Author's Notes: "Sandstorm" is the latest in a post-RotJ AU series. The
links to the previous stories are in my profile, but all you really need to
know is that Anakin survived the Battle of Endor.
He's been healed of all his injuries and accepted by his family and by most people in society. He and Luke are Jedi Masters. They came to Coruscant to celebrate the holidays with Leia and Han, but now are about to take on a mission to Tatooine.
Accompanying them are Owen and Beru Lars, who have been freed from the Imperial prison camp where they were taken after resisting questioning about two droids they had purchased.
Now they are all heading back to their home planet to try to negotiate peace in a new uprising between the settlers and the Tusken Raiders, but what seems to be a routine mission will take a devestating turn and nearly destroy the Skywalker clan.
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to George Lucas. I write for fun, not money.
Sandstorm Part 1
"Come on, Uncle Owen. Don't be a stick in the mud. We won't be out that late, and it is our last night on Coruscant," Luke cajoled.
Owen frowned at him. "All the more reason we should stay in and get a good night's sleep. It'll be a long trip to Naboo."
Luke tried to keep from sighing in exasperation as he studied his uncle's grumpy expression. His uncle had never been one for social gatherings, and Luke didn't really expect him to change now, but still, it would be the last chance for the whole Skywalker clan to be together for some time.
Luke, his father, and his aunt and uncle planned to leave for Naboo early the next morning. Anakin and Luke had arrived on Coruscant several weeks earlier to spend Christmas with Leia and Han, and while visiting newly freed inmates from a former Imperial prison camp, Luke had been miraculously reunited with Owen and Beru. The past couple of weeks had been interesting, to say the least, as his two families grew acquainted with one another. Owen and Beru still found it hard to believe how circumstances had changed since they and Luke had lived simple lives on their Tatooine moisture farm.
And they still found it difficult to accept his father. Anakin had indirectly been responsible for many of the hardships the Lars had suffered in the past few years. He had been the one who'd sent stormtroopers to search for the droids on Tatooine so long ago, and those same troopers had unfairly imprisoned Owen and Beru, and burned down the homestead.
But they could forgive him for that. It was because Anakin had once hurt their beloved nephew that they resented him. Luke may have forgiven Anakin, but Owen and Beru were still struggling. They were trying to forgive, because Luke wanted them to, but they hadn't completely accepted Anakin yet.
Luke hoped that the tension would ease in time. Especially if his guardians came to live with them on Naboo. He was having a house built for them near the lake retreat and he hoped that when they saw it and the beautiful planet where he and his father now lived, they would agree to stay. Owen and Beru had never had easy lives, struggling to eke out an existence on the barren desert world where they'd been born, and Luke wanted them to be able to relax and enjoy themselves now.
And he wanted to be near them. For the past four years he'd thought they were dead, that he'd lost them and would never be able to thank them for raising him, never be able to tell them again that he loved them. Now that they were all together again, Luke wanted them close by.
Owen and Beru weren't sure yet what they wanted to do with the rest of their lives. They wanted to live close to Luke, too, but Tatooine was the only home they'd ever known. Harsh as it was, they'd never thought about leaving. They weren't the adventurous sort.
But the Lars had agreed to at least visit Naboo, and now that the holidays were over, Luke and Anakin were planning to head back to their Jedi Academy and continue working with their padawans. Owen and Beru were going to accompany them and stay for a few weeks before making a decision about whether or not to live there.
Luke was looking forward to returning to Naboo. He enjoyed training the padawans and he loved his mother's peaceful homeworld. Now that the anti- Jedi terrorists who had caused so much trouble were gone, and the new lake retreat was completed, they could settle back down into a quiet routine.
The only drawback was that Leia and Han wouldn't be there. Leia was the Vice-Chancellor and Han was in charge of the New Republic Flight Academy. Their lives were on Coruscant. Luke always missed them terribly when they were apart-he wished the entire clan could live together-and the separation would probably last for some weeks. Leia and Han had missed a lot of work lately, with their honeymoon, getting involved with the terrorist investigation on Naboo, and then having time off for the holidays. They wouldn't be able to take a vacation for a long time.
So the Skywalkers and the Solos had planned to go out to dinner tonight- their last night together for a while-and Luke wanted his aunt and uncle to come along as well. Beru eagerly agreed. Eating out, shopping, visiting museums and theaters were all new experiences for her, and ones that she was quickly learning to enjoy. But Owen was reluctant. He preferred staying in to going out, and so far he had countered every argument Luke could think of to convince him. But Luke still had one card up his sleeve. He looked over at the foyer where the rest of the family was waiting, and said regretfully, "Aunt Beru's going to be disappointed. She really wants to go out, and tonight may be the last time we can for a while."
Owen just looked at him for a long moment, then sighed and said, "All right, all right. Where's my coat?"
Luke grinned at him, and Owen added grumpily, "You needn't look so pleased with yourself. We'll all be exhausted tomorrow."
But once they were at the restaurant-a cozy family establishment that served a variety of favorite dishes from across the galaxy-even Owen seemed to be having a good time.
"I haven't had good dustcrepes since we lost the farm," he remarked as they were finishing up.
"The Corellian stew wasn't bad either," Han agreed.
Leia wrinkled her nose. "It looked a little thick to me."
"It's supposed to be that way," Han told her. "It sticks to your ribs and fills you up."
Leia just shook her head. "If you say so. I think I'll stick with the havvarye chicken."
Just then they were interrupted by a baby's loud wail, and they all looked over to see a young couple at a nearby table trying to soothe their infant child who had suddenly begun squalling at the top of his lungs.
"We're sorry," the husband said, looking a little embarrassed at causing the commotion. "It's the first time we've taken him out, and I guess he doesn't like it."
"I think he's just hungry," the wife remarked. She lifted the baby out of his carrier and rocked him back and forth as her husband rummaged around in the baby bag until he found a nutrient pack.
"Here. I'll take him," he offered, reaching for the child and cuddling him close as the baby eagerly sucked at the bottle.
"That seems to have settled him down," Anakin remarked with a smile.
"We're sorry," the wife apologized again. "We didn't mean to interrupt your dinner."
"It's all right," Anakin, Leia, and Luke all spoke at the same time while the others smiled at the young couple, and Beru added. "He's a beautiful baby."
And he was. A tiny thing with wisps of blond hair and blue eyes, the baby seemed much happier now that he was being fed and he gurgled contentedly as his parents patted and soothed him.
"He reminds me of you when you were a baby," Beru told Luke after a moment.
"Really?" Luke grinned, and Anakin looked back over at the baby, studying him more closely.
"Yeah, he does," Owen agreed. He reached over to pat his nephew's hand. He'd never been very demonstrative when Luke was growing up, but he was trying to change that now.
"You howled like that the whole first month you were with us, too," he teased. "We walked around with plugs in our ears, saying "What have we gotten ourselves into?"
"I said that a lot myself when I first met him," Han mused.
"Owen," Beru reproved, even though she laughed a little. "We did not," she smiled at Luke. "We were always so happy and grateful to have you. We'd given up on ever having a child, and when you came, well, it was like a miracle."
"He did cry a lot that first month, though," Owen said.
"Sorry about that," Luke replied.
"Well, it wasn't your fault," Beru reassured him. "You'd just been taken away from your mother and sister, from everything that you'd ever known. And you were only a baby. Of course you were upset. That was to be expected. But once you got used to us, you were as good as gold."
"You were a pretty good kid," Owen agreed.
Anakin abruptly stood up and mumbled, "Excuse me, I'll be right back." He quickly headed for the exit.
"Oh," Beru said softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't stop to think that it might be upsetting for him to hear about that." She may have still had some reservations about Anakin, but Beru wasn't a deliberately cruel person. She wouldn't have purposely reminded Anakin of his failures as a husband and a father.
"It's all right, Aunt Beru. I'll go after him." Luke followed his father and found him in the parking lot, standing beside their speeder. Tears were running down his cheeks and he was clenching and unclenching his fists in helpless anger against himself.
Luke placed a hand on his shoulder. "Father..."
"Luke, sometimes I just don't know if I can go on, knowing that I caused so much pain, remembering all the things I did," he choked. "I keep saying I'm sorry, but it's so empty. It doesn't change anything. And I can't stand it." He bowed his head, fighting not to break down completely.
Luke hugged him tightly. "We love you, Father. And saying that you're sorry does mean something. It means everything to us."
"Luke's right, Father." Leia had come up beside them and she reached out to hold Anakin, too. "You've given us so much joy the past few months. I know it's hard, but you have to keep going, for us. You're part of our family, and we love you."
Anakin couldn't hold back his sobs any longer. His sweet children. After everything he'd done, all the pain he'd caused them, they still cared enough to come after him, to comfort him and reassure him of their love. He clung to them both and they clung to him and it was a long time before they stepped apart.
Leia handed him a handkerchief and Anakin dried his tears and smiled sadly at them.
"Thank you, children. I love you, too, more than I can ever say. You deserve better than me. But you are my reason for living, and I'll try not to ever let you down again."
"You won't," Luke gently squeezed his hand.
Leia stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "Now, let's go back inside, okay? It wouldn't do for the holoreporters to publish an article saying that the Vice-Chancellor tried to sneak out of a restaurant without paying her bill."
In spite of himself, Anakin laughed a little. "It wouldn't reflect well on the Jedi, either. Come on, then."
Hand in hand, the three of them went back inside. Anakin still felt the burden of shame and guilt, but the twins' suppport had cheered him up. With his children at his side, he could face anything, even the past.
TBC
He's been healed of all his injuries and accepted by his family and by most people in society. He and Luke are Jedi Masters. They came to Coruscant to celebrate the holidays with Leia and Han, but now are about to take on a mission to Tatooine.
Accompanying them are Owen and Beru Lars, who have been freed from the Imperial prison camp where they were taken after resisting questioning about two droids they had purchased.
Now they are all heading back to their home planet to try to negotiate peace in a new uprising between the settlers and the Tusken Raiders, but what seems to be a routine mission will take a devestating turn and nearly destroy the Skywalker clan.
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to George Lucas. I write for fun, not money.
Sandstorm Part 1
"Come on, Uncle Owen. Don't be a stick in the mud. We won't be out that late, and it is our last night on Coruscant," Luke cajoled.
Owen frowned at him. "All the more reason we should stay in and get a good night's sleep. It'll be a long trip to Naboo."
Luke tried to keep from sighing in exasperation as he studied his uncle's grumpy expression. His uncle had never been one for social gatherings, and Luke didn't really expect him to change now, but still, it would be the last chance for the whole Skywalker clan to be together for some time.
Luke, his father, and his aunt and uncle planned to leave for Naboo early the next morning. Anakin and Luke had arrived on Coruscant several weeks earlier to spend Christmas with Leia and Han, and while visiting newly freed inmates from a former Imperial prison camp, Luke had been miraculously reunited with Owen and Beru. The past couple of weeks had been interesting, to say the least, as his two families grew acquainted with one another. Owen and Beru still found it hard to believe how circumstances had changed since they and Luke had lived simple lives on their Tatooine moisture farm.
And they still found it difficult to accept his father. Anakin had indirectly been responsible for many of the hardships the Lars had suffered in the past few years. He had been the one who'd sent stormtroopers to search for the droids on Tatooine so long ago, and those same troopers had unfairly imprisoned Owen and Beru, and burned down the homestead.
But they could forgive him for that. It was because Anakin had once hurt their beloved nephew that they resented him. Luke may have forgiven Anakin, but Owen and Beru were still struggling. They were trying to forgive, because Luke wanted them to, but they hadn't completely accepted Anakin yet.
Luke hoped that the tension would ease in time. Especially if his guardians came to live with them on Naboo. He was having a house built for them near the lake retreat and he hoped that when they saw it and the beautiful planet where he and his father now lived, they would agree to stay. Owen and Beru had never had easy lives, struggling to eke out an existence on the barren desert world where they'd been born, and Luke wanted them to be able to relax and enjoy themselves now.
And he wanted to be near them. For the past four years he'd thought they were dead, that he'd lost them and would never be able to thank them for raising him, never be able to tell them again that he loved them. Now that they were all together again, Luke wanted them close by.
Owen and Beru weren't sure yet what they wanted to do with the rest of their lives. They wanted to live close to Luke, too, but Tatooine was the only home they'd ever known. Harsh as it was, they'd never thought about leaving. They weren't the adventurous sort.
But the Lars had agreed to at least visit Naboo, and now that the holidays were over, Luke and Anakin were planning to head back to their Jedi Academy and continue working with their padawans. Owen and Beru were going to accompany them and stay for a few weeks before making a decision about whether or not to live there.
Luke was looking forward to returning to Naboo. He enjoyed training the padawans and he loved his mother's peaceful homeworld. Now that the anti- Jedi terrorists who had caused so much trouble were gone, and the new lake retreat was completed, they could settle back down into a quiet routine.
The only drawback was that Leia and Han wouldn't be there. Leia was the Vice-Chancellor and Han was in charge of the New Republic Flight Academy. Their lives were on Coruscant. Luke always missed them terribly when they were apart-he wished the entire clan could live together-and the separation would probably last for some weeks. Leia and Han had missed a lot of work lately, with their honeymoon, getting involved with the terrorist investigation on Naboo, and then having time off for the holidays. They wouldn't be able to take a vacation for a long time.
So the Skywalkers and the Solos had planned to go out to dinner tonight- their last night together for a while-and Luke wanted his aunt and uncle to come along as well. Beru eagerly agreed. Eating out, shopping, visiting museums and theaters were all new experiences for her, and ones that she was quickly learning to enjoy. But Owen was reluctant. He preferred staying in to going out, and so far he had countered every argument Luke could think of to convince him. But Luke still had one card up his sleeve. He looked over at the foyer where the rest of the family was waiting, and said regretfully, "Aunt Beru's going to be disappointed. She really wants to go out, and tonight may be the last time we can for a while."
Owen just looked at him for a long moment, then sighed and said, "All right, all right. Where's my coat?"
Luke grinned at him, and Owen added grumpily, "You needn't look so pleased with yourself. We'll all be exhausted tomorrow."
But once they were at the restaurant-a cozy family establishment that served a variety of favorite dishes from across the galaxy-even Owen seemed to be having a good time.
"I haven't had good dustcrepes since we lost the farm," he remarked as they were finishing up.
"The Corellian stew wasn't bad either," Han agreed.
Leia wrinkled her nose. "It looked a little thick to me."
"It's supposed to be that way," Han told her. "It sticks to your ribs and fills you up."
Leia just shook her head. "If you say so. I think I'll stick with the havvarye chicken."
Just then they were interrupted by a baby's loud wail, and they all looked over to see a young couple at a nearby table trying to soothe their infant child who had suddenly begun squalling at the top of his lungs.
"We're sorry," the husband said, looking a little embarrassed at causing the commotion. "It's the first time we've taken him out, and I guess he doesn't like it."
"I think he's just hungry," the wife remarked. She lifted the baby out of his carrier and rocked him back and forth as her husband rummaged around in the baby bag until he found a nutrient pack.
"Here. I'll take him," he offered, reaching for the child and cuddling him close as the baby eagerly sucked at the bottle.
"That seems to have settled him down," Anakin remarked with a smile.
"We're sorry," the wife apologized again. "We didn't mean to interrupt your dinner."
"It's all right," Anakin, Leia, and Luke all spoke at the same time while the others smiled at the young couple, and Beru added. "He's a beautiful baby."
And he was. A tiny thing with wisps of blond hair and blue eyes, the baby seemed much happier now that he was being fed and he gurgled contentedly as his parents patted and soothed him.
"He reminds me of you when you were a baby," Beru told Luke after a moment.
"Really?" Luke grinned, and Anakin looked back over at the baby, studying him more closely.
"Yeah, he does," Owen agreed. He reached over to pat his nephew's hand. He'd never been very demonstrative when Luke was growing up, but he was trying to change that now.
"You howled like that the whole first month you were with us, too," he teased. "We walked around with plugs in our ears, saying "What have we gotten ourselves into?"
"I said that a lot myself when I first met him," Han mused.
"Owen," Beru reproved, even though she laughed a little. "We did not," she smiled at Luke. "We were always so happy and grateful to have you. We'd given up on ever having a child, and when you came, well, it was like a miracle."
"He did cry a lot that first month, though," Owen said.
"Sorry about that," Luke replied.
"Well, it wasn't your fault," Beru reassured him. "You'd just been taken away from your mother and sister, from everything that you'd ever known. And you were only a baby. Of course you were upset. That was to be expected. But once you got used to us, you were as good as gold."
"You were a pretty good kid," Owen agreed.
Anakin abruptly stood up and mumbled, "Excuse me, I'll be right back." He quickly headed for the exit.
"Oh," Beru said softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't stop to think that it might be upsetting for him to hear about that." She may have still had some reservations about Anakin, but Beru wasn't a deliberately cruel person. She wouldn't have purposely reminded Anakin of his failures as a husband and a father.
"It's all right, Aunt Beru. I'll go after him." Luke followed his father and found him in the parking lot, standing beside their speeder. Tears were running down his cheeks and he was clenching and unclenching his fists in helpless anger against himself.
Luke placed a hand on his shoulder. "Father..."
"Luke, sometimes I just don't know if I can go on, knowing that I caused so much pain, remembering all the things I did," he choked. "I keep saying I'm sorry, but it's so empty. It doesn't change anything. And I can't stand it." He bowed his head, fighting not to break down completely.
Luke hugged him tightly. "We love you, Father. And saying that you're sorry does mean something. It means everything to us."
"Luke's right, Father." Leia had come up beside them and she reached out to hold Anakin, too. "You've given us so much joy the past few months. I know it's hard, but you have to keep going, for us. You're part of our family, and we love you."
Anakin couldn't hold back his sobs any longer. His sweet children. After everything he'd done, all the pain he'd caused them, they still cared enough to come after him, to comfort him and reassure him of their love. He clung to them both and they clung to him and it was a long time before they stepped apart.
Leia handed him a handkerchief and Anakin dried his tears and smiled sadly at them.
"Thank you, children. I love you, too, more than I can ever say. You deserve better than me. But you are my reason for living, and I'll try not to ever let you down again."
"You won't," Luke gently squeezed his hand.
Leia stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "Now, let's go back inside, okay? It wouldn't do for the holoreporters to publish an article saying that the Vice-Chancellor tried to sneak out of a restaurant without paying her bill."
In spite of himself, Anakin laughed a little. "It wouldn't reflect well on the Jedi, either. Come on, then."
Hand in hand, the three of them went back inside. Anakin still felt the burden of shame and guilt, but the twins' suppport had cheered him up. With his children at his side, he could face anything, even the past.
TBC