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

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.

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There's some resistance from Anakin to settle back to sleep - it's not just the dreams, but also simply not really wanting to sleep - however, he's young and doesn't have much of a reserve sleep wise, so sleep claims him again.

But even that only buys a couple of hours before he's waking again, this time not trying to push himself back into sleep. Instead he gets up - still carefully, and feels out where Garth'zel is, going looking for him.

Child, you need to recover from what you tried to do to yourself.

Garth'zel looks up from his reading when Anakin reappears in the lounge. "Feeling better?"

Sleeping during awake time is making him feel bad.

"I think so." His stomach still ached, but he doesn't feel like he's going to be ill.

"Do you have a droid flying or are we stopped?" Because this was a grander ship than most of the pilots he talked to, but most still stayed in the cockpit most of the time - and he hadn't thought to ask before.

"We're in hyperspace. There's nothing for me to do right now in the cockpit except stare at starlines and try not to fall asleep." Hence, not being in there. There are more interesting things to do elsewhere.

"How do you know when to head back?" Anakin walks over, pulling himself up to sit near Garth'zel. "And were are we going?"

"Through knowing approximately how much time needs to be spent in hyperspace. Although I do check things in there every so often in case something's come up. And if there's something I really need to know or deal with, an alarm goes off to tell me to get back there ASAP." Not that he's entirely sure Anakin knows that acronym.

"As I said before, the plan is Bothawui, although I'm not ruling out stopping at a planet along the route if I decide it's needed."

"Is that from navigating experience or does the navisystem tell you?" He isn't sure what ASAP means, thinking over what he knew that might match those sounds. Finally he looks up from his lap. "I don't know letters."

"And can I see the cockpit when you go next?"

"Mmm, both. The navicom does give an ETA, that is, estimated time of arrival. But I've also had years of space travel to help tell me how long it generally takes to get from point a to point b."

Then, "As soon as possible," Garth'zel explains. "I looked in on things while you were napping, so it'll be awhile yet before I go back, but yes."

Anakin mouths 'ETA' and then 'estimated time of arrival', committing them to memory, and then 'a-sap' and 'as soon as possible'. His memory is very good, and it never takes him long to learn new things or to make himself remember. Part simple aptitude, part Masters not liking to repeat themselves.

"So you're just going to read until then?"

"We're going to be in hyperspace for a few days. I'd like to do things besides read. Like sleep," Garth'zel points out, amused. If he did nothing but read in that entire time, he'd be very hungry and sleep-deprived. Not a helpful combination.

Several days didn't seem so long to not eat to him - he had gone that long before. It was a bit long to go without sleeping, but he could manage for a while, if he had to. But he knew it was better not to have to. "So what else is to be done while the ship is in hyperspace?"

"Mmm, there's ship maintenance, of course. Reading--for me, at least, until you learn how--, playing dejarik, your schoolwork once you have it, me training you in the ways of the Force, me practicing with the training remote--which you'll also be doing eventually--, and that's just the things that come to mind immediately." So there's a decent variety of things to do. Just not really things Anakin's used to doing.

"I can help with maintenance." The rest he takes a minute to parse through, thinking it over. But ship maintenance he did know how to do, in general, and picking up a new ship or part was exceptionally easy for him. But it was the training remote that somewhat interested him more than the others on the list, save the ship itself.

"I'm sure you can, although I'm going to want to ease you into it, since I don't know what you do or don't know." No point potentially throwing the kid at something he hasn't learned yet without warning.

Well, his pride is a little pricked. "I've been a mechanic all my life." Or since he could hold a spanner anyway. "I know not to break things or mess with something I don't know."

"That may be so, but I haven't really had a chance to see what you can do yet," Garth'zel says firmly. Best to drop it there, boy.

Anakin's jaw tightens, his small chin lifting slightly. It lasts only for a couple seconds, before his jaw softens even if jaw remains lifted in defiance. "Then I'll show you." He's been stubborn, yes, but he's not arguing - he can prove he knows what he's doing, and he will. Just point him at something.

"I'm counting on it," he says with a nod, firmly squashing the part of him that was a Dark Council member. That part of him was not helpful right now. He needs the kid to learn how to properly stand up for himself and that won't happen if he crushes the first sign of rebellion he sees.

Defiance and stubbornness aside, Anakin is a little boy who is far from home, inside a ship he doesn't know how to pilot with a man who is a lot older, stronger, and much more dangerous. He's aware of this, and there's no small amount of fear thrumming through his body. But he's felt fear before, every time Watto smelled of drink, every time he heard the word 'Wermo' hollered through the junk shop or yard, every time Watto raised a hand in a mood or when money became tight due to Watto's actions. He knew how to swallow it down into a tight little ball in the pit of his stomach, still his hands from shaking, not allow his eyes to water or lip to tremble. He didn't look afraid.

So he waits. Point him at something.

He may not be showing his fear, but that doesn't mean Garth'zel can't sense it.

"Child, I'm not him. I'm not going to hit you," Garth'zel says gently. "Yell at you sometimes, yes. Punish you by sending you to your room and things of that nature, yes. But not physically hurt you."

Something it'll take Anakin time to be able to believe, he knows.

He shakes his head slightly. "Aside from a couple of things I'll want to check before I go to bed, that sort of thing is done for today. I can point you at things tomorrow when they need doing. Some of it won't need anything more than just making sure the indicator lights and so on are where they should be, others will actually need some work done, even if usually no more than about five minutes' worth."

Garth'zel has said earlier he could sense Anakin's feelings. He really wasn't sure how he felt about that - his feelings were a large part of the very few things he actually owned that people couldn't take from him. But it was just too large a topic for him to really understand how he felt about it.

And Garth'zel has been fairly open about how he'd grown up and how similar they were in those respects. It doesn't surprise him that he can figure out a good part of where Anakin's fear comes from. Anakin at least can feel that tight little ball in his stomach start to loosen, just a little, so it's not so sour and hard.

But that doesn't mean completely trusts what he's being told to be truth. Part is just experience - his mother's kind, gentle, firm steadiness was different, but no one he's ever been otherwise bound to has had it. And the fast switch from firm to gentle is jarring, and doesn't lend 'trust' to the equation.

"Ok." He's still tense, still watching, wary and stubborn, not sure what to do from here, but not willing to just fold back into himself and back away.

Oh, child. Garth'zel going from perfectly calm to enraged in about five seconds flat is far more jarring. Or rather, terrifying.

Meanwhile, Garth'zel's willing enough to drop the current topic. "How about we get back to you learning to play the game, hmm?" Keep the kid busy with something fun and let him chew things over later.

The day that happens is the day Garth'zel gets to find out several important things. Like how much Anakin can pull on the Force to make him fast. How tiny a space he can stuff himself into. And how damned difficult it can be to find him if he's sufficiently motivated to not be found.

"Ok." He's grateful for the direction, needing it really. Anakin's very much in over his head. So he'll go settle himself on his side of the board.

Given there's likely to be bloodshed in that event, it's best for Anakin to be far away from the line of fire, yes. Even if things are likely to be over with quickly.

"How about we start with seeing how much you remember from before you had to give up and get some sleep..." Garth'zel begins.

At least until he's of an age to be useful and less traumatized. Not that makes him less like to vanish.

Anakin nods and begins to set up the game, remembering most of what he was already taught and proving himself not only a quick study but there's promise of him becoming good at it. Without being distracted by being overly full and uncomfortable, he's better able to focus and use what he's come to think of as instinct to figure out the game.

It's after the game, after he's finished his meal - slower this time, some lesson learned, that he asks if he can see the cockpit again. Just to study it.