As the storm slowly petered out, the travelers gather in the Skywalker kitchen to plot their next move.
"I'll take Anakin back to the junk shop, to sell the idea to Watto." Callera's voice brooking no argument.
"What should the rest of us do?" Padme's concern was evident.
"I'd suggest you and Jar Jar stay here since the Skywalkers have decided to let us room here till after the race. Take some time and talk with him about his people, the Queen will appreciate his insights into his people." Jar Jar sits up a little prouder as Padme ponders Callera's comment and then nods.
"Makes sense."
"What would you suggest I do?" Qui-Gon's steady voice strong in the uncertainty.
Instead of answering directly Callera turns to Anakin, "Do you have the list of parts you need that Watto doesn't have?"
"Yeah, Malakai across town should have the two power converters we need."
Going into the backpack Callera pulls a few loose gems out and holds them out to Qui-Gon. "Do you remember how to barter Master Jedi?"
Qui-Gon nods with a rueful smile and holds out his hand, "I might be a little rusty, but I should be able to pick them up."
Placing the gems in his hand with a returned nod and grateful smile, "Good. Watch out for any Sand Rats; after our last run-in with them I'm pretty sure we're safe, but we can't borrow trouble. Try and avoid your lightsaber as much as possible, please." He nods and heads for the door.
"Thank you again Shmi, we'll be back when Anakin is done for the day." Tipping her head to the Skywalker matron as she guides Anakin out the door, before following him back to Watto's shop.
Walking through the door, the voice of Watto clear. "You're late boy! Those hoverpanels won't fix themselves!" Anakin nods and rushes to the back. Watto looks at Callera, "Like I told your Jedi, no cash, no items, no deal."
"I know that, but I'm here to offer a counter-proposal." Leaning forward slightly as she speaks, "During the sandstorm I picked up a podracer in a Sabacc game, but it needs a racer. Asking around I found out young Anakin has podraced a few times and that brings me to you."
Watto's eyes gleam as he grasps the implications. "I supply the boy. You supply the pod. We split the winnings fifty-fifty."
"Not quite. You supply the boy, we supply the pod, and when we win. We get the parts we need as deducted from the winnings."
"What about the entry fee?"
Callera pulls two of the small flawed diamonds she'd taken from the Sand Rats in slow languid motion. "These should cover about a third of the fee if you front the rest. You still come out ahead, after the parts when we win."
"You know how to deal." Watto's declaration fills the air as he ponders.
"I've had a very varied life compared to our mutual Jedi acquaintance." Callera feral smirk causes Watto to smirk in return.
"I can tell. Not many Offshoots come through here, but I've seen a few."
Sighing a bit hard before responding, "I just kind of got caught up in the Jedi's shenanigans, and I'm along for the ride unfortunately."
"You don't strike me as the quiet seeking type."
"A little action and risk is good for the heart and mind, but Jedi risk?" Callera spreads her arms wide, "Those involve things way outside my scope." Spinning on her left foot in a graceful motion before returning to look at Watto, "I dance, I patch people up, and I party. Simple needs, but to have those needs met again; I need to help the Jedi get off this planet-sized sand dune.
"I see, I see." Watto nods. "I think we have a deal miss…"
"Callera."
"Callera." He spits in his palm to hold it out.
"I think we need one more thing for a deal to be complete."
Watto tilts his head, "And what is that?"
"Something for the boy, an encouragement to put everything in it. Some skin in the game of his own."
"What do you mean?" Watto's curiosity clear
"The pod against him and his mother." Callera's firm certainty
"No pod is worth two slaves!" Watto's enraged exclamation
"The pod," Callera gathers herself for the next words, "and myself a 'trained' Arkanian Offshoot with combat medic experience."
"You'd risk slavery for two slaves?" Watto's confusion clear.
"You wouldn't be my first Master Watto, serving out the rest of my years as a dancing girl or their den mother wouldn't be the worst way for my life to end. Or you could hire me out to the local clinic, they're probably very overworked between the swoop gangs, smugglers, moisture farmers, and Hutts. You could get a pretty penny for my labor." Fighting back a chuckle as she sees the credit signs flashing in Watto's eyes.
"You can't do this Callera!" Anakin's voice edging near hysterics from the doorway, eyes wide.
"I can and will if Watto accepts that is." Spitting in her palm and holding out her hand to the floating Toydarian
"Deal." He sneers with greedy eyes as he takes her hand.
"Can I take the boy, to the pod to see if it needs work to work on it to fit him?"
"Yes, yes of course." Watto waves her off with one hand as he keeps looking her up and down, the credits flowing heavily in his head.
Guiding Anakin out the door, she takes him into the same alley the rats had been exterminated in.
"I know you're upset."
"You're risking yourself for me and mom! Why?" His blue eyes wet with tears, body starting to shake.
Kneeling in front of him and placing a hand on his shoulder "I have issues with slavery Anakin, and if I could just wave my hand and free every slave I would. But I don't have that power. All I have is my own power and my own actions. Podracing is dangerous, you are risking your life for ours. How can I not do the same for someone willing to put their life on the line for me?"
Anakin starts to shake under Callera's hand and she pulls the young boy into a hug as the tears start to flow. "You have worth for who you are. I believe in you." Those words murmured in his ear, break the dam. Years of frustration meeting the shock of someone willing to risk their own freedom for him and his mother. "It's okay Anakin, let it all out." Minutes go by as the cries slowly turn to sniffles in the warm air. Moving back from the hug, kneeling in front of the young man, her hand back on his shoulder.
"Feeling better?" Callera's icy blue eyes soft as the meet Anakin's puffy red eyes.
Nodding softly 'Uh huh."
"Good, don't want your mom to run me through with a cooking knife for her hurting precious son."
A barest flicker of a smile.
"Come on, let's go break the news to the others."
"YOU DID WHAT!?"
Padme's indignant voice echoed through the Skywalker hut.
"I bargained my freedom for the Skywalkers."
"Why?!"
"I wanted to reward the kid for putting his life on the line for us." Callera's voice calm in the face of a fuming Padme
"Did you even think for a second you might be putting too much pressure on a boy!"
Callera nods in the affirmative. "No matter what, he is taking all our lives in his hands when he gets in that podracer in two days. This doesn't change that. The only change is that he now is also racing for himself and his mother as well as us. And he can do it."
Padme throws her hands up in frustration, before sitting down in huff with arms crossed.
Shmi interjects softly in the silence. "You didn't have to do that, my son was happy to help because you needed it."
"And that deserves to be applauded and rewarded where possible." Callera's gentle eyes slowly ease Shmi's tension.
"Thank you."
Turning to Artoo and the still stunned Anakin, "You think the two of you are up to get those converters installed and start running power tests?" The warbling affirmative from the droid as he bumps Anakin to startle him out of his reverie.
"Yeah we can."
"Good, nothing more than that right now. You've had an emotional roller coaster. After dinner we'll see about a full test-fire of your engines if your simulations are all green."
He nods and lets the spunky astromech lead towards the area with the podracer.
"Qui-Gon, have you checked in with the ship?"
"Yes." His voice solemn and grave
"How bad is it?"
"They've received a message from one of the Queen's ministers begging for her to contact them."
Padme's eyes go wide.
"It's a trap, and it has already been sprung." Callera's voice cold as she clenches her fist. 'Maul'
Qui-Gon's eyes widen and then narrow in realization as does Padme
"Will the Federation come here?" Padme's voice rising, fighting panic.
"No, they don't want extra strife with the Hutts. I'd lay odds on a bounty hunter or two already on their way here to kidnap the Queen and bring her back to Naboo, however."
"What do we do?" Concern clear in Padme's tense body and voice.
"The same thing we did without this knowledge, be cautious and pay attention to our surroundings."