Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Chapter 2: The Finding of the Chosen One
Tatooine was a desert world in the binary star system in the Arkanis Sector of the Outer Rim. Poor locals who mostly farmed moisture for a living inhabited it. Other activities included equipment retailing and scrap dealing.
The planet is thought to be one of the oldest worlds in known space and was composed of a molten core with a rocky mantle and silicate rock crust. Fossil records suggest Tatooine was once covered in large oceans, which dried up, leaving behind many geological formations including Beggar's Canyon formed around 2,000,000 Pre-Old Republic Era. Other geological features included the Dune Sea, an enormous desert; Mushroom Mesa, a vast formation of giant standing rocks; and the Junland Wastes, a rocky region.
Tatooine was hot and arid as two nearby suns, Tatoo I and Tatoo II, heated it. In fact, it was so brightly lit by the suns from space it could appear to be a star itself. Due to the extreme conditions, only a relatively mild region of its northern hemisphere was habitable. Surface water covered less than 1 of the planet. Yet despite the planet's extreme aridity, many forms of life thrived on Tatooine. In addition, the planet also had three moons: Ghomrassen, Guermessa, and Chenini.
At the Naboo crew's arrival on Tatooine, Padme insisted to Captain Panaka that she go along with Master Jinn to whatever spaceport he was destined for, because she was curious about the planet and simply refused to stay aboard the ship. Her Head of Security didn't like the idea, but eventually caved. Jinn also didn't like the idea – Kenobi was to stay behind on the ship and guard the "Queen" – but agreed in the end that the "handmaiden" could come with him. Jar Jar Binks and the astromech droid, R2 D2, also came.
On the way to one of the distant spaceports over the horizon, they'd landed far from the outskirts, Jinn, or Qui-Gon as he told her to refer to him as, informed her of the planet.
"Moisture farms for the most part," he explained, "with a few spaceports here and there."
The name of the city/spaceport they entered was Mos Espa.
This is where the Chosen One lives, Padme thought excitedly as she, the Jedi, Gungan, and droid began their procedure into the settlement.
Since Qui-Gon suggested they try one of the smaller dealers for parts, the foursome group went to a nearby outskirts junkyard of small size. At entrance within it, Baynetta could sense that the Chosen One was nearby.
'Good day to you', a blue winged creature, which Padme recognized as a Toydarian, greeted as it flew over to them, speaking in Huttese, one of the official languages on Tatooine. 'What do you want?'
"I need parts for a J-type 327 Nubian," Qui-Gon replied in Basic.
"Ah yes. Nubian," the Toydarian, Watto she sensed was its name, said, reverting to Basic. "We have lots of that." He then turned around and called out in Huttese, 'Boy! Get in here now!'
Could it be? Padme wondered. Could the Chosen One actually work at this junk shop?
"My droid has a read out of what I need," Qui-Gon added.
In reply to Padme's mental question, a sandy blond haired boy of about nine standard years came running into the shop from the back. She instantly knew it was him.
'What took you so long?' Watto furiously barked at the boy in Huttese.
'I was cleaning the fan switches,' the boy angrily replied.
'Shut up and just watch the shop! I've got customers,' Watto shot back heatedly. With what looked to be a sarcastic smile, he turned back to Qui-Gon. "So, let me take you out back ah? We'll find what you need."
With a chuckle, Watto began to lead Qui-Gon off with R2 following in their wake. Jar Jar, however, made no move after them, as he began picking up idle objects around the shop and looking them over in what Padme guessed to be interest. Qui-Gon, though, on his way out, quickly snatched one of the items out of the freak's hands and scolded, "Don't touch anything," before continuing on his way. Once he had left, Jar Jar gave a "Hmpf" and stuck his unusually long tongue out at the departing Jedi's back. He then continued looking around the shop, amusing himself with picking up and breaking things.
All the while, the boy, Anakin, kept a fixed gaze on Padme. She came up with two conclusions as to why:
1 – He thought she was pretty, or
2 – He could somehow sense the dark side swirling around her.
She choose to go with 1.
Pretending that she didn't know or care he was watching her, she pretended to be interested in the shop, looking all around it when the boy abruptly decided to start a conversation with quite the unlikely and uncommon question.
"Are you an angel?"
This completely startled her. She definitely hadn't seen that one coming. "What?"
"An angel?" the boy repeated. "I heard the deep space pilots talk about them. They're the most beautiful creatures in the universe. They live on the moons of Iego, I think."
All while he'd been talking, she'd stepped forward towards him with a strange blank look on her face. Once he finished, she smiled slightly. "You're a funny little boy," she said simply. "How do you know so much?"
"I listen to all the traders and star pilots that come in through here," he explained. "I'm a pilot, ya know? And some day, I gonna fly away from this place."
"You're a pilot?" she asked with some amazement.
He nodded. "All my life."
Padme had a hard time seeing a baby in the cockpit of a star fighter. And piloting it at that, but decided not to say anything and change the subject in hopes to get more information out of the talkative boy.
"How long have you been here?" she asked.
"Since I was very little," the boy replied. "Three, I think. My mom and I were sold to Gardulla the Hutt, but she lost us betting in a podrace."
Padme was slightly intrigued. "You're a slave?"
The boy's eyes seemed to flash in anger. "I'm a person, and my name is Anakin."
"I'm sorry," she quickly apologized. "I don't fully understand, this is a strange place to me."
Before Anakin could say anything in reply however, the noise of something clattering sounded. Padme turned around, rolling her eyes in disgust. The stupid Gungan freak was currently chattering nonsense while following one of the small droids around the shop, of which was walking around making sounds of laughter. It had to have been Jar Jar who activated it since he simply had to touch everything although he was told not to. Anakin actually appeared amused by the situation, but finally told the freak to "hit the nose" on the droid. Jar Jar did so, and it folded up, deactivated.
Anakin then looked back over at her and she smiled as he continued to gaze at her unblinkingly. She was trying to figure out what to say next when Anakin chose to resume the conversation with something that totally took her aback. Abruptly, he said, "I'm going to marry you someday."
It was a statement, not a question.
"I beg your pardon?" she asked, clearly thinking she'd heard him wrong. He repeated himself, and it was the way he said it that unnerved and floored her so much.
"What makes you think that?" she asked.
He shrugged. "I don't know. I just do."
She gave a dry laugh. "You're a funny little boy," she repeated.
Again, Anakin merely shrugged. He didn't at all seem embarrassed. She shrugged this little pronouncement off and resumed conversation on the different topic of Anakin's life on Tatooine. She found the whole experience to be quite interesting. Here she was, a Sith Lady in training, having a casual conversation with the Jedi's so called 'Chosen One.' By talking to him, she could easily tell that he'd be easy to lure to the dark side. He hung onto her every word and it was quite clear he liked her a lot.
Not long afterwards, Qui-Gon returned from outside the shop and said they were leaving. So after saying a brief "I was glad to have met you Anakin" to the boy and him replying, "I was glad to meet you too," she followed the Jedi out of the store.
Once outside, Qui-Gon told her and Jar Jar the situation: Watto had the hyperdrive generator they needed, only they didn't have enough money to pay for it, and Watto blankly refused to take Republic credits. Padme asked if he had thought to use a Jedi mind trick on the Toydarian, to be met with the reply that he had tried but it hadn't worked. Padme gave a mental smirk at that.
The Jedi are so weak. If I'd used a Sith mind trick on that Toydarian scumbag we'd be off this desolate planet of waste by now and I'd have some how smuggled the Chosen One off as well. But that of course wouldn't work. The Jedi would wonder why the boy was with us.
The teenage Sith apprentice was so lost in thought that she didn't realize Qui-Gon had suddenly stopped walking until he called her name. She stopped as well and turned around to find, to much surprise, Jar Jar on the ground a few meters behind them appearing to be fighting with another alien.
As they approached, Padme saw Anakin run over and start conversing in Huttese to the non-Human. Though, by the time they made it over to Jar Jar, the creature had finally left. Anakin said that their "friend" (she gave a mental snort) had picked a fight with an extremely dangerous dug called Sebulba.
Jar Jar, being the idiot he was, started chattering about nonsense, but Qui-Gon quickly silenced him, saying the boy was right and that he was heading into trouble.
After Qui-Gon thanked the boy, Anakin asked them if they were hungry because he was on his way to visit a friend who ran a small food stand not far from where they were.
Since they really didn't have anywhere else to go, they followed him. Anakin introduced them to his friend; an elderly woman named Jira, and offered them each pallies, which were a strange Tatooine fruit.
When he offered one to Qui-Gon, it seemed the Jedi was lost in thought, so kept tapping him until his attention was achieved. Qui-Gon cleared out of his daze and took the fruit, putting it into a pocket under his traveling cloak. This slight lift of the cloak showed a tiny glimpse of Qui-Gon's lightsaber. Baynetta noticed Anakin's eyes widen and she knew that he'd seen it.
It was then that they noticed that a sandstorm was starting up. Padme figured they'd head back to the ship, and Qui-Gon confirmed this when Anakin asked if they had shelter. He then asked if it was far.
"It's on the outskirts," Padme replied.
"You'll never reach the outskirts in time," Anakin protested. "Sandstorms are very, very dangerous. Come on. I'll take you to my place."
They proceeded to follow Anakin to where he lived. It was a nice, but small home not far from where he worked, located in the Mos Espa Slave Quarters.
As soon as they got inside, Anakin started calling for his mother. A woman who appeared to be in her early forties with short brunette hair came in and looked around at everyone with some surprise.
"These are my friends mom," Anakin said happily.
Jar Jar said hello and Padme waved. Qui-Gon introduced himself and Anakin started talking to Padme. "I'm building a droid. You wanna see?"
She eagerly nodded. The more alone time she got with the Chosen One the better. He took her hand in his and began to drag her along.
"Come on! I'll show you 3PO."
Anakin led her, with R2 following, into his gismos and gadgets littered bedroom. As soon as they got inside, the boy went over to what looked to be a worktable of some type and took a blanket cover off what looked like a protocol droid, but without its coverings.
"Isn't he great?" Anakin asked. "He's not finished yet."
Well that was obvious, she thought with an amused sarcasm, but couldn't help but smile. "He's wonderful," she appraised.
R2 seemed to agree for he made a beep, which sounded like approval. Anakin beamed with pride. "You really like him?"
Padme nodded.
"He's a protocol droid to help mom," Anakin explained. "Watch!" He flipped a switch under the droid's head and it came to life, disoriented and confused.
"Where is everybody?" it asked.
It was then that Padme noticed that only one of its' eyes where connected to its' sockets. Anakin seemed to notice then too. "Oops!" He picked up the other eye, which was lying on the worktable next to some other things, and connected it to the empty socket.
"3PO" introduced himself as C-3PO, human cyborg relations. Anakin told her that when the storm was over he'd show her the podracer he was building. Padme was truly impressed with the boy and made sure to say so. He glowed with pride. While waiting for supper, Anakin excitedly showed her all around his room, telling her what this and that was and what it did.
When Shmi finally announced that dinner was ready, Anakin led Padme into the small dining room where everyone else was. R2 though opted to stay in Anakin's room with C-3PO.
As the meal began, Shmi chose to discuss how all slaves had transmitters hidden inside their bodies somewhere secret, so if they ever attempted at escaping, it'd blow you up. Padme was rather interested by the idea of slavery still being in the galaxy, though expressed disgust aloud by speaking of the Republic's anti-slavery law. Shmi telling her that the Republic didn't exist on Tatooine and that all here must survive on their own quickly silenced her, however.
The subject then turned to podracing. Padme had heard of the sport before but never actually saw a race of it. Anakin was saying how he was the only human who could do it. Padme inwardly smirked at that.
Overconfidence and arrogance is a path to the dark side.
Qui-Gon mentioned that he must have Jedi reflexes to race pods.
There was a moment of silence before… "You're a Jedi Knight, aren't you?"
This question came from Anakin. Qui-Gon seemed a bit taken aback by the directness of it. Padme however wasn't. She felt the Jedi had been awfully careless by showing off his lightsaber earlier, and began to wonder if he did it deliberately.
"What makes you think that?" Qui-Gon asked nonchalantly.
As if he don't know.
"I saw your laser sword," Anakin replied. "Only Jedi carry that kind of weapon."
So not true.
"Maybe I killed a Jedi and took it from him," Qui-Gon said, his voice still nonchalant.
What are you a Sith?!
Anakin didn't look convinced. "I don't think so. No one can kill a Jedi."
This boy has much to learn.
A sad look seemed to cross Qui-Gon's face. "I wish that were so," he said softly.
"I had a dream I was a Jedi," Anakin suddenly said. "I came back here and freed all the slaves." He began to look hopeful. "Have you come to free us?"
"No, I'm afraid not," Qui-Gon said with an apologetic smile.
"I think you have," Anakin pressed. "Why else would you be here?" He turned from looking at Qui-Gon to Padme, and she couldn't help but give a small smile to the boy. Anakin was not stupid and had great potential. She couldn't wait to tell her father all about him.
Qui-Gon seemed to accept defeat. "I can see there's no fooling you Anakin," he said with a soft smile. "We're on our way to Coruscant, the central system of the Republic, on a very important mission."
Anakin looked confused. "How did you end out here in the outer rim?"
Padme spoke up. "Our ship was damaged and we're stranded here until we can repair it."
"I can help," Anakin offered. "I can fix anything."
Padme noticed Shmi give a proud, yet shy smile at that.
"I believe you can," Qui-Gon replied. "But first we must acquire the costs of the parts we need."
"With nona moula to trade," Jar Jar added.
"These junk dealers must have a weakness of some kind," Baynetta voiced thoughtfully.
"Gambling," Shmi said with a nod. "Everything here revolves around betting on those awful races."
"Podracing," Qui-Gon said thoughtfully. "Greed can be a powerful ally."
"I built a racer," Anakin voiced. "It's the fastest ever. There's a big race tomorrow on Boonta Eve. You could enter my pod."
"Anakin," Shmi sharply hit down this suggestion. "Watto won't let you."
"Watto doesn't even know I built," Anakin argued and turned back to Qui-Gon. "You could make him think it was yours, and ask him to let me pilot it for you."
"I don't want you to race," Shmi argued back. "It's awful! I die every time Watto makes you do it."
"But mom, I love it," Anakin protested. "The prize money would more than pay for the parts they need."
"Anakin," Shmi said in a final tone of voice, as if to drop the matter.
"Your mother's right," Qui-Gon said looking at Anakin's disappointed face. He then asked if there was anyone here on Tatooine who was friendly with the Republic that could help them. Padme knew before she saw Shmi shake her head no that there wasn't. And she was quite sure Qui-Gon knew also, but he was just asking.
There was another moment of silence before Anakin spoke up again. "Mom, you say the biggest problem in this universe is that no one helps each other."
Shmi seemed to have reached defeat. It was obvious Anakin's mind was set, and nothing his mother said was going to change that. Padme liked that. It kind of reminded her of, well, her. All the same, she didn't like the idea herself. It was too risky.
She turned to Shmi. "I'm sure Qui-Gon doesn't want to put your son in danger. We'll find some other way."
"No," Shmi said. "There is no other way. I may not like it but...he can help you. He was meant to help you."
Anakin looked happy at getting his way and glanced over at Qui-Gon, who still looked unsure.
Nonetheless, it was decided. Anakin would race in the Boonta Eve Classic the next day to win them the money needed for parts. Padme was not happy about the events that were occurring. Chosen One or not, she still didn't see how a little nine-year-old boy was going to help. The prize money only went to winners, and what made him, or Qui-Gon for that matter, think he was going to win. So before Qui-Gon could go inside Watto's shop to alert the Toydarian of their plan, Padme voiced how she felt.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked. He turned to look at her. "Trusting our fate to a boy we hardly know," she continued. "The Queen would not approve."
"The Queen doesn't need to know," the Jedi said simply.
"Well I don't approve," she stated.
Qui-Gon merely shrugged and offered her a small smile before going inside the shop. Padme, Jar Jar, and R2 waited outside.
While Jar Jar amused himself by openly gaping at passersby, Padme tapped into her Sith senses to eavesdrop on the conversation going on inside the shop. She could've easier used this time to tell Sidious about everything that had transpired thus far, but decided to wait until that night before she went to sleep.
"So the boy tells me you want to sponsor him in the race," Watto was saying. "How can you do this? Not on Republic credits I think ah."
"My ship will be the entry fee," was Qui-Gon's simple reply.
'Your ship?!' Padme thought in outrage. That ship belongs to be you filthy Jedi scum.'
"Ow, not bad, not bad. Ah, Nubian ah," Watto was saying. Qui-Gon had obviously just shown him a holograph of the ship.
"It's in good order," Qui-Gon continued. "Except for the costs of the parts I need."
"But what will the boy ride?" Watto queried. "He smashed up my pod the last race. It'll take a long time to fix ah."
'Anakin seems to have accidentally forgotten to tell us that part,' Padme thought. He was quick to defend himself though.
"It wasn't my fault," he protested. "Really. Sebulba flashed me with his vents. I actually saved the pod. Mostly."
"Ah, that you did huh," Watto laughed. "The boy's good. No doubts there, ah."
"Well I have acquired a pod in a game of chance," Qui-Gon lied. "The fastest ever built."
"I hope you didn't kill anyone I know for it ah," Watto said with a laugh. He gave another little chuckle but than got back to business. "So, you supply the pod and the entry fee. I supply the boy. We split the winnings ah, 50-50 I think ah."
"If it's going to be 50-50, I suggest you front the cash for the entry," Qui-Gon said. "If we win, you keep all the winnings, minus the costs of the parts we need. And if we lose, you keep my ship."
'WHAT???!!!'
"Either way you win."
"Hmm…"Padme could tell Watto was liking this and thinking it over. After all, how many bets do you come across where you win either way?
"Deal," he finally said, then muttered to Anakin in Huttese. 'Your friend is a foolish one, me thinks.'
Padme was still so caught up in her Sith eavesdropping, she didn't even notice that Qui-Gon had emerged from the shop and was trying to get her attention.
"Padme! Can you hear me?"
"What?" She got up and looked at Qui-Gon. She'd been sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall with her eyes closed.
"I've been calling you for the past minute or so," Qui-Gon said. "Are you alright?"
"Oh yeah fine," she said brushing off some excess sand. "Just thinking, that's all."
"You seem to do a lot of that," he said almost suspiciously.
"Is there a problem with that?" she shot back at him.
"No. Of course not."
Giving a small nod, she began to follow Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, and R2. While they walked, Qui-Gon told them about the plan. Padme still didn't like it, yet was wise enough to keep her mouth shut. Taking her silence as a way of saying she didn't like the plan, Qui-Gon said, "There really isn't any other way. But if you have any suggestions, please, I'm open to hearing them."
Padme did not have any ideas that the Jedi would approve of, so kept her gaze fixed to the ground.
"I thought not," she heard Qui-Gon say. Or did she hear him say it? She had looked up the moment he'd spoke, but his mouth wasn't moving.
He must've thought it. I must've picked up on his thoughts.
Quickly, she put a shield on her mind. Just in case he'd sensed anything strange. It would bring up far too many questions that she had no wish of answering.
At that moment, however, Anakin came running up after them. As soon as he caught up, he took Padme's hand in his and smiled brightly up at her. She couldn't help but smile back. Although she didn't like the whole plan, she did think he was a sweet little boy who just wanted to help. It was adorning that he wanted to do so but…well she just didn't see it happening. When they made it back to the Skywalker residence, Anakin led them around back, where he kept his podracer. His protocol droid was back there and R2 made a beeline towards it. Padme couldn't help but be impressed by the podracer. It was very well built, but she also couldn't help wondering why Qui-Gon didn't come right over with them. Her first thought was that he was going to contact everyone aboard the ship to tell them about the plan, but than she could never be too sure.
After finally breaking herself free of Anakin by telling him, "I'm not really into mechanics so I don't know much about them. I think I'll just stand over there," she pointed to the side of the house, "and watch since I wouldn't know what I was doing even if I tried."
Anakin chirped a simple "Okay" of acknowledgment and she went and stood against the side of the house just as she said she would.
She observed the scene in front of her. C-3PO was chatting animatedly with R2, while Anakin and Jar Jar were busy setting up the podracer, not even paying the slightest bit of attention to her.
Good.
Concentrating, and feeling the dark side swirl around her, yet not so much as to attract the attention of the Jedi, Padme began to hear Qui-Gon speaking. He was talking to his apprentice over a comlink, in the middle of explaining the plan to him.
When he finished, Obi-Wan spoke in a tone that clearly said he didn't like or agree with his master on this matter.
"What if this plan fails, master?" Obi-Wan asked. "We could be stuck here a very long time."
"Well it's too dangerous to call for help," Qui-Gon replied. "A ship without a power supply isn't going to get us anywhere." He seemed to hesitate a minute before adding, "And there's something about this boy."
The transmission was then cut.
Ah so, the Jedi does sense something. He's not as dumb as I thought after all.
Qui-Gon suddenly started talking again, breaking her out of her thoughts.
"You should be very proud of your son. He gives without any thought of reward."
He was obviously talking to Shmi.
"Well he knows nothing of greed. ('Something we'll have to change.') He has a…" she trailed off.
"He has special powers," Qui-Gon supplied.
"Yes."
"He can see things before they happen," Qui-Gon said. "That's why he appears to have such quick reflexes. It's a Jedi trait."
That's such an insult.
"He deserves better than a slave's life," Shmi commented.
"Had he been born in the Republic he would have been identified early on," Qui-Gon said. "The Force is usually strong with him. That much is clear. Who was his father?"
Why, the midi-chlorians my dumb Jedi friend; in a matter of speaking of course.
"There was no father," Shmi simply stated. Padme could sense Qui-Gon's shock and disbelief. "I carried him. I gave birth. I raised him. I can't explain what happened."
"Can you help him?" she added after a moment.
"I don't know. I didn't actually come here to free slaves."
It was pointless to continue eavesdropping, but she was still lost in thought. Was the Chosen One really able to see into, and have premonitions of the future? She knew some of the Sith could, such as her father and some of the other Sith of old during the Golden Age of the Sith Empire. But the fact that Anakin had told her he was going to marry her well…she wasn't sure if he was just chattering nonsense or if he really could see into the future. Because after all that was something that was going to happen eventually, whether either of them wanted it to or not. That's the only reason she was born: to marry and help lure the Chosen One to the dark side. She knew this, and had told her father how happy she was to be able to fulfill her destiny, helping to bring 'peace' once more to the galaxy with the Sith ruling it.
She was suddenly broken out of her thoughts at the sound of laughing children. Around half a dozen human and alien kids were running over to say hi to Anakin. Padme guessed they were his little friends.
One of the human boys, Kitster was his name, pointed out R2 in excitement. "Wow, a real astrodroid! How do you get so lucky?"
"That isn't the half of it," Anakin boasted excitedly, looking at his friends with pride. "I made it into the Boonta Race tomorrow!"
Kitster looked shocked. "What?! With this!"
A green alien, a Rodian to be precise whose name was Greedo, laughed. 'You're such a joker Ani,' he said in Huttese.
An older human girl added, "You've been working on that thing for years."
The little human girl standing in front of her, who looked to be a sister, also agreed. "It's not gonna run."
A red haired human boy then added in a drawling, arrogant voice, "Come on. Let's go and play ball. Keep racing Ani, and you're gonna be bug swash."
He, the two girls, and boy Rodian then ran off laughing, while Kitster remained behind.
Anakin seemed undeterred by what the kids' said and continued working as though there had been no interruption.
Good. He has a good head on his shoulders. Doesn't care what other people say about him.
Padme brought her full attention back over to Anakin and the podracer. She noticed that Jar Jar was still helping, yet what drew her attention was some sort of force field he was hovering around. Anakin took that moment to suddenly call out, "Hey Jar Jar. Keep away from those energy binders. If your hand gets caught in the beam it's gonna go numb for hours."
As Anakin was saying this to Jar Jar, the freak dropped a tool he was using and it landed right under the energy binder. He made sure to stay away from the binders as he bent down to pick the tool up, yet when he got up, his mouth got caught in the beam, causing him to yell. Padme rolled her eyes. Jar Jar then continuously screamed about how fat his tongue was. His hand then got caught in a part of the podracer and he started screaming about that too.
"You don't even know if this thing's gonna run," Kitster said to Anakin, totally oblivious to the screaming Jar Jar. Padme noticed Qui-Gon making his way over to them at that moment.
"It will," Anakin said in response.
Qui-Gon had now made it over. "Well it's time we find out." He handed something to Anakin. "Here use this power source."
"Yes sir!" he happily exclaimed.
Qui-Gon then took Kitster's hand, "Come on Kitster! Let's move away."
Meanwhile, Jar Jar was still going on about his fat tongue and how his hand was stuck. Being the fact that Anakin was about to start up the podracer and no one else seemed to be paying any attention to Jar Jar, Padme decided to go over and help him, if only halfheartedly. After pulling his hand out, she heard C3PO say to R2, "You're quite right. He's very odd indeed."
Padme snorted. She then saw Jar Jar give Anakin the thumbs up and she felt a powerful urge to kick something.
Anakin started the podracer and it's engine roared loudly, obviously in good working order.
"It's working! It's working!" he yelled in pride over the loud roar of the racer.
Afterwards he got out of the seat of the racer and kept working on it until it got dark out and his mother insisted that he come in to bed.