Part 6: Scythe's Long Shadow.
Padmé woke early the next morning, with mixed thoughts and emotions about everything, yet with the sense that there was an underlying clarity and resolve concerning the future, which she would learn in time.
She found Qui-Gon and Jar Jar awake already, along with Shmi, whose conversation with the former ceased on her entrance. After returning her greeting, he and Jar Jar left for the arena.
When she and Shmi finished preparing provisions, Padmé went outside to wake Anakin. She found R2 in the yard, checking over the pod. Riding towards them on Eopies was Anakin's best friend, Kitster, who she met during the demonstration of the pod the day before.
"I hope you're about finished," Padmé asked the droid, who beeped an affirmative. She reached out and touched Anakin's cheek, rousing the boy.
Anakin yawned and opened puzzled eyes, looking at her. "You were in my dream. You were leading army into battle."
Padmé frowned, for there was certainty and truth in his voice, yet the vision was out of character for her. "I hope not; I hate fighting. Your mother wants you to come in and clean up. We have to leave soon."
Anakin nodded, then directed Kitster to hook the Eopies to the pod for towing. "I won't be long. Where's Qui-Gon?"
Padmé smiled as she realised from the boy's familiarity that the Jedi had taken pains to get to know him this morning. "He and Jar Jar left already. They're with Watto at the arena."
Anakin nodded and Padmé returned to the dwelling.
They arrived at the arena to find Qui-Gon finishing a conversation with Watto. The Troydarian flew over to them and said something to Anakin in his native tongue before heading out to the viewing stands with a smug laugh.
"What did he mean by that?" Anakin asked.
"I'll tell you later," Qui-Gon answered before walking over to the other Eopie to help Shmi down.
"This is wizard. I'm sure you'll be able to do it this time, Ani," Kitster said.
"Do what?" Padmé asked.
"Finish the race of course," Kitster replied.
"You've never won a race?" Padmé sought to confirm.
"Well, not exactly," Anakin said.
"Not even finished?" Padmé persisted.
"Kitster's right, I will this time," Anakin sheepishly assured her.
"Of course you will," Qui-Gon added, but Anakin wasn't looking at him, he was looking at Padmé and her concerned expression. "I won't let you down."
Padmé nodded, rapidly concealing her worry over the future. "I know you won't. You carry all our hopes." She knelt to kiss his cheek.
They followed the young contender out on to the grid, then left him with Qui-Gon to take the lift to the viewing platform. Padmé and Shmi watched the Jedi Master say a few words to the boy after he had lifted him into the pod, then he joined them at the platform.
"Is he nervous?" Shmi asked.
"He's fine," Qui-Gon replied. His somewhat dismissive tone provoked Padmé into speaking.
"You Jedi are far too reckless," she began. "The Queen,....."
"The Queen trusts my judgement, young handmaiden," Qui-Gon broke in. "You should too."
Padmé watched him walk away from her. "You assume too much." She longed to prove him wrong, remind him of his deduction last night, but now was not the time. Quelling her anger she silently followed everyone to the platform. A part of her wondered if Obi-Wan had acted so, as he might follow his master's methods and orders, she would be equally mad with him. Reluctantly she was forced to concede that she would, as so much depended on Anakin's victory.
Which at first seemed uncertain. Padmé watched via the portable holo viewscreen as his engines stalled, halting the pod on the start marks. As he crossed the line for the start of the second circuit sixth, Padmé's thoughts were in turmoil, as her worried mind began to consider alternatives to acquiring the parts. Would Qui-Gon use the same mind trick Obi-Wan did to exchange Republic credits for jewels with which to buy the parts? Padmé believed he would, but she knew that there was something she was unaware of in the negotiations which might render the bartering for parts pointless. If they were stranded here, what would happen to her people, her planet? By the time they were rescued, if they were, the occupation of the planet would be long established. And she would have failed her world and her people, along with all of those who held faith in her.
She glanced at the Jedi Master, taking in the serene composure, the closed eyes. It was clear that his mind was not with them, but with the Force, observing Anakin's progress. He seemed so confident that the boy would win, but Padmé was too worried for her world to find the confidence contagious. Already Selbulba had caused two racers to crash, another was in the pits and a fourth who had stalled the same time as Anakin collapsed on the start in a heap as his engines shot off the cables into oblivion across different parts of the canyons which aligned the track. To win, Anakin would have to beat the Dug, who seemed determined to make sure no one could.
In the second lap, Padmé watched Anakin climb to fourth, flying through the wreckage of two more causalities to Selbulba, to level with the Dug as they crossed the line for the final lap. Hope rose within her as she watched the two fight for the lead, along with an equal mixture of fear when the two pods collided and locked with each other. Shmi gripped her hand as they held their breath, knowing the vicious Dug would break free, even at the expense of Anakin's life or pod.
But not today. For in this race it was the turn of the Dug to endure defeat, as Anakin held his ground, the steering rod, the main armature and the main horizontal stabiliser his only causalities. Selbulba's pod flew apart, the engines exploding, the cockpit skidding to a violent smoking stop. Anakin flew past as the Dug's shrieking fit to become, as the commentator announced, the youngest winner of the Boonta Eve Classic.
As the crowd broke into applause, viewing platforms were lowered to give them the chance to cluster around the victorious racer, who had brought his pod to a stop before jumping out to hug his cheering best friend. Padmé soon joined them, along with Jar Jar, Shmi, Qui-Gon and the droids, the Jedi Master lifting the boy on to his shoulder to let the crowds see him.
In an hour the spectators had dispersed, along with most of the competitors, save Anakin who was checking over the pod, assessing the extent of the damage, what parts were required, and the time it would take to fix it. Padmé and Shmi were watching nearby, waiting for Qui-Gon who had gone to settle things with Watto. The Troydarian had been conspicuously absent from the celebrations, causing Padmé to wonder if he had wagered on another racer winning as opposed to his young slave.
The Jedi Master rejoined them now, two Eopies trailing behind him, towing the parts they needed to continue to Coruscant. Padmé congratulated and thanked Anakin again, before mounting one of the beasts, sitting behind the Jedi, who promised to return the animals by midday. They waited for Jar Jar to clumsily mount the other, then rode off back towards the ship.
Obi-Wan was waiting for them, his compact form emerging from the craft to halt before them. "I was getting worried," he greeted, his deceptively youthful face intense, his blue grey eyes squinting in the extreme glare of Tatooine's twin suns.
Qui-Gon dismounted, helping Padmé down before his Padawan had a chance. "Start getting this hyperdrive generator installed. I'm going back. I have some unfinished business. I won't be long."
"Why do I sense we've picked up another pathetic lifeform?" Obi-Wan remarked jokingly.
Qui-Gon did not see the humour in it. "It's the boy who's responsible for getting those parts. The boy whose blood sample I ran a midi-chlorian test on last night."
Obi-Wan dealt his master a hard glance, which Qui-Gon returned before riding away. His gaze remained upon his Master until the harsh glare of the suns obscured his view, then lowered to meet Padmé's eloquent dark brown eyes, and slender gentle hand seeking his own. He allowed her to take it, escorting her up the ramp and inside to the company of Rabé, before letting go to oversee the loading and repairs of the acquired parts.
Padmé's gaze remained on him as she asked her handmaiden how the Jedi had been during her absence, and then after the welbeing of all the others onboard.
"He seemed content enough when he debriefed us, milady," Rabé replied, after answering on the welbeing of the others in the positive. "We have not seen him since then. He's kept to the cockpit, the engine room, their quarters." She smiled as Padmé strained to keep an eye on the young Padawan. "We believe he feels the same as you do, milady."
Padmé blushed and turned her gaze from the entry ramp. "We do not have time for this now. We have a Senate petition to prepare."
"Captain Panaka wishes to speak with you first, milady."
She nodded, walking away to their quarters, knowing how annoyed her security was with her for the decision to explore the planet. The time for such curiosity was over now, and she forced herself to concentrate on State matters until the commotion of Qui-Gon's return recalled her and Panaka to the corridor, in time to meet with Anakin as he ran onboard.
"Qui-Gon's in trouble! He says to take off now!" He cried anxiously, out of breath.
Padmé ran to the cockpit, the boy and Panaka following, the former recounting the events of his and the Jedi's return to the ship.
Obi-Wan and the pilot turned from the controls at their entrance.
"Qui-Gon's in trouble," Padmé announced.
Instantly the pilot and Jedi turned back to the controls, the latter raising his gaze to scan the horizon, his blue grey eyes moving rapidly until they found the sight of his master in a fierce pitched battle with a dark cloaked opponent. Despite the harsh glare from the twin suns reflecting off the sand, they could all see that there were two lightsabers clashing against each other, green verses red.
"Take off," Obi-Wan instructed. "Leave the ramp down and fly over there low."
He did not need closer proximity to clarify what he already knew. There was only one name for the red and black skinned horned being. But it was a term which he had only read about in the bowels of the archives at the Temple, concerning an order which was meant to have been wiped out a millennia ago. If they had returned, there was more at stake than aggressive protests against taxes on trade routes. He watched the being move about the desert, his Master's checks and counters. Obi-Wan fought the anxiety inside him as he realised how his Master could be weakened by this encounter.
"Qui-Gon," he murmured, causing Padmé to reach out, placing a hand on his shoulder in a gesture of support. He tore his eyes from the viewscreen to glance at her in gratitude, before leaving the cockpit for the entry ramp.
Anakin followed and they reached it in time to help the Jedi Master to his feet, as the ramp closed and the ship accelerated to leave the planet. Qui-Gon appeared well enough, but his Padawan could see what he tried to hide from the boy; beads of sweat across his brow as his suffering body came to terms with the battle it had just fought. He had barely escaped with his life, the being possessed the potential to be his downfall.
"Are you alright?" Anakin asked.
"I think so," Qui-Gon replied. "That was a surprise I won't soon forget."
"What was it?" Obi-Wan inquired, his blue grey eyes checking his Master over.
"I'm not sure," Qui-Gon answered. "Whoever or whatever he was, he was trained in the Jedi arts. My guess is he was after the Queen."
"Do you think he'll follow us?" Anakin asked.
"We'll be safe enough once we reach hyperspace, but I have no doubt he knows our destination. If he found us once, he can find us again."
"What are we going to do about it?" Anakin asked.
"We will be patient," Qui-Gon replied. "For now, lets get you settled in, Anakin."
With a graceful movement he rose to his feet, causing Obi-Wan to rise also. He watched them walk down the ship, folding his arms across his chest, wrapping the hands through his sleeves, his face deep in thought.
The Force seemed to be telling him that the being would be the first of many unpleasant surprises during this mission.