Anakin Skywalker
Thousands of years before his birth, Anakin Skywalker appeared in a vision to Jedi Master Q'Anilia as Darth Vader, along with his son, Luke Skywalker and his descendant, Cade Skywalker, as well as Zayne Carrick. All four of these individuals would later be affected by the Muur Talisman. The vision also showed Karness Muur, hundreds of Rakghouls, and a burning city.
Skywalker's mother, Shmi Skywalker, claimed that her son was conceived without a father, but could not explain how that had happened. It was the theory of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn that the will of the Force caused his birth. There is evidence to suggest that Skywalker's birth may have been engineered by the Sith Lord Darth Plagueis as part of an experiment in immortality.
Anakin Skywalker was born in 41.9 BBY. According to the seminal historical work of Voren Na'al, the planet of his birth was Tatooine, but Skywalker himself may have implied that he was only raised on the arid planet from around the age of three.[2]
At that time, Skywalker and his mother became slaves to Gardulla the Hutt. Years later, Gardulla lost the boy and his mother in a podracing bet to a Toydarian junk dealer named Watto.
Even at a young age, Skywalker had a reputation for being able to build or repair anything, evidenced by his creation of a protocol droid named C-3PO as well as a podracer. Both were constructed from salvaged parts and nearly completed by the time he was nine years old.
A child prodigy, Skywalker excelled at mathematics and engineering, but he was also daring and adventurous. He would often risk his own well being to help others, with little forethought or regard for the consequences of his actions. When he was only five years old, Skywalker scaled an immense dune to chase a herd of banthas away from hunters, despite almost collapsing from heat and exhaustion several times. Sometime later, while bartering with Jawas, Skywalker came across a wounded Tusken Raider and took care of it until the Tusken was taken away by his own people. A short time before the Boonta Eve Classic podrace, Skywalker, his friend Kitster Banai, and several other youths narrowly avoided a run-in with Gardulla. After hearing of children who had been captured and imprisoned by Sebulba in hopes of selling them to Gardulla, Skywalker and his friends disguised themselves as Jawas and sneaked into Gardulla's estate to free the Ghostling children.
At about eight years of age, Skywalker had his first experience with the Sith. While rummaging through Watto's junk heap, he located an ancient war droid. Hoping to recover a holoprojector for Watto, Skywalker incidentally activated a disturbing hologram, drowned in cries and screams and the strange mention of the word "Sith." Perplexed, Skywalker rushed to the stranded Republic Fighter Corps member who had told him earlier of the angels on the moons of Iego. The spacer, in shock, told him of the 4,000-year-old wrath of the Sith and how they eventually turned inward and fought each other, bringing about their own doom. He spoke of the belief that one Sith Lord had survived and extended the order's existence to this day. Little did Skywalker know that such rumors would soon play a major part in his 32 BBY, Skywalker's life changed forever. By happenstance, while working in Watto's shop, Skywalker met Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, Jar Jar Binks, R2-D2 and a young woman named Padmé Amidala. The young woman fascinated Skywalker so much that he asked if she was an angel. Amidala was not an angel, but a queen - Her Majesty Queen Amidala of Naboo in disguise as a simple handmaiden.
When a sandstorm began brewing, Skywalker offered his new-found friends shelter in the simple home he shared with his mother. There, Jinn and Amidala recounted their plight of how they became stranded on Tatooine on their way to Coruscant due to a leak in their hyperdrive. Overwhelmed with compassion, Skywalker volunteered to enter a podrace, a daring and extremely dangerous contest, claiming that the prize money for winning would enable his companions to purchase the parts needed to repair their starship. Though Shmi Skywalker initially objected to the plan, Anakin recalled her words that "the biggest problem in the universe [was that] nobody [helped] each other." Persuaded, Shmi Skywalker reluctantly agreed to let her son race.
Just before the race, Jinn made a bet with Watto that if Skywalker won, the boy would be freed. However, Watto, unwilling to give up his valuable slave, specified one condition—that he roll a chance cube to decide which of his slaves could be freed. If the cube rolled blue, Skywalker would be freed; red, Shmi Skywalker would be freed instead. The die was weighted to land on red, but Jinn used the Force to make the cube flip to blue. The Toydarian, positive the boy would lose, accepted the results regardless, his assumption based on the obvious: humans normally lacked the fast reactions needed to operate a land vehicle that ran at such tremendous speeds as a podracer. However, Skywalker's latent Force sensitivity, manifested in the form of limited prescience, gave the impression that the boy had lightning-fast reflexes. At the time, Skywalker, who dreamed of being a Jedi, but lacked knowledge of the Force, believed his foresight was only instinct that told him what he needed to do.
Skywalker won the Boonta Eve Classic podrace, enabling Jinn was able to free him, but since the Jedi Master was unable to secure Shmi's release, Skywalker was forced to choose between staying with his mother and following his dreams to become a Jedi. Skywalker chose to go with Jinn, though he promised his mother that he would come back to free her. Even after the Battle of Naboo, in which Skywalker and his new companions were entangled, ended victoriously, neither the Jedi nor the Republic made any effort to emancipate her. Skywalker's duties as a Jedi prevented him from freeing his mother himself, though she eventually obtained her freedom from Watto through the aid of a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars.
After departing to Mos Espa, Jinn and Skywalker approached the Naboo Royal Starship, but were attacked by Sith Lord Darth Maul, who sought to capture Queen Amidala. While Jinn engaged the Sith in battle, Skywalker rushed ahead and warned those already onboard. The ship lifted off and, after rescuing Jinn, they left Tatooine to head for Coruscant.
While on the journey to Coruscant, Skywalker further bonded with Amidala, giving her a Japor snippet he had carved for her to remember him. Years later, Amidala would be buried carrying that same snippet.
Upon arriving at Coruscant, Skywalker faced the Jedi High Council and was tested concerning Jinn's belief that Skywalker was the Chosen One and should be trained as a Jedi. Skywalker's gifts cemented Jinn's belief on the matter, but the Council remained skeptical. Jinn requested to train Skywalker after his current apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, completed his trials, but his request was denied. Skywalker was much older than the usual Padawan, and the Council was concerned that his prior experiences would interfere with his training. In particular, he exhibited much fear and anger, emotions that were further compounded by his separation from his mother. The Council believed he simply would not be able to master the level of emotional detachment required by a member of the Jedi Order. Kenobi, while also amazed at Skywalker's unprecedented midi-chlorian count—over twenty thousand-and strong potential, initially agreed with the Council's decision. With nowhere to go on Coruscant, and no way to return to Tatooine, Skywalker followed his new friends on their mission to free Naboo from the Trade Federation's invasion.
.Ultimately, Skywalker fought in the Battle of Naboo in a vicious starfighter battle above the planet. After accidentally joining the battle in orbit, Skywalker single-handedly destroyed the orbital Droid Control Ship from within the ship, moments after Lt. Gavyn Sykes destroyed the shield generator, thus rendering the Trade Federation's ground forces inactive and saving the Gungan Grand Army from destruction. The following celebration, however, was tainted with the death of Jinn, slain by Darth Maul.
The Master's dying wish was for Kenobi to undertake Skywalker's training, which Kenobi promised to fulfill. The Council reluctantly agreed for Kenobi to begin Skywalker's training, though they were concerned that Skywalker would be too difficult a student for young Kenobi to handle.
Meanwhile, Palpatine, the Republic's newly-appointed Supreme Chancellor, promised Skywalker that he would watch the young Jedi's career with great interest, beginning a long friendship between the young Jedi and the new ruler of the Republic. As a young adult, Skywalker developed as an arrogant and somewhat socially awkward boy, doubtless in part because of his rapid transition from a scrapyard slave to rising star of the Jedi Order. His natural abilities placed him leaps and bounds above his peers which fed his ego and caused him to distance himself from other learners his age. He frequently showed off, chafed against authority, and displayed little respect for Kenobi, whom he partially viewed as inferior. Despite this perception, he stated that Kenobi was like a father to him, and claimed that Kenobi had the wisdom of Master Yoda and the power of Master Windu. This praise, however, may have been just another expression of Skywalker's arrogance, as he amended that he himself was "beyond" Kenobi in many ways, and felt Kenobi was holding him back from his true potential. His relationship with his master remained complicated and contradictory, partially due to Kenobi's doubts about whether he had the ability to train Skywalker, something the boy did not need, especially during that critical time in his life. Frustrated, Skywalker would turn to another mentor for advice: Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.
As Skywalker's early friendship with Palpatine continued, the Chancellor lent Skywalker a sympathetic ear, saying things to further fuel his pride. It is likely that Palpatine's reassurances also had the effect of perpetuating Skywalker's lack of control—whenever he was chided or reprimanded by Kenobi, Palpatine would reassure Skywalker that he had done right, hence Skywalker never quite had the impetus to change his behavior.
Skywalker and Kenobi's relationship had an unstable beginning as Kenobi was not the only one to see the potential in the boy, and even considered him dangerous. The only reason he continued to train the boy was because of Jinn's dying wish for him to do so. He felt Skywalker's training was his duty, though he did not believe he had the ability to train him properly. Skywalker, on the other hand, knew that he was different from other padawans. The differences lead Skywalker to keep to himself, did not branch out and did not desire to do so. He did, however, feel a special attachment to Kenobi, since his Jedi Master was like the father he never had. Slowly, but surely, Master and apprentice formed a special bond throughout Skywalker's adolescence.
.While on Coruscant, Skywalker did not give up his love of tinkering with machines, and the halls of the Jedi Temple were said to be littered with his droid creations. Still craving thrills and adventure at the age of twelve, he salvaged a pair of race wings and secretly participated in the highly dangerous and illegal garbage pit races held in the lower levels of Galactic City. During one such race, he was nearly killed by a Blood Carver named Ke Daiv before Kenobi reached him.
About three years into his training, Skywalker and Kenobi had their first mission together to investigate cult leader Kad Chun. Chun, calling himself Uni, was co-leader of disenchanted idealists and refugees who wanted to flee their bureaucracy-flooded worlds. Kad's father, Vox Chun, the leader of the cult, was killed when Kenobi and Skywalker came to investigate. Later, Kad Chun forgave Kenobi and his scheming father for what they had done.
The next mission they took was to the living planet of Zonama Sekot to find Jedi Knight Vergere, who had recently vanished on a mission there. Unbeknownst to them, Wilhuff Tarkin and Raith Sienar had followed them to exploit Zonama Sekot's ability to fuse organic and high technology into starfighters, creating them at an astonishing rate and at an extremely high quality. On the planet, the colonists sold "seed-partners," which bonded with their hosts and allowed the planet to customize a starfighter for the individual. Skywalker attracted many more seed-partners than anyone, and thus, had a bigger and more intricate ship. He named this new biological ship Jabitha. When Tarkin and Sienar arrived, the planet revealed its sentient consciousness to the Jedi, explaining that Vergere had left with the mysterious "Far Outsiders" in order to protect Zonama Sekot. Skywalker and Kenobi could not rescue the Fosh Jedi, but they were able to halt Tarkin's attack. When Ke Daiv, now Tarkin's bodyguard, attempted to kill Skywalker, the boy, in a fit of uncontrollable rage, telekinetically burned the Blood Carver from the inside out. Unfortunately, Skywalker was captured and brought before Tarkin. Kenobi, however, managed to destroy Tarkin's flagship and rescue his padawan. During this altercation, Zonama Sekot was able to activate its planetary hyperdrive, causing the planet to vanish, bound for the Unknown Regions. Afterward, Sienar and Tarkin returned to the Republic. Skywalker's organic ship, unfortunately, died while away from her creator. After the conclusion of this mission, Kenobi and Skywalker returned to Coruscant.
In 28 BBY, Skywalker constructed his first lightsaber in the caves of Ilum. While he was constructing it, however, he had a dark vision of Darth Maul, the Sith who had killed Jinn. After Skywalker managed to defeat this specter, he awoke to find he had finished construction on his lightsaber, its blade a shining blue.
On a mission to Nar Shaddaa when Skywalker was 13, he killed the T'surr slave trader Krayn by burning a hole in his chest. This allowed all the slaves of Krayn to be freed, as well as ending Jedi Knight Siri Tachi's undercover mission there.
Not long after, the young Jedi and his Master were called upon, along with Tachi (who was now a Knight), Soara Antana, Ry-Gaul, and their Padawans, Ferus Olin, Darra Thel-Tanis, and Tru Veld, respectively, on a mission to Radnor to help with the evacuation of the planet. The evacuation was due to a deadly toxin that had spread throughout the planet because of a chemical leak. He and the other Jedi and their Padawans later discovered that the toxic leak was connected with the Avoni raiders. The path of guilt led to Galen, a traitorous Radnoran, who was taken into custody for his crimes. However, the Avoni did not pay for their crime and were not forced to make amends. To Skywalker, it almost seemed as if the planet was worse off than when they had found it.
Kenobi and Skywalker were later sent on a mission to find out what had happened to the Consular-class space cruiser, the Radiant IX, which was carrying the Jedi Et Rex and Alysun Celz back to Coruscant to be punished for falling to the dark side. They discovered that, while on their flight, a large group of mynocks had fed on energy from the ships electrical couplings, causing the ship to plummet into the gravity well in the Hoth system, and crash landed on an asteroid known as the Poison Moon. The distress signal was sent even as Celz killed everyone on the ship. Rex managed to escape Celz and befriend a group of mynocks. When the Jedi found Celz on the bridge of the ship, he insisted that it was Rex who did it. Kenobi went to find Rex, leaving Skywalker with Celz. When Kenobi found Rex, Rex convinced him that Celz was framing him, and the two hurried back to save Skywalker. In the meantime, Celz tried to convince Skywalker to leave his master, but failed. Celz angrily knocked out Skywalker with his Force Lightning, revealing to the Jedi as they entered that she had killed everyone on board. Kenobi engaged her with his lightsaber, only to be knocked back by a dose of force lightning. Rex sent his mynocks after her lightning, feeding on it like they would electricity. The Jedi left the moon on Kenobi and Skywalker's ship, with Celz as their new prisoner, and headed back to Coruscant.
Later on, a simple Jedi training mission to Ragoon-6 caused Skywalker and Kenobi to get tangled up with a mysterious man whose mission in life seemed to be to kill them. Further research on him revealed that he was from Nierport VII, collected Sith artifacts, and was extremely wealthy—though he had no tangible source of income. Skywalker and Kenobi were then dispatched to the Galactic Games in order to ensure the peace. Skywalker found out about an illegal podrace being set up, and, instead of reporting it, he decided to join. Meanwhile, Kenobi, with the help of Siri Tachi and apprentice Ferus Olin, unraveled a huge plan to ruin several senators' careers by framing them in a plot to rig some of the games. The plan was orchestrated by Maxo Vista, and Kenobi learned from him that the podrace was also rigged so that the lead podracer would lose control of his brakes and possibly kill hundreds. Too late, Kenobi set out to warn Skywalker, but his Padawan had already started racing and eventually took the lead. Kenobi could only watch helplessly as Skywalker's brakes malfunctioned. However, using the Force and his piloting skills, Skywalker managed to gain control of his craft and avert a tragedy. After this event, further investigation was done on the man who previously tried to kill them, and it was revealed that the man was trying to take over the marketing of bacta through a mining venture. Skywalker, after being captured by him, found out, with the aid of Kenobi, that the man's name was Granta Omega. He also discovered that he was trying to impress a Sith Lord by killing Skywalker. Master and apprentice were able to escape, halting Omega's mining of titanite in the process. Omega himself, however, escaped their grasp. Before this, Skywalker and Kenobi were sent to Barlok to monitor the overbearing Jedi Knight Jorus C'baoth and his timid Padawan, Lorana Jinzler, in their negotiation mission between the Corporate Alliance and the Barlok. Unbeknownst to them, Kinman Doriana, on behalf of Darth Sidious, had planned for the negotiation to work splendidly in C'baoth's favor, gaining him enough prestige to go ahead with his pet project, Outbound Flight.
Skywalker and his master were again sent to observe the self-acclaimed Jedi Master C'baoth on this project, at least until its last stop within the known galaxy. Kenobi did not approve of C'baoth's overseeing of the project, butting heads with the Jedi Master on numerous occasions. However, the hardheaded and arrogant C'baoth would not listen, and was glad when they disembarked the venture on Outbound Flight's last stop, Roxuli. Despite the problems his master and C'baoth had had, Skywalker greatly admired C'baoth, whom he saw as an example of a great leader. These views would also shift his view of a better galaxy under the harsh rule of Palpatine. Not long after, in 27 BBY, fourteen-year-old Skywalker and his Master were given a mission to investigate a senator's son's disappearance, which they presumed to have much to do with an elite school for senators' children. In order to investigate a band of renegade students and the school itself, the Jedi council gave Skywalker and Ferus Olin the task of penetrating the school, which was located on Andara, by posing to be senators' sons. Soon, Skywalker had located the students and acquired their trust. He decided to join them on a mock attack on a Senator's ship, which in Skywalker's view would be helping those who were unrepresented under the Senator's jurisdiction. Olin did not like the plan and warned Skywalker of its problems; however, Skywalker dismissed his caution due to his rivalry with Olin. Later, Olin suddenly disappeared, but Skywalker neglected to inform his master. Before the "mock" attack could begin, he found out that the attack would actually be real, and it threatened to start a war. Before he could leave and inform Kenobi, the leader of the group, revealed as Gillam Tarturi, the Senator's missing son, informed Skywalker that the Padawan would have to die in order for Gillam's plan to proceed. Left with no choice, Skywalker disarmed Gallam and the rest of the members, shut down the lasers of the starfighter the group was planning to use, and, at the same time, destroyed ten attack droids. At this point, Obi Wan, along with Siri Tachi and Ferus Olin, had arrived to Skywalker's aid, but he had finished the fight before they could help him. Skywalker's level of skill, nearly equal to some great Jedi Masters, left Kenobi unnerved. However, Skywalker's master was also furious that Skywalker had not told Kenobi that Olin was missing, and for the first time, Kenobi shouted at his Padawan. This incident widened the gap between Skywalker and Kenobi. When Skywalker was fifteen, he, Kenobi, Yoda, and Yaddle were sent on a negotiation mission to Mawan to settle a devastating gang war, in which three criminal organizations fought one another. These gangs, led by Decca the Hutt, Feena Shaan, and Striker, caused the remainder of the population to take refuge underground. During the mission, Skywalker was kidnapped by Striker's men. Striker, revealed to be Granta Omega, tried tempting Skywalker to leave the Jedi Order and come with him, offering visions of freeing the slaves and his mother on Tatooine. When he saw that Skywalker would not yield, he made Skywalker arrange a meeting with himself and Yaddle. Unbeknownst to her and the rest of the Jedi, the chaotic planet was a trap set for the Jedi by Omega. He released a fatal chemical weapon that killed Yaddle when she absorbed it through the Force. However, through her sacrifice, she saved the city of Naatan. The weapon was intended by its vengeful maker to kill Skywalker and Kenobi, but it failed because of what Yaddle had done. Skywalker and Kenobi managed to bring peace to Mawan, but Skywalker still felt responsible for the death of the Jedi High Council member.
Skywalker's guilt about Yaddle's death caused friction between him and Kenobi, who felt that he was less than capable of teaching the mischievous Skywalker properly. When sent on a rescue mission in the Uziel system to a planet called Vanqor, the two were forced to try and reconcile their differences. They were forced through several tribulations, including a run-in with a nest of gundarks. Skywalker was then placed under the influence of a drug called the Zone of Self-Containment, and taken prisoner by the insane and fanatical scientist Jenna Zan Arbor. Siri Tachi, Ferus Olin, Garen Muln, and Clee Rhara, who were also sent on another mission entirely, received the distress signal from Kenobi while en route to their own destination. They picked up Skywalker and Kenobi on Arbor escaped, however, and did not resurface again until Skywalker was seventeen. From information given them by Tyro Caladian, they discovered that she had reappeared on Romin, a focus of corruption and villainy and a shelter for criminals. In order to infiltrate the planet, he, his Master, Tachi, and Olin disguised themselves as a band of thieves looking for refuge on the planet. They discovered that Zan Arbor had allied herself with Roy Teda—the ruler of Romin—and Granta Omega, Kenobi and Skywalker's old adversary. The Jedi were about to be captured when civil war erupted. The underworld was trying to overthrow Teda, and, in the midst of it, Teda and Zan Arbor fled. The two criminals contacted the Jedi—thinking they were actually criminals—to try to find a way offworld. Unfortunately, Zan Arbor recognized Skywalker from their previous encounter, and Teda ordered his men to seize the Jedi. Before they could do so, Mace Windu and a team of Jedi arrived, arresting Teda and Zan Arbor. In spite of this, since the Jedi were trying to get to Omega, and they knew the two would lead them to him, they set the two captives free.
Only a few weeks later, Kenobi and his apprentice trailed Zan Arbor and Teda to Falleen, where the rogues had managed to set up the Blackwater Systems facility to mass-produce her drug, the Zone of Self-Containment. When they were found, Zan Arbor was forced to destroy the facility and they once more fled.
Skywalker and Olin were again paired when the trail of Zan Arbor and Teda led back to Coruscant. Sano Sauro—a friend of Granta Omega—and Bog Divinian started to make anti-Jedi accusations in order to convince the Galactic Senate to lessen or completely dissolve its support of the Order. This vote, which was about whether or not the Jedi should be involved in the Senate's activities, was all a part of Sauro and Omega's plan to leak the Zone of Self-Containment drug into the Senate's vents and assassinate Chancellor Palpatine. Skywalker and Olin, who were learning to forget their rivalry and understand each other, managed to prevent the assassination attempt on the Supreme Chancellor. Omega's plan was uncovered, but not in time to save twenty-one Senators and several other Senate employees from being killed by seeker droids programmed by Teda. Unbeknownst to the renegade, since Zan Arbor and Omega had no more use for the man, a seeker droid killed him, as well. Afterward, Kenobi, Skywalker, and Tachi set off to find Omega, leaving Olin to protect the Senators and Palpatine. Tracking Omega and Zan Arbor to Korriban, four Jedi pairs—Skywalker and Kenobi, Tachi and Olin, Ry-Gaul and Tru Veld, and Soara and Darra—journeyed there to confront and stop them. During the course of the hunt, the apprentices were split up from the Masters to better accomplish the mission. The investigation of Dreshdae led them to the Valley of the Dark Lords. Because of the dark side power of the planet, the Padawans, instead of working as a team, started fighting amongst themselves. When Skywalker found out about Olin's advanced training, he was extremely jealous of him, and, because of all of the friction, their journey to find Omega was catastrophic. They were caught and halted by numerous traps that they would have been able to avoid were they able to function as a team. Because of this, the confrontation with Omega was a complete and utter disaster.
Previously, during the fighting, Veld's lightsaber was damaged, and Olin decided to repair it. Skywalker, who was more mechanically adept than Olin, noticed that the repair job would not work. Instead of speaking out and properly repairing the saber himself, he kept quiet, hoping to humiliate Olin. During a battle in one of the tombs, Veld's lightsaber began to fail. Olin switched lightsabers with Veld in order to protect him. Darra noticed the faulty lightsaber and leaped to protect Olin. However, she was riddled with blaster fire and killed. This caused friction between Tru Veld and Skywalker, her death being partly Skywalker's fault. Kenobi, who showed up just in time, was forced to kill Granta Omega with a stroke of his blade. Zan Arbor managed to elude capture once more, and was not seen again by the Jedi or the Republic.
Olin, blaming himself for Darra's death, resigned from the Jedi Order. Sometime later, Skywalker and his Master were sent on a diplomatic mission to a planet wishing to join the Galactic Republic. They soon found out, however, that the planet's indigenous population considered thievery an important social asset. During their stay, Skywalker's lightsaber was stolen. The Padawan searched for it, ashamed to tell Kenobi that he lost it, but soon had to admit defeat. Asking Kenobi for help, he found that the Jedi Knight knew the lightsaber had been stolen, and, using a trick of the Force, had "acquired" it from the thief. Kenobi had merely been waiting for Skywalker to admit that he had lost it.
Kenobi and his apprentice, who was then sixteen, were then assigned to the task of protecting Senator Simon Greyshade from assassination. Greyshade had recently filled the station of Senator of the Commonality; a Senatorial seat left by his assassinated cousin. Simon's cousin, Jheramahd Greyshade, had been thrown off of the roof of 500 Republica in an attempt to stall the passage of the Financial Reform Act, which the Senator had supported. The act was a bill that addressed and was meant to reduce the amount of corruption that was causing the Senate, and, through them, the Republic, to disintegrate.
Senator Greyshade, who had received a death threat for his stand, was now under protection by the Jedi duo. Commander Zalin Bey of the Senate Guard and her unit were assigned to investigate Jheramahd's assassination. Skywalker and Kenobi had their hands full protecting Simon from myriad assassins: droids; Keluda, a Dug; and Princess Tsian, whom they could not seriously investigate because of her diplomatic immunity. Despite these hurdles, Tsian was arrested and Keluda was killed.
Sagoro Autem and Isaru Omin continued the investigation of the Senator's murder, turning up several disturbing facts. Sagoro's brother, Venco, had assassinated Jheramahd, and convinced Reymet Autem, Sagoro's son, to unwittingly help him in another assassination, this time an attempt on Simon's life, but this second attempt failed. Sagoro managed to let his son escape, but, unfortunately, when Omin discovered his obstruction of justice, too late for him to arrest Reymet, he arrested Sagoro. The man took the blame and disgrace for what his son had done, and was removed from the office of Senate Guard. Simon Greyshade was safe once more.
Because it was found that the assassination and attempted assassination was because of the Financial Reform Act, it never got a vote. Some say that this was the cause of a good portion of the seceding planets that would soon make the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and could have prevented the Clone Wars had it been passed. At the age of nineteen, in 22 BBY, Skywalker and Kenobi, along with Luminara Unduli and her apprentice, Barriss Offee, were sent to Ansion to settle a border dispute that had the potential to cause the extremely strategic planet to secede to the Confederacy. If Ansion fell, so would countless other worlds. The Jedi negotiated a settlement with city dwellers to remain in the Republic, provided they also convinced the nomadic Alwari to allow expansion into the grasslands. Little did they know that Presidente Shu Mai of the Commerce Guild was pulling the strings to cause Ansion to secede. Arriving early, Kenobi and Skywalker were just in time to rescue Unduli and Offee from a mob of killers. Thanks again to Shu Mai and her minion Soergg the Hutt, the Jedi were in constant danger from attack by hired killers, including a successful kidnapping of Offee by two Ansionians, Kyakhta and Bulgan. Offee healed the two killers of injuries though, and they became guides for the Jedi to find the nomadic clans, particularly the Borokii overclan. Traveling on suubatars, the Jedi braved hazards such as flying chawix, kyren hordes, capture by the Yiwa clan and shanhs. On one occasion, the Jedi were required to entertain their hosts, each in their own way. Skywalker chose to sing a song, that impressed the Ansionians. The Jedi eventually made contact with the Borokii overclan, who, after requiring the Jedi to retrieve a tuft of rare albino surepp wool, agreed to the Jedi's settlement—provided they helped wage war against their rivals, the Januul clan. Skywalker was shocked when Kenobi agreed, but he had a plan. When the battle lines were drawn, the Jedi marched out into the middle and refused to fight either side, calling on both clans to negotiate a settlement. Kenobi, Skywalker, Unduli, and Offee were subsequently attacked by both sides, but they deflected the assaults, and amazingly parried only the weapons, defeating both armies with no loss of life. In the wake of the following peace between the tribes, the Jedi journeyed back to the capital of Cuipernam to inform the Unity Council controlling the planet's fate of their success. While they were attacked again by thugs, the two clans sent an honor guard to help the Jedi, and Ansion remained in the Republic thanks to the efforts of Skywalker and his companions. Because of her status as President, Shu Mai was not discovered to be a part of the matter. A day following his twentieth birthday,[12] there was an attempt on the life of Padmé Amidala, now the Senator of the Chommell sector, by the bounty hunter Zam Wesell. Skywalker was personally assigned to protect and escort Amidala back to her homeworld. To avoid looking conspicuous, the two traveled as refugees. Skywalker had not seen her in ten years, though he had thought about her daily since their parting at Naboo. His childhood fascination with her had turned into a powerful infatuation. In conversation, Skywalker revealed his affection for her, his frustration with Kenobi's training methods, a distrust of the political process, and his view of the need for one strong leader. Over a short time, his infatuation for her blossomed into something more: love. Eventually Amidala began to return his feelings.
It was at Amidala's lake retreat where the two lost their inhibitions and shared their first kiss. Both seemed entranced with the other despite their different social castes. However, Amidala eventually came to her senses, and while Skywalker was concerned with his feelings and living in the present moment—even suggesting they could keep their relationship a secret—Amidala was more concerned with duty and obligation. She had enough foresight to know their current situations would not allow for a relationship between them. Skywalker's pursuit of a relationship with her was in violation of Jedi tradition, which held that although Jedi were not required to be celibate, they were to avoid attachment to all but the Force itself. Skywalker had been suffering from recurring nightmares about his mother, Shmi, for several months prior to meeting Amidala again; and, because of them, went against the spirit of his orders to protect Amidala by bringing her to Tatooine to find Shmi. Upon landing on Tatooine, Skywalker made his way straight for Watto's shop, where he discovered that a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars had freed and married his mother.
While speaking with Lars, he learned, to his horror, that Shmi had been abducted by Tusken Raiders. He immediately set out in pursuit of her on Owen Lars' swoop bike. That night, the young Jedi discovered the Tusken camp beyond the B'Thazoshe Bridge, and slipped into the tent that contained his mother, most likely locating her with his Jedi senses. He freed her from her bonds, but it was too late. Battered, sleep-deprived, and dehydrated, Shmi Skywalker died in his arms, but not before seeing him for the last time.
Skywalker allowed the shock of her death to catalyze an explosion of his long-nursed anger and selfishness. He flew into a berserk rage, slaughtering all present in the camp without mercy—even, as he confessed to Amidala later, "the women and children."[10] A number of Jedi, including Yoda and the deceased Qui-Gon Jinn, sensed the shock of this massacre as well as Skywalker's powerful Force presence, which bordered on closer to the dark side of the force.
Amidala was clearly troubled by what Skywalker had done, but had invested herself too much in him to be truly repulsed. She tried to soothe him with sympathy and told no one of Skywalker's hideous act. In his anger and sorrow, he rashly claimed that one day he would have the power to stop people from dying. While still on Tatooine, Skywalker discovered that Kenobi had been taken hostage by the Geonosian-engineered Confederacy of Independent Systems's droid forces. He initially decided to honor Master Windu's order to protect Amidala at all costs and to stay on Tatooine, the episode with his mother having caused him to lose confidence in himself. However, Amidala convinced him that rescuing his mentor was the right thing to do and they traveled to Geonosis. Once on the planet, Skywalker and Amidala infiltrated the droid foundries but were soon captured as well and sentenced to die in a gladiatorial execution arena. Faced with their impending fate, they finally confessed their love to one another and kissed for what they thought was the last time. The timely arrival of the Jedi and eventually the clone troopers allowed both of them to escape and fight in the ensuing battle.
Skywalker and Kenobi pursued Count Dooku, the mastermind of the Confederacy and, unbeknownst to them, a Sith Lord. They gave chase across the vast Geonosian sands, where he led them to a CIS-owned hangar. Once they caught up with Dooku, Skywalker, against the better advice of his Master, foolishly charged the Sith with a headstrong attitude. It was the Padawan's undoing: Dooku unleashed a powerful barrage of Force lightning on Skywalker, knocking the youth unconscious and leaving Kenobi to face Dooku alone. Kenobi put up a valiant fight, however, his skills proved no match for the more powerful and experienced Dooku, and he was soon incapacitated. As Skywalker recovered from the Force lightning, he witnessed Dooku raising his lightsaber to deliver the final blow against the fallen Kenobi.
Skywalker, calling upon the Force, leapt into the path of Dooku's lightsaber, blocking it with his own, saving his Master's life in the process. Taking up his fallen master's weapon, Skywalker unleashed a flurry of attacks, which caught Dooku off guard at first. However, despite the tactical advantage the second blade granted, it was short-lived. Without more than basic training in Jar'Kai, Skywalker's use of two blades simply wasn't good enough to pass through Dooku's guard, and the Sith eventually managed to destroy the green blade, leaving Skywalker with only his blue. At that point, Dooku's greater practice and experience with Makashi allowed him to regain the upper hand, and, despite holding his own for much of the duel, Skywalker lost the battle—and his arm— to Dooku. After being rescued by Yoda, Skywalker, Amidala, and Kenobi were transported back to the Jedi Temple for healing. After Skywalker's forearm was replaced with a mechno-arm crafted by the Chief Healer Vokara Che, he remained in the Halls of Healing as he grew accustomed to the replacement. Meanwhile, Kenobi was sent by Master Yoda to force Amidala to end her relationship with the Chosen One. Lying, she agreed, yet asked to do it herself. She suggested having Skywalker escort her back to Naboo, and that is when she would end it.
However, the escort was a ploy, and Skywalker married Amidala even though that meant breaking the Jedi Code, he didn't care and set the marriage at Varykino on Naboo in a secret ceremony performed by a Naboo holyman. C-3PO and his counterpart, R2-D2, were the only witnesses. The newly-married couple would later struggle to keep this illicit relationship secret.