THE NEXT MORNING

"Luke...Luke! Wake up!" Owen said as he shook the boy lightly.

Luke's sleep-filled eyes adjusted to find his bedroom light on. Uncle Owen was looking down at him with a wide-eyed, worried expression on his face.

Luke's mind began to spin with dread. Oh no, surely he couldn't have found out about this! Could he?

Owen spoke quickly and erratically. "It's early, I know. But I need you to get up and get things started this morning for me. I've already powered on R5 for you. I've got to head into Mos Espa this morning, I got a holonet call from a prospective customer that's willing to help us and the Darklighters hire more hands if I can get there in an hour and close a deal with him. Can you do that for me?"

Relieved but also trying to hide his excitement at the obvious opportunity, Luke said, "You bet I can."

"Alright, here's the keypad with the encryption codes in it for today's system combinations."

Uncle Owen actually smiled at him. "This could be a really big break, Luke. This could be it!"

He started to exit Luke's room, then turned around and started to say, "Oh, and don't forget to check the power grid to make sure that everything's sync-"

"I've got it all under control, Uncle Owen. You can count on me," Luke said calmly and sleepily. "And I know where your projectile rifle is if I spot any Sandpeople."

Winking at his nephew (making the boy even more befuddled at his glee), Owen left. A few moments later, Luke heard Owen's speeder, already powered up, bolt away rapidly.

This is my chance, Luke thought.

Luke dressed and ran outside immediately after making sure he could no longer hear the departing landspeeder. He grabbed his uncle's projectile rifle and headed across the main courtyard.

It was still very dark outside. A chill rushed through him -- it was cold, too! The suns were just beginning to show the faintest sign of rising.

Going into the main computer center for the farm, he powered up the forward grid to the vaporators and the homestead.

Why does it take Uncle Owen so long to do all this stuff? Luke pondered as he programmed in the settings for the day. He set the system on standby so that it would turn itself on in about twenty-five minutes.

I hope that's enough time.

He set out to the garage, and brought R5 out to begin his automated prep duties.

Okay, that should be everything.

Luke walked around to the spot that he had mentally marked in his mind, almost expecting it to be gone again.

It was still there. He took out his nightlight, turned it on and clipped it to his belt.

A hill of sand (as there were many hills on this planet) stood before him, about half a meter tall, but with three unmistakable peaks at it.

He knew Aunt Beru would not be up for another hour. Hmm... I could use the sandblower to clear the hill away, but the noise would risk waking her up. I guess I'll have to use the only thing I can.

Setting the projectile rifle down next to him, Luke began pulling away at the sand with his hands. Some of the outer layers were thin, but the inner layers were coarse and thick. He kept digging persistently, as if some kind of magnet was drawing him to whatever was inside. The sand had definitely been there a long time, and the coarse sand underneath looked like it had been imbued with a chemical to make it hard.

If I get caught, they're going to think I've lost my mind. Digging in the sand, they'll say, how absurd!

The sunrise turning from a faint whisper of light to a deep blue mixed with red as he continued to work. The coarse sand was working its way underneath his fingernails, and it hurt -- like crazy! He kept digging and looking nonetheless, hoping to find something.

A few minutes later he reached a chunk of coarse sand that finally gave way. He dug in again past it and -- OUCH!!

He hit stone, or what felt like the top of something stone.

Whatever it is, this is definitely not sand.

He continued clawing away at it, trying to find the edges. Sweat poured down his forehead as the twin suns drew ever closer to showing their first signs of life on the horizon.

In just a few minutes, he had uncovered the top of the stone. It was dark brown, and very dense. He was trembling with excitement…

…when the entire system went online.

All the lights and power generators turned on in a massive mechanical-electronic exodus that would have awakened the dead. Luke cursed at the noisy technology, but he continued to ignore it.

This is taking too long!

Luke's fingertips were getting sore from digging at this stone. Now that the lights were on, he could see one of his fingernails was bleeding underneath. He brought forth a small metal utility blade from his belt and carefully carved away the rest of the coarse sand from the front of the stone, beginning to notice markings on it.

I don't know why I didn't think of my blade in the first place. What was left of the sand fell away quickly...

Luke sat in the light of the morning suns cresting over the horizon, reading the faded markings on this stone.

A gravestone.

It read:

Here Lies

Shmi Skywalker

Darling Wife, Loving Mother

Forever Loved, Forever Missed,
Never Forgotten

His emotions began to swirl like the sandstorm that almost uncovered this gravestone a month ago. He wanted to cry, but that would have to wait.

Skywalker. My last name. Who was this? Was this his birth mother?

Luke felt plastered to the sand -- as much as the sand was plastered to the stone. He couldn't move, nor did he want to even if he could find the strength.

I need to get back to work. I can just cover it back up. Maybe I can unearth it from the ground and hide it somewhere sa-

"Oh, no." Came a voice behind him.

Luke sat motionless, watching Aunt Beru's silhouette block out the sunrise from his view. He was immediately aware she knew the truth.

"I always knew you were bright. I guess you realize that Owen really didn't go to bed early the night of the storm. He was out here in a face mask, trying to cover this back up." Beru's voice was calm, but Luke could still feel a hint of dread in her voice.

Luke remained still, his jaw hanging open. He was in shock from the discovery he had made, but also from the secondary shock of being discovered by Aunt Beru.

Aunt Beru laughed suddenly and nervously, and said, "Your uncle is so stubborn sometimes. He actually didn't get it covered back up until the storm was over. Still, we never thought you would find this."

Luke's shoulders slumped. This entire search had all been in vain, now that he'd been found out. I'm really going to get it now when Uncle Owen gets home. All the trust Luke had built with Owen now broken and gone, he was certain all his newly earned freedom was going to be taken away with it.

Luke at last began to cry silently, his tears giving way to short sniffles and sobs. He uncovered something that he knew they felt he had no business looking into. But… he was also crying for reasons that he could not fully understand. The grief was partially his own…yet it wasn't. Some of his tears seemingly belonged to someone else. There was joy mixed with sorrow. Pain mixed with happiness. Guilt mixed with reverence.

Beru came to him immediately, kneeling by his side. Luke was so lost...he didn't know what to do. He held Beru back tightly in a hug, waiting for her harsh words. But the harsh words did not come. She hugged him back instead.

Luke's sudden outburst of grief caught Beru completely by surprise. Certainly, she had seen him cry before, but not like this. But it was there…Beru had seen it on his face, in those innocent blue eyes of his. Also apparent to her was that he had been expecting a scolding from her, then who-knows-what from his uncle. She sat down next to him and put her arm around him.

"Don't let yourself be troubled, Luke," she said to him softly as she rocked him. "You've worked hard, and I can handle your uncle. What's important now is that you must be told the truth, so that there are no misconceptions in your mind."

Luke's voice was barely audible, but she could still hear him sobbing uncontrollably...and obviously, ashamed of his tears, as well as of his actions.

"Hey…" Beru started. "…Luke, look at me." She pulled away and gently cradled his chin in her hand, bringing his shamed and grief-stricken face up to meet hers. She was crying quietly with him.

How he looks so much like his mother when he's like this, she thought.

Beru let out a big smile through her sadness. The genie had been let out of the lamp. Now she had to at least tell him what she could about what the boy had uncovered.

"Luke, tell me what you already know about your real parents."

"I-I-I..." Luke said in a whisper, still sniffling, "I know I had -- a sniff father, and a mother, and that they're both dead. Uncle Owen said...something about my father being a navigator on a spice freighter ...and that…sniff…he would tell me when he felt I was...old enough...about them. That's all I know! sob I swear!!" Luke's last two words were very defensive, and he raised his voice when they were spoken. He was almost hysterical.

Beru felt a surge of enormous pity for him. I know I'm right. The burden he will have to bear when he learns the full truth will be so very hard for him. He already feels anger that we did not tell him as much as he knows now.

"Luke, please still yourself and listen to what I have to say. There's nothing to be ashamed of." Beru continued to hold him tightly. At last his cries turned to barely audible whimpers, then he was silently listening.

"Okay, then", Beru said, keeping her voice calm and stroking the boy's hair. "I can't tell you about your mother and father, which is still for your uncle to do. He will tell you when he feels you're ready. But I think I can tell you who Shmi is........."

She pulled away from his embrace, both of them looking at the gravestone together.

"Shmi was your grandmother. She was your father's real mother. Her husband was your Uncle Owen's father, Cliegg Lars. You remember Uncle Owen telling you about Cliegg, don't you?"

Luke nodded, sniffling. "Yes," he said.

"Uncle Owen lost his mother at a young age like you did, only not quite so young. Cliegg later met Shmi, and they married. She was kidnapped and killed by a band of Tuskens. Cliegg went after them and tried to save her, but he lost his leg in the process."

Luke looked stunned at the revelation. "So that's why Uncle Owen is so protective of me in the dangerous hours of the evening and night," he said, his voice barely a mutter.

He seemed to have regained his composure. "So, was Cliegg my grandfather?"

Beru looked off into the distance then...you MUST tell him the truth, Beru, but only so much can be said right now.

"No. He was your step-grandfather. Your father was already fourteen years old by the time Cliegg married Shmi. Your true biological grandfather remains a mystery to this day."

Beru paused, and hugged him again.

"So now you know, Luke. Shmi was your grandmother. She was one of the kindest, gentlest people I have ever known, and I have to admit to you that I have spent my life trying to be like her. Your Uncle Owen loved her dearly as he did his real mother." Beru started to cry again, trying not to relive the painful memories too much. But it was okay, for the moment.