The Jedi Code

IV : The Race on Boonta Eve

"And a late entry, the young Skywalker twins, Anakin and Serenity," the announcer then spoke into the intercoms and Anakin and I joined together as we waved and smiled to the crowd who cheered for us in response. We may have never actually won a race, but we were actually surprisingly still one of the crowd favorites. For some reason, the crowd loved us. We hardly ever raced but whenever we did the crowd always fell in love with us. I never knew if it was because we were so young and they loved watching kids race or if we actually were pretty daring and decent Podracers. Probably a little bit of both.

"Sere will you help me with this?" Anakin asked me as he held out a cord from inside the pod seats. I grabbed the cord he was motioning to me and connected it to the engine before he handed me the second one and I connected it to the other engine.

Our mother then was in sight as she was approaching us and waved at Anakin for him to get out of the pod for a moment so she could speak with us. When she reached us, she immediately squatted down to us and let out a gentle sigh as she held onto our arms looking at both of us. "Be safe," she instructed with a slight shake and her eyes very stern. She also held a bit of fright in her eyes but tried to hide it by masking herself with an expressionless face. It would have worked if we didn't know her so well.

"We will, Mom," Anakin told her gently while she continued to hold both of us by our arms tightly.

"We promise," I tried to reassure her but her grip was still firm. I don't think she meant for it to be, but her grip was so tight that it was slightly painful. But the look she was giving us also hurt me. She was giving us a look like it might be the last time she would see us.

Her face showed pain, sadness, and also fear. Without a word, she then pulled both of us into a tight hug as she held onto us and gave both of our checks a peck as she cradled our heads. When she let go, she gave us a small smile as she then got off the ground and walked towards the viewing station leaving Anakin and me alone by the pod.

I knew my mother hated watching these races, she hated them even more so when we were racing. But no matter how much she may not have liked them, Ani and I loved racing. It thrilled us. But the frightened looks she always gave us after one of our accidents and the tears she had shed on our behalf, was enough to make me always second guess myself before a race. The two of us were all she had. If she didn't have us, I don't know what she would do. It would probably break her.

Sebulba was quick to snap me out of my thoughts though as soon as his slimy face showed up in front of Anakin and me with a clever smirk plastered on his face. "You won't walk away from this one . . .," he sneered at us in Huttese as he pointed a nasty foot in our direction. "You slave scums," he said with a disturbing smile as he twisted one of his tendrils with his feet as his beady yellow eyes glared at us.

"Don't count on it slime ball," Anakin spat back in Huttese and I had to grab his arm to keep him from doing something he might regret.

"You're bantha fodder!" He sneered with a slight chuckle before he played with his goggles and waddled away on his hands.

I could practically feel the anger radiating of Anakin. I hardly blamed him though. Bantha fodder was a pretty foul term. Bantha fodder technically is a type of food that is eaten by banthas but the phrase 'bantha fodder' was also used as an offensive term, as the substance smelled extremely foul. It was a pretty low blow to do but the fact that it came from Sebulba didn't surprise me.

"You two all set?" A voice then spoke out from behind us and when I turned to see who it was a smile appeared on my face as Qui-Gon approached. Something about him always calmed my senses and helped me to clear my mind. It was like as soon as he came near, all my anger or frustrations or nerves just vanished.