Track Ten

Devil Came Down to Tatooine

"I'd like some water if that's alright," Shmi said as she sat on one of the workbenches nearby while Jinn calmly walked around looking at the ship. Threepio on the hand seemed to sit on a bench and shut down much Ahsoka's disappointment if her face was anything to go by. She was probably hoping to play with him.

"Same," Jinn said as he continued to look around with a look of both curiosity and wariness.

"Xandar Star Pop!" Ahsoka bellowed jumping up and down with excitement forgetting the droid and giving Peter the best puppy dog eyes he'd seen in a while.

"Peter no!" Ben barked as his head shot up from the ladder hole making him jump slightly. How did he always manage to do that when he least expected that? It most be a big brother thing or he learned it from Yondu since he did similar things when they were growing up. Maybe he should learn that. "She's not getting that unless you want her bouncing off the walls and I'm not gonna pick up after her."

"No worries I was gonna give her star juice," Peter swore to calm both his brother who slowly went down with a very scary look on his face and a rather pouting Ahsoka. That was true he wasn't that brain dead at to give the kid sugar. He'd found that out the hard way when Ben was first tinkering with the ship. Sugar and kids equaled demon spawn of hyperactive. No thanks. "Sorry Sodapop you'll have to have it later. Big brother's orders."

"Aw, I wanna," she pouted even as she accepted the juice he gave her.

"Hey," Peter mildly admonished her. "No lip now, you can get it later today okay?"

"Okay," she sheepishly replied and soon she began sipping from the cup. She went over to a bench and sat down with a sigh. Probably vying for sympathy which she wasn't gonna get from him. Cheeky brat I ain't budging on this, he thought as he grabbed three cups and filled them with water. The thought alone made him pause slightly. Blast was that how Yondu felt? Well now if that was the case then he owed him some apologies now.

"I see you've got disciplining her down," Shmi commented as she quietly sipped listening to the adults. "I had quite a time teaching Anakin that when I say no it means no. As there will be no negotiation and that's it."

"So I'm guessing he was a bit of a brat?"

"Oh you have no idea," Shmi smiled as she accepted the cup of water along with Jinn. "He's a lovely boy but like all boys I've seen he's quite a handful when he wants to be."

"Huh," Peter huffed as he sipped his drink...and decided to be at least be open with her. Even if being around her was kinda like being with his own mom again albeit second hand which really hurt but hey that wasn't her fault that was him. "My Mom said the same thing about me when she thought I wasn't listening," he whispered.

"Well I think it's universal then," she said with a soft smile. "Mothers love doting on their sons and I'm sure she'd be proud of you."

"Yeah I think so," Peter agreed returning the smile as he gave Ahsoka a short noogie trying to hide the tears threatening to come out. She in turn gave him a short hug while giggling at his antics. Sweet kid she was definitely getting a soda later. "That sounds about right."

"Same goes for certain Padawans as well," Jinn interjected with a fond smile of his own inadvertently giving Peter a chance to wipe his eyes before some one could notice although he had a sneaking suspicion that Shmi got the idea. Well she should she was a mom. "I remember mine was handful. He was a rather cheeky brat at least as much a Padawan could be in the Order. Called the Council behind my back over an issue we were having which got me in trouble."

"Pada-what?"

"Padawan," Jinn answered him. "It's a title for an apprentice in the Jedi Order. I chosen to train a young boy as an apprentice at young age to teach him how to be a Jedi."

"You had an apprentice?" Peter asked tilting his head to the side. Weird you'd think he'd mention something like that. Seemed kinda important or should be at least according to him.

"Once," Jinn said now looking rather sad. "His name was Obi-Wan Kenobi but he's one with the Force now..."

"Well shot, I'm sorry about that," Peter said sympathetically. He could understand that kind of trauma after all his mother's last gift to him was still unopened. It was a testament to how much his brother respected his privacy that he didn't open it. So truly he understood. "Seriously I'm sorry to hear that Jinn. My condolences."

"It's Qui-Gon Jinn," the man corrected with a bemused look. "And while condolences are appreciated it's not necessary. He's one with the Force as we say or at least most think so but I have my doubts..."

"Mom!" Anakin's excited voice cut through the conversation making them look down at the lower level ladder. Peter could hear Anakin racing towards the ladder. "Mom! You gotta see this engine she's beautiful!"

"Well she's my ship so of course she's awesome," Peter replied to Anakin as he made his way up with Ben in tow. "I take it's done now?"

"Yeah we're ready to roll," Ben said glancing briefly at Jinn before turning back to Anakin. "You guys can go to your ship now."

"Can we see it flying?! Please Mom! She's like a dream down there."

"That'd be my and Ben's doing. Sure it's fine by me. So woulda ya say it beats walking in the hellish heat eh?"

"Thanks but no," Qui-Gon said as he put down his cup. "That would scare the crew and I believe it's not too far from here."

"I'll go with you to make sure you get there okay," Ben said as he lower the gangplank. "Peter keep an eye on Ahsoka and Threepio."

"You got it," Peter saluted him with Ahsoka mirroring the action. "Stay safe bro."

"I'll try."

"Dude do or do not," Peter said wagging his finger in mock admonishment of his brother. "There is no try."

"I hate you," Ben grumbled as he grabbed his weapon bandolier giving him a fondly annoyed look. "So much."

"Sure you do," Peter smiled as Ben followed Ji- no Qui-Gon, Shmi and Anakin outside. As they left Peter felt a chill come upon him and it wasn't because of the air conditioning either. Something was up...but what? Well never mind, Peter shrugged as he went up to the cockpit to ready the ship...

The bad feeling that Ben had the whole day had intensified with every step that he took towards their ship. Something was coming...

Suddenly he felt that...there! He moved to his left and snapped out his azure sword cutting a...probe in half. He walked forward to investigate the item along with Jinn. It was a black probe with a design he was unfamiliar to him. Worst though was it was connected to a receiver which meant it was transmitting. But to who?

"What's that?" Anakin asked as he sneaked a peek at the machine.

"Probe," Ben replied as he stretched out with his senses. At first he felt nothing until to north of him he felt something dark heading their way. Ben shut off his sword and hung it on his belt, his power pack was on the fritz so it was best if he used something more reliable. He pulled out the spare blaster that Peter gave him. Now if his sword shorted out then he'd have backup just in case. "We need to keep moving. Come on."

"Agreed," Jinn said as he stared Ben's laser sword. Together they began to head towards the ship in a jog. Looking behind he saw that while Shmi was more or less trying to keep up while Anakin was falling behind which far as he could tell was worrying Shmi if her slowing was any indication.

"I'll get him! Go to the ship," he commanded. Shmi to her credit nodded and allowed herself to shot forward trying to catch up with Jinn as he near sprint back towards a ship. Turning around Ben grabbed Anakin by the back of his shirt and with a quick twist Anakin was thrusted forward buoyed by Ben's magic. Once he was next to Jinn the Jedi grabbed him and all but tossed up the gangplank of a rather shiny ship ahead of them.

He heard and felt something come up behind him and jumped out of the way as the creature of his nightmare grabbed a silver tube and with a distinctive snap-hiss a red blade came into existence along with one that Jinn had drawn but his was emerald green. But instead of going to him the being, a male looking horned being dressed in black, lunged at Jinn. Reflexively he raised his laser sword and activated it and threw it in a boomerang curve separating the would be combatants. Attention gained the horned being turn his gaze to him only got get a face full of a stun bolt shot from Peter's gun that he'd drawn. Comically he fell face first into the sand with an audible thud and stayed there.

"What the blazes was that?" Ben asked as he carefully leaned over the downed being gasping slightly. "Who's this jerk?"

"That," Jinn said as he and a very winded Shmi looked over the being as well that impossibly began to stir. Damn it the setting was rather low if he was stirring that quickly. "Is a good question but alas one for a later date..."

In an instant the being leapt to his feet with a savage snarl. Pushing his hand forward Ben shoved Jinn who quickly turned off his laser sword as he slammed into Shmi by Ben's magic. Meanwhile Ben met the attack of the being head on. They crossed blades and pushed. Finally the broke the deadlock and began the fight.

The being tried to press his acrobatic fighting style against Ben who met him strike for strike as best as he could. Ben gave himself into the old dance that he'd gotten lost in the war and allowed for as Peter called them "freaky senses" to lead him. However the being was at times faster then him or perhaps better trained. As a result he landed a few searing blows but for every scorching scratch Ben repaid with a good punch or kick with one punch even giving the being a split lip which seemed to excite him for some reason.

Enough of this, Ben thought. He was wasting time and getting battered and beaten. If he didn't end this soon either through defeat or death he'd end up dead considering this "hombre" as Peter would say was trying to kill him.

"BEN!" Anakins cry caught the twos attention. Looking up he saw the kid leaning down the gangplank with the ship in the air. He was evidently thinking he could jump up there or use his mini rockets to get up otherwise someone was being a massive jerk.

Gathering up strength he pushed the demon from him and used his rockets to clear the rest of the distance. Grabbing the wall he dragged himself into what look like a greeting room. How the blazes were they stripped for funds with this ship? Blast this is a nice ride. He wondered as he sat on the floor trying to recover his breath.

"Are you okay?!" Anakin fusses over him rather adorably looking over his now stinging wounds as he sat on the floor. "What was he?"

"How-how would I knew that? I'm just as clueless as you."

"Ben!" Shmi cried as she and Jinn ran over. She was holding a jar of red sludge...that it smelled like a dung heap.

"You're hurt," Jinn commented concerned as he hung in the back and let Shmi do whatever it was she was doing. "Still with that said I must say that you holding him off was most impressive."

"Why?" Ben asked as he eyed the sludge distrustfully as Shmi unscrewed the top. After determining that she wasn't slathering on crap on him yet he turned back to Jinn. "That freak wasn't that hard to-Ow! Crap it, that hurt!" He yelped as Shmi lathered more on some of the more visible burns.

"He was well trained in the Jedi arts," Jinn said with amused glint in his eyes. Ben ignored the amusement and instead turned his attention to that thrice damned sludge.

"It's just bacta," Anakin said noticing his glare. "It's medicine to help the burns I think."

"And I need you to take off your shirt and jacket," Shmi stated with a tone that brokered no arguments. "You've got multiple burns there."

"Yes ma'am," he meekly said as he removed his bandolier, his jacket, shirt and undershirt. He was starting to understand why Peter preached about the almighty wrath of a mom. He heard Anakin hiss as he got a good look at his shoulders and back. Ben shrugged mentally as he submitted to the quite frankly annoying tending. He knew that those not used to him would be of course stunned by his burn scars as well as the scar in his gut.

"Where'd you get those?" Anakin whispered.

"I was found in a shuttle crash and sold as a battle slave," Ben shrugged. "Some are from previous battles that I fought in, the burn scars are from the shuttle crash and this," he pointed to a thin lined scar on his torso. "I got from a Child of Thanos after I killed one of their own. I'm pretty proud of that feat actually."

"Who or what's a Child of Thanos?"

"You've-" Ben cut himself off reminding himself that they were ignorant of most the commonplace knowledge from back home. Of course this would come as a shock after all he hadn't heard of Jedi until a couple days ago.

"Let's just say that they're most messed up beings you'll ever run into," Ben answered. "They like slaughtering planets for fun."

"How'd you run into them?" Shmi asked as she placed more bacta on his wounds meanwhile Jinn stood silently, his aura radiating shock and horror while Anakin's face went slack from horror.

"They attacked a village I was recovering in from the shuttle crash," Ben said with a sardonic smile. "I saved most of the villagers' lives and in thanks they sold me to the Kree as a battle slave when they came around. Ungrateful wretches much?"

"Sometimes beings do tend to disappoint when it comes to compassion," Jinn shook his head with sadness.

"Yeah well I got to meet Peter and didn't end up on the legendary Sakaar so that's a plus for me," Ben shrugged. He'd come to terms with it somewhat and in the end he'd gotten sense of retribution with Peter's help. So it all worked out.

"Sakaar?"

"Legendary planet were supposedly lost things go," Ben answered Anakin. The kid seemed to be full of questions today. "A load of hogwash I think but that's neither here or there. So I guess we're heading to Coruscant now."

"You'd be correct," Jinn said. "My suggestion is contacting your brother and tell him to meet you on Coruscant. Ric Olié told me we should be there by tomorrow."

"No kidding? Yeah I'll tell him," Ben replied as he pulled the comlink from his pocket and thumbing the contact button. "Peter get your rear off Tatooine and to Coruscant."

"What happened?" Peters rather scratchy voice asked.

"I'll explain later," Ben told him. "I'm gonna turn on the tracking beacon as soon as we get there and I'll find you. Clear?"

"Yeah and you'd better have a very good explanation for this."

"Oh believe me I will," Ben replied as he thumbed off the comlink allowing himself to relax somewhat. Well this was slight kink in the plan but nothing too bad. Now it was just going to Coruscant, surely it wouldn't be too difficult finding him the capital city.