When Sith Beat Jedi To The Prize (Of The Chosen One)

[neverwantedtobesith]

Garth'zel had intended never to go to Tatooine again. The entire experience the first time he was there was hot and miserable. The only good point, so far as he was concerned, was meeting Andronikos. But as luck would have it, his ship ended up deciding to need minor repairs. Nothing too bad, but it did require him to land somewhere to get the parts he needed, because of course, the bit that went was something he didn't have spare parts for. The only planet within reasonable range? Tatooine.

It didn't take long for a Force-sensitive boy to catch his attention. One strong enough that he was surprised the Jedi didn't already find him. Well, their loss was his gain. ...Once he pried him loose from Watto, anyway. He suspects he actually had an easier time of it than a Jedi would, although he's not going to hang around and give one the chance to give it a shot. At least, unlike them, he's willing to come to Tatooine from time to time so Anakin could see his mother. Probably not more than a couple times a year or so, due to it being best to go there when they're at least vaguely in that part of the galaxy anyway, but it's far better than 'sorry kid, we're never bringing you back'.

Of course, there is one tiny problem with this whole thing. He's never had to raise children before and doesn't know what he's doing. With the ship safely in hyperspace and not due to come out of it for a good long while, enabling him to do things that didn't involve sitting in the pilot's seat of the ship, he's in the lounge area. Time to figure out what he's doing. "Have you managed to get any kind of schooling? Like from someone you know, sitting down with you for an hour here and there as time permitted to teach you things like how to write?"

May as well figure out what he needs to teach besides how to use the Force consciously instead of unconsciously drawing on it.

Comments

[imaperson]

Damn. Anakin's disappointment - both on being firmly told not to touch anything and on loosing his wriggle room - are palpable. "Yes Sir."

That takes just a little of the excitement out.

But only a little.

[neverwantedtobesith]

Garth'zel would prefer they not end up in a black hole or something because Anakin's touched something he shouldn't, thank you.

"Come on." Time for him to head to the cockpit.

[imaperson]

Excuse you, he's a good pilot!

Anakin follows, disappointed yes, but still excited to get into the cockpit, look around, and sit in a real pilot's chair. Or co-pilot at least.

One not in a junk yard, on a functioning ship.

[neverwantedtobesith]

A racing pod and a ship are two different things, kid. One has a lot more controls and directions to keep track of. ...Not to mention that with the ship, you'd need something to sit on to make you tall enough to see where you're going.

Once in, Garth'zel takes the pilot's seat, leaving the co-pilot and passenger seats available. "Let me know what's unfamiliar to you."

[imaperson]

He can sit on his knees!

Anakin walks around the cockpit, remarkably slowly given he's practically vibrating in excitement and wants to run around looking at everything. Instead he's making himself move slowly, looking at everything for a loop or two, noting what he recognizes from his pod racer, what he recognizes from the parts he's taken apart or repaired to be sold, what he doesn't recognize but thinks he can guess at, given it's position or similarity to another panel he's worked on, and what he doesn't recognize at all. It's on his third loop when he starts asking questions, from the list he doesn't recognize at all.

[neverwantedtobesith]

That probably won't work so well if the ship needs flipped upside-down, given what that would do to Anakin's ability to wear the seat restraints.

Garth'zel patiently answers the questions when Anakin does start asking them. ...Even if there's a part of him that wishes he could just hand over the manual at some point.

[imaperson]

He'd rig something up.

The list of total unfamiliar is blessedly short, even if Anakin makes it longer by going over the answers a few times to stick the answers in his mind before moving onto the next section of it.

Then he starts another loop, slower this time, tying in what he knew already and what he now knows, to make sure his previous guesses still make sense. If they don't, he asks before moving onto the next section until he's completed a fourth loop. Only then does he climb into the copilot's seat and buckle himself in. Most of what he had to guess about was here to begin with, and he's studying what's in easy visual lines of his seat, mouthing and occasionally muttering names of things, all correctly. There's only a little more than an third he doesn't name, and he chews on his lip as he studies the console.

[neverwantedtobesith]

Garth'zel's grateful for the break in answering questions when Anakin reaches the point where he's trying to figure things out himself, even if it probably means he's just working out what the next round of questions is. It's still a few minutes of question on his own end, along with keeping half an eye on the controls to make sure this isn't when something decides to happen.

[imaperson]

Anakin continues to work over it for a few minutes, then starts naming things, with a "this is this, so is that 'this'?" phrasing, as he's working over it.

[neverwantedtobesith]

Eventually, Garth'zel reaches the point where his patience for endless is more than a little strained. "Aren't you getting tired yet?"

After all, supper was some time ago. Go to bed, child.

[imaperson]

"No?" He'd slept a little already and he was excited. And he STILL hadn't gotten to things on Garth'zel's side of the console!

But the question - or more Garth'zel posture - causes him to pull back a little. He's quiet for a couple minutes, studying Garth'zel. "Is this like when Mom asks me if I want to play before it gets dark when a neighbor is visiting and she wants me to stop trying to figure out what they are talking about?"

[neverwantedtobesith]

"Probably," Garth'zel says dryly. "I'd like to get in some reading and go to bed."

Hint hint. You're not the only one he wants to have sleeping. He'd like to get some sleep, too.

[imaperson]

"Oh. Ok." At least he's guessed right? "I'll go to my bunk. Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."

Anakin unhooks his restraints and climbs out of the chair, and starts making his way back to the crew bunks.

[neverwantedtobesith]

Thank you. Now he can wind down and go to bed. "Night. I'll get you up if I need to, given that, being on a ship, you don't have your usual indicators to tell you it's time to get up."

Like the sun coming up.

[imaperson]

Oh right. There wasn't a morning on a ship, was there?

"Ok but I usually get up before the suns come up anyway." Most of the time he was up before his mother. And he's just going to scoot off to bed.

And true to form - awake six hours later, although he won't get up until he hears Garth'zel.

[neverwantedtobesith]

Unlike some people, Garth'zel prefers to get a full night's sleep when possible. Even though nightmares tend to make that difficult.

Still, he's up when he feels like he's had enough and has no plans to call Anakin until he's mostly done with breakfast. He figures about ten or fifteen minutes should be enough time for anything the kid wants to do in the 'fresher.

[imaperson]

Almost as soon as Garth'zel can be heard, Anakin is climbing out of his bunk, already dressed and wide awake.

"Good morning!"

[neverwantedtobesith]

Garth'zel just blinks slowly at him. "You are entirely too awake for this early in the morning."

Let him use his caf to wake him up in peace. Not that he can't wake up instantly when needed, but it's not needed right now, so he can afford to let himself take time to wake up.

[imaperson]

"I"m always awake early." Some of it was just being young, some was just Anakin's aversion to sleep, some was survival on Tatooine, when pre-dawn was safer to work due to protection from the sun and heat.

But at least Garth'zel gets a reprieve as Anakin scoots past him to use the 'fresher and then head into the galley for food.

[neverwantedtobesith]

Oh good, he gets to have his caf in peace. At least for a few minutes.

When Anakin reappears, it becomes time to talk. "Once I feel awake enough to want to deal with any of it, I'll point you at some of the ship maintenance tasks. The ones that need to be done daily, anyway. The weekly and monthly ones don't need to be done today."

[imaperson]

He wasn't even going to talk yet! So Garth'zel can't even say that Anakin wasn't going to leave him to wake up.

"Ok." There he is, almost bouncing on his toes in excitement again, but being quiet and trying not get under Garth'zel's feet. What was it about adults and being so cranky when they got up?

[neverwantedtobesith]

They're cranky because they aren't ready to be awake yet, that's why.

"Mmm." Excuse him while he finishes feeling properly--well, not human since he isn't one--but the same general state of awakeness that comes with being functional for the day.

[imaperson]

Then don't get up yet?

Anakin meanwhile is going to just get a pitcher of water and pour himself a large glass, humming happily to himself while tracing the tines of a fork soundless on the table, tracing out an engine design. Might as well as relax while Garth'zel decides to get uncranky.

[neverwantedtobesith]

Just because he feels like he's gotten enough sleep doesn't mean he's actually ready to start his day.

Garth'zel eventually eyes him. "Am I going to need to eventually get you things to draw with?" So he can tell what the child is even doing.

[imaperson]

But he chose to get up!

"Huh? Why?" He is mostly just thinking and dreaming while waiting, rather than trying to communicate, although it's likely going to be easier for him to use drawings than written or typed words for a bit yet.