FORBIDDEN ATTACHMENTS ─ star wars

XVII. Tatooine

Chapter Seventeen
Anakin

"Thank you for covering for us." Fallon tells Aiden. His hologram nods, looking between the two of us.

"I hope you are able to find your mother, Anakin. I won't let anything happen to Taris while you two are gone."

I smile at him, trying to hide my feelings of dread and fear. We are almost at Tatooine, a place I hoped I would never have to step foot on again. This place brings me nothing but bad memories, except for the ones with my mother. But even those are tainted with the harsh and unfair treatment of slaves on this desert planet, the treatment my mother received.

"We should be back in a few days. Alert us the moment you hear any news."

He nods again, worry filling his eyes. "I will. You two be careful."

Fallon places her hand over her heart. "We are one."

Aiden does the same. "We are one." His hologram then fades away, leaving Fallon and I sitting in silence.

Apparently I haven't hidden my feelings of apprehension and anxiety well, because Fallon says; "I am sure you're mother is fine. We'll find her, I promise you."

As we grow closer to Tatooine, a secret weighs on my chest. She should know who my mother is, who I used to be. I look down at my feet, hesitating before opening my mouth, knowing that she will be the first person I tell this to since I met Padmé and Obi Wan when I was a boy.

"There's something you should know about my mother. She...she's a slave. I was too before I met Obi Wan and Padmé. Qui Gon Gin, Obi Wan's master, freed me and took me to the temple to be trained. My mother was left behind."

I worry now that she'll look at me differently; in pity or in disgust. But when I glance back over at her, I see a look of understanding.

"I have money," She says quietly. "Perhaps it's enough to buy her freedom."

I close my eyes, sorrow overtaking me. "If my old master still owns her, no amount of money will matter to him."

"What happened to your father? Was he a slave too?"

I shake my head, my voice quiet as I tell her; "I never had a father. It was always just my mother."

Fallon nods solemnly. "Me too."

I look at her, seeing the same sorrow in my eyes mirrored in hers. "What do you mean?"

"I never knew my father. It was always just me and my mother. The house you and I stayed at in Taris, was my house with her. When our supplies started to dwindle, my mother made sure I got to eat no matter what it meant for her. One day I went to visit a friend's house for a few hours. When I returned, I found my mother dead in her bed. She had starved to death. She hid from me how tired she was, how hungry she was..."

"That's why you joined the rebellion," I say, feeling immense guilt for having judged her so harshly when we first met. "It wasn't just because of your people, it was because of your mother."

She nods, letting out a sigh. "She was my whole world. And from what I can tell, your mother is your world as well. I want to help you in whatever way I can."

"Thank you, Fallon. I'm glad you're here with me."

She smiles at me softly. "So am I."

Tatooine is now in full view. With a deep breath, I bring the ship down into the planet's atmosphere, already feeling the heat from the twin sun's. Everywhere I look is dust and sand. I forgot how ugly this planet is. There's no life in it, no happiness or prosperity. Mos Eisley is the port I bring us too, the one closest to my old home and master. I remember I wasn't allowed to go here alone when I was younger. It's filled with smugglers and bounty hunters, the scum of the galaxy. As I park the ship in one of the hangers and turn the engine off, I grab onto my robe, securing it around me. I gesture for Fallon to follow me and she does, making sure her blaster is loaded.