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Obi-Wan closely tracked Jango's ship as it quickly approached a planet. According to the readout on his screen, the planet was called Geonosis, a large planet less than a parsec from Tatooine. The thought of Tatooine made Obi-Wan think of Anakin, and a strong feeling was attached to the thought, but Obi-Wan shook the feeling off. Anakin and Sarah were on Naboo, and he had a bounty hunter to catch.
But his train of thought was broken when he saw Fett's ship turn suddenly away from Geonosis and head towards an asteroid field. He must have detected the tracking device. Navigating an asteroid field was not something that Obi-Wan particularly wanted to do, but he had to catch the bounty hunter.
As he faced the giant asteroid field, he could not help but think sarcastically oh, this will be fun. He took a deep breath and followed the other ship.
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The stars twinkled in the vast ebony night sky above the Tusken camp. Even late at night, the Tatooine air was still sweltering. Anakin cut deftly through the tent, trying to control his shaking hands. He peered into the tent, which appeared deserted.
Letting his eyes adjust to the flickering light of the fire, he looked around the room, and he saw her. Tears immediately leapt to his eyes, but he did not let them fall. He ran to her. Her face was bloody, her breathing pain. He cut down the ropes that bound her wrists, and he cradled her in his arms.
"Mom," he whispered. "Mom."
She stirred slightly, and she forced her eyes open. When she saw the young man holding her, she knew immediately who he was. How she remembered his eyes! The eyes that used to twinkle with the eagerness and innocence of a young boy. But they were no longer bright and shining. They were sad and full of tears.
Though it was painful, she reached up and laid a hand on her son's cheek, marveling at how handsome he had become. Her breathing came in painful spasms. She did not know how many of her ribs had been cracked, or how many times she had been beaten, but she knew that she would not live.
The only thought that had even kept her alive through the intense pain had been thoughts of Anakin. These small strands of hope wove themselves into her dreams, and she remained, every day, picturing his bright blue eyes that were always full of love.
Shmi stroked his cheek, and he struggled to contain his tears. "You're so handsome! My son." The words were painful to speak.
"Mom," he pleaded.
"I love you so much," she said, hearing her own voice fading into the stars. "I am so proud of you, Ani...my Jedi."
He could not keep the tears inside of his heart any longer. Her heart ached for her son, but her life was slowly slipping away. He could feel it.
"Please, Mom! I love you...please," he was begging her, willing her to live, but it was not enough.
Shmi was clinging desperately to the last thread of life that she had left inside of her. She wanted to stay for him, but she could not. She wiped a tear from his eye, and said, "I love you too, Ani." And with those words, she took her last painful, shaking breath, and she was at peace.
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Obi-Wan raced into the asteroid field, tracking Jango's ship through the Force. His hands were gripping the controls tightly as the asteroids flew past his ship at breakneck speed. The bounty hunter was using remarkable skill to try and throw Obi-Wan off course.
They wove their intricate course through the field, always aware of the other, always ready to strike. Obi-Wan found himself quickly dodging missiles and having to execute some maneuvers that even Anakin would have been proud of.
The man was an exceptional pilot, dodging Obi-Wan, and sending out various weapons. Though Obi-Wan claimed to not like to fly, he was a brilliant pilot, and managed to dodge these attacks.
He sensed that the bounty hunter was ready to deliver the killing blow, and Obi-Wan found himself releasing the fighters spare parts and finding refuge on the back of an asteroid. There was nothing he could do now but wait.
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Anguish ripped through his heart as he held his dead mother in his arms. He closed her still-open eyes that were staring past him into the black night, and he lay her head down gently. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks, and he buried his face in his hands, crying silently.
Outside the tent, Sarah had felt the life leave Anakin's mother, and his agony had flooded the Force. They had been to late to save her. Without a second thought, she abandoned her lookout, and she entered the tent. Her eyes swept over the room, the shadows and the flickering firelight that was reflected on the walls.
And then she saw Anakin, his mother in his arms, and she could feel him slowly fill with fury. He slowly looked up at her, and there was anger flashing in his eyes, and underneath, a deep pain. He laid Shmi's body down gently upon the ground and slowly stood.
He felt as though he could not even move through the intense pain that stabbed his heart. He had been too late. Sarah went quickly to him and hugged him, but he did not hug back. He simply stood there with his arms hanging lifelessly at his sides. He swallowed. Sarah pulled back, looking at his face. Emotion was clouding everything, and the Force swirled powerfully around them both, but it was concentrated with Anakin's anger.
He pulled away from her, turning his back. "Anakin...," Sarah said quietly.
Anakin took his lightsaber from his belt and grasped it so tightly that his palms began to sweat. He could feel his heart and face contorted with his rage...his guilt that he had not been there on time.
Sarah stepped back again when she felt his pure rage. He ignited his lightsaber and turned around slowly, looking past her out into the rest of the Tusken camp. He began to walk forward when she stepped in front of him. "Move," He said quietly.
She shook her head, "No."
"Sarah, MOVE!" Anakin roared, his voice full of fury.
But Sarah held her ground, "Anakin, no!"
His breathing became labored as he felt the boiling fury flow through his veins. She spoke again, trying to keep the fear out of her voice, "Don't do this, Anakin. You know...you know that you won't bring her back with anger!"
"My mother is dead Sarah!" Anakin shouted, "What do you expect me to do? I can't bring her back at all!" He was positively hollering now, wanting to rage and tear at everything in sight.
Anakin made up his mind, "If you stand in front of me, Sarah, that's your choice." He gripped his lightsaber and stepped forward.
Sarah gathered in the Force and sent it at Anakin's lightsaber. His weapon went flying out of his hand, across the tent. His vehemence boiled over and he lunged at her, not thinking clearly, but another well-placed Force push sent him flying across the room. He felt his body smack hard into the wall and fall to the ground.
He looked up at her, and as soon as their eyes connected, he felt the anger flow out of his heart, but it was replaced with a deep and intense sorrow.
She looked away, breathing heavily, tears in her eyes. Anakin tried to speak, but no words would come. But then there was a sound behind them, outside of the tent. Despite the tenseness between the two Jedi, they knew without speaking that they needed to leave.
Anakin grabbed a sheet from one of the sleep-couches on the floor, and gently wrapped Shmi's body in it, feeling hollow. He picked her up, and together, the they set off into the night, the thick silence hanging heavily between them.
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A/N: Sorry I had to kill Shmi! I think that the next few chapters will be pretty exciting, though I'm still working out the details. Sorry this chapter took so long to get up...I had written another one, but in the end, I hated it, so I ended up rewriting the whole thing. More to come soon!