CHAPTER FOUR : PODRACE

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ATLAS awoke around the same time Padmé did. The brown haired girls walked outside and watched the twin sun rise. Never in my life have I seen such a beautiful sunrise, Atlas thought by herself before following Padmé towards Anakin's racing pod. Artoo was already busy painting it, while Anakin was fast asleep.

"I hope you're about finished," Padmé told Artoo.

Artoo whistled a positive reply and Padmé saw Anakin's friend, Kitster, riding towards them on an E0pie, while Atlas' eyes didn't left Anakin. He looked very vulnerable and before she could think about she was doing, her hand had already touched his cheek. Anakin woke up, yawned and looked at her, a little puzzled.

"You were in my dream . . ." he began, "you were leading a huge army into battle."

"I hope not," Atlas said softly, shaking her head. "War would be terrible for all of us. Anyways, your mother wants you to come in and clean up. We have to leave soon."

Anakin stood up and stretched just as Kitster arrived.

"Hook 'em up, Kitster," Anakin said before turning back to Atlas. "I won't be long. Where's Qui-Gon?"

"He and Jar Jar left already," Atlas explained. "They're with Watto in the arena."

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The main hangar was a large building with a dozen or so Podracers being readied for the race. Both Atlas and Padmé looked around in awe as they entered the hangar. Anakin and Kitster came shortly after them, each pulling an engine. Artoo came as last together with Threepio, the former was pulling the Pod with Shmi sitting on it.

Watto passed Anakin and said something Atlas didn't catch, making the blond haired boy look puzzled at Qui-Gon. "What did he mean by that?"

"I'll tell you later," the Jedi Knight replied as Artoo beeped at Threepio.

"Oh my!" the droid replied. "Space travel sounds rather perilous."

Artoo emitted a series of beeps as reply.

"I can assure you they will never get me onto one of those dreadful starships!" Threepio exclaimed.

"This is so wizard!" Kitster exclaimed to Anakin. "I'm sure you'll do it this time, Ani."

"Do what?" Padmé questioned, looking puzzled.

"Finish the race, of course!" Kitster stated, as matter of factly.

"You've never won a race?" Atlas asked, looking at Anakin.

"Well . . . not exactly . . ."

"Not even finished?!" Padmé added.

Anakin looked sheepishly.

". . . but Kitster's right," he replied. "I will this time."

"Of course you will," Qui-Gon said.

"It's time," Atlas said, glancing at their surroundings.

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The Podraces appeared one by one in the arena, surrounded by their crew. As soon as Anakin's podracer was on its place, Shmi leaned towards her son, giving him a big hug and kiss before looking him right in the eye.

"Be safe."

"I will, mom, I promise."

She left as Anakin checked the cable hitches. Atlas made her way over to the blond haired boy. She quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"You carry all our hopes," she whispered to him, as he glanced up to look her in the eye.

"I won't let you down," he said, placing a hand on her own.

Atlas nodded reluctantly, feeling guilty she might have send this boy to his death, before stepping back and letting Qui-Gon have a moment with Anakin. Atlas walked to Padmé and the others who were already on the viewing platform. Shmi looked nervously at Qui-Gon as the Jedi entered the platform and it began to rise as an elevator.

"Is he nervous?" Shmi asked him.

"He's fine," Qui-Gon replied.

"The Jedi are far too reckless," Padmé spoke up. "The Queen —"

"The Queen trusts my judgement, young handmaiden," Qui-Gon interrupted her. "You should too."

"You assume too much," Padmé replied and Atlas was surprised that they had fooled the Jedi in believing that Padmé was just a handmaiden.

"START YOUR ENGINES!"

The earth-pounding roar of the engines was deafening. On a bridge over the track, a great green light at the center flashed. The Podracers shot forward with a high-pitches scream. Anakin's engine flooded and coughed before dying. All the other Podracers swerved around him and disappeared down the track. From where Atlas stood, she could see Anakin struggling to get his racer started.

"AND THEY'RE OFF!"

"OH . . . WAIT. LITTLE SKYWALKER HAS STALLED."

Padmé and Jar Jar looked very disappointed, while Qui-Gon put his arm around a very worried Shmi to comfort her. Atlas, however, stood on the edge of the platform, her hand holding tightly onto the balustrade and her eyes fixed on the blond haired boy.

You can do it, Ani, she thought, trying to send him the message.

Finally, Anakin's engines ignited and he zoomed away after the receding pack of competitors.

"AND THERE GOES SKYWALKER . . . HE'LL BE HARD PRESSED TO CATCH UP WITH THE LEADERS TODAY."

As soon as Anakin was out of sight, Atlas hurried back to look over Padmé shoulder, who was holding a small, hand-held view screen.

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Atlas didn't remember much of the race, she only remembered the amount of relief she had felt when Anakin had crossed the finish line and won for the first time in his life.

The main hangar was almost deserted as racers departed. Atlas hung back in the group as everyone greeted Anakin excitedly. Jar Jar, Padmé and Shmi gave him a hug.

"Ah, gee . . . enough of this . . ." the blond haired boy said.

"It's so wonderful, Ani," Shmi said, smiling widely. "You have brought hope to those who have none. I'm very proud of you . . ."

"We owe you everything," Padmé added.

"Just feeling this good was worth it," Anakin replied, his eyes searching for the only person who hadn't greeted him yet. Atlas walked towards him and placed her hand on his Podracer.

"You were amazing out there, Ani."

The boy smiled. "Couldn't have done it without you."

"What do you mean? You did it all on your own!" Atlas said, frowning.

Anakin shook his head. "I heard you, Atlas, I heard you saying you can do it, Ani, and then my engines finally ignited. So it must be you who would have done that."

"Y-you heard me?" Atlas asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," Anakin replied, smiling up at her.

"Atlas, Padmé, Jar Jar, let's go," Qui-Gon spoke up, interrupting their conversation, "we've got to get these parts back to the ship."

Padmé and Atlas shared an Eopie as they rode it out of the hangar towards their spacecraft. Obi-Wan had already come out of the ship when they arrived.

"Start getting this hyperdrive generator installed," Qui-Gon ordered his Padawan. "I'm going back . . . some unfinished businesses. I won't be long."

Atlas glanced at Qui-Gon. What did he mean by unfinished businesses? Surely he wasn't talking about Ani? Or was he?

"Why do I sense we've picked up another pathetic life form . . .?" Obi-Wan said.

Qui-Gon glanced at Atlas before looking back at his Padawan. "It's the boy who's responsible for getting those parts."

Atlas' eyes widened. Was Anakin coming with them?

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Atlas sat with Obi-Wan in the cockpit, surveying their surroundings, when the young Jedi apprentice spotted Qui-Gon and Anakin running towards the ship.

"I've got a bad feeling about this, Obi-Wan," Atlas murmured, before hurrying out of the cockpit to meet up with them.

Anakin hurried into the ship. "Qui-Gon's in trouble. He says to take off . . . now!"

"Did you hear that, Obi-Wan?" Atlas shouted towards the cockpit.

"I can see it!" he yelled back.

"Who are you?" Captain Panaka asked, as he and Padmé appeared in the hallway of the spacecraft.

"He's a friend," Padmé replied, giving Anakin a small smile as Atlas hurried back to the cockpit.

"I don't see anything," the pilot said.

"Over there!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, pointing at a small cloud of dust. "Fly low!"

Atlas gripped the back of the chair as she looked at the cloud, worried for the safety of the Jedi.

The pilot flew the ship over to the ship and before Atlas' knew it, Qui-Gon had jumped onto the spacecraft's ramp.

Obi-Wan and Atlas rushed over to Qui-Gon, who was laying on the floor.

"Are you alright?" Atlas asked, scanning his body worriedly to look if he had any wounds.

"I think so . . ." he replied, "that was a surprise I won't soon forget."

"What was it?" Obi-Wan asked from next to Atlas.

"I don't know . . ." Qui-Gon admitted, "but he was well trained in the Jedi arts. My guess is he was after the Queen . . ."

Padmé and Atlas exchanged a worried glance.

"Do you think he'll follow us?" Anakin asked.

"We'll be safe enough once we're in hyperspace," Qui-Gon comforted him, "but I have no doubt he knows our destination."

"What are we going to do about it?" Anakin said, making Obi-Wan glance at him with an who-are-you-look.

"We will be patient," Qui-Gon replied. "Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Pleased to meet you," Anakin exclaimed, before his eyes fell on his lightsaber. "Wow! Are you a Jedi, too?"

Obi-Wan gave him a skeptical look, but didn't answer.

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Atlas rolled over in her bed, finding it hard to sleep. She and Padmé had been talking until the late hours over the situation in Naboo and it only had made the twelve year old more worried. With a last sigh, she rolled out of bed, pulled on her boots and grabbed a cloak.

As she roared into the main room, she saw Anakin sitting in the corner, shivering and looking very dejected. Atlas walked towards him and Anakin looked up at her with tears in his eyes. He was holding his arms to keep warm.

"Are you all right?" Atlas asked, gazing down at the boy with sympathy.

"It's very cold," Anakin admitted.

Atlas took her cloak off and threw it over his shoulders. "You're from a warm planet, Ani. Too warm for my taste. Space is cold."

Anakin eyed her carefully. "You seem sad."

Atlas sighed. "The Queen is . . . worried. Her people are suffering . . . dying. She must convince the Senate to intervene, or . . . I'm not sure what will happen."

"I'm . . . I'm not sure what's going to happen to me," Anakin admitted. "I dunno if I'll ever see you again." He pulled something from his pocket. "I made this for you. So you'd remember me. I carved it out of japor snippet . . . It will bring you good fortune."

Anakin gave Atlas a wooden pendant and the latter stared at it in awe before hanging it around her neck.

"It'a beautiful," she said, smiling at the boy, "but I don't need this to remember you. Many things will change when we reach the capital, Ani, but I'll always care for you," she added shyly.

"I care for you too," Anakin replied. "Only I . . . miss . . ." He was disturbed about something, tears were in his eyes.

"You miss your mother," Atlas added. "I know the feeling . . . I miss my mom, too."

Atlas put her arm around his shoulder and together, the two of them gazed out of the window into the galaxy.

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"We're almost at Coruscant," Padmé informed Atlas. "We should join the Queen."

The brown haired girl looked up from cleaning her blasters and nodded. "I'll be right there."

Padmé smiled and left her room. Atlas put her blasters away before, too, exiting the room. She could hear Anakin exclaim in awe from the cockpit and couldn't help but to grin. She quickly joined the Queen and her handmaidens, taking her usual spot next to Padmé.

The Queen descended the the ramp and stopped before a group, consisted of Supreme Chancellor Valorum, several guards and Senator Palpatine. Atlas could see Anakin looking at the city in amazement and smiled, before looking back at the group before them.

Senator Palpatine stepped forward and bowed toward the Queen.

"It's a great gift to see you alive, Your Majesty," he began. "May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum."

"Welcome, Your Highness," the Supreme Chancellor said. "It is an honor to finally meet you in person. I must relay to you how distressed everyone is over the currant situation. I've called for a special session of the Senate to hear your position."

"I am grateful for your concern, Chancellor," the Queen replied.

Senator Palpatine started to lead the Queen and her retinue off the platform towards a waiting air taxi. Atlas followed pursuit, glancing back at Anakin, who started to follow them. When the boy noticed, the two Jedi weren't follow him, he looked back. Qui-Gon gave him a nod and both Jar Jar as Anakin followed the Queen.

Published 28.01.2021

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