The Rise of the Valkyrie *ON HIATUS*

Chapter Thirty-Two

Ashara stood next to Shmi as they watched Anakin down below on the race track. He was struggling to get his pod started up. She could hear laughter from all around as Anakin struggled. She cheered loudly, however, when Anakin shot forward, into the desert and out of sight. She turned her gaze to the screen her adoptive mother was holding, and watched.

She grinned as Anakin started catching up and passing other racers. It wouldn't be long before he would be in first place. She knew he would this one, there was just something about it. Maybe it was Qui-Gon's presence, or something else, but she knew it would happen.

She grew worried when a few tusken raiders appeared at started shooting at the racers, but Anakin got through just fine. He was slowing catching up with Sebulba who was in the lead. She hoped that Anakin would beat the jerk. 

She bit her lip in worry though, when Anakin's podracer got hit, and one of his engines came loose from the part Anakin was in. He started spinning around, losing ground. She watched anxiously as Anakin managed to fix it, and continue catching up. 

By the time he finished his second lap, he was just a little ways behind Sebulba. Ashara cheered loudly.

"Yeah!!" she screamed. "GO ANI! YOU GOT THIS!"

She could feel Qui-Gon's amusement behind her, and watched as Anakin continued catching up to Sebulba. There was a bit of trouble, but Anakin got it figured out, and shot ahead of Sebulba. It was a close call between them, but in the end, Anakin came first, having caused the jerk being to crash just before they reached the spectators.

Ashara cheered loudly, hugging Shmi tightly. "He won! My big brother won! Wooo! Yay, Ani!!"

She rushed down with Qui-Gon and Shmi to find Anakin, who was cheering just as loud as she was. 

"I won!!" Anakin exclaimed. "I won!" Ashara grinned up at her nine year old friend, who grinned back down at her.

"I knew you could do it, Ani! I just knew it!" she exclaimed. Anakin laughed, and pulled her into a hug. They all went to a big hangar where the pod racer got put, and congratulated Anakin some more in a quieter setting.

Later that day, in their small little house, Anakin came in with Qui-Gon, and showed the money they got from selling the pod. Ashara smiled at how happy Anakin and Shmi were. She felt happy too, which was honestly a bit strange. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this happy.

"And he has been freed", Qui-Gon added. "Along with Ashara."

Ashara stared at the Jedi in shock, as did Anakin, who vocally expressed his surprise.

"You're no longer a slave", the adult said in a matter of fact way. She could feel Anakin's happiness, and she could sense Shmi's relief, but also her sadness. She walked over to Shmi and hugged her tightly, knowing that this could be the very last time she would see her adoptive mother. She hoped it wouldn't be, but she didn't want to leave without hugging her.

Shmi and Anakin talked for a little bit, before the mother addressed the Jedi. "Will you take them with you? Are they to become Jedi?"

"Yes", Qui-Gon answered. "Our meeting was not a coincidence. Nothing happens by accident."

Ashara committed those words to memory. 'Nothing happens by accident.'

Rex cut in, surprising Ashara. "So us meeting was not an accident."

"Definitely not", Ashara said. "Like Qui-Gon said, nothing happens by accident. Even me growing feelings for you. Even if they're not returned, they are here for a reason, and it's likely to help me become stronger."

Rex hesitated, almost saying the words that he'd been wanting to say ever since she returned, and since before she returned. But he held back, knowing that now was not the right time. Instead he asked, "So what happened next."

"We got to go with Qui-Gon, who brought us to Queen Amidala's ship. That's where we met Obi-Wan, who was Qui-Gon's padawan at the time."

"So you've known Obi-Wa for a long time", Rex said. Ashara nodded. "He's mine and Anakin's older brother now. Qui-Gon was our father figure, I suppose. We never really had one, unless you count Watto, who wasn't the greatest, honestly. He cared in his own way, I suppose, even if it was hidden deep down."

Rex chuckled, and Ashara continued. "We came to Coruscant. It was a big shock seeing a planet that was an entire city. I don't know if you've been to Tatooine, but we have three major cities, and they're barely cities. The rest is just desert, owned by the Tusken Raiders and the Jawas. But we were greeted on Coruscant by Chancellor Palpatine, who was just a Senator at the time, and the Chancellor before him, Chancellor Valorum."

Senator Palpatine was talking, but Ashara wasn't paying much attention. She was looking around at the busy city. She honestly was just trying to wrap her head around the fact that the city covered the entire planet. The planet was just one big city. It was hard to wrap her seven year old mind around. Anakin seemed to handle it a little bit better, though he was more focused on Padme than anything.

Ashara grabbed Anakin's hand and held onto it tightly. She was starting to feel slightly overwhelmed, unsure if she would fit in here. She was a slave for pretty much half of her life, and now she's going to be trained to be a Jedi. She didn't even fully understand what that meant. And that scared her. She was glad she had her big brother with her, because he was the one familiar thing that she had left.