When the public became aware of what happened at the old orphanage, it was hard to hide Anakin’s guilt. Anakin confessed to his crimes almost as soon as his father woke up. He knew the old man would find out about it anyway and thought it best he be upfront about it.
‘You disgusting little rodent! What did I tell you about using the dark side of the Force?’ the elder man growled before grabbing the child by the neck and throwing him across the room.
Anakin began to apologize profusely, but it was of no use.
‘Not only did you make your attack so public that even the Outer Rim will know of it, but you let yourself get caught! Now how in the abyss am I supposed to clean this mess up?!’
Anakin’s father was furious not over the boys actions, but the fact that he didn’t try to hide them. What was worse was the fact the boy had been caught. Because of this. Anakin was beaten even worse than usual, causing the boy to lose consciousness on more than one occasion only to be forced awake through a mind trick and beaten again.
Once his father and master was exhausted from his vicious attacks, he used the dark side of the Force to partly heal Anakin’s broken bones and wounds before forcing him to learn a new technique of mind control. The pain would aid in keeping him focused and would assure he channelled the darkness properly. The new attack he learned was supposed to enable him to erase the immediate memories of his victim’s mind.
‘Channelling the dark side is one thing, child. But using properly is another. If you’re going to be so foolish as to let yourself be caught then it’s about time you learn how to get yourself out of your messes without drawing attention,’ the elder man snapped.
An exhausted Anakin weakly nodded as he tried once more to use the Force as his father had taught him. When he slipped up, the elder Sith Lord was quick to remind him of his mistakes with Force lightning, but in time, Anakin succeeded and was finally permitted to retire for the night. He collapsed before he even had a chance to grab his blanket from under the bed. His rest, however, was short lived.
In his dreams, he could see Dormé wandering alone in a place he had never been to before. She was alone and scared, asking for him, pleading with anyone she could find to help her.
Crying in the middle of a part of the city she was unfamiliar with, Dormé soldiered onward. It was hard not to give up for she was near exhaustion and quite confused. She went up to the door of some pub, hoping that someone might be kind enough to point her in the right direction. Her clothing was nice, though not as clean as it had been when she set off.
‘Are you lost, love?’ a burly man asked, practically forcing her past a few of the tables, further into the pub.
The whole place smelled foul as smoke and fuel invaded her nostrils. She spoke up to say that she was looking for her friend, but no one seemed to understand her accent. Other people who looked strange and intimidating scared her and she decided it was time to leave, but the room was spinning and she was soon slipping to the floor in unconsciousness.
Anakin tried to cry out to her to get Dormé’s attention to tell her that he was right there. When that didn’t work he rushed forward but his movements were slow and ungainly, leaving him watch helplessly as Dormé fainted before his eyes.
He awoke with a sharp gasp and, taking in his surroundings, he realized it had been a dream. Yet a part of him knew there was more to it and growing concerned for his friend, he swiftly grabbed his cloak and departed from home. Though his wounds were still fresh and unclean, it didn’t matter as his thoughts were entirely elsewhere.
He tried to reach out to her through the Force to ask where she was and if she was okay. Perhaps his mind had just gone frantic because of the day’s events. But he was unable to touch her thoughts as though she had closed them off to him—or was unconscious. The dream returned to him with a vengeance and soon Anakin was racing off to where he recalled her new home was. That was until he picked up her Force signature elsewhere, much further away and in a rather dingy part of the city. Fearing the worst, Anakin thanked the darkness he carried his lightsaber with him and soon was changing direction to where he sensed her presence.
Approaching the smoky bar, Anakin furrowed his brow as he carefully entered. He wondered why she was here of all places and realized that if she had been seeking him out she probably came here for directions. Entering the building, he fought down his dark urges and did his best to ignore the emotions that accosted him. Anakin didn’t want to make the same mistake twice and was mindful not to lose focus as to why he was here.
It didn’t take him long to find his friend now resting unconscious on a bench. He didn’t know who placed her there or what had happened but he could see her Force signature was fading and this frightened him. Gingerly, he lifted her into his arms—for despite almost being the same height as him, Dormé was quite small— and moved to depart, this time taking the backdoor so as to draw less attention.
Thankfully the bar was too busy with other patrons looking to drown their sorrows or have a good time to pay much heed to a scar faced little boy and his petite friend. Once outside, he tried to touch the Force this time in the hopes of waking her up.
Dormé? Dormé! Can you hear me? he spoke into her mind though it was difficult because she wasn’t conscious.
The commotion Dormé caused in the pub was soon forgotten after the barmaid found Dormé and placed her on a bench. It was the best she could do at the moment. She left shortly to fetch a blanket, assuming she was only one of the factory working children who often came there when it was too cold to sleep outdoors. When she returned with a blanket, the girl was gone. Afraid that one of the patrons took off with the unconscious girl, she frantically searched for her, asking whomever she ran into if they had seen her leave. They said a boy was there, but other than that, there was nothing else they could provide.
Finally she found the boy and the girl in the back of the pub just outside. ‘Is she all right?’ she asked, approaching with the blanket.
Anakin continued to try to speak Dormé’s name while running his fingers through her hair. He hoped it would calm her into a proper sleep or hopefully wake her up. It was hard not to succumb to his panic, but Anakin managed and at the sight of the barmaid, Anakin bit his lip. ‘I don’t know; she’s not waking up!’ he said in frightened tones. Though he didn’t know the woman, he could tell that she was someone who had a good heart.
‘Has she had anything to eat? Do you know her?’
He didn’t argue or challenge her as she checked Dormé’s pulse and his cheeks turned bright red. ‘I don’t know. Normally she eats when she visits me, but I haven’t seen her—’ He fell silent, not wanting to admit his actions at the old orphanage. He could still recall his father’s rage and didn’t want Dormé to be dragged into it as well.
‘She’s my friend, you have to help her!’ he pleaded.
‘Hang on,’ the barmaid said. ‘I’ll do what I can to help you both. OK?’
Taking the blanket that was left behind, Anakin wrapped it around Dormé and lightly kissed her lips. ‘Please Dormé wake up!’ he softly pleaded.
She hurried back inside to find some leftovers from her own supper and some bread. She knew it wasn’t much, but also that she couldn’t afford to give handouts to all of the needy in this district. It was just something about the pair that broke her heart, but oddly enough also filled her with hope. Seeing the affection between two who were so young resonated deeply in her heart. She felt as though there was something harmonious about the pair that was almost spiritual to her.
Soon the woman was returning with something warm to drink and Anakin shyly thanked her decided she was indeed very nice.
Dormé murmured, ‘Anakin...’
As though she had heard his prayer, Dormé spoke his name bringing unshed tears of joy to his eyes. ‘Dormé? You’re awake!’ he gasped before kissing her cheeks as he gave her a squeeze.
‘There, she’s coming to— it’s all right now,’ the barmaid surmised. ‘Just give her a few swigs of this and we’ll see about a meal if you’re up for it.’
With Anakin’s kisses, Dormé came back to herself, though she still felt a little dizzy. ‘I was worried about you—’ she admitted. ‘I was lonely. I didn’t know where you were.’
It was odd that the girl should speak in such a thick accent, one she could have sworn was an ancient Nabooan dialect and yet the boy seemed to understand, though he spoke to her, clear as day, in Basic. The barmaid observed them briefly before fetching the pair some food. She knew it would have to be something small, since they wouldn’t pay and she didn’t want the other children thinking she was a source for handouts.
‘You scared me, you know! I thought you were dying!’ he blurted out. ‘She says to drink a little of this; it will help,’ Anakin explained as he offered Dormé the drink that was meant for her. ‘I think she’s going to get you some food too,’ he admitted with a shy smile.
Dormé’s words tore at his heart and soon he was pulling her close into a tight hug only to quickly draw back as his healing body protested in pain. ‘I missed you too! I was so worried! I had this really bad dream about you—you were lost and I couldn’t help you—and then I woke up and you weren’t there and I knew you were in trouble!’ Anakin rambled in concern.
Falling silent he blushed a bright red before moving to help Dormé drink a little of the potent brew. ‘How are you feeling?’ he asked in concern before biting his lip to her question. Anakin knew there was no way her family would ever accept him—not anymore.
Dormé drank a little of the powerful brew before observing the remnants of his wounds. ‘Do you think maybe my new family could adopt you too? So you don’t have to—’ She couldn’t help looking at what she could see of his wounds. ‘Then maybe we wouldn’t have to run away anywhere and we could still stay together.’
‘I don’t know,’ he admitted quietly not wishing to crush his friends hopes.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner—I didn’t know you were trying to find my home,’ he confessed. Not wanting to speak of the fact his father had beaten him so bad and trained him so hard that he collapsed before reaching the bed, Anakin instead apologized for not leaving sooner.
‘This time I’ll walk you home and tomorrow night, I’ll meet you at your house and then we can walk to my place together,’ he said with a sheepish look.
After giving them something to eat, the barmaid felt as though she really ought to do more for them. But by the time she went out a third time to see them, they had disappeared, leaving the barmaid to wonder if they had really been there or if they were spirits from beyond.
Dormé inevitably conceded to returning back to her new home. She didn’t want Anakin to have to go, even if there was a promise of returning the next night. ‘It’s hard to go to sleep without you,’ she confessed, giving him a kiss before going back inside through the window.
Parting ways with Dormé was far more difficult than Anakin would have liked. But he knew he couldn’t remain and so with great reluctance he pulled Dormé into a tight embrace and returned her kiss. ‘When I come back tonight, I can wait until you sleep before I go,’ he suggested in hopeful tones. But the hour was late and Anakin knew by the time he got home his father would soon be awake and so with this in mind he stole another quick kiss and soon was racing off home.
She remained at the window watching him depart until long after he had disappeared. ‘I love you, Anakin,’ she thought as she drew herself under the covers, hugging her pillow.
As he snuck back into his room, Anakin thought he heard Dormé whispering her love for him into his thoughts. With a contented smile, he whispered his love back to her and soon was falling back asleep on the floor.
The next day, she was awoken early for a clothes fitting session that was hardly pleasant. They made her stand up straight for her fitting, forcing her shoulders back and her knees together. It was hardly her natural stance and by the time it was over, her shoulders and back were aching. But her new mother, Sola Naberrie, insisted that all ladies needed to learn to dress properly. After all, she was going to be representing the Naberrie family now.
Dormé preferred spending time with her new dad because even though he had a lot of work to do, he was always willing to talk to her and show her his art, which she didn’t know was, in fact, for architecture. He even let her try to paint too.
But it was a long day and she was thankfully granted time to rest in her room. She fell asleep, having not been able to sleep well the night before, or for a few nights, ever since the last time Anakin was with her. She awoke when she was called for supper and felt lethargic and didn’t feel much like speaking to her new parents. She missed the concerned looks passed between them.
The rest of the evening, she was waiting for Anakin and hoping she would see him soon.
Unfortunately Anakin fell asleep for far longer than he should leaving him to awaken to the shouts of his agitated father. The training was particularly fierce and his studies were equally thorough, leaving Anakin completely worn and exhausted even before the day was through. The beatings were expected as were the vicious words, but when his father took to insulting his friend Dormé, then Anakin lost all control of himself.
Completely drawing upon the dark side, Anakin fought viciously and without mercy. For the first time in his life, the youngling finally got the upper hand. Though his father still won the battle, it was clear he had been caught off guard.
Despite the severity of his beatings, Anakin knew what he had done was right. And though his father hissed curses at him and swore that he was a terrible child, the scourge of his family, Anakin knew that he wasn’t a bad boy for defending his friend and this made all the difference. Even when he was beaten within breathes of death, the youngling thought of his friend and was able to smile.
The hour was late when Anakin awoke to find himself bleeding on the floor of his room. His head throbbed and his body ached but despite his wounds Anakin’s thoughts were entirely on his friend. Reminded of what had happened the night before he forced himself to his feet and staggered out the door.
By the time he reached Dormé’s new home, Anakin was lightheaded and feeling a little ill. The blood loss of his wounds and the concussion he suffered when his father beat him was taking its toll. Reaching her window, Anakin lightly rapped on the glass, not quite registering the blood on his knuckles that stained the window.
He tried to wait for her to return, but the ground beneath his feet was spinning and it wasn’t long before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his body went limp in the grass.
Dormé was reminded that she needed to brush her teeth before she could go to bed—it was a strange ritual but one that she was slowly getting used to—and when she returned, she saw a strange mark on her window. It frightened her and she screamed.
Cat and Mouse by Cariel, BetaReject