Wassup my loyal readers, we are back at it with Chapter Four! We're lowkey only a few chapters away from the clone wars... I have a few arcs in mind that I wanna write. I will, of course, be putting my own spin on them but i'm taking inspiration from the show.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. If I did I would be super rich

Chapter Four: The Larses

Anakin tossed and turned in his bed, eyes squeezed shut against the onslaught of pain and suffering flooding his senses. It was not his own, but at that moment it might as well have been. His mother was suffering, he could feel it in his very bones. The line between consciousness and his vision grew thinner and thinner until it snapped, the boy jolting awake and sitting up in bed. He was drenched in sweat from stress and a bit of heat, his bare chest glistening with it in the low light of dawn. He held his head in his hands for a moment, needing time to process what he had just experienced. After a few moments to slow his rapid breathing and calm down a bit he grabbed a shirt and headed outside.

The padawan put his arms through the sleeves of the tunic but left it unbuttoned, taking up a position on the same balcony where he and Grace had kissed (though that was far from his mind now) to meditate. He stood with his legs shoulder width apart, arms behind his back and eyes closed. He lost himself in the steady breathing and rhythm of the Force as the sun finished rising, casting him in a soft golden light. By the time Grace woke up his disquiet was nearly gone and in its place was the reliable presence of the Force, wrapping around him like a warm embrace.

Grace rose from bed and wrapped herself in a soft and thin robe, stepping out to the balcony with intent to enjoy the gentle morning sun. That idea was quickly forgotten, however, when she saw Anakin doing the exact same thing. She took a moment to appreciate how strong he looked in that solid stance, pretending she didn't want to walk in front of him to stare shamelessly at his pecs. When he did not turn around and greet her she realized she might be interrupting something. She turned to leave when his calm voice stopped her.

"Don't go, your presence is soothing."

The Senator's breath caught in her throat as she slowly turned back around, blushing more than she should have. His voice was husky with the morning, but it held a soft, gentle edge that made her want to wrap her arms around him and never let go, she knew he would take good care of her if she asked. Unfortunately, she had to make sacrifices for her career. Anakin was one of them.

She studied the lines of his shoulders through the thin fabric of his shirt and noticed he was quite tense. In fact, there were subtle indicators of stress in his entire body. She walked a few steps closer to him, stopping just outside of what she classified as personal space. Resisting the urge to lay a hand upon his broad shoulder she asked, "Are you alright, Ani?"

His eyes opened at the nickname, the small acknowledgement of closeness a balm against his unhappiness yet a spike in his heart rate that sent adrenaline through his veins. He managed a terse, "I'm fine."

She frowned behind him, immediately knowing he was lying. This time she really did place a hand on his shoulder, stepping a bit closer. "Whatever it is that's troubling you, tell me."

He sighed, leaning into her touch slightly and giving in. "I had a nightmare, it was about my mother. I have been having them every night for weeks now, she is suffering greatly. I have to help her Grace, I cannot just stay here and allow her to suffer. I'm sorry that I am going against my mandate to protect you, but I must go."

The padawan turned to face her, and there was anguish in his eyes. She could see his pain, could understand the urgency driving him to leave her. Making up her mind quickly she responded, "I am coming with you."

He looked a little surprised but not at all upset. The corners of his mouth that had been downturned rose into a smile, and his eyes lit up at her approval. They were going to help his mother.

The Nabooian ship touched down on solid ground again, Anakin making a face of disgust at his horrid home planet. He may have pushed for this expedition, but he was not happy to be there. Mos Espa was a vile place, you would almost never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. This was where some of the galaxy's worst liked to congregate, a lawless land ruled over by the cruel Hutts. That was what made him a little bit nervous to have Grace here.

She was a beautiful young woman, a valuable target if you were looking to capture yourself a slave. A short talk during the flight had had her assure him she would wear a cloak to cover her face and hair and stay very close to him. He would die before he let her get hurt.

The two walked down the ramp, tossing a few more gold pieces than necessary to the alien manning the hangar. Their ship was not making the Senator's wealth subtle, so some extra money would ensure good service and a lack of theft. It was a shame that credits were useless this far out, Grace had a lot of those. Fortunately, she had been able to exchange credits for gold pieces on a mid-rim planet and could use those as currency. Her bodyguard had a feeling that the man they were here to see would need some persuasion to talk with them and make it worth their while.

Hailing a hover carriage pulled by a droid who for some reason had a hat, they took the transport to Watto's shop, the last place Anakin wanted to be yet the first place he knew they needed to go. Senator McNally had never met Anakin's former Master, but with her limited knowledge of slavers she doubted he was a good man. The padawan himself stayed quiet throughout the entire ride, jaw set and a glare upon his face. Her heart exploded with sympathy for him being forced to confront his horrible past and reunite with the source of his trauma. He was incredibly strong for having the power to do this.

At last their carriage arrived at their destination, a dingy storefront where a toydarian was hovering, each flap of his wings keeping him airborne as he struggled to fix a DUM series pit droid. A small, circular hat was placed upon his head, and he just finished shouting at a droid of the same make when he saw the visitors approaching. His eyes shifted between them, sizing them up with suspicion clear in his beady eyes. Finally he seemed to recognize something about Anakin, saying, "A Jedi! I have done nothing wrong, leave me alone!"

The Jedi in question simply extended a hand and said something in huttese, a language spoken commonly on this planet and the outer rim, yet one the Senator had never learned. The droid being fixed was handed over, the toydarian looking at Anakin distrustfully. He handed over the tool he'd been using as well, and the padawan began fixing the DUM. After a few moments he seemed to have completely dealt with the issue, and he handed it back to its owner. After inspecting it he looked at Anakin and then back at the droid, at Anakin and back at the droid. After a few moments he went, "Ani? Little Ani? Is that you?"

Grace watched with nervousness and little understanding as the scene played out, eyes flicking between them like she was watching a particularly interesting sports match. The tension in the hot, dry air was thick, the padawan refusing to respond. The toydarian looked him up and down and broke into an animated smile, his fleshy nose swaying as he bobbed around.

"It is you! You're a Jedi now? Well, I have some guys that owe me a lot of money and refuse to pay up-"

Anakin interrupted him, too impatient to play games with the slaver. "I'm looking for my mother, Watto. Where is she?"

The no-nonsense tone stopped the blue alien in his tracks, making him realize the grown man in front of him was nothing like the sweet little boy he had known a decade prior. His tiny brain recalibrated and he scratched his head.

The Jedi didn't show it, but he felt like a little boy again as he stared down his old Master. He was strong now and had nothing to fear from the pathetic life-form in front of him, but it was difficult to stay unflinching in the face of his dark past. Mustering up courage he did not feel, he tried again. "I am looking for my mother. Shmi Skywalker. Where is she?"

At this Watto looked a little nervous, never a good sign. He scratched the back of his neck and refused to make eye contact. "I, uh, sold her."

"What?" Though the toydarian's accent was thick, Grace knew that was not the reason Anakin needed repetition.

Watto looked like he wanted to sink into the wall behind him. The padawan looked like he wanted to help him do it. With his fists. "I sold her to this man across the town. You know," he added, spirit returning to his meek demeanor, "I heard he freed 'er and married 'er!"

The positive note that was, in the Senator's opinion, an incredible case scenario for a slave, did not seem to cheer Anakin up. His face remained stony as he asked, "What was his name."

"I don't really remember. Stars or something…"

He trailed off at his former slave's severe stare, shrinking under the unforgiving gaze.

"You know what, let's check my ledgers."

And so they followed him into the store.

Anakin and Grace approached the modest dwelling of dried mud and sand, tightly packed into a dome. The familiar architecture reminded him painfully of his former home, it seemed this trip was determined to be as hard for him as it could possibly be. He was possibly about to see his mom, and that outshone any discomfort at old memories. Grace felt her heart warm at his excited smile, allowing herself the same one at his abject happiness.

The padawan took a deep breath to calm himself as a man in a hoverchair with a stump for a leg and a protocol droid with tarnished metal plating exited the modest home, coming towards these strangers on their land. The droid reached them first, introducing himself excitedly. "I am C3-PO, human-cyborg relations. I am fluent in over six mil-"

He was not allowed to finish, interrupted by the boy in front of him. "Threepio?"

The droid looked a little indignant at being interrupted but regained his composure quickly. He gave the boy another look over and seemed to realize something. "My goodness, the maker! Master Ani, it's so good to see you!"

Anakin smiled at the droid. "Hello, Threepio."

At this point the one-legged man in the hoverchair had reached them, giving the newcomers a suspicious once-over. The padawan thought now would be a good time to introduce himself. "My name is Anakin Skywalker. I am looking for my mother, Shmi."

At this both the droid and the man looked somber. He was silent for a moment, And then, "Why don't you come inside, son."

Grace watched with apprehension as she and her escort were led inside. She could tell that something was wrong, could see it in the hunched shoulders of the man and his refusal to make eye contact with any of them. She was sure her companion could sense it with the Force and they were both waiting for the ball to drop.

Settling down a bit more in his hoverchair, the man said, "My name is Cliegg Lars. I married your mother some years ago, but about a month ago she was taken by the sand people." Grace did not know much about the nomadic raiders native to Tatooine, but from the way Anakin stiffened she could tell this was very bad. Cliegg continued, "Twenty-nine of us went out to save her. Three returned."

Senator McNally put a hand slowly to her mouth, eyes wide. Being a Galactic Senator meant that she had seen suffering in the galaxy, but such a high percentage death toll for that kind of mission still shocked her. It was hard to believe that these Tuskens could be so brutal, but she supposed her comfortable life had sheltered her.

No sound filled the room for a while after that, the older man giving his step-son time to adjust to this news. His optimistic smile from earlier was completely gone, replaced with an emptiness he had never before felt. This went on for a while before two new people entered the room. A man and a woman, both young but slightly older than Anakin. The man introduced himself, "I am Owen Lars, your step-brother. This is my fiance, Beru."

They nodded at each other, the only greeting the despairing boy could make. Determined to restore some warmth to the albeit hot atmosphere, Grace introduced herself. "I am Senator Grace McNally of Naboo. It is a pleasure to meet you all."

They all looked a bit surprised at the idea of a Senator being out this far, but they dismissed it quickly. Tatooine held many surprises.

This whole time Anakin had been thinking, building up his resolve. Finally he stated, "I am going to save my mother."

Cliegg snorted bitterly. "She's dead, son. They've had her for weeks, nobody survives that long."

He shook his head, refusing to give up. "I am going to save her, I will not give up on her. She's alive, I know it." And it was true, he could feel her presence in the Force.

Grace put a hand on his arm before he got up, worry shining in her startling eyes. "Be careful, Ani."

Anakin sped across the dune sea on his speeder bike, whipping up fine sand in his wake. It flew out behind him in flurries, clouding the air almost as much as his mind. He was filled with worry for his mother, Grace far from his mind for the first time since he'd met her. Instead, it was clouded with muddled visions, images of his mother. She was in pain, terrible pain, but he knew that if he was fast enough he could help.

The closer he got the stronger they became, until the images of her bound and bleeding pounded on his eyes so much he almost couldn't see. He hated to do it, but the padawan was forced to use the Force to clear his mind of the images of her. It took several minutes, and by the time he was done he was no longer sure which way the village of Tuskens was.

Anger at himself, the sand people and his loss of direction bubbled up in him, frighteningly strong. He wanted to scream, to let his emotions out verbally for hours. With an animalistic yell he punched the handlebars of the speeder. He immediately regretted it when his hand throbbed painfully and the bike gave out a light whine. He hurriedly looked it over, thanking the Force that his momentary lapse in judgement had not cost him the bike.

Anakin sighed and started the vehicle back up again, moving towards the hulking figure in the distance. He arrived at the Jawas' crawler quickly and began conversing with the head Jawa. They did not need parts to give him information, sending him on his way towards the nearest sand people village they knew of. He was sure once he began on his journey that it was the one he was looking for, and the boy's resolve strengthened.

He rode through the desert for several minutes, traversing the repetitive barrenness until he saw a slight pinprick of a settlement; the Tusken village. Many would have been lost by now, but growing up on this very desert planet meant he still knew how to navigate the Dune Sea. The Jedi parked the speeder on an overhanging cliff, analyzing the village before he made his move.

Anakin leapt off the cliff, falling for a hundred feet before landing in a roll. Without the Force to aid him he most certainly would have died, but luckily he didn't have such weaknesses. He crept stealthily towards the village, blending into the shadows and keeping his steps silent. Reaching out through the Force he searched for a familiar life-form. There were a few terrifying moments where he couldn't find her, his heart beating wildly in his chest as he searched. Finally, though, he located his mother's tent and set towards it, staying out of the view of the scouts.

The padawan slithered through the night, set on rescuing his mother. He distantly heard two of their hunting beasts growling, fighting over a bone or some other scrap. That was completely unimportant to him, so he pushed it from his mind as he arrived at his mother's tent. Hoping it was not too noisy, he ignited his blade. It cast him in a blue light, illuminating the coarse surface he was carving through like butter. He finished quickly, kicking it into the tent where it landed with a small thump. Luckily it went unnoticed, and he was able to enter without incident.

Almost immediately Anakin saw the woman hunched over a spit, her hands bound to it and head resting on it as she slept. With fear he realized it was his mother. She looked like she was in pain even asleep, a deep slice on each cheek. Her cheeks were sallow and her hair tangled and lank. She looked sickly and unwell, hands bleeding where they were bound. He immediately set to work releasing her, gently working the restraints off and bringing her into his lap. His heart broke at how fragile she felt, curling around herself in sleep as if for protection.

She began to stir, her eyes fluttering open to gaze upon her son. She started to smile, bringing a weak hand up to cup his face. "Ani? My Ani, is that you?"

His voice quivered with emotion. "Hi, mom."

She smiled even more, and the Jedi felt his lip quiver. He hadn't seen her in years, and reuniting like this was heartbreaking. He noted how weak she was, how frail and faint she felt. Her Force signature was so weak, it sent icy tendrils of fear into her son. She looked at his face, eyes fluttering as if she could barely keep them open. "My son, you are so handsome. You're all grown up now, Ani."

Anakin could feel her fading and tried not to let the tears threatening to brim show. He held her tighter. "Stay with me, mom." He knew that it would do nothing, but he couldn't just sit there and let her die. A few made it free of his eyes and streaked down his cheeks, splashing onto Shmi's rough tunic.

She weakly cupped the back of his neck. "I… love…"

She did not get to finish her sentence, death taking the word before she could utter it. Anakin refused to believe it was real, gently shaking her. "Mom," he said, "mom?"

She did not stir. Her life force was gone and he gently laid her down on the carpeted floor, grief pounding through him. It was soon replaced with anger, an unyielding wave of fury that battered against his calm.

Standing from his mother's dead body with hatred painted on his face, the Jedi unsheathed his lightsaber for the darkest act he had ever committed. These raiders had to pay for what they did to him. The wave of rage finally broke, the unyielding currents unleashing their host. He dashed from the tent, beheading its two guards without a second glance. This alerted the entire village to his presence and he braced for a fight, murdering with savage glee. He would raze this village to the ground.

End of chapter!

Notes:

-Wow this one was intense. Why do i love writing angst so much

-Anakin's mom rn: X_X

-Can Grace help Anakin not be a genocidal maniac? Fuck around and find out

-Anakin: I have only had Grace for a few days but if anything happened to her i would kill everyone in this room and then myself

-damn i wrote this one in like four days. Kinda impressive ngl (im not counting the days i was writing my other fic)

Tune in next time for Chapter Five!