pal•imp•sest (n) 2. something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form.
He had only met his step-brother once, but Anakin's presence in Owen's life was impossible to ignore. Namely, in the form of his nephew.
Owen knew it was wrong and unfair, but sometimes, when he looked at Luke, all he could see were the bits of Anakin that seeped through and clogged his vision. Anakin was in the boys proud grin and it was Anakin who stared back at him through Luke's eyes.
And would it be Anakin when Luke grew up?
Luke is nothing like his father, Owen reassures himself, lies to himself, because if Luke were really nothing like his father then it wouldn't have been Anakin who'd stormed out at dinner.
"He has too much of his father in him."
Owen remembers all those years ago when Anakin had emerged from the desert with their mother in his arms. He played the broken hero, telling them how he had found Shmi half-dead and rescued her, but she had succumbed to her exhaustion before they had gotten back to the speeder. And Owen believed him, they had all believed him. But sometimes, he wondered…
(I killed them... I killed them all!)
Owen shook his head of the faint memory and looked up at Beru, he was tired and just wanted a little peace before Luke started up again about the Academy.
"That's what I'm afraid of."
