The Tragic Jedi | Anakin Skywalker

𝓢𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓮 𝟐𝟕

❝𝑻𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄. 𝑻𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆.❞ -- 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝑹𝒆𝒙

❈✱❉✤❈✱❉

When Astrid awoke, her back and neck hurt from sleeping on the hard ground. As she rose achingly to her feet, she eyed Anakin's cot beside her with envy. He looked for more comfortable than she had been on the hard, dirt ground. 

Anakin was still fast asleep and still alive, judging by the gentle and shallow rise and fall of his chest. 

Astrid heard movement outside, and she gave Anakin one last look before she emerged from her darkened tent and into the bright sunlight. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the change in the light, and she found Ahsoka and Master Secura talking by the tent on the opposite end of their line of tents. 

She began to head towards them, but Rex's voice from behind her stopped her when he said, "Looks like we're sticking together today to watch the camp and the general." 

Astrid turned around to see him standing there, helmet tucked beneath one arm with a smile. 

Her brows drew together in confusion as she asked, "Wait, what?" 

He frowned as he replied, "You haven't heard? Ahsoka and Master Secura are going out to find any signs of civilization, or civilization in general, on this planet." 

"Why am I not going with them?" Astrid asked, feeling a flare of hurt. 

Captain Rex shrugged apologetically and replied, "I don't know, but Ahsoka suggested you would be best suited guarding the camp." 

Why? Why had Ahsoka suggested that?

Astrid gave Rex a small, tight smile before saying, "I'll be right back." She turned and went over to where Ashoka and Master Secura looked to have just finished their conversation. 

Astrid grabbed Ahsoka's arm and led her behind the tent. Ahsoka wisely didn't protest, and when they were hidden in the tent's shadow, Astrid demanded, "Why am I not going with you and Master Secura?" 

Ahsoka winced. "Well," she began hedgingly. "I just thought you might be distracted out there. I figured it would be best if you stayed with Anakin. That way you won't be constantly worrying about, uh, him." 

A flare of worry coursed through Astrid as she realized that maybe Ashoka had figured out what was going on between Astrid and Anakin. Astrid crossed her arms as she retorted, "I know when to focus on my mission, Ahsoka." 

"Oh, I know that," Ahsoka rushed to say, eyes widened and brows raised in an expressively sincere look. "You're a great Jedi, Astrid." She searched for words before finally saying, "Don't you think it would be best to separate the Jedi Knights so we have security in both groups?" 

Ahsoka had a point, but Astrid had the faint sense the young Padawan was placating her. 

Astrid nodded begrudgingly. "I suppose," she muttered, still not happy. 

But, she couldn't help but feel secretly relieved that she would be able to watch over Anakin personally. Ahsoka was right. Astrid would've focused on their mission if she had been one of them to go and find civilization, but a small part of her would've still been worrying about Anakin.