The night sky shines gently. The city's light is too dim to obscure the starlight. Obi-Wan does not recognize a single constellation. A freezing wind blows. Some sort of patched-up droid watches over a dusty path. The hour is so late that almost nothing can be heard, except for a shrill scream from the distance. A local species of bat, it appears. The young man feels tired. This day was grueling. He finally decides to get back. After a moment of walking, the teenager hears a male voice:

« You have to stop this madness! »

These words come from the window of a tiny house, next to the inn.

« Owen, everything will be fine. I've been preparing for two years. There's only one more component to pick up and my pod will be ready. » This is the voice of that boy, Anakin.

« Ready? You call that 'ready'? Your damn thing doesn't even have a seat or a deflector shield! You barely graze a rock and we'll find what's left of you all the way to Mos Eisley! »

« No pain, no gain. These gadgets would only serve to weigh me down. »

« For Brek's sake, my brother is a suicidal moron. I should tie you to a chair! »

« Wakko Wakko does not forbid me to participate. If my owner has no concerns with my decision... why do you doubt my skills so much? »

« Because you have a tendency to overestimate your talent, Anakin. Yes, you're a passable mechanic and a relatively decent pilot... but this is beyond what a human can do! What will I tell Mom if you die? Wakko Wakko will be able to replace you, not us. »

« I know what I'm doing. »

« Idiot! » The voice finishes.

A human barely younger than Obi-Wan comes out, loudly pushing open the door. He recognizes his face. It's the guy who was manning at the workshop. A blonde teenage girl accompanies him, she worked for their host too:

« You don't need to follow me around, Beru! I know how to handle myself! » Shout Owen in direction of the girl, who accelerates to remain behind him. They disappear into the night.

The padawan has a feeling that he was very intrusive by listening all the way. It is better to leave.

« Who's there? » Anakin asks.

The boy sticks his head out the window:

« Ah! What brings you here so late? Is something wrong? »

« No, don't worry. I just needed some fresh air. »

« I was wondering, your accent... are you from Coruscant? »

« Yes, I am. I was born there. »

« I used to work with someone who came from Coruscant. He liked to talk about the place and I liked to listen. We don't often get to see foreigners. Our only way to travel is with the stories of our few visitors. How about having a cup of tea and sharing your adventures? »

Obi-Wan doesn't know what to say. It would be better to go to sleep, but the Force seems to want him to agree. The cosmic stream reacts oddly. A weird, almost electric feeling. After all, why not? It will be a great way to relax:

« Yes, with pleasure. » He finally answers.

The kid opens the door and invites him at the table. His house is limited to a living room with a kitchen and... a rocking chair on which a woman is sitting. Her legs are covered by a dark fur sheet. She seems to be dozing. Obi-Wan senses an illness. Nothing serious. Anakin notices his insistent look:

« My mother is sick! Her medicine makes her sleepy. »

« You're certain my presence doesn't... »

« Yes, sit down! » He interrupts.

The boy seems visibly pleased to receive someone. He moves away to retrieve a metal cylinder, pouring the contents into a machine. LEDs glow to indicate how full it is. The opening locks automatically as soon as a specific dosage is exceeded. On this planet, water is certainly more precious than a life. Wakko Wakko must be the sole supplier of his servants and could cut off their supply on a whim. An effective solution to control the slaves: whoever rebels dies of thirst.

Obi-Wan sits on a stool. The furniture is worn from age. Good grief, everything looks to be in a sorry state! The kitchen equipment has been cobbled together from scratch. A landspeeder console controls the home automation. The oven is just a disassembled plasma reactor. A bundle of cables falls from the ceiling and is used to hang pots and pans. All of this work is recent, probably less than five years old. The tinkerer who made this doesn't lack imagination. However, what Obi-Wan previously thought was a shelf turns out to be a bunk bed. All the inhabitants sleep in the living room, one above the other. The ascetics of the Jedi Order live in more comfort than these people!

The teenager had never seen such misery before. Was it really smart to accept this invitation? Anakin deftly brews the mixture, then pours the liquid. He places a ceramic cup in front of Obi-Wan and settles down with a goblet. The way he does this speaks volumes about his character: this boy radiates charity. His beautiful eyes are filled with an unbelievable strength of will. He has the same look as Qui-Gon! It is impossible to guess that this poor child is only a slave.

« So how did you end up here? Especially in a ship so damaged... »

« It's a long story. »

« You can take your time. The night is just beginning. »

The padawan would like to reply that he is tired, but wonders if it would not be worthwhile to please him:

« Very well. » The young man accepts, before narrating the recent events without going into detail.

The teenager prefers to present himself as a refugee and not mention that Padmé is of major political importance on his home planet. Who knows how the Hutts would react if someone repeated his story to them?

After half an hour of very careful listening, Anakin responds with a sigh:

« What an experience! I didn't think the outside world could be so hostile. The girl you're with... did she lose any family on Naboo? »

« Why do you ask? »

« You'll find that strange. When I saw her, I felt an overwhelming pain. »

« She... indeed. Her parents probably didn't survive. »

« Oh. I see. »

The boy seems genuinely saddened by this discovery. That said, queen Amidala is in control of her emotions. She didn't hesitate in front of Wakko Wakko, even though he inspired unspeakable terror. It's hard to believe that a normal kid could notice something so powerful on her face. Obi-Wan couldn't help but think: could it be possible that he is Force sensitive? A slave bound to the cosmic stream, undiscovered by the Jedi Order? Qui-Gon must know about this! Suddenly, Anakin jumps to his feet. The teenager senses someone outside. The boy walks to the window and freezes.

Driven by his curiosity, Obi-Wan goes to see what is going on: he notices Padmé, inert like his young host. The two watch each other, until Anakin finds the courage to say:

« You... want... to... have... tea? »

« Y... yes... I... would. » She stammers back.

He opens the door and steps aside to clear the way. Padmé enters and immediately hides behind Obi-Wan. The little girl then quietly sits down on a stool. She watches the woman in the chair, unsure of what to do. Anakin goes back to brewing tea. The cup he takes out of the cabinet is superb, probably the one reserved for prestigious guests. The padawan would never have believed that they had such an elegant object!

« I had... wanted... walk around a bit. Jar Jar... noise while he sleep, so... » She tries to explain, almost to justify being there. Her face is bright red.

This kid has never stopped giving Obi-Wan this impression that she is far much older than her actual age. Now she's acting like a normal girl! Anakin approaches with his cup and sets it down gently, like an offering. He trembles, turning to face the padawan and asking in a hushed voice:

« You're clergymen, aren't you? »

« More or less, yes. How did you notice? »

« Your clothes! You wear the same tunic as the old priest. »

« I understand that the temple in town is abandoned. Why? »

« The priest simply disappeared one morning. »

« There's no one left to do the service? »

« Jabba has conquered the monastery. They say he had the monks massacred. No, there is nothing left. My mother taught me the faith and some other servants have hidden altars... but that's where it ends. »

« What a misery! » The young man exclaims, to Padmé's surprise. She had not expected him to become so passionate.

« We live with it. » Anakin replies.

« Unacceptable! A shame! »

The kid smiles, touched by his guest's sincerity. Usually, people who land on Tatooine don't give a damn about the fate of slaves. The padawan regains his composure and takes a sip of tea. Yoda would not appreciate if he gave in to anger.

« Obi-Wan explained to me what happened. » Anakin continues, this time in Padmé's direction. You can tell he is making an effort to communicate without babbling.

« Really? »

« Yes... I... know it's none of my business, but... I feel sorry for you. »

« He... he doesn't... your situation is... serious too. I mean, a slave... »

« I've been... into this since I was born. My daily life has always been like that. If somebody slaughtered my neighbors... I would have a hard time accepting it. »

« You were born into servitude? » Obi-Wan cuts in.

« That is right... I was custom-made! Normally, the big slugs put their captives through a whistle house, to learn a job. However, my brother and I are the product of artificial insemination, by order of Wakko Wakko. A child belongs to the owner of his parents. So he could educate us without outside interference. »

« Like some vulgar livestock... » Growls the teenager.

« A whistle house? » Questions the queen.

« The nickname... for the schools where slaves are trained... the vibro-batons of their instructors... they whistle... »

« I'm sorry, my curiosity leads to unpleasant subjects. »

« No, no, no! I'll talk about anything you want... as long as... » The boy blushes. Why does this girl have such an effect on him?

« Is she your mother? » The girl asks, pointing to the woman with a nod.

« Yes! The three of us live together... she works as a lady companion. »

A « lady companion » is the elegant way to nickname a prostitute. The little girl should stop asking such personal questions, but what would be left for her to say otherwise? She wants this conversation to last.

« Your mother's name is? » She continues.

« Shmi! That's how the slugs called her. »

« Slugs? » Obi-Wan questions.

« Yes, the Hutts. They look like slugs, don't they? »

« You can see it that way, sure. » He replies with a chuckle.

Padmé restrains herself from pointing out that « Shmi » means « three » in the Huttese language. Her masters didn't even bother to give her a real name, just a number.

« And you are Anakin? »

« Yes. Just Anakin. A slave can't have a last name. If you're looking for me, ask for 'Anakin, servant of Wakko Wakko'. People will understand. »

A silence falls over the conversation, until the boy suddenly resumes:

« Do you know what to do during your stay? »

« I admit we have nothing in mind. Qui-Gon will probably want to visit the nearby temple. » Obi-Wan retorts.

« How about coming with me, tomorrow? I have to pick up a part for my pod. There's a place to find it in the sands. We'd have a chance to talk and it would fill our day. »

« I don't know...I doubt Qui-Gon will be interested. » Concedes the padawan.

The young man is technically a Jedi Knight. He can make his own decisions. His master won't force him to stay, but is it wise to follow a kid they barely know into the heart of a desert?

« You can take your rab... gungan. »

« Okay! » Padmé replies on a whim. The teenager has no choice but to protect the queen:

« Yes, let's go. »

Tomorrow's program will be more interesting than expected! But Obi-Wan has a nagging feeling. Now that they have agreed, the Force is agitated.