Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews everybody (and the back-seat beta reading …)

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Part Two (3/31/02)

I walked slowly down the street. The sidewalks were damp with the early morning dew. The first glistening of the dawn's rays was just starting to bring a soft blue light to the air.

Maecenas, my owner, usually didn't mind how late I stayed out, just as long as I was back before the sun was completely up.

I had some time left.

So, you're probably wondering how I got into this mess, after all, most slaves aren't podracers or visa-versa. Well, I'll tell you.

I suppose the best place to start was when I was around the age of ten. Back then I was living with my mother, Shmi, on Tatooine. I was owned by Watto, a Toydarian junk dealer, who discovered that I had a knack for podracing. I won my first Bootna Eve Classic that year when Watto found my homemade podracer and forced me to use it.

I was literally a celebrity overnight. Many people were surprised by the fact that I, a mere human being, could win a race, let alone even finish. Every time I entered, more and more gamblers bet on me and the more that I won – which slowly occurred more regularly – the more money was made.

I must have entered at least three or four Bootna Eves, when I attracted the interest of Maecenas.

He was a businessman; plain and simple, and a shrewd one at that. Unlike Watto, he never gambled on anything, preferring instead to place his wealth on a solid investment. Which, in his eyes, came in the form of me.

I first met him on the day of the Bootna Eve race; I must have been around fourteen. He was walking along with Watto, examining the pods in the hanger bay. He came across my pod (the one I had built), and laughed.

"You're able to get that thing off the ground?" he asked. "I'm impressed, boy."

I know my features must have hardened somewhat, but I didn't bother to retort. He rubbed his pointy mustache gently and smiled. I'll never forget that smile; it was so cold, without one drop of kindness in it.

"The boy is good, no doubts there," Watto chimed in.

Maecenas barely heard that comment and walked closer towards me. I would have backed up had I not been already leaning against the pod. Bending down, he stood in front of me. Reaching out, he pushed up my chin a little and turned my head side to side. I jerked away from him quickly, not used to that sort of interaction.

"You've won the last two major podraces here, haven't you?" he asked, not really noting my reaction.

I nodded, my throat slowing going dry.

"He even beat Sebulba into retirement," Watto added.

"I like him," Maecenas addressed Watto. "How much?"

Watto laughed loudly. I narrowed my eyes into thin slits.

"He's not for sale, heh, heh," Watto began to fly away, beckoning Maecenas to follow. The tall man took one final look at me before joining the Toydarian.

"Care to make a small wager, then?" I heard him ask from a distance.

And I swear, Watto must have been the dumbest creature to ever flap around Tatooine.

I lost the race that day. No, I don't just mean that I didn't finish first, I mean I never got past the start line. My engines gave a huff when I powered them up and then nothing - I sat the entire race out.

I figured Watto would be beyond furious, so I tried to figure out what had gone wrong. During the race that I was not winning, I tore apart the pod only to find out that one of the engines was missing a motivator.

Oh, what a stupid mistake! One that obviously wasn't made by me.

I returned to Watto's box at the end of the race, expecting some form of punishment. I was surprised to find him slumped over and shaking his head in shame.

Maecenas gave me another of his infamous grins.

"Well, kid," he said. "How'd you like to see the galaxy?"

It didn't take but a second to figure his whole little plan out. Well, cheating was commonplace in podracing - Sebulba was famous for it - but this was beyond even his scope. I just wondered why Watto fell for it.

Despite all the fear that chided my body, I forced myself to appear calm. I attempted to shrug.

"Sure, but can I have my motivator back?"

Maecenas did indeed show me the galaxy, or at least all the systems that had pro-circuit podracing - Ord Ibanna, Baroonda, Ando Prime, Aquilaris, Oovo IV, and, of course Malastare, to name a few - and I made him more money than even he could have dreamed of."

Lost in this train of thought, I had scarcely begun notice that the blue had now turned into a bright gold across the sky. The peaks of the great orange sun were just starting glow when I reached Maecenas's front door.

The loft was large and finely decorated in the Alderaanian high style (or so I've been told - I've never actually been to Alderaan) with the credits earned from my races. Each pro-circuit planet had a place like this one for Maecenas and I to stay in during the racing season.

I walked past a series of cleaning droids and into my room. Well, my 'room' was little more than a hole in the wall, but at least everything in it was mine. Of course, Maecenas had bigger rooms, but he wouldn't let me forget that I'm nothing more than a piece of property.

I possessed such few belongings that I tended to horde them. So, granted, my room was a bit messy, yet I kept it comfortable. It was usually staked with machine parts - I had a need to tinker with things - a bed, and a few shelves and a set of drawers.

I opened the door and prepared to hit my bed immediately, since my eyes were nearly slamming shut with exhaustion and my hangover was reaching its full potential, when Threepio, my faithful droid, greeted me. He had been one of my pet projects on Tatooine. Unlike the pod, Watto never discovered him, and I was allowed to take him with me. Maecenas used him as a ploy, taking Threepio away when I failed to capture first place in any given race.

"Master Anakin!" Threepio exclaimed as if his whole existence revolved around me (okay, so maybe it did).

"'Morning, Threepio." I rubbed the back of my head lazily.

"Maecenas was looking for you last night," Threepio said, his voice becoming nearly shrill.


I raised my eyebrow at the droid and proceeded to casually strip off my shirt.

"What for? He knows I went out," I asked, as I sat on the bed and pulled off my boots.

"He told me to give you a message," Threepio said.

"Yeah?"

"He said that an associate of his is throwing a party tonight in honor of your victory."

"Oh, joy," I grunted sarcastically. More fun with backhanded traders. I flopped completely down into my bed.

"The Duchess of Baroonda will be there as well," Threepio continued.

Baroonda was the most civilized planet in the pro-circuit. Unlike other podracing planets that were governed by Hutts , Baroonda was ruled by an exceedingly peaceful queen.

"Maecenas wants you to entertain her." I groaned and leaned into my pillow. Typical, just typical. Not only did I have to go to a party and pretend that I was a free person, I also had to be dragged around by some stupid royal.

"Anything else, Threepio?" I sighed.

"No, Master Anakin, that was everything."

I snuggled into my covers and shut my weary eyes. I was already trying to stop the headache that I knew would come from all the drinks.

"Okay, you can shut down if you want to," I told him. He did so, and the room fell into a comfortable silence.

I sighed deeply and tried to relax both my mind and body. I knew that worrying about the upcoming party would do me no good, so taking that into regard, I was in a deep sleep fairly quickly.

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