Janna purposely rearranged her chores for the day so that she could be in the kitchen that morning. From her spot doing the dishes she had a perfect view of the hall and hopefully the show that was about to take place. From the moment this former Jedi had arrived Janna looked forward to the moment that she would be able to see exactly why he was here. Surely there had to be a reason.

"So what's wrong with you?" she had asked him in the first afternoon of his arrival.

"Wrong? Nothing. I mean I'm better than most the rest of the galaxy but that's not wrong."

Janna shook her head. "No, something must be wrong with you. Derrek only collects unusual and exotic slaves. You have to fit the criteria in some way or another."

"Alright then, let's talk about you. What's wrong with you?" he had asked hoping to redeem himself of being labeled "wrong."

Janna had lowered her gaze just a bit and her shoulders fell more limp. Anakin picked up on this wondering what quality about herself made her present shame.

"Its easy. I'm a girl who can't control her own form."

Anakin looked at her with more interest than he had shown in her since coming.

"You don't know my kind do you? Most don't, and you're lucky for that. I'm a shapeshifter."

Janna shuddered and went back to her work. She didn't want to think about that painful confession. Her gaze drifted back to the hall.

"So how much did you pay for him anyways, Derrek? Not much I hope. Master Kenobi got him for nothing you know," Ferus said.

Anakin clenched his fists. The stakes of the Boonta Eve race were hardly nothing.

"I don't see how any price would be too much compared to having to sacrifice a prized slave to my collection. Jedi don't go through the sale ring very often you know," he said with a smirk.

"How has the Republic been anyways, Skywalker? Bad enough to drive you out this far."

"Not at all, but as a traitor I can see how you wouldn't understand that. I came out here because of some aggressive negotiations and got a little, uh, sidetracked."

Anakin had always hated that laugh of Ferus'. Especially when it was directed towards him. Now it was all the worse because this time he knew that Ferus did have the upper hand in this instance.

"Now Anakin you don't have to pretend for an old friend. I've seen you mess up a thousand times worse than this, remember Darra?"

That was it. Anakin was no longer under the watchful eyes of the Jedi or the Republic for that matter. He was just another slave now who happened to have Foorce abilities. In that knowledge, he attempted to do what he had wanted to for several years.

Unfortunately, Ferus hadn't lost his touch as much as Anakin was hoping he would have by now. His Force leap was foiled in mid-air. Ferus threw him into the wall before he could land and do any further damage. Anakin felt his heart racing faster now. But it wasn't because of adrenaline this time. It was instead because of a forbidden emotion.

Ferus laughed again. "Losing your touch, eh Skywalker? I might have quit the Jedi but I never quit myself."

"My powers are stronger than last time we met, Olin," Anakin said as he stood up. "Much more. For your sake I'd suggest that you don't tempt me to prove yet."

A sparkle flashed across Ferus' eyes that Janna had seen many times before. This time she was thankful that it wasn't directed towards her.

"Show me, then."

A knife sailed through the air on a path right to the Jedi's head. Anakin dodged it in one fluid movement and caught it with his mechanical hand.

"Not bad," Derrek said. "But I find it hard to believe that this is your finest."
"Oh don't worry," Ferus said with the same glint in his eyes. "I'll make sure that we see it."

At that moment Anakin wished with everything that his Padawan had been successful in patching through that transmission to Coruscant just as a table came flying at him.

Janna gasped and dropped her plate. The table had shattered against the wall into thousands of splinters. But the Jedi hadn't stopped there. With the pieces in the air she saw something else. There was an image amongst the splintes, a face actually. It was a girl with an almost angelic smile. She knew that she was the only one who could see the subtle work of art, but it for that she was glad. She had seen this same girl in his thoughts at night, the thoughts that only she could see.

At that moment she knew in a heartbeat that she would exchange her shapeshifting curse for the ability to wield the Force like that.

"Girl!" Derrek's voice broke Anakin's concentration and the wood fell to the floor in thousands of splinters.

Janna immediately remembered the broken plate. "I-I'm sorry. I'll take care of it!"

She could fell the eyes of her master boring through the back of her skull as she went to go get a broom.

"Not quite impressive," Ferus said. "I would have thought that the famed Chosen One of Jedi prophecy would be a bit more at this stage in his life."

"Maybe I'm just not cut out to be your performing monkey-lizard."

Ferus shrugged and sent another group of knives and other assorted sharp objects hurling toward's his former rival.

Anakin groaned knowing that he would have no chance now but to keep up with this twisted game and hope for the best. He should have known better.

After an hour, dodge knives grew old even with the aid of the Force. Anakin was almost thankful when one anchored itself in his knee and brought an end to things. Almost that was.

"Janna get in here!" Derrek said.

Janna appeared from the kitchen looking as if she was completely clueless as to what had been going on.

"Yes sir?"

"Pull that knife out of him and put him away. Better do a good job with it I'm not losing my next addition to something stupid."

"Of course," Janna said with a bow. "Come, Skywalker."

Anakin followed her into a kitchen a slid to the floor. Now the pain was starting to sink in.

"Now look what you're doing! You're bleeding all over the floor that I just cleaned!"

Anakin shrugged. "Be thankful it's not your blood!"

Janna glared at him and yanked the knife out without even a word of warning. Anakin yelped.

"What was that for?!"

"My master told me to get the knife out of you. That's what I did."

Anakin hated the smirk that he saw in her eyes as she left to go get the bandages and salve.

"Here," she said as she returned, "hold still while and keep quiet while I get this on. If you can manage either of those that is."

Anakin was about to protest when he decided against it. This girl was a kind that he rarely saw. And whenever he ran into an argument with that kind, it never turned out well.

Janna had just finished binding the bandage when she looked up to face him. For the first time the two saw eye to eye. Although neither said anything, they were both silently amazed at the blue eyes of the other. It was a deep blue that they had only seen one other place before...in themselves.

"I saw the picture," she said in almost a whisper. "Of the girl. Who is she?"

Anakin's eyes widened. How could she have noticed?

"What are you talking about."

"Don't pretend I'm crazy. I saw the girl's face during your little performance out there. She's the same on from your dreams right? The one I saw in your mind."

Anakin leaned as far back from Janna as he could. A cool feeling crept up his spine.

"How? How do you know? Its impossible."

Janna heard footsteps and stood up. "Not now, I'll tell you everything tonight."

A million questions swarmed through Anakin's mind as she stood up and went to the rest of her chores. This creature knew too much for her own good now.