Chapter Three, Part One

"So this is Mos Espa!"

Dan walked into the edge of town, excitement in his heart. This was the place where Qui-gon and Obiwan first met Anakin. It was... dirtier than he expected. Hollywood magic had glossed over the smell of rot and animal waste.

"Let's find your slaves and get back to the ship," Ultron yanked on a rope. "Before the young miss collects more monsters."

"She's not a monster!" May patted the head of the lizard she rode. "Are you Missy?"

The Dewback grunted, the same noise it always made.

"See? She's a good girl!"

"This... thing has defecated on me twice!" Ultron tossed the leed aside and clutched his head. "I can only tolerate so much..."

"Tie your new friend up to a post, May," Dan broke up the squabble. "We'll be back in less than an hour."

"Alright, but that robot needs to learn to behave!"

May dragged the Dewback to a tie-off, while Ultron fumed.

"Don't worry about it Ultron," Dan patted the A.I.'s arm. "Life is messy, and not everyone will be as agreeable as those sand people."

A specific species, one that already approached this galaxy from afar, came to mind. They would take a few decades to arrive, but once they did, war would consume the known worlds.

"Alright," Ultron sighed. "I'll trust that we'll face enemies worth killing."

The A.I. returned to May's side and helped secure the rope. The group marched into town, conspicuous thanks to Ultron's bulky form.

"We're looking for a kid and his mother," Dan scanned the crowd. "A blond-haired boy and a brown-haired woman."

"There aren't many humans," Ultron's eyes flashed. "The targets shouldn't be hard to find."

"The kid might be at work," Dan struggled to remember what Watto's shop looked like. "Use your robot ears to listen for someone yelling 'Anakin.'"

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It took over an hour, but eventually, they found Watto's junkyard. The toydarian cussed out a young boy, just outside the door. Anakin, the supposed chosen one, before he'd come to power.

"How many times have I told you, boy, never tell the customers about a problem!"

"But Watto... that hyperdrive was one jump away from failure," Anakin looked at the ground. "If they used it, they could have been stranded in deep space."

"Bah, go home, Anakin. Tell your mother you're on double shifts, starting tomorrow!"

"Yes sir.."

Head hung, the young boy turned and made his way down the street. Dan's group followed from a distance, but their lack of stealth came for them again.

"Who are you, and why are you following me?"

Anakin faced them at a crossroads, a place with many spaces to run. Dan smiled, hands spread.

"My name is Dan, and this is May," He pointed to his wife, who waved at the boy. "We don't mean any harm. We have an offer to make both you and your mother."

"An offer..." Anakin squinted, suspicion on his face. "What kind of offer do you make a slave?"

"How old are you?"

Dan laughed at Anakin's dubious nature. In the movie, he'd been open to Qui-gon because he'd seen his lightsaber. Dan had no such prop to win the boy's devotion.

"I'm five."

"Pretty smart for a five-year-old," Dan gestured to his small group. "Why don't we go meet your mother first? I'd rather only make my offer once."

"Alright..." A moment of hesitation was all Anakin took before he agreed. "But don't you dare try to hurt her!"

His gaze was locked on Ultron's metallic frame. The droid didn't inspire thoughts of friendship.

"Don't worry about Ultron, he's going to help both you and your mom get out of here."

Ultron twitched, his eyes dim.

"I'm going to what?"

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"So that's my proposal," Dan patted the wooden table in front of him. "We deactivate your explosive implants and set you free, in exchange..."

"In exchange, we agree to work for you for twelve years, as long as the pay is agreeable and accommodations are suitable."

Anakin's mother leaned back, a frown etched on her face. Dan had more work to do before she was convinced.

"That's a pretty generous deal... for us. What do you get out of it?"

Dan glanced at Anakin, who'd remained silent for his entire speech. His gains would be hard to explain.

"Your son is gifted, unique," Dan went for a half-truth. "In the future, he'll be a great asset to anyone who befriends him."

Shmi Skywalker looked to her son, a complex expression on her face.

"What do you think, Anakin?"

"Hmmm..." The boy squinted at Dan and May. "I think we can trust them, but I'm not sure."

Dan raised an eyebrow. Anakin was force sensitive, perhaps the most force-sensitive organic being in existence. It was strange that he couldn't get a solid read from them.

System, why can't he tell that we're here to help?

"The force has been whipped into a maelstrom by your awakening," The system voice yawned. "None of these wizards can glimpse the future anymore."

"Just set them free," May slapped the back of Dan's head. "We can work out the details later, I want to go dragon hunting!"

"Dragons?"

Anakin leaned forward and Dan laughed.

"May wants to collect a Krayt Dragon and tame it."

"Oh dear," Shmi frowned, eyes serious. "You should be careful, those beasts are rumored to kill even Jedi!"

"They can kill Jedi?" Anakin's eyes widened. "I thought nothing could hurt a Jedi..."

"We will be in no danger," Ultron's cold voice cut through the room. "The lifeforms on this planet pose no challenge."

His words only deepened the woman's frown.

"You should take them seriously..."

"We will," Dan smiled. "But Ultron here is a bit more advanced than your average droid."

"How advanced?" Anakin's eyes shone as he scampered up to the A.I. "I've always wanted to construct a droid to help out Mom."

"My design is beyond your comprehension, worm."

Ultron stepped away from the curious child, disgust in his voice.

"You might be surprised," Dan smirked. "This kid is a genius mechanic, a match for your creator."

"Oh?" Ultron leaned down to Anakin's level. "A match for Stark, you must be joking?"

"I don't know who Stark is, but I'm very good with machines!"

Anakin scowled at Ultron's metal face.

"We'll see..." Ultron ignored Anakin's glare and extended a hand. "Now hold still."

"Hey, what are..."

A flash pulsed from Ultron's hand to wash over Anakin's body. His hair stood on end, held in place by a tremendous static.

"Your explosive implant is no more," Ultron motioned to Shmi. "You're next..."