Archive: My site and the m_a archive. Anyone else, just ask. I
won't say no.
Category: I'm not at all sure, but it's an AU, h/c, angst, and
POV. Yeah, I think that's all.
Rating: G, I guess. Nothing happens here.
Warning: I'm sure I'm not following Canon somewhere. After all,
I'm not all that familiar with anything in this universe
besides the movies, the comic adaptation and what I have been
reading here.
Spoilers: A lot for TPM. In fact, it happens right after the
ending
Summary: Anakins's reflections about the consequences his
mother's freedom had in Qui Gon and Obi Wan.
Disclaimer: Everything here belongs to George Lucas, who is
god. And I'm not making any money out of this... so it would
really be pointless to sue me for it.
Content: Q/O.
Feedback: I love it. It's inspiring... and if anyone would have
time to detailed feedback, I would really appreciate it.
Notes: This might be a little confusing, as it retells the same
events as part 1, only through Anakin's eyes.
The parade is long and it should be fun, as I watch Jar Jar
trying to maintain his equilibrium on the big reptile he is
mounting. But I cannot smile. I am too nervous, because I don't
know what is going to happen to me now.
My mom has her hand on my shoulders, proud because I was the
one who saved them all when I destroyed the Droid's control
base, and Captain Panaka stands at her side... but I wanted to
be with Master Qui Gon, who is standing in the other side of
Pad... Queen Amidala.
He hasn't talked to me since the battle ended, and I don't know
why. He is sad, and he is worried, and he thinks he failed
somehow... but I really don't understand it.
I guess that when I start my training as a Jedi Knight I will
know why he feels like that, even when we won.
And maybe Master Qui Gon will laugh again.
I don't think I have heard him laugh since we left Tatooine.
I didn't cry when Master Windu told me that I was not going to
be trained. I was not going to do that in front of
him . I don't like him, or the green thing, at all. But
I was not going to cry.
I was sure that Qui Gon would make everything work out. That he
would come and say that the Council didn't know what they were
doing, as he had in Coruscant.
But when he came in, he didn't look at me. He just talked to
'Dala and asked permission to stay, just as Master Windu
said... ignoring me. And even when mom squeezes my shoulder so
I will stay quiet I do not.
"You promised me that I was going to be a Jedi! And that you
were going to be my master!" I yell, and he finally turns to
me... but it's as if he were not looking at me at all. His eyes
are dull.
"The Code forbids for a master to have two padawans. I was left
without a choice." He sounds so different from Coruscant, from
when he told me to stay in the cockpit... And that takes me
back. Maybe I don't have a very good reason to be angry after
all. The other Jedi... the one who stayed in Tatooine to free
the slaves, he had said that I was too old for the training.
That's why the Council didn't want me. It's not Qui Gon's
fault...
But then I realize exactly what he said, and I can't stay
quiet.
"You don't have a Padawan." When I saw Qui Gon's face... just
broken with infinite sadness in that moment... just as my mom's
face when she thought that I was not going to see her again...
I wish I hadn't say those words. I don't know why they hurt him
so much, but I don't want him to look so... so lost.
"Ani..." 'Dala and my mom say, almost at the same time. "...you
saw him in Tatooine."
I look at them, but I cannot believe it. It cannot be
true..."But... he was a Jedi Knight. Watto said so... And he
stayed in Tatooine to free the slaves... You told me that Mom!"
Mom cries when she ears me, and I feel worse every minute... I
don't know why but I know that whatever that has been hurting
Qui Gon is my fault... And I just made it worse.
"I cannot have another Padawan again, Anakin." Qui Gon says, as
he rises to his feet. "I have failed too many times."
He leaves us alone, and I still don't understand. If that
man... Obi Wan... was Qui Gon's Padawan... why he stayed
behind? Why didn't he came with us if he wasn't there to free
slaves?
"Master Qui Gon won your freedom, when he bet against Watto"
Mom is crying as she talks, but I still can understand her.
That's what Watto meant when he said that Qui Gon should have
been careful betting. "But Watto wouldn't wager me... Obi Wan
knew that... and... while you were racing, and his Master was
focused on you... He offered himself in exchange for me." I
know my eyes open in shock, as I understand that... Qui Gon had
only planned to get me out of Tatooine, to see that I was
trained. He had not been able to free my Mom...
My mind races back to a mere glimpse of the conversation I
heard between Obi Wan and Qui Gon, and I cannot believe that I
didn't say anything before...
"He's too old. He will never pass the Council's test." Obi Wan
had said, probably not noticing that I was near them.
"He will. The Force is strong in him." I was very proud then,
that Master Qui Gon thought that I was good. Then Obi Wan had
looked to where my mother was with Padme, and his face was too
serious.
"What about his mother? You cannot take a child this old to the
academy and hope he will not miss his mother..."
"Patience, my Padawan. Everything will be solved after the
race." I hadn't known then what Padawan meant, and later I
forgot. I thought that maybe it was Obi Wan's birth planet or
something... I should have paid more attention.
"Perhaps we will have to stay longer than we thought in this
planet." Obi Wan said... and then Master Qui Gon laughed... and
that was the last time I saw him laugh.
Obi Wan stayed in the pits... He said that he didn't trust
Sebulba, and caught him as he broke a part of my Pod... Thanks
to him, I didn't had any troubles in the race, and I won. I
never thought of thanking him... then, the next day, Mom sent
me to pack, and I said goodbye to her and C-3PO ... And when
the Sith Lord attacked us, and I jumped into the ship... I saw
Mom. Obi Wan wasn't in the ship, so when she told me that she
was free thanks to him... I thought that he had freed her with
his lightsaber, and stayed to free all my friends.
I never thought on Qui Gon... didn't looked back.
I threw myself into my mothers arms and began crying then. I
didn't want to be a Jedi Knight anymore, or a pilot, or
anything. I only wanted to see Master Qui Gon smile again... To
see Obi Wan again... and thank him for freeing my mom... for
freeing me...
I would do anything to pay him back.
Obi Wan's interlude:
I look at the chain in my neck, the chains in my wrists and I
wonder how it all went so wrong. I wonder if things could have
been different. But more so, I wonder where my Master is now,
if I still can consider him my Master, or if he convinced the
Council to train the boy, even if he was too old.
If he did, and the young Anakin is now his Padawan, then maybe
my chains are not that heavy, my heart does not hurt that much.
Because I know that if the boy is with his mother, he won't
fear... And if he is as powerful as my Master thinks, the fear
should not be allowed in his heart.
I think back of the last time I saw my Master, when I joined
him in the Pod Race. I only had to look at him, betting with
that disgusting blue creature, that I knew that he had once
again got some idea in his head that the Council would not
approve. Something bound to get him in trouble.
He tugged my braid as he always did when he was not really
angry, when his reprimands where more of a friendly reminder
than a real punishment, and told me not to worry... Send
reassurance trough our Bond. And after that, I shielded my
thoughts so abruptly, that only his focus on the boy, the boy
that he is so sure that is the Choosen One, stopped him from
noticing.
He never knew that while he went to get Anakin, I used a
speeder to get to Watto, and fulfill our pact. My own freedom
in exchange of Anakin's mother.
I waited until they were gone, to take her to the ship, and
wish her my best regards.
I never turned back, never saw my Master again after that.
I didn't stayed long as Watto's slave. In his fashion, he was a
kind master, who never once tried to force me into using the
Force for business. He believed only in himself.
Perhaps that's why he was killed.
It had been only three days after the Queen's ship left the
Planet, when he was found dead. All his belongings were
immediately taken by Jabba The Hut, who auctioned us all.
I still don't know who I belong to now, a droid made the
purchase. While I'm caged in a cell, chained in some obscure
ship in it's way to my new owner, I don't dare to sought Master
Qui Gon through the Bond we shared. I haven't cut it, I lack
the courage to do so... but even so I keep it closed. I cannot
distract my Master.
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