Ifeel so giddy as I made my way through the crowds already headinginto the stands or strolling on the catwalks over the pit watchingthe various pod racer's as they get ready for the race. The lines tothe betting booths are not as long as expected as I join in rightnext to Watto. Though I had this planned.

"Stillgoing to bet on that looser Sebulba?"

"Healways wins little girl. I win that hundred Peggat from you too. Those engines are too small to have enough power to reach 850. I'llhave your money and that Nubian ship."

"Yourbet please."

"Sure1000 Peggat on Anakin Skywalker. Two hundred and fifty that Sebulbanever leaves the starting line." I glance over at Watto to see thereaction I hoped for as his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Iwill have to call this in. We don't have a betting line on whether aracer starts or not. That would cause cheating." I looked over atWatto as he whispered to the teller in front of him. I lean incloser.

"Oh, I don't care if he starts or not. Put all of it on Anakin winning. I just wanted to mess with Anakin's master as he always bets onSebulba."

"Istill should report this."

"Thisis Tatooine as long as I don't rip off a Hutt or his people whyshould you care?"

"Ineed to report this."

"Youwill not report this. It was a joke."

"Idon't have to report this. It was a joke."

"Thanks, can I get my copy now."

"Ohsure." The Zabrak typed everything in weighed and tested the coinsand recorded the bet before handing me a record chip. I knew it wasa lot and Anakin could still lose, but I was planning on headingtowards the Republic so I would have very little need of Huttcurrency. I followed Watto getting a surprised eyebrow raise fromQui Gon.

"Iwant to see your spaceship the moment the race is over."

"Patience,my blue friend. You'll have your winnings before the suns set, andwe'll be far away from here."

"Notif your ship belongs to me, I think. I warn you, no funny business."

"Youdon't think Anakin will win?" He stopped right next to Sebulba. Iwatched as he was being massaged by two females. I think they areTwi'leks as they are very beautiful.

"Don'tget me wrong. I have great faith in the boy. He's a credit to yourrace, but Sebulba there is going to win, I think." He looks atmean and he didn't feel as confident as he might have been.

"Why?"

"Healways wins." Laughing as he moves on. "I'm betting on Sebulbawith a small bet that Anakin at least finishes."

"I'lltake that bet." He looks directly at me before looking at Wattoagain. Watto is coughing a bit.

"What?!What do you mean?"

"I'llwager my new racing pod against... say... The boy and his mother."

"Iwant my pod back. Even if I have to trade my ship for it and mywinnings."

"APod for slaves. I don't think so... well, perhaps. Just one, themother, maybe. The boy isn't for sale.

"Theboy is small; he can't be worth much. The Toydarian shakes his head. Which aggravates the Jedi.

"Forthe fastest Pod ever built?!" Watto still shakes his head. QuiGon looks at me and then back at Watto.

"Thatpod could break the track record. Think of the extra winnings. Youcould get better trained slaves or even hire someone who wouldactually work."

"Both,or no bet."

"Nopods worth two slaves. Not by a long shot. One slave or nothing."

"Theboy, then." The Toydarian pulls out a six-sided die with only twocolors on it from his pouch.

"We'lllet fate decide. Blue it's the boy, red his mother..." He tossesthe die. As I watch the Jedi and smile as his hand moves slightly. Looking at the cube I saw it was blue just as I felt Watto's anger.

"Youwon the small toss, outlander, but you won't win the race, so, itmakes little difference." I turn to see Anakin and Padme enteringthe hanger. They are riding together on one animal as another boyand who I thought was Anakin's mother rides the second animal, I havenever seen before landing on this planet. I think they are Eopies,but I am not sure. The unfinished droid walk alongside theastromech droid as it pulls the pod.

"Bonapakeesa pateeso, o wanna meetee chobodd." Watto laughs as he flies onpast.

"Whatdid he mean by that?"

"I'lltell you later." Qui Gon looks at me and then helps the woman offthe animal as the droid whistles and beeps.

"Ohmy! Space travel sounds rather perilous. I can assure you they willnever get me onto one of those dreadful starships!" The otherdroid beeps some more. I really need to understand binary if it ispossible. I turn to Anakin.

"Thisis so wizard! I'm sure you'll do it this time, Annie." I feelPadme suddenly feel a lot more worried than before.

"Dowhat?"

"Finishthe race, of course!"

"You'venever won a race?" Padme is shocked.

"Well...notexactly..."

"Noteven finished?!"

"ButKitster's right, I will this time."

"Of course, you will." I giggle and Qui Gon frowns along with Padme.

"Anakinwill win. He will probably break the track record, so relaxprincess. You will not be denied giving him a kiss when he receiveshis trophy." Padme blushes as Anakin looks confused while Kitsterlaughs. I giggle enjoying their emotions. Qui Gon is still lookingsour. I give him a wink which does not change his mood.

"Don'ttry anything." He whispers into my ear.

"Heis going to win relax."

"Whotrained you?"

"IfI told you a murderous droid and three holocrons did, would youbelieve me?" The loud speakers go off announcing information aboutthe race which is hard to ignore. Qui Gon looks even more surprisedas I think he can tell I am not lying.

"Yes,strangely I do." I turn to help finish putting the pod togetherbumping Jar Jar out of the way. I look up at the stands to see myfirst Hutt and the beast is huge. And to think they have no legs sothey have to move like a worm. I almost wished I could get closer tosee it move. Anakin is called out and the crowd is way louder asthey cheer for him. I am hit by this wave of hope as Anakin gets ahug and kiss from his mother.

"Besafe."

"Iwill, Mom. I promise." Once she walks off, he checks the cablesagain.

"Gowith her Jar Jar."

"Whodo yousa think yousa besa?"

"You'reworst nightmare." Jar Jar straighten and quickly followed afterShmi. I switch to Sebulba as he sneaks up to the pod. I stand rightin front of him glaring down at him.

"Pusheeof myo way."

"Nusua bukle kia stiuo zudimas tu." I let him feel the meaning in theForce that I would enjoy killing him, and he quickly fled back to hisracer.

"Whatdid you say to him? Never saw Sebulba move so fast."

"Doesn'tmatter. I think he wanted to do something to your engines and Istopped him."

"Thankyou as that is not the first time."

"Areyou all set Annie." Qui Gon asks as he picks him up and sets himinto his pod.

"Remember,concentrate on the moment. Feel, don't think. Trust your instincts. May the Force be with you."

"Trustin the Force." I added but I don't think he heard me, but helooked my way as Qui Gon touched my back insisting I leave thestarting line.

"Whatdid you do? I felt you using the Force." The engines all fire atonce making it nearly too loud to hear him.

"Iscared off a cheater and murderer."

"Murderer?"

"Peopledie in pod racing. Sebulba always wins."

"Wewill talk after this. You need a mentor." He moves away and getsinto one of the observer pillars. Padme waves for me to join themand I shake my head no before I turn my attention back to the racersas I hold my ears closed. A gong rings and I pull with the Force andsmile as Sebulba's engines jump up in the air as the other racerstake off. Anakin paused but suddenly his pod takes off after theother racers leaving a quad engine pod racer behind with Sebulba.

Theengines on Sebulba's pod settle and straighten back out as he pusheshis accelerators forward as I grip onto the racer with the Force. Ican feel his anger growing as his pod moves slowly. He adds evenmore power as I let the racer go falling to my knees as the racerjumps away from the starting line. I felt him struggle to control itbefore he slams into the side of the stand. His fear spikes sendinga jolt through me as the pod scraps long gouges all along the wall. His pod speeds off but I knew he would not catch up to Anakin. Irelish the feeling as I make it over to Kitster, the droids and theRodian he is standing next to.

"Sebulbais not winning this one."

Ilook up in the stands as I find Watto and see he is just sittingthere in shock and anger. I wish he could see me so I could show Iam laughing. Four minutes and forty-five seconds later Anakin passedthe stands and the crowd was stunned silent before exploding in aroar. Their excitement and joy and hope washing over me and makingme feel guilty that I hindered Sebulba. Though the anger and fearfrom those that were greedy lessened the feeling. Five minutes andseventeen seconds appear on the screen as Gasgano passed the stadiumfollowed by the other surviving racers. Sebulba flies up to thestadium and right into the hanger at seven minutes. Anakin was overa minute ahead of Gasgano after the second lap and finished the raceafter Fourteen minutes and twenty-three seconds setting a trackrecord. Gasgano came in second at fifteen minutes and thirty-seven seconds.

"Youswindled me! You knew the boy was going to win! Ha ha, but thanksto her I am a very rich Toydarian."

"Really? Bring the parts to the main hanger. I'll come by your shop so youcan release the boy."

"Itwasn't a fair bet, but I could buy him back from you."

"Wouldyou like for me to talk to the Hutts?"

"No! Take him I want no more of your tricks." I walked up to Anakinwith a case full of Peggat. If it was not for the repulsor pod on itI would never be able to lift it. I watch a droid as he is gettinghugged by his mother and Jar Jar. I felt vulnerable, but the droidflew off right after Padme hugged Anakin. A chill ran down my spine,but I shook it off to let the joy I felt all around me. I got my hugfrom Anakin and one from his mother too. I slipped her a pouch andshe nearly dropped it from the weight of it.

Sebulbawasted no time in rushing over and talking to Qui Gon. Feeling goodand glad he was too distracted by the Dug as he haggled on a pricefor Anakin's pod racer. I blew Qui Gon a kiss just before I left thestadium. He just smiled at me taking away my amusement. What did hehave up his sleeve? I rushed to my ship and took several short cuts. I came to a halt as four beings jumped down from the walls twobehind and two in front.

"Hangover the case girl or you will not get hurt?"

"Areyour lives worth twenty-two thousand Peggat?"

"Yourlife is. Now show me your hands nice and slow."

"Youshould have said that first." Both blades flew out of my cloak asI flipped over the two behind me. They blocked the surprised shot ofthe being who talked as my blades finished them off.

"Jedi."

"Wrong." I spun blocking their next shots before cutting them in two. Fourseconds later two Rodians, a Gran and a Weequay were dead. I pulledon the case and acted as if nothing happened as my heart raced and mystomach threatened to spill. I made to just inside of the landingbay before letting it all out. The feeling of them dying was nothinglike the thrill I got when destroying a difficult droid. That Ikilled four of them was even worse. My stomach turned again andthere was nothing to push out. I heard a long series of beeps andwhistles.

"MistressJenica, kam kash nedro."

"SpeakGalactic."

"Whatis wrong?" I looked up at both Arnine and Zerdy.

"I'llexplain inside the ship."

"Hellothere." I felt this chill as I turned to see this young man. Invery Jedi like robes and a lightsaber in his hand.

"Zerdytake this case into the ship." Teefive moved up next to me asArnine took the electrostaff off his back, but left it off.

"Yourdroids will not protect you. I saw what you did in that alley."

"Itwas self-defense, and this planet is owned by the Hutts."

"Oh, I know, but I cannot let you go without you handing over yourlightsabers."

"Theyare mine."

"Ido not know you and I know all the padawans in the order. That makesyou not a Jedi."

"Idon't think you have the skills to match me. I have spent the lasttwo years fighting droids for hours a day for my life. I am also notyour enemy."

"Howold are you?"

"ThirteenGalactic."

"Youare on your own?"

"Yaso?"

"Youreally do not have a master?"

"No."

"Willyou hand over your lightsabers?"

"I'lljust make more. I have plenty of crystals in my ship."

"Iwould rather you come with us."