With Anakin's victory in the Boonta Eve Classic, everything began to move quickly.
The impossible gamble Khan had made had paid off.
True to their agreement, Watto was forced to hand over the hyperdrive motivator. Though the Toydarian grumbled endlessly under his breath and complained about "terrible business," even he could not deny a wager once it had been made publicly.
"I still say the boy cheated somehow," Watto muttered as he shoved the part toward Khan.
Khan calmly took it from him. "You only say that because you lost."
Watto scoffed loudly. "Bah! Next time I'll bet on the human."
"There won't be a next time," Khan replied.
Watto narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "That sounds ominous."
Khan simply turned and walked away with the part in hand.
—
Obi-Wan arrived shortly afterward to retrieve the motivator. Though still carrying the emotional weight of Qui-Gon's death, the young Padawan had regained much of his composure.
Padmé and the blue astromech stood nearby as Khan handed the part over.
"Can you install it?" Khan asked.
Obi-Wan nodded. "It should not take long."
Padmé looked between them. "And what about you?"
Khan glanced toward the distant direction of the Skywalker home.
"There is one final matter I must attend to before we leave."
Obi-Wan studied him for a moment, then nodded quietly.
"I understand."
Khan looked toward the astromech.
"Make sure he doesn't break the ship while repairing it."
The droid let out an offended series of chirps.
Padmé laughed softly for the first time in what felt like days.
"I think he took that personally."
"Good," Khan replied with the faintest hint of amusement.
With that, Obi-Wan, Padmé, and the astromech returned toward the ship while Khan made his way through the dusty streets of Mos Espa alone.
—
The suns hung lower now, casting long golden light across the settlement.
When Khan arrived at the Skywalker home, he slowed his steps.
Anakin and Shmi stood outside together.
The excitement of victory had faded, replaced now by something far more difficult.
"No, Mom," Anakin said, emotion clear in his voice. "I can free you too. I can race again and make enough money. I know I can."
Shmi smiled gently, though sadness lingered in her eyes.
"No, Anakin," she said softly. "That is not your burden to carry."
"But I don't want to leave you here."
"You are not leaving me," Shmi replied. "You are moving forward."
Anakin looked down, clenching his fists.
Shmi stepped closer, placing a hand against his cheek.
"You have always been special," she said quietly. "From the day you were born, I knew there was something greater waiting for you."
Anakin's eyes watered slightly.
"This is your chance," Shmi continued. "Your chance to leave this place. To see the stars you always dream about."
"But what about you?" Anakin asked.
Shmi smiled warmly.
"My life has always been here," she said. "And perhaps it always will be."
Anakin shook his head immediately.
"That's not fair."
"No," Shmi admitted softly. "Perhaps it isn't."
For a moment, silence settled between them.
Then Shmi gently straightened his shoulders.
"But don't let this planet become your chains too, Anakin."
Her voice carried quiet strength now.
"And don't let me become them either."
Anakin lowered his head.
Khan remained several steps away, silent out of respect for the moment unfolding before him.
Shmi eventually noticed him standing there.
A soft smile crossed her face.
"You came," she said.
Khan stepped forward slowly.
"I said I would."
Anakin quickly wiped at his eyes, trying to regain composure.
Khan looked toward him.
The Force around the boy felt brighter than ever now. Alive. Unshaped. Limitless.
It was almost overwhelming.
The night before, after the race, Khan and Shmi had spoken at length.
She had asked him to take Anakin away from Tatooine.
To give him a future.
At first, Khan hesitated.
He already carried too many responsibilities. Naboo still suffered under occupation. The Sith had returned. Qui-Gon was dead. The Republic stood on unstable ground.
And yet…
Every instinct told him he could not leave Anakin here.
Not after what he had felt.
Not after what the Force itself seemed to whisper every time he looked at the boy.
Especially now, with the Sith moving in the shadows once more.
If someone like that ever discovered Anakin before the Jedi did…
Khan pushed the thought away.
He had already made his decision.
He would bring Anakin to Coruscant.
And if necessary—
He would stand before the Council himself to argue the boy's case.
Khan finally spoke.
"Anakin," he said gently. "It is time for us to go."
Anakin looked toward him, then back at his mother.
Shmi disappeared briefly inside the home before returning with a small worn backpack.
"I packed what little I could," she said softly.
Anakin took it carefully.
For the first time since Khan met him, the young boy looked unsure.
Not afraid.
Just… emotional.
Shmi pulled him into a tight embrace.
"I love you, Anakin."
Anakin hugged her back immediately.
"I love you too, Mom."
His voice cracked slightly.
Then he pulled back just enough to look at her.
"I promise," he said. "I'll come back someday."
Shmi smiled through watery eyes.
"And when I do," Anakin continued, "I'll be someone you can be proud of."
Shmi rested a hand against his face again.
"You already are."
The words hit harder than anything else.
Anakin looked away quickly, blinking back tears.
Khan quietly stepped beside him.
"I will make sure your son is safe," Khan told Shmi.
She looked at him with genuine gratitude.
"Thank you," she said softly. "For giving him hope."
Khan shook his head slightly.
"He found that himself."
The desert wind passed gently through the street as the moment settled.
Then finally—
Anakin adjusted the backpack on his shoulders.
Khan turned toward the direction of the ship.
And together—
The Jedi and the boy began walking toward the future awaiting them among the stars.
As they left Mos Espa behind them, the sounds of the crowded city slowly faded into the endless winds of the desert. Twin suns hung high above the dunes, casting long waves of heat across the sands. Anakin walked beside Khan, the small backpack his mother had packed resting against his shoulders.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Anakin looked back once toward the distant city before lowering his head slightly. Even with his excitement, Khan could feel the emotions swirling inside the boy. Fear. Hope. Sadness. Wonder.
Then Anakin finally broke the silence.
"Will I really be able to become a Jedi?" he asked quietly.
Khan glanced down at him.
"In all honesty…" Khan began carefully, "I do not know if the Council will allow it."
Anakin's expression dimmed slightly, but Khan continued before the disappointment could settle fully.
"But I promise you this, Anakin." Khan's voice was firm now. "I will do everything in my power to give you the opportunity you deserve. What happens after that… will depend on you."
Anakin looked up at him.
"You really think I can do it?"
Khan gave a faint smile.
"I think the Force brought us together for a reason."
The words lingered with Anakin. Khan could see the boy holding onto them tightly, almost like a lifeline.
Then suddenly—
Khan stopped walking.
His hand shot out and grabbed Anakin by the shoulder.
Anakin blinked in confusion. "What is it?"
Khan's eyes narrowed.
The Force stirred around him.
A cold feeling.
Watching.
Without warning, Khan ignited his lightsaber and thrust out his free hand. A small black probe droid hidden behind a nearby rock was violently ripped through the air toward him.
Anakin's eyes widened.
"Whoa!"
The droid barely had time to react before Khan cut through it in one clean motion. Sparks burst from the machine as its halves crashed into the sand.
Anakin stared at the destroyed remains.
"What was that thing?"
Khan crouched slightly beside the broken droid, studying it for only a second before his expression hardened.
"Danger," he answered.
He immediately stood and looked toward the horizon.
"Move, Anakin. Now."
The urgency in Khan's voice erased any questions.
The two of them broke into a sprint across the desert sands.
Khan's mind moved quickly.
A probe droid meant they had been tracked.
Which meant—
The Sith knew where they were.
The wind howled around them as they ran through the dunes. Sand shifted beneath their feet while the distant outline of the Naboo starship finally came into view.
Relief briefly crossed Khan's face.
The hyperdrive motivator had clearly been installed already. Obi-Wan and the astromech had succeeded.
Then—
The Force screamed at him.
Khan's eyes widened.
"DUCK, ANAKIN!"
Anakin instantly threw himself into the sand just as a speeder bike roared over his head at terrifying speed.
The vehicle skidded sideways across the desert before its rider leapt off in one fluid motion.
A hooded figure landed between them and the ship.
Then a red blade ignited.
Khan immediately answered with the snap-hiss of his own lightsaber.
The red Zabrak stood before him once more.
The Sith.
Anakin stared in shock at the figure's yellow eyes and double-bladed weapon.
"It's him…" Khan muttered under his breath.
The Zabrak wasted no time.
He attacked instantly.
Their blades collided with explosive force, red and blue light flashing violently across the desert sands.
Khan gritted his teeth as the Sith pressed against him with monstrous strength.
"Anakin!" Khan yelled while locking blades. "Get to the ship! Tell them to take off!"
Anakin hesitated for only a second before nodding.
"O-Okay!"
He turned and sprinted toward the ship.
The Sith attempted to move past Khan to pursue him, but Khan kicked upward violently, sending sand into the Zabrak's face. The brief distraction allowed Khan to regain his footing.
Blue and red light illuminated the dunes as both fighters circled each other.
This was now the third time Khan had crossed blades with this Sith.
And each time, the Sith felt even more dangerous.
Khan slowly shifted into the stance of Form V: Shien.
Not ideal.
But necessary.
The sand beneath his feet made the precision footwork of Makashi unreliable. Here, he needed power and defense.
He remembered the training sessions with Master Plo Koon.
Meet strength with stronger resolve.
The Zabrak attacked again.
Aggressive.
Relentless.
His double-bladed lightsaber spun with terrifying speed as he unleashed a storm of strikes toward Khan.
Khan held his ground.
Each clash sent sparks scattering into the desert winds.
Anakin reached the lowering ramp of the Naboo ship and looked back just in time to witness Khan narrowly duck beneath one of the spinning blades.
The young boy's heart pounded.
He had never seen anything like this.
The Sith fought like a monster.
But Khan—
Khan moved with calm precision even under the pressure.
Khan redirected a heavy strike and countered immediately with a powerful upward slash that forced the Sith backward.
For a brief moment, the Zabrak's assault slowed.
But only briefly.
The Sith launched himself forward again with pure fury.
Khan blocked two strikes.
Three.
Four—
Then his guard finally broke.
The red blade slipped past his defense.
Anakin gasped.
"Khan!"
At the last second, Khan thrust out his hand.
The Force exploded outward in a shockwave.
The sand around them erupted violently as the Sith was blasted backward across the dunes.
The Zabrak slid through the sand before regaining his footing almost instantly.
Khan breathed heavily.
His muscles burned.
His body still had not fully recovered from Naboo.
But he could not lose here.
Not now.
Then he heard Obi-Wan's voice from the ship.
"Khan! Jump!"
Khan looked up.
The Naboo cruiser was lifting off the ground, its ramp still open.
The Sith charged again.
Khan waited until the very last second.
Then he leapt.
Using the Force, Khan propelled himself high through the air and landed hard onto the ship's ramp.
Obi-Wan immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him fully inside as the ramp began to close.
Anakin stared out from inside the ship as the red Zabrak skidded to a stop beneath them, his yellow eyes burning with fury while the ship ascended into the sky.
Even from a distance, the Sith's presence felt suffocating.
Khan slowly deactivated his lightsaber, breathing hard.
Obi-Wan looked toward him seriously.
"That was him again?"
Khan nodded.
"Yes."
Anakin looked between them nervously.
Khan looked toward the closing ramp as Tatooine disappeared beneath them. His expression hardened.
They had survived once more.