Chapter 2 - Up in the Chandelier (TPM)

Author's Note: For fanart of this fic, check it out on Wattpad. ;)

~ Amina Gila

Stupid sandstorms. The sand whips violently around us as we hurry down the streets. I raise an arm to shield my eyes as it strikes me repeatedly, stinging my skin. My montrals itch as the miniscule substance hits it. I wish there was a way to cover them, but it hardly seems to help. It blows everywhere, even managing to get under my clothes. I'm pretty sure the only way to escape it is wearing full body armor. Or leaving the planet. Both sound nice, right now. If someone stayed out here during one of those, they'd get their bones blasted dry. I do my best not to think about the time it nearly took me. At least one good thing came out of that.

After what seems like forever, we turn corners and find ourselves on our street. At least we'll be indoors for the worst of it. It's a good thing Anakin offered the group to come here, or they'd be stuck outside in the storm. The storms sweep in from the outskirts, so I'm sure their ship was hit even before we were.

Anakin pushes the button next to the front door of his house, and it slides open. We hurriedly enter, letting it slam behind us before too much sand can blow through the opening. This house is the one that feels like home. Nowhere else does, and I'm glad to be back here.

The strange creature murmurs something I can't understand, contentedly sitting down in one of the chairs directly inside the front door.

"Mom. Mom, I'm home," Anakin calls.

Shmi emerges from one of the few rooms of the house, a surprised expression on her face. "Oh, my! Ani, Ashla, what's this?"

"These are our friends, Mom," Anakin smiles with a tinge of pride.

"This is Padme," I introduce, gesturing to the only one who's name I know.

"I'm Qui-Gon Jinn," the man introduces himself. "And this is Jar Jar Binks."

The droid beeps and whistles from where it stands next to Anakin and I.

"And our droid, Artoo-Detoo," Padme finishes.

That seems to remind Anakin of what he was talking about to her earlier in the shop. "I'm building a droid. You wanna see?" he asks excitedly.

"Anakin!" Shmi interrupts slightly sharply. I know how she gets about us hanging out with strangers. She's always very careful, especially around adults. Something happened, but I don't know what. I never did ask – it's one of the things I know from simple intuition alone. "Why are they here?"

"Sandstorm come when outside," I explain. Everyone's quiet for a second, allowing the overpowering sound of the wind relentlessly hurtling countless grains of sand against the house. I shudder, glad to be indoors. I'm grateful we live so close to where we work.

"Your son was kind enough to offer us shelter," Qui-Gon tells Shmi.

"Come on! Let me show you Threepio!" Anakin decides cheerfully, grabbing Padme's hand and leading her to his room. Artoo follows, beeping. I take it to mean he's happy to meet another one of his kind. I understand that feeling. I'd like to, myself. I should follow, but I hesitate. I don't know why, but I can't shake the uncomfortable frustrated feeling I keep on getting. I'm still holding tightly onto the parts I'd snuck into the shop earlier and I need to give them to Anakin.

Shmi turns to me when I don't leave the room immediately. "Ashla, are you going to stay here tonight?" she asks softly.

I nod. "I stay. This home," I insist, looking up at her. She's the closest thing I have to a mother, one of the only two people in the universe I know will always take care of me. Cotan wouldn't care whether I came back or not. Maybe if he was a little less cold and indifferent, I'd consider him something like a father, but he isn't.

Qui-Gon takes something from his belt, handing them to Shmi. "I have enough food for a meal," he tells her.

"Oh, thank you. Thank you so much," she says gratefully.

"Need help?" I question, perking up.

"It'll be fine," she assures me.

"'Kay," I nod. I do my best to try and shake some of the sand off me. I long since learned trying to brush it off made everything itch more. Once I'm minorly satisfied with the failed attempt at getting it off, I scurry to Anakin's room. I guess I'll be staying in there tonight after we eat, like I often do. Shmi doesn't mind considering our ages, but it's a habit she says will have to be broken eventually. I personally don't really care. After all, it won't be for a long time.

When I enter the room, Anakin is standing next to the work bench where the familiar figure of Threepio is laying. Padme is standing nearby. "Isn't he great?!" Anakin asks cheerfully. "He's not finished yet."

"Ani! Here!" I call, running over to the bench and setting down the few pieces. It's a relief to not have to carry them anymore.

"He's wonderful!" Padme exclaims, scanning the droid.

"You really like him? He's a protocol droid to help Mom. Watch!" Anakin reaches up, flipping a switch. "Get the eye," he requests, looking at me.

I dart around him, snatching it up from a few feet away, passing it to him. Anakin slips it into the other socket, and its eyes light up yellow. I squeal excitedly as the droid starts speaking. "How do you do, I am See-Threepio, Human Cyborg Relations. How might I serve you?"

"He's perfect," Padme replies, grinning.

"When the storm's over, you can see my racer. I'm building a Pod racer!" Anakin announces proudly as I pull myself up onto the no-longer occupied workbench. Threepio has since walked across the room to join his fellow droid, and they pair are engaged in a conversation.

"I beg your pardon. What do you mean I'm naked?" exclaims the protocol droid.

Artoo beeps.

"My parts are showing?" cries Threepio. "Oh, my goodness. How embarrassing!"

I laugh, turning to my best friend. "Need finish him."

"We can tonight," Anakin decides, "It'll only take a few minutes." My grin broadens.

"Finish tonight!" I squeal, jumping off the bench. I land gracefully on my feet with a light thump.

"After we eat," Anakin reminds, instantly dampening my excitement. "It shouldn't be long 'till Mom calls us."

I catch Padme's gaze on me. I brace myself for the questions I know are about to come. "How long have you been here?" She's obviously talking to me, her tone betraying her understandable curiosity.

"Two years," I answer, looking up at her much taller form.

"Two and a half," he corrects, "She lives next door."

"Shouldn't you be there with your family?" she asks. The question is innocent enough. She has no idea what happened, but that doesn't stop the pain from ripping through my heart or the tears that well in my eyes.

I shake my head. "Alone. They my family."

Anakin moves forwards, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "She means," he corrects, "That her family's not here. We've been best friends since she came."

Padme nods understandingly, sympathy shining in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"It's 'kay," I murmur, trying to calm myself, but the way my hand fists into his shirt again tells of anything but. At least I have a family, even if I don't have my parents. I'm not alone. Anakin's here, Shmi's here. They're not going anywhere. Or at least so I try to convince myself. If Anakin chooses someone over me... I don't even want to think about it. I can't lose him. Not now, not ever.

"Ani! Ashla!" Shmi calls. "Dinner time."

"C'mon!" Anakin urges, pulling me along to the doorway. I glance back at the droids where they're still talking to each other but decide there's no point turning him off. We'll be right back. We all take seats around the table, Qui-Gon and Padme on either end. Anakin sits across from me and around the corner to Padme. Jar Jar sits beside him, and Shmi sits beside me. I can hear the wind now, howling loudly as it relentlessly assaults the houses. I hope Cotan got home before the storm struck – he usually works a little later than me.

The temperature is dropping the slightest amount now that the setting sun is blocked out.

Padme's saying something, I'm not really paying attention to what. I'm more focused on eating than trying to translate everything they are saying, but I think she might have asked why we can't just leave. That instantly draws my attention.

"All slaves have transmitters placed inside their bodies somewhere," Shmi explains. I squirm slightly, frustrated. We're not objects. We're people. Why does everyone have to keep acting otherwise? We're living, breathing beings, not droids.

"I've been working on a scanner to try and locate them, but no luck," Anakin continues.

"Any attempt to escape..." Shmi trails off, letting Anakin finish.

"And they blow you up. Poof!" He slams a hand on the table for emphasis. I wince, remembering the days I first heard that. For a long time, I was tempted to try and escape. Didn't care what happened. It didn't really matter. The only thing that ever stopped me was that I was too scared to try. That changed when I met Anakin. I won't leave him. I can't leave him. We need each other.

Padme's expression morphs to one of utter horror while Jar Jar releases a shocked exclamation I fail to decipher. "I can't believe there is still slavery in the galaxy!" Padme exclaims finally, "The Republic's anti-slavery laws –"

"The Republic doesn't exist out here. We must survive on our own," Shmi reminds. On our own, indeed. If I hadn't ended up right next to the Skywalker family, who knows what would have happened?

I shift in my chair, uncomfortable. I've suddenly lost my appetite even though I was starving hardly any time ago. We shouldn't be looked at as subhuman. I hate this. I hate everything. It's plainly unfair for us to be here like this. We should be able to make our own choices. We're not droids to be ordered around at the whims of our so-called masters.

Frustration overwhelms me and my foot collides with my chair leg, just hard enough for a dull thud to reverberate through the room and a dull pain shoot through my leg. It feels good somehow, though I'm hardly sure whether it was intentional or accidental. A distraction, however momentary. I cast a nearly pleading glance at Anakin for him to change the topic. I don't want to talk about this anymore.

Thankfully, my best friend seems to get the message. A slightly awkward silence settles over the room for a few moments, the only sound coming from outside. I idly wonder how long it'll last. They usually are several hours long, but sometimes can drag on throughout most of the night. Regardless, we won't be going outside again today. It's already evening anyway, so we have just enough time to finish up Threepio.

"Have you ever seen a Podrace?" Anakin speaks up suddenly, jolting me out of my thoughts.

Padme shakes her head in the negative. Farther down the table, Jar Jar glances around to ensure no one is looking at him before sticking out his very long tongue to snatch food from a bowl across the table.

I scrunch my face in disgust. "Baaaaad manners." Qui-Gon shoots him a sharp look, but no one else comments.

"They have Podracing on Malastare," Qui-Gon says as an answer to my best friend's inquiry. "Very fast, very dangerous."

"I'm the only human who can do it," Anakin relates with a tinge of pride in his tone.

Shmi casts a sideways glance his direction, a hint of frustration clear on her face.

I frown. "It true," I insist.

"Mom, what? I'm not bragging," Anakin protests, "Watto says he's never head of a human doing it." I smile at my best friend. He's truly gifted; he's amazing.

"You must have Jedi reflexes if you can race Pods," remarks Qui-Gon, which instantly gets my thoughts racing again. I remember the lightsaber I saw earlier, and what he was doing when he first came to the store. Was that really a Jedi mind-trick? Considering the lightsaber I know Anakin and I both saw, it's certainly not impossible.

Jar Jar suddenly sticks his tongue out again, but Qui-Gon grabs it impossibly fast. "Don't do that again," he orders before letting go. Jar Jar shakes his head, mumbling strange sounds and shaking his head.

There is a heartbeat of silence. "You're a Jedi Knight, aren't you?" Anakin queries, curiosity shining in his eyes. He flinches almost imperceptibly as he finishes speaking. I perk up at his question, though do my best not to show it. I don't know this man. I can't trust him. We've learned better than that. On Tatooine, people pretend to be friendly only for their own gain. Which is usually something very, very bad that everyone refuses to tell me anything about no matter how much I ask.

"What makes you say that?" Qui-Gon replies. He neither confirms nor denies it, which makes me even more inclined to think in the positive. It's obvious he's trying to hide it, though I don't know why.

"I saw your laser sword. Only Jedi carry that kind of weapon," Anakin points out.

Qui-Gon leans back in his chair, smiling slightly. "Perhaps I killed a Jedi and stole it from him," he suggests. For some reason, I feel like he's probing for something. Like he's trying to figure something out, though I don't know what.

I shake my head vigorously in denial. That's impossible. "At shop, Watto say you try use Jedi mind-trick."

"No one can kill a Jedi," Anakin asserts.

"I wish that were so," Qui-Gon murmurs. He doesn't answer the question, but it's implied enough. I can't believe we've met a Jedi. I suspected, but it's not the same as actually knowing. It's almost thrilling. I can't seem to tear my eyes from him, watching with borderline awe.

"I had a dream Ashla and I were Jedi. We came back here and freed all the slaves," Anakin remarks, then pauses for a moment, expression thoughtful. "Have you come to free us?" The hope in his eyes is evident – hope I share myself. It's not wise, but I can't help it. Please say yes. We can't stay here like this.

"No, I'm afraid not."

Of course. I slump back in my seat, disappointment rushing through me. We're stuck here on our own. Always on our own.

"I think you have. Why else would you be here?" Anakin questions. I follow his gaze after a moment. It's a good question. The Jedi live at their Temple which is on Coruscant, the Republic's capital. Why would they be all the way out here on Tatooine, the edge of the Outer Rim? They're always busy on missions here and there within the Republic, and Tatooine is just out of range. Jedi rarely come here, if ever.

The Jedi is silent for a few long moments, as if considering answering the question. Our curious, almost prying, gazes seem to make him relent, and he leans forward. "I see there's no fooling you. You mustn't let anyone know about us. We're on our way to Coruscant, the central system in the Republic, on a very important mission, and it must be kept secret."

My curiosity is perked instantly. "Why here in Outer Rim?"

Anakin glances at me, then repeats the question in "proper" Basic. "How did you end up here in the Outer Rim?"

"Our ship was damaged, and we're stranded here until we can repair it." This time it was Padme who answered.

"From near system?" I question, looking up at her with wide eyes.

After a pause, she nods in confirmation.

"I can help! I can fix anything!" Anakin offers almost instantly.

"I believe you can, but our first job is to acquire the parts we need," Qui-Gon objects. Oh, so that's the problem. The pieces from the conversation now and earlier instantly click together. Their hyperdrive was damaged on the way here – though I have no idea how, but I am going to ask sometime – and they came a nearby system to find a replacement.

Unfortunately, a hyperdrive is quite impossible to sneak out of a junkyard. Besides, it would be very suspicious anyway, so that leaves the problem of trying to buy it when they clearly having no money. Regardless, I instantly feel a drive to help them. We always have to help people when we have a chance. It's something Shmi's taught us over and over.

"These junk dealers must have a weakness of some kind," Padme murmurs.

"Gambling. Everything here revolves around betting on those awful races," Shmi answers grimly.

"Greed can be a powerful ally if it's used properly," muses Qui-Gon.

Anakin perks up at that. "I've built a racer! It's the fastest ever. There's a big race the day after tomorrow, on Boonta Eve. You could ender my pod!" His excitement grows every syllable.

"It near finish!" I assert exuberantly. Excitement pulses through me, and I turn my hopeful eyes to Shmi.

"Anakin. Watto won't let you," she protests. She doesn't like the thought, that much is obvious. Still, Anakin refuses to let that stop him. And neither do I.

Anakin started the Pod years ago, and it is about as old as our friendship. He was building it to be the best ever, far stronger and more intricate than Watto's old one. It's the only thing that could hold against Sebulba and his endless supply of tricks. He's made sure Anakin never got to the end every single time, and the only reason it worked was from either a clumsy mistake on Anakin's part or the inability for his Pod to hold together. I've always wanted to see it actually live up to its purpose, especially for something like this.

I don't care if it'll probably get destroyed the first round or so. It's something we get to choose, and that's more important than anything else.

"Watto not know we build!" I insist. "We careful!"

"Watto doesn't know we built it!" Anakin argues simultaneously, then turns to the Jedi. "You could make him think it's yours, and you could get him to let me pilot it for you."

Qui-Gon looks at Shmi, awaiting her answer rather than replying, himself.

"I don't want you to race Ani," she protests. "It's awful. I die every time Watto makes you do it."

"But Mom, I love it! And they need help; they're in trouble."

My lips turn downwards into a frown. I concede her point. It's always scary, but exciting at the same time. I know nothing will happen to him. "We help," I stubbornly declare. "Ani win. They get money need buy parts."

"Ashla..." Shmi sighs, lightly putting a hand on my shoulder. "People die every time in those races." And she's afraid Anakin might join them. Like what almost happened last time.

"Your mother's right. Is there anyone friendly to the Republic who might be able to help us?" Qui-Gon inquires.

Shmi pauses, then shakes her head.

"We help!" I insist, tears stinging my eyes. We can't leave them to their fate here. No one else will want to. "Only we want."

"Mom... you said the biggest problem in the universe is that no one helps each other." Anakin looks up at his mother, eyes nearly pleading. Just like mine.

"I'm sure Qui-Gon doesn't want to put your son I danger. We will find another way," Padme decides. There is a heartbeat of silence, and I nearly hold my breath waiting for her response.

Her shoulders sag in defeat. "No, Ani and Ashla are right. There is no other way. I may not like it, but he can help you. He was meant to help you."

I suck in a deep breath at that, releasing it an excited squeal and bouncing in my seat. We'll be finishing Threepio tonight, and the Pod tomorrow. Tomorrow. And Anakin will be using it, in one of the most major Pod races on Tatooine. I can hear the storm continuing to rage outside, but it doesn't dampen my excitement in the least. I'm practically bouncing in my seat, and I hastily finish eating.

"C'mon, let's go finish Threepio," Anakin calls, running back to his room. I follow, arriving a few moments later. He's already over at the workbench, pulling out some of the remaining tools. Time to get to work.

Half an hour later, Anakin steps back from checking over the droid's final circuits. "Done!" he announces cheerfully.

"Can't believe we finish Pod tomorrow," I remark from my seat, perched atop the bench right next to the droid.

"Ani. Ashla." Shmi's voice draws my attention to the doorway. "It's getting late. You should go to bed." I almost pout, but then remember that we have a long couple days ahead of us, not like we don't always, but these are especially exciting. We need to get moving. I'm honestly a little tired, so I don't complain this time, unlike usual. Moments later, we're climbing into bed.

Anakin falls asleep almost instantly, but the talking from the next room is a clear indication everyone except Jar Jar is still quite awake. I try to block it out at first, but a sudden phrase draws my attention. Someone – it might have been Padme – had asked how I ended up here alone.

"It happened right after her younger sister was born," I can hear Shmi saying. No. I squeeze my eyes shut, struggling to block out the memory. It had all happened so fast. I roll over, pressing my face against the pillow, trying to focus on Anakin's even breathing to block it out. I remember it as hard as I try to block it out. I remember the creatures, though I can't quite remember what they were called, but they looked like enormous, human-shaped lizards. I remember then dragging me inside a ship. I remember hearing the faint sounds of fighting outside, and I remember the sensation of the ship leaving the planet – my planet – and knowing I'd never, ever go back or see any of it or anyone again.

I don't even bother trying to stop the tears when they come, but instead scoot over to Anakin. He looks so calm, so peaceful in his sleep. Shivering slightly, I move up against him. He stirs and his eyes open the slightest amount. I reach over for his hand, and he takes mine, closing his eyes again. I pull the blanket over my head with my free arm to block out the sounds. I doubt they have any idea how well I can hear them. I let my emotions pour out, carefully making sure to stay silent lest anyone hear. After what feels like forever, the calming darkness finally consumes me.

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