Disclaimer: Sorry to disappoint you, I don't own Star Wars.

A/N: Sorry it's been so long, but I've had major writers block for all my stories. I'd like to thank Sugar-high Pixie and Jax Solo for reviewing.

Wounded Within

Chapter 4: Take A Chance

I sighed. Qui-gon was haggling with what appeared to be an over sized blue fly, but he assured me that this was Watto. Definitely not a Tazzarn, thankfully. So far I had not seen any of that ilk, but assuredly it was only a matter of time. It was slightly confusing that Qui-gon and his...associates had never heard of them, but if the entire planet was as diverse as this one city, no doubt there were some races here that the supposed Jedi was not aware of. From what little history knew about the legendary warriors, they were far from infallible. If I were truly in the past, that fact would still remain. Probably it would be magnified for the time the Force had drawn me into seemed to be before the time of Darth Vader. The Jedi had not yet been jarred from their complacency and made to face reality. Perhaps if the rest were true and I had been drawn into what I thought of as the far distant past, the Tazzarn were truly not yet here.

"You don't think Anakin will win?" Qui-gon's statement cut through my reflections. What kind of question was that?

"Horns and yellow eyes," I swore half to myself. Even I didn't believe that scrawny boy could win this race. The Force thrummed in my nerves reassuringly, but still I could not get over my doubts.

My comment earned me a strange look from Watto and Qui-gon, but they presently continued their conversation. I did not even try to hide that I was eavesdropping. The two did not seem to mind overmuch, as Watto was nearly shouting.

"Don't get me wrongo. I have great faith in the boy." Watto was explaining. "He's a credit to your race, but Sebulba there is going to win, I think."

I looked in the direction he indicated. The strange being looked formidable to be sure, I would even go so far as to call him 'nasty' but that was no way to judge his racing ability. Still, he seemed pretty confident. Perhaps he really was as good as Watto thought. I nearly laughed. Look at me. I had been to what, one pod race? What did I know about them? And here I was, sizing up a competitor like I gambled on these annoying and pointless races regularly.

"Why," Qui-gon asked, as skeptic as I.

"He always wins," Watto began.

"There is no such thing as always," I interrupted with more force than I intended.

"I'm betting heavily on Sebulba." The blue creature finished.

"I'll take that bet." Watto wasn't the only person to be surprised when Qui-gon spoke. I stared at him, slightly confused, wasn't he already trying to win the parts? What good would this extra bet do?

"I'll wager my new racing pod against... say... the boy and his mother." The Jedi finished.

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. What could a Jedi want with acquiring slaves? He had better be meaning to free them once winning them or I would very gladly gut him like a fish. I wandered away a few feet. I refused to listen. The worth of lives was not something to be haggled over, let alone bought and sold. My hand reached at my side for the sword hilt that normally rested there, seeking reassurance. I found no comfort as my hand closed over air. Qui-gon had not yet returned my weapons, something that irked me to no end.

"The boy is small, he can't be worth much." I frowned, Qui-gon did not just say that. My esteem for the Jedi went down another notch. I listened carefully as Watto protested. The blue alien was determined not to lose both slaves for a pod. Qui-gon insisted, and a deal was made. A chance cube would decide who Qui-gon won were Anakin to get first in the podrace. I didn't turn around as I heard the soft sound of the cube impacting the floor as it rolled. My frown deepened as I felt the subtle use of the Force behind me. He was influencing the outcome! I did not know what to think of that.

Blue, the boy, the Force whispered in the air. The force thrummed through me for a few more moments before fading. I heard Watto's angry voice behind me.

"You won the small toss, outlander, but not the race... it makes no difference."

I could see Qui-gon's smug smile.

"You cheated." I whispered flatly as he came up from behind me. I could see the rest of our group approaching on those strange beasts known as Eopies. I thought they looked like large, ungainly, and slower versions of runner-beasts. Riding on one had been unnerving as I had only been on a runner-beast once in my life. I much preferred to keep my feet on the ground. The Eopie had had a more swaying walk that made me sick to my stomach. If I had to choose, I would ride a runner-beast any day, but I would still not enjoy it.

"Perhaps. Or perhaps, it was the will of the Force." The tall Jedi countered.

"Perhaps it was both." I responded stonily.

Qui-gon merely smiled, and infuriating smile to be sure.

As they approached the small procession towing Anakin's pod, Watto said something in his own language to the boy and wandered off laughing uproariously.

"What did he mean by that?" Anakin asked.

"I'll tell you later."

I merely snorted at the Jedi's oh so inadequate answer. "You know, you're a really bad lier." I told him, not bothering to be covert. I would not reveal the subject of the bet Qui-gon had made, it would not do to get Anakin's hopes of supposed freedom up and so distract him in the race where even the smallest distraction could end his life. The one podrace I had seen as a child had proved to me how dangerous the sport was, fast and dangerous. The boy needed to be on top of things to even finish and anticipate everything. In a race as fast as the one I had seen in T'toine's largest city, reaction was not enough to save one's life.

Still, the boy was not such a fool as to not recognize when people were being less than truthful, and even if he didn't know what was being covered up, it was best to have the obvious lie out in the open and save the boy some pride.

Qui-gon looked at me in annoyance. I shrugged, giving him my sweetest smile. I never said I would behave. In fact, the instance that I had been forced to accompany the Jedi anywhere I went outside Shmi's house argued the contrary. Until he gave me my weapons back, I would make it a point to be a thorn in his side. He had no idea who he was messing with.

I turned my attention to the busy hanger. Various pilots, technicians, and droids scurried about, many to intent on their own pods to notice anything outside of their own sphere of attention. Most were aliens I had never seen, but living a life confined to the shadows and hiding tended to narrow one's group of acquaintances. Jar Jar beside me was a good example. He claimed to be a Gungan, but in my knowledge, that race had been extinguished in the second Great War. No history records I had been able to steal had ever mentioned what they looked like, or what their society was like other than that they were determined warriors. The records had not even included their native planet. The thought of ever meeting one had never crossed my mind, as well as several of the other species I had seen today, but then again, I had never dreamed I would be cast back in time by a generally thought to be mythological power called the Force.

I turned my attention from my internal musings on my fate and just in time. I wordlessly grabbed the back of Jar Jar's jacket as he began to wander away after whatever had caught his attention.

"What messa do?" He demanded plaintively, but I did not answer, merely shook my head. I did not want to have to deal with hunting the Gungan down before he hurt himself, and I knew the others did not want to have to deal with it either.

"This is so Wizard!" One of Anakin's little friends exclaimed. The child's delight was obvious as he continued. "I'm sure you'll do it this time, Annie."

"Do what?" Padme asked.

"Finish the race of course," the child, Kitster that was his name, answered.

Padme turned to Anakin whose face was sheepish. "You never won a race."

I smirked. Why was that not surprising.

"Well..." the boy looked down, "Not exactly."

"Never even finished?"

I opened my mouth to say something bitting about how obvious it had been that the boy had been bragging, but a sharp jab from the Force stopped me. I glared at Qui-gon, but remained silent.

Anakin sputtered for a second, fishing for words, before he continued in a more confident tone. "...but Kitster's right, I will this time."

"Of course you will." Qui-gon interceded.

"Stole the words right out of my mouth," I told him, letting sarcasm lend bite to my words. Through the Force I could feel an overwhelming wave of exasperation roll off of the Jedi. I smiled at him, earning a look of confusion from him. Did he somehow know how the Force spoke and lent its knowledge to me? I shook my head. Of course he couldn't unless the Force itself had told him. That I highly doubted. What good would it serve him? He could already listen to the Force if he chose to open his ears. He would not need me to translate what the Force wanted of him. Perhaps he had been reacting to something else? Yes, that was it.

I yawned, careful to make it exaggerated and slow. Everyone in the group turned to me, and I flinched slightly at the sudden attention. Despite the fact that that had been my intention, I was as of yet still unused to more than a couple sets of eyes on me. In my childhood I had never had the chance to be the center of attention. Notice meant getting caught sooner, and that habit I had no desire to break.

"Isn't the race supposed to start soon?" I said awkwardly into the sudden silence.

"It is," Qui-gon admitted, "Come Ani, we'll get you set up."

Qui-gon took the boy's shoulder and for a second a flash of insight took me. I could almost see the green threads of the Force swirling around where the Jedi's hand touched the boy. For a second it seemed as if the green of Qui-gon's threads dimmed and lent their light to the threads wrapped around Anakin. I squinted at the sudden image and the moment was gone.

"Esterial," Qui-gon prompted and I reluctantly followed him and Anakin out onto the track. I would have much preferred to go along with Padme and the others who where currently on a quest to find some good seats to watch the race from. With a sigh, I quickened my step to catch up with the Jedi.

A/N: I know it's short but REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!!!!