1Chapter 2: Swamp Fever
Anakin hated living on Tatooine. The temperatures are extremely hot every single day, and it's so cold at night that it's unreal. Well technically, he and his foster family didn't live anywhere. They were always on the move, and the only two planets they were ever on, that they would spend a few days there, would be Kamino and Tatooine. He hated Kamino just about as much as he hated Tatooine. Kamino was endless rain, it almost never stopped, and he didn't know what the "sun" was. After leaving Kamino, he would soon be transferred to Tatooine.
I just hope that father would be proud of my decision to be a bounty hunter, Anakin thought. He finished putting on his armor by putting on his frightening black helmet. He heard a hiss as the helmet locked to the neck piece, and the air filter came on. He was even more surprised when the helmet talked. Or at least, the computer in the helmet that kept track of the armor's life support systems. "Life support systems online," the computer said. "Armor power at full battery." Battery? "This thing has a battery?" he asked. "Of course it does." a voice said. Anakin turned around to see Jabba's servant, Bib Fortuna standing in the doorway.
"The battery lasts for ten years," he hissed, his red eyes piercing. "The royal highness sent me to come get you." He glared at Bib Fortuna through his visors, one over each eye. It was now that he realized that everything he saw was a different shade of red. "Why is everything-" he started to whisper, but the computer interrupted him. "Red?" it asked. "Everything you see is red because it highlights important things, people, places, and other things." He continued to glare at Fortuna. "I don't need your help." he said angrily. "Come with me." Fortuna growled. Anakin scowled, but followed. He walked after Fortuna down the winding staircase that was connected to the tower that he lived in.
He eventually ended up in the throne room in front of the fat Jabba the Hutt. "I see you have tried on your new armor?" the giant boomed in Huttese. Anakin kneeled. "Yes, my master." Jabba roared with laughter. "Rise!" he boomed once more. Anakin rose, and looked at Jabba. "You are ready to go to the Dagobah system?" he asked. "Yes, O' Mighty One." Jabba clapped his fat hands together. "Good," he said. "Ah, before you go... I have two things for you." Anakin looked clearly at Jabba this time. "To what do I owe that pleasure?" he asked. "You don't owe me anything," he boomed. "Just make sure you bring me the target alive. Her name is Padme Naberrie."
He tossed some kind of pad to Anakin, which stuck to his armor's chestplate. "That is your armor's control pad," Jabba boomed. "It controls most of your armor's primary functions. Including life support, the air filter, and the battery. Don't let it fall into enemy hands. If someone controls it, they could very much control you." The last thing Jabba did was toss him a small rod, made of some kind of advanced metal, which he caught and looked at. A metal rod? he thought. Jabba seemed to know what he was thinking, because he spoke. "Press the red button." he commanded.
Anakin pressed the red button, and to his surprise, the rod extended into points on both ends. At each end, purple energy sparked and arced. Anakin was intrigued by the dancing lights of energy, but he stayed focused. "Now go," he said. "And don't return unless you have her."
...
"So, where are you going?" Boba asked. "I'm going to Dagobah," Anakin said, strapping his blaster pistol belt to his waist. He placed the energy rod on his back. "To capture a legendary female warrior." Boba looked at him. "Am I going?" He shook his head. "Sorry Boba," he said. "You'll have to stay here until I get back. Maybe in a few days. Just stay with dad." Boba grumbled in anger, but accepted it nonetheless. He turned to Boba, and looked at him. "Look," he said. "Just stay here with dad. Relax. You never get do to do that!"
He boarded the Slave I after saying good bye to Boba, and he blasted off the planet. After he had left Tatooine, he punched in the coordinates to Dagobah, and he blasted off.
...
From a distance, Dagobah's surface looked lovely. But as Anakin got closer to the planet, and actually saw the real surface, it was ugly. So this is Dagobah, Anakin thought. Better touchdown and find this Padme girl so I can get out of here. He took out the holo-map that Jabba had given him before he left. He activated it, and a hologram of the area that the village resided around appeared. He noted that it looked like he was in the right place, and decided that this was a good spot to touchdown. Jabba had also given him a hologram of Padme's picture, as he needed to know what every one of his target's looked like.
The ship touched down, and he opened the ramp. He took another look at Padme's hologram, and noted some of her features. She had a few pimples and moles on one of her cheeks, and it looked like she had dark hair, and dark colored eyes. He also noted that her hair was in a very long ponytail, and it reached down maybe to the middle of her back, but he couldn't tell. He also noted that she wore fur or somekind of fabric over her *ahem* parts. So, he contemplated that it was how her whole tribe of warriors dressed.
He stepped down the ramp, and put the hologram away. He took the energy rod off his back and held it in his hand, just to be ready. He saw lights from the nearby village that he was headed to. I'm obviously not going to walk in there, Anakin thought. I might as well just keep to the trees. He found a nearby tree and climbed up to a high branch and watched for his target. What disturbed him about the village was that it was made up of almost all women. "Oh, hell." he said. "This is going to be a-" He was interrupted to the sound of bark snapping beside him. He turned to come face to face with his target.
A/N: I hope that this chapter wasn't too short and to it was your liking. In the next chapter you will find out how Anakin and Padme meet on this planet, and if their meeting is a friendly one. Til' next time!
