The speeder ground to a halt in front of the Lar's family homestead. Anakin glanced over at the boy slumped in the passenger seat- he was still asleep.
He unbuckled the straps and carried him towards the homestead where Padme was waiting with a curious glance. "I found him near the Tusken camp… he's severely dehydrated." He explained.
Padme nodded, and offered to carry him in. Anakin reluctantly accepted, knowing that he had his mother to attend to. He picked up her body from the back of the speeder, and then walked slowly towards the homestead. Each step seemed more painful than the last, and he could not fully get over his grief over his mother's death. "I promised I'd free you, mom." He said sadly, gazing at the corpse. "Now I just don't know what to do…"
Padme carried Ben inside and lied him down in the small guest room, shaking her head sadly. Shmi was a kind woman, she accepted us with open arms into her home. I don't know any other heart that could do that. If only I had done something during my time as queen… she thought. She sighed, and sat down on the bed, feeling Ben's forehead. He appeared to have a high fever, and was definitely dehydrated.
"Hey," she shook him lightly as he mumbled incoherently in his sleep. "I'm going to get some water, alright? I'll be back." She said, taking one last glance at the mysterious boy, and walking towards the kitchen.
When she appeared again, she was surprised to find the boy wide awake. "Where am I?" he mumbled, trying to stand.
"Sit down... you're in no condition to stand up." Padme said gently, putting the water on the nearby table. The boy reluctantly sat down, as she followed suite. "Can you tell me your name?" She asked.
"Ben...my name is Ben." He said, a small smile appearing on his lips as he pushed the hood of the Jedi robes over his face and shrunk into them. Padme smiled at his obvious shyness.
"You don't need to be afraid. I'm Padme, Padme Admidala." Padme pushed the hood off of his head and forced him to look at her. Just who was this boy? Forcing down her curiosity over the unanswered question of his origins, she took the drink into her hand. "You must be thirsty, Ben, you look like you haven't had a drink in days."
Ben took the water and took a big sip. "Where am I?" he asked and once again tried to get up to move around.
Padme pushed him back again, shaking her head. "You're too weak to move around, Ben. Please, get some rest. You have a very high fever and-" She was cut off by an apparent growl.
The boy glared at her and stated in an even firmer tone, "I would like to know where I am."
She sighed, this little boy was persistent, wasn't he? She thought. "You're at the Lars homestead."
The boy nodded, well if he was going to be so persistent, why not ask some questions of her own.
"Ben, can you tell me your last name?" She asked in the gentle voice, a voice that rarely belonged to the firm character of the senator she was. Ben thought for a moment, should he tell her the truth? No, it would cause to much conflict.
He sighed and replied in the best adult voice he could muster. "Ben Jade. My full name is Ben Jade." He said, and then he yawned. Padme nodded, and, noticing his fatigue, suggested he go to sleep. Ben was too tired to protest, and before he knew it, he was out cold.
Padme knew he was lying the second he said it, but chose to ignore it. She felt his forehead one last time- it was cool after she had given him the medicine needed for his fever. She sat up and left, closing and locking the door behind her, thinking about Anakin all the way as she left the homestead to attend the burial service.
The burial service was silent. No one had spoken a word as they placed down the tomb marking Shmi's grave. Anakin and Padme payed their respects, lingering for a few moments longer than the others.
"She was a great woman, Ani. It's not your fault. Ani? What's wrong?" Padme spoke quietly and sadly. Anakin turned to her, remorse resonating within his eyes.
"I-I killed them. I killed them all…And not just the men-but the women, the children too. They're like animals. And I slaughtered them like animals. I hate them!" He yells, and then he sunk to his knees.
"It's not your fault Ani, they killed your mother. You have a reason to hate them, and you saved that little boy too."
Anakin just shook his head, sobbing. "No- Jedi don't kill. Jedi don't hate. But I did Padme.. I did." He looks up at her sadly, tears forming in his eyes." Padme hugs him lightly as he sobs.
"We still have a boy to take care of, let's not think of this. Come, little Ben is awake, and I believe you have some questions to ask him." She says, slowly sitting up as Anakin follows her lead.
"Yes," he says slowly, attempting to choke back the tears." I believe I do…" and so he follows her, away from his mother, away from the grave in the desert, the last reminiscent of the woman who loved him with all his heart as only a mother could do. The woman whom told him to not look back, to follow his heart. Somewhere deep inside, a part of his heart broke, the promise the little boy who left Tatooine gave was no more-broken and dead, as was the only one who truly loved him aside from Padme as just Ani.
To her, he was no chosen one, he was just Ani, that little boy from Tatooine whom she raised and whom left her one day to follow his dream, promising to come back and free her one day. And even though she was now gone, part of her lived on in that little boy, the little boy who just wanted to see the stars. The little boy who became a Jedi, but that little boy died that day.
That little boy was no more.