19/01/10 - edited version

Chapter 5

"You did what?" Qui-Gon stood on the terrace of Shmi Skywalker's house, looking incredulously at Obi-Wan. After his arrival, he had been eager to know why his former apprentice was here, and they had left Padmé, Jar Jar and R2D2, the astromech droid, in the kitchen with Shmi. Obi-Wan had just finished his tale, and Qui-Gon wasn't able to believe what he had heard. Not only had the Knight defied the Council but he also seemed to have gone completely insane, driven by a certainty that made Qui-Gon shiver.

Obi-Wan didn't back away at Qui-Gon's stern tone. "How would you have solved the problem of getting a hyperdrive otherwise?" he answered in a calm tone. "I had to think of a solution, hadn't I?"

"And there was no other solution than that? You could at least have waited until we would have been able to work something out. Force, you weren't even sure that we would arrive, Obi-Wan."

"I was sure about that, Qui-Gon. Why should the Force have led me here otherwise? I did what I felt was right," Obi-Wan replied firmly, his certainty about his course of action evident.

Qui-Gon shook his head. "Then tell me, my former Padawan, how will this deal be carried out?"

"Tomorrow is Boonta Eve. The people on Tatooine are celebrating it with public games. One of these games is a sword fight. Everyone can participate if he is able to pay the entry fee. As I told you before, I volunteered to fight against the recent champion. If I am able to defeat him, we will be able to pay the parts for your ship. Watto gets what will be left after paying the parts because he is the one who will pay the fee. Actually, he was thrilled by the prospect. There is no one else who dares to challenge the champion besides me. So the bets are going to be high."

"Obi-Wan, this doesn't work. No one will agree to fight against a Jedi," Qui-Gon replied, shaking his head in disbelief.

"That's why I agreed to wear a Force inhibitor. That's the point. The bets are going up if people see that a Jedi is fighting without the Force."

"Are you completely insane? A Force inhibitor? What happens if you lose?" Qui-Gon asked with wide eyes.

"I won't lose, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan said firmly. "But I have an amount of money here, and you are going to bet on the champion. If I lose, you will take this money to pay for the hyperdrive. As for Watto. . ." The young man swallowed, and Qui-Gon could see a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "He insisted on having security in case I lose the fight. He is going to spend a lot of money on the entry. So I agreed to stay here and work for him until my debt is paid."

At these words, Qui-Gon's face went pale. "Stay here? Work for him? I can't believe you did that, Obi-Wan. What if this really happens? You could be stuck here for a long, long time."

Obi-Wan cringed at this. "Yes, but it is better I am stuck and that you can leave. There is more at stake than me, Qui-Gon. You have to bring Padmé to Coruscant. We both know that. Or do you think we would be able to travel by the mess of a ship, in which I arrived here? It was almost too small for me alone."

Once more Qui-Gon shook his head. "Never in my life would I have thought about making a decision like that. Placing our destiny as a bet in a challenge. . . ." He swallowed, and then he frowned. "Obi-Wan, how did you come up with such an idea?" As he looked into Obi-Wan's eyes, he saw sadness shimmering in them and knew instantly that another memory was haunting him.

"I thought, it would be better to take the matter into my own hands this time," the Knight replied flatly. "And you would have been able to think of an even bolder plan than that in my situation, believe me."

Qui-Gon felt a lump forming in his throat. Knowing well that Obi-Wan was referring to his former life, he asked, "What did I do?"

Obi-Wan showed a wan smile. "You. . . I mean he. . ." he stuttered. ". . . placed a bet on Anakin in a podrace."

Defeated Qui-Gon sank down onto the little bench on the terrace. Sometimes he asked himself what had happened to the Qui-Gon Jinn in Obi-Wan's former life. He couldn't imagine that he would be able to act like that. So, it had been him who had found Anakin in the Knight's former life, evidently much too late to bring the boy to the Temple for proper training.

"I did?" he asked in a soft tone. "So he was still a slave at this age then? But how did he end up in the Temple if this is true?"

"You made another bet. You did it to free him. You were convinced he was the Chosen One, that it was the will of the Force that you found him." Obi-Wan replied, and the bitterness in his voice made Qui-Gon shiver.

He knew he should have asked what had happened then, but deep down in his heart, he was sure he wasn't ready to cope with the answer. So he just nodded with acceptance. Yes, he would have done everything possible if he had been convinced that finding the boy was the will of the Force. He had no doubt about that.

"Naboo is still surrounded by the blockade, Master Yoda," the shimmering blue form of Master Dooku said. "And there is no trace of Qui-Gon and Mace. I would be able to break through the lines of the Trade Federation without being detected though."

Master Yoda sat in his quarters as always when he received a transmission from Dooku. But this time he wished he had a confidant in the Temple other than Mace Windu. The decision he had to make involved considerable risk, the risk of losing another Jedi. But if he ordered Dooku to leave, the chance of getting news about Qui-Gon and Mace would be lost.

Thoughtfully, he shook his head. "Great care you must take when going to Naboo, my former Padawan," he said. "If the Sith are involved in this, no one will be able to protect you there. All transmissions to the planet we lost a while ago."

Dooku nodded. "I am aware of that, Master, but I think it's the only possibility to get any knowledge of what has happened there. If Mace and Qui-Gon got captured, I would be able to free them."

"No order from the Chancellor we have to investigate further on Naboo," the diminutive Master replied.

"For one thing, we are allowed to act if another Jedi is in danger and for another thing, I am used to working underground. I am able to hide better than any other Jedi."

Nodding the Master sighed. "Go then you will, Dooku. Try to contact us you must after you've found out what happened."

Dooku bowed respectfully. "Yes, Master."

"May the Force be with you, my former Padawan," Yoda said in a solemn tone and the transmission ended.

After the evening meal, Qui-Gon had left to place his bet, and Obi-Wan sat once more on the terrace, trying to concentrate on the upcoming fight. He knew it was a risk to participate in a swordfight without the Force, but he was confident that he would be able to defeat his opponent. Qui-Gon had accepted his plan after their conversation before, and he felt relieved that the Master hadn't insisted on knowing more about Obi-Wan's former experience on Tatooine.

Now that he was back in the same situation, he felt that he hadn't released his feelings about it into the Force in his former life. After Qui-Gon's death, he had merely buried them. The hurt about Qui-Gon's behavior was still there, the pain of being shoved away after years of friendship. He was able to feel it like he had felt it back then in the Council chamber when Qui-Gon had declared Anakin as his Padawan-learner. He was well aware that he had to sort this out now. He couldn't waste another life with buried feelings. He had to admit to himself that he hadn't opened his heart fully to the young boy, Anakin, back then, because he had feared to get hurt once more.

He took a deep breath. This time he wouldn't make the same mistakes. This time he already had changed the path. There was no Anakin to free. The boy was already in the Temple getting all the education that was necessary. The only problem that remained was Shmi Skywalker. Obi-Wan wasn't able to fight the feeling that the Force had brought him to her for a reason. But he wasn't able to find a solution to get her freedom. Any option available was placed on Qui-Gon and Padmé's situation. Padmé had to get to Coruscant; there was no alternative to that. It made him almost desperate to see Shmi's solitude and not being able to help.

He felt Padmé approaching and looked up with a warm smile on his face. She smiled back and sat down beside him.

"Now, my friend," she began. "Won't you tell me, why you are here?"

He chuckled at her teasing tone. Yes, it must have been a surprise for her that he had awaited them here on Tatooine. "I'd say the easiest explanation would be that the Force led me here, don't you think?" he replied with a wink.

She nodded, but her face didn't mirror his amusement. "Yes, that would be the easiest one, but I don't believe it is as simple as that. Qui-Gon told me something about you having your own ways of knowing things. . ." she smiled wanly. "Something tells me that there is more, but you aren't willing to tell me."

He laughed and took her hand in his. "My dear Padmé, you are way too perceptive. Yes," he nodded. "There are things we can't tell you. It's a Jedi thing you know." Now his eyes were full of amusement, and he saw her swallow at his look.

"Okay, Obi-Wan, I know you and your Jedi things too well to persist. But you have to accept that I want to know everything concerning the situation on my planet."

He became serious. "Believe me Padmé, I won't hide any information you need to help your people. But there are things I can't share with you now."

She nodded with acceptance and looked up into the starlit sky. The Knight saw the sadness in her eyes and squeezed her hand sending her soothing energy through the Force. "I'll do anything possible to help you and your people, Padmé, you know that, don't you?"

Her gaze turned towards him. "Yes, Obi-Wan, I am sure about that. But the plan that you and Qui-Gon have presented to me seems to involve high risk. . . ."

He shook his head. "No risk for you, Padmé. No matter how the fight will be ending tomorrow. You are going to leave for Coruscant. That's more than. . ." he bit his lip and stopped speaking.

'No. . .' he thought. 'I can't tell her about the situation in my former life,' he scolded himself.

"More than I should have expected when we landed here," she finished his sentence with a thoughtful look. Obi-Wan sighed in relief that she didn't suspect any other meaning in his words. "But," she continued, "the risk is yours. If your plan fails, you will be stuck here until someone pays your debt or until you have worked enough for it. I can't stand the thought of you being here, living like a slave."

He sensed the sincerity of her worries for him in the Force, and it gave him a warm feeling. This friendship was one of the things he was most grateful for. He had neglected her role in his life before, and he wouldn't make that mistake again. By the time when she and Anakin would be together, living their love, he would be there as a friend for both. He wanted them to confide in him if there were any problems. But that was not the critical issue for now. Now he had to tell her something before it would be too late.

"Padmé," he began, and his voice trembled a little. "I have to speak to you about Palpatine." She looked back to him with puzzlement, and he swallowed. Then he continued, "If I lose tomorrow, this will be my only possibility to tell you that. It's important, so don't let your worries for me distract you. You are responsible for your people, but you also have responsibility for the development of the Galaxy. This conflict on Naboo is more than a conflict between the Trade Federation and you. I can't tell you more, but you have to trust me." He looked up and saw that she was listening carefully. "Do you remember about your distrust towards Palpatine during the elections for the Galactic Senate?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes, but since then he has proved to be a reliable ally."

He sighed and squeezed her hand once more. "I thought that. But please Padmé, when you get to Coruscant you have to trust your instincts. Do everything you need to do to save your people but. . ." his voice trailed off, and he searched for the right words. "Don't forget that Chancellor Valorum isn't your enemy. He has his problems in the Senate. But don't trust anyone who makes you believe another Chancellor would do better than him."

Her eyes widened, and he saw that she contemplated the meaning of his words. He knew she was able to decipher them and waited patiently for her response. "I won't do anything to damage Chancellor Valorum's role in the Galaxy if that is what you tell me," she said firmly.

He nodded gratefully. She had understood, and this had to be enough for the moment. He had to trust that she would remember his words when the time came.

"They are on Tatooine," Palpatine said to the hologram of Darth Maul. "Go there and capture the Queen. If you have the occasion, kill Qui-Gon Jinn and Mace Windu. But. . ." he paused to emphasize his next words. "Don't do any harm to Jedi Kenobi. I want him alive. Bring him to me for interrogation. The Queen has to be transported back to Naboo, where you will hand her over into the custody of Viceroy Gunray. Do you understand?"

The Zabrak bowed with respect toward his Master. "It will be done as you wish, My lord," he said and the hologram faded.

Palpatine smiled when he turned around and looked out of the window in the direction of the Jedi Temple. 'You won't stand any chance against me, you pitiful Jedi,' he thought to himself. 'The Galaxy will be mine, and Obi-Wan Kenobi will be ruling it with me. He will be the face of the Sith, the one who wins the heart of the people. Everything is going as planned. . . .'

As Qui-Gon returned to Shmi Skywalker's house, he first checked on his former apprentice, who seemed to be in a deep conversation with Padmé. He smiled to himself when he remembered Padmé's joy at seeing Obi-Wan again. The young Queen surely had a soft spot for his former Padawan. Jar Jar was already sleeping, and Shmi was sitting in the kitchen with an absent look in her eyes. Qui-Gon had sensed her loneliness, and during the meal, he had come to the conclusion that there was only one thing to help her. Obi-Wan had mentioned a farmer, who seemed to be in love with Shmi, and he had regretted that he wasn't able to free her and give her a possibility to live with this man.

Qui-Gon was sure that the Knight wouldn't approve if he got to know what his former Master had done. But he wasn't able to ignore how sad Anakin's mother was. He had known that he needed to do something about her situation. He had gambled with Watto. He had done exactly the thing for which he had reprimanded Obi-Wan a few hours ago. If Obi-Wan won, Watto would free Shmi. But if he didn't, Qui-Gon would lose their ship. He would miss their only chance to leave Tatooine. And suddenly he wasn't able to blame his former Padawan for his recklessness anymore. He had been sure that it was the will of the Force to do it and he had done it. No one could have stopped him, and the same applied for Obi-Wan's actions.

For a short moment he thought about telling Obi-Wan what he had done, but he dismissed the thought instantly. It would put even more pressure on the young man. The Knight had to concentrate on the upcoming fight. To deny him the security that everything would work out no matter what the outcome would be wasn't an option. He also had dismissed the thought of telling Mace about everything. He merely had informed his friend that they would have a new hyperdrive by tomorrow. He hadn't even told him about Obi-Wan's presence, knowing well that Mace wouldn't accept it lightly.

He entered the kitchen and Shmi greeted him with a warm smile. He knew that she wanted to get more information about Anakin and his development and he was happy to fulfill that wish for her. He would talk to her before meditating and going to be to prepare for an important day.