Six year old Luke Skywalker hopped out of his uncle's Skyhopper and looked around the streets of Mos Espa. Stormtroopers patrolled the streets asking randomly selected citizens for their papers. Luke looked to his Aunt and Uncle and grinned. He had been asking them to visit the old Pod Racing arena since he first saw an old holo of them on his favorite holoprogram, "Space Racers." Beru saw no harm in taking the boy to see track, it was the only significant piece of history on all of Tatooine. Owen had been strongly against it at first, Mos Espa was a day's journey from Anchor Head and was filled with imperials. He was trying to keep Luke safe from the empire, not lead him into it.
"Look, Uncle Owen, a real Stormtrooper!" Luke said pointing to said Stormtrooper.
The Stormtrooper walked over and looked at the little boy. Most people on Tatooine feared or outright hated them but not this child. The little boy looked up at him with awe.
"What's your name, youngling?" the Stormtrooper asked.
"I'm Luke. Is it true that you're all clones? Uncle Owen said that you're all clones once," Luke said.
"Luke!" Uncle Owen yelled. It's true he had once mentioned that in the old Republic they were all clones and it wouldn't surprise him if they still were but he never expected his nephew to say something like that to an actual Stormtrooper.
The Stormtrooper looked down at the young boy and smiled. "Before you were born the old republic used clones to fight their battles but now only very brave and loyal citizens can sign up to help defend our empire from the rebels. Maybe one day you can sign up to become one too."
Luke looked at the Stormtrooper thoughtfully, "No thank you mister, I wanna be a pilot and see everything!"
"Well, we could always use more pilots too," the Stormtrooper said. Then he looked up at Owen and Beru, "I'm going to need to see your papers if you're planning on going into the old Pod Racing arena, just basic protocol."
"Of course," Beru said as she began to dig through her bag.
Owen swore in huttenese as he dug through his pocket to find his papers. He was starting remember why he didn't want to come in the first place. They found their papers and handed them to the trooper. He looked at the names and noticed the difference.
"Owen and Beru Lars and Luke… Skywalker? I need to know why the difference in names just to make sure he wasn't kidnapped and report this to my higher-ups. I'm sure it's nothing of the sort but it still needs to be put in my report," the Stormtrooper said.
Owen was fuming and if not for Beru speaking up he would have screamed at the trooper. "We are his aunt and uncle on his mother's side. She died giving birth to him off planet and he was sent to live with us after."
"What of the boy's father?" The trooper asked writing down notes on a datapad.
"Dead as well, he died before Luke was even born. A speeder accident," Beru stated.
"And just one more question, his papers don't have the names of his biological parents written on it, just yours. What were their names?" The Stormtrooper asked.
"Excuse me?" Beru said.
"What were the names of his parents," The Stormtrooper asked again.
"They're dead, what does it matter? Let the boy go inside the arena, we clearly haven't kidnapped him. We're the guardians listed on his papers for kriffs sake! Just let us through," Owen yelled. He had finally lost the last bit of his temper.
The Stormtrooper took out his gun, "Sir you need to calm down or I will shoot. Don't make me do it in front of the boy."
Luke looked up to his uncle with big, pleading eyes. Beru held Luke close to her. Just as he was about to scream at the trooper again a blue Toydarian flew into view.
"Lars, is eh that you?" He asked.
"Sir, please step away from this family. We are in the middle of an arrest."
"For-a what eh? These eh are gooda people. Why woulda they be in any trouble eh?" The Tordarian asked.
"For failing to comply with the empire," The Stormtrooper stated, "They refuse to give the names of the boy's parents."
"The boy eh? The boy's parents eh were Beru's sister, no? She's was called Shmi. The father was that no good smugglereh, Grotto," the Toydarian said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"Is this information correct, Mr. Lars?" The Stormtrooper asked.
Owen looked over to the Todarian and suddenly recognized him. "Yes sir it is. Their deaths are still a sore spot for us, I'm sorry for how I reacted," he said, swallowing his pride.
"Very well, now Luke, is your birthday really only two days after Empire day?" The Stormtrooper asked.
"Y-yes, sir," Luke piped up from next to Beru.
"Very good, happy birthday then kid, I hope you never get into this kind of trouble again, I don't want to see you end up in a cell, okay?"
"Yes, sir," Luke said with a bit more confidence this time.
The Trooper walked away from the family and continued to patrol the area. Owen looked to the Toydarian who had helped save Luke's life.
"Why did you do that, Watto? What do you have to gain?" Owen asked.
"Come into my store, eh? We can discuss how you caneh repay me in there," Watto said.
The family explained to Luke that it would be a bit longer until they could go see the pod racing track. Luke just agreed still shaken with the events that just happened. They entered a little junkshop with droid parts and ship pieces scattered everywhere. There was a desk covered in oil and grease. Papers were pouring off of it.
"You're a moister farmer likeh your father. Giveh me twoeh gallons of your water a montheh and we'lleh be even," Watto said.
"That's all, just two gallons a month? No slavery, no giant debt to you, just two gallons of water a month," Owen said.
"Calleh it me repaying a debt. Ieh heard the trooper calleh that boy a Skyehwalker. Hiseh father was a goodeh slave toeh me. Heeh even lookseh like Ani," Watto said looking at the boy.
"Thank you, Watto, this means the world to us," Beru said.
"Eh, I musteh be getting softeh in my oldeh age," Watto said.
The family left the junkshop and entered the streets of Mos Espa. As they disappeared into the crowd Watto took out his comm. He placed in a frequency he knew all too well. As he waited he looked over to the pieces of a broken podracer in the corner of his shop. Ani's podracer. Ani, the slave who somehow won his freedom.
"Hello, this is the imperial line for any information involving sightings of missing persons, wanted criminals, illegal activity, slavery, and Jedi. How may I be of service today?" The automated message said.
"Puteh me on witheh a real person,"Watto said.
"Hello?" a bored voice said on the other line.
"Yeseh, I'd likeh to collect a bounty."
The voice snorted, "Yeah, on who?"
"Skyehwalker."