Chapter 3
Padme got up and making sure that she didn't wake up Anakin who was asleep on the sleeping pallet on the floor.
Opening the bedroom door quietly she stepped into the hallway and closing the door, before making her way into the living room only to see one of the Jedi sitting down on the floor in a meditate state.
" Sorry I didn't know anyone was up." Padme said sitting down on couch.
" It's ok I was just about finished, so I take it that you are really good friends of the Skywalkers." Qui-Gon asked as he stood up and sat down in the chair.
" Yes sir, we have known them for years, even when they were owned by Gardulla the Hutt." Padme said as she heard a sound and Owen came out of the other room and entered the living room.
" Morning, Um ... Padme did you tell dad that we will be home later today?" Owen asked as he sat down beside his sister.
" Yes I did, but I didn't tell him why, plus there well be a lot of cleaning up to do before anyone can leave out of town anyway." Padme said as Shmi, Anakin and Obi-Wan came into the room.
" Good morning everyone, ready for the big day." Shmi said coming into the room.
" Yes ma'am I'm ready what's for breakfast." Anakin said sitting down next Padme.
" Ok we will have to hurry and get the Pod to the track but first we have to get all the sand out of the way before we can get down to the town." Shmi said as she went into the Kitchen area.
" Let me help you get the breakfast ready." Padme said as she came into the kitchen.
" Ok I'm trying to think of what to feed everyone for breakfast." Shmi said as she looked around the kitchen; trying to come up with something.
" We can use the stuff that I bought yesterday." Padme said as she went over to the cooler and began pulling out some Nerf bacon and eggs.
" I can't take your food Padme." Shmi said as she watched Padme get the food and put it down on the counter.
" It's ok, I have to go back to the market any way and I can get more it's not a problem." Padme said as she opened up the bacon and started laying it in the pan that Shmi and put on the stove.
Shmi gave a very thankful smile and she took the eggs and broke them into a bowl and started beating them before pouring them into another pan and started scrambling them up.
Ten minutes later, we had the breakfast ready and everyone sat down at the table and started eating the eggs and bacon.
" After breakfast Obi-Wan and I will clean the walk way for you Ms. Skywalker." Owen said as he got up from the table and put his dish in the sink.
" Thank you Owen, Anakin please get cleaned up and ready so that way we can take your Pod over to the track." Shmi said as she began clearing off the table.
" Here let me help you." Padme said grabbing a couple of dishes and followed Shmi into the kitchen.
" Thank you Padme for everything you have done this morning, am sorry that we had to use your food, I just didn't get to do my shopping yesterday because of the sand storm." Shmi said giving Padme a hug.
" It's not a problem, and I still have some more shopping because the sand storm interrupted my shopping yesterday. Well I guess it's time we should be heading into town and over to the Arena." Padme said giving Shmi a quick hug before they gathered up the boys and they headed down to the town.
The small group walked through the city with Anakin leading the way, Qui-Gon with Padme following closely behind them while Owen and Obi-Wan brought up the rear.
All round them the shopkeepers and merchants were shoveling and sweeping away all the drifts of sand, before they could reassemble their stalls along with the awnings, some people were righting carts and fixing any damaged fences.
There were some wagons that were already hauling fresh supplies and merchandise from the warehouses and storage bins and the receiving bays of the spaceport that were back to welcoming ships from off planet.
We finally arrived at the arena and saw that Anakin's best friend Kitster had commandeered two beasts that had helped haul the Podracer to the arena.
" Anakin over here." Kitster called out as he waved eagerly at us as we came over to him.
" We need to get the racer to the pit area and assemble it there, I'll see you guys after the race." Anakin said as he followed Kitster to where his pit box was.
" I think I'll go with him and help him put the pod together I'll see you guys in a few minutes." Obi-Wan said as he followed the young boy to his pit.
Jabba the Hutt began his introduction of all the racers.
" Kubba tee. Sebulba tuta Pixelito!" Jabba introduced first and the crowd went wild, for he was one of the popular racers.
The Dug rose on his back legs and waved to the stands. Then one by one, Jabba introduced the Podracer pilots. Gasgano, Boles Roor, Ben Quadinaros, Aldear Beedo, Ody Mandrell, Xelbree, Mars Guo, Clegg Holdfast, Bozzie Baranta, Wan Sandage, the last one to introduced was Anakin.
Anakin was standing there in the pit listening to all the names of the racers, he glanced over his shoulder to see Kitster working on attaching the Radon-Ulzer to the Pod with the Steelton cables, while Obi-Wan checked the fastenings with sharp tugs.
" Mawhonic tuta Hok, Teemto Pagalies tuta Moonus Mandel. Anakin Skywalker tuta Tatooine." Jabba boomed over the loud speaker as he introduced Anakin.
When Anakin turned back to his Pod, he saw his mom standing next to it. Shmi bent down to give him a hug and kiss, as she got up and began backing away from him her eyes never leaving his face, she held his shoulders and Padme could see that she was trying to mask her worry that reflected in her eyes.
" Be safe, Annie." Shmi told him.
" I will, Mom, I promise." Anakin nodded and swallowed down his own nervousness.
Shmi gave him a warm and reassuring smile before moving away from him.
It was out of the corner of his eyes Anakin saw Sebulba wander over from his own racer and began examining Anakin's racer. He saw him work his way around to the Radon-Ulzers with undisguised interest. Sebulba finally stopped by the left engine and he reached up and banged hard on the stabilizer before walking back to his own Pod.
" Good luck Anakin and be very careful." Padme said as she bent down and kissed Anakin on the cheek.
" I will." Anakin said as he jutted out his lower lip.
Padme gave him a very long stare, moving away from him just as Qui-Gon came up to them.
" Are you all set?" Qui-Gon asked calmly.
Anakin nodded and as he watched Padme walk up to his mother and they were, talking was they began to make their way to their viewing platform.
" Um ... yes sir am ready." he said turning his attention to the Jedi Master.
" Now remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel, don't think, most importantly trust your instincts. And May the Force be with you Annie." Qui-Gon said as he put a hand on Anakin's shoulder and smiled.
The small group mounted the viewing platform just before it began to lift into position for the race.
Anakin's mother looked over to the Jedi Master and gave him a worried look.
" He's fine." he said giving her a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder.
" I heard that some of you Jedi can be somewhat reckless." Padme said shaking her head doubtfully.
Once the viewing platform locked into place, the small group turned their eyes towards the racers.
The flag bearers and pit crews moved hastily aside and clearing the start line beneath the arch that marks the beginning and the end of the race.
Padme and Shmi held hands as the sound that could be heard was the roaring sound of the engines of the Pods as the racers gunned their engines, the whole place shook as the huge engine roared with the force of power.
They watched as the light over the starting line began to flash green and the race began.
Padme stood there frozen when she saw Anakin's Pod died right there on the track and all the other races zoomed passed him.
" Oh man ... Anakin please get the pod going." Padme whispered to herself.
" It looks like Anakin isn't the only one who is having problems with his Pod." Owen said as he pointed over to Ben Quadinaros's Quadra-Pod, which also stalled.
" I'm sure he can get it started up just give a few moments." Padme said hitting her brother in the stomach with her elbow as to shut him up.
Owen looked at Shmi and gave her a sorry smile.
" It's ok Owen, I know he can get the racer started." Shmi said returning Owen's worried smile.
" I know he can do Ms. Skywalker." Owen said as he nodded to her.
Padme held her breath as she watched Anakin exploded out of the starting line and gave chase towards the location of the other racers.
Anakin tore across the flats, accelerating so quickly that everything around him swiftly turned into a sun-drenched blur.
Just ahead of him was the first set of the rock formations rose up against the horizon, and it was here that Anakin could see the other Podracers.
Anakin had passed four other racers just as he saw Arch Canyon was looming straight ahead of him.
Padme watched him trying to pass one racer but the racer wouldn't let him pass, and they were coming to a cliff drop off of a low mesa that appeared as a ragged line on the horizon. She saw that Anakin had slowed down giving the other racer the impression that he was preparing for a drop shift.
They watched Anakin threaded the eye of its needle opening with a seamstress's skill.
They also watched as Sebulba accelerated and swung violently left, which careened towards the other pilot, and it was at this time the other racer swung left as well which turned out to be directly into a massive rock formation.
Padme watched in horror as she saw the racer disappear in a huge ball of flame and black smoke.
" Sebulba doesn't play fair I see." Obi-Wan said as he saw another race fall victim to Sebulba.
" Now you see why he always wins, by cheating." Padme said as just as Ben Quadinaros finally got his engines to start, and they stood there and watched the engines shot off in four separate directions and exploded against the stone walls, rock formations, and the low dune banks.
There was a loud gasp in shock coming from the crowd as they shielded their eyes and cover their ears as the Pod and Ben Quadinaros collapse to the racetrack in a heap.
Sebulba at that moment screamed past the arena and shoot under the finish arch before the start of the second lap. Two other racers followed him, but there was no sign of Anakin.
Padme and Shmi looked at each other with worried looks and Owen put his arm around his sister to give her a reassuring hug.
Then more racers tore past before their engines died into silence as they faded from view.
Then everyone went back to their viewscreens, and became intent on the race again.
" Here he comes!" Qui-Gon said quickly as he opened his eyes and felt Anakin's present.
Anakin zoomed pass them as his engines howled in fury as he began to over take the pack.
It was now the beginning of the second lap and Anakin now found himself in sixth place. With every moment as the race went on Anakin began to feel himself becoming one with the machine.
They now approach Arch Canyon, with an intense look on his face; Anakin bore down on the leaders.
Skimming the flats, Anakin whipped past Aldar Beedo and sideswiped Clegg Holdfast. On Anakin's other side Ody Mandrell banked too hard over a sandy rise and his engine got caught in the sand, which caused the racer to cartwheel into a spectacular twisting of engines and Pod that ended up exploding apart.
Padme looked down at the viewscreen and saw that Anakin was now in four racers behind Sebulba and she could also see that the Dug's craft was clearly in the distance.
She watched as the racers whipped through Arch Canon and out of the other side in a ragged line, and she saw that Anakin was narrowing his gap between himself and the other racers.
She let a gasp when she saw a couple of Tusken Raiders, who where hiding in the rocks of the cliffs that formed the corner of Tusken Turn, she also saw Teemto Pagalies Pod get hit by one of the Raiders, and watched the racer exploded.
They watched Anakin fly through the vaporized wreckage in hot pursuit of the others, in a rush he passed Elan Mak and Habba Kee, now there were only two racers head of him, Mars Guo who was closing in on Sebulba.
Anakin drew near both racers and he had to leapfrogging a sand dune to a depression, he was able to ease up on Mars Guo.
Anakin saw Sebulba reach out of his Pod's cockpit and release a ragged bit of metal directly into Mars Guo's left engine intake, causing metal clash violently against metal, and the damage engine started to spew smoke and fire.
Poor Mars tried to hold the machine steady but the engine failed and lost power that causes the Pod to veer sharply into Anakin.
Padme let a scream as she watched both racers collided; it was the leading edge of Mars Guo's vertical stabilizer snagged the Steelton line to Anakin's left engine.
Padme and Shmi watched helplessly as Anakin's Pod began to swing violently at the end of the single remaining line, was whipsawing back and forth.
Once Anakin fixed the Steelton line, the Pod held steady now as his Radon-Ulzers bucked and the he was able to accelerate after the leader.
Anakin caught up with the other racers again, he slid around Elan Mak before closing on Habba Kee has he tried to pass Sebulba.
Sebulba had waited until Kee had pulled beside him, it was then he used the same tactic he used against Xelbree. He sent a gush of fire into the housing of Obitoki's right engine, it was that the fuel in the lines caught fire and exploded, which caused the racer to dive nose first into the desert.
They watched as Anakin caught up with the Dug just as they flew past the arena and under the finish arch, which started the third and last lap.
In his mind, he could see his friends and mother cheering him on, even thought both his mother and Padme had worried and terror looks on their faces.
He blocked their faces out of his mind so that way he could concentrate on Sebulba, for they were coming out of Arch Canyon when the Dug decided to put an end to Anakin once and for all.
He had to wait when they got to the area of the track that droid observations cam couldn't see his movements from certain angles without giving himself away from what he was about to do.
Sebulba swung his racer close to Anakin's, as he did so he opened the side vent on his exhaust and tried to scorch Anakin's engine housing like he just done with Xelbree and Obitoki, but what he didn't know that Anakin had been waiting for him to do the same thing again.
Anakin shifted his racer just above the cutting flame and out of reach.
Sebulba tried to follow him, but Anakin dropped down again, which was too far down which caused him to lose momentarily control of the Pod.
Padme watched in horror as Anakin's racer veered from the course and right into a line of warning signs, sent them all flying into all directions.
Anakin was desperately trying to recover; he lifted the nose of his racer towards the sky, before jamming his thruster bars forward, and accelerated leapfrogging right over Sebulba he took over the lead.
They raced through the first set of caves and past the Tusken Turn Anakin was in the lead with Sebulba right on his tail.
It was in the clearing that Sebulba finally burst with speed and he was trying to regain the lead, but Anakin held him off, but it was only short lived as his stabilizer on his left engine began to shudder violently. It was this moment that Anakin saw a flash of the image before the race when he realized that the Dug had messed with his engine.
He had to ease off on the thruster bars, and jettison the stabilizer before switching to the auxiliary mount, and because of this, he was forced to give way to Sebulba who raced past him to take command of the lead again.
Time was running out and Anakin had to catch up with Sebulba and try to pass him, but the Dug saw him coming and he started fishtailing his Pod back and forth in front of Anakin as to keep him from passing.
Anakin tried everything he could think of, but the Dug was a season veteran because he was able to counter each of Anakin's moves.
They flew past the Metta Drop, out of the dune hills, and onto the final stretch of the flats.
Padme watched as both Anakin and Sebulba came to the final stretch of the course and the racers were now side by side, the arena stands and warding statuary beginning to take shape ahead of them.
She watched Sebulba slam into Anakin's Pod three times but it was on the third time their steering rods caught and locking them together.
Both Shmi and Padme watch as Anakin fought with his controls as was trying to break free, but the Pods were hooked fast.
Sebulba jammed his racer against Anakin's in an effort to force Anakin into the ground.
Anakin kept whipped his thruster bars back and forward, trying he did best to detangle his steering rods from Sebulba's Pod. Due to the strain of the Radon-Ulzer, the steering rods began to bend.
Anakin's rod snapped off both the armature and the main horizontal stabilizer.
Anakin's friends gasped as they saw him spin at the ends of the Steelton cables.
However, it was much worst for the Dug, because when Anakin's steering arm snapped it caused the Dug's Pod to shoot forward, which collapsed the towlines and sending the engines screaming out of control.
Everyone watched as one engine slammed into the ancient statuary and disintegrated into flames. The second engine went ramming into the sand and exploding into a massive fireball.
As the towing cables broke free, the Pod was sent skidding through the flaming wreckage of the engines, twisting and bumping violently along the desert floor into a smoking stop.
Anakin hung on to maintain control of his racer as he crossed the finish line, as he became at the age of nine years old the youngest winner ever of the Boonta Eve race, and the only human too.
The group of friends watched as the crowd surge towards Anakin's racer.
Padme watched Anakin climb out of the racer after he shut down the Radon-Ulzers. Kitster was the first one to reach him and was hugging him tightly before the crowd hoisted him up over their shoulders; and carried him away chanting as they shouted his name.
Once the viewing platform had settled in place, everyone stepped off the lift and rushed towards the raceway. Padme was the first to reached him; she threw her arms around him she gave him hug and kiss before Shmi came over to him and also began hugging and kissing him too, but she was checking him over carefully, and touching his cheeks and forehead.
" Ah, mom please enough." Anakin mumbled in embarrassment as he looked over his mother's shoulder and saw Padme watching them.
" It's so wonderful Annie, for what you did here today, do you know what you have done?' You've brought hope to all those who have none, and I'm so very proud of you." Shmi said as she pulled back from a little bit and she had a huge smile on her face.
" I too am so very proud of you Anakin." Padme said giving him a smile as she hugged him one more time.
" We have enough credits to get the parts for our ship and soon we can have it fix so we can be on our way back to Coruscant." Qui-Gon said patting Anakin on the back and smiled at him.
" That's great news and I wish you good luck on your way back to the Jedi Temple." Anakin said as he shook both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's hands.
" Thank you and who knows maybe one day we will meet up again." Obi-Wan said before him and Qui-Gon turned away from the group and followed Watto to his shop so that way he could get the parts that he need.
" Padme it's time we need to be going too, we still have to get your stuff at the market before our long trip back home." Owen said coming over to his sister and Anakin.
" Ok, well bye Anakin and hope to see you next time we are in Mos Espa. Take care of yourself and your mother bye." Padme said before leaning over again and kissing him one, more time as her and Owen walked away from both mother and son.
" I believe she has something for you Anakin." Kitster said as Amee and Wald showed up and came over to him.
" I know." was all he could say because deep down inside him he knew that he had fallen in love with Padme.
As Padme walked away from Anakin she tried to hold back the tears as she realized that Owen was right all along she had something for Anakin, but it was lot stronger than just crush ... she had fallen in love.
