Chapter 20
Message from Beyond
Anakin sighed and stared up at the sky. It had taken about a week to work their way back to Tatooine, and when they'd finally landed in Mos Espa night had already fallen. It wasn't safe to travel outside of the cities at night here, the Sand People would cut down any travelers who dared. So he and Zett where spending the night in his old abandoned hovel in the Slave Quarter again.
The stars shone cold and clear in the black night sky as he stared at them from his back steps, and he smiled faintly as he recalled a night much like this one, but many years ago. He remembered when he'd looked up at the stars with Master Qui-Gon and decided that he wanted to see them all. When he grew up, he'd go out into space and go to every single star and see what was there. And Master Jinn had simply chuckled at him and his impossible wish.
He missed the long-haired Jedi Master. The bitterness he'd felt towards the man in his childhood, back when he thought the man had forgotten and abandoned him, was long healed and gone. And, not for the first time, he wondered how his life might've turned out if Qui-Gon had been able to keep him promise and return for a visit…
"Hey Ani, that you?"
Glancing down from the sky, Anakin spied a familiar figure looking up at him from the bottom of the steps. "Hey Kitster, what are you doing out this late?"
"I was kept late," Kitster sighed and trudged up the steps, "so I decided to take a walk." He paused and rubbed his chilled hands together. "What are you doing back here?"
"I was going to go home for a visit," Anakin replied, "but the idiots that I caught a ride with landed here after dark."
"Ah," Kitster nodded and plopped down next to him on the steps. "So what have you been up to?"
"Not much, really." Anakin sighed. "Drifting here and there, selling my skills for passage on ships…"
"Sounds interesting, wish I could do that." Kitster responded wistfully.
"Well I've had enough of it," Anakin grumbled. "I'd give anything to have things back to the way they were."
"Which way was that?" Kitster asked slowly.
"Before the Republic fell," Anakin muttered, "back when there was a place where I that felt I belonged."
"You mean with the Jedi." Kitster frowned and his expression turned troubled. "Not too long after you left here the last time, a Jedi came looking for you."
"Really?" Anakin blinked, startled. "Who was it?"
"Said his name was Kenobi, showed me and Wald his lightsaber, and asked for you." Kitster replied.
Anakin scowled. "Damn, what lousy timing! I really wish that he'd caught me when I was still here…"
"He wasn't so bad," Kitster shrugged after a moment. "He bought us lunch."
"That was nice of him," Anakin sighed, wishing even more for his old Master's company.
"So, how have you been?" Kitster asked when it got too quiet for his liking.
"Well enough, I suppose," Anakin muttered and scuffed his boot heel along the gritty baked mud step.
Kitster picked at the cuff of his sleeve as he tried to come up with something else to say. "Last time…you said that you ran away from your last owner. Just how did you do that, exactly?"
"I waited until he left on business, I fried his security system, and then I cut out the slave implant with a vibro-knife before I ran out the back door." Anakin's right hand drifted down to his left side. Even though it was impossible, he swore that the damn scar still hurt sometimes when he thought about how he'd gotten it.
"(You did what?)" Kitster choked in Huttese.
"(I cut it out,)" Anakin smirked. "(Do you want to see my scar?)"
"(No,) no, that's fine." Kitster muttered.
"Alright," Anakin shrugged. "So ever find yourself a girlfriend?"
"Nah," Kitster grumbled. "What about you?"
Anakin flinched. "It's complicated," he swallowed, "I don't want to talk about it."
Kitster gave him a puzzled look. "Um, okay."
"What about Wald?" Anakin asked. "Has he found any cute Rodian girls?"
"Yes, actually," Kitster chuckled. "Her name's Veeda. She was briefly Greedo's girlfriend, but she saw the light rather quickly and Wald slipped her right out from Greedo's snout."
"Hah!" Anakin laughed.
"It's too bad that you missed it." Kitster grinned. "Greedo was so mad…"
"Serves the jerk right," Anakin snorted. Greedo was a troublemaker and had repeatedly accused him of cheating in his pod races, so Anakin didn't have much sympathy for the Rodian.
"Yeah," Kitster nodded. His expression turned thoughtful after a moment. "How are you planning to get out to your mom's place from here?"
"I was planning on renting a landspeeder." Anakin replied. "Do you have any other suggestions?"
"Yep, you could hitch a ride with Melee," Kitster suggested.
"Melee?" Anakin frowned. "Seek's little female minion?"
"She doesn't run with him anymore," Kitster informed him. "She's been freed since you left and she works as a delivery girl now. If Melee's route takes her up by Anchorhead tomorrow she'll probably take you."
"Really?" Anakin mused, rubbing thoughtfully at his stubbly chin. "Hmm, I think I'll look into that."
"Good," Kitster grinned a rather strange grin and Anakin found himself unnerved.
Why do I suddenly have a really bad feeling about this…?
"Well, it's getting late and I need to get up early," Kitster sighed and stood up. "Come back and see me and Wald before you go again, okay?"
"Sure thing Kitster," Anakin smiled, "have a good night."
"See you later!" Kitster waved and walked off into the chilly Tatooine night.
"Bye," Anakin waved and settled back as his old friend vanished from sight.
He stayed out on the back steps for a while longer before he finally went back into the old hovel to get some sleep. But as he tried to get comfortable and find sleep, something nagged about him. Something about Kitster's smile bothered him…
He's hiding something from me, something that he thinks is funny, but…what?
Bright and early the next morning, just before the second sun was set to rise, Anakin led Zett towards Melee's place. Despite being freed, she hadn't moved out of the Slave Quarter, or even her old housing unit. He didn't think she had any attachment to the place, she probably hadn't moved out because the housing was so cheap here and she knew the neighborhood very well.
When they reached the appropriate door, Anakin knocked on it and waited for an answer. Roughly one minute later, the door ground open and Melee almost ran him over in her haste to exit her apartment. It seemed that she hadn't heard his knock as she let out an involuntary squeak at seeing him in her doorway.
"Huh? Who're you and what do you want?" Melee snapped.
Well, she's still a bitch. He gave a mental sigh before reintroducing himself to her. "Hi, I'm Anakin Skywalker and—"
"Ani?" Melee gasped, her eyes almost popping out of her head in utter astonishment.
"Yes, that's me," Anakin nodded. So she remembers me…
"I can't believe it," Melee breathed. "Kitster and Wald said that they saw you a few years ago, but I thought they were pulling my leg."
"Well they weren't," Anakin replied. "Weren't you going somewhere?" He asked after she failed to move or say anything else.
"Oh, right, I-I was going to work." Melee muttered. "I'm sorry, can we talk later?"
"I was hoping for a little favor," Anakin replied as he moved aside so she could leave her hovel. "Kitster tells me that you do delivery runs now."
"Yes," she slipped out her door, "I do. Do you want me to bring your mom something?"
"Actually, I was hoping you might give us a ride out to the Lars homestead." Anakin responded.
"Us?" Melee frowned.
"Myself and my young friend here," Anakin patted Zett on the shoulder.
Melee gave Zett a strange stare. "I see," she said after a long pause. "Yes, I think I'm going out that way today. I can give you that ride."
"Thanks," Anakin gave her a lop-sided grin. "We appreciate the help."
Melee blushed a little and smiled shyly. "It's no problem, really. Come on, follow me."
Anakin felt his grin freeze on his face as he followed her. Now he knew what Kitster found so funny. And when he came back through Mos Espa, Kitster was going to get it.
No, no, no! Not Melee too! It was bad enough when it was just Darra…
Zett squinted his eyes against the dust and grit as he, Master Anakin, and this Melee woman zipped over the desert. It was nearing noon now and he hoped that they would stop soon. Noon on Tatooine was highly unpleasant and not something that he wanted to experience out in the middle of the Dune Sea.
He was also rather unsure of this woman who was giving them this ride. Master Anakin hadn't been all that excited about going to see her, and he'd appeared even less happy when they'd followed her to her job so they could catch a ride with her. And she kept giving Master Anakin really odd looks…
"And there we are!" Melee shouted over the roar of the engines and wind.
Leaning forward in his seat, Zett could just make out the whitish smudge on the horizon that was the Lars homestead. Now that it was in sight, it shouldn't take too much longer to get there. At least that's what he hoped.
Of course, since he wished to get there as soon as possible, it took forever to get there. For the longest time, the splotch of a house remained distant and unmoving. But, eventually, the dusty squat building did get closer, and Melee pulled over near the front door.
Melee was first to the front door and down the stairs into the sunken courtyard. Master Anakin followed her at a more sedate pace, eyeing her nervously as he carried their bags. Zett followed his Master wearily, vainly trying to brush the accumulated dust and sand out of his hair and off his clothes.
By the time Zett reached the courtyard, Melee was enthusiastically greeting Master Anakin's mother. Master Anakin hung back to watch the exchange between the two women in silence. Zett scuttled over to his Master's side and joined him in watching.
"Hello Melee, I didn't think that you would be coming by today," Mrs. Skywalker smiled.
"I wasn't plan on it, actually," Melee grinned, "but I was asked a favor that I just couldn't turn down."
"Oh?" Mrs. Skywalker raised a questioning eyebrow.
Melee's grin only widened and she nodded towards Master Anakin.
Mrs. Skywalker glanced over at Master Anakin and her jaw dropped. "Ani?"
"Hi mom," Master Anakin waved sheepishly.
"Ani!" She hurried over and embraced him. "Oh, I was starting to think that you wouldn't be coming back!"
"Aw mom," Master Anakin sighed, hugging her back. "Of course I was going to come back!"
"But you were away for so long…" Mrs. Skywalker backed off a bit. "Let me take a look at you."
"I don't look any different than I did before," Master Anakin grumbled, but let his mother examine him anyway.
"Yes, you do." His mother insisted, fussing a bit with his hair.
Master Anakin sighed and batted his mother's hands away from his head. "Mom, my hair's fine, leave it alone."
"Alright," Mrs. Skywalker let her hands fall to her sides. She gave him one last look-over and smiled. "It's good to see you again, Ani." She hugged him again. "Welcome home."
"It's good to see you too, mom." Master Anakin gave a half-grin.
Mrs. Skywalker released him and finally seemed to notice Zett standing in his shadow. "Oh my goodness, look at you!"
"What about me?" Zett blinked nervously.
"You look so different I can hardly recognize you," Mrs. Skywalker marveled. "I think you've grown at least three inches! And you're hair…"
"Um, thanks?" Zett replied hesitantly.
"You're welcome," she smiled. "Now why don't you all follow me inside and I'll get you something to drink?"
"Sounds good to me," Master Anakin smiled.
"Do snacks come with the drinks?" Melee asked.
"Of course, dear." Mrs. Skywalker replied as she headed inside.
"Excellent!" Melee cheered.
Master Anakin rolled his eyes at Melee when she wasn't looking and walked after her and his mother. Zett followed his Master, eager to get out of the blazing double sunlight. And drinks and snacks sounded really good after hours of tagging along with Melee on her delivery route.
Master Anakin's sister-in-law, Beru, was already in the kitchen when they came in. She was quite startled to see the surprise guests, but quickly recovered and hastily worked to make them comfortable. In short order, everyone had glasses of some sort of pinkish fruit juice and strips of Bantha jerky and all were sitting around the kitchen table.
"So, Anakin, where have you been?" Beru asked quietly.
"Oh, here and there…and everywhere," Master Anakin teased.
"Sounds exciting," Melee smiled an odd sort of smile that made Master Anakin look decidedly nervous.
"Not really…" Master Anakin replied slowly. "Hey mom, did I get any mail?"
"No…wait," Mrs. Skywalker paused thoughtfully. "Actually, I think that you did. Let me check." She got up and left.
"Mail? Who would you get mail from?" Melee asked.
"Outlander friends," Master Anakin answered vaguely.
"Like who?" Melee frowned.
"No one you'd know," Master Anakin shrugged.
"Ani," Melee pouted, "stop being so d—"
"You did get mail," Mrs. Skywalker reappeared and held out a small holo-disk to Master Anakin. "It came a few weeks after you left."
"I have terrible timing," Master Anakin sighed and took the disk. "Where's my Astromech? I want to check this out."
"It should be in the garage," Mrs. Skywalker replied after a moment's thought.
"Thanks, mom." Master Anakin grinned and left the table. "I'll be right back."
Melee pouted some more once Master Anakin had vanished from the kitchen. "Why won't he answer my questions?"
"Don't worry, dear," Mrs. Skywalker patted Melee's arm. "He's been rather secretive with everyone since he was bought and taken off-planet."
"But why?" Melee complained. "It's not like we're strangers or anything."
"Just give him a little time," Mrs. Skywalker suggested, "he'll open up when he gets comfortable."
"Why wouldn't he be comfortable?" Melee frowned. "This is his home."
"No it's not. Not anymore," Beru said softly. "He grew up far away from here."
"But he was born here," Melee argued. "It is his home."
"He was never happy on Tatooine, dear," Mrs. Skywalker sighed. "Ani was made for the stars, for far distant places, not for here."
Melee looked rather distressed at hearing this. "But you're here, you're his family. Doesn't he want to be with you?"
"He does," Mrs. Skywalker nodded. "But only for visits. Perhaps if we lived on some other planet, he'd be more inclined to stay. But Tatooine just makes him restless and drives him away. When we're gone, I doubt that he'll ever come back."
"Oh," Melee sighed miserably.
"Don't worry, I think we'll be around for a while, so he'll still come back for visits." Mrs. Skywalker assured her with a warm smile. "Now tell me, how is the delivery business going?"
As the three women launched into a completely different conversation, Zett kept his mouth shut and did his best to blend into the tan wall behind him. He felt quite small, trapped in a room with three adult women without his Master present. And while he waited for his Master to return, he wondered just what sort of message Master Anakin had received.
Whatever it is, it must be long or important…or both, Zett mused. He's still away listening to it…
Anakin took the disk into the garage and looked around for Petey. The squat, little, green Astromech wasn't immediately visible in the gloomy clutter, so he had to do a little searching. After poking around his stored Eta-2 starfighter, the two family landspeeders, and a few crates of replacement 'vaporator parts, he finally located his mechanical pal plugged into a corner outlet and dozing.
"Hey, Petey!" He thumped the droid on its sensor dome. "Wake up!"
R4-P44's lights blinked on and the droid chattered in surprise.
"Hi there, how are you?" He asked.
Petey let out a long string of electronic chirps and whistles that Anakin took to mean "pretty good."
"Great," Anakin smiled. "Could you do me a favor and play this for me?" He asked, holding out the disk.
The green-trimmed Astromech warbled an affirmative and took the disk with one of its more delicate arms. It fed the small disk into a slot just beneath the sensor dome. For a few minutes it processed the information, and then its little holo-projector winked on and an image of a person began to form.
Anakin's legs suddenly didn't want to work. He slumped to the sandy garage floor and stared open-mouthed at the image that had taken shape. The person was small, only a few inches high, but the quality was high, it was even in color. And it was Padmé.
She wore a simple, dull blue dress; the Japor necklace that he'd given her; and a stern, Senatorial expression on her face. And, oddly, she didn't look pregnant, which was impossible. When she had died, she hadn't given birth, so if this recording was made recently—
"Anakin, hopefully this message reaches you quickly," she began. "By now I'm sure that you've heard the reports of my death at the hands of traitorous Jedi. That is a lie, of course. Bail Organa of Alderaan was kind enough to assist me in staging my death, and I'm sure you can guess why." She paused and bit her lip. "Encoded on this disk are coordinates that will lead you to me. Please come as soon as you can. I need your help…"
Padmé's holographic image froze and then dissolved.
Anakin stared at the spot where her image had been for a long time. His mind raced along a million twisting paths that led to nowhere. He tried to speak, but no words came for many lengthy minutes. Finally, though, he found his voice.
"Petey…replay."