It wasn't easy to get to Anakin through the crowd of fans. Revan, having reliably hidden his presence in the Force, felt it fully, receiving several painful elbow jabs from particularly zealous fans of the young Skywalker talent. He couldn't resort to using the Force due to Qui-Gon's presence nearby, and his natural agility and combat skills didn't help much against such a mass of sentient beings.
As it turned out, only the Jedi noticed Vaner's absence, as Padmé and Shmi were only concerned about Anakin. Mentally, the former Sith noted that the Nabooian was showing too much concern for the boy's fate. Apparently, the stories of slave life and the boy's natural charisma had touched the vulnerable heart of the girl, who, in Revan's opinion, was too soft-hearted. And she herself was still a child.
Fortunately, Jinn was in thoughtful contemplation after another appearance of the ancient fallen knight, and therefore only nodded in response to Vaner's assurances that he had met acquaintances, which was why he was delayed, and then couldn't find the Skywalkers in the stands and watched the race from another sector.
"I suppose we should take the hyperdrive parts from Uto before he decides to run away from his debts?" Revan suggested.
"Yes, you're right," the Jedi replied, distracted from his thoughts.
Anakin was managed to be snatched from the fans' clutches only five minutes later. The boy was simply beaming with happiness. He had won! He had beaten so many experienced sentient beings! He had even outrun that arrogant and haughty Sebulba!
Revan was also pleased with the race result. Anakin had coped, which meant he had demonstrated good Force abilities, albeit unconsciously. Also, the ancient one noted that the boy instinctively sensed the emotions of those around him, reached out to them, and, to some extent, even used them. This indirectly indicated a predisposition to the Dark Side. However, it was too early to judge.
Uto was found near the bookmaker's stand, and his mood was quite dejected. Judging by the group of sentient beings with satisfied faces walking away from the winged merchant with infochips in their hands, the Toydarian had lost heavily. So much so that he had to leave IOU notes.
"You!" he pointed a finger at the Jedi as soon as he noticed him. "You cheated me! You somehow knew the boy would win! I'm ruined!!!"
"It was all fair and square," Qui-Gon replied imperturbably. "We made a bet, and I won, right?"
"You cheated!" Uto insisted.
"Really? And how so?" the Jedi crossed his arms. "Perhaps we should turn to the Hutts? I heard they resolve such disputes quickly."
The Toydarian glanced at one of Jabba's mercenaries, who was just hitting one of the losing and indignant fans with the butt of his blaster.
"So, how is it?" Jinn clarified. "Did I win?"
"Yes," Uto agreed glumly.
"And the boy?"
"He's free," the merchant waved his hand.
Revan immediately grasped the meaning of his words. The bet was only on the boy! So, his mother would remain a slave? The Jedi, as it had happened in his time, completely failed to consider the consequences of separating families and taking children into the temple at a conscious age. But they should have! How many Jedi lost their peace of mind as they grew older and met their families again? Or worse, faced their deaths?
Even Bastila, upon meeting her mother, became so agitated that only thanks to their connection with Revan was the girl able to keep her emotions in check. And if there had been no connection? What then?
Did Qui-Gon not understand this? After all, his student, according to the story, also fell to the Dark Side because of his father.
If Anakin, having fully experienced slave life on Tatooine, leaves his mother here, he will never be able to concentrate on his training. Moreover, the fear for her life and well-being will constantly shake his mind, making him vulnerable to the Dark Side.
"And what about Shmi?" Revan decided to clarify.
"The bet was only on the boy and the parts!" the Toydarian snapped.
The former Sith frowned and gave the merchant such a look that for a moment he stopped flapping his wings, causing him to sag in the air by almost a meter.
"I'm sorry, Vaner, but I can't take Shmi with me," Qui-Gon said sadly. "Uto is right, the contract was only for Anakin. And we simply don't have the money for the ransom. But I promise, we'll figure something out as soon as we arrive where we were heading."
To his surprise, Revan felt no falsehood in the Jedi's voice. He believed his words. However, the ancient one knew perfectly well how the Council usually reacted to such requests.
"'A gifted person, upon entering the Order, must leave behind everything that binds them to their past life'," he recalled the words of one of the masters.
He didn't want to leave Shmi in the clutches of the cunning merchant. He was in debt now, which meant he could resell the woman to someone else. So, there was a risk that she would simply get lost among the slaves of Tatooine or even perish in the endless sands.
Suddenly, an idea came to Revan's mind.
"Mr. Uto, I suddenly remembered that I also bet on Anakin's victory!" he approached the Toydarian closely with a smile. "Perhaps you would agree to transfer Shmi Skywalker to me as payment."
"What does that have to do with me, boy? Go to the bookmakers!" the merchant waved his hands.
The former Sith slightly pushed back the sleeve of his light cloak, under which the vambrace of Mandalorian armor was hidden. He didn't have time to remove it completely, otherwise, he wouldn't have made it to Anakin after the race. Therefore, only the helmet, mask, chest plate, and black robe went to HK's speeder. Revan, who had initially feared that the Jedi might notice the armor elements under his clothes, was now glad he hadn't removed the vambraces.
"Here's my IOU," the ancient Sith showed the Toydarian the brand of the Blood Claws, and next to it, Jabba's personal mark, symbolizing the official patronage of the Hutt Cartel.
The Jedi standing a little aside didn't manage to see exactly what Vaner was showing the merchant, but the latter's attitude changed completely.
"Yes, yes, of course... I... I recognize my signature," Uto said, stuttering slightly. "I think we'll come to an agreement."
"Excellent!" Revan exclaimed, clapping his hands with more joy in his voice. "Then please transfer the slave chip codes to us, as well as the infochip confirming ownership. Look, there's a lawyer free at the bookmakers."
The Toydarian didn't dare to object, quickly turning in the indicated direction.
"What did you show him?" Qui-Gon was still interested in the merchant's strange behavior.
The former Sith didn't particularly hope that Jinn, shocked by Revan's appearance, would lower his guard, so he was prepared for questions in advance. After all, what did they know about "Vaner Shane"? A guy stuck on Tatooine? What if it wasn't so simple?
"As I said – a promissory note," the ancient replied with a slight smile.
"A note?" Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. One that cannot be ignored, and must be paid without delay," hinted the former Jedi.
An experienced diplomat, who had often visited the far reaches of the Republic during his eventful life, "heard" what was required.
Looking Revan up and down, Jinn shook his head and frowned.
"So young," he exhaled sadly.
"They grow up fast on the Outer Rim," the ancient spread his hands.
"The Cartel?" the Jedi squinted.
The former Sith nodded almost imperceptibly.
"And what is your interest?" the man asked more sternly.
"I just wanted to help a friend," Revan shrugged.
"A friend?"
"Yes."
"And that's all?"
"Is that not enough?"
"It's hard to believe."
"In any case, respected Qui-Gon, you shouldn't concern yourself with hidden motives that do not concern you or your Order in any way."
Revan immediately felt a light touch of the Force on his own mind. The Jedi decided to make sure.
The shields held firm, but this could raise unnecessary questions. Especially if an experienced Jedi mind-reader couldn't even read a shadow of emotion from an untrained boy from a backwater planet.
"Stop," the former Sith said dryly.
The pressure of the Force vanished instantly.
"You felt that?" Jinn asked with slight surprise.
He clearly hadn't expected Vaaner to be Force-sensitive.
"Slightly."
The Jedi was about to ask something, but was interrupted by the ancient.
"Take care of Shmi and Anakin," he changed the subject.
Qui-Gon frowned.
"I can't take the boy's mother with me. There's no place for her in the Order," the man said with regret in his voice.
"And who said anything about the Order? Can't you take her to Coruscant?"
"Coruscant? But…"
"Isn't that where the Order is located?"
"Yes, but…"
"Don't worry about the financial aspect."
"Hmm…"
Qui-Gon pondered. The option Vaaner proposed solved many problems. And most importantly, it eased the Jedi's conscience. Of course, Anakin still wouldn't be able to communicate with his mother too often. He would have to give up attachments. But the very realization that his mother was alive, healthy, and safe should contribute to the boy's mental balance.
"Thank you," he finally said.
"You don't owe me anything yet," Revan waved it off.
Jinn looked intently into his interlocutor's eyes.
"I can't understand what kind of person you are… Something about you isn't right. But, what is it?"
The former Sith smirked.
"Sonner or later, everything will become clear," he shrugged. "As I understand it, your group is leaving the planet soon?"
"Yes, as soon as we repair the hyperdrive."
"Anakin and his mother?"
"They'll fly with us."
"Excellent. Then I should go and say goodbye to them."
"But…"
"I'll inform them about their freedom myself," Revan said, already walking away from the Jedi.
The Skywalkers received the news that they were no longer Watto's slaves quite calmly. Or rather, due to the shock of such news, Shmi simply lost the ability to speak, and Anakin joyfully clung to the ancient's neck.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" he chattered sincerely.
"Alright, alright, stop, you'll choke me!" the former Sith detached the boy from himself.
"Thank you, Vaaner!"
"You're welcome. You did it all yourself. Watto's greed finally played a cruel trick on him."
"But still…"
"Don't thank me," Revan stopped him. "Not yet."
"You helped us," Shmi finally joined the conversation.
"As did Qui-Gon and Padmé."
The Jedi's name clearly stirred something in the boy's mind.
"Will they take me to the Temple?" Anakin recalled one of his conversations with Vaaner.
"Quite possibly," the ancient nodded.
"And I'll become a Jedi?" the young man asked with delight.
Revan nodded.
The Skywalker practically jumped in place with happiness.
The former Sith smirked. He fully understood the boy's joy, who just yesterday had been a slave. Only this child didn't understand what awaited him.
He didn't want to give such a promising student to the Jedi, but Revan perfectly understood that at the moment he couldn't devote enough attention to the boy. He himself hadn't yet figured out what was happening in the galaxy, what he intended to do next… and even what to teach a potential follower.
What was the Order like now? What were its rules? What was the attitude towards the Dark Side?
It was impossible to understand anything from Qui-Gon alone. He needed to get to Coruscant. And in the process, he could also keep an eye on Anakin. So, he should take a little precaution.
"Anakin," Revan drew the boy's attention.
"Huh?"
"I just want you to remember that we will always be friends, and if the occasion arises, I will visit you," the ancient placed his hand on Skywalker's shoulder, gently touching his mind with the Force.
Just a small adjustment, strengthening the already existing attachment and sense of gratitude. Nothing serious, but it would be enough for the child's unformed mind.
He knew this from personal experience. Or rather, from his own childhood in the Order. After all, the Jedi didn't shy away from this technique, especially if they couldn't leave their past life behind the Temple walls. This was the case with Revan, but he found out about it much later. His first teacher, Kreia, once mentioned that Revan was too attached to his parents. Yet, he couldn't even remember their faces. The young Jedi was intrigued by this question and conducted a small investigation. It turned out that the seeker who came to take the boy to the Order just wanted to calm down a panicking child… but overdid it.
And such cases, unfortunately, were not uncommon.
And now Revan himself was doing something similar.
The ancient ignored the slight pang of conscience, confident in his rightness. It was necessary.
"Of course! I'll be glad!" Anakin rejoiced.
"Here," the former Sith handed the young man a small datacard. "Here's the code for my commlink. If necessary, you can always contact me."
"Thank you!"
Revan smiled warmly.
"And what about me?" Shmi asked, not daring to interrupt the friends' farewell.
"Here," the ancient approached the woman, took her hand, and placed a credit chip in her palm. "Here's some money for the first time. Enough to rent an apartment on Coruscant. Not in the temple district, but nearby. And after that, I think you'll figure it out."
The elder Skywalker stared blankly at the plastic strip in her hand.
"I can't…"
"You absolutely can," Revan didn't let her refuse. "It's not much. I didn't give you a starship, did I?"
The woman didn't insist. She, more than anyone else, understood that any opportunity must be seized, and help should not be refused.
The former Sith left the Skywalker homestead an hour later. The farewell dragged on because Anakin literally bombarded the former Jedi with questions about the Order. And he was happy to talk about it with someone. After all, thoughts of Coruscant and the Temple had literally occupied his mind.
Having successfully avoided Qui-Gon, Revan headed to the agreed meeting point, where HK was supposed to bring their small cargo ship, which still had no name. Except for the nickname the assassin droid had given it. But Revan's pride wouldn't allow him to register the ship under the name "Trash Heap."
"HK, how's it going?" the ancient activated his commlink.
"Bored: Everything is in order, Master. I've left the cargo at the specified coordinates," the droid replied. "Jabba's people sent confirmation of receipt three minutes ago."
"And you didn't tell me?"
"Offended: You were busy!"
"What makes you think so?"
"Explanation: I tried to contact you, but you ignored the call."
"I don't recall a call."
"Clarification: Exactly 32 minutes ago, I tried to contact you to report the cargo delivery."
Revan figured that around that time he was breaking free from Shmi's embrace, who was touched by his kindness. He might well have missed the commlink activation.
"All right, you convinced me," Revan nodded to his thoughts. "Where are you now?"
"Proudly: Approaching the meeting point. Estimated arrival time – three minutes, Master."
"Excellent. See you soon, HK," the former Jedi broke the communication link.
Revan spent the rest of the day on business. He needed to register a new ship identifier and update the navigation charts. HK insisted on buying an astromech, but the ancient refused. He was not familiar with the new generation of astromech droids and didn't want to make a mistake in his choice. He perfectly remembered how much could depend on one small astromech droid on a ship.
He recalled the little T3-M4, who had saved the entire crew of the Ebon Hawk so many times. Once, he even managed to repair a freighter damaged on Nathema on his own and return with it to the Republic to bring help to the captured Revan.
Memories of the brave little droid's last desperate attack on the Emperor himself made him feel sick. Another fallen comrade. And how many of them there had been…
HK-47, who had gotten into a scuffle with some used droid dealer, distracted the former Sith from his heavy memories. The assassin droid couldn't stand droid dealers… or Jawas. Apparently, he still remembered his imprisonment in Yucca Laka's shop.
It was decided to deal with the purchase of an astromech later, when Revan had a better understanding of the matter. For now, his own skills would be enough for repairs. And the navigation computer could handle plotting the course. Yes, it would be a little slower than with an astromech, but it would suffice for the time being.
Almost a day later, a light cargo ship with one gifted individual and one droid on board lifted off from the surface of Tatooine and sped away from the planet.
The Jedi on the Nabooian yacht were a few hours ahead, but it didn't matter. Revan didn't plan to cross paths with them anytime soon.
"How long will it take us to get to Coruscant?" the ancient clarified, checking the galaxy map.
"Readily: Considering the Class 2 hyperdrive, about two days, Master," HK immediately responded.
"And this is partially along a stable route…" Revan shook his head. "We should have looked for another ship."
"Happily: I'll gladly find a replacement for this junk heap, Master!"
"I don't doubt it."
"Enthusiastically: There are several excellent companies on Coruscant that sell wonderful models of light combat ships!"
"Hold your tauntauns, HK," the droid's creator reined him in. "We don't have the budget for Coruscant merchants. And certainly not for a warship."
"Annoyed: But…"
"No," Revan cut him off. "A warship attracts unnecessary attention. And it won't be allowed on every planet. We need a freighter, light and fast. Although, it would be good if it were well-armed."
"Nostalgically: We won't find another Hawk," the droid stated.
"But we'll still try to look… although I doubt we'll find anything at an acceptable price on Coruscant. The HoloNet, I recall, was full of advertisements… and the prices were quite steep."
"Doubtfully: Understood, Master," HK replied with skepticism in his voice. "Shall we depart?"
"Yes, activate the hyperdrive," Revan commanded.
Beyond the panoramic screens, the stars flared and stretched into bright white streaks, only to be replaced by the bluish haze of hyperspace a couple of seconds later.
"Question: Master, why didn't you take Skywalker on board? It seemed to me that his skills impressed you. I think he could be a valuable organic unit… even as a small bag of meat."
"Even so?" the ancient smirked.
The droid nodded.
"It's not time yet," the former Sith shrugged.
"Question: Not time for what?"
"For recruiting a crew or taking a student."
"Reasoning: However, from a tactical point of view, strengthening a combat group is always welcome. Especially if it doesn't require additional investment, Master," the droid's optical sensors flashed.
"You're wrong about that, HK," Revan sighed heavily. "Do you know the most foolish thing a commander can do?"
"Interested question: What?"
"To lead intelligent beings without knowing where he himself is going," the former Jedi leaned back in the pilot's seat and stared at the ceiling. "Without understanding what he must do, without seeing the goal, and without even imagining where and why he is moving, this unfortunate commander will only perish, taking his people with him."
"Situation analysis: And are we in a similar situation now? Master?"
"Yes."
"Incomprehensibly: Further explanation is required, Master."
"Before deciding where we will go after Coruscant, or what to teach Anakin or anyone else, I must understand what is personally required of me. The Force did not return me to this world for no reason. There must be some purpose, which I can only vaguely imagine for now. Perhaps, if I see what the Order has become, I will understand something for myself. Or I will be able to find answers in the Great Holocron… I don't know."
"Cheerfully: In any case, I am with you, Master!"
"Thank you, HK. I never doubted it," the ancient gratefully patted the metallic maniac on his armored chest plate. "I'm going to meditate while we fly. Inform me when we are ten minutes from Coruscant."
"Understood, Master. Have a good meditation."
Revan spent the entire journey to the "Heart of the Republic" in thought. However, he could not find answers or even calm himself down. And so, when HK came to his cabin to report their imminent arrival at their destination, the former Sith was in a foul mood.
"Unidentified vessel, this is Coruscant Control, state your identification," a voice from the comms system of some sentient being sounded from the speakers.
"This is cargo vessel NXUS-507/54-E, arrived at Coruscant from Tatooine," Revan opened the communication channel, checking the map and looking for a landing spot. "Requesting a corridor to spaceport in sector G-41, sublevel 1047."
"Understood, NXUS-507/54-E, transferring you to sector G-41 Control. Please wait."
"Understood, Control, we are waiting."
A few seconds later, a different voice requested the vessel's identification again and transmitted the necessary data for the ship's navigation computer.
The nameless freighter, taken from smugglers, began its descent to the glittering planet-city, Coruscant.
How long had it been since Revan was here!
The districts, sparkling with millions of lights, were mesmerizing, and the huge skyscrapers rising from the darkness of the lower levels seemed simply endless.
The former Jedi closed his eyes and swayed slightly from the overwhelming sensations. The Force was churning! The planet was alive! Even despite its city-like appearance. Billions, or even trillions, of sentient beings shone with emotions, leaving their unique imprint on the Force.
It was intoxicating.
The ancient opened his eyes and saw through the cockpit window the one building that interested him on this planet – the Jedi Order Temple.
A huge truncated pyramid with five towers rose above the endless city, like a silent guardian.
Memories flooded Revan, making him feel like a youngling again, who had just arrived at the Order. The Temple had been his home for many years. And now, after so much time, the ancient adept of the Force was returning to his roots, wondering what role was destined for him in this new world…