Přihlášení
When You Give a Man Power
Chapter 44
I walked around inspecting my new business, already imagining the extra walls along with more organization that the shop desperately needed.
Watto was satisfied with the deal he was given. He of course tried to take more from the offered deal. We haggled and argued over the price of both the business and Anakin and his mother.
I ended up paying more than what the three were worth. Watto didn’t get nearly as much as he wanted to but he, to an outside observer, gained far more from this exchange.
In reality, the money used to buy it all was a drop in the bucket for me. Not something to turn one’s eye up at but with the wealth I have accumulated it was not a loss for me.
Anakin was wary of me after Watto had left taking his payment from me, giving me the control rod for Anakin and his mother.
“Was all of this your handywork?” I asked him.
I looked over a droid's head with the photoreceptors replaced alongside some parts here and there that were maintained.
“Yeah.” He said quietly.
“You got talent. You got a name?” My hands were on my legs, getting down on his level. He looked wary of me but less so with my subtle attempts to appear less intimidating.
Like he wanted me to be the kind person I portrayed myself as now. It wasn’t an act. I wasn’t faking this. Anakin suffered immensely throughout his life. He had good moments, made friends, and found love along the way. But he also suffered so much and lost everything.
I wasn’t arrogant and believed I could stop what he may become. I didn’t fully believe it was set in stone either. I didn’t want him to be a tool of mine.
He was a kid who had a rough life and lost so much. He had earned some happiness after everything was said and done.
“Anakin.”
“Well, that sounds like a cool name. You got an even better last name?”
He smiled lightly, starting to warm up to me.
“Skywalker.”
I give him an impressed look. “Now that is a good last name. I just got Corvo Attano. But you got one heck of a cool name. Anakin Skywalker.” My hands splayed out in exaggeration making his smile grow.
“Sounds like someone who will be one heck of a pilot.” He beamed up at the mention of a pilot. “You like ships?”
“Yeah! Always wanted to fly one.”
“They are pretty awesome. I myself have flown a few.”
His expression turned into awe. “What kind of ship do you have?”
“I currently use a Head Hunter. Modified it myself.”
Anakin asked me all kinds of questions. I answered them to the best of my ability. Most of them were easy with a few tricky ones with Anakin showing he was surprisingly knowledgeable when it came to the inner workings of the ships.
Given all the parts around him he had fixed up I would know better than to even believe Watto could do that. The guy might have been able to work his way around the simpler parts but he sure as hell wasn’t working on anything beyond that.
The guy was a salesman who unlike professionals who take their research into their job seriously was the kind who didn’t even bother and got people who knew their stuff to do it while he dealt with the customers.
“Maybe after I help you and your mom get those chips out I can take you around for a spin in it.”
Anakin looked excited at the prospect of flying in one until his expression shifted to outright hope once he realized what I had said.
“Were not going to be your slaves?” He asked, sounding breathless.
“Yep. You and your mom won’t be slaves anymore.” I told him gently, meaning every word of it.
“You mean it? It’s not a trick or a lie?” He asked, sounding like he wanted to believe it. But he was also worried about his hopes getting up only to find out there was never any hope at all.
“No trick and no lie. I don’t like the idea of slavery and never owned one in all my life owned one. You and your mom will be free. I promise.”
“Anakin? It’s late, you need to get home, and your dinner is getting cold.” A woman's voice spoke up coming from the entrance.
“Mom! Mom, we are going to be free!” Anakin looked like a bottle of sunshine running as fast as his little legs would carry him.
“Anakin what are you-- oof! Anakin, what has gotten into you? What do you mean by free?” An older woman said now confused about Anakin's excitement.
My throat cleared, getting her to look up at me. Arms crossed across my chest leaned against the counter waving a hand at her.
“Where’s Watto?” She asked suspiciously but hid it well so as not to clue Anakin in on what she was thinking.
“Currently enjoying the newly gained shop I paid for. Corvo Attano. And you are?” Walking over to her hand held out. She looked at it for a moment but gingerly took it with a small shake.
“Shmi. What is Anakin talking about being free?” She asked skeptically.
Couldn’t blame her. It sounded too good to be true. Despite what some stories in fan works would have you believe she was some beauty or fairly attractive despite the environment she was in.
Shmi wasn’t. She was just as aged as she was in The Phantom Menace. Stress from life as a slave and caring for her son had aged her. Not that having two suns in the sky on a barren rock like this helped. She looked tired. Her face aged more than she had to have been.
“Corvo said he wasn’t going to keep us as slaves.” He said jumping up hugging her.
She placed her hands on him smiling down at him while she looked at me. Her body screamed she was suspicious of me. She didn’t trust it. She looked like she was searching for a catch. An angle of some kind.
The thing was there was never an angle or catch. Not unless you counted me trying to be a decent person and give someone some happiness in their life.
Especially when the universe decided he needed the entirety of its weight added to his shoulders and many horrific things he needed to experience to be the thing it wanted him to be.
“Yep. Anakin and you will be free. You can leave if you want.”
No deception. Everything I said I fully meant. Shmi was still guarded. Like Anakin was before but unlike him she had far more years to learn that things are not always what they seem even when they appear to be wonderful.
She was an adult and with that came much more skepticism than a child would have. She pulled Anakin closer to her in an attempt to protect him from something she couldn’t see but believed was going to happen.
“Just like that?” Her tone was curt and clipped.
A nod of my head as I adopted a gentle smile. “Just like that. You have two options.”
The faint tap of my boots against the floor was the only sound inside the shop. Anakin's was an expression of hope. Shmi was guarded and untrusting in comparison.
“Option one. I give you a substantial amount of money and you do what you want with it. Even leave the planet if you want. No strings attached and free as a pair of birds who are no longer slaves.” My hands do a flapping gesture to mimic a bird.
Anakin's smile grew. Shmi looked conflicted like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing right now.
“What’s the other option?” She asked. Her voice kept even showing none of her inner thoughts.
Didn’t need them when her body gave it all away. Hope. It was dulled but she was starting to believe me. But she was hesitant to believe. Like she didn’t want to get her hopes up only to see them crushed before her eyes.
“Option two is that you two will be free and no longer slaves again. But you can work for me as employees and I will pay you appropriately. Supply you with the things you need to not only survive but live happy content lives. Even give you both protection from anyone who even looks at you the wrong way.”
Anakin looked like he wanted to bounce around excitedly while Shmi looked conflicted. Like how Anakin was before but she was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“This isn’t a trick?” Shmi asked in disbelief. Like she was finally waking up from a nightmare but couldn’t tell if it was real and that she wasn’t still in the nightmare.
If things stayed bad for a large part of my life then I would be questioning things too.
“No trick. If I really wanted to, I could just force you to work for me.” A gesture at the controller for the bombs in their heads. “But you two had the good fortune that I don’t care for slavery-- actually if anything I outright hate it.” I corrected myself.
Shmi just looked at me funny. Like she couldn’t wrap her head around what I just said. Guess when you are a slave for so long on a backwater planet like this hearing someone say what I just did would sound outlandish.
“Never cared for it even when I did some shady things myself. It’s something I never partook in nor would I let those who worked for me do so either. A firm believer in free will and you choosing your own path in life is what I am.”
They both looked back at me. Anakin was all smiles like this was the best day ever in his entire life. His mother tried to mask it but I could see the hope in her eyes. Something she desperately wanted to believe but the voice in the back of her head warned not to trust it.
It’s too good to be true. For most, it would be. But I fully meant it. As was stated before I could just force them. I’m not doing that. Ever.
“Can we have some time to think this over?” Shmi asked, sounding unsure of herself.
“I can give you about two weeks to make a decision so take your time,” I responded.
It’s not exactly an easy decision to make with either choice I gave them. It helped that both options would let them be free. But both were tempting.
One would let them leave the planet going to most places they otherwise would never have the chance. But with that came risks.
What they would be given would be enough to hold them over and get maybe a nice home out of it on a somewhat safer planet in the outer rim. Or about as safe as any planet currently is in the outer rim.
Even without this conflict those planets would always be wary of roving bands of pirates and slavers. Some planets were better protected either due to how hostile the planets are to outsiders, or the people being hardened to invaders, or they had a defense force to protect them.
The last one was rare. But they did exist. Far more capable than inner rim defense forces despite how plentiful the inner rim was they didn’t have the experience that someone protecting their planet in the outer rim would have.
Maybe if they were incredibly lucky they could get a home in the mid rim. But people who have had to make due with what they had learned quickly found that relying on luck is a sure-fire way to get yourself killed.
Especially in places like this.
Shmi took Anakin with her further back into the shop with him excitedly talking with her. While he was loud and exuberant she was quiet and thoughtful.
Yet the urgency with how quickly she stepped, the tension in her posture all but gave it away. She was beginning to believe me. It wasn’t a cruel trick. There were signs that she believed some level of deception but she was turning over to the idea that they would be free.
Even if there was a deception, what would it matter if they were finally free? Not that I was going to use them. I held no intention of turning Anakin into a weapon.
Well besides having him help around the shop if they decided to stick around. A part of me hoped they would. But if not I would let them go while ensuring my forces would keep an eye on them making sure they were safe.
I would rather not have Darth Vader be born much earlier thank you very much. Nor would I want him to exist at all.
Moving around the shop seeing all that was on display. Noting down all the available parts of various ships and droids this would make a fine startup company that would be the next step in me making something that would make me a player on the board.
Looking over some older droid models musing over the events that were to come. Sure the Trade Federation after this probably wouldn’t blockade Naboo so the Phantom Menace was just hand-waved away.
But this conflict with the flames getting fanned further turned what was a simple forest fire into napalm poured into the Vietnam jungles. I had no evidence. I had no proof beyond the information that a rogue Jedi had attacked fortified positions for Hutt forces that were decimated beyond a few survivors.
People purposely left alive despite the Jedi would have had no issue cutting them all down. This all stank of Sidious's handiwork.
When this conflict ends the Republic would be in for a rude awakening realizing in the long peace that they had no standing military. The outer rim would build resentment towards the inner rim. Large chunks of the mid rim as well.
Both had been decimated by this conflict. Worlds that had defense forces now were left unprotected ravaged by the Hutts in retaliation for daring to attack them.
All of this would culminate in the Clone Wars. I held no doubts that conflict would be inevitable now. No way to stop it beyond killing Sidious. No idea beyond Maul if there were any other Sith at this time.
Some stuff from legends I was aware of but things like his master if he was alive at this time were unknown to me.
Checking out the power ports to a series of ships that were discontinued, Shmi and Anakin returned with Anakin happy but not as he was before.
“Corvo, I have come to a decision. I, along with my son, would prefer to stay under your employ. But before I fully agree to anything I wish to know how much you would pay both of us.” She said trying to sound like she had any weight to throw around.
I took no offense simply because it was dropped on her out of nowhere. Most people in her situation would have done the same with their emotions all over the place. My respect rose a few notches for her in maintaining such control.
“Fair enough. With Anakin here being an incredible mechanic since I know it was him who had refurbished all of these parts.” I gestured to the various pieces on sale. “I was thinking about both of you getting paid a thousand a month.”
“Awesome!” He exclaimed in glee and excitement.
Shmi in comparison had her mouth hanging open. She was not expecting that. For me that much was a drop in the bucket with what I had achieved hunting down bounties and now working for Jabba comes with some perks.
So for me, money was just another tool. With the amount I have, there was no point in sitting on it. Plus it comes with the bonus of giving Anakin and his mom a better shot at living a comfortable life.
“You're not lying?” She asked.
“Nope.” I pop the p smiling sweetly.
Shmi’s breathing grew heavy and labored before stumbling back placing her hand against the sales counter for balance.
“Mom!” Anakin exclaimed in concern.
I quickly was beside her. “Are you going to be alright?” I ask in concern.
Anakin looked up at me, mouth hanging open in shock. Wow, these two really had it rough if this was something unheard of for either to see.
Shmi waved me off before responding breathily, “I will be. It just is too much all at once. You mean what you said?”
She looked up at me in both desperation and hope. A part of her wanted to believe. She wanted this to be real. More real than anything in her life. But she was also afraid.
Afraid this was nothing but an evil trick. Giving them false hope when they finally think they could be free and for once live their lives without having to scrounge around just to survive.
“Every word. If you and Anakin can bring in more customers and the longer you spend with me you will get raises.”
She exhaled in relief with Anakin despite the obvious concern he has for his mother he appeared far happier knowing they both would be paid.
“Thank you,” Shmi said so quietly that it almost went unheard.
I merely give a gentle smile going through the effort of making some accounts from a bank that is used across the galaxy. I let Shmi put in her and Anakin's information into the accounts while getting familiar with the shop mentally picturing the additions to the building that would have to be made.
I intend for this to be bigger, acting as a sort of headquarters in the outer rim. For my company. With the patents on my droids and me making a fortune with the factories on Nar Shaddaa, it would be best to expand. To properly make a brand for myself.
I currently have a fortune in wealth but it on its own won’t be enough. If I am going to be a player on the board then I need more. It will be yet another tool among many that will allow me to have control of my own fate and destiny while giving me another means to topple Sidious.
“Alright, before you two leave I just need to deactivate the explosives…” With the press of a button the bombs implanted inside them are deactivated. I made a mental note that they might need those surgically removed as well.
The two looked happy with Shmi about ready to cry. She sniffled, hiding her face away from me with Anakin asking her if she was alright.
“I… I’m fine Anakin. Just a little emotional. Let’s go home. We will see you tomorrow Corvo.”
Anakin and Shmi soon left the shop looking far happier. Might also have to help them get out of their current home since it is where the other slaves are housed... This place is depressing.
The next day came soon enough with Anakin coming into the shop immediately noticing how nearly everything was rearranged. The chaotic mess that was the shop had been turned into something far more organized yet pleasing to the eye.
The various droid parts had been placed near one another along with the ship parts. The displays are arranged so as not to be such a clustered mess. Everything was far easier for customers to find what they needed.
“Whoa!” He exclaimed.
“I know! Amazing what a little organizing can do for a place like this.” I spoke aloud to Anakin with his mom not far behind him. “How does it feel to be free?”
My question makes both of them smile at me. Anakin's smile looked like it was the sun rising over a cozy village greeting each of the villagers with warmth and kindness.
Shmi’s had an edge to it yet it was losing that edge becoming softer. She looked like she had cried all night long, her clothes disheveled and bags under her eyes.
Despite her appearance, she looked relieved like a great weight had been lifted off her. Like she could finally breathe again.
“It feels amazing! Thank you, Corvo.” He runs up hugging me. After a moment's hesitation, I returned the gesture, lowering myself down and wrapping the bundle of sunshine in a warm hug.
“I bet it does, Sunshine. And you're welcome.” It was a good while before he let go rubbing the edges of his eyes wiping away tears. It made me feel all warm and tingly inside helping these two out.
“If you two want you can take some time to get yourselves adjusted and cleaned up.” My honesty seemed to be refreshing. No abuse, no lies or deception.
“Thank you Corvo but no. Anakin and I need to earn our keep.” Shmi said, straightening herself up along with Anakin.
I don’t ask them if they are sure. Shmi and he would just wave it off. Letting them get to work while I worked on designs for another droid myself.
Occasionally helping Anakin with repairing different droid and ship parts. The few times I did when he struggled he watched in rapt attention as I showed him the tricks I had learned in repairing and making droids.
“--photoreceptors can be a bit tricky on some models. It’s why the ones I made had panels along the sides of the head to get easier access to the internals. Ones like this can be a pain to do.” I told him hands deep inside the internals.
“Yeah. Watto would always get angry at me when I took too long with these.” He said quietly yet focused on what I was doing.
Shmi kept an eye on us but had a small smile on her face seeing me teach Anakin. She was cleaning up parts of the store that I hadn’t had a chance to sweep or clean.
“Well, you don’t need to worry about that with me. Take your time Anakin. With practice, you will get there. Now another trick I picked up…” On and on the lesson went showing him various tips and tricks.
He even managed to surprise me with a few tricks of his own. He was smart for his age. Like me, he was enjoying himself. The day came and went with me discussing an appointment for both of them with a doctor to get the explosives out of them.
It was at night when both despite how tired they looked appeared far happier.
“The doctor also seemed to have a decent reputation so it’s up to you guys if you want to do it.”
“Thank you, Corvo. We will think it over. Come Anakin it’s time I started dinner.”
Anakin energetically waved at me, “Bye Corvo. See you tomorrow!”
Nodding and giving a wave back, “See you both tomorrow.”
The two left with me looking over the rest of the shop. The place did good business. Not enough to warrant the amount I paid Watto but the investment will pay off.
Heading over to my workstation I had hastily set up with the hologram springing to life on it. A sphere for the main body with a repulsorlift base for it. Tentacle-based limbs coming out of it that looked more like metallic serpents with clamped endings for fingers.
What amounted to a more advanced version of Mr. Handy. The current idea was to have them become a household thing across the galaxy. They had some droid models after some research was done but nothing that had taken the galaxy by storm.
Nothing that most people in the galaxy would reliably go for beyond a few options that don’t stand out. The next several days go by with me hiring some reliable workers to start working on adding extensions to the building.
It didn’t cost as much as you would think it would. But it might also be courtesy of me now acting as Jabba's adjudicator. Many doors and services had been opened that otherwise would have remained closed.
Anakin and Shmi both had the explosive devices taken out of them and moved into a better home that was in a safer and nicer part of Mos Espa. Or about as nice and safe as any place can be here.
Several of my Assaultrons had been sent to Tatooine to both protect my business and the Skywalkers.
Business itself had picked up much quicker when word got around that I owned Wattos’ shop. The same shop that was now named Metallica. A cool band for a cool business that deals in droids and ships. Thought it was a fitting name for the place.
Once people realized the guy who had been making war droids for the Hutts now owns a business on Tatooine they began coming around more frequently. It also helped that I wasn't raising the prices through the roof like Watto had done.
Anakin did good work. But not enough to warrant such prices. Watto was just greedy and taking advantage that Mos Espa had some competition but not as capable as Anakin was. Managed to check out some of the pieces some customers had brought in.
The work was shoddy at best. Pieces made to look better but to someone who knew what they were looking at could tell they fixed nothing. A patch job that would have them coming right back.
Most businesses around here did that. Except for Wattos’ shop. It wasn’t that most businesses couldn’t fix the stuff. If they were good enough to patch it up to last a little longer they could fix it. The issue was everything on this planet.
The Jawas and populace would try to steal and scavenge what they could. Resources were scarce for those without the knowledge or resources to make do with what they had. So they used less than ideal parts to ‘fix’ it while taking the customer for what they were worth.
No one can do much of anything about it because people like them know the equipment are not exactly common on Tatooine. So if they do anything to them then it won’t end well for them.
Then you got the Jawas. The movies may not have shown much of them. What I’ve seen of the little leeches they don’t help matters. Whatever economy Tatooine has is made worse with them. The parasites will take anything they think is of value.
Heard far too many stories of settles or moisture farmers losing their droids only to see parts of them on another one someone owns. Or in some cases they had the audacity to try and sell it back to its original owner for way more than what they originally bought it.
A few of the thieves have tried snooping around my shop. One thought it was being clever tried to screw with one of the Assaultrons when it and its buddies thought it was deactivated.
Didn’t even need to raise my blaster when it carved through them. To my relief both Shmi and Anakin weren’t around to see what happened nor the aftermath. Had to bury the bodies away from the shop since I didn’t want either of them getting traumatized…
Well more traumatized than what they already are.
Right now me and Anakin were side by side working under a large ship part that looked like a futuristic car engine. Anakin was showing me some things he had learned while tinkering with it.
“This part here…” He taps the tool against a hard to reach piece far inside of the thing, “Is incredibly difficult to get to. I learned the hard way that you have to take off other pieces to get to it. These here and here.”
The tool taps against a few other pieces I wouldn’t have thought would be the ones I would need to take off to get to the part further in. My expression said it all, speaking for me with Anakin chuckling.
“How long did it take you to figure that out?”
Anakin's smile gained an edge to it with a far off look in his eyes. “Too long. A customer brought one of these in and Watto was angry at me for taking to long to fix it.”
Anakin didn’t say anything after that. His smile was gone. I had a good idea of what happened. Anakin nor Shmi went into detail on what Watto did when he got angry with them. The occasional bruise could be seen on Anakin making it obvious to me.
“Well Watto was an idiot for doing that. You are a good worker and an even better person Anakin. I can respect someone who is a perfectionist.” I told bumping him with my elbow while the two of us kneeled together with our hands deep in the machine's guts.
“If you want I can go hunt him down and beat him up. Drag him back here to apologize to you and your mom?” I asked him while giving an exaggerated wiggle of my brows.
It was enough to put a smile back on his face as he tried to stifle a laugh. He looked deep in thought mulling it over before shaking his head. “No.”
“You sure?” I asked him. It was rather surprising since I figured he would say yes. I know I would have when I was his age.
The funny thing about it is that I fully meant what I said. If Anakin said yes I would hunt that flying hunk of crap down and give him the beating of a lifetime before dragging his broken battered body before them to beg for forgiveness.
Never cared for those who abused others. Especially children.
“Yeah. I… I had wished something like this would happen where I or someone else could do something about him. Hurt him like he did us… but mom wouldn’t have wanted that. She always told me not to hold onto things like that. It would turn me into something I am not.” He said quietly his work slowing down.
A part of me roared to life. A dark part that didn’t care for what Anakin had said despite it being sound advice. A reminder of my own childhood. But the more rational side of me overcame it.
The notion was acknowledged. Anakin did become something that he wasn’t originally. A monster that killed who knows how many people. How much suffering Darth Vader had caused in his time as a Sith Lord.
But that won’t happen. I won’t let it. Not because of some whimsical notion that I was arrogant enough to believe I could avert the dark tide that was coming. I might be capable of this in time. This would be done for Anakin.
To let him live a happy life for as long as possible. To have more good memories he could look back on fondly. Life could be messed up. But that didn’t mean I or others should pile onto it. Miguel said it best why he didn’t just hurt the people that caused him so many problems.
There was enough darkness in the world. A little light made it just bearable enough for others to enjoy themselves with what time we have in the universe.
“Your mother isn’t wrong. But remember this Anakin,” I look over at him, my gaze far more serious than it had been before, “Sometimes you have to stick up for yourself. Win or lose it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you stick up for yourself to those who would take advantage of you. Especially when your pride as a man may never come back from it and you let it eat away at you for years.”
His expression was a myriad of emotions before he slowly nodded.
A small reassuring smile is all I can give him, patting his shoulder. Before long the ship part was taken care of with us getting ready to start the next part only to pause when my comlink beeped. Looks like my little vacation is over.
