Author's Note and Questions Answered:

I know that a lot of people weren't pleased with the outcome of the last chapter, but I'm afraid that changing it would have forced me to either discontinue the story or completely rewrite the plot (which would probably have ruined it). This plot has developed over years of consideration, and it's fixated around the pairings I chose. I'm sorry I had to disappoint some people, but I hope you will still enjoy the story. :)

I want to give a big thank you to those who are sticking with the story despite the unexpected twist. I almost postponed writing for a couple days, but I got some really nice reviews which encouraged me to continue.

Questions:

Shattered-Destiny00: A little while ago I realized for myself that the story description does not quite explain this story as a whole. The reason I left it is because this is a two part fic. The description covers both the entire story and the AOTC arc at the same time. I will probably use the same description (with a few changes) for part two.

Floating Leaves: I had always thought Sifo-Dyas was really Dooku using a former Jedi's name, but I looked on Wookiepedia and found out that Sipho-Dyas really had ordered the clone army. He did so in secret because of his vision fortelling a galactic war, but Dooku was informed about it because he was a close friend. Dooku in turn gave the information to Sidious, who decided they could use the army for their own purposes. (For the record, Dooku also murdered Sipho-Dyas after he turned to the dark side.)

...

Anakin's eyes shot open and for a moment he didn't know where he was. He could still see his mother's face even after waking. Her screams echoed in his brain, haunting him.

Sitting up abruptly, Anakin rubbed his face and tried to calm himself. It was no use. He could still see Shmi's face contorted in pain, blood running down her chin.

Thrusting aside the covers, he quickly threw on a shirt and walked outside, breathing in the sharp, cool night air. Despite his distaste for meditation, Anakin always found that he relished having several hours alone to think, when he felt upset.

Dawn was less than an hour away. Already the birds had begun calling to each other, their trilling songs shattering the silence of the early morning. Normally this would have calmed Anakin somewhat, but this time he could find no peace in the stillness. His mind was churning, going over the grisly scene again and again. For weeks he had been having the same nightmare, and each time the warning felt stronger.

His mom was in trouble, and he could do nothing to stop it. Anakin felt helpless. He hated that feeling.

He couldn't leave Padme alone after he had sworn to protect her, but at the same time he knew he had to go help his mom. Anakin couldn't stand it when he was caught between his duty and the people he loved.

Anakin closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, trying to put himself in a meditative state. Something flashed across his mind, a memory he knew didn't belong.

He was in a closed room, white walls surrounding him. A hand reached down, forced him back into unconsciousness -

Anakin's eyes shot open. Where these images came from he didn't know, but they often appeared for the quickest second when he was meditating. Were they visions of the future? Perhaps he should have spoken to Yoda about them long before now, but for some reason he felt loathe to tell the Jedi Masters.

Pushing the visions out of his mind, Anakin managed to calm his thoughts to a point. He was still in turmoil however when the sun began to rise hours later.

Anakin felt Padme enter the courtyard and his raging emotions instanly began to quiet. Having her around always made him feel better, no matter how bad the situation. Anakin realized once more how much he had missed her over the years.

His mind went back to the conversation last night. He had openly proffessed his love to her, baring his entire soul in his attempt to make her understand. But Padme had refused. Her duty came first, as Anakin should have expected from a Senator. After that he had left her alone.

Anakin still hoped though, that one day she would let go of her duty and follow what her heart told her to do. Padme had never admitted that she didn't love him.

"Don't go," he said softly as he felt Padme nervously exit the veranda.

She hesitated. "I don't want to disturb you."

Anakin took a deep breath and tried to sound casual. "Your presence is soothing." After their discussion last night, he didn't want to push Padme further away by making it seem like he was still pursuing her.

To his relief she sounded concerned. "You had another nightmare last night." It was a statement, not a question.

Anakin inwardly groaned. He had hoped she hadn't seen his weakness. "Jedi don't have nightmares," he lied.

"I heard you," Padme pointed out.

Anakin realized he had to tell someone about his visions, even if it accomplished nothing. He couldn't stand to hold it back any longer. "I saw my mother," he said softly as he turned to face his angel. "She is suffering, Padme." Anakin's voice cracked slightly as his worry engulfed him. "I saw her as clearly as I see you now."

Anakin turned abruptly away, trying to regain control of his emotions. "She is in pain." Suddenly he knew he not could ignore the visions any longer. "I know I'm disobeying my mandate to protect you, Senator, but I have to go!" He swallowed hard, his eyes pleading for her to understand. "I have to help her!"

"I'll go with you," Padme said.

Anakin shook his head. "No," he objected. "Stay here with Laurence and Darra. I can't risk you being harmed."

"I wasn't offering," Padme said forcefully. "I'm going with you. I can't leave you to do this alone."

"You could be killed," Anakin insisted. "I promised to protect you."

Padme's eyes narrowed shrewdly. "Then you'll just have to bring me along. After all, you can't exactly rescue me when you're halfway across the galaxy."

Anakin started to argue, but in truth he desperately wanted Padme at his side. "All right," he finally said reluctantly. "We'll have to tell Darra and Laurence."

"They left early this morning," Padme shook her head. "They said they'd be back later, but I'm not sure where they went. I'll leave a note for them to find. If the situation is as bad as you fear, we should leave as soon as possible."

Padme knew she wasn't thinking rationally, but then again she had always been one to jump into situations without considering the consequences. It was this irrational behavior that had brought her to Watto's junk shop when she met Anakin, helped her to create an alliance with the Gungan army during the Naboo war, and caused her to hire a seventeen year old brawler who later became her guardian.

No, rational thinking had never gotten her anywhere. Padme believed in action.

"I'm sorry," Anakin apologized over the situation, "But I have no choice."

...

As it turned out, Darra and Laurence were only gone about an hour. They had left on a secret mission of their own, where they simply toured the gardens near Padme's home and enjoyed each other's company. They were close enough to the house that Darra could easily sense when something was amiss, but far enough away that they had a little privacy.

The topics were simple; recent news from the temple, what Laurence had been doing over the past years, what Darra would tell the council... all very relevant but minutely discussed questions. They had to be careful that none of the servants overheard them, and neither felt comfortable continuing one of the subjects for long.

Needless to say it was quite a shock when Senator Amidala's silver cruiser took off behind them.

Darra's eyes widened as she sensed Anakin and Padme's presence on board. Instantly she grabbed her comlink and contacted Anakin's channel.

"What in the world do you think you're doing!" she shouted into the comlink as soon as Anakin answered it.

"I'm going to Tatooine," Anakin said casually. "The Senator ordered me to take her along. We weren't sure if you would be back in time to tell you."

"You're taking the Senator to Tattoine!" Darra cried out in horror. "Anakin, what are you thinking? You can't - "

"Come on," Laurence tapped her shoulder and pulled her into a run, heading towards the landing platform.

"Wait - what are you - Laurence what's going on here!"

"Just follow me!" he ordered.

Darra glared at him as she flipped off the comlink channel. "You'd better have a good explanation for this!"

"Trust me," he shot back as he dashed to his sleek black cruiser, darting up the ramp before it had fully extended.

Darra growled in frustration and followed, jumping into the passenger seat just as Laurence started flipping controls. She yelped as the seats in the back suddenly folded into the floor, allowing the speeder to compact it's hull somewhat. Instantly Laurence gunned the engine and the ship soared into the air, barely giving Darra time to fasten her seat belt.

"I don't know what you're doing with this bucket of circuits, but I'm not sure I'm about to ask!" Darra snapped as she stared at the switches, buttons, and controls that covered the walls.

Laurence grinned. "Actually, this is just a sub model. I was going to make something more complicated, but I didn't have time."

Darra glared at him a moment, then switched the topic. "Do you mind telling me exactly where we're going?"

Laurence's face turned instantly sober. "Tatooine. I don't know why they're going there, but I have a suspicion. If he's been having the same nightmares I have..." He was silent, his mind far off. "Darra, I really need to find out what's going on," he finally said softly. "I think Mom has something to do with it."

"Your mother?" Darra asked. "But why - "

"Don't you see it?" Laurence turned to face her briefly. "Why is it that somehow we're both having nightmares about our Mothers? Why would he be going to Tatooine at the same time that I feel an irrepressable urge to find out for myself if she's okay? It all adds up!"

"Laurence, what are you trying to tell me?" Darra asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

Laurence sighed and threw his hands in the air. "I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe he's an identical twin or something that Mom never told me about." He turned to Darra, his gaze deathly serious. "He's not just my look-alike, Darra. I don't know where he came from, but I know that he's somehow aligned with my past. There's just way too many similarities to ignore." Laurence began tallying them off on his fingers. "First, he looks just like me. Obi-wan can't tell the difference, Master Yoda obviously hasn't noticed anything yet, and even you didn't find out until this mission. Second, why is it that he cares so much about Padme? It's just freaky, he knows so much about her! Third, have you ever noticed his piloting skills? I rode on the back of his speeder! Trust me, I didn't know I was a suicidal maniac until I got stuck with his driving. Fourth, now it turns out that both our Moms live on Tatooine, and both of them just happen to be in danger. How coincidential is that? I could probably tell you a hundred other similarities between us. This is not just some do-hickey wierdo planted in the temple. This is something bigger than anything we've ever seen before."

Darra was silent for a moment as she thought this over. "Do you have any idea what might be going on?"

"No," Laurence shook his head. "But I'm going to find out. Before that happens I need to contact Mom, though." He sighed in frustration, and Darra could feel the tension rolling off him in waves.

"We'll find her," she reassured. Both of them knew they were empty words.

Neither spoke for the rest of the flight.

...

"We'll meet you outside the ship dock," Anakin's voice was terse over the com. "I know the way around."

"All right," Darra answered before turning off the transmition.

"He's not going to find her there," Laurence said quietly as he sat slumped in his chair.

Darra turned to him, surprise on her features. "What do you mean?"

Laurence twisted one side of his mouth into a slight smile before his face returned to its serious expression. "I freed her... sometime after I left the temple." His words were spaced apart as he stared into the distance.

Memories sifted through his mind like sand. He had never had time to visit home after he began working as the Queen's Guardian. Funny... he'd always thought Shmi be there for him. Like he could just go home at any time and she'd already have an extra plate out for supper.

Now he wasn't even sure if she was still alive.

"Hey," Darra spoke up, pulling him from his morbid thoughts. "It'll be okay." She smiled lightly, trying to cheer him up. Laurence managed a twist at the corner of his mouth but could find no comfort in the situation. He was beginning to sense an urgency, as though even as they spoke time was running out.

He couldn't describe how relieved he was when Tatooine finally appeared on the viewscreen.

Laurence eased the ship into a perfect landing in one of the space docks close to where Anakin and Padme had left their cruiser.

Anakin nodded his acknowledgement as they joined him, but Laurence could easily read his concern. It was the same as his own after all.

"We'll check Watto's shop first," Anakin explained, taking charge of the situation. "She should still be there." His voice held a slight note of doubt.

Darra cleared her throat, wishing to speed things up but worried about giving anything away. "Laurence has been here several times for the races," she mentioned casually. "Perhaps he might have heard something about where she lives."

Anakin shot her a dark look, unconvinced. "We'll check Watto's shop."

Laurence fought the rising impatience he felt. This was taking too long. He knew Anakin would find nothing there.

The Jedi ignored them however and led the way to the Watto's junkyard.

After losing his bet against Anakin ten years before, Watto had lost nearly his entire livelihood. A few helpful tips from the newly married Shmi had caused the Toydarian to begin betting on Laurence during the races, and he had been able to slowly rebuild his former granduer. Even so, the junkyard was a mere shadow of its former self.

Laurence, Darra, and Padme waited outside while Anakin went in alone to speak with Watto. After a few minutes he came out, looking as though he had lost the world.

"He sold her," Anakin said in a choked, disbelieving voice.

"Sold her! Padme gasped. "Did you find out to whom?"

"Someone named Lars," Anakin replied distantly. "He has a moisture farm a little ways outside the city."

Suddenly Laurence was very glad he had given his prize money to Cleigg to free Shmi, instead of doing it himself. He said nothing as he backed up, pulling Darra with him. "We have to get there before they do!" he hissed. "My family doesn't know that he's Anakin!"

Darra's eyes widened and she nodded. They returned to the ships as quickly as they could manage without appearing to be in an obvious hurry, and Laurence decided to test exactly how fast his cruiser could go. It was indeed able to outfly the Senator's cruiser, but he'd almost forgotten that the driver of the ship happened to be his 'identical twin.' As it was, he made it to Lar's homestead with only minutes to spare.

Owen had been outside cleaning one of the moisture collectors when they arrived. "Anakin, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I don't have time to explain," Laurence replied hurriedly. "Whatever you do, call me Laurence. I'm a friend of the family who helped Mom. There's some sort of identical twin coming behind me. Pretend he's your brother."

Owen looked perplexed but he nodded. Laurence didn't wait for further explanations as he hurried into the house, giving Beru, Owen's girlfriend, the same message.

"But I don't understand, Anakin," Beru stated. "What's going on?"

"You'll see in a minute," Laurence replied as he quickly opened C-3PO's control panel and began erasing the recent memory data. He didn't want the droid babbling about him right in front of the others.

"Anakin, there's something I need to tell you," Beru said quietly, her eyes filling with tears.

Laurence's heart stopped. He didn't need her to finish for him to know what was going on. "Tell me later," he said in a low voice as he closed C-3PO's control panel. "There's someone else who needs to know." With that he hurried upstairs, leaving a dazed Beru in his wake.

"I warned Dad," Owen said quietly as he passed by Laurence. "He knows what to do."

Laurence nodded sharply. "Remember, the name is Laurence and I never speak to anyone." Some of this information Owen would have gathered before from Laurence's messages to Shmi, but he didn't want to take any chances.

"You really need to find yourself a better hobby," Owen muttered as he followed Laurence upstairs.

Even in their moment of crisis the family was more than willing to help Laurence out. How she did it was beyond him, but in a matter of two minute Beru had C-3PO out working in the yard as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Owen grabbed a random piece of metal and a rag, then went outside with Beru to meet the newcomers.

Laurence listened carefully, hoping desperately that he had erased C-3PO's memory circuits far enough.

"Oh, oh my," he heard the droid call out. "Hello. How might I be of service? I am C- "

"3PO?" Anakin asked as he turned to the droid.

"Oh, um, the maker!" C-3PO suddenly realized. Laurence breathed a sigh of relief.

"Master Ani!" 3PO continued. "I knew you would return. I knew it! And Miss Padme, oh my!"

"Hello 3PO," she said softly.

"Bless my circuits, I'm so pleased to see you both!" the droid prattled on.

"I've come to see my mother," Anakin said.

"Oh, um, I think perhaps we'd.. better go indoors," 3PO fumbled. Laurence felt his gut twist. He knew instinctively that things were worse than he had imagined.

"Master Owen, might I present two most important visitors," 3PO said as he led them down the stairs into the small courtyard.

"I'm Anakin Skywalker," the dark clad Jedi introduced himself.

Owen played his part well, though he stuttered a little and nervously rubbed at the metal piece in his hand the entire time. "Owen Lars. T-this is my girlfriend, Beru."

"Hello," the girl nodded, more confident in her role.

"I'm Padme," the Senator repliedas Laurence came over and stood behind her. "This is Laurence. He's my bodyguard."

"It's nice to meet you all," Owen answered politely. "I.. guess I'm your stepbrother," he stated helplessly to Anakin. He cast a furtive glance towards Laurence, then continued. "I had a feeling you might show up someday."

"Is my Mother here?" Anakin went straight to the point.

"No, she's not." Everyone turned as a man in a hoverchair approached. The stump of one leg was swathed in bandages. "Cleigg Lars," he introduced as he shook Anakin's hand. "Shmi is my wife. We should go inside. We have a lot to talk about."

Anakin's face was lined with fear, and Laurence felt the same trepidation clutching at his own heart. Last he had called home, Cleigg had been uninjured. That had been four weeks ago.

..

"It was just before dawn... they came out of nowhere... a hunting party of... tuskan raiders," Cleigg explained in short bursts as they sat together at the long wooden table. "Your mother had gone out early like she always did, to pick ... mushrooms that grow on the evaporators. From the ... tracks," he let out a breath, "...she was about half-way home... when they took her." Cleigg sighed again. "Those tuskans walk like men, but they're... vicious... mindless monsters. Thirty of us went after her, four of us came back. I'd be out there with them, but... after I lost my leg, I ... just couldn't ride anymore... until I heal." He shook his head. "I don't want to give up on her, but she's been gone a month." He glanced at Laurence then returned his attention to Anakin. "There's little hope she's lasted this long."

Anakin was breathing hard, and he looked ready to cry. Both he and Laurence stood simutaneously.

"Where are you going?" Owen asked.

"To find my mother," Anakin answered in a broken tone.

"Your mother's dead, son" Cleigg said harshly, directing his gaze from Anakin to Laurence and back again. "Accept it."

Anakin said nothing in response.

Laurence stared at Cleigg, his fury burning its way to the surface. Slamming a palm onto the table before he could stop himself, he stalked out of the room. Padme's puzzled gaze followed him.

Darra nearly went after Laurence, but she stopped herself. He needed to sort this out on his own.

..

Laurence ran up the stairs several minutes after Padme disapeared. Anakin was just about to leave.

"Stay here with Padme," the Jedi ordered back to Laurence as he swung a leg over one of the speeders.

Laurence ignored him, his blood boiling with indignation over Cleigg's callous words. He grabbed the other speeder and glared at Anakin when the Jedi tried to dissuade him.

"I need to do this alone," Anakin said slowly, emotion puncuating each word.

Laurence said nothing. He merely gunned the engine. Anakin must have realized he was fighting a pointless battle as he turned away and switched on his own speeder. The two quickly disapeared in a swirl of dust.

...

For three hours they traveled, questioning the locals they passed on their way. The sun was setting in the distance before they finally got a clear direction.

Laurence's heart was in his throat, and he knew his 'twin' must feel the same. What if they were too late? What if - but no. He couldn't dwell on the what if's. He had to focus.

Nightfall came, and the sliver of one of Tatooine's moons provided full illumination of the tuskan village. They had finally arrived.

Anakin peered over the edge of the cliff, then jumped down to land lightly on his feet. Laurence quickly followed suit, though without aid of the force he had to fall into a roll to absorb the impact. Anakin gave him a quick nod of approval and headed off towards the camp.

Neither Anakin nor Laurence had to ask which tent Shmi was in. By now Anakin was openly suspicious of Laurence's connection to his mother, but he asked no questions. Activating his lightsaber, he quickly severed a hole in the tent wall. Kicking the flap open, he stepped in, Laurence following close behind.

Laurence's heart stopped. His Mom was there, tied to a bloody support. She was barely alive.

Both of the young men moved at once, each untying one of the straps that held Shmi's hands to the wooden structure. She grunted softly, stirring from unconsciousness.

"Mom, Mom!" Anakin's voice cracked in horror as he gently lifted her down and cradled her in his arms.

Laurence was at Shmi's side in an instant, tears clouding his eyes and the realization hitting him full on. Anakin was Shmi's son. The imposter wasn't even close to faking it. Laurence had no time to mull over it, however.

Shmi was dying.

"Ani?" She grunted slightly, then repeated louder, "Ani?" Her gaze was on the imposter's face however. A tear trickled down Laurence's cheek as he gently stroked her hair back.

Shmi weakly turned her head and saw Laurence. Her eyes widened in recognition. "Ani."

He shook his head slightly, his eyes pleading for her to understand. It was too late though, as Anakin's head swung up, his burning gaze piercing into Laurence's soul. Suddenly understanding lit them. He knew.

Laurence swallowed hard, knowing that the game was up. Gently he put his hand under Shmi's head as she looked in confusion between the two.

"Is it you?" she asked the 'twin' softly, her eyes searching his face.

"I'm here Mom," he answered emphatically. He didn't care if Laurence was somehow an identical part of himself. Shmi was his mother, not the Laurnce's. He looked into Shmi's haunted eyes and felt tears choke him. "You're safe," he tried to reassure her.

"Ani?" she asked again in disbelief. "Ani?" Shmi looked back to Laurence, her eyes questioning. Laurence said nothing as he took one of Shmi's hands and gently wrapped it around Anakin's fingers, then slid his arm under her shoulders to support her head. His point was clear; they were both there for her.

Anakin couldn't understand why Laurence had just passed on such an obvious message, but he nodded his thanks. Whoever this identical "twin" of his was, he didn't care anymore. They had suddenly been thrust together by the same horrific situation, and for the first time he felt he could finally understand the Queen's guardian.

Shmi smiled at Anakin and put a hand to his face. "You look so handsome," she said proudly.

Anakin's throat closed up as the held back emotions choked him, and he gently kissed his mother's palm. Laurence had silent tears trickling down his face as he stroked Shmi's other hand.

"My son," Shmi said softly as she ran a hand over Anakin's face. "Oh, my grown-up son. I'm so proud of you, honey."

Laurence's heart twisted. Shmi was delirious now, and didn't even notice him. All she saw was Anakin's face. Laurence didn't even get to say goodbye.

"I missed you," Anakin choked as he tried to smile through the pain. She was so badly beaten, yet so brave.

Then she said the dreaded words. "Now I am complete." Her voice was growing fainter.

Laurence leaned closer in alarm. No, no!

Shmi's breath came in shorter bursts as she tried to force the words out. "I...love..." her lips moved but no sound came.

"Stay with me, Mom," Anakin gasped as he tried to hold her from the brink. "Everything..." he couldn't say everything would be okay. Because it wouldn't be. It never would.

"I... I love..."

Shmi's voice broke off as her eyes dimmed. Her head fell against Laurence's arm as a death rattle sounded in her throat.

"No," Anakin whispered softly, his mind refusing to believe what his eyes told him. His heart numb, he reached down and closed her eyelids. Something snapped inside him. His face darkening, he gently lowered her into Laurence's arms and left the tent.

...

Laurence was unmoving as Shmi's head fell back. For a moment he just stared at her, his heart denying the fact that she was gone. Then the realization hit him. Shmi would never be there for him to return home to. He had lost her forever.

A choked sob forced its way up Laurence's throat as he buried his face in Shmi's dark hair. The torrent unleashed as an indescribable sorrow overwhelmed him, and he scooped his mother up, rocking her gently in his arms.

"Mom," he cried hopelessly in disbelief. She couldn't be gone! Only weeks before he had been talking with her over the hologram. She had been perfectly fine. Now...

Suddenly everything broke loose. A ragged scream of pain exploded inside of him as the truth hit, and without thinking about the consequences he tore off the force binder on his wrist.

Power flooded him from all sides, filling him to the point where he thought he would be blown apart. His pain fueled his resolve, but somehow in all the chaos he channeled it into determination rather than anger. Never before had he had so much raw energy at his fingertips.

Without hesitation he dived into the force, submerging himself into the black void of nothingness.

...

Anakin fell to his knees as an unbelievable force radiated across the village. He could hear Laurence's screams in the force. They echoed his own.

What was this power? Anakin had not felt such a strong connection to the force since Master Yaddle's death. The tuskan raider in front of him felt to the ground, pressing against the dirt in fear.

Anakin couldn't move as the overpowering weight of Laurence's force signature crushed him to the ground. For the first time in his life his own abilities appeared very small to him.

...

"What is it?" Mace Windu questioned as Yoda faltered suddenly, putting a small hand to his chest. He felt the whisper in the force seconds later. It was faint, but unmistakable.

"Young Skywalker is in pain," Yoda replied in horror. "Terrible, terrible pain! _

In the wake of the blast of force, neither Master noticed the other presence burning brightly, like a small sun against the fierce cosmo that exploded from Tatooine.

...

Obi-wan felt his heart leap in his throat as Anakin screamed across their bond. Rage, heartache, and pain slammed into him, leaving him gasping for breath.

The force blasts intensified, but Obi-wan was lucid enough to notice that something was deadly wrong. He should not be feeling the bonds of two padawans.

Anakin, what has happened! Obi-wan stumbled to his feet, struggling against the overwhelming agony radiating through his bond. Twin voices cried out together, their seperate minds echoeing the same sorrow.

Obi-wan knew what it meant. He had found Anakin's clone.

...

It was like he was soaring into the depths of the force, the black void whispering around him. Force signatures of beings long dead grasped at him, but they were not what he was looking for.

Diving deeper, Laurence found her. Reaching out, he took ahold of Shmi's spirit, dragging her back into the real world with him. Her body convulsed once, and she gasped as her lungs filled with air. Laurence refused to let her go however as he poured his own life force into her, strengthening her weakened body and tearing her from the jaws of death.

Realizing he was just shy of completely killing himself, Laurence abruptly shut off the connection. He leaned back and panted heavily, fighting off blackness.

Shmi stared at him, her pain filled eyes lucid enough for him to know she was out of danger. "Ani? You ... you came for me?"

Laurence said nothing as he suddenly heard the snap-hiss of a lightsaber outside. Scrambling to his feet as best he could, he fumbled with the catch on the force binder and threw himself outside just as a tuskan raider was decapitated by a blue lighsaber.

...

For ten minutes the force blast had continued, each second like an eternity. As suddenly as it was there it was gone, and Anakin felt his rage burn within him afresh. Stumbling to his feet, he activated his lightsaber and swung it into the tuskan raider's neck, cleanly beheading it.

The warning cries echoed across the small colony, and Anakin drew his arm back for another blow.

"NOOO!"

Without warning Laurence crashed through the tent flap, pulling Anakin's arms back and away from the next Tuskan warrior. Slightly taken aback by the human's reaction, the raiders stood silent momentarily.

"Enough of this!" Laurence shouted in huttese.

Anakin stared at him in shock. Never before had Laurence spoken in public. Padme had told him the security guard had never talked in his life. Why had he been hiding it this whole time?

Then the thought hit him. Now that he heard it, Anakin realized that the security guard's voice was identical to his own. Another coincidental similarity? Anakin knew better.

"Listen to me, all of you." Laurence's voice held a power to it that Anakin had not known he posessed.

The tuskans were silent.

"You killed many of our people," Laurence continued to speak in huttese. "Their blood gives us the right to avenge you. We have fulfilled this vengeance for one person; the woman you murdered in your own encampment." He paused a moment, shoving aside his fury as it tried to consume him. "We have allowed the rest of your village to live. If you should dishonor this act by retaliating against our people, then let a curse remain on your children for endless generations."

Anakin didn't know how it happened, but one by one the tuskans stepped back. Something in Laurence's appearance, with his black hair and clothing, made him appear like one of the undead himself. Power crackled around him from the unlatched force binder, causing a sense of terror to overpower any resistance.

Whether or not the threat was valid, the tuskans would not mess with something this ethereal. They backed off.

Laurence waited a moment then pulled Anakin inside the tent. Anakin started to shake Laurence off angrily, then stood shock still as he saw his mother.

"Ani," she acknowledged with a soft smile.

Anakin choked back a sob as he rushed to her side. "Mom!" He knelt down and scooped her up, holding her close. "How - "

"Help her back to the speeders," Laurence ordered brisquely as he checked to make sure no tuskan raiders were following.

Anakin shot him a sharp look. We'll talk later, his eyes said. He carefully stood and carried his mother out the back of the tent.

Laurence didn't even bother to explain as he followed Anakin back to the speeders. His feet felt as though they belonged to someone else, and he constantly stumbled as he bordered on unconciousness. Obi-wan had warned him that he might go too far with the life transfussion one day.

Anakin helped his mother onto the speeder and sat behind her, holding her upright. "Are you all right?" he asked Laurence, noting his difficulty concentrating.

Laurence smiled tightly in response and pulled himself onto the speeder, blinking a moment to clear the dark spots from his eyes.

They took off immediately, racing the dawn. Laurence held on by only the force and sheer will power, his strength being gone. Shmi was unconscious, her head limp against Anakin's shoulder, but she was alive. That was all that mattered.

They reached the homestead late the next morning. Laurence clasped the force binder shut, the crisis over for the time being. The others ran outside as they heard the engines, and their eyes filled with hope when they saw Shmi cradled in Anakin's arms. Beru and Owen rushed Anakin inside to help take care of Shmi, and Padme and Cleigg followed right after.

Darra was the only one who remained behind, her concerned gaze turning to Laurence the minute he arrived. Swaying on his feet, Laurence gave her a twisted half smile of reassurance. Then his legs buckled underneath him and he collapsed onto the hot sand.

...

The scene was so beautifully depressing that I just had to let Shmi die. :) I couldn't just leave Ani and Laurence without their Mom though, so rest assured, she'll be okay.

Yes, Anakin knows about Laurence now (though he doesn't know about the cloning process yet), and Obi-wan has an idea about what is going on. No, Yoda and Mace Windu did not notice. Further developments for this will come in later chapters.

Hope you got scared to death over Shmi! :D