Open Post

[neverjedi]

Comments

[justasmallfry]

“What do you think that would accomplish?” Qui-Gon asked. “You no longer have any standing in the Order by choice.”

[neverjedi]

"I no longer have any standing as a person, which was not by choice but was the direct consequence of my own decisions." That he...still doesn't really regret, actually. He's still mad as hell, but that isn't the point, either. "Anakin and his mom didn't do anything to deserve this. This is a place slaves go to die and he is a child - who still needs his mother. Jedi are supposed to be compassionate. You're dragging around one stray already so I know you are still that. Help them."

[justasmallfry]

"Obi-Wan, you do not know the nature of my current mission. I do not have the resources with me to accomplish what you are asking of me even if I had the time to devote to this request." He didn't have the resources necessary to accomplish even his own mission.

[neverjedi]

"I'm not asking you to do anything right now. I am asking that you do something I remember you doing very well and, when you've finished whatever Jedi business you are on, that you go the the Council and, if necessary, argue with them about doing the right thing."

He's not even flinching anymore, he's just determined and tired and feels... surprisingly old, all things considered.

[justasmallfry]

Qui-Gon certainly had always hated the fact that the Jedi turned a blind eye to the pockets of slavery that thrived in the Galaxy. He didn't agree with Master Yoda that sometimes, for the greater good, some had to suffer without their consent. He'd butted heads with the Council on more than one occasion about this.

Obi-Wan was right about that.

However, that didn't change his circumstances.

"At the moment I cannot even leave the planet," Qui-Gon said. "Making a promise now would be short sighted." He changed tactics. "We are currently all stuck here under one roof, arguing will get us nowhere."

[neverjedi]

He lets it go - for now. Not being able to leave the planet is a problem and--

Well, powerlessness is a thing to which he has become accustomed to.

There is a more immediate issue, though.

He waits a beat to make sure Qui-Gon is finished talking and-. "I can, with some help from the Force, make it through the storm as far as my... accommodation." It was a shack and effectively a closet, but. "I am going to go bring what supplies I have there. If nothing else I can supplement food, water, and add a few blankets so you and Anakin aren't left any more lacking than can be avoided."

[justasmallfry]

Qui-Gon was relieved when Obi-Wan let the topic drop. It just made everything easier for, in Qui-Gon's opinion, everyone all around.

And thinking the matter was calmly put away, and that making it through the night was the focus, he offered, "Do you need any help?"

[neverjedi]

"No."

He pulled his sleeves down from their rolled up position, and headed out the door. He'd be gone for probably fifteen minutes then back with additional food, water, and blankets - and sand driven into his hair and clothes, but that was hardly unexpected.

He simply took it all to Shmi and got busy helping her get food on the table. Silently.

The storm outside, however, got much, much worse while they did.

[justasmallfry]

When Shmi poked her head in to tell them dinner was ready, Anakin jumped up without any more prompting. Truth be told, he was perpetually hungry, so eating was always something he looked forward to. Even if they had to leave C-3PO for a bit.

Completely unaware of the triangle of tension between the adults he sat down and took servings of food and passed things around as they were put in front of him.

He picked up talking where he'd left off in the other room.

"I'm going to finish Threepio. I just have to wait for parts to come into Watto's shop that he doesn't want or won't see missing so he won't get mad. But I know they'll show up some day."

Padme, more adept at noticing people, was instantly aware something had happened between the three adults while she was in the room with Anakin and Jar Jar. She was also wrapping her mind around the reality of something she'd previously thought impossible.

She figured the least she could do was thank Shmi for her hospitality. "Thank you for putting us up for the night, Ms. Skywalker. You and your son's generosity is much appreciated. And yours as well, Mr. Kenobi. You didn't have to help us. I know it's an imposition."

[neverjedi]

"Please, just call me Obi-Wan. I have as much autonomy as the table, the honorific is a little weird." It's said gently, though. He's not trying to make her feel bad. He likes her. She seems sweet. He just can't with the mister, even if he recognizes it as manners.

It's been a really emotionally rough day, "and I know we're all very glad to be able to be of any help and I know Anakin's been having a good time." Which is important to him.

[justasmallfry]

If Anakin understood a few more of those words, he'd blurt out that they were all still people, first. But all he caught, finally, was a sheen of that awkwardness hanging between everyone.

Padme however saw an opportunity.

"Forgive me if this is too forward, but may I ask a few questions about the situation on Tatooine?" She looked to both Shmi and Obi-Wan for approval.

[neverjedi]

"You may ask me whatever you'd like." Both because he couldn't stop her and because he didn't particularly mind. "As for timing-- Shmi would be the better person to ask that question."

Does she want Anakin sitting in? He isn't sheltered, can't be, but still- she is his mother.

[justasmallfry]

"That depends on the question," Shmi said. There was a lot Anakin could hear, it was useless to try to hide the realities of Tatooine from him no matter how much she - or Obi-Wan - may want to.

Padme nodded, understanding the reason for tact. But she also wanted to be as direct as possible. Thus far in her short time as being queen - not that anyone knew that right now - she'd learned that people read too much indirectness as minimizing their experiences.

"It was my understanding that slavery was outlawed in the Republic. But it seems to be thriving here. Is the Republic not trying to address this oversight?"

[neverjedi]

"Tatooine is by far the worst, likely because there is little other economy to speak of and it is so remote, but it is far from the only place the slave trade exists within the Republic." That needs to be said, since the question was asked. It deserves a complete answer.

"As for the Republic attempting to address the oversight-" He snorts. "I believe they have decided that sometimes individuals must suffer for a greater good." Yes, yes, Jedi reasoning being thrown out there. "Not worth the economic fallout or potential war, but that is little more than a guess. I was not much older than Anakin when slavers found me. I knew little of politics then and I know less now."

[justasmallfry]

"We're too far out and Tatooine has little the Republic needs for them to devote resources for us," Shmi added a bit more illumination.

"We're just not a priority."

Anakin had fallen quiet while the adults spoke, he understood now a little bit more what everyone was saying.

But now he turned towards Qui-Gon. "Are the Jedi here to save us?" he asked innocently enough. "I saw your lightsaber- only Jedi have those," he added proudly, like he'd solved a puzzel.

[neverjedi]

He nods slightly at Shmi, to add a little more weight to her statement - though that statement covered a lot.

Then to Anakin--

Well that hurt and it showed a little in his expression and tone, but he answered it. "I think Master Jinn may try to get you and your mom out of here once he's able to leave the planet and finish his important business. But it's important to remember that the Jedi are defenders of the Republic, so he might not be able to."

[justasmallfry]

Qui-Gon was just about to interject to explain the weren't here to address the issue of slavery - thanks Obi-Wan.

But Anakin's face lit up and he just jump right to excited talking.

"Really? You are going to get us out of here? This is the best day of my life. This is better than winning a podrace! Where would we go-"

"Anakin-" Shmi tried to quell her son's enthusiasm and shot Obi-Wan a look. She knew he had good intentions and she knew the game he was playing here. But Anakin didn't deserve to get his hope up.

But Anakin kept right on talking until he reached a logical question. "And Obi-Wan, too?"

[neverjedi]

He expected that Qui-Gon would feel the pressure of being considered a hero by a small child and the implication that he was a republic pawn to apply even more. That was the game. Anakin completely leaping over the caveats was not part of that plan.

He got up from the table - after sliding his plate to Shmi in a subtle way. He wasn't hungry and resources were limited, save it, eat it, or get it into Anakin - and moved around to where Anakin was. He turned the chair around and then crouched down in front of it, and offered the boy both his hands, palms up.

"Anakin...." He started, then stopped to try to forget the other people at the table. "Qui-Gon is a good man and I know he will try, but he is only one man - even if he has a light-saber, and Jedi don't always have a lot of freedom either." Then, quieter, and with eye-contact over Anakin's shoulder to Qui-Gon for a moment: "I chose to leave the Jedi. They aren't going to help me and they shouldn't." Then back to Anakin. "But it is really, really important to me that you get out of here with your mom."

[justasmallfry]

Anakin had one simple question because everything was simple and black and white in his mind. "Why shouldn't you be free, too? You deserve help, too. You're a person, too!"

[neverjedi]

"I am a person." He smiled, a little at that, because it was so Anakin. "But I'm a person who made a choice and that choice had consequences. Also, if you get out and grow up you can come get me."

He was going to be dead by then but it was irrelevant and gave Anakin a goal.

[justasmallfry]

Anakin was confused. "You chose to be a slave?"

[neverjedi]

He quirked a faint smile at that one, too, but it was pretty... strained. "Basically. The retirement plan's terrible, but I've met some really nice people and gotten to travel." In short he's not... going to explain that one to Anakin. Can't.

[justasmallfry]

"No one deserves to be a slave," he said, his face set as determined. Because there were some truths he would not back down on. Not ever. Even when people made stupid choices. "Even someone who chooses to be a slave. You still deserve to be free."

[neverjedi]

"All right." He's not going to tell Anakin he's wrong about that, but not for his sake. "So let's get you and your mom out so you can come back and rescue me. Meanwhile." He stood up. "Let's eat dinner. Sounds like that storm's getting worse so we really are all going to be stuck here tonight, so nothing can be done before tomorrow, anyway and then there's a whole Jedi mission for Master Jinn before we know whether he can help or we need another plan. Ok?"

[justasmallfry]

Anakin was feeling all kinds of conflicted, but he was still nine and easily distracted. Somewhat.

"What mission?"

A silence fell about the room.

Padme had been quiet after her first question because she had not anticipated what metaphoric explosions it would ignite. And she was sympathetic to the those stuck in the plight of slavery, but she also had an unjustly occupied world to consider. She couldn't stop thinking about what her people were going through.

So she'd stayed quiet out of a desire to just not make the conversation worse.

Now, however, she spoke, from their interaction tonight, she felt these people were trustworthy enough to explain a bit about why she and Qui-Gon were there.

"We are trying to escort the Queen of my home world to Coruscant to seek help from the Senate," though she hadn't been queen for long, she and her handmaidens had practiced the deception of decoys enough times that her identity was an easy lie of omission to make at this point. Just saying 'the Queen of my home world' rolled off her tongue so easily. "My home world of Naboo has been unjustly occupied by the Trade Federation and we need the Republic's assistance."

There was a but there.

"But we've been stranded here. Our ship was damaged when we escaped the Trade Federation, and without repairs, we can't make it to Coruscant."