Star Wars: The Jedi Twin

Ch: 13

We all sat around a couch in the main room of the house, the lady, who introduced herself as Shmi, was telling us about her and her son's, Anakin's, life on Tatooine.

"All slaves have transmitters placed somewhere inside their body." Shmi tells us.

"I've been working on a scanner to try and locate mine." Anakin tells us.

"Any attempt to escape..." Shmi says, trailing off.

"...and they blow you up...boom!" Anakin says almost too overly excited.

"How wude." Jar Jar says. I think that's the first time that I actually agree with the gungan.

"I still can't believe that there is still slavery in the galaxy. The Republic's anti-slavery laws..." Padmé goes one but Shmi interupts her.

"The Republic doesn't exist out here...we must survive on our own." Shmi tells her.

Jar Jar snatches some food from the table with his tongue, which looks very disgusting from where I'm sitting.

"Scuse me." Jar Jar says once he realized the dirty look I was giving him.

"Has anybody ever seen a Podrace?" Anakin asks.

Padmé shakes her head no right as I had told him 'no'.

"They have Podracing on Malastare. Very fast, very dangerous." Qui-Gon tells Anakin.

"I'm the only human who can do it." Anakin tells us.

"You must have reflexes like a Jedi then." I told him. Which isn't exactly overstating it since I can feel a slightly stronger than mine force signature radiating off of him.

Anakin only smiles at me while Jar Jar appears to have grabbed another item from the table with his long tounge. Qui-Gon quickly reaches out to take the item from Jar Jar. Jar Jar, in his surprise, jumps back, and lands onto the table. The bowl from the table bounces up from the gungan's fall to the table and soars threw the air towards me.

Without thinking, I reached out with the force and stop the item mid air, fearing that it would hurt if it hit me or break should it miss and hit the floor.

"Sit down Jar Jar and be still." Qui-Gon tells the gungan. "Don't do that again." He adds. I slowly use the force to place the item back onto the table. I feel surprise run threw the air, but I can sense that Anakin is less surprised at my actions than how his mother was.

I heard Jar Jar mumble something under his breath that I couldn't make out. Not that there's much that I will understand from him.

"You're Jedi Knights, aren't you?" Anakin asked me and Qui-Gon.

"What makes you think that?" Qui-Gon asked Anakin.

"I saw your laser sword. Only Jedi carry that kind of weapon." Anakin tells us. "Plus she made the bowl float." Anakin motions towards me.

Qui-Gon leans back in his chair, smiling. "Maybe I killed a Jedi and took their weapon from them."

"Nothing can kill a Jedi, and that doesn't say how she is able to levitate the bowl from the table." Anakin tells us.

"I wish that were true." Qui-Gon tells Anakin. "And besides, Nova, here isn't a Jedi Knight...quite yet."

"Then what are you?" Anakin asked me.

"I'm still a padawan." I told him. "But one day, I hope I will become a Jedi Knight."

"I had a dream I was a Jedi. I came back here to free all the slaves... have you come to free us?" Anakin tells us.

"I'm afraid not...." I told Anakin.

"I think you have...why else would you be here?" Anakin asks Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon stays silent for a moment before answering Anakin, "I can see there's no fooling you...we're on our way to Coruscant, the central system in the Republic."

"How did you end up here in the outer rim?" Anakin asks Qui-Gon, but another voice answered him. One that has has been pretty quiet for the duration of our conversation.

"Our ship was damaged." I heard Padmé tell him. "And we're stranded here until we can repair it."

"I can help!" Anakin pipes up in excitement. "I can fix anything!"

"I believe you can." Qui-Gon tells him. "But first we must acquire the parts we need....' He trails off.

"Wit no-nutten mula to trade." Jar Jar tells them.

"These junk dealers must have a weakness of some kind." Padmé states. "Everyone does."

"Gambling. Everything here revolves around betting on those awful races." Shmi tells us.

"Podracing.... Greed can be a powerful ally." Qui-Gon states.

"Or someone's own destruction." I heard Padmé mutter to herself but it seems like I'm the only one that heard her.

"I've built a racer! It's the fastest ever.... There's a big race tomorrow, on Boonta Eve. You could enter my pod." Anakin tells us.

"Anakin!" Shmi chides him. 'Watto won't let you...."

"Watto doesn't know I've built it." Anakin argues with her. He then turns to Qui-Gon. "You could make him think it's yours, and get him to let me pilot it for you."

We both looked over to Shmi, and I can feel that she is upset. She's probably worried sick every time that Anakin has to podrace.

"I don't want you to race. It's awful. I die every time Watto makes you do it." Shmi tells us, making her opinion known.

"But Mom, I love it." Anakin pleads with her. "The prize money would more than pay for the parts they need."

"Anakin!" Shmi yells at him.

'Your mother's right." Qui-Gon tells Anakin. He then faces Anakin's mother, Shmi, "Is there anyone friendly to the Republic who might help us?" Shmi answers his question by shaking her head as if to say 'no'.

"Mom...you said the biggest problem in the universe is nobody helps each other...." Anakin pleads one last time. Shmi only deeply sighs, as a response to Anakin.

"I'm sure Qui-Gon doesn't want to put your son in danger." Padmé kindly tells her. "We-We'll find some other way...."

"No." Shmi states. "There is no other way.... I may not like it, but...he can help you...he was meant to help you."