The Firespray-31 registered as Bounty's Burden, flew to the Mos Espa spaceport. Cyrus needed to visit an old friend for information to find his mother. The Firespray caught the attention of several peope, who thought it belonged to Jango Fett. Having the same ship as Fett was probably Kane's intention to drum up more clients. When they learned it was the Bounty's Burden and not Slave I, the excitement disappeared.
Soon, Novo Solo, Praxzor Trahn, and their R4 astromech disembarked from their ship. Cyrus paid the ground crew for refueling and basic berthing fees.
The two people and one droid left the spaceport. They mounted their speeder bikes, which they bought locally; one had a side compartment for an astromech. Looking every bit the bounty hunters, it didn't take long for them to discover Watto's residence. Things didn't go well after he lost everything to Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn ten years earlier. He was never able to reach his previous level of wealth or clout. Now, he was a simple junker stall owner.
Novo and Praxzor found him. When Watto saw the two fierce hunters, fear painted his face, "What doyu want?" The Toydarian fearfully asked.
"I'm looking for a slave you own, Shmi Skywalker." Cyrus watched the strange creature flutter its wings and hover, floating slightly up and down.
"Iya don't own ehr no more, Cliegg Lars eehya bought ehr," Watto was puzzled, but didn't ask any questions; he understood how these hunters worked.
"I need a location," Cyrus coldly informed his former master. Watto didn't realize he was speaking to little Ani.
"Ok, buttah, I tellyu, she no slavah now. Cliegg freed Shmi, and eehya married her! Can you believe it?"
"I don't care, give me her location, now," Novo brutally commanded Watto. Nodding his head, he fetched their location and gave it to the hunter. The hunter was about to leave, but Watto couldn't help himself, "Aeya little appreciation wouldah be anice, you know."
"I appreciate it," Novo responded and turned away.
"Iya mean money," Watto called out. Novo turned around and walked to him menacingly and bent toward him. He dropped ten credits on the ground. Watto looked down, and then at the hunter, he fluttered down and picked up the credits. Novo and Praxzor walked away.
"Weren't you a little harsh on him?" Padme asked without looking back at the Toydarian.
"We're bounty hunters, that's how they act. Besides, I needed to get out of there, so much grease everywhere," Cyrus shivered.
"Grease?"
"Yeah, grease, I hate grease. It gets everywhere, it seeps into your clothes and your skin, and no matter how much you scrub, you can't get rid of the smell. It can make the most handsome guy a king of first dates," Cyrus smiled.
"I don't get it," Padme said through their shared communication line.
"Never mind, it's just an experience from my past," Cyrus commented. The two returned to their speeders, where R2, disguised as an R4 droid, waited.
No more words were needed as Cyrus and Padme headed toward the Lars farm in the Jundland Wastes on the Great Chott salt flat, near the settlement of Anchorhead, on the other side of Mos Eisley.
They eventually arrived at the moisture farm Watto told them about. The two bounty hunters got off their speeder bikes and headed toward the above-ground entrance where a young man, Owen Lars, appeared. He was surprised to see two bounty hunters approaching the house.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Owen asked quickly.
"I'm here for Shmi Skywalker. Where is she?" Cyrus asked.
"What do you want with my step-mother?" Owen cautiously watched, worried the hunters might pull a gun on him.
"Step-mother?"
"Yes, now who are you?" Owen demanded.
"We were sent to check on the well-being of Shmi Skywalker by her son, Anakin. If she's okay, then we can leave; if not, then we're tasked with finding whoever hurt her and taking care of them," Cyrus replied coolly.
Owen watched the hunters and shook his head, looking downward, "If only you had shown up a few days ago."
"What happened?" Cyrus asked.
"Tusken Raiders attacked our farm and others in the area and took prisoners. My mother-in-law was one of them. We've been trying to find her and the others, but my father lost a leg yesterday fighting the raiders. He's still unconscious from the shock of losing his leg," that's all I can tell you.
"Praxzor, stay here and set up a command base. I'll contact you if I need your help," Cyrus ordered the little bounty hunter.
"Where are you going?" Owen asked.
"To find Shmi Skywalker and bring her home, if she's alive," Cyrus stopped talking to his step-brother, mounted his speeder-bike, and allowed the force to direct his path.
Praxzor looked at Owen. Padme was trying to decide what to do, but Owen took it as a threatening glare, "We have a mostly empty shed if you want to set up your base there."
Padme was a little surprised but nodded slightly indicating to Owen to take her there.
An hour later, Cyrus arrived at the Tusken camp. He hid his speeder and snuck in using the force to find his mother, or Anakin's mother, but it felt like he was Anakin at this time. Maybe Anakin was helping him.
He located her and cut his way into the back of the urtyas holding his mother. When he entered, he saw his mother strung up. She was beaten, and covered in wounds. However, she was alive, unconscious but alive.
Cyrus carefully undid the straps holding her to the post. As he lay her down getly, the jostling woke her and she moaned in pain.
Weakly opening her eyes she saw the dark helmet with its five eyes staring at her, "Who are you?"
"Someone who loves you, mother," Cyrus immediately removed his helmet.
Shmi reached her hand and touched her son's face, "Ani, you're here. I didn't think I would ever see you again, my little Ani. Shmi cried partly from pain, but mostly from joy.
"Mom, we can't stay here, I'm going to bring you out of here. I know you're in pain, but try to hold it in, okay?"
"Okay, thank you, you came back for me, Ani. You came back for me!" Shmi whispered but for Cyrus what she said broke his heart. Or did it break Anakin's heart? He left to become a Jedi and had not returned for ten years to see his mother. The Jedi wouldn't let him see her, and Cyrus could feel the bubbling hate. Hate for the Jedi and for the Raiders who mercilessly beat his mother.
Cyrus took a long and deep breath steadying his emotions, "No wonder you failed, no wonder you turned to the darkside...Do not lose control. How would giving into your hate help those you love? You're setting a fire to burn down the house of your enemies, but your loved ones are inside. Calm down, Anakin, calm, you must remain calm.
Tears fell down Cyrus' face. Did these tears belong to Anakin alone? Was it Anakin losing control or him? "I never knew my mother or father. There's a void in my heart." Cyrus thought to himself.
He pushed these thoughts aside and lifted his mother, slipping away from the Raider's camp. The ride back was difficult, he was trying to keep his mother on the speederbike but she kept coming in and out of consciousness.
Finally, they arrived at the Lars farm, Owen, his step-brother led him to a room where Shmi could rest. A doctor came to look after her. Cyrus looked down at the woman. Padme came to his side, both were still in their bounty hunter armor.
"What happened?" Padme communicated with him.
"Please stay with my mother, there are others in the camp, others like her. I need to save them. Their families need them," Cyrus looked toward Padme. "Please, take care of her." Padme nodded and gave him a hug.
"I'll send you the coordinates, have the other families send their people, and bring transports for the survivors and transports for the dead." Cyrus jumped on the speederbike and zoomed back toward the Raider camp.
Arriving back at the camp, the Raiders discovered Shmi was missing and were frantically looking for her.
This time, Cyrus didn't hide his presence, he force-leaped from his speeder bike and attacked the warriors. It was a fierce battle, but Cyrus calmly walked through a sea of blood to kill the warriors of the tribe using the vibro axe. The old, women, and children were gathered together into the center of the camp, sitting.
Cyrus went throughout the camp and gathered the survivors, the transports arrived as did the relatives of the survivors. There weren't many, but the farmers helped the survivors while mourning the loss of their loved ones.
The clean up lasted from the middle of the night until after dawn of the next day. The remaining raiders were sent to another raider camp. Cyrus threatened them that if they attacked another human settlement he would return, and this time there would be no survivors.
Cyrus didn't really mean that, he wasn't a ruthless killer, but he wanted to scare them.
Three days later, Shmi Skywalker finally awakened. Cyrus spent his time between helping his mother, and working on some droids. He had also spent a lot of time meditating, trying to control the rage in his heart. He wanted to go back to the raider camp and slaughter everyone, but Cyrus wouldn't give into his dark impulses.
No longer wearing his armor, Cyrus felt that there were only the Lars family. There was no need for secrets. R2 helped with the droids when Cyrus wasn't available.
He entered his mother's room and found Cliegg Lars with her. He sat in a hovering wheelchair. When Shmi saw her son she cried and reached out for him. He didn't hesitate and sat with his mother. Cliegg was clearly uncomfortable, but Cyrus treated him like family so he remained. Padme even came to see Shmi who remembered her from when her son was still little.
"Oh, you are still as beautiful as I remember," Shmi couldn't help but comment.
"Thank you, I'm glad to see your health returning," Padme smiled.
"Thank you for taking care of my son, he won't say it, but as his mother I can tell he appreciates your kindnesses. I believe he might be sweet on you," Shmi smiled and laughed lightly.
"He mentioned that previously, but he's a Jedi and I'm a Senator. It won't work," Padme admitted the situation.
"Oh, so you are also interested in my son. He is handsome, don't worry I see his love for you, be patient with him." Shmi smiled but the exchange left her tired and she soon fell asleep.
"He should be patient with me..." Padme left.
In his quarters, Cyrus sat on the bed, outsiders might think he was meditating. In reality, he was looking at his system panel he learned to conjure.
"If I leave, what happens with Anakin, will he become enthralled to the darkside again," he asked his computer assistant mentally.
"It is impossible to calculate imperically. However, based on available data there is a 63% chance that he will eventually become a Sith after you leave."
"Is there anything I can do? I thought if I saved his mother, it would be enough, but it's not." Cyrus was troubled.
Looking at his dashboard, he could see that he had more than earned his rewards, "but is it all about the rewards? These are real people with love and hatreds strengths and weaknesses. I can't leave and hope for the best, I need to save Anakin before I go home!"