AN: Everyone knows I don't own Star Wars. That was written for a friend of mine, who requested a fic about young Luke's life with Owen and Beru. I started wondering what schools were like during Empire times and figured that there would probably be a lot of pro-Empire propaganda involved.

"Teaching and Learning"

By EsmeAmelia

"I'm home!" six-year-old Luke shouted as he trampled through the door, throwing his backpack down, already smelling bantha stew cooking from the kitchen.

"Hey kiddo!" Owen exclaimed, striding into the foyer and scooping his nephew into his arms. He gave Luke a kiss on the cheek, his beard tickling his skin, before setting the boy down. "What did you learn in school today?"

Luke shrugged. "Well, we watched a holofilm about Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader."

Owen got a distant, worried look in his eyes, the same look he often got whenever anyone mentioned Darth Vader. "And . . . what did it say about them?"

"Owen?" Beru called before Luke could answer. "Is Luke home?"

"Yup," Owen called back. "I think he needs an extra hug!"

Sure enough, in rushed Beru, smelling like the bantha stew she was cooking. Like Owen, she scooped Luke up into her arms and kissed his cheek, though her kiss wasn't as tickley as Owen's.

"Luke says they watched a holo about Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader," said Owen, after which Beru too got that look in her eyes.

"Why do you do that?" Luke asked, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, imagining the delicious stew and wondering if it was ready yet.

"Do what?" Beru asked.

"Get all funny when we learn about Palpatine and Vader?" Luke continued. "Didn't they save the galaxy during the war? That's what they teach us in school. In fact, I'm s'posed to draw a picture of them saving the galaxy for homework, ya know, with Empire Day coming and all." He rumpled his mouth, looking Beru in the eyes. "How come my birthday's right after Empire Day?"

"Because that's just when you were born," said Beru, smiling at her nephew, though Luke still felt like she was uncomfortable with something.

"How come you didn't answer my question about Palpatine and Vader?" Luke frowned so hard that his upper lip pressed uncomfortably against his nose. "And don't say you'll tell me when I'm older – I'm almost seven, I'm older now!"

Beru let out a long sigh as she put Luke down. "You're right. Come on, let's have a little talk." She gave Owen her no-nonsense look. "You too, Owen."

She led her nephew and husband into the living room, where they all sat on the big overstuffed couch, Luke on his aunt's comfortable lap. She wrapped her arms around him, rubbing his stomach with her calloused hands. "Luke," she said, "do you know why we celebrate Empire Day?"

"Cause that's the day the Empire rose," Luke answered, cocking his head and wondering if his aunt was asking a trick question. "The day Palpatine defeated the Separatists and stopped the Jedi from takin' over."

"Yes, that's true," said Beru, "but we mainly celebrate it because the Emperor makes us celebrate it."

"If we didn't celebrate it, the Empire would punish us," said Owen.

"What?" Luke exclaimed. That didn't sound like the noble Emperor they learned about in class!

"Yes," said Owen, rubbing his nephew's back. "I know they teach you in school about how great Palpatine is, but they're told to teach you that."

Luke felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. "So . . . so my teachers lie?"

"I don't know if they really lie," said Beru. "Some people really do believe that Palpatine is a great leader – after all, he did lead the war against the Separatists, but after that he crowned himself Emperor."

"What's wrong with that?"

Owen and Beru looked at each other with that same awkward expression they'd had when they told Luke where babies come from. "Well Luke," said Owen, "before the Empire rose, the people used to have more rights. They would vote on what sort of laws they wanted and if they didn't want to celebrate a particular holiday, they didn't have to."

"Is that why we're poor?" Luke asked. "Cause of the Empire?"

Beru let out another sigh. "No, sweetheart. We were poor long before the Empire rose. Tatooine wasn't part of the old Republic, but even in the Republic there were poor people like us."

"But why didn't the Republic help you?"

Again his aunt and uncle gave each other that awkward look, making Luke wish he knew what they were thinking. Maybe they were keeping secrets that they thought he wasn't old enough to know, the thought of which made him frown again. "I don't know why the Republic didn't help," Beru said. "Maybe because Tatooine is so far away from Coruscant, maybe because they didn't have the resources to help, maybe because they were so busy with other things."

"That's not right."

Now Owen was running his fingers through his nephew's hair. "You're right, it's not right, but it's how things are. Sometimes we little people get forgotten about when governments work things out."

Luke gulped, staring into the foyer where he'd dropped his backpack. "So should I do the homework picture?"

"Since it's a homework assignment, yeah, you should," said Owen. "Do it for your grades, but remember, you've got to think for yourself about big things like government."

Think for yourself. Suddenly Luke felt himself getting a big grin on his face. "I've got an idea! I'll draw Palpatine and Vader helping Tatooine out!"

Beru chuckled slightly, that affectionate chuckle she gave when she thought Luke had a good idea. "And what will they be doing to help Tatooine?"

"Hmm, well, they'll be telling the Hutts to stop slavery and giving farmers like us more money to run our farms with!"

Now Beru's chuckle expanded into a chortle as she squeezed her nephew in a proud embrace. "Well, I don't think they'll actually do that, but who knows? Maybe if you show that to your teacher, that might inspire her to write Palpatine a letter asking him to help our planet."

"Yeah!" exclaimed Luke, jumping out of his aunt's lap. "I'll get started now!"

"Okay," said Owen, "but don't get your hopes up. I don't think anything's gonna change just because you draw a picture."

Luke heard his uncle's words, but they didn't keep him from smiling. After all, school was always teaching them to believe in themselves and that small things can make a difference. Who was to say that a picture couldn't make a difference?

And even if the picture didn't help, maybe Luke could make a difference some other way.

THE END