Free The Rise And Fall Of Darth Vader by Ryder Windham

two humans approaching. The droid had been making a minor adjustment to a binocular Treadwell droid, but now turned to face Anakin and Padmé. “Um, uh, hello. How might I be of service? I am C…”
    “Threepio?” Anakin said, wondering if his mother had been responsible for putting the metal coverings on the droid’s body.
    Confused, C-3PO tilted his head slightly. “Oh, um…” Then it hit him. “The maker! Oh, Master Ani! I knew you would return. I knew it! And Miss Padmé. Oh, my.”
    C-3PO led them down a flight of steps to the courtyard, where a surprised young man and woman emerged through an arched doorway. The couple wore drab desert robes that were common on the sand planet. The man was sturdily built, with strong farmer’s hands.
    C-3PO said, “Master Owen, might I present two most important visitors.”
    “I’m Anakin Sky walker,” Anakin said.
    “Owen Lars,” Owen said, sounding slightly unnerved. Gesturing to the woman beside him, he said, “Uh, this is my girlfriend, Beru.”
    Beru smiled shyly, and exchanged greetings with Padmé.
    Keeping his eyes on Anakin, Owen continued, “I guess I’m your stepbrother. I had a feeling you might show up someday.”
    Anxious and impatient, Anakin scanned the courtyard and said, “Is my mother here?”
    “No, she’s not,” answered a deep voice from behind. Anakin and Padmé turned to see an older man whose grizzled features betrayed that he was obviously Owen’s father. He was seated in a hovering mechno-chair, and his robe was pulled back to reveal that his right leg was a bandaged stump. “Cliegg Lars,” he introduced himself as his chair carried him slowly forward. “Shmi is my wife. We should go inside. We have a lot to talk about.”

    * * *

    A few minutes later, in the hollowed-out dining chamber, Anakin and Padmé were seated at a rectangular table with Cliegg and Owen. “It was just before dawn,” Cliegg recounted. “They came out of nowhere. A hunting party of Tusken Raiders.”
    Anakin felt his stomach clench.
    As Beru set a tray of beverages on the table, Cliegg continued, “Your mother had gone out early, like she always did, to pick mushrooms that grow on the vaporators. From the tracks, she was about halfway home when they took her. Those Tuskens walk like men, but they’re vicious, mindless monsters. Thirty of us went out after her. Four of us came back. I’d be with them, but after I lost my leg… I just couldn’t ride anymore… until I heal.”
    Anakin lowered his gaze to the untouched beverages on the table. His facial muscles twitched nervously as he thought, If only she ‘d left Tatooine with me. If only I hadn’t left her behind… Anakin hadn’t had much time to develop an opinion about Cliegg Lars. Initially, he had felt some sense of gratitude to the man who’d helped liberate his mother from Watto. But because Cliegg had taken his wife to live in this desolate area where Tuskens roamed, Anakin couldn’t help feeling a bitter anger. If only you hadn ‘t brought her here!
    “I don’t want to give up on her,” Cliegg said, “but she’s been gone a month. There’s little hope she’s lasted this long.”
    Making every effort to control his rage, Anakin rose and stepped away from the table.
    “Where are you going?” Owen asked.
    Anakin shot an accusatory glare at Owen and replied, “To find my mother.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

    The suns were beginning to set as Anakin stood outside the entry dome at the Lars family homestead. Owen had offered his swoop bike to Anakin, andthe bike was now parked in the air a short distance from the dome. I shouldn ‘t be angry with Owen and Cliegg for giving up, Anakin thought. They cared for my mother, but they’re only human. They can only do so much.
    Padmé emerged from the entry dome and went to Anakin. He knew she wanted to help, but he also knew there wasn’t any way he was going to risk her life any more than he already had. “You’re gonna have to stay here,” he