The Three Moons of Tatooine

The Past & Moving On

Anakin was having the time of his life! He had for­gotten how simple things could be if you just let them. Podracing was how Anakin had won his freedom... why had he forgotten how fun they could be?

The Clone Wars and later the rise of The Empire, sucked all the life out of him. Being groomed since he was nine years-old had also affected him. Anakin blamed most of his mistakes on Palpatine, it was not simply a way to excuse his many, many, many mistakes. He knew what he had done. Anakin knows that he is not a good person, he was possessive and obsessive. He truly pitied those that fell in love with him and those that he fell in love with.

However, people did not give Palpatine's manipulation enough credit. Anakin came from being a slave, to be freed, lose the teacher he had been promised, given to a mourning teenager that had called him dangerous and to an order that had resented him. He also had to call them Masters. Was he truly freed? Or did he only get a new master? Not to mention, he had not been explained anything, had thought the Jedi Order hated him, and had been planning on returning him to slavery.

Yes, none of that was true and there had been too many misunderstandings on both sides. But Anakin had not known that then.

Anakin had been served on a silver platter to Palpatine. Perfect for grooming.

To that you needed to add the many mind leechers from the dark side and all those night terrors, which had left Anakin exhausted, isolated, paranoid, and with a little dark voice in his mind that kept on hissing: "kill them... K them... KILL THEM ALL!"

No wonder, he had fallen. What is so surprising is how long it had taken him to fall. Even with a war going and being forced to work with slavers! Force! Anakin's will was strong... but Palp­atine had always been ten steps in front of them.

Now, at ten years old it was quite clear how much damage Palpatine had done. Anakin did not remember a time he had felt lighter in his life. Has breathing ever been so simple and effortless? And the Force... Gosh! It was. so bright! Warm, open, like the hugs of Anakin's mother. When had he closed himself to the Force?

Kriff you Sidious! Anakin though viciously, as Master Plo went to get him a chocolate ice-cream cone.

"Here you go," Anakin looked up with a beaming smile and accepted the cone- he did not have too see it, but knew that Master Plo was smiling behind his mask.

"Thank you!" Anakin took a bite. "So cold!"

"It is," Plo agreed with a laugh, enjoying his padawan's happy reaction. "Do you like it?"

"I do!" Anakin nodded excitedly, not even acting. He had forgotten how good a simple ice-cream tasted. "It's cold and sweet! We don't have anything like this in Tatooine!"

"I'm glad," Plo smiled fondly at the little boy. Plo's heart ached at how much this boy had suffered, how he constantly asked if it was ok to waste precious water on him. Plo swore to protect this adorable angel, and he will! "Did you have fun? I quite enjoyed flying with you! You have a lot of talent."

"Thank you!" Anakin flushed at his praise.

He knew he was good at flying. He had won the Boonta Eve Classic race for Force's sake! But most people rather complained about his recklessness, than praise his talent and that he landed-crashed when most people would have failed and died. "I had so much fun! Can we go flying again?"

"Of course!" Plo beamed. "Maybe next time, we can ask your padawan sisters to join."

"I have sisters?" Anakin asked in "awe."

"You do," Plo told him gently. "Two of them!"

Anakin smiled as he listened to Plo gush about his ex-padawans. Once upon a time, Anakin had a brother in Obi-Wan. Now he has a two sisters. That was new and will be interesting.