Chapter 22: Family Reunion

Tatooine

It became clear that something odd had happened before the two of them enter the space around Tatooine. For one thing, they had to wait to enter the space. For the first time ever the area was filled with ships coming and going from the surface.

"Where did they all come from," asked Anakin.

Obi-Wan looked out the window. "They appear to be old cargo vessels used by slave traders, calm down," he added when Anakin looked like he was ready to fire at them. "I believe that the passengers on them want to believe. I think that these are the vessels that are taking the new settlers to their new home, this secret haven. I'm also willing to bet that the ships arriving are not empty but full of supplies for the army."

Anakin reached out with the force to peer at one ship that was leaving. He picked up on the living beings aboard and found them all excited and happy about their situation. He couldn't help himself but smile.

They were finally given clearance to land outside Anchorhead and at the farm. The minute the ship touched down and the doors open a woman was standing there waiting for them with a bright smile on her face. She was very plain but seemed to be glowing as she rubbed her belly. Anakin immediately looked away to not give the child any bad luck.

Obi-Wan couldn't help but chuckle

"Anakin thank you so much for coming." The woman walked over to him and looked like she was planning to hug him when Anakin stopped her, not wanting to come into contact with the baby.

"Hello Beru nice to see you," he said politely but making it obvious that he would look at anything but her belly.

"I'm sorry to make you so uncomfortable Anakin," admitted the woman. I thought since you were brought on Coruscant it wouldn't bother you.

"Same here," admitted Anakin, "Obi-Wan" he shouted indignant when his former master laughed at his awkwardness.

Obi-Wan turned his attention to the woman and offer her a bowed. "We came here to assist you milady."

Beru blushed brightly at his charm. "You picked the right time to come. He's over there." She pointed to a dune near the farm. The same dune that Anakin's mother was buried at. His father died about a month ago and we buried him besides Shmi. He has been spending the majority of his time visiting the two of them. "Please Anakin you have to talk to him. He won't leave the farm, he won't leave them."

Anakin was a little shaken up to see his mothers gravesite. He had never considered Owen his brother but maybe there was a connection between the two of them. After all, Owen did seem to consider Shmi his mother. Anakin nodded and left the two.

He trudged up the dune remembering how much he despised sand until he finally reached the gravesite of his mother. Right beside her was a new one, and in-between the two, standing, was Owen.

Anakin joined him but didn't acknowledge the other man. Instead, he gave a client greeting to his mother and began to tell her all that had happened to him since he had last seen her.

Finally, he was ready to speak to Owen. He may not even care what happened to Owen but Shmi did and she wouldn't want Owen to just stand there until the slavers came. He decided to tell Owen as much but in his way.

"Its an insult to her," Anakin said simply. "To allow her grandchild to be taken as a slave after all she did after she all gave up to give her child-children- freedom," he corrected himself quickly thinking that Owen would appreciate it more if he was included in the example.

Owen seemed taken aback as if he hadn't been aware of Anakin's presence until he had spoken. "Not good," thought Anakin. "That is usually a sign of deep mourning."

"What," demanded Owen.

"All I mean is that saying goodbye to my mother was the hardest thing for me," explained Anakin "but we had to do it. We both knew I would have no future as a slave. She was willing to give me up even though I was the only person in her life just so I could be free. Now here you are, you have a chance to prevent her grandchild from being born into slavery and you're pissing it away." Anakin gave Owen a serious look. "Tell me did she ever mention it to you. You knew her for so many years I'm willing to bet it had come up."

Owen looked at Shmi's grave. "Yeah, she said it was the hardest sacrifice she had to make but she would do it again if she had to for it was a parent's duty to make sure their kid got the best life possible. Wait," he looked over at Anakin, "what are you doing here."

"Well Shmi gave me to the Jedi for her child's benefit and Beru contacted me for her child's benefit."

Owen paled, "what do you mean, we have no child."

"Owen, she told me everything," admitted Anakin, "and for this one time, I'm going to ignore taboo for the sake of the child. That's how serious this is, that I think it would be even worse luck for the child if we don't discuss your refusal to leave, and Beru agrees. Even if the taboo doesn't get the child slavers can."

Owen looked back at the grave, "if we did have a child," he commented loudly. "I'm sure I can protect us look around you," he waved a hand at the farm. "My family has defended this farm for generations. Yes we have lost people like Shmi, yes life was difficult but it's still our home. Blood lives and sweat was lost to make our home. I have family buried here, including Shmi you want me to give her up. To walk away from the farm from their graves. How can a son of Shmi be so cold-hearted? Just because you left her doesn't mean I want to."

Anakin punched him right in the face. Owen stared at him in shock. Blood rolling down his lip, then he punched him back. Soon the two men were fighting until Owen lost his balance on the dune, then grabbing Anakin two of them fell off.

"What is going on," shouted Beru. She and Obi-Wan ran over to the men.

Obi-Wan quickly placed himself into the middle of the fight to force the two away from one another. "Come down," he shouted. "Calm down ok." Finally, he successfully pulled the two men off each other. Anakin placed his hands on his hips, taking deep breaths of air. He was a lot better than Owen who had practically doubled over to catch his. "You were supposed to talk him into moving, not fight him," snapped Obi-Wan.

"I don't care anymore," snapped Anakin. "I don't know why I came here, I don't even consider him my brother."

"Same here," snapped Owen.

"You both will get along," stated Obi-Wan, "because its what Shmi would have wanted her two boys to get along. She wouldn't have wanted you two to fight and Owen, she wouldn't have wanted you to stay." He looked at the boys. "If you want to honor Shmi I can think of a better way."

Owen gave Obi-Wan a look that Anakin usually wore when he felt like being dramatic. "You a Jedi, a being that doesn't feel any emotion. Oh yes please do tell me how you will honor a lost one."

Obi-Wan ignored the dramatics as well as he would ignore Anakin's. "I would name my child after them." The group was silent as they absorb what Obi-Wan was saying. When they were ready Obi-Wan explained, "I was named after my grandfather and I think that there is no better way to honor someone then to name a new life after them."

"Wait you know your family," interrupted Anakin.

"Of course, Jedi are encouraged not to develop an attachment to their family, it doesn't stop them from knowing their family. There was just no reason to go over it with you since you already knew more about your roots than any other Jedi. Of course, if I knew how you felt about your step-family I probably would have dragged you out here months ago to make amends."

Obi-Wan looked at Owen. "Go to the haven. Have a child that lives long enough to be named and name it after Shmi if its a girl and after your father, if its a boy. Give that child the life that was denied to their namesakes. That way they are never forgotten and they get to be remembered not as graves to be morn over. For two people who care about family more then anything is there no better way to honor them."

Owen nodded slowly absorbing Obi-Wan's point before looking over to his wife as if asking for her permission.

Beru smiled, "I am fortunate. My parents still live and it's awkward to name someone after a person who still lives. Shmi and Cligg are perfect names for the baby." The couple embrace.

"Perfect. Now milady," Obi-Wan offered his arm to Beru, "why don't we pack and Anakin and I can give the two of you a ride to the haven ourselves. We will leave those two to make amends." Beru smiled and accepted Obi-Wan's arm. As the two left Obi-Wan whispered loudly so the two men could hear, "is it just me or do those two fight like brothers."

Beru laughed, "yes and they are both so stubborn."

"Hey," shouted the two men at the giggling pair. The fun pair though just ignore them as they went inside the house.

Owen and Anakin stood there in awkward silence, mostly looking at their shoes. "Sorry" admitted Owen at last. "I didn't mean what I said."

"I'm not sorry for punching you," admitted Anakin.

"I would be offended if you were."

The two chuckled at that, the awkwardness seemed to have evaporated. You know said Owen slowly. If the two of you are giving us a lift then we can back anything we want. If we took the public transports we would have to be subjected to only being able to bring a certain amount of goods.

"What are you getting at?"

"Just that I can't think of a better forever home for them then to be on a free planet." He gestured to the graves. Anakin caught onto what he was thinking.

The two of them joined Obi-Wan and Beru after an hour, covered in sand. It wasn't until hours later when they were loading up the ship that they discover what the two brothers had been up to. In a corner of the cargo bay lay two caskets.

They flew to anchored where the public transport ship was being filled with settlers for the haven. The pilot of the ship was willing to give coordinates to the haven in exchange that they took a handful of farmers with them. When planning how many ships they would need they had only calculated for the inhabitants of anchored head, forgetting that it was surrounded by some farmsteads like the lars. They had soon found themselves overloaded.

The coordinates lead to a small green planet, a little off the Corellian hyperspace lane. When they search online they found no reference to the planet at all and were carious about where the group had found out about this planet.

"So," said Anakin to Obi-Wan as they settle in for the long flight. "Am I expected to name my son after you."

Obi-Wan snorted, "I'm not that old. I'm going to be there when you have your son and I agree with Beru you shouldn't name the kid until after the person is dead. Now for you're grandson, I do expect him to be named after me."

Anakin chuckled, "deal."

Two months earlier

Lothal

Corran's ship landed at the port in Capital city. It was called Capital because it was the only city on the tiny planet of Lothal. Hardly anyone lived there, which was one of the reasons why it was perfect for the design of the new order.

Waiting for him to lower the ramp was a group of strangers. They were dress in basic civilian clothes, but the clean status of the clothes suggested that they were probably the higher-ups of the social group.

An older man, grey hair but still strong and lean, greeted Corran. "Welcome to our planet. My name is Terrance Noah, you can call me Terrance. I am the governor of Lothal."

Corran bowed "thank you for allowing me to come. I am Corran Hall, we spoke on the comm."

The man smiled "you say that you had a deal for us that will help us recover from our blight. I will like to hear it, we don't have much but we are open for trade."

"We need a haven, a safe place," explained Corran. "We are leading a slave revolt on a planet called Tatooine. If the slaves remain on the planet they will be hunted by the Hutts. They need a home off-world someplace that the slavers won't look. Lothal fits the description perfectly. It's off the beaten path, but not too much to make travel impossible, it has a lot of farmland for the settlers to support themselves, and as one Lothal once told me there are no kinder people in the galaxy then the ones in Lothal."

Terence laughed "yes that's true the only criminals we have are street kids, although we try to help them out, the poor dears. We wouldn't be against new settlers as long as they truly want to settle down and live peacefully with us. But we can't support them. As I told you the blight has destroyed our farms and even our ranches. We have request aide from the republic but we are too far out of the war and their sphere to get any traction. I don't think we can take in anybody right now I am so sorry."

Corran smiled "don't worry. We will supply the free slaves and even Lothal locals will have the same access to the supplies as the free slaves will." Terence gave a look of disbelief. "Allow me to prove it. We were going to start moving the supplies first and then the people. If we deliver enough to put you at ease will you agree to the bargain."

Terrance whispered among his fellow councilmen before turning back to Corran. "We agree," he announced.

"Perfect."