Anakin's Fortress - Book II (temporary cover)

Four - Exigency

So often there are crossroads in your life, when things can go right or horribly wrong. We never know when something we say or do will alter the course of galactic history.
Year 10

——————

Kat
A few months later

I write up the plans for our tracking chips as well as some ideas for what I want to do to his other cybernetics, but there are a few parts I'm struggling to track down. Then, when I finally find them, I'm rather annoyed to discover that they're on Tatooine—where he won't let me go. Unlike the last ones though, I need these.

So, I send Letty. She isn't as excited as she normally is, which tells me perhaps Anakin has a point. Still, she's willing and able, which is good enough for me.

Four days later, I'm sitting in my office, watching Annie's feed, almost entranced. Mos Eisley seems no busier than some of the other market areas I've seen her journey through, but it seems so...angry.

Yes, that's an accurate description. It's loud, so while in the past I've simply listened through Annie, this time Letty has an earpiece in.

I've spent the last few minutes asking them what things are, while Andrew laughs at Letty's answers.

"That place looks promising," he says about what looks to be a junk shop with, well, junk outside of it. There's a broken speeder, what must be something for the moisture farms Andrew mentioned, and odds and ends piled up against the building.

They enter, and I'm curiously examining the shop when a boy looks down at Annie and grins before moving around her.

Odd, I've seen that boy already. I remember the vibrant blonde hair—but, that isn't what makes me frown and back up the image.

I pause it, verifying my thoughts and causing me to go still.

I know those eyes.

But, I must be overthinking it. I see Anakin's blue eyes more often; they must be leaving an impression.

They do find one of the parts I need but none of the rest, so they move on. Their next stop, they find another—one I wasn't confident we'd find at all, so it's a win.

I've almost forgotten the kid until they're in the next shop, where he is again, and I can't shake the feeling that it isn't a coincidence.

"Letty," I mutter. "Go talk to that kid."

"What?" She does a spin until she catches sight of him, head bent over a display of what appear to be blasters. "That one?"

"Yeah."

"And say what? Why?"

"I don't know, flirt with him?"

"He's like ten," she says in offense.

"Just get me his name," I snap. She sighs dramatically and tells Andrew she'll be right back.

"Hey," she says with a faint twist to her voice. Annie rolls closer to them. "I'm Letty Martell. What's your name, kid?"

"Hi Letty," he says with growing color to his cheeks, but again, I see what had caught my attention. Those eyes. "I'm Luke Skywalker."

I balk at the screen, my shock frozen in my throat.

He did not just say Skywalker.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Luke. See you around?" He chuckles and mumbles an affirmative.

I'm still absolutely reeling when Letty mutters, "That's crazy. I've only heard that family name once before. It must be more common than I thought."