After getting the information from Watto, we travel to the Lars homestead. We trail towards the homestead, Artoo having been told to stay with the ship. Outside is a silver protocol droid. He looks up, startled. "Oh, oh, hello. How might I be of service? I am C-"

"Threepio?" Anakin finishes as we walk over to him.

The droid takes a second and studies him. "The maker!" he exclaims. "Oh, Master Ani! I knew you would return. I knew it! And Miss Padmé."

"Hello, Threepio," Padmé greets.

He turns to me and says, "I am sorry, but I don't know your name." It is so strange that one can actually hear slight emotion in his robotic tone.

"Cattleya," I reply.

"It is a pleasure to meet you."

"I've come to see my mother," Anakin tells him.

"Oh, um, I think perhaps we better go indoors," Threepio says, avoiding his vague question.

We follow the protocol droid down to the courtyard. A young man is already down there and a young woman is walking over. "Master Owen, might I present three most important visitors."

"I'm Anakin Skywalker," the Padawan introduces.

"Owen Lars," the man replies. "This is my girlfriend Beru."

"Hello," Beru greets with a small smile. I note the hesitancy behind her smile and Owen's fiddling with a rag and tool.

"I'm Padmé and this is Cattleya," Padmé tells them. I nod my head in greeting.

Owen looks at Anakin. "I guess I'm your step brother," he explains. "I had a feeling you might show up some day."

"Is my mother here?" Anakin asks.

"No, she's not," a deep voice says, and we turn to see a man in a hover chair coming over. He is missing one of his legs while his other is bandaged. "Cliegg Lars." He holds out his hand. "Shmi is my wife." Anakin shakes his hand. "We should go inside. We have a lot to take about."

We follow him to the dining area and sit around the table. Padmé takes off her robe, and I take off my wrap. "It was just before dawn," Cliegg began. "They came out of nowhere, a hunting party of Tusken Raiders." Beru brings in drinks from the kitchen and sets them in the center of the table as Cliegg continues the story.

"Your mother had gone out early, like she always did, to pick mushrooms that grow on the vaporators. From the tracks, she was about halfway home when they took her. Those Tuskens walk like men, but they're vicious, mind-less monsters. Thirty of us went out after her. Four of us came back. I'd be out there with them, but after I lost my leg, I just couldn't ride anymore, until I heal."

Anakin looks down at his lap dismally. "I don't want to give up on her," Cliegg continues, "but she's been gone a month. There's little hope she's lasted this long."

Silence shrouds over the room. Anakin rises from his seat. "Where are you going?" Owen asks.

"To find my mother," Anakin states simply. His voice his shrouded in despair with hints of anger and frustration. My heart and mind feel heavy at the sound.

"You're mother's dead, son. Accept it," Cliegg says. Anakin doesn't listen. Instead he leaves the room. Owens goes and talks to him and not too much later Padmé does.

Padmé returns and tells me that Anakin has left, having taken Owen's speeder bike. Cliegg tells us that we are welcome to stay here until he returns and Beru leads us to an available room. Inside is a bed and a couch which Padmé takes a seat on.

I sit down next to her and rest my hand on her shoulder. "He'll make it back soon, Padmé," I tell her quietly to ease her nerves.

"I only hope Shmi is all right," she says. "She once gave us food and shelter during a sandstorm. That's when Anakin showed me Threepio and told us about the podrace. She was so kind and sad. Anakin will be devastated if she's hurt."

From that little bit, I come to love Shmi. Anyone who helps out complete strangers is a wonderful person. "There are some things no one can prevent," I reply.

"I know," she murmurs. Her brown eyes are clouded in worry.

"Get some rest, Padmé."

The next morning Anakin returned. We all ran out to see him. We watch as he lifts something from the back of the speeder. My eyes widen as I realize it's his mother wrapped in cloth. He doesn't say anything as he walks past with a grim expression. Everyone watches him silently as he enters the homestead.