( CHAPTER 9 )

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Anakin was on the balcony overlooking the gardens. Kyra came onto the balcony behind him, wearing her comfortable night clothes. She saw he was meditating and turned to go.

"Don't go," Anakin sensed her presences and that she was about to leave.

"I don't want to disturb you," Kyra replied.

"Your presence is soothing," Anakin sighed, unmoving. There was a brief pause between the two.

"You had a nightmare again last night," Kyra commented.

"Jedi don't have nightmares," Anakin stated.

"I heard you," Kyra confessed.

Anakin opened his eyes and looked down at her.
"I saw my mother. I saw her as clearly as I see you now. She's suffering, Kyra. She is in pain. . . They're killing her!" Anakin got up, "I know I'm disobeying my mandate to protect you and your sister, Kyra. I know I will be punished and possibly thrown out of the Jedi Order, but I must go. I have to help her! I'm sorry, Kyra I don't have a choice."
"Ani, I told you I wouldn't let you give up your future for me. I'll go with you. That way you can continue to protect me, and I'll get Padmé so you can still protect her, too. That way you won't be disobeying your mandate," Kyra quickly reasoned.

"What about Master Obi-wan?" Anakin thought of his Master.

Kyra smiles and took his hand.

'I guess we won't tell him, will we?"

***

Anakin, Kyra, and Padmé steppes onto the landing platform from the water speeder. They entered the Naboo Starship. Artoo beeped and followed them on board. The ramp retracted.

The Naboo Starship headed toward the desert planet of Tatooine.

***

The Naboo Starship landes in a large parking lot of Spaceships on the outskirts of Mos Espa. Anakin, Kyra, and Padmé rode a rickshaw through the streets. Anakin stared at sights he hadn't seen for years. Finally, they came to Watto's shop, and the rickshaw stopped.

"Wait, please," Anakin and Kyra went down while Padmé waited patiently.

Sitting on a stool in front of the shop is Watto. He was using a small electronic screwdriver on a fiddly droid. Three pit droids were chattering away and were trying to help him, but they seemed only to make him madder.

"No, not that one - that one!" Watto yelled in Huttese.

"Excuse me, Watto," Anakin and Kyra arrived to familiar, bug-like creature.

Kyra wrinkled her nose alight at Watto. The memories of seeing Anakin as a slave to him flooded back to her. She honestly hated it, despite if she knew him or not.

"What?" Watto grumbled in Huttese.

Kyra had no idea what he was saying, as Huttese was a language she hadn't learned. Lucky, Anakin had learned the language, and was able to communicate with him with ease.

"I said excuse me," Anakin replied to Watto in Huttese.

Watto turned to the chattering pit droids. "Shut down," Watto ordered to the pit droids, and the pit droids snapped into their storage position.

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