Chapter 8

A/N: The Podrace!


The Podracing Arena was jam-packed. Everyone was cheering for his or her favourite racer.

The racers moved to the starting line. Each pilot waved as they were introduced by the commentator, spurring the crowds to louder cheers. Standard bearers, each carrying a flag to identify pilot and sponsors, paraded along the starting line.

Shmi embraced Anakin. "Be safe," she told him, not quite able to hide the worry in her eyes.

"I will, Mom, I promise."

Padme came to him next. "All our hopes rest on you, Anakin."

"Don't worry," he told her. "I won't let you down!"

Padme nodded. "Good luck."

Sebulba crept up, and pulled away one of the stabilizers on Anakin's pod. (A/N: I'm not sure if that was what it was, but that's what the book says it was.) Then he walked up to Anakin. "You won't walk away from this one, you slave scum"

"Don't count on it, slime ball," said Anakin angrily.

"You're bantha fodder!" Sebulba laughed and backed away.

Qui-Gon came up beside the Pod. "You all set, Ani?" He lifted the boy into the cockpit. "Remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel, don't think. Use your instincts."

"I will."

"May the Force be with you." He handed Anakin his helmet, and backed away.

Jabba the Hutt entered the Royal Box. "Welcome!" he rumbled. "Begin the race!"

The racers started their engines. Pit crews and supporters cleared the starting grid.


Qui-Gon moved to the viewing platform where Shmi, Padme, Jar Jar and Jessica waited.

"Is he nervous?" asked Shmi.

"He's fine," Qui-Gon assured her.

Padme wanted to protest Qui-Gon's behaviour, but she could not. She thought he was too reckless. But her own master had offered herself as a slave in a bet. However, she did still have one card to play…

"The Queen will not approve of this –"

"The Queen trusts my judgement," interrupted Qui-Gon. "Perhaps you should, too. Besides, don't you think it's a little late for that?"

Padme glared at him. "You assume too much."

Jessica put a calming hand on Padme's arm. She shook her off. To Qui-Gon's questioning glance, she replied, "Padme's not talking to me, because of that bet."

"Ah," said Qui-Gon.

The viewing platform locked into place, and all eyes turned to the racers. Everyone fired up their engines, and got ready to race.

Jar Jar couldn't hold still. "Oh, dissen gonna be messy. Me no watch'n!"

The light over the starting line turned green. The racers were off!


All the racers shot off. Except for two: Anakin's and Ben Quadinaros's. Anakin realised what had happened. He'd fed too much fuel from a dead start. The engines weren't able to handle a full tank's power if the Pod wasn't already moving. He switched into neutral, then cleared the feeder lines. He pressed the ignition button. It worked, and he was off.

Anakin chased the main pack. He was determined to catch up.


Qui-Gon glanced at Jessica. Anakin was nowhere in sight; nor was he on the view-screen. Shmi was studying the screen intently, watching for any sign of her son. Padme looked worried, and was hovering by Jessica, who was ignoring everything. She was meditating. She had been ever since Anakin had passed out of sight.

Sebulba and two other racers screamed past, shooting under the finish arch, beginning their second lap. There was no sign of Anakin. Three more racers shot past. Another turned into the pits.

Suddenly Jessica's eyes snapped open. "Here he comes!"

Sure enough, Anakin exploded out of the midday glare, racing under the finishing arch. He began his second lap in sixth place.


Jessicahad beenfollowing the race through the Force.Anakin's performance was stunning. He had real potential.

She could sense Padme's worry, and Qui-Gon's concern. But she wasn't worried. Even if Anakin lost,Watto was quite good to his slaves; she had seen that.

And there was another thing: she would be able to train the boy. She was sure that Anakin was the Jedi's Chosen One. It was obvious that he had to be trained. But she also thought it was logical that he not be trained as a Jedi. If he was to bring balance to the Force, he would need to know both sides; how to use them, how to fight them. He would need to be a Grey Jedi.

Jessica found it amusing to be called a Grey Jedi. True, it was the closest name for what she was. But it didn't quite fit. She had been trained by a Dark Jedi, but had not really been Darksider material. She was a member of the Grey Order; a Master of the Grey Order. But she didn't quite have the same outlook. She knew only one Force, but she did recognise the two sides of it.

Jessica was forced to abandon that train of thought. Sebulba rammed Anakin's Pod!

-

Sebulba rammed Anakin again and again. Their steering rods finally caught, locking them together, side by side. They struggled, Anakin trying to get free, Sebulba trying to crash Anakin.

Anakinbroke his pod free. Sebulba's was catapulted out of control. His engines separated. One broke off, crashing into a rock formation. The other one hit the sands and exploded into a ball of fire. Sebulba's Pod slid to a stop on the sand.

Anakin flew on. As he crossed the finishing line, he became the ever youngest winner of the Boonta Eve race. The crowd cheered hysterically.


A/N: Sorry, but I really didn't want to rewrite the whole Podrace. Everyone knows what happens in it.

I should be able to get another chapter up either today or tomorrow.