Chapter Text
Qui-Gon Jinn took the children swiftly out of Mos Espa, hurrying through the crowded streets towards the more quiet outskirts of the city. The entire time, his eyes and mind were searching for what he was looking for; both in the landscape of Tatooine and the Force. His instincts had alerted him to the probe droid that had been following them, and he could feel in the Force that something far more dangerous was coming to them. He could feel the balance of the Force shifting, shaking its usual harmony, and turning into a dark kind of weight.
Once they were out on the desert, in the open, he picked up his pace. The Queen’s transport came into their view, it’s dark shape a sign of safety. He could hear Anakin and Catherine call out behind him, trying to keep up with his quick pace, but their little legs were not strong enough to do so.
He glanced over his shoulder to respond to them, to encourage them to keep trying, but those words never came out of his mouth as he saw a speeder with a dark-cloaked rider coming towards them.
“Drop, children!” he shouted to them, already getting into a defensive stand.
The boy threw himself face down on the sand, pulling Catherine underneath her to shield her from this unexpected threat. The speeder flew just overhead them, barely missing, its rider focussed solely on Qui-Gon. The Jedi Master had already ignited his lightsaber, holding it with his hands. The speeder came at him fast. It was a saddle-shaped vehicle that seemed to be carrying no weapons for the attacker to use. It was clearly a vehicle meant for speed and has the ability to easily manoeuvre. The Jedi had never seen such a vehicle before, but he could tell it was from a time that had long since passed.
Soon enough, he could see the vehicle’s rider clearly. He had black and red markings covering his face, making him look demonic, along with a crown of stunted horns that encircled around his head. It was clearly a human and a male one. Yet his eyes were slitted and he had hooked teeth that one would only see in a feral predator. The howl that he gave out only added more to the ferality that Qui-Gon was seeing.
The man’s scream had barely gotten out of his mouth before he was on top of Qui-Gon, his speeder wheeling aside deftly as he closed off its thruster and leaped from his seat in one swift movement. He was carrying a lightsaber as well, and he was already cutting at it to the Jedi Master before he had even touched the ground. Qui-Gon, who was surprised by the other’s quickness and ferocity, managed to block the blow, although barely. The blades slide apart of each other in a harsh rasp. The attacker spun around in a whirl of darkness, thanks to his black clothing. He then attacked again, his face showing he was in a killing frenzy.
Anakin was the first of the two children who got back up on their feet. He was staring at the fight in shock, unsure what he could do.
Whilst he was fighting to hold his ground, Qui-Gon noticed the boy from the corner of his eye. “Ani! Get you and Catherine out of here!” he cried out.
The attacker closed in on him again, forcing him back a few steps whilst striking at him from each angle. Even though he knew nothing of this man, Qui-Gon was certain that he was trained in the fighting arts of a Jedi, which made him a skilled and dangerous adversary. What’s worse, he was younger, quicker, and stronger than Qui-Gon, and it was gaining him more and more ground. The Jedi Master continued to block his attacks, but he couldn’t find any opening for an escape.
“Ani!” Qui-Gon screamed again, seeing that the boy was still standing still, like a deer in head lights. “You and Catherine get to the ship! Tell them to take off! Go, go!”
Fighting against the demonic-face attacker with new-found determination, Qui-Gon Jinn became relieved when he saw the boy grabbing Catherine’s hand and beginning to run away.
Filled with fear and a protective instinct, Anakin Skywalker rushed past the two fighters and pulled Catherine towards the Naboo spacecraft. It was luckily not even three hundred meters away from them. Its metal skin was gleaming dully in the afternoon suns. The loading ramp was down, but there was no sign of any occupants in there. Anakin began to ran faster, sweat streaming down his body. His heart hammered in his chest as the reached the ramp and went into the ship.
As he was catching his breath, relieved that he managed to get both him and Catherine out of danger, he saw Padmé and a dark-skinned man in uniform walking over towards them. Seeing the two children out of breath, Padmé’s eyes widened. She could tell from the state they were in that something was wrong.
“Qui-Gon’s in trouble!” Anakin blurted out, holding Catherine’s hand tightly as he tried to calm his breathing down. “He says to take off! Now!”
The uniformed man stared at him suspiciously. “Who are you?” he demanded.
“He’s a friend,” both Catherine and Padmé said in unison. The older girl was already pulling the two children to the front of the spacecraft. “Hurry, Captain.”
They rushed out of the hallway into the cockpit. Anakin tried telling Padmé what had happened, but his words came tumbling out rapidly. His face was flushed and anxious. Padmé guided the two children in a no-nonsense manner. She did not her head to his explanation and told him to hurry up. It was clear she was taking charge now.
When they reached the cockpit, they found two more men working on the craft’s control panel. They turned around once they heard Anakin and the two girls approach them. One was wearing a pilot’s jacket whilst the second one, which Anakin was quite certain of, judging from his haircut and clothes, was a Jedi.
“Qui-Gon is in trouble,” Padmé announced to the two men in a worried tone.
“He says to take off,” Anakin added noddingly.
The Jedi was immediately on his feet. He was much younger than Qui-Gon; his face was smooth, he had intense eyes, and his hair was cut short, except for a single pigtail braid that fell over his right shoulder. “Where is he?” he suddenly demanded. Without even waiting for any of the three children to answer him, he wheeled back to the viewport and began scanning the area.
“I don’t see anything,” the pilot said, peering over the Jedi’s shoulder.
“Over there!” the Jedi said, his sharp gaze having caught movement in the corner of the port. “Get us into the air and over there! Now! Fly low!”
The man, who was called Ric, threw himself into the pilot’s seat, whilst everyone else scrambled around to find seats for themselves. The big repulsorlifts went alive with a low growl. The rampway got sealed, and the sleek transport rose up smoothly.
“There,” the Jedi said, pointing ahead.
They could see Qui-Gon Jinn, who was engaged in a battle against the dark-clothed, demonic man. The surge back and forth against each other, their lightsabers flashing brightly with each blow that they struck. Sand and grit was swirling around in every direction. Ric took the spacecraft towards them quickly, skimming barely above the ground, and coming from behind the attacker. Anakin held his breath as they closed in on the fight, his hand instinctively grabbing Catherine’s, who squeezed his hand back in worry. Ric’s hand slid over the control, causing the ramp to lower, easing it forward carefully.
“Stand by,” he ordered, freezing them all into place as he swung the ship about.
The combatants disappeared in a swirl of sand and the fierce glare of Tatooine’s twin suns. Everyone looked at the viewscreens quickly, searching desperately for Qui-Gon.
The Jedi Knight appeared then, leaping onto the lowered rampway of the transport. One hand was grasping at a strut for support. Ric let out a hiss of approval whilst fighting to keep the spacecraft steady. But the demonic attacker was already hot in pursuit, racing out of the haze and leaping onto the ramp as the ship rose up. His eyes were filled with rage as he fought to keep his footing.
Qui-Gon immediately attacked, closing in on the man at the edge of the ramp. By now, they were twenty meters up into the air. The pilot was holding the spacecraft steady as the combatants continued their fight, too afraid to go higher so long the chance of Qui-Gon falling was there. The Jedi Master and his adversary fought each other fiercely, their faces filled with determination and sweat dripping down their skin.
“Qui-Gon,” Anakin heard the other Jedi say quietly, looking desperately at the battle for a moment, then tearing his gaze away and running down to the open corridor.
On the viewscreen, Anakin and Catherine watched as Qui-Gon Jinn took a step back, levelled his lightsaber, and swung a powerful, two-handed blow at the attacker. The demonic man blocked the attack, but only barely, and it caused him to lose his balance completely. The force of the blow pushed him back, and he fell off the ramp onto the sand below. He did manage to land in a crouch, and instantly rose back up to his feet. The chase was over. He watched the ship’s ramp close and fly into space in frustration, his yellow eyes burning with rage.
000~000~000
Qui-Gon had barely managed to get on the rampway and into the interior of the ship as the hatch sealed closed and the Nubian began to accelerate. He lay on the cool metal floor of the entry, his clothes dusty and wet from sweat, and his body bruised and battered. He took deep breaths, waiting for his pounding heart to calm down. He had barely escaped with his life, and that very thought was worrying. His opponent was strong and had put him to the test. He knew he was getting old, and it was a fact that he didn’t like.
Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Catherine rushed down the hallway to help him up. Qui-Gon could hardly tell which one of the three looked most concerned. It did manage to lift up his spirits.
Anakin was the first to speak up. “Are you alright?” he asked, his young face filled with deep concern.
Qui-Gon nodded at them, dusting himself off, “I think so. That was a surprise I won’t soon forget.”
“What sort of creature was it?” Obi-Wan asked to his master, his brow furrowed darkly. He wants to go back and pick up where I left off, Qui-Gon thought to himself.
The Jedi Master shook his head unsurely, “I’m not sure. Whoever or whatever he was, he was trained in the Jedi arts. My guess is he was after the Queen.”
“So, he could be an assassin?” Catherine asked in concern.
“Do you think he’ll follow us?” Anakin added quickly.
“We’ll be safe enough once we’re in hyperspace,” Qui-Gon assured them, though not answering their questions. “But I have no doubt he knows our destination. If he found us once, he can find us again.”
Anakin’s brow furrowed in worry, “What are we going to do about it?”
Finally, Obi-Wan turned to stare at the boy, giving him a look that said; “What do you mean ‘we’?” Anakin caught his stare and looked back at him expressionless.
“We will be patient,” Qui-Gon answered, straightening himself and drawing their attention back to him. “Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
The young boy beamed in awe, “Pleased to meet you. Wow! You’re a Jedi Knight too, aren’t you?”
The younger Jedi glanced from the boy to Qui-Gon, before rolling his eyes in despair.
After the introduction, they all made their way back to the cockpit, where Ric Olié was working on readying the ship for hyperspace. Qui-Gon introduced Anakin to everyone who was there, then moved to stand next by Ric by the console.
“Ready,” the pilot announced over his shoulder.
Qui-Gon nodded his head expectantly, “Let’s hope the hyperdrive works and Watto doesn’t get the last laugh.
Standing all behind Ric, everyone watched silently as he worked on the controls and engaged the hyperdrive. There was a quick, sharp whine, and the flew past the stars in lightning speed into space, leaving Tatooine behind.
000~000~000
Night had fallen on Naboo, but the silence on Theed was far more quieter than what one would expect when people were asleep. In the elegant throne room that had once been the place of Queen Amidala, a collection of strange creatures had gathered to witness the sentencing of Governor Sio Bibble. Viceroy Nute Gunray had convened the assembled, which consisted out of Rune Haako, several other Neimoidians, the governor, a handful of officials that were in the Queen’s service, and a vast army of battle droids that were armed with blasters to keep the Naboo prisoners in line.
The Neimoidian viceroy was seated upon a mechano-chair; a robotic walker that brought him from one part of the room to another, its metal legs moving in response by simple touch of the viceroy’s fingers. It carried him over to Sio Bibble and the Naboo officials. As he relaxed into the chair, he took note of the fearful expressions of the officials that were backing Bibble.
The governor wasn’t having it, though. Remaining steadfast, he faced Gunray with anger and determination, his eyes challenging him. The Neimoidian gave him a glare. It was clear that Sio Bibble was becoming an irritation to him.
“When are you going to give up this pointless strike?” he snapped at Sio Bibble, leaning forward in displeasure.
“I will give up the strike, Viceroy, when the Queen-“
“Your Queen is lost; your people are starving!” Viceroy Gunray interrupted him.
Bibble stiffened up, “The Naboo will not be intimidated, not even at the cost of innocent lives-“
“Perhaps you should worry more about yourself, Governor!” Gunray cut him off again. “The odds are good that you are going to die much sooner than your people!” by now he was shaking rage, all of his patience being exhausted. “Enough of this!” he roared. “Take him away!”
The battle droids were moving quickly, surrounding Sio Bibble, separating him from the others.
“The invasion will gain you nothing!” the governor called out as he was dragged away. “We are a democracy! The people have decided, Viceroy! They will not live in tyranny…”
The rest of what he said was unclear as he was by now too far away into the hall. The Naboo officials were filed out after him, all silent and dejected.
The Neimoidian stared at them for a moment, then turned his attention to OOM-9, the commander of his battle droids.
“My troops are in position to begin searching the swamps for the rumoured underwater village,” he reported as he approached the viceroy. “They will not stay hidden for long.”
Nute Gunray nodded and dismissed him away. He didn’t care much about the vile creatures that lived in the swamps. They would be crushed no matter what. For all intents and purposes, the planet was now under his control.
He leaned back into his mechano-chair, the calmness of earlier returning to him. The only thing that needed to be done was for the Siths to bring back the Queen. Certainly a easy task for them.
Nevertheless, he had determined to himself that he would fully be happy once this business was over with.
000~000~000
On the Queen’s ship, Anakin Skywalker was shivering in a corner of the central chamber, trying to think of ways to warm himself up. Everyone else was already asleep. Technically, he had been asleep as well, but only for a short time. His dreams had troubled him too much. When he had woken up to the silence of the ship, he found that was paralyzed by more than just the cold.
Jar Jar was asleep on side; his body stretched out in a chair, his head lulled back, and snoring quite loudly. It seemed that the Gungan was fast asleep. It made the boy smile for a moment. As for R2-D2, he was also resting close by, his lights blinking every now and then softly.
Anakin stared into the darkness, trying to get up. But the dreams that had been haunting him kept him down. He couldn’t help but think of his mother and his home, and that seemed to break down his iron resolve from earlier. He missed his mother so much! He had hoped that the feeling would go away once he was gone, but it hadn’t. Everything reminded him of her, and if he tried by closing his eyes, memories of her would come flooding into his mind. He could see her face as she was waiting for him, anxious and worn out.
Tears filled up his blue eyes. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe he should return home. But the new problem was; he couldn’t. Maybe he would never be able to go home again.
As he cried, a small figure, followed by an even smaller figure walked into the room. Wiping away his tears, Anakin saw Catherine’s angelic face looking concerned at him, whilst a wolf pup was closely tagging along with her.
Once she reached him, she knelt down and sat beside him. For a moment, the wolf pup gave the boy a little growl, clearly protective over its human. Once the had sniffed Anakin’s scent, and seeing that the boy had made no moves to hurt the girl, the wolf pup stopped and sat down obediently beside Catherine. The entire time, Anakin’s body had stiffened up at her sudden arrival. He desperately tried to stop crying, but his tears kept trickling down his cheeks and the shivering wouldn’t stop. Now it was his turn to be the vulnerable one.
“Are you alright, Ani?” Catherine asked him softly, instinctively rubbing his shoulder.
“It’s very cold,” Anakin managed to say in a whisper.
Catherine nodded in agreement. Having it brought with her, she grabbed a blanket and tucked both of them in it, “You come from a warm planet, Ani. No wonder space is cold for you. Where I come from, the temperature is always changing, but I was born in the winter season, so the heat of your planet was almost unbearable for me.”
Anakin was a little surprise to hear her talk about her own home, but it managed to cheer him up. As he wiped away his tears again, he noticed that a sad look had come into Catherine’s own eyes. “You look sad,” he stated.
Catherine nodded solemnly, “I guess I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed, emotion-wise. I miss my home as well, but I see so many troubling things in this galaxy…” She let out a soft sigh, staring out to a window, looking at the stars that they passed, “I don’t like all these dark things, all this hatred,” she finally admitted.
“I don’t like it either,” Anakin admitted as well, scooting closer and gently pulling her against him. “All these changes… I don’t even know if I’ll ever see-“
He stopped himself, his throat tightening up. He tried again, but the look in Catherine’s eyes told him she what he meant and that she understood his pain. Force, she truly was a heavenly angel. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Anakin turned his attention to the wolf pup that was watching them.
“Who’s this little fella?” he asked, gesturing at the pup. “I’ve never seen a wolf in real life. Is he yours?”
Catherine nodded her head, her eyes brightening up as she turned to the pup she had saved on Naboo, petting his head gently.
“Kind of. I found him all alone on Naboo, and I couldn’t just bare leaving him out there alone, so I took him with me,” she explained with a sweet smile. “I’ve been thinking what name to give him. It took me a while, but I believe I found the perfect name suited for him,” she glanced over shyly towards Anakin, her hand still gently petting the wolf. “I am going to name him Sky, so that even if we are apart, I will be remembered by you. It will feel like you’re still with me.”
The boy couldn’t help but swallow at her words, his cheeks turning red, “You… you really mean that? I… I don’t know what to say…”
He tried to come up with something, anything, but he was rendered speechless by this act of kindness of Catherine. Her naming such a fierce creature after him meant more to him than she could ever know.
“I meant every word,” the young girl said reassuringly.
With that, Catherine snuggled next to Anakin whilst Sky rested by their feet. Unbeknownst to Catherine, this was just what Anakin needed to cheer him up and take his mind off of homesickness.