Chapter 5: Recovering memory
They were preparing to leave the planet and Engel asks "Where do we go to start?" "You told me you already had an idea Anakin."
"Yes... I was meditating... You have to go to Tatooine, in a region called Jundland Wastes, that's where you have to start Engel."
Engel told the bounty hunter the location, instantly leaving the planet.
Engel felt a little strange… he had never left his world before.
The ship went out into space, setting the route starting through hyperspace. As they traveled Anakin was deeply concentrated trying to remember his Jedi knowledge and skills that he had already forgotten, he knew that he was going to need them for what they were now doing.
"Anakin, are you okay?"
"I'm fine... I'm just preparing for what's coming Engel, I have to remember all the Jedi knowledge that I have forgotten."
"And do you remember them?"
"There are things I don't remember yet."
It was at least two hours until they emerged from hyperspace and saw the planet of Tatooine.
"We have arrived, I will leave you where you told me, but be careful there are many dangers in this world such as Tusken bandits and hundreds of gangsters and also like Jabba the Hutt."
The ship little by little was descending through the planet's atmosphere until it reached the Jundland Wastelands.
"Well... we have arrived, just be careful, you already know the dangers that exist in this place" Engel's friend said goodbye to both of them and left the place in his ship.
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They both took in the grand sight and Anakin couldn't help but feel something, a feeling of something lost in his soul.
"Are you OK? Do you feel anything?"
"I feel like I've lost something, but I don't know it's Engel."
After a long walk, they saw some abandoned buildings in the distance that they noticed instantly.
"You see it? Maybe there is something that will help us discover something about you, Anakin," Engel said, pointing with his finger and advancing little by little while the gusts of wind lifted their layers a little.
When they arrived they saw that the place was completely destroyed without any survivors, apparently it had been like this for several years.
"I think it was a humidity farm…"
They walked from one side to the other seeing if there was anything that would give them some clue but there was nothing that would help.
They entered a small, completely abandoned warehouse where there were still things and tools of all kinds and it even seemed that there was a small hovercraft that was left there after a long time.
Engel checks the other things, Anakin feels like he remembers a person. "Obi-Wan…" Anakin said in surprise and feeling something in his being as if something was returning to his mind.
Anakin remembered some fragments of his exploits in the Clone War with Obi-Wan, he was his Jedi master... Padme returned to his memories and even accompanied him to Tatooine to find his mother Shimi.
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Anakin flatly denied, while once again he put his hands to his head without understanding what all this was about.
"What's happening? Do you remember anything else?"
"Yes, I remember that years ago I was here, looking for my mother Shimi… But I especially remember someone named Obi-Wan Kenobi, he was my friend, he was like my brother. He was my teacher… but there are more things that I don't remember exactly Engel." Anakin was silent for a moment thinking and continued "I came with that woman called Padme or as I came to call her Angel, I came here with her looking for my mother Shimi but I don't remember her Engel."
"We better go Anakin."
Engel saw the hovercraft that was there and Anakin tried to turn it on. "It's funny that I can remember how to fix some things, maybe it will make it work." He took some of the tools that were still lying around and managed to make the hovercraft work.
"You did it Anakin..." Engel told him with emotion.
"Thank you... but I think we will have to spend the rest of the day and night here and tomorrow" Anakin said and they both saw the two suns of the planet that were almost setting.
Engel had taken out some of the things he had brought something to eat and drink while they had made a bonfire for light.
"What are you thinking about?" Engel asked while eating.
"On our next trip, but first we must leave this planet, at least I remember that there are cargo ships here or smugglers who take people in exchange for payment, Engel."
Engel looked at him "Well… I have some credits with me for anything."
Anakin knew where to go before anything. He finished eating and stood up little by little and said. "I have to meditate, see what there is through the Force, maybe it will reveal something to me."
Anakin went outside and sat on the ground and concentrated deeply trying to figure out something.
He spent a good time alone, concentrating until he saw a beautiful world with green landscapes called Naboo and felt the relationship with Padmé Amidala's man.
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Anakin stood up and went to Engel who was already resting and told him the next destination.
"I already know where we have to go Engel, we must go to the world of Naboo... I felt that this world It is related to that woman, Padmé Amidala."
They were both putting away their things to be ready in the morning, leaving without any kind of setback.
"We will leave in the morning, so as not to have any major setbacks, Anakin." Engel said.
Anakin was also preparing to rest because he was equally tired. "Tomorrow we will leave Engel."
They spent the night and as soon as they felt it was the next day they got up, got on the hovercraft and it was Anakin who piloted it.
Setting off at full speed in the middle of the desert while Engel was at his side. "Wow you are a good pilot Anakin, I never really imagined that."
"Thank you... Engel. The town of Mos Eisley if I'm not mistaken is a few kilometers away, we'll be there any minute."
The trip only lasted a little while longer until they arrived and saw the large crowd there was but they also saw soldiers from the Empire.
They stopped at a corner to see if there was any threat of any kind, seeing several soldiers.
"We have to get away from those Engel soldiers, we can't let them see us."
They quickly got off the hovercraft and started walking but they still couldn't avoid running into a couple of soldiers who were checking each pedestrian.
"You...! Documents!" He ordered, one of the Stormtrooper, but Anakin raised his hand near his face.
"We don't need documents... everything is in order, we can continue on our way right now." Anakin said using the Force on them and they repeated the same words and let them continue on their way.
Leaving Engel speechless "What was that Anakin? What did you do with those soldiers?" Engel asked quietly.
"It's something called a mind trick... it was a Jedi technique that was used to confuse weak-minded people. I learned it from my teacher Obi-Wan, he used it every day."
They walked a little more until they asked a local where there was a place to get transportation to leave the planet, taking them to the cantina of the Chalmun Spaceport, there they will find whoever took them.
As the two entered, they saw the large number of people and extraterrestrial species at the same time as they heard the band playing their music.
Some saw them but at the same time instantly ignored Anakin and Engel, the others walked directly to the bar and asked the bartender for some transportation.
"Down at the bottom in the takeoff zone, they will find someone to take them wherever they want." He said to himself, pointing with his finger and leaving immediately without attracting much attention.
When they arrived they only saw a cargo ship that was about to leave.
"Do you take people to other places? We are looking for transportation" Engel asked.
"That's right, but the price is expensive given the way things are."
"What things? Let's say what you mean," Engel asked.
"Don't you know anything about the situation, gentlemen? The hyperspace routes are being watched by the empire, by the civil war. Where did they want it to take them?"
"To the world of Naboo." Anakin replied.
"That world is somewhat far from here, my friends."
"How much would it take us?" Engel asked.
"In these circumstances it would be something like that, like 10,000 credits."
They both widened their eyes at the high price but Anakin said "Done, but you have to leave us safe inside the planet, okay?"
The smiling man "Deal! Let's go right now!".
They both got on the cargo ship, no doubt it was also a smuggler. He showed them both where to sit and prepare to leave.
But Engel had a big doubt and when he and Anakin were alone he asked him, "Don't you think it's too much money?"
But Anakin shook his head and replied "No problems... when we get there I will use the mind trick to make him believe that I already paid him and you will be just like a free ride without any problems, we have nothing to worry about."
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The ship left the Spaceport, a few minutes later Anakin and Engel were once again ready for their trip, leaving that planet once again and making the jump to hyperspace.
The trip would last at least five hours, so they could make themselves comfortable, although not so comfortable knowing that there were Imperial forces on those routes.
It was a long trip but they arrived and through the windows they could see the enormous Imperial Cruisers that guarded the planet and fighter ships were flying everywhere.
"Well, get ready, because we are going to enter the planet's atmosphere, gentlemen."
"Won't we have problems with them? Aren't they going to stop us for a check or something else?"
"No... I've done it before. "I have commercial access codes so we won't have any problems."
Entering the access code without any major problems, they entered the atmosphere to the airport in the city of Theed. Before getting off, Anakin used the mental trick to make it seem like they had already paid.
"Why is there so much security? Is it usual for him to always be like this?"
"No, there is a particular reason for such security, tomorrow will be Empire Day and it is celebrated in all imperial systems such as Naboo, because the Emperor is from this planet, but where the biggest celebration takes place is in the capital on Coruscant, there is a parade until a gala party."
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They began to walk with their things, without attracting much attention but there was something in that place that made Anakin too familiar, without knowing why "I don't know... but I feel like I've already been here Engel."
"Do you remember anything?"
Anakin denied and at the same time nodded, "No and...yes, I don't know how to explain it, but I know that I was once here."
As they continued moving forward, they saw something that caught their attention. Theed palace was open to tourists for this day, and they decided to enter.
It was a kind of extremely large museum of the royal dynasty of Naboo where all those who have been monarchs of this planet are exhibited in paintings and images.
Anakin and Engel looked at the paintings until they came to a queen they had had…. It was special. A plaque said that Padmé Amidala had been the youngest queen of Naboo.
Anakin felt a memory, that wanted to get out but couldn't.
"Excuse me, maiden, who was that young lady? Was she the queen of Naboo?" Engel asked.
"That's right sir, but she was more than that, she was also the Senator of this planet in the Senate of the old Galactic Republic.
She was the best queen and senator we have ever had...may she rest in peace."
Anakin fell to the ground on his knees without knowing what he felt or what was happening, at the same time he cried for her, without understanding why.
"What's wrong Anakin? Do you remember her or did you know her?"
"I don't know… I think so, I feel a pain for her that I can't explain Engel."
Engel helped Anakin stand up. "I think I know where his grave is. Do you want to see it?"
Anakin nodded and they left Theed's palace.
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They walked a little further until they reached Padme Amidala's tomb. Anakin didn't know what was happening and so did Engel.
They arrived and saw a statue of Queen Amidala and Anakin seeing it there didn't know how to react or what to do.
Some other maids were there around her and Anakin asked, "What is that necklace you have in that display case?" Anakin felt like he knew that necklace from somewhere, until he remembered that he had made it himself with his own hands as a child, a gift for his angel.
"It was something the queen never took off, she once said it had been given to her by someone she loved too much."
"Anakin, do you remember anything now that we're here?"
Anakin nodded his head at the same time, he saw little by little his wedding with Padme and two Droids at his side as a witness, how his first kiss with her was and how in a burst of uncontrollable anger he drowned her without thinking about it.
Falling to his knees and hitting the ground hard with his fists, Engel did not understand what was happening to him.
"It was my fault Engel, it was my fault that that happened to him," he said, crying helplessly.
"As? "I don't understand, Anakin."
"This woman was my wife, I loved her and we got married…. When I was a child I gave her a gift when I met her. I was very happy at his side but then I hurt him..."
Engel hugged Anakin tightly and let Anakin vent his pain... Engel felt like his son... like the one he never had.
"Whatever happened and why you did that, you are no longer that person. The past is the past but now it has the present and the future my friend." Engel told him to calm him down a bit.
"But still there are things that I still don't remember clearly Engel, there is still more about me that I don't know, what I have forgotten and that I must recover. "I don't know what I would do without you Engel, I don't have anyone."
"You've got me! You're like my son Anakin... maybe I'm not that chancellor you're confusing me with, but I do care about you. "I'm not going to leave you alone, ever."
They walked outside and it was already getting dark.
"We need to find a place to spend the night as soon as possible, Anakin."
"Thank you Engel, for everything really and for not leaving me."
"You are a good person Anakin, I know how painful it is to lose a family member, but you have to take into account that even if they are no longer present here with you, they will be present within your heart so they never die."
"Thank you Engel…"