Home

Anakin leads everyone to our home and I stay with the girl. She seems nice. We talk about slavery and the republic for a while until we get home. I run into the kitchen to tell mum we're home. I grab her hand and show her to the others.

"Oh my! Ani who is this?"

"These are my friends. Qui-Gon, Padme, Jar-Jar and R2-D2." She looks them all up and down, her kind eyes betraying her feelings. She's anxious that all these strangers are in her home.

"Why are they here Anakin?"

"Sandstorm. Oh hey Padme I'm building a droid. Wanna see?" Padme looks at mother cautiously. I'm holding onto her hand like a lifeline. Qui-Gon hands her six pills.

"I have enough for a meal."

"Oh thank you. Sorry for being so abrupt but I don't think I'll ever get used to his surprises."

"He's a very special boy."

"Yes, I know. Both of them are very special." She seems to be implying something.

"What does that mean?" I question.

"That you're both very important to me." She responds, running her hands through my hair. Qui-Gon leads me outside and tells me to sit down.

"Now then. Do you know what the force is young one?"

"It's the thing that holds the universe together right? Jedi use it."

"Correct. Very wise for one so young."

"Anakin is strong in the force. A man who visited the shop once said so."

"I believe he is too. Does the Toydarian own you all?"

"Yeah but he says that if I carry on like I do then he'll let me go on my tenth birthday."

"What about Anakin?"

"I don't know."

"Can I test something? It would only sting for a few seconds and I would heal it up myself."

"Sure." He injects a needle on me for two seconds and he looks at a monitor. His face goes a ghostly pale. He looks at me and then back at the monitor again.

"Impossible." He states.

"What?"

"It started rapidly escalating and then it shut down."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No Ratha. You didn't. Go inside, I need to make a call." I walk into the workroom and Ani is showing off the protocol droid he's been making. I clip it's other eye in.

"Why thank you lady Ratha, I was rather worried that I had gone blind."

"No problems threepio." I turn to face Padme. "I think I broke something of yours. I'm sorry."

"What did you break?" Padme asks, intrigued.

"Well Qui-Gon was talking to me about the force and he injected something and it started beeping and it shut down." Padme looks at me with wide eyes.

"The midi-chlorian counter broke after Qui-Gon used it on you? That has to mean something. What happened to it?"

"The numbers got bigger and bigger and then it shut down." She stares at the floor for a while, thinking to herself.

"Well tomorrow I could show you my racer!"

"Yeah if it works." I snort. He glares at me and Padme laughs. Then mother calls us for dinner and the grown ups talk about slavery and stuff.

"So what brings you here?" Mother asks while Anakin and I flick food at each other. She smacks his hand and we both frown guiltily.

"We're on our way to Coruscant, the central system in the Republic, on a very important mission, and it must be kept secret."

"Coruscant...wow...how did you end up here in the outer rim?" Ani has a point.

"Our ship was damaged, and we're stranded here until we can repair it."

"I can help! I can fix anything!" I snort at Anakin's ego. This earns me a glare from mum.

"I believe you can, but our first job is to aquire the parts we need."

"These junk dealers must have a weakness of some kind."

"Gambling. Everything here revolves around betting on those awful races." I focus on my food.

"Podracing... Greed can be a powerful ally.. if it's used properly." Qui-Gon states ominously

"I've built a racer! It's the fastest ever...There's a big race tomorrow, on Boonta Eve. You could enter my pod. It's all but finished."

"No!" I shout.

"Anakin, Watto wouldn't let you."

"Watto doesn't know I've built it. These guys could pretend its theirs."

"I... We don't want you to race. It kills me and your sister every time Watto makes you do it."

"But I love it...and they need help...they're in trouble. The prize money would more than pay for the parts they need." I stick out my bottom lip in a last effort for him to change his mind.

"Wesa in pitty bad goo."

"Your mother's right. Is there anyone friendly to the Republic who might be able to help us?"

"There is no republic here." I state.

"We have to help them. You said that the biggest problem in the universe is no one helps each other..."

"Ani don't..." The Gungan belches and I finish my meal.

"I'm sure Qui-Gon doesn't want to put your son in danger. We will find another way..." I think she must be a politician. She calmy discusses things that would benefit the people.

"No, he's right, there is no other way. I may not like it, but he can help you. He was meant to help you."

"But-" I begin to protest.

"Is that a yes? That is a yes!"