Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The mission to Eusebus is going to be a more fun mission than any Anakin had been on in a while. Every mission is enjoyable at least somewhat because it means he’s getting to help people the way he always wanted to, but that doesn’t stop him from finding this was one… Well, fun.

Because all he and Obi-Wan were sent here to do is keep the peace and make sure things stay orderly in the Galactic Game competitions being held here.

“Anakin!” a cheerful, familiar voice calls behind him suddenly and Anakin looks up to see Tru Veld approaching, along side his master.

Tru waves at him as he approached, grinning.

Anakin’s face splits in a grin. “Tru,” he calls back in greeting.

He heard Tru was on the mission and he’d been instantly excited because how couldn’t he be? Tru’s the first real friend amongst the Jedi that he’s ever made, even though it’s been five years. They may not have known each other for long but they were on a longer mission together once before and they’ve interacted a few times at the Temple ever since. But there’s never time to linger, amongst the Jedi, so any opportunity Anakin could ever find to spent with him, he’s more than overjoyed to take.

Tru’s master nods in stiff greeting to Obi-Wan and Siri – the other Jedi Knight on the same mission.

Anakin still doesn’t understand the way the older Jedi are always so distant with each other. It’s just… so different than what he was once used to.

With the masters talking amongst themselves, Tru comes over to Anakin. “I can’t decide, can you?” he says cheerfully, eyes full of eagerness.

“Decide?” Anakin repeats, a little confused and amused.

“Which Game events to attend,” he explains, “They all sound fun.”

“We are here to keep the peace,” Ferus interrupts, standing behind them – Siri’s padawan. “Not to have fun.”

Which Anakin is quite aware of but that doesn’t mean they can’t do both.

Tru just shakes his head, nudging Ferus’ shoulder “Relax. I can keep the peace and watch the Games too. Even our Masters will allow that.”

“We haven’t received our instructions,” Ferus points out.

“I am sure our instructions will be to avoid having a good time at all costs,” Tru replies in mock seriousness.

Anakin can’t help his near laugh, because Tru has a point.

Ferus just sighs. “Padawans are always trying to get me to relax. I’m just not made that way.”

Their masters come over to interrupt before either Tru or Anakin can reply.

“We’ve decided that you three can go off on your own for a while,” Obi-Wan tells them, “But be sure your commlinks are functioning at all times.”

Anakin nods, before exchanging an eager glance with Tru. He hoped to get to spend time with him but he never expected to have potentially hours free to be with each other.

The people their masters are discussing the situation with keep on talking, and then one of them mentions podracing – evidently, there’s supposed to be an illegal pod race held on the outskirts of the area and they’re worried about it since it’s illegal and could cause bad publicity to the planet.

Podraces.

A word he’s heard mentioned by no one in five years, except the times he’s snuck onto the holonet to watch them.

A word out of his past, something that defined so much of his childhood before.

He can feel the sun beating down on him still, out of a memory of long ago, feel the hot sand whipping up around him. Feel the air whipping past him and the free sensation that it once gave him, the only thing that there ever was to look forward to. It was his sole connection to the idea that one day he’d fly away and be free for real.

It was the one thing that made him keep going, keep dreaming, no matter what.

And it may not have been something he got to choose but the connection it gave him, the taste of freedom, was. The knowledge that he could actually be something, that he could do something no one else could, even if he was still a slave.

But that’s quickly mingled over by the memory of Watto’s yelling, the sound of beating wings hovering over him, the – bracing to be hit for messing this up again. The face of his mother, torn with fear and –

He had been little then. He hadn’t truly thought of how much it had scared her, hurt her, but now he can’t help thinking of it. He’s far away from her and if she was hurt, he would never know and could never do anything to help her and that’s how she feels about him too now he’s certain – and also how she probably felt every time he went on one of those races and with that knowledge comes a pool of guilt.

That word carries so many memories, of things he never wants to forget and things he never wants to remember.

And there’s going to be a podrace here.

He hates how all he can feel for a desperate moment is the burning desire to get to feel that sense of freedom again.

He thought he would know what freedom meant once he was a Jedi, but he’s still drowning under questions of what it even means. Still blindly reaching for the day he’s going to know what it means to be free. Maybe he’ll never figure it out simply because he left his mother behind in slavery. How many days has she gone to sleep with nothing to eat while he has everything he needs at the Temple? Maybe that burden is why he still can’t figure out what freedom means. He doesn’t know.

The adults finish their discussion about the situation finally, though most of it goes over Anakin’s head because all he can focus on is memories. He tries to tear his mind away from it once he and the other padawans are finally excused and head off to walk through the town.

He finally has a chance to spend with Tru. He’s not going to waste it. Even if he can’t stop thinking about the podrace.

But now that he is thinking about it, walking through the streets and taking the sights in, he can’t help wondering… what if they went looking for it? It wouldn’t hurt anything. The Jedi are supposed to be keeping order and if this is illegal, the least they can do is to scout it out.

It would be easier to go alone but he never gets time to spend with a friend and Tru is the first he’s had in years.

How’s Kitster doing? Anakin still misses him. Misses the familiarity of

“It’s the perfect opportunity for us to see all sorts of beings from all over the galaxy,” Ferus says as they walk, “We should observe customs and protocol.”

He rather thinks that doesn’t have any more to do with their mission than having fun by watching the Games, but he doesn’t comment.

He’s hesitant to bring this up, knowing what it could lead back to, and knowing how much Jedi would disapprove of this – how much Obi-Wan probably would if he found out – but… “I was thinking,” Anakin says, “What if we checked out the rumors about this pod-race?”

“Those were not our instructions,” Ferus objects.

“We weren’t given any specific instructions,” he reminds.

“We aren’t here for sight-seeing.”

“The races are illegal.”

Ferus is looking at him in this way that makes Anakin just want to squirm. He thinks the other boy can sense that there’s more to it than that.

“I was hoping to see some of the other Games,” Tru interjects.

Anakin was too, but – “We can be there and back in time to see them.”

“We should be getting ourselves situated in case of disturbance. Not seeking an adventure. Our masters could call us while we’re away looking,” Ferus insists.

“Won’t our masters have to check it out at some point anyway?” Tru asks, “Why don’t we go quickly and then be back? I’m sure there’ll be plenty of customs and protocols that we can observe on the way.”

Anakin breathes out a sigh of relief at his friend’s agreement. He didn’t want this to turn into an argument. Maybe just forgetting about it would have been best, for all the memories it’s going to bring up, but it’s too late to change his mind.

There’s a tiny part of him that doesn’t want to change his mind.

Ferus still doesn’t seem happy but he doesn’t keep disputing the point as they head for the nearest transport they can find.

***

Finding the spot where the podracers are gathering is easier than Anakin thought. The Force guides him to it easily enough once he reaches deeply into it.

They make their way to hills on the outskirts of town and following the hills, Anakin eventually finds an opening to a cave, though it’s mostly grown over by thick trees and brush. He pushes them aside, already feeling numerous living beings right up ahead.

A cave mouth gapes open in front of him, the rocky walls quickly rising hundreds of meters above his head. There’s two security guards near the exit but none of them notice the three as they approach silently, staying out of sight.

They move in closer and that’s when Anakin sees it.

Podraces parked throughout various parts of the cave, of every size and description.

Just like – Tatooine.

It’s so familiar that it’s enough to take his breath away, and it feels like he’s standing somewhere in his past. It’s been so long. He doesn’t miss that life but sometimes –

Things at the Temple are so different.

He misses the companionship he had there. He misses his mother.

“We found the location,” Ferus says, “We should report it back to our masters.”

Anakin scans the group again. A couple of the racers, he recognizes. But there’s one that sticks out to him even though he doesn’t know why. The racer seems familiar. Two Aleenas are working on it – a roughly three-foot tall species.

The two working on it are squabbling, arguing about hydrospanners and which joint they’re trying to fix. They’re brothers from what Anakin can gather of their argument – Doby and Deland.

“They really don’t know what they’re doing,” Tru observes.

“No, they don’t,” Anakin agrees.

Which could easily mean ending up dead.

“Let’s fire her up!” Deland decides finally, jumping to his feet.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Anakin interjects, stepping closer.

They both stop, peering at him.

“And we should listen to you because?” Deland asks.

“Because if your engine is overheating during gear changes, the problem could be in the current filter. Have you used an impulse detector?” He hasn’t spoken of podracers in so long but it’s so familiar. He misses it as desperately as he doesn’t want it back. That doesn’t stop the whisper in his heart of how he wishes he could feel that freedom at least one more time.

“Not that it’s your business, but yes,” Doby replies, “It didn’t show anything wrong.”

“Then it’s definitely the current filter,” Anakin informs. “It’s clogged.”

“Slap it shut, you son of a durkii,” Deland warns, glaring at his brother, “This guy could be working for another Podracer. He’s just trying to spook us.”

Doby leans closer to his brother, whispering, though it’s not like Anakin can’t hear anyway. “Haven’t you noticed? He’s a Jedi.”

It was obvious enough. It’s not like he concealed his lightsaber though he would have expected the people around them to be a little more nervous at the knowledge that their race could be technically shut down if planet authorities try it.

“He’s a fraud and a fake,” Deland hisses, “Sebulba probably hired him.”

Sebubla?

Is that what they think?

Anakin remembers the Dug far too well and – He never thought of him much anymore but he’s not surprised to hear that he’s still racing.

“How do you know so much about podracers?” Tru asks him in a whisper, “I never read about those in the manuals.”

It’s not something Anakin really talks about. He used to want to but his past wasn’t something he was supposed to talk about it and eventually it hurt too much. And all he ever got for mentioning it was constant whispers about being different. Being lesser. There’s an instinctive part of him that braces for the mockery, even now. “Because I used to race. I built my own once.”

Tru’s eyes widen. “Oh. You mean – before? Right. You… came late.”

Anakin nods, looking away.

“Is that why you wanted to come here?” Ferus demands. “You know Jedi don’t participate in events such as this, especially not when it’s illegal.”

He’s quite aware.

It’s not as if he didn’t live under the constant knowledge that he could die in those, even if he’d known way inside that he wouldn’t. It was just a constant knowing, even if it was scary sometimes, and now he thinks it was a promise from the Force that he was sensing.

“I know,” Anakin shoots back.

“People die in these. It’s not the Jedi way to enjoy something like this,” Ferus presses.

The shame burns tight and wild in his chest.

He’ll never be a good enough Jedi, will he? Always wanting things that he shouldn’t and he doesn’t know how to make it go away.

“We aren’t here to watch the race. Just to check it out, remember?” Tru reminds Ferus for him.

Anakin’s about to back away and agree that they should just leave but then the Aleenas try firing up their engine, only for the engines to promptly blow up. The force of it throws the two brothers to the ground and Anakin darts forward to flip it off before they get hurt.

“You were right!” Doby exclaims, a bit scandalized.

“Lucky guess,” Deland grumbles, stumbling back to his feet.

Finally, it clicks in his head why the two look so familiar. “Are you to related to Ratts Tyerell?” Anakin asks, “I think I recognize this podracer.” He saw it on Tatooine before.

Doby nods proudly. “He was our father. he died in the great Boonta Eve Classic five years ago. Did you know him?”

He really doesn’t want to talk about this with Ferus watching. “I raced against him in that race. He was oneo f the fastest. Incredibly quick reflexes.”

He senses Doby’s wild flare of pain. “Not quick enough.”

“Lying again,” Deland accuses, eyeing Anakin, “No human can be a podracer.”

“One was,” Doby reminds, “A human child. A slave. He won his freedom and after the race, he disappeared. His name was – ”

“Anakin Skywalker,” Anakin interjects, “Pleased to meet you.”

“Now you’re a Jedi?” Doby asks disbelievingly, “And you were a slave?”

He can feel a flicker of surprise in both Tru and Ferus. They didn’t know. There’s rumors but no one really knows. He doesn’t mind talking about his past, but it’s just – A reminder to everyone of how he’s different.

“It’s a strange galaxy,” Anakin tells the brothers with a grin.

“Totally true,” Doby agrees.

“Don't want to interrupt this getting-to-know-you gush, but we have a job to do,” Deland says gruffly.

He wants to offer his help but with Ferus watching, he doesn’t…

“Thanks for the advice,” Doby says, as Anakin’s turning to go, “We have to beat Sebulba. After our father died, we had no money, so our uncle sold our sister into slavery. Djulla’s master is not Sebulba. We have to get her out of his clutches! We bet our podracer that we’d win. Sebulba’s bet Djulla’s freedom. This time, though, he’s not racing. His son Hekula is.”

And that’s what makes him freeze.

Their sister is a slave?

He can’t imagine how anyone could sell their own family member into slavery just because they needed money but he knows they may well have had little other choice.

He remembers the two blue Twi’lek girls he saw lingering around Sebulba before. He remembers seeing their misery even if he never spoke to them personally. Sebulba would be an awful master, not that any master is good.

This race has even more meaning and stakes to them than the one he was in to win his own freedom. This is for the freedom of someone in their family. And how could Anakin just walk away, knowing full well how likely it is that they’re going to lose? And if they lose this race and their pod, that’s losing pretty much all hope of ever getting her back.

“I’m sorry that your sister is a slave,” Anakin says quietly, “I can help you fix your pod.”

“Why would you do that?” Deland asks warily. “We don’t have money to pay you.”

“That’s okay. I don’t need any.”

“This isn’t our mission, Anakin,” Ferus interrupts.

He spins around. “They need our help.” He wouldn’t be outright fighting if this was a Jedi master, but Ferus is just another padawan.

“Anakin is right,” Tru says, frowning.

“We have more important matters to be dealing with right now. We shouldn’t even have come out here. What we should be doing is telling our masters and shutting this race down,” Ferus replies firmly.

The Aleenas exchange glances. “You’re here to stop the race?” Doby asks, suddenly worried.

“No,” Anakin assures, “We’re here to keep order on the planet. And… help people who need it. Like you.”

“We need to leave,” Ferus insists.

“You can leave,” Anakin points out, moving forward and crouching next to the podracer to help them. Tru comes to join him after a moment.

Doby and Deland come to keep working on it too after a moment.

Ferus stands watching, arms crossed. He looks far from happy, even while managing to keep an almost perfectly stoic expression on his face.

And Anakin doesn’t understand. These people need their help just as much as everyone else on the planet and as a Jedi, he’s just not allowed to help? That doesn’t make sense but he’s been told that so many times before. That the bigger mission matters more and the people they run into on the way who need help just don’t because –

Because they just don’t. He doesn’t get it. It’s not for him to question instructions from the Jedi, but… He’s not breaking any rules here.

And that reminds him. They’re from Tatooine. They might –

“Do you know Shmi Skywalker?” Anakin asks, a sudden desperate yearning hope blooming in his chest.

Doby shakes his head. “Mos Espa is full of beings. We don’t know them all.”

He didn’t expect anything else. Didn’t have a reason to. But that doesn’t stop the wild flare of disappointment smothering.

Tears burn his eyes uncalled for. For a moment, he almost thought he could at least hear something about his mother again. But no, of course not. She’s still as far away as she has been all this time, far out of his reach for the indefinite future. And he’ll never even know how she’s doing.

Tru catches his gaze and he frowns.

Anakin quickly turns his head away, trying to pretend to be busy.

His eyes fall on a very familiar podracer not far away instead. His old racer. “Who’s is that?” Anakin asks, trying to keep his voice even, as he points at it. He spent years building that thing and seeing it again reminds him so sharply of Mom, Qui-Gon, and Kitster. He misses all of them so much.

“Hekula’s,” Deland says, glancing at it.

It may have been repainted and remodeled a little, but still familiar. And now Sebulba has it. It makes him unreasonably angry, but also worried. Anakin built that pod to last and it seems like it has. And now it’s going to be used against the people who need his help. Another reason it’s his duty to help them.

A young Dug suddenly steps into view, glaring at them. “What are you looking at, spy?” he shouts.

Spying on the speeder Anakin built himself?

He holds back his amusement. “What I look at is not your concern.”

“When it’s my podracer, it is. Spy.”

“That’s Hekula,” warns Doby, “Be careful.”

So Anakin could have guessed already. He feels dirty in the Force, of someone who enjoys hurting others, the same way Sebulba did.

But then another Dug steps into view and Anakin stills.

It’s Sebulba himself.

But the Dug didn’t seem to recognize him. It’s almost funny.

“What are you smiling at?” Sebulba growls, “How dare you bully my son!”

“He wasn’t bullying me,” Hekula whines, “I am bullying him!”

Is that supposed to be something he’s proud of? “You were doing a very poor job of it,” Anakin tells him dryly, in Huttese.

“How dare you,” Sebulba hisses, “Prepare to die.”

Deland stands abruptly, moving to stand between them. “Who’s talking about dying?” he asks in a feigned, flippant voice, “Let’s save that for the Podrace, right Hekula? I’d worry about crashing more than spies, if I were you. I’ve seen you race.”

Hekula turns his glare on him. “You’ll choke on my dust, son of a Raft!”

Sebulba steps closer, grinning as he shoots a pointed glance at the Alaani standing a distance away, behind Anakin’s old podracer. Anakin hadn’t noticed her before but then it hits him with a sinking realization that that’s their sister. And they can’t even go talk to her because she’s a slave. She’s preparing a snack for the Dugs, while her brothers are right here and they can’t even –

He's going to be sick and he’s so angry.

And these are the people the Jedi are saying it’s not their job to help.

“I hope you’re alive to see your sister wipe the floor under our feet for the next fifty years,” Sebulba sneers, before turning away.

Deland tenses, about to pounce him.

Anakin’s this close himself.

Doby grabs Deland, yanking him back before things can escalate. “Just let them go. We’ll win this race. That’ll be our best revenge.”

Tru looks a bit taken aback at the whole interaction. “Isn’t there anything else you can do to get her back? Why do you have to do it like this?”

“We don’t have any other money,” Deland replies shortly, “And if we lose, we’ll lose any chance at getting her again.”

“You can beat him,” Anakin assures, scrambling to think of something to say, to help them, “With my help. Hekula has my old Podracer. I built it with my own hands. They may have modified it but I still know those engines. I know its weaknesses. I know how Sebulba cheats. I can help you win.”

The brothers exchange glances.

“We can’t ask you to do that,” Deland says.

“You’re not asking.”

“We can’t pay you. All our credits are tied up in the Podracer. We barely have enough to get home.”

“I don’t need credits,” Anakin promises, “And I don’t need thanks. I just need you to win.”

And he’ll be able to free another slave. That’s what matters the most. He may have wanted to have fun with Tru but well – This is more important. This is why he became a Jedi in the first place.

He tries to ignore the traitorous voice in his mind that’s whispering that these are really some of the first slaves he’s ever gotten the chance to help free.

“You were in a podracer before?” Tru asks as they work, “Weren’t you pretty young?”

Anakin shrugs. “I’ve been flying almost as long as I can remember.”

The other boy keeps throwing glances at him though, as they work.

“What?” Anakin queries finally.

“I didn’t you were a slave,” he explains, “That must have been… kind of awful.” He throws a glance at the female Alaani still standing near Sebulba.

There’s so much he could say about that. The only person he’s ever talked to really is Obi-Wan. Now’s not really the time or place. “I had it better than many,” Anakin says finally.

Tru nods and they keep on working, at least until their comms suddenly beep.

And sure enough, it’s Obi-Wan calling them because of some kind of emergency in the city.

“See? This is why I said we shouldn’t come out this far,” Ferus says coolly, “It’s going to take us a long time to get back.”

“And if we hadn’t come, who would have helped them?” Anakin demands. He’s worried, though. What if Obi-Wan’s upset about this? He didn’t exactly break a rule but it was close enough, and… His master’s definitely gonna be annoyed.

“That’s not what we came here for. This isn’t our mission. Our mission is to protect the innocent spectators in the city, not those choosing to participate in a rightfully illegal sport. There are beings who equate danger with pleasure.” Ferus gives Anakin a pointed look as he says it, a look of dark disapproval in his gaze. “It is a mistake easily made for those who do not think deeply.”

“Well, there’s such a thing as fun, Ferus,” Tru points out, “Even you have to admit it.

“Not here,” he replies coolly, turning away. “And there are other people in the town who need our help and we’re risking them by being out here.”

And by ignoring Doby and Deland, they’re risking them and their sister. Turning their back on them. But that’s not supposed to be important for some reason.

All Anakin can feel now is a wild surge of bitterness, too strong to tamp down on anymore.

“I’m sure we can get back there fast enough,” Tru interjects.

“You can take our airspeeder,” Deland offers, “You helped us. We won’t forget.”

Anakin offers him an almost shy smile. “Thank you.”

The three of them take off together, piling onto the vehicle and riding away.

Tru pokes Anakin’s arm, as they’re driving. “Who’s Shmi?”

Pain lances sharply through his heart. But he wishes Tru hadn’t asked in front of Ferus. “She’s my mother.”

“You remember her?” Tru asks, a little surprised. “Right. I keep forgetting that you came later.”

Anakin just nods. “I know most Jedi don’t.”

“I don’t remember anything before,” Tru says, shrugging a shoulder. “I’ve never really thought about it.”

“We don’t need to. It’s a distraction,” Ferus interrupts and he’s staring pointedly at Anakin. “But you still think about her.”

“What about it?” Anakin demands, because he can hardly deny it.

He’s not allowed to miss her and he knows that. He also has no idea how to stop. How is he supposed to stop loving her? How could he?

“You keep breaking the Jedi rules. And no one ever calls you out on it.”

Anakin’s jaw sets as he looks sharply at him.

He doesn’t – get it.

He tries so hard. He always does. But it’s never enough.

Ferus is good at so many things. Everyone likes him. Siri never lectures him the way Obi-Wan lectures Anakin. The Council speaks highly of him. Everything he does is always right.

Nothing Anakin does is ever enough. He’s just not good enough. All he ever gets when he tries so hard is a mocking “he’s just a slave, to his emotions. Just a slave.”

Or something just as demeaning.

And maybe that’s because that’s what the problem really is. Because he is still a slave and the burning heat of the sun against his neck and the sharp sting of Watto hitting him has permanently damaged something in him, made him incapable of ever being what the others are.

Tru shifts uncomfortably next to him, staying silent.

Anakin could argue with Ferus about it but what point would that serve? Except to prove that the other is right?

He’s still not free.

He wonders if he’ll ever know what it means.

Chapter Text

In the end, Anakin has to head back to the sight of the pod-race anyway. Apparently, some of the events being held have fixed results, which is going to massively affect the betting on it. And it’s going to cause chaos. There’s also some political details, of how specific Senators have bet on specific things and his master is suspecting that people could use this to blackmail the Senators to do something.

Another Senate mess, basically.

And he understands that it’s important but he’s just glad it’s given him the chance to come back and help Doby and Deland. They’re as close to friends, other than Tru, that he’s had in years and he wants to be able to keep his promise to them.

Working on pod races – for all that it reminds him of his past – is so much easier sometimes. Not that he’d ever want to do that instead of being a Jedi, but here he doesn’t have to constantly question if he’s good enough. If he’ll ever be enough. Because he already knows exactly what he needs to do.

Doby and Deland are still working so he goes to help them. “Have you run the track in a speeder yet?” Anakin inquires, as he works, “An advance look is always a good idea.” And he needs to know more about this race, to understand how it could even be fixed. How could someone predetermine who was going to win a podrace? That doesn’t make sense.

“Can’t,” Doby answers, “The Podracers won't know the track until they're racing”

Anakin frowns. “What do you mean?”

“The onboard nav computer will flash us the next area of the track every three minutes,” Deland explains, “We have to race and navigate at the same time. It's a new innovation that Sebulba dreamed up.”

“He knows Hekula can do it, with his reflexes,” Doby explains, “Plus they have such a maneuverable Podracer. The rest of us have had to reconfigure a bit, but it sure does make the race more exciting.”

Anakin has to admit that that’s true. Even if it would also make it more dangerous. But now he has to wonder, is this how the race is fixed? If Sebulba’s pod-racer is getting the track information before anyone else, it would certainly give Hekula the advantage. He knows of no other way that would even make sense.

“Who sends the route to the onboard computers?” he wonders.

“The official timekeeper set up the program,” Doby says, “Don’t know his name.”

But Anakin does. It was supposed to be someone named Aarno Dering, someone who was killed when he and Obi-Wan were investigating in the city. And that same person tried to kill him and Obi-Wan by driving them into the wrong line of traffic, pretending to be a taxi driver, and then jumped out and ran away. Someone is trying to cover this up. Is Sebulba behind that too?

“Who’s the favorite in the betting?” Anakin asks, “How are the odds running?”

“Ten to one for Hekula,” Deland replies.

As predicted.

Because he’s convinced that his son will win. All the more reason for Anakin to be suspicious.

He turns to look over at Sebulba, where he’s calming sipping tea. The Dug’s eyes lock with his and he suddenly jerks to his feet, moving closer. “Now I recognize you, slave boy. All you needed was a little grease on your face.” He laughs. “What an unfortunate surprise. I thought you were dead.”

A rush of anger fills him, staring at the Dug again. He remembers all the times he nearly killed him, back on Tatooine. And how many dozens of others he killed senselessly in the races. And how he’s a slaver. “Not yet,” Anakin tells him snippily, “I'm here to make sure your son loses the way you did back on Tatooine.”

The Dug’s eyes flash with rage. “Luck was on your side that day, slave boy.” Anakin forces himself not to react to the mocking way the Dug calls him that. He’s not a slave anymore and whether or not anyone sees him that way shouldn’t matter. But for all that he gets that rubbed in his face over and over at the Temple, it’s very hard not to. “You are just a human, slow and clumsy as a bantha. I should have killed you then.”

“You wouldn’t want to have to answer to the Jedi for that, would you?” Anakin asks lightly, with a lightness that he doesn’t feel at all inside. His emotions are raging wild and it’s all he can do to breathe past them, “They’d charge you a lot more for me than Watto would have.”

“Insolent boy,” Sebulba hisses, raising a hand to him.

As though Anakin would stand here and let him. He ducks aside and Sebulba staggers, nearly falling on his face when he swings for him.

That only seems to infuriate him further and the Dug straight up jumps at him. Anakin whirls and kicks him back. He could’ve ducked that. But well – He doesn’t have any regrets that he didn’t. Not seeing Djulla still standing by Hekulka, unable to come even speak with her brothers.

Sebulba pushes himself back up, fully intent on flying at him again.

“Master!” Djulla calls, running up to the Dug and tugging at his robe before he can move forwards. “I have made fresh tea.”

“So what?” Sebulba snarls, “Get away from me, slave.” He kicks at Djulla with his hind leg, not even turning around.

Deland runs forward barely in time, and the kick lands on him instead of his sister, through him backwards. He smashes into the side of the cliff, landing on his arm with a cry.

“Deland!” Djulla gasps, running to his side. “You’re hurt.”

“Get away from him! You take orders from us. Get back to your post,” Hekulka snarls at her.

Anakin actually really, really wants to punch him in the face too now. It’s about all he can not to, because he knows he shouldn’t escalate this further. He tries to think of Obi-Wan’s calm when he deals with heated situations but he just can’t find it right now. Can’t find a way to copy him.

“Go back,” Deland tells her through clenched teeth, “I’m alright.”

Djulla backs away, throwing a final longing glance at her brother.

But going to Deland’s side and taking one look at his arm, it’s pretty easy to see that it’s broken.

There’s only one choice Anakin can make. He knows what he has to do and all he can do is hope Obi-Wan will understand. He hadn’t been happy earlier but they’d been too busy to really talk about it. “I can pilot the podracer,” he offers, “If I win, your sister will go free.”

“But that isn’t fair,” Doby objects, “Why would you do such a thing?”

“Because it is the right thing to do.” And for all the doubts he has about how to handle things, this he knows is right from the bottom of his heart.

***

He goes somewhere private to call Obi-Wan, before the race starts, trying to chase away the anxiety gnawing in his gut at having to do in the first place. “Master, things have developed here,” he says, shifting “Sebulba has recognized me. Because of that, Deland stepped in to avoid a fight and was injured. He cannot race. I... I offered to race in his place. Doby and Deland are trying to free their sister – ”

“And is that your mission on Euceron, to free Djulla?” Obi-Wan interrupts.

Sometimes, he really, really has no idea how other Jedi are so – cold. His master is amazing but Anakin cannot understand him sometimes. At all. “It wasn’t Qui-Gon’s mission to free me either,” Anakin points out quietly. He tries to ignore the tiny voice whispering in his mind, that by the Jedi way, any other Jedi would have just left him there, the same way he’s being told to leave Djulla.

He hears his master sigh quietly. “Alright, Anakin. But there is still a larger-scale problem at stake here you cannot lose sight of either. Have you found out anything else?”

Anakin fills him in on the details, and even his master has to agree that the best way to figure out what’s going on with a podrace being fixed is by Anakin entering himself.

***

Ferus and Tru show up, pushing their way through the crowd of gathering people, right before the race starts. His first thought, for as wild and ludicrous as it is, is that Obi-Wan doesn’t trust him which is why he sent the others but –

He could very well need backup. That’s probably all this is about.

“Strange, if you think about it,” Tru comments, as he approaches.

“What?” Anakin asks, a bit confused.

“The podraces are so dangerous but nobody looks scared.”

“If they took danger seriously, they wouldn’t be here at all,” Ferus says, a dark disapproval in his eyes as he looks pointedly at Anakin. “I’m not clear on why you are racing, Anakin.”

He thought it should be obvious by now, that it’s mostly because Doby and Deland need their help, but none of the Jedi seem to approve of that for some reason, so Anakin doesn’t mention it again. Even if he can’t understand why he’s the only one who even cares about that. “It is the best way to discover how the race is fixed,” Anakin replies.

“I see,” Ferus muses, “Our Masters have told us that it is possible that advance knowledge of the track will be sent to one Pod racer's nav computer seconds before it is given to the rest. Do you know which Podracer that is?”

“Hekula. The Dug. The third Podracer down on the left.”

“You know this for sure?”

“It is a guess,” he admits, “Based on my knowledge of him.” But he doesn’t know who else it could be. It’s too suspicious that Sebulba was the one who proposed the rule.

Ferus has a few more questions, about the details of how someone could be fixing such a race, but it leads back to his ceaseless questioning again. “Isn't there any way to tell whoever is in charge of the race what is going on? Surely it would be better to simply cancel the race. Did you think of that?”

Yes, he thought of it and it already goes back to one thing – that he has to get Djulla free, and besides, everyone was counting on this race. No one’s going to agree to just end it. That’s not how these things work.

But the constant questioning is making him doubt everything he’s even trying to do.

“I’m sure Anakin thought of it,” Try interjects for him, “But we can’t be sure who knows that the program is a cheat. Whoever it is could alter it with a keystroke and we'd never know who was behind it, or why.”

“Maybe there is still some way to find out. Tru and I will investigate,” Ferus decides, glancing pointedly at the pod-racer. “You can go back to your energy-binder plate.” He turns and walks away.

Anakin tries to keep his wild swell of frustration to himself. It doesn’t even matter what Ferus thinks of him. He’s not Obi-Wan. But he can’t quite shake the burning sting deep in his heart.

Tru lingers back. “He’s just being careful.”

Is that all this is?

Is Anakin just overreacting for nothing again? Maybe he is, because it seems like he always is somehow. Just like he evidently was when those other padawans were calling him a ‘slave’. “Is that what you call it?”

“You’ll understand him one day,” Tru offers, “After you become friends.”

Is he serious? “You really think Ferus and I will be friends?”

Ferus doesn’t like him in the slightest and Anakin has no idea how to let go of a shred of the wild jealousy constantly burning inside of him whenever he’s around. Maybe he could, if Ferus did too but –

“He has dozens of friends,” Tru replies with a shrug, “Most of the other padawans like him, even if it sometimes takes time to warm up to him.”

Yes, because Anakin’s the one no one ever wants to be around. Except Tru, so he shouldn’t argue with his first friend. “I think they follow him more than they’re actually his friends,” Anakin points out finally.

“He’s popular for a reason,” Tru says.

A reason Anakin frankly still doesn’t understand. Except that Ferus is the perfect model of a Jedi and Anakin’s just not.

He still doesn’t understand how being a perfect Jedi means just… forgetting about those who need them the most, simply because they’re not the mission.

“I feel… some darkness from you, Anakin,” Tru observes, studying him, “Your enemy is here. But Sebulba cannot hurt you anymore. Remember, Jedi do not have enemies.”

He knows that. But it’s still hard to forget what used to be between them, especially seeing the way he’s treating those brothers. “I just want to win,” Anakin replies, sighing.

“You mean you want to prevent injury and ensure fairness,” Tru corrects.

He actually cares far more about winning to make sure Djulla goes free than the results of whatever bets have been put on the race. But for all he knows, people could get hurt in whatever was done to fix the race, so he is worried about that too. “That too,” Anakin agrees, nodding.

***

Anakin climbs into the pod, reading himself as the race is about to begin. It feels like he’s back in the past all over again for a moment, on the last pod race he ever raced in. Because the pressure on how he needs to win is nearly exactly the same.

He can see Sebulba giving Hekula last minute instructions – probably on the best ways to cheat.

For a moment, he can almost imagine that he’s back on Tatooine, with the burning sun beating down on him, and his mother standing off to the side, watching, her eyes forever filled with worry and fear. He wishes he’d seen just how much when he was younger.

He can imagine for a fleeting moment, Qui-Gon and Padme and Kitster being here too. And all he’d wanted back then was too his best, to be able to help Padme’s planet. The emotion that swells inside of him is nearly enough to strangle him.

He misses that time, the past, so much sometimes, even if he can’t say there was anything actually better about it. He is where he wants to be, but – but – He’s older now. Things are so much more complicated. His emotions can never be as simple again, as they were back then.

But here in the cockpit, ready to race again, the doubts that haunt him ceaselessly as a Jedi fade away. Here, he only has one goal and it’s easy to focus everything he has on that one thing.

“Good luck, Anakin,” Deland says, his face pale with pain, his arm pressed close to his side, “We won't forget this. Neither will Djulla.”

“We shouldn’t have let you, but we had to,” Doby agrees, leaning closer. “Don't worry. You're going to win. Just don't crash.”

Someone showing him that kind of certainty means so much. Anakin grins back. “Right.”

“Come on, Doby, you’re making him nervous,” Deland scolds, pulling his brother away.

Anakin just grins back at them, but he lets it fade when he sees Tru’s master approaching. Ry-Gaul.

“You must use the Force to stay ahead. There is darkness here, but I cannot locate it,” Ry-Gual says.

Anakin nods. “I feel it, too.”

But despite the darkness he knows is here, he cannot deny the anticipation coursing through him. He hasn’t raced in so long. He missed it, for as stupid as it, considering all the memories of the past it holds. He can’t say he wants to have to do it again after this, but getting to do it one more time is – he’s stupidly glad he has the chance.

Tru waves from the side lines, grinning.

For a moment, he misses Kitster so much he can hardly breathe. He ought to be able to relate to Tru better than Kitster now, for all the years they’ve been apart, but at the end of the day, Tru will never know what it’s like to be nothing. He’ll never know what it’s like to be forever on his knees, to be constantly expecting blows for the slightest mistake, to have the hot sun burning down on him for hours until his throat is so dry he’s scarcely sure he has one anymore, but know he can’t stop working to get a drink until his master says so.

And most of all, he’ll never know what it’s like to be forever trying to fit in as a Jedi and to still be failing, five years later.

Anakin lets the thoughts fade to the back of his mind, though, as the engines roar to life.

Ry-Gual is saying something. He can’t hear the words but he can guess. May the Force be with you.

He wishes he could pretend for a moment, that it was Qui-Gon who was there. He tries to let that and the pain that comes with it go too, though, turning his attention back to the race as the pods streak away.

***

For all the years it’s been, he still remembers all the tricks he once used to get ahead in a race. Hekula has the advance, because Anakin’s old pod is still far better built, but Anakin knows how to counter it.

Expect, right when he manages to get in the lead, with Hekula rapidly gaining, his comm suddenly starts beeping.

Why now?

It’s probably Obi-Wan and he wouldn’t be calling unless he had something important to say. Which means –

He lets go of the controls for a brief instant, look enough to answer.

“…nav computer…accident…prepare for…” is about the most he can make out.

There’s too much noise for him to hear another word but it sounds too important to ignore, if it’s related to an accident in the podrace?

He grabs the comm with one hand, trying to control of pod with his other. “Repeat,” he calls.

“One of the Podracers is booby trapped,” Obi-Wan replies, but then his words start to get lost over all the noise, “…nav computer will lead… Eusebus… the lead podracer’s steering mechanism will blow. It will be made to crash into a crowd… hear me, Anakin?”

“Copy that,” he calls back, before throwing the comm back down.

That news was important. Because it’s pretty safe to assume that the pod about to get sabotaged somehow is his.

 But –

Now Hekula passed him in his moment of distraction and it’ll be a fight to catch up. He speeds along to get ahead, but they’re coming up to an opening in the cave and there’s going to be a crowd out there watching.

And someone’s plan is for the pod Anakin’s controlling right now to go crashing right into them. He’ll have to find a way to get control of the pod even when the steering is lost, and fast.

He only makes it through a few more turns of the tunnel before his pod suddenly starts shaking. Warning lights are flashing red.

The steering mechanism is failing already.

And that, of course, has to be the moment Obi-Wan calls him again. Which he barely manages to answer one-handed, as the speeder rattles more violently. He’s losing control entirely now.

“After the steep hill,” his master’s voice filters through, “The steering mech – ”

“I know,” he yells back, breathlessly, “It’s mine. I can’t – ”

Something blows up behind him a cloud of smoke and flames. More pods crashing. He doesn’t have a moment to look back. Not when he’s trying to steer his pod through control of the engines alone, trying to maneuver it on bursts of how much fuel he is and isn’t using at a given moment.

Hekula’s in the lead again.

The steering must be being controlled through the nav computer so – He flips it off, sending all remaining energy to the engines, relying on the Force alone to navigate whatever is on the track ahead. The burst of power lets him get some control over the steering and he zooms head, passing the Dug.

But… he’s going to have to let Hekula lead for a time, because he can’t let his pod crash into the spectators just to win. He can’t hurt more people to save Djulla. He’ll find a way to do both. Somehow.

His comm starts beeping a third time but it’s on the floor of the pod and he doesn’t have time to reach it. Or he’s going to lose the race for sure, so he just ignores it.

And then something just – shifts.

He can’t say what it is but suddenly the pod stops responding to steering. And it won’t brake.

His braking system and steering are gone now but there’s no warning lights flashing on the controls. Someone must have done something else to interfere. He doesn’t know what but he doesn’t have time to worry about it.

All he can do is frantically flip switches, trying to get the pod back under control but there’s nothing he can do. It won’t respond to anything.

And Hekula is still in the lead. He was going to try to pass him when they reached the next turn but he’ll never have that chance anymore.

There’s only one thing Anakin can do. He can feel the way the Force flows through him in moments like this, the way it whispers for what he should do. The situation isn’t hopeless for him the way it would be if Deland had been in this pod.

There is only one path forward, one thing he can sense in the Force. He knows how difficult it could be. He knows he could die here like this but he’s already come this far and he won’t stop now. And he can feel the silent promise deep in the Force, flowing through him.

He slams himself into the side of the pod, forcibly maneuvering it forward until he’s pressed against the side of the tunnel wall and then accelerates until he’s right beside Hekula. Now that he’s at this speed, he won’t be able to slow it but he doesn’t need to.

He’s practically grazing the wall. The Dug could smash him with his pod if he wanted to. But if he did, it would mean giving up victory to the one behind and he’s counting everything on the fact that that’s a risk Hekula won’t take.

He doesn’t.

But now their pods are being dragged along side by side. His pod is smoking. It’s clouding his vision but he doesn’t need his eyes to see.

They finally come through the turn, to the crowded finish line that Anakin’s so close to crashing into. And Obi-Wan is right there, looking straight at him. And about to get run over.

Anakin presses on the speed, and his pod streaks past Hekula. And then he cuts the power to the pod entirely, slamming all his weight on one side. His pod starts spinning wildly, so fast that no one can get past.

And it just manages to avoid the now cheering viewers as it comes to a slow stop.

Obi-Wan’s face is grave but relieved.

Anakin suddenly just feels very tired.

Sebulba appears almost out of nowhere, snarling. “Foul!”

As though he’s one to talk? He’s got to be the one who sabotaged the pod in the first place. “You’re the one who cheated,” Anakin accuses, swinging out of his pod-racer. He’s actually so angry now that he’s facing him again. Sebulba could have killed so many just to win, not to mention having Djulla as a slave in the first place.

“Slave boy,” the Dug spits back, “You have to cheat to win! There's no mother watching this time to disapprove!”

Sharp, gutted pain runs through him at the mere mention of his mother. And it only makes him more upset, rubbing in that she’s not here anymore. And that no one ever recognizes him no matter what he does – not that he cares if Sebulba does or not but still.

Anakin takes a step toward him, only half sure what he ought to do but he’s not letting the Dug get away with what he’s done.

A hand catches his arm before he goes any closer. “No, padawan,” Obi-Wan interjects.

“But he did it,” Anakin protests. “He could have killed so many. Just to win.”

His master tugs him away. “Listen to me, padawan. Sebulba did not cheat. It was Doby and Deland.”

Anakin blinks. “What?”

“They made a deal with Maxo Vista,” Obi-Wan explains. Maxo Vista was the former champion of the games on Euceron the last year they were won. Anakin only knows because he may have seen it on the holonet. Vista was here this year to watch the show but Anakin never expected that he was behind any sabotage. Though it’s expected, because it’s obvious that someone among the top rules of Euceron had to have been. “They would have advance knowledge of the Podrace track. What they didn't know was that Vista was going to sabotage the Podracer. He wanted a fireball, a tremendous accident to occur.”

The words sink in slowly.

And now that he’s actually thinking about it, it makes more sense than he wants to think about. Deland had seemed certain that he would win, right before the race began. He never thought of why until now. “That means that... I was getting advance track information, not Hekula,” Anakin realizes. “It wasn’t just the Force.”

There were times during the race that he didn’t understand why Hekula wasn’t getting ahead. And times where he was certain that three minutes had to be up for the amount of track information he already had but it just wasn’t. “Where are they?” he asks.

“They've disappeared with Djulla,” Obi-Wan replies, “I am sure they did it to save their sister. She has been freed, and they are gone. They most likely hid a transport nearby.”

Anakin nods, breathing out a quiet sigh of relief. They may have cheated and never told him but at least Djulla is safe. Free.

“Are you alright?” Obi-Wan asks, hand still on his arm. He sounds vaguely worried now. “That was a close call.”

“I’m fine,” Anakin mutters, blinking a few times. Physically, at least. Otherwise, not so much.

“I do hope when you raced on Tatooine, it never came this far,” he says.

“Worse. Most of the time,” Anakin supplies, though his mind is still far away and his heart is still pounding.

Sebulba is still watching. “You’ll pay for this, slave boy!” the Dug shouts.

Obi-Wan turns sharply before Anakin can react, staring down at the Dug. “I believe that’s quite enough,” he says, sharply. “Anakin won this race while his pod was malfunctioning. That doesn’t speak very highly of your racing skills.”

The Dug growls lowly but he seems pretty aware of Obi-Wan’s status because he doesn’t try jumping him like he probably would have if Anakin had said that.

It makes him feel unreasonably better, to actually hear his master say that, though.

Ferus is watching from the side, gaze forever judging. What he’s now about the situation, Anakin doesn’t want to know.

Tru grins to Anakin from the side.

He thought he would feel good after winning the race. He just feels shaky and unsteady. Nothing was like he thought and he –

“Come, Padawan,” Obi-Wan says gently, pulling him away, “There is a mission to complete.”

They don’t make it much further away before Obi-Wan glances down at him again. “He’s the one you spoke of losing to on Tatooine?”

Anakin nods, mind still reeling. At least focusing on that is easier than on what just happened. “He crashed my pod many times. I broke my legs once. But Watto had them treated right away so he could have me back at the shop. It wasn’t all bad.”

“I do hope,” his master replies evenly, “That this is the last time you have to race in one of those.”

“I know seeking excitement isn’t the Jedi way,” Anakin mumbles, eyes on the ground. He knows that’s why his master had been so disapproving. “But I just wanted to help. I thought – ”

“I know,” Obi-Wan interrupts, squeezing his shoulder, and he thinks that may be something close to an apology for… how he’d responded earlier about Djulla. “But that isn’t what I meant. You could have died there, Anakin.”

Looking up, he can see the worry in his master’s eyes.

For a fleeting instant, it reminds him of how scared his mother always used to be during races. Is that why Obi-Wan was so displeased about his choice to race?

“But I’m fine now, Master. This is what I’m used to.”

There’s something heavy in his eyes now when he sighs quietly. “I know it is.”

***

In the end, they arrest both Vista and the other top members of Euceron security who were involved. Only to hear, after turning them over to higher authorities, that all the charges are being dismissed. The only person who can really give testimony is Obi-Wan and everyone is refusing to accept it. They’re just letting them go.

“How can they do this?” Anakin demands heatedly, “They’re guilty and they’re just going to walk free? This is injustice.” And he doesn’t understand how none of the higher authorities could just not care.

“It is a hard thing to see happen,” Obi-Wan agrees, “But sometimes even when the mission is successful, justice is not done. It happens. At least the Commerce Guild did not get what they wanted. No spectators were killed and their legislation may be defeated by those they wished to disgrace.” There was some whole Senate mess, from what Anakin gathered, about how the Commerce Guild had set this up so the Senators opposing them would be disgraced, including Senator Organa. It’s… a good thing they stopped that, but in the end, no one’s being brought to justice.

“And they’re going to get away with murder,” Anakin goes on. He can’t forget seeing that person run over by a speeder and he’s seen worse things on Tatooine, but at least here in the Republic, things like that aren’t supposed to go without penalty.

“That is the hardest of all,” his master agrees solemnly, but here’s nothing else that can be done.

For a moment, Anakin can’t help remembering that night when Palpatine took him to the cantina in the underworld. When he pointed out how he doesn’t have enough power to bring people like this to justice, because there’s constant squabbling and everyone only cares about their own power.

And now more than ever, Anakin thinks he can see what Palpatine means.

***

They’re on the way back to Coruscant now but Anakin can’t stop brooding. He’s glad Djulla is free but it feels like that’s about the only thing about the mission that went right. And he can’t stop thinking about his mother now, after… all the things this mission brought back about Tatooine.

Obi-Wan comes to sit next to him, once they’re in hyperspace. “Are you alright?” his master asks, studying him.

“Nothing has turned out as I thought,” Anakin replies miserably, “I was here to work on my Jedi lesson of connection to the Living Force. If that is true, I've failed. I judged everyone wrong. I did not see that Doby and Deland were using me. I trusted my instincts and I still failed.”

“Do not judge yourself so harshly, Padawan,” Obi-Wan tells him softly, “Your mistake was one of the heart. You allowed your emotion to cloud your instincts. You allowed what your heart wanted to be true to make it true. Connections to other beings, good and bad, must be pure and free of one's own desires. You wanted Sebulba to be the culprit, so you made him one.”

That’s fair but it doesn’t feel like it should be a mistake he’s still making. At least this time, it’s not something his master seems upset at him for. “I thought my connection to the Living Force was clear but it’s not. I have such a long way to go.”

“If it makes you feel better, I made the same mistake with Maxo Vista,” Obi-Wan points out. Because Obi-Wan had been entirely oblivious that there was anything suspicious about him either. “You have an open heart. This is a good thing. With time you will learn the balance you need in a galaxy where all beings do not tell the truth. Or at least, the truth from only a certain point of view.”

Anakin nods wordlessly.

At least, he can still be glad he was finally able to free one slave – it’s something he so rarely gets to do on a mission. Even if nothing else about the mission was truly successful.

“Jedi lessons are learned by Masters as well as Padawans,” Obi-Wan goes on.

“Wisdom comes with time and missions,” Anakin echoes, something his master has told him repeatedly in the past.

Obi-Wan smiles gently. “And mistakes,” he adds.

Which is… true enough.

But mistakes are the one thing that he’s never supposed to make.

***

“This is incredible,” Tru breathes, from his perch on the edge of a crate next to Anakin.

The holodisplay in front of them continues running, showing a pod-race that happened a while ago.

Anakin shifts his position on the crate next to Tru’s – yes, he removed all cushions in the room so he could have room for crates with mechanical parts. “Yeah,” he replies, grinning back at him.

“Is watching this allowed?” Tru asks, though he doesn’t tear his eyes away from the screen.

“Well technically no,” Anakin concedes, “But no one needs to know, right?”

“True,” his friend replies, amused.

And the podrace they’re watching ends with Sebulba crashing – its one of the only times it happened, which is why Anakin picked this one to watch.

The results flash onto the screen at the end, and –

“Hey, what if I put that on my wall?” Anakin says, jokingly.

“For what?”

“Sebulba’s always prided himself in how he wins.” Tru had been the one to remind him that Jedi don’t have enemies before but that’s not really what this is.

“If you really want,” his friend replies, “But then that you’re watching races won’t really be a secret anymore, right?”

“Who’s going to come in here other than you?”

***

“Anakin, what in the name of the Force have you done to your bedroom wall?” Obi-Wan demands, arms crossed, though he looks amused.

“I decorated it. Like you always told me too.”

“I have never once told you to do that.”

“Yes, you did. You told me I could personalize how I wanted to.” That had been back right after Anakin had first to come to the Temple. He had no idea what he was and wasn’t allowed to keep, since the Jedi had a no-possessions rule, and he’d been terrified of breaking it.

“This is not quite what I had in mind but… if you truly want to look at a picture of his unpleasant face every morning, be my guest.”

Anakin just grins back at him.