Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or Tales of Demons and Gods. I write for fun, not for profit.

Chapter 2: Making new friends.

Mos Espa, Shen decided, was a fascinating place. In some ways, it was much like how his parents described the Abyss Prison Realm that 'Uncle' Duan Jian was from. An almost lawless place where the strong and rich severely oppressed those weaker than them. In many cases, forcing people into slavery.

And yet, despite the obvious signs of oppression he could see, most people seemed content with the lives they were living. Vendors were calling out their wares as Nie Shen and his party passed, children ran around (either playing or running errands for their parents), and he was still marveling at the fact that flying vessels were so common to see.

It took a while, but the group finally tracked down a shop where Qui-Gon could likely get what he needed to fix his ship. Just like he'd had to do upon entering the city, Shen clamped down on his initial impulse to attack the shop's owner. All these 'alien' species were throwing him for a loop, and it reinforced to him that he was very far from home.

"Yes, yes, we have what you need if you have the coin," the insect-like 'sentient' replied to whatever Jinn had told him before leading him out behind the shop. He noted that Padmé seemed relieved at the claim before they were caught up with what the young boy working in the shop said.

"Are you an angel?", he asked with eyes that seemed to light up from within as he gazed at Padmé.

"What?", she asked in amusement. Nie Shen had to hold back his own laugh at how serious the boy was.

"An angel," the boy reiterated firmly. "I heard the deep space pilots talk about them. They're the most beautiful creatures in the universe." He paused as if deep in thought. "They live on the moons of Iego, I think."

"You're a funny little boy," Padmé replied with a smile. "How do you know so much?"

The boy shrugged. "I listen to all the traders and star pilots who come through here," he answered as he tried to show a more mature side by acting nonchalant. "I'm a pilot, you know, and someday, I'm gonna fly away from this place."

Continuing to play along, she asked, "You're a pilot?"

"Mm-hmm. All my life," came the response. Nie Shen had to give the kid points for effort. While it might look like he was winning the girl over, it was clear to him that Padmé was merely indulging the boy.

"How long have you been here?", she asked as she leaned against the counter he was sitting on as he cleaned some small machine that Nie Shen had no clue as to its purpose.

"Since I was very little. Three, I think," the kid replied before looking up from his work. "My mom and I were sold to Gardulla the Hutt, but she lost us betting on the Podraces."

Instantly, the mood in the shop shifted. Not even Jar Jar's antics in the background could stop that. From an intellectual standpoint, both Nie Shen and Padmé knew about slavery, and both had met former slaves throughout their lives, but neither had ever seen anyone living in slavery to another before. It hit them both a little harder than usual.

"You're a slave?", Shen called out as he entered the conversation for the first time. He ignored the almost petulant look on the boy's face that he'd interrupted his conversation with the 'angel'.

"I'm a person, and my name is Anakin," came the biting response. Well, as 'biting' as a young boy could be.

"I meant no offense," he stated, his hands up in the universal sign of surrender in an attempt to placate the boy. "One of my father's best friends and comrades was formerly a slave, and we've always considered him as a part of our family."

That took the wind out of Anakin's sails. Most people looked down on slaves, so it had always been a sore spot for him.

At this point, Jinn came back with the 'droid', R2-D2, and motioned to the other members of the group. "We're leaving. Jar Jar."

"I'm glad to have met you," Padmé called out as she followed the older man out of the shop. Nie Shen merely waved at the boy as he trailed behind.

"I was glad to meet you too!", he called out a little louder. For some reason, Shen just knew that he wasn't included in that statement.

After walking down the street for a while, the party ducked into a small alcove to discuss their options. "Did the shop not have what we were looking for?", Padmé asked curiously.

Jinn shook his head. "The opposite, they have exactly what we need. We just don't have anything that he considers worth trading for it," the man replied, slightly exasperated. "And I doubt we'll have much luck anywhere else for the same reason. Republic credits aren't accepted this far in Hutt space."

Nie Shen frowned. "What is accepted out here?", he asked curiously.

"Hard currency, precious metals, even gems would be acceptable, I'm sure," came the frustrated answer. "None of which we have available."

Shen tilted his head for a moment before sending his soul force into his ring, not noticing the wide-eyed reaction on Jinn's face as he did so. Searching through what he had available, he pulled out several demon spirit coins. "Will these work?", he asked, handing the gold coins over to the man.

"How did you…", Qui-Gon began to ask as he accepted the coins. He bit one to test if it was 'real' before staring at the young man in front of him. "I believe they would, though we'd need quite a bit more than this."

Realizing the man meant actual coins, Nie Shen searched his ring some more. "How many?", he asked absently. He needed to organize it better, as he'd gotten quite lazy about storing things inside lately.

"I offered 20,000 credits, which would be around 500 peggats," the man mused as he looked at the coins in his hands. "I'd say 300 of these should suffice, as they're larger than I remember peggats should be." Shen nodded along as he 'grabbed' a pouch and mentally filled it with 350 demon spirit coins, just to be safe.

"I have more than enough for that," he informed the group with a smile as he suddenly had the bag in his hand, glad that he could help them in their time of need. That's when he finally noted the surprised expression on Padmé's face. Jar Jar looked like an idiot too, but he'd assumed that was the Gungan's default state. "What?"

"How are you doing that?", the girl asked in wonder, her eyes glued to the bag he was holding.

"What, this?", he asked in amusement as he handed the bag to Jinn. "It's an interspatial ring that my parents gave me on my birthday. Have you never heard of them before?"

Clearly, from their expressions, they had not.

"We'll return to the shop tomorrow, then," Jinn decided, handing the bag back to Shen to put away, which the young man did with a shrug. "It would look odd if we suddenly returned with a currency he'd accept not even minutes after claiming we didn't have anything but credits to our name," he answered the unspoken question.

The human sentients nodded in understanding while the Gungan just looked around like a moron.

"So, we return to the ship?", Padmé asked curiously, getting a nod in response. "Then let's not delay. I'm sure the Queen will be pleased that our problems will soon be resolved.

Shen nodded along with her until what she said filtered into his brain. "Wait, Queen? What Queen?"

-=Break=-

In the end, they didn't make it back to the ship that night. They'd almost made it out of the market before Jar Jar did something stupid, almost killing himself in the process, and ended up being saved by Anakin as the boy was on his way home from the shop. After learning about the approaching sandstorm, everyone agreed that taking shelter was more important and accepted the boy's offer of refuge at his home for the evening.

From the stories Duan Jian would share about the Abyss Prison Realm, it quickly became clear that, despite being slaves, Anakin and his mother, Shmi Skywalker, were both treated well by their master. For the most part. Sure, Watto exploited the boy's talents with machines and as a pilot, but it was clear that he also cared about the boy in his own way, if only because he considered it a good 'investment'.

After a pleasant meal and conversation, Shen followed along with Padmé (much to Anakin's annoyance) as the boy showed off his latest project.

"I call him C-3PO. He's a protocol droid that I'm making for Mom. I found a module that let me download every currently known language in the galaxy, so he'll always be able to translate for her," he said with excitement as he described everything about the strange humanoid machine. Shen was beginning to realize that 'droids' were nothing like golems and were purely made up of machines, somehow.

"That's very thoughtful of you, Anakin," Padmé said in approval, causing the boy to beam at her before he 'booted' the droid up. It amused him to see the two droids 'talk' to each other, as it was a one-sided conversation as far as he could tell, not being able to understand R2's beeps in any way, though he did laugh at the question about C-3PO being naked.

That night, just before bed, Jinn came and asked to speak to him privately.

"Shen," he started, having learned earlier in the day that his culture put family names first, "I have every intention of ensuring that you are fully reimbursed for any and all expenses that you have offered once we return to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and I was wondering if it would be possible to ask for a bit more to do something."

"And that would be?" He didn't have anything against offering help, he was just curious.

"I was hoping to buy Anakin's freedom," the man admitted with a smile. "He has great potential in using the Force, and I wish to take him with me so that he can begin his training."

Shen nodded in understanding. "What about his mother?", he asked.

The Jedi Master (something that he'd learned a little about during dinner) tapped his chin in thought. "While it would be good to buy her freedom as well, I'm not sure that Watto would be willing to sell them both. I fear it will be difficult enough just to free the boy," he admitted.

Shen gave it some thought. "Why not make a bet with him?", he asked after a minute. Qui-Gon frowned a little but didn't interrupt. "From what Anakin was saying, Watto loves to gamble. And he did mention that he's been building his own podracer. Why not bet on the next race? If we win, Watto will sell us both of the Skywalkers, if we lose, I'll front the money that we would have spent to buy their freedom."

Jinn stroked his beard. "But who will pilot the podracer?" Shen shrugged.

"It's his freedom to win, so let Anakin do it." As much as the thought of doing it himself appealed to him, Nie Shen knew that he was nowhere near familiar enough with this world's technology to succeed.

The Jedi frowned again before bowing his head in acceptance. "I'll speak with the boy and his mother, then." Then he smiled. "Thank you, Shen. I appreciate your help with this." With that, they both went back into the house. Nie Shen went to Anakin's room, where they'd set up a bedroll for him to sleep on the floor, while Qui-Gon went to speak with the boy's mother, who was speaking quietly with Padmé at the table.

The next day went about as the group expected it to. Watto was surprised yet happy to see real money and readily sold the T-14 hyperdrive generator that the ship needed, but then he grew guarded when the topic of selling his prize slaves came up. In the end, Jinn ended up going with Shen's suggestion of making the transaction into a bet on the upcoming Boonta Eve Classic which was only a couple of days away. As it would take at least that long to install the generator and run thorough systems checks on the ship anyway, the Queen gave her approval after speaking with her handmaiden, Padmé.

For his part, Nie Shen quickly realized that he would just be in the way of things, so he spent his time in the Skywalker's home. As much as he was enjoying all of the new experiences, he was beginning to realize what his mother had talked about the day before he left Glory City and her concern regarding his efforts in cultivation. So, given that he had time to himself, he pulled out a bottle of Soul Tempering Pills and put one in his mouth before sitting on the ground in Anakin's room and beginning to meditate on the cultivation technique that his father had gifted him.

The Heavenly God Cultivation Technique was considered to be the most powerful technique by those who know of it due to its sheer versatility. Although practitioners would struggle in the beginning because of the need to build such a strong foundation when compared to other high-level techniques, the speed at which it grew once that foundation was complete could outpace almost anything else. There was also the fact that it allowed the practitioner to integrate with seven Demon Spirits at once instead of being limited to just one.

With the elixir in pill form dissolving in his mouth, he felt the torrent of energies begin to swirl in his dantian as he recited the various scripture verses he'd learned. For hours he meditated on the words, cycling the energies throughout his body and soul as they continued to build and build and build, the pressure of his soul force almost becoming painful. Just before he reached the threshold that had blocked him for weeks, preventing his growth to Silver rank, he felt someone enter the house. He pondered what to do until he sensed others following. Deciding he didn't want to answer questions about what he'd been up to, he decided to wait until everyone had left again before he continued.

The group seemed to be in good spirits. Shmi had taken over for Anakin at the shop, doing basic repairs and cleaning, while the boy was spending his time tinkering with his podracer. When asked what he'd been up to he just smiled and said he'd been meditating, something the Jedi approved of, Padmé found interesting, and Anakin found boring in the extreme. Not that the little tyke was complaining too much, as it meant he had all of the Queen's handmaiden's attention for himself. Shen and Padmé shared an amused glance as they ate a simple lunch before everyone went back to what they'd been doing.

Just an hour after everyone left again, including Jar Jar to Shen's relief, he'd once more reached the threshold that had prevented his advancement for so long. Placing another pill in his mouth, Shen allowed his soul force to continue building up pressure as he did everything he could to hold the energy back. Finally, like a dam bursting from the pressure of a mighty river, he succeeded. Elated, he continued to cycle his soul force and recite the words he'd been taught, marveling as his soul force continued to swell inside him. Another dam burst as he broke through to the second level of Silver rank, followed by a third. By the time the power began to recede, he'd almost made it through to the next level as his soul force settled. Opening his eyes, he grinned, ecstatic at his accomplishment.

"I'm a 3-star Silver ranked Demon Spiritualist," he whispered to himself. Blue eyes shined bright as he began to laugh. It took half an hour for him to regain his composure and wipe away the tears of relief that had rolled down his cheeks. Not that he'd ever say it out loud, but he'd worried that (despite everything his parents had told him) he'd never be able to meet the expectations placed upon his shoulders. Now calm, he looked down at his clothes with a wrinkled nose. Just as when he'd broken through into Bronze rank, his body was expelling impurities as his soul grew stronger. "I need a shower," he complained softly before standing up and heading into the 'fresher unit' he'd been introduced to the night before.

It took him a couple of minutes to figure out how to use the sonic shower, and another couple of minutes to get clean. While he marveled at the novelty of it, he admitted to himself that he preferred cleaning himself with water. It was a much more refreshing experience. Regardless, he 'grabbed' another bag from his ring and placed his soiled clothes inside before pulling out an entirely new outfit.

It was something of a tradition in the family that when the children reached the point of being able to integrate with their first Demon Spirit they'd be permitted to wear a different style of clothing, rather than the simple training outfits they used day to day. His new attire had been selected by his mother (with his input, of course!) and he happily pulled it on.

Simple light-gray pants covered his legs, pooling loosely around his ankles and the soft cloth shoes of the same color on his feet. He wore a cream-colored short-sleeved shirt under a dark blue vest with gray embroidery along the edges and a long-sleeved midnight-blue outer robe that nearly reached his knees. The robe was belted closed with a wide sash that matched the vest in color and embroidery and had the symbol for 'Dragon' stitched over his left breast and on the back.

He smiled as he tied his hair back in his typical topknot and looked at his reflection. No insult intended to his father and the Heavenly Marks Family, but he'd always felt closer to his mother and wished to pay tribute to her Winged Dragon Family when he could.

Once he was done getting dressed, he sat down on his bedroll once more as he searched his ring for the demon spirit stones his parents had provided him, along with the one he'd picked up on his trip. It had been a surprise to see one of the Giant Blue Armed Apes he'd killed provide a demon spirit. Even more so for that demon spirit to have a God demon spirit growth rate! Nie Miu had confirmed it herself after capturing the spirit and giving it to him as a spoil for his first unassisted victory.

After considering his options for a while, he decided to integrate the spirit he'd earned for himself first. He had plenty of time to think about the others, and he knew he didn't have to limit himself to just one. His decision made, Shen pulled out the stone and began the process that his parents and siblings had described to him countless times.

He'd expected the ape to fight him. He'd expected the process to take a while. He was floored when the demon spirit immediately settled in his soul realm without hesitation. It didn't take him long to find out why.

He had been the one to defeat it. He'd already proven he was stronger, that the Demon Beast's spirit was no match for him. So, rather than fight a battle it had already lost, the demon spirit accepted its fate and subjected itself to the one who had proven himself the greater fighter. Shen was too shocked at the situation to celebrate for several minutes, and the only reason he didn't begin after that was because Padmé had arrived back to check on him.

"Shen?", she called out as she entered the building, breaking through his thoughts and gaining his attention.

"I'm here, Padmé," he called back as he stood up and dusted his clothes off. He smiled at the surprised look she gave him at his new outfit. "Is there a problem?", he asked after a moment.

She shook her head, both in answer to his question and to clear her thoughts. "No, no problem. Master Jinn just asked me to check on you. He mentioned sensing something in the Force a short while ago and wanted to make sure you were alright."

Shen held the smile in place as he realized that the Jedi must have felt his breakthrough somehow. "I'm just fine. Better than fine. I just got out of the fresher a few minutes ago," he replied.

"And pulled out a new outfit, I see," she commented as she looked him over again, her cheeks turning a little pink after a moment. "It suits you." He didn't have to force the smile at that point.

"Thank you. My mother picked it out earlier this year, and I haven't had an opportunity to wear it yet." With the understanding that he wouldn't be able to cultivate again for a while, and knowing he needed to allow his soul realm to settle anyway, he gestured toward the door. "How is Anakin doing with his podracer?", he asked as he followed her out of the building before stepping up next to her as they walked through the narrow streets toward the abandoned lot Anakin had commandeered for his larger projects over the years.

Padmé hummed for a moment. "It's beyond my understanding, but both Anakin and Master Jinn seem optimistic about the boy's chances." She glanced sideways at him. "The fact that we have money to purchase better components has certainly helped," she stated with a knowing smile.

Shen rubbed the back of his neck. "Hehehe, yeah. Jinn promised to reimburse me when we reach Coruscant, so I don't mind lending out what they need for now," he admitted somewhat bashfully. He'd never been in a situation where money was in short supply, so he didn't fully understand just how much of an impact he was having on the situation.

Her smile turned genuine, her cheeks going pink again in the process. "I think it's wonderful, what you're doing for the Skywalkers," she admitted gently. He just continued to rub the back of his neck for a minute, and they traveled the rest of the way in silence.

-=Break=-

The next day passed quickly. The young mechanic and the Jedi finished their work on the podracer early in the evening the day before the race was to occur. Most (all, really) of what they talked about was well above Shen's understanding, but he trusted Qui-Gon enough that when they arrived at the massive stadium where the racetrack started he slipped away to place a 'small' bet on the race's outcome. The droid he placed the bet with tested his gold coins and accepted them without too much difficulty. Considering the odds for Skywalker to finish the race was 10:1, he happily placed bets for the boy to win the whole thing at 150:1 odds. As long as the outcome worked out in their favor, the bet would more than cover the cost of the boy and his mother's freedom. They'd decide what to do with them later.

While they were waiting, Shen offered to walk Padmé around. Seeing the state that Shmi was in, however, she declined and opted to do what she could to comfort the nervous mother. He just smiled in understanding before heading out once more to see what else this festival had to offer.

The answer ended up being 'quite a bit'. He found vendors selling everything one could imagine. Various foods and delicacies from all over the galaxy were available, which he happily sampled before going back for the ones he decided were his favorites. He always stepped into the shadows of the many small alcoves and alleys to deposit them into his ring when he could, not wanting to bring extra attention to himself.

He also found vendors who had much more…utilitarian wares available for purchase.

"You say it's called a bowcaster?", he asked a reptilian humanoid who was selling weapons at his large stall.

The man seemed amused that a 'boy' would be interested in such a heavy weapon, especially as most sentient races weren't strong enough to fire the damn thing without hurting themselves. "Indeed, young man. Crafted by the Wookiees of Kashyyyk. It launches plasma-coated bolts, making them more powerful than most blasters available on the market, though the rate of fire leaves much to be desired as you have to pull back the cocking spring with each shot," he explained in a somewhat hissing voice.

Nie Shen didn't mind a lower rate of fire in the least, as he had no point of reference when it came to what blasters were. He looked around for a moment. "I don't suppose I'd be able to test-fire it once?", he asked.

Still amused, the Trandoshan pointed behind him to a small firing range. "I'll give you one shot for free. Any more and you have to pay."

Shen grinned as he walked over to the long counter that many individuals were standing behind as they tested various blasters on the many targets available. Taking the metal bolt (it was called a quarrel for some reason), he slotted it before pulling back the cocking mechanism. Based on how difficult it was until he started channeling his soul force to strengthen his limbs, he was beginning to realize why the vendor seemed amused. He let out a chuckle of his own as he continued to fortify his body and took aim down the range.

Rather than see a young man get knocked on his ass, the Trandoshan was shocked to see the only evidence of recoil was the bowcaster kicking up in the air after the shot. A shot that was only off-target by a couple of feet. Shen was doing his best to hold his excitement in check, but it was clear from his giant grin that he was more than pleased with 'his' new purchase.

"I'll take it, and all of the bolts…quarrels you have in stock," he informed the vendor with a bright smile.

"...Right."

By the time he got back to where the rest of the party was watching the race, the leaders were already halfway through their second lap. He'd been watching everything on the numerous screens in the area, something that he still marveled at being possible, so he was well aware of Anakin's status up to that point. Rather than offer up some of the vendor foods he'd collected, he sat quietly and enjoyed the spectacle as it unfolded. He assumed (correctly) that the boy's mother wouldn't appreciate him asking if she'd like something to eat while her stomach was in knots with worry.

When the boy won, though, he celebrated happily, getting hugs and kisses on his cheeks from both Shmi and Padmé in their excitement. He was honestly happy with the latter, especially when her cheeks went red at the realization of what she'd just done. Once he'd congratulated the pilot, he excused himself to go collect his winnings, though he did stop in an alley long enough to change clothes and draw upon his demon spirit. He wasn't dumb enough to place his bets or collect his winnings looking like a naive young man who couldn't do anything to protect himself.

He was glad he'd done so, even going so far as to change his clothes in an alley, too, as the moment he stepped out of the alley in his 'new' outfit he was approached by several thugs who asked him if he'd seen a large apish individual go into the alley.

"Oh, that guy? He climbed up the wall over there," he pointed back to the far wall behind him, "and handed off some suitcases to one of those lizard-like guys on a speeder."

"A Trandoshan?", one of the thugs asked with a frown. Shen nodded, having heard the term a few times that day.

"Yup. He and the other guy sped off out of sight at that point," he 'confirmed'.

"Poodoo!", one of the others cursed softly. "Jabba's not gonna be happy about this. He lost quite a bit of money on that bet."

The thug in the lead let out a growl before tossing Shen a small coin. "Thanks for the info kid. You're gonna want to make yourself scarce pretty soon."

"Sure thing! Bye!", he called out as he jogged back to where everyone else was waiting for him, several large suitcases safely tucked away in his ring.

The next morning, after getting confirmation that the hyperdrive was fixed and all systems checks were complete, Qui-Gon took a small case of Shen's winnings to Watto's shop. It didn't take long for him to walk out with a smile on his face, accompanied by the recently freed Anakin and his mother. Rather than take extra time for them to pack everything up, Shen had gone ahead and stored everything away with the intention of returning it as soon as they decided on where they wanted to settle. From the quiet discussions he'd overheard so far, Padmé had offered Naboo as an option as soon as the planet's current difficulties had been resolved. As for the boy…

"I'm really going to be a Jedi?", he asked in wonder as he trailed behind Master Jinn like an adorable little puppy.

"Yes, Anakin, you will be trained in the Jedi arts," Qui-Gon replied with a gentle smile as the group walked through the desert to where the Queen's ship was located.

They'd arrived just as the pilot and Qui-Gon's student (Padawan?) were doing the final pre-flight checks. Padmé escorted Shmi, Anakin, Jar Jar, and the droid directly onto the ship while Qui-Gon stepped over to speak with his protege. For his part, Shen was just taking in the sight of a vessel that they were telling him had the capability of traversing the stars. Sure, he wasn't doubting the possibility of visiting other worlds or realms (his parents had done it enough that it was just an accepted fact in his life), but to do so by flying into the sky? He still wasn't sure he fully believed it yet.

"Nie Shen," Jinn called out to him. Shen realized he'd been woolgathering for a bit, so he approached the man. "I'd like you to meet my Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan, meet Nie Shen, a young man who was instrumental in allowing us to accomplish as much as we have in so little time."

Shen gave a polite bow to the older boy who appeared to be around the same age as his eldest brother, Nie Fei. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he stated with a smile.

"And you as well," Kenobi replied with a nod. He seemed about to say something else when all three of them sensed something.

Qui-Gon immediately gestured to the ship. "Get on board, quickly," he urged the two young men as he pulled out a metal cylinder from his belt. Shen didn't question the order and sprinted to the ramp, though he noted Obi-Wan hesitate for a moment before following.

Then he saw it.

A man, dressed all in black, was racing toward them on what he'd learned was called a speeder bike. As soon as he was close, the man leaped off, higher than Shen thought was possible for anyone who wasn't at least a Gold ranked Fighter or Demon Spiritualist. Even if he drew out the power of his demon spirit, Shen doubted he could jump that high. Yet. Then the second shock occurred.

"Spirit swords?!", he hissed in excitement and dread as both Qui-Gon and the stranger engaged in a high-speed fight. From the look of things, the man in black had the upper hand in strength and aggression, his attacks clearly taking Master Jinn by surprise. Yet, Qui-Gon seemed to gain his footing the longer the fight lasted. He only noticed that Obi-Wan was missing when he felt the ship begin to lift off the ground. Before he could become alarmed, Master Jinn leaped up and landed on the loading ramp next to him, breathing deeply from his exertions. "Are you alright, sir?"

Taking one final calming breath, the Jedi looked down at him with a stoic expression. "I am well, though troubled at who, and what, that man could be."

"Sir?", Nie Shen asked in confusion, his head tilted to the side.

Qui-Gon closed his eyes for a moment before patting him on the shoulder as he turned to find his Padawan. "Nothing for you to worry about, Nie Shen. For now, let's get settled in for the journey ahead of us."

Not having any reason to say no, Shen just nodded and followed along. One thing was for sure…

This was the COOLEST adventure of all time!

-=Break=-

End Chapter 2.

AN: And chapter 2 is complete!

First and foremost, the conversation between Padmé and Anakin in Watto's shop is directly from the dialogue in the film. All credit for that conversation (with the exception of Nie Shen's portion) goes to the writers of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. The tone of that conversation, however, describing how Padmé and Nie Shen felt about Anakin, were changes I made for the sake of this story.

As always, comments and reviews are welcome!

-Phail