Star Wars: The Jedi Twin

Ch: 16

Padmé and I were off to the side of the place where the racers got in their pods. We were standing behind a fence that was about 3 feet tall. I heard R2 beeps a few times at C-3PO.

"Oh my! Space travel sounds rather perilous." C-3PO speaks. So, they're talking about space, R2's no doubt telling C-3PO of our daring escape from Naboo. R2 emits a series of beeps, and I don't try to follow his side of the conversation.

"I can assure you they will never get me onto one of those dreadful starships!" C-3PO tells the astro-mech droid.

"This is so wizard Ani! I'm sure you'll do it this time." I heard Kitster tell Anakin.

"Do what?" Padmé asks Kitster.

"Finish the race, of course!" Kitster tells Padmé.

"You've never won a race?" Padmé questions Anakin.

"Well...not exactly...." Anakin trails off.

"Not even finished?!" Padmé asked again.

Anakin doesn't answer her question, but I can tell that he's never finished a race just by his hesitation of what to say. "...Kitster's right, I will this time." Anakin finally says.

"Of course you will." I heard Qui-Gon say from behind me.

Padmé looks at Qui-Gon and I, concern was laced in her look and her prescence.

----

Padmé and I had already gone over to the viewing platform, although we had to wait for the others to join us before the platform raised up like an elevator.

I looked over to where Anakin was, he and Qui-Gon spoke a few words but I couldn't make them out from this distance. I watched as Qui-Gon then picked him up and put him in his racer. They spoke a few more words before Qui-Gon steps away and Anakin puts on his helmet and goggles.

"Chowbaso! Tam ka chee Boonta rulee ya, kee madda hodrudda du wundee." (Welcome! Begin the race!) I turned around towards the voice that just spoke, it was a Hutt, Jabba, probably.

I watched the podracers as they all filed into their racing positions. The engines of the various pods all roar to life at the same moment.

Qui-Gon and Shmi were the last to join us at the platform. Once they where on it, the platform rose into the air, giving us an aerial view of the podracers.

"Is he nervous?" Shmi asks. I could sense that at the very least, she was nervous about Anakin.

"He's fine." Qui-Gon tells her.

"You Jedi are far too reckless. The Queen is not..." Padmé goes on but gets interupted by Qui-Gon.

"The Queen trusts my judgment, young handmaiden. You should too." Qui-Gon tells her.

Obviously the Queen doesn't trust his judgment, as the Queen is Padmé. I thought. But no one here but me knows that.

"You assume too much." Padmé tells Qui-Gon. Before anyone else could say anything, I heard the announcers announce the beginning of the race.

"Ready! Set! Go!." The announcers announced to the podracers who then flew off down the racing track, well everyone but Anakin. Something must be up with his pod as his engine dies.

"Oh...wait. Little Skywalker has stalled." I heard the announcer say.

I watched as Anakin was trying to get his engine to turn back on as it had turned off once the race had started. This doesn't look good for us, I thought.

"C'mon Ani!" I heard Jar Jar say.

I zooned out and used the force to see what was wrong with the pod, something had been disconnected. It looks like someone tried to sabatage his pod. I used the force to reconnet what the sabator had disconnected. And finally, Anakin's engines ignited. Anakin then zooms away, gaining ground in the race.

As the race went on, we lost track of where Anakin was and the announcer kept everyone informed of the advancements in the race. Their was also a viewing screen on the platform to show the race as it progressed. However, I didn't really care about the race, my mind was elsewhere. Who would chance being disqualified or getting in trouble just so that Anakin wouldn't win the race? I asked myself.

"Are you alright?" I heard a voice drifting towards me, which drew me out of my thoughts. It was Padmé.

"I-I'm fine." I told her.

"No your not." She tells me, in a voice so low that I barely even heard her.

"Just thinking?" I told her, although my voice held a questioning tone to it.

"About?" Padmé inquired.

"I think I'm going back to the ship." I told her. "I'm not feeling too good." I lied. At that remark, Qui-Gon stared at me but nodded his head. The platform sank down to the ground and I stepped off.

"I think I'll join her." Padmé tells Qui-Gon, stepping off the platform as well. At least the platform was next to the stadium and not in the middle or on the other side of the track that the podracers would come back on. After all, podraces aren't short, at least I've heard that they are all pretty long anyways. It's still sometime in the morning and the race should be over by noonish, if not later. Padmé and I both walked the path from the platform to the stadiums entrance and then to the city. It'll be a long walk back to the ship from here, but it shouldn't be for more than an hour or so.

----

As we walked in the desert, I felt like we weren't making any ground. At least until I began to see the ship in the distance. I stopped as Padmé grabbed my arms and stood still, stopping our walk.

"What is it?" I asked her.

"I'm tired." Padmé tells me.

"Just a little bit farther." I told her. "We're almost there."

"Can't you carry me and force sprint there?" Padmé asked me.

"We're about the same height. "I told her. "I doubt I could carry you."

"Just try?" Padmé pleaded with me.

"Fine." I told her. "Just hop on my back." I bent down a little so she could get on. Once I felt her hop onto my back, I quickly grabbed her feet as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I almost stumbled as I took a step forward but caught myself.

I took a deep breath in and focused on the force. I took off in a sprint towards the ship, I think I felt a light breeze as I ran which is odd for the planet that we're on. Once I got about 12 feet from the ship, I tried to stop my brisk run, which is harder than you'd think. I actually ended up nearly smacking into the ship as I stopped a foot away from hitting it. I felt Padmé jump off and she leaned up against the ship.

"That was fast." Padmé told me as I steadied myself against the ship.

"And energy demanding." I told her. "More so than usual. Probably because I was carrying you as I ran."