By Kari Raines @ TrekGirl2000@netscape.net
Feedback, please.
Disclaimer: Nope, they're not mine. They all belong to George. (Lucky son-of-a-gun)
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It rained the day Shmi found out about her pregnancy. It was considered by all to be a sign--an omen of good fortune. After all, it never rains on Tatooine. It was the most dry, desolated planet in the galaxy. Rain was practically unheard of.
Of course, the rain was not to last. As the nine months went by, she could find no explanation as to the life that had unexpectedly sprung up inside her. But she could feel it there--growing stronger every day. And each day, her love for this person whom she had not yet met grew stronger as well. This child--this fatherless child--would be a male child. She knew that with a certainty that she had never felt before in her hard life. She also knew that her son was to be named Anakin, although she did not understand the significance of the name. She simply knew that Anakin was hers. He was her son.
When questioned about the father of her child, Shmi considered lying. After all, who would believe that a child could be born without the physical contact of human flesh? But Shmi was an honest woman. She could not tell a lie.
So she told them the truth, that her child had no father. Unexpectedly, she wasn't to be judged. Most knew her to be an honest and good person. For that, they kept their opinions to themselves. Her biggest worry was how to explain this unexpected news to her Master.
But her Master had no complaints. Two slaves are better than one, right?
On the day Anakin was born, it rained once again. Crops were plentiful. Everyone celebrated, believing Annie's birth to be a sign of good fortune from the gods.
Shmi could only smile as she looked down upon her beloved, innocent son as he lay sleeping in his cradle. Yes, he was born into the bondage of slavery, but she knew in her heart that he would one day be free.
He was meant to be free.