Anakin did not like the amount of time his Master was away. Tanya's Master was always around her and able to help her become more powerful. More capable. Better able to protect others. Obi-Wan's constant missions was holding Anakin back.

Trying to distract himself from these thoughts, Anakin decided to look up the proposal Tanya had created to help the slave issue on Ryloth to figure out how he could alter it to help Tatooine. To help his mother.

The file was easy to locate in the archives, having been entered into the system only recently, do with slight nerves Anakin opened up the file and began to read. It took only two minutes for Anakin to close the file. Anakin was able to read basic just fine and he understood the individual terms used in the proposal, but the way they all were arranged just gave Anakin a headache as he tried to derive meaning from the word goulash. Why couldn't it be written in plain basic? Just say that the goal is to help prevent slavery instead of all this talk of uplifting and economic opportunities.

Shaking his head, Anakin opened the file again with an empty text document to the side to make notes on relevant ideas that could help Tatooine. The process was slow and took several days, but he managed to get through Tanya's proposal and all the major points.

A deep scowl was on Anakin's face. The entire point to Tanya's proposal was creating jobs and encouraging people to spend money on Ryloth, adding funds to the local economy. The problem was Tatooine had nothing beautiful to it. It was just a giant wasteland full of sand. It was a rest stop for those of questionable morals to make repairs and refuel their ships.

The only resource that could be exported that wasn't already was the sand. Anakin made a note that maybe selling sand could make a few credits for someone, but that was only going to make the owner of the machines money. An individual could not package enough sand on their own to earn a living.

So, with nothing to encourage travelers to visit, and nothing new to export, Anakin pulled up a map of various trade routes and the major resources that passed near Tatooine that might need refining or other production. Maybe a factory on Tatooine could provide needed jobs. A few possibilities opened up.

Anakin turned back to review Tanya's proposal again, tightening the layers of his robes around his body to try and warm up a bit. The temple, ships, and every where Anakin went was just too cold for him. Kenobi allowed Anakin to keep their room a few degrees warmer than the rest of the Temple, but that only took the edge off the chill and did not get to comfortable levels.

Distracted by his thoughts of how cold he was, the word 'entertainment' grabbed Anakin's attention. Tanya was building an entertainment industry out of nothing on Ryloth. Why not do the same on Tatooine? The difficulty was Jabba has a lock on most of the current entertainment on Tatooine, although most of that entertainment was illegal within the Republic. Then again, the Republic has no jurisdiction on Tatooine anyways.

Which leads to many of the problems with the plan. Trying to create any sort of new industry on Tatooine currently would require getting the senate to care enough about planets in the outer rim that are not part of the Republic.

Shutting everything down in frustration, Anakin headed to the training rooms to burn off his anger with lightsaber practice.

—-

Spending time on Zeltros was fine. The people were friendly, the service excellent, and the weather beautiful. That said, I made notes that sound proofing would need to be a high priority for the rooms at the resort. No need for guests to bother each other with various noises made by those on vacation, nor to be kept up from the sounds of the casino or the daylife or nightlife happening outside the resort.

More importantly, I knew Zeltros was not a planet I would want to retire to. Too many people in too close proximity. I had enough of that in my last life commuting on the trains, walking through streets that were nearly shoulder to shoulder full of people, and living the city life. I was looking for something a bit calmer and more relaxed for when I get my little retirement setup on the Order's credit. I liked the salty breeze coming from the ocean and the comfortable warmth of the sun in the afternoons, so a beach paradise would be nice, just one with fewer people around.

Speaking of retirement, I could see my connection to future retirement up ahead, showing his devotion to working hard for his own advancement by having clearly just finished up a thorough workout in the lightsaber training hall.

"Anakin, it's good to see you again," I said to the young man, a smile plastered onto my face. A friendly smile at seeing a companion again would make him feel closer to me which will be beneficial in the future.

"Tanya. Welcome back. How was your trip?"

"It was good. Learned a few things that will be useful." All true, but the things I learned would likely not be appreciated being discussed. "What have you been up to?"

"Actually, I have been trying to get your proposal to work with Tatooine, but I am not having much luck."

He is trying to modify my proposal? Is he trying to steal credit? No, that would be foolish. The High Council already knows I wrote it and assigned me to make it work. Either way, probably best to get him off the topic.

"Oh? Maybe you should put it to the side for now. The Council gave me permission to test this idea, so any further attempts should probably wait until we have-"

"I can't wait." His tone was harsh and his first was slammed against the wall. I could see a lot of tension in his shoulders with how he was hunched over. A quick look around showed me we were alone in the hallway. I approached carefully. Whatever set him off needed to be resolved if he was going to be useful to me in the future. Jedi did not let anger control them and if Anakin was displaying such clear signs of frustration, that could hamper his path to being a member of the High Council.

"What's wrong?"

"My mother. She's still a slave. She is still on Tatooine and a slave."

Anakin remembers his birth mother?

"Your mother is a slave?"

"Yes. Master Jinn freed me and brought me here, but we had to leave my mother behind."

Anakin was a slave? How old was he when Master Jinn found him? Old enough to understand what being a slave means.

"And nobody has tried freeing her?"

"No."

This must have been bothering Anakin for some time. There must be something the Jedi can do to protect my investments in him.

"Where is your Master?"

"Away. He left me behind to go on another mission."

Left alone without a parental figure Anakin wants. He needs a replacement. Even if just temporary. Who can I use? Master Labooda! She's an older woman. Women have maternal instincts. She'll know what to do.

"Ok. Come with me." I grab Anakin's hand and begin to drag him along.

"Where?"

"We are going to see my Master. There must be something we can do."

He doesn't resist as I pull him along and thankfully he doesn't talk much, giving me time to think.

The obvious solution to the problem is freeing his mother to ease his concerns, but doing so requires that we first gain ownership of his mother. I don't know how much a slave is worth, let alone trying to buy such a specific slave. How much money would need to be requestioned to free her? How do we spin it to others so Anakin and my future avoid trouble?

—-

Sar Labooda was engaging in an activity that she had lately spent much less time on than she would have preferred: drinking a cup of herbal tea while reading the latest archeology reports and journals to be published.

Uncovering the mysteries of the past one dig at a time to discover lost knowledge and explain the current state of various civilizations was a passion of hers.

Labooda paid the door opening and closing no mind, Tanya being a responsible enough Padawan that she would not need to be watched over while in the Temple.

"Master Labooda, we need some advice," Tanya's voice called out, causing Labooda's head to snap up as it was rare that Tanya asked for anything and 'we' implied there was someone else.

The someone else being an older boy that was holding her Padawan's hand as they stood together in the entranceway.

"How can I help you?" Labooda asked with a smile on very thin lips.

"Anakin's mom is still in slavery."

It took a moment for Labooda to process that request, having expected a very different issue.

"What?"

"Anakin's mom is a slave on Tatooine and he is worried about how she is doing." Tanya dropped Anakin's hand and took a seat, her words explaining the issue with no emotions, as though she was giving an oral report.

"Where is Knight Kenobi?"

"He is on a mission." Anakin's voice was soft and he seemed to be trying to hide in his robes.

"That Sith-Slayer is always so busy," Labooda muttered to herself while motioning for Anakin to take a seat himself. "Anakin, you are concerned for your mother's safety, correct?"

Anakin gave a small nod, a shimmer in his eyes that Labooda carefully ignored.

"That concern could grow into fear, and could start you down the path of the darkside." Seeing the young man hunch into himself, Labooda changed direction. "But there is something we can do to help you deal with this. If your mother was free, would that ease your concerns?"

"Yes." The anger out of Anakin was more seen in his lips moving than actually heard.

"Then we are going to figure out how to free her and when Knight Kenobi gets back the two of you will go together to free your mother."

"You are going to help my mom?" Anakin's voice was stronger as he looked to Labooda, a tiny smile trying to appear on his lips.

"Yes. The darkside of the Force is a dangerous path to go down. Helping each other avoid that path is an important part of being a Jedi. We cannot do everything ourselves."

Putting the Archeology papers aside, Labooda began working with Anakin and Tanya to brainstorm possible complications in attempting to free Shmi Skywalker that they could then plan to account for.