Chapter 12

Once they got back to the ship, Anakin headed straight for his cabin while Drengin plopped down on a chair in the lounge. Closing his eyes, the boy relished in the coolness of the ship...

A green lightsaber cut through the darkness with a shrilling buzz as its wielder twisted and spun in a complicated kata. The little light that came from the lightsaber momentarily lit up the person's face, revealing a strikingly beautiful girl.

Her brownish red hair was cut at her shoulders and light red freckles ran over her nose and cheeks. Her face was peaceful and calm, and her sea-green eyes sparkled as she let the Force flow through her. Drengin watched her every move as she jumped, spun, parried and blocked at an unseen opponent. When she finished she looked directly at him and smiled. Drengin smiled back before she vanished and he was rudely woken up...

"Master Drengin sir," Threepio repeated, a little bit louder.

"What!" Drengin snapped suddenly as he opened his eyes to see Threepio standing in front of him. "Couldn't you see that I was relaxing?"

"I am sorry sir, but I thought you should know that the scanners have detected a Sith warship approaching the planet," Threepio told him quickly.

Drengin rubbed his eyes as he sighed. "You should be telling Anakin this."

"He specifically told me not to disturb him; if it was important, he said, I was to tell you," Threepio explained.

Drengin rolled his eyes as he stood and stared hard at Threepio. "Override what he said, then. It's his ship – he makes the decisions, not me!"

"But sir," Threepio protested. "I am under orders—"

Drengin resisted the urge to Force push the droid into the wall as he stomped past him. "You're impossible."

"—not to disturb Master Anakin!" Threepio finished, now alone in the lounge.

Drengin didn't even bother to knock as he opened Anakin's cabin door with the Force. He found the lights on dim and as his eyes adjusted to the lighting he saw the distinct figure of Anakin sitting on the floor, facing away from the door. "Threepio says that the ship's scanners have picked up a Sith warship approaching Tatooine."

Showing no signs that he had heard Drengin speak, Anakin continued to sit in the meditative posture.

"Anakin?" Drengin said softly, turning the lights up a bit before approaching him. "Did you hear me?" He sat down in front of Anakin to see the Anakin's eyes tightly shut. "Anakin?"

Anakin sat oblivious to Drengin's presence, his mind far away in the mists of the past...

Kitster sat by Anakin as they both looked up at the stars, curiosity and longing filling them both.

"Maybe one day we'll be able to visit every star," Anakin commented dreamingly.

"On our own ship," Kitster added with a small smile. "With no one to stop us."

Anakin stared longingly at the stars, his blue eyes bright with hope. "We'll be free."

Kitster sighed and looked at Anakin. "But it's just wishful thinking," he responded dejectedly.

Anakin looked into Kitster's brown eyes that were lit up by the light of the moons. "Perhaps," he said softly, his fingers digging into the sand. "But that won't stop us from dreaming."

Kitster nodded in agreement and smiled. "True," he answered with a small yawn.

"You never know – maybe if I can beat Sebulba in the next podrace then Watto will want to take me to more podracing events." Anakin laughed and shook his head. "Maybe I can win our freedom while I'm at it."

Kitster laughed along with Anakin. The thought was crazy but if it ever did happen, it would be so great...

Drengin growled in frustration and shouted, "Anakin, there is a Sith Warship approaching!"

Anakin opened his eyes, startled and momentarily confused at where he was. "There's what?"

"There's a Sith Warship approaching Tatooine," Drengin answered more softly, relieved to have gotten Anakin's attention.

Anakin swiftly stood and headed out of the cabin with Drengin running to keep up with him. "I believe our visit has been cut short."

"They ruin everything," Drengin commented as they reached the cockpit.

Anakin grunted and pressed the intercom button. "Threepio, activate the sensor jammers."

"Yes, sir," Threepio answered from the console Anakin had designed for him.

Drengin strapped himself into the copilot's seat just as the ship began to lift off. "Do you think they're here for us?"

"I'm not sure, but considering the circumstances I'm not taking any chances," Anakin answered. Drawing the Force to him, he wrapped it around them to hide their presence from the Sith.

The cockpit was eerily quiet as Anakin piloted the ship around one of the nearby moons and carefully made their way past the warship.

"Master Anakin! Fighters approaching at three-mark-five," Threepio called out, breaking the silence.

"I see them," Anakin answered as he turned the ship to the left. "So much for sneaking away quietly."

The laser blasts splattered against the shielding as Anakin performed complex maneuvers to avoid their blasts. "Threepio, run a sweep of the entire ship for tracking beacons."

Drengin looked at Anakin, worry and fear in his eyes. "Are we going to make it?" he asked as another blast rocked the ship.

Tightening his grip on the controls, Anakin sent the ship into a downward spin and then pulled up into a loop. The five starfighters continued their relentless pursuit, matching Anakin's maneuvers move by move.

" Battle meditation," Anakin muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing. Pressing a button, he released two seismic charges. "Two can play this game," he whispered quietly as he guided the charges with his mind.

"Master Anakin, there is a tracking beacon in your area. The retrieval droid is on its way," Threepio informed before he was slammed against the wall as Anakin lurched the ship to the side to avoid a pair of photon torpedoes. "Oh dear! We're doomed!"

The concentration to both pilot and lead the charges slowly began to wear Anakin down as his attention was divided. Battle meditation is sure not my strong point.

Drengin sensed what Anakin was attempting and despite his own fear, he used the Force to give Anakin the needed energy.

A small spherical flying droid entered the cockpit and began its scan. With a beep it flew toward Drengin and with its tiny arm, plucked a small tracking device out of Drengin's hair.

The charges impacted near the rear of the ship. A few seconds later, they heard a large boom and a shockwave hurtled out of the explosion.

Anakin quickly centered his attention and pulled down the lever to enter hyperspace. Just a few seconds before the ship jumped, the shockwave reached them and scorched the rear of the ship, creating a wall of red flame that covered their escape from the remaining fighters.

Darth Mage growled, digging his claws into the arm of the command chair as the ship escaped their grasp. "Follow them!"

"Sir," one of the young lieutenants said, turning around in his chair to look at Darth Mage. "It seems that the tracking device has been deactivated."

Darth Mage leapt from his seat and landed squarely in front of the young man. "It seems?" he hissed, baring his sharp teeth.

"Yes sir, I mean---"

The lieutenant never finished his sentence as Mage's lightsaber plunged straight into his heart. Everyone on the bridge quickly looked back at their workstations as Mage regarded each one in turn. Fear radiated from them and Darth Mage basked in it.

"Captain Solo!" Mage snapped, looking where the Captain assisted one of the bridge crew with examining the hyperspace vector in which the ship had left.

Captain Jonash Solo straightened and swiftly turned. "Yes, Master Mage," he said crisply.

"Your crew's incompetence is detestable. Increase their workload," Mage demanded sternly before heading toward the communications officer. "You! Send a message to the Council. Tell them we have found the renegades and are in pursuit. After you have done so, send a message to our troops holding the Dashade informer. He is to be executed immediately. I will not tolerate failure!" the Sith raged.

Captain Solo licked his dry lips as Darth Mage went to pour his outrage on someone else. "As you wish."

After going over the damage report and doing a couple of different hyperspace jumps to discourage pursuit, Anakin went in search of Drengin. He found the boy fast asleep in the small workshop, his head lying on the table with a tool in his right hand and a piece of wire in the other.

Anakin smiled as he gently pried Drengin's fingers off of the tool and the wire. "We sure had a busy day, didn't we?" he said softly before carefully picking Drengin up.

Soon Drengin was lying down in his bed, the covers pulled up and tucked tightly around him. Anakin brushed Drengin's bangs away from the boy's face, and then turned to leave the cabin.

"What do you think of the Jedi?" Drengin asked in a sleepy voice.

Anakin turned back around and went to sit at the end of the bed. "Why do you ask?"

"It's something my...Master asked me," Drengin answered after a brief pause.

Anakin closed his eyes as he considered the question – a question that was difficult to answer right now. "What did you tell your Master?"

"I told him that they're our enemies and are merciless to those who dwell in the Dark Side," Drengin replied as he looked at Anakin's face in the dim light.

Anakin drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I don't know what to think. When I was nine years old, my mother was murdered by someone with a lightsaber. I didn't know who had done it or why, until I found Darth Maul, who told me that a Jedi had killed her. After Darth Sidious freed me from Watto, Darth Maul and I left for their ship, but not before I swore vengeance for my mom's death."

"But you weren't really a slave." Drengin interrupted.

Anakin ran his right hand through his hair, scratching his head. "I wasn't, but I didn't know that until today. Anyway, we met up with a Jedi padawan, who briefly fought Maul. The Jedi said he wouldn't hurt me; he even let me have his lightsaber. But I didn't believe him: I was angry and upset. Looking back, I know I wasn't thinking straight. The Jedi left not long afterwards, and Darth Maul and I continued to the ship. When we got there, we found that Darth Sidious had slain a Jedi Master, and Maul said that the Jedi had broken the agreement we had made."

"What was the promise?" Drengin interrupted again, sensing that Anakin was not sharing everything.

"I had told the Jedi apprentice that I didn't trust him, and he asked what he needed to do to earn that trust. I told him I would trust him if he left, and didn't try to stop us."

Drengin scrunched up his face as he silently reviewed what Anakin had said. "But where was his Master while Garen was talking to you? What if his Master was already fighting Sidious before you made the promise?"

"He agreed---"

Drengin interrupted him again with another question. "What if his Master didn't know about the agreement?"

Anakin sighed and shook his head in amazement. "Where do you come up with these questions?"

Drengin shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know. My parents used to make up 'what if' stories when it was time for bed. I suppose it's something that rubbed off on me."

"Hmph. Well it seems that these 'what ifs' may be useful. Now that I think about it, I haven't asked myself any 'what ifs' in a long time," Anakin remarked, his eyes looking at something unseen.

"I guess we could try," Drengin remarked softly.

Anakin raised an eyebrow at Drengin's statement. "You don't sound too sure of yourself."

Drengin closed his eyes and swallowed back a sob. "It hurts. It reminds me of my family."

Realization crept into Anakin's face as it dawned on him. "They're dead, aren't they?"

A sob escaped Drengin's lips as he turned away from Anakin. "Yes. All of them."

"I'm sorry," Anakin said softly.

"A month before the Sith found me, there was an accident in the lower levels of the mine. One of the spice veins led a group of miners, including my parents and two older brothers, into an unstable cavern. The guards were not concerned with the miners' welfare, and they pressed the others to get to work. Minutes later, the cavern collapsed.

"My oldest brother, Jaren, somehow made it out and back to the housing area. He told me what happened before he fell asleep. He never woke up," Drengin finished, feeling like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

Anakin wrapped his arms around Drengin and held the boy as a fresh stream of tears trailed down Drengin's face. "Shh," Anakin whispered soothingly, a tear escaping his own eye.

As Drengin cried, clutching Anakin's arm, Anakin saw a totally different side of Drengin. While on the outside he tried to act brave and sure of himself, inside he was a frightened and insecure little boy.

Fifteen minutes later, Drengin was sound asleep in Anakin's arms. Carefully, Anakin released himself from Drengin's grip, and left the cabin only to bump into Threepio.

"There you are, sir. I have finished analyzing the sensor device and have found that it is of Dashade origin," Threepio informed Anakin.

Pressing his lips together, Anakin recalled that he had told Drengin to leave Watto's shop. Drengin had only been out there for a few minutes. "Threepio, I want you to assign sensor sweeper droids near the ramp and around the ship and tell them to scan us every time we come back aboard the ship."

"Will that be all, Master Anakin?" Threepio asked.

Anakin glanced back at Drengin's cabin before looking at Threepio. "Don't disturb, Drengin; he could use some sleep."

"As you wish, sir," Threepio answered before walking off to his other duties.

As Threepio disappeared down the hall, Anakin cursed under his breath at his carelessness. Oh, that was real smart. Absolutely brilliant, he told himself sarcastically. Spies are everywhere, and what did I do? I told Drengin to go outside the shop, not taking the necessary precautions because I'm too self-absorbed.

Stepping into a small training room, Anakin activated five remotes and set them on rapid fire. I'm blinded to things around me, can't see what's in front of me. I know I'm better than this – at least I should be! Blocking the laser fire with his lightsaber, he let his frustration out on the remotes. Hot, angry tears stung his eyes as he blocked every bolt precisely, sending them pinging harmlessly to the walls.

He growled angrily as a bolt stung him on the arm, and he raised his hand and Force pushed the remotes hard into the wall before throwing down his lightsaber. His hands were clenched into fists, his face red and tense. He drew in a shuddering breath and, letting it out, he closed his eyes. "What do I do?"

For the rest of the day, Anakin sat in the cargo hold, reflecting on the past, and present. He attempted to meditate and failed as his doubts of what was truth and fabrication grew, clouding his mind.