DISCLAIMER: Star Wars and all publicly recognisable characters, names and references, etc are the sole property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd, Lucasarts Inc and 20th Century Fox. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.
Callisto sat on the top of a small building overlooking Watto's junk shop, hidden from view by shadows. She had been there for most of the day, waiting to see when Shmi would go home. since her son had been taken by the Jedi, it had become the woman's task to take over Anakin's chores. Combined with what she already to, it was no wonder the woman collapsed whenever she came home. The thought of it filled Callisto's chest with a heat that she didn't like. She pushed it aside. It would be over and done soon enough.
Odome had a ship ready for her tonight. She would take Shmi under the cover of darkness, after deactivating the transmitter in her body. For that she would have to thank Jabba, who thought she would be taking Shmi to him. He had also paid her a handsome sum to do so up front.
Which was all the more reason to get out of there and as far as possible. They would be safe in Republic run sectors. Shmi would be the more welcome one, whereas Callisto...
She sighed. She was rarely ever welcomed anywhere. Every place she had gone to in her life she was either mistreated or asked to leave, sometime both. The Republic would be no different. But she was at a point where she no longer cared. Right now her only priority was to keep her promise. She would get Shmi out of slavery. After that, she would basically wing it.
It hadn't failed her before, it shouldn't now.
She smiled in the dark. Watto was going to have a lot to answer for when Shmi wasn't delivered to Jabba. She liked to think he would be killed, but that probably wouldn't happen. This wasn't a just universe after all. Most likely he would end up working off his debt. That would have to be satisfying enough for her, to know a former slave driver would end up the slave.
She dusted the sand off that had collected on her boot. She had been in the same position for hours, not moving and was getting sore from it. She would have to move a few muscles. If things went south she would have to be ready. It seemed awful unlikely that would happen. Everything was far to well laid out and who be looking for a missing slave of a junk dealer riding with a small time ... whatever she was supposed to be.
She didn't think of herself as a con artist, but she had no problem robbing someone blind, just like she was doing to Jabba right now. She was no bounty hunter, but she didn't mind gunning down someone and getting some form of commendation for it. As a result of the latter, she had become quite a gunslinger. She could hit just about any target that her blaster could take. the weapon was now her best friend. It was the only thing that hadn't let her down.
Slowly, she moved her arm around, stretching the muscles. Then she flexed her legs muscles, one at a time. If anything were to happen to her arm and she couldn't shoot, her legs were her last best defense. And today she was wearing hard boots. On this trip, she was taking no chances.
But the way things were going, it was bound to be uneventful.
It didn't feel as strange to be on Tatooine again as Anakin thought it would be. He thought that he would feel different somehow, alien is some way. Instead, he felt as much at home as when he lived there.
Except this time, he told himself, this time he was free. And he was coming to free his mother. With a smile, he remembered when Qui-Gon had first come to Tatooine. His words to Shmi had been "I didn't come here to free slaves." Well, not that time. And here they were, Jedi coming to free slaves.
Just like the dream, he thought.
Amidala stepped out of the ship, no longer clad in her ornamental dress, but practical desert wear with a disgruntled looking Panaka following behind her. It didn't take a smart man to see he was not happy to Queen was doing this again, nor was he exactly pleased to be going along. But Panaka was an honorable man and he had a vow to protect the Queen ... no matter what insane tangent she ran off on.
Obi-Wan was the next to come out, looking around with some interest. He squinted against the setting sun.
"Perhaps we should come back during the day. It may be easier to bargain then," Obi-Wan suggested.
"He may be right," Panaka agreed. "Plus at night, who knows what kind of gangsters might be roaming about."
Anakin fidgeted. His only thought was of his mother. They had come so far and they were here. He wanted to see his mother again now. He wanted to go into his old home, sit on her lap like he did when he was smaller and just talk, especially about all that had just happened. He wanted to tell her about the Jedi and how he had piloted a real ship and helped save a planet. Most of all, he just wanted to feel his mother's touch. He missed her.
Qui-Gon looked down at the boy. He could see the conflicting emotion. He could see Anakin knew that they had a point, but also that he didn't care and wanted to go now.
"I think I may have a solution," the Jedi Master said. "I will take Anakin to see his mother and tomorrow, we bargain."
"Wonderful," Amidala said. "We'll be leaving now, I assume."
"They'll be leaving," Panaka said. "I don't think it would be wise to be traveling in Mos Espa at night."
"He's right, your Highness," Qui-Gon said. "We'll meet you at the shop tomorrow."
Amidala looked about ready to protest, and she was incredibly convincing when she did, but she sighed once, and returned inside the ship. Panaka didn't bother to stifle the loud sigh of relief.
Obi-Wan looked about ready to laugh. "Tomorrow then?"
Qui-Gon nodded. "Tomorrow. The Queen knows where the junk dealer's shop is."
The younger Jedi nodded once and leaned against the ramp from the ship, looking past Qui-Gon at the red-orange sky.
Qui-Gon turned around. "Well, Anakin, let's... go ... find..." he trailed off. Then he laughed out loud. Already the boy had broken into a run for home. The older man sprinted to catch up.
"Are you sure this was the only way?"
"I'm positive Shmi," Callisto said, pulling the older woman behind her. She had made sure Shmi wore clothing to block her face and figure and crisply ordered her not to speak. She wasn't sure who would be out and didn't want to chance a single thing. "Now please please be quiet. You never know who might be listening."
She felt paranoid. This was very unusual for her. She felt eyes on her and was damned positive that someone was following her. Not once during any theft of scam had she felt this out in the open. Perhaps because there was just so much at stake. For the first time in quite awhile she was looking out for the best interest of someone besides herself. Whether or not this was a good thing, she didn't know. There would be time to figure out her moral stances later. Right now she had to get them both out of there.
The mismatched duo burst into Odome's home.
"Damned about time, Callisto," Odome said. "I could have sworn you got picked up."
"This is me, we're talking about," Callisto snapped. She wasn't in the mood to be chided. "Can you get it deactivated?"
"Yeah," he said. "Remember, Jabba hired us both, meaning I get half of what he paid you the other day, plus my fee for transport."
"Whatever, just hurry. You got everything rigged?"
"Yeah, on a damn timer, that's why I wanted you to get out of here. Twenty minutes this place goes bye bye."
Shmi looked confused as Odome ran a scanner up and down her body, locating the transmitter. "I don't understand."
"Me and Odome here are doing something that's not exactly nice. We're taking a big fat man's money and making it looked like we died so no bounty hunters will come calling."
Shmi paled slightly. "There has to be another way," she said with exasperation.
"Too late now," Odome said, sending a steady stream of pulses into her skin that she didn't feel, but effectively terminated her link to slavery forever. They could have it surgically removed after they got to Corsucant.
"That should do it," Odome said. "Now all we gotta do is..." He stopped speaking suddenly.
"Got to do what?" Callisto asked, annoyed.
Odome fell forward onto the table, dead. His back was smoking from a blaster burn. Wait, that was impossible! Callisto hadn't heard a shot...
Shmi gasped and Callisto looked up. A man was standing almost directly behind Odome's body, carrying what looked like a lightsaber, but with an awfully long handle. The black hooded man swung the blade towards Callisto.
But she was too fast, she left in the air, flipping backwards, being missed completely by the saber. Well, not completely. Her chin stung slightly as if it had been burned.
"Shmi, run," Callisto said, her hand instinctively sliding for her blaster.
Shmi turned and began a run for the door, but was suddenly flung to the side as if an invisible hand had swiped her to the side.
Callisto spun, somehow knowing this man was responsible. Her blaster was in her hand and she fired once. Unfortunately, he blocked the shot, sending the energy ricocheting back at her. This time, she didn't move away fast enough and took a hit to the arm.
Ignoring the pain to her weapon's arm, she squeezed the trigger. Then the gun was torn from her hand by that same invisible.... Force, that was it. The bastard was using the Force. This man was no Jedi, she knew that. He was as skilled as one was, and for some reason was hell bent on killing them.
That just made her even more mad, that some cocky newcomer to Tatooine though that he could automatically take her down.
Over to the side, she could see Shmi shaking her head and pulling herself up. The throw had slightly stunned her.
"Shmi, get OUT of here," Callisto said as the attacker sprang over towards her. She braced for attack.
Instead, he knocked her over the side. Shmi! He was after Shmi!
"Oh no you don't!" Callisto said, filled with a new resolve. She threw herself off the ground and into the robed man. The two tumbled to the ground in a heap. In that same instance, Shmi had come to her senses and had escaped out the door.
Thank goodness, Callisto thought. At least she didn't have to worry about protecting her. Now she just had to worry about herself.
The dark man growled and threw her off him, but instead of chasing after Shmi, his focus was now on her. *Where it should be,* Callisto thought. Before he could wield the lightsaber in her direction, she reached and twisted his arm back, effectively knocking the weapon out of his hand. The ground sizzled where it hit.
Her opponent rose to his feet, taking Callisto with him. Before she could react, he had her by the throat, glaring at her with angry yellow eyes and strangling her with one gloved hand. She reached up and tried to pry the his hand off her, but he pulled the arm off quickly. Something snapped and a fire burned through her good arm.
*Broken,* she thought. But that was the least of her worries. She was getting dizzy now, losing consciousness.