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I'm Counting on You
(Part 4)
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I'm Counting on You
(Part 4)
Back to Fan Fiction.
Star Wars belongs to LFL.
Chapter 36

"Anakin," Obi-Wan murmured quietly, "try not to look so paranoid."

The three Jedi wandered unobtrusively through the streets of Mos Espa.  Or rather, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were unobtrusive.  Anakin threw suspicious looks at every person they passed.

"You are too tense, Ani," Qui-Gon pointed out.  "You are even glaring at the droids."

Kaely was hovered behind them and squeaked in surprise at Qui-gon's statement.  "He doesn't mean you," Anakin told her.

Anakin relaxed a little and reduced his glaring to brief irritated glances.  "I won't feel safe until we are in the ship and are at lightspeed.  And after I've triple checked that Mom doesn't have a second slave transmitter hidden in her or something."

Qui-Gon looked sharply at the teenager.  Anakin had anxiously watched for trouble the whole journey, even while they were out in the desert.  It had worried Obi-Wan from the start.  By the time they began to skirt the edges of the city, Qui-Gon become concerned as well.  Anakin had expressed his disgust of Tatooine before, but never with such vehemence bordering on hatred that they could sense rolling off of him in waves.

They easily slipped into the slaves quarter unnoticed.  It was a typical Tatooine morning, blindingly bright and sunny.  There were a moderate number of slaves going to and fro in the street.  Just enough of them for the Jedi to blend in, but not too many that they couldn't ensure no one would remember them later, if necessary.

Anakin scanned the area in depth, hunting for the soft, comforting presence of his mother.  I had such little control of the Force before that I never could sense her clearly.  As he walked down the familiar road he couldn't shake the creepy feeling that coming back here gave him.  I was going to come free all the slaves one day.  Maybe in a few years I can.

At Shmi Skywalker's door, Qui-Gon held out a hand to stop Anakin.  "I will go in first.  She will recognize me."

Anakin felt insulted, but remained where he was.  "Mom will know its me!  I don't look that different!"

Qui-Gon used the old code Anakin remembered and they swiftly vanished through the door.  In the dim interior, Anakin could barely see the shape of his mother standing in the hallway.

"Ani!"  Shmi threw her arms around her son instantly.

"I'm here, Mom," Anakin choked out.

Shmi looked up at the boy who now towered over her.  "You've grown so much!"  She looked down at the brown Jedi robe she was clutching, noticing how Anakin was dressed.  Shmi smiled in delight and turned to her guests.

"Welcome Qui-Gon," Shmi greeted him and then looked at the other Jedi.

"I am Obi-Wan Kenobi."  The young man stepped forward.

Shmi smiled.  "I'm pleased to meet you."

"We have come to free you," Qui-Gon told her, but from the look in Shmi's eyes they could see that she had already guessed that.

"Watto has never met Obi-Wan, so he will go to negotiate with him."  Anakin carefully didn't say the word "buy."

"You have come at a good time.  Watto has been trying to sell me for months now, but the price he is asking for has been too high."  Shmi glanced over at the Jedi and so missed seeing the look of murder on Anakin's face.

"We can meet whatever price he asks," Qui-Gon promised her.

It's not too late, everything will be fine.  Anakin hugged his mother and took in the familiar sounds and smells of his old home. The oil and grease of droid parts, the sweet scent of crushed Noitol leaves whose oil his mother used to protect her skin from the strong rays of the sun, and the sound of C-3PO's startled yelp.

"Hey, Threepio!"

"Oh, my!  Master Anakin I am so glad --" Threepio stopped talking when a tiny pink droid whizzed around his head.  "What's this?"

"This is Kaely, I made her a little over two years ago," Anakin introduced them.  "Kaely, meet Threepio.  I built him, too."

"Hello, I am C-3PO human cyborg rela--"

Kaely interrupted the protocol droid's spiel with a loud screech and tittered at him jealously.

"How rude!"

**********

At last! Anakin thought in relief as they finally reached their ship.  I wish we had hired a speeder or had landed closer to the city at least.  Anakin looked at his mother's tired face in concern.  Though Kaely and Threepio had slowed them down the most.  Qui-Gon had been forced to actually threaten both droids with being deactivated to get them to hush.

Obi-Wan went ahead and opened the hatch.  Anakin stayed back to try to keep pace with Shmi's slow and tired walk.  Mom is strong, but it was a long walk in the sun.

Anakin and Qui-Gon got Shmi aboard as quickly as they could and took her to the main room.  Qui-Gon shut the hatch and went to the cockpit to help Obi-Wan with the preflight sequence.  Anakin had just fetched his mother a cool drink of water in the galley, when Obi-Wan returned from the cockpit.

"Anakin, we have a mission."

Anakin stopped to look at him in confusion.  "Already?"

"There has been an emergency and we are the only Jedi in this region of space," Obi-Wan explained and a dismayed look crossed his face.  "We can't take your mother there."

No!!  Anakin's face was a mass of pain.  He wanted scream and yell, but knew he could do neither.  Obi-Wan's right, but I just got Mom back!

"Qui-Gon is contacting the Naboo.  They will send a ship to meet us at a safe spaceport on the edge of the Mid-Rim."

Anakin stared out into space.  I know what this means.  After this mission we will just be sent on another.  I won't get to see Padmé, and I'll have to say goodbye to Mom with in a day, instead of the week I was hoping for,  He took a shuddering breath.  We might not even go near Naboo again for years.

"It is your duty, Ani."  Shmi kissed her son's forehead gently . "This is the way it must be."

"I want you to have my savings account I started to free you."  Anakin dug into his belt pouch for the datachip that contained the codes.

"I will not need it."

"I know, but use it for the extra things you've never even dreamed of buying!"

"Anakin," Shmi shook her head and smiled, "while on Naboo, I will get a small job."  Anakin opened his mouth to interrupt but Shmi stopped him.  "You know I could never sit and do nothing.  Everything I earn will go towards sending holo-messages to you.  Save your money for replying to me."

"Okay," Anakin agreed reluctantly. I didn't think of that.  Mom's right.  I won't be able to earn more money, so I'd have no way of answering. "But don't you work hard!"

"I promise."  Shmi's eyes began to water faintly.  "Nothing strenuous."

Shmi wrapped her arms around the young man and grieved to be parted from him again so soon.  Anakin gathered her close and kissed his mother's forehead, just as she had done countless times for him.