'm not proud of it, but
I don't regret it."
After that, they never spoke of it again.
To Jordana, it was as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
While he would detach himself mentally when he killed someone, there
was always a twinge of remorse for what he'd done. Not because of
who he killed, but because it wasn't the path a Jedi follows.
Jordana, on the other hand, claimed she felt none.
"Don't you
find it odd, Anakin, that you're always worrying and dreaming about
Jordana than you are about your own wife?" Palpatine asked
him.
Padme was safe in her cozy, Coruscant apartment while him and
Jordana were actually fighting in the war. Naturally, he should have
more reason to be worrisome. As for the dreams, Obi-Wan had told him
that they were simply a sign of admiration.
To say he admired
Jordana was an understatement, she outright impressed him. The war,
for all the hardships it's brought her, had allowed her to hone her
skills. She was almost as swift and agile as he was, and her
knowledge of the Force had improved greatly. She was an excellent
commander, fearless in battle and great strategist. Now, in his
darkest hour yet, he longed for her strength and companionship more
than that of anyone else's.
"Jordana," he whispered, "if
you can feel this, I need you most right now."