Entry tags:

30 somethings, anakin and obi-wan, star wars

Stars (Star Wars, 454 Words)
Fandom: Star Wars
Title: Stars (454 Words)
Author: jarkai_fic on LJ / jarkai everywhere else
Beta: legolad
Theme(s): (For 30_somethings on Insanejournal, Nights: #22, Stars)
Pairing/Characters: Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi
Rating: General.
Disclaimer/claimer: Characters belong to George Lucas
Critiques: Yes
Summary: Time changes all things.

Her head tilted upwards, the woman stood outside in the cool darkness. Nights on Tatooine were considerably more comfortable than the days. As the heat of the suns slowly faded, the air chilled everything it touched. By the time morning came, her shawl would not be enough.

The child in her arms squirmed. Though she considered him a gift from the gods, he was certainly a busy one. The fair-haired babe rarely stopped.

"That!" He thrust little fists at the sky.

She shifted him to her other hip. "Those are stars, Ani."

Fingers at his mouth, he returned her smile, then let his head fall back, trying to get a better look at the twinkling lights.

+++

"Ow!" The boy rubbed at the place where the older man had poked him. "What are you doing?"

"Testing your blood for infections," Qui-Gon replied, voice even. He applied a bandage to the boy's arm. His mouth curled in a half-smile that did not quite reach his eyes.

Anakin gazed up into the night. "There's so many. Do they all have planets?"

"Most of them." The Jedi stood quietly next to him.

"Has anyone seen them all?"

Qui-Gon laughed softly. "Not likely."

Anakin nodded, still looking skyward. "I want to be the first person to see them all."

+++

"Master, what do you hope for when this war is over?" Anakin lay on his back on the soft grass. The trees of the planet Ruhe stood all around them, the stars brilliant between their branches.

Obi-Wan's brow furrowed. "My duty is to follow the Force, Anakin. I will do what it bids of me."

"But don't you want something more than that?"

"That sounds a bit like selfishness to me, Anakin." Cloak now folded into the rough shape of a pillow, the older man sat beside his former Padawan.

"That's not what I meant," Anakin said, unable to keep a tinge of exasperation from his voice. Above him, the stars seemed brighter than ever.

+++

In the dark room, the only light came from the massive window in front of him. The black of his mechanical body let him blend easily into the shadows, but he no longer needed night's protection.

His crossed his arms over his chest, a stance that he had recently adopted. The more intimidating you were, the more you gained. In this place of ebony and steel, he had learned that quickly enough.

Starlight shone through the glass. For Anakin Skywalker, the stars had never lost their luster. But what could a man in a mask want with a million points of light? A single push of a button could destroy them.

For Vader, the stars didn't seem all that important anymore.

[END]