7. Preparation

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Third Person POV

The streets of the town are filled with people walking towards the podrace. Padme, Jar Jar and Qui-Gon walk towards Watto's shop once again.

"Are you sure about this?" Padme asks. Qui-Gon turns around. "Trusting our fate to a boy and girl we hardly know? The Queen will not approve."

"The queen doesn't need to know," Qui-Gon replies as he walks into the hop.

"Well, I don't approve." Padme sits down angrily.

Aris's POV

The bell dings as Qui-Gon walks inside.

"The boy and girl tell me you want to sponsor them in the race. How can you do this? Not on the Republic credits, I think, huh?" Watto, Anakin and Aris walk up to Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon takes out a hologram projector and shows the picture of the Naboo ship.

"My ship will be the entry fee. For both the boy and the girl," Qui-Gon says. Anakin and I stare at the ship, mesmerised.

"Not bad, huh? A Nubian," Watto remarks as he stares at the hologram.

"It's in good order, except for the parts I need," Qui-Gon assures Watto.

"What would the boy and the girl ride?" Watto asks. "He smashed up my pod in the last race. It will take some long time to fix it. The girl would not have built a podracer yet."

I glare at Watto. "I have," I say. Watto seems displeased. "Fine."

"It wasn't my fault that the pod got broken, really. Sebulba flashed me with his vents," Anakin tells Qui-Gon. "I actually saved the pod. Mostly."

"Mmm. That you did, huh," Watto chuckles. "The boy's good. No doubs there, huh? The girl...I'm not so sure."

"I am as good a racer as Anakin. I have no doubt about that," I say. Watto looks displeased once again.

"I have acquired a pod in a game of chance, the fastest ever built," Qui-Gon says.

"I hope you didn't kill anyone I know for it, huh?" Watto replies as he laughs. "So, you supply the pods and the entry fee. I supply the boy and girl. We split the winnings, um 50-50, I think, huh?"

"If it's going to be 50-50, I suggest you front the cash for the entry. If the boy or girl wins, you keep all the winnings, minus the cost of the parts I need. And if they lose, you keep my ship. Either way, you win," Qui-Gon suggests.

Watto grumbles as he thinks. "Deal!" he says as he shakes Qui-Gon's hand.

Great. Now I have even more pressure on me. I have to win or get runner-up, or I will be thrown in jail and Qui-Gon might not get the parts they need.

"Your friend is a foolish one, methinks," Watto says to me and Anakin. We cross our arms, slightly annoyed.

Third Person POV

"What if this plan fails, Master? We could be stuck here for a very long time," Obi-Wan says concerningly through the comlink.

"Well, it's too dangerous to call for help, and a ship without a power supply isn't going to get us anywhere. And... there's something about these kids," Qui-Gon says as he turns off his comlink.

Anakin and Aris's mother, Shmi Skywalker, walks out to join Qui-Gon.

"You should be very proud of your kids. They give without any thought of reward. Well, at least the boy," Qui-Gon says.

"Well, Anakin knows nothing of greed. Aris...she has gone through a lot. You have to understand her. Being oppressed because she is a girl is not very easy for someone as adventerous as her," Shmi explains. "They have a-"

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