Chapter 14

"How are you, little brother? Anakin, Thantas, and Obi-wan have all been checking on you constantly." Padmé said anger tinging her voice. "What were you thinking? You could have killed yourself. You could have killed Owen, Beru, and little Cassandra."

"I know Padmé. I was redlining the air speeder, and lost some control surfaces. I knew I was in trouble when I hit and skipped. I summoned up every bit of power I could and sent myself over their house. Harry explained. "I owe them an apology, a big one!"

"You do indeed." Padmé turned her glare on him. "Now How are you? All four of your siblings are crawling the walls wanting to know how you are?"

"I am fine big sister. I was beating myself up over things that were not my fault." Harry said as he started doing his version of daily start checkup. "Thank you for asking. Given that the air does not seem so dry; I am assuming we are not on Tatooine and Hermione is."

"Who is Hermione?" Padmé asked.

"I can explain on the way back. Please I know I owe everyone an explanation." Harry pleaded with them. I ask that we wait until after the Boonta Eve Classic."

"Fine son, but we are all coming back. You will not face this alone." Shmi said, and Cliegg nodded his head in agreement.

"Is there any way I can convince you to just stay here?" Harry practically begged. "Stay here for Owen, Beru, and Cassandra." Harry was about to continue when he felt Beru's presence behind him. He deflated as she saw the look of understanding on her face. "I guess this is an argument I cannot win."

"No little brother it is not." Owen said coming up behind Beru. "We understand the Danger. Cassandra's Nannies will be there. We want…"

The couple engulfed Harry in a hug. "Don't do that again. I need you to teach Cassandra the things we won't be able to." Beru whispered in his ears.

"While we are going back." Master Fay spoke in a low tone "I need to Understand where your head was when you crashed your speeder."

"I will explain on the way. I promise." Harry swore. "I guess this must have been a tight trip on your ship master…How long was I out a day or two?"

"Three weeks…" Ahsoka said holding onto Harry like a lifeline.

"Five Days…" Assajj said as she wrapped him into a hug.

"16 hours 25 minutes." Padmé finished glaring at Harry. "Little brother you scared all of us. Whatever happened we will be here to talk about it. And no it won't be a tight fit we took my ship. We can leave within the hour."

"Thank you he said." Pulling his adopted older sister into a hug.

The last thing Hermione felt was Harry pushing every ounce of his magic, and something else into her. She knew her body was dying she could see a nice lady. She could not describe the lady except to say that she felt familiar holding her hand; beckoning for her to come with her. Then she remembered feeling her last breath on earth. She remembered the look on Harry's face as he desperately tried to save her, and the keening wail as she exhaled her last breath.

Then the Lady was with her. "Hermione, we have a few moments and I would like to talk before we send you on." The lady said. "I was right when I told Harry you could not survive here. I had expected him to pick you up, and force transfer all three of you back to his new home. Trust my champion to fight death itself for you. His first love."

Hermione who had been groggy finally shook away the cobwebs of sleep. When the woman said so she took the time to look at the woman. She had a presence that felt comforting almost like Harry, but she could not quite make out what she looked like. "Lily Potter?"

"I yes I was Lily Potter once. I was also, Rowena Ravenclaw; I have been many, and I will be many more in the eons to come."

"What does this mean for me?" Hermione said the trepidation she felt readily apparent on her face.

"It means that in his efforts to save you; which he did indeed save you. He has forged the third bond. Make of that bond what you will."

"Where Am I?" She asked as she looked out of a very dry alley on a very warm world. She saw many different species amazed by what she saw.

"You are on Tatooine the same planet Harry was sent three years ago in your view." The being continued. "Unfortunately he was just taken off-world by his adopted family after a serious air speeder accident. Unfortunately, there is little I can do to prevent what is about to occur.

"What do you mean?" She asked as she was hit with a stun blast rendering her unconscious.

A week later and she had changed hands six times before being bought by what she learned was once the greediest crime lords in the sector. She could hear two other voices in her bond with Harry. She identified both of them from their discussions of Harry being in Bacta? Whatever that was, and about how his injuries were immediately life-threatening. She found out what happened to her. Apparently, she had items implanted that would kill her if she tried to run away. Depression started to set in because she could not sense or speak to Harry. In the interim, she had been used a few times as a serving girl, and narrowly avoided being used as a pleasure slave twice. She had thought pureblood Great Britain was bad. The things she saw and experienced in that three weeks came close to breaking her spirit.

So, it was when she heard Masters Fay, and Yoda try to bring Harry out of his self-induced imprisonment that she heard his voice. As it were, and then she saw what he was looking at over and over again. Her heart broke.

Shmi walked up to her youngest. Instead of speaking she just wrapped him in a hug and just held him.

"Honestly Harry." Hermione said in the room causing everyone to stop. "What happened to me was as much your fault as it is mine. The school turned its back on you, and it looked like I did to."

"Now I am losing my mind. I just buried my best friend." Harry sobbed. "Now I am hearing her voice."

Then Hermione faded into existence. She was in a simple dress and slave collar. "Harry do you remember what the lady said? My life could not continue there. I think she transferred me to the same reality as you, but I do not know where I am. There is this green-skinned lady who is trying to teach me to dance, and there are a lot of heavily armed and armored people. I got a translation charm running, and all I am hearing is that someone by the name of Skywalker prevented them from getting a Dathomiri girl."

Harry's head lifted, and his eyes danced like a green flame looking at Hermione's visual representation. Her hair long but rather than bushy it fell in waves. "I thought I lost you!"

"For a moment you did." She replied her eyes shining. "Let them in Harry. You are hurting them. Harry this Skywalker person they are talking about looks like you. The slug looking thing has dismissed everyone but the green-skinned girl and me. I have to go."

Vak'Sava had been a slave for a very long time in the service of Jabba the Hutt. Recently the Hutt had been allowing harm to come to the girls in his rising irritation over Harry Skywalker. She remembered well the day a few months back that the boy appeared in the palace shocking everyone. She had felt the power that rolled off of him. She felt the same power rolling off Hermione the day she came in, and was elated that Jabba had bought her. The first few days the girl showed a great understanding of both people and technology. She had even eluded a very amorous Bib Fortuna.

"Ermi'one you looked surprised when you saw the holo of Skywalker." She asked in a heavily accented basic. "You look like you recognized him."

"I did, and I do." Hermione responded as she listened to intricate plans Jabba was making to capture and break Harry; when she heard Bib Fortuna suggest directly harming Harry's family. "He is my best and oldest friend we share a bond I cannot even begin to explain. If he tries to harm anyone Harry cares about, he is signing his death warrant."

"Skywalker has stood in this very palace and bet his freedom on the outcome of a race." Vak'Sava said in hushed tones he humiliate Jabba in front of the force, and everyone. He is also responsible for the Loss of several prominent Bounty hunters that were under retainer with Jabba."

"How do you mean he bet his freedom?" Hermione asked afraid of the feeling in her gut.

"It will be Boonta Eve soon. Great race. Many pod racers come from all over the sector to race." Vak'Sava said with a huff. "Young Skywalker bet he would win the race, or he would forfeit 10 years of his freedom to be a mechanic."

"That boy…" Hermione complained. "So he is a good mechanic?"

"So I have been told." She answered carefully. "Good enough that Jabba lost over 45 percent of his profits in his protection racket among the moisture farmers. Whatever Harry Skywalker did prevents the goons from damaging the equipment."

"How long has he been here?" Hermione asked. "I have not seen him for three years."

"Almost a year from what I understand but it's been ten months since he got on the Hutts radar." Vak'Sava spoke in hushed tones. "The way I hear it he helps people without asking for payment. Someone asked him why, and the way I heard it he said. "I have gifts and with those gifts comes a responsibility to use them wisely. Sure I could use them to make a bunch of money, but that would be easy. I would rather do the right thing, and help out as I am able." Naïve for someone living on this dustball if you ask me."

'I did not.' Hermione thought to herself. "He is big on doing what is right instead of what is easy."
Hermione said looking at her hands. "If he did not I would have been dead twice over." She looked out the window thinking of all they had been through, and the time she had lost due to that creature.

Vak'Sava knew the look in her eyes. She had it at one time as well until her lover sold her into slavery to pay off his gambling debts. "Oh, Girl you got it bad! you have to know what the Hutt wants the Hutt gets." She said with a gravity Hermione only heard come from Headmaster Dumbledore. "The Hutt Missed out on the older brother. Seen pictures of him that one in Mos Espa. Too bad he is a Jedi or would show him what a woman was for." She said with a wicked look in her eyes.

"While slug boy over there looks to be as bad as they come." Hermione admitted causing Vak'Sava to laugh. "Young master Skywalker has fought and won against entities that can suck your soul out like you were a snack. And having seen pictures of a Krayt dragon I can honestly say that when Harry comes I will be going. Now I believe you were trying to teach me to dance."

'I heard that. Hermione that was a bit of rousing speech comparing a basilisk to Krayt Dragon…that is a bit of a stretch.' She heard Harry across the bond. 'Krayt dragons are far more deadly than you give them credit for.

'What's a basilisk?' Ahsoka asked.

The memory came unbidden to Harry so he showed them all the encounter with the king of snakes at the end he smiled ."That's how not to deal with a basilisk as you can see I got a tooth jammed into my arms and was dying. If not for Fawkes …"

'Are you insane Skywalker? No training, no lightsaber, just a piece of wood, a bird, an old hat, and sword.' Assajj said amusement tinging her voice. 'I Swear it is going to be a full-time job keeping you out of trouble.'

Suddenly their bond was interrupted with a shriek the three narrowed it down to Hermione. 'Hermione?' Ahsoka questioned.

'I don't like this.' Harry said across the bond. 'We are still a day out from Tatooine. I am going to try to see what happened to Hermione.'

A chorus of "okay!" left him alone with his thoughts. He began to follow the bond, and eventually when he got to her she let him in. What he saw roused his ire.

Hermione was working with Vak'Sava learning how to dance. She could feel his slimy eyes on her. it made her feel dirty. "He could be a powerful patron." Vak'Sava commented while correcting her form. "You intrigue him. I have never seen him look at a non Twi'lek the way he does you. You would do well to consider accepting his affections. He does after all have Jabba's Ear."

"No thank you can have him." Hermione said sarcastically. "Besides if I know my Harry he already on his way."

"What do you know of Harry Skywalker?" An Irate Bib Fortuna said catching Hermione off guard as a jolt of pain emanated from her head down. "Well out with it girl."

Hermione who had lost balance and fell looked up at Bib Fortuna and in a scathing voice. "I know him well enough that he is going to mess your life up pretty bad." Only to be jolted again. This hurt much more as it caused her body to seize so when she felt Harry near she let him see exactly what was happening. He could feel the pain she was under, and recognized what was causing it. Slave Collar his anger spiked. 'We are a day out hon. When we get home I will send dobby to get you.' Then she blacked out causing Harry to kick back into his body.

Jabba who had been watching the new girl learn to dance saw that his Majordomo was torturing the girl. She had a fine figure by the time he was done she would make a decent pleasure slave In Huttese. He summoned his servant. "Come and bring the woman with you. Tell me, why do you torture her so? She has breached no laws that I have set. Yet you are damaging my property. Why?"

"She claims to know the younger Skywalker brother." Bib Fortuna said causing Jabba's eyes to widen. "I believe her master, and I believe we can use her to break the boy."

Jabba thought back to his only encounter with the boy. He remembered what the boy stated he would do if Jabba went anywhere near someone, he cared for…he remembered the look in his eyes, and the power the boy held at his command. He would have to send the boy a message. Maybe offer to let him punish Fortuna for his transgression. "She is to be Taken to guest quarters and she will be treated as a member of my family until we sort this out…however Fortuna. I would not count on getting away unscathed. Now go I must send a message to Harry Skywalker to avert the poodoo from falling on us."

Bib Fortuna for the first time in his life was afraid for his life. "As you command Master."

Harry had just finished putting himself back together when Padmé summoned him to the living area of the ship. The Skywalker clan and Jedi were gathered around the holocomm unit. He could see Anakin talking to their mother. All eyes turned to him making him feel self-conscious. "What do I have a bird's nest in my hair or something on my face."

"Good to see you awake, and all-in-one-piece little brother. Unfortunately, I have no time to chat as I am transferring a transmission to you. We will talk when you get here. Here's Jabba!"

"Wait!" Was all he got out before Jabba's image resolved. "Good evening Jabba." Thinking 'here is where he uses Hermione against me... Despite my warning.'

"Harry we have a bit of a problem recently at auction I acquired a slave of basic stock." Jabba sad slowly gauging Harry's reaction. "She says she knows you, and has been your friend for a long time. " The camera panned right and Hermione was sleeping on a floating bed dressed like a princess."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes she is my oldest bipedal friend!"

Jabba's eye twitched. "I want to be upfront about this. There was an incident earlier that involved a member of my organization taking it upon themselves to educate her. After hearing her knowledge of you." Jabba closed his eyes he hated doing this. "Bib Fortuna activated the collar and implants. At the time I did not know she had anything to do with you. It was only a few minutes ago that I got the information."

"I will be there to retrieve her tomorrow. Now I understand that as a result of me taking her would leave you at a loss." Harry said seriously. "I will Give your pleasure barge the once over; if you remove the implants and take off the collar."

'he just gave me what I wanted for slave girl…' "Interesting I would like to counter that offer. You will do the work, and you both will stay as my guests until the great race. You may choose one Jedi to accompany you as an observer. If you win the race I will help you with this endeavor. I have been hearing about Lars Aerospace in addition to never trying to force you to work for me."

"Fine but I get to kick Fotruna's ass."

"I told him he would not have my protection, but I do need him alive. Do we have a deal ?" The Hutt asked and everyone was looking at Harry hoping he would say no.

"Yes, and I will take Master Yaddle as the observer." Harry said quietly. "If she agrees that is. Master?"

"Go, I will the force draws me hence." The aged master stated seeing Jabba nod. "Master Jabba Some time has it been since I have seen you. Your Father's court if memory serves me. On Nal Hutta."

"Master Yaddle nice to see you. yes, my father enjoyed your company." Jabba Said the disappointment evident. "I thought Youn Skywalker would bring his master. But no matter you are welcome in my court."

"We will be there day after tomorrow." Harry said before ominously adding. "Tell Fortuna I am looking forward to meeting him again. Skywalker out!" cutting the transmission off.

"Padawan Skywalker explain you will. For your choice of masters going with you on this excursion." Master Yaddle asked. "Clearly Jabba was expecting you to choose your own master."

"Yes, he did. While my experience with women is limited I am not blind. My master is a beautiful woman." Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I am not going to put her at risk while she is a Jedi master. Jabba's palace has a myriad of people coming and going. Any Jedi could be overwhelmed."

For a Moment Fay looked like she wanted to contest what her padawan was saying but found he left her no room to negotiate. In Jabba's Palace she would be a prize worth losing people for.

"Okay Padawan we will do it your way." She sighed before smirking. "But only if your Mother agree's."

"Mother?" Harry turned to Shmi. "Please?"

"Why should I let you put yourself at risk again we just got you out of a bacta tank." Shmi said harshly she had been holding too much in. "I don't know her other than she abandoned you." Harry moved to speak and she imperiously held up a finger silencing him. "I Care about you, your Sanity, and your well being so unless you can convince me by the time we get back to the homestead you are grounded until race day." She finished shocking everyone into silence.

Coruscant

The holocomm activated. "What is it, my Apprentice?" Darth Sidious asked with a bored tone.

"We have found something just inside the perimeter of the base." Tyranus said the droid that was recording turned and revealed a lanky 6'6" red-haired male of basic stock. What he felt surprised him he had a diagonal scar running from hip to shoulder that matched it looked like the boy had indeed been cut in two. "Unbridled Jealousy, Rage, Hate, and, Greed. He reeks of the dark side." Dooku felt the boy's strength and began to worry a bit.

"Good, it is nice to have such good raw material to work with." Sidious said ominously. "Throw him in a bacta tank, and begin his training find out everything he knows." He deactivated the holocomm. 'Maybe I can have this new person break the Skywalker brothers apart. If nothing else he can see to the families untimely death thereby weakening both Boys.'