Author's Note and Thanks: I've got quite a few chapters posted up b/c I am moving into work for a whileand its a holiday week and whatnot. And my boss is a horse's butt. He knows that I am part time-so he schedules me to work block days with no days off in between them. Kinda like going to school-only way more demanding and less likely to get you out on time. He says that's going to be my permanent schedule-at least until my next 30 days are over. Isn't he great? (Can I kill him yet?) Thanks to Lea Nikkaya (I don't think its a problem, but there are some who do), Sherlockian Slytherin (blushes), unreasonable 1 (sorry, I don't mean to kill anyone (save my boss g) .), and Alley Parker (I agree. Not to mention, it just doesn't look right when you're dealing with a young man).

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The next morning, Anakin and Shmi went into Mos Eisley.

Though they weren't truly alone, he welcomed the chance this was giving him.

Today would be a day for him and his mom to be together as they had not been in years. For, while he had grown to like his new family-to even care about them, he wasn't fully comfortable with them.

Yet, there was a tinge of fear to his enjoyment.

Owen had found evidence of the Tusken raiders drawing closer to them. News had already reached them that the raiders had caused some trouble for one of the other farms. With the newest dream fresh in his mind, Anakin had been torn between a desire to go-and the desire to stay behind.

Still, he had no reason to refuse and found himself driving into Mos Eisley.

Settling into one of the shaded alcoves, he sipped some surprisingly cold water and waited, wondering about the look on his mother's face. It was somewhere between hesitant and curious, as though she wasn't sure where to begin.

It seemed odd for they had been chatting quite easily until that moment.

"Who is Master Obi-Wan?" she finally asked him, deciding to just get the worst over with quickly. He might wonder how she knew of him. And she would not remain quiet if he asked for she could not keep a secret from him.

Anakin gazed off into the distance, a boisterous smile on his face as he thought about the man. This stranger she knew nothing about and wasn't sure she wanted to meet.

There was obvious affection in his voice when he answered her, facing her as he did so. "Obi-Wan Kenobi is my Master, like Master Qui-Gon had been his." He did not even think to question how she knew of him, thinking that it must have something to do with her being his mom.

"What do you mean? He's your Master?" she asked, suddenly apprehensive. Had she allowed her son to leave her just to become a slave to another person? A crueler person? Though she had known that Qui-Gon had been a Jedi Master, it had never occurred to her until that moment that it could mean something else.

Something that she hadn't thought about.

Was her Ani still a slave?

"I mean, he's my teacher," he explained quickly, knowing what she was thinking.

It was something he dealt with every day of his life.

A lifetime of slavery did not go away merely because on has escaped from the physical signs of slavery. Anakin understood this from personal experience. And while Obi-Wan had tried to help him overcome the stigma, he did not fully understand it.

Therefore, he could not truly free him.

"You see, not all Jedi become Masters, most just of them are only Jedi Knights, even if they are allowed to take on a student. A Master Jedi is one who has learned to master themselves and has become adept at the Force. I was allowed to become his Padawan Learner because he is a Master," he said.

"But what happened to Master Qui-Gon?"

His eyes closed, the memory of his Master's pain renewed in his mind. The silences between them that spoke to long and said so much so unintentionally. It echoed hollowly in the space between them still, haunting them both. "Master Jinn was killed in a fight shortly after we left Coruscant for Naboo by someone who hates the Jedi, a Sith warrior."

"How horrible," she closed her eyes and bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Master Jinn was a good man."

"Yeah, he was," he agreed, his fist clenched, remembering that time. "His death…well, it hurt Master Obi-Wan. No, actually, it absolutely devastated him. I worried over him for a long time. He's never fully recovered from the loss."

Something in the way he said it had her looking at him, concern for this unknown man in her voice. "Why?"

"I think he blames himself for not being fast enough to save him. Of not being good enough to train me. To be my Master," he replied, angered by the memory. By the cycle of self torture Obi-Wan put himself through.

Anakin was well aware of how his Master thought about himself-and it enraged him that he couldn't get him think otherwise. That he couldn't make him see just how good, how wonderful he was.

How much he needed Obi-Wan to be there for him-Obi-Wan and no other.

Shmi watched, a chill sweeping through. There was a look in his eyes-in the way he said the words-that frightened her. It didn't look or sound like her son. "Ani?" she tentatively asked, wondering what had come over him. He looked so...dark and foreboding, as though he was something else.

And she wasn't sure she like it. It spoke of darkness and torment, pain that was not escapable.

Shaking off the mood suddenly, he smiled at her, the image gone. "What?"

"Is he a good man?" she asked, not sure now that it had even happened. This was her Ani after all, not some dark creature. Trying to take her mind off of it, she started asking him questions about Obi-Wan. And once she started, she couldn't keep silent. "Does he treat you well? Are you happy with him? Is he being kind to you? Have you made any friends besides him? Does he take good care of you?"

"Mom, slow down. I will tell you anything you want to know," he quickly broke in, laughing a little. He started his tale simply, beginning with how they had actually met. How it had seemed in the beginning that Obi-Wan had not liked him very much, though he didn't understand how that could be.

As they tentatively started to talk over both trips they had taken, he found out that had not been the case at all. It had been nothing to do with him, which had relieved him. "See, I knew that I sorta liked him. He was something I wanted to be, a Jedi. And he was Master Jinn's student, so I was worried it was me," he added, shaking his head.

"What was it?" she asked, drawing some conclusions of her own about this man-seeing him as cold and unapproachable. While she wouldn't tell Anakin, she knew she wasn't going to like this Obi-Wan.

"The situation with the Sith and the queen's problems on Naboo. Master Obi-Wan didn't think that the Senate would do much for her. He doesn't have a great deal of belief in the honesty and integrity of many of the Senators," he laughed.

And, while he omitted some of the more worrisome details of his life, he held nothing else back from her. Including his own deep confusion about his feelings for Padme and the way some of the Jedi teachings made no sense to him.

"So, you are doing well with them?" she asked. Of course, she realized that he had kept back some things from her but that was to be expected. There were things she didn't want to hear about.

"I think that I am." His head quickly shook, denying his words. "No. I know that I am. I know that I am more than ready to take my trials. Others my age have taken them and done well. There have even been a few younger than me who have done so, passing the trials easily. And most of them can't do even half of what I can accomplish with little effort on my part."

"What?" she sharply asked. "What did you just say?"

Startled by her tone, he looked at her, repeating. "I said that others have taken the trials. Trials that I could pass easily because I can do more than they can. In a lot of ways, I have surpassed them. Even the Jedi Masters aren't as good as I am."

"Anakin Skywalker, I raised you better than that. You do not build yourself up by putting others down."

"But mom, it's true."

"True or not, I don't want to hear it from you. You have a gift, a tremendous gift that has given you many great opportunities to better your life. I am thankful for it. But every gift comes with a price, as well as a great deal of responsibility to others. What happened to you in that city, Ani? Your gift was given to you to help people, not to be flaunted about you in pride and arrogance as if you were a god of old come back."

Anakin shook his head, "You just don't understand."

"No, I don't. But I know this isn't you. My Ani wanted to help people for no other reason than that he could. He asked for no reward, no praise. You have grown up and changed-and some of these changes are ones I do not care for at all."

Shoulders drooping, he glanced away from her stern eyes. He didn't know what to say. His mom was disappointed in him. That was something he had not expected to hear, the Chancellor had said that such a thing wouldn't happen. That it couldn't happen, "I just want to make you proud of me."

Shmi rose and sat beside him, placing her arm about his shoulders. Pulling him into her embrace, she softly spoke, "Ani, I love you. I will always love you. I am proud of you for being true to who you are. But this pride you are showing...this is not yours, I do not like to see it."

"Chancellor Palpatine believes that I will be the most powerful Jedi ever."

"Ani, look at me," she softly commanded him. "Is it better to be a powerful Jedi or an honest and good man? A kind person who just does what is right because it is the right thing to do? Do you think Cliegg is less than you because he isn't a powerful man?"

"No," he sullenly said, looking away from her eyes. "But with power, I can change things. I can make things better. I can stop bad things from happening."

"My sweet Ani, haven't you learned yet that sometimes bad is good? You have to take what you've been given and let the rest go. Change isn't always easy, nor is it always going to be good-but changes are an important part of life. You have to learn to let go."

"But I don't want to let go, it hurts. It burns," he softly told her, knowing that she wouldn't understand what he meant.

"There is so much to life that you can't live if you hold on to things long after their time. And I do not want you to see this Palpatine again." Her voice was strangely cold.

Distant.

"Why, mom?" he asked, turning to face her again. "You and Master Kenobi both want me to stay away from him. But he's a good man, why can't you see that? I mean, look at what he's done for the Republic. What he plans to do to keep it together, to save it from breaking."

"He may be a good man, but is he honorable?" she questioned him, holding his eyes with her own. "Is he a man who values others of all walks of life? Or does he only cultivate those with power to further his own position? Does he work with all people or just those who can give him what he needs?

"Does he teach you wisdom?" she pressed him. "Or only how to hold onto what you have while seeking more power? More wealth? Does he feed you with words you need to hear? Or does he only speak that which satisfies your pride?"

"Mom," he began, stopping when her hand rose.

"I have heard much of this Chancellor Palpatine that you speak so highly of. None of it is very good. The man is a deceiver who is not helping anyone-except for himself. He ruined a good man's name with his actions, with his words. He makes a lie of the Republic with his behavior."

"Mom, that's treasonous," he said, looking about to see if anyone could hear her. He knew there were many who fanatically followed Palpatine and he feared for her sake. Zealots weren't the best kind of people to run into, to insult. They could be...extreme in their defense of their beliefs.

"I am not afraid of speaking the truth, Ani, you should not be afraid to hear it," she told him. "Life on Tatooine is hard and it has taught me much. This man is up to no good. He wears one face in public and shows another in private. I've had dreams about him. Dreams of what he truly is. Beware of him for he is not what he appears to be."

Dreams can be hereditary, my Padawan. They are not always linked to the Jedi just because we are servants of the Force. For all that we have dedicated ourselves to walking the path the Force leads us along, the Force will use others to accomplish its work.

Anakin had heard his Master say that the first time he'd come to him for counsel, for comfort over the dreams he'd been having. Dreams he'd had all his life. If this ability had come from his mom…"You know of the attack?" he asked, stuck by a thought, incredulous for she had done nothing to protect herself.

"Attack? What attack?" she asked, confused by this question.

"From the Tusken raiders," he replied. "I've been having dreams of them attacking for weeks now. It was the reason I decided to come find you. You haven't." This time, there was no question in his voice.

It was obvious from her look, she didn't know what he was talking about.

She shook her head, standing up. Very much like her son, she never let anything settle before turning thought into action. "We must warn the homesteaders of this. A Tusken attack is not something to ignore. CLIEGG!" Terror filled her at the thought of her husband and she took off, pushing her way through the crowd.

"MOM! Wait!" Anakin bolted after her, leaving some credits behind him. He hadn't meant to frighten her this badly.

He hadn't meant to frighten her at all.

Shmi waited in the speeder, an impatient look on her face. Her hands twitched on the controls and she tersely ordered, "Get in."

Startled by her tone-and obvious comfort behind the wheel-he did.

Before he even put on his restraints, they were tearing across the desert. Eyes wide as they turned a corner sharply, he was both exhilarated and terrified by the ride. Is this how my Master feels every time I drive?

"Mom, slow down!" he cautioned, feeling exactly like his Master did. His stomach dropped as they took another corner sharply. "You're going to get us both killed!"

"I know what I'm doing. Remember, Ani, I'm the one who taught you how to drive."

"The attack won't happen today," he shouted, closing his eyes as they approached another turn.

"How do you know?" she asked, easing up on her speed a little. Glancing over at him for a moment, she pulled the speeder up.

"Because I see a crowd of people when it happens. It's almost like there's a party going on. The attack happens in the early evening," he said, breathing a deep sigh of relief as she continued to moderate their speed.

He never thought he'd be so happy driving at a normal pace.

Pulling up in front of the house, they saw Cliegg standing beside Threepio. A startled look crossed his face as he recognized them.

Walking over to them, he asked, "What's going on? Has something happened? Are you all right?" he finished, surprised when Shmi hugged him tightly.

"That's what I was going to ask you," she murmured, burying her face in his neck and holding onto him. "Are you all right? Is everyone safe?"

"It's been quiet, honey. We've had no problems. Anakin? What is going on?" he asked, turning to him.

"Tusken raiders," he answered, unsure of what else to say. Sure, he liked the guy and found him to be approachable. But to tell him of his dreams? Would he even listen to him?

"What of them?" he gruffly asked. But his voice was gentle as if he sensed something of his thoughts. "Is this a Jedi thing?"

Oh, if it were only that simple, he thought. "A little," he hedged, wanting to trust him if only for his mom's sake. "For the past few days I have been having dreams of an attack. Until I got here, I didn't know it was your farm. I only knew that mom was in danger-and I couldn't ignore it."

"What happened?" Cliegg pushed, keeping his voice soft and kind. There was a wary light in Anakin's eyes that he recognized. He knew that he had to be careful, had to approach this situation with kindness-and not skepticism.

It was easier now than it had been in the past when he'd first heard of Shmi's dreams.

"All I know is there was a celebration of some kind, a lot of people were there. All the men and children were killed and the women were taken as prisoners," he gulped at that, his eyes going to his mom.

"What's going on?" Owen asked, Beru at his side. She smiled shyly at him, still unsure of what to make of him.

"We're going to be attacked by raiders-and the women will be taken captive," the reply was swift-with no doubt in it.

"When?"

"At a party we're having. The only thing is," Cliegg went on, thinking about it. "We don't hold parties for no reason."

Beru and Owen exchanged looks and she squeezed his hand. "Does an engagement count as a reason?"

When his dad and stepmother looked at him, Owen said,with a shrug. "I asked her to marry me-and she said yes. We were planning a small party to welcome Anakin to the family and we were going to announce it then. We had everything ready-for tomorrow."

"We'll just have to cancel it."

"No," Shmi decided suddenly.

"But…" It was a group protest, Ani's being the loudest.

"We can't live our lives in fear. Thanks to Anakin, we have been warned. I refuse to live in fear. If they come, they will find us prepared for them. Welcome to the family, Beru."

"She's right," Beru said decisively, surprising Owen before he slowly nodded. "We can't simply stop living because of them. That means they have the victory over us-whether or not they come."

Leaving Cliegg's arms, she hugged her future daughter in law. "You have no idea how long I have waited for this day to come. I was pretty sure that you were the girl for Owen when he first brought you home. Now, I know for sure. We need to make preparations for the wedding and taking care of the raiders."

"Mom," Anakin started.

"Ani, I know you want to protect me but you can't do it by stopping me from living my life. Let it go. Now, everyone get inside. We have things to do."

Anakin and Cliegg watched as they went inside. "Those upgrades of yours, are they good for an alteration?"

"I believe so. Why?"

"Could you rig them up to stun the raiders? I would prefer not to kill anybody if we can help it."

"All life is sacred even if it seems profane to us," he softly mused, struck by the irony of it as he now had a more personal experience with it.

"What?" Cliegg asked, startled by his words. By the wisdom and weight they carried-as though he knew what he was speaking about. He watched him, curious to know why he'd said such a thing.

He shook his head quickly, "Just something I once heard. It has no bearing on your question, Cliegg. I'm sure that I can do something, though it may end up doing more damage than good. I've never tried to modify anything like that before. I'm not sure it's even possible."

But his eyes sparkled in the harsh light as they contemplated it.

"Give it a try," Cliegg suggested. "What harm can it do?" Together, they went inside, Anakin pondering the problem.