The neon colored glow panels were beginning to give him a headache. Someone had already spilled a drink down his tunic. Such was a typical night at Xor's speeder bar.
After accidentally killing the Master Handler while receiving a whipping back on planet Nerda he'd been promptly returned to Tatooine and sold off for a low price, no questions asked. Apparently Tores was more frightened by what happened than angry. Ani didn't mind coming back, but he missed Dai. She sent him messages when she could, but because she couldn't afford a holo message she had to send him text letters by interplanetary network. When Xor was in a good mood he let Ani use his datapad with network access and read her letters, but he wasn't in a good mood very often and usually preferred to throw drinks in his face and call him bantha poodoo.
His true escape was his dreams, and as the last drunken customer stumbled out into the Mos Eisley streets he eagerly palmed the door lock, hoping to clean up quickly so he could get to bed early that night. Xor was passed out drunk in his office and wouldn't be keeping Ani up all night bringing him drinks or getting beat up on, so he'd be able to get some rest this time.
An hour later Ani climbed the stairs, careful to hop over the squeaky step so as to not risk awakening his master. His room was at the end of the upstairs hallway, bare with a single glow panel in the floor and a pile of blankets in one corner for him to sleep on. This is where he curled up, right away because he had no sleep clothes to change into and he wasn't allowed to use the sonic shower at night. He then wished that the light would turn off…he squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated, wished hard, and then it happened- the glow panel went out.
Ever since the…incident back on Nerda, he'd found that if he concentrated and wished hard enough for something he could often make it happen. He'd wished the slave transmitter from his body many times, but still the lump at the back of his neck remained. He wished to see his mother and on those nights he usually had very vivid dreams about her, usually doing something mundane like working in Watto's shop.
But simpler things would work, like making something move, or turning off the light. Or sometimes he even created light…it would start as a warm feeling in the palm of his hand, and then tendrils of gold would spark across the skin of his arm. This was followed by the growth of a small globe of white light hovering over his palm which he could make bigger or smaller as he pleased. He never made it too big, though, for fear he might lose control of it. He certainly didn't want to kill anyone, not ever again. He was very careful of what he wished for now.
He'd also found that if he wished hard enough he could make some of the bruises that Xor gave him heal faster. That came in handy when he'd been beaten sore and had to get up early and work the next day.
Pulling one of the blankets over himself he now wished himself to sleep. Gradually his whole body went warm, and then suddenly his muscles relaxed…until he no longer felt his body and the darkness had turned to light and the four walls of his room turned to trees.
He'd made some changes for Adamé over time…the seats in the gazebo were now cushioned, large pillows littered it's floor, and vines curled around the railings and columns. The opening in the top of the gazebo had been widened to let in more light, and the trees were joined by grasses and purple and yellow flowers.
For a while he was alone, but then he began to wish, and wish…and a few minutes later, Adamé appeared.
She sat down on a pillow next to him and yawned. "I heard you calling me."
Ani was surprised at that- as far as he knew that had never happened before. "You heard me?"
"Mmhm. I mean, not literally- it was like, I suddenly knew you wanted me here, and then I became sleepy and had to go lie down…then here I was."
This made Ani's eyes widen. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"Oh, no, no," she quickly reassured the frantic little boy, "you didn't hurt me at all."
He sighed his relief. "Good. I'd hate it if I ever hurt you, Angel."
"Don't worry, I'm perfectly all right."
The two children shared a simple, pleasant silence, taking in the oasis around them. Adamé had told him that her home planet was much like this place where they came in their dreams, but she wouldn't name the place. When he had asked her why she wouldn't say, she told him that she was slated to become a person of great importance one day and for the safety of both herself and her family she had been taught never to reveal too much about herself. It stung that she didn't trust him after all this time, but he understood her reasoning.
The silence was broken when she turned to him and put a gentle hand on his knee. "So…did you find her yet?"
Ani's face twisted downward and he did his best to hold back tears. "No. I went to Watto's shop and he said he didn't have her anymore. He wouldn't tell me where she went."
Patting his knee, Adamé's sympathy rang true through her expression and tone as she spoke. "I'm so sorry, Ani. I know you miss your mother very much."
"I'm afraid. Afraid that I'll forget about her."
She put her arms around him, drawing his head to her shoulder. "There, there. You'll find her eventually, and you won't forget her. I don't think you could."
"I hope you're right."
Suddenly the world around them shook.
"Oh no," Ani whispered.
Adamé hugged him more tightly to her. "I won't let you go- stay here, with me."
"I can't…I'm starting to wake up."
"No! You don't have to go! Stay here, where it's safe." Tears began to stream down her face.
Little Ani did his best to put on a brave face for her. "I'll come back, and I'll be okay. When have I not?"
"Promise me!"
He hugged her one last time before he started to fade away. "I promise."
He awoke to another blow from Xor's foot as he kicked Ani in the stomach.
"Good, you're up," the large man mumbled drunkenly. "C'mon, get up."
Ani knew what he wanted: for him to get up so he could knock him down again. Well, he was tired of being the punching-sac for this man.
"No."
"No?"
His voice shook, but he stood his ground. "No."
Xor erupted with a great shout, smashing the bottle in his hand against the wall. Liquid sprayed across them both. "So be it, boy!"
The enraged man took hold of Ani's arm with a powerful grip. Anakin struggled and tried to pull himself away. He could feel his panic rising.
Xor pushed up Ani's sleeve, and brought the broken bottle down onto his arm.
Anakin screamed in pain. It was too much. He didn't want this, he…
Then the glow began.
Tendrils of white and gold broke out over his body, making Xor stop his cruel deed and take a step back.
"What the krif? What-"
He was cut off as the light shot from Ani's still outstretched arm and hit him in the chest. He gasped, then began to make terrible, painful sounds.
Now horribly scared, Ani shook his arm, tried to make the glowing stop. He didn't want to kill anyone again! He started sobbing.
The just as suddenly as it began the light dissipated with a last crackling across his skin. Released from it's hold, Xor fell to the ground.
Dead.
"No. No, no, no, no!" Anakin whimpered, backing himself to the wall, squeezing his eyes tightly shut and willing the man alive.
Nothing happened.
Using deep, steady breaths, Anakin started to calm himself down, using the counting method Adamé taught him one time he'd showed up in their dreams and was upset from a nightmare he'd had.
Eventually he calmed enough to start thinking. His mind whirled- he had to leave this place. Now.
Careful to avoid Xor's body he made his way with haste from the room, then down the stairs and into the office. Stopping, he concentrated, then moved again when he found it. Behind the holopicture was the safe.
Using his wishing power he popped the heavy door open, then reached inside. There he found the slave transmitter.
Trying to work it only showed him that it had a locking mechanism of it's own- a password system.
Anakin was afraid that if he tried to guess at it and was wrong he might explode the mechanism in his neck. He sighed and put his hand at the back of his neck, feeling the lump there.
He didn't want to do it. But he HAD to.
Grabbing another bottle, he broke it against the desk then reached behind him…
Holding one of Xor's tunics to the back of his neck he made his way out into the night then started running for the dunes, trying to get as far from the city as he could. When the body was found the hunt would be on- he wouldn't be the first slave to kill his master then escape. Only he didn't mean to do it.
He swore he'd never use his wishing power again.
About and hour into the wastelands he stumbled and fell, exhaustion and blood loss making him dizzy. The last thing he saw before he passed out was the dark shape of a tusken approaching him.
Back in the bar, Xor awoke.