DISCLAIMER

I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS


Tatooine, Mos Espa Outskirts

"Huh?"

That was the only thing that Anakin could say. This ghost had just told him he was his great, times a thousand, grandfather. What the actual kriffing sandy hell was going on.

"Did I stutter?" the ghost of Revan asked.

"Uh...no it's just..." Anakin tried to find the right words. "Look give me a minute. You can't just spring that on me out of nowhere." he said.

"I'm arguing with a ghost." he thought to himself. "I'm really arguing with a ghost."

"Stop your frantic rambling." Revan's ghost said plainly.

"Okay...okay. What do you want from me?" he asked.

"I want nothing from you." Revan said simply. "I have long since passed."

"Yeah, I noticed that." Anakin muttered. If the ghost of Revan heard him then he did not show it. "Why are you here then? Your not gonna...posses me are you?" he gulped out the last part.

"I am here to guide you. To teach you, so that you may be ready for the challenges ahead of you." Revan said.

"What challenges?" Anakin asked warily.

"When you faced the krayt dragon you connected, or rather, you embodied the Force. I must ask, what did you feel?" Revan asked.

"It felt weird. Like I was still me, but...more I guess. It felt like I could see everything, hear everything, like everything was connected." Anakin said. He then pointed at Revan's ghost with a frown. "Hey, wait a second. You didn't answer my question!"

Revan nodded to himself, accepting the answer. "As I suspected." Revan muttered quietly. "This event was a turning point in your life, Anakin. Call it a crossroad of destiny, if you will. The Force has chosen you, Anakin, your birth was foretold since before the Jedi were formed. And it will test you. Nothing can stop this, it is the will of the Force." he told Anakin.

"Chosen me for what?" Anakin asked. He thought the Force was just the cool stuff that the Jedi did. This guy was talking about it like it was a deity.

"To bring balance." Revan said. "Even now, the strings of fate are woven in line with the will of the Force. A teacher has been chosen for you, though he is not yet aware of it. The Force is guiding him on his path."

"Didn't you say you were gonna teach me. And what am I supposed to bring balance to?" Anakin asked in confusion.

"Everything." Revan answered. "And, while I will mentor you in some things, Anakin, there are many things that I will never be able to teach you. I am a mere memory, a conciousness that has become one with the Force. I am only here, because it allows me to be. All I can do is provide you with the wisdom I have achieved. At least, until you have met your true Master." Revan answered.

"And why do you care so much anyway? Why is the Force so interested in me?" Anakin asked. He had a million questions, but could only ask so many at once.

"I will not trouble your thoughts with this now, young one. It is not something to be thrusted onto a child." Revan continued before he could interrupt "And, as I said before, you are my descendant." He raised both of his transparent arms and pulled his large hood off. Anakin could now see that he wore a full helmet, instead of just a mask. It was a bit weird when the helmet gave a hiss as it decompressed, given that it was a ghost helmet.

Revan took off the helmet, revealing shoulder length dark hair and a trimmed beard. His eyes were dark, and his face was long and angular.

"Are ghost generally able to do that?" Anakin asked. He was actually genuinely curious.

Revan gave him a short smirk. "I suppose so. I am the first, and only, Force sensitive being to achieve this form." Revan said. "And to be fair, this helmet is as much a part of me as any of my limbs."

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "How so?" He had now become a lot more comfortable with the presence of Revan's ghost. Which probably said more about him than it did about Revan. He also felt a lot better knowing there weren't other, less friendly, ghosts out there. Not something he needed right now.

"Ah, now that is a story." he said wistfully. "I was a young Jedi commander during the Mandalorian Wars nearly four thousand years ago."

"Four thousand? I've never read any holobooks going back that far." Anakin said in wonder.

"The Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders had launched an all out conquest on the galaxy at large. I was among few of the Jedi that were adamant on aiding the Republic. We searched for any evidence of the brutality of the mandalorian conquest in order for the council to sanction our efforts. It was during a recon mission on Cathar that we truly saw what they were capable of."

Anakin stayed quiet, he was really interested in what he was saying. Although, he didn't understand why only a few Jedi joined the war. He thought the Jedi were supposed to protect everyone. They were awesome warriors with laser sword and powers that could beat anyone.

"The planet Cathar, we would soon learn, had become a barren wasteland. The native species was completely eradicated. The handful of Cathar that survived were off on other planets at the time." Revan continued.

Anakin's eyes widened. That was insane! An entire planet completely wiped out? What would cause anyone to do such a thing?

"I found this helmet on a beach shore, half buried in the sand. As soon as I touched it, I was struck by a vision. Much like the visions you have seen, no?" Revan asked.

"Oh Yeah! When I touched the ship, I saw a vision of that rodian entering the passcode." Anakin replied. The rodian had also boasted about beating him in the race. Didn't really end well for him.

"An echo in the Force. You can sense, and sometimes see or hear, an objects history. It is a rare ability, even amongst Jedi." Revan said before continuing his tale. "The vision I saw showed me the extinction of the Cathar. They had been driven into the oceans, and their cries of surrender went unheard. The mandalorian commander gave the order for his basilisk war droids to bombard them from the sky."

"But they were defeated. Why would they do that?" Anakin asked quietly.

"To make a statement." Revan said simply. "A single mandalorian soldier broke rank and pleaded for the Cathar to be spared. She was killed alongside them. This helmet belonged to her, it was all that was left. Pure beskar, very few things are capable of damaging it."

"Who was she?" Anakin asked.

"Her name was Ava Skywalker, she was adopted into the Mandalorian Creed, a Foundling. I swore I would not remove this helmet until Mandalore The Ultimate, and his crusaders, had been brought to justice. I took up her helmet and her name on that day, and became known as Revan Skywalker."

"What happened next?!" Anakin asked excitedly.

"Some other time, young one. For now, go home and rest. This will not be the last time we speak. I have much to show you." Revan said. His image faded, like he was never there.

Anakin huffed and crossed his arms. "Oh man what a cliffhanger." he complained. Nevertheless, he did as Revan suggested. He would be coming back here for sure though. There was no way he wasn't going to play with his new ship. And of course, all the blasters, he always wanted his own blaster. It wasn't everyday you stumbled on a shipload of firearms. He was gonna have a lot of fun tinkering with everything.

Except the disruptors, he's seen what those could do. Those things were designed to take down starfighters and other ships, but he'd seen some of Jabba the Hutt's men use them on organic beings. One shot was all it took to completely disintegrate the target.

He was definitely not messing with those things...

"Who am I kidding? I'm gonna screw around with everything in there."


Coruscant, Jedi Temple

Qui-Gon Jinn entered the hall of the Jedi archives. This was the largest collection of knowledge in the entire galaxy. A true testament to the order's pursuit of peace and enlightenment.

However, he was not here to browse the literal hundreds of thousands of holobooks. Qui-Gon was instead headed for the sealed vault that housed the order's collection of holocrons, only accessible to Knights and Masters. These ancient storage devices were used to record the most delicate, and often dangerous, knowledge. They could only be accessed through the use of the Force.

Qui-Gon approached the vault entrance and typed in his personal entry code. The large door gave a hiss before opening.

"Master?"

He looked behind him to see Obi-Wan walking over to him. "Obi-Wan, it is good to see you. You haven't been spending all your time in the archives have you?" he asked in jest.

Obi-Wan cracked a smile. "No more than you spend meditating."

"Fair enough." he chuckled. "What brings you here then?"

"I'm actually in search of a holocron, one for more advanced lightsaber form variants." Obi-Wan answered.

"Well then, shall we?" he gestured to the now open vault. His former student nodded and they both made their way into the vault.

The vault was an expansive, circular, room. It's walls were lined with the glowing blue lights of the various holocrons held within. At the center of the room was a pedestal, upon which sat a large holocron. It was shaped like a pentagonal dodecahedron. It's transparent crystal facets revealed the mechanisms within, held together by fine electrum frames. This was the Great Holocron.

"May I ask what it is your looking for, Master?" Obi-Wan asked curiously.

Qui-Gon merely gave him a knowing smile as he pointed to the center of the room. His former student could only roll his eyes at him.

"I should have guessed."

"Would you like to join me for once." Qui-Gon asked.

Obi-Wan was hesitant for a moment. The Great Holocron was not forbidden for knights, or padwans for that matter, but it was capable of drawing someone too far into it. It was designed to reveal only what the user was ready to learn, but that only meant some would gaze into it endlessly. How it did this was still a mystery, but he assumed the Force was responsible.

This single device was the centerpiece of the Jedi archive collection. It's depth was so great that even Grandmaster Yoda struggled with it. Obi-Wan ultimately decided he would have to eventually study it himself, so why not do so with his Master.

"I suppose I will." he said. "Is there anything in particular you are looking for?"

Qui-Gon nodded. "A prophecy. A very ancient one in fact, it is refrenced just a few decades after the first group of Jedi defected to form the Sith."

Obi-Wan was now very interested, and slightly concerned. A prophecy made shortly after the Sith made their first appearance. That had to be almost six thousand years before the Seventh Battle of Ruusan. The battle that resulted in the ultimate defeat of the Brotherhood of Darkness. It was also the turning point of galactic history, and was used as the epoch that marked the beginning of the modern age on the Galactic Standard Calendar.

"Why are you interested in this prophecy all of the sudden, Master?" Obi-Wan asked. This is not an unsual state for Qui-Gon, but Obi -Wan always had difficulty trying to understand his master's facination with ancient texts. "Why is Master Qui-Gon drawn to ancient Jedi prophecies instead of more practical concerns?" This was a question that Obi-Wan frequently asked himself.

"A few days ago, I had a vision while meditating in my chambers. If my assumptions are correct, this prophecy is related to said vision." he responded.

Obi-Wan gazed at him for a moment before shrugging. They both approached the Great Holocron and reached out with the Force to open it. The holocron gave a resounding click and the mechanisms within began to spin about. Once it was completely open, they both began to browes through the varius holograms of archived information.

It took a while, but soon enough they reached the first mention of the prophecy Qui-Gon spoke of.

A Jedi will come

To destroy the Sith

And bring balance to the Force.

"Is this it, Master? It is a record from 5835 BBR" Obi-Wan asked. The date, at the very least, matched what his master was looking for. He doubted the legitimacy of this prophecy. The Sith have been gone for almost a thousand years, and there was never a "Chosen One" mentioned in any of the wars.

"Yes this is it, but..." Qui-Gon trailed off. This was definitely the prophecy he had seen before. However, he couldn't help but think that it was far too simplistic. Too straightforward. The Force was, if anything, a mystery. Even to the Jedi, it seldom offered such direct wisdom.

"This is concerning the Chosen One? What was it you saw in this vision, Master?" Obi-wan asked.

"The very person this prophecy speaks of. I saw the Chosen One himself. Although he was cloaked and masked." Qui-Gon answered. Obi-Wan stayed silent at that little nugget of information.

"We need to look further back. We'll use this as a reference for what we seek." Qui-Gon decided. He was not going to stop until he found something that made sense. Something that revealed more of who the Chosen One was.

"If you say so." Obi-Wan shrugged out.

They continued their search, now at least having a reference for the holocron to work with. The last thing they were expecting was for it to pull up a date that was nearly as ancient as the Jedi order.

"Interesting, I've never been able to search this far before." Qui-Gon said.

"This is positively ancient, Master." Obi-Wan said in shock. The record was over thirty-five thousand years before the Battle of Ruusan. This was before the founding of the Jedi order!

"This must be a mistake. The Jedi did not even exist in this time period." Obi-Wan said.

"This is no mistake Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon said. "I have seen this language before. It is an ancient toungue that originated on Tython." His voice was full of wonder.

"If there were no Jedi, then who recorded this prophecy?" Obi-Wan asked.

"An ancient group of mystics known as the Je'daii. I'm sure you can make the connection on your own?" Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow at his former padawan.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Right. So they were a precursor? How come we don't cover this in the youngling classes? It seems a rather important subject."

The scoff escaped Qui-Gon before he could stop it. "That is because we now value more philosophical studies. While I will not deny their importance, it is an absolute tragedy that we do not teach more of the origins of our order. I'd be surprised if any Jedi today has studied farther back than the years before the reformation."

"I have to agree with you there, Master." Obi-Wan nodded. "Shall we then?" he gestured to the still unopened file.

Qui-Gon agreed and opened the record. The writing was a bit archaic, so they had to wait until it was translated into modern day basic.

Only through sacrifice of many Jedi will the order cleanse the sin done to the nameless.

"Well this is certainly starting off on a cheery note." Obi-Wan remarked. The sarcasm oozing from him as they read on.

The danger of the past is not past, but sleeps in the darkness of the unknown. When the Force itself sickens, it will threaten the galaxy entire.

A Chosen One shall come, born of the Force, born in humility, and through him will ultimate balance in the Force be restored.

Qui-Gon quickly downloaded the file into his personal data drive. "Born of the Force?" he asked. That alone implied multiple scenarios that fascinated him and confused him.

"What danger do you think this speaks of? The Force itself sickening is clearly speaking of the corruption of the Dark Side, but what could cause a galaxy wide threat?" Obi-Wan asked out loud.

"Many things, but the most important part of this is the Chosen One. Only he can bring about ultimate balance." Qui-Gon replied.

"Good thing it tells us exactly where to find this person." Obi-Wan said with an eye roll.

"We know he will come from humble beginnings. Though, admittedly, that doesn't narrow it down much." Qui-Gon sighed. At least it was something.

"Will you bring this to the council?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I will, but first I must meditate on these revelations. It will do no good to go in with fresh assumptions." Qui-Gon said.

"I agree." Obi-Wan smiled in good humor. "Well then, I will look for my own holocron now. Till next time, Master."

"Thank you for your company Obi-Wan. It is always welcome." Qui-Gon said before making his exit.


Tatooine, Mos Espa

Anakin was tinkering in his room on his small work bench. C-3PO was almost finished, all he really needed was plating to cover all his wiring. The droid was programmed with over six million forms of communication, making him one of the most intelligent droids ever built. It was very amusing that he had programmed him with such a high level of modesty, so much that he refused to function without his plating. Threepio would shut himself down immediatly after realizing he was still naked.

It had been a few days since he had found the ship and met Revan. He had told his mom about finding the ship, while excluding the fact that it was loaded up with enough weapons to arm a small city. He had not told her about Revan yet since he didn't know how to even begin explaining that.

Speaking of the ancient Jedi, Revan had appeared to him a few times in the past couple of days. Anakin loved hearing the stories Revan told him. He'd grown to enjoy speaking with him so much that he even named his new ship after Revan's own. He thought it was a nice way to honor his ancestor.

The Ebon Hawk was a Dynamic Class Freighter that Revan had piloted thousands of years ago in the Old Republic. The ghost had boasted of it being the fastest ship the galaxy had ever known. Revan did not realize it at the time, but Anakin had taken that as a personal challenge. While Anakin's new ship was not a freighter, it was similar in size to what Revan had told him of the Ebon Hawk.

What Revan had mostly been doing was explaining to Anakin the intricacies of the Force. He had been teaching him how to meditate and also how to practice his telekinstic abilities.

"That is a fine droid."

Anakin looked over to his right and saw Revan appear. "All finished actually, he's just...naked."

"Indeed." Revan responded. "You have also been progressing with your abilities."

Anakin, in response, looked over to a wrench near his small bed. He raised his hand and concentrated. The wrench wobbled and slowly rose to the air. Anakin then made it cross the room and fly into his hand.

"It's still really difficult. It feels nothing like when I moved that boulder off my podracer." Anakin said.

"That is because you were using a far more powerful ability that day, but now is not the time to dwell on it." Revan said. "The Force is in all things, Anakin. Once you truly recognize this, you will be able shift mountains without a sweat."

"Isn't that overselling it?" Anakin asked. That was a bit much if he was being honest.

"As a matter of fact," Revan said seriously "I am underselling it."

Anakin still found it hard to believe, but he would refer to Revan. The ghost was far wiser and more knowledgable on the Force than he was.

Revan could sense his doubt, and decided to explain it in a simpler way. "There are four aspects of the Force, Anakin. There is the Living Force, which is the energy of all life. The Physical Force allows those who are Force sensitive to manipulate their surroundings. The Unifying Force binds all things in the universe together, even space and time. And finally, there is The Cosmic Force, also known as the greater Force. Through the Living Force, which feeds into the Cosmic Force, I am able to appear before you in this form long after my physical death."

Anakin was staring at him in awe. He had stars in his eyes as he listened to Revan speak. "That is the coolest thing I have ever heard."

Revan sighed, he forgot that he was talking to an eight year old. He decided to save this for another day. "Moving on, how do you feel about the race next week?"

"I'm so gonna win! I'll be the first human to ever win the Boonta Eve classic." Anakin said with a big smile.

Revan merely snorted. "You'll be the only human to ever win a podrace at all. I'd be surprised if most Jedi had the ability to even survive those races."

"Hey now, not everyone can be an awesome pilot like me." he said.

"I see your modesty is intact. However, I was not asking how you felt about your odds of winning." Revan said knowingly.

Anakin sobered his expression before responding. "My first plan is asking Watto to get me the processor I need for my chip slicer as a reward for winning. If I ask him in the guise of using it for Threepio he won't think twice about it."

"There is no guarantee he will do this." Revan said. "And let's say you do slice the chips and free yourself and your mother. What then? You will be two escaped slaves on the run with half the bounty hunters in Mos Espa hunting you down."

"We can leave the planet on the ship." Anakin defended himself.

"And go where? You are a gifted pilot Anakin, but you have never flown a starship and neither has your mother. Do you believe there are no bounty hunters with their own, heavily armed ships?" Revan reasoned with him. "Aside from that, it would be better if you stayed on Tatooine until you meet your teacher. This planet is where you are destined to meet."

"Okay fine. My other plan is I bargain my mother's freedom with Watto. He gets more use out of me than her anyway. I win the race, he releases my mom, she comes back with one of the pearls and buys me." Anakin said with his arms crossed.

"That is not a bad plan actually, but there is no guarantee that Watto will agree."

"What am I supposed to do then?" he asked desperately. "I can't- I refuse to let my mom continue being a slave."

"Calm yourself, young one, I can teach you how to subtly influence his mind with the Force. It will make him far more agreeable to your conditions." Revan said.

"He's a toydarian. That won't work on him." Anakin said. Toydarians were known to be able to resist mental influences.

"That is not true. It is a rather large misconception that toydarians are immune to Force persuasion. They are naturally resistant to it, but it can be done. Trust me when I tell you it is much more difficult to do so to a krayt dragon." Revan said.

"But I don't even know how I managed to do that." Anakin replied.

"Then you have a week to learn. Are you prepared to do so?" Revan asked him.

Anakin narrowed his eyes. "Whatever it takes, I'm ready for it."

"Good, the first thing you need to know is that this is not the same as mind control. Force persuasion acts as a form of empowered hypnosis. You use suggestions rather than commands. However, it is very difficult to achieve if the suggestion goes against the targets nature."

"You mean, if I suggest to Watto he should donate his profits to the homeless." Anakin said with a snort.

"You're paying attention. Good." Revan said.

"Thanks." Anakin said with a smile as Revan continued explaining.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"


Tatooine, Mos Espa

The day of the Boonta Eve Classic had arrived. The stands were packed and the sound of cheering was unending. Anakin was in the garage where all the contestants were making the final preparations to their podracers.

He had arrived very early and was attracting curious looks from all the big time racers. He guessed it looked odd for an eight year old human boy to be contending.

"Good." he was counting on them underestimating him.

Many of them had larger podracers that featured enourmous engines. Anakin's own racer was a lot smaller. It was built for speed and maneuverability and nothing else. It was equipped with a custom specification pair of 620C racing engines. He had salvaged them personally and upgraded them to his own standards.

"Ani?"

Anakin turned to see his mom. "Hey mom, where's Watto?"

"He'll be here in a moment. How do you feel?" she asked. Her nerves were high. This is the first time her son would race in this event. The Boonta Eve Classic was overseen by the Hutt Clans, and they were more or less no holds barred type of races.

"I'm fine mom, I got this in the bag." he said with a smile. "Listen, I need you to trust me when Watto comes here."

She looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean? What are you planning?"

He gestured for her to come down for a hug. She did so, and felt him slip something into her pocket. Then he whispered in her ear. "When Watto gets here, I'm going to bargain your freedom. He doesn't think I can win this race, he only signed me up so I can get more experience."

"Ani, I can't le-"

"You won't have to, at least not for too long. Inside your pocket is a krayt dragon pearl." he whispered. His mother sucked in a breath.

"The ship I found had three of these stored inside. When you have your chip removed, you can come back and buy me with that." he said.

"How do you know he'll agree to free me?" she asked.

"He'll agree, trust me. Please." he asked.

"Okay...okay. I trust you." she said quietly.

"He's coming." Anakin whispered.

Shmi tightened their embrace before separating.

"Aww, how nice." the raspy voice of Watto came behind Shmi.

"Hey Watto, make any good bets today?" Anakin asked.

Watto let a slimy grin come to his face. "Oh yes, I believe I'm going to make some good money today. I got everything on Sebulba, he never looses."

"Would you care to make a gamble with me?" Anakin said, his face was deadly serious. Already, he was using the Force to subtly influence Watto. He's been practicing every time he could for past week.

The toydarian slaver barked out in laughter. "Hahaha! And what do you want to bet on, little Ani?" he asked mockingly.

"If I win the race, you free my mom." he said.

"Ani?" Shmi said, keeping in character.

"Ha! And why would I do that you little punk? Not that you have any chance at winning against these people." he asked, very much amused.

"Because you loose nothing even if you do free her." he used the Force just like Revan taught him.

"And how do you figure that?" Watto asked curiously.

"Because you would still have me, her son. She won't go anywhere without me. She'd be a slave in all but name, only you won't be responsible for feeding her." he said. He was pulling out all the stops on his persuasion now. Even his mom looked convinced.

Watto narrowed his greedy eyes on him. "You know...that's not a bad deal."

"It isn't, and you win no matter what. If Sebulba wins, you get your money. If I win, you get the prize money, and you now have a slave that can win the biggest race on the planet plus a servant you're not responsible for." Anakin said. He saw Revan's ghost standing next to his mom. The ancient Jedi nodded to him and disappeared, unseen to all but Anakin.

"Hehehe, you know I'll humor you this once brat." Watto said. "You got a deal."

Anakin watched Watto fly away and let out a breath. "That was a lot more exhausting than practicing." he said to himself.

His mom kneeled down to his level once more. "Ani, what did you do?" she asked, absolutely astonished.

He waved his hand hypnotically "Magic." he said in jest. "I'll tell you later mom, I promise."

The bell announcing the start of the event sounded in the speakers. "Looks like I got a race to win."


Coruscant, Jedi Temple

Qui-Gon paced in his chambers thinking on his recent talk with the High Council. They had completely disregarded the the prophecy he had shown them. Only Master Plo Koon had shown a slight interest in his finding. Though, wether it was because of his genuine curiosity for the prophecy or the fact that he had managed to find a file that ancient was difficult to tell. The Kel Dor Jedi was very hard to read.

"What will it take for them to see?! How can they be so content sitting in their ivory tower doing nothing?! he thought.

"Because it is comfortable."

Qui-Gon's lightsaber was in his hands, already ignited, before he finished turning around. Only, he was speechless to the sight that greeted him. "What?"

It was a hooded ghost, wearing strange armor and long, flowing robes. It was the helmet he wore that made him pause. That was the exact same helmet that he saw in his vision. He sheathed his lightsaber. "Who are you?"

"Hmph. If you only knew how loaded that question is to me. Savior, conqueror, hero, villain. I was all of these things, but you may call me Revan." he said.

Qui-Gon sucked in a breath. "I know your name. I have read of you in the records of the Old Republic. You fought in the Mandalorian Wars. How are you here?"

"The how is very complicated. I'm sure you are more interested in the why." Revan said.

Qui-Gon nodded. "I've seen your helmet before."

"In your vision." Revan said with a nod.

"You know of my vision?" Qui-Gon asked.

"I gave you your vision." Revan revealed. "He was quite the sight was he not?"

"Then that was really the Chosen One I saw?"

"It can be."

Qui-Gon frowned, he was fed up with riddles at this point. He needed a straight answers. "What does that mean? No more riddles. No more vague answers."

Revan chuckled "I like you Qui-Gon Jinn. It means that is who the Chosen One can be. The end is already decided, the Force has willed it. How it is achieved is still up for debate. What you saw was what he can become under your guidance. The alternative, I assure you, is far more tragic."

"Under my guidance? What is your connection to him?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Blood."

"Excuse me?" Qui-Gon blinked.

"He is my blood, my descendant. I've met him already, very sharp for someone his age. Though, I suppose he has been forced to grow up quickly." Revan said.

"Who is he? Where can I find him?" Qui-Gon asked. "If you wish for me to teach him, then I will."

"It is not yet time for you to meet. Neither of you are ready for what is to come, and it will do no good to rush into your own destiny. You will cross paths with him, of that there is no doubt." Revan said.

Qui-Gon relaxed his composure. "I see, is he safe?"

"Well, at the moment he is in the middle of a rather dangerous podrace, so his safety is debatable." Revan said offhandedly.

"What?!" Qui-Gon shouted.

"I wouldn't worry, he is very talented. He's actually been a podracer since he was six, if you can believe that." Revan said with an unseen smile.

"How is that even remotely appropriate?!How old is he now?!" Qui-Gon asked incredulously.

"He is eight, but that is besides the point. His death right now would contradict the ultimate will of the Force, which you and I both know is impossible." Revan reasoned with him.

Qui-Gon sighed "Fine, it's not like I have much choice in the matter." He supposed Revan's logic was sound, if a bit blunt. "What is your role in this?"

"I am simply looking out for my family. Like I said, the end result has already been decided. I only wish for him to not make the same mistakes I did. Which is why I sought out a teacher for him. One who actually listened to the Force, instead of pretending to be it's ambassador like many Jedi often do." Revan replied.

"And what is the end result?" he almost dreaded the answer.

"Balance."

"In the Force?" Qui Gon asked.

"In all things. I have seen many possible futures, if you were to be his teacher then it will bring about a far less destructive outcome." Revan said.

"I thought I said no vague answers."

"You'll have to forgive me. I can't exactly reveal everything to you. If I did, then it would not happen. Hints and clues I can manage, but I can't very well hand you a roadmap to your own future." Revan chuckled.

"How do I know I can trust you. Bloodline aside, I have no reason to believe that you don't intend on bringing about the worst possible outcome." Qui-Gon tested.

Revan merely shrugged. "I suppose you don't. However, I do trust in you. I already told you that my intention is for you to be his mentor. Not because you are the most powerful, not because you are an accomplished teacher. I chose you because, unlike most of the fools in this temple calling themselves Jedi, you encompass everything that a Jedi should be. You understand exactly what a Jedi's greatest strength is."

"Love." Qui-Gon said quietly. "Real, pure, Love.

Revan nodded. "Take it from someone who has walked the path of the Sith. Love is the single most powerful thing a Jedi is capable of. It was how I was able to be redeemed by my wife, Bastila, and also how I was able to redeem her when she fell."

"You speak of the Force in a way not many Jedi do today." Qui-Gon acknowledged. "Most Jedi today would say it is impossible."

"The majority of the Jedi are ignorant fools with an inflated sense of their knowledge of the Force." Revan stated.

Qui-Gon couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. He couldn't deny that statement if he tried.

"Though you are not fated to meet yet, it is no reason to not prepare. There is a great darkness coming Qui-Gon. A terrible corruption that will threaten the entire galaxy." Revan said seriously.

"What must I do?" he asked.

"Hone your skills. You will need them to be sharper than ever before. The crossroads of destiny are still years away, but they are approaching. The Force will test him harshly, Qui-Gon Jinn. It will be up to you to make sure he is ready." Revan said before disappearing. Leaving Qui-Gon to think about everything in silence.


Tatooine, Mos Espa

The crowd was deafening, he could scarcely hear himself breathe. It was absolute madness in the stands. The biggest upset in Podracing history on Tatooine. Anakin stood next to his podracer, having just crossed the finish line on the final lap a minute ago.

An eight year old human boy had won the Boonta Eve Classic. There was so much noise that Anakin couldn't tell if he was being cheered or booed. If he was honest though, he really didn't care. He had just won his mother's freedom. And soon enough, he'd be free as well.

"Unbelievable! Skywalker has become the youngest champion in the history of this event!" the announcer cried out into the speakers.

"Skywalker! Skywalker! Skywalker!"

"I guess they are cheering." Anakin said to himself. He felt his mom approaching him.

"Oh Ani, I'm so proud of you!" she said as she took him into her arms and squeezed the life out of him.

"I did it mom, you're free." he whispered. He never thought he'd be able to say those words.

"And so will you be if I have anything to say about it." Shmi said to him.

The rest of the event went by quickly enough. Anakin was given a small trophy and the cash reward. Watto quickly took the money for himself, but Anakin didn't care as long as he kept his word.


Soon enough, Anakin and his mom arrived home. Watto had already deactivated her chip, though Anakin wouldn't feel entirely at ease until she got a medical droid to remove it.

He led her into his room and went to his work bench. From under the bench Anakin fished out a blaster. "Here take this mom. You might need it, just in case."

Shmi looked at the blaster with a horrified expression. "Anakin, where did you get this?" she asked quietly.

Anakin rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Oh right, I forgot to mention. That ship that I found actually belonged to an arms dealer. The cargo hold can probably arm a third of the city."

"And you just forgot to mention this when you told me about it?" Shmi asked with a raised brow.

"Well no, but you were already so nervous about me racing in the Boonta Eve. I didn't want to give you something else to worry about." Anakin defended himself.

"I will let it go just this once. What else is on that ship?" Shmi asked.

Anakin let out a sigh of relief and proceeded to tell her everything he found. He decided to leave nothing out.

"I also met a ghost whose name is Revan Skywalker. He said he was the first Skywalker in our family. He died almost four thousand years ago during the Old Republic, but was able keep his conciousness in tact to appear as a ghost. He's the one that taught me how to do that magic persuasion thingy I did to Watto before the race." Anakin took a deep breath after he finished that verbal discharge.

Shmi just sighed. "We will talk about this another time." she said. "The first thing I need to do is get this chip removed. Then I will go to the ship myself and grab the other pearls."

Anakin frowned. "What for? One of those things alone is worth a lot more than I am to Watto."

His mother just smiled at him. "Now it's your turn to trust me. I'm going to get this chip removed and then go to the ship. I'll borrow Debby's old speeder bike. By this time tomorrow, you will be free and we will be rid of Watto." She kissed his cheek and left to enact the first part of whatever plan she had come up with.

"Oh man, I could really use a nap." he said to himself softly.

Anakin took a quick shower in the refresher. He went to his room after drying up and collapsed on his small bed, falling into a deep sleep. This would be the most peaceful sleep he ever had. He slept well into the next day.

"Wake up."

His eyes opened, but he felt so well rested that he didn't even need to rub the sleep off his eyes. Anakin sat up in his bed and saw that his blanket had been laid over him. Probably, his mom after she had returned.

He hopped out of bed and made his way into the kitchen. His mom wasn't home, but she had left him a small breakfast meal on the table. Along with a small note next to it. He picked it up a read it.

I will meet you in the shop later today.

I love you.

Anakin ate his breakfast and left for the shop. He was curious as to what she was planning. What could she possibly need all three pearls for? He shrugged it off, he would find out today anyway.

His day had gone by like it usually did. The only exception being his new found fame. On his way to the shop he had been called out to in greeting from almost everyone. They were all eager to meet the young boy who had outclassed experienced podracers on the largest event Tatooine was known for.

Anakin had arrived to Watto's shop relatively early. He normally arrived before Watto. He went about his daily tasks of fixing this and trashing that. Watto relied on his expertise to make use of anything that had value. The toydarian was clueless about anything he sold in comparison to Anakin.

The hours went by and Anakin found himself taking inventory in the yard while Watto, who had arrived shortly after he had, did the same inside. He heard the door of the shop open and his mother's voice greeted his ears. He ran inside and saw his mom standing in front of Watto, her arms holding the box of pearls.

"What do you want woman? You miss being a slave already?" Watto said with his raspy voice.

"I want to make a deal." she said. Her face was dead serious as she looked at her former owner. The disgusting slime that still owned her son. Anakin could only watch in silence.

"Oh yeah? And what is it you want now?" Watto asked.

"I want to buy my son, along with this shop and everything in it." She said.

Anakin's eyes widened.

"Hahaha! Are you crazy?! What makes you think I would sell you anything?!" Watto barked in unfiltered amusement.

Shmi opened the box in her hands and showed him the pearls. "I believe this is more than enough to cover everything."

Watto's greedy eyes went wide. "How did you get three krayt dragon pearls?!"

"That is none of your business. The pearls for my son along with the shop and it's contents." she spoke.

"Sold! I hope you know that those things are worth more than everything I own. I'll be set for life." Watto said mockingly.

"Bring your datapad here now. I want to see everything transferred to the name Skywalker, and my son's chip disabled. Only then you can have them." she said.

Watto went to his safe and pulled out his datapad. He transferred his business to the name Skywalker. Then he deactivated Anakin's slave chip.

Anakin felt a buzz on the left side of his neck where it met his shoulder. He let out a deep breath. He was free, he was actually free. He felt like he was in a dream.

"This belongs to you now." Watto gave her the datapad. "Now give me the pearls! A deal is a deal!"

"The pearls are yours." she handed him the box. "Are we done here?"

"Yes we are. A pleasure doing business with you." Watto said with his ugly smile.

"Likewise." Shmi said. Right before she pulled out the blaster Anakin had given her and shooting Watto point blank in the face. The toydarian dropped from the air instantly. Dead before he hit the ground.

Anakin's jaw dropped as he saw his mom kill Watto without batting an eye. He saw her grab the box of pearls from the ground. Then she pulled out another blaster from behind her and shot Watto's body. The toydarian's corpse disintegrated instantly, leaving nothing to indicate he was ever there. It was a disruptor pistol.

"Filth." she whispered, looking at the spot where Watto's body had been just seconds ago.

She looked up at him an smiled. She dropped everything and ran to engulf him in a loving embrace. Anakin hugged his mom tightly.

"We're free, Ani." she whispered, a lone tear running down her face. "Finally."


AUTHOR NOTES

Yeah I totally just had Shmi kill Watto. Not gonna lie, that one felt good.

I will explain in further detail the reason that the Skywalker name was lost in the annals of history history.

Next chapter will feature the beginnings four years older, making him twelve. As much as I loved Jake Lloyd's performance, I just felt it was a weird decision to make Anakin so young. I figured aging him up at least four years wouldn't be such a big deal. The Jedi Council wouldn't accept him anyway so...yeah.

A slightly more mature Anakin with his signature boyish charm fits my story just fine.

Let me know what you think.