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Chapter 9 - Free the Slaves
Previously...
Shock spread over both Obi-wan’s and the light-haired doctor’s faces to see that Alia’s wound was completely healed, with only a slight scar as testament to her injury. Navras looked to Obi-wan.
“It did,” he said, his voice incredulous, growing dismayed as he continued, “I’ll have to cut into the wound to see what has gone wrong.”
And now...
Knowing better than to argue with a doctor in his element, Obi-wan nevertheless felt helpless as he watched the shorter man make a thickened slit into her shoulder, carefully probing the edges, nonetheless accidentally marking her flesh as Alia continued her shrieks and convulsions. Finishing his examination, Navras shook his head, and shouted at the Jedi, “Her wound has healed but there is something wrong with its mending! Something other than her injury is causing this to happen. I’ll need to perform a bioscan.”
All at once Alia’s cries began to lessen in intensity and both men looked at her shuddering body in alarm as she began to gurgle and her eyes, normally so brilliant a blue, were dull as they rolled back into her head. Navras sprinted to a command console.
“Kovath,” he yelled, “Get the bio systems running now!”
As Obi-wan watched, a terrified orderly snapped to attention and rushed to one of the consoles opposite the doctor, his fingers making a flurry of movement as they raced across the keys.
“Systems online, Doctor Navras,” said the young man named Kovath, “Running diagnostic…”
/ I’m no Healer, oh Force, help her! /
X X X X
“We don’t have time for the diagnostic, Kovath, get it operational NOW!”
Sweat beading his forehead, Jorda narrowed his eyes in concentration as he placed the neural interface over his head, his arms over the console grid; the holographic image that appeared before him was the only beacon of hope for his patient. The scanner brought up a representation of the girl’s body on a nearby screen to which he glued his eyes, searching desperately for the answer to her pain. Nothing…everything was coming back normal. Jorda growled in frustration, his eyes moving restlessly over the screen, when a sudden pixel flashed onscreen. / What was that? / Jorda had learned long ago to never ignore anything on the grid screen, and turned his attention to enhancing the visual.
/ By the…something has burrowed its way into her body. / Enhancing the trail by whatever was doing this to her, Jorda followed its trail until at last he came upon a creature he had only seen in medical holotexts. / A drakar. Some gamashtohn has gotten a drakar into her. / Alia made another gurgling noise, and he quickly checked the progress of the assassin-droid, finding to his horror that its programming was nearly complete. Whirling into action, Jorda ripped the band from his head, shouting even as he moved around the medical bay.
“Stasis chamber! Get the stasis chamber ready. There’s no time,” he screamed at the orderlies as they began to untie her from the table, “Put them both in the pod, I don’t care, just get her into it NOW!”
A hundred things seemed to happen at once: the young man called Kovath slammed his fist onto a keypad embedded in the wall, releasing the stasis chamber from above them, the one called Javin unhooked the examination table from its center leg, and the nameless red-haired orderly grabbed Alia around her waist to pull her into the chamber, when her eyes suddenly flew open, her chest spasmed into the air as if she were possessed, and let out a terrifying, soul-shattering shriek that forced them all to their knees, clutching their ears.
Out of the corner of his eye Obi-wan saw Navras stagger back as the decibel level of her voice shattered the glass around them, but the red-haired orderly struggled to her, pushing the entire table top into the pod, pounding the code into the keypad that sealed it shut. The scream was cut off immediately, and a second later the chamber was filled with bright light as the kolto beams paralyzed its occupant.
His ears ringing, Obi-wan swayed slightly as he made his way to the chamber. Looking down, he was horrified to realize that Alia had opened her eyes in the middle of her scream; her blue eyes were frozen in pain, the intensity in them searing his heart as he pressed a hand to the glass separating them. Inwardly he cried out as he realized that she would be trapped in a continuous cycle of pain until the medical officer was able to re-animate her tortured body.
X X X X
Qui-Gon awoke with a sudden cry, his hand on his lightsaber as he stumbled into a fighting stance. The shadows cast by the various bits of furniture around the little hovel suddenly became laughing, smoky foes, their cries mocking and high-pitched. He whirled around to face his unseen enemy, letting out a roar as he slashed through the air.
KaTHUNK!
He stared at the two halves of a previously-whole chair dazedly, confused as the smoke of cauterized plasteel filled the air.
“Master Qui-Gon, are you all right?”
Qui-Gon shifted his eyes from the decidedly-dead chair to a sleepy-eyed Anakin. For a moment, his face was as blank as his mind, until something in the boy’s voice caused him to visibly snap to attention and deactivate his lightsaber.
“I’m fine, Ani,” he said, “It was just a dream. Go back to sleep, you have a race to win tomorrow.”
For a moment it almost seemed that the boy’s stubbornness would win out over his good sense, but in the end he simply gave the older man a long look before turning around and returning to his room. Breathing in deeply, Qui-Gon sat back on the cot that had been provided for him and was replacing his lightsaber to its proper place when a voice spoke.
“What did you see?”
Without sparing a glance to where he knew the handmaiden lay, he rearranged his blanket until it no longer claimed a stranglehold on his body.
“I saw nothing, Handmaiden,” he answered before turning on his side, where the Gungan was still snoring, before adding to himself softly, “But what I felt was something else entirely.”
The Next Day…
Watching the caravan of eopie approach, Obi-wan only hoped that the smuggler’s haven had been far enough way so that his Master hadn’t felt the strength of Alia’s agony. The memory of that ordeal still sent twinges of pain along his spine and snatches of reaction-headache through his head. Shivering despite the heat, nervousness ate at his gut as Obi-wan raised a hand to shield his eyes from the suns’ glare. Even from this distance, he could sense his Master’s preoccupation.
Captain Panaka, who was at his side, was watching the group approach with an apprehensive expression, and his dark eyes kept moving to take in the landscape, as if he expected trouble at any moment. The handful of guards behind him reinforced that impression, though Obi-wan knew they were to be the ones who would maneuver the desperately needed hyperdrive unit into place.
The beast carrying the handmaiden and the Gungan arrived first with a travois held aloft by a cushion of antigravity, and as he helped them to dismount, Obi-wan could see the guards moving forward to unload the hyperdrive.
“I’m glad you made it back safely, Padmé,” said the Queen’s Head of Security, “I trust her Highness’ curiosity will be appeased?”
Something in the dark-skinned man’s words made Obi-wan tense, a message that seemed to between the eyes of the Captain and the Handmaiden that he couldn’t read. Whatever it was the handmaiden, Padmé, saw made her shoulders slump, though whether it was from something other than exhaustion Obi-wan wasn’t certain. The surprised concern on his face showed that Panaka clearly hadn’t been expecting this reaction.
“Yes,” Padmé answered woodenly, her eyes blank as they turned to the ship gleaming behind them, “I have much to tell her.”
The two men exchanged worried glances even as she turned around to take the Gungan’s arm.
“Come along Jar Jar,” she said, her voice holding the barest hint of fondness, “Come with me to report to the Queen.”
They watched, stunned, as Naboo and Gungan walked arm in arm into the belly of the ship. Shrugging off his disbelief, Obi-wan was turning back in the direction of his Master’s approaching form when he caught sight of Captain Panaka’s gobsmacked face. Swallowing a smile, Obi-wan turned his eyes away, maneuvering his body around the guards struggling with the heavy unit to make his way to Qui-Gon’s side.
Swinging his leg over the eopie’s long neck, the Jedi Master sent a warm glance in his Padawan’s direction before setting to relieve his carrier of its burdens. Without a word Obi-wan took the various bags handed to him, setting them down upon the sand as he worked with his Master. As soon as they were finished, they moved on to the second pack beast that had been used.
“Will the herd survive if they are left here, Master?” Obi-wan wanted to leave as soon as possible; Navras couldn’t keep Alia in stasis forever. For all they knew, her body’s Healing powers could fuse itself right over the drakar, making it near impossible to remove without harming her in the process. And there would be much pain, of that Obi-wan was certain…both during the procedure and after when she was recovering. Force above, he didn’t want her to have to go through anymore pain.
Qui-Gon looked at him oddly for a moment, before saying, “They will come with me. There is unfinished business I must conclude in the city.”
Something in his voice made Obi-wan sigh inwardly, but he couldn’t resist asking, “Why do I sense that we’ve picked up yet another pathetic life-form?”
A smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, Qui-Gon answered, “It’s the boy who is responsible for getting us those parts. Be mindful, Obi-wan. I sense a disturbance in the Force.”
“I feel it also, Master,” Obi-wan said quietly, watching as his Master turned his beast to return to the smuggler’s haven.
X X X X
This wasn’t happening. Any second now, he’d wake up and Watto would be yelling at him to fix yet another broken-down droid.
“I’m free?”
Impossible: he couldn’t be free. He was a slave, and no slave ever won his freedom by racing for his master. Anakin knew he was good, he had beaten Sebulba, after all, but he knew Watto would never let him go until the riches of Gatheyser greased his wrinkly blue palm. And even then Watto would keep him around for whatever needed fixing. But Qui-Gon was smiling down at him, his eyes kind, silently telling him that this wasn’t a dream. This was real.
“You are no longer a slave.”
“Oh, Ani, that’s wonderful!” Shmi exclaimed, her hands still holding the credits her son had given her. She looked up, stars in her eyes as she asked Qui-Gon, “Is he to come with you? Is he to become a Jedi?”
Qui-Gon smiled.
“Yes.”
Anakin felt the happiness build inside him until it burst and he started jumping around, shouting, until he realized his mother wasn’t jumping with him. His mother. Fear clutched his heart as he turned back to the Jedi.
“What about Mom?” he asked, praying that he’d just forgotten to say that she’d been freed, too.
His heart sank at the Jedi Master’s sigh.
“I tried to free your mother, Ani,” he said, “But Watto wouldn’t have it.”
Anakin turned back to his mother with stricken eyes, even as she gathered him close in her arms.
“Son,” she whispered into his ear, “My place is here, my future is here. You weren’t meant for a slave’s life. You’re meant for much greater things.”
Shmi felt her heart break at the wetness growing on her shoulder where Anakin had laid his head. She hugged him tightly before pulling back and looking into his eyes.
“I love you, Anakin,” she said sadly, brushing away the few tears that remained on his face, “I will always love you, no matter where you are. Go with the Jedi, my son, and be what you were born to be.”
She kissed him then, first one cheek, then the other, before finally pressing her lips between his eyes. Shmi hugged Anakin to her breast, willing her tears to hold for a few minutes more. Anakin clung to her desperately, fighting the sobs buried deep within his chest. This was too much…
“I won’t go,” he said into his mother’s shoulder, “I’ll stay with you.”
Shmi pulled away from him with startling speed, her eyes bright and hard as she glared down at her son.
“Don’t you dare, Anakin Skywalker!” she said harshly, causing him to jump though she held onto him with an almost bruising grip, “Don’t you dare walk away from this chance. You are being offered a future I could never give you, a life I could never give you. If you turn this down, so help me Khurzhi, I will turn you over my knee and when I'm done with THAT, I'll make sure you never have children to inherit your stupidity!”
All during her lecture they looked at her with astonishment and, she was oddly pleased to see, both males winced at her threat. Her eyes were both gentle and fierce with love as she forced Anakin’s eyes to meet hers.
“I love you, Anakin; never, ever forget that. And I will always love you, but I can’t let you stay here when you deserve so much more.”
Her eyes, bright with tears and so terribly sad beneath her anger, broke through Anakin’s haze of confusion and sadness. Biting his lip, he nodded and turned around to go into his room to gather his things.
“I meant it, you know.”
Qui-Gon looked at the woman beside him.
“I know,” he answered.
X X X X
This was Anakin's dream, but it had gone wrong. It had gone so wrong. He wasn’t a slave anymore, but he was leaving his mother behind. There was only one thing to do. ....come back for her....whispered a voice in his head. A light suddenly blazed inside his heart as he felt those four words warm his soul. / Come back for her. / Yes, he would come back for her. He would grow up to be the greatest Jedi anyone had ever seen, and he would come back and free all of the slaves. He firmed his lips and grabbed his pack before saying good-bye to Threepio and walking into the next room.
She was waiting for him. Taking his hand, she led him outside to where Qui-Gon was waiting. Silently, Anakin followed him when the Jedi Master turned to leave, before something occurred to him and he turned around and ran back to Shmi.
He grabbed her in a fierce hug as he whispered into her ear, “I’ll come back for you.”
Anakin felt her smile into his hair and he squeezed his eyes shut, burying his nose into her neck, trying to burn the memory of how good she smelled into his mind. Breathing in deeply, he pulled back from her arms, turning his back to her as he walked toward the waiting Jedi. Sand whipped at his face as he walked with Qui-Gon, the hand on his shoulder silently telling him that this wasn’t a dream. This was real. Tears carved a trail down his face, but Anakin was oblivious to them. All he could feel was the pain in his heart.
X X X X
Though he knew his Master would contact him if he were delayed, Obi-wan stood by the gangway of the ship, his eyes restlessly scanning the horizon where Qui-Gon would be approaching for any sign of his Master. Squinting, he resisted the urge to use the Force to strengthen his sight. Whatever it was that had made Qui-Gon wary, Obi-wan too had felt its touch, and found it decidedly interested in anything influencing the Force. Too interested.
{ We can see the ship, Padawan; have the pilot make his preparations. }
Relief washing over him, he turned around to do just that. As he was passing by the ship’s medical bay, however, a jolt of fear shot through him.
{ Obi-wan! }
With his heart in his throat Obi-wan began to run toward the cockpit: whatever was happening to Qui-Gon would visible from there. An iron fist seemed to close around his heart as he watched Qui-Gon fight off a black-cloaked attacker. The ferocity of their battle was causing clouds of dust to swirl around them, until only the green and red of their blades could be seen moving in a deadly dance.
Suddenly a young boy with sandy hair pushed his way through the cockpit doors, his eyes wild.
“Qui-Gon says to take off!”
Ric Olié burst into action, flipping switches and raising the lever that controlled the ship’s landing gear.
“Who are you?” demanded a voice from behind them. Obi-wan didn’t take his eyes off of his Master as he recognized it to belong to Panaka.
“He’s a friend.”
That one belonged to Padmé, who must’ve heard his mad dash to the cockpit and come to investigate. All five watched with baited breath as Olié steered the ship to where the two warriors were fighting, the dust from their battle even worse than before, now completely obscuring their silhouettes. Without a word Obi-wan left the cockpit and ran toward the cargo hold, where his Master would be.
X X X X
Qui-Gon smashed the handle of his lightsaber into his opponent’s face, stunning him for a few seconds. Those seconds were all the Jedi Master needed: calling to the Force he jumped into the air as the ship maneuvered above him, landing gracefully on the open gangway. But his enemy recovered quickly and with equal grace, albeit far more menacing, he had jumped onto the ramp after Qui-Gon.
All of sudden both warriors seemed to sag in place, shutting their eyes in agony at the wave of pain and terror that rolled over them. But Qui-Gon’s enemy was no stranger to pain or terror, and recovered quickly, slashing at the Jedi just as Qui-Gon opened his eyes.
Blocking his attack, Qui-Gon saw his opponent’s heels were hanging over the edge of the forty-foot drop. Swinging his lightsaber with all of his might, he knocked the dark attacker off the ramp and onto the desert sand. As the ramp closed, he fell backward onto the cold steel of the floor, breathing heavily. Alone, the dark attacker rose from where he had fallen, deactivating his double-handed lightsaber and moving to where his ship waited. For now, the Jedi had escaped, but Darth Maul knew that one day soon, they would cross paths again, and when they did….a grim smile stretched across his lips. When they did, nothing would be able to save them.
X X X X
The remaining four waited in tense silence until a voice crackled over the intercom.
“I’ve got him.”
Releasing his breath, Olié turned his eyes back to the sky and set their course for Coruscant. As they rocketed away toward the stars, he turned around to question the boy that had brought the Jedi Master’s message, but found empty air where he had been. Looking at the Queen’s Head of Security brought no answers, but it was her handmaiden who answered in his stead.
“He’s gone to see Master Jinn.”
X X X X
No clue to where he was going, Anakin followed his instincts has they took him around another corner. He blew out a breath when he saw Qui-Gon laying on the floor of the hold, another man kneeling beside him.
“Are you all right?” he asked, rushing to the Jedi Master’s side, his eyes worried.
Qui-Gon smiled wryly, remembering with a sigh a conversation that had started just that way the night before. Had it only been the night before? He groaned, thinking that he must be getting old. Otherwise his attacker would not have gained so many hits on him.
“Master?”
The sound of Obi-wan’s voice broke through his exhaustion.
“I think so…that was a surprise I won’t soon forget,” he said, shaking his head as he sat up.
“What was it?” asked his Padawan, the worry apparent in his grey-blue eyes.
“I’m not sure, but he was well-trained in the Jedi arts.” Too well-trained, as he had discovered. “My guess is he was after the Queen.”
“D’you think it’ll follow us?” asked Anakin.
“We’ll be safe enough once we reach hyperspace, but I have no doubt he knows of destination,” said Obi-wan, ignoring the boy’s question.
“What are we going to do about it?” asked Anakin, his blue eyes wide at the sound of adventure.
Qui-Gon recognized the look his Padawan was giving the former slave: the look that was pure Obi-wan-annoyance.
“We will be patient,” the Jedi Master replied, letting the smile that had been growing slide across his face as he waved a hand to his Apprentice, “Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-wan Kenobi. Obi-wan is my Padawan-learner.”
The boy’s already wide eyes grew even bigger as he took Obi-wan’s hand in greeting.
“You’re a Jedi too, aren’t you?” At Obi-wan’s slight nod, Anakin grinned and shook his hand harder. “Pleased to meet you!”
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From the Author - -
“I didn’t like that whole goodbye scene with Anakin and his Mom. I mean hello! He has a run-in with the Darkside because of his love for her; wouldn’t you think he’d be a little more upset that he was leaving her to go off with some strange man with a lightsaber?”
“I had this idea about the travois that’s hanging behind Padmé's and Jar Jar’s eopie: it hovers above the ground, kinda like Luke Skywalker’s X-34 Landspeeder in A New Hope. So I went to StarWars.com and researched it.”
Author's Notes
Khurzhi One of the sun-goddesses of Tatooine. Will have more details on this later.
