During the night the storm passed.
people were cleaning up the mess it had left in it's wake
Jar Jar, Padme ,Qui-gon and Shawn were walking to Watto's shop
PadmestoppedQui-gon before he entered the shop.
''Are you sure about this?'' She asked, ''Trusting our fate to a boy we hardly know, the Queen will not approve.''
''The Queen does not need to know.''
''Well, I don't approve,'' She said.
Shawn raised an eyebrow at this.
Qui-gon and Shawn entered the shop.
They find Watto and Anakin are in the middle of an animated discussion in Huttese.
The twonoticed them and joined them.
''The boy tells me you wanta sponser hi insa race. You can't afford parts. How can you do this? Not on Republic credits, I think,'' Watto said
''My ship will be the entry fee,'' Qui-gon replied.
Qui-gon pulled a small object of his pocket, and a hologram of the Naboo spacecraft appeared.
Wattobecame interested, ''Not bad...not bad...a Nubian.''
''It's in good order, except for the parts we need.'' Qui-gon said.
''...but what would the boy ride? He smashed up my Pod. It will take some time to fix it,'' Watto said
Anakinlooked embarrassed and stepped forward.
"Ahhhh...it wasn't my fault really...it was Sebulba.''
''I have...acquired a Pod in a game of chance,''Qui-gon said, "it is supposed to be the fastest ever built."
'' I hope you didn't kill anyone I know for it,'' Watto said, laughing a little, '' So, you supply the Pod and the entry fee; I supply the boy. We split the winnings fifty-fifty, I think.''
'' Fifty-fifty!'' Qui-gon said, ' If it's going to be fifty-fifty, I suggest you front the cash for the entry. If we win, you keep all the winnings, minus the cost of the parts I need...If we lose, you keep my ship.''
Watto started thinking about this. Annie tried not to be nervous.
''You can't lose,'' Shawn said
''Deal!'' Watto says, he turns to Anakin, ''Yo bana pee ho-tah, meedee ya.'' (Your friend is a foolish one, me thinks.)
As they walked home, Shawn wispered to Anakin.
''I do agree with Watto on Qui-gon.''
Anakin grins.
Qui-gonstood on the back porch of the house, speaking into a comlink
" What if this plan fails, Master? We could be stuck here for a long time," a voice said from it.
"A ship without a power supply will not get us anywhere, and
there is something about this boy...," Qui-gon answered '
Qui-gon put the comlink away as Shmi and Shawn came to the porch
The rest was working on the engines of the Podracer in the courtyard below.
"You should be proud of your son. He gives without any thought of reward," Qui-gon said.
" He knows nothing of greed. He has.." Shmi began.
"He has special powers," Qui-gon finished
''Yes...'' Shmi said.
''That or he's very ignorant,'' Shawn said.
" He can see things before they happen,"Qui-gon explained, "That's why he appears to have such quick reflexes. It is a Jedi trait."
"He deserves better than a slave's life," Shmi said.
"What are those Jedi, everybody keeps talking about?''
''Jedi are the protecters of peace in the galaxy," Shmi said, "they use the force to do good."
" The Force is unusally strong with him, that much is clear,'' Qui-gon said,
"Can you help him?" Shmi said."
"I'm afraid not. Had he been born in the Republic, we would have identified him early, and he would have become Jedi, no doubt...he has the way. But it's too late for him now, he's too old."
A group of children join Anakin, Jat Jar, R2 and Padme
'' Padme and Jar Jar,'' Anakin says," these are my friends Kitster, Seek, Amee, and Wald."
They greet each other.
One of the kids noticed R2, "Wow, a real Astro Droid...how'd you get so lucky?"
" This isn't the half of it," Anakin boosted, " I'm entered in the Boonta Race tomorrow!"
"What? With this?"
" Annie,"the alien said, " Jesko na joka." (You are such a joke, Annie.)
" You've been working on that thing for years. It's never going to run".
" Come on, let's go play ball. Keep it up, Annie, and you're gonna be bug squash."
they leave , laughing. passing Shawn on the way the out.
"What was that all about, can't they see it?" Anakin asked.
"No, they can't, " Shawn said, "I placed a powerful Holoprojector on it, onlythe few I let can see through it.''
Jar Jarwas fiddling with one of the energy binder plates.
Shawn looked at the pod.
"Hey! Jar Jar!",Shawn called out, "Stay away from those energy binders..."
" Who, mesa?"
"If your hand gets caught in that beam, it will go numb for hours," Shawn warned.
Jar Jar peeked at the energy plate; it made a little electronic pop, zapped the Gunganin the mouth and jumped back. Jar Jar tried to say something, but his mouthwasnumbed and his words were garbled.
Shawn sighed, " I warned you."
"But you don't even know if this thing will run," Kister, the only remaining kid, said.
" It will," Shawn said, "But we need a power source."
Qui-gon approached the group and gave Anakin a small battery.
Jar Jar gets his hand caught in the one of the afterburners and tried to tell Anakin, but can't get words out that make sense.
" I think it's time we found out. Use this power charge," Qui-gon said.
"Yes, sir!"
Shawn showed Anakin how to place the charge.
Everyone backed away, except for Jar Jar who called for help. Finally Padme freed him.
Anakin starts and the engines ignited with a roar.
Everybody cheered..
Shmi,who watched from the porch, smiled sadly.
Shawn walked toward her, and placed an arm around her.
"He would have continued this path with or without your support."
Shmi rested her head on his shoulder,"I know."
Shawn looked at her, "You raised him well."
Later that day.
Anakin sat on the balcony rail of his hovel as Qui-gon tended to a cut.
Annie leaned back to look at the vast blanket of stars in the sky.
" Sit still, Annie. Let me clean this cut," Qui-gon said.
There are so many! Do they all have a system of planets?
"Most of them have."
"Has anyone been to them all?"
Qui-gon smiles, "Not likely."
" I want to be the first one to see them all... Ouch!"
Qui-gon wiped a patch of blood off Anakin's arm.
" There, good as new..".
Shawn walked to them
" Annie,it's bedtime!"
Qui-gon scrapes Annie's blood onto a comlink chip.
" What are you doing?" Shawn asked, a little distrustful
"I am checking his blood for infections."
"I've never seen..." Anakin began.
"Annie! It really is bedtime!" Shmi called out.
" Go on, you have a big day tomorrow," Qui-gon said patting Annie's shoulder," Goodnight."
Anakin rolls his eyes and went into the house,Shawn following behind.
The Jedi master inserted the blood stained chip into the comlink.
" Obi-Wan..." he says into the comlink
"Yes, Master." was the reply
"Make an analysis of this blood sample I'm sending you."
"Wait a minute..."
"I need a midi-chlorian count."
"All right. I've got it."
"What are your readings?"
" Something must be wrong with the transmission."
" Here's a signal check."
" Strange. The transmission seems to be in good order, but the
reading's off the chart...over twenty thousand."
"That's it then," Qui-gon concluded.
The voice in the comlink contiued, "Even Master Yoda doesn't have a midi-chlorian count that high!"
"No Jedi has."
"What does it mean?"
"I'm not sure..."
The jedi looked up to see Shmi in the doorway watching him.
Embarrassed, she goes back into the kitchen while Qui-gon thought about the situation.
Inside the building Shawn had the feeling something big was about to happen.
Shawn awoke at dawn.
The feeling he had didn't go away.
He decided he should see which techiques worked
Sometime later Qui-Gon also woke up.
He went outside and noticed Shawn making one movement over and over.
He would cup his hands and thrust one palm out.
After the tenth time,Shawn moaned and hit the wall in fustration.
"Trouble with something?" Qui-Gon asked.
Shawn smiled and shook his head, "No, just training, What are you going to do."
"I am going to the main hanger to talk to Watto."
"Only you?"
"Jar Jar is also coming"
"In that case, I shall come with you, it's not smart to leave him alone."
Qui-Gon chuckled.
In the hanger a dozen or so Podracers were being readied for the race.
crews and pilots are rushing, making last minute fixes on
their vehicles.
the group walked through the activity with watto.
"I want to see your spaceship the moment the race is over," Watto said.
" Patience, my blue friend," Qui-gon replied, "You'll have your winnings before the suns set, and we'll be far away from here. "Not if your ship belongs to him,"Shawn said.
"You don't think Anakin will win?"
"Of course, Ani will win"
Watto stops before an orange racer.
Sitting to one side, is Sebulba.
" Don't get me wrong. I have great faith in the boy. He's a credit to your kind, but Sebulba there is going to win, I think." Watto said.
"Why?"
" He always wins," Watto laughed, " I'm betting heavily on Sebulba."
" I'll take that bet," Qui-gon said
Watto stopped laughing, "What! What do you mean?"
" I'll wager my new racing pod against...say...the boy and his
mother."
"A Pod for slaves. I don't think so...well, perhaps. Just one...the mother, maybe...the boy isn't for sale."
"The boy is small, he can't be worth much."
Watto shoke his head.
"For the fastest Pod ever built!" Shawn tried
Watto shoke his head again.
"Both, or no bet." Qui-gon said, trying to goat him
"No Pod's worth two slaves...not by a long shot...one slave or nothing," the irretated reply was
"The boy, then..," Gui-gon said.
Watto pulled out a small cube from his pocket.
"We'll let fate decide," he said, "Blue it's the boy, red his mother.."
Watto threw the cube up, it landed on the ground, Qui-gon moved his hand slightly, the cube turned blue.
Qui-gon smiled. Watto became angry.
"You won the small toss, outlander," he said, " but you won't win the race, so...it makes little difference."
"So if Annie wins, he is free," Shawn said, to himself"if he loses, the photon racer is Watto's."
Shawn then noticed Anakin and the others entering the Hangar.
Watto passed Annie as he left..
"Bonapa keesa pateeso, o wanna meetee chobodd."
Shawn's mag translated, better stop your friends from betting, or I'll end up owning him, too.
Watto flew off, laughing.
"What did he mean by that?" Anakin asked
"I'll tell you later." Qui-gon said.
R2 wass 'talking' to the protocol droid
"Oh my! Space travel sounds rather perilous," the droid exclaimed,"I can assure you they will never get me onto one of those dreadful starships!"
"This is so wizard!" Kister whispered," I'm sure you'll do it this time, Annie."
" Do what?" Padme asked.
"Finish the race, of course!" was the reponse.
"You've never won a race?" she pressed on.
"Well...not exactly..." Anakin began.
"Not even finished!"
Anakin looks sheepish.
"Stop embarrasing him," Shawn interupted
"...but Kitster's right, I will this time," Anakin said.
"Of course you will." Qui-gon encouraged
A vast arena in the Tatooine desert. A large semi-circular amphitheatre is dominating the landscape. Large viewing platforms loom over the racetrack.
A two-headed annuncer is describing the scene before him/them
FODE/BEED : -
F: Toogi! Toogie! (Greetings) Toong mee cha kulkah du Boonta magi! tah oos azalus ooval Poddraces. (We have perfect weather today for the Boonta classic. The most hazardous of all Podraces.)
B : That's absolutly right. And a big turnout here, from all corners of the Outer Rim territories. I see the contestants are making their way out onto the starting grid.
On the left side of the tracks across from the grandstands, a line of Podracers came out of the large hanger, surrounded by several crew members.
Pods are pulled by a wide variety of animals and they are led by aliens carrying flags. The Pilots turn to face the royal box.
FODE/BEED : -
(O.S) A : La Yma beestoo (Yes, there they are!)
B : I see Ben Quadinaros from the Tund system.
A : ...eh Gasgano doowa newpa Ord Petrovia! (And Gasgano in the new Ord Pedrovia.)
B : Two time winner, Boles Roor...
A : Poo tula moosta, woe grane champio Sebulba du Pixelito! Splastyleeya bookie ookie! (On the front line the reigning champion, Sebulba from Pixelito. By far the favorite today.)
B : And a late entry, Anakin Skywalker, a local boy.
A : Wampa peedunkee unko ( I hope he has better luck this time.)
B : I see the flaggers are moving onto the track.
All the pilts bowed as Jabba the Hutt entered the box and waves to the crowd.
FODE/BEED : -
A : O grandio lust, Jabba Du Hutt, amu intoe tah parena. (His honor, our glorious host, Jabba the Hutt has entered the arena.)
The crowd roars.
Several other Hutts follow, along with humans and aliens.
Jabba the Hutt started talking, adressing the various pilots " Chowbaso! Tam ka chee Boonta rulee ya, kee madda hodrudda du wundee. (Welcome!) Sebulba tuta Pixelito...
Sebulba, who is right next to Anakin, stood up and waved to his fans. A small pep band played as his fans started cheering.
Shawn was attaching the giant engins to Anakin's Pod with a long cable, he also activated the strange boxes he placed.
Shawn then walked to the pilot seat and pressed a serie of buttons
, causing an interface with his communicator on his wrist.
Shmi gives Anakin a big hug and kiss. She looked him right in the eye.
"Please, be safe."
" I will, Mom. I promise."
She left as Anakin checked the cable hitches.
Jabba continued"...Mawhonic tuta Hok, Teemto Pagalies tuta Moonus Mandel, Anakin Skywalker tuta Tatoonine..."
Anakin waved to the crowd, as Jabba continued with his introductions.
Sebulba moved over to one of Anakin's engines.
Kitser and Jar Jar unhitch the Eopies, and Kitser leads them away.
R2 beeped that everything is clear. Jar Jar patted Anakin on the back.
"Dis berry loony, Annie. May da guds be kind, mesa palo."
Padmw gave Annie a little kiss on the cheek.
Sebulba banged on a part protruding from Anakin's engine. He looked around to see if anyone has noticed.
"You carry all our hopes." Padme said
"I won't let you down." the small boy replied.
As Padme moved away, Sebulba edged his way next to Anakin and gives him a sinister grin.
" Bazda wahota, shag. Dobiella Nok. Yoka to Bantha poodoo." he said.
Shawn's mag instantly translated You won't walk away from this one, slave scum! You're Bantha poodoo.
Anakin replied in Sebulba's native," Cha skrundee da pat, sleemo" Don't count on it, slime-ball.
Shawn grinned as Annie gives a glare to Sebulba
Qui-gon approached, and the Dug backed off toward his racer.
"...Ka bazza kundee hodrudda!" Jabba called out, ...Let the challenge begin!
The crowd became excited
Qui-gon helped Anakin into his Pod.
The boy strapped himself into the racer.
" Are you all set, Annie?" Qui-gon asked, " Remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel. Don't think. Trust your instincts. May the Force be with you."
Shawn smiled as he stepped forward, "I'll be communicating with you the entire race, as some of the controls will be different from what you were used to."
He pressed a switch and a globe in front of Annie lit up.
"This here is a radar system ,which projects objects in a 10 km radius, objects with energy, such as pods will be red, otherwise it will blue.A yellow dot will be me, or someone like me. It will also project a hologram of me if I am speaking to you, okay?"
Annie nodded, a little puzzled about 'like me' comment.
Qui-gon and Shawn stepped away as Anakin put on his goggles.
The pilots are flipping switches,and powerful energy binders shoot between the engines.
Anakin flipped a switch, and his engine starts.
Aliens carrying large flags move off the track.
3-CPO is carrying Anakin's flag.
Jar Jar covers his eyes," Mesa no watch. Dissen ganna be messy!"
The annoucer voice is heard throughout the stadium.
A : Ya pawa culka doe rundee! (The power couplings are being activated)
B : Hey, it looks like they're clearing the grid.
Shmi gives a nervous look to Qui-gon and Shawn as they stepped in a viewing platform. Padme and Jar Jar are already on board. The platform rose like an elevator, giving the people who are directly involved a good view on the track.
"Is he nervous? Shmi asked.
"Ask him yourself, "Shawn said, activating his wristcommunicator.
A hologram of Annie appeared.
"Hey Annie, what's up?"
The hologram looked puzzeled as it looked up, "eeehh, the sky?"
Shawn smiled as he said, "I mean, how are you?"
Annie responded, "I am fine, why do you ask?"
"Your mother," Shawn told him.
"Oh okay, don't worry ,mom, I am not nervous."
"I'll speak with you later."
Qui-gon was surprised, of course he had seen this technology, but never in a wrist-worn device.
"Well, it seems he's fine," He said.
Padme looks outraged, "You Jedi are far too reckless. The Queen..."
"The Queen trusts my judgment, young handmaiden. You should too." Qui-gon interupted.
"You assume too much," Padme muttered.
"And why is that?" Shawn whispered, "Aren't you a handmaiden, your highness?"
Padme looked flustered as Shawn just smiled.
he looked down at Annie's pod.
The annoucers voice rang through the pit.
FODE/BEED : -
B : Start your engines.
Jabba chewed off the head of a frog and spit it at a gong, signaling the start of the race.
