We'll let fate decide, eh?
Disclaimer: Lucas owns everything.
A/n: this is my first Star Wars fanfic, so be kind. Any hope you like it. Oh and I know Anakin is somewhat out of character. It's intentional, different life, different person.
What had earlier been a crisp, clear day had quickly disintegrated into a bleak, wet and miserable afternoon as the thunderheads from the north had rolled in. The once bustling, broad and open streets of Theed where now empty, save for the odd straggler, making their way warily against the driving rain. The majestic capital of Naboo could, every so often, be seen clearly as the heavens discharged yet another lightening bolt that inevitably danced its way across the sky.
While the citizens of Theed took refugee indoors and those that didn't cursed their luck that forced them out in this weather, there was one that didn't seem to notice. In the gardens of the Royal Palace, in a small enclave dedicated to the memory of a fallen hero, a man stood, statue like, hands clasped behind his back, his gaze rarely moving from the small monument in front of him.
Anakin Skywalker stood silently, reveling in the feel of the rain hitting his face, enjoying the feeling of the wind tugging at his damp clothes. He stood and stared at the monument for one very simple reason, because he could. After years of been enslaved to the will of others, of been owned by one master after another, of longing to do what he wished, when he wished, he finally could.
Free, it was a word that had at one time in his life been nothing more than an alien concept, a state of being that teased and taunted with its promise, a dream that got him through endless days of work and through nights of depression and hopelessness. It was something that was so long denied to him, something he could see in others and was envious of. Freedom, something he had come to realize that those that had it took it for granted, never really realizing what they truly had. He had come to understand that unless your freedom was taken away from you, that unless you never truly were free, you could not comprehend what it felt like to be owned, to be someone else's property.
Having been denied his freedom for so long, having had it withheld so cruelly for so many years, it was unsurprising that now he could feel it in the very air around him, in the rain that hit his face, in the wind that moved through his long damp hair. Closing his eyes and concentrating, he could even feel it in the Force as it danced and leapt around him, sharing his joy.
The monument glistened in the rain; the words etched at the base of the small statue looked like they had been carved just yesterday rather than the thirteen years he knew this statue had been here. It read, "Dedicated to the memory of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn who fell preserving the freedoms of the Nubian people." The statue was a simple yet eloquent likeness of the Jedi master, right down to his short beard and flowing robes as he strode forward resolutely, unlit Lightsaber clutched tightly in one hand.
Even as he became aware of the familiar presence nearby it spoke, "I never understood what your morbid fascination with coming here was but now that we are here you can explain it to me?"
Anakin turned his head to take in the spectral form of the man that he had only ever seen alive once and found that Qui-Gon Jinn was fixing him with a frown. Letting a small smirk play on his features he replied, "No, I don't suppose you ever did," as Qui- Gons frown deepened he quickly explained, "you first 'appeared' to me in your current form when I was little over ten years old, Qui-Gon. Do you have any idea how many times I thought I was going crazy? That I was just seeing things? It got to the stage in those early months that I promised myself that the first thing I would do once I was free was come here, to this place and make sure I wasn't losing my mind."
A soft chuckle escaped Qui-Gons lips as he listened to his explanation. Anakin could see the man regain his composure before replying in a voice of mock indignation, "But surely I managed to convince you later, especially after your Force abilities began to grow, that I wasn't just a figment of your overactive imagination. I am not that inept."
The smirk that had been playing across his features blossomed into a full blown grin at his mentor's response. Hoping to alleviate some of Qui-Gons 'fears' he responded, "of course not Qui-Gon, I knew long ago that you were real, it's just from that time onwards every time I imagined what I would do once I was free it always started here." The grin died from his face, his expression was slowly replaced with a look of deep sadness, "After all, I did promise myself," he said, his voice almost a whisper.
Following his train of thought Qui-Gon latched onto the problem at hand far quicker than he would have imagined he could have. His voice quickly grew serious, his countenance unyielding as he addressed an issue that they had talked sparingly about for a little over two years, "there was nothing you could have done to keep that promise, you were been held on the other side of the planet, far away from the Lars farm. Your slave implant stopped you from leaving and any other course of action would most likely have resulted in your own death or you becoming a fugitive, neither of which your mother would have wanted."
"I know Qui-Gon, I know," Anakin replied with a sad smile, "we went over this a long time ago, you even managed to convince me it was just bad luck, my mother was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, if I recall correctly. I just wish I had at least been given a chance to keep that promise." He had been fifteen when he had told his mother he would look after her, keep her safe. It was the first time he was brought by a different master then her, the first time in his life they would be separated. He could still recall her face as he left the place they had called home since before he could remember, sad, yet determined that he would not see it, or at least as little of it as possible.
Had he known then that that would be the last time he would see her, he would have told her how much he loved her, how much she meant to him, would have thanked her for putting up with him for so long. Instead he had tried to be brave, strong. Tried to show her he would be fine without her so she wouldn't worry. He hadn't shown her how much he cared. He had come to realize that if he could change one thing in his life it would be that moment, not, as it had originally been, the moment when the chance cube fell wrong and Watto decided not to bet him in the pod race. It had been a startling revelation when he had realized that, that he would give up the chance to become a Jedi just so his mother would know he loved her, one last time.
Anakin turned his head and studied the spectral form of the Jedi Master, the man that he owed so much to. He was standing stoically, hands folded inside his robes, waiting patiently for Anakin to collect himself. It was this man that got him through the dark periods in his life, had given him hope when at times he had none, never let him believe that he would be a slave for life. He could not stop the sigh from escaping his lips as he addressed the issue that Qui-Gon had come to talk about, "I'm not sure I can do what you ask of me."
With one raised eyebrow Qui-Gon replied, amusement crackling through his voice as he spoke, "Of course you can do it, I have every faith in you boy, after all, you were a model student."
Anakin raised his own eyebrow in imitation of the blue eyed Jedi Master, "I was, wasn't I?" he said, copying the other mans tone of voice before he snorted and returned to his own one, "Oh come on, we both know that I was a good student because of the fact I was doing it in secret, if I had been sent to the Temple as a boy it won't have been nearly as fun or rebellious and I probably would have had problems even meditating. I hate to think what I would have been like, stuffed in those robes, with that haircut, forced to learn about histories and other useless things. The only thing that would probably have interested me was Lightsaber practice. I have no doubt I would have played the moody, arrogant teenager to perfection."
"Well we can thank the Force that the Jedi were spared having you in the Temple then, can't we? I too have no doubts that the Temple would have been less…. serene had you graced it with your presence," Qui-Gon said, not bothering to keep the smile off his face. His expression quickly sobered, however, as they both recalled the other reason he had been such a good student. While in the beginning it had been a mixture of the rebellious streak and wonder at what Qui-Gon was telling him, later he became focused and driven because his skill, his talent and his knowledge of the Force was the one thing in his life that his masters would never own.
For years all his spare energies went into his attempts at mastering the force, always in secret but always satisfying. His training in the Force was the only thing he had been able to do in his life that had been solely for himself, the one thing he could be proud of in an otherwise wasted life, or rather now, a wasted childhood and adolescence. Anakin could still remember been worked relentlessly, day after day, until he was ready to drop from exhaustion, but each night instead forcing himself train with Qui-Gon, to focus his exhausted mind deep into the Force and call on it to ease his pain.
His ultimate reward came the night that he completed his Lightsaber; he had pushed the activation switch, heard the now familiar snap-hiss and saw the brilliant white blade spring to life. It was the first time he had felt anything close to been in control of his own life, to been free. White, the color he felt best represented freedom. He had stood; his features set in a smirk, and moved the blade around in front of him, heard it move through the air. After a few minutes of allowing himself to feel the pure elation that was running through his body, he deactivated the blade and immediately got back to work. Qui-Gon was surprised he was going to build a second but he reasoned that he might lose one, or one day two might prove useful. It wasn't until much later that the idea occurred to him that he might like to learn to fight with both.
Now the two identical black and silver cylinders were hidden discreetly in his clothes, ready to be drawn at a moments notice. Even in this weather it was impossible for one to see the twin handles resting against his body. It was Qui-Gons voice that interrupted his thoughts though, "I know you don't like her Anakin but the attempts on her life have started again and something tells me that the Sith are behind it. I know you don't see yourself as having a side in the battle between the Jedi and the Sith," his frustrated tone let Anakin know what he thought about that, "but let me assure you that if the Sith come to power, if they even get an inkling that you exist, they will hunt you down relentlessly. You would be a threat to them."
Turning to look directly into those blue eye's he asked in a strained voice, "All I would have to do is guard her? Nothing more, no making nice, or even been friends, just keep her alive?"
"From what I understand about the position you don't even have to talk to her if you don't want to," he said, exasperatedly. He brought his hand up to the Japor snippet that hung around his neck, a constant reminder that few people were what they seemed, he considered Qui-Gons words. In the end there was only one thing he could do, after all this was the only thing that Qui-Gon had ever asked of him.
"Very well, I'll go. But I don't have to like it," he hoped his voice hadn't sounded too whiney when he said that. As another thought occurred to him he continued, "And I don't want them to know my real name, or where I'm from. I don't want her connecting the dots. I'll just keep her alive long enough so that she can keep doing whatever it is that she has been doing to annoy the Sith, hopefully lead to them exposing themselves as you hope they will, then I'm gone Qui-Gon. I don't want her to ever know." It was annoying Qui-Gon wanted him to be her body guard, but he understood his reasoning that a Jedi would almost be useless, the Sith would just target the Jedi first before going after her. On the other hand a hidden, unknown, Force user would be more than useful. "At least I'll be getting paid this time but she better not start getting all high and mighty on me," he grumbled.
"I thought as much," He conceded, "I haven't even told Master Yoda who you really are, he trusts me enough that he will take my judgment on this matter, though I think he may suspect more than I have told him. He has arranged for you to fill the vacancy within her employment under the name of Owen Walker, something which should be easy enough for you to remember, from Naboo apparently. And yes", he added with a rueful smile, "you will be getting paid."
"So you arranged that name?" he asked in an amused voice. At Qui-Gon's nod he continued. "And I suppose I should overlook the fact he comes from Naboo, where I just so happen to be at the moment?"
"You can if you like," Qui-Gon shrugged, "but apparently there's a transport leaving from the docks in a little over half an hour. I hear that Owen Walker has a prepaid ticket; all he has to do is show up. If I remember correctly the docks are a little more than a twenty minute walk from here."
What surprised him the most was that he was actually not more surprised. In truth he should have seen this coming. Holding his hand over his heart in mock hurt he tried to act more horrified, "Why, Master Jinn, if I didn't know any better I might not believe that this was a coincidence." At Qui-Gons chuckle he grew serious, "you know that I am doing this for you right, not her?"
The spectral form nodded his understanding before asking a question of his own, "So you are going?" At Anakin's nod he pressed on, "you promise?"
"Yes, Qui-Gon, I promise," he growled before continuing, "I'll go baby sit Senator Amidala." Quickly checking the time, he added, "and I suppose I better get going or I'm going to miss Owens flight. I guess I'll see you on Coruscant" With one last look at the small monument and then giving Qui-Gon's way to innocent expression a glare, he started for the docks in the driving wind and unrelenting rain.
A/n: I know Anakin sounds a little like Han in this chapter but I couldn't bring myself to change or delete those comments. Anyway I'd like to know what you think, so plz review.