Chapter One

"Sarali! Go home! You're slowing everything down! You better be faster again tomorrow, or I'll sell you to Jabba for his harem!" Watto yelled to a short figure in worn, grey-brown clothes.

This woman nodded and quickly walked to the door of the hut, sweeping a thin, sun-shield cloak onto her shoulders. She quickly clipped the separate sides of the simple clasp together before pulling the hood up to cover her face from the harsh light of the two suns.

Before she could reach the door, a man walked in closely followed by a girl in her mid teens, an alien with floppy ears and amphibian features, and a short, blue and silver droid. The man had long, greying, reddish-brown hair that was partially tied back behind his head and a beard of the same colour. He wore greyish brown clothes and a travel cloak that blended in with everyone else on Tatooine. The girl had long brown hair braided up out of the way. Her clothes were just as ordinary as the man's. The creature walked awkwardly and clumsily. His webbed hands and feet showed quite obviously that he was amphibian by nature. The droid was an altogether ordinary sight for this filthy planet.

However, Sarali could not keep herself from staring at the man leading the way. Something was different about him. He walked with an unconscious grace, like a fighter that fought with more than just a blaster. His gaze was clear, direct, calm, and focused. He was dangerous.

As she looked at him, he turned to make eye contact with her. His gaze showed surprise before his rather apparent training took over and he calmed himself again.

Literally the second the doorway was clear, Sarali broke the man's gaze and walked out into the streets. From there, she hurried home for a good nap.

ooooooooooooo

Over an hour later, a young boy's shouting woke Sarali from her nap. She sighed and lay still for a second, listening intently.

"Mom! I'm home!" Anakin called from the entry.

A strange voice that spoke rough Basic said, "Oh, this'en cosy."

"These are my friends, Mom," Anakin said. What have you done this time, Ani?

"Hello!" the same, strangle voice said.

Sarali's eyes narrowed. She pushed herself up onto one hand and both knees to stretch her back before jumping up to her feet. Calmly, she strode out of the room and into the entryway. As she walked in, she asked, "Who's here?"

The non-human stopped short when she saw the people in the room. "You're the man from the shop," she said bluntly, looking him over carefully.

He in turn examined her fully. Feline ears covered in black, medium-long fur were surrounded by auburn hair twisted into a tight bun. Her face was lightly tanned, far less so than would be expected in this climate. Yellow cat eyes shone out from a face that was vaguely feline and very angular, but altogether very pretty if not beautiful.

Her thin, muscular body was wrapped in a shabby bodysuit, grey from wear. Over that, she wore a tunic that went down to mid-calf. A three inch wide belt held the tunic in place. Her small feet were booted, though the boots were quite shabby and worn. Her whole presence spoke of strength and confidence. Judging from her somewhat feline appearance, she was likely incredibly flexible. Something seemed off with her hands. As he looked closer, it became obvious: she didn't have fingernails. Instead, he could clearly see the now-sheathed claws at the tips of her fingers. His gaze travelled up slightly, but once again stopped abruptly. Her left sleeve was rolled up and bound there. That wrist was swollen and mottled blue and green: badly sprained. Completing her feline appearance, a slightly fluffy, black tail swished behind her, long enough to touch the ground and still curl up again.

"Yes. I am Qui-Gon Jinn. These are Padme Naberrie and Jar Jar Binks," the man, Qui-Gon, said, gesturing in turn to himself, the girl, and the alien. "Anakin was kind enough to offer us shelter," he explained.

"What is your business here?" Sarali asked, looking them over suspiciously. Her voice had a sharp edge to it, as dangerous as it was growling.

"It's okay, Sarali. They couldn't get to their ship fast enough before the sandstorm."

"Sand storm?" she interrupted. Her ear flicked forward, listening for a second. "Ah, yes. Now, why couldn't they reach their ship?"

"It's on the outskirts," the girl, Padme, said.

Sarali tipped her head slightly to the side. Her nose quivered slightly as she smelled the air around them. Apparently satisfied with her observations, she smiled, revealing glistening white, sharp-looking teeth. Her canines were elongated like fangs. "Welcome," she said, "I am Sarali Linat." The growl in her voice was gone, replaced by a noncommittal welcome. "What is the droid's number?" she asked, her eyes calm if curious.

"R2-D2," Qui-Gon said, not understanding why she would want to know.

Sarali smiled her feline smile and walked over to kneel beside the droid. "Hello, R2," she said, patting the droid's metal top.

The blue and silver droid whistled happily. The feline woman smiled and said to Shmi, "I'll start dinner, Shmi. I bought some fruit."

"Did Watto-" she began to ask.

"No. I've been saving up," Sarali said, shaking her head.

"Let me help you," Qui-Gon said. He saw my wrist.

She nodded to him and said, "Thank you." Her eyes were narrowed in suspicion.

Once they were alone in the kitchen, Qui-Gon said, "Shmi isn't your mother."

Sarali doubled over with laughter, hardly able to breathe for her convulsive laughter. When she could breathe again, she turned to the man and said, "What was your first clue: the ears, the tail, the eyes, or the teeth?"

"Why-" Qui-Gon began to say.

However, Sarali interrupted him by snapping, "Now is not the time to delve into my family history."

The Jedi stayed silent after that. Clearly, she did not want to speak to him right now. She seemed irritable about something, and it didn't seem to be their presence in her home. It seemed to be something entirely different.