V.1-C.19│Phantom Menace V│

"I can not do that. That would just have to come up with another method to pay." Shmi said.

"There are ways we could expedite this process, an example being that a solution to your current predicament is to gamble, as the people here love gambling so much it has become apart of their culture."

"But I doubt that would be done in a short period of time and you guys want to escape as fast as possible so there are other options like trying to sell off whatever you own." Anakin continues. "In fact you could go so far as to sell the broken down ship you have for a much worse quality ship."

"I am sure it would be faster than the repairs."

"While that may be true, I dont believe our current employer would like for us to get rid of the ship." Qui-Gon says in reply.

"Our company does and can supply you with another ship, obviously it depends on your make, model and the exact damages done but I am sure we could possibly help you out here." Shmi decides to add her input.

"And I was of the opinion you wouldn't have my business?" Qui-Gon says with his eyebrows quirked.

Shmi is a mother after all, and she very much loves her son so even at the slight suggestions that Anakin was suggesting that she would be swayed and go along with his line of thought.

Of course her own opinion had changed as well after getting to know the reason of why Qui-Gon and his group only had Republic credits available to him even if she were not fully aware of the severity of their situation.

"Please, forgive my mother she has had alot of experiences that have shaped the way she would interact with unruly customers." Anakin said. "Some of those times these customers were in fact trying to swindle her and sometimes they have come at her with deadly intent."

"Well, it is in my nature and that of the Jedi to be forgiving. So I do not take it to heart." Qui-Gon replies.

Padme decides to ask a question. "You guys are not properly protected here? Are there no laws here on Tatooine that stops these kinds of things from happening?"

"The thing is this planet is run by a criminal. The Hutt's are not kind and alot of unruly characters come to this planet." Anakin answered.

"A few years back it was much more common as my mother and I were practically alone when our business had started up and we had very little protection from these encounters."

'Fortunately I had droids to take care of most of the more problematic situations and had started to install security measures into the shop to protect my mother.' Anakin thought. 'Otherwise I would have regretted it many times over.'

'Being prepared is a great thing. It is better to have something and not not need it then it is to not have something and need it.'

"That is true but alot of these slowly become less inclined to happen towards us as we grew in size both in economic and political influence here on Tatooine." Shmi said. "Technically we should be fully protected simply because the Hutt's value our business deeply."

"We have after all also become an official business under the Galactic Republic laws as well, letting us even open up shop on Coruscant."

"You guys could have left from here then?" Padme asks.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you two leave then?"

"It is much more complicated then it looks on the surface here on Tatooine and in fact there is alot of stuff brewing and going on that keeps my mother and I from leaving." Anakin says. "That does not mean we do not want to leave, it just means there are still things left to do here."

Qui-Gon decides to question Shmi. "And your son? You do not want him to leave the Outer Rim territories and go towards a system that is much more well off."

"From what I understand this area is quite dangerous and that fact is only reinforced by the lived experience that you two have lived."

"Anakin and myself no other relatives, I have no where to send him to. No one I could possibly trust with the safety of my child." Shmi says. 'They galaxy is just to dangerous despite me having absolute faith that Anakin would be alright and has been when he took his own excursions off of Tatooine, I just knew he would be alright.'

'It was as if I could sense it myself. Call it mothers instinct.'

"Right." Qui-Gon says then thinks. 'This boy is weird. there is something about him but I cant put my finger on it exactly and my sense within the Force tell me I do not really sense anything from the child.'

'I should see if I could get anymore information from the mother later. There are some other things that I have seen that could point towards Anakin being a Force-sensitive child.'

"Tell me about these other ships you two are willing to trade and I will see if my employer is willing to trade in their ship in exchange for another."

"Just inform me about your decision. If it is otherwise declined I am sure there are other ways for you guys to get want you need." Shmi had fully embraced the business woman persona after many years of experience.

This can be seen that she has started to still look for benefits in situations that she could gain from. This does not take away from her kindness but has tempered it into a more practical way of giving without losing out for herself.

She is not as selfless as she once was.

"I think we should continue eating and finish up here, you guys can hold up here for the night cycle here on Tatooine. I am sure that the sandstorm should be over by tomorrow morning."

[]

There were two native species to the planet of Tatooine, the Jawa and the Tusken Raiders. Both pesky and very unorganized in their ways with little to no communication that would happen between them and the locals of Tatooine.

At least they were unorganized until a few years back when everything changed to where now Jawa were slowly being accepted into normal society on the sandy planet.

This strange occurrence confused alot of people especially the higher ups and investigations were done but they could not discover the reasons as to why they had become alot more sociable.

What happened next were the Jawa now completely getting their very own stalls set up in the streets of Mos Espa where they could sell their scavenged wares.

The Tusken Raiders who were known to be the most violent and volatile between the two species had become much more subdued.

Tusken Raiders no longer raided people and no longer did anything really negative against the locals across the various settlements on Tatooine.

In fact the Jawa and Tuskens had taken to making their own communities. Advancing their civilizations past their current tribe like states forming proper leadership and a proper society. Of course many things were still the same within their cultures but it had been much better than before.

All of these things was thanks to one person, Anakin Skywalker.

Not that anyone would know of this fact, but many would be very thankful of this fact as it had caused less deaths to occur. Many had started to even pray to thank the deities above that they had been saved, mostly the moisture farmers were hit the worst.

'With great power, comes great responsibility. Or something like that.' Anakin had taken his abilities he had developed to further better himself and the lives of those around him.

He also helped out others indirectly as well as could be seen through the control over the Jawas and Tuskens. Both of the species both feared and respected him as he had instilled in them that they should listen.

It makes it all the more easier to take control of them and manipulate them into become better beings if he could communicate with them. Thankfully he had the ability to communicate with others directly through the mind.

Telepathy is an ability that he had inadvertently developed because of his Force techniques, mental arts of the mind but he would have developed it either way as it was par for the course that a Force-sensitive would be capable of such things.

Telepathic powers just made it easier for him to develop quicker and understand things at a faster rate.

'You guys will continue to stay loyal to me and no longer take unnecessary lives.' Giving the groups commands was much easier then reasoning with them. Simply trying to ask would not work as it seemed they respected the strongest.

Especially the Tuskens, they had practically started making statues resembling his frame and looks. Anakin obviously got them to hide those things or simply destroy them because people may be able to identify he was the one responsible.

Even if he has not made many public appearances people should still be able to connect the dots, especially if someone who was Force-sensitive or had the psychic capability to read the minds of the natives were to catch their thoughts.

So he had to go through the process of disguising himself to most of the species he now had control over and only revealed himself to the leaders as he had special materials that he could design and did create to shield their minds from intrusion.

There were other things to take into account like his abundant take over the more low-key shady areas and the lands they owned. He had taken over alot from small time criminals and shopkeepers that he could confirm were dirt bags of the highest order.

He shouldn't just start a grand extermination on Tatooine when not everyone is guilty of crimes or actions he disliked. One such figure was Sebulba, he had practically driven him into a corner where he would only be able to live a life not really well.

There were not alot of things he could actually confirm himself and Sebulba was too much of an infamous figure to outright be taken out.

But soon enough he would be able to take care of him in an opportune time when no one would be looking.

The Jawa and Tusken had been set up in some shops he had taken over. Officially they had been working their own independent businesses while he was in control in the background so he could collect information from them of criminal activity.

This created a network throughout Tatooine as who would expect these species who could not communicate with anyone other then designated droids Anakin created to allow exchanges to happen between them and normal people to happen.

These shops weren't just simple fronts for a large information network used to help him locate slaves and free them if possible but also get information on alot more other things as well.

The underground is not that hard to access but it is better to have another do this dirty work for him instead.

'Master.' A voice spoke into his head.

'Oh! HK, why did you contact me?' Anakin spoke back. Lets introduce one of Anakin's special made droids that would be considered living.

HK-47 is capable of using the Force just like any other Force-sensitive just to a limited extent. An experiment of sorts at the start but had turned into a fully capable route to increasing the strength of his military might.

Imagine fully capable droids with their own freedoms from outside the rules of their programming giving them a better ability to adapt. But this is not enough, not for Anakin.

Being made to be able to use the Force is an even better option because with their new found sense of life, they could feel just as much as the average living being could. They were under his control of course, he wouldn't want any problems to impede him.

Thankfully the droids themselves do not mind being connected to him and following his orders. It is not like he abuses them for his own purposes all that often anyway, if at all.

'I have set everything up, the process in which Sebulba would be killed will be successful with little to no chance of failure.'

'Thanks HK. You have done a job well done you can get back to protecting my mother.' Anakin despite alot of protections put in place had even put his first droid being given life to serve and protect his mother.

It is the most advanced of the bunch and the longest living, in fact it is the very first of his special creations making it the head honcho above the rest.

HK takes pride in this fact.

'Weird bunch those elite droids. Now it is time to help Qui-Gon on his journey, but I know I could have an impact in the coming events so it would be best if I joined them.'

'Saving lives when I know I could save them but I dont doesn't sit right with me. Even if I am no hero or villain I should at least continue to save some innocents, maybe I would get some karmic points in exchange to make me lucky in the future.'