Chapter Twenty Four: Imparting a Priceless Gift
By the time Obi-Wan had landed at Anchorhead, he'd made up his mind. He had to give up Luke. With bounty hunters after him, he couldn't safely keep a child. It was the right thing to do, he knew. The only way to keep Luke completely safe- and completely away from Palpatine and his twisted pawn.
He knew where he had to go. Anakin had briefly told him of his mother's marriage to Cliegg Lars. He knew that the Lars's had a moisture farm somewhere outside of Anchorhead. All he had to do was find it.
Luck was on his side when he entered the small parts shop that made up the mechanical industry in the tiny outpost. "I'm looking for the Lars' moisture farm." Obi-Wan said, addressing the owner of the shop. He pointed to a sandy haired man of about thirty and Obi-Wan crossed the shop to his side. "Excuse me, do you know where I can find the Lars's?" he asked politely, trying to keep inconspicuous.
The man asked suspiciously, "Why?"
"I'd prefer to discuss it with them."
"I'm Owen Lars."
Obi-Wan held out his hand. "Ben Kenobi. Is there somewhere we can talk?"
"Kenobi. That sounds familiar." Owen cocked his head, trying to recall.
"I knew your step-brother."
"Anakin?" Owen said, then caught the past tense. "Knew? What happened to him?"
Obi-Wan looked around the crowded shop. "Like I said, is there somewhere we can talk?"
Owen nodded. "You have a speeder?" At Obi-Wan's nod he said, "You can follow me out to the farm, ok?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "Alright."
Following Owen, Obi-Wan made his way out to the large moisture farm that had belonged to Cliegg Lars, Shmi Skywalker's husband. They parked and Obi-Wan took the baby and followed Owen inside.
A pretty woman of about twenty met them inside. She smiled at Obi-Wan and greeted him politely, then promptly melted at the sight of Luke. "He's beautiful," she breathed, staring down at his sleepy blue eyes.
Obi-Wan looked to Owen. "This is Luke Skywalker- Anakin and Padme's son."
"What happened to them?" Owen asked.
Obi-Wan ducked his head. "When the emperor began his purge of the Jedi, Anakin…" Obi-Wan forced the words from his throat, "was killed. Padme has had to go into hiding against the emperor's wrath."
Beru sighed. "That's awful."
"Anakin was like my son," he said, his eyes faraway. "And now his son is in danger. I know you aren't blood relations, but he spoke of you to me and… The child needs family now."
"There's no way! Sorry, Ben, or Obi-Wan, or whatever your name is, but there's *no* way I'm hiding a Jedi's kid! Not with the emperor and Vader out for blood!"
The name gave Obi-Wan chills. He looked to Owen and said, "Darth Vader betrayed and murdered your step-brother and will murder his son if he gets the chance. There are those that hunt me, and Luke is not safe at my side."
Owen looked down, then to Beru. "What do you think?"
The woman, holding Luke, was already in love with the child. Obi-Wan could see it in her eyes. "How can we refuse?"
He nodded, consenting. "We cannot. We will keep him safe."
Obi-Wan smiled. "That is all I ask, that you keep him safe until he old enough."
"No." At Obi-Wan's questioning look, Owen said, "I barely knew Anakin. But I felt the goodness in him. Your Jedi nonsense got him killed. I won't let his son be murdered as he was. You leave him with us, we will keep him safe. But I won't allow you to prepare him for his death like you trained his father."
Obi-Wan looked away. "You have my word. I will not seek the boy out."
Owen looked to Beru. "Put the boy to bed, Beru."
She nodded and stood. "Would you like to say goodbye, Ben?" she asked Obi-Wan, her eyes gentle.
He smiled at the woman and said, "Yes." She placed Luke into his arms. He stared down into the tiny features and murmured a goodbye before giving him back to Beru. She left the kitchen and Obi-Wan looked to Owen. "I agreed to your terms, now you must agree to mine. You mustn't let Luke forget his father. You don't have to tell him he was a Jedi, or a hero… Just don't let him forget the name Anakin Skywalker. I don't want to be the only one who remembers."
Owen looked indecisive for a moment, then nodded. "Alright." His hard features suddenly softened. "Look, Ben, if you want to stay for dinner…"
Obi-Wan shook his head. "No. The less I am around the better." He stood. "But if you need me, I'll be around." Obi-Wan said goodbye and with Owen trailing behind him, left the house.
He climbed in the speeder and drove away from the farm, knowing that Owen watched him until he disappeared into the dunes.
By the time Obi-Wan had landed at Anchorhead, he'd made up his mind. He had to give up Luke. With bounty hunters after him, he couldn't safely keep a child. It was the right thing to do, he knew. The only way to keep Luke completely safe- and completely away from Palpatine and his twisted pawn.
He knew where he had to go. Anakin had briefly told him of his mother's marriage to Cliegg Lars. He knew that the Lars's had a moisture farm somewhere outside of Anchorhead. All he had to do was find it.
Luck was on his side when he entered the small parts shop that made up the mechanical industry in the tiny outpost. "I'm looking for the Lars' moisture farm." Obi-Wan said, addressing the owner of the shop. He pointed to a sandy haired man of about thirty and Obi-Wan crossed the shop to his side. "Excuse me, do you know where I can find the Lars's?" he asked politely, trying to keep inconspicuous.
The man asked suspiciously, "Why?"
"I'd prefer to discuss it with them."
"I'm Owen Lars."
Obi-Wan held out his hand. "Ben Kenobi. Is there somewhere we can talk?"
"Kenobi. That sounds familiar." Owen cocked his head, trying to recall.
"I knew your step-brother."
"Anakin?" Owen said, then caught the past tense. "Knew? What happened to him?"
Obi-Wan looked around the crowded shop. "Like I said, is there somewhere we can talk?"
Owen nodded. "You have a speeder?" At Obi-Wan's nod he said, "You can follow me out to the farm, ok?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "Alright."
Following Owen, Obi-Wan made his way out to the large moisture farm that had belonged to Cliegg Lars, Shmi Skywalker's husband. They parked and Obi-Wan took the baby and followed Owen inside.
A pretty woman of about twenty met them inside. She smiled at Obi-Wan and greeted him politely, then promptly melted at the sight of Luke. "He's beautiful," she breathed, staring down at his sleepy blue eyes.
Obi-Wan looked to Owen. "This is Luke Skywalker- Anakin and Padme's son."
"What happened to them?" Owen asked.
Obi-Wan ducked his head. "When the emperor began his purge of the Jedi, Anakin…" Obi-Wan forced the words from his throat, "was killed. Padme has had to go into hiding against the emperor's wrath."
Beru sighed. "That's awful."
"Anakin was like my son," he said, his eyes faraway. "And now his son is in danger. I know you aren't blood relations, but he spoke of you to me and… The child needs family now."
"There's no way! Sorry, Ben, or Obi-Wan, or whatever your name is, but there's *no* way I'm hiding a Jedi's kid! Not with the emperor and Vader out for blood!"
The name gave Obi-Wan chills. He looked to Owen and said, "Darth Vader betrayed and murdered your step-brother and will murder his son if he gets the chance. There are those that hunt me, and Luke is not safe at my side."
Owen looked down, then to Beru. "What do you think?"
The woman, holding Luke, was already in love with the child. Obi-Wan could see it in her eyes. "How can we refuse?"
He nodded, consenting. "We cannot. We will keep him safe."
Obi-Wan smiled. "That is all I ask, that you keep him safe until he old enough."
"No." At Obi-Wan's questioning look, Owen said, "I barely knew Anakin. But I felt the goodness in him. Your Jedi nonsense got him killed. I won't let his son be murdered as he was. You leave him with us, we will keep him safe. But I won't allow you to prepare him for his death like you trained his father."
Obi-Wan looked away. "You have my word. I will not seek the boy out."
Owen looked to Beru. "Put the boy to bed, Beru."
She nodded and stood. "Would you like to say goodbye, Ben?" she asked Obi-Wan, her eyes gentle.
He smiled at the woman and said, "Yes." She placed Luke into his arms. He stared down into the tiny features and murmured a goodbye before giving him back to Beru. She left the kitchen and Obi-Wan looked to Owen. "I agreed to your terms, now you must agree to mine. You mustn't let Luke forget his father. You don't have to tell him he was a Jedi, or a hero… Just don't let him forget the name Anakin Skywalker. I don't want to be the only one who remembers."
Owen looked indecisive for a moment, then nodded. "Alright." His hard features suddenly softened. "Look, Ben, if you want to stay for dinner…"
Obi-Wan shook his head. "No. The less I am around the better." He stood. "But if you need me, I'll be around." Obi-Wan said goodbye and with Owen trailing behind him, left the house.
He climbed in the speeder and drove away from the farm, knowing that Owen watched him until he disappeared into the dunes.