Title: If I Don't Catch You
Author: Julie the Tall Terror
E-Mail: tall_terror@hotmail.com
Alternate site with fanart for this story at: fanfic.theforce.net
Category: Altered Destinies TPM
Summary: When events at the end of The Phantom Menace change, Anakin, Qui-gon and Obi-wan find themselves on a different -- and dangerous -- path to destiny.
Has a completed sequel "I Won't Fail You"
Rated PG
Time Frame: begins 3/4 the way through The Phantom Menace
Begun on October 20, 2000
Completed on November 12, 2000
Revised August 2001
Part 2
How am I ever going to explain this to the Council? Wait, how am I going to tell Qui-Gon! Obi-Wan had spent the last hour sifting through the Yoj database of incoming and outgoing ships. Once he had the all of the identification and information he could find on Anakin's ship he prepared to call home. Should I speak to them over an open Com, or just send a holo-message? What would they order me to do? Or not do? Obi-Wan was more worried that they might tell him to return to Coruscant then that they might disapprove of him taking matters into his own hands.
Should I tell them what Anakin said? How he refused to come with me. About his contempt when he spoke. And that he is using the Force?
He settled on a quick message. "Masters," he began. "I have seen Anakin Skywalker. I request that someone be sent to pick up Tola Hgual from the Yoj Hospital here on Eituc. I am sending all of the information I could find of the ship Anakin is on and the star systems I feel he is likely to be traveling to and which ones I intend to search first. I will find him," Obi-Wan ended the recording and prepared to send another to Qui-Gon.
Anakin, Obi-Wan thought to himself. If I don't catch you...
Within an hour Obi-Wan was in pursuit of Anakin Skywalker.
Qui-Gon was tired. That's an understatement. I'm exhausted.
He was pleased that the situation on Ecineb was resolved. Master Qui-Gon and two Knights had been sent to evacuate refugees. As usual, Qui-Gon had searched the planet for any indication that Anakin Skywalker had been there. No, the boy hadn't come here. After more than three years, the constant feeling of failure had become alarmingly routine.
Technically, it was Obi-Wan's mission to find the boy, however no one objected to his decision to search as well. When he learned of a possible location the Jedi Council always gave their full support as he took off to search another region sometimes with his former apprentice and sometimes alone. In between those missions the Council would often send him on assignments to areas of space they had not yet examined for traces of Anakin.
Yet, he did not feel even the slightest bit hopeful when he saw a message waiting for him on the Republic transport carrying the Jedi back to Coruscant. Emotionlessly he played the message.
"Qui-Gon," the holo of Obi-Wan revealed that the young man had made no effort to disguise the distress on his face. "I've found Anakin, but he refused to come with me and has taken off in a ship alone. I think he might be headed for Esor or Sielilyad. I will arrive on Esor in a day, if I don't find him there it will take another day for me to reach Sielilyad. He is bitter, Qui-Gon, and using the Force. I'll explain more later."
Qui-Gon stormed from his cabin to the transport's cockpit. "Captain!" Master Qui-Gon called aloud. "We must make a detour for the Sielilyad system, at once!" The captain immediately complied without even thinking about questioning the Jedi Master. Qui-Gon looked up as the two other Jedi entered and looked at him sensing his distress. "We have a boy to find," he informed them. Without another word, Qui-Gon returned to his cabin.
Gingerly, Anakin Skywalker crept along the roof. This is stupid. I should have said no, he berated himself. If I were to refuse just once maybe...? No, not worth it. It was dark and the night was quiet. It had rained earlier and the wet roof was treacherous, but Anakin did not worry. When he reached a blank, uninteresting spot he paused. This is it. Removing tools from his small pack, Anakin began to cut a hole into the concealed ventilation shaft. It was very narrow and he was much too large to climb in it. Time for plan B.
He reached into his pack for a small machine. It was painted a soft green with a domed top and flat bottom. It was small enough to fit in the palm of his hand and was currently his most prized possession. He had really struggled to build this little droid. It was much harder than building Threepio had ever been. At least then most of the parts he needed were in Watto's shop. This time, finding tiny enough parts had been nearly impossible and the little motor he'd managed to find wasn't in the best of condition. All too often he had to redesign and rebuild many of the parts from scratch. He could only hope it worked.
Swiftly the little droid dropped down the hole. Please work! Anakin winced when he heard it plop on the grating below. Anxiously he peered down the shaft. To his relief he could see two little lights moving and the soft whine of a tiny vibro-saw cutting metal. All right, Kaely! he nearly yelled. This was K-LE1's first field test. The droid was nearly finished and gave a small wail of surprise when it fell through the hole it made.
I should have made her practice more, Anakin decided and bit his lip in concern. I wish I'd had enough time to install her repulsor lifts.
Anakin was really proud of Kaely. He'd spent the past year building her during every spare moment of his time. The little compartments filled with useful gadgets, like the vibro-saw, were the most difficult. He had to actually take a hand-held vibro-saw and remove most of the blade and circuitry to make it small enough. He was still amazed that it had worked. Anakin had plans for even more improvements. I can't wait to see Kaely fly! As it was she had only her tiny wheels to carry her and they only worked on a flat surface.
He began moving away from the hole and farther along the rooftop. She'll be okay. She's tough, Anakin reassured himself. Yet, he couldn't help but worry. She's all I have.
He leaped down to a balcony's tall floor window and waited. Assuming K-LE1 didn't get lost, she'd be keying the electronic release on the bottom edge of the window soon. I really hate waiting, Anakin thought. But it can't be helped. He smiled when he sensed with the Force a small object moving inside. These buildings had simple, yet effective, security systems and one very convenient flaw. When a door or window was activated from the inside no alarm would sound.
The opaque window clicked and slid open and Kaely wheeled backwards out of his way. "Good girl," he praised the tiny droid. She chirped in reply and followed him out into the hall. Together they silently crept through the dark. Anakin had no need for a light to see and he was beginning to wish that he'd found a way for Kaely to see in the dark. Her petite eyes shone much brighter than he'd expected. Reaching the stairway, Anakin vaulted up all three levels and landed on the intricate metal rail without a sound.
"Come on!" Anakin whispered down to his companion. Kaely trilled in confusion and flashed her yellow eyes at him. Briefly, he toyed with the idea of just grabbing her with the Force. No, she needs to learn to do things on her own.
"Use your magnetic grapple," Anakin rolled his eyes and sighed. Sometimes talking to Kaely was like speaking to a baby. What am I thinking, she's only a year old, she is a baby. He watched as his droid obediently fired her grapple and rode it up to him. No more of this until I teach you to fly, little one. Gently he detached her from the railing and stuffed her in his pack.
Entering the second door, Anakin found himself in a private office. He felt along the wall and concentrated. I hope that their information was correct, he nearly passed it. Very clever, Anakin noted. He slid his fingers along the wall and sensed the miniscule cracks. He could feel the interior of the hidden compartment and pulled it open with the Force.
Sielilyad was currently a quiet system. Most of its economy relied on tourists who came for its wonderful pink and lilac beaches and warm green water. However, it was winter on the more famous half of the planet Ylil. Cool rain and harsh winds had once again driven the tourists away. Through a gentle drizzle, the Jedi's ship arrived in the night.
"Be alert," Master Qui-Gon reminded, perhaps unnecessarily, the two Jedi Knights with him. "This boy can use the Force. We need to convince him to return with us."
For the third time since they began to enter Ylil's atmosphere, Qui-Gon searched for Anakin with the Force. There! Finally, he felt him. And he is drawing strongly on the Force.
"Land in the city in that region of the coast," Qui-Gon pointed to an area on the map near the equator that was shrouded in night.
Anakin Skywalker was very happy. This was nice and easy. And even Kaely did well, he cheered. He'd found what he'd come for without anyone noticing or any alarms sounding. Smoothly, he returned to the window and went out into the night. As Anakin made his way to the roof a feeling of faint unease alerted him. What?
He turned to look behind him as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn stepped into view on the wet roof.
"Hello, Anakin," he said calmly.
For several moments, they looked at each other in silence. The wind began to tear at Qui-Gon's robe and the cool air sent chills down Anakin's spine.
"It's good to see you alive and well, Master Jinn," Anakin replied politely. "I'm very sorry I never had the chance to say goodbye."
"Anakin, the Council has retracted their decision to send you to the Agri-corps. If you would just come with me..."
"No thank you. I really don't think that would be a good idea."
"Why is that?" Qui-Gon was puzzled.
"They don't want me and I don't want them."
"Ani..."
"Its true! Besides I'm doing just fine on my own."
"Do you have a job?"
"I do what I need to do," Anakin responded with equal lack of emotion.
"That's not much of an answer."
"It's the only one I can give."
"You will come with me," Qui-Gon subtly gestured with his hand.
Anakin did not answer with words, but the look of anger on his face did.
"Who is training you?" Qui-Gon inquired with barely concealed alarm.
Anakin bolted. For just a moment, the three Jedi were too surprised to react. Qui-Gon was the first to follow Anakin. The two Knights were shocked to see that this boy could withstand a Jedi Master's mind trick, but they recovered quickly.
"I'll detour to the hanger his ship is registered at. You two herd him to it," Qui-Gon ordered and sped off in another direction.
Jedi Knight Ti-ekam T'now looked at Knight Drah Seirt as they ran across the rooftops.
"Any ideas?" Ti-ekam asked. He was a Twi'lek and frowned as they leaped over a protruding gable and yet still could not see the boy.
"Nope," Drah replied. "There he is!" she exclaimed suddenly. She was of a short humanesque species. Her faintly lavender skin glistened in the starlight.
"At least he doesn't know we were there," Ti-ekam observed.
"Yes," Drah answered. "That should make this easy."
Up ahead, Anakin Skywalker nimbly skipped across roof tiles and skylights. He had known that two Jedi were lurking in the shadows while he was talking to Qui-Gon. They are in for a surprise.
Knight Drah Seirt sensed the danger first. "Stop, Ti-ekam!" she called in warning.
They both halted and scanned the next roof carefully with the Force. "He's left a trap, I think," Ti-ekam said. His yellow eyes narrowed.
Drah nodded. Gingerly, they leapt across and stepped with great care across the tiles. "I think I see it," Drah said. She pointed to a slightly darker patch of tiles that took up most of the center of the roof. They both jumped over it and continued their race to catch up with Anakin.
They must both be Knights. Anakin decided when he saw that his pursuers were still following. I'd hoped that one was a Padawan. Had they stepped in his trap the chemical he'd poured on the roof would have eaten quickly through the soles of their boots. It would have only forced them to remove them before it reached their feet, but that delay would have given Anakin much needed time. It will be harder now.
The Knights stopped when they reached the end of the buildings and scanned the area for the direction Anakin took. They felt the smallest hint of warning from the Force. A bizarre, narrow beam of light flashed up into the sky like a beacon and blinded them both briefly. It made no sound. In that second of distraction, Anakin attacked.
Knight Drah dodged and flipped backwards along the roof. However, Knight Ti-ekam fell. Anakin shoved him off the roof and grasped the older man's arms behind his back as they both plunged to the ground. Anakin was stronger than he looked and Ti-ekam had no choice but to brace for impact.
Drah ran to the edge and looked down in horror as she saw her fellow Jedi slam into the paved road far below. She knew that, as a Jedi, he would survive the fall itself with few, if any, injuries. However, if his attacker used his dazed state as an opportunity to kill him... Drah sprung off the housetop.
Anakin used the Jedi as a shield when they met the ground. He swiftly took advantage of the man's stunned condition to knock him unconscious with a well-aimed kick to the head. He didn't hesitate long, but vaulted upon another roof and continued his flight.
Drah paused by her friend and checked his injuries. When she was satisfied that none were severe, she pulled out her comlink. It greeted her with static. She looked up at the figure disappearing in the distance and sped after him.
One down, Anakin congratulated himself. And unable to contact Qui-Gon, too. I'm sure that the Jedi's comlinks can't break though my jammer, he smiled as he prepared to meet the second Knight.
Drah slowed at the end of another row of houses and jumped down into a large fenced private yard. Most of the wind was blocked and the drizzle had begun to let up. She quickly searched for any sign of the boy. In a flash, she spun around, ignited her lightsaber and sliced apart two lawn chairs that flew at her. Drah calmly watched Anakin stride into view.
"Very nice," he complimented. His face was expressionless and he stood in a ready stance.
Drah adjusted her grip on her golden lightsaber. It glowed and hummed in the darkness casting an eerie yellow light around it. "You must return with me to Master Jinn," she stated in a challenge.
"You know I won't," Anakin replied simply. He was not intimidated by the lightsaber pointed at him. He knew it wasn't a real threat. A Jedi wouldn't attack him with it. Suddenly, he leaped in the air as he sensed Drah use the Force to slide an empty flowerpot along the ground in an attempt to trip him. It passed beneath him untouched. Rapidly, several more objects began to fly at him. Drah levitated first the lawn chair pieces, then a few more empty pots and even the table at him. The faster Anakin dodged and Force pushed them away the faster Drah flung them. Anakin vaulted over her head in his efforts to evade the objects and fell right into the swimming pool.
Drah paused and deactivated her lightsaber. After clipping it to her belt, she walked to the pool's edge in concern. She could sense fear emanating from the boy. Still, he did not return to the surface. Puzzled and wary for tricks she watched the submerged boy. As the minutes passed, she became too worried to heed the warnings from the Force of a trap. Drah jumped into the water and swam down to the bottom where the boy appeared to be caught in the circulating grate. As she reached for him, Anakin quickly latched a wire noose around her wrist and pulled it taut. Swiftly, he propelled himself out of the water and left the Jedi to free herself. It took her only a few minutes to get free and break the surface, but by that time, she could no longer locate Anakin.
Sliding through the hanger doors, Anakin allowed himself a smile. He jogged across to his ship and vaulted up to the closed hatch. And nearly fell on Qui-Gon. Hastily, Anakin jumped aside along one of the wings in surprise. I never sensed him! Of course I didn't. He's a Jedi Master, Anakin took a ready stance and prepared to run again.
"We need to talk Anakin. And we will, even if I must drag you to Coruscant," Master Qui-Gon declared firmly.
I must be calm. Frightening him will only make things worse. "Ani, I only want to help," Qui-Gon said kindly. "We have all been very worried. I apologize for my behavior on the roof, but you must see I have good reason to be concerned."
He looked sadly at Anakin's stoic face. He studied the boy cautiously with the Force, not wishing to alarm or anger him again. He could perceive that Anakin had suffered greatly in some way that remained elusive to him at present. And, the boy had learned how to use the Force adeptly. Who has been teaching him? Qui-Gon understood the great distress and alarm that Obi-Wan had displayed in his message now. The Council will not like this. It grieved him immensely to see Anakin so untrusting.
"Please, tell me something," Qui-Gon entreated. He carefully relaxed and tried to appear as non-threatening as possible.
Anakin didn't move his wary position, "I don't have anything to talk about."
"Will you explain further why you feel you can't return to Coruscant with me?"
The boy thought about it for a moment before answering. "I don't belong there. The Council already views me as defective," he spat. "What would they think of me now?"
"What do you think?" Qui-Gon responded.
"I think that they wish you'd never found me. And I'm beginning to feel the same," Anakin's expression was cold.
The barb hit home and Qui-Gon's brows furrowed slightly. It was very hard for him to not wince. I will not feel guilty, he told himself. I know without a doubt that it was the will of the Force that I find him.
"Taking you from Tatooine was no mistake."
"Well, we'll never know now." Anakin answered bitterly.
"Anakin, your behavior is reprehensible, but not irreparable. We can overcome this," Qui-Gon said in earnest.
Finally, Anakin's face softened, "It's nice that you are willing to help me, Master Qui-Gon. There is just one problem, except for you, no one else cares about me."
"You know you are wrong," Qui-Gon disagreed. "Your mother cares, so does Queen Amidala, and Obi-Wan and..."
"Obi-Wan doesn't care about me!" Anakin interrupted with a scowl.
Qui-Gon puzzled over this briefly before the answer came to him, "It is not Obi-Wan's fault that the Council tried to send you to the Agri-corps."
"I know that! But he didn't try to stop them either!"
"Anakin," the Jedi Master scolded him. "He was a Padawan at the time. The Council did not need to consult him, nor would they have. His opinion would have made no difference whatsoever. He did not learn of the Council's decision regarding you until I did!"
Anakin's face fell. A look of guilt flashed in his eyes for a second only to be replaced by implacable calm. Qui-Gon sighed, I miss the child he once was. How will I ever get through to him?
"Ani, your control of the Force is remarkable," Qui-Gon said in an attempt to diplomatically restate his question from earlier on the roof. "How have you been learning for the past three years?"
"I can't talk about that."
"Cannot or will not?"
"Both."
"You know that I must report this. If you would just tell me the name of your teacher now..."
Anakin looked Qui-Gon straight in the eye, "It's none of the Council's business and I have no reason to tell you."
Master Qui-Gon had no response to that, only that his frown deepened. Anakin did not carry a lightsaber or show any of the dangerous symptoms of the Dark side. The actions he had seen Anakin display were unusual, but not as alarming as he's first thought.
"In fact," Anakin spoke haughtily, "I don't see why you don't get off my ship right now! You have no right to detain me. If you would like to talk to me some other time, that's fine. But right now I've got places I need to be."
"If you do not come, the Council will see that as evidence that you are a danger. They will hunt you down and bring you back, regardless."
"Then I won't let them catch me," Anakin smarted back.
Qui-Gon looked at Anakin severely. It was true that he had no right to hold Anakin against his will. He had not seen the boy do anything truly wrong or commit any crimes. Forcing Anakin to accompany him would only drive him further away. He needed to earn the boy's trust again.
"Then," Qui-Gon reluctantly said. "I wish you a good journey. If you need anything, you know how to contact me. May the Force be with you."
After watching Anakin Skywalker lift off, Qui-Gon took out his comlink intending to contact the other Jedi. Just then, he sensed, Knight Siert approaching.
"Where is Knight T'now?" he asked.
"Injured, but nothing severe. I took him to our transport," she answered.
"The boy has already left," Qui-Gon informed her.
He was surprised to see her lips purse and frown. She didn't trust herself to speak calmly until they reached their own ship.
"He took us down," Drah announced suddenly, as they boarded for take off. She could sense clearly that Master Qui-Gon was shocked. While she waited for him to recover his voice, the captain came to tell them that they were ready to leave.
The two Jedi mutually decided to take this discussion elsewhere and went to Knight T'now's cabin. He had just awakened and was patiently waiting to hear what had transpired while he was unconscious. Together they relayed to Qui-Gon all that Anakin had done. By the time they finished he was very worried and anxious to contact Obi-Wan.
When they arrived on Coruscant, Qui-Gon was not surprised to learn that the Jedi Council wanted them to report immediately. Obi-Wan was already with the Council, as he had returned only a few hours before.
The four Jedi, one Master and three Knights, stood in the center of the Council Chambers to each give their account. Obi-Wan had already told the Council of his meeting with Anakin. As the elder, Qui-Gon gave a general account of all that occurred and then waited as the two Knights that accompanied him each described what they experienced. Qui-Gon could feel Obi-Wan's growing alarm.
"Masters," Master Qui-Gon said formally, "Anakin Skywalker has displayed unusual control of the Force. I was unsuccessful in learning who has taught him. He does not trust us, however I sensed no deceit nor evil."
The next in seniority was Knight Drah Seirt, "This boy showed skill in levitation and in deflecting objects thrown at him. As Master Jinn explained, he overcame me by trickery to enable himself to escape. I underestimated him. However, I do feel that he knew that I would not drown."
Knight Ti-ekam T'now spoke last, "I, too, underestimated Skywalker, and I did not respond as swiftly as I should have. I allowed myself to be overwhelmed by surprise and therefore was unable to defend myself. He easily incapacitated me, yet I do not recall sensing any malicious intent."
Master Mace Windu spoke, "Knight Seirt, Knight T'now, this boy is an unusual case and the Council has determined that your actions were the best possible under the circumstances. You are both dismissed. May the Force be with you."
The two bowed and went, leaving Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to contend with the Council.
Master Windu spoke, "We will assign additional teams to search for Anakin Skywalker."
"No less then two, each team will be," Master Yoda added.
"He must be found and brought here as soon as possible."
"Even if it is against his will, you mean," Qui-Gon stated what Master Windu had not said.
"Yes," Yoda answered. "Dangerous, he is."
"Coercing Anakin will only make this situation worse," Qui-Gon retorted.
"That is a chance we must take," Mace Windu replied.
"I am curious about the beam of light they described," Obi-Wan said to Qui-Gon after they left the Jedi Council Chambers.
"As am I," Qui-Gon responded. "The Council and the Knights, for that matter, seemed to not notice its significance."
"And you chose not to enlighten them," Obi-Wan glanced at his best friend and waited for his answer.
"I did not see this phenomenon myself, so I have only my own speculation."
Obi-Wan looked at him wryly, "You are slipping into teacher mode again."
Qui-Gon gave his former apprentice a guilty smile.
"Just tell me the real reason, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan said in faint exasperation.
"I don't want to inadvertently give them more reasons to distrust Ani."
"Ah, so you side with Anakin."
"Yes," Qui-Gon replied.
"So do I," Obi-Wan said sadly.
Word came quickly of Anakin's current location. Jedi Council member Master Adi Gallia's extensive intelligence contacts had discovered that the boy's ship had landed on a small merchant planet in one of the nearby Core systems. She also discovered that Anakin had several falsified documents and many fake names for his ship. Tracking him would be hard.
The Council had assembled and briefed six more Jedi to assist on this mission. They had decided that it was too dangerous to send anyone with a Padawan. Each of the Knights and Masters asked to participate had chosen to go in groups of three after learning how Anakin had defeated two Knights. Obi-Wan still had priority over this mission and had, of course, chosen Qui-Gon to accompany him.
The Jedi Council had given very detailed and strict instructions. They decided that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon would go down to the planet itself to fetch Anakin. One team would be in orbit waiting as back up should they need help subduing him. The third team would be in the system ready to disable his ship should he somehow manage to evade the other two teams and leave the planet.
As they descended into the atmosphere of Teews, Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan concealed their presence in the Force as best they could. They docked close to Anakin's ship. Obi-Wan went to give the Docking Manager an order, which the Jedi Council had requested, to impound the boy's ship. Meanwhile, Qui-Gon scouted the area to pinpoint the boy's location.
Anakin Skywalker was having a good day. Intov Mechanic Company kept excellent records on all of their droid products, very useful records. And K-LE1 had located them very quickly.
He'd had no choice but to come here during the day. Their security was much tighter at night and he didn't feel that he was capable of overcoming it. However, in daylight they weren't so strict. He only had to contend with the large number of workers. His solution had been simple. He had entered the large Teews public library and rode up to the roof. From there, it was easy to leap to the neighboring building's roof. Once inside the Intov Mechanic building, it had been a little difficult to navigate around the people. But he had managed. His only real worry was that whoever was watching the security cameras might wonder what a kid was doing wandering around. He hoped that coming at the mid-day meal would mean that they would be distracted. So far, it seemed to have worked.
The Secure Archive room was fascinating. It was filled with datacards about every kind of droid part he could imagine. He had scanned some of them randomly while waiting for Kaely to finish locating the ones he'd come for.
"Oh wow!" he exclaimed. "This is a schematic of that new speeder type's propulsion engine, Kaely!" He scanned through it quickly and put it back. He then randomly slid another datacard into his reader. "Hmmm, kitchen droid stuff, boring," he declared.
Kaely beeped at him suddenly.
"What? You done?" He walked over to see the listing she had compiled of the locations of each datacard he wanted. Moving swiftly through the racks and shelves, he plucked each one and stuffed them in his pack. When he had them all he stopped and began to check them in his reader.
He heard a plopping sound behind him and turned to see that Kaely had rolled off the console and on to the floor. She wheeled toward him and trilled impatiently at his feet.
"Don't melt your servos," he told her. "I have to be sure I got the right ones."
Kaely gave an electronic snort of contempt.
"I'm not insulting you!" Anakin said defensively. "There might have been a typo in the computer or maybe someone put a card on the wrong shelf? I don't want to have to come back just because I wasn't careful," he went through the rest of the cards more quickly. And then inhaled sharply.
"A Jedi is here, in this building," he told his little droid in alarm.
"Okay, lets go." Anakin picked up Kaely and snuck out the door.
"If we split up he will jam our comlinks," Obi-Wan said.
"It would be best to stay together," Qui-Gon answered. "Alone he will certainly resist however -"
" - However together, he is more likely to give up peacefully," Obi-Wan finished his sentence for him.
They entered the turbolift, "You have been unusually... instructive lately, Qui-Gon." Obi-Wan said slyly. "You just don't know how to live without a Padawan to torment do you?"
Qui-Gon smiled, "It has been awhile. You really ought to take one yourself soon," he countered.
Obi-Wan laughed and said, "I like my freedom. You, however, seem miserable."
Exiting the turbolift, Qui-Gon moved to the terminal built into the wall. "He can't jam this building's Netcom," he activated it and called the Intov Mechanic's security office. "Are you aware," he began, "That you have an intruder?"
The security officer on duty answered, "No, sir. If you could elaborate...?"
"I am Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and I request that you seal off all exits in this building to prevent the intruder from escaping."
The officer paled, "At once, Master Jedi."
Immediately, an automated voice declared that the Intov Mechanic Company was closing the building temporarily and that everyone should remain calmly where they are.
"Knight Kenobi and I will keep in contact with you as we track the intruder. This is a Jedi matter."
"Yes, sir. Per our policy, guards will gather at the main entrances and exits, however out of respect for you, we will not deploy them internally. This facility is protected with a Bothan security system. I will be awaiting further orders."
The two Jedi left to run down the passage as they sensed Anakin change direction and go down.
"A Bothan system," Obi-Wan said. "That will be very useful."
Obi-Wan turned at the emergency staircase and they swiftly jumped down to ground level. Once there Qui-Gon went to the nearest terminal and called the security again, "Seal the ground level."
"Yes, sir," the officer replied. Instantly, the doors locked behind them.
"I sense he is near the cargo entrance," Obi-Wan said after looking at a map on the wall.
Qui-Gon nodded, "Officer, seal off the corridors that access the cargo entrance."
Swiftly, they ran along the passages to the back of the building.
Anakin Skywalker was now having a bad day. The cargo door wasn't just locked it was sealed shut. The lack of alarms was unusual. Announcing that they were closing the exits was odd. They must know I'm here. Even K-LE1 couldn't open the door. A sudden hissing sound startled him and he spun around to see blue laser shields spring out from either side of the door and instantly block both passages. For a moment, all he could do is stare in shock. How am I to get out of this one?
Anakin sucked in his breath abruptly as he felt Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan approaching. He composed himself and waited as they came to a halt on the other side of the laser shield to his right.
The two Jedi were relieved to see that Anakin was trapped. Obi-Wan relaxed and looked at the boy calmly. Qui-Gon, however, remained tense.
"So, you are a thief now." Master Qui-Gon said coolly. It was the only explanation he could think of for Anakin's presence in this building with a loaded pack. He waited for the boy to confirm or deny the accusation.
Anakin didn't answer. He shrugged his shoulders and began to pace.
"I've been in communication with Queen Amidala," Qui-Gon informed him.
"That's nice, how is she?"
"Worried," he replied. "When you refused to come back I asked her if you had contacted her. You never have these past three years."
"Why would I make it easy for you to find me?" Anakin sneered.
"What about your mother?" Obi-Wan pressed.
"What about her?"
"We know you haven't contacted her either and that she is still a slave on Tatooine," Obi-Wan told him.
"I don't have enough money to free her, yet."
"Not even to send a holo-message?" Obi-Wan countered.
Anakin rolled his eyes, "They are rather expensive to send that far."
"Or perhaps you are just ashamed," Qui-Gon said with disapproval.
That silenced him. Anakin became still with barely controlled fury.
"We can help you," Obi-Wan tried to reassure him. "If you would just tell us what has happened to you. How did you free yourself?"
"The pirates didn't sell me like they did the others."
"You must come back with us. Willingly, I hope," Qui-Gon said.
"Why? To be executed?" Anakin answered bitterly.
Qui-Gon frowned in confusion, "The Council is not going to..."
"Oh, really," Anakin interrupted. "They were right. I am dangerous. In fact, I don't expect to survive to the end of the year. But what little time I have left I intend to enjoy."
"I never escaped from the pirates, exactly," Anakin said and paused his pacing to look at both Jedi.
"I killed them," he confessed suddenly. "All of them."
The two Jedi and one boy stood in the cold corridor with only the faint hum of the two blue laser shields breaking the silence. The tension in the air was palpable. Anakin's confession paralyzed the two Jedi. He regarded them calmly as they stared at him in shock, horror, and finally composed themselves enough to fake the serene Jedi calm that they wished they felt. They both could sense without a doubt that Anakin was telling the truth. Neither spoke as they probed him with the Force in an effort to discover more.
"So," Anakin spoke casually. "What now?"
"What do you feel you deserve?" Master Qui-Gon answered stiffly. Obi-Wan was silent, as he didn't trust himself to speak calmly.
"That's a loaded question isn't it? At this point, I don't think either of you have any choice in what will happen next," Anakin said seriously.
Obi-Wan sighed, "You are right. We will take you back to Coruscant to be judged by the Jedi Council."
"Sleep, Anakin," Obi-Wan attempted to use the Force to make the boy fall unconscious. He wasn't surprised that it didn't work.
Anakin shook his head and turned his back to them. He walked as far away from the Jedi as he could go and went to stand facing the other blue laser shield.
Qui-Gon pulled out his comlink and called the second Jedi team that was in a ship orbiting the planet, "We have trapped him. We may need your assistance to subdue him. We are in the Intov Mechanic building on the south side of the city."
"Understood, we are landing now," came the reply. Qui-Gon replaced the comlink to his belt and looked up as he felt a large surge in the Force.
Once again, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were shocked speechless. Anakin Skywalker walked slowly through the other laser shield. He turned around for a moment to smile at them and then dashed out of sight.
Quickly, they both ran to the nearest terminal to tell the security officer to disengage the lasers. Neither bothered trying their comlinks. They knew that Anakin was certainly jamming them now.
"At least he does feel guilty," Obi-Wan said quietly.
"Yes, there is still hope."
The laser shields retracted and the race to catch Anakin was on.
"Transmit the signal to start the ship, Kaely," Anakin told the little droid nestled in his pack. He squinted in the bright, mid-day sunlight. Overcoming the guards outside of the building had been easy with the Force.
She complied and answered with a confirmative beep. He ran down the streets and leaped over passing vehicles as he made his way towards the hanger where his ship was docked. Up ahead, he could sense that three more Jedi were coming his way and making no effort to hide themselves. Suddenly, Kaely emitted a shrill warning that was unfortunately becoming increasingly familiar.
"Not now, please, not now!" Anakin moaned despair. He turned down an alley and cut across the residential district. He ignored the strange looks that the people gave him as he ran by their houses and through their lawns. Desperately, he tried to concentrate for the battle to come.
They caught up with him in the deserted courtyard of an estate on the outer edge of the city limits. The First one came from the left. But Anakin knew this trick. It was a ploy to distract him from the real danger. He spun abruptly and ducked the Second who came from behind him. The Third dropped on him from above. However, Anakin knew that maneuver, too. He slid quickly to one side and dodged again. He ignored them as they issued the standard, "you will come with us," speech.
Anakin crouched low and ready. He was determined to not be captured. You won't get me! He thought coldly. Not now, not ever, he flipped over the First and kicked the Second in the head as hard as he could. I'd rather die then go with them! He skipped out of the First's attempt to grab him and watched aghast as the Second recovered and stood up.
A blow to his head brought Anakin back to reality. He had ignored the Third and it nearly was his undoing. Fortunately, the strike was intended to merely knock him unconscious rather than kill him. Obviously, they didn't know that Anakin was tougher than average for his age. He pretended to collapse. When the Third came closer to determine if he was all right Anakin sprung up and aimed powerful kicks to both the Third's and First's midsections. They doubled over and the Third fell down.
The Second lunged erratically at him. Anakin was forced to dodge wildly and nearly lost his fingers when the Second smashed his hand into a wall. Franticly, Anakin wrenched his left hand out of the Second's grasp. He vaulted upward and flipped back in an effort to gain some distance.
Anakin carefully flexed his hand. He didn't dare look down at it. From the amount of pain emanating from it, he felt sure that it was still intact. He gingerly moved each finger and tried not to wince. I hope nothing is broken. The Second and First were beginning to close in on him. They are trying to corner me.
The Second ran forward and feinted a strike at Anakin's legs. But Anakin saw it and with a roundhouse kick he dislocated the Second's shoulder. The First took that as an opportunity to snag Anakin's tunic and pin the boy to the wall.
No! Anakin struggled. He fumbled at his pack and tried to open it and push away the Second's arms off him. Finally, his hand snaked inside and he grabbed Kaely. "Sting!" he commanded. Little K-LE1 opened one of her compartments and fired a tiny but powerful laser beam that burned across both of the Second's forearms. Anakin used an elbow strike to shove the Second away and slipped out of danger.
Anakin eyed them warily. He knew that he had to take them completely down. I can't risk letting even one of them escape. They can't ever have a chance to tell anyone about what they have seen me do. With that last thought, Anakin ceased his dodging and attacked with the intent to tear all three of them apart.
Anakin's presence in the Force unexpectedly intensified. All at once, Qui-Gon's and Obi-Wan's ability to sense him went from a vague direction to an absolute location. And then, it reduced back to vague again. However, it lasted long enough for them to sense exactly where he had just been.
"What did Anakin just do?" Obi-Wan gasped in surprise.
"We will know soon," Qui-Gon answered in a worried tone.
If it was possible, they began to run even faster. At the end of the next street, they turned and discovered an unexpected sight. There on the pavement lay scattered bits and pieces of three large battle droids of indeterminate type. More pieces of metal adorned the ground of the courtyard beyond.
"What?" Obi-Wan murmured in confusion.
Qui-Gon paused to look at a nearby limb for a moment. It looked familiar in a way he couldn't decipher. Dismissing it from his mind for the time being, he called to Obi-Wan, "We must keep going."
They looked up as the second team of Jedi rushed up to them. Master Deyonna, Knight Suoixna and Knight Gnirit all came to a halt when they saw Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan alone in the street.
"Where is the boy?" Master Deyonna asked.
"He escaped," Obi-Wan gave the obvious answer curtly. He led the other Jedi in a run towards the hanger bays.
"He cannot go far with his ship impounded," Master Deyonna surmised. She looked at Obi-Wan. "However he might steal a ship."
"Master Stiaw's team can intercept him if it comes to that," Qui-Gon reminded them all.
"Our comlinks don't work," Knight Suoixna informed them.
"We know. Anakin is jamming them," Qui-Gon told him.
As they approached the hangers, they could all sense that Anakin was inside his own ship's hanger already.
"Master Deyonna, go with your team to your ship and take off. Get out of his jamming range and contact Master Stiaw. Be ready to disable Anakin's ship if we don't catch him."
They nodded and left as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan went to confront Anakin again. They could hear the whine of a ship's engines as they approached the hanger entrance. Impoundment of his ship certainly wasn't going to stop Anakin from leaving. The boy was quite resourceful and had no fear of the law when he could simply use another false ID and name for his ship.
They arrived too late and could only watch in remorse as Anakin flew away.
Qui-Gon bowed his head, "He will elude them."
"I know," Obi-Wan answered.
When Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan returned to their ship, they were not surprised to learn that Anakin had evaded capture. They took off to join the other two Jedi vessels in orbit.
The leader of the third team, Master Stiaw contacted them first, "We are plotting his possible hyperspace vectors now."
Master Deyonna called in from the second ship, "We should spilt up to cover as many of the locations as quickly as we can."
"We agree," Obi-Wan answered for himself and Master Qui-Gon.
"Also, we should simply disable his ship this time," Master Stiaw said over the ship's com.
"It would take him by surprise," Master Deyonna agreed.
"However, he will certainly attempt to steal a ship once he discovers his error," Obi-Wan pointed out.
"I have a list of systems coming through, transmitting now," Master Stiaw told them.
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon examined the list. It was a little long due to the fact that they were so close to the Core. Obi-Wan looked over at his former teacher for guidance.
"Which is he going to?" he asked.
Qui-Gon finished looking at the names and sat back in the co-pilots chair. He closed his eyes and immersed himself in the Force. It was an ability that Obi-Wan had not fully learned yet and would not conquer for a few more years.
"Yaw-sihtog," Qui-Gon answered.
Obi-Wan relayed their choice to the other six Jedi. Master Stiaw decided that his team would go to Eno Gnorw and Master Deyonna chose Tidessim. They all bid each other farewell and left to their first destinations.
"If we don't catch him first..." Qui-Gon began saying.
"I know," Obi-Wan replied.
Anakin Skywalker was exhilarated. Ha! Did those Jedi really think they could out fly me? He grinned smugly at the star lines of hyperspace outside of the cockpit window. He flexed his bruised hand slowly, relieved that there were no permanent injuries. A faint, repetitive beeping sound started inside of his pack.
"All right Kaely," Anakin said as he opened the bag. He started to move the datacards around searching for her. The beeping turned into a shrill squeak.
"What?" Anakin said. "I'm trying!" He removed some of the datacards, then shoved his hand down to the bottom and quickly pulled it back out when K-LE1 pinched his hand with her little grasping arm.
"HEY! What'd you do that for?!" he glared at the tiny droid hidden somewhere in the dark bag. "I'm doing the best I can!"
He grabbed the pale green droid and set her on the computer console. Kaely began to scold him savagely.
"Quit fussing, you're not hurt, Little Miss Impatient. I didn't even scratch your paint job," Anakin shoved the datacards back in the bag hastily. Kaely continued to titter angrily at him.
"If you aren't nice," he warned. "I won't teach you to fly."
Instantly she became quiet. He knew how much she loved new parts and upgrades. He closed the pack and picked her up, "You were very brave against that big droid, Kaely."
Kaely flashed her eyes at him in disbelief.
"No really," he said. "I'm very proud of you!"
She happily peeped out a little tune like a bird in response to his praise. Anakin smiled down at the small droid in his hand as he walked out of the cockpit and into the common room. He placed her on the table and began to pull open drawers and compartments. "Let's see what we've got here," he murmured aloud. "I need these coils, hmmm and this, no it's too big." He was distracted by an annoying humming sound. Anakin looked in the direction of the noise.
Kaely was wheeling around as fast as she could in circles in the middle of the table.
"Kaely!" Anakin sputtered. "Stop that!"
The little droid engaged her brakes and slid right off onto the floor. Anakin got up and walked over to her in exasperation. "I can't take my eyes off you for a minute!" he said looking down at her. "Do I have to order you to sit still?"
Her only response was to squawk at him. "I don't care if you are bored or whatever. You'll wear your wheels down and I don't want to have to keep replacing them all the... ACK! There's skid marks on the table top!"
Anakin picked Kaely up. "Look what you did!" he said indignantly.
Kaely scanned the table with her yellow eyes and then looked up at him and whistled guilelessly.
Anakin sighed. He put Kaely back down on the table. "Don't move," he insisted.
He returned to the cabinets and finished collecting the parts he needed and grabbed his toolbox. He sat down on the old bench and began to assemble tiny repulsor lifts. As he worked, K-LE1 swiveled her eyes and examined the parts he had placed by her. She watched as her master put on his magnifying goggles. When she was sure he wasn't looking Kaely silently opened one of her compartments and extended her tiny grasping arm. She lifted it up reaching into the box far above her and picked up a tiny welder. Kaely looked at it curiously and set in quietly in front of her. Slowly she stretched her arm as far as it would go to grab more objects out of the toolbox.
Anakin looked up in surprise when his hand failed to pick up the pliers he knew were in his toolbox. He realized suddenly that Kaely was too quiet, That's a bad sign. Snagging his goggles off he looked down at the now empty box and pile of tools in front of his droid. Kaely quickly dropped what she was examining and began to look around the room innocently.
"I ain't falling for it," Anakin told her.
Anakin walked briskly long the top of a tall stone wall. It was a beautiful day and he'd just earned a lot of money. His buyer had been very pleased with the datacards Anakin had stolen. These jobs aren't half as bad as I thought they'd be. It was a very convenient arrangement. His clients didn't want anyone to know who they were and they didn't want to know who they were hiring. They only wanted something brought to them. Of course, Anakin always checked them out. They only thought they were anonymous. I'm sure Dr. Dabton feels a bit guilty paying me to steal the evidence he needs to use in court to bring down Intov Mechanic Company for copyright fraud. But he'll get over it. I wonder what they'd all think if they knew they hired a kid who is just about to turn thirteen?
"Kaely, slow down," Anakin called to his little droid. Kaely was having a blast. She swooped and glided in the air around him. He could have caught a public ground transport back to his ship, but he wanted Kaely to have a chance to practice flying more. She sang and whistled birdcalls that she heard. They startled a large bird resting on top of the wall and Kaely started to chase it.
"No," Anakin ordered. "Leave it alone."
K-LE1 wouldn't listen. She flew erratically around the hapless bird as it snapped at her with its beak. Kaely squealed in surprise when she found herself being pulled backwards. Anakin calmly plucked his disobedient droid out of the air with the Force. He held her suspended in front of him.
"When I say no," he began lecturing and then snatched her quickly and jumped off the wall as a blaster bolt streaked past where he had just stood. Kaely shrieked in protest as Anakin stuffed her in his pocket. "Quiet," he whispered and fled.
Anakin was sweating, his face was red and haggard as though he'd just ran a marathon. And in a way, he had.
"This," he gasped. "has GOT to STOP!"
Everywhere he went those droids followed. How do they keep finding me? They always tried to capture him. They had tried throwing nets, darts, and gas bombs, but they had never shot at him before. Obviously, whoever kept sending them had decided that it didn't matter anymore whether they brought Anakin back uninjured. Or in one piece.
This is bad, Anakin thought. A sharp pain began in his head and quickly spread to engulf his entire body. For a moment he thought he'd been shot, until he saw an all too familiar glow begin to emit through his skin and clothes.
Oh, no. Not this, not now! Panicking, he pulled out Kaely. "Go to the ship, fast," he told her through his gritted teeth. He watched her speed away and leaped to avoid three more blaster shots.
Without warning the light surrounding Anakin expanded and burst around him. The shockwave violently threw all five droids to the ground. Their metal bodies and limbs melted and shattered like glass. Anakin collapsed to the ground.
The sound of approaching footsteps brought him back to his senses. Anakin looked up to see Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan standing over him. Qui-Gon knelt beside him and reached out his hand, "Will you let us help you now?"
Anakin looked up at them with wild eyes. His head was pounding and he was breathing very heavily. He lay flat on his back in the middle of a slightly scorched circle on the road. His blue eyes opened and closed very slowly.
"Can you hear me?" Qui-Gon asked. Please answer me, Ani. Anakin was silent and didn't move.
Obi-Wan moved to put his arms under Anakin's shoulders to lift him up. He jerked back as a finger of electricity arced from Anakin and shocked him.
"What was that!" Obi-Wan looked down at the boy in surprise.
"No.." Anakin mumbled. "You'll..."
"We'll what, Ani?" Qui-Gon asked urgently.
"Be hurt..don't," He struggled to lift his hand and waved it at the Jedi, trying to indicate that they should move back. His labored breathing increased. Anakin squeezed his eyes shut in pain.
"We can stop the pain," Qui-Gon tried to tell Anakin. Why won't he let us help? he thought in confusion.
A golden glow began to seep through Anakin's skin and shine through his clothes. It would have appeared beautiful if not for the look of agony on the boy's face.
"Qui-Gon move back," Obi-Wan said in alarm. He looked at the remains of the strange battle droids.
"He needs help," Qui-Gon argued.
"This is too dangerous, we must get out of the way!" Obi-Wan insisted. Why doesn't he sense it? Obi-Wan thought in frustration.
"No," Qui-Gon refused to budge.
Obi-Wan was torn. As evidenced by the destroyed droids around them, Anakin's light was a very bad thing. Sometimes, I wonder if I must save Qui-Gon from himself. Resigned to their fate, he braced himself and reached out his hand. Obi-Wan stood ready to grab his former master out of the way.
"Move!" Anakin yelled.
Qui-Gon leaped backward as the light clinging to Anakin increased and expanded to churn in the air around him. White and yellow sparks danced in the air and further burnt the ground. It began to overload the two Jedi's senses. Anakin was perfectly still on the pavement as the Force battered at him. The Jedi were puzzled that the Force could be so painful.
Master Qui-Gon closed his eyes and probed the air around Anakin. Obi-Wan looked at him carefully as Qui-Gon used the Force to slow down some of the particles of light. Slowly at first, Obi-Wan also began making the air heavy and thick to slow the wild luminescence.
Anakin strained to stop the volcano in his head. He could feel the Jedi's efforts, but didn't believe they would be enough. Don't they know that they'll... NO! I won't let them. With a mighty surge of the Force, Anakin flooded himself with power and froze the light. For a moment the pain nearly drove him mad, but then he felt Qui-Gon's quiet presence and Obi-Wan's determination. Steadily, Anakin snuffed each spark out. He fell into blissful unconsciousness.
Anakin awakened in one of the medical centers on Yaw-sihtog. Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stood on either side of the bed. They didn't bother greeting him or asking how he felt. They immediately went right to interrogating him.
"You must talk to us!" Obi-Wan demanded.
"No!"
"We need to know..."
Anakin interrupted, "No, you don't. It won't help!"
"Anakin!" Master Qui-Gon said severely. "Obi-Wan is right."
Anakin sat up and glared at them. He seemed to be weighing whether it would be worth it or not. The Jedi returned both gave him identical looks of disappointment. Anakin slammed his fists into the soft cushions in frustration. He tried to get up.
"Ani, be still," Qui-Gon ordered and gently pushed Anakin back.
"You will have to tell us eventually," Obi-Wan told him. "You may as well start now."
"Fine," Anakin answered begrudgingly.
"Good," Qui-Gon said.
"What do you want to know first?"
"What in space was that light?" Obi-Wan asked shortly.
"I don't know," Anakin spoke saucily.
"Anakin," Qui-Gon warned.
He sighed, "I've always fought it. In the beginning, the glowing only started when I meditated." Anakin looked at Qui-Gon, "You saw me do it once."
"When?" Obi-Wan asked.
"On Queen Amidala's ship, while we were traveling back to Naboo," Qui-Gon answered. He looked over at Anakin. "Does it still cause you pain?"
"Yes, it often hurt at first, so I just didn't meditate. But later it would occur while I was sleeping and the pain would wake me. Somehow, I guess I learned to stop the pain or maybe I just got used to it. I don't know."
Obi-Wan poured a glass of water and held it out to Anakin. The boy's hand shook badly as he tried to reach for it, "The pirates rarely saw it happen."
"What happened?" Qui-Gon asked quietly.
"I suppose you know by now that the Diputs pirate gang kept me," Anakin stated. "The other kids were smart. They didn't use the Force to fight them off like I did. So, the pirates thought that they were all just regular kids. They took them all to the cargo hold and sold them as slaves. The pirates were S'sorg. You know, those big hulking people with insect-like heads from Sknits. They don't think twice about selling kids as slaves. S'sorg think that all other races in the galaxy are inferior. But, they decided it would be more profitable to keep me."
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon looked at each other as Anakin paused to try to catch his breath. They hadn't known that. None of the other children had said anything about seeing Anakin using the Force. Most of them had never even noticed the boy as he traveled with them. They hadn't described their attackers very well, either. It had made it very difficult for the Jedi to find them, especially since they had never discovered the name of the pirate group.
"The pirates used you to help them steal things," Obi-Wan surmised.
Anakin nodded, "You know the drill, if I refused they threatened to beat me to death. About what I expected. I was able to draw the line at opening locks and the really bad stuff. They had only seen me lift things, so I let them believe that's all I could do. Until they saw me glow once. Fortunately, they couldn't ever find any use for it. Not that they didn't try."
"This, glowing, it has become much worse now?" Obi-Wan inquired softly.
"Yeah," Anakin hung his head. His face contorted with emotion. Guilt and disgust were the chief feelings that the Jedi could sense emanating from the boy.
"It happened really bad while we were landing in a hanger on a planet I don't know the name of. The pirates never told me where we were or where we were going. And except for when they needed me to move something, I was always confined to the ship."
Anakin paused again. Willfully, he worked up the courage to continue. Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan waited silently. They did not want to rush him or make this anymore difficult for him. The boy's face relaxed a little and he took a deep breath.
"I had little warning before I saw the glow. I was a bit surprised that it was starting while I was awake and not meditating, but then the pain began. I think I passed out because the next thing I remember is lying in a crater."
Anakin tried to drink from his glass and nearly dropped it. Qui-Gon reached out to help him and the boy swallowed the cool water greedily. They knew that he was reluctant to resume his explanation. Obi-Wan couldn't help but give him a stern look. Anakin frowned, but decided it would be better to keep talking.
"The first thing I noticed was I had no clothes on and I was sun burnt all over," Anakin described. "I was confused to find I still had hair on my head, even though it was singed. When I climbed out of the crater I saw that the ship, hanger and all twenty-seven pirates were gone."
"I had totally incinerated them."
He waited for their reaction. Qui-Gon's eyes widened slightly and Obi-Wan sat back a little, but neither spoke nor offered any sign of comfort or disgust. Anakin pressed on.
"I stole some clothes, stole a ship, broke into the pirates' money and searched for a crack in the galaxy to hide in. I knew I had to get as far away from the populated worlds as I could. I eventually made it to a small, uninhabited moon in an unsettled system."
Finally, the Jedi began to talk, "And then it happened again." Obi-Wan said as a statement not a question.
Anakin nodded, "I had several more bad episodes while I was there. It took I think a year to learn shut it off."
"So now you can control it?" Master Qui-Gon asked.
"Sorta, I thought I could at least suppress it. Obviously, I was wrong. So, you see, going to Coruscant would be a very bad idea."
Anakin crossed his arms in front of him and boldly stated, "I'd rather not talk anymore." He looked at Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan meaningfully. It was a clear indication that he would answer no more questions.
Qui-Gon nodded, "Very well. You must rest now. We will take you to Coruscant after the healers release you."
"I really don't need to stay here," Anakin insisted.
"Ani," Obi-Wan said. "You were unconscious and in severe pain..."
"Am I bleeding or missing limbs?" Anakin asked sarcastically.
"You passed out," Obi-Wan reminded him.
"I'm fine now!"
"Cease the argument," Master Qui-Gon ordered.
The command made Anakin shut his mouth with a frown. Obi-Wan, however, looked at his former master with one raised eyebrow and a smirk. Qui-Gon pretended not to notice.
"Perhaps we should be going," Master Qui-Gon said slowly and deliberately. Obi-Wan looked at him cautiously and glanced at the boy. Anakin didn't seem to notice, he was too busy slouching and scowling.
"Can you walk?" Obi-Wan asked Anakin suddenly.
"Yeah," Anakin drawled.
Qui-Gon reached out a hand to help him up, but the boy refused it. Quickly, the three of them snuck out of the building.
"Quicker," Obi-Wan told Anakin as they jogged down the street.
"Why don't we just take a public transport then?" Anakin asked in confusion.
"Too dangerous," was Qui-Gon's reply.
Anakin looked at him intently. It finally dawned on him that they were both acting strangely. Tentatively, he expanded his range of perception with the Force. A feeling of disquiet hung in the air. It had no direction, yet it felt near. He sensed no danger, but felt threatened just the same.
"What's wrong?" the boy asked them.
"Good afternoon."
The two Jedi stopped short at the voice. Anakin was startled when he realized that he could not sense who was speaking or where they were. He was pretty sure that the Jedi couldn't either. They had turned their backs to him and each scanned the area with the Force.
"I do hope that you won't be too disappointed when I relieve you of your young charge," the mysterious voice said. It wasn't very deep, nor too high and Anakin was hard pressed to guess at whether it was a man, woman, or alien speaking.
"It's from a comlink," Master Qui-Gon told him.
"Yes," the voice said. "I'm terribly sorry that I can't be with you, but my associates will keep you company."
Several large battle-style droids appeared at either end of the street and even a few were on the rooftops. Instantly, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan ignited their lightsaber's in anticipation.
"Keep out of the way, Ani," Qui-Gon ordered the boy.
"No problem," Anakin said jauntily. "I'm sure the two of you can handle these guys just fine." Instantly, he bolted and flipped over the three droids ahead of them and ran as fast as he could. The Jedi were surprised for only a moment before the droids began to close in on them. None of the droids turned to pursue the boy. Either they weren't very smart droids, or they had been ordered not to.
Anakin stumbled into his ship. "Kaely!" he called, "Kaely!" He scanned the dimly lit interior in confusion. It's oddly quiet in here. Normally, K-LE1 would be singing a little song and playing with something when she was waiting for him to return from a job or meeting. It was in general a nuisance because she often got into things she knew she shouldn't. Like the time she opened every single ration package in the kitchen cabinet. And she rarely remembered to put away her "toys" when done. Yet there was nothing amiss that he could see. Did she get lost on the way back here? Anakin thought worriedly.
K-LE1 came flying from the cockpit and zoomed around his face anxiously. She beeped and whistled loudly in a panic.
"What's wrong?" Anakin was puzzled and reached out his senses to probe the ship with the Force. He sensed no danger. I wish I knew how to make an interpreter's voice box small enough for Kaely. It will probably be decades before its possible, Anakin thought.
"Quiet," he told the small droid that was buzzing in annoyance. "I said quiet!" he repeated. Quiet. That's it! It's too quiet in here!
"Kaely, why haven't you started the pre-flight sequence?" he looked at his tiny green droid in surprise and disapproval.
Kaely hovered and gave a little wail as she led her master to the cockpit. Anakin sat down in the pilot's seat and examined the ship's readings and tried to activate the engines. Several of the screens refused to display and warning lights were lit all over the board. A rumble and low whine was the ship's only response before quitting. The computer flashed a error message at him. Anakin looked down in shock.
"What have those Jedi done to my ship!" Anakin yelled in exasperation. He got down on his knees and franticly began pulling off the front panels of the control board. He looked around inside, hoping to see what had been tampered with.
"I bet this was Obi-Wan's idea," he spat in disgust. Anakin pulled and tugged at the mess of colorful wires. He examined each one in turn for breaks or disconnections. He felt his frustration increase and his anger begin to rise in earnest.
Kaely whistled at him. He half turned to see her slowly dragging his heavy toolbox into the cockpit. Her poor little grasping arm looked as if it was about to be pulled out of its compartment. Hastily, Anakin slid the box the rest of the way with the Force. He flung it open and began grabbing tools.
"How dare they touch my ship!" He pounded the deck plates in fury with his already sore fists.
Kaely began to peep at him derisively. She flashed her yellow eyes and flew around to hover in his way. She scolded him loudly for losing his temper.
"Getta away!" Anakin bellowed at her.
Kaely reversed her tiny repulsor lift engines away from him in surprise. She thunked lightly against the metal wall with a wail. Whimpering, she skyrocketed out of the cockpit. Anakin put his head in his hands and sighed.
"Kaely?" Anakin whispered. "I'm sorry Kaely. Don't cry. Come out please."
K-LE1 was very stubborn and obviously wasn't going to come out. I've got to remember that she is still a baby. She does her best. He hunted through the small ship's main room and sleeping cabin. His droid was so small she could be hiding literally anywhere in the ship. Especially now that she could fly. He'd played hide and seek games with her before, so he knew of several likely places. Petulantly, Anakin opened and searched the compartments, looked under the table and bench seat. He sifted through his clothes cabinet and sleeping bunk. He even checked the cold food preserver, though he couldn't imagine why she might try to hide in the ice.
"Please," he called aloud. "I need your help!"
Those were the words she wanted to hear. At once Kaely flipped open the top of the Ragus drink maker. She rose unsteadily out of the small mixing chamber dripping liquid on the console. She was covered in stains from the sweet drink's ingredients. Instead of a soft green, she was now orange.
Anakin looked at her aghast. "You're a mess. That stuff will become sticky when it dries and your parts will freeze up! It will take hours to clean you!" he moaned.
Kaely swiveled her eyes in an attempt to look at herself in surprise. "Come on," Anakin told her. "We don't have time to waste." He quickly began to stuff a few essential tools and other items in his pack. Almost as an after thought, he grabbed some ration bars, too. "I can't figure out how to fix the ship right now. I don't have enough time. And besides, Master Qui-Gon probably put a homing beacon on board somewhere just in case I did manage to get away."
Anakin looked in his belt pouch and counted how many credits he had. He opened the ship's hatch and jumped to the ground below, "We've got to find some other way to get off planet."
The two Jedi ran through the hanger bays. Anakin had used the droids interference to his advantage. The Jedi easily dispatched them, but the fight delayed them long enough for Anakin to escape. They could sense that he was already on a ship and leaving the atmosphere.
"We will catch him," Qui-Gon said. "He must have managed to make his ship fly despite your efforts."
"Yes, however he will undoubtedly be quite upset to learn that his hyperdrive is also inoperative," Obi-Wan answered as they raced for their ship. They entered the hanger doorway and slid to a halt.
It was empty.
"Anakin stole our ship!" Obi-Wan exclaimed aloud.
"Not too fancy, but cozy just the same," Anakin Skywalker murmured aloud.
He admired the simple, but sleek Jedi ship. He wandered around the main room and peeked in the two cabins. Everything was austere and useful. A lot like my ship. Anakin thought. But mine is smaller and filled with droid parts. Kaely was in the cockpit arguing with the computer. It had required a little convincing before the ship released control to them. However it didn't have much in the way of security, and they were now cruising through hyperspace.
"You wouldn't know it at first glance, but this ship is pretty nice," Anakin commented to Kaely.
She wasn't able to fly, at the moment. The Ragus drink and indeed become sticky and half her internal mechanisms were stuck. He carried her from the cockpit and began searching through the kitchenette compartments for something to clean her with. Anakin sat down at the main room's table and removed her outer hull to assess the damage.
Kaely waited with unusual patience as he cleaned the orange residue. He couldn't deactivate her because he needed her to test each appendage to be sure he got it all off. It was slow and tedious work. Maybe this will help me be more patient, too, he mused.
He smirked to himself. "So, do you like the Jedi ship?" he asked his droid. Kaely gave an affirmative trill. "I would've liked to have seen their faces when they saw the empty hanger! Ha!"
Anakin fiddled with a mild dissolvent and a tiny scouring stick, "You do manage to find the silliest places to hide." He shook his head as Kaely answered with a soft beep, "Don't hide in any food, drink, or anything else that can clog you up anymore, got that?"
He sobered for a moment in thought, but then grinned again. "At least I don't have to worry about them being angry. Okay, move your wheels," Kaely complied, but one was still stuck. "I don't really want them to be angry. But I just gotta be sure."
Kaely whistled encouragingly as Anakin unstuck the last wheel.
"I know that they don't understand why I'm being such a pain. It seems so easy to just go with them. But just because Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are willing to help doesn't mean they can."
"Open all of your doors and extend just the arms," Anakin instructed her. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think going with them would only make things worse right now. They'd both just get in big trouble with the Jedi Council."
He shook his head mournfully, "And if I told them how I learned to do so much with the Force they'd lock me up for sure."
Kaely flashed her eyes at him in puzzlement. She's sweet, but I know she has no idea what I'm talking about, Anakin sighed.
"Now, fire off your special stuff," He watched as her magnetic grapple jammed and began cleaning it. "If things were different...," Anakin began saying. "The Jedi just don't know what to do with me. And if they can't handle me at my worst, then I'll just have to take care of myself alone."
Kaely gave an electronic sniff of indignation and would have pouted if she could. "Okay, with your help. Happy?" Anakin rolled his eyes at her.
He picked up her outer hull. It was mostly orange now with only a little green visible, "I don't know if this cleanser can get the stains off of your coverings. I might end up scrubbing all of the green off and I don't think the Jedi have any paint on board."
The nearby console began beeping an alert. Anakin returned to the cockpit and strapped in. "We'll see about picking out some paint on Tuohctaw," he said as he brought the ship out of hyperspace and smoothly guided it to the nearest populated planet. "I'll have to buy some more clothes and tools, too," he said as an afterthought.
"I suppose I ought to warn you now that we need to go into hiding, Kaely," Anakin told her grimly. "After we finish getting the stuff we need here, we'll go back to that little moon. It's a nice enough place. No people, but I'm sure you'll have fun terrorizing the animals." he smiled crookedly. "You don't remember it of course, but I started building you there."