Liberator

Chapter 1 - The Phantom Apprentice

Author's Note: This is a gift request for The_Storms_Eye on ao3. It's five chapters, and it will be updated every other week on Friday. 

To The_Storms_Eye: I really hope you enjoy your gift! :D It was really hard for us to write for some reason, but I'm quite satisfied with how it turned out! I hope you are, too! ^-^

~ Amina Gila

"What about Mom?" Anakin asks, "What will happen to her?"

"I tried to free your mother, Anakin," Qui-Gon replies, "But Watto wouldn't have it."

Anakin freezes at the words, the realization slowly starting to sink into his mind. All he's ever wanted is to become a Jedi, to leave Tatooine and one day come back to free all the slaves. But... he always thought (hoped, at least) that his mother would be with him. He can't leave her behind here as a slave.

"Will you come back and free her?"

"Part of becoming a Jedi means leaving your old life behind, Anakin."

He frowns. "I don't understand."

"I can return to free your mother later, but you still wouldn't be able to see her."

What? "Why?!" He wants his mother to be free more than anything, because it'll mean she'll be alright, but this doesn't make sense.

"The Jedi do not allow attachments," Qui-Gon explains, which only serves to confuse Anakin even more, because what? She's his mother, of course he's attached to her.

"Being a Jedi is not an easy life, Anakin," Qui-Gon adds.

Suddenly, it makes a lot more sense why he was saying that earlier. Anakin looks down, uncertainty flooding through him. He always wanted to be a Jedi, still does, but suddenly he's not sure what to say anymore. He can't imagine spending the rest of his life unable to see his mother, simply because he isn't allowed to be attached to her. It doesn't make any sense to him. How can people not care about their family members? He doesn't understand.

"If you still want to come, we need to leave now."

"I... don't want to leave Mom here when she isn't free," Anakin says, finally. That, for sure, he can't do, because if he leaves, he wants to know that at least she's going to be safe. Anything could happen to her with him gone, and he would never even know if she needed his help.

He feels a rush of disappointment run through him, because he was waiting for this day for so long, but he can't leave now, either. He's beginning to have some major second thoughts.

"Alright," Qui-Gon replies, and he seems to understand or at least isn't upset at Anakin's sudden refusal, "I will come back, after this mission is over."

He leaves without much further ado, and Anakin stands near the entrance to the hut, watching him go. Moving closer to his mother, he reaches up, taking her hand. He can't imagine it, walking away like Qui-Gon is right now, knowing that he'll never see Mom again, not even to know if she's alright.

Why would the Jedi demand that?

It still makes no sense to him. Maybe he should've asked more questions about it, but Qui-Gon was in a hurry. He can... ask more about it when the Jedi Master comes back.

If.

Anakin can't explain why he has a slight inkling deep inside of him that he might never see him again.

***

"We must return to Tatooine after our mission is complete," Qui-Gon decides. "The boy is important. He must be trained."