Back to Riku and Yuffie.
Chapter 11: Start... Your.... Pods!!
About twenty minutes after we left our heroes...
The group walked through the streets, covering their eyes to protect them from the sand. Yuffie's belly was cut and bleeding a little in several places from the flying particles, and Qui-Gon had lent her his poncho.
Soon they reached a small house which Anakin motioned to. The group walked through a door which opened automatically, and then closed behind them.
"Anne? Anne, is that you? I told you to get home before now!"
A woman in her late early forties walked into the entrance hall. She stopped short as she noticed the strangers. "Anne? Who are these people?"
"These are my friends mom!" Anakin said happily.
"My name is Qui-Gon Jinn," Qui-Gon said, stepping forward. "Your son was kind enough to offer us shelter." He pointed to his companions. "That is Padme, and this is Jar-Jar Binks."
"I'm Riku and this is Yuffie," Riku walked up, gesturing to himself and Yuffie respectively.
"Ahem."
"No, I'm not doing the introduction."
"Mesa 'll do it!" Jar Jar said. "Mesa be introducing the Great..."
Yuffie was standing on the ceiling.
"Ninja..."
She was doing a handstand on Anakin's head.
"Yuffie!!"
She appeared in the middle of the hall and threw her ninja stars again, which this time whizzed around all over the place before exploding like firecrackers.
No one did anything.
"Yousa be trying to contain your enthusiasm."
A bit later...
Anakin was showing Padme, Yuffie and the trash can robot (which was called R2-D2) a 'protocol droid' he had created. Yuffie had to admit, it looked really complex.
"So, how thick was the instruction manual for this thing?" Yuffie asked.
"There was no manual. I built him out of spare parts," Anakin explained.
Wow. There's a smart kid for ya'!
"He's called C-3PO. Made him to help mom out at home," Anakin pressed a button, and the droid's 'eyes' lit up.
"Oh, my circuits!" he said as he sat up. He moved just like a normal human would, but just a little bit jerky. Yuffie would have been convinced... if all his internal parts hadn't been showing. "Oh! Who are you? I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. How might I be of service?"
"He's perfect," Padme said with a little laugh.
"Oh my!" the robot said as he stood up from the platform where he had been siting. "I don't believe we have been introduced." He walked over to R2-D2. "I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. Who are you?"
R2 made some strange beeping and whistling noises.
"R2-D2?" the droid asked. "Ah, it is a pleasure to meet you. But... what do you mean by... naked?"
R2 made more noises.
"My parts are showing! Oh, my goodness!!"
Yuffie and Padme laughed.
That night, at dinner...
The group had sat down at a small table in the kitchen and were having a hard time finding space for everyone to fit at a table that seemed to be made for four. Anakin started talking non-stop once they sat down, and Riku was surprised to learn that what he had to say was actually very intelligently spoken and interesting to listen to.
"They put a tracker somewhere in every slave's body, but they don't tell you were it is," Anakin continued. "One attempt to escape and they blow you up!"
"How rude," Jar-Jar said.
"I've been trying to build a scanner to find mine," Anakin said. "It's not quite finished yet."
The boy stopped and looked at Qui-Gon. "You're a Jedi aren't you?"
Riku and Yuffie looked at each other. 'Jedi'?
"What makes you say that?" Qui-Gon asked.
"I saw your laser sword," Anakin replied. "Only Jedi carry those."
"Suppose I killed a Jedi and took it from him," Qui-Gon suggested as Jar-Jar used his overly long tongue to snatch up some fruits from the other side of the table.
"No way," Anakin declared. "No one can kill a Jedi."
Qui-Gon chuckled. "I wish that were true."
"I had a dream I was a Jedi once," Anakin said. "I came back here and freed all the slaves."
There was silance for a moment. The the boy continued. "Are you here to free us?"
"I'm afraid not," Qui-Gon said.
"We come from the planet of Naboo," Padme stepped in. "The Trade Federation stormed the capital there. We... that is, Qui-Gon, the Queen of Naboo, a few guards, and the Queen's handmaidens... I being one of them... escaped the planet. We were on our way to Coruscant, the Galactic Republic capital when we had to land here. Our ship is in need of repair, but our currency isn't accepted here."
"Quite the plight," Yuffie said.
"What about you two?" Shmi asked. "What's your story?"
"Well, I'm not even exactly sure," Riku replied. "We were being chased by... pirates..." he lied again, "... when we flew through a worm hole to escape. When we came out, we were here. We've never seen a world quite like this, and we certainly don't have any cash that will be accepted."
"Watto doesn't even carry the parts we need anyway," Yuffie added.
"He doesn't?" Shmi asked.
"They said their ship is a 'gummi' class, mom," Anakin explained.
"I've never heard of that," Shmi said thoughtfully.
There was silence again for a bit. Jar-Jar tried to reach another fruit, but Qui-Gon grabbed his tongue out of mid-lunge.
"Don't do that again," Qui-Gon ordered as he relinquished the tongue.
"Have you ever seen a pod race?" Anakin asked.
Everyone at the table but Shmi and Qui-Gon shook their heads.
"I've seen a few races before," Qui-Gon replied. "Very fast. Very dangerous."
"I'm the only human that can do it," Anakin said proudly.
"You must have Jedi reflexes if you can race a pod," Qui-Gon said.
Riku and Yuffie groaned quietly enough that the others didn't hear them. 'Jedi' again.
"You know, I could try and fix your ships," Anakin said, abruptly changing the subject. "I can fix anything!"
"I believe you can," Qui-Gon laughed. "But first we need the right parts."
"And we ain't got nothing to trade," Jar-Jar added.
"Don't these junk dealers have a weakness of some kind?" Riku asked.
"Gambling," Shmi said. "Everything around here relies on those terrible races."
"Pod racing," Qui-Gon muttered. "Greed can be a very powerful ally."
"I built a racer," Anakin said. "It's the fastest ever! There's a big race tomorrow. You could enter my pod!"
"Anakin!" Shmi cried. "Watto will not let you!"
"Watto doesn't know I built it!" he continued, now turning to Qui-Gon. "You could make him think it's yours, then get me to pilot it for you!"
"I don't want you to race. It's awful. I die every time Watto makes you do it."
Riku and Yuffie looked at each other wide eyed. Watto made him?
"But mom, I love it!" he said. "The prize money would be more than what they need."
"Anakin..." Shmi started.
"You're mother is right," Qui-Gon interrupted. "Isn't there anyone out here who is friendly to the Republic who can help us?"
Shmi sighed. "No."
"Mom, you always say the biggest problem in the universe is that no one helps each other."
More silence.
"We don't want to put Anakin in danger," Riku said. "We'll find some other way."
"No," Shmi said. "There is no other way." She sighed again. "I may not like it, but... he can help you. He was meant to."
The next day...
Yuffie had headed out to get P.J.. Deciding that the ship was no good until they found a way to return to their own Galaxy, they were going to digitize the Mabrik and store it in a computer until they got their hands on a warp drive. In the mean time, these strange people's hospitality would have to hold out.
Qui-Gon, Riku, Padme, Jar-Jar, and R2-D2 worked their way through the city until they reached Watto's Junk Shop. Anakin had left at four in the morning to get to work.
"Are you sure about this?" Padme asked as they reached the door. "Trusting our fate to a boy we hardly know? The Queen will not approve."
"The Queen doesn't need to know," Qui-Gon said as he walked into the shop, tailed only by Riku.
"Well, I don't approve," Padme said darkly.
Instantly Watto was up in Qui-Gon's face. "The boy tells me you want to sponsor him in the race? How do you intend to do this without any money?" He noticed Riku. "He doesn't have any money either, you know."
"My ship will be my entry fee," Qui-Gon replied, ignoring the junk dealer's comment. He drew a small disk, similar, Riku noted, to the kind he had seen Stormtroopers using on Disney Castle. A holographic ship appeared, looking very sleek and aerodynamic. "It is in good order, minus the parts I need," Qui-Gon said, putting the disk away.
"But what will the boy ride?" Watto asked. "He smashed up my pod in the last race! Should take some long time to fix it, huh?"
"It's not my fault! Really!" Anakin protested. "Sabulba flashed me with his vents! I actually saved the pod... mostly."
"That you did, that you did," Watto chuckled. "The boy is good, no doubts there..."
"I have aquired a pod in a game of chance," Qui-Gon explained. "Fastest ever built."
"I hope you didn't kill anyone I know for it," Watto said. "So! You supply the pod and the entry fee... I supply the boy... we split the winnings... uh... fifty-fifty, eh?"
"If it's going to be fifty-fifty I suggest you supply the entry fee," Qui-Gon replied. Watto gave him a questioning look. "If we win, you keep all the prize money minus the parts I need... If we lose, you keep my ship." Qui-Gon paused.
"Either way, you win," Riku said.
"Deal!" Watto cried, slapping his hand into Qui-Gon's. They shook briefly, then the Jedi and Riku turned and walked out of the shop.
"Your friends are more foolish than I thought," Watto said, turning to Anakin. The boy crossed his arms and frowned at his owner.
Out in the deserts...
Yuffie marched up to the Mabrik, where P.J. was waiting. He was sitting on a beach chair near the entry ramp, getting a tan.
"P.J.," Yuffie said, trying to get his attention. No such luck. "P.J.!!!"
"Aaahggg!" he yelped as he flailed out of the chair. He got to his feet and looked at Yuffie. "Where have you been? Where's Riku?"
"I'll explain later, P.J.," Yuffie said. "Right now Riku wants us to digitize the Mabrik."
"Digitize?"
"We're gonna store it in a computer until we get somewhere where we can pick up a warp drive.
"Why can't we get one here?" P.J. asked.
"It appears that we have traveled to another galaxy," Yuffie replied. "Our currency is not accepted here, and there aren't any shops that carry gummi blocks."
"Why don't you just pick-pocket some people?" P.J. asked. "You're some kind of ninja, right?"
Suddenly Yuffie was at his neck with a ninja star. "I'm not some kind of ninja. I'm the best there is."
"Note taken."
Back in the city...
Qui-Gon was standing atop Shmi's house, watching as Anakin, Riku, Padme, Jar-Jar, C-3PO, and R2-D2 work on Anakin's pod. Qui-Gon was talking into his communication device when Shmi walked out to join him. The man turned off the device, his conversation being over, and put it back in his poncho.
"You should be very proud of your son," Qui-Gon said. "He gives without any thought of reward."
"He knows nothing of greed," Shmi replied. "He has a..."
"He has special powers," Qui-Gon finished. Shmi nodded. "He can see things before they happen. Most likely way he has such quick reflexes. It's a Jedi trait." Qui-Gon paused. "If he were born in the Republic he would have been identified at an earlier age. He is unusually strong with the Force, that much is clear. Who was his father?"
Shmi seemed reluctant to answer, but then she said, "There was no father. I carried him, I gave birth, I raised him... I can't explain what happened. Will you help him?"
"I don't know," the man replied. "I didn't actually come here to free slaves."
Meanwhile, the group down at the foot of the house toiled continually with the large construction. 'Pod' racing, as Padme and Riku soon discovered, was to large engines towing a pod holding the rider. The rider controlled the direction of the craft by opening and closing flaps on the sides of the engines. An energy beam of sorts connected the engines and prevented them from flying off in totally different directions. It seemed extremely dangerous to Padme and Riku, just as Qui-Gon had said at dinner last night, but Anakin didn't seem to think of the danger.
Anakin plugged a long cord into the side of his pod, then cried, "Hey Jar-Jar!"
"Huh?" the creature asked. He was working on something in-between the to engines, very close to the power cupping.
"Better stay away from that power cupping. If you get your hand caught in it it's gonna go numb for hours."
"Okay!" Jar-Jar shouted back, then noticed that he had dropped his wrench. He carefully lowered himself, not touching the beam, and grabbed his tool. He stood up again... and his head went right through the cupping. Jar-Jar stood up, then realized something wasn't right. "Er.... my tongue is numb," he tried to say, but it came out as "Leup... my toonge is noob... my tunge." Padme quickly escorted him away.
"I find that Jar-Jar creature quite a bit odd. Don't you?" C-3PO asked R2. The smaller droid made beeping and whistling noises in agreement.
"Okay, time for a test run," Anakin said, hopping into his pod.
Qui-Gon walked over. "Use this power charge to get a jump start," he instructed.
"Yes sir!" Anakin said happily, plugging in the device.
Everyone cleared out of the way as Anakin flipped some switches. Slowly, his engines started running. They lifted slightly off the ground, hovering as they increased power.
Anakin checked his readouts. All clear!
"It's working!" he cried "It's working!!"
From the roof of her house, Shmi smiled.
That night...
Anakin and Qui-Gon sat out under the starry night sky. They were on a small balcony jutting out from Anakin's house. Qui-Gon was applying some sort of medicine to a cut on Anakin's arm.
"There are so many! Do they all have a system of worlds?" Anakin asked, gazing up into space.
"Most of them," the man replied.
"Has anyone been to them all?"
"Not very likely," Qui-Gon chuckled.
"I'm gonna be the first one to see them all, then!" Anakin said happily.
Qui-Gon took a small needle and sucked up a blood sample from Anakin's cut.
"What's that for?" the boy asked.
"I'm going to check you blood for infections," Qui-Gon answered.
"Anne? Anne, it's time for bed," Shmi said from inside the house.
"Go ahead, you've got a big day tomorrow," Qui-Gon said to Anakin, who quickly ran inside the house.
Qui-Gon waited for a moment before putting the blood sample into a small device of sorts, and then stuck that into his communication device.
"Obi-Wan," he said. "I need a midi-chlorian count on the blood sample I'm about to send you."
"Hold on just a moment," a voice on the other side replied.
There was silence again before the voice said, "The reading is off the chart. Over twenty-thousand. I don't think even Master Yoda has a count that high."
"No Jedi does," Qui-Gon replied thoughtfully.
"What does that mean?"
"... I'm not sure." Qui-Gon cut the communication and looked up. Riku and Shmi were standing in the door. The two looked at Qui-Gon, then each other, then walked back into the house.
The next day...
It was the day of the big race. It seemed that everyone in the city was attending, and even a few people from other worlds had come. Qui-Gon, Jar-Jar, Riku and Watto were walking through a huge garadge holding the contestant's pods.
"I want to see your ship the moment the race is over!" Watto said angrily.
"Patience, my fine friend," Qui-Gon said. "You will have your winnings before sunset. And I shall be far away from here."
"Not if your ship belongs to me, I think, ah? I warn you, no funny business!"
"You don't think Anakin can do it?" Riku asked.
"Don't get me wrong kid, I've got great faith in the boy. He is a credit to your race. But... Subulba there is going to win, I think..." he said as he pointed to non other than the alien Jar-Jar had scuffled with the other day. He was sitting in front of a large, professionally built pod racer as several female aliens massaged him.
"Oh no!" Jar-Jar cried.
"What makes you say he will win?" Qui-Gon asked.
"He always wins!" the junk dealer said happily. "I am betting heavily on Subulba!"
"I'll take that bet," Riku said.
"Eh?" Watto grunted, looking at Riku.
"We'll wager our pod for.... Anakin and his mom," Riku replied. He looked at Qui-Gon, who discretely nodded in approval.
"No pod is worth two slaves! Not by a long shot!" the alien cried angrily.
"The boy then," Riku said.
"Er.... well...." He stopped. "How about we let fate decide, eh?" He reached into the pouch hanging around his shoulder and pulled out a small cube, each side either blue or red. "I just happen to have a chance cube with me. Blue... the boy.... red..... his mother."
He tossed the cube onto the ground. It rolled along until Riku could see it was slowing up. It was going to stop on red.
Out the corner of Riku's eye, he saw Qui-Gon raise a hand.
The cube seemed to be pushed an extra inch by some invisible force, and landed on blue.
Jar-Jar, though surprised and confused, smiled a Watto in a 'It's just a game' sort of way.
Watto just scowled. "You may have won the small toss, outlander, but you aren't gonna win the race, so it makes little difference!!!"
Watto flapped off as Anakin, Padme, Shmi and Anakin's friend Kitster rode into the garage on yet another breed of strange alien.
The group dismounted as Kitster said to Anakin, "This is so wizard Anne! I'm sure you'll do it this time!"
"Do what?" Padme asked.
"Finish the race of course," Kitster answered.
"You've never won a race?" she asked worriedly. "Never even finished?"
"Well... not exactly..." Anakin replied.
"What do you mean by that?" Riku asked as he joined the conversation.
"You see, what was left of one of Watto's pods slid across the finish-line once."
Inwardly, Riku smiled. This was his kind of sport.
"But Kitster is right, I'll do it this time," Anakin smiled.
"Of course you will," Qui-Gon smiled. The group looked up as R2-D2 and C-3PO approached with Anakin's pod in tow.
R2 made a few beeping noises to which C-3PO replied. "Space travel sounds quite dangerous. I can assure you they will never get me on one of those dreadful star cruisers."
Suddenly a loud bell rang out. "That's our cue," Riku said. "Let's get your pod into position."
R2, hooked onto the pod, dragged it out into the middle of a huge arena, with exits on either side. Other pods were already getting set up. Announcers in a tower far above them were calling the individual names of the contestants. Eventually the got to Subulba. A thunderous roar went up at his name. And then...
"And a late entry, the young Anakin Skywalker, a local boy!" Surprisingly, there was still applause at Anakin's name. He must have gained a reputation in his previous races.
Subulba walked over to Anakin's pod. On the way, he paused next to a component that stuck slightly out of the pod. Subulba grabbed it and jerked it hard so that it was only hanging on by a few wires. "Uh-oh..." he chuckled as he continued to Anakin himself.
The dug said something in the language he and Anakin both understood. Anakin replied, his tone sounding angry and sarcastic. Subulba said something in a similar fashion before laughing and walking off.
"Are we ready to go, Anakin?" Qui-Gon said as he approached the pod.
"Definitely," Anakin replied as Qui-Gon lifted him up into his seat.
"You need to focus on the moment," Qui-Gon said. "Feel, don't think. Use your instincts."
"I will," Anakin smiled.
"May the Force be with you," the man said before he turned and walked off the track.
Meanwhile, Riku was waiting with the rest of the group when he heard noise coming from the garage.
"I swear, I know Anakin! I know him! Let me through!!"
"Who was that?" Padme asked, looking to the garage.
"I said, stand aside!! By order of the Great Ninja Yuffie!!... Alright, you asked for it!!"
Suddenly three limp guards were thrown out onto the ground near the edge of the track. Yuffie and P.J. walked out behind them.
"What took you guys so long?" Riku asked.
"Besides those stupid security guards? P.J. had to stop to take a whiz at a public bathroom and he got mugged."
"At least I gave you the hard drive before I went in," P.J. said. He was sporting a black eye and one chipped tooth.
"Well, the race is about to start," Riku said. "You guys barley made it in time." He gestured to the pods. "P.J., I'll introduce you to the gang before the race starts."
The group walked onto a circular platform fashioned around a tall beam. The platform started to rise into the air to give them a better view of the race.
The announcers suddenly cried, "And now, presenting the honorable Jabba the Hutt!!"
Up in a high tower on the edge of the stadium, a huge slug-like alien inched it's way to edge of it's platform where it could be easily seen. He started speaking in the same language Anakin, Sebulba and Watto all used. It could be assumed that he said something along, "Welcome. Let the race begin!" because at that moment, all the pods' power couplings activated and their engines roared to life.
Anakin adjusted the goggles that hung from his helmet. He flipped a few switches and checked his readings. He was all clear. He smiled as he took hold of his controls.
Jabba took a bite out of a small animal and chewed for a short moment before spitting it out onto a gong. A light about the track flashed, indicating that the first lap was started. The pods accelerated instantly and shot out of the arena. The race was on!
I'm going to make the entire Star Wars: Episode 1 last throughout the story. To do this, I'm going to have to complete at least one or two worlds with Sora and the gang before returning for a chapter or two with Riku, Yuffie, P.J., and the others.