Disclaimer: I don't own any Luke or any of the other Star Wars characters, or any of the worlds.  It is all Lucas'. I own the characters: Ari, Jett, Katri, Derin and Lightsaber (aka Saber).  If you would like to use any of these characters please ask first.

*FLASHBACK*

            "Happy birthday!" Luke grinned, hugging Ari, who smiled, then laughed as Luke spun her around.

            "You do know it isn't my birthday until tomorrow, right?"

            "Happy early birthday then," he smiled.

            "How does it feel to be another year older?" Jett asked his sister, coming up behind them. 

            "Means I can boss you around more," Ari replied, jokingly.  Jett stuck out his tongue and wandered off.  Even though they did tease and fight, Ari and Jett were close.

            That night, Ari's family, the Narabes, were joining Luke's, which they did when they had time, though it wasn't very often.  They would usually move between the two homesteads, this time it was at the Lars'. 

            The two families sat together around the Lars' table crowded with four extra people.  Ari sat between Luke and Jett, while their parents and Luke's aunt and uncle were in a semi-circle, the other three making it a completed circle. 

            The dinner mood had been light, with everyone joking each other, even stern Owen showing signs of a smile every now and then.  Ari had noticed that the adults sometimes seemed to share a few secret glances, but she tried to forget about it instead she and Luke had their own conversation, with Jett jumping in with a few comments of his own.

            After dinner, Luke looked over at Beru with a questioning look, who nodded.  Luke smiled, and looked over at Ari.  "Close your eyes," he told her.

            "Why?" she asked, as Beru and Luke stood up.

            "Because I said so," he answered.  Ari did it and waited for a few moments.  "Ok, now you can open them."  Ari opened her eyes, looked a bit shocked then up at Luke and Beru. 

            "Thank you," she smiled.  Before her was a cake with lighted candles in it.  On it read Happy Birthday Ari.  She quickly noticed that there were eighteen candles.  She thought of a wish, one that she refused to share and blew out the candles.  The entire group had the cake.

            "Thank you Aunt Beru," Ari said as she placed her plate on the counter.

            "You are more than welcome.  It was Luke's idea," the older woman replied.  Ari turned towards Luke who looked somewhat embarrassed.

            "Thank you then Luke," she smiled. 

            "You're welcome."  He then paused.  "Do you think you can sneak out of your party here for a few?"

            "I'm going to go outside with Luke," she told her mother.

            "Just don't go too far" she replied.  Ari nodded, grabbing her cloak from the peg near the door, because it sometimes got chilly at night on Tatooine. 

            "Luke, why don't you show Jett that simulator game you have?" Owen suggested.  Luke paused, then nodded, seeing that the adults wanted to discuss among themselves.  He, Ari and Jett made their way down to his room, where Jett quickly became interested, soon ignoring the other two people in the room.

            "Now he is going to be over here more than I am," Ari laughed as they walked back outside Luke carrying a light blanket

            "I doubt that. I think Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru might just adopt you," he smiled as they walked a little outside the little outside the lighted area of the homestead. 

            "Look at all these stars," Ari breathed, looking up at the sky.  "They are so beautiful. I feel like I can see all the galaxies.  It makes me feel so small at times though."

            Luke nodded and then spread the blanket out, he also held two small boxes, but Ari decided not to ask.  They both silently lay down on the blanket, arms tucked behind their heads, gazing up at the stars. 

            "These stars also make me wonder," Luke spoke up.  Ari glanced over at him.

            "About what?" she asked.

            "My past," Luke replied softly.  Ari rolled over onto her side to look at him.  He paused a few more moments before continuing.  "I wonder about my parents.  All I know is that they are dead.  What were they like though?  Do I look like my mother more, or my father?  How did they meet?  Everyone likes to hear how their parents met.  I also sometimes think that somewhere out there I have a brother or sister.  I wonder if I do.  If so, where are they?  What are they like?"  Luke's voice got caught in his throat.  "I love my aunt and uncle but it is so hard.  I don't know my parents, or anyone else in my family.  It's like I just appeared one day and that was it.  An orphan, who was just dropped off on this dusty old planet."  With that, Luke let out a small cry.

            Ari had never heard Luke so upset and almost didn't know what to do.  She moved over to him, and placed her hand on his shoulder.  When he didn't respond, she laid back down and pulled him closer, hugging him. Luke cried silently for a few minutes, then pulled back, sitting up.  He looked a bit embarrassed, his eyes were a bit red from crying. 

            Ari moved back a bit, her head resting on her hand, which was propped up by her elbow.  She looked at Luke, uncertain of what to do.  After a few moments, Ari sat up as well, hesitantly reaching her hand out to place on his shoulder.  Before she could though, he turned to her.  Ari pulled her hand back, and looked at Luke, who seemed to be studying her.

            "I'm sorry," he said simply with a shrug.

            "Don't be.  Nothing wrong with crying."

            "I'm not supposed to cry.  I never knew them.  You think it wouldn't hurt," he murmured.

            "Maybe that is why it does," Ari answered, moving over so she was sitting next to him.  Luke gave a small nod and a shrug.  They both looked up at the stars until Luke cleared his throat.  Ari looked over and saw him holding the two boxes. 

            "Happy birthday," he whispered, with a ghost of his smile on his face.

            "You shouldn't have gotten me anything," Ari told him.

            "I wanted to," he answered, then with a small laugh added, "Besides, in one of these, there is something that will mean you don't have to come all the way over here to talk." 

            Ari looked at him then took the first box he handed her.  She untied the ribbon, and before she could open the box, Luke tied it in her hair with a smile.  Ari blushed, and opened the box.  In it lay a small palm sized object. 

            "Is this a-"  Ari started

            "Communicator," Luke finished with a nod.  "I saw it and thought it was a good idea.  This way we can talk whenever.  I got it so the battery in it can be recharged by solar energy.  We have enough of it," he laughed.  Ari smiled, then looked at him.

            "Right here," he answered, before she could ask.  He pulled his off his belt and turned it on.  Ari did the same.

            "Testing, testing," Ari spoke into it, and could hear her words on Luke's. 

            "They have a very wide range, so it will be good reception and we can talk quite a distance away from each other."

            "Thank you, Luke," Ari hugged him tight.

            "That's not all," he replied with a grin, looking a bit nervous and embarrassed.

            "This is already too much…" she started, but Luke put a finger against her lips to quiet her.  Then he took the other box and handed it to her.

            Ari opened it slowly, seeing and sensing Luke's eyes searching her face for a reaction.  Ari gasped when she saw a silver bracelet.  There was a small strip of silver, that said Arianna, on the front.

            "Turn it over," Luke smiled glad she liked it.  On the back it said Friends forever, no matter the distance.  –Luke.  Ari wiped her eyes, a few tears starting to form.

            "What's wrong?" Luke asked, concerned.  Ari shook her head, then turned to him.

            "You are just so sweet.  Oh Luke, thank you," she hugged him tight, which he returned.  He released her and helped her put her bracelet on.  It fit perfectly.  "I'm never taking this off," she told him with a smile. 

            "Good," he smiled, then hooked his communicator back on his belt, Ari doing the same.  "And I hope you won't turn it off ever," he grinned.

            "Wild banthas couldn't make me."

            "Unless they stampeded over you," Luke added, pretending to be solemn.  Ari pushed him in the shoulder gently with a laugh.  Luke held out his hand and helped her up.   "We should be getting back.  I know your parents said they wanted to leave shortly after dark at latest."  Ari nodded, helping him fold the blanket, which he carried back to the homestead. 

            "…be killed for sure!"  Ari and Luke shared a glance, then ducked down, hearing the heated voice of the adults.

            "You don't know that!"  Ari was surprised to hear her mother's voice, angry like that.

            "They are only children, Katri,"  Ari's father, Derin spoke up.  "For all we know they might just follow that old hermit on some crazy adventure and get themselves killed."

            "The Jedi are dead," Owen spoke up.  "There is no reason these children have to know."

            Ari and Luke looked at each other, eyes wide with the mention of the Jedi, who were destroyed.

            "These 'children' are almost adults.  They should know their heritage.  Of what they could be," Beru spoke up softly, trying to calm them down.

            "I forbid to have my one and only daughter go down a path that can only lead to death.  Then her brother will follow and I refuse to allow that!" Derin shouted.

            Ari and Luke shared looks, confused.  They both shrugged, not understanding the conversation.

            "That old fool almost told Luke after his crash…" Owen muttered.

            "They should know so they can control it at least.  We just tuned out as much as we could and I wish I would have been trained more, but my parents refused and took me home.  Even though I had already made my saber. Your parents felt the same way and wouldn't let you go," Katri told Derin.

            "They were smart," Derin answered.

            "It seems like no one here is going to budge and I for one, and not going to stand here and listen to friends and spouses yell at one another," Beru spoke up.  "I'll get the boys and Ari."  Luke and Ari quickly flew around the corner as fast as they could, then after taking a moment to breath, they both started to talk quietly.

            "What do you think that was about?"

            "I don't know, do you think we should ask?"

            "But if we ask they will know we were listening."

            "I wonder who the old fool is."

            "Luke! Ari! Jett!"  Beru called.

            "Coming Aunt Beru!" three voices chimed.  Then Luke and Ari shared a look. 

            "Later tonight.  On the com," Luke told her.  Ari nodded, then they went around the corner, acting like they hadn't heard anything, while Jett came out of Luke's room.

            "That was so much fun!" Jett exclaimed.  Luke smiled at the younger boy.

            "Glad you enjoyed it."  Jett smiled back, then yawned. 

            "Come on Ari, Jett.  It's late," their father announced, getting into the speeder.  Their mother looked upset, and was silent as she got into the speeder.  Jett wearily climbed in, ready to fall asleep.

            Ari looked back up at Luke, who held her gaze for a few moments.  "Talk to you soon," she whispered.  He nodded with a small smile.  "Thank you," she said to Beru and Owen.

            "Our pleasure," Beru answered.  Owen made a small grunt, which Ari took as an agreement with Beru. 

            Ari jumped into the speeder and looked back as her dad piloted the speeder towards their own homestead.  She kept facing back until she could no longer see Luke, who was standing there, watching them leave.  The entire ride was silent.

            When they got back, Ari's parents got out, powering down the speeder.  Jett woke up slightly.  "We're home?" he asked, still half asleep.

            "Yes," Ari replied.  Seeing that Jett, who was then 12, had fallen back asleep, Ari picked him up the best she could and got him to his room.  She pulled off his boots and placed his blanket over him.  Her parents had sometimes been too busy with their work, that Ari had done this before, though it had been a couple years.

            Ari left his room, then cut across the courtyard.  She saw her parents were still up and having a serious discussion, in the main living area.  Ari was torn between wanting to know more, and not wanting to.  She was afraid of what the entire conversation had meant, but was curious. 

            Ari didn't get to make a decision. Her parents started to shut down the power, then headed toward their bedroom. Ari slipped back to her own room, where Saber was waiting already asleep on the blanket Ari had laid out as a bed for her.  With a sigh, Ari pulled off her boots and changed into her pajamas.  She unhooked her com from her belt and crawled into bed.

            "Luke?" she asked softly, hitting the talk button.  There was a pause and then,

            "Hi there," he answered quietly.

            "These are really good," Ari smiled.  "Thanks again."

            "You are more than welcome.  Happy Birthday."  The smile was evident in his voice then faded as another pause occurred.  "What do you think all that fighting was about?" Luke finally asked.