Part 3 (1/2)

”But I wanna go!” Anakin said. ”It's what I've always dreamed of doing.” Turning away from Qui-Gon, he looked imploringly to his mother and said, ”Can I go, Mom?”

Shmi smiled. ”Anakin, this path has been placed before you. The choice is yours alone.”

Anakin hesitated only a moment, then said, ”I wanna do it.”

”Then pack your things,” Qui-Gon said. ”We haven't much time.”

”Yippee!” Anakin shouted as he ran toward his bedroom, but then he stopped dead as an awful realization suddenly occurred to him. Letting his gaze travel from Qui-Gon to his mother and back to the Jedi again, he said, ”What about Mom? Is she free, too?”

”I tried to free your mother, Ani,” Qui-Gon said, ”but Watto wouldn't have it.”

What? Anakin felt as if he'd been kicked. He walked slowly back to his mother and said, ”You're coming with us, aren't you, Mom?”

Still seated beside her worktable, Shmi reached out and took Anakin's hands in hers. ”Son, my place is here,” she said. ”My future is here. It is time for you to let go.”

Anakin frowned. ”I don't want things to change.”

”But you can't stop the change,” Shmi said, ”any more than you can stop the suns from setting.” Then she pulled her son close against her and hugged him tight. ”Oh, I love you,” she said. Precious seconds pa.s.sed, then she held Anakin out at arm's length and said, ”Now hurry.” She gave his back a slight push before he trotted off to his bedroom, but without so much enthusiasm.

C-3PO's skeletal form had been deactivated and stood as silent and still as a statue as Anakin entered his room. Anakin flipped a switch on the droid's neck, and a moment later C-3PO's eyes winked on. ”Oh!” the droid said, wobbling slightly as if he were surprised to find himself in a standing position. ”Oh, my.” Then he saw the boy. ”Oh! h.e.l.lo, Master Anakin.”

As Anakin gathered up some of his belongings, he said, ”Well, Threepio, I've been freed, and I'm going away in a stars.h.i.+p.”

”Master Anakin, you are my maker, and I wish you well. However, I should prefer it if I were a little more ... completed.”

'I'm sorry I wasn't able to finish you, Threepio, give you coverings and all,” Anakin said as he stuffed some things into a travel sack. ”I'm gonna miss working on you. You've been a great pal.” Anakin slung the pack over his shoulder, then added, ”I'll make sure Morn doesn't sell you or anything.”

C-3PO's head recoiled slightly, and with genuine concern he said, ”Sell me?”

”Bye,” Anakin said as he left the room.

”Oh, my!” the droid exclaimed from behind.

Qui-Gon and Shmi watched Anakin emerge from his room. Suddenly, Anakin remembered the explosive implant within his body. He looked up at Qui-Gon and said, ”Are you sure I'm not going to blow up when we leave Tatooine.”

”I made sure that Watto deactivated the transmitter for your implant,” Qui-Gon said. ”When we reach our destination, we'll have the implant surgically removed.”

”Okay, then,” Anakin said. ”I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be.”

Until the moment that Anakin led his mother and Qui-Gon outside the hovel, it hadn't occurred to him that he had no idea when he might return to Tatooine. What if I never come back? He suddenly felt like he was on remote, as if he were not in complete control of his own legs as they carried him into the harsh sunlight. It was hard to think clearly. Everything that had happened since the Jedi arrived on Tatooine seemed more like a dream than a reality.

He felt an awful ache in his chest as he said good-bye to his mother, but because he didn't want to disappoint Qui-Gon, he tried not to make a big deal of the situation. He began to walk away with Qui-Gon, tried to concentrate on the path before him, but with each step, his legs felt increasingly heavy. He walked only a short distance when he stopped, then turned and ran back to his mother.

Shmi dropped to her knees and held Anakin tightly. Failing to fight back his tears, Anakin cried, ”I can't do it, Mom. I just can't do it.”

”Ani,” Shmi said, holding him at arm's length so she could see his pained face.

”Will I ever see you again?” he sobbed.

”What does your heart tell you?”

Anakin tried to listen to his heart, but all he sensed was its ache. ”I hope so,” he said, then added, ”Yes ... I guess.”

”Then we will see each other again.”

Anakin swallowed hard. ”I will come back and free you, Mom. I promise.”

Shmi smiled. ”Now be brave, and don't look back. Don't look back.”

Anakin did as his mother instructed, lowering his gaze to the sand-packed street as he followed Qui-Gon away from the hovels. Each step was an effort to stay balanced, as if he could not completely trust his legs from stopping or turning him back toward his mother. He trudged forward, trying to keep up with Qui-Gon's measured strides. He choked back a sob and felt his throat go dry. Thanks to the arid air, he did not have to wipe away his tears, for they evaporated faster than he could cry.

Making their way out of Mos Espa, Qui-Gon and Anakin stopped briefly at the market place so Anakin could say good-bye to his friend Jira, an old woman who sold fruits called pallies. Seated behind her small fruit stand, lira's weathered face brightened at Anakin's approach. Anakin announced, ”I'm free.” Before Jira could comment, he handed her some of his winnings and said, ”Here. Buy yourself a cooling unit with this or else I'll worry about you.”

Astonished, Jira gaped for a moment, then said, ”Can I give you a hug?”

”Sure,” Anakin said as he leaned in close to Jira.

”Oh, I'll miss you, Ani,” Jira said as she released him. ”You're the kindest boy in the galaxy.” Beaming, she wagged a finger at him and added, ”You take care.”

”Okay,” Anakin said. ”I will. Bye.” He trudged off with Qui-Gon.

Anakin and Qui-Gon were at the very outskirts of Mos Espa when Anakin had a strange feeling .. . Like we 're being followed. He doubted that the feeling was worth mentioning, but a moment later, Qui-Gon stopped fast and spun as he activated and swung his lightsaber at something behind them. Once again amazed by the Jedi's speed, Anakin gasped as the lightsaber swept through a spherical black repulsorlift device that had been hovering in the air at their backs. Neatly halved, the shattered contraption fell to the sand. Qui-Gon bent down to examine the parts as they sizzled and sparked.

Anakin said, ”What is it?”

”A probe droid,” Qui-Gon said. ”Very unusual. Not like anything I've seen before.”

Anakin had heard of probe droids before. They resembled security droids, which were engineered to watch over places, but their specialized sensors and programming were more for spying. He'd heard rumors that some probe droids were equipped with weapons, and that the Hurts used them as a.s.sa.s.sins.

Glancing around for any sign of the probe droid's unknown owner, Qui-Gon rose quickly and said, ”Come on.” He turned and began to run, leading Anakin away from Mos Espa and into the desert wastes.

Anakin did his best to keep up with the tall Jedi as they raced over the dunes. But by the time Anakin sighted Queen Amidala's long, sleek stars.h.i.+p just up ahead of them, he was trailing some distance behind the Jedi. Anakin had never seen a s.h.i.+p like it. Its surface was so highly reflective that it was literally blinding in the sunlight, and Anakin had to squint to look at it directly. As he fell farther behind Qui-Gon, he feared he'd never reach that beautiful s.h.i.+p.

”Qui-Gon, sir, wait!” Anakin yelled as he trudged forward across the s.h.i.+fting sand. ”I'm tired!”

Qui-Gon spun and Anakin thought the Jedi was looking at him, but then heard the hum of an engine approaching from behind. Qui-Gon shouted, ”Anakin! Drop!”

Without hesitation, Anakin threw himself down upon the sand just as a scythe-shaped speeder swept past him. Anakin lifted his gaze to see a black-clad figure ignite a red-bladed lightsaber and leap from the speeder. As the speeder hurtled forward without its rider, Qui-Gon activated his own lightsaber just in time to block a strike from his deadly a.s.sailant.

”Go!” Qui-Gon shouted to Anakin. ”Tell them to take off!”

Again, Anakin obeyed the Jedi without question. As he got up and ran, he caught but a glimpse of the dark warrior's face, which was covered with jagged red and black markings. Anakin didn't stop to ponder whether one color was the creature's skin color and the other was tattooed. He just kept running. And as tired as he was from the long run from Mos Espa, he never ran faster than he did when he bolted for the stars.h.i.+p. He practically flew up the landing ramp and into the s.h.i.+p's forward hold. Just inside the hatchway, he found Padme talking to a tall man in a leather tunic.

”Qui-Gon's in trouble!” Anakin blurted out between gasps. ”He says to take off! Now!”