Disclaimer: We own nothing but Yuno and the plot bunny. The rest are properity of George Lucas. This is only written as our way of having some fun with our favorite series. Star Wars.
He was close, so very close. He could feel it as the wind and sand pelted his small face. He focused on that goal inching ever closer…A loud scraping of metal screamed in his ears. Selbulba. He wanted to shout and curse, but he couldn't. He slowed as much as possible before jumping out with soft groans. He was in so much trouble and he knew it.
His face was hot with embarrassment as the audience laughed at him when he walked across the finish line. He then heard that all too familiar flapping sound.
"Boy! You've done it now! Do you know how much this is going to cost me?!"
"I'm sorry! Honest! It was Selbulba's fault!"
"Thank goodness" another voice said as his mom hurried over and embraced him protectively. "I was so worried you'd been hurt. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you Ani."
"I'm fine mom. Honest." Anakin said, gently returning her hug.
"You may be, but my ship's not!" Watto shouted.
"But he's just a boy." Shmi said, trying to reason with him.
"Explain that to my bosses who gave me the ship!" Watto exclaimed before sighing. "Go on home…I'll let you know what will happen later." He said before watching them nod and walk off together before cursing under his breath. He was in so much trouble and he knew it.
A few hours later…
"Ani, sweetheart, would you mind coming in here and setting the table for me?" Shmi called from their kitchen.
"Sure thing mom!" Anakin called back from his room. He'd just stepped out and met his mom at their table when the door opened. A collective gasp fell from the Skywalkers and Shmi instantly moved to protect her son.
"Let's go boy." The slave trader muttered darkly.
"Please! Take me instead! He's only nine!" Shmi begged before turning to Watto who had come in with him.
"I'm sorry Shmi. This is how the Hutts demand I pay them back." Watto said simply. "Now get your things." He ordered Anakin.
The boy sighed, tears welling in his eyes, and went to his room. He grabbed the few things he owned and activated Threepio, instructing his creation to help his mom however he could. He forced himself to head back out with his backpack on. Childlike instincts kicked in and he ran to his mom, clinging almost desperately to her. Tears swiftly poured down both of their faces.
"I don't want to leave you mom. What if I never see you again?" Anakin cried before the trader became annoyed and began to start pulling him away and towards the door.
"Don't say that. I will do everything I can to see you again Ani! I promise!"
Anakin nodded, believing his mom. "I love you mom."
"I love you too Ani. So much, and I always will." She said softly. The second he was gone, she fell to her knees, hugged her self, and let her sobs shake her form.
Obi-Wan Kenobi sighed softly as he stared out at the vast, seemingly unending, desert before them. "I still don't understand why I can't go with you Master. It's not like I can fix the ship without those parts."
Qui-Gon Jinn smiled softly as he placed his hand on the young man's shoulder. "Because, our job is to look after the Queen, and you have always been better at following orders then I have."
Obi-Wan smiled at that before it fell at another thought. He turned and looked up to face him. "Then why is the handmaiden going?"
With a soft sigh, Qui-Gon's smile fell as well. "That, my young apprentice, is something not even I can help." It was clear by his tone that he wasn't happy with this particular situation either. Hence the reason Obi-Wan simply nodded and said nothing further about it.
A shiver ran down Anakin's spine as he rubbed his arms furiously. He could feel his body shaking as it tried to keep itself warm. It was definitely cold in space, much more so then Tatooine, that was for sure. He turned his head slightly to try and find something to keep him warm, but only found a dull throbbing in the back of his head.
The trader had thrown him into this cage after they left Mos Eisely; the bar next to his face was still stained with his blood. He'd hit his head on it and passed out. Another feeling forced him to stop rubbing and reach back to scratch his neck. It was still raw and sore from where they'd removed his slave chip. He wanted to be home with his mom, not here alone, cold, and sore. He closed his eyes and softly began to hum a song she'd sung to him as an infant. Moments later, they jolted violently out of hyperspace and he hit his head, fading out once more.
Nothing had been going right so far. Nute Gunray had forced her from her position, her duty, and most importantly her people, they were unable to afford the parts they needed because they only possessed Republic credits, and to top it all off a sandstorm was starting. Great. Just great.
Shmi, having just been excused from Watto's shop, spotted the trio. After a brief conversation they went to her house.
"It is so good to see you are alright Mistress that storm out there is dreadful." Threepio exclaimed with as much worry as his circuits allowed.
Shmi's eyes instantly welled with tears, as they did every time she saw the protocol droid now, and nodded. "I'm quite alright Threepio. Thank you. If you wouldn't mind, could you prepare dinner for our guests?" She watched him as he agreed and headed out to the kitchen before she felt Qui-Gon's gentle hand upon her shoulder. "I'm really very sorry…you see my son, Anakin, made him. He's such a bright boy, only nine years old, but…" She paused, her lower lip quivering with the effort of holding back tears.
Suddenly she couldn't hold back and fell into a nearby chair. "They took him! They took my Ani!" She cried, her form shaking once more with sobs.
Padme gasped, her hands covering her mouth, Jar-Jar Binks solemnly stared at the ground, and Qui-Gon stood there, rubbing her shoulder soothingly. Padme would have loved to be younger and naive, to not understand there was slavery on this planet and that her son was probably taken because they were just that. Slaves.
It was some time later before Shmi calmed down enough to talk, and when she did they all gathered at the table and ate. They began talking and before they had finished their meal, Shmi excused herself and went to get a jar and brought it back.
"Here. This should be enough to get the parts you need."
"We couldn't, don't you need this?" Padme asked.
Shmi shook her head. "It was for Ani, but it'll do him no good here."
Qui-Gon felt her pain through the Force still and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Shmi then placed on of her smaller hands over it.
"All I ask in return is please…try to find my Ani. I just need to know he's alright."
"We will do what we can." Qui-Gon promised which got a soft nod from Shmi.
Yuno Maru, a 32 year old changeling bounty hunter from Zolan, was sitting comfortably in his chair, allowing himself to reminisce as he waited…
Yuno grew up on Zolan until he was sixteen. Around that time, it became extremely dangerous to be a Clawdite on Zolan. After a few rough run-ins with some local Zolanders, and the unfortunate demise of his only living parent, Yuno Maru headed to Coruscant where he began his basic training in hand to hand combat. By the time he was 28, he was considered somewhat of a master in hand to hand combat and adequate with a blaster. It was then that he began his bounties, and quickly moved up in the ranks, although he would never be as well known as Jango Fett or his fellow Clawdite bounty hunter, Zam Wessel.
The familiar sound of an engine powering its descent in his hanger forced him back to reality. He slowly made his way there, pulling up the hood of his thermal coat as he did. He watched the hanger doors shut, sealing the blizzard out once more before the ramp lowered and out came one of Jabba's nameless delivery boys bringing his shivering new toy. He closed the distance between himself and the boy and led him inside with a smirk. Oh, this would be fun.
Back on Tatooine, Qui-Gon, Padme, and Jar-Jar bid their goodbyes to Shmi. As they left with the parts they needed, Qui-Gon told Obi-Wan what has gone on and of his wish to help Shmi. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be and while on Naboo, Qui-Gon was killed by Darth Maul. Obi-Wan avenged his death and cut the Sith Lord in half before agreeing to his Master's final wish.
At Qui-Gon's funeral, Obi-Wan talked to Padme and she agreed to help the new knight fulfill his Master's wish after the Peace Ceremony. True to her word, after the ceremony she changed and they headed back to Tatooine to free Shmi and help her save her son.
When they did finally get there, they went straight to Watto and paid him the amount required to free Shmi. Padme then lead the way to Shmi's home and the three of them headed back to Padme's cruiser.
The trio searched the galaxy far and wide for the next week before they had to rush back to Naboo. Shmi had become terribly ill and they her to the medbay. She knew what was inevitable as she lied there gently holding Padme's hand.
"When you see my Ani, please tell him how much I love him, and that I always will." Shmi muttered weakly. She watched Padme nod with tear filled eyes before slowly closing her eyes. Shmi Skywalker was gone.
Anakin forced himself out of bed, knowing the consequences he'd face if he didn't. Coughs shook his young body for the fifth day in a row. He'd developed a cold after that first day from having gone from extreme heat on Tatooine to extreme colds here on Hoth. A soft groan fell from his lips as he gripped onto the collar on his neck. It emitted painful, but not deadly shocks whenever his Master was not pleased. Apparently he had taken too long to start moving for Yuno's taste.
He was on his way towards the kitchen to start on Yuno's food, just one of his seemingly endless jobs. It wasn't that there were that many, namely just cooking, cleaning, and mechanical things Yuno needed done, but the amount of time and effort it took caused Anakin to get three hours of sleep. On the good nights anyways. When he did finally approach the kitchen, Yuno was already there and clearly pissed.
"Boy, you need to move a hell of a lot faster! Do you understand me?!" Yuno shouted.
"I'm trying Master! Honest!" Anakin said before a flash of rage passed over Yuno's eyes.
He grabbed Anakin by the shoulder, dragged him down to the basement, tied his hands and feet to posts with him still standing and ripped open the back of his shirt.
"You will learn not to talk back. I assure you." Yuno muttered before grabbing his whip. He made large, deep marks into Anakin's back, smirking as the boy's pained screams filled the air. After he was done, he let him fall down onto the cold, hard ground.
"You have fifteen minutes to get back to work. But next time I won't be so nice." He said, referring to the time limit, before leaving. He was going to have fun with his new gift. That much was clear.
Anakin, on the other hand, held himself close with tears pouring down his face.
"I miss you…so much mom." He whimpered into the frozen air around him…
Obi-Wan and Padme tried to search more after burying Shmi, but Obi-Wan soon had missions to go on, and Naboo needed Padme. Obi-Wan sighed softly as he departed Naboo.
"I'm so sorry Master…I'm so sorry Mrs. Skywalker." Obi-Wan muttered softly.
"I'm so sorry Shmi…And I'm so, so sorry Ani." Padme muttered as she looked out at her planet. With a soft sigh she turned and headed to a meeting as though everything was alright, much as Obi-Wan did. But they had to, duty called…
Authors' Note (AN) : Please write and review. This is our first combined story and all comments are loved and appreciated. They help to make us want to continue to write this story...