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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟔
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐒

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It wasn't long after Aurora arrived at the Podraces with Padmé, the Skywalkers, Kitster, and their two droids when Watto flew towards them and spoke to Anakin in Huttese. Despite not knowing what the blue creature said, the Tinsley girl could tell it wasn't good by the look on Anakin's face. No one said a word as they watched Watto fly away from them before they turned their attention toward the Jedi Master.

"What'd he mean by that?" Anakin asked the Jinn man as soon as he was close enough to them.

"I'll tell you later," was all Qui-Gon said before he helped Shmi and Kitster off of their eopie at the same time Aurora, Padmé, and Anakin slid off of theirs.

"This is so wizard, Ani!" Kitster exclaimed as he walked around the eopie to stand next to the blonde boy, "I'm sure you'll do it this time!"

"Do what?" Padmé asked as she and Aurora approached the two young boys.

"Finish the race, of course," the raven-haired boy stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, making the smiles fade from the girls' faces.

"You've never won a race?" Aurora questioned, earning a sheepish smile from the Skywalker boy.

"Well, not exactly."

"Not even finished?" Padmé asked without even attempting to hide the shock in her voice.

"Kitster's right. I will this time," Anakin told them while wrapping an arm around his friend's shoulders and forcing a smile on his face.

Before their conversation could continue, Qui-Gon walked over to them and placed his hands on the Skywalker boy's shoulders. "Of course, you will."

Both of the girls looked up at the Jedi Master with annoyed looks in their eyes, only to find the long-haired man already staring back at them with a small smile on his face. After gazing up at the man for a moment longer, both girls let out small scoffs and made their way toward their seats. Aurora and Padmé stood side by side on the platform that would take them up to their seats. Silence surrounded them as they watched the participants prepare for the upcoming race, both ignoring the uncertainty they were feeling. Across the way, they saw Shmi exchange a few words with her son before Qui-Gon took her place to talk with Anakin. It wasn't long after the Skywalker woman joined the two girls when Qui-Gon and Jar Jar stepped onto the platform with them.

"Is he nervous?" Shmi asked the Jedi Master while keeping her eyes glued to her son.

"He's fine," was all the Jinn man said as he closed the small door behind him.

"You Jedi are far too reckless," Padmé stated as she and Aurora followed Qui-Gon and Jar Jar to the other side of the platform with Shmi right behind them, "the Queen is not-"

The Jedi Master instantly stopped in his tracks and turned to face Padmé before leaning forward to look her in the eyes. "The Queen trusts my judgment, young handmaiden. You should too."

Before the young girl had a chance to respond, the Jinn man turned back around and moved to stand next to Jar Jar. The two girls just stared at the Jedi's back for a moment before Padmé looked over at Aurora. "He assumes too much."

"I couldn't agree more," the Tinsley girl responded before she, Padmé, and Shmi walked across the platform to join the Jedi and the Gungan just as the race was about to start.

As the announcers told the racers to start their engines, Shmi pushed a button on the pad in her hands to raise their platform high in the sky. All eyes were on Anakin as he started up his Podracer while the crowd continued to cheer louder than Aurora thought possible. It wasn't long after that when the light turned green, causing all the drivers to begin the race. However, unlike his opponents Podracers, Anakin's vehicle stalled before he could make it very far.

Everyone on the platform watched in dismay as the crowd's laughter cut through the air. Just as Aurora was beginning to think the race was over before it even began, Anakin somehow managed to repair his Podracer before he zoomed after his opponents. Once he was out of sight, everyone turned their attention toward the screen in Shmi's hands to watch the Skywalker boy attempt to catch up with the other racers. Silence surrounded them as they kept their eyes glued to the screen, hoping that the race had the outcome they all wanted.

Two laps had finally gone by and Anakin was able to catch up to his opponents despite his late start. The Skywalker boy had to face a few hiccups in his path such as the Tusken Raiders and his ship almost falling apart mid-race. As he zoomed by, the announcers told the crowd that Anakin wasn't far behind Sebulba.

All attention turned back to the screen in Shmi's hands just in time to see the Skywalker boy get knocked off course and onto a closed-off part of the track. Aurora couldn't help the gasp that passed over her lips as they watched Anakin soar through the sky above his opponents. But when he landed, he found himself in front of Sebulba, the only other racer left who could defeat him. As soon as the announcers announced that Anakin had taken the lead, cheers and boos cut through the air while smiles appeared on the faces of everyone on the platform.

However, their grins soon faded as they watched Sebulba pull his Podracer up behind Anakin's ship. The dug continued to bring his Pod closer and closer to the Skywalker boy, making it seem like Anakin was about to be hit by his opponent's energy binders. But just before Sebulba could make contact, a part from one of Anakin's engines came loose, causing smoke to fill the air around them. The malfunction allowed the dug to take the lead and put some distance between him and the Skywalker boy. It didn't take much time for Anakin to fix the issue and speed up to try and catch up with his opponent.

Once again the two racers were neck and neck, making Sebulba attempt to take Anakin out of the race by using the size of his Podracer as an advantage. Everyone on the platform watched as the dug continued to bang his ship against the Skywalker boy's Podracer. But despite Sebulba's attempts, Anakin continued to stay by his side. It wasn't long before the two ships became entangled due to the dug's constant hitting. They stayed connected a lot longer than Aurora would've liked before Anakin did something to force their ships to detach. A small smile formed on the Tinsley girl's face as she watched Sebulba's ship fall apart and the dug skid across the planet's sandy surface.

Cheers erupted from the crowd as Anakin's ship came into view before crossing the finish line. Shmi instantly pressed the button to bring down their platform, allowing them to sprint across the track toward the Skywalker boy. As soon as they reached Anakin, Qui-Gon lifted him into the air and placed him on his shoulder. Despite a huge crowd forming around him and cheering his name, the blonde boy looked down at his mother with a giant smile on his face.

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After getting the parts they needed from Watto, Aurora and her allies traveled back to back to their ship via eopie to prepare for their journey to Coruscant. The Tinsley girl stood by Qui-Gon as she watched some of the guards take the ship parts aboard followed by Padmé and Jar Jar. It wasn't long after that when Aurora's attention was drawn to Obi-Wan as he walked toward his Master with determination in his step. As soon as the Padawan was only a few feet away, the brunette girl slid off her eopie while the Jinn man stayed on his.

"Well, we have all the essential parts we need," Qui-Gon announced after his student stopped a few feet away from him, "I'm going back. Some unfinished business. I won't be long."

"Why do I sense we've picked up another pathetic life form?" Obi-Wan questioned with a small smile on his face.

"You better be talking about Jar Jar," Aurora muttered just loud enough for the Jedi to hear, causing the grin on the Padawan's face to slightly grow.

"It's the boy who's responsible for getting us these parts," the Jinn man continued speaking while the Kenobi boy stared up at him with a slight interest in his eyes, "get the hyperdrive generator installed."

"Yes, Master. It shouldn't take long," Obi-Wan told the long-haired man, causing the latter to turn around on his eopie and head back into town.

The two of them watched the Jinn man for a moment longer before they turned and headed toward the ship. They didn't make it very far when a question popped into Aurora's head, causing her to look over at Obi-Wan. "Have you ever even installed a hyperdrive generator before?"

"Well, no, but how hard can it be?" the Kenobi boy admitted while they walked up the ramp and into the engine room.

A small smile appeared on the Tinsley girl's face as the two of them looked around at their surroundings. It wasn't long after that when she looked up at the slightly perplexed boy next to her. "You're in for a treat."

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About an hour passed of the duo working together to install the part into their ship before they were finally finished. After cleaning off the grease from their hands and faces and the cut on the Tinsley girl's hand, Aurora followed Obi-Wan into the cockpit to check to see if they installed it right. Once they arrived at their destination, they received an all-clear from Ric Olié when they spotted two figures approaching them in the distance. However, unknown to Qui-Gon and Anakin, another figure appeared behind them and was closing in on them fast.

An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of Aurora's stomach as she watched Anakin drop down onto the sandy surface. It wasn't long after that when their pursuer leaped over the boy and began fighting Qui-Gon. While their opponent was distracted, Anakin sprinted onto the ship to warn their allies of the imminent danger.

"Qui-Gon's in trouble," Captain Panaka announced after he entered the cockpit with Padmé and Anakin.

"Take off," Obi-Wan ordered as he sat down next to Ric Olié and stared out the front window, "over there. Fly low."

Ric Olié didn't hesitate to follow the Padawan's orders and they soon found themselves flying toward the Jedi Master. As they got closer and closer to the duel, Aurora couldn't help but keep her eyes glued to the stranger cloaked in black. There was something about him that was familiar to the Tinsley girl, and yet she had never seen the man before in her life. That she was certain about. But she still couldn't shake the feeling that she knew him from somewhere. It wasn't long after that when a wave of realization washed over Aurora like a tidal wave. The Tinsley girl was right about never meeting the man in black in person, but they had met. It was simply in a dream. The same dream she had the night her parents mysteriously disappeared. Aurora remembered the ominous feeling she had in her stomach when she woke up, it was the same feeling she had now. She would never forget the eerie red glow of his lightsaber.

Aurora was soon pulled out of her thoughts by the ship slowing down a bit, causing her to look back out the window just in time to see Qui-Gon leaped into the sky and onto the ship's ramp. After the Jedi Master sprinted inside, Ric Olié brought the ramp up before speeding away from their enemy and toward their next destination. It was only then that it occurred to Aurora where they were truly headed.

Coruscant, home of the Jedi. The one place her parents told her on countless occasions never to go. Aurora just hoped that their current situation would keep her away from the Jedi Temple.

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