Chapter Six: Pod Races and Bounties
Qui-Gon shut off the communicator before pocketing it. Once the sandstorm passed, Obi-Wan commed to discuss the recent message sent from Naboo. Despite not having the contact information for the Queen's yacht, it seems the Trade Federation possessed enough control at the moment to begin an information warfare on top of their blockade-turned-control of the planet. His Padawan relayed the main information: Governor Bibble spoke of the atrocities the Trade Federation were being subjected to. Or the supposed atrocities. The message was broken up by static and whatever else. Without any actual updates on the status of Naboo, the words would have to be taken as true, for now.
They spent the rest of the day with Anakin and his family, learning more about the boy's life. Qui-Gon kept quiet about the power he felt exuding from his tiny body. The Force was strong in him, stronger than anyone he had ever seen – even Wolf. Almost everyone held some power in the Force. It moved through everyone and everything. The Jedi utilized the Force to aid them in serving the universe and others. Taking a deep breath, he felt the Force flow through him, and astonishingly into the young boy only a few rooms away. He never met someone with such a connection to the Force before. Even Obi-Wan or Wolf paled in comparison to the untapped potential of the boy. As the day progressed, he learned more from and about Anakin.
Shim, Anakin's mother, offered them a modest meal, giving freely even though she had little, during which she offered some insight in a slave's life. Qui-Gon noted Hawk slipping several gems worth months of rations into a storage pot after lunch, even as Anakin attempted to draw everyone's attention onto him. The Force guided his attention back to the boy as well, as the discussion shifted from their lives as slaves to Podracing, which turned into a discussion of the Force and being a Jedi. He openly admitted to being there to head to Corsuscant, though withheld his mission. Hawk remained silent through most of the meal, while Anakin, when no speaking about Podracing, drew Padme into conversation. It was Padme who inadvertently brought up the idea of finding some weakness in the junk dealers: Gambling.
While Obi-Wan would have exercised caution, Qui-Gon let the Force guide him toward the solutions. The Force guided them to this planet, to this spaceport, to the junk shop, and ultimately to this boy. And now, this boy held a key to getting them off this planet and to Corsuscant.
The two suns of Tatooine had long set by the time the storm passed and now the pollution clear sky revealed the countless systems. Naboo remained up there in a quantum state, both in peril and safe. Both destroyed and saved. Free and enslaved all at once. So many systems remained in the same state, and it seemed that with each of his years passing, more and more became lost or unknown to him. This dispute turned to graphic violence (against the Naboo, the Trade Federation lost only droid soldiers) only further illustrated the dangers growing in Republic space.
"News from the hangar?" Qui-Gon turned from staring up at the night sky to see Hawk's silhouette in the doorway. Her armor discarded in favor of cleaning up in the sonic refresher for once the storm passed, and relaxing in 'the safety of a home,' as she described it.
"Yes, I am unsure if we should explain it to our companions," Qui-Gon said.
"Or to me," Hawk added without looking at him. She moved to stand at the balcony as well, though maybe half of a meter between them
"At this moment, no," he admitted. "There is nothing to be gained with you having this burden."
"We all carry burdens, and I think – no, I know, that a burden shared is a burden halved." Hawk said. She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her to stare up at the stars. "Is your decision going to harm the queen?"
Qui-Gon took a moment to consider his response. "No."
"Then it can wait," Hawk said, letting him off the hook. "I'd rather ask you about your interest in the boy."
"Anakin." The boy in question seemed to regaling Padme with more stories of his life again, much to Hawk's relief.
Hawk nodded at the name. "I'm not sure what you see in him."
"He is a child," Qui-Gon said, glancing back at the entryway. "And he may be able to assist us in leaving this planet."
"By what? Podracing? Gambling?" Hawk shook her head, her brow furrowed in anger. "You place the weight of our quest on a child? One that we have information on, I might add."
"Trust the Force," Qui-Gon said, though it fell on deaf ears. Despite her skill with sensing through the Force, Hawk never cared for the religion or the Jedi order. Not enough to hate the order, but her irritation often clouded her judgment. It was a shame both her and Wolf could not be trained as Jedi, despite their connection with the Force. "It has guided us here."
"The only guide we need is someone to point us out to the desert," she said, relaxing her glare a little. The exasperation in her voice kept wavering it, but she remained as calm as he could. "You're welcome to lose everything we've got on this errand. Be the greater fool, and lose our chance of saving Naboo. And place a boy's life in danger."
"You don't believe he could do it?" Qui-Gon asked. His voice remained calmed, though she named his fears.
Hawk scoffed, but didn't look at him. She stayed silent for a long time, staring up at the stars. When she did finally speak, her voice was no more than a harsh whisper. "Does it matter if he can? You asked him? A child like that, she'll – he will do anything for positive affirmation. He sees you as someone to look up to. To trust. He'll crawl to a moon and back, if he knew it made you happy."
"Speaking from experience?" Qui-Gon asked. He reached out in the Force to sense her turmoil. She rebuffed him, sending a short Force blast his way. Not enough to knock him off balance, not that she could, but enough to break his concentration.
"Another thing? The manipulation may work on the average joe on the street, but don't try it on me," Hawk said. Her anger flared exponentially, her eyes darkened to match the night, and he could have sworn he felt the air crackle. He held up his hands, trying to reassure her of his intent.
"I apologize," he said. "I only wanted to reassure you I mean no ill will."
Hawk glared at him a moment, her anger still bubbling. Unlike Jedi, who if they indulged in their emotions could turn to the Dark Side, Hawk remained firm in her morality. Her anger bled off into the Force, expending itself as an infinite source it seemed. His senses still reaching out felt the emotions being released rather than being used as fuel for greater strength and control. By the time she managed to calm down, he wondered if she could channel the anger into a something deadlier than a glare, though he never would admit to cowering slightly beneath her gaze.
"Ill will or not, don't do it again," she said. He nodded again, if only to keep her calm. He frequently utilized the manipulative influences of the Force, not for ill will but gentle persuasion helped smooth some interactions out. For her to equate the sensing of a state of mind to influencing another troubled him. Hawk easily recognized how the Force reached out and surrounded her, as well as others. Someone must have attempted such a manipulation early in her self-study for to respond so aggressively. "We're heading out at first light."
Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow. "We?"
"Wolf and I," Hawk amended. "We've got a lead on a few worthwhile bounties. They shouldn't take more than a day or two."
"Back in time for the Bantina Eve?"
"Does it matter?" Hawk asked. "If you win, we'll recoup our losses from this trip. If not, then we should have enough to buy a new vessel. It may not be a yacht, but it will get us back to Naboo."
Hawk appeared to have a plan, one she kept silent about for reasons likely to revolve around her perceptions of Jedi. He reviewed the Jedi Masters and Knights at the Temple five years ago, trying to find the source of her distrust. Troubling, the list grew longer the more he considered the Jedi's actions over the years. More and more, they were called into resolve disputes and those disputes often turned to violence. If this was the image of the Jedi, the bloody negotiator, then distrust would be among the smallest emotional response he expected from others. Their calm demeanors and supposed lack of attachment meant creating few lasting bonds that allowed to transcend public opinion, let alone perceived and real missteps by Jedi.
They needed to move beyond such emotions, especially if they wanted to work together. He always admired Hawk and Wolf for blazing their own trail when the Jedi Council denied them training. Despite not being Jedi, they still were students of the Force, finding methods that worked for them and not denying themselves the gifts they were given. Those early few months when he watched Hawk swoop through the libraries in the temple and Wolf pounce on opponents in the training room, he wondered what life they lived before the Force brought them here. They perceived the world so different, but kept quiet council, as if they were afraid to interfere with others. For them to take jobs as bounty hunters seemed ironic, but it may be more about justice and fairness than making waves. The Force guided them even if the Jedi failed to.
"I am glad you came along," Qui-Gon finally said. Hawk's eyebrows nearly moved into her hairline as she stared at him. He chuckled, smiling at her bewilderment. "You have a very different perspective then me, and sometimes, I admit to going along with events more than I should."
"Well, I never was good about not having a plan," Hawk said. It wasn't an apology, rather an admittance of shared stubbornness. "Wolf tends to be the more guns blaring type."
"I never would have guessed," Qui-Gon said. Such methods were not typical of those who could see the Unifying Force and Hawk barely seemed a typical student of the Living Force, but the Force worked in mysterious ways sometimes. Guiding those that needed it, even if they could not sense it. To others, it would be destiny, duty, or maybe even obligation that drove them forward, for Jedi the Force represented their connection with the universe and guided them through their entire lives.
"Yeah, well, we work together for a reason," Hawk said. She pushed off the railing and moved toward the door. "I am going to grab Padme and encourage the boy to sleep. You've got a long day ahead of you tomorrow."
Qui-Gon watched her leave back through the entryway. Despite the storm raging inside of her moments before, she never appeared out of control. Glancing back up at the stars, he considered once again if this path the Force laid before him was the correct one. Hawk's concerns were valid. They were placing a great deal of faith in this young boy to succeed. Opening himself to the Force, he sought answers to his questions, answers he may never actually receive.
Instead, the Force only gave him the pull toward the boy. It stretched outward and across the universe, but the directions given to him were to trust this boy. Qui-Gon wondered what the Force saw in the young boy, just outside the age of traditional apprentices but not unreasonable. If the Force was strong in him, maybe Qui-Gon was brought here to bring the Jedi Temple. Or maybe there was something more, something the Force wanted out of Anakin to give him such strength and talent with the Force, all with a lack of training. He may not tap into it knowingly, but now that Qui-Gon met him, Anakin was open to the Force. Any lack of training now could draw him to the darkside.
For better or worse, Anakin's fate was now tied to his. The Force brought him here, and now he was left with the choice of how to proceed. Qui-Gon turned to stare up at the stars again. No answer would be there, no answer in the Force either. Everything seemed just so small.
I0I
Wolf doubled checked their rented speeder. After Hawk spent the night in the slave quarters watching over Padme, she returned to the hanger to give them an update and receive one about the status of Naboo. Hawk listened patiently to Obi-Wan as he explained the transmission from the planet, nodding along in the right places. To anyone else, she silently agreed with the plan to continue staying here. To Wolf, Hawk silently displayed the subtle but vehement disagreement, the stiffening of her body, crossing of arms, creases in her forehead. All signals that the other bounty hunter didn't want to show but ones Wolf caught from years of memorizing her every move. Even the armor signaled her discomfort with the proceedings.
Wolf felt Obi-Wan moved closer through the Force even before he verbally signaled her. "Everything set?" She turned to look at the Padawan, waving back in greeting. He appeared rested, a contrast to the handmaidens and the security forces the queen brought with her from Naboo. Even Captain Panaka was on edge, walking the perimeter of the hangar as if to ward off intruders by pure glare alone.
"Just about," Wolf said, tapping the containers with rations and water. Both of them had quite a bit in their suits, and this just provided them a resource to either trade or use in case of emergency. They rarely used the latter, but Hawk always preached caution, and her lectures never steered her wrong. "You going to be okay?"
"You mean holed up in a hangar waiting for my Master to finish complete another odd task? Yes. I am," he said, stepping closer to the speeder. "You'd be surprised at how often this has occurred to us."
"I thought most Masters didn't leave their Padawans alone for too long." Wolf looked up at him in surprise.
"On missions, maybe," he said, "but at the temple, we are left to our studies when our Masters don't need us. Some are more particular than others, but Qui-Gon has allowed me a lot of latitude in my training."
"Really?" Wolf turned back to tightening a strap. "Huh."
"What?"
"Nothing, it's just – that's not the impression I got from the Jedi," Wolf said. "Back from where I – where we came from, Earth, we more professors than sense it seemed. More students too."
"You don't talk about your home planet often," Obi-Wan said. He leaned up against the speeder as she continued to tighten the straps. Not that they need it, but it gave her hands something to do. "Even when you first came here."
"Well, had to learn the language and all." Wolf remembered struggling the first month from trying to learn to speak Basic, let alone read it. The Force reached out to her, surrounding her and welcoming her into the strange new world, but at the time, she didn't know it was the Force – she knew it as the magic. She lived it, breathed, and for the first time, felt it as something greater than just inside of her. She felt at home here, like it was Hogwarts, but greater than that.
The only connection back home was the friends she left behind. If Hermione wasn't by her side, maybe her life here would be different. Maybe she wouldn't be alive even. She'd be struggling, fighting to find herself again in this new world, this new life. She found love, and happiness, and purpose outside of being a martyr.
Obi-Wan watched for as she finished working. She never enjoyed the silence before coming to this galaxy. Growing up with the Dursleys, silence meant trouble coming her way, though most things in the house meant trouble for her. With Obi-Wan, silence offered calmness. Not quite like still waters, but more of a summer day after a storm. The turbulence passed in the silence, as if the storm of her life died off now that she was away from the Wizarding World. She thought of responding, of offering further explanations to the Padawan about her home life, but Hawk's approach cut off any thoughts.
"I've convinced your Master for you to attend the podrace," Hawk said, plopping down her back of supplies on the speeder.
"Really? I thought he would rather I spend it here," Obi-Wan said, though a small smile appeared on his face. The handmaidens onboard the yacht enjoyed teasing him, not quite getting the young man to blush, but it did offset him a little.
"Which is why I convinced him otherwise," Hawk said. "A young man standing around a hangar during the biggest event of the season is suspicious. You may have to stick around here for next day or so, but you'll attend the event with your 'father.'"
Obi-Wan bowed to her. "Thank you. I do wish to meet the young pilot."
"Young being the operative word." Hawk glanced at Wolf. "Everything ready to go?"
"Just waiting on you love," Wolf said as she climbed into the pilot's seat. "Take care of everyone, Obi. They're going to need it."
"You see something?" Obi-Wan asked. He first taught her to mediate, despite his claims about hating it, and how to connect with the Force, or rather, he successful taught her as the other Jedi Masters failed to help her. She naturally felt a connection with the Unifying Force, drawing a sense of wonder from how it stretched beyond space and time. Most nights, she dreamt of Hawk in battle, of other Jedi standing ready to defend another person. She reached out to them, trying to channel her hope and power into them. Almost always, they would strike harder, faster, only for her to wake up in a cold sweat. Obi-Wan's skill with the Force offered him greater control, and the Force rewarded him with glimpses of the future from time to time. Wolf's rewards were just hunches, short mirages of Christmases Yet to Come, or more appropriate of battles yet to be fought. Still, sometimes that was enough for her.
Wolf shrugged her shoulders, only offering him a smile. "That bad feeling still there?"
"Yes," Obi-Wan said.
"Then nothing you don't already know," Wolf said, waving him to stand back. Hawk climbed up onto the speeder, wrapping her arms around Wolf's armor plated torso.
"Not too fast," Hawk whispered, despite not needing to what with the microphones in their helmets.
"Well, a little too fast," Wolf whispered back, smirking as she turned back to Obi-Wan. "We'll see you in two days. Right after we kill a few bad guys." Opening the throttle, Wolf shot out of the hanger. Hawk tightened her grip, but Wolf knew she was smiling in her helm.
Wolf guided the speeder through the spaceport. Merchants and other people became blurs as they passed by. Twisting the handle bars, she flew between two stalls and out into the desert air. Had they been unprotected, it would have burned their skin, but their armor warded them from the potential danger. Sand and wind blew past them, whipping them as Wolf opened herself up to the Force.
Hermione saw the world in moments, memorizing everything and calmly calculating her responses. Qui-Gon acted as conduit of the Force, letting it guide his every action. Obi-Wan connected to the Force, seeking and speaking to the cosmic network. Everyone saw and felt the Force differently, and maybe it was a part of her magic or her beliefs or just who she was, but when Jenna connected, it wasn't the images she memorized or the moments guided to her or even how she connected to it. For her, she felt the emotions and thoughts and impressions of her target through the Force. She linked up with them, and followed those sensations to the target, for better or worse.
Their target was a human slaver, and worse, a pederast. Went by the name Trickler, thought to be an alias. The last known location was Mos Espa, and the bounty was only recent placed by someone in the Core. Hermione reviewed the choice, and gathered even more information off the Holo-Net after searching for most of the morning. She was pale when she handed Jenna an info-padd with the relevant information. There was more, but she never shared it. The last time Hermione shared information both deemed 'unnecessary,' Wolf ended up nearly blowing up an entire spaceport getting at their target, and maybe most of their target too (bastard completely deserved, no matter what Hermione said).
Trickler specialized in capturing children from noble families from their homes and selling them to the highest bidder. He'd already taken children from families on Alderan, Corellia, and even Corsuscant. Sometimes, he'd return the kidnap kids for a huge ransom, sometimes not. Even if he did, there were no guarantees the children came back unharmed or at all. The man finally messed with the wrong family, as it seems they put out a large enough bounty to get noticed.
They were blurs in the desert, passing over sand and between rock terrain. Wolf kept watch through the Force, drawing closer to the scent of the target. It burned her being, much like a pungent smell burned her nostrils. The ground grew rockier and the burning sensation grew stronger, darker, as if a shade of evil reached out its tendrils grasping for purchase. As the day wore on, the twin suns dropping in the horizon, she felt glimpses of light within the shade that Trickler.
Wolf tightened her grip on the handlebars, sending their speeder to dangerous speeds. She entered a canyon, twisting and spinning through the snaking route left by water and wind from millennium of movement. She pushed them forward around a turn, their feet brushing against the rocks even as they continued past speeds for the sane. Hawk's grip drew her back from the shades of danger in front of her, slowing them down marginally. "Love?"
"He has kids," Wolf growled. "He took someone else's baby."
"How much further?" Hawk said, pulling her head off of Wolf's shoulder. Her voice whispered the words but the hardness grounded them both. Wolf didn't offer an response, as her sense brought her as close as they could get for the moment.
Wolf pulled the speeder to a stop at the base of a canyon. The rocky outgrowths grew up around them, reaching to the sky. Jagged shapes shot out of the canyon walls, daring anyone to try and land at the base. Sundown still hours away, but little light trickled to the floor. No growths besides the dead shrugs stretching to the sky. Before them was the entrance to a cave, hidden from above by a large mountain shard slicing through the canyon. The stones around the entrance created the image of a giant teeth, ready to clamp down those who dared to passed into its throat. Without the suns to warm them, it should be freezing but warm air breathed from the cave.
Most of the day was spent traveling at speeds others considered dangerous. For Jenna, they were a comfortable reminder of things that didn't change. Nightfall may be only a few hours off, but they needed to move fast to catch up with Trickler. No other bounty hunters would take their target, but the clock still ticked away. The shadows were growing; the darkness was coming. Jenna hoped they could stay a little longer in the light, even as they stepped into the unlit cave.
"Yeah, that's a good sign," Hawk drawled, removing her blaster from her side. Wolf glanced at it and then her two. None of the items were custom with no distinctive abilities or style (not like their armor), and if they were planning on working much longer here, maybe they'd get the Jedi or the Naboo government to toss some funds for services rendered. But the cloak of darkness spreading through the Force kept wailing of home, reaching closer and closer. Seeing the future wasn't Wolf's forte, and yet she knew not to ignore the warning from the Force. A bad feeling only brushed the darkened storm growing in the Force, and if the warning was right, Wolf and her may not be there to help.
Ignoring the thoughts of the future to deal with the problems of the present, Wolf drew her blasters, raising them up with the left slightly in front of her right. "Not backing out now."
"Never love," Hawk said. She moved first, stepping across the threshold even as Wolf kept reaching through the Force. Hawk's helmet remained facing forward, but she knew her eyes were scanning everything. Reaching past the burning sensations of the Trickler's shade, Wolf wrapped Hawk in her own comforting light. The small slump in Hawk's shoulders left as she stood straighter, her steps firmer. Her blaster drew even as she walked a little faster. Quickening her pace to match, Wolf kept reaching forward trying to find the source of all those painful emotions.
The shade grew larger as they walked through the darkened stone throat. Stalactites dripped from the ceiling, growing larger as the shade drew closer. Hawk held up her hand as the pain from the shade grew nearly unbearable. Wolf quickly withdrew her senses from the Force, but not before Hawk sent her love back through their connection.
"'But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough hate to suffice,'" Hawk quoted. Without even reaching her senses into the Force, Wolf felt her partner's emotions drain out of her. It left her open to protecting Wolf, and let Wolf easily reach back to heal either of them if needed. Bacto and med packs worked fine, but healing through the Force required a sense of serenity and balance – for both parties. "Fifty meters, and there's a bend to the left. We follow that, we find him."
"Lines up with the shade," Wolf whispered back. "And to the right?"
They reached the bend in the throat. At the left, light danced at another turn, no doubt where Trickler made camp. "What?"
"Leaves on the tree, Hawk," Wolf said. Often focusing so much on the details, Hawk missed things. Like the scuttling and scratching of claws coming their way.
A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read this, and welcome to all the new readers. Like I previously warned you, time between updates may increase, but I'm going to do my best not to be more than a month apart. Given the progress I've made on the next chapter, I don't think that will be a problem at this point.
One thing that was brought to my attention by Philosophize was making sure I am clear with who is who in terms of Hermione and Harry/Jenna. As I want this story to be an HP/SW crossover, I do need to work harder at making sure I'm not too OOC. With that said, I have reasons for them taking up these names, and I have plans to go back and update some of the previous chapters with some small edits to reflect these reasons. Hopefully this chapter helps to illuminate some of my reasons or at least begins to.
As for my plans for Anakin, I will freely admit to disliking the character - but I recently read something that is going to help me shape him into what I hope will be a more sympathetic character. This does not mean Hawk and Wolf will take him under their wing, but they will have a profound influence on everyone involved, including Anakin. This influence will change more and more things as we get closer to the climax of Episode One, so stay tuned.
Again, let me know what you think with a short review. Constructive criticism is welcome, but flamers will be launched from orbit and left to fall without a parachute or any device whatsoever.
Good night and good luck.