The wind was slowly starting to pick up when they arrived at the small domed structure. Anakin pushes open the door. "Mom! I'm home! I brought guests!"

"What?!" is heard from within.

Anakin turns to the travelers, "Come on, everyone in! I don't want sand everywhere!."

The world-weary woman at the sink turns to the group. "Anakin, what have I told you about strangers?"

"Be careful of them!" He chirps back with the energy of the young. "They're stranded here and couldn't get back to their ship before the storm hit. And you've always said we should help those in need."

The woman's soft smile with sigh makes it sound like this is normal. "Yes I have, but not normally like this." She gives the full group a once over. "Welcome to my home, I'm Shmi Skywalker and you've already met my rascal of a son."

"Yes we have." Callera does her best to give the woman a reassuring smile. "He's got a truly good heart, trying to get back to our ship would have been impossible with what is starting to whip up out there. We're more than willing to offer food or water rations or some of what we've brought to trade in thanks."

Shmi just waves the offer off, "Nonsense, you look like you've had a rough go and my son's got a good head on his shoulders."

Qui-Gon smiles and nods as the tension left Padme and Jar Jar with the pronouncement. "Thank you."

"So what brings you all here?"

Callera looks briefly at Qui-Gon and he nods briefly, letting her take the lead. "Hyperspace accident fouled the drive and dumped us here while we're on a deadline."

"Hard to find a Hyperdrive out here." Shmi comments with shrewd eyes.

"Watto has one of designs our ship can use with minimal fuss, but it doesn't look like we have enough to get it from him."

"How important is your deadline?"

"Many lives are on the line and faster we get to where we need to go the better."

Shmi takes the words in. "I'd tell you to hire a ship, because that might be faster, but you'll be out of luck there as well for a while."

Padme interjects, "Why?"

"There's a big podrace in a few days, most of the ships that are in are either carrying the race crews, or carrying gamblers here for the race."

"And that means?" Padme's confusion clear.

Callera fight a sigh, "It means it would take a lot of money and goods to get anyone to be willing to leave till after the race is done."

Anakin interjects, "You could sponsor me in the race! I have podracer, the fastest built!"

"No Anakin, my heart stops each time you go out there!"

"But mom, they need the parts and the winnings would more than cover it!"

"I'm sure Qui-Gon and Callera don't want to put your son in danger." Padme looking to the two she named but sees their eyes. "You're considering this?!"

Qui-Gon looks at Shmi, Anakin, Callera, and Padme in turn, "The Force did bring us here for a reason, Padme."

"The Queen would not approve!" She blurts out, eyes going wide as she realizes her mistake.

"Queen, what Queen?!" Anakin speaks up.

Callera's full belly laugh at the irony of the statement brings the groups attention on her. Catching her breath a bit before addressing the group. "Thought you could be a bit more discrete Padme," the lady in question flushes in embarrassment, "but looks like more cards on the table are needed. Naboo has been blockaded by the Trade Federation and we are trying to get their sovereign to Courscant to get the Republic to intervene since the Republic is reason the Trade Federation invaded in the first place."

"See Mom! They need our help! I can do this! Let me help them!"

Shmi smiles bittersweetly at her energetic son. "You'll need to get Watto's permission, and I don't see how he'll grant it."

"Why would he need Watto's permission?" Padme speaks up fast, trying to get past her earlier goof.

"Because he owns us."

The words bring the room to absolute stillness, only the sound of wind against the walls of the hut.

"What?" Padme's confusion evident

"They're slaves." Callera's voice worn and sad.

Shmi nods in acknowledgement. "Watto hasn't been a bad master from the stories of others but he does own us."

"But, but slavery is illegal in the Republic!"

"Welcome to the Outer Rim where a lot is far more permissible than in Mid-Rim or Core worlds."

"So then your plan is pointless!"

Callera shakes her head, "Nope, it means that the plan has a better chance of being implemented."

"Why?" Padme's confusion clear.

"Watto strikes me as a greedy sort from what he said when he tossed Master Qui-Gon out on his ear. We just cut him in and say he get's the winnings, but we get the parts we need from him."

Qui-Gon nods, "But how do we pay the entry fee?"

"We offer the ship as collateral to Watto, to get him to front the fee."

He nods again, "It's risky but doable."

"Risky?!" Padme's voice rising, "If it fails we'll be stranded here!"

"We will," Callera nods in agreement, "but the Queen won't be."

Padme comes up short. "Why?"

"Between the bits and pieces of jewelry, we've got enough to down payment a charter to at least Alderaan and possibly even Courscant for two to three people with the right crew. So we risk to get everybody to Courscant since we can't get the queen there faster, but even if we fail; we can still get the Queen out in the same time frame. Just means a few of us will get to work on our tans for a few weeks before we get picked up."

Looking at Shmi as Callera continues, "I'm willing to bet on Anakin, he wants to help, and the Force seems to want him to help."

Qui-Gon also chimes in looking at the mother of their hope, "Agreed, the Force brought us here for your son to help us."

Shmi nods, "If you get permission from Watto, Anakin can help you."

"YIPPEE!" Anakin's howl of joy echoes in the small room.

"But for now," she continues, "I think its best we rest and wait for the storm to pass us by."

The small hut was quiet with the wind howling outside; Jar Jar napping quietly in a corner, Anakin probably resting in his room dreaming of the race to come, Padme and Shmi in Shmi's little room to rest while Padme asked questions about the woman's status as a slave.

Callera quiet in the alcove of the front door, breathing slow and steady as she feels the Jedi Master's presence settle in front of her. "You have questions, Master Qui-Gon."

"I do."

"Ask, and I'll do my best to answer."

"Did you have to provoke the gangers to shoot?"

"I did."

"Why?"

"They were going to attack no matter what. No tribute, no tithe or bribe were going to satisfy them. Doing what I did brought the initiative to me; forcing someone to react to you rather than being reactive increases the odds of survival." The surety in her words

"I felt your emotions…"

Cutting him off, "There is no emotion, there is peace." Callera intones wearily and softly. "I know the Code Qui-Gon, and for the most part I've tried to live by it. But, this is why I was on Dagobah. The war with the Yuuzhan Vong damaged me like it did many Jedi. Four years of constant war, loss, and pain can wear on anyone's self-control."

Qui-Gon nods in acknowledgement of the point and looks deep into Callera's icy eyes. "You haven't had the time to process and reflect on the last few years of your life, and the sudden trial here is continuing to erode your balance."

"Yes Master Jedi being dropped into a moment of history, of this import…"Callera sighs deeply, eyes staring through the Jedi in front of her, "I'm at my wit's end, dancing on a razor's edge, and hoping everything I do or say at the very least doesn't spiral the galaxy into even worse darkness than the actions that led to me."

"Is that why you backed Anakin's podracing plan?"

Callera nods closing her eyes briefly, "It's how you got the parts in the original timeline. I only hope that things play out as close to the original as before. Skywalker is an incredible pilot he can win in contests of pure piloting skill."

"What was that thing on your forearm as we faced the gangers? I caught a glimpse of it before you dismissed it?"

Callera pauses a bit at the question before answering. Qui-Gon noticing her back going straighter and a bittersweet smile on her lips as she speaks. "There are some who can physically manifest the Force as a weapon to defend themselves."

"Or attack others."

"Correct," a brief tilt of her head before continuing, "at least one tribe of Force Adepts seriously explored the concept over the idea of reinforcing weapons with the Force, and one of my teachers had learned a little of the art."

"But you've taken it further, that's why your last name is 'Bladesinger.'"

"Correct."

"But that weapon in particular, it seemed almost…alive."

"Because the original weapon was alive. The Amphistaff, the weapon of the Vong, was bioformed to their ultimate melee weapon. Deadly and versatile. Hard enough to withstand impacts with a lightsaber, and easy to change between staff and whip styles. Blade sharp enough to shred durasteel, and fangs in its head that can puncture any personal armor short of Beskar iron with one of the nastiest poisons the galaxy had ever seen."

"And you would manifest a weapon like that?"

"The power can't recreate the biological effects of the bite, but with knowledge of the body and the Force, I can get it's bite to numb the location temporarily."

"Why would you try and recreate their weapon?"

"To try and understand them better, and at one point duel one of their warriors."

"Duel?"

Callera nods, "Some of them could be honorable in their own way. I dueled a squad captain for the right of the Republic squad I was with to get the wounded out. It turned into a fight against the entire squad one at a time. My lightsaber was rendered unusable in the third fight, so I took a desperate gamble; manifest an Amphistaff as close to their capabilities as I could. It amazed and horrified them that a 'Jeedai' could make an 'abomination and mockery of their weapon' the dance continued till the last two were given orders to withdraw as the Republic was slowly winning the day."

"Why use it against the gangers?"

"Between my own youth and time in refugee camps: I have a specific loathing for people who try to 'take advantage' of those in vulnerable situations. If I had been more clearheaded, I'd have just used a tried and true sword, but…"

"You wanted them to fear something you feared."

"Yeah." Callera's defeated sigh echoes in the quiet room.

Qui-Gon sits quietly in front of her, no judgement between the two, just quiet processing. "You are badly hurt Callera and trying to do the right thing without drowning in your own pain. You know the dangers of the dark side of the Force, and you let yourself walk right up the line in how you went for the gangers. I agree taking the initiative was the right choice, but your weapon of choice shows you are not thinking clearly."

Qui-Gon holds a hand up to pause any response. "You were right to call my behavior out in the alley. I have grown so accustomed to using the Force in all aspects of my life that it has become second nature to use it even when other methods might suffice. So let me do the same for you now and caution you to be more mindful of your feelings. I can feel your hurt clearly in the Force, so please be careful in your current state."

"You're right Master Qui-Gon," Callera's body sags against the wall of the hut as she nods in agreement, "What I need is time, and that's not a luxury we have unfortunately."

"When we get to Courscant, you'll be able to stay at the Temple and take the time you need to figure out how to go home."

"And if there is no way for me to get home?"

"You will cross that bridge when it appears Callera. You have the heart of a Jedi and while you might not have been trained by us, you will have a home in the Order. I promise you." Qui-Gon tips his head to her one more time before getting up off the floor to grab some water from the backpack.

'Home in the Jedi Order, huh? Only one way to find out.'