8 Chapter 8

"I won, I actually won!" Anakin yelled, disbelief evident in voice.

Anakin knew before coming into the race that he was the best pilot there, and yet, a small part of him refused to believe he could win, that didn't allow him to hope. It was a part of himself that he hated, created from the repeated dogma that he would live as a slave and die a slave, that he would never rise above his current station in life and be more.

Now that part of him was gone, and with it, the chains that held him back. Conviction, freedom, and hope; things once lost to him came back, as if they were always there and the only thing stopping him from taking it was himself.

Never again would he be Anakin the slave, the coward who feared death too much to live.

Anakin had given up on trying to escape after learning it was impossible to get rid of the chip in his neck. He wouldn't give up again, even if it meant dying; because he would rather die free than live enslaved.

Snapping out of dazed contemplation a few seconds later, he shrugged off his helmet, revealing his soot covered face and, and rested it on his lap. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back into his seat.

Everything felt different now, his connection to the Force, his thoughts, emotions, and even the suns. The heat now felt like a warm embrace soothing his exhaustion, instead of the scorching glare that made the smallest tasks strenuous.

A myriad of different emotions and thoughts ran through Anakin, but he felt one word could sum them up as he basked in his triumph: liberated.

Anakin's moment of peace was abruptly interrupted by the sound of hundreds of feet hitting the ground.

Knowing what was about to happen, Anakin opened his startling blue eyes, only to see a small crowd of people running to him and the people he cared for most at the front of it. With a giant grin, Anakin stood up in his seat, arms raised in triumph as he listened to the chanting from the crowd.

"SEBULBA SUC—" Anakin's yell was interrupted by Qui-Gon suddenly lifting him out of the cockpit and hoisting him onto his shoulders.

I hope I grow this tall, Anakin thought as looked down on everyone from Qui-Gon's shoulder, I must look really small to him.

Anakin noticed his mother smiling warmly at him beside Qui-Gon.

"Mom, I'm awesome!" Anakin exclaimed excitedly as he pointed to the chanting crowd all around him.

"Anakin." Shmi sighed, at a loss for her son's words.

He's going to be so insufferable now, isn't he? Shmi thought tiredly, but remained smiling nonetheless.

"I know," was more along the lines of what Anakin was expecting from his mother, but he was too happy to care.

Anakin laughed without a care in the world, struggling to breath, only held up by Qui-Gon as literal tears of joy streamed down his face. It was hard to describe, but he felt light with euphoria, almost weightless, as if the burden he carried all his life had lifted and the only thing that kept him bound to Tatooine was Qui-Gon who was holding him.

"This is the best day of my life!" Yelled Anakin over the crowd.

Qui-Gon chuckled. "I think I can tell."

"Thank you Anakin, for everything," Padme said, her eyes alight with gratitude and amusement.

"It was no big deal, I could do that race with my eyes closed," Anakin said, only half joking, with a confident, bordering on arrogant, smirk on his face.

Padme laughed lightly, a warm smile gracing her lips. "I'm sure you could, but you have my utmost gratitude anyways. I'll never be able to repay you."

Anakin shrugged, feeling overwhelmed by her raw sincerity that he could feel through the Force.

"Padme speaks the truth, Anakin, what you've done is beyond what should be asked of you," said Qui-Gon, his words as serious as they were thankful.

 "Hey! Don't say that," Kitster interjected, "or I'll never hear the end of it."

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Anakin said mockingly, looking down at the small brown haired boy with amusement. "I'm a hero, don't you know?"

Kitster jumped as high as he could in an attempt to hit Anakin, however he was no match the Jedi's height and could only pout in defeat; causing everyone to chuckle at his antics.

Just as Qui-Gon was about to speak, the familiar sound of podracers resound through the stadium as the other pilots finished the race a minute or two behind Anakin.

"Let's go to the hangar," Anakin said, "people are going to be leaving soon and I don't want to be stuck in traffic."

Qui-Gon put Anakin down. "I'll meet you there. I have business to conclude with Watto," said Qu-Gon, giving a subtle nod to Padme.

Anakin wobbled on his feat for a second, feeling light headed for a second. Suddenly, he felt someone wrap their arms around him in a hug. Surprise flashed through him, realizing it was Padme and not his Mom as he had initially thought. Hesitantly, he returned her hug, clearly uncomfortable.

After a long moment, Padme pulled her head back, looking Anakin directly in the eyes. "I'm going to inform the Queen of what's happening, so I might not see you again. I just want you to know that what you've done means more to me than I can put into words. Goodbye, Anakin"

Anakin nodded, smiling sadly at goodbye. "Bye."

"Mesa be going too. Tanks for usa helps," Jar Jar said, patting Anaki on the shoulder. The Gungan was sad to part ways with Anakin, but he couldn't resist the temptation of getting back to the air conditioned ship.

After thanking Shmi, Padme and Jar Jar left, leaving Anakin, Shmi and Qui-Gon.

"See you at the hangar," Qui-Gon said fondly before departing too.

Seeing Padme and Jar Jar go, Anakin couldn't help but feel sad. He'd only known them for a few days, but he had been starting to think of them as friends. After a moment of contemplation he decided to ignore his sadness and move on with his life.

"Don't be so down, Anakin," Kitster said cheerfully, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. You've won the Boonta Eve Classic Podrace, after all."

"You're right, I am awesome." Anakin returned his smile. "Thanks, Kitster."

"Let's get going, Anakin, or Qui-Gon will win the race to the hangar," Shmi said, slightly impatient.

"Alright, Alright, see you around, Kits."

"See you later," Kitster replied, before rushing off, probably to embellish Anakin's victories to his friends.

After everyone left, the mother and son duo managed to get out of the stadium before most of the crowd started leaving. The trip to the hangar after that was relatively peaceful, with the streets more desolate than usual. It didn't take them longer than a few minutes to reach the hangar. They were the first ones there but the place was by no means empty; many employees were moving around preparing the hangar for large and damaged vehicles.

Carefully, Anakin parked his podracer in the corner of the hangar closest to its entrance. Pain lanced through him as he looked at where the left engine should be; the podracer would never be able to work the same, but he knew its sacrifice had not been in vain, having killed Sebulba and indirectly saving a planet as a bonus.

Fondly Anakin ran a hand over the sleek surface of the pod, as if saying goodbye to an old friend.

Anakin wondered what he would do next. Obviously he would have to figure out a way to destroy the chip without taking it out, which was a daunting task that he wasn't fully confident in. There was a reason he had given up: there was almost no information on the chip, and any tampering with it could potentially set it off. He would have to make multiple scanners and find out all the information he could before even attempting a plan.

The blonde was snapped out of his musings by his mother suddenly rubbing his face with a wet towel.

"What are you doing!" Anakin asked in outrage, struggling out of his mothers grip.

"I'm just trying to clean the soot off your face," Shmi said innocently, holding up the blackened towel.

"Yeah, but you didn't need to do it like that."

"Maybe," She said, anger seeping into her voice, "you'll remember to keep your promises next time."

Anakin grimaced, thinking back to his promise to quit if it got too dangerous.

"I did keep my promise; it just wasn't dangerous enough for me to quit," Anakin said, trying his best to look serious and innocent at the same time.

Shmi only stared at him in response, not fooled in the least. "Do you know how worried I was? I know it's selfish of me, but every time I watch you barely escape death it kills a part of me. I feel like I've failed you."

"Don't say that, Mom," Anakin pleaded, "You haven't failed me; the world has failed us."

Shmi wrapped Anakin in a crushing hug, wishing she didn't have to let go. "I love you, Anakin.

"I love you, too, and you're the best Mom in the universe," Anakin gasped out, struggling to breathe in his mother's embrace.

Shmi snorted in amusement as she gently cleaned the soot of Anakin's face with the towel. "I know," she said, smiling jokingly.

"I hope I'm not interrupting something," Qui-Gon stated, startling the both of them.

"Qui-Gon! How did the deal with Watto go?" Anakin inquired excitedly, rushing up to the old Jedi, "He was mad wasn't he?"

"The deal was very successful, and yes, Watto was quite displeased, though I don't know why; he basically got free money."

"Hah! That's because he's the greediest person around, in his eyes, you basically got a free hyperdrive," Anakin said absentmindedly, too busy thinking about Watto's displeasure.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Qui-Gon," Shmi said, "but I think we're going to head home for dinner."

Aww, do we have to? I'm not even hungry," Anakin complained, looking at Qui-Gon with hopeful eyes, not wanting to see the Jedi go so soon.

"Do you mind if I accompany you home?" Qui-Gon asked, directing his question to Shmi.

Anakin peered at Qui-Gon suspiciously; there was something about him that he overlooked before, like he knew something he didn't and it was bugging the heck out of him.

Shmi smiled. "Of course not!"

The trio exited the hangar and started making their way down the sandy streets of Mos Espa. Shmi and Qui-Gon talked casually while Anakin followed lethargically, tired from the day's events.

Living on the outskirts of Mos Espa never really bothered Anakin before, but they had been walking for nearly an hour and he felt tired enough to sleep for a week. Briefly, he fantasized of sleeping in the soft warm sand, but was snapped out of his thoughts by Qui-Gon's next words.

"Shmi, I was able to bargain for Anakin's freedom from Watto, as of now, your son is free. Qui-Gon revealed, grinning with genuine joy and sincerity.

"I-I can't believe this!" Shmi stuttered, "You're not lying, are you?" She asked hopefully, almost begging.

"Your son is free," Qui-Gon said, gently grabbing Shmi's shoulders and looking her in the eyes.

Shmi hugged him, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. How can I ever repay?"

"It was my honor, and there is nothing to repay," Qui-Gon said compassionately. "I would also like to offer Anakin the chance to come with me to Coruscant to be taught in the ways of the Jedi."

Many emotions flew through Anakin at the Jedi's reveal, joy and happiness at the forefront of them. It was like all his dreams had come true in one day. Not only that, he also had the chance to become a legendary warrior of justice, to be the person that he often dreamed would save him. It wasn't exactly his first pick to be honest, but it didn't sound like a bad deal, plus he could always change his mind later.

Anakin immediately wanted to say yes to Qui-Gon's proposal but there was one question lingering on his mind: "What about my mother? You freed her, too, right?"

Qui-Gon's light smile disappeared, his eyes turning sorrowful as he took a step back from Shmi's embrace. "I tried, but he would only agree to one of you, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Anakin is all that matters," Shmi said firmly, "and he will go with you."

"What! No I won't! I can't just leave you here!" Anakin yelled, mad at her for even thinking of it.

"Yes, you can," Shmi said softly. "This is a chance that won't come again; a chance to finally get the life you deserve. If I'm the reason you stay then I really would fail you."

"I don't care. I'm not going to leave you here, to fend by yourself all alone. I may as well leave you here to die." Tears started to stream down the boy's face.

"Anakin, please do this for me" Shmi begged, "I would rather die than let you stay here a moment longer than you have to."

Frustration consumed Anakin like a surging tide. He hated arguing about stuff like this, or even talking about it for that matter; he'd grown accustomed to hiding his thoughts and feelings, revealing them made him feel exposed and vulnerable. Just seeing her upset destroyed him.

Anakin looked to Qui-Gon, who had been silent the entire argument. "What kind of Jedi would I be if I sacrificed my Mom for my future?" Anakin asked, demanding an answer.

"And what kind of Mom would I be if I sacrificed my son's future for my own happiness?" Shmi said before Qui-Gon could reply, a kind smile covered her face, hiding the sadness and pain underneath.

Both Skywalkers refused to budge, unwilling to concede to the other.

"If I may, how about you come with me to Coruscant, Anakin," Qui-Gon interjected, "and as soon as possible we will come back to free you mother."

Neither liked the plan; Anakin because he didn't want to leave his Mom by herself, and Shmi because she didn't want to be an even bigger burden to Anakin.

Hearing no objections, a smile swept over Qui-Gon's face. Many complications would arise at the Jedi order because of Shmi being there with Anakin, but he figured it was well worth the trouble.

Something didn't feel right; Anakin didn't know what, but he could tell that something weird was about. Looking over at the Jedi, he confirmed his suspicions. Now that he focused, he could feel a change in the Force: it was still, like a stubborn fog, as if waiting in suspense for something important.

Goose bumps formed on his skin as he nervously shifted his eyes around the empty street. It felt like there was an invisible knife on his throat, just waiting to slit it.

Guided by the Force, Anakin ducked down low to the ground before Qui-Gon even said, "duck."

It all happened in a single moment.

He saw Qui-Gon suddenly jump into the air, defying gravity, and for a split second he heard the hum of a speeder as it passed beside him, a red beam of crackling energy coming out of its side, passing where he and Qui-Gon were moments before.

Fear forced his head up, looking for his attacker. Instead of the attacker, he was met with the form of his mother two feet in front of him, a smile filled with love on her face. The same smile he remembered seeing in his dream.

Anakin watched in confusion as he felt something wet splash his face, and her smiling form split in half as it fell to the ground. For a moment, he stayed kneeling on the ground, uncomprehending, a split second later understanding dawned on him like a meteor crashing down from space. Anakin rushed to her still body in panicked haste, hoping that the liquid on his face wasn't blood and that her dead body was a figment of his imagination.

Even as he grappled onto her body, like someone in a deadly current might grab at a fallen tree, dread and despair consumed him. Anakin ignored her legs lying a foot away as he rested her head on his lap, peering hopefully into her soulless brown eyes.

"Mom, say something!" He pleaded, tears running down his face as he desperately shook her. "Please say something!"

Anakin knew she was dead, knew she had probably died before she hit the ground, but he couldn't accept it. A cry of hate and despair ripped out of him at the sight of her bloody organs spilling out of her charred torso.

She was dead. His Mom was dead.

Hate filled every fiber of his being, and like a key to the ocean of rage and hate inside him, it released his control over it. The ocean poured out in endless waves, sinking his mind, his rationality into its dark depths.

Anakin saw red, he couldn't think, he couldn't breath, he was driven only by the instinctive desire of the emotions controlling him.

As if possessed, Anakin snapped his head up, looking at where the murderer of his mother rushed towards Qui-Gon with a red lightsaber in hand. The murderer was an Abomination; its skin was a malevolent red with black patterns covering it, and on its head, rested a crown of horns. In a way, Anakin thought it was fitting in the fleeting depths of his mind, fitting in that the Monster's appearance matched its true self.

If Qui-Gon felt like a beacon of light within the Force, radiating compassion and peace, the abomination felt like a vast hole of darkness, consuming all the good in the world and spitting out nothing but hate and rage.

Thoughtlessly, Anakin raised his hand at the running form of his mother's killer, and instinctually, Anakin let his endless torrents of hate flow into the Force inside him. Raw power flowed through him.

As if responding to his most desperate wish, the Force inside him fueled by his boundless emotions engulfed the Abomination, smashing through the formidable Force barrier around it like it was glass. Suddenly, the Abomination along with everything close to it froze, as if paused in time.

"Die," Anakin whispered. Without hesitation, he clenched his hand into a fist, and the Force responded. 

As easy as snuffing out a candle, the Abomination was crushed in on all sides, causing a small crater to form around it, leaving its mutilated form lying on the ground a second later. As abruptly as Anakin's overwhelming strength with the Force came, it left.

A moment later, the world resumed, as if it had been holding its breath during the confrontation. 

Anakin didn't remember standing up, but he felt the impact as crashed into the ground; too fatigued to even flex his muscle.

The raging ocean of emotion that filled him before vanished, leaving him feeling as dry as Tatooine's deserts. He suddenly felt empty and hollow, drained completely of emotion. 

Anakin felt emotionless; he chose to enjoy as much as he could as sleep took him, knowing that when he woke, the last thing he would want to do was feel.