Chapter 3
Anakin walked into a small house. It was joined onto other houses. The outside was basic sand colour and looked run-down. Walking inside, Padme could see a set of rooms full of gadgets. To one side was a small kitchen, with a table and chairs. It was tidy and organised. On the other side was a room, full of wires, spare parts and general electrical goods, on the work top was a finished droid with steel outsides. Padme walked curiously over to it. "That's the droid I've built." Anakin said when he noticed her looking. "We plan on selling it to raise money to send a message to my uncles family." Anakin walked onto the kitchen and checked on the stew on the stove. Padme looked around a bit. She saw three other rooms. They were very small. One of them was obviously Anakin's. It had machinery all around and a small unmade bed. Next to it was a bare room. It was clear of all objects apart from what looked like a rope strung along the centre. The last room must then belong to his uncle. It was also very basic and stark. It was orderly and tidy and everything was put away. The whole place lacked homey touches, like carpets or pictures. It seemed very bare, yet cluttered. It was definitely missing feminine touches. She turned back to the kitchen to see Anakin pouring out the stew, leaving enough for his uncle when he returned. He placed the bowls on the table, "Eat, you must be starving," They all sat down, and Qui gon gave Ani some food chips from his belt to repay for the food they were given.
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"All slaves have transmitters placed inside their bodies somewhere." Anakin said in reply to Padme question, "I've been working on a scanner to try and locate them, but no luck."
"What does the scanner do if you escape?" Padme asked, unused to barbaric behaviour.
"The scanner blows you up." He said as if it was common knowledge. Padme and JarJar looked at him in horror.
"I can't believe there is still slavery in the galaxy." Padme said trying to get a grip on what seemed so common place to the boy, "The Republic's anti-slavery laws…"
"The Republic doesn't exist out here...we must survive on our own." Anakin said with a wisdom beyond his years. The comment brought an embarrassed silence. "Have you ever seen a Podrace?" Anakin said, formulating a plan in his head as to how they could get their parts.
Padme shook her head, as did JarJar. "They have Podracing on Malastare. Very fast, very dangerous." Qui gon said, picking up on what Ani had in mind.
" I'm the only human who can do it." He said to Qui gon, trying to make him understand that there was a chance.
"You must have Jedi reflexes if you race Pods." Qui gon said being deliberately evasive.
Anakin looked at him closely. "You're a Jedi Knight aren't you?"
"What makes you think that?" Qui gon replied, trying not to give anything away.
"I saw your light sabre. Only Jedi carry that kind of weapon." Ignoring the fact that Obi Wan had seen someone who wasn't and carried a sword. Anakin didn't want to give too much away either.
Qui gon looked at Ani and smiled, "Perhaps I killed a Jedi and stole it from him." He said in jest.
"No one can kill a Jedi," Anakin said with real conviction.
"I wish that were so…" Qui gon said with sadness in his voice, thinking of Obi Wan, who, though not dead, was still taken.
"I had a dream I was a Jedi. I came back here and freed all the slaves...have you come to free us?" Anakin said with real hope, because then Obi Wan could go find his beloved master, this Qui gon, that he talked so much about.
"No, I'm afraid not…" Qui gon said with real sadness, but not wanting to get his hopes up.
Anakin looked at him, nodded his head and looked away. "How did you end up here in the outer rim?" Anakin said with curiosity.
"Our ship was damaged, and we're stranded here until we can repair it." Padme said.
"And that's why you need the parts from Watto," Anakin said with some insight.
"Wit no-nutten mula to trade." JarJar said.
"These junk dealers must have a weakness of some kind." Padme said, as Anakin and Qui gon looked at each other from opposite ends of the table.
"Gambling." Anakin said. " Everything revolves around the pod races."
" Podracing... Greed can be a powerful ally.. if it's used properly." Qui gon said, directly to Ani.
"I've built a racer. There's a big race tomorrow, on Boonta Eve. You could enter my pod. It's all but finished…" Anakin said to Qui gon. "Watto doesn't know I've built it. You could make him think it's your's, and you could get him to let me pilot it for you."
"What would your uncle say about this?" Qui gon said to the boy seriously.
"My uncle would understand," Anakin said with conviction. "He'd do it himself if he could get away with it."
"I'd rather get his permission before you do this," Qui gon said.
"You'd need to get Watto's, I belong to him, not my uncle."
Qui gon looked at the boy for a moment. "If you are sure about this, and your uncle will be alright with it once he comes home,"
Anakin nodded his head. "He always tells me that my mum used to say, 'that the biggest problem in the universe is no one helps each other' he'll understand my reasoning for doing this."
Outside they could hear the sandstorm rage.
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When the storm had abated, Anakin could feel Obi Wan's presence coming down the road. Obi Wan we have visitors. A Jedi Knight is among them.
Are you sure? Obi wan replied in Anakin's mind.
He has a light sabre, and has all the characteristics. I haven't found out his name yet. I offered them shelter from the storm. Their ship crashed, so I've offered to enter the race tomorrow so that they can get the parts they need, is that alright?
Of course it is. Listen, what have you told them about me?
Just that I have an uncle whom I live with called Ben.
Good, I'll be there in a minute. Have you practiced your meditations yet?
No, came Anakin's apologetic relpy, I didn't want them to know to much about what you've taught me.
Good thinking.
Obi Wan entered the hovel. He went to the sink to wash his hands, Qui gon was in the meditation room looking around, trying to out the pieces of Anakin together.
"Is this your uncle?" Padme asked in the kitchen.
"Yeah, Uncle Ben, this is Padme, Padme, this is uncle Ben," Anakin replied, introducing the other.
"Pleased to meet you," Padme said holding out her hand.
Obi Wan, recognising the Nubian accent, gave her the traditional Nubian handshake. Padme looked shocked that he would know it, but quickly put it aside. "Pleasure is all mine." Obi Wan replied.
Qui gon heard his voice, and new it was an older version of Obi Wans. He rushed into kitchen and saw the boy, grown into a man. A man he had been looking for for 10 years. "Obi Wan," Qui gon said with awe.
"Qui gon," Obi Wan said, a smile growing on his face.
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I love all your reviews, thanks so much and keep them coming. I'm not going to generally answer reviews after my story, it's a case of you'll have to read it and find out. but I will say in answer to Laura of Maychoria, that I hadn't considered Obi Wan being just a Shmi substitute, I like the idea, I might use it to be evil! Thanks for the sugestion.
To all those JarJar fans out there, I would just like to say, I'm sorry, but i hate him and see no point to him being in the films, but because he is, and has crucial dialogue that I can't get another character to say, he is in this story under sufference, and I have (thankfully) been able to majorly reduce his involvment. Sorry to those Gungan fans, he's just not my favourite character.
Thanks for the reviews, they give me a spur to keep writing. So if you want to read more of this story, keep them coming.
Sorry that i didnt have page splitters in the last coule of chapters, by the time i realised the ones i had put in had dissapeared it was too late.