#'oh but anakin was a slave himself both to watto and then to palpatine'

[antianakin]

The Jedi did not enslave the clones and are not intended to be interpreted as having led a slave army. Anakin Skywalker, however, enslaves an entire galaxy by starting with the clones and is intended to be interpreted as a stone-cold selfish greedy fascist bitch who definitely leads a slave army more than once.

[spell-cleaver]

Luke was still recovering, not yet permitted to leave his bed following what had happened with Palpatine; so one morning, Ahsoka decided to visit him. A bright smile lit up his face at the sight of her. "You know, he...he still won't tell me anything," said the Emperor. "My father. About who he was. You...would you be able to...?" His voice trailed off uncertainly. But Ahsoka smiled. "Of course, Luke," she said. "What would you like to know?"

Previous parts on the masterpost here!

Luke was still recovering, not yet permitted to leave his bed following what had happened with Palpatine; so one morning, Ahsoka decided to visit him. A bright smile lit up his face at the sight of her.

"You know, he...he still won't tell me anything," said the Emperor. Vader had visited several times while Luke was bedridden, but he was as reluctant to talk as ever. "My father. About who he was. You...would you be able to...?"

His voice trailed off uncertainly. But Ahsoka smiled.

"Of course, Luke," she said. "What would you like to know?"

He paused, before he could even formulate a question, then said, "The good."

He knew so much bad. He knew some of the good now, too, at the heart of it.

But if his father had once been the heroic Anakin Skywalker, he wanted to hear the good.

She smiled. "He was a brilliant master," she said. "He was nice, patient—alright," she wrinkled her nose at his sceptical look, while Luke laughed, and she tapped her knee, "he wasn't extremely patient. But he made sure to teach me everything he knew, he supported me always, and one time when I was captured by Trandoshans... I survived because of his training. When I left the Jedi Order, I survived because of his training. And even when I didn't need him, anymore, he was still there for me."

Luke stared at her. She wasn't looking at him, anymore; she was looking at something in the distance, in the distant past.

"He was always passionate. And his relationship with Padmé... he was always far more intense about her than anyone else I'd seen him with; I probably should've guessed about the two of them earlier. But he cared deeply about his friends—the clones, Rex, Cody... He was a great warrior, famous the holonet over, but that was what surprised people: how kind he was. He looked out for us until the end."

Luke didn't think he was ready to ask what had happened in the end, because, "His relationship with Ben...?"

Ahsoka smiled. "They were both like fathers to me. Or uncles. Or bickering older brothers—the Jedi didn't need specific terms for that sort of mentor figure, so I can't pin it down for you, I'm afraid. But I loved them and they loved me, and they loved each other greatly. They looked out for each other. They were the team."

She didn't volunteer what had happened.

Luke didn't ask.

Instead, he dug deeper—

"I heard he was from Tatooine?" He'd heard that he was from Tatooine, too, according to Nova. He was from Tatooine, had been raised there for a few months by— "That... that he had a stepbrother there?"

Ahsoka pinched her lips. "Old sins cast long shadows," she murmured. "I don't know the details of what it was like for him, living on Tatooine."

"He met my mother there."

"And Obi-Wan. They knew what his early life was like, but I didn't meet him until ten years later."

Luke frowned, hugging his bantha tighter to him—he wondered, now that he thought about it, whether there was a reason that Nova had given him a bantha for Tatooine, and a shaak for Naboo. "So I'll have to ask Father himself about that?" He... already knew that he likely wouldn't get answers, there.

Ahsoka tilted her head. "You could," she admitted. "Or you could ask someone else about your father. It never hurts to get a more even view of a person."

Luke frowned. "Who should I ask? Ben's gone."

Ahsoka just pulled out a comlink. "He doesn't have to be here to answer a few questions, does he?"

Luke's face split in a smile, and he laughed lightly. "No," he supposed, "no, he doesn't."

Ahsoka punched in a frequency and then it answered almost immediately, Ben's blue head and shoulders projected just above Ahsoka's palm.

"Ahsoka," Ben said, warmly but stiffly. "Has Vader changed his mind? What's the situation—"

Ahsoka just handed the comlink to Luke, who met Ben's eye.

"—oh."

"I... wanted to ask." Luke gnawed on his bottom lip. "You knew my father for years, ever since he lived on Tatooine. I wanted to ask you about his life on Tatooine, or what you know about it—is it a sensitive subject? I... I really want to know, I grew up on Tatooine for a while, but he's never answered any questions before and I don't want to upset him." And he wanted to know! His father would forgive him that, right?

Ben relaxed. "Ah, I understand. That is fair enough, little one." He folded his hands in his lap. "I didn't see Anakin on Tatooine. I was travelling with your mother when we had to land there for emergency repairs and she, my master—Qui-Gon Jinn—and a Gungan who was travelling with us as well went out to investigate the area. When they returned, it was with a nine year old boy whose strength in the Force was overwhelming. He was the kindest boy I had ever met—until I met you, of course," he added generously, and Luke flushed, "—and when Qui-Gon regrettably died, I took it upon myself to train him.

"But Anakin's childhood was... difficult. He and his mother were sold to Gardulla the Hutt, then she lost them to a Toydarian named Watto, and then Qui-Gon managed to free him but not his mother, and the separation haunts him to this day, I have no doubt. He—"

"Wait," Luke said. "Sold?"

Ben nodded. "They were not kind masters."

Master.

Sold.

Luke... Luke knew what that meant.

But how? How had his father, who'd willingly served Palpatine, who was the most powerful person in the galaxy—

He'd been a slave?

Beginning | Previous | Next

[padawanlost]

I love Anakin but sometimes I feel like I’m too dumb to understand the complexities of his character lol. One thing I was thinking about is how Anakin is clearly disenfranchised with the Republic (like how he says the system doesn’t work in AOTC). So how come he stresses how important his loyalty is to the Republic in ROTS, (like how when Padmé suggests the republic is corrupt he immediately retaliates and says she sounds like a separatist)?

You’re not dumb, anon. I promise you. Anakin’s story is complicated because it’s spread over decades of content. There was only so much they could explore in the movies and not everything translate well to the scream. Inner monologues sometimes are better left for the pages. And that’s exactly where that part of Anakin is explore. 

When the war was over he’d go back to Tatooine and see. When the war was over he’d buy any child he found enslaved to Watto and find them a home where they might live and love in safety. Belonging to no one but themselves. I should have done it before now. Wasn’t that my other childhood dream? Become a Jedi and free the slaves. Instead I became a Jedi and let myself forget. Let them convince me that it’s not our job to remake the Republic. The Jedi were keepers of the peace, not legal enforcers. That was the Senate’s job. How many times had he been told that? He’d lost count. But the Senate was falling down on the job, wasn’t it? What was the use of having anti-slavery laws if the barves who broke them never paid for their crimes? It was enough to shake his hard-won and harder-kept faith. If scum like Watto and Jabba and the other Hutts kept on making their fat profits on the backs of living property—and if the Senate continued to turn a blind eye—how could anyone believe in the Republic? How could he? Padmé says she understands, but she hasn’t pushed for a Senate hearing. And Palpatine—he’s promised he’ll tackle the problem but nothing’s been done. It’s too political. Too corrupt. Too complicated. There are credits in slavery—and credits trump justice. Always have. Always will. And the Jedi? They didn’t want to get involved. Even Qui-Gon …[Karen Miller. Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

Anakin is loyal to the Republic because he’s an extremely loyal person and because that’s what he was taught for over 10 years of his life. He was rescued from slavery by the Jedi, the great, heroic protectors of the Republic and, as a kid who dreamed about becoming a Jedi, of course he would want to do the same. Anakin also daydreamed about saving people, as a Jedi, and part of him associated the three. In his mind being part of the Jedi Order = being part of the Republic = saving people. 

But Anakin wasn’t a blind loyalist, as evidenced in AOTC. Anakin is fully aware the Republic is broken and people are suffering for it but, after years of being told there was nothing he could, he kind of resigned himself to the fact and accepted the Republic was ‘the best they got’. 

At the same time, because he was so loyal to people around him, he couldn’t accept the Republic was broken because then what was he fighting for? He needed to justify all the suffering around him and he chose to believe the was fighting a righteous cause. That’s why he reacted so badly to Padme´s words:

“What if the democracy we’re fighting for no longer exists? What if the Republic itself has become the very evil we’ve been fighting to destroy?” “Oh, this again.” Anakin irritably waved off her words. “I’ve been hearing that garbage ever since Geonosis. I never thought I’d hear it from you.” “A few seconds ago you were saying almost the same thing!” “Where would the Republic be without Palpatine?” “I don’t know,” she said. “But I’m not sure it would be worse than where we are.” All the danger, all the suffering, all the killing, all my friends who gave their lives—? All for nothing—? [Matthew Stover. Revenge of the Sith]

Anakin wasn’t fighting out loyalty for the Republic, he was in it for his friends, for Obi-wan, for Ahsoka, for the clones and for the innocents he always wanted to save. 

It was okay; they’d always told him so. He was fighting to save his men, and if he did terrible things out of compassion, out of love, then he wasn’t turning to the dark side. That was the Jedi way. For my mother. For my men. For Padmé. [Karen Traviss. The Clone Wars]

Anakin tightened his belt and felt for his lightsaber. They had to pull this off. His feelings about Hutts didn’t matter. It wasn’t about the kid; it was about his men, the Grand Army, about getting the war won and over with. He focused on that. The troopers were now lined up at both hatches. [Karen Traviss. The Clone Wars]

“For Anakin,” Obi-Wan said at length, “there is nothing more important than friendship. He is the most loyal man I have ever met—loyal beyond reason, in fact. Despite all I have tried to teach him about the sacrifices that are the heart of being a Jedi, he—he will never, I think, truly understand.” […] Obi-Wan guessed they were remembering the times Anakin had violated orders—the times he had put at risk entire operations, the lives of thousands, the control of whole planetary systems—to save a friend. More than once, in fact, to save Obi-Wan. “I think,” Obi-Wan said carefully, “that abstractions like peace don’t mean much to him. He’s loyal to people, not to principles. And he expects loyalty in return. He will stop at nothing to save me, for example, because he thinks I would do the same for him.”[Matthew Stover. Revenge of the Sith]

Another person Anakin was blindly loyal to was Palpatine and Padmé’s doubts about the Republic triggered him because it meant Palpatine was somehow in the wrong.

He bit down on his temper. “Everybody complains about Palpatine having too much power, but nobody offers a better alternative. Who should be running the war? The Senate? You’re in the Senate, you know those people—how many of them do you trust?” “All I know is that things are going wrong here. Our government is headed in exactly the wrong direction. You know it, too—you just said so!” “I didn’t mean that. I just—I’m tired of this, that’s all. This political garbage. Sometimes I’d rather just be back out on the front lines. At least out there, I know who the bad guys are.” [Matthew Stover. Revenge of the Sith]

Of course, Anakin wasn’t exactly stable at the time and definitely influenced his reaction.

[amorremanet]

anakin was allowed to have feelings au

the “send me an au, and i’ll give you 5+ headcanons about it” game

So, this tiny kid from Middle Of Fuck-Off Nowhere, Tatooine gets abruptly freed from slavery and trotted out to Coruscant, hauled up in front of the Jedi Council, and practically interrogated (which may not have been the Council’s intention, but that’s how it feels to Anakin, especially since his experience with authority figures has, until recently, been limited to Watto treating him like shit because he’s a slave and Watto is awful).

Despite Anakin’s attempts at acting like he’s fine (because Jedi are supposed to be Cool and Collected and have their shit together), Yoda still senses much fear in him.

“Perhaps that is not the boy’s fault,” says Mace Windu. “Perhaps we have made him feel as though he has cause for fear. What is troubling you, young Skywalker?”

Anakin opens up about how he’s afraid for Shmi’s wellbeing, since she’s back on Tatooine and still a slave, and how he doesn’t want to cause trouble and he really doesn’t want to let Master Qui-Gon down or prove that Obi-Wan is right to be distrustful of Master Qui-Gon’s apparent habit of collecting strays. (He notices that Master Windu facepalms, but has no idea what to make of it.)

“You are not a stray, young Skywalker,” says Ki Adi Mundi. “It is understandable that you feel ill at ease here, but you have been brought here to learn, not to be judged morally. We only wish to know how we can best help you.”

(After they’re done there and the Council goes in to deliberate, Anakin asks Obi-Wan why Master Windu facepalmed, and Obi-Wan just sighs because he doesn’t know the best way to explain that his Master’s husband is exasperated with Qui-Gon because he seriously tries to adopt anything he feels even remotely sorry for, not just tiny humans with outrageous midichlorian counts or Gungans who follow him home.)

There isn’t any nonsense about how Anakin can’t be trained because he has feelings; instead, the concern is that he’ll be too far behind if they put him in the field with Qui-Gon right away but feel too awkward to learn if they put him at the Temple with the younglings. Qui-Gon has Obi-Wan go do the trials so he can train Anakin, because he does a thing called what he wants. Then, Darth Maul does what he wants all over Qui-Gon’s ability to be alive.

“But Master Kenobi, what’s going to happen to me?” Anakin asks at Qui-Gon’s funeral.

“What are you so afraid of?” says Obi-Wan, gently, kneeling so he can get on Anakin’s level instead of talking down to him. “You don’t need to act like you aren’t frightened, Anakin. The Council will find someone to teach you. It is what Qui-Gon would have wanted, and they have made the promise to train you.”

“But Master Yoda hates me,” says Anakin. “He was against letting Master Qui-Gon train me. What if he sends me back to the Jedi Temple, to train with the younglings?”

“Then it does not mean that you have failed.” Obi-Wan gently squeezes Anakin’s shoulder. “The Council will only send you there if they think it is what best suits your needs.”

The Council still lets Obi-Wan take Anakin as a padawan, but only as long as he keeps in touch with Master Windu, who would take on his late husband’s new padawan himself, but he has too many duties to the Council.

Anakin starts having nightmares about Shmi being in pain and even dying. He vocalizes how terrified he is, because he has increasingly learned to be open about his feelings, and he tells Obi-Wan how vivid the dreams are, because Anakin has come of age in an emotionally supportive environment, not an emotionally repressive one.

Obi-Wan sends word to Master Windu because Anakin’s dreams sound way too vivid for it to be natural. Sure enough, having an outrageous midichlorian count and being so adept with the Force can make you experience dreams about things that are actually happening

—not things that are yet to come, mind. Premonitions aren’t real, and the Jedi Council largely regards anything that looks like them with suspicion.

But dreams of things that are actually happening? Those aren’t uncommon among powerful Force-sensitives. So, Mace, Obi-Wan, and Anakin go out to Tatooine, and they save Shmi without any mass murder of Tusken raiders.

“Anakin…… You are staring at the Senator again.”

“*blushes* shut up obi-wan i am not that’s stupid you’re stupid”

“You and Senator Amidala unearthed Count Dooku’s treachery together. You both fought bravely in the battle, and she spoke very highly of you in all of her reports to the Council and the Senate. You are allowed to go talk to her.”

“*blushes even more* stop it obi-wan why are you doing this”

“Well, why are you so embarrassed. The Senator likes you very much. You should go and—”

“I AM NOT EMBARRASSED I’M CONFUSED GOD OBI-WAN YOU ARE SO STUPID”

“*needs to take a moment because okay, that was LOUD, what the fuck, Anakin, use your inside voice* ……Alright, well. Why are you feeling confused.”

“*looks like an adorable tomato, that’s how red he is* Because Master Windu asked if I was having an affair with you or with Padmé, and I’m not having either affair, and don’t know which idea I like more”

“…Oh. ………Ohhhhhhhh. ………………Oh, my. *bluuuuushes*”

Fortunately, polyamory is not that uncommon in this AU.

Mace Windu is, however, totally exasperated by the time the, “I do”s eventually end up being traded, because Obi-Wan is the most high-strung groomzilla ever, and neither Anakin nor Padmé will actually do anything to rein him in because they think it’s cute when he does that

Padmé gets pregnant and the babies are definitely Anakin’s (thank you, genetic testing). Anakin starts having nightmares about her dying in childbirth that are too vivid to be non-Force-related anxiety dreams about how he’s going to be a father.

However, because Obi-Wan and Padmé have read up on premonitions, after the incident with Shmi getting kidnapped, they know that premonitions are not real and deduce that Anakin’s dreams are being manipulated by someone — possibly the Sith Lord they’ve all been looking for.

Yoda stops being an annoying and overly conservative pain in the ass for long enough to teach Anakin some reverse dream manipulation and lucid dreaming shit.

Palpatine gets unmasked as the Sith Lord, removed from power and publicly disgraced, and eventually executed for high treason against the Galactic Republic.

Luke and Leia have two daddies, two mommies because Padmé also has a Thing with Sabé, one awesome grandpa, one awesome grandma and her moisture farmer husband, awesome Aunt Ahsoka Tano, Cool Uncle Bail Organa, an annoying green muppet who follows their Grandpa Mace around and speaks in cryptic word-twisted nonsense, and Grandpa Qui-Gon, who is a Force ghost

And everything is wonderful and nothing hurts, all because the Jedi Order decided not to be emotionally unhealthy and full of shit

[padawanlost]

I thought it was less ‘choosing not to talk about it’ and more ‘the Jedi want him to disconnect from his past and won’t let him talk about it’ or am i misremembering?

It’s both. Anakin’s ‘I don’t want to talk about my past’ behavior is a result of his inability to express himself without being reprimanded and his unwillingness to face his trauma. When he was a kid Anakin was pretty open about his thoughts and feelings. The isolation he experience as an adult was a learned behavior. Anakin was always proud and refused to allow his slave status to be used against him, something he learned from Shmi.  But he wasn’t ashamed of it either. He openly talked about his past with complete strangers when he was a kid.

They sat down to eat Shmi’s dinner a short while after, the storm still howling without, an eerie backdrop of sound against the silence within. Qui-Gon and Padmé occupied the ends of the table, while Anakin, Jar Jar, and Shmi sat at its sides. Anakin, in the way of small boys, began talking about life as a slave, in no way embarrassed to be doing so, thinking of it only as a fact of his life and anxious to share himself with his new friends. Shmi, more protective of her son’s station, was making an effort to help their guests appreciate the severity of their situation. [Terry Brooks. The Phantom Menace]

There was a moment of awkward silence, and then Anakin replied, “Yes, Master.” Obi-Wan wasn’t sure, but he thought he detected a hint of resentment in Anakin’s voice. He hadn’t considered that Anakin, because of his experience on Tatooine, might be sensitive to calling anyone Master. Obi-Wan sighed, then said, “Please don’t think it gives me pleasure to admonish you, Padawan. I can only imagine what it was like for you to grow up as a slave, and I —” “Do you ever miss your mother?” Anakin interrupted. The question caught Obi-Wan off guard, but he recovered fast to answer, “No. No, I don’t. I never knew her, not really. I was still an infant when I arrived here, at the Temple.” “Then maybe we can make a deal,” Anakin said, and Obi-Wan could tell that the boy was trying to keep his voice from trembling. “You won’t feel sorry for me because I was once a slave, and I won’t feel sorry for you because you don’t miss your mother.” [Ryder Windham. The Life and Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi]

Fear, hatred, anger. . The old trio Anakin fought every day of his life, though he revealed his deepest emotions to only one man: Obi-Wan Kenobi, his master in the Jedi Temple. The Blood Carver stooped slightly on his three-jointed legs. "You smell like a slave," he said softly, for Anakin's ears alone. It was all Anakin could do to keep from throwing off his wings and going for the Blood Carver's long throat. He swal lowed his emotions down into a private cold place and stored them with the other dark things left over from Tatooine. The Blood Carver was on target with his insult, which stiffened Anakin's anger and made it harder to control himself. Both he and his mother, Shmi, had been slaves to the supercilious junk dealer, Watto. When the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn had won him from Watto, they had had to leave Shmi behind. . something Anakin thought about every day of his life. [Greg Bear. Rogue Planet]

The Blood Carver was not helping. His irritation at the delay was apparently being channeled into ragging the human boy at his side, and Anakin was soon going to have to put up some sort of defense to show he was not just a stage prop. "I hate the smell of a slave," the Blood Carver said. "I wish you'd stop saying that," Anakin said. The closest thing he had to a weapon was his small welder, pitiful under the circumstances. The Blood Carver outmassed him by many tens of kilos."I refuse to compete with a lower order of being, a slave. It brings disgrace upon my people, and upon we." "What makes you think I'm a slave?" Anakin asked as mildly as he could manage and not appear even more vulnerable. [Greg Bear. Rogue Planet]

The Blood Carver had hurt Obi-Wan, threatened Jabitha, called Anakin a slave. For these things there was no possible redemption. [...] "What will you do, slave boy?"  It was the connection Anakin had sought, the link between his anger and his power. Like a switch being thrown, a circuit being connected, he returned full circle to the pit race, to the sting he had felt with the Blood Carver's first insult, with the first unfair and sneaky move that had sent Anakin tumbling off the apron. Then, back farther, to the dingy slave quarters on Tatooine, to the Boonta Eve Podrace and the treachery of the Dug, and to the last sight of Shmi, still in bondage to the disgusting Watto, to all the insults and injuries and shames and night sweats and disgrace piled upon disgrace that he had never asked for, never deserved, and had borne with almost infinite patience.[Greg Bear. Rogue Planet]

Obi-Wan could not reassure Anakin that his words were spoken out of haste. He was worried about the effect of this mission on Anakin. If they did engage with Krayn, Anakin's deepest emotions would be tapped. Obi-Wan knew his Padawan had not begun to truly deal with the years of shame and anger he had passed as a slave. Someday he would confront this. Obi-Wan fervently wished that day to be in the future, after Anakin had honed his training. Yet he had the feeling that this was exactly why Mace Windu and Yoda had chosen them. It was not the first time Obi-Wan had suspected the Council of being too harsh. [Jude Watson. Path to Truth]

"The planet's leader, Aga Culpa, has made an agreement with Krayn that its people will remain free in exchange for Krayn's control of the factories," Mazie explained. "There is not much honest work on Nar Shaddaa, and the guards are well paid. So tell me, how do you come to be here? Is this your first experience as a slave?" "I was free when I was captured, but I was raised as a slave on Tatooine," Anakin said. [Jude Watson. Book 01 - Path to Truth]

"Lying again," Deland said to Anakin. "No human can be a Podracer." "One was," Doby said. "A human child. A slave. He won his freedom, and after the race he disappeared. His name was — " "Anakin Skywalker," Anakin supplied. "Pleased to meet you." "Now you're a Jedi?" Doby asked in disbelief. "And you were a slave?" "It's a strange galaxy," Anakin said with a grin. [...] "I'm sorry that your sister is a slave," Anakin said. "Do you know Shmi, my mother? She's a slave, too. Or she was, when I saw her last." [Jude Watson. Dangerous Games]

Unfortunately, over the years Anakin became more private about his feelings.  You can see the difference between his interactions with stranges and with Jedi. He was much more open about his past with people he didn’t know. And that’s not an accident. It was a change even Obi-wan noticed.

When they’d met, Anakin had been a warm-hearted nine-year-old boy with an open nature. He was twelve and a half now, and the years had changed him. He had grown to be a boy who hid his heart. [Jedi Apprentice Special Edition: Deceptions by Jude Watson]

Obi-Wan crouched by him. “This isn’t work, Anakin. It’s a hobby. And if you are using it to keep distance between you and your fellow students, it’s not a helpful one.” [...] “They don’t want me,” Anakin said flatly. He walked over and slung the legs of the protocol droid under one arm. “I’m not like them.”  Obi-Wan couldn’t argue. Anakin was unique. There was no question about that. He was an exceptional student, much more in tune with the Force than others his age. He had come late to the Temple. It wasn’t that the other students disliked him, they just didn’t know what to make of him. [Jedi Apprentice Special Edition: Deceptions by Jude Watson]

When did it happen? Obi-Wan wondered again. Why did it happen? Was it the loss of his mother, followed so closely by the death of Qui-Gon? Obi-Wan could not replace those people in Anakin’s heart, nor did he wish to. He had hoped that with Jedi training and their own relationship, Anakin would come to find peace. He had not. [Jedi Apprentice Special Edition: Deceptions by Jude Watson]

Anakin’s inability to talk about his past was something Obi-wan recognized as ‘damage’.

[...] Obi-Wan stifled a sigh. Oh Anakin. This was about his childhood. Again. About the indelible fingerprints slavery had left on his soul and his psyche. Qui-Gon, did you never once stop to think of that? Did it never occur to you the damage might run too deep? “Anakin—” Anakin flicked him a frustrated look. “I know you think you understand. I know you want to understand. But if you haven’t lived it, Obi-Wan, you can’t. And you never will.” They really shouldn’t be talking. Even keeping their voices low almost to whispering, it was dangerous. But if he shut down the conversation now, if he refused to hear what Anakin had to say, he’d pile damage upon damage. [Karen Miller. Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

Anakin was hurt by his past and his inability and unwillingness to openly discuss it was harming him. And, as we can see above, that didn’t happen naturally. It was the result of years of jedi training (and bullying). 

“Thank you, sir,” Anakin said in a quiet voice. Palpatine interlinked the fingers of his hands. “I’m told that you grew up on Tatooine. I visited there, many years ago.” Anakin’s eyes narrowed for the briefest moment. “I did, sir, but I’m not supposed to talk about that.” Palpatine watched him glance up at Obi-Wan. “And why is that?” “My mother—” “Anakin,” Obi-Wan snapped in reprimand. [James Luceno. Darth Plagueis]

But Anakin is not aware of that. As a character he can’t be that self-aware. So he rationalizes it as a behavior he chose. It’s much easier for him to admit he can’t talk about something because it might hurt than it’s to admit the tragedy of his life. After 10 years of burying the trauma from slavery from the Jedi in his life, it’s only nature he’d hide it from Ahsoka too.

[padawanlost]

Sorry I don’t have a tumblr or I’d respond directly. Re: Young anakin being returned to Tatooine, I don’t wholly disagree with you but I do think the council would be in a stickier situation that the one you described. If I’m wrong about any lore, I’d love for you to let me know. I’m pretty sure the Jedi are officially very against slavery, and rogue Qui-Gon as per usual put them in a pickle when he, technically, bought a child slave as a representative of the Jedi Order. (cont’d)

(cont’d 2) Legally Shmi had no claim on Anakin to begin with. Selling her with her child seems to be considered a courtesy on Tatooine; Watto has no problem splitting them up. He feels bad about it in the comics, but like, he does it. Returning Anakin to his mother would effectively, legally be returning him to his slave owner, which I’m sure everyone on the council would feel strongly against. It would also reflect badly on the Jedi Order. (cont’d)   

(cont’d 2) Legally Shmi had no claim on Anakin to begin with. Selling her with her child seems to be considered a courtesy on Tatooine; Watto has no problem splitting them up. He feels bad about it in the comics, but like, he does it. Returning Anakin to his mother would effectively, legally be returning him to his slave owner, which I’m sure everyone on the council would feel strongly against. It would also reflect badly on the Jedi Order. (cont’d)

(Anakin Tatooine anon) Sorry about the long message, hope it makes sense. Very nervous about sending it in lol, so for the record, I mean no disrespect & good vibes only!            

Hey!!! Don’t worry, it’s okay. I totally get where you are coming from :)As from where I get the idea that they would return Anakin to Tatooine, it’s from Dooku.

“Nine years old,” Palpatine said when he could. “Surely too old to be trained.” “If the Council shows any sense.” “And what will become of the boy then?” Dooku’s shoulders heaved. “Though no longer a slave, he will probably be sent to rejoin his mother on Tatooine.” [James Luceno. Darth Plagueis]

This is before Dooku left the Order and became a sith, so here he still has inside information on the Council’s decisions and knew exactly how they operated. he knew enough of the Jedi Order to guess what they would probably do with a force-sensitive too old to train. We also know that the rule was to NOT to bring any force-sensitive too old to train back to Coruscant. All the kids they found should be left where they were found:

There was a deep, aching regret in the child’s voice. Looking at her, Taria realized Greti understood she was trapped here. For a moment she was furious with Obi-Wan, for waking the girl’s potential when he knew he’d have to leave her behind. And then she sighed. [Karen Miller. Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Siege]

We also saw it happened to Anakin and Ventress, who were both deemed too old to be trained and, in her case, she was not welcomed to Coruscant even though she was living on a planet plagued by crime, slavery and poverty. Anakin was the exception, not the rule. Force-sensitives found too old to be trained were left where they were found, they weren’t rescued. The only other force-sensitive they “rescued” was Baby Ludi but she was still an infant, therefore, not too old to trained (and we all know what a shitshow that was)

As for the jedi being very against slavery…nope! On paper, yes they condemned it but in reality they did very very little to fight slavery. In fact, the two times the Jedi Order disrupted major slavery rings was because Anakin got personally involved and broke a few rules.

I should have done it before now. Wasn’t that my other childhood dream? Become a Jedi and free the slaves. Instead I became a Jedi and let myself forget. Let them convince me that it’s not our job to remake the Republic. The Jedi were keepers of the peace, not legal enforcers. That was the Senate’s job. How many times had he been told that? He’d lost count. But the Senate was falling down on the job, wasn’t it? What was the use of having anti-slavery laws if the barves who broke them never paid for their crimes? It was enough to shake his hard-won and harder-kept faith. If scum like Watto and Jabba and the other Hutts kept on making their fat profits on the backs of living property—and if the Senate continued to turn a blind eye—how could anyone believe in the Republic? How could he? Padmé says she understands, but she hasn’t pushed for a Senate hearing. And Palpatine—he’s promised he’ll tackle the problem but nothing’s been done. It’s too political. Too corrupt. Too complicated. There are credits in slavery—and credits trump justice. Always have. Always will. And the Jedi? They didn’t want to get involved. Even Qui-Gon… Karen Miller. Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth

“I am Condi, from the planet Zoraster. I am not a pirate. I am a slave. As are my companions. Stolen from our home worlds by Krayn. Under penalty of death, we have been assigned guard duty aboard the ship.” Condi looked at him eagerly. >“Thank the moons and stars, we have rescue in our grasp at last.” Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber. The naked desperation on Condi’s face unnerved him. It was mirrored in the faces of his companions. All of them had obviously suffered great deprivations. “I am sorry,” he said. “I have not come on a rescue mission.” Condi’s face fell, then brightened. “But you can take us with you. We will help you fight.” “I cannot.” Obi-Wan felt these two words were the most difficult he had ever said. “I have only a small ship, big enough for me and my companion.” He wanted to promise them he would return, but how could he make that promise? If he got off the ship safely with Anakin, Krayn would be gone. The ship could hide anywhere in the galaxy. He believed too strongly in a Jedi promise to make one he did not know if he could fulfill. [Jude Watson. Path to Truth]

Beside him, Anakin muttered something. Not in Basic. His outrage was palpable, a red shimmer in the Force. Oh no. Not now. “Anakin …” “Look at them!” Anakin retorted, low-voiced. “They’ve been turned into slaves!” “I know. It’s irrelevant Focus on why we’re here.” [Karen Miller. Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

Anakin looked uncomfortable. “If they win, they free their sister. She’s a slave.” “I see.” Obi-Wan nodded at the two brothers. “I wish you good luck. Anakin, may I speak with you a moment?” He drew Anakin aside. “You know this is wrong,” he told his Padawan with a frown. “I’m sure you are helping for the right reasons. But this is not our mission. We have more important things to do. And may I remind you that Podracing is illegal?” [Jude Watson.Dangerous Games]

“We have more important things to do” that’s the usual jedi take on the subject of slavery. Something else always took precedence and they only acted after they got themselves trapped in the mess. They took no measures against it unless it directly affected Republic’s interests. And the fact Tatooine was ruled by slavers would be considered irrelevant when compared to the Order/Republic’s best interests, as we saw it clearly when they sacrificed a lot of man power and resources to rescue ONE child that happened to be a slaver’s son.

So, no, I don’t believe they would show much concern for Anakin’s situation if he were to be returned to Tatooine. Hell, they were fine with Luke – their last hope – growing up there and were quite dismissed of how it traumatized Anakin (someone who they watch struggled with those traumas for years):

“As close to kinfolk as the boy can come,” Yoda said approvingly. “But Tatooine, not like Alderaan it is—deep in the Outer Rim, a wild and dangerous planet.” “Anakin survived it,” Obi-Wan said. “Luke can, too. And I can—well, I could take him there, and watch over him. Protect him from the worst of the planet’s dangers, until he can learn to protect himself.” [Matthew Stover. Revenge of the Sith]

Yes, Shmi had no legal claim over Anakin but to take a kid from his mother by promising you would take care of him and them put him somewhere else for adoption is cruel. Especially after recognizing Anakin’s bond to his mother.

And, as far as orphanages go, it seems the GFFA doesn’t really have them. The only mentions of them I could find in the original canon were from one game. Considering the amount of kids that end up with or as criminals, I’d say the GFFA doesn’t have the best child protection laws and agencies. Even if they had an orphanage in Coruscant or Naboo, again, leaving Anakin in one without Shmi’s knowledge would be cruel. And if that were to happen, I don’t see Padmé making such donation. Not because she’s selfish, but because she unaware of how daily life works when you are not a happy Naboo. In her mind, as long as the government is working, everything is fine. I mean, if Anakin is in a government-run place and the government has a budget for it, he’d probably be fine, right?

Padmé trusts the Jedi. She has no reason to believe they wouldn’t put a child’s interests ahead of their own. That’s why she never checked on him after the Battle of Naboo in canon. He was with the Jedi so he was fine.Also, we can’t forget Padmé was a 14 years old girl who had a planet to rebuild. It’s not fair to put this on her, Anakin was never her responsibility nor should he be. When I remove Padmé from the situation, it’s not because I think her bad or selfish but because she’s a kid and, realistic, not old enough to understand what it took to raise a kid and definitely not experienced enough to feel responsible for the well-being of another child. If the much older and wiser Jedi – the peacekeepers of the galaxy – tell you they will take care of the kid, you believe them. At that point, she would have no reason to double check their efforts and, realistically, all that excludes the possibility of her doing anything beyond showing her gratitude.

PS: thanks so much for sending an ask even though you don’t have a blog. wow! how cool!