Title: "Fragments of a Life Most Ordinary"
Author: KelliLeanne
Timeframe: Post ROTS AU
Characters: Luke, Leia, Owen, and Beru
Genre: Drama, Short Story, Series of Vignettes
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Lucas owns everything; I'm just playing with his creations. I promise I'll put them back where they belong when I'm finished.
Summary: What if Luke and Leia were both raised by Owen and Beru Lars? This seven-part AU series focuses on various moments of their daily lives as they grew up on Tatooine.
Note: This is unlike anything I've written, it's not one cohesive story, but it's a series of vignettes.
Chapter 1:
The Republic was dead; the great governing body that united trillions of beings over thousands of light years had fallen. It had not been conquered in a huge military campaign. There were not masses of brave citizens giving their lives in the noble final defense of their way of life.
Only in fantastic tales and youngling stories did great civilizations end in such a manner. Instead, the great Republic rotted from the inside out. No one knew when it had begun; but it was clear that it had begun to fall many generations ago. Despite the actions of a few brave souls, the end was almost inevitable. When it did come, the grand and mighty Republic ended with a whimper.
Democracy became a burden for generations who had known no other way of life; it became passé and was shuffled off as one would throw out last season's fashions.
The corruption in the government made things worse. Politicians gave promises and broke them almost immediately. No one expected any better; cynicism ruled the day.
Beings all over the Republic were tired of caring for a government that seemed to be above the laws that they were creating. When Palpatine offered to lead them to a new form of government, one not mired in corruption, the vast majority of the Republic blindly followed.
Their new ruler would take away the burden of democracy. The tough decisions would no longer be theirs to make. It would only be later, after their seemingly benevolent ruler dug his hooks into the lives of all, when it would be realized what they had brought upon themselves and their children.
But that day was far from coming, the new Empire was now in the throws of celebration.
In the vast blackness of space, a lone ship contained few of the only souls in the galaxy that knew what truly ruled the galaxy.
"To exile, we must go."
"What about the children, should we separate them to keep them from the Sith?" Obi-Wan Kenobi asked.
Master Yoda closed his eyes and searched the Force for an answer, "No, separate them, we should not. Grave injustice that would be."
The other Jedi was surprised, "I don't understand, what if Darth Sidious finds them?"
"Stronger together, they are."
Even though he had many misgivings about Yoda's decision, Obi-Wan accepted it, "All right, but one of us should watch over them, I will do that."
Yoda nodded in agreement, "To Tatooine you should take them, to their family."
Obi-Wan was again surprised by the decision, but could understand the logic behind it. Tatooine was far from the new Empire. While it was certainly not out of the Sith Lord's reach, it was no more or less dangerous than anywhere else.
He would not raise them himself but would not be far away from Anakin's twins should something happen. When the time came, he would train them to be Jedi. They were the only hope for the galaxy--the only hope to end the reign of the Sith.
Until then, Luke and Leia Skywalker would live a dull, tough, but very ordinary life on Tatooine with no knowledge of their part in the grand scheme of the Force--he almost envied them.
