Until the Twin Suns Cease to Shine [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 2: Enemies and Plans

Chapter 2: Enemies and Plans

Anakin and Sarah dashed out of Watto's shop, happy to be out of there. They laughed as they slowed their pace to a walk, and they started chatting with each other. "Can you believe it?" Sarah asked. "A whole group of outlanders! I've never seen that many in Watto's at one time!"

Anakin laughed at her excited expression, shaking his head slowly. "I wonder what that man was so mad about, though," he said thoughtfully, and Sarah's face fell as she remembered his ferocity. Then she shrugged and started skipping.

"Maybe Watto tried to cut him a bad deal," she suggested. It certainly wasn't out of the question. Watto was as greedy as the other merchants and slavers, but the problem was he had things of high quality that no one else had. Anakin walked next to a skipping Sarah but neither said a word to each other; they were lost in their own thoughts, contemplating the strangers.

Suddenly they heard a crash from a nearby cafe, and they looked up to see a gangly Dug grabbing a familiar-looking Gungan by the throat. "Is this yours?" growled the Dug in Huttese.

"Who, meesa?" gagged the poor Gungan as the Dug continued to strangle him. Anakin and Sarah looked at each other; it was the same Gungan who had come into Watto's. They also recognized the Dug. It was Sebulba, a competitor Anakin had raced against in many Podraces. A flash of anger surged through him; Sebulba won every race, but only because he cheated. Sarah saw the change in his face and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, Ani," she said, her face stern. "It won't help that poor Gungan any if you get Sebulba really mad."

Anakin finally calmed down, and he glanced at Sarah. "We've gotta help that creature," he said, looking meaningfully at the Gungan. Sarah nodded and the two walked confidentally up to Sebulba.

"Chess ko, Sebulba," Anakin said in Huttese. "He's a big-time outlander. I'd hate to see you get squashed before our next race."

The Dug looked up at him with hate-filled eyes. "The next time we race, wermo, it'll be the end of you!" he promised angrily. "If you weren't a slave, I'd squash you right now!"

Sarah's hands clenched into fists, but Anakin remained calm. "Yeah, it'd be a pity if you had to pay for me," he called as Sebulba stalked away. Then the two looked up and saw the group from the shop coming closer. "Hi!" Anakin greeted in Basic, and Sarah's features visibly relaxed.

"Hello there," greeted the man. His angry countenance from earlier was gone, and Sarah smiled up at him.

"Your buddy here was about to be turned into orange goo," she informed him cheerfully, and Anakin shook his head and smiled ruefully at her.

"He picked a fight with a Dug," he explained to the mystified crowd, "an especially dangerous Dug named Sebulba."

"Meesa hate crunchen! Dat's da last ting meesa want!" the Gungan insisted.

"Nevertheless, these two are right," the man said sternly. "You were heading for trouble." He then turned to the pair and smiled. "Thanks, my young friends."

He turned to leave, followed by Padme, the R2 unit, Anakin and Sarah. "But - but - meesa doin nutten!" the Gungan muttered as he caught up with them.

Anakin and Sarah were now more excited than they had been when they'd left Watto's. They got to spend more time with these mysterious strangers. They finally convinced the group to come with them to a nearby fruit stand. Once there, Sarah paid for three pallies and turned to give them to the man. "Here, you'll like these pallies," she said, trying to get his attention.

He noticed her and took the fruit from her. "Thank you," he said, and he lifted up his poncho to put them in a small compartment on his belt. As he did so, Sarah's eyes widened when she saw what else was there. A lightsaber. A real lightsaber, the kind used by Jedi. She turned to Anakin, and judging by his eyes he had seen it, too.