In which the author does yet another time skip... Luke's about 5 here. Sorry about that.

I sort of made Owen a bit of a douche here... I've seen other stories where he's a lot more confrontational and less coddling than in canon, and I sort of like those so I may have reflected that characterization here. I apologize in advance.

Warning: A pretty nasty domestic argument. I apologize if this harms or triggers anyone in any way.


You try your hardest to leave the past alone
This crooked posture is all you've ever known
It is the consequence of living in between
The weight of family and the pull of gravity

- Heirloom, Sleeping at last


Luke Skywalker had always enjoyed looking at the blue Tatooine sky, much to the chagrin of his uncle. He liked to play with his toy starships and pretend that he was flying amongst the skies, shooting down bad guys with his cannons!

"Boom! Wssht! Zoom!"

Luke sat on his bed and played with his toys, imagining that his ship were real and being able to ride them past Tatooine and beyond, past the stars and into hyperspace!

One day, he was going to be a pilot, just like his Father had been! He would soar among the stars, meet all sorts of exotic beings, and see new and amazing sights!

He'd heard from a spacer he and his friend Biggs had met at Anchorhead once that some other planets had so much water that they'd just let it pool around in random places. One day, he'd go to one of those worlds, and never have to worry about boring old moisture farming ever again!

He'd never understand why his Uncle liked Moisture farming so much, anyway. He'd much rather play with his ships or play pilots with Biggs than help his Uncle around on the farm, but he helped Uncle Owen anyway. Uncle Owen would get mad and not let him play with Biggs or take away his toys if he didn't, and then he'd have to imagine what it was like away from Tatooine all alone, in the dark. That was no fun.

No fun at all.


"It's not healthy for a boy of his age to have stupid fantasies like Luke's, Beru," Luke had Uncle Owen complain to his aunt through the vent in his wall one night, when he was supposed to be sleeping, "if he keeps this up, he'll end up like his father, foolish and dead."

Luke flinched at his uncle's anger. What was so bad about his father, anyway? Why did Uncle Owen hate him so much?

"Luke is a growing boy," Aunt Beru had responded to his uncle , "it's healthy for boys that age to have imagination, Owen. We won't be able to keep him here forever. He's too much like his father."

Luke turned to listen. His Aunt and Uncle never talked about his father. Ever.

"Well, damn his father. He's not here to raise Luke now, so we'll have to do our best not to get him killed. And that means that we'll have to keep him here until he's old enough!"

"Owen…"

"No, woman, listen to me. When I was his age, I dreamt of being just like my father-"

"Owen, Luke doesn't have a father to look up to-"

"Dammit! Listen. I dreamt of becoming a moisture farmer, of carrying on the family business. Not of starships and other stupid delusions of grandeur. If I could do it, Luke can do it!"

"Luke isn't you, Owen. He's got more of his father in him than he has of you."

"How would you know that? We only met his stupid father for one damn day! You barely even knew him!"

Luke gasped at his newfound knowledge, and then covered his mouth. If Uncle Owen had only known his father for a day, then how...

"We heard enough about Anakin from his mother, Owen."

"Yeah, well! So what! He was never there for us and then one day, his stupid fucking Jedi pal - "

Jedi? Luke thought, What was a Jedi?

"Owen!"

"Shush, lady! His stupid Jedi pal just struts over holding a baby and asks us to raise the damn thing! Damn your softness, woman! We should've just left the kid with that fucking hermit!"

"OWEN!"

Luke heard a slap ring out through the vent he was listening through, and flinched, numb. Why did Uncle Owen hate him so much? He thought that his Uncle had loved him like his own son!

"Never, ever, talk about Luke that way again!" He heard his Aunt yell shrilly. He heard the door to his uncle and aunt's bedroom slam, and then all was silent except for the soft sound of his tears, and the soft whirring of his family's moisture vaporators outdoors.

Luke sniffled into his pillow, and then drifted slowly into a deep sleep.


I don't know why, but I'm pretty sure this is one of the best chapters I've written for this story. And the longest, but hey! I was inspired today.

I'm gonna see if I can get more updates in, but no promises.