Chapter 8

Zane lay awake on the makeshift bed, unable to fall asleep. The room was dark and quiet except for Anakin's snoring. Closing his eyes, Zane fell into a meditation trance and traveled along the ripples of the Force. He looked around through the Force and saw Anakin's Force presence, a bright beacon in a dark room. His presence swirled with yellow and red, a mixture of wild untamed energy. It was an energy that with time and training would become smooth and tame like a rippling brook, but as powerful as a whirlpool.

After staying in the room for awhile, Zane traveled the currents of the Force to other areas of the house. He entered the room that Padme was sharing with Shmi. Padme's Force presence was dim, and a pure white except for a swirl of blue that indicated that Padme may have a bit of Force potential. Next Zane examined Shmi's Force presence and noticed that it was similar to Padme's except that the white was marred by dark smudges.

Zane then searched out the Force presences of Jar Jar and Qui-Gon and found them sleeping in the small living area. Jar Jar's Force presence was a rolling mixture of orange, green, and brown, and very dim. It was chaotic, like hormone levels at puberty, perhaps explaining Jar Jar's clumsiness and other annoying behaviors. Zane smiled and then examined Qui-Gon's Force presence. It was a solid green beacon in the Force, but nowhere near as bright as Anakin's. Zane suddenly felt a stab of cold and frowned when he noticed a fuzzy swirling mass in the center of Qui-Gon's Force presence and that a few centimeters of the Force energy surrounding it was fading.

Zane withdrew from Qui-Gon's presence and then cast his sense far beyond the hovel to the ship, to Obi-Wan. He found Obi-Wan's comforting presence in one of the ship's cabin's and sensed that he was fast asleep. Obi-Wan's presence shone like a beacon, brighter than Qui-Gon's Force presence, but lighter than Anakin's. His Force presence was a swirling blueish yellow, with a hint of orange in the swirl. His Force presence was not yet solid like Qui-Gon's or as tamed, but it was close. Zane gingerly touched Obi-Wan's presence and enjoyed the instant comfort he sought. After remaining there for several minutes, Zane gave Obi-Wan a hug with the Force and a Force kiss on the nose before retreating back to awareness.

Returning to himself, he heard the creak of bedsprings and sensed that Anakin was awake. "Can't sleep?"

"No." Anakin turned onto his side, causing the springs to squeal in protest. "I guess I'm just nervous about the race. People are depending on me to win the race, something I haven't done before."

"Just because you haven't doesn't mean you can't," said Zane. "There is a time to lose and a time to win. Both have their own cost, negative and positive."

"I suppose," Anakin said, rolling over to his back. "How long have you lived in the Jedi Temple?"

"Since I was about a month old, I think. From the time I was brought to the Temple until a few days ago, I haven't been outside its walls."

"That's got to be boring."

Zane shrugged his shoulders. "You get used to it, I guess, until you get out and see what lies beyond the Temple instead of just studying and training."

"Do your parents get to visit you?"

Zane stayed quiet for a couple of seconds before answering. "Parents don't have visiting rights. Many Jedi who are brought to the Temple when they're infants often never learn about their parents. The few curious enough will find out. A small number of Masters do let their padawans visit their parents as a lifeday present if it's possible. Jedi who come from rich families might even be given an inheritance from their parents, but that is usually kept from them until they become Knights. I am an exception, however."

"What do you mean by exception? It sounds like the Jedi are really strict about children and their parents."

"Both my parents are Jedi. Only a very few people know this. It's forbidden for Jedi to marry and have kids. Exceptions do occur if there is a race that is dying or one is a Correlian, but Correlians tend to stay within their own system." Zane sighed and put his hands behind his head. "I see my father more than my mother. She's always sent on top secret missions. She's very good at what she does. She's on such a mission right now, and I have no idea where she is, what she is doing. My father told me that whatever I heard I should not automatically believe. You're lucky you know, to know your mother, to know that she is safe, and that she'll be home when you come home."

"That's got to be hard. Why don't your parents just leave the Order? I mean, if it's forbidden for the Jedi to be together and have children, then how come they stay? Wouldn't they have got thrown out?"

Zane sighed. "It's not that simple, but no one has yet told me why that is so."

"Should you boys be sleeping?" Qui-Gon asked. Both boys looked up to see him standing in the doorway.

"We were, it's just that we woke up, saw that we both were awake and so we started talking," Zane explained.

Qui-Gon nodded. "Well, try to go back to sleep, okay?"

"Yes sir," the boys replied and closed their eyes, pretending to fall asleep. Once Qui-Gon left, Zane spoke. "I know it makes the Order sound bad, but if there is a reason that my parents remain, then there is a reason to remain in the Order."

Anakin turned on a small light on the wall beside his bed. "You don't sound convinced."

Zane rubbed at his eyes sleepily. "Not really."

"Why?"

"No one likes me at the Temple except for my parents, Master Qui-Gon, and Master Yoda, and a couple of my dad's friends."

"Because your parents are Jedi?" Anakin shook his head. "That makes no sense."

Zane tugged the blanket over his head. "If you ever get to go to the Temple, then you'll see what I mean."

Anakin got out of bed and headed for the door. "I'm going to get some warm milk, do you want some?"

"No thanks," Zane replied, his voice muffled by the pillow.

Gently closing the door, Anakin headed for the kitchen.

~*~*~

A dark presence in the Force entered the atmosphere of Tatooine in a silver, sleek, pointy ship and landed outside the town. The dark being strode purposely down the ramp, scanned the area with a pair of electro binoculars, and spotted two other towns as well as the one he was close to. Pushing a button on his armband, the dark figure sent out six probe droids to investigate the three towns and then watched them as they flew off.

~*~*~

After finishing his cup of milk, Anakin went outside to go do another check of the podracer. He smiled as he saw Artoo carefully painting the pod. "You're doing a great job, Artoo."

Artoo beeped and continued painting as Threepio provided more advice on the painting process.

Anakin completed his checks and then sat down, his back laying against a crate filled with old parts. He yawned and closed his eyes. He had to win. He fingered the jappor snippet in his pocket that he was carving for Padme. "I will win," he mumbled before exhaustion took him and he fell asleep.

Hours later Anakin began to wake up, the dream he was having slipping away from him except for one image that stayed with him.

"I hope you're about finished," he heard Padme say. A hand gently touched his cheek and his eyes fluttered open. The first thing he saw was Padme's face. She was so beautiful, his heart hammered so loudly that he thought she could hear it. "You were in my dream," he said, swallowing past the lump in his throat. "You were leading a huge army into battle."

"I hope not. I hate fighting," Padme said in a dismissive way that he wasn't sure he liked. "Your mother wants you to get up now. We have to leave soon."

Anakin nodded his head and stood up, dusting the off the sand that had accumulated on his clothing as he slept. He noticed Threepio still giving advice and criticism to Artoo and saw in the distance that Kitster was riding toward them on one of the two eopies he brought to help haul the podracer to the racetrack.

Kitster waved at them as he approached, grinning excitedly.

Anakin waved back shouting, "Hook them up, Kitster!" He turned back to Padme. "Where's Qui-Gon?"

"He left with Jar Jar for the arena. They've gone to find Watto."

"Oh, okay." Anakin ran back inside to go get washed and dressed. Passing by his room and noticing that Zane was still asleep, Anakin pulled the blanket off him. "Get up, we'll be going soon," he shouted as he continued on to the refresher.

~*~*~

Qui-Gon and Jar Jar walked next to Watto through the main hangar as the Toydarian kept rambling over the same points.

"So it must be understood clearly that our bargain is sealed, outlander." He pointed at Qui-Gon. "I'll want to see your spaceship the moment the race is over."

Qui-Gon shrugged. "Patience, my blue friend. You'll have your winnings before the suns set, and my companions and I will be far away from here."

"Not if your ship belongs to me, I think!" Watto snorted and laughed gleefully before fixing a pointed look at Qui-Gon. "I warn you, no funny business!"

Qui-Gon kept walking and looked elsewhere, carefully baiting the hook he had prepared. "You don't think Anakin will win?"

Watto flapped furiously around Qui-Gon so that he was in front of the Jedi and then motioned toward a bright orange racer and the Dug that had attacked Jar Jar the first day they had been on Tatooine. "Don't get me wrong. I have great faith in the boy. He's a credit to your species. But Sebulba there is going to win, I think."

Qui-Gon pretended to carefully study the Dug. "Why?"

"Because he always wins!" Watto chuckled, feeling clever about himself. "I'm betting heavily on Sebulba!"

"I'll take that bet," Qui-Gon said, causing Watto to choke on his laughter and jerk back as if stung.

"What?" He shook his head, "What do you mean?"

Qui-Gon took a step forward, backing the Toydarian away. "I'll wager my new racing pod against, say, the boy and his mother."

"A pod for slaves! I don't think so!" Watto turned to and fro, not quite wanting to pass up another bet. "Well, perhaps. Just one. The mother, maybe. The boy isn't for sale."

Qui-Gon frowned. "The boy is small. He can't be worth much."

Watto shook his head no.

"For the fastest pod ever built?"

Watto shook his head again.

"Both or no bet." Qui-Gon sensed Zane's presence as well as the others as they entered the hangar. He looked in the direction that they had just entered and spotted Anakin riding an eopie with Padme sitting behind him. Kitster was riding the other eopie with Shmi riding behind him. Both eopies had an engine they were pulling of the podracer and Zane was riding in the podracer. Artoo and Threepio followed behind the little procession.

Watto's eyes followed Qui-Gon's gaze and his eyes glittered with greed when he saw Anakin and the podracer. With a still-unsure snort, Watto looked back at Qui-Gon. ""No pod's worth two slaves…not by a long shot! One slave or nothing!"

Qui-Gon folded his arms over his chest. "The boy then."

Watto shook his head, his whole body tense. "No, no…" On a spur of the moment thought, Watto reached into his pocket, pulled out a small cube, and tossed it from hand to hand. "We'll let fate decide. Blue, it's the boy. Red, it's the mother."

Watto tossed the cube to the ground and Qui-Gon made a slight gesture with his hand, producing a small ripple in the Force so that blue landed face up.

Watto growled in anger and threw up his hands, his wings beating wildly. ""You won the toss, outlander! But you won't win the race, so it makes no little difference, I think."

"We'll see," Qui-Gon responded, not the least bit fazed by Watto's reaction.

Watto flew away from Qui-Gon in a huff and paused to snap at Anakin. "Better stop your friend's betting, or I'll end up owning him, too!" One of the eopies snorted at Watto in disgust, causing Watto to spit out a slew of Huttese curses before flying off.

"What did he mean by that?" Anakin asked as he pulled the eopie to a stop and glanced in the direction of the Toydarian.

Qui-Gon shrugged. "I'll tell you later."

Zane ignored the others for a bit as he focused on Artoo and Threepio's discussion.

Artoo beeped at Threepio.

"Oh my! Space travel sounds rather perilous."

Artoo let out another set of beeps.

"I can assure you they will never get me onto one of those dreadful starships!"

Zane chuckled and then focused his attention back to the others.

Kitster pulled his own eopie to a stop beside Anakin's, his face still beaming. "This is so wizard! I'm sure you'll do it this time, Ani!"

Padme looked back and forth at the two boys, a nagging suspicion building inside her. "Do what?" she asked.

"Finish the race, of course!" Kitster answered as if it should have been obvious.

Padme paled and she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. She stared at Anakin, searching for some sign that what she had just heard was inaccurate. "You've never finished a race?"

Anakin blushed and shifted uncomfortably on his seat, as it seemed like her stare was burning right through him. "Well…not exactly. But Kitster's right. I will this time. Zane told me last night that 'just because you haven't doesn't mean you can't. There is a time to lose and a time to win.' This is the time to win."

Qui-Gon took the eopie's reins and patted Anakin's leg. "And you will win,' Qui-Gon agreed.

Padme could only stare wordlessly, the ramifications of what would happen if Anakin lost the race flooding her mind

Zane hopped out of the pod and ran up to Qui-Gon. "I got to ride in the Podracer!"

"I saw," Qui-Gon said, hoping that riding in the pod would quell Zane's desire to race in it. "Come on, we still have things to do before the race starts."

"Okay." Zane glanced around the hanger and was about to ask what he needed to do when he heard his name called. Turning sharply on his heel, away from the group, he saw Melee approach him. Zane froze, there was something about her that he couldn't put his finger on and it made him nervous.

"So, you really think Anakin is going to win?" Melee asked him.

"Sure," he said. "I mean, I know he can."

Melee placed her hands on her hips and stepped closer to Zane. "You're not from Tatooine."

"I live in the core," Zane responded.

Melee blinked, turned about, and walked off, leaving Zane confused at what had just happened.

~*~*~

The people of Mos Espa were starting to gather at the podracing arena, making the streets that normally bustled with activity deserted. Unnoticed by people and droids, one of the Sith probe droids was scanning the face of every person it saw.