Shmi was excited. She would finally be able to see the galaxy, free from the pull of Concordia, her homeworld. All that she had to do was steal some poor schmuck’s transport ship. This spice freighter would do. She didn’t care if it was a Kolzon Syndicate shipment, after all, the Kolzon Syndicate had no power in this system. She snuck on board, and pressed her blaster against the pilot’s skull.
“You do realize that I work for Terak Kolzon, right?” The pilot smirked.
“So? What about it?! You’re in the presence of a Mandalorian warrior! Tremble in fear already!!” The pilot simply just got up dramatically. He shook dramatically, as if to mock.
“OH, NO, A MANDALORIAN! How ever will I survive? Have mercy on my soul-”
“Alright, shut up already. Just get me out of here.” Shmi said. He sat back down, chewing loudly and obnoxiously on his gum, wearing a huge smile.
“Where to?” He asked. Shmi wondered whether the man was a bit slow. She almost felt bad.
“Anywhere out there.” She said. He just laughed a bit, then looked at her, before taking off. He noticed an emblem on her shoulder pad.
“Skywalker Clan, eh? Why are you leaving Concordia?” He asked, in order to make conversation.
“Some bad history.” She said.
“Ah, I see.” He responded. They took off, and went into a secluded area in the galaxy.
They arrived in the spaceport of a very lower part of the Coruscant underworld. Shmi stepped out of the ship, then looked back at the man. He looked about 20. Shmi was 38. Shmi then took off her helmet, then looked up to him. “Listen, Mr-”
“Anikin. Anikin Ismaren. I’m a spice smuggler for Terak Kolzon. And you must be Shmi Skywalker.” He said, in a soothingly amused voice, as if he was very entertained, and dying to know what would happen next. Shmi nodded.
“Listen, Anikin, you can go. I just needed you to bring me here.” Shmi said.
“But you don’t have anywhere to go.” He said. Shmi was taken aback by this. Anikin seemingly truly cared about Shmi, even though they had just met, and even though she had just almost killed him.
“I-I’ll figure it out. You shouldn’t worry about me.” Shmi said.
“But I want to. I actually have a place here, on level 13. It’s not much, but it’s far from the watchful eye of the annoying Republic police forces, and no Jedi. You can live there with me, while you figure out what you’re going to do next. If bounty hunting interests you, the Bounty Hunters Guild is in charge here. You could make a killing as a genuine Mandalorian bounty hunter.” He said, in a kind of flirtatious, yet comforting tone. Shmi began to think that there was something more to Anikin. She’d heard somewhere that the Jedi had a special way of persuading people using the Force. Even if this was the case, she did not care. She didn’t know if she could trust him yet, but she knew that she was very interested in learning more about him, and possibly even becoming friends with him.
“Alright. Fine. Lead the way, Mr. Ismaren.” She said, shooting him a smile, which Anikin picked up on, despite Shmi’s helmet remaining on.
The feeling started increasing a few days later. A strange feeling in Shmi’s stomach. Like something was there, that hadn’t been there before. Anikin sat down with her for dinner that night. “Are you feeling ok, Skywalker? I feel some uneasiness that wasn’t there before. Some tension, perhaps? Was it something that I had done or said?” He asked.
“No, you’ve been an amazing host, and a good friend, Anikin. It’s just… I’ve been feeling quite strange in my stomach, as of late. It’s hard to describe.” She said, rubbing her stomach.
“Does it feel as if something is there, that has never been before, but at the same time, empty? Like a phantom has set up camp there?” Anikin questioned. Shmi looked at him quizzically. His gaze was intense. It made her blush. She didn’t understand how he could know this. How he could describe what she was feeling better than she had. She thought for a split second that he may be using the Force, like the Jedi. But then, she kicked it out of her thoughts. She realized that even if he was a sort of ‘Force wizard’, she did not care. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her. And that was all that had mattered. Almost as if he could read her mind, Anikin got up, and walked to where she had been sitting, without ever taking his intense eyes off of her. “That’s probably nothing, Skywalker. I can say quite confidently, that you are a very healthy woman. Very, very healthy indeed.” He said, in a quiet, soothing voice. He hunched a bit over, in a crouch, in order to caress her stomach with his right hand. And as soon as his hand contacted her stomach, all of her worries disappeared. Instead, she was overcome with comfort and confidence, almost to the point of pleasure. Seemingly noticing this, he looked straight into her eyes, with an even more intense, yet comforting, flirtatious, caring gaze. “How do you feel now, Lady Skywalker?”
Out of nowhere, Shmi shot up. She grabbed Anikin, (at least a few inches shorter than her,) and lifted him up. She pushed him against the wall, in a sort of aggressive, yet careful way.
“I feel incredible, Ismaren.” She made out with him, and cuddled, but that was all for now. He seemed content with just doing that, and so was she. The next morning, Shmi woke up. She had gotten ready like any other day, and it went swimmingly until she put on her armor. By the time she had put on her torso armor, she had been completely astonished to learn that it did not fit. Her stomach was bigger than yesterday! How? She and Anikin had not done anything of the sort the night before, and even if they had, she knew it took time to grow a belly of a pregnant woman. Frightened, and not knowing what to think, she shook Anikin awake. He smiled as he woke up, as peaceful as he had been sleeping. He smiled, in his lovingly wholesome way.
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“What is it, Lady Skywalker? Shall I make you breakfast already?” He asked, smiling, gazing upon Shmi as if he was an artist admiring his masterpiece.
“Anikin! My stomach! Look at it! What in the galaxy could’ve happened?!” Shmi cried, hoping that Anikin would comfort her, as he always had.
“Oh, I see. Well, milady, you see, when a man, and a woman love each other very much, they decide to consummate their love for each other and-”
“NO! It’s impossible. I have not slept with a man yet! How could this be?” Shmi cried. Anikin sat up next to her, and caressed her exposed stomach. She looked ridiculous at the moment, a Mandalorian warrior in full armor except for her stomach, which was exposed, and clearly in the early stages of pregnancy.
“Not once? Surely you have had at least one time. Possibly mere months ago. How else could this be?” Anikin said, concerned, while comforting her.
“No. Not once. You must believe me, Anikin. You must.” Shmi gasps, becoming increasingly calm.
“I do. I believe you. When I was a young child, someone had told me about a prophecy in which the Force itself had impregnated a woman. Anything is possible in this galaxy, it would seem. We shall raise him fair and right.” Anikin said, staring at her belly.
“Wait a second. You called it him. There’s no way you could know the gender already.” She said, slightly skeptical.
“Well of course not. But how wondrous it would be if it were a boy. A male heir to the amazing Grand Skywalker Clan of Mandalore.” He said. Shmi noticed a sort of fake tone in his voice just then, but decided not to let her mind travel down a path of thought that would make her distrust her lover. She wanted to be with him for all of eternity, and nothing would stop her from doing just that.
3 Years Later…
Anikin had to fly under the radar for today. He had a meeting with some very important people that Shmi did not need to know about. He wore a thick black cloak, and weaved through Coruscant traffic, stopping at an inconspicuous diner. He glanced up at the sign. ‘Dex’s Diner’. Only the best eatery in CoCo Town, let alone in the entirety of Coruscant, with the added bonus that it was a wholesome place to take the wife and kids. It was owned and ran by a Bessalisk named Dexter Jettster. A Bessalisk that Anikin had known very well indeed. He smiled, for a moment, just glad that his childhood friend had made something of himself, while making it out of his trash hole planet, as well as breaking free of his life of crime, and bounty hunting, as the Bessalisk had always promised he would. He admired his old friend. And almost envied that Jettster had successfully became an honest man. Oh well. He wasn’t here to admire him though, he was here to have something that was very appreciated among he and his colleagues. He was here to have some Jawa Juice with extra Jawa. He stepped in through the door, and was immediately greeted by the waitress droid, FLO.
“What can I get for ya, honey?” FLO asked.
“Yes, I’ll have the usual, FLO. Some Jawa Juice with extra Jawa.” He said.
“We got some in the back, why don’t ya be a pal and help yourself?” FLO said. Anikin swears, if there were any droid that had ever winked, FLO was it. He nodded, and went into the back, and opened a secret trapdoor. He followed a path down a secret tunnel, and then walked into a large, open room. There, there were other people in thick black cloaks. One of them walked into the center, making himself visible.
“As you all know, we are members of the Brotherhood of the Sith. And we have stayed in the shadows, hiding from the Jedi Order, and the Galactic Republic, for so, so very long. But that day shall end soon. For one of us has finally found the child. The Chosen One. The one who has been born from the force.” He exclaims, as they all applaud Anikin. All but one.
“How do we even know that this really is the child? That the Mandalorian woman isn’t just some scandalous rapscallion?” The Skeptic proclaimed, staring down Anikin. Anikin didn’t very often get mad. Most of his emotion that he pulled from to be strong in the dark side of the force, was his love for most things in life. But the Skeptic had just insulted his wife. And even if it was his mission to watch her, he still very much loved her. Too much, some might say.
“How dare you imply that my wife be so?!” He yelled, in such a way that frightened the Skeptic.
“I’m sorry, brother, that was uncalled for. I apologize.” The Skeptic said.
“Apology accepted then.” Just then, Anikin’s holocommunicator began going off. “Hold on, it’s Kolzon. I must take this.” They all just nodded. Anikin answered it.
“Terak. I thought I told you I was done. I’m a very busy man.” Anikin said.
“Uh uh uh, don’t be so rude to me, Ismaren. I have some things that you may want. Ha ha ha ha!” Terak Kolzon said. He showed Shmi and her son, Anakin, trapped in a cell.
“Terak! What in the Living Force are you doing?! Do you even know who that child is?” Anikin angrily yelled.
“All I know, is that it doesn’t matter if I know or not. She is the missing member of the Grand Skywalker Clan of Mandalore. And better yet, she has a male heir. So many different types of people will want them. For so many different reasons. I may sell to the highest bidder. Or, you may get them back, once you finally pay me back for that spice shipment!” Terak yelled.
“Alright, fine, I’ll be going to Kolzan after I finish with this business. Don’t even think about selling them before I get there.” Anikin yelled.
“Of course not. I’ll put them on hold for you. Haha!” And with that, Anikin hung up. He returned to the group.
“The woman and the Child have been taken by Terak as collateral.” Anikin said. The group looked surprised. All of them, but one. The Skeptic realized this, and tried to fake a look of astonishment. It was too late. There were 4 of them altogether. It was a secret meeting, the Brotherhood did not know about this one. Anikin, and the Speaker walked up to the Skeptic. “What did you do, you nerfherder!?” Anikin yelled. The last one in the group, The Other, just watched intently. The Skeptic quaked in his boots.
“We are not ready yet, my brother. We are not strong enough yet to wage war on the Jedi!” The Skeptic yelled pleadingly. Anikin and The Speaker ignited their lightsabers. The Other jumped in between them and The Skeptic, igniting his lightsaber and blocking Anikin’s strike with it.
“He is right, Ismaren. You must see that.” The Other yelled.
“I am blind to traitors. And if you defend and support this man’s actions, so help me, I shall kill you both!” Anikin yelled. All four of them broke into combat, 2 against 2. The Speaker fell to The Other. Anikin responded by using the Force to forcefully rip out The Other’s spine, and watch him crumble, then bleed to death. Anikin believed that taking The Skeptic would be quite easy. Then The Skeptic’s expression of fear melted away, replaced with a smirk. He began cackling. He threw off his hood, to reveal an old man. But not just any old man. Anikin recognized him from political ads. It was Sheev Palpatine! The Senator of Naboo!
“You fool! I will train The Child as my own apprentice, and brainwash him to follow my every command, and then I will make him help me take over the galaxy! HAHAHA!!” Palpatine cackled.
“Like zell you are!” Anikin lunged at Palpatine. But Palpatine did something that no one would expect. He dropped his lightsaber. And lifted his fingers. Out came a powerful blue lighting from Palpatine’s fingertips, stopping Anikin’s jump kick dead in it’s tracks.
“NO!! NO!! I shall survive to protect my famil-” Anikin was cut off, as Palpatine had taken Anikin’s own lightsaber, and plunged it through his heart. “Shmi… Forgive me…”
Palpatine just cackled, and cackled.