Soon none were standing against him, all trying to flee, but Anakin would have none of that. He saw one group rush into a hut and reached out across the way, to a large boulder in the distance. It flew to his call, soaring across the sand, smashing one fleeing Tusken down and flying on.
Anakin dropped it on the hut full of Tuskens, crushing them all.
And then he was running, his strides enhanced by the Force, overcoming the fleeing creatures, slaughtering them, every one.
He didn't feel empty any longer. He felt a surge of energy and strength beyond anything he had ever known, felt full of the Force, full of power, full of life.
And then it was over, suddenly, it seemed, and Anakin stood among the ruins of the encampment, dozens and dozens of dead Tusken Raiders all about him, and only a single hut still standing.
He put his lightsaber away and walked back to that hut, where he gently and reverently scooped his mother's body into his arms.
Chapter Twenty-One
'There!' Padme announced, as she hoisted C-3PO back out of the oil bath.
She had to fight hard to keep from giggling, for she had inadvertently lowered the droid too far, and now he was waving his arms about crazily, yelling that he was blind.
Padme yanked him over to the side and found a cloth to wipe the excess oil off of his face. That done, she set the droid down on the floor and unhitched him.
'Better?' she asked.
'Oh, much better, Miss Padme.' C-3PO waved his arms about and seemed quite pleased.
'No itches?' Padme asked, inspecting her work.
'No itches,' C-3PO confirmed.
'Well, good,' she said with a smile. But her smile faltered as she realized that she was done. She had used her work with the droid to shield her from her fears over the last hours-she had hardly even realized that the sun had risen-and now those fears for Anakin were already coming back to her.
She was running out of places to hide. 'Oh, Miss Padme, thank you! Thank you!' said C-3PO. He came forward, his arms outstretched to hug her, but then he moved back suddenly, seeming to remember himself and his sudden lack of protocol.
'Thank you,' he said again, with a little more dignity. 'Thank you very much.'
Owen Lars entered the garage area. 'Well, there you are,' he said to Padme.
'We've been looking all over for you.'
'I was out here all the time, giving Threepio a much-needed bath.'
'Well, Padme,' Owen said, and when she turned to regard him, Padme saw that he was grinning widely. 'I'm returning this droid to Anakin. I know that's what my mom would want.'
Padme smiled and nodded.
'He's back! He's back!' came Beru's call from outside the garage. Smiles gone, Padme and Owen turned and rushed out.
They caught up with Beru outside, and Cliegg soon joined them, his hoverchair banging and clunking against furniture and doorways as he glided out of the house. 'Where? 'Padme asked. Beru pointed across the desert. Squinting and shielding her eyes from the glare of the suns, Padme finally marked the black dot that was Anakin, rushing toward them. As the speck grew into a distinguishable form, she realized that he was not alone, that there was someone tied over the back of the speeder.
'Oh, Shmi,' Cliegg Lars said breathlessly. He was trembling visibly. Beru sniffled and struggled to keep from sobbing. Owen stood beside her, his hand draped across her shoulders, and when Padme looked over at them, she noticed a tear sliding down Owen's cheek.
Anakin crossed into the compound a few moments later, pulling up short of the stunned group. Without a word, he dismounted and moved to unstrap his dead mother, lifting her and cradling her in his arms. He walked up to Cliegg and paused there for a bit, two men sharing a moment of grief.
Then, still without speaking, Anakin walked past the man and into the house.
All that time, the thing that struck Padme the most was the look upon Anakin's face, an expression unlike anything she had ever seen on the Padawan: part rage, part grief, part guilt, and part resignation, even defeat. She knew that Anakin would need her, and soon.
But she had no idea of what she might do for him.
There wasn't much talking in the Lars homestead the rest of that day. Everyone just went about their chores, any chores, obviously trying to avoid the outpouring of grief that they all knew would inevitably come.
At work preparing a meal for Anakin, Padme was surprised when Beru came up to help her, and even more surprised when the woman started some small talk with her.
'What's it like there?' Beru asked.
Padme looked at her curiously. 'I'm sorry?'
'On Naboo. What's it like?'
Padme could hardly even register the question, for her thoughts remained with Anakin. It took her a long
