Skywalker Twins [Book 1]

Chapter 2 - The Republic Pilot

Nightfall was close. The twin suns were slowly meeting the sandy horizon as the two twins stood in Watto's shop an hour after the race as he scolded them about smashing up his pod, "Do you have any idea what this is going to cost me? Do you have any idea at all?!" Watto's shop was filled with parts for engine's, ships, racers, anything that most travellers required. It was a sand hut shop located in Mos Espa.

Watto, their boss, the blue skinned Toydarian, floated around them, slipping into Huttese without even thinking about it, choosing a language that offered a vast array of insulting adjectives he could draw upon. Freya was slightly scared, looking anywhere but her angry boss, but Anakin stood with his face showing no emotion.

When Watto stopped talking to catch his breath, Anakin took the opportunity to spoke up, "It wasn't our fault. Sebulba cheated. He flashed us with his vents,"

"And smashed into us after the Metta Drop," Freya added quietly, not looking up at the flying Toydarian.

"Maybe you two should cheat a little maybe you wouldn't cost me so much money! More than you're worth!" Watto exclaimed, his voice slowly rising after every spoken word. Freya flinched slightly, but Anakin still stood there, seemingly unaffected by Watto's rage. He continued screaming in Huttese, "Perhaps I should find new pilots! One's who will not cost me money!"

"That is a very good idea," Shmi agreed from her position at the door, "It's too dangerous. They're only children," she continued to speak calmly despite Watto's cold, venomous glare.

"They are my property, and they will do what I tell them to do!" Watto spun around and flew towards the twins.

"You will fix everything you have broken, now!" he ordered, pointing his finger at what was left of the podracer that was delivered with them, "You will repair those engines, the Pod, making them as good as new! In fact! I want them better than new! And you will start right this instant. Get to work!" He turned back to their mother, "Still plenty of daylight left! Time is money! Both of you, back to work!" he snapped at the twins.

Shmi gave her children a small smile. "Go on, dinner will be waiting for you when you get home," She turned and walked out the door. The two twins turned towards the pod's pieces and began to work. 

The two were quite smart for their age, in some ways the two were very similar. They both were great pilots and great engineers, they could fix anything as Anakin always said. They are extremely loyal, daring, loving and compassionate.

They are also, in some ways, different. Anakin was slightly more confident than his sister but sometimes his confidence can come across as arrogance and his smart mouth and inability to keep his anger at bay had gotten him into some trouble, mostly with those who thought themselves superior to him and other times he got into fights with other kids around the district.

Freya is calm and respectful and at times more responsible than Anakin. Freya understood and respected where she was in the hierarchy and that was at the bottom. Unlike Anakin, Freya kept her thoughts about her master and the way he treats them to herself. She is however just as reckless as Anakin and she would do anything to protect those she loved, her brother and her mother. When it comes to meeting new people, Freya is quiet and shy but also cautious. She knew not everyone could be trusted. Tatooine wasn't exactly a nice place, the locals treated the slaves like they were nothing but a bit of mud on the bottom of their shoes. There was the odd pilot that came through that was polite and considerate to the twins, they even told them a story or two about their travels. She felt like that was the closest that she'd ever get to traveling the galaxy.

Freya scratched her temple, deep in thought as she looked at the engines and the pod, "Any ideas?" she asked, looking over to her brother. She could see the wheels turning in his head, calculating how to fix the pod. Her eyes returned to the table the pod lay to see if she could figure something out to quicken the work.