Chapter 2 - Missing

Qui Gon felt the ripple through the force, his apprentice was seemingly in combat. And was no longer close enough to sense. He must have evacuated with the Queen off the planet, through his own decision or the Queens entourage.

"Obi Wan?" He spoke through the communicator. Waiting for a response. "Obi Wan I need you to answer now." He tried with some more authority hoping that would get a response. Still nothing, meaning he must now be out of range and off the planet. To make matters worse Anakin had still not returned, making Qui Gon think whatever had happened at the ship to make them evacuate also had something to do with Anakin not returning.

Now he needed to find Shmi and ask her if she know where Anakin might have gone to rule out any other options.

The walk back to the Skywalker home was uneventful, but still hoping the communicator would spring to life again although it didn't. He entered the home and Shmi sitting at a table nearby was cleaning a piece of machinery. She turned to look at him and noticed her son wasn't with the older Jedi.

"Where's Anakin?" She asked him a small bit of worry in her voice.

"I'm afraid when we left to sell the pod racer Anakin and one of his friends decided to have some last minute fun with it before it was sold." Qui Gon answered. Shmi seemed to relax a bit at that realising it wasn't as bad as she was thinking. "However, that was over an hour ago and he has not yet returned to Mos Eisly."

Her uneasiness rising again, "Do you know where they have gone?"

"I was hoping you would tell me that if there was any area nearby that they might go."

"My only guess is the actual race track itself. My bigger concern is if Watto decides he's having too much fun at his expense and activates the chip."

"That's not going to happen." Qui Gon answered pulling the small rectangular box out of his cloak showing it to her. "I was waiting until we sold the racer and got back here to say that I managed to up the original bet to Anakin's freedom."

A small smile crept over her face before it faded. "You're taking him to the Jedi aren't you?"

"Yes, I wanted to take him to the order and have him learn to be a Jedi."

Shmi looked down for a moment before meeting Qui Gon in the eye. "He won't have a life outside the Jedi will he?"

"No, the Jedi's teachings say that one should forgo all their attachments. Family is one of the first things they desire to be put at the back of one's life." Qui Gon answered her knowing full well what that was implying. Shmi wasn't making any illusions in her mind either, she knew most likely she would never see her son again. If not very sparingly would he be permitted to see her.

"I knew at some stage he would leave this planet. He had a desire to travel the stars even from the youngest of ages. I just hoped that I would still be a part of his life while he did it."

Qui Gon nodded understanding her. "I'll see to the Jedi that someone will arrive to get you out of slavery. If not the Jedi then I believe I could persuade the Queen of Naboo to act on behalf of the one who aided her in a time of need. We may even be able to find you lodgings and employment on some planets we have connections on."

"That would be nice. But I believe I made my point when talking to the handmaiden when you were here earlier. If the republic really wanted to help us here they would have done it long ago." Shmi answered him with a solemn face. "We need to find Anakin first before anything really bad happens to him."

"Agreed I'll head to the track itself and I'd like you to go to the hanger we stored the pod in."

"Yes, that should be fine." Shmi answered standing up and walking out the door with Qui Gon beside her.

The beginning of the track was large and open, making Qui Gon start negotiations with a member of the track for a speeder. Negotiations were not going well, although it was a child he was looking for. On a planet that owned slaves this was not a request that garnered any empathy from people. After a while of staying at the track he tried Watto's shop again if for any reason Anakin went back to his unknown former owner.

Watto was no help at all, stating "I no longer own the boy. He's now your problem, your responsibility. If you can't keep an eye on your slaves you can't complaint to the former owner or request a refund! You got that!"

Qui Gon believed Watto would say he himself was going to say Anakin had vanished and request Shmi now on the basis of 'undelivered goods'. The suns were setting now and still no trace of Anakin. Shmi stated they must return to her home for shelter before the dark. Too many gangs operated after dark, and outside the city the sand people's activity picked up as well. Qui Gon was reluctant to wait until morning but believed Shmi was right about the dangers to himself and her. From what he could sense in the force Anakin was still alive, unsure of his condition but still alive.

Padme had just finished the recording of Sio Bibble a second time. Contemplating why her governor would send a message asking her to contact him, knowing that whatever means of contact would likely be traced back to her location. It was not her only contemplation. The mysterious assassin that attacked the ship earlier that afternoon was tracking their location somehow. No one on the ship had sent out a message off the ship at any stage of this journey. And the Jedi had been with her on Tatooine could not send a message off world. Otherwise he would have just called on more Jedi to escort her to Coruscant. So many questions. She had no one to ask, and even if she did her new doubts would make her not believe the answers given. Her time on Tatooine had made her see for herself that the Republic had failed a great many worlds, and there were things she wouldn't wish on even Nuke Gunray happen on those worlds. As for the boy Anakin that had aided them on that world, his fate was now in the wind as far as she knew. The Jedi Obi Wan Kennobi had told her that he had gone missing an hour before their departure, and his own master was searching around the city looking for him. Their own departure meant Anakin and the Jedi master would need to find their own way off the planet. Perhaps she could organise a search party to be sent to Tatooine on their arrival to Coruscant. She had intended to send a group there after the crisis on her own planet had been resolved in order to help Anakin's mother. Now it seems she'll have to make a search party as well to look for Anakin. He had aided their journey by helping provide necessary parts for their ship, and an inadvertent way had provided them the ability to escape from the assassin that arrived. She just hoped nothing bad had happened to the young boy that had called her an Angel.