Chapter 9

Shmi was radiant. Her son had won the Boonta Eve race!

Padme also looked very happy. Qui-Gon could tell she had been worried for her master.

Qui-Gon looked at Jessica. She also looked quite happy, but he sensed something else… she seemed slightly… disappointed?

He spoke to her quietly as the platform descended. "Why are you disappointed? Anakin won!"

Jessica laughed. "It would have been so much easier to train him if he'd lost. I would have stayed here; probably lived with him and his mother. There would have been no-one to protest to me training him, no-one competing with me to train him."

"We'd have been stuck here." Qui-Gon pointed out.

Jessica shook her head. "Republic credits aren't completely useless here. I found a bookkeeper who took them, and placed a small bet on Sebulba. If he'd won, it would have been just enough to buy the parts from Watto."

Qui-Gon nodded.

Jessica cocked her head slightly. "What? Not going to protest about me wanting to train the boy?"

"No. You're right; it would just cause an argument. And I'm in too good a mood."

Jessica nodded. "Let's go greet our returning champion!" she said, raising her voice to be heard by Shmi, Padme and Jar Jar.


While everyone else in their party went to the hangar to congratulate Anakin, Qui-Gon and Jessica went to see Watto.

He was hovering at the edge of his viewing box, a dejected look on his face. When he caught sight of Qui-Gon and Jessica, he became furious. "You tricked me! You knew he was going to win! Somehow you knew it! I lost everything!"

Qui-Gon smiled at him. "Whenever you gamble, eventually you lose." The smile dropped away. "Bring the hyperdrive parts to the main hangar right away. We'll come by later to collect the boy and his mother."

The Toydarian flew close to Qui-Gon, snarling. "No! You can't have them! It wasn't a fair bet!"

Suddenly he slammed into the floor, as if thrown by an invisible hand. Jessica stepped forward, fury in her eyes. Lightning leapt between her outstretched hands. Watto stared up at her.

"Would you like to discuss the matter further?" she asked. Her voice was colder than the plains of Hoth.

Watto gathered himself. "No! I want no more of your tricks! Take them! Be gone!" He leapt into the air and fled.

Jessica watched him go. The lightning gone, she let her hands fall to her sides. They were clenched into fists. She turned to Qui-Gon. "Shall we go?"

Qui-Gon was staring at her in shock. He couldn't believe what he'd just seen. Sith Lightning! Yet he knew Jessica wasn't a Sith.

Jessica was upset by the encounter. She had gotten angry. She hadn't meant to, but her temper had gotten away with her. It was the kind of thing she had warned Padme about. She truly was sorry that she had hurt the Toydarian. She was just glad that she hadn't used the lightning.

Qui-Gon nodded, showing that he was ready to leave. He gestured for Jessica to leave first. He hadn't done it on purpose, but his subconscious was telling him to keep her ahead of him, where he could keep an eye on her.

Neither of them noticed the Sith probe droid trailing behind them.


Qui-Gon and Jessica joined the others in the hangar. They also congratulated Anakin on his victory.

Watto delivered the parts, as promised. He stayed very quiet, and kept watching Jessica, fear plain in his expression.

Jessica spoke to Qui-Gon. "You are taking the parts back to the ship now, aren't you?" When he confirmed this, she continued. "Take Jar Jar and Padme with you. I'll go with Shmi and Anakin, and tell them that they are free. I've a feeling they'll wish to come to Coruscant with us. Come back when you've delivered the parts."

Qui-Gon walked off, wondering when he had begun taking orders from Jessica. The image of lightning playing around her hands immediately sprung to mind. He made a mental note to meditate on it later.


Jessica walked home with Anakin, Shmi and C-3PO. She could sense a mixture of emotions in Anakin. He was euphoric about his victory. But he was also sad. She moved up beside him.

"What's wrong, Anakin?"

The boy jumped.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's alright." Anakin smiled at her.

"You seem sad."

Anakin sighed. "I liked Padme. I wish she didn't have to leave."

Jessica gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. I've a feeling you'll see her again, and soon."

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure." It was obvious he didn't believe her.

Jessica just smiled at him, and kept on walking.

They'd just entered the house, when Jessica announced, "I've got a surprise for you both."

Anakin and Shmi turned to look at her.

"Qui-Gon and I made a bet with Watto. Watto lost." She studied Anakin's face, then Shmi's. Even without the Force, she would have known that they had guessed. The looks on their faces were identical – incredulous, joyful, hopeful, but with a hint of disbelief. She grinned. "Yes. You're free." Shmi swept Anakin up into a hug. There were tears of joy on her cheeks. "We'd also like you to come with us to Coruscant."

"Coruscant?" gasped Anakin. "Can we, Mom? Please?"

Shmi nodded, smiling ecstatically. "Yes – yes, we can. Oh!" She burst into tears.

Anakin gave her a hug.

"It's alright, Ani," she said. "I'm just happy." She squeezed him tight, then let him go. "Go and pack! We're going to Coruscant!"


Anakin and Shmi packed up all their belongings. There wasn't much. The majority of it was Anakin's; all the things he had built with scraps from Watto's shop. He decided to leave most of it behind. However, he did decide to take C-3PO.

Qui-Gon came to the house.

He gave Shmi a leather pouch filled with credits. "These are yours. I sold the Pod." He grinned at Anakin. "To a particularly surly and rather insistent Dug."

Shmi bit her lip, but there were tears in her eyes. Jessica put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Shmi nodded. "I'm… I'm just overwhelmed." She gave a teary smile. "This has been such a wonderful day! I'm just afraid I might suddenly wake up and find out it's all been a dream."

Jessica laughed. "Don't worry. This is real. You're both free. You're both going to Coruscant."

"I know. I know!" and suddenly Shmi started laughing and crying at the same time. She looked from Jessica to Qui-Gon. "Thank you. Both of you!"


They went to Watto's shop, where the Toydarian had completed the necessary forms to assure the Skywalkers's freedom. The slave transmitters were deactivated permanently. They would later be surgically removed.

Watto was still scared of Jessica.

Next, at Anakin's request, they went to the fruit stand he had taken Qui-Gon and the others to on the first day. He gave a handful of credits to Jira, and told her to buy a cooling unit. He also told her his good news. She stared at him in disbelief. "Can I give you a hug?" she asked. "I'll miss you, Ani. There isn't a kinder boy in the galaxy. You be careful."

The adults had moved on a little, giving Anakin and Jira some privacy. Qui-Gon was impatient, and Jessica seemed tense. "What is it?" asked Shmi.

Jessica looked at Qui-Gon inquisitively. He understood what she was asking. He nodded. Jessica turned back to Shmi. "We're not sure. We've sensed something…"

Qui-Gon spoke. "I've got a bad feeling about this."


A/N: Has anyone else noticed that every single time anyone utters the phrase "I've got a bad feeling about this", something happens?

Just had to ask. Sorry. Back to the story.


They hurried across the open desert. They could see the Queen's transport just ahead. Qui-Gon and Jessica were carrying Shmi and Anakin's bags with the Force. Anakin was complaining that he was tired. Jessica opened her mouth to reply, when she felt something in the Force. Qui-Gon felt it at the same time. They spun, and saw a speeder coming straight at them.

Jessica used the Force to throw Anakin and Shmi aside. Qui-Gon had his lightsabre out. "I'll get them to the ship!" shouted Jessica. "You hold him back!"

Qui-Gon had no time to respond before the speeder was upon him. Its rider leapt off, igniting a red lightsabre.

"Come on!" Jessica shouted to Anakin and Shmi. The trio raced up the loading ramp, into the ship.

Padme, Obi-Wan and Panaka met them inside. "Qui-Gon's in trouble," said Jessica. "Take off, fly low." Obi-Wan and Panaka hurried to the cockpit. Jessica used the Force to pull a blaster to her hand. "Padme, get Anakin inside," she said, before moving out onto the ramp.

When the ship got near enough, Jessica opened fire on Qui-Gon's red-and-black attacker, giving Qui-Gon cover to jump to the ship's ramp. None of her bolts struck the being; he deflected them with his lightsabre.

Jessica and Qui-Gon jumped backwards, into the hold, as the ramp closed.

The ship sped away, into the darkness of space.