I am reverently grateful I don't own Star Wars. Do you know how hard making a movie is?
Chapter 4. In Which One is Gained and One is Lost
Anakin was born when Ben was sixteen years old. Pi-Lappa had been very understanding about the whole thing, although rather confused about how short and painful the whole process was. Apparently her species nested on eggs for about two years. She especially didn't mind as Ben often made up his mother's lost work.
Shmi had gone into labor two weeks late in the middle of the night. The force had woken Ben with a rather large poke and sent him tumbling out of bed and into his mother's room.
"Mom?" he'd called loudly as he had heard her moan. "Mom are you alright?"
"Ben? Turn on the lights please. It's just the contractions starting." She had groaned again in pain as her stomach had clenched. "Ben get the water and everything just like we planned. Call Pi-Lappa as well. I'm going to need you in a few minutes to help me touch the force."
"Of course, Mother." And Ben had hurried to do as asked, trying to release his anxieties into the force, although his fingers still shook as he activated the comlink, and drew the water to boil.
His mother was in pain, but Anakin was coming. Ben had felt Anakin in the force almost from the moment he had come into existence. A blinding light that reached out to him at almost every moment it could, becoming more solid and more real from one moment to the next. Shmi had had very little problems during her pregnancy as both she and Ben could calm the developing life through the force. Even now Ben could feel his little brother in the womb, emotions yet to be properly defined, but still a definite sense of wanting out but at the same time being scared. Sending out as best he could love and comfort to both his mother and little brother he began to gather the supplies needed, hoping this was going to be a very short labor. Shmi who had helped at births before had instructed him what to do but he still had very little idea what was going to happen. They had no medical facilities on the Station, and the ones on the closest planet would do more harm then good.
Soon not only Pi-Lappa, but two other human women had arrived. One was one of the owners of the upper level restaurants and a good friend of Shmi's. The other was a rough looking bounty hunter with lots of medical training who owed Ben a favor after he had translated for her on several occasions, and gotten her out of a rather sticky spot with one of the other station managers.
Ben soon found himself relegated to fetch boy, running in and out as his mother's cries grew louder. The other women gathered around his mother's bed. Shmi although fit, was thirty-three years old, and the birth was not an easy one. Eventually Pi-Lappa left to go attend to other duties, and Shmi called Ben in.
"Ben." She moaned, "Ben come here, I need you to help me pray." Praying was their word for touching the force when any one else was around.
"Of course Mom, anything." Ben spoke, kneeling by her side, as she gripped his hand.
"Start with the" Shmi let out a moan, "start with the breathing please."
And so Ben did guiding her as much as he could into the force, trying to help her release the pain. Although her moans continued to grow louder, and tears wouldn't stop streaking down her face. Ben stayed by her side, focused in the force on his mother and little brother signatures, occasionally wiping sweat away from her forehead. He barely registered the other women in the room telling his mother when to push, or when Shmi gripped his hand so hard the bones creaked.
It did register when the sound of a baby's creaky first screams bounced off the walls, and his little brother's emotions finally flew through the force perfectly clear, as if a hammer had just struck a crystal, and it resonated endlessly through his head.
"Anakin." His mother whispered, her voice a bit hoarse. "Ben bring him to me please." Ben went to do as told, raising himself on to weak stiff legs, sending out soothing waves to his mother, as he walked over to where his little brother was being swaddled in cloth.
It was at that moment when Anakin, his little brother, the boy from his dreams, was placed into his arms that everything changed. Anakin was so tiny, no longer then Ben's forearm, his face all scrunched up and red purple. Pitifully shrieking his little head off, until his weak eyes focused on Ben's face. His eyes were almost colorless they were so blue, and they just stared up into this strange being, but somehow they knew. Ben could feel it in the force, Anakin knew him. Anakin knew him as the presence in the womb, he knew him as his elder brother, and he knew him some how deeper than that, as a person to be trusted, a person who would always take care of him, and perhaps he knew Ben's soul. Ben could only stop and stare. Clutching the most precious thing in the world in his arms, until one of the women who had served as a midwife pushed him towards his mother, who was gently being helped up to sit.
Gently, more gently than anything Ben had ever done, Ben lowered Anakin into his mother's arms, and backed away. There was cleaning up to do, and the force told him his mother needed her own moment with Anakin. His mother's friend stayed, and began to cook dinner, calling down Pi-Lappa on the com to greet the new life. The bounty hunter who owed Ben a favor checked over his mother, before taking up Anakin and checking him over as well. She declared them both perfectly fine, before pressing a list of written instructions into Ben's hand. Ben followed her to the door, leaning tiredly against the frame, as she stood with one hand on her hip.
"Make sure you and your mother follow these to the letter. Understand Ben?" Her voice was gruff with the outer rim burr, "Although you seem to be in fine hands with that other woman." Ben nodded gratefully; slipping the note into the pocket he kept the model star fighter Bant had given him in. Then because he didn't know what else to do, he bowed low, dropping to his knees and taking one of the woman's hands in both his own, and pressing it to his forehead.
"Thank you, Madame Chury." for that was the bounty hunter's name, and the Madame added because a slave never addressed another by only a name unless instructed to do so. "Thank you for helping my mother. Even if you did owe me a debt there are not many who would honor that debt to a slave, so thank you. If you ever need my help again, all you need to do is ask." Chury looked almost shocked before covering it with gruffness. Pulling Ben to his feet, she gripped him by his shoulder.
"I'm holding you to that promise Ben, you make sure you take good care of that mother and little brother of yours, for as long as you can, you hear me?"
"I will Madame Chury. I promise." Ben nodded.
"Good boy." Madam Chury replied patting him on the cheek before disappearing down the hallway, passing Pi-Lappa bustling down the hallway. Pi-Lappa called out to Ben as she approached Ben, Shmi, and now Anakin's rooms.
"Boy or girl Ben?"
"Boy Ma'am, his name is Anakin." Ben spoke as Pi-Lappa headed past him, unable to prevent a tired grim from spreading across his face. Anakin was here. Ben had been waiting so long, and now Anakin was here.
Ben followed Pi-Lappa in, waiting at the door, as she spoke with a nursing Shmi.
"He is beautiful Shmi. Ben said you named him Anakin?"
"Yes, there was no other name for him. Do you approve?"
"Of course, it is a perfect name, he is your son Shmi, I would not deny you the right to name him."
"Thank you, Ma'am. I hate to ask, but when will you take him to…" she trailed off hesitantly, unable to finish the sentence.
"I am sorry Shmi, but he will have the chip in him tomorrow. I swear I will not take him from you though. Either of your sons." Shmi didn't reply, just nodded silently. Pi-Lappa gave a small sigh. "I suppose I should tell you I intend to free you before I die. My time is growing close, and I'll be damned if I hand you or your sons over to my thieving scum of a family."
Shmi looked up in shock, at this statement. "You mean that, Ma'am. You really mean that?"
"I swear on my stock in this station. Now I brought young Anakin a gift. Joolii will you bring it in please?" Ben whirled around to find his best friend behind him. He had been so focused on his mother and Pi-Lappa that he had failed to sense the Rodian.
"Of course, Manager Pi-Lappa." And flashing the Rodian version of a smile at Ben as he waltzed passed, Joolii dragged in a bassinet. "Can I spread the word around the station that Ben has a little brother Madame Skywalker?"
"Of course you can Joolii, tell everyone his name is Anakin Skywalker." At that moment Shmi's friend Linda, the restaurant owner who had been cooking dinner for them came in.
"Out, Joolii. Shmi needs food then some rest. You too Ben. Go make yourself a plate and then to bed. I'll take care of little Anakin for now. My husband's not expecting me for another day."
"I'll be heading back upstairs then." Pi-Lappa said, rising to her clawed feet. "Ben you call me if your mother needs anything?"
"Yes Ma'am." And with that, Linda was shooing everyone out including Ben, who did as instructed and after gobbling down food, didn't even feel his head hit the pillow he was so tired. Linda stayed with them for another day, showing Ben what to do and making up a second list for him to follow. After that it was hard. Shmi spent most of the two days after that in bed nursing Anakin. Ben worked frantically to catch up on repairs, while stopping to feed his mother and change Anakin, who was now called Ani. It was Ben who accompanied Pi-Lappa to insert the chip in Anakin's tiny arm. Afterwards Anakin had sobbed for an hour, and unwilling to disturb his exhausted mother Ben had rocked Anakin, until he fell asleep. Pi-Lappa, who was clearly a gift from the force, had finished the repairs that Ben needed to do for Ben.
Everything about Ani fascinated Ben, after dinner on the third day when work was finished and his mother still slept Ben had sat for hours, Ani cradled in one arm just watching him within and without the force. Ani's hand, which was wrapped to keep his fingernails from scratching his little face, had flailed about until it had rested over the pocket in which Ben kept the model star fighter.
Ben pulled it out, only to hear Ani coo.
"I can't tell if you want this Ani, or you just have gas." Ani gave no sign even through the force, continuing to jerkily wave his hands about, and burble. Ben rubbed the star fighter between two fingers, and decided that even if Anakin couldn't understand him it was time to tell a story.
"Ani, this is a Jedi star fighter." Ben began softly, "The Jedi are the bravest of warriors. They keep the peace all across the republic, and bring justice wherever they go. They fly from planet to planet putting things right." For emphasis he zoomed the model above Anakin's eyes. Anakin had calmed suddenly at the beginning of the story and was now watching the star fighter as intently as someone a week old can. "There were once two Jedi knights who were the bravest of the brave. They were strong and fast, and fierce, they were simply called The Team, and whole evil armies of the Sith fell at their feet. They became legends: their names were Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. They were the best of friends, closer then brothers even…" Ben, who was once called Obi-Wan Kenobi told Anakin Skywalker all he had seen, even the bad. It wasn't until he had finished that Ani fell asleep, and so he laid Anakin down in his bassinet. As he stood gazing down at his little brother's sleeping face, he made an oath.
"I promise Anakin, my little Ani, I promise that will never ever happen to us. We may grow to be brave and strong and even Jedi, but I will never ever let you burn, either of us. We will stay with the light. I swear it to you. We will walk the sky and for even in the darkest night there are still bright stars, and even if they burn out we will make our own light. I swear on all that I am, and all that will be." He paused fingering the model Bant had given him, there was still something else he had to do. "I think this is yours now Ani. You always did love to fly." And he hung the model above Anakin's bassinet, and after stroking his little brother's sleeping face with one calloused thumb retreated to bed himself.
The year following was hard, but wonderful. It was hard to take care of a small child and a space station at the same time, as they often acted in the same fussy colicky manner. Ben and Shmi could often be found in some tube or another with a baby strapped to their back. Shmi was insistent that Ben not take over too many of the duties though. He was still sixteen she protested, often as she shooed him out the door with Joolii. Although Joolii adored Ani, often stopping by to play with Ani, as much as to talk with Ben.
Ani's toys were certainly unusual as well. Little things that Ben or Shmi found time to make for him, or often spare bits of smooth metal. His favorite was a soft tool grip that had broken off one day. Ani chewed on it incessantly while teething. He was an annoyingly active child, always getting into things he wasn't supposed to, learning to pull himself up on things and trying to walk far to early. He was always covered in bruises from falling down, and demanding attention. By the time Ben was several months past seventeen and Anakin was a little over a year, Anakin had learned to say Ben's name, often accompanying it with a demand to be "up!". Regardless it was clear that Ben adored Ani and Ani adored him. Shmi adored them both and often began her meditations by thanking the force for sending them both to her, even if they would be called away later to serve.
It was just about then when trouble arrived. His name was Pi-Jaddic and he was Pi-Lappa's nephew. As Pi-Ladda said, "My meddlesome family is trying to weasel in and scope out what I have. Damn it! I still have a good five years left in me. They send that-" here she used a word so dirty that even Ben who made a hobby of collecting swear words cringed, "to spy on me and mine, in the guise of help. Help! Bah! well I won't have it!" she finished with a bang, bringing her fist down on the work bench and making it shake, and Ani giggle, from where he sat on a blanket on the ground. "Ben you keep an eye on Pi-Jaddic for me won't you? You tell me if he comes snooping around down here?"
"Of course Ma'am" Ben replied, straightening the table and getting back to his project. "I don't like the way he looks at us, especially Ani. It's as if he's licking his lips." Pi-Lappa nodded and changed the subject to one even more uncomfortable: when Ben was going to find a mate. Then making him burn an even brighter red, by suggesting if he wouldn't take a lover then to at least put his body to good use and try and make a few coins off of it. At that point Shmi had come in suggesting it wasn't such a bad idea, and that maybe he should go speak with the twi'leks up three levels. After all he was a handsome enough boy. Ben had fled at that point, muttering a rather feeble excuse about some part or another and after grabbing his tool kit disappeared. At which Shmi and Pi-Lappa had burst into laughter, he was just much too easy to tease.
That moment of levity was the last one any of them had for about a year. Pi-Jaddic turned out to be a sneaky son of a bitch. Often bothering Ben and Shmi about just what Pi-Ladda did all day, and just how much she had, and then bothering Pi-Ladda with what he thought were serious suggestions, such as why Ben wasn't actually prostituting himself, and why Shmi didn't have many more children. Pi-Ladda just couldn't get rid of him. It all came to a head about a week after Ani turned two.
Joolii came running in, telling Ben and Shmi to grab Ani and come up to the main promenade, where Pi-Ladda and Pi-Jaddic were having a full out shouting match.
"Get OUT!" Pi-Ladda shrieked at Pi-Jaddic.
"But Auntie, you can't sell them. They're the most valuable things you have!"
"I am not selling them, I'm freeing them, you bloody scum eating letukuu. Now get out of my station!"
"Auntie I'm your family, I'm trying to-"
"You are not my family! You and the rest of them are a bunch of bottom feeders waiting for me to die! Either remove yourself from my station, or I'll get Ben to do so."
"That slave couldn't touch me if he tried. You are not destroying this for us Auntie, I swear it!" It was then that Ben, who at eighteen although still a little short, was heavily muscled, stepped out behind Pi-Lappa holding a thick metal pipe.
"My master asked you to get out. This is your last warning." He spoke, eerily calm, Jedi calm, although the others didn't know it. Pi-Jaddic glanced at Ben, and rethought his decision.
"You win this round Auntie, but you're making the wrong decision." He spoke patronizingly. Ben took a step forward, slapping the pipe against his hand. Pi-Jaddic took a step back and then with one last glare fled into the crowd.
"Well! What are you all looking at?" Pi-Ladda spoke up, and soon the crowd itself dispersed. "Thank you Ben. Where's- Oh there you are Shmi. Come up to my office now. I'm not letting you go another day in slavery, not if there is the slightest chance that someone like him gets their hands on you."
"Ma'am. I don't, I don't know what to say. Thank you." Shmi whispered, hugging Ani tight.
"No need for that Ma'am business now Shmi, I'm Pi-Ladda to you and Ben now and always."
"Then thank you Pi-Ladda." Ben could barely talk through his grin.
"I will miss you Ben." Pi-Ladda spoke as they took the lift up to her office. "You and Ani both. Sweetest boys I've ever met."
"What makes you think they're going anywhere? We can't leave you short staffed like that." Shmi spoke. "That is if you'll hire us?"
"Of course I will, now come on lets get the paper work ready, and I'll send it out tomorrow morning." And they all trooped into her office.
Ben was so overjoyed that night that he almost didn't sense the distress in the force. As he was getting ready for bed, the force practically shrieked at him. Without an explanation to any one he ran through the hallways missing his shirt and his shoes. He flew past the late staff, and the crew of a ship that had just arrived, and towards Pi-Ladda's office.
He was too late. Pi-Ladda lay sprawled across the floor of her office, an empty cup next to her, foam on her lips, clearly poisoned.
"Pi-Ladda? Pi-Ladda? Please wake up, please." He almost begged, shaking her, but she was already gone. He flew to her desk, the papers, he had to find the papers.
"What do you think you're doing boy." Standing at the door was Pi-Jaddic.
"You!" Ben hissed, whirling around. "You killed her. You won't get away with this."
"Of course I will you stupid human slave. Who out here is going to stop me. Pi-Ladda owned half the damn station, which means that now I own it, and you with it." Ben couldn't stand it anymore. He knew he wasn't supposed to get angry, he wasn't supposed to take revenge, but this, he just couldn't, they had been so close, and now he wasn't just angry, he was furious. But he had promised Anakin he wouldn't turn and so he turned his fury cold, he felt as if his veins were made of ice, and with that power he shoved with all his strength.
Pi-Jaddic went flying backwards smacking into the wall as if by an invisible hand, and sliding to the floor. Leaning over the slithering reptile, Ben grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him up with one hand and the force.
"I should kill you for what you did, but I won't. You will serve my purposes quite nicely I think. You are going to sell my family, it doesn't matter where, I can take care of us regardless, but if you separate us or hurt my mother or brother in any way I will find you and I will kill you." Using his free hand he called the ceremonial dagger that was sitting on Pi-Ladda's desk to hang suspended in mid-air in front of Pi-Jaddic's left eye. "Believe me, when I say I could easily kill you. I can be thousands of miles a way and still snap your slimy little weak neck." Then with a malicious grin Ben let the shaking body drop to the ground.
"Jedi. You're a Jedi." Pi-Jaddic whimpered, scrambling backwards until he jumped as he bumped into his aunt's body.
"You wish I was a Jedi." Ben replied, "They play fair." And with that he left, to tell his family the terrible news, to say goodbye and to gather their few precious things.
Please Review!