A/N: Hey y'all! So this gives a bit more backstory into my Clone Wars Chronicles series. Janna is a central character as is her heritage and this is her big introduction. I know its an unusual twist to the SW galaxy so, I'd love to hear back from anyone if you have time ti review!

Sand. He had hated sand since he was a kid. Not only had he hated sand, he also hated being a prisoner to it. When he broken those sandy chains of slavery long ago he had secretly promised to himself that he would never return. Now if he couldn't keep a promise to himself how was he expected to keep one for anyone else?

Anakin thought of all these things as he continued his longer hours of work under the beating suns. Time seemed to tick by forever here, as if each and every grain was part of a gian hourglass. He stood up and looked across the yard. There was maybe about a half dozen or so other slaves going about their duties just as he was. Still that one girl in particular kept drawing his attention. Her coal black hair hung limp plastered to her face. Actually, it almost looked like enough to pull her weight down to the ground.

So much had happened in such a short time, he really shouldn't be wasting his mind on thoughts of her. Yet he couldn't stop being drawn to her and he didn't understand why. She had been nothing more than a thorn in his side since the moment he had been dragged her after the auction. He shuddered as he recalled that. The "bad place" was what he had always called it even since he was a boy.

At night especially Anakin would replay this entire mess and how it all happened. The girl was always there to harrass him especially because they were forced to share quarters. Slave life was a cruel one indeed.

All he had done was try to work a simple treaty. It was a stupid thing to fall for. If he had learned anything from Kitster as a kid it was to never trust bounty hunters.

"The Hutts want you to honor their treaty. I think its reasonable."

"Stop acting like you care, Jedi," Jesiah Solo had said.

His clan stood the side of their leader through each and everything. It made Anakin kind of twitchy. Even having his Padawan learned here with him didn't make him feel like he was any better off. But he couldn't let anyone see that.

"Of course," Jypsy, his right hand, had backed him up. "We all know that you're just interested in keeping your supply line going and don't care who gets the better end of the deal."

"Its not about the better deal! Its about what's fair and I think that the Hutts are perfectly reasonable."

Ani saw Jypsy's hand move down to her holster. He was right on top of it and took out his lightsaber. Ahsoka picked up on her master's cue and did the same.

"Watch it, sleemo," she said. "My Master and I aren't interested in your petty quarrels. We have plenty of other things going on that we could put time and effort into. So for your sake, please don't aggrevate us."

Anakin winced. He wished that his Padawan didn't fill in for him at times like this. This particular clan was high strung and the chances of them listening to his Padawan were zero.

"Hey Skywalker you going to shut out the lights or am I going to have to do it?"

Anakin looked at the coal haired head hanging over his face from the bunk just above him. He Force pushed her away without even stopping to think.

"If it bothered you so much you could have just done it yourself," he said as he went to go shut it off.

"Nah, I do enough but thanks."

Anakin rolled his eyes and climbed back into his bed.

"You're not feeling sorry for yourself are you? Because I think that it sounds like you are."
"Janna!" he said. "Its none of your business, good night!"

"Yeah, you were. And I've learned that it's a stupid thing to do. But hey, knowing you it makes sense. So go right on ahead."

"Don't move Jedi, I'd hate to have to lose you before you've even started to turn a profit."

"Watch it, Solo," Anakin had said. "I really don't want to tear apart this pathetic clan you've spent years building up. We can get through this in a normal civil way without losing anyone."

"Aw look the Jedi is acting like he cares!" Jypsy said in a voice that was barely above a laugh. She held something that looked like a thermal detonator but Anakin knew better. "Now please General, come quietly or I'll have to blow you sky high."

Anakin didn't like the sound of this. It was a difficult situation, but he knew there were no empty threats.

"What and blow up this lovely establishment you have?" Ahsoka said, "I don't think that wise, there's less destructive ways to get rid of Jedi."

"We said nothing about blowing ourselves up, youngling," Jesiah said. "You forget that not all ties can be so easily broken."

A horrifying thought flashed through Anakin's mind when he heard that. He had heard storied about bounty hunters and former slaves. Now he realized that there was a good chance that they were true.

"Snips, you have to get out of here."

"What?! But Master - "

"Number fifty-six Snips!"

"Uh yeah..." Ahsoka put her lightsaber back and replaced it with a stack of flash cards that she had a habit of taking everywhere with her. In a few seconds she found what she wanted. "Oh yeah! Number fifty-six!"

Proud of herself, Ahsoka Force flipped outside of the ring of bounty hunters that were closing in on her and her Master. She turned around and was surprised to see that her master wasn't following.

"Run out of here while you still can, youngling," Jypsy said. "We'd hate to see you get hurt with the big dogs. Now come on Skywalker, let's not play games, drop the saber."

To Ahsoka's shock, he master actually listened. Unless she heard the resounding metallic clink as the hilt hit the floor, she wouldn't have believed it herself. And now...well now it was happening. Her master was surrendering to bounty hunters.

"Master!"

"Get out of here Snips!" Anakin said. "The ship, get a transmission through to the Temple."

The look that her master shot her sent Ahsoka streaking out of there. Anakin sighed as he looked to see what he was going tobe faced with.

"Nice choice, Jedi," Jypsy said as she clamped an iron collar on Anakin's neck. "Very wise, and you'll thank us all by getting a good price."

"Wermos," Anakin shot back. "Selling a Jedi General into slavery is - "

"Actually I consider it fitting," Jesiah said. "You forget, General, that your Republic doesn't exist out here. Besides, you should only consider it a...a sort of homecoming back to your real people."

Anakin shuddered and had to stop his train of thought right there. He preferred not to think of the bad place again. The sights, the sounds, the smells, they all evoked memories too painful for him to ever go back to. They ran so deep in his soul.

All that mattered was that he had ended up here and this is where he would be until the Council decided to cough up enough money to buy him back. And the sooner they did that, the better.

The next morning Janna found herself waking up Anakin yet again. "Wake up lazy bones!"

Anakin rolled over and opened his eyes. He looked at her dull and uninterested. "You know kid, I don't need you nagging on me. After all I wasn't always a Jedi."

"Master wants you. He has a guest, his brother actually, and they are demanding you get in there."

Janna couldn't help but smirk slightly. Anakin jumped right up, he had been threatened with this before but he didn't think it would happen. He, Anakin Skywalker the youngest Jedi general of the galactic Republic was not a novelty act.

"I'm not -"

"Okay then, stay here I'm not going to be the one getting in trouble for it, or blown up for that matter."

Anakin groaned. He didn't need her telling him that. He knew it very well himself.

With one final grin, that looked all to smug in his opinion, she walked out. Anakin's gaze followed her. He stopped himself when he realized what he was doing. No one was getting the better of him today he decided. Not his new master and of course not this kid. If they wanted a show he would give them all one that they wouldn't soon forget.

Anakin walked into the grand halls. Too grand for just anywhere on Tatooine. Actually, he preferred the junkshop to all this formality. As he continued on her sensed something, a feeling that he hadn't sensed in a very long while. He stopped dead when he saw who this "guest" was that was sitting at the table.

"Why Anakin Skywalker, as I live and breath. How wonderful for you to be providing the entertainment for us today."

Anakin muttered only two words under his breath. "Ferus Olin."