Vincent: But you're not armed!
The Doctor: I am!
Vincent: What with?
The Doctor: Overconfidence, this, and a small screwdriver. I'm absolutely sorted.
Chapter 2 Armed with a Screwdriver
Obi-Wan watched the boy go with an odd sense of melancholy. Though the boy was evidently a slave (a thought which made Obi-Wan's stomach twist in an uncomfortable combination of pity and outrage), he still had a natural buoyancy to his character that made him endearing.
The boy's skill with mechanics was also phenomenal, if the work on the counter was anything to go by. He'd noticed it when they'd first come in. The scanner, though clearly jerry rigged, had been very skillfully wired together and the soldering work was excellent. The Jedi enjoyed working with mechanics, though it was a hobby that he only rarely was able to indulge, so the opportunity to work with someone with such natural talent was exciting.
"Obi-Wan!" Padme hissed, interrupting his thoughts. "Are you sure this is a good idea? How can you just agree to let him come with us like that?"
"He's a slave, Padme."
That brought the young woman up short. Obi-Wan turned to face the girl.
"You hadn't realized?" he asked, frowning at her.
"No. I hadn't."
Obi-Wan was taken aback at Padme's naiveté; he had to remind himself she lived on a peaceful and sheltered planet, far away from the kinds of depravity he had come across on his missions.
"There's still illegal slavery in the Republic, Padme. Out here, outside Republican space, it's even worse." Unconsciously, his hand reached up and rubbed at the back of his neck. "If Anakin knows a way to escape whatever hold his master has on him, I'm happy to help."
Obi-Wan had had his own experiences with slavery and had long ago decided to do everything he could to help those in the same situation. And though he had been unable to help most he had come across, Anakin and his mother were two that he could help.
Even if it was illegal.
Padme looked uncomfortable. "That aside, how do we know that this boy can build anything? He's just a child!" Her voice was low, but concerned.
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at the girl in surprise. He hadn't expected Padme to worry about how old Anakin was. Age wasn't everything, and a teenage girl who acted as bodyguard for a teenaged queen should certainly understand that. At the Temple, Obi-Wan tutored an eight year old Initiate in advanced calculus and one of Obi-Wan's agemates had been fluent in ten separate languages before she had turned eleven. Conversely, Master Yoda, at several hundred years of age, could still easily beat anyone in the Temple in a duel without breaking a sweat. Age didn't mean Anakin couldn't build the part.
He took a breath, about to defend Anakin, but a testy voice cut through the dusty room before he could begin.
"I built a droid for my mom two years ago." It was Anakin. "And I'm almost done building my own pod-racer."
Anakin crossed into the shade of the shop. Behind him he was tugging a large hovercart, though the glare made it hard to see what was on it. It wasn't until he had reached the counter that Obi-Wan saw that it was the Nubian generator that they needed. Silently, Anakin angrily thrust everything on the counter into a small box, clearing the space for the hyperdrive generator. Then, he hefted the generator onto the counter before Obi-Wan could even offer to help.
"I know what I'm doing," the child added with a short glare at both of them.
There was another moment of silence. The Force pulsed in agreement with the child.
Padme began, "I'm sorry, I—"
A loud banging clash off to the left made Padme jump and spin around, hand clutching her chest. Whirling around, hand going instinctively to his hidden lightsaber, Obi-Wan was relieved to realize that it was just Jar Jar. The bumbling annoyance had knocked over yet another pile of parts, and the scattered mess was even bigger than his earlier disaster.
Obi-Wan closed his eyes to release his growing frustration into the Force. Stars! Why did I let my master talk me into bringing the creature? All he ever does is make a mess!
Padme took control of the situation. "Here, I'll help him clean it up." She added quietly to Obi-Wan, "It'll keep him out of your hair while you two get started on the generator."
Recognizing that it was Padme's way of saying that she was willing to wait and see how things played out, Obi-Wan muttered a quiet "thank you" in her direction" before he turned to the counter where Anakin was seated.
"I need to report to my—ship," Obi-Wan said to him. The Padawan just barely stopped himself from referring to Qui-Gon as his master, knowing that the word would carry far different connotations to a child of slavery than it did to him. "I need to let them know what our plans are. I will return in a moment." Anakin nodded in absentminded acknowledgement, attention already invested in the generator he was circling.
Besides, there was no need to let Anakin know that they were Jedi, at least not yet.
Keeping with his desire for privacy, Obi-Wan walked out the back of the shop into the messy junk yard. He found the largest shady spot that he could and then pulled out his comlink to contact the ship. The pilot on watch answered immediately.
"I need to speak with Master Jinn," Obi-Wan requested.
"Of course, sir. Give me a second to pass on the message." There was a moment of static before the pilot's voice returned. "One moment, Padawan Kenobi. Master Jinn is in the galley. He said it would take a moment to get to the comm station with his knee the way it is."
"Appreciated, sir."
His master's knee must have been worse than they thought because it took several minutes for Qui-Gon's voice to appear.
"Padawan?"
Obi-Wan relaxed when his master finally reached the comm station, the sound of his master's voice soothing much of the day's tension.
"Yes, Master. We arrived in town and have located the part we need." Obi-Wan then launched into a short explanation of the deal he had struck with the young Anakin, though he did not let his master know that the 'talented mechanic' was a slave they would be rescuing from slavery. Qui-Gon commended his apprentice for his plan, though he reminded Obi-Wan of their time constraints, worried that building such a complicated part from scratch would take time. The Jedi master also balked at the additional passengers, and Obi-Wan had to convince his master that it really was the only way to get the part, aside from outright theft. He did conveniently fail to mention that he hadn't shopped around much.
Eventually, Qui-Gon capitulated, promising to tell the Queen the news. After all, there nothing on the ship that they could use to trade instead, and so free passage was a fortunate compromise.
"Alright, then. Alert me when you head back to the ship for the night," Qui-Gon ordered, wrapping up the short debate.
"Of course, Master. I will talk to you then. Kenobi out." Obi-Wan shut off the comlink, feeling much better for having had the conversation. Even after years of evidence to the contrary, some small corner of Obi-Wan was still convinced that his master could fix everything.
Feeling ready to lead the charge again, the Padawan began to navigate his way back to the shop, eager to return inside.
He stepped through the open doorway into the shop, past the invisible wall of cooled air. The temperature change soothed the sunburn he'd acquired on his trek into town, and he closed his eyes for a nano-second to relish the moment. When his eyes snapped open, he saw that Jar Jar had knocked another pile of parts over and was sulking in a corner while Padme attempted to make sense of more mess. From her position in the middle of the chaos, she raised an eyebrow in question, her head tilted towards Anakin. Everything ok? she was asking. Obi-Wan nodded and she smiled in response, clearly relieved. Then, she returned her attention to her self-appointed task. R2-D2 had settled down by the counter, sensors focused on the large generator resting on the surface. Anakin's method of studying was distinctly more hands on, as the child ran his fingers along the machine's grooves and wires.
"What have you figured out, so far?" Obi-Wan asked Anakin.
The boy was startled and his annoyance flashed through the Force for an instant before being completely submerged by pure, earnest excitement. He began to eagerly explain what he had already gleaned from the junk machine. Obi-Wan listened carefully, gauging the child's knowledge.
Obi-Wan was dumbfounded to see just how much Anakin had already figured out, as well as the child's instinctual understanding of the generator. It was clear that the boy had not been exaggerating when he had bragged about his mechanical skills earlier, and if anything, had been almost modest. For the initial part of the conversation, Obi-Wan's knowledge of machines was eclipsed and he was left simply prodding Anakin with questions, making sure the kid thought everything through carefully. He also made sure to jot everything down carefully through their discussions, to make sure they didn't forget anything important later.
However, as they began to delve into the inner workings that made such a complicated system function, Obi-Wan's help became increasingly important, as he was able to explain how the computer itself worked. Anakin eagerly soaked up everything Obi-Wan said, gladly taking his turn to ask all the questions. Obi-Wan eagerly obliged the child, enjoying the rapid and intelligent conversation.
All in all, Obi-Wan found himself having a magnificent time, discussing something he enjoyed with someone who knew what he was talking about—unlike Master Qui-Gon who didn't know a hydrospanner from a hammer. He was also taking the chance to study the child himself, wanting to figure out what he could about their ship's newest passenger.
What struck Obi-Wan the most, though, was Anakin's mercurial nature. One moment he was excited, the next he was angry, and the next inquisitive and curious. For a Jedi used to calmness and temperance, these hair-trigger emotions were almost overwhelming.
It was quite some time later when the two felt like they had a good grasp of the machine. They reviewed the list of parts they had compiled and jotted down a few parts they had missed in their earlier eagerness. Satisfied, the two called it quits.
"I can collect all the parts we need tomorrow," Anakin said, straightening up the countertop. "I'll be here all day."
"And I will double check to make sure we are on the right track, and I'll remember to look up those two algorithms."
Anakin nodded. "The shop is closed the day after tomorrow and the day after that for the Boonta Eve podrace, and then for the holiday. We can build the generator then."
"Holiday?" Padme asked in confusion from her Gungan-watching post. "What holiday?"
"Boonta," the well-duh was clear in Anakin's tone. "Boonta? You've never heard of it?" Both Obi-Wan and Padme shook their heads. "It's the shortest night of the year and people stay up all night and drink and the next day no one has to go to work. And best of all, on Boonta Eve, there's the big podrace! It's the best one on Tatooine and one of the biggest on the whole circuit!"
"So, the shop will be empty for two days?" Padme interrupted.
Anakin, peeved at being cut off, crinkled his nose. "Watto is going to the races, so the shop will be closed on Boonta Eve. And everything's closed on the holiday."
"Shall we continue our work then, Anakin?" Obi-Wan inquired.
"Yeah, I guess."
"Well, then. As long as we have that all worked out, I think it is about time we head back to our ship. It's getting late," Obi-Wan said.
Padme wished Anakin farewell first and Obi-Wan was very amused that Padme's simple hug was enough to make Anakin squirm awkwardly and turn pink under his tan. Jar Jar gave his own lively good-bye, fortunately without falling off his feet, and R2-D2 gave a cheery whirl and a series of beeps that Anakin seemed to kind of understand.
"Good day, Anakin. Thank you for all of your help, we certainly appreciate this. And we couldn't do this without you." Obi-Wan added, "If there is anything we can do for you, please, let me know."
Obi-Wan gave a short little bow (Anakin awkwardly tried to mimic it) and then turned to follow Padme and company to the door.
R2-D2 opened the blast door to the street. It swept open, and a torrential blast of sand blew in, sending the group in the doorway shuddering backwards, hands flying up to their faces to protect their eyes. Everyone began coughing as they inhaled the coarse sand.
A sandstorm had picked up sometime during the afternoon and had whipped itself into a fury. There was no way that the small group could possible venture out into the maelstrom.
Instinctively reaching out with the Force, Obi-Wan flicked the door's closing mechanism. The door snapped closed. Everyone inside breathed a sigh of relief as the storm was shut out. The dust that had swept in slowly settled. No one seemed to have noticed that the door had shut by itself.
The silence in the room stretched out, peppered by a few half-hearted coughs, until Obi-Wan broke it. "Anakin, it seems we may have been a bit hasty in our desire to leave," he said dryly, turning to face him.
Padme gave a not-quite snort. Obi-Wan was happy that someone in the room got his sense of humor—Anakin just looked confused.
"You can't go back to your ship in a storm like that," Anakin said, his nose crinkling a little. "You'll have to stay here."
"You don't mind?" Padme asked.
"'course not! You can't go to your ship in a storm like that," Anakin repeated. "Besides, we can start collecting the parts we need."
"Do you mind if I help?" the girl asked, her eyes flicking between Obi-Wan and Anakin.
"If you know what everything looks like," Anakin responded, a skeptical edge in his voice.
"I should know what at least some of the components look like," Padme defended, a tinge of haughtiness playing into her tone.
Obi-Wan interrupted the two. "Is there any kind of organizational system here? Any where we should start?"
"Well…" Anakin began. Then he shook his head. "No, not really."
Obi-Wan tugged at his braid. This was going to take awhile.
Padme was safely ensconced at the counter, well out of the way. She had helped Obi-Wan and Anakin for as long as she had been able to, but as the search had quickly devolved into a race to see who could find the most components, she had gracefully bowed out. It became a close competition between Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Artoo (Jar Jar had been exiled to the yard on a wild goose chase that should keep him busy for awhile), Since then, she had been relegated to keeping score and refereeing, though most of her attention went to watching Anakin and Obi-Wan interact.
It was highly entertaining.
Obi-Wan, who she had originally pegged as distant though nice, apparently had sharp sense of humor and a strong playful streak. He was also very, very competitive. Anakin, who waffled between immature and painfully grown up, had attacked the game with a single-mindedness that was disconcerting from someone so young.
This meant that the game—such as it was—was very exciting. The rules constantly seemed to shift and although Padme made several contradictory calls (letting Anakin get away with a tackle before citing the Jedi for an interception), both boys abided by her rulings, however ridiculous they were.
Though, that was probably because most of her rulings were in Anakin's favor and Obi-Wan was simply too mature and good natured to complain about the bias.
Anakin, the funny little boy, had the home-turf advantage. He knew what kinds of parts he needed and, for the most part, knew more or less where to find them. With these advantages, Anakin was able to keep a solid lead throughout much of the evening, while Obi-Wan and Artoo spent their time neck in neck for second.
Obi-Wan had a few advantages of his own, though. The first was his height—he could reach parts that Anakin simply couldn't. He was also ruthless. Once, he even tickled Anakin into submission, before claiming the part the child had found. When Anakin had objected, Padme had allowed the maneuver, telling Anakin that if he was able to do the same to the taller human, he was more than welcome to steal Obi-Wan's components as well.
Though, she was surprised that they had understood a word she had said on the matter, considering how hard she had been laughing.
The boxes in front of her piled up as the two humans and Artoo darted around the room in their scavenger hunt, tripping over each other (it was mostly Anakin doing the tripping), teasing each other (that was mostly Obi-Wan. To be honest, the teasing seemed to confuse Anakin), and gloating (surprisingly, this was Artoo).
As the parts piled up, Padme was faced with three boxes full of precariously balanced components and parts. She began to organize them so that they would fit without toppling. It gave her something concrete to do with her hands when she wasn't marking the score and shouting out the names of the parts they still needed. She had never liked sitting still.
In the end, it was Artoo who managed to sneak up from third place to beat Anakin's first, putting Anakin in second and Obi-Wan in last. While Anakin and Obi-Wan had been rough housing, the droid had kept plodding forward in a most determined manner. Obi-Wan conceded defeat with a satisfied grin, though Anakin sulked at the counter. The droid was doing his victory lap around the shop.
"So, that's all of it?" Obi-Wan asked Padme as he leaned against the end of the counter and looked over the mountain range of components.
Padme glanced down at the list she had been given. "It looks like. Everything on the list at least."
Anakin put his head down on the counter with a thump. Obi-Wan and Padme shared an amused glance before she returned her focus to untangling a knot of wire they were cannibalizing. Obi-Wan's attention drifted off into space. Artoo wrapped up his final lap and wheeled over to join the rest of the company at the counter.
"Anakin," Padme began after a while, "you said that—Anakin?" She looked up from her work. The child had fallen asleep with his head on the counter and was now lightly snoring. "I didn't realize it was so late!" she muttered, glancing briefly at her chrono.
"You are still on Naboo time. I imagine it is much earlier there than it is here," Obi-Wan said practically.
Padme tilted her head in acknowledgement. "Assuming the storm has stopped, we should be going."
"I'll go check on the storm. And on Jar Jar. Keep an eye on Anakin?"
"Of course," Padme replied as the Jedi went into the junk yard out back. The Queen tugged at a blue-green wire, following the cracked casing around an orange wire and a pastel green one. She hoped that the parts were still usable, despite their obvious age.
"The storm has stopped!" Obi-Wan called from the yard.
A crash echoed from out back. Obi-Wan's found Jar Jar, she thought. A moment later, and another, smaller crash, and the two cleared the doorway. Jar Jar's ears flopped with embarrassment. Obi-Wan was frowning.
"Are we ready then?" Obi-Wan asked, all politeness, ignoring the wobbling Gungan.
"If you give me a moment to wake Anakin." She rested a hand on his shoulder. "Anakin." He woke with a start. "Anakin. The storm has stopped. It's time we headed back to our ship."
"But…" Anakin scrubbed at his eyes and rolled out his shoulders. He shook the sleep out of his eyes. "But, you said earlier that your ship is on the outskirts of town. You can't go out there at night!" The sleep on his face was replaced by genuine worry embroidered with a deep fear. "The Tuskens have been raiding a lot lately—it's too dangerous!"
Obi-Wan leaned over the counter so that he was at the boy's level and then looked him carefully in the eye. "Anakin, we can take care of ourselves."
Anakin gave him a you-better-be-telling-the-truth stare (complete with pursed lips and a deep frown that mirrored Obi-Wan's) before accepting the words with a worried nod.
Padme spoke briskly, "So, Anakin, where do we need to hide everything?"
Anakin found suitable hiding spots for all three boxes in various dark recesses around the room. Then, he pulled out a box from under the counter, the one he had stuff down there that afternoon when they had come in, and tucked it carefully under his arm.
"You will be careful, though, won't you," Anakin reaffirmed. "Because you can stay at my house tonight instead. It would be a lot safer…."
"No, we must return to our ship. We were expected back hours ago," Obi-Wan stated, though kindly. He led the group to the door and palmed it open.
"We will be fine, Anakin," Padme told the boy, leaning down and giving him a hug, knowing he needed it. Anakin returned it tightly. When she let go, he busied himself with shutting off the lights and turning on the security system while the rest waited in the doorway. Then, they all stepped outside and Anakin shut and locked the door.
The street outside was surprisingly busy, despite the late hour. The cantina two buildings over seemed to be doing a lively trade that night, the sound overflowing into the streets. Fortunately, the half-drunk patrons did not even glance in the group's direction.
"We will see you the day after tomorrow," Obi-Wan assured Anakin. "What time should we arrive here?"
Eight o'clock local time, they decided. Obi-Wan shook hands with Anakin, Jar Jar waved, and R2-D2 bumped into him with a quiet beep, making Anakin laugh.
"Bye, you guys." And with that, Anakin turned and disappeared into the night. The small group set off for their ship.
A/N Just a quick note: this is my first multi-fic story and I want to make it the best story it can possibly be. But I need ya'll pushing me in order to improve. Constructive criticism is welcome!
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