"Ani? Ani, where are you?"
He stayed where he was, trying to ignore his mother's plaintive cry. Once she found out, she would tell their master, and once the master found out-Ani buried his head in his arms. His clothes stuck out here, where everything was orange and green, but he didn't think about that, convinced he was hidden. They were supposed to be getting new clothes soon anyway, something not scratchy and heavy, but Anakin doubted they would now. It was hopeless. He curled up tighter.
"There you are!" Ani looked up to see his mom's lined face for a moment before she gathered him into a hug, her wiry arms pulling him close. "I was so worried!"
They hadn't been on Naboo for long. They were still unused to the strange bird-calls, the droning insects, the rush of leaves in the wind. They were unused to looking without shading their eyes, no tears from harsh light or ever-present sand. Even the humidity was unusual. But Anakin loved it, excitement coloring every aspect of the planet as wonderful. Their new master was surprisingly liberal as well, demanding work, but also allowing them time for themselves, much more time than Watto had ever granted them. Neither of them had been punished either. Yet.
"Ani." His mom positioned him and gripped his shoulders. "What's wrong?"
Carefully speaking, eyes downcast so she couldn't see the luxury of tears, Anakin told his mother what he had done, of a landspeeder that was severely damaged and would need a new part, an expensive part.
They sat in silence when he finished. What is there to be said, when punishment is coming? She pulled him in for a tighter hug, rocking back and forth. "Oh Ani." But they didn't stay for long, as she pulled away and stood up, brushing the stubborn wet dirt from her knees, almost missing the cleanliness of sand. "Best get it over with. You know it goes better if the master hears it from you than from someone else."
"But what if he makes us go back? Or sells us to someone worse?" Anakin whispered, head still drooping like the surrounding fauna. "I don't want to go back. And he said he'd take us to other planets, too!"
Shmi felt the fear as well, but she had seen too many punishments where the masters found out the truth later. She held out her hand, and after a moment Anakin took it, feet resolutely following even as his eyes focused on the ground, as much as they could focus with the moisture clouding them.
Master Palpatine was sitting in his office, a spacious room with a desk situated by a balcony. It was a beautiful if sparsely furnished room, and one that Anakin had been called to multiple times for lessons with the master. He wasn't sure why their master took such an interest in him, teaching him subjects not related to mechanics. That's why he'd bought Anakin after all, wasn't it? For his mechanical skill?
Anakin haltingly told his tale to the master, his mother waiting outside the room, listening through the thick doors. After he finished, his fingers fidgeted with his shirt hem while occasional bird song echoed from outside.
"My dear boy, what are you afraid of?" Anakin's head jerked up in shock. The master was smiling at him, and waved him over with a hand. Anakin slowly stumped over, mind reeling, as the master sat him on a knee. "I'm relieved that you weren't hurt in your efforts. You're much more valuable than a speeder. Though I do appreciate you telling me this yourself."
Anakin recalled the pile of money for both him and his mother. "I think you paid more for the speeder."
"Oho, you are an observant one." The master gently pushed Ani off his knee and forced him to turn around. "It's true, I paid less for you and your mother, but I was prepared to pay more. Much more. Your previous master had no idea of your true value."
"Sir?" Anakin rubbed one toe in the carpet while he tried to puzzle out the master.
"Stick with me, and I foresee a great future for you." The man smiled again, teeth shining above his weak chin. "Though I do expect you to fix that speeder."
He gave a meaningful glance and Anakin nodded hurriedly. "Of course, master."
"Good." The master clapped his hands once before standing up. "Then I see no reason, after that, that we shouldn't go to another planet."
"You mean it?"
"But of course, my dear boy." The man laughed while ushering Anakin to his waiting mother. "You've proven your honesty and loyalty to me today. I won't forget it."
Anakin threw himself into fixing the speeder, fixing the droids, fixing everything. Palpatine may be his master, but he didn't make Anakin feel like a slave. Sometimes, Anakin felt like his equal.
Obi-Wan piloted the ship while Klo Poon rifled through medical supplies for a blaster graze on his arm. Not that the ship needed piloting, as they were on auto-pilot in hyperspace. They had succeeded on their mission of retrieving the holocron, yet Obi-Wan was displeased. Cad Bane had escaped, and Obi-Wan was not looking forward to informing Windu about this development. But they had regained the holocron, ensuring the safety of future younglings. That would have to suffice for now.
Suddenly, a cold shudder filtered through his body, starting at the back of his head and reaching his toes within seconds, leaving his whole body tingling unpleasantly. Behind him he heard Poon stumble into the room, and their eyes sought each other out.
"Try to raise Ponds," Poon ordered, fumbling into the co-pilot seat.
Obi-Wan had tried intermittently ever since they left the station, but he obliged and flicked their long-distance broadcasting array on. "Commander Ponds, this is Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Klo Poon calling in, please respond." No response. He addressed Poon, "The planet may be interfering with their communications. I'll keep trying."
"Perhaps-" Poon started, but an incoming message halted him, and a hologram appeared in front of them of Commander Ponds's head and shoulders. "Commander, report."
The clone was obviously piloting the ship away from something as he responded, "The children are safe, but I have some bad news. General Windu didn't make it. I'm sorry, generals."
"Was it the impostor?" Obi-Wan interjected after a moment of silence, hands tightening on the controls. He knew it was too dangerous for one Jedi and clone. He should have stopped Windu.
"Yes sir. He surrendered the kids easily, but when the general demanded he turn himself in, they fought and..." Ponds stopped talking, and they could only guess at the expression on his face underneath the helmet. His jerky flying smoothed at and he spoke to them again. "I'll rendezvous with you on the ship."
"Alright. Thank you, Ponds. I'm sure there was nothing you could do."
"I appreciate that, sir, but..." the clone drifted off again before shaking his head. "I'll see you on the ship. CT-411 out." The hologram fizzled and disappeared, but the unease flowing through Obi-Wan's body refused to dissipate.
"I can't believe Master Windu is," Obi-Wan balked at the word but forced it out, "dead. I thought the impostor could be powerful, but strong enough to defeat Windu?"
"We should never have divided ourselves," Koon stated solemnly, the lower part of his mask rising and falling with his words. "Yet there may be more information to be had. We will not know the true threat the impostor poses until Ponds tells us more."
"True." Obi-Wan steadied his hands on the controls, resisting the urge to stroke his mustache or cradle his head in his arms. They saw so much death in war, but surely not Windu? "I don't know which would be worse, if the impostor bested Windu or felled him by luck."
"There's no such thing as luck." Poon's words filled the room like the last note of a song, the absence of sound sneaking in before one could realize what it meant. Windu had been killed, and his killer was loose. Neither voiced the worst possibility, that this newcomer was a Sith, but the fear was inisidious. Poon seemed to remember the bacta-patch clutched in one clawed hand and set about applying it. Obi-Wan tried to clear his mind through the ache in his chest. They finished their journey quietly, despite their burning questions for Ponds.