Chapter 10 Preparations

Anakin burst through the door later that day.

"Watto's given me the rest of the day off to work on the pod." he explained.

"Can I come?" Padme asked.

"Sure."

"Um, Padme? Can I talk to you first?" Jesse asked.

Padme hesitated, and then nodded.

"We'll be right out." she told Anakin.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said earlier." Jesse said. "I wasn't being fair. I'm sorry."

Padme smiled at him. "That's ok. I was a jerk too." she looked away. "I'm just really worried."

"If anyone can fix this, it's Qui-Gon." Jesse assured her. "It'll be fine."

"I hope so."

Jesse wanted to ask about what she'd said about the ship, but he stopped himself. "Come on, let's go see the pod."

"Watto thinks Qui-Gon's foolish." Anakin told them when they went outside.

Jesse grinned. "Just think if he knew Qui-Gon were a Jedi."

"He'd be so afraid, he'd probably give you the parts. But others wouldn't be so nice." Anakin said, tightening a bolt. "JarJar, don't touch that."

JarJar pulled back his hand like it had been zapped. "Mesa touchee nodin." he smiled angelically.

Jesse rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything. Maybe Padme was right, and he really did like JarJar, despite his quirks.

A group of kids joined them.

"Padme, Jesse, and Jar Jar, this is my friend Kitster, and Seek, Amee, and Wald." Anakin looked up to introduce them then looked back down.

R2 beeped a greeting.

"Wow, a real Astro Droid!" Kister exclaimed. "How'd you get so lucky?"

"This isn't the half of it. I'm entered in the Boonta Race tomorrow!" Anakin straightened and declared.

"Annie, Jesko na joka." Waldo said, laughing.

"What'd he say?" Jesse asked.

Annie shrugged. "He said I'm a joker."

"You've been working on that thing for years. It's never going to run." Amee added.

"Come on, let's go play ball. Keep it up, Annie, and you're gonna be bug squash." the group, minus Kister, wandered off.

"Nice friends." Jesse remarked. He couldn't help thinking about his friends back at the Temple, Mon, Gala, and Ko'arn. If he'd been doing something like this, they'd have been right there with him, helping him out. The tiniest bit of homesickness made him sigh. He'd come such a long ways from the day he'd hidden in the space ship. If someone had told him what would happen, he probably would've laughed. Now, anything seemed possible.

"Hey, JarJar!" Anakin's voice brought him back to the present. "Stay away from those energy binders!"

"Who, mesa?"

"If your hand gets caught in that beam, it will go numb for hours." Anakin warned.

"One, two, three..." Jesse began counting quietly. JarJar looked closely at the energy plate- a little too closely, getting zapped in the mouth in the process.

"That's three and a half seconds, JarJar." Jesse announced. "A new record."

Padme giggled and JarJar tried to say something, but it only came out as gibberish, making them all laugh louder.

"But you don't even know if this thing will run." Kister said.

"It will." Anakin was undaunted.

"I think it's time we found out." Qui-Gon said, coming from out of nowhere. "Use this power charge."

"Yes, sir!" Anakin said enthusiastically. He jumped in and started the pod. A loud cheer broke out from his audience as it shot forward."

"Wow, that's fast." Jesse said, in awe.

"Too fast." Shmi said softly.

"The Force will guide him." Qui-Gon answered, not taking his eyes off the speeding pod.

Jesse sensed something in his voice, but he couldn't put his finger on it. And he sensed something about Padme he couldn't put his finger on either. He rubbed his temples. Too much was happening, but he didn't know what it was. He just knew something was going up.

That night Jesse was the one to bombard Anakin with a pillow. Anakin grinned and caught it.

"I'll arm wrestle you." he challenged.

In response, Jesse propped up his arm on the table.

Jesse won most of the rounds, but Anakin managed to squeeze in a few victories.

"You should try wrestling my friend Ko'arn." Jesse said sleepily when they lay back on the blankets. "He's the best. No one can beat him. He even beat a couple apprentices."

"I wish I could go to the Temple. I wish I could be a Jedi."

"Me too. I bet you'd be a great one."

"I wish I could free all the slaves too. It's not right for people to own people."

"A lot of things aren't right." Jesse thought back to Naboo. "That's why we Jedi fight so hard."

There was a long silence. Anakin finally broke it.

"I'm getting up early tomorrow to work on the pod. Watto says I don't have to come in."

"Wake me up when you get up will you?"

"Sure."

Except Jesse was the first one up that morning. He quietly got out of bed and went down to the kitchen.

"So you're the early bird this morning?" Shmi said as he entered.

Jesse was about to answer when Anakin came in.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I just got up." Jesse told him.

"Come on, let's go paint the pod."

"Eat first." Shmi handed them each a couple pieces of fruit.

Jesse and Anakin rolled their eyes in sync and went out to the pod.

"Is Qui-Gon up yet?" Anakin asked.

"Haven't seen him. But he could be off meditating or something." Jesse finished his fruit and picked up a brush.

"I bet R2 will help." Jesse said, yawning. "I just realized, the sun's not even up yet. It doesn't get very dark here."

"The sand reflects light."

"How come your mom's up so early?"

"She always gets up early." Anakin yawned too. "Now see what you've started? Let's go get the droid to do this and go back to bed."

"Works for me." Jesse went in to find R2.

Anakin watched him paint for a minute. "I think I'll stay and supervise."

"Ok, I'll stay too and keep you from falling asleep."

"I'm not gonna fall asleep!" Anakin protested trying not to yawn again. "We'll take watches."

"Ok. You or me first?"

"I'll go first." Anakin said.

Jesse closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, Padme was watching R2 paint the pod. It was almost finished.

"Remind me to get an atstro-droid to clean my room." he said.

Padme smiled. "What time did you two get up?"

Jesse shrugged. "Before sunrise." he looked at Anakin and snorted. "So much for taking watches."

Padme pretended to scowl at him. "Be nice." she said, going over and touching him on the cheek. Jesse rolled his eyes.

Anakin blinked. "You were in my dream." he said to Padme. "You were leading a huge army into battle."

"I hope not, I hate fighting. Your mother wants you to come in and clean up. We have to leave soon."

"The race!" Anakin stood up eagerly as Kister entered, leading two camel-like creatures. "Hook 'em up, Kister. This won't take long." he said to Padme.

"Where's Qui-Gon?" Jesse went over to them.

"He and JarJar left already. They're with Watto at the arena." she answered.

"Why anyone would want to spend anymore time with hat creature than necessary..." Jesse shook his head.

"Can't you at least say something nice?" Padme teased.

Jesse grinned. "To quote the infamous JarJar Binks, 'Mesa no know. Mesa neva try.'" Jesse imitated JarJar perfectly, sending Anakin and Padme into a fit of laughter.

"All set!" Kister called.

"Let's go then!" Anakin said excitedly.

As they were entering the hangar, Watto was leaving.

"Bonapa keesa pateeso, o wanna meetee chobodd." he chuckled.

Anakin turned around watching him leave.

"I really don't like it when he laughs like that." Jesse lost sight of the blue creature in the crowd. "What did he say?"

"He said 'better stop your friend from betting or I'll end up owning him too.' What did he mean by that?" Anakin asked Qui-Gon.

"I'll tell you later." Qui-Gon answered.

Jesse gave him a shrewd look. Something was going on, but as Qui-Gon didn't seem to be in too much a hurry to explain, he would have to wait. He went over to where Kister and Anakin were making final adjustments.

"This is so wizard! I'm sure you'll do it this time, Annie." Kister said.

"Do what?" Padme asked.

"Finish the race, of course."

Padme blanched. "You've never one a race?"

"Well... not exactly." Anakin shifted nervously.

"Not even finished?" Padme pressed.

"Just because he's never done it before doesn't mean he can't." Jesse defended his friend.

"Yeah, Kister's right, I will this time." Anakin promised.

"Of course you will." Qui-Gon came up behind them.

Jesse felt a shiver run down his spine as they brought the pod out onto the track. The announcers in the background added to the excitement of the moment.

Shmi hugged Anakin and handed him his helmet. "Be safe." she whispered.

"I will, mom. I promise."

A large fat hutt began announcing the names of the racers. When Anakin's name was announced, he waved to the crowd.

"Dis berry loony, Annie. May da guds be kind, mesa palo." JarJar shook his head and clapped Anakin on the back.

Padme gave him a small kiss on the cheek and laughed when he wiped at it. "You carry all our hopes." she said.

"I won't let you down." Anakin promised.

"Just don't crash." Jesse told him. "I know, it's corny, but, if you get killed, I'll never talk to you again."

Anakin pretended to smack him. "No 'May the Force be with you'?" he asked.

"It already is." Jesse said, suddenly realizing what he'd been sensing. Anakin was Force-sensitive. Qui-Gon must've felt it too.

"Bazda wahota, shag. Dobiella Nok. Yoka to Bantha poodoo." Sebulba hissed at him.

"Cha skrundee da pat, sleemo." Anakin retorted.

"Yeah, so go find a canyon to fall into, rock-face." Jesse added, even though he had no idea what had been said.

"I'm guessing what he said wasn't exactly in the spirit of good sportsmanship?" Padme said.

"Not exactly. He said I was slave scum and bantha poodoo. The usual."

"Are you all set, Annie?" Qui-Gon asked.

"All set."

"Good. Remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel. Don't think. Trust your instincts."

"I've heard that before." Jesse quipped.

Qui-Gon shot him a look. "May the Force be with you." he told Anakin.

Anakin shot Jesse a smug look and climbed into the pod, pulling his goggles over his eyes.

JarJar covered his eyes. "Mesa no watch. Dissen ganna be messy!"

"Come on." Jesse pulled him after Qui-Gon and Padme toward a viewing platform.

"Is he nervous?" Shmi asked. She was very pale.

"He's fine." Qui-Gon gave her a reassuring smile.

Padme looked worried and was trying to cover it up. "You Jedi are far to reckless. The queen..."

"The queen trusts my judgment, young handmaiden. You should too."

"You assume too much." Padme told him loftily.

Jesse was getting annoyed. "Why don't you just trust someone else for once in your life? You don't know everything..."

"Neither does he!" Padme cut him off.

"Alright! Enough!" Qui-Gon broke in.

Jesse and Padme looked away.

"I'm sorry, Padme." Jesse forced himself to say. As soon as he looked into Padme's brown eyes he really did feel sorry. "I just..."

Padme looked away.

Jesse sighed and looked down at the pods. The announcers gave the signal to start the engines. Adrenaline once more rushed through Jesse. A green light flashed, and the pods shot forward.

Annie, Jesko na joka- You are such a joke, Annie.

Bazda wahota, shag. Dobiella Nok. Yoka to Bantha poodoo.- You won't walk away from this one, slave scum! You're Bantha poodoo.

Cha skrundee da pat, sleemo.- Don't count on it, slime-ball