Chapter 10: A Choice of Freedom

The next few hours passed in a blur, and if someone was to ask Zarya what happened, she wouldn't know what to answer. She felt as if she was living in a dream (or maybe it was a nightmare?) in which she had no control, and panic kept clouding her thoughts. She kept on the sidelines while an all too familiar scenario played before her, almost completely identical to the movie. The small changes she managed to observe were, funnily enough, not caused by her but by Anakin. Even if it was only small details in his dialogue, she couldn't help but wonder if it was her that caused this change in him, or if it was simply because it was not simply a movie anymore, but real life with real people who didn't memorize pre-written lines. She didn't know yet if she liked to have knowledge of what was to come, or if it terrorized her.

Now, a day after it was agreed Anakin would race to win the money their guests needed to get out of this planet, she was sitting next to him on a rusted box while he worked on his speeder along with a nearly finished C3P0, Jar Jar (Was he truly helping though?) and a wandering R2-D2, passing him the tools he needed before he could even ask. He didn't bother thanking her every time, instead preferring to share his gratitude through the bond, practicing their inner communication. Despite keeping an eye on him and his current task, she kept most of her attention on the Jedi, watching from the corner of her eyes as he spoke in his comlink, probably to Obi-Wan or someone else back on the ship.

She knew the basics of the coming conversation between him and Shmi, and its importance in sealing Anakin's fate to become a Jedi, and she still didn't know if she should interfere. Could she try to deviate the conversation and make him think Anakin was just an ordinary child? It was probably too late for that; the kid was too selfless, talented and strong with the force for his own good. Already he had more facility than her when it came to communicating through their link, managing to share images with her without much difficulty along with his emotions, while she had to concentrate pretty hard. Plus, even if it was possible to fool Qui-Gon, she didn't want to steal her friend's dream from him. Ever since their first conversation about the force and what bound them together, he couldn't help dreaming about becoming a Jedi and save countless people all across the galaxy.

Maybe she could still hide the fact he was the chosen one, to avoid him all this pressure. But how?

"You should stop worrying so loudly, everything's going to be alright," Anakin told her with a comforting smile, deviating her attention from the tall man a few meters away. "It's not the first time I've raced, if you remember."

Zarya frowned at him. "I do remember, and it doesn't reassure me." Because it wasn't what she was worried about. "Seeing you getting thrown around in a broken speeder isn't exactly my idea of fun, or safe."

"It won't break this time! You'll see, Sebulba won't be able to take me by surprise again," he retorted with a confident nod.

"Sure, Ani."

"Why did you say that sarcastically?"

"If I had to guess," intervened C3P0, "I would say she is unconvinced of this 'Sebulba' person's integrity, and believes he will do it again."

Zarya did not regret adding people comprehension to that droid's programming. At least this time, he should be less troublesome by finally being able to comprehend emotions and all other form of communications outside of only languages.

He pouted to C3PO for a second, before turning back to her. "Well, at least I have you to look out after me, right?" He grinned. "As long as you don't reprogram one of his repair droids to whack him every time he passes by it again. That poor droid is probably scrap metal by now."

"Worth it."

"I shouldn't have thought you how to do that, I can see that now."

Zarya smirked. "Too late, I'll never forget."

"Are you feeling better now? You know I'm gonna win this time, right?"

Realizing he had successfully distracted her, she looked back at Qui-Gon, now accompanied by Shmi as they looked at the two children.

"I know."

Before he could make another remark, giggles could be heard as a gaggle of kids ran towards them, greeting them both and encircling the speeder. Wald, the clumsy Rodian, jumped on the box Zarya was sitting on, accidently kicking her in the thigh. She got up with a wince, moving away to stand next to Anakin and making a vague hand gesture towards the alien before he could apologize, as she was sure he was about to do by his guilty expression and remorseful aura.

She had nothing against him, really, but she kept expecting to see Novi each time he was near, the two were so similar in how shy they sometimes acted. Also, he kept accidentally hitting, pushing or kicking people around him by tripping on his own feet, so keeping slightly away from him was wiser, really.

"Wow, a real astrodroïd!" Exclaimed Kitster, a brown-haired boy and one of Anakin's closest friend. R2 beeped excitedly at the children's attention. "How did you get so lucky?"

"Oh, its not ours. We're sheltering travelers until they're able to leave," answered Zarya before Anakin could. "But that's not the best part. Anakin here is going to participate in the Boonta Race tomorrow." Said boy smiled with a blush when his audience looked at him in surprise. She smirked. "That is, if he manages to make that heap of junk function."

"It will!" he exclaimed while shoving her mockingly. Kitster looked at the grey speeder doubtfully. "You'll see! That speeder will finish the race this time."

While the group of friends each voiced their concerns, Zarya went around the vehicle to retrieve the paint cans and brushes when she felt Ani's displeasure at the derogatory comments thrown at his creation. In her memory, it looked way better when it was colored then in this gray stage. When she came back, the kids minus Kitster had left, Qui-Gon and Padme replacing them while Jar Jar had his hand stuck in one of the speeder's engine. Anakin was sitting in his pod racer, preparing for the first test. Being the first to notice the Nubian's position (mostly because she vaguely remembered this happening), she placed the heavy paint cans on the floor a few feet away, and helped him get his hand out before he could lose it.

They managed to free him just as everyone was moving away, and she dragged him with the others, offering an exasperated smile at his mispronounced 'thank you' (he got struck by the purple energy beam between the engines, didn't he?).

Barely a minute later, as Anakin was shouting in joy at his success over the vehicle's loud engines, Zarya could only look with a sad smile at Shmi. Even from over here, she could sense how proud and scared the mother was, and she found herself sharing those sentiments just as much as she felt her friend's elation as her own.

(( ))

"Zarya, go prepare for bed, will you? I'll get Ani to join you in a minute."

"Sure thing!"

As Shmi left to do so, the young girl changed out of her sand colored tunic for the oversized one she had stolen from the merchant ship she and her friends escaped in. She unbraided her reddish hair distractedly, moving towards the bedroom's entrance. She hesitated on what to do. On one hand, she could still confront Qui-Gon. On the other, she could try and keep the story as close to the original as possible, in the hopes of knowing what was to come for longer. But if she kept waiting, when would be the right time to act? When the train wreck that was the war was in full swing? When Anakin was planets away, brainwashed by the Sith and on the verge of becoming one? Or right now, when the ball just started to roll and had yet to destroy everything in its path?

Before she lost her courage, she silently left their shared room, sneaking past Anakin and Shmi with practiced ease, reaching the back door where the Jedi was sitting outside, looking at the stars alone.

"I was wondering when you would come to me."

Zarya jumped at his voice, not expecting him to be the one to start this conversation. Given he was an experienced force sensitive; she probably should've expected his awareness of her presence, and even her own abilities.

With a sigh, she forced her shoulders to relax from their tense position and went next to him, leaning her crossed forearms on the ledge. Closing her eyes, she focused on her surroundings, stretching her senses to brush slightly against his own presence, trying to avoid gaining his attention.

Since she rarely did this in the past, she didn't know how successful she was in being discreet, but she refused to go in this conversation without being on more even fields. That way, she could vaguely feel his current emotions, without the invasion of his thoughts.

"You and I have barely talked, yet I already gathered that you are very close to Anakin, despite not being actual siblings. Shmi told me you've been here for about a year?"

He was keeping his emotions tightly in control, she barely felt a trickle of curiosity leave his grip and brush against her own presence. The more she focused on it, the more she saw it as an encouragement to share information with him. She opened her eyes when she realized she wouldn't get anything else from him than what he wants her to get. If he was going to play it this way, she wouldn't make it easy for him.

"Something like that."

"It's a very short time to know someone as well as you both know each other. Sometimes, I could swear you can read each other's mind."

Zarya leaned backwards, stopping herself as soon as she realized she was moving. By the way he was now looking at her, he'd noticed her discomfort.

"That sounds crazy. No one can do that, right?"

"Sometimes, crazy is the most probable explanation. Nothing is truly impossible, especially for a Jedi."

She looked towards him, confused. What was he looking for? A proof? Surely, he knew by now about Anakin's midi-chlorian count, and by extension, should have suspicions about her own. (Most likely, hers wasn't that high, but still…)

"I am not a Jedi."

"You could be one." She abruptly looked back at the horizon, looking at nothing in particular. Qui-Gon was observing her carefully now. "If you want to, that is. From what I've gathered you're not as limited in your movements as your friend and his mother."

With a grimace, she lightly touched the side of her head, were she believes is planted her own kind of prison.

"That doesn't mean I'm free. And even if I was, I wouldn't leave them behind. They're my family, you know? After taking me in and all that…"

"I understand," he replied with a nod of his head. "And if everything goes right, they will come too." Finally, he stopped turning around the subject he wanted to get to. "Zarya, you have a connection with Anakin I haven't encountered even once in my life. Should you choose to, you and Anakin could come back to Coruscant with me to be trained. Not only would you both be free, but you could also help so many people with your abilities. You only need to accept. I'll make sure the boy and his mother come with us."

At this moment, she could tell him how everything could go wrong should things play out as she knows them. She could tell him how his council won't ever accept Anakin completely, that he was too old. She could argue how being a Jedi was not being free. She could warn him about so many threats that will arise, Anakin being one.

How they won't truly be Jedi, but Generals in a war that will tear the galaxy to pieces.

You should stop worrying so loudly, everything's going to be alright.

But none of this had happened yet. And as long as she had her friend, her brother by her side…they could change things.

Maybe that kid knew more than he let on after all.

A feeling of hope and anticipation built in her, and she knew by instinct that it was not hers, exactly, but a push to go in a certain direction. She was almost tempted to do the opposite, to spit on the will of the Force that kept meddling in her life, but she thought better of it. This wasn't just about her, after all.

Steeling her mind, she looked back at him, her decision made.

"If you can free them both, I'll come with you to become a Jedi."

He gave a fond smile. "Then I guess we have a deal, young one."

"Why did you feel the need to ask me anyway?" She felt the need to ask. "I'm just a kid, wouldn't you assume I'd love to go away from this planet, have adventures and wave a light saber around?"

Smile unfaltering, he raised a brow at her. "From the moment I saw you, I knew you weren't just a child, and it would be unwise to assume anything."

"What gave you that idea?"

"I don't know yet. I guess I'll have to find out."

She then abruptly decided to look him straight in the eye, something she hasn't done with anyone but Anakin in years. Without any barrier or buffer, she felt his hope, heard his fears and saw his determination. When she looked directly at his soul, she knew that he would do everything in his power to do right by them. And at the front of his thoughts, one phrase, not of his own making, was repeating in his mind.

They are the ones that will save this galaxy.

Funnily enough, he didn't seem to understand what this meant either.

(( ))

The day after, Zarya, Anakin, Padme, Shmi and Kitster went to the stadium where the race would take place on the back of eopies, which reminded Zarya vaguely of camels. As soon as the animals laid down to help them get off, Watto flew to them, talking to Anakin in Hutesse.

"Bonapa keesa. Tolpa da bunky na booty cha naga o wanna meete chobodda."

Better stop your friend's betting or I'll end up owning him, too.

He didn't linger, cackling as he went away to who knows where as Anakin glared at him. Zarya shared her excitement (anxiety) to him, making him forget his annoyance at his owner in favor of his own anticipation for the event. She let him ask Qui-Gon about the Toydarien's weird behavior, too lost in her head to pay much attention.

Qui-Gon had just entered Anakin in the race with his speeder, and his freedom as well as hers was on the line. She shared a knowing look with Ani, matching grins on their lips.

Game on.

(

Why, what could they possibly have planned for this race? I guess we'll find out in the next chapter! ... Hopefully soon enough.

Thank you to Mads-ChikiStorm, thatfanboi and that one guest for the reviews! Also, I gained so many followers since the last chapter, you guys are awesome!

Until next time!

-Maginary

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