More Than You Think You Are (What if Anakin Skywalker had a sister?) - most recent update: 8.13)

This is an idea that's been bouncing around in my head in various forms since TPM first came out. What if Anakin Skywalker had a sister? It follows canon, and will go from TPM through the Original Trilogy and possibly into the Extended Universe as well. Tell me if you think it's good, and if I should continue. At the beginning, it's pretty much straight transcript from the movie, but if I get enough interest, my story will break away into more original (and interesting) stuff.

The twin suns were high in the sky, and fourteen-year-old Kaya Skywalker was beginning to rethink the wisdom of trekking through the midday heat. But she was halfway to Watto's shop anyway, and it had been a while since she'd had time to visit Anakin while they were working. She figured she ought to take advantage of this break while she had it.

She slowed as she approached the shop. She heard voices. There were customers in the store. She listened, hard, trying to place their accents, giving up after a minute. Her lack of knowledge didn't phase her - there were thousands, maybe millions, of planets in the galaxy.

She was at the doorway now, and she slipped inside. She stayed quiet, and hidden in the shadows. Anakin would know she was there, but there was no need to alert Watto or the customers. Disrupting a sale would not be a good idea.

Instead, she staked out the newcomers - a human man, with long hair and goutee, perhaps in his late thirties. And a girl, about her age. The man's daughter, probably, she thought. She looked rich. Wonder what she did to end up on this dead-end planet. There was an ampibious-type alien,too, an unfamiliar species, and an astromech droid - R2 series.

"I need a part for a J-type 327 Nubian," the man said. That fit with her assumption that they were rich. Nubian model transports were popular among VIPs on Coruscant. But Tatooine was a long way from Coruscant. Were these people running from something? That explained why they were trying to do the repairs themselves instead of docking in the spaceport's public repair bay.

Kaya waited until the man and the droid followed Watto out into the yard before making her presence known. Anakin was sitting on the cluttered countertop, messing with a random bolt from some disassembled piece of machinery. Kaya walked over to him and leaned back on the counter, but he barely acknowledged her presence, so busy was he with staring at the girl.

"Are you an angel?" he suddenly blurted out.

"Have you lost your mind?" Kaya hissed in his ear, but he ignored her. The girl smiled.

"What?" she asked. Anakin just sat there, mesmerized.

"An angel," he told the her. "They live on the moons of Iego, I think. They're the most beautiful creatures in the universe, and so pretty they make even the most hardened space pirates cry."

"I've never heard of angels," the girl replied.

Neither have I, Kaya thought absently. By now she was fairly sure that her younger brother would continue ignoring her, so she cleared her own seat on the counter a few feet away. From her perch she could clearly see the girl. She was pretty, with dark hair and chocolate eyes. Her skin was soft and fair. She looked like someone who might be a spoiled Inner-Rim brat, but her eyes shown with kindness and empathy. Maybe that's where Anakin got the angel bit.

"You must be one of them," Anakin said. "You probably just don't know it."

"You're a funny little boy," the girl told Anakin. "How do you know so much?"

"I listen to all the traders and pilots who come through here. I'm a pilot you know."

"Have you been here long?" she asked him.

"Since I was very little," he replied. "Three, I think. We were sold to Gardulla the Hutt, but she lost us to Watto, betting on the podraces."

"You're a slave?"

"I'm a person and my name is Anakin!" Kaya couldn't help but smile. She would have just said yes, and quickly changed the subject, but Anakin had an admirable amount of self-confidence that nothing could take away.

"I'm Padmé," the girl said.

 

It's an interesting concept. But how will Kaya fit into Anakin's future?


~*^SARA^*~

 

Intreging to say the least. This sounds like it could be promising.

 

I find this possibility interesting as well. But post some more, so that we see some other scenes, not taken from the movie. Up

 

Interesting so far...

 

Thanks for the encouraging reviews. FYI, the title of the story comes from Matchbox Twenty, whose song lyrics will periodically appear in later chapters. This post is long, but I'm trying to get all my transcripting out of the way so I can move on to more creative stuff.

The two siblings zipped easily through the always-crowded streets. However, as they neared Jira's fruit stand, their passage was blocked by a crowd, gathered in a rough semicircle. Anakin glanced at Kaya. They both knew what this meant, a fight.

Anakin took advantage of his small size to push his way through the crowd, and Kaya was right behind him. Once they had a clear view of the action, they wasn't at all surprised by what he saw. Sebulba, a particularly fierce Dug, and the meanest Podracer on the amateur circuit, had the amphibious creature that had been in Watto's shop earlier by the throat. He held in one of his four hands a cooked frog, which he waved threateningly at the Gungan. Anakin continued to push his way through the crowd until he stood in front of Sebulba.

" Chess ko Sebulba ," he warned the Dug. "This one's very well connected." Sebulba looked up at Anakin, and abruptly let go of Jar-Jar's throat, his attention now fixed on a better target.

"Tooney rana dunko?" he demanded.
"Connected - as in Hutt," Kaya replied, picking up Anakin's story.

"Big time connected, this one, Sebulba," Anakin continued. "I'd hate to see you diced before we had a chance to race again."

"Neek me chawa!" Sebulba shot back violently. "The next time we race, it will be the end of you!" He moved in closer to Anakin, who took an involuntary step back. "If you weren't a slave, I'd squash you right now."

With a final glare at the cringing Jar-Jar, Sebulba wheeled away, taking his companions with him, back to their tables and their food and drink. "Yeah," Anakin muttered to the Dug's retreating back. "It'd be a pity if you had to pay for me."

Anakin helped Jar-Jar to his feet and turned back to Kaya. He smiled when he saw Padmé and the older man waiting with his sister.

"Hi!" Anakin greeted them cheerfully.
Qui-Gon turned to Anakin and gave a short nod. "Thank you, my young friend." Padmé offered a warm smile as well, and Anakin grinned in return. He persuaded the group to follow him and Kaya to Jira's fruit stand. The old lady smiled at their approach, and greeted them kindly.

"How are you feeling today, Jira?" Kaya asked.

"The heat's never been kind to me, you know."

"Guess what?," Anakin announced. "I found that cooling unit for you. It's pretty beat up, but we can fix it in no time." Jira smiled.

Anakin and Kaya split the cost of five pallies, and handed one to each biological member of their group. A gust of wind whipped down the street, causing sand and dust to swirl in all directions.

"Storm's coming," Jira warned. "Better get home quick." Kaya smiled and thanked her again. The wind gusted in a series of sharp blasts that sent sand and loose debris flying.

"Do you have shelter?" she asked Qui-Gon.

"We'll head back to our ship."

"Is it far?" Anakin asked. All around them, shopkeepers and vendors were hurriedly closing their shops and taking cover.

"It's on the outskirts," Padmé answered, turning away from the stinging gusts of sand. Anakin shook his head.

"You'll never make it in time. Sandstorms are very, very dangerous. You can wait it out at our house." Kaya nodded and followed Anakin as they herded the group down the street in a rush, the wind howling around them, clouded with sand.

The storm raged around them, tearing through the streets of Mos Espa in a blinding, choking whirlwind that tore at them with relentless force. Anakin held Padmé's hand so as not to lose her, and Kaya did the same with Qui-Gon. The amphibious creature and the droid trailed behind. Around them, other residents and visitors hurried past, fighting to reach shelter while there was still time.

They reached the slave quarters, and Anakin led the group to his front door.

 

Nice addition.

Request: If it is not too much trouble could you add extra lines/spacing between the dialogues? It would make it easier to read.

 

So Kaya isn't owned by Watoo, but by Gardulla. Interesting twist. Then is there any way she could get off Tatooine, with help of the bets? Interesting, more soon!

 

Morning dawned bright and clear, and the Skywalker home bustled with activity. After a quick breakfast, Kaya left for a day of work in Gardulla's fortress. Anakin took Qui-Gon and Padmé with him to Watto's shop, in order to convince the Toydarian to let him enter the next day's race.

With the entire spaceport's attention fixed on the Boonta, there really wasn't much work to be done, and Kaya headed home at midday. She found Anakin working on his racer, and she wasn't the only one who'd come to watch.

A whole group of the neighborhood kids was crowded around the racer, chattering excitedly, some admiring it, some jeering.

"You've been working on that thing for years," a small girl named Amee pointed out. "It's never going to run."

"Yes it will," Anakin told her. "I'm entered in the Boonta tomorrow." That was enough to start the other children laughing.

"Keep it up, Ani," Seek taunted. "You're gonna be bug squash."

"Hey, shut up," Kaya snapped at him. Seek was eleven, and often bullied the younger kids. "Go pick on someone your own size." He scowled at her, but kept his mouth shut after that.

"Come on," he finally suggested. "Let's go play ball." Most of the others followed him, but Anakin's best friend Kitster remained.

"What do they know?" he asked. Anakin smiled at him, and returned to work on the engine wiring.

"I'm almost done anyway," Anakin said. "I know it'll work. I'll show them."

"I think it's about time we found out," Qui-Gon suggested. "Here, use this power pack."

Anakin accepted the pack with a grin and jumped into the driver's seat. Everyone moved a safe distance away as he pulled on his helmet and gloves, and flipped a few switches. He could barely contain his excitement as the engines ignited, humming and rumbling. The spectators cheered, and Anakin beamed as he flipped the switches back into the off position.

"I knew I could do it," he told Kaya and Kitster as he climbed out of the pod.

Anakin worked on his racer until dark, applying a fresh coat of paint, checking and re-checking every wire. Even when his mother called him inside, he did so reluctantly, gazing back longingly several times as he made his way to the house.
_______________________________________________________________

It was full dark now, and Kaya could barely make out the shape of her brother's racer from where she sat on the back porch.

"Mind if I join you?" She turned to see Qui-Gon, and she shook her head. The older Jedi sat down next to her. For a while they sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Your brother's very special," Qui-Gon observed.

Kaya nodded. "He does things I could never do."

"He can see things before they happen?" Qui-Gon asked. Another nod. "That's why he appears to have such quick reflexes. It's a Jedi trait."

Kaya looked up at him. "He's always dreamed of being a Jedi. He deserves to have his dreams come true."

Qui-Gon looked at her. "No one deserves to be a slave."

"I wasn't always. I can vaguely remember my homeworld... things I could never have seen here. Trees. Rainstorms. I can see them in my dreams. I think I remember my father... the way he smelled, his voice. I don't know what happened to him. Mom never talks about it." She shook her head, clearing the thoughts away. "Who knows? Maybe a dream is all it is."

"What about Anakin? Do you have the same father?"

"I don't know. I asked once, and I got the feeling I shouldn't ask again. It was weird, you know? Mom doesn't keep anything from us."

Qui-Gon didn't reply, and the silence resumed.
_______________________________________________________________

On the morning of the Boonta Eve race, Kaya was up before dawn. Still groggy, she stumbled into Anakin's room to wake her brother, only to find his bed vacated. She slipped outside, expecting to find him already preparing his racer, and smiled when she saw him resting against a stack of boxes, asleep. She walked over and gave him a gentle shake.

"Wake up sleepyhead. You wouldn't want

 

Nobody wants to read my story? How sad. Am I really that horrible a writer? If so, just tell me to quit torturing you, and I'll chuck this idea out the window.

 

No No No No No your story's awesome!

 

Woohoo! I have friends. And people that like my story. And now I have inspiration to write. Cool.

 

It was good. I liked it.

 

Author's Notes: Keep the reviews coming, pretty please.

The Italics at the beginning are lyrics to Matchbox 20's "All I Need", and the last line of the last post is from "Disease".

I realize this post is rather short compared to the others I've put up, but I thought it would be better to post now, rather then wait until I'd finished the next segment. What do you prefer? Shorter posts about once a week, or longer posts less often?

This chapter takes place three years after TPM. Kaya is 17.


But that's all that I need
Someone else to cling to
Someone I can lean on until I don't need to
Cuz that's all that need right now

"You're coming back for us, remember? You promised." Kaya told her nine year old brother. He nodded, but in her dream his face contorted, turning angry, becoming older.
"You're holding me back! That's all you ever did!" he yelled at her. "You don't understand! You'll never understand!" She was aware of tears streaking her face as she ran after him, into the wild desert.
"Anakin, wait!" she yelled."Come back!"

Kaya woke with a start. She sat up in bed, willing herself to calm down. It was just a dream, intense though it was, not real. Her breathing and heart rate slowed, returning to their natural rhythm.

All traces of sleep were gone from her mind, and the light spilling under her bedroom door proved she wasn't the only one awake. She slipped out of bed and into the kitchen, where Shmi sat nursing a cup of stim-tea. Kaya poured her own cup and joined her.

"Couldn't sleep either huh?" she asked her mom.

"Bad dreams," Shmi replied.

"Me too. It's always been too quiet without Anakin here."

"I'm worried about him. He is too young to be alone in the galaxy."

"He's twelve years old now. Probably grown up a lot."

"You've grown up a lot too. Grown into a beautiful young women. I'm so proud of you." Kaya took a sip of her tea, shrugging away the compliment.

"Think he'll keep his promise?" she asked casually.

"Anakin always keeps his promises," Shmi replied. Kaya nodded.

"Yeah. I guess you're right." She finished her tea and got up to wash out the mug. "I'm gonna go to the cantina, see if I can put in a few hours."

Shmi looked up. "Shouldn't you get some sleep?"

"I couldn't sleep if I tried to. Might as well make some money while I'm wide awake."

"Be careful, honey."

Kaya smiled. "Aren't I always?"

She stepped out into the streets of Mos Espa, quiet and dark here in the hours before sunrise. Shutting the door behind her, she started for the more populated center of town, the part that never slept. Almost a year ago she had taken the job as bartender at one of the 24 hour cantinas, picking up spare credits working there in her off hours.

Technically, slaves weren't supposed to have their own money making endeavors, but Gardulla paid little attention to the extra-curricular activities of her property. As long as Kaya was around when her master wanted something done, her spare time was free for her to do what she pleased.

"I was starting to think you didn't like me or something," a voice drawled, close to her ear, in the dark corner of the alley behind the cantina.

"I've been busy," Kaya replied, a slight edge to her voice.

"Awww, having a bad day?"

"Not anymore," Kaya told the twenty-something spice runner, reaching for the vial he clutched in his left hand. He pulled it away.

"Stuff's not free, baby. Not even for someone as good-looking as you."

"How much?" He named the price, higher than she wanted to pay. She frowned, but reached for the tip money she'd just earned. The dealer caught the flicker of indecision on her face, and moved closer to put his arm around her.

"Say," he offered. "If you don't have the money, I'd take something else." Kaya looked him over, considering her options. The sky was starting to lighten as the suns began to rise. The cover of darkness was fading, taking with it the guarantee of keeping her secret hidden, but he wasn't bad looking, and she

 

ok that is sicko

 

EEK!! Kyla, don't be a jerk!!

I like the dream theme (ack-didn't mean for that to rhyme) This story is pretty good so far and I'm enjoying it. I can't wait until things get more original!!

 

SONG CREDIT: Matchbox Twenty - Soul

She was alone somewhere in the uncharted desert of Tatooine. The shape of Mos Espa's low skyline wasn't visible anywhere, not even at the far horizon. A gust of wind blew, sending sand skittering and swirling around her. A storm was coming, but there was no shelter for her to take, nothing but endless sand for miles in all directions.

She was suddenly aware of the sand sinking beneath her feet, the ground opening to swallow her. She tried to run, to get away, but she was paralyzed. She could only scream as she disappeared from the world, and no one could hear her.

As the darkness closed in around her, she heard someone call her name. She couldn't see them, not with the sand swirling around, but seconds later, she felt a strong hand grasp hers, pulling her to safety. Now on solid ground, she looked to her rescuer, a young man she had never really seen but recognized just the same. It was the older Anakin that lived in her dreams, a future Anakin.

Their positions reversed, and he began to fall into the quicksand. She reached for him desperately, but he didn't grab her hand, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pull him back as he slid into the darkness.

Kaya opened her eyes and instantly closed them again to block out the bright light pouring through the window. Another bad dream, the second in less then twelve hours. She frowned. Why was this happening?

It was true that these weren't the first nightmares she'd had since Anakin's departure, but usually they were sporadic, and they had never been this intense.

As she blinked her eyes open slowly, allowing them to adjust to the light, she let the cobwebs of the dreams clear from her mind. Now she had to deal with the real world.
Her head pounded, screaming with the abscence of the short-lived glitterstim high, and her mind worked to remember where she was. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and pushed herself to a sitting position, looking around at the small apartment. Memories of the spicer the apartment belonged to flooded her mind, and she felt even worse.

She began playing with her hair, twisting a dark blond strand around her index finger. It was a nervous habit she'd developed a long time ago. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her hair back into a haphazard ponytail, holding it in place with an elastic band that was around her right wrist.

She stood up and took a more critical inventory of the apartment. The spicer was nowhere to be found. Kaya was neither surprised nor disappointed. Neither of them had been looking for a commitment.

She let herself out, and wandered away from town, toward the mesa overlooking the Dune Sea. It was the farthest she could go without the risk of being blown into oblivion.

There wasn't much to look at, and she found herself lost in thoughts, but she didn't feel like going to work. They wouldn't come looking for her. She wasn't worth the effort. They might find the energy to get mad at her when she did go back, but she still couldn't force herself to care. She'd taken beatings before. They wouldn't kill her.

She kicked at a rock, watching it fall over the edge of the cliff. The twin suns beat down on her, and she retreated back to the shadows cast by the huge rock formations. Sipping water from a canteen, she followed the path of her thoughts. Her heart ached with longing for Anakin. She hated to admit, even to herself, how much she needed him.

Without his stupid projects and dreams to distract her, she'd spiraled into depression, spice addiction, prostitution. Spiraling in a self-destructive tailspin that she kept hidden from everyone, especially her mother. She wouldn't let Shmi worry about her. She was supposed to be the good girl.

She kicked at another rock. This one skittered and bounced a few times in the dust before it teetered off the edge of the cliff. Like her, teetering on the edge, about to be lost in free-fall.

"Why can't you come back?" she whispered to Anakin. "How can you save whole worlds, and n

 

Somebody please read! I know stories get buried unbelievably fast, but I was rather proud of this last chapter, and people of fanfic.net seemed to enjoy it as well, so I'm putting in an UP! Read, review, even if you hate it. Just let me know you're out there.

 

This is a really good story. And Kaya is an awesome name too. I hope Kaya doesn't get killed or have something else bad happen to her. Maybe she's Force-sensitive too? But maybe Anakin had such a powerful presense that Qui-Gon couldn't sense her. Am I anywhere near the truth? Please post soon, this is very good.


Katie

 

Katie Kenobi - Interesting hypothesis. We'll see what happens, won't we?

Bellyup - That dream theme thing just sort of happened. Glad you like it, I do to. Must have been the will of the Force, or something like that.

 

UP!

 

ARGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!! I had the same idea!!! Mine was going to be more humor though...Anikin and sis arguing... Force choking...You know

 

The still desert refused to answer her desperate pleas. She gave a frustrated sigh, then turned reluctantly back toward town. She walked slowly, leaving meandering soft prints on the dunes.

She took the longest possible path back to Gardulla's fortress, but she couldn't delay going in any longer.

She opened the nondescript door that led to the ship's hanger used as a repair bay and storage facility. The difference in temperature was immediately noticeable, and it took her eyes a few seconds to adjust to the comparative darkness inside as she closed the door behind her. She scanned her surroundings, taking in the familiar sights, sounds, and smells. Several ships, speeders, and racers in various states of assembly cluttered the room, along with an equally variant work crew. It smelled of engine oil, and the air was filled with the sounds of tools being dropped, engines being tested, and the shouts and conversations of several languages.

She gave a shout of surprise as someone grabbed her wrist from behind and twisted with almost enough pressure to break it. It served the purpose of whirling her around to face Kei'lar.

"Where have you been?" he asked her in Huttese.

"Out." The viscious backhand came with enough force to let the metallic tang of blood fill her mouth.

"I've heard rumors of you working for others. I wouldn't want Gardulla to hear of this." He held her gaze for a few seconds, increasing the pressure on her wrist. "What happens to you is in my hands. Am I making myself clear?"

"Perfectly," Kaya muttered.

"Good." He released her without warning, sending her staggering back into the sharp corner of the doorframe. "There's work to be done," he growled, turning away. She glowered at his retreating form, rubbing her bruising wrist and running a hand through her hair where her head had hit the wall. There wasn't any blood, but she'd have a nasty bump. She frowned.

"You okay?" a male voice asked. She spun around, and her features darkened as she recognized the spicer with whom she'd spent the morning.

"You're getting me into trouble," she growled. He put his hands up in a defensive gesture.

"Hey, sorry."

"How'd you know where to find me?"

"I know stuff," he replied criptically.

"You can't be here. What I do away from here has to stay away from here."

"He roughed you up pretty good."

Kaya snorted. "Please. Kei'lar thinks he's tough, but he's just as much a slave to Gardulla as I am. I've been here almost ten years. He can't do nothing to me I can't handle."

"Whatever. Be careful."

"What's it to you?" He shrugged, slipping her a tiny black vial.

"It's a gift."

"Are you crazy? I can't take that. Not here. I'm in enough trouble as it is." He shrugged, and the vial disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

"I thought you said you weren't in trouble." Kaya rolled her eyes. "Meet me at the cantina tonight. Tell the bartender you're looking for Alyc." Kaya still didn't respond, and turned back to work as he walked away.

"Hey, what was that about?"

"Nothing," Kaya told the younger girl. Tyler was fifteen, and the only real friend she had on this Force-forsaken planet.

"I know that guy. He deals spice downtown."

"Yeah."

"Are you in trouble with him?"

"No." Tyler raised her eyebrow. "Stay outta my business," Kaya demanded, a little forcefully, wrenching a bolt on a speeder a little too tightly.

"Whoa, white flag," Tyler protested. "Why didn't you just tell me you were having a bad day?"

"Because you'd have asked me why, and started trying to make me feel better, and we'd have reached the same end result." Tyler shrugged sheepishly.

"Yeah, probably. But Kaya, I can't help it. That's just how I am."

"Fine. But this is how i am. I keep my personal [deleted] private."

"Okay. Need a new bolt?"

"Yeah." A smile passed between friends along with the tiny piece of metal.

"You like him."

"What the hell gave you that impression?"

"You're smiling."

 

GenOochy Go ahead and write your story. I'd read it.

 

Great post karebear! I like Tyler and Kaya does need a friend. I'd read your story too, GenOochy!



Katie