Chapter Four

I completed my chores in the kitchen when I noticed Qui-Gon outside on the balcony. I walked closer until I realized my mother was with him. I went to turn around, but what the Jedi said piqued my curiosity.

"You should be very proud of your children." he smiled at my mother, "They give without any thought of reward."

"They know nothing of greed." she said sadly, "They both have-"

"They have special powers." he interrupted her, "They can see things before they happen. That's why they appear to have such quick reflexes. It's a Jedi trait."

"Actually," my mother told him, "Kida helps train him to be as fast as she is. She can move things, feel things, see things. Anakin isn't there yet but I assume he'll catch up to her. They spend hours together after every race to improve. They both feel things I can never understand but worry about Kida. If she gets too emotional things tend to move around and break. She tries her best to control it. They deserve better than a slave's life. Anakin is free, but Kida is still a slave like I am."

"Had they been born under the Republic, we would have identified them earlier, especially Kida." He turned to my mother. The force is unusually strong with them. That much is clear. Who is their father?" he questioned.

Deciding now was a good time to come out of hiding, I put a hand on my mother's back for moral support as I told the Jedi we didn't have a father. Mom finished telling him how she discovered our powers as we got older. I got into a fight with a kid who made fun of me for being a slave, and Ani when he got upset he still couldn't create a locator for our tracking chips. Our mother, being as caring as she was, asked Qui-Gon if he would help us.

The Jedi was about to answer, but I interrupted him. "Don't make promises you can't keep." I warned him, "I'm old enough to understand but Anakin is only nine. If he hears you say you're going to help us, his hopes will be crushed if it doesn't happen." I closed my eyes, Anakin would be mad at me but it was worth it if he could leave this planet. "Anakin isn't a slave anymore. If you want to train someone to be a Jedi, help him instead."

Before he could answer me, I left the two on the balcony as I worked my way outside to help Anakin with the pod. Kids were already gathered around the pod and looked at the droid next to the ship that Anakin was showing off. Padme and I brought out things Anakin would need. I heard everyone gasp and when I turned to see what was going on, all the kids were looking at me. "Do I have something on my face?" I looked at everyone suspiciously.

They all suddenly surrounded me with questions about the pod race, making me glare at Anakin who was already back to work. I rolled my eyes and answered everyone's questions and eventually, they left to go home.

"I'm going to get you for that." I warned my brother.

"I needed them to leave me alone so I could work on the pod, I'm sorry Kida." he apologized, still paying attention to the part he was reattaching. I giggled and pushed him over the pod, making him fall out. We were both laughing as Qui-Gon walked over, getting back to work. I could never say no to that face. Jar Jar's tongue got numb from the beam on the pod making me laugh even more as he walked around. He is less annoying this way.

"Do you think this pod is going to run?" I looked to Ani who still looked very focused, debating his answer. Now, don't get me wrong, I would never doubt my brother's abilities to fix junk. However, we've worked on this pod for years and it has never once ran correctly. I felt a tap on my shoulder and the Jedi handed over a power source for Anakin. He pulled me to the side as Anakin worked to fire up the pod. I kept my fingers crossed for luck. We heard the engine start to hum which got louder as it came to life. I could barely hear Anakin yelling as the engine roared, putting a huge smile on my face as everyone cheered.

Anakin and I were on the balcony later that night staring at the stars after dinner. The best part about our relationship, we didn't always need to talk. We communicated silently to each other as we enjoyed the peace that the night sky brought. But like all good things, they must end. The Jedi came out and joined us watching silently as we looked up at the stars. He sat in between us and cleaned the cut on Anakin's arm that he got from working on the pod earlier and also looking for infections. I knew he was lying, but I stayed quiet since Anakin didn't like needles. We talked about the stars and planets that we wanted to see and laughed when Anakin shared his dream of seeing all of them with me. I didn't know how much time passed between us until I heard our mother call Ani in for bed.

The Jedi called my name, making me look over at me. "I thought now would be a good time to talk with you since your brother has been summoned to bed." He continued as I just stared at him. "I would like to take a blood sample to test you for-"

"If you say infections, I'll know you're lying." I teased with a small smile on my face.

"People have something called midi-chlorians, and I would like to test your blood." he explained what they were. How high your midi-chlorian count was depended on how attuned you were with something called the force. Whatever that was.

I nodded, permitting him to stick me with the weird needle as I watched him prepare, "Is this about our powers?" I question, "I feel things. I felt that I could trust you the moment you looked at me, but I was still hesitant. Why is that? Then you were in my head yesterday at dinner. I could hear you as clearly as you are talking to me now, how did you do that?"

"What you're feeling is what we call the force. It's very strong with you and your brother."

I looked down at my hands as I felt a pinch on my arm from the needle. "Is the force something to be feared?" I blurted out.

He stopped and looked at me, "Your mother told me you have nightmares."

I nodded my head, "I hear kids all the time telling me I'm an orphan. Anakin and I don't have a father, and they call my mother terrible names. I felt so much anger that the things in my room started to shake and I broke the bookshelf. I've been making sure to keep my anger in check."

"I felt it when I was speaking to Watto earlier.'' He looked off into the night sky deep in thought.

"Yeah, I bite my tongue to keep my anger in check. I'm scared honestly. I have dreams of my brother and I getting rescued and trained to become the best Jedi, but the nightmares are worse."

"Do you see anything?" He turned his attention back to me.

"I trust you to keep this to yourself. I haven't even told my mother." I looked up at the sky and recalled the occurring nightmares that haunted my dreams. "My mother is tied up and beaten. I don't know where but I feel her pain. She had cuts on her face and bruises. She cries out for me and Anakin. Then there is a man in black robes with a red and black face that comes and he has a red lightsaber and tries to hurt you and some man with blue eyes and short hair with a braid. Similar clothing to what you are wearing." We talked some more time as he listened to all my stories. He assured me they were just nightmares but I felt they were more than that. He tried to help distract me and began to explain how the scanner could test my blood but I started to feel tired. He ushered me to bed so he could work, but I rolled my eyes and got up as I heard my mother calling for me to come inside.

When I walked into my room and closed the door, I thought back to the story I told my new friend. That was the first time anyone besides my mother and brother actually listened and cared about what I had to say. To say the nightmares were worrying me was an understatement. I had a feeling when I told Qui-Gon my dreams, he tried to make me feel better but I could tell he was lying. They didn't feel like they were just dreams. I felt so much pain from when my mother would call out to me and Anakin. There was one thing I didn't tell him. One dream about the mysterious man with auburn hair and ocean-blue eyes. I knew his name, Obi-Wan. I had no idea who he was, but I would always see the two of us holding hands. He walked me out onto a balcony at night, something was bothering him. I felt despair and heartbreak, but he was determined it wasn't my fault, that I tried to save him. But who needed saving and why did I get the feeling I wasn't successful? He pulled out of his pocket a blue crystal and the dream always ends the same way, with a kiss.