apologies if this isn't as well proof read as normal. I decided it was 'good enough' to post though I may correct any typos or such later. Fighting a headache... :(


He hustled the mon calamari onto his ship and put him in a bunk. He took a moment to yank the camo netting free and darted back in, tossing it aside and rushing to the cockpit. He lifted off, skipping pre flight checks. As he lifted off, he clicked on the to a local frequency on the comlink. Kitster answered.

"Kit, I need a medic that doesn't deal with the hutts, nearby and very fast."
"You'll find one in Anchorhead. They don't care for the hutts there. Are you hurt?" His friend's voice was worried.

"No. Someone else. Mon calamari."

Kitster was silent for a moment. "I don't know if they'll be familiar enough to treat one. Not even sure they have one who can in Mos Eisley or Mos Espa. But if they do I wouldn't guarantee they wouldn't womp fink on you to the hutt."

"I'll take the first one then. I can probably get the medical files I need. Thanks."

"Anytime."

Anakin shifted his signal, aiming for the holonet. The Alliance base personnel answered. "General Kenobi isn't available at the moment." Anakin kept steering the ship to Anchorhead, already in sight.

"Get me the medical division and hurry!"

The voice on the other end didn't question his urgency, just put him through.

"Medical division."

"I need you to send me everything you've got on Mon Cal emergency treatment."

"For what purpose, Sir?"

"I've got a mon calamari, bad blaster wound, dehydrated and the nearest medics probably won't have any files on the species."

The medic said something to someone behind her. "I'm having a droid copy the files to send. But there are a lot. It would help if you could give us more details to narrow down what' s most critical. This is a spotty connection and the transfer will be slow."

Anakin glanced back at the crew area. "Injury is on the right side, abdomen. Male. Age about...ah..." he did a quick mental calculation. "Between thirty to thirty five I guess."

"Sending the data now."

"And if you could let General Kenobi I called and need to talk to him ASAP."

"I will."

Anakin impatiently watched the files transfer as he landed the ship. Finally it came through and he snatched the datachip he'd put it on. Glancing at the area map, he found the flashing signal that indicated the nearest medical station. He quickly and carefully lifted the wounded Jedi initiate. Frowning, he carried him into the station. The office was shared by a tired older woman and a medical droid that was at least three decades past it's prime.

"Oh dear." She said. Her lips pressed tightly together as she motioned him to the surgical area. "I'm afraid I'm not very familiar with mon calamari. It's been decades since I've even met one. Though I'll do my best, dehydration is obvious and the blaster wound...what happened?"

"Not really sure. He was like this when I found him." Anakin offered her the datachip. "I've got friends at a medical center off world. I thought you could use this. As much as I could get in a hurry."

She gave it to the droid. "Quickly. Load this data."

"Yes, of course." It sounded eager. Probably hadn't had such input in years.

She winced. "I can't find any vital signs...it may be too late."

Anakin flinched. "Oh...kind of...faked that. Hang on." He hated to reveal his skills to a stranger, but this was no time to be squeamish. He touched the wounded man, drew on the Force and gently pulled him far enough from the healing trance for readings to show up.

"What did you do?"

"Told you. Faked it. Hid his vital signs so I could get him away from the people who did this to him. At least, I think they did it. If they didn't they sure didn't care if he died."

She was scrubbing up quickly. "You should wait outside. It's nearly impossible to keep the surgical area sterile as it is. Oh. Wait. Can you get his top off without hurting him further?"

"Sure." He carefully cut the tunic free, noting it was covered in blood, stains and was too small. It appeared to be patched with other fabrics, not all of them from clothes. He leaned close and whispered, "May the Force be with you. Hang on. The Jedi need you. Your friends need you." Then he stepped away and left them to work.

Pacing outside in the hot sun, he kept a close feel on the Force signature of the mon calamari. It was border line. He jumped when the holocom signaled. "About time." He grumbled.

"What kept you?" He demanded as Obi-Wan appeared on his wrist.

"The advisory council and tactical meetings. What's going on?"

Anakin sucked in a deep breath. "I found Rei Soffran."

The tiny Obi-Wan image froze. For a long moment, there was silence.

"Jedi Master Rei Soffran?"

"Yes. And his initiates."

"You are still on Tatooine?"

"Yes. Impeccable timing. Rotta the Hutt's people found them … well, Gorga's really. But he's offworld. They're demanding a ransom for passage from wherever they were. Otherwise they plan to sell them. I got one out, pretending he was dead. Unfortunately he's pretty close. It's touch and go if he'll make it. He's in surgery now."

"The mon calamari?"

Anakin nodded. "Yes."

Obi-Wan considered. "They don't know you were there? The Hutt or the Jedi?"

Anakin shook his head. "Rotta didn't. The Jedi...well, they know something. They felt someone use the Force. And there was a togruta holding the mon calamari that saw me put him in a healing trance."

"How many are there?"

"I counted twelve, including Rei Soffran and the mon calamari."

"You'll need help getting them out." He considered. "Perhaps we can bargain with the hutt."

"I can't believe you just said that!"

"You saved Rotta's life once."

"And Rotta is well aware that Jedi were involved in Jabba's death."

"We're Jedi. Negotiation has to be our first attempt. Always. You know this."

Anakin sighed. "We'll lose the advantage of surprise."

"No." Obi-Wan considered. "I'll send Ahsoka, on the off chance he'll remember her saving his life."

"Forgive me if I don't hold any confidence in that idea. And it's not due to doubt in Ahsoka. Besides his being a hutt, he was also a baby."

"Ahsoka can be the face of negotiation. Don't assume it's impossible, he's still is a child. You stay in the background, and see if you can make contact with Rei."

Anakin sighed. "Okay. But you better make it fast, I don't think we've got a lot of time. Do you have a backup plan for when...if...this doesn't work?"

"I'll think on it."
"Maybe you should send Luke. He's familiar with the palace."

"Yes, but as you pointed out, he knows Luke was involved in Jabba's death."

"I wasn't going to suggest advertising his presence."
"Of course not. Let me send Ahsoka first, we'll see if your rescued initiate survives and can tell us anything."

Anakin nodded.

"Be careful, Anakin. We could really use Rei and those initiates."

"I know."

It was some time before he went back in and found the medic studying the mon calamari's vital signs. He floated in a bacta tank.

"I can't leave him in as long as I like unless..."

"Unless?"

"You can pay for the bacta. Don't misunderstand, I'd treat him for nothing if I could and that extra medical data you gave is more than payment enough. But we don't have much bacta on hand, and I never know when I'll need it."
"I understand." Anakin studied the mon calamari. "I might be able to come up with enough. How's he doing?"

"Might make it. He'll need a lot of rest and fluids."

"I'm sure."

For several days Anakin floated around Anchorhead. He landed in the Sidri Driss inn, and moved his ship to the outskirts of Anchorhead, throwing the camo net over it and setting perimeter alarms and security. One couldn't be too careful of the jawas. His first check in he only met Keesa, the palowick hostess. But in spite of the false name he gave, Dama Whitesun Brunk, proprietor, found him one day as he stared out the window toward the medical center.

He felt eyes boring intently into his back. For a long moment, he ignored them. He could feel the mon calamari growing stronger. But he was impatient to get Rei Soffran and the others from the Hutt palace. The sooner the initiate woke up, the sooner he'd get answers. Finally he asked, without turning, "Can I help you?"

"Seems like your helping everyone. Show up out of nowhere after decades missing, everyone thinking your dead and suddenly rescuing people left and right."

Anakin glanced back at her, suddenly aware that she was on to him. "That a bad thing?"

She folded her arms. "No. But it does make me wonder where you were when my sister and her husband were raising your son was growing up."

Anakin's eyes widened slightly. "Oh...you're..."
"Dama Whitesun is my maiden name. Beru's sister."

Guilt surged into him again. Beru, killed by his troops. Not on his orders, exactly, but still his responsibility.

"I'm really sorry about what happened to them."

"Where were you then?"

She wasn't going to let this go as easy as Kitster. It occurred to him he hadn't pressed the Darklighter's to keep his identity secret. He searched for an answer that wasn't a lie. "I thought he was dead. I thought my wife was dead. And even if I'd known..." He looked back out the window. "He was safer away from me."
"Because the Empire was after Jedi."

"Yes." It was true enough, in a way.

"Old Kenobi used to hang around a lot. Owen finally ran him off. Said it was his fault, or his kind, got you killed."

Anakin's eyes narrowed. "Obi-Wan...Ben...was trying to help me. He couldn't reach me, so he looked after my son, made sure he got to family. I'm grateful for that. And he got him to safety when Owen and Beru were killed too."

"Safe? He's still on the Empire's most wanted list!"

Anakin smiled. "Yes, but he can run circles after anyone out to get him. Believe me, I know. And that's thanks to Obi-Wan too."

"You know where Luke is? How he is?"

"Yes. Well, more or less. We're in touch."

Her eyes widened. "So he did find you. Boy was always longing to know his father. Guess he figured you'd understand him better than Owen. Bit of a dreamer, that one."

"Yes." Anakin didn't elaborate on just how meaningful that statement was. But he did add, "He kind of gave me the strength of fight again. I was pretty burned out after the war. Didn't know which way was up, anymore."

She softened at this. "I'm glad he's all right. Owen would have a heart attack if he were alive to see that most wanted file."

Anakin gave a half smile at this. "If anything, Owen and Beru are why he's on the poster. By killing them, the Empire left him with little to lose and plenty of reason to stop them!"

"A sad way to get inspired." She retorted.

"Yes. It is. The rebellion is full of stories like that though. Not unique on that front." He felt a twinge of sadness as he realized this woman would hate him if she realized who he'd been and served. He swallowed the thought. It wasn't lying not to tell her. His past was a classified military secret, since his knowledge was an asset. "It's nice to meet you. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't spread it around that I'm alive. There are still people out to get me, and some would even go after Luke."
"And he's made enough of his own. Your secret is safe with me."

Anakin went back to his room, where he once more wrestled with the pain. The Lars had deserved better. And for now he had little to do but mourn them. Then he realized there was something he could do. He could get to know them better. Surely his Mother's journal could help with that? Quickly he rose and pulled it out of his pack. Sitting back on the bed, he took a deep breath, took another moment for a brief calming exercise and hit play. Time to find out what he'd missed.

Disappearing into his mother's past, he let go of current concerns, past failures and let himself absorb it. His mother had never stopped celebrating his birthday. She'd found out about what happened to Qui-Gon and contacted the Jedi in a panic, definitely an expensive solution. What's more the Jedi had, eventually answered her, if only to assure her he was safe with them and in training. None of that however was the real shock. It was how she and Cliegg Lars had purchased her freedom. Qui-Gon had sent a valuable, rare torbel lens to her. Then they tricked Watto into buying it, trading the lens for her. Anakin yanked himself out of the past in genuine amazement. There was more, her life with the Lars, and some was lost due to time and damage. But that would have to wait. He was reeling over having his point of view and assumptions shattered. Part of his anger and disappointment at the Jedi was that they'd done nothing to free her. He had known Qui-Gon had tried initially. But this second plan, sending the means to help herself, was news. Why hadn't he told him? Perhaps, he didn't want to get his hopes up. The item didn't arrive until after he died. Perhaps he just didn't have time. It was amazing he'd found time to do that much, given the short time they'd been on Coruscant. He surely had no time on the ship or on Naboo!

"Obi-Wan, why didn't you tell me?" He whispered. "Qui-Gon?"

This time, there was no answer. Perhaps Qui-Gon wanted him to sort it out on his own. But there was one, large and likely answer. Qui-Gon hadn't told Obi-Wan either. Obi-Wan focused on the mission and less on the life forms along the way, at least back then. He would not have understood at the time, even if he sympathized.

A knock on the door jolted him from his introspection. "Yes?"

The palowick Keesta poked her long snout in, followed by a pair of eyes. "The doctor said to tell you, your friend is waking up."

"Oh! Thanks."

She turned away and Anakin hurried to put the journal carefully away. Then he hurried to the med center. The mon calamari was in a small room in the med center. It was totally sealed and surprisingly moist. Anakin felt instant respect for the doctor. She was taking a big risk on whether they could pay for this treatment. The water was only slightly less expensive than the bacta.

He sat beside the bed on the only chair, watching the tendrils on the creatures face quiver. It's eyes, behind closed lids, moved. Slowly, very slowly, they opened. For a moment it just stared dully around and then the memory hit. He tried to sit up, gasping.

"Easy." Anakin gently nudged him back. "Your safe, but don't push it. You're still recovering and your straining this place's resources as it is."

"My companions..."

"We'll get to them. I got you out. I'll get them too. But I couldn't carry you all out at once. Too many guards." Anakin assured him. "What's your name?"

"Balinak. Once of the Jedi Order initiates..."

Anakin smiled. "I gathered that. And you were on a journey with Rei Soffran, when you disappeared. Can you tell me what happened?"
"How do you know this?"
Anakin studied him. "People searched for you."

"We were attacked leaving Ragoon 6." Master Soffran said war had broken out, we had to leave early. We could all feel something terrible was happening. We escaped by jumping to hyperspace but the ship was damaged. It's nav computer was damaged and when the hyperdrive failed, it was near an uncharted world. We thought to set down and make repairs, but their was creep damage to engine, fire...we crash landed and couldn't take off. Our communications were destroyed as well." The mon calamari's eyes were wide. "We knew we were off course, and they would have trouble finding us. But as time went on, we could all feel the galaxy change. There was death everywhere. And then, massive death...Master Soffran said Jedi were dying, all at once."

Anakin winced inwardly, but outwardly he gave no sign.

"We survived together, most of us. One was badly hurt in the crash and died. Two more died of illness. One died when attacked by an animal. We killed the animal, but it was venomous. But then, at last a scout ship came. We thought we were rescued. But Master Soffran was cautious. He did not believe they were what they claimed. But it was our first chance, our only chance, to get off world and find what happened to our brother and sister Jedi. So we took it. Sure enough, they demanded a transport fee, impossibly high, and if we could not pay, must work out the debt. They did not use the word slaves, but we all understood the meaning." He paused for breath, gasping. Glancing around, Anakin found a bottle of water and handed to him. Balinak drank it eagerly. Then he continued.

"We might have fought our way out, together. But they had tricked us into separating and led us into cargo areas with airlocks. If either group resisted, they would kill the other." His hands clenched. "I fought, at first, because I was not in either area and did not realize they had the others when they tried to chain me. They had asked for us to show them what foods and resources this world offered, claiming they wanted it to trade. But they shot me."

Anakin nodded. "And so you all end up unwilling guests of Rotta the Hutt." He shook his head.

"I must free my friends...how did you get me out?"

"I got wind of the slave shipment. Dressed up like a guard and inserted myself in a band of drunks coming off a bender in Mos Eisley. I saw Rei Soffran talk to the Hutt and got a look at the lot of you in the dungeon. I was going to leave and call for help, but when I saw you, I knew you couldn't wait. It wasn't too hard to trick the guards into thinking you were dead and haul you out of there."

The mon calamari studied him. "I feel like I know you. Should I...you are familiar..." Then he gasped. "You are strong in the Force! A Jedi?" He clutched at him and his hand brushed the lightsaber, still hidden.

Anakin's eyes held his without answering. "Help is on the way. What can you tell me about the situation? How many guards? What do you know of their plans?"
The mon calamari nodded eagerly. "Please, are any of the others alive? They knew Master Soffran was a Jedi, knew we all were. But they forced him to give up to save us. When he told them the Jedi would come for us, that they would make enemies, they said there were no Jedi. That if anything, there was a bounty on the Jedi, dead."

"There are a few. What you felt on Ragoon 6 was the outbreak of the Clone Wars. It went on for about three years. It was massive. The Jedi discovered a clone army, supposedly created on the orders of Master Sifo-Dyas. The Council had no time to sort out what it was about before they were forced to take command of it. Count Dooku and his Separatist army loosed battle droids across the galaxy. The Jedi were commanding the clone army." Anakin's voice was tired. "But we had lost before we started."

"Lost? Lost the war?"

"We were fighting the wrong war." Anakin's eyes met his. "For the supposedly great leader Palpatine was a Sith."

"The Chancellor?!"

Anakin nodded. "And Dooku his apprentice. The whole point of the war was to make people want to give him more power to end it, turn people against the Jedi and decimate our numbers. By the time we found out it was him..." Anakin hesitated, unwilling to share what he'd done. He needed Balinak to trust him. "Well, we were surrounded by those clone troopers. We'd fought and died and bled with them. No-one expected them to turn on us, that there was a secret order imprinted on them long before they first saw battle. Most of the Jedi died at the hand of their own troops."

Balinak was horrified. His mouth gaped, whiskery tendrils on his face quivering.

"The Chancellor declared himself Emperor and reformed the government into an Empire. He convinced everyone the Jedi betrayed the Republic. Any surviving Jedi were forced into hiding and exile."

"And the people...the citizens, allowed it?" Balinak was having a hard time with it. Ah, the naivete of the young, Anakin thought.

"The citizens believed his lies. But eventually a rebellion formed. The Emperor is dead now. The Empire loses ground while it's leaders squabble over whose in charge. And the Alliance to Restore the Republic grows stronger and is already forming a provisional government."

The mon calamari lay back eyes wide. "So much has happened. Would that we had been able to help!"

"And died with the rest? No, you can be a greater help now. "

He shook his head, eyes sliding half shut. "How?"

"By helping reform the Jedi."

"We were only initiates."

"That's more than we've got now." He touched the creatures arm. "Go ahead and rest. I know that's a lot to absorb. And we can't do much for your friends until my backup arrives."

"Please. Save them." Balinak whispered as his eyes drifted shut.

to be continued