Saga Life Seems So Much Simpler When You?re Fixing Things (Anakin - Quotations Roulette Challenge Repost)

Title: Life Seems So Much Simpler When You?re Fixing Things
Author: Lovely-in-Orange
Timeframe: A few months post-AotC
Characters: Anakin
Summary: Anakin finds a way to deal with the aftermath of a grim battle
Note: Response to Quotations Roulette Challenge (Reposting as this was buried near the end of the thread) - Thanks to VaderLVR64 for betaing this.

Quote #93. When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest. -- Henry David Thoreau

?Eighteen dead, twelve wounded ? including your Jedi friend,? reported the burly man who was in charge of the planetary militia for this out of the way world. Another Outer Rim battle with the Separatists and too many pilots lost. It wasn?t supposed to go this badly. Obi-Wan had let Anakin plan the attack this time and Anakin thought things would go better this way ? that there would be less Clone pilots killed. But it hadn?t gone any better and his master had nearly been shot down by a cannon from one of the droid ships.

The militia captain, softened his voice a little, attempting to be sensitive, ?You check on your friend already??

Anakin pushed aside his thoughts and nodded. ?Yes, he looked better than his ship. He should be completely recovered after a couple of days of rest.?

The captain looked relieved, ?Ah! That?s wonderful. Everyone survived except for some of those clones then. You managed to drive them off without loosing any real people. Quite a success!?

Anakin?s face darkened at the man?s words. Though the man was taller and broader of shoulder than Anakin, something in the young Jedi?s expression sent him scurrying away. He stammered, ?I?ve uhh? got a few things to take care of. Sorry.? He left hurriedly.

Those pilots who gave their lives defending your little planet are more real than you. Anakin wanted to say. Anakin supposed it was not very Jedi-like to feel satisfied at being able to send someone running away with a look. Troubled by these thoughts and the loss of the pilots, Anakin made his way towards the hanger. He collected Artoo from his ship and then went to find the ship Obi-Wan had flown in.

Looking closer at Obi-Wan?s starfighter made Anakin realize how close it had been for his Master. Laserfire marked almost every part of the ship. The engine looked so badly damaged that it would probably explode if he tried to take off right now. He wasn?t quite sure how his master had managed to limp the damaged ship back here. But then, Obi-Wan was a better pilot than he gave himself credit for. They had taken apart a section of the ship near the cockpit just to pull him out. The ship had crumpled, painfully pinning Obi-Wan inside.

His Master had already had far more than his share of close calls. Anakin wondered just how many more he could survive. He sighed, Well at least maybe I can fix his ship. Make it a little faster. He found a box full of tools and got ready to work.

Garish music played off somewhere in the hanger. Even more discord filled his mind and heart. The memories of the recent battle? The guilt of people dying under his command? The feeling that more deaths would surely follow? The anger at those who felt those deaths meant little... The worry that his master might not always be there? The fear that he would never make it back to see his cherished wife again?

As he focused on the damaged ship and listened to The Force tell him what was needed, the discordant thoughts in his head began to fade. He opened himself up and heard the force as it filled his soul with its powerful symphony.

His hands moved swiftly as he made the repairs, blending his movements to what he heard through the force. Artoo worked in harmony with him, handing him various tools as he needed them. At times like this, when he was so completely within The Force, Artoo?s beeps and whistles almost began to make sense.

His frustrations and fears faded as he fixed what needed to

 

I can relate to Anakin's need to do something very well; I think we all can. That had to be a lot on him, not only did people die but even his master was injured, and you wrote the emotion behind that well.

 

This is really good. I loved how you explained how he found his center in fixing things. His brilliant mechanical abilities is one of the things I like best in Anakin. It is nice to see a story about that. Thanks.

 

Leona Thank you. I felt like Anakin would be more troubled by the Clones being cannon fodder than anyone.

ladie_padawan Thanks! I was hoping to show some of how he must have felt overwhelmed by so many things during the clone wars.

Darth-Buddy I originally was going to make this about him flying, but then I realized there's just something really satisfying about being able to fix something. It's the opposite of destroying things really. Thanks for reading!

 

I can't believe I missed this one earlier! I loved your portrayal of Anakin!

You did a great job with the quote. A lovely piece of work here!

 

This was a great challenge response - excellent use of the quote! I really like the way you described how he felt with the Force as he was fixing the ship. Beautiful work!!

 

Outstanding use of the quote. Really well done, fic. I love the description of his emotions.

 

VL Thank you! I have to admit that the more I've written Anakin the more I really like him.

wendynat I'm glad you liked it! I had fun trying to figure out when he'd be most at peace.

VM Thanks!

 

Lovely-in-Orange wrote: Once he made a few adjustments an engine might sing twice as sweetly or a droid might sound more sophisticated. Outside of a mechanic's bay it was never so easy to fix things or make them better.

True, how true.

Really good I liked the part with the goon who didn't care about a few clones lives, too much like people in life, as long as they don't get hurt, they don't seem to care about anyone else.

 

Thanks! I agree, people can be callous without even realizing it sometimes.

 

Nice, simple - very much like life when you're fixing things. Clever nuances - Anakin's feelings of loss for the clones, the indifference to their death's that I feel had become customary to most of the Republic. And the way everything is made simple and easier when he fixes Obi-Wan's ship. Good story.