Chapter 17

Meanwhile in a different part of the galaxy Renn was relaxing reading a book on a data pad, completely oblivious to the problems occurring on Naboo.

Renn was now eight years old, and his training was going very well. He was growing stronger every day and both his physical strength, and the strength of his force abilities had improved massively.

Renn had also been improving in his lessons with Sapphire and now had a lot of knowledge in a lot of fields. With the rate of his progress Sapphire and Alpha estimated that he would be ready to finish his training and attempt to become a warrior of house Dredd in a few years.

The final trial to become a warrior of house Dredd would be undertaken once he finished his training. The trial would involve Renn journeying by himself across the galaxy to recover the materials necessary to forge his armour. Once he recovered the materials, he would then have to forge his own armour.

Renn sat up from the sofa he was lying on and turned to look at the door as he heard it open.

"What are you reading" Opal asked as she walked into the room and sat on a sofa opposite to the one Renn was sat on.

"It's a historical text about famous warriors from house Dredd. How is your training going?" Renn placed the data pad he'd been reading on the table in front of him as he began chatting with Opal.

"Great, I'm getting a lot stronger all the time. Sapphire also says that my healing skills have improved massively." Opal grinned with pride.

Opal had begun to learn medical skills, both conventional methods and using the force to heal, after she had decided that she wanted to become a healer when she grew up.

She had started learning medical skills from Sapphire and had discovered she had a real talent for it and was improving quickly. She could now use the force to heal small cuts and bruises, as well as knowing how to do advanced first aid.

"That's good, I'm glad you're doing well" Renn smiled at Opal. Over the past year they had grown quite close and were now close friends, so he was happy to see her enjoying improving herself.

"Soo, when do you think we will reach Tatooine?" Opal asked Renn.

Renn and Opal were currently in the lounge on board the Speedy Vagabond that was traveling through hyperspace towards the desert planet of Tatooine.

They were journeying towards the planet because of the promise that Renn had made Anakin the year before.

Renn was looking forward to seeing his friend again and to see if Anakin would be able to compete in the podrace.

"Soon, I think. We have been in hyperspace for a while so we should be nearly there." Renn said and Opal nodded before looking around the room and then back to Renn.

"Want to play a holo-game?" Opal asked gesturing to the holo-table in the room.

"Sure, which one do you want to play?" Renn agreed and Opal selected a two-person game where each player controlled holographic versions of different dangerous creatures from across the galaxy and then made them fight.

The two children played together for a while, laughing, and enjoying the game, until the ship came out of hyperspace above Tatooine.

-

Anakin was working on his podracer and imagining how great it would be to win the big race. That Jedi who had come to Watto's store the day before had promised to help him compete in the race.

Anakin had met the jedi and his companions later on after they had left Watto's shop and had invited them back to his house to take shelter from a sandstorm.

While they were there, he learned that they were trying to get a new hyperdrive to fix their ship but couldn't afford to buy one. That is why he had suggested the prize money from the Boonta Eve Classic.

He had offered to pilot his own podracer in the race and just needed the jedi's help in convincing his mother and convincing Watto who owned both Anakin and his mother.

The jedi had agreed and so this morning he had left to convince Watto while Anakin and R2-D2, the astromech that had arrived with the jedi, were giving Anakin's podracer a tune up. The strange Gungan was also 'helping' and had just stuck his head in the racers ion beam despite Anakin warning him about it moments earlier.

Anakin was excited about competing in the race. He had participated in podraces before, but they had been smaller ones that he had competed in using Watto's podracer. But this race was different, the Boonta Eve Classic was one of the biggest races in the galaxy and he would be piloting his own podracer rather than Watto's.

Anakin thought back to a year ago when he had met his friend Renn and wondered if Renn was going to show up. Anakin had boasted back then that he would be competing in the race this year and he had final found a way to do it, so he was hoping that his friend would be there to watch him.

Renn had helped Anakin with building the podracer and given him some ideas for improving it so he would have been a big help in getting the podracer ready for the race. A lot more help than the Gungan that now had its arm stuck in the podracer's engine.

"Sup Ani, how's it going" a voice called from behind Anakin's right shoulder.

Anakin turned slowly and looked at the grinning face of his friend Renn. Despite Anakin being a year older than Renn, Renn was a bit taller than Anakin, so the boy had to tilt his head to look at his friend.

Anakin smiled at Renn, before making a fist and tacking a swing at him. Which Renn stepped back quickly to avoid his grin growing wider.

"I told you to stop calling me Ani" Anakin yelled before charging at Renn. Both boys were then soon running round and laughing and shouting at each other.