Ch. 7
And so they arrived, finding themselves the next morning dragging two four year olds across the desert and into the little town in which Anakin had grown up. In a seeming paradox, it was actually easier to remain inconspicuous in the tiny village than it was on over-populated Coruscant. As long as both Anakin and Padme kept their hoods up, no one gave them a second glance as they trudged through the sand.
"You grew up here, daddy?" Luke asked sweetly.
"Yes," Anakin replied calmly.
"Lots of sand," Leia commented. "I don't like it."
"I don't either," Anakin agreed. He hated sand.
"Why did you leave daddy?" Luke asked.
"Because a Jedi Master named Qui Gon Jinn, and also Master Obi Wan, who was still just a Padawan at the time, came and found me. They saw that my blood was full of medichlorians, and decided to train me as a Jedi," Anakin explained, hoping this explanation would suffice for now.
"Master Obi Wan was just a Padawan? That must have been a looong time ago," Leia commented.
"It was only about twenty years ago Leia," Padme replied, and suddenly that sounded like a long time to her too. "Anakin!" She said, worriedly. "We're so old!"
Anakin laughed and gave her a kiss. "Do you feel old now?"
"Yes," Padme grumbled, but she smiled at him.
"Were you there too mommy?" Luke asked. "When they found daddy?"
"Yes," Padme told him. "I'm afraid it was because of my ship that we ended up here. But I'm awfully glad we did," she said, smiling at Anakin.
"Did you marry daddy here mommy?" Leia asked.
"No," Padme replied. "He was only nine when we found him."
"How old were you?"
"I was fourteen."
"You're older than daddy by that much?" Leia demanded, shocked.
"Five years isn't a very long time, Leia," Padme told her.
"It's older than me," Leia responded logically.
"That's… true," Padme responded, somewhat off put by Leia's revelation.
"But when you get to be older, it doesn't seem like such a long time, Leia," Anakin told his daughter. "Because we're at the same level of maturity-I don't think of her as older, and she doesn't see me as any younger than she is," he said, and for some reason Padme chose this moment to cough loudly. "Are you ok?" Anakin asked obliviously.
"Yes," she said, looking away from him with her hand over her mouth.
"Mommy's laughing," Luke reported.
"No, I'm not, just… sand in my throat," Padme said, recovering and looking back towards Anakin.
"Oh, I hate that," Anakin said, accepting her explanation. Padme bit her lip and smiled at him.
Very abruptly, Anakin stopped walking, and Luke, trailing behind him, bumped into his father's legs. As Padme turned to see what he was looking at, she realized suddenly that they were in front of Watto's shop. She grabbed Anakin's hand and squeezed it tightly, and he smiled at her gratefully. However, she could tell that he was fine, letting the Force sooth him and being the peaceful and calm Jedi Master that he was.
"What is it, daddy?" Leia asked.
"This is the shop that has the part we need for our ship," Anakin told her simply. "Well," he took a deep breath, "Let's go in. Luke, Leia," Anakin began, as they ducked into the store. "I used to-" He stopped short, staring in front of him. As soon as Padme turned her head, she understood why. A boy who looked about 12, with sandy blond hair and a confused expression on his face, stared back at them. Though he was older than Anakin had been, she couldn't help but think back to the first time she had laid eyes on her husband- and she knew Anakin was thinking the same thing. Anakin was silent for a long time, feeling more empathy for this boy than he had felt for anyone in his lifetime. It was like he was staring into his own eyes. It sickened him that Watto still kept slaves, even in the New Republic… Even the twins, who understood nothing of the situation, could sense through the Force that now was a good time to be very quiet. Padme's hand again found Anakin's, and her tender but cold touch brought Anakin out of his daze. He realized he had been staring at the boy for some time. Just as he was about to speak, the boy spoke first.
"Watto, customers!" He yelled in their native language. In Basic, he addressed the man in front of him. "I don't owe you nothin' do I?" He asked Anakin, obviously because he had been staring at him.
"No, I'm… I'm here to pick up a part…how old are you?" Anakin asked, unable to hold back his interest in the boy.
"I'm twelve, but some people say I could pass for fourteen and I like to pretend so. But I guess there's no reason to lie to you," he said defiantly, eyeing them suspiciously.
"Why is there reason to lie to anyone?" Padme questioned him, tenderly.
"Listen lady, you don't understand," was all he said. He turned and pretended to continue working on some repairs, but Anakin could sense his interest in them, and the boy kept peeking back at them as Watto entered.
Watto spoke in his own language, believing that none of his customers could understand him. "Boy, come here," he yelled gruffly, pausing to cough. "You know Idon't reallyliketo speak Basic, you talk to them."
"There is no need to bother him," Anakin said. He spoke in his native language, one he hadn't spoken or heard in years, and yet it still came naturally to him. The second he uttered the words, the boy whipped around, staring at him.
'Anakin Skywalker speaks this language?' The boy thought, for he had indeed recognized the Jedi hero. However, he wasn't one to buy into the glory and glamour of the Jedi and the Republic that everyone else seemed to see- he was more of a realist, knowing that he didn't have much of anopportunity in life. Instead of following the careers of Jedi and dreaming to be like them, he worked to survive for himself- he did what it took to find small things he could actually enjoy, instead of believing in the freedom and peace that was promised to everyone in the galaxy. Even at twelve, his hard life had left him this jaded. He didn't see why Anakin Skywalker would need any more recognition, so he had kept it to himself.
"I see the boy recognized me before you did," Anakin addressed Watto, having read the boy's thoughts without even realizing it. "And he's never even met me before." Again the boy's eyes seared into him, angry that his thoughts had been invaded.
"I apologize," Anakin said in Basic to the boy. "Your thoughts are very expressive. Sometimes it is hard not to listen- the Force is very strong."
"Listen, I don't know nothin' about this Force thing that everyone talks about," the boy said defensively. "But my thoughts are my own, ok?"
"Of course. I will block them from now on," Anakin said, smiling, determined to win over the boy with whom he had so much in common. However, the boy turned immediately back to his work, and Anakin could sense his frustration.
"Ani?" Watto asked suddenly just as he had ten years ago, the first time Anakin had reappeared on Tatooine.
"How does he know you, and how do you speak this language?" The boy blurted, though the second he allowed the words to pass his lips he looked angry with himself for showing any interest in the famous Jedi. However, he would be glad to have the mystery solved.
Anakin turned to the boy, seriously. "I, too, grew up a slave here," Anakin said, and the boy stared at him. "I grew up working in this very shop, until the Jedi came- they found that my blood was high in medichlorians, and managed to win me from Watoo. That is how I came to be on Coruscant and train as a Jedi. So you see," Anakin said, eyeing the boy in front of him. "Hope and freedom do exist. And again, I apologize for reading your thoughts, but I want to help you."
The boy's blue eyes again peered at Anakin suspiciously. How could he want to help, they had only just met- he knew not to trust strangers, even if they were famous Jedi. " I do fine for myself," He said defensively. "And I didn't grow up here...I was just found, and taken here, just last year. So we ain't got that much in common, all right? Why would you want to help me anyway..."
"Because," Anakin said warmly, placing his hand firmly on the boy's shoulder. "I do understand."
Despite himself, the boy smiled. Suddenly, a look of sadness came over his face, and he dove back into his work, pretending to ignore the party in front of him.
'I will try my hardest to rescue you as the benevolent Jedi did me when they found me,' Anakin told him through the Force. The boy stared at him, astonished that he was communicating with him through his mind. 'I am sorry, but Watto musn't hear,' Anakin explained. 'Even if you are not Force sensitive, a Jedi, if he chooses, can communicate with you like this.' The boy glared at him again, but the glare was less icy than those that had preceded it.
"I need a part for a ship, Watto," Anakin said simply, turning to his former owner. "That is why I am here, I knew that only you would have it. Otherwise, I would not have come back."
"Why is daddy speaking a funny language?" Luke asked, suddenlyjoltedout of the trance that the twins had been in since entering this shop and witnessing the very strange scene unfold in front of them.
"It is the language I grew up speaking, Luke," Anakin explained to him, and Luke nodded. Padme smiled at Anakin- she had always found it charming when he spoke it, as if he was an innocent little boy once again.
"Of course, Ani," Watto said. "What do you need?"
Anakin explained it to him, all the while only half paying attention to what he was saying to Watto. As Luke and Leia hid behind Anakin's legs, he watched the boy through his mind- his eyes always focused on Watto. He could sense something strange in him- he knew it was a kind of presence that he had felt before, but was unable to place it.
"We will need somewhere to stay tonight," Anakin said loudly, still staring at Watto. He smiled as he felt the boy's attention towards him heighten. "I hope nearby," he said.
"The boy has room," Watto said simply, immediately receiving the same icy glare that they had all now witnessed so many times. With that, Watto disappeared in the back to look for the part.
"That would be perfect," Anakin said, eyeing his new host. He turned to his family. "How would you like to stay with this young gentleman for the night?"
"Anakin, are you sure that's all right?" Padme asked worriedly.
"Is it all right for us all to stay?" Anakin asked the boy.
"Yes," was the begrudging answer. "Though," his voice faltered, and Anakin couldn't tell whether he simply was trying to get out of playing host, or whether he was feeling some kind of sadness. "It is a small place, just one of the slave apartmentsfor me. I have no family," he said, and Anakin stared at him, unable to stop feeling extreme empathy towards the boy who was so much like him in so many ways. However, he quickly caught himself and again put on his calm and noble demeanor.
"We do not require much," Anakin replied.
"Even the Chancellor?" The boy asked.
"You know of my wife?" Anakin asked him.
"Yes," grumbled the boy, angry with himself for giving any recognition to the most famous couple in the galaxy. "Your highness," he said, almost sarcastically, and Padme and Anakin exchanged a look.
"There is no need to call me that," Padme said awkwardly.
"You were a queen," came the flustered response.
"But I am not any more," she said firmly, and the boy again turned back to his work.
Watto reappeared from the back of the shop. "I can have it ready for you tomorrow," he informed them.
"We will be back in the morning to pick it up," Anakin replied. "Thank you."
"Thank you Ani," Watoo said, almost kindly. "It is… good to see you again, and to see your family."
"Yes," Anakin said, unable to honestly return the sentiment. It wasn't exactly "good" to see his former slave owner again. "Thank you." Anakin managed a smile.
Anakin turned to the boy, who stood awkwardly in front of them with a look of insubordination on his face.
"Are you going to show us where we will be staying tonight?" Anakin asked him.
"Yeah, but don't be expectin' me to hang around or nothin'. I have my own life, you know."
"What do you do?"
"I take care of myself, that's what," he answered, and with that he turned, leading them quickly away.
"I want to help him, Padme," Anakin said quietly to her.
"How, Anakin. It's obvious he doesn't want any help," she told him, though compassion was obvious in her eyes.
"Exactly why he needs it," was all Anakin said, leaving the matter to rest for a while.
"Make yourselves at home, just don't go snoopingaround ornothin'," were their orders for the night. "Now I gotta go, I'll be back later. Um… enjoy," and with that, their young host was gone.
The Skywalkers passed a calm and peaceful evening together, and Anakin explained his upbringing to his children. They were full of questions, as always, but the discussion was not as hard as Anakin had expected- in fact, he felt relieved to have told them, and for four year olds, they demonstrated great understanding, their responses almost poignant. They found that the apartment contained three rooms, the boy's own bedroom, a tiny extra room that he seemed to use for storage, and a main room with a couch and a tiny kitchen area. They put the children to sleep in the small room on a makeshift bed, they themselves preparing to sleep on the couch. Fairly late in the night, the boy came back, muttered a few words to them, and went to his own room. With that, the household went to sleep.
Suddenly, in the middle of the night, Anakin sat bolt upright, his Force senses reeling with a sense of danger. He shook Padme violently, though, as he had grown in his strength and maturity with the Force, he appeared outwardly calm and contained despite the turmoil he felt in his head. She turned to stare at him, having been jarred out of a deep sleep.
"Something's wrong," Anakin announced to her, firmly.
"What is it?"
"The twins," he said, "They're in trouble." Padme's heart shattered- these words from his lips were the exact ones she had been dreading since the moment that Anakin Skywalker had gotten her pregnant- she knew that they and all of their friends worried about the twins more than one would with normal children, for so many different reasons. And she knew that something was now terribly wrong. Before she could say anything, Anakin was up and staring in to the room where they had put the twins. He turned back to her, and his face told her everything. He said nothing, and beat down the door of the boy's room.
"Gone," he said, and with an intense look that told Padme to follow him immediately, he stormed out of the house, his hand already on the hilt of his light saber.
Ok, I promised dramatic and here it comes… warning: this will be mysterious and twist around a lot; especially with who seems bad/good, suspect/innocent, what are the motives…this is just the beginning. I do have a plan… Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I like happy endings. So you can look forward to the light at the end of the tunnel. But forget that for now, and pretend everything's going to be bad.