Mission to Rescue Shmi Skywalker Lars

"*Pain... Suffering...* Death*, I feel. Something terrible has happened. Young Skywalker is in pain.* Terrible *pain.*"

## Mission to Rescue Shmi Skywalker Lars

### Key Individuals

Anakin Skywalker / Cliegg Lars / Shmi Skywalker Lars

The **Mission to Rescue Shmi Skywalker Lars** was a personal task taken on by Anakin Skywalker. After having recurring nightmares involving his mother, Anakin set out to return to Tatooine and find his mother Shmi. He was successful in discovering his mother, but as a prisoner of the Tusken Raiders. Anakin was able to share a single moment with his mother before she died in his arms. In his rage Anakin took his first steps into the dark side, massacring the entire village of Tuskens.

## Prelude

##### Kidnapping of Shmi

After years spent married to Cliegg in freedom, Shmi Skywalker Lars had gone out to clean vaporators when she was kidnapped by a clan of Tusken Raiders. Her husband Cliegg lead a hunting party of 40 men to find her. Only four of them returned. Cliegg lost his legs while trying to rescue his wife. After a month of being unable to find his wife, and unable to ride into the desert with his injury, Cliegg gave up hope to find Shmi.

##### Anakin's Nightmares

After several attempts were made on the life of Senator Padmé Amidala, the Jedi High Council sent Anakin Skywalker to Naboo with the senator as a protective agent in an effort to keep her safe. To try and avoid alerting the enemy to her movements, the pair traveled on unregistered transport, leaving from Port Quarter aboard the *Jendirian Valley,* posing as refugees. They took R2-D2 with them. Upon arrival on Naboo, the pair went to the lake country where Padmé spent time as a child. The time Anakin and Padmé spent on Naboo allowed them to fall in love, sharing their first kiss on the balcony of a lakeside home. They confessed their feelings to one another, however they knew that their love was forbidden and that to even keep it a secret would destroy them both. They would be forced to live a lie. They agreed to bury their love for one another. While on Naboo, Anakin experienced his first nightmare of his mother in peril. The next morning Anakin told Padmé that he was to leave to Tatooine to rescue his mother from the danger he sensed she was in. Padmé chose to go with Anakin on his journey.

## Recount

#### Tracking Shmi

Anakin and Padmé traveled to Tatooine aboard Padmé's H-type Nubian yacht. They landed in Mos Espa where Anakin anticipated to find Shmi still in the ownership of Watto the junk-dealer. From the spaceport, Padmé was able to purchase a transport for them both to reach Watto's shop. They found Watto outside his shop fixing a droid unsuccessfully. Watto did not immediately recognize Anakin, only identifying him as a Jedi by his robes. Watto protested his innocence for whatever crime he suspected had lured the Jedi to him. It was only as Anakin revealed he was looking for Shmi Skywalker that Watto recognized him. Watto asked if Anakin could help him with some deadbeats that owed him a lot of money. Anakin's only response was to press for information on his mother. Watto revealed that Shmi had been sold to Cliegg Lars, and had been freed and married. Anakin learnt that her home with the Lars family was on the far side of Mos Eisley.

Anakin and Padmé took their own ship to the Lars Homestead where they hoped to find a free Shmi Skywalker. As they approached the homestead Anakin crossed paths with C-3PO, who recognized his maker. When Anakin asked about his mother, 3PO took them inside to speak with Cliegg Lars. Anakin was introduced to his stepbrother Owen Lars and his girlfriend Beru Whitesun. Cliegg Lars told Anakin that his mother was not at the homestead. He told Anakin the story of his mother's kidnapping and that it was unlikely that she was still alive. Cliegg tried to get Anakin to accept that his mother was dead. Unwilling to accept this, Anakin set out on a Zephyr-G swoop to find his mother.

##### Massacre of the Tuskens.

That same day Anakin located the camp of Tuskens who had kidnapped his mother. Anakin snuck into the camp, using fighting massifs as a distraction. He found the tent that held his mother, cutting a hole in the side to enter through. Once inside he saw his mother, tied up as a prisoner on the verge of death. He cut her down to hold her in his arms. She had survived just long enough to tell her son that she was proud of him and loved him. After she had done so, her body gave out and she died in Anakin's arms. Struck by rage and grief, Anakin stepped out from the tent igniting his lightsaber and striking down the guards. As the other Tuskens rushed to attack the intruder in their camp Anakin cut them down. He spread through the entire camp, killing all the inhabitants of the camp indiscriminately, including the women and children. His rampage was so powerful that it sent out a disturbance through the Force that was felt by Yoda on Coruscant. He informed Master Windu that he feared Skywalker was in terrible pain. Through the cosmic Force, Qui-Gon also witnessed the massacre. He cried out for Anakin to stop the rampage, a cry so powerful that Yoda could too sense Qui-Gon's voice. Anakin too heard the cry but felt that he must have imagined it. It was Anakin's first step to the dark side, but also Yoda's first step in learning that immortality could be achieve through a light side practice of joining the cosmic force at death, as Qui-Gon had 10 years prior.

## Aftermath

##### Next: First Battle of Geonosis

Anakin returned to the Lars Homestead after the massacre, with Shmi's body wrapped in cloth. He silently judged the Lars family for their inability to protect his mother. He worked in the small garage of the homestead to calm himself tinkering with the mechanics. Anakin claimed to Padmé that he would one day be powerful enough to learn how to stop people from dying. He blamed Obi-Wan for holding him back from his potential as a Jedi. Padmé felt there was more than Anakin was telling her. He confessed to her that he had slaughtered the Tusken's that had kidnapped his mother. She treated the pained Jedi with compassion, telling him that his anger is a result of his humanity. She reminded him that his role as a Jedi did not remove his human parts of himself. The following day a small funeral was held for Shmi. She was buried outside the Lars homestead and given a small modest headstone. Cliegg spoke kind words about Shmi, and allowed Anakin a moment before the headstone. Anakin made a promise upon his mother's grave that he would not fail again. As Anakin picked himself up R2-D2 approached, letting them know that they had received a message from Obi-Wan Kenobi. They re-transmitted the message to Coruscant where Chancellor Palpatine and the Jedi Council could hear Obi-Wan's discoveries and watch as he is captured by the Separatists. The Jedi immediately determined that they would travel to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan. Mace Windu instructed Anakin to remain with the Senator and protect her at all costs. Padmé refused to stay put. Wanting to rescue Obi-Wan, she began piloting to Geonosis. She told Anakin that if he was ordered to protect her he would have to come with her. Together they set out to rescue Obi-Wan from Geonosis.

## Timeline of Event

* Anakin and Padmé reach Tatooine, finding Watto.
* Anakin learns of his mothers freedom.
* Anakin finds the Lars homestead where he learns of his mothers kidnapping.
* Anakin sets out to find his mother in the captivity of Tuskens.
* Shmi is found by her son. She tells him she loves him and is proud of him.
* Shmi Skywalker Lars dies.
* Anakin embraces the dark side, massacring a village of Tusken Raiders.

## Appearances

1. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones