After loading the racing pod the next morning it was a mad rush to get things ready. All of Anakin's friends showed up to walk with for a while and only Kitster and Wald remained. Threepio was off to the side talking strangely with Teefive.

"Oh my! Space travel sounds rather perilous. I can assure you they will never get me onto one of those dreadful starships!" The other droid beeps some more. I really need to understand binary if it is possible. I turn to Anakin as his friend starts to speak.

"This is so wizard! I'm sure you'll do it this time, Annie." I suddenly feel a lot more worried than before, but I shake it off as my feeling in the Force was strong last night as I meditated. I needed clarification.

"Do what?"

"Finish the race, of course!"

"You've never won a race?" I had a strange feeling this had been the truth all along, but it was not fact until this point. Now I knew why Watto.

"Well...not exactly..."

"Not even finished?!"

"But Kitster's right, I will this time."

"Of course you will." I giggled as the Force washed over me. This was not a time to sow doubt. "Anakin will win. He will probably break the track record."

The loud speakers go off announcing information about the race which is hard to ignore as I turn to help finish putting the pod together. Once I looked up at the stands to see my first Hutt and the beast is huge, and to think they have no legs so they have to move like a worm. I almost wished I could get closer to see it move. Anakin is called out and the crowd is way louder as they cheer for him. I am hit by this wave of hope as Anakin gets a hug and kiss from his mother.

"Be safe."

"I will, Mom. I promise." Once she walks off he checks the cables again. I help as well as the droids move things out of the way. I switch my attention to Sebulba as he sneaks up to the pod. I move to stand right in front of him glaring down.

"Pushee of myo way."

"Nu sua bukle kia stiuo zudimas tu." I let him feel the meaning in the Force that I would enjoy killing him, and he quickly fled back to his racer. He tripped which was a near impossibility.

"What did you say to him? Never saw Sebulba move so fast."

"Doesn't matter. I think he wanted to do something to your engines and I stopped him."

"Thank you, as that is not the first time."

"Are you all set?" I ask as he gets into the pod. I help with his harness and make sure it is snug.

"Yes I am."

"Remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel, don't think. Trust your instincts as nothing else matters. May the Force bring you victory." I move off to the observation tower that Shmi is holding for me. Arnine, Threepio, Zerdy, and Teefive are already with her. The platform shoots up to give us one of the best views of the race stadium and the last leg of the course. A gong rings and I pull with the Force and smile as Sebulba's engines shake as the other racers take off. Anakin takes off with the other racers leaving a quad engine pod racer behind with Sebulba.

"Sebulba is not winning this one." Zerdy says with glee. It turned out to be true as he could not catch back up to the pack. His tricks were useless if he was in last place. Anakin won the race with nearly thirty seconds to spare. The feeling of shock and anger was over powered by the raw feeling of hope and the feelings of pride and joy. I was more than pleased as I watched Anakin and his friends celebrate. His mother was completely shocked. As was Watto. He lost a lot of money.

"What did you do? That racing pod is illegal."

"Watto there are no rules to the engine power levels. They only out law certain fuels as being to dangerous to be used near the public. That pod uses Tradium as most of the pods."

"You could have warned me."

"I did by telling you it was the fastest racing pod on the planet."

"Aak, whatever!"

"Watto, I get the impression that you are now a bit strapped for money?"

"What is it to you?"

"I will buy Anakin and Shmi from you."

"They are not for sale."

"Two hundred and fifty peggat."

"You don't have that money." I giggled and waved him to follow.

"The odd were 17 to 1 against Anakin winning. I bet plenty on him doing just that and he did win. This means I not only have the money to buy both of them but to buy you as well."

"I am not a slave."

"Not yet." Watto's eyes nearly closed as he looked me over.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I am saying take the money, buy or hire a few mechanics or technicians to replace the boy and you will never find out what I am trying to say." Watto thinks about it and groans as I am handed a large case. I pull out 500 peggat before handing it to him.

"I'll come to the shop later for their transmitters or whatever you call them."

Darth Maul growls as he calls back his probe droids. He just received a message from his master asking for him to return to his ship that his target was much faster getting their ship repaired. Though he did not mind watching the pod race. It was so few and far between where he could enjoy himself. Though the girl on the holo with how she was dressed and held herself told him she was much more than she was. He resisted his orders just so he could follow her back to her hanger. The one droid showed a ship with the name Ebon Hawk painted on the top. Then a lightsaber sudden flickered on the screen just before the probe droid failed. The blade was a dull red and bright yellow.

Later he was back in his Scimitar. He went down on his knees as he turned on the holocom. This signaled that he was available to hear from his master. Sometimes he would have to wait for hours, but this time it was nearly instant.

"Darth Maul your target escaped you much sooner than you arrived."

"Do you still want me to kill her."

"If the opportunity arises yes, but she may still be captured and forced to sign a treaty with the Trade Federation. After today she means nothing to me and is no longer needed."

"What did she do? I feel your anger." Darth Sidious took a moment before speaking again.

"I suggested a vote of no confidence, but the girl called on an old treaty that the Republic has to send a fleet to investigate and drive out or destroy any ships they find as the Naboo does not have the means to do it themselves. She threatened if this goes to committee or is deferred that Naboo would secede from the Republic."

"I do not understand politics."

"Sadly I wish you did. If she did this then I would no longer be a Senator. The Grand Plan would have been set back decades. Luckily another senator called for a vote of no confidence before they could vote to send a fleet. Though I do not think I can prevent a fleet from being sent. She is going back to Naboo I am sure. You must prevent Nute Gunray from abandoning Naboo and make sure she is captured and signs a treaty before the Judicial fleet is sent."

"I will not fail, my master."

"May you gain Victory."

The sun was setting and the last rays of sun shine were still warming the towers of the Jedi Temple. Qui Gon came back to the council chambers after his research failed to mention anyone with the last name of Lour let alone Jenica. What had surprised him was the meaning of her name. Lour was an old word for being Sullen. Further her first name could be broken into parts. Jen was dark in Kittât and ika was a term used for a child or small, but naming your daughter Darkling was what came first. Little shadow filled with sullenness. No it made no sense that he could think of. He was just upset that he had not pursued the boy. He had felt so strong in the Force and he found out he won the Boonta Eve Podrace today. The first human ever to win a race. He entered the chamber seeing only Master Yoda and Mace Windu there.

"Masters."

"Stand or sit down."

"Where are the rest of the council?"

"They have retired for the day."

"But will they not want to hear what I have found out?"

"Found nothing you have. Knew this I did. However, her features identified I have. Red Sith in her blood she carries."

"She is a Sith?"

"Did she ever feel dark?"

"No she felt like any Jedi who remained open to the Force, but I can not let a possible hidden meaning of her name go."

"Master Qui Gon Jenica means Little Darkness her family name means Sullen. However, Dromund Kaas is a tribal planet and the name Jenica is given to a scavenger that hunts for tools in the darkness of their forests."

"So she is Sith, but light side."

"Deceptive the dark side is. Cautious you must be. Protect the Queen further you will. With you, Master Fisto will go. Go after this girl Obi Wan will. His trial this will be."

"You see he is ready?"

"He is and it is long over due, but you have been such a good team we did not feel it needed to end. Go may the Force be with you."

In the Naboo Palace Nute Gunray and Rune stand before a hologram that just appeared. They bow their heads to show allegiance. Before Darth Sidious speaks he looks them over giving both of them chills.

"The Queen is on her way to you. I regret she is of no further use to us. When she gets there, destroy her."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Viceroy, is the planet secure?"

"Yes, my Lord, we have taken over the last pockets of primitive life forms. We are in complete control of the planet now."

"Good. I will see to it that in the Senate, things stay as they are. I am sending Darth Maul to join you. He will deal with any Jedi."

"Yes, my Lord." The image winks out as the blue aura fades.

"A Sith lord here with us?!"

"Better than Sidious I am sure. Increase the patrols of the city and up in orbit." Rune relayed the order as both the Neimoidians left the communication suite.

We finished up loading a few supplies the racing pod and the meager belongings that Anakin and Shmi had. Here implant had been removed and a bacta patch rested against her neck. I used Watto's fear to get some nice discounts on parts that would be great for the ship and as I left I shoved him hard against the wall and watched him fall to the floor. Anakin was a hero to everyone he passed. I had taken the both of them to the fanciest clothing store in Mos Espa to replace their rags.

Anakin had a spacer's black body glove, boots and gloves to go with his loose fitting black pants and silver long sleeve tunic and blue vest. Shmi was no longer in her gray homespun clothing as she also wore a spacer's body glove, boots, and gloves that she had on her belt. The white body glove was covered by Maroon skirt and a light tan jacket designed by Qi'ra with a large open collar. Her discomfort came from the blaster I insisted she and Anakin now carry. That she would be practicing with the weapon the entire trip would make her even less comfortable. I had striped down to only my body glove and weapon belt once we returned to the ship. Anakin was full of a thousand questions that Arnine was happy to answer as we rose up into the air and rapidly left the planet and reached the Hyperspace Jump Point.

"Where are we traveling to my Mistress?"

"Naboo, I want to see this system that they were fleeing from."

"That is the planet Padme comes from?"

"Yes Anakin. The description says it is a planet full of plants and trees. Water that you could sink over your head into." The stars suddenly elongated as Shmi screamed and the images turned into the hypnotic kaleidoscope of shadow chaos that hyperspace consisted of. The windows blackened as armored shields dropped down in place.

"Whoa, that was cool, but why cover it?"

"The images you see can cause seizures to the point of madness. The only time they should be left visible is if a Force user is navigating via the Force."

"You can navigate a ship using the Force?"

"Anakin nothing is impossible with the Force. It is only limited by your imagination and strength. If you truly believed with all your mind, soul, and heart and had the ability to wield the power necessary you could travel from one planet to another through the Force."

"I can learn that?"

"You would be the first, but I have heard of calling say a small object to your hand from across a room instantly. Still, can't do it myself. Though I can move an object across a room with enough momentum to make you hand sting."

"I can learn that?"

"You can learn anything, but first you need to train. Both of you. Come." Anakin nearly ran around me in his excitement as Shmi calmly followed me to the cargo hold. I had several targets set up through the hold. I took Shmi's and then Anakin's blaster and set them for target practice.

"I though we would use laser swords?"

"Lightsabers would be too much for this small room. What you need to learn is how to aim and not be afraid to pull the trigger. The galaxy is not kind." I still had Shmi's blaster and within a few seconds I shot and hit the twenty different targets. I handed the weapon back and then taught Shmi how to hold, aim, breathe, and fire at a target. She hit about half of them the first time around. Anakin was a natural in using the Force to help him. Though I used a technique that fogged his ability and he started missing.

"Stop hindering me."

"Learn to stop me or learn correctly. You are not always going to be able to use the Force to assist you. Some times you just have to be normal."

"But I wasn't using the Force, was I?"

"Anakin the Force has always been a part of you. You just need to learn to feel it, but you will not fully understand marksmanship unless you stop using the Force. Now continue." Two hours later Anakin was hitting the targets and feeling bored in the Force. Shmi had also improved to hit the thirty centimeter circle targets every time. She had gone from feeling afraid to not feeling anything in the Force other than the worried calm she seemed to carry with her. Was that how a mother felt all the time? I had them take a break and then had Anakin work on his droid for a bit as I gave Shmi some more adult level pointers. I even had her shooting at me and the fear was back along with the fascination not a single shot touched me. Though most of her shots would miss anyway. Once she knew I would block she shot with more accuracy.

"Faster, don't think, shoot as fast as you can." She shot faster and faster until she was pulling the trigger as fast as the blaster would fire. Had I not been spinning my lightsaber in front of me I would be hit every time. Anakin came in ending her session and I had him shoot at me and he was deadly accurate with or without the Force.

"Good now I think I am hungry and you."

"I could eat a Bantha."

"Good idea." In thirty minutes we were all cleaned up and being served Bantha steaks. Anakin wolfed his food down in record time. Shmi ate slowly, but I could tell it was not to her liking. I would get Zerdy to give her a more vegetable based menu and for Anakin as well to very his intake of meat to the minimum until they were more used to it. It was not until nearly bed time before I sat them down.

"Meditation is a Force users way to refuel or recharge themselves. If you are a Jedi you slowly think on nothing. Everything that you do think of or feel you give over to the Force until your mind is calm. Then the Force will speak to you, guide you, heal you."

"As a Sith an emotional anchor is needed. Hate, fear, anger, greed is very useful. You shove these emotions into the Force and the Force gives it right back stronger than you did. This continues until the emotions you are giving the Force is the same strength as the Force gives back. There in lies the danger as the dark side will always multiple the emotion until nothing else can be felt. If you can not give as strongly as you receive you will fall, and the dark side will consume you."

"Now the balance is similar to the Jedi you give your emotions to the Force, but only after you let yourself feel those emotions to fill your being. When you share this emotion with the Force it will give you back only what you can handle. Like the Sith the goal is to increase your ability to handle the strength of the emotions. However, you are giving the Force all your emotions your love, compassion, and joy is strongest. Each has its purpose, each has its weakness, and each its strengths. I prefer the balance, you may prefer one of the others, but Anakin you will learn them all."

"How can I learn that?"

"First you will learn control. Without control you are like a water hose that is left to whip around. It can put out the fire, but it also does as much damage as the fire. Under your control the water is directed on top of the fire with the least amount of further damage."

"This is something that I do not think I can do."

"Shmi I do not think you can use the Force, but maybe you can. Plus this will help you understand what Anakin can do. I will teach you to fight. You are no longer a slave and you no longer have to be submissive unless you want to. As a slave you have only learned possession. You have only learned to obey and follow. You both need to learn how to give even if it is the clothing on your back. You are as much my family as you are family with each other. Together we can be stronger. Together we can learn to live without help or to help or receive help without losing our pride."

"Okay I will learn."

"Good cause you are going to learn more than cooking, cleaning, accounting and basic repair. I will teach you everything I can, the droids will teach you everything they can, and what we both don't know the holocrons will teach us."

"Holocrons?"

"Yes, they contain guides you will meet them if you are strong enough in the Force. Even you can see them Shmi. Your focus is your reality. If you believe you will see." I helped them meditate and the beginning of a bond opened between Anakin and I. I felt that in time even Shmi could connect with a bond. First she had to be exposed to the Force in a greater concentration and that is what meditating together would accomplish. She may never be strong enough to move something with the Force or strengthen her body, but it would open her up to feeling the Force if only slightly. Changing her mental beliefs and facts will be the hardest hurdle, unless she is Force sensitive, but only currently self blocked. I felt her love for her son to the point she was willing to never see him again as long as he grew up to be the Jedi he always dreamed to be.

Eventually I hoped one of the hours we would use to meditate was to push the Force into another. The healing Force was the easiest to pass to another and between Anakin and I Shmi would be able to feel the Force and with luck or the will of the Force she would be able to subconsciously pass on the healing waves we pushed inside of her. However, there was not enough time other than to get the training pattern started. Anakin suddenly slouched over as he fell asleep. This brought Shmi out of her meditation to tuck him into his bunk. Shmi finished with a kiss to his forehead before following me out. It was not until we had a cup of tea in hand that she worked up the nerve to speak.

"Mistress..."

"Jenica is my name and you neither serve me or are you my apprentice. I do not own you. Anakin freed you both. Consider me a tool that was instrumental in doing so."

"Jenica I am sorry..."

"No again. Shmi you have no reason to be sorry or to apologize. Apologizing serves three functions. Your rule should be to think of an apology to be a sign of weakness. You have to show you are strong. Any weakness and you will continue to die. Saying your sorry is a negative. It is like saying you are pathetic, worthless, useless. The first is self degradation. The second is meaningless social banter. This is where saying you are sorry is just another word to flavor the conversation. I am sorry to say but that proposal you suggested today is going to cost to much money. The speaker is not sorry, but wants to show their opinion that other person's plan will not be accepted. The last is heart felt. I am sorry for your loss. I feel sad and I am so sorry. It holds emotion compassion or pity, but negative or positive it is honest."

"But if I make a mistake?"

"Than admit the mistake and aim to improve next time. I will not let it happen again. I will fix my error. What can I do to not have this happen again. If you must say you apologize and then work to work around the mistake or error."

"That is a lot to take in. So different from everything I have known."

"My life started as a scavenger to my tribe. It led me to an ancient hide out where I learned about the Force. I believe the Force made me find it. Just like I decided to travel to Tatooine. There I found Anakin and you. I felt good about Anakin I did not feel the same about the Jedi, but I felt I needed to help him to help Anakin. Everything I know is different than I have known, but I find I want it no other way."

"Then I will see if this is something I will want and if I don't I would like to go somewhere simple."

"We will learn together and you will be able to take care of yourself in either situation. No longer a slave nor thinking like a slave is the promise I give to you. Go sleep as I need to as well."

"I thought you meditated to sleep?"

"No that is for Annie to do. I sleep every third day. It is enough with the meditation I do." Sleep came like it normally did a brief concentration and then the world vanished as my mind shut down. Sometimes I dreamed, other times I had visions, or no memory of my dreams at all. This time I dreamed of a red and black skinned Zabrak with red and yellow eyes and a probe droid. This I found odd as the only time I saw a probe droid was the one I cut down at the landing bay. That I still had it made me get out of bed and move into the vehicle hold and dig out the remains. After thirty minutes I had enough of it rebuilt to access its memories. The files were broken and corrupted, but on image followed by several clips of going and returning to the same Zabrak were not that unusual until I came across a nearly complete recording.

"The being that could have linked you with Palpatine is dead my master."

"Good, good, now I have another mission for you. The Queen of the Naboo has vanished. She was critical in signing a treaty with the Trade Federation to give them full legal rights to her world. Find her and kill the Jedi with her and her if need be."

"Yes Master any thoughts on where she could have fled to?"

"The area is either controlled by the Federation or by the Hutts since she did not come directly to Coruscant. Tatooine is known for its discretion. The Force is telling me that is the best planet to start with. Nute Gunray will attempt to get her to reveal her location if she responds to her people's suffering."

"I will not fail, my master."

"You will do well, my apprentice." The tattooed Zabrak paced for a bit before pointing at the probe and the screen went dark. He did not look at the droid so it was a good impression that the recording was intentional. I looked for more evidence but only got a few voiceless images of the hooded man, but his voice was strikingly familiar. The other fact that bothered her was that him calling Maul his apprentice was a lie.

"Ah mistress you are up a bit early."

"Yes I am, Zerdy. Make a light, but filling breakfast and have our new crew members tested for their intelligence and skill levels. Make sure we have a good measure of where they stand and tell them what they would be best to learn. Any gaps in their education needs to be taken care of. More for the mother than the boy as he has much to learn. If I am still not finished or have not called for them have them practice shooting at you and Arnine."

"What?"

"Their blasters are set to target mode. I doubt they will scorch your paint."

We will have about ten hours before we arrive in the Naboo system."

"Add in piloting training for the boy instead after testing. I will be meditating and talking to my guides."

"Yes, mistress." I took the datapad that held the recordings back to my cabin. I was only disturbed for breakfast and then for what would be lunch. Anakin turned out to be surprisingly smart as his test scores were higher than most nearly ten year old boys. His knowledge base was nearly fully focused on mechanical, droid, and repulsor engineering. He also had a very good grasp of Huttese and Galactic Standard to the point of speaking like a native in both. His uncanny ability to understand the droid binary language was a plus. Then there was his instrument identification showed that he had seen nearly every layout of a cockpit know on Tatooine. This became evident as he quickly learned the Ebon Hawk's layout and went through several flight simulations seamlessly.

"Mistress, we are one hour out, and Master Anakin wants your help in meditating again." I looked from the droid, to Shmi, to Anakin and followed his eyes to the holocron guides I was talking to. He could see them that was obvious from the awe on his face, but what I did not expect was that his mother was holding a surprised look on her face as well.

"Both of you come in and sit." They rushed in an I resisted sighing at how quick they obeyed.

"Is this some type of weak holograms?"

"Take my hand I think you need a boost." I drew on the Force and sent my healing energy into Shmi.

"Oh my they look like they are really here." That was the difference with holocrons. You saw them as if they were really there to the point it looked like you could touch them in fact Anakin was trying to do just that to the half height guides.

"Learner you need to sit down."

"He should be punished until he can no longer cry."

"That is horrible he is only being curious." Anakin suddenly sat down looking scared that I just might.

"Meetra has the proper response. Scourge, you really need to cut back on you excess violence. Revan, I can see just telling him to sit down would also be enough. Guides this is Anakin Skywalker and his mother Shmi Skywalker."

"Ah Jedi seekers that name descends from. I assume the boy is strong with the Force and the mother weak, but with help can see us?"

"You are correct."

"Then you have a student and a mentor."

"An apprentice surely, but the mother is unnecessary."

"A Learner you have and with an obvious attachment the mother will be critical in his development, but only to a point. You must be wary of an over dependence on the mother. It would not be healthy."

"Not that it would matter to you during your war with the Mandalorians."

"True I would have been as cruel as any Sith. The Jedi would just have broken any possibility of contact."

"His mother will stay and it maybe best if you begin with how you first talked to me once my surprise faded and my belief grew."

"Now that was startling, but very well. Emotions, yet Peace. This is the first..." That is how it had started. Each of the holocron guides started with their codes and what it meant. Meetra having the hardest code to defend as Scourge was quite fast to counter even her explanations to be similar to the original code. This took up the rest of the hour.