The Tragic Jedi | Anakin Skywalker

𝓢𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓮 𝟖𝟒

❈✱❉✤❈✱❉

Astrid must've dozed off from where she sat on the bench, leaned against the wall, because she was awoken by the sound of her holding cell's door opening. Her eyes snapped open as she swiftly lowered her feet to the ground and turned her body towards the door. She found Darth Vader standing there in the doorway of her cell. With his tall figure and broad shoulders, he almost entirely filled the door frame.

"Come with me," he ordered.

Astrid didn't bother resisting his order, and instead, she gave him a dirty, disdainful look as she sidled past him and stepped out of her cell. Her limbs ached from holding such an uncomfortable sitting position for so long on the bench inside her cell.

She felt Darth Vader's gloved hand on her upper arm as he led her forward down the hallway. Their footsteps echoed in the hallway as they strode towards where Astrid guessed was the ship's main bridge. Except, Darth Vader directed her towards their ship's lowered ramp instead, and Astrid realized their ship was actually inside the hangar of a much larger ship.

Her breath hitched as she took in the high vaulted ceilings-- nearly a hundred feet above her-- and the vast hangar room that was easily the size of ten Republic Star Destroyers placed side-by-side. Along the edges of the hangar were parked ships, and their own ship looked to have landed in the center of the massive hangar. Stormtroopers and Imperial officers milled around the hangar, and though none of them glanced towards Astrid and Darth Vader, she had the sense that they were very much aware of their presence.

Astrid realized then what ship they were on; the Death Star.

She stumbled in her surprise at the realization. Darth Vader's grip tightened on her arm to keep her from face planting on the ground. How kind, she thought sarcastically with a withering sidelong glance in his direction.

He directed her forward towards the hangar exit, and before long, they entered the Death Star's vast, maze-like hallway system. Several stormtroopers and Imperial officers passed them as the two of them walked through the dimly lit, dark metal-walled hallways, but none of the Imperial soldiers cast a single glance in their direction. Based upon the sheer terror Astrid could sense from the Imperial soldiers through the Force, she knew they were purposefully avoiding eye contact with Vader and her-- as if they didn't want to attract notice from the Sith.

This time Darth Vader did lead her to the main bridge, and when they entered, Astrid found a man in a slate grey Imperial uniform with greying dark hair standing in the center of the main bridge. Astrid recognized him immediately as Grand Admiral Tarkin, and her mouth curled with disgust at the sight of him.

All around the control room were Imperial officers and technicians, busy tapping at their respective control screens, and they paid Darth Vader and Astrid no heed as they entered the room. As the doors closed behind them, Darth Vader released Astrid and moved towards the side viewport. Astrid tracked Vader with her eyes. Her gaze jumped over Vader's broad shoulders to land upon the view of Alderaan outside the viewport. She realized, then, that the Death Star had moved locations from Scarif to Alderaan.

This couldn't be good.

Astrid heard slow footsteps moving towards her, and she shifted her gaze to find Tarkin approaching her with a faintly amused smirk. She gave him a hard look as she demanded, "What do you want from me? It was completely unnecessary to kill all of my men and take me here."

Tarkin stopped a few feet in front of her as he answered, "Your ship was spotted near Scarif... Ayla Rano, isn't it? Senator Bail Organa's advisor?"