Ep I: The Slave Jedi

by jdLevengood

A rebooted version of Episode I. In this version, Anakin Skywalker is a young man, and former slave, who saves the life of Queen Padme Amidala when she flees to Tatooine after the conquest of Naboo. She is accompanied by the newly minted Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, who recognizes the Force power in Anakin. The three will lead the liberation of Naboo, initiating the Clone Wars.

3. Games and Bounties

Chapter 3: Games and Bounties

...

When Padme and Soala climbed into bed together, the two sisters were excited by the feeling they were reliving their childhood. Despite having spent over a day completely awake, they had no problem delaying sleep even longer so they could talk. Wanting to keep the talk lighthearted, they did their best to avoid discussing anything serious. They talked about the card game, and Anakin. They marveled over what kind of guy he was, and Padme even told her sister about the Force connection the two of them had. While they both knew Padme could never have a relationship with him, for one night, they pretended otherwise.

After an hour of talking, Soala drifted off to sleep. Padme found it humorous the way she did so. She was in the middle of a sentence when all the sudden she just stopped. She had fallen asleep in the middle of talking. It was something she had done all the time when they were younger.

Given how long Padme had been awake, she should have been able to fall asleep easily. She was unable to do so, however, as there were so many thoughts running through her head. She was in a desperate situation, looking for a way to liberate her planet from the Neimoidians despite having almost no allies to aid her. While she had been raised to rule, she never quite expected a situation like this. She didn't know what to do, and it scared her.

On top of everything that was happening with the invasion of her planet, there was the situation with Anakin. They had just met, yet the two of them seemed to share a special connection. Even without that connection, she knew she would have been smitten with him. Anakin was everything she was looking for in a man; brave, heroic, selfless, and incredibly good-looking. It seemed like the Force was playing a cruel joke on them by trying to get them together. He was just a lowly farmer, a former slave. She was a queen, the sovereign of an entire planet. Their relative stations in life meant they could never be together.

In the middle of tossing and turning, she heard Artoo beeping from downstairs. For a moment, she was gripped with fear as it sounded like he was trying to beep a warning and tell them an intruder had found them. She immediately felt at ease when she recognized the voice of Anakin.

"Don't worry Artoo, it's just me, Anakin." Artoo warbled something that sounded like an apology for mistaking Anakin for an intruder. "While I'm happy to have you watching for intruders, you should remember that they won't be coming from inside the house. If they do, it means there's no one left to warn about an intruder." The gurgle that came from Artoo indicated he didn't like his mistake being pointed out.

Knowing that Anakin was up, Padme was anxious to talk to him. She wanted to speak privately with him about the connection they shared. Being able to do so while everyone else was asleep was the perfect opportunity.

Not wanting to wake Soala, she did her best to get out of bed quietly. She was just going to walk out but realized she should probably put on a robe to make sure Anakin didn't get the wrong idea. She cursed herself for not getting it out earlier. She had to fumble around in the dark first just to find her suitcase, and then feel her way through everything in it to find the robe. As she put it on, she was thankful she had managed to avoid waking Soala.

She walked downstairs and to the front entrance, where Artoo was standing guard. He turned his domed head around to look at her, but after what happened with Anakin, he refrained from beeping.

"Good boy," Padme said as she patted him on the top of his head. He really didn't like being treated like a pet and warbled his displeasure. Anakin was sitting right outside the door on the side of the stairwell. The outside light was on, illuminating the stairs and making Anakin visible to her. He had heard Padme's voice and peaked his head inside.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked.

"Sure, there's a free piece of stairwell for you to sit on." When he motioned to the spot opposite his, she saw he had a bottle in his hand. He took a sip of it as she walked through the door and sat.

"Want a sip?" he asked as he held out the bottle for her.

"Sure." She grabbed it and took in a mouthful of the drink without thinking about what it was. Her mouth was full before she realized the drink was too alcoholic for her. She hesitated for a second as her mind raced with what she should do. That just made everything worse as she felt the liquid was burning her mouth and throat. She hunched over as she spit it out on to the stairs.

Despite expelling the drink, it was still wreaking havoc on her mouth and throat. She coughed for several minutes, with the coughs coming so hard it sounded like the contents of her stomach were going to come up as well.

"Do you need me to hold your hair back while you throw up?" Padme wasn't paying that much attention to Anakin and couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or serious.

"No, I'll be fine." While Padme struggled to talk, speaking seemed to do the trick and her coughs stopped. She gained her composure quickly as she was able to sit up straight again.

"Sorry I didn't warn you about the drink. I forget what we have out here is much stronger than what is found in the more civilized parts of the galaxy. Everyone out here likes to say that we have strong drinks for a tough world."

"Don't worry about it," Padme said as she pushed her hair out of her face. She had to let out a few last coughs before she could continue. "Even if you had told me you thought the drink was too strong for me, I probably wouldn't have believed you." Padme giggled as she talked, and her entire face seemed to light up to Anakin. She looked beautiful to Anakin.

"You look good with your hair down," he said to her. "You should wear it more often like that. You look much more beautiful."

"Thanks," Padme said as her cheeks turned red. She was embarrassed that Anakin had made her blush and she didn't want him to know it. She started brushing her hair over cheeks to hide them. She also turned her head away from him. It served to hide one cheek, but make the other cheek even more visible to him.

Wondering if Anakin was noticing her embarrassment, she looked over at him. Their eyes met, and they connected. She was able to once again feel everything he was and read his mind. He was thinking about how beautiful she was, and how much he wanted her. He didn't like her being able to read those thoughts and looked away from her to break it.

"I'm sorry," Padme said. "I shouldn't have tried to connect with you like that."

"You don't have to apologize for anything. It doesn't seem like either one of us is able to control it."

"Anakin, have, have you been able to connect like this with anyone else?" Padme was tentative as she asked her question.

"No, never," he replied. He was feeling excited over the fact they were finally talking about their connection and what it meant. "I don't have the slightest idea what is causing it. It must be through the Force."

"But from what the Jedi said it appears to be deeper than what they can achieve. We can read each other's thoughts, something he said they couldn't do."

"As I explained before, I have always had certain instinctive abilities in the Force. This connection must be part of it. As the Jedi explained, I can channel the Force in ways the Jedi seem unable to. My unique abilities are allowing us to read each other's thoughts, a power that is seemingly unknown to other Force users."

A mischievous smile came across Anakin's lips as a thought occurred to him.

"What are you smiling about?" Padme asked.

"I think our connections is a sign the Force wants us to be together. Our destinies are intertwined."

"We can't be together, ever," Padme said as she shook her head. She fought the urge to take a glance at him to see his reaction. Anakin had other ideas. He reached out and cupped her chin in his hand, maneuvering it so they were looking each other in the eye once again. They instantly connected. She had been thinking about all the reasons they couldn't be together, and he could read those thoughts. She was a queen, and as a queen there were certain expectations about who she should marry. Her marriage would produce the heir to throne. Thus, it was vital she marry someone of the proper stock. A farmboy from Tatooine would never be considered the proper stock.

Padme was pained that Anakin was reading her mind and had access to her unfiltered thoughts. She hadn't thought their connection was a violation before, but she was starting to feel so now. She tried to move her head away so they were no longer looking at each other, but Anakin was holding her so tightly she couldn't do that. She closed her eyes, and that proved sufficient to break the connection.

Right before the connection broke, Padme felt Anakin's response to her thoughts. She had expected him to be utterly dejected. Instead, he was feeling confident. He was confident that one day, he would rise to the proper station to marry her. She knew she had to set him straight

When Padme closed her eyes and broke the connection, Anakin had let go of her chin, so she didn't have to worry about him forcing her to look at him. She opened her eyes to see the confidence he was feeling was showing on his face. She knew she was going to have to set him straight. "The two of us will never be able to be together. I hate to have to say it, but it's true. You seem like an incredible man, Anakin. If I wasn't a royal, I would be more than happy to pursue a relationship with you. It's unjust that someone like you would never be considered worthy of me, but that is the world I inhabit."

"What if I did something to raise my stature?"

"Like becoming a Jedi Knight?" Padme made reference to the thoughts of Anakin she had been able to read.

"I would at least like to know why that wouldn't work."

"Well, one reason it wouldn't work is because Jedi are not allowed to love, they're not allowed to enter into romantic relationships."

"That only applies while they are currently Jedi. I could become a Jedi, make a name for myself, then quit to marry you."

"You're forgetting one additional detail," Padme began. "Because of the Jedi practice of anonymity, you'll never make a name for yourself as a Jedi. Look at the Jedi in there. None of us know his name. He flat out refused to give it when you tried to introduce him to your brother. Any exploits you were able to perform as a Jedi would be unknown to the rest of the galaxy."

Anakin seemed truly dejected that there was no way to raise his stature so he could be with her. Padme didn't have to be connected with him to know how he was feeling. She was feeling bad herself and wanted to alleviate his feelings.

"Even though becoming a Jedi won't help you win me, I still think it would be good for you to do."

Anakin looked at her with an expression on his face that showed extreme skepticism. She didn't look at him long, as she did her best to glance away so their connection wouldn't form. "I know the Jedi in there appeared anxious to train me, but we both heard him claim the Jedi only take children. The only people they train are the ones they take in at birth."

"They could make an exception for you. The Jedi said you were very strong in the Force. I saw what you did when you saved us, and while I can't feel the Force, I could tell there had to be something supernatural behind what you were doing. The Jedi have been experiencing a decline in power and prestige over the last couple decades. They could really use someone like you. I don't think the Jedi Council will have a problem granting you an exception so they might train you."

A mischievous grin came across Anakin's face as a thought occurred to him. "If you think the Council will make an exception for me on age, maybe they'll make one for me on anonymity as well. What better way for them to regain their lost prestige then to have a great Jedi make a name for himself. A popular, extraordinary hero sounds like what they need."

"You're describing the exact situation the Jedi are trying to avoid by practicing anonymity. No one Jedi is supposed to become larger than the Order."

Anakin tilted his head back as he looked up through the clear sky at the stars overhead. Padme could tell he was deep in thought.

"It looks like I'll just have to find a way to raise my stature myself." His gaze returned to her.

"And just how do you propose to do that?"

"I don't know," he said with a shrug. "When I was in your head, I was able to see the desire you had to liberate your planet. Perhaps I could help you with that. You saw what I did to save you. I could do the same thing over Naboo. If I did that, I would really make a name for myself with your people, would I not?"

"Yes, you would," Padme said with a sigh. "The problem with that, is all the ideas I have for liberating my planet are nothing more than hopeless fantasies. In order to kick the Neimoidians off my planet, I would need an immense army. Probably something along the lines of a million soldiers and a thousand ships. Right now, all I have are the Naboo cruiser, me, and the three guys in there."

"What about your sister?"

"If I do anything to try and re-take my planet, Soala will be no part of it. I will not allow her life to be put at risk like that." Padme was so adamant that it scared Anakin for a moment.

"That's a good start at least," Anakin pointed out. "I could feel that you were hoping to find more allies on Coruscant."

"That was another thought that was mostly a hopeless fantasy." Padme once again had to sigh. "The Separatists have been carrying out assaults like this for a number of years, and the Senate has been unwilling to act. I don't think the invasion of my planet will be any different."

"How can that be?" The anger in Anakin's voice was strong. "How can they just let the Separatists do this?"

"They believe the aims of the warlords are limited. They have done a good job of claiming they are just pursuing legitimate grievances. It's enough for the appeasers to look the other way and believe the warlords will soon tire of conquest and become docile and quiet."

"Does the entire government believe that?"

"Most of the Senate does, but there is one notable exception. Sheev Palpatine has been sounding the warning his entire life about these warlords. When they first started rising to power, he tried to sound the alarm they would seek conquest. None of the politicians wanted to listen to him, and as a Senator from a system on the edge of the Republic, Kamino, he was easy to ignore."

"Why is everyone so afraid to stand up to the warlords?"

"Because right now the galaxy is a powder keg ready to blow. The alliance between the Muuns and the Neimoidians should have triggered laws that require the Senate to intervene, but everyone still appears too afraid to act. One warlord in particular, the Muun Hego Damask, has constructed an elaborate series of alliances with other warlords to all go to war against the Republic should they ever intervene militarily. Its questionable if the warlords will truly honor those alliance, but there seems to be enough of a desire for war that they will do so. If the war was to break out, the Republic would be in a bad position. The government has no military itself. It would be reliant on its member systems contributing their own planetary defense forces to a Republic army. Even then, it would need every member to contribute forces to match what all the Separatist warlords have. Given that all contributions would be voluntary, it's questionable what kind of military force the Republic could construct, especially at the beginning."

"Meaning the Separatists would have the advantage at the start."

"And meaning that almost none of the Senators would want to risk a large-scale war by trying to liberate my planet."

"So, if nobody wants to risk that kind of large scale war, what is there to do?"

"Make an agreement with the Muuns and Neimodians and hope for the best. Perhaps they would allow me to go back to my planet, and at least act like I am the ruler. If so, I might keep the occupying forces in line."

"And what if they don't allow you to return to your planet and be a puppet ruler."

Padme flinched at the reference to her being a puppet ruler. "Then, I would have to find somewhere to live in exile."

A sly smile appeared on Anakin's face as a thought occurred to him. "Well then, if you were to be a deposed, it would seem like you would be free to live with me. I'll admit this place isn't very exciting, and wouldn't be what you are accustomed to, but you would have me, and Owen, and Beru, and your sister, if she wanted to stay with us. Would that be so bad?"

"I could never do that, Anakin. Even if I were deposed, I would never be able to stop fighting for my people. I would be spending all my time trying to find a way to liberate them. I couldn't exactly do that if I were with you."

"So, everything you said about being with you if you weren't a royal was a lie." Anakin's anger came through in the way he scowled.

"It wasn't a lie." Padme looked at Anakin. His eyes were on the ground. The expression on his face conveyed the utter dejection he was feeling. "If there was a scenario that would allow me to be with you, I would jump at it."

"Sure." Despite saying just one word, the sarcasm in Anakin's voice came through loud and clear.

Padme racked her brain for a way to convince Anakin she was telling the truth. When she finally realized what she needed to do, she cursed herself for not thinking of it right away. Still angry, she jumped down and grabbed Anakin's face with both her hands.

"Look at me!" she yelled. When their eyes met, they connected. Anakin was able to read her mind and know what she truly felt and thought about him. He found out she really would be with him, if her planet were free, and she was no longer its ruler.

Feeling horrible for doubting her, Anakin averted his eyes to break the connection. Feeling they had talked enough for the night, Padme figured it was time to end it.

"I've been awake for a over a day now," Padme said in a soft voice. "I should get some sleep." Anakin stayed silent as she headed back inside.

...

As the twin suns of Tatooine rose to signal the start of a new day, Owen and Beru rose with them, as they did every day. Beru headed straight to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. She had her work cut out for her that day, having to fix it for so many extra people. Owen went outside to check on the vaporators. He normally just took a quick look at them to make sure the sand people or Jawas didn't do anything to them in the middle of the night.

When Owen stepped outside, he was surprised to find Obi-Wan had beaten him out. He was looking up into the sky through a telescopic viewer. Owen walked up right beside him.

"Are you looking at anything interesting?" he asked the Jedi.

"As a matter of fact, I am." Obi-Wan spoke slowly as he replied. "I'm counting at least six capital ships belonging to the Neimoidian federation."

"So, they've found you." Owen did his best to hide the fear he was feeling, but he was never going to be successful in fooling a Jedi.

"If you want us to leave, we will not hesitate to do so. You have been more than hospitable."

"I think it might be too late to do that. I would rather have you here to fight then send you along your way."

"I appreciate the sentiment," Obi-Wan said as he continued looking through the viewfinder. "It looks like we won't have to worry about anybody coming our way. I don't see any shuttles or ships of any kind flying around the capital ships. If they had anyone down here, or if they meant to send anyone down here, there would be shuttles flying around the capital ships or back and forth between the surface. Since there is none of that, I assume they are going to wait until we leave and try and capture us then."

"Why do you think they are willing to just sit and wait?"

"I would like to think after the defeat they suffered, they are scared to come after us. The reality is likely they don't want anyone to know who they are after. With the capital ships out there, most will think this is just a mission against smugglers who are helping the Federation's enemies."

"Will those ships make it harder for you to hire someone to get you off this planet?"

"Probably, but it will won't be impossible. We'll just have to pay a little extra to avoid any Federation entanglements."

"Looks like you are going to have your work cut out for you today at the card games."

"I think I'll manage just fine." The arrogance he was feeling came through in his voice. "Winning the money shouldn't be difficult. Anakin's worried about getting back here with it. He's going to be going along with me, so hopefully he will be able to help me out. This is his home, so he should know the lay of it."

"Watch out for him for me."

"Don't worry, I don't think we're going to have a fight on our hands. If we do, I will use all my skills to protect him."

"That's not exactly what I was worried about. I meant that if you do get in a fight, keep him from lashing out. I didn't bring this up last night because I didn't want to mention it in front of Anakin, but when he tried to kill the slave masters, it put a great deal of fear in me. It wasn't the power he was displaying that concerned me, it was the look on his face. He appeared to completely lose himself and he seemed like a different person. Being raised a slave took a toll on him. I'm not sure even I understand just how much of a toll it was."

"I appreciate you telling me this," Obi-Wan began. "As you should have understood last night, after hearing what Anakin did, I had my concerns about his utilization of the dark side. If I may ask for your assistance, if you want to help Anakin, convince him to come with me. He might be old, but with the power in the Force he has displayed, I think he will be allowed to become a Jedi. If he chooses to join the Order, he will find a structure that will cure him of many of his problems."

"I don't think I can do that," Owen said, feeling bad. "No one knows Anakin better than Beru and I. That would be the best thing for him, to stay with people who love and understand him."

"And what if Anakin himself thinks differently?

"Then he will be free to go," Owen replied. "I have no power to hold him here." Owen turned and went inside, as he had no desire to continue the conversation.

...

Padme woke when the first rays of the suns came in through the window. She got out of bed carefully to avoid waking her sister, and then changed out of her nightclothes. She went downstairs to find Beru busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

With everything that had been going on the previous night, she had never given any consideration to the fact that Beru had needed to make dinner for three times as many people as she was accustomed to. Padme instantly felt bad about the situation and sought to both rectify and apologize for it.

"Hi, Beru." The other woman looked up from her work just long enough to repeat Padme's greeting. "I'm really sorry I didn't get more of a chance to speak with you last night, and I'm even sorrier that we left you to fix dinner all by yourself. I'm just so used to servants doing everything for us, that I never stopped to think someone should have helped you out."

"Think nothing of it," Beru replied, sounding untroubled. "It's just been the three of us so long, that it actually feels nice to have a large number of people to cook for."

"I've been wondering, are you and Owen looking to increase the size of your family any time soon?"

Padme was just looking to be lighthearted and enjoy a pleasant conversation with her, but she soon learned she had apparently said the wrong thing. In an instant, Beru was sobbing softly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know I said anything wrong."

"No, don't worry about it. You didn't know any better. I should explain myself."

"No, you don't have to do that at all."

"No, I want to. You might not know much about the lives of slaves here, but for the women, pregnancy can be a problem. Some masters see slave children as investments, while others see them as nothing but a hindrance that will keep their slaves from doing the work they need them to. My master followed the latter philosophy. He took steps to make sure I would never be able to have children, and I must live the rest of my life with the consequence of that. Owen and I will never be able to have a family our own, at least, not one built around children of our own."

The sobs of Beru were almost uncontrollable now. Padme didn't quite know what to say in a situation like this. The only thing she could think of doing was offering the woman a shoulder to cry on. She embraced her and maneuvered Beru's face to rest on her shoulder. The gesture seemed to do the trick, and she calmed down enough to stop crying. With the sobs stopped, the two were able to start talking as they went to work preparing breakfast. They had a heartfelt talk about Beru's problem. Padme didn't have much advice to give, but Beru didn't seem to be seeking any. From the impression Padme got, she just needed another woman to talk to about it for a change.

...

The entire group sat down together to eat breakfast. At the table, Obi-Wan told them about the company they had in orbit. While they were initially scared by the news, they were relieved to hear the Federation didn't appear to be sending anyone down to hunt for them. They knew it might make things a little more difficult in hiring someone to get away, but that seemed minor compared to the other problems they faced.

When breakfast was finished, everyone wished the Jedi luck. He rode in the speeder with Anakin driving. They made their way to Anchorhead, the place where the card game was being held.

As Anakin drove, he tried to give Obi-Wan the lay of the land. He explained the kinds of people he would be playing cards with and tried to explain how Obi-Wan should act around them. Anakin knew it was vital he act as an experienced card player, it would help his opponents believe he was winning from skill, instead of cheating. Obi-Wan didn't seem to be listening. He wasn't outright rejecting what Anakin was telling him, but he did remind him he had the Force to read people.

When the two of them reached the town, they went around to several different shops to sell the arsenal. They didn't want to take them all into one shop at once, as they were afraid the owner would believe they were desperate and would offer them less. It took them a good while to drive around to all the shops, but they had the time. The card games didn't begin until later in the afternoon.

From the moment the two of them walked into the gambling establishment, Anakin could feel they were in trouble. Owen had lent the Jedi some clothes, but they didn't do much to conceal that the man was an outsider. Obi-Wan got nothing but skeptical looks. He earned them, as he wasn't carrying himself or acting like anyone local. Anakin knew once he started winning, those looks were going to intensify. Only, they wouldn't just be looks as he would likely find himself attacked.

Knowing it was going to be a problem for them to get out, Anakin had come prepared. There was a blaster tucked under the tunic he was wearing. He was going to have to stay back with the other spectators and stand guard. While it would just be the two of them against an entire club full of people, he liked their chances. He knew what his power was, he just hoped Obi-Wan was at least the equal to him.

A small part of Anakin was hoping that Obi-Wan would lose. They wouldn't have to face an entire club of angry gamblers if that happened. He knew it would be bad for Padme, but after their conversation last night it didn't sound like being unable to make it to Coruscant would change anything. He liked the idea that she would have to stay on Tatooine longer.

To Anakin's annoyance, Obi-Wan ended up winning one hand after another. As he did, Anakin could feel the anger of everyone growing. Even the spectators seemed to be angered with this man they didn't know coming in and piling up the wins.

As sunset neared, the game had narrowed to just Obi-Wan and one opponent. Anakin knew they were going to have trouble getting out. As the hand played out, Anakin started looking around, developing an escape plan.

Anakin heard a loud cry of anguish coming from the game table. He turned to see Obi-Wan had won the hand. His opponent was distraught, but Obi-Wan was emotionless. He simply smiled as he nodded to the man. He stood and held out his hand for him to shake it, only to have the loser slap it away.

"You did not win fairly!" the loser screamed.

"If you think I was cheating, perhaps you would like to explain how." Anakin nearly screamed out at Obi-Wan. He was doing exactly what Anakin had tried to tell him not to do. He was trying to be diplomatic, thinking if he compelled the man to make a specific accusation, he could make him back down. He didn't understand that here, particulars didn't matter. Everyone believed he cheated, they didn't exactly need proof.

"I don't need to explain how you did it, I just know you couldn't have beat me like you did if you weren't cheating." The crowd in the club started hooting and hollering loudly. A couple people even started moving in Obi-Wan's direction. Anakin reached under his tunic and grabbed his blaster, ready to pull it out when the moment called for it.

"I know I am unfamiliar to many of you." Obi-Wan was trying to talk over the crowd, but not doing a very good job of it. "I can tell that you are skeptical of how I was able to come out of nowhere and beat all of you. I assure you I am an experienced player, who has won tournaments all over the galaxy." Anakin winced as Obi-Wan veered in the wrong direction. This game was not played all over the galaxy. He had explained it before, but Obi-Wan apparently forgot. It was a lie that everyone detected, and now their worst thoughts of him seemed to be confirmed. Anakin tried to push ahead so he could grab Obi-Wan and get him out, but the crowd was closing around the Jedi and Anakin couldn't push his way through.

"Everyone please calm down. You can't deny me my winnings with mere suspicions." The crowd was yelling so loud Anakin could barely hear Obi-Wan. "You need specific allegations."

"Actually, I can deny you your winnings without specific accusations." The voice that was shouting was deep and commanding. It rose above the yells of the crowd. It was the voice of the club owner, a rather large, old alien who walked forward with the aid of a cane. There was a fire in his manner that indicated he was not going to budge from his decision. "I have good suspicion that you were cheating."

Now that the owner had endorsed their suspicions, the crowd appeared emboldened. They started charging at Obi-Wan, who just stood their calmly, looking like he wasn't going to do anything to defend himself. While Anakin believed the Jedi probably had a plan, he didn't trust it to succeed after all the mistakes he had watched him make.

Anakin pulled out his blaster and fired a warning shot at the ceiling. That caught everyone's attention. The people closest to him moved back while everyone else turned to see what he was going to do next. He waved the blaster around as he shouted to them. "Okay. You guys have made your point and are going to keep his money. That is okay, we won't fight anyone on that, you can divide it up as you please. Just let us leave peacefully, and there won't be any trouble."

The crowd around Anakin was looking at him with amusement. They knew they had him outnumbered, and they were going to take advantage of that fact. Anakin was ready for them, as his Force abilities had made him an excellent shot. He whirled around as he saw several men reach for their blasters. He was ready, and fired his blaster at one man after another, shooting the guns they were holding out of their hands. One after another howled in pain over having their hand or arm blown off.

"Stop it!" Anakin heard Obi-Wan yell before the Jedi landed in front of him. He had his lightsaber drawn and waved it around to show he was not afraid to use it. The crowd knew the reputation the Jedi carried, and they were not willing to fight him.

"I am sorry that things came to this." He looked around at the men Anakin had shot to check on their condition. They were all going to need mechanical appendages, but they would survive. "We didn't want this trouble. I am sorry you don't trust me. If you will just give me my winnings, we can be on our way."

"I am the one who makes the decision on that." The large club owner walked to the front of the crowd to face the Jedi, the sound of his cane clinking against the floor. When he was just a few feet from Obi-Wan he stopped and glared at him. "I am not intimidated by you. I know how the Jedi operate. You are not going to do anything to me merely because of money."

The club owner stood his ground, defiant. Obi-Wan shut down his lightsaber when he realized it was over, he had lost. "Come on Anakin, we'll be on our way."

It was dark outside when they exited. The streets were illuminated by the lamps that lined them. They headed right for their speeder. Both men were seething over the actions of the other. They walked briskly to the vehicle, as they were in a hurry to get away before anyone in the club decided to come after them.

"You certainly made a mess of that," Obi-Wan yelled as they both jumped into their seats. Anakin waited until the speeder was started and they were driving away until he replied.

"I made a mess of that. You think I made a mess of that. You were the one who screwed up everything from the beginning. I told you that as an outsider, no one was going to let you walk out of there with your winnings, but you just ignored me. Then I told you how to act, what to say, but you just ignored me there as well. If you had just listened to some of what I told you, we might have been able to get out of there without having to fight, and just maybe, we could have gotten you your money."

"I have been on countless missions around the galaxy, missions where my master and I often knew little about the locals. In all those situations we were able to feel our way through them, and I figured this would be no different."

"Well, I think in this situation, when you had someone to tell you about the locals, you should have listened to them. Instead, you ignored me, and look what happened."

"I didn't listen to you not because I didn't trust anything you were saying, but because as a Jedi, I have my own way of working. I was trying to be diplomatic. I know it didn't work at first, but if I had had a chance to talk more, and fully make my case, I think I could have gotten out of there with our money. Instead, you had to pull your blaster out like a brute and threaten everyone. All that resulted from your antics was a lot of lost limbs."

"I don't see why you would have a problem with that. You carry around a lightsaber. Isn't it designed for chopping off limbs."

"It is not designed for chopping off limbs, it is a civilized weapon. Its primary use is for defense. If anyone had fired at us, I would have used it to block their shots. It can be a powerful offensive weapon, but Jedi don't use it that way, and everyone knows that. Look back at what happened in the club. When you pulled your blaster out, everyone pulled out there's as well to fire it at you before you could fire at them. None of that happened with my lightsaber. They knew I only had it out for defense. They felt they didn't have to strike first, and that allowed me to calm the situation.

A thought occurred to Obi-Wan as he looked over at Anakin to see if he had anything to say. "I happen to have a spare lightsaber on me. I could teach you some things when we get back about the way to use it."

"I would like that. We are going to have much more pressing concerns when we return, though. We must tell everyone that we don't have any money. We spent everything we earned selling off the arsenal. We are going to have to find another way to get your money, when there is nothing left to sell."

The rest of the way back, they discussed how they should break the news to the queen. Obi-Wan insisted he should take all the responsibility for their failure. Anakin protested, but he would hear none of it. Obi-Wan was determined to accept all the responsibility.

They walked into the house to find everyone patiently waiting for them. They had wanted to break the news to the queen slowly, but she realized from the looks on their faces that things had not gone as planned. Neither one had felt the need to put on a brave face.

"You guys didn't get the money, did you?" Because of the disappointment, she could barely get the words out.

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak, but Anakin answered first. "It was all my fault, Your Highness." He bowed his head slightly in shame. Obi-Wan was too stunned by what Anakin was doing to break in and give his story. "The owner of the establishment was giving us trouble and refusing to give the Jedi his money. The crowd was turning against him as well. He was trying to use Jedi techniques to get your money, but I didn't understand what he was trying to do. I was dumb and tried to scare everyone with my blaster so we could at least get away. The Jedi acted and got us out without a scratch, but the money was lost. I apologize profusely for my error. I know how much it has cost you."

Padme looked between Anakin and Obi-Wan, giving the Jedi a piercing glare. In contrast, she gave Anakin a rather pleasant expression. "So, Anakin, it looks like you were correct about the way the Jedi would be treated as an outsider."

"Um, yes, I was." Anakin seemed to have trouble answering. "The Jedi likely would have been able to see the situation through if I had given him the chance, however, just as he said he would."

Padme looked skeptical of what Anakin was telling her. "There is no use getting upset over what occurred. Right now, we must focus on what our next step is going to be, if there is one." Padme's tone of voice conveyed her utter despair. Her voice had cracked, as if she was going to cry. She fought back the tears, as it was unbecoming of a royal to cry in front of others.

"If I may make a suggestion, this planet is full of opportunities for making money." Anakin looked around at everyone to see if they were interested in hearing what he had to say. Everyone seemed to perk up to find out what he was going to suggest. "The problem for you might be that most of the jobs will require some moral compromise on your part." No one appreciated hearing that last part.

"What kinds of moral compromises are we talking about?" Padme asked.

"It all depends on what jobs will actually pay the high amount you need. There's a good chance there are bounties out there which would pay what you need. Local bounties, so the people will be here. The problem for you will be that collecting the bounty will require handing the person over to some rather unsavory characters."

Almost everyone let out a sigh as they realized they likely would not want to do that. Anakin persisted, wanting to help as much as he could and hoping he could convince them this was what they needed. "Most of these bounties would be for people who owe someone money, such as smugglers who were forced to unload their cargo. The bounty is just put out so the loaner can try and collect from his debtor."

"I think this is a possibility we must explore," Padme said. "How do we find out what bounties are out there?"

"I could head over to Mos Eisley tomorrow and see what I can find."

"It seems like you are doing so much for us already. I don't want you to go through so much trouble. One of us could go."

"With all due respect, Your Highness, I am the only one here who understands the lay of the land, so to speak. I know where to inquire about any outstanding bounties, and I can do so without raising any suspicions." Anakin glanced over at Obi-Wan several times as he spoke. The Jedi understood the implicit message. He was still thinking Obi-Wan was responsible for everything that happened that day, and he knew if he went out alone, he could avoid any problems.

"Okay, Anakin. Find out what bounties are out there. I think you have a good understanding over what we are willing to accept and what we are not. Come back to us with anything that seems promising."

"As you wish, Your Highness." Anakin kept up the formality by bowing to her. Some of the others found it amusing. With the twin suns of the planet long since set, everyone dispersed to go to sleep.

...

Anakin was getting the couch ready to sleep when he felt the presence of someone. The sensation was odd, there was something about it he had never experienced before. He turned in the direction where he felt the presence and saw Obi-Wan standing in the doorway.

"Did you reach out to me, with the Force?"

"Yes, I did, and you reached back to me."

"I did?"

"Apparently without realizing it." Obi-Wan started walking towards Anakin. "You must be very strong in the Force to be able to channel it like that without even realizing it. Your power is instinctive in a manner I have never seen."

"Do you have any idea why I have such instinctive abilities?"

"No, other than to theorize the Force has a great destiny in store for you." Anakin flinched over the Jedi's words. Obi-Wan caught it and wanted to know why the man had the reaction he did.

"Does the thought that the Force has a great destiny set for you scare you?" Obi-Wan asked.

"No, it's not that. It just, clarifies something for me, that's all."

"Do you mind if I ask what it clarifies for you."

Anakin was hesitant to reply, as he knew what he was about to reveal would sound too incredible for even a Jedi to believe. "This is something I have never liked to talk about, because it has always made my mother look crazy. Well, it probably makes her look more like a horrid liar than anything else. From the moment she became pregnant with me, she claimed that I had no father. I'm not sure how much she said it outright, she never had to, everyone knew she meant that I was a child of the Force, conceived by it without a man for reasons neither she nor anyone else would ever understand."

"Did she have any reason to lie about something like that?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Of course, she did," Anakin replied. "A pregnant slave can cause all kinds of problems. There isn't much in the way of law out here. One law that we do have is that any child born to one slave parent, and one free parent, is free themselves. We lived in a city with an active spaceport, it's possible my father was someone who came in here, maybe regularly, maybe not. The possibility was enough for her to lie to Watto so he wouldn't have to worry about some man coming along to claim me. Besides that, as you heard, romance between two slaves can be a problem. If my father was a slave my mother wasn't supposed to be fraternizing with, then there could have been problems in admitting who my father was. While it was unbelievable, what my mother said appeared to successfully deflect any questions about who my father was."

Obi-Wan stroked his chin as he thought deeply about what Anakin had told him. "I know your mother died when you were young, but from what you know about her, do you truly believe she was lying. What when you realized you were Force sensitive? Did that make you think your mother must have been telling the truth?"

"I thought my mother just got lucky that I ended up Force sensitive."

"But your abilities are much greater than anyone else who is Force sensitive."

"I never knew that growing up," Anakin replied. "Out here it is well-known the Jedi don't bother to come and look for future Jedi. We don't know what it is like for those they don't take. I thought the abilities I had were normal for anyone Force sensitive who never received Jedi training."

"Well, they're not. The strength you could have in the Force if you were to channel it properly is. . .unimaginable."

"And let me guess, you think you are just the person to train me to do it."

"Well, I'm the only one you have to do it now."

"Is there any reason to be in such a hurry?"

"Yes, I get the feeling we are going to have to work together again over the next couple days, and I don't want a repeat of what happened today. I told you on the way back that I would give you the spare lightsaber I had." Obi-Wan pulled it out from under his robes and handed it over. "I think it might be good to start your training with this."

Apprehensively, Anakin took the weapon from the Jedi and held it in his hand. "Is it okay if I light it?"

"Yes, activate it, go ahead." Despite his enthusiastic reply, Obi-Wan leaned back, not entirely trustful of how Anakin would handle it.

After taking a deep breath, Anakin activated it. He moved back in apprehension as the blade of light grew out from the hilt. When it was fully extended, he admired it as he waved it around. Slowly at first, then faster to get a better feel for how he might wield it in a fight. The whole time he did this, it was emitting a soft hum that was soothing to his ears.

"Is this how all training starts for the Jedi, by giving them a lightsaber?"

"Jedi actually get a good amount of training before they ever wield a lightsaber. As young children, we are giving years of basic training in how to channel and utilize the Force. Making our own lightsaber is kind of a coming of age ceremony for us. After we make it, we have a year of training with it before we are taken on as Padawans and sent into the field with our Jedi Knight masters."

"So, if everybody has to make their own, how did you end up with a spare?" Here Obi-Wan got very apprehensive, even fearful. "The truth is, that one used to belong to my former master. He died on Naboo, right before we escaped. Worst of all, he died because of a mistake I made. He had to make a move to defend me after I failed to do so. It cost him his life, and I am going to have to carry that with me the rest of mine."

Anakin could guess Obi-Wan wanted to train him to avoid a repeat of what had happened with his master. "Okay, so what's the first step for me to learn how to use this?"

"I was thinking the same first step every Jedi starts with, at least, as close to it as we can get. Normally, we have floating balls which can fire weak blasts at you that will allow you to learn to use the lightsaber and the Force to block them. I don't have any such thing on me, so I think the only thing we could do would be to get a blaster, set it to its lowest setting, and have you to learn to block those blasts."

"That doesn't exactly sound very appealing." Anakin shut down the lightsaber. The silence that broke out with the loss of the saber's hum seemed eerie. "You know, it's pretty late for tonight, why don't we see if we can pick this up tomorrow."

"That's probably a good idea," Obi-Wan said with a nod of his head before he left him alone.

As Anakin laid out on the couch, his mind was running a mile a minute. He was thinking about the anxiousness Obi-Wan appeared to have for giving him some Jedi training. He wondered how far Obi-Wan wanted to take it. Was he willing to take him away and train him as a Jedi?

The thought of leaving Tatooine and becoming a Jedi both thrilled and scared him. All the possibilities of what it meant ran through his head. If he hadn't been so tired from the lack of sleep the previous night, the thoughts in his head would have kept him up all night.

...

Anakin got up early the next morning and was gone before anyone else woke. He knew he had a long day ahead of him and he wanted to get a head start on it.

While he was gone, the others enjoyed a lighthearted day. After everything they had been through, they needed the day of levity.

Their situation came crashing back to them when Anakin finally returned shortly after they finished dinner. The excitement he was showing when he came in boosted the morale of everyone, as they saw it as a sign he had good news.

"I found a bounty which I think will work for us. We would have to capture another bounty hunter. His name is Jango Fett, he's a Mandalorian, and Jabba the Hutt wants him captured to settle a score with him. Jango had gone after a smuggler that Jabba had put a large bounty on. The bounty was for bringing the smuggler back alive, so Jabba could take his revenge on him. Fett ended up killing the guy, and it didn't sit well with the Hutt. He wants Jango captured so they can settle the debt."

"So, we just have to capture a murderous bounty hunter," Padme pointed out before glaring at Obi-Wan. "That shouldn't run afoul of any Jedi codes, should it?"

"Given the collection of circumstances we are facing, no."

"Good, then if we are going to go after him, it won't be hard for us to find him," Anakin said. "I talked to one of Jabba's underlings. They think he is going to be in Mos Espa tomorrow."

"The ruins of our old home." Everyone turned in Owen's direction. He seemed surprised he had gotten everyone's attention. "In case the rest of you didn't know, after we took everything from the slave masters, they abandoned the city. The slaves tried to run things, but were unable to, and soon left as well. The city became temporary housing for those folks too unsavory to stay anywhere else on this planet."

"And bounty hunters would be one of those unsavory types?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Correct."

"Do you have a plan for finding and capturing the bounty hunter?" Padme asked the Jedi. "I am sure both Olie and Tarsals will be willing to go along."

"I think it would be best if it was just Anakin and me. The smaller the party, the more inconspicuous we will be."

"Are you okay with this?" Padme asked Anakin. "I don't want you to feel compelled to go."

"No, I want to. I know the Jedi will need me because of my familiarity with the city."

"Are you going to be okay helping him capture the bounty hunter?" Padme asked.

"Yes, I think so." For a moment, Anakin had lost his usual bravado. "Last night, the Jedi offered me a crash course in Jedi training so that we would be better able to work together. It looks like we should get started on that."

...

"You're my brother, and I love you Anakin," the grin on Owen's face was sly as he stared at his stepbrother, a blaster in his hand. "But this is for your own good, and I hope you don't mind me saying I am really going to enjoy this."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Anakin held his lightsaber up straight as he glared at the blaster in his stepbrother's hand.

After double-checking to make sure the blaster was on its lowest setting, Owen started firing. He was fast, and much more accurate than anyone anticipated. Obi-Wan almost jumped in and told him to stop, as he was worried Anakin was going to get hurt. He refrained when he saw that Anakin was expertly blocking each blast aimed at him.

Everyone could see Owen was frustrated that not a single blast had gotten through Anakin's defenses. He went from holding the blaster with one hand, to holding it with two. It didn't change a thing.

Obi-Wan was impressed with what he was seeing. At least, until he reached out with the Force and felt how Anakin was doing it. He had a specific connection with his brother that was allowing him to anticipate his attacks and block them accordingly.

"Blast it!" Angry over his failure to land a hit, Owen threw the blaster to the ground. Anakin smiled back at his brother as he deactivated his lightsaber.

"What did you think of that?" Anakin was smiling from ear-to-ear as he looked at Obi-Wan, waiting for praise over the good job he felt he had done.

"That wasn't quite what I had in mind." Anakin was in absolute shock over what he was hearing. Everyone else was a bit puzzled as well. "You share a certain connection with your brother through the Force. Its instinctive and has likely been built up over all the years you have lived together, so you don't notice it. I wasn't expecting it because it's not something that is all that common, but your natural abilities led it to develop without you even trying." Anakin started smiling again over the reference to his natural abilities. "Your connection to him is allowing you to anticipate the attacks, which is not quite what I had in mind. With the proper connection to the Force, you should be able to use your danger sense to block the attacks instead of your connection to a particular person. We'll need to find someone else to fire at you."

Obi-Wan started scanning the room, wondering who he should ask. "Why don't you ask Princess Soala," Tarsals suggested. "I've been training her to fire a blaster, and she could use the practice." Obi-Wan was skeptical she would be willing to fire it right at Anakin. "She had quite the killer instinct, she won't be too easy for him," Tarsals added.

"Okay, go ahead." Soala looked joyous as she picked up the blaster. She held it out in front of her as she gazed down the barrel at Anakin. He activated the lightsaber and waited for the shots to come. Once Soala had the blaster lined up to her liking, she started firing. Anakin blocked the first two bolts before he got hit by the third. He jumped up as he howled in pain.

"Come on, let's keep going." Soala had the blaster still pointed right at him and was not willing to show him any sympathy. Anakin got back in position. When Soala started firing again, Anakin once again blocked two shots before taking a hit. He was already showing some frustration.

"Don't get upset," Obi-Wan instructed. "Your best chance of channeling the Force properly is to remain calm. Reach out with the Force and feel everything around you. The Force will tell you where the danger is coming from, you just have to be in tune to notice it."

Anakin tried to do what Obi-Wan told him but couldn't. He was frustrated, as he felt he would have done better in this exercise by simply relying on his instincts. Instead, he was turning them off and thinking too much, trying to concentrate on everything Obi-Wan had told him. He was doing it because he thought it would provide him with the attunement to the Force he sought, but he was starting to think it might not be so bad to just rely on his instincts after all.

Soala went back to firing at Anakin, and this time he blocked a few more shots before he was hit. He felt angry when he was hit, and this time, he sought to use that anger to channel the Force. He went back to holding his lightsaber in front of him. Soala started firing at him again, and this time he blocked every shot with ease. Soala responded by firing more rapidly as well as altering the shots to a greater extent. The way she handled the blaster was amazing. She was able to change the direction of her shots expertly with just short flicks of her wrist. She also seemed to know just how to lead Anakin in one direction with one shot, then make him move the lightsaber across his body to blast the next one.

Everyone from Naboo marveled at what they were seeing with Soala. Somehow, she had become an expert marksman. Anakin showed a remarkable amount of skill in blocking her shots, but eventually, one got through and hit him. As Soala was firing so quickly, Anakin got hit by two more shots before she finally stopped.

"I think that's enough," Obi-Wan said as he stepped in and grabbed the blaster away from Soala. Soala went and stood back with the others.

"Where did you learn to fire like that?" Tarsals voice conveyed his astonishment at Soala.

"I had some friends at boarding school I went shooting with." Soala appeared embarrassed and uncomfortable.

"What kinds of friends?" Padme asked.

"Friends who are good at shooting." It was clear Soala didn't want to talk, so Padme just let the question drop.

While the two sisters were having their conversation, Obi-Wan was admonishing Anakin. He was standing right in front of him so he could talk low. "I could feel you using your anger to channel the Force."

"It worked, didn't it." Anakin kept his voice low as well, so the others wouldn't hear.

"The dark side is not something you should be flirting with. I was hoping you would avoid it yourself, but it appears we should move in another direction. Why don't we have you try and reach out and channel the Force before you need to start using it. I will talk you through it. First, close your eyes and push out every feeling of fear or anger you have."

Anakin closed his eyes and did as Obi-Wan requested. He did his best to calm himself, but had trouble pushing away his annoyance at the Jedi. He wondered if annoyance led to the dark side in the same manner anger did.

"Now, keep your eyes closed, but think about the people who are in this room. Use your sense in the Force to feel them."

Anakin wasn't sure how he was exactly supposed to do what Obi-Wan was asking. He could feel the Force, and he concentrated on that feeling while at the same time thinking about who was in the room with him. All of a sudden, he was experiencing a bunch of feelings that were not his own. It startled him and he opened his eyes as he stumbled backwards.

"It's quite the sensation, isn't it?" Obi-Wan was giving Anakin a big smile. "I think you should be in tune with the Force properly now. I want you to channel the Force to block the shots. Don't reach out so much that you connect with them. I don't think that will be a problem though. Owen was simply a special case."

When Obi-Wan turned back to the others, he looked directly at Padme. "I take it Tarsals trained you to use a blaster like he did with Soala."

"Yes, he did, although I must confess, I am not close to being the crack shot my sister is." Padme gave her sister a sideways glance as she smirked before she took the blaster from Obi-Wan. Standing across from Anakin, she took a deep breath before she lifted up the blaster and held it in front of her with both hands. She looked down the barrel of the gun and into Anakin's eyes.

Anakin stared back at her, looking deeply into her eyes. The connection the two had experienced before formed once again, and they were able to feel each other's emotions and read their thoughts. Anakin could feel the concern and worry Padme had for him. She was thinking about tomorrow and worrying that harm would come to him. If it did, she would have felt responsible.

"Ready," she said. It took Anakin a moment to realize she had spoken the word, and he was not merely reading her thoughts.

"Ready," he replied. She started firing, and through his connection with her, he was able to block each one. It was just what had happened with Owen.

It didn't take long for Padme's arms to get tired having to keep the blaster held up. "I think I need a rest," she said as she stopped firing and lowered the weapon.

"I think that will probably be enough," Obi-Wan said. He turned his attention to Anakin, looking extremely happy. "That was very good. You blocked every shot, and it was not because you were reading Padme. If you're happy with that, then we can stop and turn in for the night."

For a moment, Anakin was horribly confused. He was sure Obi-Wan would have felt the connection he had with Padme. It appeared he didn't, and Anakin couldn't understand why. There was something different about his connection with Padme that made Obi-Wan unable to sense it.

"I've had enough," Padme said as she went to join the others. "If Anakin wants to continue, someone else will have to take over for me."

"I think that was enough." Anakin looked at Obi-Wan as he talked. "Thank you for the instruction. I learned a lot, but I don't think we are going to be able to do enough for me to feel comfortable with the lightsaber by tomorrow. I'll just rely on my trusty old blaster."

"I can understand, but why don't you at least take it along, it might come in handy." There was disappointment in Obi-Wan's voice. "It probably would be best if we turned in for the night to make sure we are rested for tomorrow."