Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. I just created my own little AU corner to play in.
AN: Here's chapter 9! Thanks for all the great reviews. At this point in the story, Anakin is sixteen.
Force Jumper
Chapter 9: Ambush
Anakin stared at his reflection, as he observed the armor he was now wearing. It was finally finished and would be incredibly resilient. This was the test run for his disguise and if everything went as smoothly as he thought it would, then it would allow him to take on even bigger targets in the future. And then maybe he could start making a dent in the slavery world. With those thoughts in mind, he completed his disguise with a sleek mask over his eyes and disappeared, his destination, Cloud City.
Mia kissed her sleeping boy and tucked him in, before she proceeded to put on a dress for the evening. Her Master always insisted that she dressed provocatively for his Sabaac Tournaments. Not that it mattered tonight, because everything was about to change. She thought about the young man she had met earlier. Anakin Skywalker. She had seen flashes of his future without even concentrating. One with such power as him was easy to see coming for someone like her. He was amazing. She had seen flashes of the things he would do, the people he would protect, the scum he would destroy. She felt her cheeks warm at the thought of him. She knew she wasn't the woman he was meant to be with. But that didn't stop her admiration from afar. She wouldn't pursue him though. She wasn't that kind of girl and especially since she could already see another woman's name written on his soul. She certainly hoped this beautiful woman that she saw in his future would know what she had when he came along.
"Mia…be a doll and get us another round," Micah drawled. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, as she went to the bar to refill the glasses. Her idiot Master was too drunk to play a decent game right now and yet he was still winning his ass off, because of her. She smirked a little. After tonight, he would lose his secret weapon and finally get what he deserved though. She had seen flashes, though she never got too confident. The future was something always in motion and there were things that she couldn't or didn't see. Her very predicament was one of them. She had not even seen her abduction on the way to Bandomeer coming at all until it was happening. That had taught her to be cautious of her visions, because there were always going to be variables that she couldn't account for. She quickly returned to the table and as she set the tray down, she saw a cloaked man enter the filthy establishment. After watching him for a few long seconds, she finally drew in a shaky breath that she had been holding. This was it. There was no turning back, not that she wanted to anyway. While her Master was in a haze of booze and in the middle of a winning hand, Mia set off to do her part. She ushered the girls on stage into the back room and the waitresses.
"Hey…what the hell are you doing?" one drunken spectator drawled, as she took away his entertainment. She had a nasty retort for the sleamo, but it wouldn't be needed, as chaos suddenly erupted in the cantina.
Anakin raised his hand, reaching deeply into the Force, as he willed all the glass bottles of liquor behind the bar to shatter, one by one, drawing the attention of everyone in the room to the spectacle.
"What the…" Micah said, as he got up, stumbling drunkenly away from the table. A loud snap was heard, as a the light fixture over the Sabaac table snapped and plummeted onto the table, smashing it to pieces. The men at the table barely jumped back in time and one unfortunate Dug, cried out in pain, as he pinned beneath the mess of broken glass and wood. Several other snaps sounded, as the other light fixtures smashed on the floor, taking out most of the lights and sending glass flying.
"It's him!" one cried, as he pointed at the cloaked man.
"Jedi!" another cried.
"Shoot him!" Micah hissed. The blaster fire rang out, but Anakin disappeared, reappearing behind a couple drunken humans. They were some of the worst he had seen in this place. He had barely been able to contain his rage in the few weeks that he had been casing this place with these two.
"The galaxy won't miss a couple of disgusting excuses for human beings like you," Anakin hissed, as he ignited his light saber. He could still hear the screams of the young girls he had heard when these two had decided to infect the young slaves girls in this place with their vile invasion.
"You'll never beat another child or rape another girl," Anakin hissed, as his blade cut the first one down.
"You…you can't kill me. You're a Jedi," the other stammered. Anakin smirked coldly.
"I'm no Jedi…nor Sith. I'm just justice for those that have no one, for those that suffer constantly at the hands of scum infested worms like you," Anakin's eyes burned with blue fire, as the man cowered before him and screamed, as the sapphire blade separated his head from his body. Another Dug snuck up on Anakin from behind and fired his blaster. Anakin jumped and appeared behind him. With a violent Force shove, he sent the Dug into the mass of twisted, broken glass behind the bar. He screamed and was silenced, as he became a bloodied mess.
"Please…don't kill us!" another screamed.
"They begged you for mercy…yet you still beat them!" Anakin screamed, as he jumped, appeared directly in the man's face.
"They begged you to stop…yet you still raped them!" he screamed in the man's face, his eyes blazing.
"They begged you to free them…yet you sold them like animals," Anakin said, his voice becoming calmer, as he jumped again, this time several feet back.
"You showed no mercy and you shall receive none in return," Anakin spoke, as another snap was heard. This time it was from the last light fixture, the largest one and central one in the room. He screamed in horror, as he was crushed beneath the mass of metal and glass. Soon, only Micah remained and he cowered in fear, picking up the broken leg of a table, trying to fend off the coming justice.
"P…please…I'll give you whatever you want. I'll…pay you whatever want, just don't kill me!" Micah pleaded.
"I don't want your filthy money. Even when you're facing your death, you're trying only to save your own skin. You're not sorry for what you've done," Anakin spat.
"I…I am! I'll change, I promise!" he pleaded.
"Liar!" Anakin spat, insulted by the man's display.
"Death is almost too good for the likes of you…but you'll never change. Death is the only way to ensure that you'll never hurt another woman or child," Anakin hissed.
"Please…please don't kill me!" he pleaded. Anakin chuckled.
"As much pleasure as I would take in ending your worthless existence, there's someone else that wants the honor," Anakin said, as Mia approached with a blaster in hand.
"Mia…baby please, you don't want to do this. We had a good thing," he pleaded.
"A good thing for you. I'm not your toy anymore and I'm taking my son away from this life," she spat, leveling the blaster at his head. He snarled.
"I get it…you've found yourself a new owner. If you wanted a piece of her, you just needed to ask. I can understand your interest. She's a good screw," he sneered.
"Shut up!" she screamed.
"You're a whore Mia…always have been and always will be," Micah hissed, as he started to get up. But Mia fired, putting a blaster bolt between his eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks, as she fired several more, until Anakin gently pulled the weapon from her hand.
"He's dead," he assured her. He caught her, as she collapsed, crying into his arms.
"Mama?" they heard a small voice call from the back room.
"Han…he can't see any of this," Mia said, as she rushed into the back and scooped him up. He was waiting with the other nervous slave girls.
"It's okay baby," she whispered.
"Who are you?" Han asked the man that followed his mother. Anakin dropped the hood of his cloak and removed his eye mask.
"My name is Anakin and you don't have to fear me. I'm going to have all your slave chips deactivated in just a moment. Then we're going to take a ship to Mia's home planet of Corellia. There is a shelter in Coronet City that helps young women like you recover from ordeals like this one. You're going to be free," Anakin assured them.
"We can trust him. He's saving us all," Mia assured them. Anakin used his device and scrambled the slave chips inside all of them, before ushering them out the back and into the small ship. He piloted it out of the atmosphere and set the course for Corellia.
Cox looked around at the devastation and carnage that his target had left in his wake.
"That stupid tramp…she double crossed us," Zana cursed. Cox was calm though, because he knew it would turn out like this. He knew when he approached her and bribed her to be a part of his plan that she would double cross him.
"She did exactly what she was supposed to?" Cox stated.
"What?" Zana questioned, demanding that he explain.
"Do you think I am a complete fool? I knew that little slut would defect to his side. In fact, I was counting on it," Cox explained.
"So this was a set up?" she asked. He nodded curtly.
"Right now, they're merrily on their way to her precious home planet where she dreams of raising her brat away from this kind of life," he said in amusement. Zana smirked.
"Won't she be surprised when we show up and wreck all her dreams," Zana mused.
"But how does this help us get the Force Jumper?" she asked.
"He's become fond of her and she has a kid. He'll no doubt check up on her. And when he does, we ambush him," Cox said. Zana followed him out, as they got back into their speeder. Their next destination was Corellia…
Anakin finished his meditation and stood up, exiting his small quarters. He found Mia with the others in the cabin and some of the girls cheeks suddenly flushed in embarrassment.
"What's wrong?" he asked. Mia smiled and stood up.
"Nothing. You just have a lot of admirers," Mia mused, as she went to the kitchenette.
"Are you hungry?" she asked.
"Starved actually," he replied, as he looked back uncertainly at the girls, who looked up at him, whispered things, and giggled. He was confused.
"You need to get used to it. The female attention you're going to get is only just beginning," Mia replied knowingly.
"What exactly do you mean?" he asked. She rolled her eyes.
"You're their hero. You're handsome, shy, mysterious, strong, and rescued us all from our lives as slaves. Face it cutie, you're every woman's dream man. And once the Holonet catches sight of you, and they will in a few years, you'll have nearly ever woman falling at your feet," Mia said, as she handed him a glass of blue milk. He eyed her wearily and took a sip.
"And probably even some men," she added mischievously. He nearly choked at her implication and she giggled.
"I see you're enjoying your visions of my future a little too much," he glared. She giggled again.
"You are by far the most interesting person I've ever met, that's for sure," she replied.
"Well, at first I'm sure I'll make the news, but they'll label me a vigilante in the Republic so I won't be someone to be looked up to or admired," Anakin said.
"Yeah, they'll give you a bad boy image. That will just add fuel to the flames in every girl's heart," she teased. He rolled his eyes.
"I thought you asked me if I was hungry. I sort of assumed that meant you made food," Anakin said, changing the subject. She smiled.
"I did. Sit down and I'll warm you a plate," Mia replied, as she shuffled around the kitchen. She had already fed the girls and Han was napping. But as she saw him trot into the kitchen, she realized that was had become the operative word.
"Mommy, I'm hungry," Han whined.
"Well, then we'll have do something about that. We can't have an empty tummy, now can we?" she asked, as she proceeded to tickle him. He laughed and protested, trying to push her hand away. She lifted him up and sat him down in a chair. Han smiled at Anakin, who smiled back, before Mia served them both something to eat.
Later, as Anakin monitored their position, he heard soft footfalls behind him. He turned to see the small boy creeping curiously into the cockpit.
"Can I watch you fly this ship?" Han asked. Anakin smiled and motioned him forward.
"You can do better than that. You can help me fly and land. We're about to come out of hyper space," Anakin said, as he lifted the boy into his lap.
"The first thing we have to do is tell our passengers that we're going to be coming out of hyperspace. Push the yellow button," Anakin instructed.
"This one?" he asked. Anakin nodded and the boy pushed it with delight on his features.
"That just told your mom and everyone else to take their seats and fasten their harnesses," Anakin said.
"What do we do now?" Han asked.
"This silver lever will bring us out of hyper speeder. We need to very slowly pull it down to the bottom notch," Anakin instructed. With Anakin's larger hand over Han's small one, they brought the lever down. The stars that streaked by suddenly disappeared and open space met their eyes, as did a large planet.
"Wow…what place is that?" Han asked.
"That's Corellia. It's the planet that your mom was born on," Anakin said.
"What's it like?" he asked.
"I've only been there a few times, but it's very nice. You'll like it," Anakin assured him.
"Are you from Corellia too?" Han asked. Anakin smiled. He wondered if he had asked his mother this many questions at Han's age. Knowing him, he probably asked more.
"No, I'm originally from a planet called Tatooine, but it's not a very nice place at all," Anakin replied.
"Why not?" Han asked.
"Well, it's a desert planet for one thing and it's really, really hot during the day. And it's ruled by evil beings known as the Hutts. They make it legal to own slaves. I was once owned by a Toydarian junk shop owner there with my mother, but before then, when I was about your age, one of the Hutts owned us. They weren't very nice, but my mom protected me," Anakin told him.
"Mommy used to do things for her Master to protect me too," Han replied innocently. Anakin felt his heart clench. He knew exactly what horrors Mia had experienced to keep Han safe. His own mother had done the same for him in Gardulla's palace. Each time some degenerate eyed him or each time Gardulla wanted him to be sent to be trained as a pleasure slave, his mother had begged that she would do anything to spare that fate. And she had. She took more than one beating for him, been forced to bed more than once with some filthy sleamo, and later helped Watto swindle people in his shop or in his gambling exploits. All for him. And then she died, her protection of him never wavering, as she was tortured for information about him. But she never spoke a word and protected him to her dying breath. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. And so began his quest to make every piece of slaver filth pay for ever daring to own the flesh of another being. He struck fear into their hearts, just like they struck fear into the hearts of the beings they enslaved. And he controlled their lives. He chose whether they lived or died, just like they did with their slaves. He was justice.
"Mr. Anakin, are you okay?" Han asked. Anakin calmed himself and smiled at the boy.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just bad memories, nothing that is important anymore. Now, let's bring the ship in. Put your hands on the control yokes," Anakin instructed. Han did and Anakin put his hands over the boy's, as they slowly made the decent into the Corellian atmosphere.
"I'm flying a ship!" Han exclaimed.
"You're doing great. I'd say you're a natural," Anakin told him, as they received landing clearance from the tower in Coronet City. After disembarking, there was a tearful goodbye as they parted with the other girls at the shelter. Anakin promised that the people in the shelter would take good care of them, educate them, help them get jobs and slowly integrate them back into society. After they finished their goodbyes, they headed out for Mia's village.
Later that evening, after Anakin helped Mia find a small house to rent in her old village, he helped her tuck Han in after he begged Anakin to tell him stories of his adventures.
"Thank you for spending time with him. He really likes you," Mia whispered, as she gently closed the bedroom door where Han now slept soundly.
"I had as much fun as he did. He's a great kid," Anakin replied.
"It's getting late, so I should probably go," Anakin said, breaking the awkward pause. She nodded and leaned toward him, placing a kiss on his cheek.
"Thank you. What you've done for us is something I can never repay you for," Mia said softly.
"Knowing that you're both free, that more people are free, is more than enough for me," he replied, as their lips were only inches apart. Gravity worked against them and their lips met tenderly. They stared at each other, as they parted and Anakin's felt his cheeks warm. Mia smiled, knowing that was probably his first kiss and she felt happy to know that she would be the first one to give him that at least. She would leave the other firsts to the future she saw for him. It was a beautiful one and she wouldn't do anything to destroy that.
"I'll come back and check up on you in a few days. Maybe I'll even have time to play with Han a little," Anakin said, hoping she would take his suggestion. She nodded.
"We would both really like that," she replied. He smiled, nodded, and then disappeared before her very eyes.
A Few days later…
Anakin had returned home to Yavin IV and spent the last couple days training. Today, he planned on visiting Mia and Han. And then he planned on trudging through the slums in Coronet City to case any possible places that were run by slave owners. Slavery was technically illegal on a Republic world, but he knew it happened anyway.
"Are you sure you can handle Corellia? It's going to be different than taking down operations on non-Republic worlds. Not only will you draw more attention, but the law enforcement officials are also different. The ones on planets in the outer rim actually welcome help like yours. They don't in the Republic. They'll be as against you as the slave owners," Quinlan warned.
"Don't worry Master, I'm not going to make a move. I know I won't be ready for a world that close to the core for a while yet. But Mia says that Coronet City's slums are almost as bad as Coruscant. I'm just going to scope it out and see what I'll be up against later," Anakin replied.
"And this has nothing to do with seeing that woman and her son that you saved?" Quinlan asked, with a wry smirk.
"It's not like that, but yes, I want to check up on them," Anakin replied. Quinlan shrugged.
"Why isn't it like that? I mean, she's only a few years older, obviously into you, and beautiful from what you told me. Why not?" he asked.
"I…maybe it could be more if I had met her first. I just don't want to lead her on or hurt her if there's no future for us. I don't think it would be fair for me to use her like that. She deserves better," Anakin replied. Quinlan smirked.
"More guys need to be like you, kid. Most would see a way to take advantage of a woman here and take it," Quinlan told him. Anakin shrugged.
"I never want to do something that would dishonor my mother," Anakin replied simply. Quinlan patted the teen on the shoulder.
"I doubt you could. She really would be proud of you," Quinlan assured him. Anakin smiled a little.
"Just be careful out there. I know I tell you that all the time…but Master Sifo worries. You're the son he never had, you know," Quinlan said.
"He worries?" Anakin asked.
"Fine, I worry too. You're the annoying little brother I never had," Quinlan joked, ruffling his shaggy hair.
"Thanks. You and Master Sifo are my family too and I'm not going anywhere. I'll be around to give you more gray hairs," Anakin replied.
"Don't start with me on the old jokes," Quinlan warned playfully, as Anakin disappeared.
The moment Anakin landed in the village, he knew something was terribly wrong. He could feel it in the Force. He ran to the small house and immediately noticed the door was ajar. Sensing only Mia inside, he barged in and his eyes searched for her weakened presence.
"Mia!" Anakin cried, as he found her lying on the kitchen floor with a blaster wound to her chest.
"No…MIA!" he cried, as she weakly opened her eyes.
"Anakin…" she whispered, as tears rolled down his cheeks.
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry, I never should have left you," he sobbed. It took all her strength, but she lifted her hand and stroked his handsome face.
"It's not your fault. Not even I saw this coming," she told him.
"Who did this?" he demanded.
"Cox…he planned this all along. He followed us here. This is a trap…you have to go," she said with urgency, remembering everything he had said, before he shot her.
"I'm not leaving you. I'll get you to a hospital. Where is Han?" Anakin asked, alarmed that he couldn't sense the boy.
"He's gone. Cox's men took him," Mia cried.
"I'll get him back, don't worry. Just stay with me," Anakin pleaded.
"Anakin…find him for me and take care of him," Mia pleaded.
"You're going to do that yourself, just as soon as you get better," Anakin insisted.
"I'm afraid it's not going to happen like that. Please find my baby for me. And move on with your life. I want you to be happy," Mia whispered. The tears came harder, as he realized that she was saying goodbye. He could feel her slipping away.
"Promise me," she urged.
"I promise," he choked on his tears. He watched her eyes gloss over, as she took her last breath.
"About time you got here. I'm surprised by her determination. She hung on way longer than I thought she would," a cruel voice said from behind him. Anakin whipped around, his stormy sapphire eyes bleeding rage at the individual before him.
"You fell for my plan, hook, line, and sinker. I knew that little tart would keep you coming back and I knew she'd run right back home to her beloved little village. I outsmarted that joke of a seer. For all her skills, she couldn't see her own fate coming," Cox goaded.
"You monster…where is the boy," Anakin growled, barely able to contain his fury.
"He's safe and on his way back to Haruun Kal," the Xal'Kaar member replied.
"He's young and bright. He'll make an excellent student and a fine member of the Xal'Kaar someday…especially when I tell him that it was Force Jumper that killed his mother," Cox goaded. Anakin's eyes widened. He was going to corrupt Han and the boy was already on his way to Haruun Kal. Haruun Kal was a suicide mission for him…but he wouldn't give up. He would keep his promise to Mia.
Cox readied his weapon and Anakin jumped away, as he fired.
"I didn't come alone this time, brat," Cox growled, as several more fired their electrified cables. One caught Anakin's leg and started dragging him over to him. The teen ignited his sapphire blade and cut the cable, before leaping to his feet. He made quick work of several of them, thanks to his Jedi-like skills and reflexes. Cox glared at the boy.
"I'll find Han and I'll make sure he knows the truth someday…that you killed his mother," Anakin warned. Cox chuckled.
"He'll never believe a filthy Force Jumper, but you're not going to live that long," Cox said, as he powered up a box-like looking device.
"Go ahead and jump wherever you want. I'll follow you through your jump scars. There's no use in running," Cox said, as the device glowed and hummed to life. Anakin smirked.
"That's what you think. You're not following me today, but I'll be following you from now on and I will get Han back, even if you poison his mind. I will get through to him and then…I'll kill you," Anakin spat, as he disappeared.
"Get up you worthless idiots and follow me," he called to the two that had survived, including his partner Zana. Cox looked puzzled when he saw no jump scar. He kicked the device.
"What the hell is wrong with this thing?" he demanded.
"It's functioning fine. Where ever he has gone must be a place that erases jump scars too quickly," Zana told him. Cox's eyes widened and he angrily kicked the device, realizing that the boy had outsmarted him again and slipped through his fingers.
"Next time we meet, brat, it will be your last," Cox growled. His plan wasn't a complete waste. He had taken a new recruit. The boy would be treated and fed well. And raised to continue his people's ideals. He would be raised to hunt Force Jumpers…
Sunset that evening…
Anakin stood solemnly in front of the newly dug grave not far from the Temple that he lived in with his Masters on Yavin IV. There was a beautiful lush garden near the grave and a freshly carved headstone now marked the sacred place.
Mia Solo
Loving Mother and Cherished Friend
Hours after he had arrived home, overcome with guilt and grief, Quinlan had finally calmed him down enough to suggest retrieving Mia's body. Anakin agreed, knowing the Xal'Kaar would be gone by now. He jumped back to Mia's house, quickly picked up her body, and returned home. He and Quinlan dug a grave and he used one of his laser tools to carve the words in a block of duracrete. Sifo-Dyas said a few words and assured him that she was now one with the Force. But Anakin knew her soul would never truly be at peace until he recovered Han. And he vowed to do so, even if the boy was brainwashed when he did.
"They won't kill anyone else that I care about…I won't let them," Anakin said, through clenched teeth. Sifo-Dyas put a hand on his shoulder.
"None of us will, my boy. This war is escalating and the time to fight will soon come. We will be ready," Sifo assured him. Quinlan nodded and patted his other shoulder, as they stood before the grave, watching the sun set below the horizon…
A solemn end to this chapter and with the next chapter will come another time skip. In chapter 10, three more years have passed. Anakin is now nineteen and the three of them are watching from the outside in, as the Republic is slowly losing grip on many systems. The Separatist movement has them all concerned and Sifo-Dyas begins to question his part in the commissioning of the secret Clone army that has been underway for years. Things escalate further and become personal for Anakin when he hears word of assassination attempts on former Queen, now Senator, Amidala…