2. When We Become Family
Years passed for Ben Kenobi under the sunlight of Tatooine's twin suns, and he still had not grown used to it. His young companion was not very fond of the unbearable weather, either; in her eyes, sand was the galaxy's most fearsome enemy – it reminded Ben of someone he once knew well…
If the Jedi Master told himself, even if not truthfully, that the reason why he chose to stay with the baby girl was to avoid an unruly child, he had clearly made the wrong choice. Little Leia was as strong-minded and fierce as her father had been, and Ben often wondered how many extra years and white hairs she would still add to his growing collection.
Despite her rebellious nature, however, her mother's traces would not pass unnoticed to Ben's observing eyes. Padmé's kindness and leadership would bright over her child in hidden moments – like when, in the chilly nights, Leia came across Uncle Ben sleeping on the couch; she would kiss his cheek and drop a blanket over him, reflecting a love passed over many generations. Luke, on the other hand, could not be a more passive creature. He may have been a prankish little pilot, but Ben had never seen a lighter energy coming out of such a young child, and it astounded him in its purity. With training and age, he foresaw a mind as wise as his own.
In the hands of their two children, Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Naberrie's legacy could not have been better represented. In the end, Ben Kenobi was grateful to have been given the privilege of spending his days with his loved friends once again.
Throughout Luke and Leia's childhood, the twins lived without knowledge of their bond, as per Master Yoda's terms. They saw each other regularly in the region's school of Anchorhead, but their relationship was not in the best of conditions. Leia was not the most sociable of kids, to Ben's dismay.
"Uncle Ben, I hate those children!"
Every time his niece pouted and buried herself in the couch after school, he fought to keep a straight face. Being extremely cute was not a reason for her worries not to be taken seriously, after all.
"What is it that bothers you now, young Leia?" He sat by her side and handed her a recently baked pallie cookie. Being a stay-home uncle gave one many hobbies.
"The kids in my classroom made fun of me again. Can't those laserbrains see that I'm a thousand parsecs smarter than them?"
"Leia, you know very well where these emotions will lead you. Arrogance and hatred are dangerous paths to be –"
"Aaaah…" She buried her little body deeper in the couch and rolled her eyes. "I know, I know! The Dark Side and all. Why can't I just complain for a while?"
Ben smiled and caressed her cheek lightly.
"You still have a lot to learn, my dear."
The Dark Side had been in his lectures since Leia was a little kid. After realizing that such discussions were too complex for three-year-old children to understand, he satisfied himself with saying those feelings were "big bad guys' feelings"; now that Leia was older, though, he felt she should begin to comprehend the Force.
"So, tell me more about these children. Perhaps you can figure out a way to be friends with them."
She glared at him with pursed lips, but went on.
"They are stupid. And when I'm smart around them, they're mean to me. Not that they scare me. 'Cause they don't."
"And do they have names?" He asked, and eyed the cookie still whole in her hands. "C'mon, it can't be that bad."
Leia let out a giggle as she took a bite out of her food. The minute she did it, Ben could tell she was mad at herself for having laughed.
"Biggs Darklighter, Laze and Camie Something, Tank, and Luke Skywalker. Biggs' the worst. He smells like Bantha poodoo."
"You know," Ben rested his face on his hands to face her "I am a friend of Luke's aunt and uncle. He looks like a good boy."
"Don't give me that talk, Kenobi. They're all mean to me and Luke never did anything about it."
"Give him a chance, young one. Never judge someone before you know them."
She shove her cookie on his lap.
"Here, you can give Luke your cookies then. You're always talking about how he's such a nice boy, so why don't you cook for him?"
Ben laughed and gave his niece a side hug, ignoring her insistent scowl.
"Because no one else will face the challenge."
Leia tried to keep a straight face, but in a few seconds, they were both laughing again.
Despite Ben's acquiescence of Leia's complaints, he could not help but suffer for a family disunited. His efforts to ignore the problem remained until a certain day when his heart won the battle against his brain. The Force told him the two should be together, and to the Force he would listen.
After an afternoon conversation, Beru Lars' help and a subtle Force suggestion, he got Owen Lars to agree that it was time for the children to learn the truth about their family – or, at least, part of it. Around the time the children were exempt from school, the Lars' invited Ben and his niece to a dinner in their homestead. Luke and Leia were not excited about it.
"Aunt Beru, why does she have to come? My friends will make fun of me if they know Leia Naberrie came here."
Beru Lars turned to face her nephew's face, which laid on the dinner table frowning sadly. Her hands reached her waist, smudging her apron.
"Now, don't say that, Luke. Leia Naberrie's such a smart little girl… I bet Old Ben Kenobi will get very sad if he listens to you saying this kind of thing."
Luke's face reddened and he looked away.
"Old Ben's nice… But you clearly haven't met her." He eyed Beru with wide eyes. "She's scary, Aunt Beru. One time, I swear she made Biggs' juice explode! Like, just because she looked at it."
The woman's face turned away at her nephew's mention of the Force, and she started stirring the sauce again. Of course Anakin had to bring into the world a pair of young Force-sensitive, stuff-breaker, young Jedi. That did not mean she liked it.
"That's only because you guys pick on her, honey. What's more, you do scary things to," She smiled artificially to him, to hide her own fear of a Force-sensitive child's future. "Or did you forget that time when Uncle Owen's speeder suddenly had a life of its own?"
He chuckled.
"That was very funny."
"Yes, even I have to admit…" A fond smile met her face. "Now go get ready, before Uncle Owen gets here and finds you stalling again."
Behind her, Beru heard the light steps of a hurried child and the 'fresher in the distance.
The Eopie steak was on the table and the hosts nicely dressed when their guests arrived. Owen was not sure as to how to behave in a situation like that, so he was thankful when Beru took the lead.
"I bid you a good evening, my dear friends. Here are some pallie cookies for dessert." Greeted Ben Kenobi. He was dressed poorly, as always; by his side walked a little girl, with braids so messed up they were for certain her uncle's doing.
"Hello, Ben. How are you and little Leia here?" Beru said as she walked toward them, a big, warm smile adorning her face. Luke and Owen were standing near the dinner table, visibly uncomfortable. "By the Force! You grew up so fast!"
"Hello, Mrs. Lars. It's nice to see you." Leia smiled faintly.
"Why don't we sit?" The woman gestured to the table, never letting go of her welcoming smile. "Owen, darling, could you grab the napkins? I think I forgot to place them…"
The dinner went by nicely. It was not the best dinner either of them had ever had, but the men and Beru were soon comfortable again. Luke and Leia, however, seemed to have been taking great interest in their food. On one moment, when the conversation died, and Ben met Beru and Owen's eyes, they knew the topic of interest had to come along. Beru touched Luke's shoulder gently.
"Luke," He turned his eyes to her, "there's something we have to tell you and Leia. It's a very important something."
"Is this about the History essays? Because I will not do it with her." Luke whispered not much subtly to his aunt, whose eyes went wide. Leia's lips pursed as she shrugged.
"I sure as hell didn't wanna do it with you. Is this what this all's about, Uncle Ben?"
Ben and Beru shared a look.
"Not really, young one. Not really…"
"That stupid stuck-up's my –"
"That loser's my –"
"– Twin?" The children looked at themselves in horror the moment they realized the words left their mouths in tune. Perhaps they were good at this twin stuff, after all.
Uncle Ben looked terrified at the sight of their fury. Which makes sense, given their twin-like response to the matter – they both stormed out of the room, heading opposite ways to only the Force knows where. He was brokenhearted, without a doubt, after glimpsing tears forming on a running Luke's eyes.
"I told you that it was no good idea telling them, Beru!" Owen said as he sat down plump on a chair, his eyes glaring at Uncle Ben. "That's what we get listening to wicked old wizards."
Beru's smile, however, was understanding. She placed a hand on the Jedi Master's shoulder. "Calm yourself, Ben. They're special children, but even so, only children. It takes some time to get past their pride, but I'm sure they'll patch up. You'll see."
Uncle Ben only sighed, hoping she did understand the peculiarities of Skywalker bonding; the only other women who did had died many nights and days ago.
Whereas the adults worried about whether they had made the right decision or not, the kids searched for somewhere to find solitude in the homestead and somewhere to find answers in their heads. How could they be from the same family as someone so unlikable? Luke and Leia had always imagined that if either had a brother or sister, they would certainly be cool and strong and fearless and awesome – not just a scrawny annoying child!
Leia's feet marched hurriedly in direction of a dark and hidden place, her little fists clenched. No soon had she seen a speeder shining in the darkness than a golden head glistened from the shadows. Luke cowered in a corner, his tears almost not visible and his crying silent.
"What are you doing here, Skywalker?" She blurted out exasperated. His answer came along among hiccups.
"I live here." He spat out through pouting lips. "W-why are you here?"
The girl rolled her eyes and sat down a fine distance away from Luke, who never once looked away from the ground. "I was invited."
Despite lasting but two whole minutes, the silence that befell them felt like an eternity. At last, Leia could not bear another moment of keeping her feelings to herself – that had never been her strong suit. "Hey." She eyed Luke with pursed lips and folded arms, reluctant. Being awaken from his musings startled the boy.
"W-what? Me?"
"Yeah, you. You seeing anyone else in here?" Luke felt her glare as if she wanted to crush him with the power of her mind.
"N-no…"
She stared at him.
"Huh… Sorry." He blurted out nervously, his eyes reaching anywhere but her face again. Leia moved closer, unsatisfied because of a feeling that felt a little bit like guilt. She fidgeted with the edge of her clothes.
"I always wanted to have a brother. Thought I'd like it." The girl said. Luke peered in expectancy from beneath his armor of uncertainty, only to be flushed inside of it again. "I don't."
After gathering courage to meet her look again, he spoke. "I did too. I mean, not really… Not you." The moment he said it, Luke regretted the words. "Sorry."
"Stop saying you're sorry," She scoffed, "We both know it's true. I don't like you, you don't like me; there, I said it. You can dislike me to my face now."
It was not so bad, after all. The boy found that he enjoyed that new honesty, for it made things much less complicated than grown-ups usually did with all their courtesies and hurt feelings; and the girl found comfort in his sudden chuckle.
"Thanks… I Guess." Luke said timidly with a small smile and wiped the last traces of tears off his face. He got closer, turning to face her delicate and somehow unyielding face, which was partially hidden by the dark in his garage. "Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen told me my dad – huh, our dad, I guess… Was some sort of cargo pilot. You know, like a pirate. Skywalker, the pirate." His face lit up.
Leia smiled as she replied. It seemed so foreign to see the littlest sign of joy on her face that Luke nearly gaped.
"My uncle told me dad was, literally, a nerf herder. From Naboo." She leaned forward and widened her eyes, whispering as if she were sharing a secret joke. "And you know what? I read on a book once, that nerves don't even exist in Naboo. Uncle Ben sucks at lying." The next giggle they both shared.
Luke smirked and crossed his arms. "I think dad's really a pirate, but Uncle Ben didn't tell you the truth 'cause pirates are way too scary for little girls." He allowed himself a brief moment of pomposity in front of his sister.
The way the girl's eyebrows reached her hairline and lips pursed made a wave of fear flow through Luke, and he scolded himself mentally for being so stupid. Aunt Beru told him, she told him not to fancy himself!
"I've seen you get afraid of a frog." She spit in a calm and low voice, and he swore the words were meant to burn. Her little finger lifted up in front of him. "It was this big."
"Yeah, I guess maybe we both don't know who dad was…" An obviously false smile graced his lips as Luke gulped, ashamed. Thankfully, the smile seemed to calm Leia's spirit, since she only gave him a short glare before continuing the conversation.
"You know how mom was like?" She asked, her expression softening weirdly. "Uncle Ben told me she was a queen, young and brave. She liked to have her hair done just like mine, see…" Her short fingers showed him one of her messy braids.
Luke smiled, because, this time, the story was familiar to him as well.
"Aunt Beru told me the same! Mom was queen of a green and blue planet, full of beautiful plants and animals. She was the most beautiful girl who ever set foot in Tatooine, Aunt Beru says."
"I have her name in mine, did you know? Naberrie. Padmé Naberrie's her name. I look like her too, Uncle Ben said. It's not as nice as a queen's name, but at least you've got dad's."
"You think they told us the truth about mom?" Luke gaped, and Leia seemed equally hopeful.
"Uncle Ben hides some books back home," She whispered, "He thinks I don't know it, but I read them at night. We can investigate mom's name with it. Let's go ask him to take us there!"
Luke nodded excitedly, and mimicked her as she got up. Leia turned for the garage's exit, but Luke halted.
"Wait," he said, "What about dad?"
"What do you think an old man like Uncle Ben does in his spare time? Finding someone in his tons of books is like finding sand in the desert!" With that, before he knew, the girl darted in front of him and was gone. Luke did not waste another second.
At the end of the night, Ben Kenobi found himself startled by the ability kids had to forget about their rivalries so easily. From that day on, he vowed never to doubt a mother's wit again; the knowing smile Beru gave him made him think that wisdom was not always cloaked beneath Jedi robes.
He drifted off to sleep with one last trail of thought in his mind – Leia having much of his old friend herself, he hoped he was up to the job of a double Skywalker training dose.