Chapter 1: Anakin Skywalker

Summary so far:

Xion, the traveling god, continues his quest for his own universe. After visiting the Stargate universe and facing challenges in the ATG universe, a cosmic horror creature intercepted him in interdimensional space, dragging him to its own world and weakening his soul. Fortunately, he survived and was thrown into the Star Wars universe, where his weakened soul couldn't assimilate Anakin Skywalker's soul. Instead, both souls merged, creating a new Anakin.

Chapter 1: Anakin Skywalker

Not a day had passed. He barely had time to adapt, and there they were: Qui-Gon, Padmé, and Jar Jar, entering Watto's shop just like in the movies. But he wasn't the same Anakin; he was now an adult, as the soul of a traveling god had fused with his. Anakin went from being nine years old to an adult.

Anakin realized that knowing the future and having memories of various lives set him apart from the innocent child he used to be. Understanding a disastrous future made the now-man view the world differently, wondering if it would be enough to save himself and how much time he had left.

Seeing these three enter, Anakin realized he had no time; his story began at that moment. The issue was that the world's history didn't start with him but with his enemies, who had decades of advantage.

According to Xion's memories, his enemies, Palpatine and Count Dooku, were already planning to create an army for the Republic and another for the future separatists. The Senate was in their hands, and all they lacked was getting rid of enemies unaware of their existence, mere puppets in their plans.

Anakin sighed mentally. What was he supposed to do? What chance did he have? Was he destined to watch everyone die? Would he become a tool for Palpatine, as Xion's memories suggested?

Xion, the god fused with his soul, hadn't planned to come here. In this universe, there was nothing he wanted. The Force was too weak for Xion's interest, and the technology here was limited. Coming here was a waste of time for him, and it would take decades to leave this world, only if Palpatine didn't kill them first.

On the other hand, Xion wasn't dissatisfied, as this was one of his favorite worlds, a place he would visit in the future, although he had planned to arrive much earlier. Xion would hold onto what he had.

Anakin, on the other hand, was desperate. He wasn't a tourist; this was his own world, and he didn't want it all to end up in Palpatine's hands…

"Anakin, come here!" Watto ordered, interrupting his thoughts. He called him to watch the shop while showing the parts the Jedi needed.

Anakin left the room where he spied on the visitors and hurried to take his place. Watto went with the man, and Padmé surveyed the place without paying attention. Jar Jar was busy with his own affairs, and Anakin knew he would soon cause some small disaster.

Anakin remembered a bit of the conversation the child Anakin had with Padmé and how he fell in love with her at first sight, but he was no longer that child, and he didn't find Padmé attractive. She was cute but not appealing.

Perhaps it was due to her age; she didn't seem any different from a teenager. Although there are teenagers with striking attributes that could confuse any man and lead him to swear by Jesus and all his saints that he thought she was of legal age, Padmé wasn't one of those teenagers, and Anakin didn't feel attracted to her. He had no desire to engage in a conversation with her. He absolutely disliked her, and no one could use that against him…

Anakin sighed in his mind. It seemed he still had some childish outbursts. He focused on Padmé because she was a queen and a future senator, so the adult part of him couldn't ignore it. The problem was, he wasn't very sociable to know what to say… he was a damn loner and would prefer to cut off his balls than try to imitate a child's conversation…

"Maybe the emotions of this body are affecting me," thought Anakin, noticing that his thought process was too immature.

Anakin considered lying and pretending to see the future, mentioning having a dream about her to start a conversation. However, this wasn't a movie anymore; it was real life, and a seer would attract Palpatine's attention immediately.

According to Xion's memories, at this point, the old wretch already controlled the Senate and part of public opinion. Confronting Palpatine with words, without a hint of power to back him up, would be suicide. Therefore, his knowledge of the future had to stay only with him. Anakin wouldn't bet a coin on the Jedi Council, let alone his own life.

The Jedi Council wasn't trustworthy; according to the canon, there was ample evidence that they used Jedi visions like toilet paper. They even ignored a vision of the destruction of an entire planet, killing millions of people, just to avoid upsetting the Senate over things that may or may not happen.

If Anakin presented himself to them and told them everything he knew, he was sure to end up dead at the hands of some Palpatine assassin. And still, the Jedi would sit idle. That's why knowledge of the future would be reserved for his own use and for those he could trust. One of them was right in front of him, and he had to become her friend, but no childish nonsense or visions of the future, at least until she trusted him.

"You don't seem to be from this system. Do you have wupiupis? They don't accept Republic dataries here," said Anakin, and Padmé looked at him.

"Hello, my name is Anakin," said Anakin when she focused her attention on him.

"Hello Anakin, I'm Padmé, and no, we don't have wupiupis. Are they very important?" she asked, approaching the counter where Anakin was.

"They are. They won't sell you anything around here if you don't have them," Anakin warned. "If your ship has broken down and you don't have wupiupis to pay for the parts, your only option is to sell the wreckage and buy a ticket with the mercenaries. But I don't recommend it; they'll most likely end up robbing you and then selling you as a slave," explained Anakin.

Anakin knew Padmé's true identity and that she wouldn't end up as a slave but rather murdered by Palpatine. However, mentioning slavery would also serve as a warning.

"Slavery is prohibited in the Republic!" Padmé exclaimed, somewhat scandalized.

"I've heard that theft and murder are also prohibited, but what good is knowing the laws of the Republic in this place?" Anakin asked, raising an eyebrow. Padmé blinked.

She was about to speak, but was interrupted by Jar Jar, who was rummaging through the droid shelf and had activated two of them, as well as knocking over some tools.

"You must touch them on the nose," said Anakin to the clumsy Gungan, knowing that he would have to clean up the mess afterward.

"If your friend messes up the place, I'll have to clean it up because I'm Watto's slave," said Anakin, not eager to clean. Padmé gave Jar Jar a disapproving look, and he hurried back to her side. She looked at Anakin uncomfortably.

"So, are you a slave?" asked Padmé. Anakin nodded.

"I was born a slave because my mother was one too," said Anakin, as Qui-Gon and Watto returned, the latter assuring them they wouldn't find the parts they were looking for in any other store.

Anakin knew it was true; either they bought from Watto, or they would have to sell their ship and board a mercenary ship to their destination, a not-so-friendly place for outsiders. They probably wouldn't be willing to take them, and most likely, they would be sold to the Hutts, who were the local mobsters in charge of the government.

Qui-Gon simply walked away. When they left, Anakin got off the counter and approached Watto, who foresaw Qui-Gon's future before ordering him to straighten everything up and leave. Anakin did as told and prepared to head back home, but not before looking for his liberator.

…

Anakin found the group at the market, as in the movie, but they didn't look good since Watto's words were confirmed, and no one wanted to accept Republic money there. Besides, they probably didn't have the parts they were looking for. To make matters worse, Jar Jar, the walking disaster, tried to steal a creature for sale and failed, ending up colliding with Zepulba, a podrace pilot who was also part of the local mafia. Anakin observed all of this, and although he knew the child Anakin had intervened in the situation, he decided to just watch.

Anakin was aware that Zepulba wouldn't hesitate to break Jar Jar's neck, but not being a child anymore, he also realized that Qui-Gon had already seen him and was glancing at the Gungan, who had caused the commotion. Since that was the case, Anakin didn't move from his spot, and Qui-Gon had to hurry to control the situation, giving some credits to Zepulba, who cursed them for being practically useless but accepted them anyway, as they were better than nothing.

Anakin approached after Zepulba left.

"Jedi Master, in the future, you should intervene before your friend causes a disaster, or he'll get into real trouble," Anakin warned.

"How do you know I'm a Jedi?" Qui-Gon asked.

Anakin looked him up and down. The movement in which he had seen the lightsaber when Qui-Gon rushed to save Jar Jar had been too unnatural, as the opening was only meant for his eyes from his viewing angle. That meant this guy had planned everything.

"I've seen your lightsaber when you showed it to me. I didn't intervene because the drama bores me, and if I don't gain any benefits, I'm not willing to act," Anakin said honestly. "But that doesn't mean I'm not willing to help you if you help me and my mother," Anakin proposed. Qui-Gon frowned.

"How did you know I let the lightsaber be seen on purpose?" Qui-Gon asked. Anakin shrugged.

"Behind me, there are five people passing by. One of them wears a dirty yellow suit, two wear faded brown ones, the fourth limps, and the fifth is trying to steal from them," Anakin said. He couldn't use the Force to exert any power, but besides being Anakin, he was also a person with decades of life, so there was no way he believed his senses were normal. Padmé blinked, and Jar Jar applauded.

"Few things escape me," Anakin said.

Qui-Gon smiled, as he had confirmed that Anakin was Force-sensitive, which Anakin supposed was what the Jedi wanted, and being him, he was probably already thinking nonsense about destiny, but that suited Anakin.

"What's your plan?" Qui-Gon asked with a smile.

"There are too many people in this place, and a sandstorm is approaching. They'll need shelter, so I think that should be the first thing before making any deals," Anakin said.

Anakin didn't mention the storm because he had Xion's memories, but because he felt it approaching. He could even tell the exact moment it would reach them. The reason was his unique connection to the Force, which the previous Anakin rejected not wanting to be considered strange among his friends, but the new Anakin no longer cared about a bunch of little kids and knew that the Force was his greatest ally to survive in this world, so he embraced it as soon as he felt it around him.

Qui-Gon looked in the direction of the wind after his comment, and Anakin understood that he didn't feel anything.

"The storm will arrive in a while, at the latest in an hour. If you need shelter, you can come to my house. We can also talk, although my mother and I are just slaves, and you'll have to buy some food if you want dinner," Anakin explained.

"And you know where to buy food with Republic money," Qui-Gon said. Anakin began to walk since they weren't asking him any questions.

…

A while after buying supplies, Shmi Skywalker welcomed them by opening the door. The storm was already perceptible to Qui-Gon, and they had walked quickly to get there.

Anakin looked at his mother, a woman in her thirties, whom he had said goodbye to indifferently in the morning. But now, seeing her and fully aware that if he achieved his goal, he probably wouldn't see her again in his life, Anakin felt the child's emotions dominating him, as well as his actions to run and hug his mother.

It was as if at that moment, Anakin became two different people again: the child in control and the adult who, though embarrassed at understanding everything happening there, didn't dare to intervene.

Anakin hugged his mother and shed tears, making them both feel embarrassed, the child and the adult. They became one again by sharing the same feeling and goal: getting rid of those tears and not appearing weak. Anakin used the old technique of pressing forcefully against his mother's dress to wipe away his tears and then stepped away from her, pretending to be calm.

"Mother," he said, turning to look at his guests, "they are Qui-Gon, Padmé, and Jar Jar, they…" "Damn it!" Anakin scolded himself with frustration. Freedom was too much for the slave child; simply put, the possibility overwhelmed him, and his already high-pitched voice broke. "I'll explain later," Anakin said and hurriedly left for his workshop in the basement of his small slave house.

…

"Is freedom worth so much?" Anakin wondered, overwhelmed by emotions. He stood in front of a robot he had been assembling.

Xion didn't understand. He was born free and imagined that being a slave was tough, but Anakin's life wasn't that bad. There were free children who had it worse, much worse. Xion had experienced hunger and hardships as a child. In comparison, Anakin's conditions could only be considered privileged.

So, what was it? For Anakin, the answer was simple: because he was a slave. And this simple answer was the "choice," a privilege of those who wield power. And if you want power, you must first be free, as everything a slave possesses belongs to their master, even something as simple as a choice…

"Are you okay?" Padmé asked from behind, interrupting his thoughts.

"Just wounded in my dignity," Anakin said sincerely, as he sighed and turned around. He never thought he would cry like a child after being an adult. Padmé laughed. Of course, it was amusing to her. She didn't know what was really happening there.

"Anakin, we all cry from time to time," Padmé assured, approaching and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No, not everyone, and not me!" Anakin declared. "It's been a long time since I did. Tears are surrender, a sign of weakness," Anakin declared with a sigh, looking at Padmé, who gazed at him with sadness but also with tenderness. Anakin sighed in his mind.

"Anakin, what is all this?" Padmé asked, changing the subject, noticing his discomfort. Anakin accepted the change of conversation.

"I'm a genius when it comes to robotics. I've built my own podracer, and also this droid," Anakin said, quickly inspecting the droid and turning it on.

"Good day, I am C3PO, cyber-human relations," the droid introduced itself.

"I've created it to help my mother," Anakin explained, though as an adult, he realized he should have created something more useful instead of just assembling a droid.

"Anakin, that's amazing," Padmé praised.

"Thank you," Anakin said. "I've thought about creating my own droids in the future. I don't like the ones that exist currently; they're too rigid, especially the public relations droids. On the other hand, assassins are more agile," Anakin said.

"Assassin droids!" Padmé exclaimed, and C3PO joined in the exclamation. "Where have you seen something like that?" she asked alarmed.

"Sometimes murders happen in this place, here and there," Anakin said, not telling the truth but also not lying, as his words were true.

Padmé was surprised and horrified. She hugged him. "She's a plank," Anakin thought, realizing he was a jerk. But he didn't really feel anything for this girl; he just appreciated the kindness her good nature provoked in him. "There's absolutely nothing more!" he declared in his mind.

"Alright, you can get used to living in hell if you spend enough time in it. As long as you manage to keep your own self, it'll just be an unpleasant experience," Anakin told her, patting her on the back.

Padmé hugged him tighter. She didn't let go for several minutes, and when she finally did, she couldn't speak to him. She just ran away, and C3PO followed her.

"I guess I have the same personal touch as Xion to scare off girls," Anakin said, with a half-smile, as incomplete memories of Xion's lonely first life came to his mind.

Anakin watched Padmé climb the last steps while C3PO asked her if she was okay. This girl was too idealistic. He resolved to soften his dark tone a bit when talking to her in the future.

Anakin was also aware that he needed to calm down himself, as his heart still raced at the thought of talking to his mother about his plans. He couldn't think of any way to free her alongside him, which meant she would be left behind.

Anakin sat down to meditate, relaxing his body and allowing his emotions to calm. Gradually, an unfamiliar sensation of being able to see without opening his eyes took over him. This was part of Xion's memories, who was an expert in meditation, so Anakin didn't have to do much.

As for the feeling of seeing without opening his eyes, that was the Force, and it was so present in him that, sitting down to meditate, he came into contact with it almost unconsciously. Anakin embraced it without hesitation from the very beginning, as the sense of peace that enveloped him was comforting.

Anakin intended to use this power to ensure success in the podrace by enhancing his perception of the world provided by the Force. He didn't like gambling with his own fate. He also wanted to use the power of healing since this supernatural ability would give him many advantages. However, he had a problem: he didn't know how to use this power, as he had no training in the Force, and he didn't have time to practice.

…

An hour later, Anakin opened his eyes as someone else approached. He looked at Qui-Gon.

"Do you often meditate?" Qui-Gon asked. Anakin gestured for him to sit in front of him, and when Qui-Gon sat down, he shook his head.

"This is the second time. Things don't always go so wrong, and I need courage to tell my mother that I'll leave her behind without breaking into tears," Anakin said, and Qui-Gon sighed.

"And what would that plan be?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You won't be able to change money in this place, and buying a ticket could end your life. You could also steal it, but Padmé wouldn't allow that," Anakin said.

"The Jedi Code wouldn't allow it either," Qui-Gon said.

"Does the Jedi Code prevent you from attacking a group of criminals to indirectly help hundreds of people and keep some dirty money for a good cause?" Anakin asked. Qui-Gon smiled.

"Anakin, you're a very mature person, and your views are interesting, but I think in this case, I won't need to push the limits of what the Jedi Code allows me… well, at least not too much," Qui-Gon said with some hesitation. Anakin smiled and nodded.

"In three days, there will be a podrace. I've built a pod to participate, but I still need some minor parts, and I can't participate on my own because I'm a slave.

If you say you own the pod and offer to split the winnings with Watto for me to pilot, he will undoubtedly accept. In the race, you can bet your ship to earn money and pay for me and my mother, as well as for spare parts. Plus, you could get extra money by betting the pod. It's never bad to have a backup," Anakin explained.

"Anakin, if you have a plan to get enough money, why do you think you would separate from your mother?" Qui-Gon asked with curiosity. Anakin sighed.

"My plan won't work the way I want, and in fact, freeing myself or my mother will depend on you," Anakin said.

Clinging to the Force had its disadvantages, and in this case, it meant knowing that his plan wouldn't go as expected and that one of them would be left behind on Tatooine. That was a difficult answer that the old Anakin couldn't even accept considering, but he didn't refuse to receive answers; he just couldn't prevent them from affecting him.

"Do you have a premonition about it?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Rather, it's a certainty that things can't go as I want. I don't have the power to make my own decisions, and my current fate isn't in my hands," Anakin said with regret. However, he wasn't so sad about it, as the man in front of him was in even worse conditions, living his last days of life.

"Anakin, what you feel may or may not happen. You must not lose hope," Qui-Gon said.

Anakin smiled. The Jedi didn't understand the concept of probability; they were a bit naïve. But he needed to keep talking and also wanted to see if it was possible to make this man understand. Maybe Anakin could save his life in the future. There was nothing to lose by trying, and if done correctly, there wasn't much danger either.

"Master Qui-Gon, are you familiar with the concept of probability?" Anakin asked. Qui-Gon nodded with curiosity in his eyes. "Well, let me explain it like this. There are a hundred doors in front of you to choose from. Behind one of them is what you desire. Behind two others is an intermediate result; behind one, there's nothing, and the rest offer various possibilities.

At first glance, the odds of getting what you want are 1 in 100, 2 in 100 for an intermediate result, and 97 in 100 for anything else. Knowing this and considering those doors as future possibilities, one could say that anything could happen. But such an answer would be too 'innocent.'

"As intelligent individuals, we leave nothing to chance when we know that behind one of those doors is what we want to obtain. Without a doubt, we will try to achieve it based on the available information.

For example, if we discovered that the door we want has a small red mark, and only fifty of the doors have that same mark, with just that little information, we have eliminated half of the options, and our odds in favor have increased to 1 in 50, twice as much as before.

Then we gather more information, details, facts, statistics, until we reduce the probability to 100 out of 100. So, is there still any probability?" Anakin shook his head. "No, now there is only an absolute certainty. Before, there was only a probability exercise because relevant information was ignored. Denying this to maintain hope would be denying reality, and that's something I won't do, even if it hurts. Even if 'the Force' allowed me to.

"I'd rather be unhappy, knowing the truth, than be happy reveling in my ignorance. That's the kind of person I am," Anakin said sincerely, although he had a bitter taste in his mouth.

Qui-Gon remained silent for a whole minute. Then he seemed unsure of what to say.

"I promise to do everything possible to free both of you," Qui-Gon said. Anakin nodded and offered a sad half-smile. Qui-Gon seemed uncomfortable. He cleared his throat.

"Anakin, I see that you already know what the Force is and have also heard about the Jedi," Anakin nodded. "Anakin, the Jedi are people like you who receive special training in the use of the Force. Would you like to become a Jedi?" Qui-Gon's question didn't surprise Anakin, but the timing at which it was posed did. It had jumped too quickly.

Anakin took a deep breath. Yes, he wanted to be a Jedi, as that would greatly improve his chances of survival in the future disaster looming over the galaxy, but he also had doubts on this path.

"There's too little information to make an absolute decision; I have many doubts," Anakin said sincerely. "Still, yes, I would like to be a Jedi. I don't dislike their way of being, and I haven't heard many bad things about their order," Anakin added. Qui-Gon looked at him with doubt.

"What bad things have you heard about the Jedi?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Many, but the most serious of all is that they're not allowed to love," Anakin raised his hand before Qui-Gon began to explain. "In my life, I've only loved my closest family. And in the future, that feeling of certainty tells me that I will never love anyone else. There used to be a possibility, but not anymore. However, I don't need the Force's answer to know that's something bad for me.

"Because beyond what I am as a biological mass, what makes me a person are my feelings. My feelings are what drive me to live, me and all living beings. Therefore, it's my feelings that, at the end of the day, make me a living being. Otherwise, I wouldn't be different from a chair that has a purpose but has no reason to live.

"Among all feelings, the most powerful and strong of them is love, and I can say that because I can still feel it. And thanks to it, I can face the future with hope. Of course, I could also face it without it and free myself from many burdens, problems, and insecurities, which I suppose is what the Jedi value.

"But in my eyes, that's the easy path, and that makes them a bunch of slackers. In my mother's words: they're a disgrace to any form of life!" Anakin concluded.

Qui-Gon blinked, then burst into laughter, trying to control himself but unable to do so for several seconds. Finally, he cleared his throat to regain composure and looked at him seriously.

"Young man, I won't be able to get those words out of my mind. I fear I'll receive a reprimand for them in the near future," Qui-Gon scolded, still struggling with a smile. "Alright, we'll talk about this matter another time," he said as if it didn't matter, but Anakin knew how incredibly important those words were, and he understood that his life, in Xion's memories, would have been very different if Qui-Gon had been his master.

"Anakin, before I leave, I'd like to perform a blood test on you. It's nothing serious; I just need a few drops of your blood to test your compatibility with the Force, which I assume is quite high…" Qui-Gon explained about midi-chlorians and their relationship with the Force, and Anakin allowed him to take his sample. Later, his mother called them for dinner, and Qui-Gon told her the plan, assuring her that he would do everything possible to free them. Anakin could only sigh. That night, his tears flowed again, fortunately, it was in his bed.

…

Three days later, Qui-Gon jumped onto the back platform of Padmé's ship, narrowly escaping Maul. In the end, he had accepted their deal, and Anakin won the race by a kilometer ahead of his competitors. This had brought them to this moment, which was the same as in the movies.

Anakin looked at Qui-Gon, breathing heavily and appearing weak after facing Maul for a couple of minutes. Qui-Gon wasn't old, and from what Anakin could see, his lightsaber skills seemed superior to Maul's.

His perception couldn't be underestimated, as Anakin could see how Qui-Gon reacted to Maul's attacks before he executed them. Considering that Maul wasn't a true Sith and his Force control was poor, this was appropriate. However, what didn't make sense was Qui-Gon's terrible mobility, agility, and physical strength.

This led Anakin to conclude that this Jedi died from neglecting his training and physical condition.

"Your technique seems superior, but your physical shape is horrible," Anakin said honestly. Obi-Wan blinked, and Qui-Gon, breathing like a dog at high noon, couldn't contradict him.

"Anakin, let me introduce you to my Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi," Qui-Gon introduced, pretending not to have heard the comment.

"Anakin Skywalker," Anakin introduced himself, shaking hands with Obi-Wan, who nodded.

Later, Anakin encountered the supposed queen and followed her for a while until he found a corner to meditate, as he wasn't in the mood for introductions after leaving his mother behind.

Author's note: Xion has stepped aside, so the main character of this story is Anakin Skywalker, who will have all of Xion's knowledge. Upload speed, one chapter per week. This is a fic that I have adapted to the Xion saga, so I will take my time to correct errors and ensure a good translation.