Very sorry for the long delay of updates. I got caught up in writing some other things and this completely slipped my mind. I'll be working on this story more and post updates frequently. Thanks for your patience! —Anna
The path that Luke ran across was damp and covered with a thin layer of water. The soles of his boots crashed against the water, disturbing it by displacing it everywhere. He looked ahead as he kept his jog up. On his back was an old Jedi master, but by no means did he look like one. No one would have guessed that it was Master Yoda, and that included Luke.
They arrived back at the home of the Jedi master, and Luke looked around the noisy swamp. He was sweating fiercely, but there was a different element of urgency. "Is there anyone else that lives here?" he asked, looking over at Yoda, who had sat down on a low rock.
"No," Yoda answered. "Some have been here, but return, they do not."
The answer unsettled Luke, and he wiped his face with the back of his hand. "I feel another presence here," he said, and looked out into the swampland again. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Not even waiting for Yoda's reply, he left the Jedi master alone and began to walk through the swamp, stepping over logs and pushing aside various things that hung down from the trees. He could feel that there was another being on this planet, and that was new to him. Never before had he felt such an attraction to the beings on the planet. Maybe it was because this being seemed to be in peril, and trapped in a dangerous situation. He constantly glanced around, searching for the one sign that the unknown being that he was looking for. He jumped back when he saw her, lying against a tree, her eyes shut and her head resting on the trunk of the tree. She looked to be in rough shape, and he glanced around for any sort of sign on how she had arrived. He knelt down, and she barely parted her eyes. She looked to be near the edge of death, as her frame was small and she looked to be wasting away to nothing. "I'm going to help you," Luke said, unsure of what to say to her. She held his gaze just for a few seconds before her eyes closed again. Knowing that she didn't have a lot of time, Luke quickly picked her up, surprised about how light she was in his arms. Her lips parted slightly as he shifted her around in his arms, and then he began to sprint back toward Yoda's home.
Anna's eyes opened slightly, but she was unable to register anything. She knew that she was in an illuminated area, and the ceiling was very low to her face. She blinked, trying to clear her eyes away. She didn't remember much, just resting her head against a tree, and then feeling herself wake to the demands of her stomach. She had been so weak that there was no way that she could've even stood. She had say there, waiting for sleep to come upon her again, and let death take her with it. Then she remembered a boy kneeling in front of her, and then there was an empty space in her mind.
She tried to sit up, but a hand stopped her, lightly pushing down on her collarbone. She panicked instantly, thinking that she had been kidnapped. She tried to sit up once again, faster this time, but a rough voice spoke. "Rest, you must," the voice said, and she glanced around, seeing the small Jedi master standing a few feet away from her. "Where am I?" she asked, glancing around. "Master Yoda's home," another voice said. She recognized the voice instantly, and turned to see her saviour sitting to her side, his hand resting on her collarbone. She felt her muscles relax, and she let herself fall back down to the ground. She was too weak to hold herself up. "You were almost dead," he continued. "I could feel your presence and I wanted to help you. You were in pain. That's why I found you."
"What are you even doing here in the first place?" she asked, a little too harshly for her liking, but her voice was still weak, so the edge in her voice didn't carry.
"I'm training to become a Jedi," he answered honestly, his eyes drifting to her own. The minute that their gazes met each other, they seemed to lock in place. Anna couldn't pull her gaze away from the irises that reminded her of ice. Luke seemed to be also studying her gaze, but she couldn't tell. All that she knew was that he didn't want to separate their eyes.
"What's your name?" he asked, finally breaking the gentle gaze.
"Anna," she answered.
"Luke," he responded, and she nodded, unsure of what to say.
"How did you get here?" she asked.
"I was on my way here, but I crashed into the swamp and now I'm stuck here," he said. "I'm training to become a Jedi."
"I crashed as well," she said, and glanced down at her arms to find them wrapped in bandages. "My ship malfunctioned and I was forced to land here. I have no idea how long I've been stuck here."
"You were in rough shape," he said. "But, you're all right now. You just need to stay here for a little while longer until you're strong enough to leave."
Anna took a deep breath, her throat instantly screaming at her because of the lack of water that had run down it. "As soon as I'm strong enough, I'm leaving," she said. "I have to get back to my home planet." She looked up at Luke. "Thank you for saving me, but I can't stay here."
Luke nodded, understanding and even sadness creeping into his eyes. "You need some help getting off the planet," he said. "I have a ship, but it would be a tight fit with both of us."
Anna sighed and looked up remembering with sudden clarity that her ship had been decimated. "I'm sure that my ship can be salvaged," she said. "Assuming that it's not too deep in the water."
"For now, just stay here," he said, keeping his hand on her collarbone, but keeping his touch so light that she just about melted into his touch, but she kept her mind clear. She was never one to get caught up in romance, and she didn't want to now. After all, she hardly knew this boy, and as far as she knew, he could be holding her hostage on the planet. She had no energy to fight back, and she was sure that even if she did, she wouldn't be able to hold him off. She shut her eyes and let out a breath, completely aware of Luke's hand that still rested on her collarbone. She resisted the urge to cover his hand with her own, and instead just let it pass.
When he finally did remove his hand, it left a cold spot at the top of Anna's chest. She knew that he hadn't left her side, and felt strangely comforted because of it. Even though she felt wary of him, her mind told her not to. He seemed to be emitting a powerful vibe of positive energy, and she liked that. The civil unrest that was going on in the galaxy was terrifying to her, and she felt like he seemed to be a person that would be able to fight it.