Luke spent that entire afternoon at the Darklighter residence. He didn't want to go home. He knew Uncle Owen was going to kill him for the damage to the landspeeder. But as the twin suns started to set Luke knew he couldn't put it off much longer. His comm. link had been beeping for more than an hour and Luke knew his aunt was trying to call him home.

As the first sun was sinking below the horizon, Luke pulled the landspeeder up to the Lars Homestead. As he climbed out of the speeder his Aunt Beru came bursting out the door to the surface.

"Luke, your uncle is quite upset that you stayed out this late. You know how dangerous it is with the Sandpeople!"

Luke felt a momentary flash of guilt for making his aunt and uncle worry, but it was quickly replaced by adolescent frustration.

"Why is it so dangerous? All the people around here, even the other kids seem to know something about the Sandpeople and our family, but you and Uncle Owen won't tell me anything except to stay away and to be home before dark."

Beru's face seemed to change slightly. Luke thought he saw a flash of pain cross her weathered features, but as soon as he saw it, it was gone. Luke wondered if it was a trick of the waning light.

"Come inside, your dinner is waiting."

Luke sighed and followed his aunt inside. Once again she had ignored his questioning of his family and the past. Luke was beginning to wonder exactly what the circumstances were around his adoption. All he'd ever been told was that his father had been a pilot on a spice freighter and had been killed, somehow. There was no mention of his mother and when Luke asked, his aunt and uncle just sidestepped the question and never gave a clear answer. Luke didn't know if she was alive or dead, or even what her name was.

The dinner table was silent that night. Owen was giving Luke the silent treatment, and Beru was also keeping silent, not about to disturb the false sense of peace. Luke was silent, preoccupied with his own thoughts, playing with his food more than eating it. He wondered how he could fix the landspeeder without his uncle finding out what had happened. He was coming up with nothing. Luke couldn't access his credits without his aunt or uncle, so his last shot was to appeal to Biggs to loan him some credits.

Luke spent the rest of the night in a fit of restless sleep. His dreams consisting of himself driving his speeder through a never-ending Beggar's Canyon, his Uncle Owen chasing after him waving a gaffi stick and yelling "Just one more season, one more season!"

It was rare that Luke watched the twin suns rise over Tatooine. He was never up that early. But the following morning Luke was wide awake long before the suns rose. His dreams had kept him up most the night, and by early morning he'd given up on sleep.

Luke waited for the sounds of his aunt and uncle moving about before he got up himself. He dressed quietly, and listening for footsteps outside his door, he snuck down the hall and out of the Lars home.

A little while later he was once again parked outside the Darklighter residence-waiting for a reasonable hour to call on Biggs. Both suns had risen and the day was warming fast. Luke sat reclined in his speeder, feeling drowsy in the warm heat of the morning air. His eyelids were starting to fall when he was startled by a loud jarring noise.

"Luke! How are things out on the Lars Homestead?"

Luke shielded his eyes from the bright sun and saw the unmistakable image of Huff Darklighter. He looked as though he was dressed for a trip into Anchorhead. Probably going to sell more water shares for outrageous amounts, Luke thought.

"Things are good, Mr. Darklighter," Luke gave a half-shrug to Biggs' father as he stood next to Luke in his injured speeder. Biggs had the fortunate luck to look just like his father. Both had a head full of thick, black hair, and they were tall, slender, and considered handsome to most of the females on Tatooine. Luke had always been slightly jealous of Biggs for his resemblance to his father. Who did Luke look like? His mother or his father? Or was he a blend of both? He probably would never know.

"Well, have a good day, Luke," Huff Darklighter said as he started off towards his own speeder.

Luke, suddenly realizing he was missing an opportunity, jumped from his speeder and jogged after Mr. Darklighter.

"Say, Mr. Darklighter?"

The older man turned to Luke, his eyebrows up in a questioning look. Luke gave a quick grin to his friend's father.

"I was, uh, hoping I could ask you for a favor. It would really help me out, a lot…" Luke stopped, feeling embarrassed for begging like this.

"What is it, Luke?"

"Well, yesterday there was an incident with the Sandpeople in Beggar's Canyon, and well, my landspeeder got damaged, and I need to repair it before my uncle sees it," Luke stopped. Biggs' father, unlike Luke's uncle, encouraged his son to take part in the races out in the desert. Luke was certain he was simply bursting that Biggs had beaten Luke the day before.

"Biggs told me, he also said you and this beat up old speeder put up quite a fight to beat him. So, what can I do to help?" Luke ignored the veiled dig at his aunt and uncle's financial position. Huff Darklighter, though a nice man, was very prideful of his status and the success he'd achieved.

"Well, I would like to get some repair parts in Anchorhead and get it patched before I head home tonight. But I can't access my credits without my uncle. Maybe you could, uh, help me?" Luke flushed, his request sounding incredibly naive when said out loud.

"I understand if you don't want to, so, it's okay. Forget I asked." Luke started to back away, feeling completely idiotic.

"Hold it," Huff Darklighter's stern voice halted Luke in his retreat.

"I can help you get access to your credits, but how will you keep this from your uncle? Does he not check the investment of the credits to see if any gains are made?"

Luke almost laughed in Mr. Darklighter's face. Instead he bit his lip, and shook his head. "Uncle Owen doesn't believe in investing. He's not a supporter of the Empire, you know." Luke immediately regretted admitting this information. People who didn't support the Empire usually ended up missing, or dead.

But Huff Darklighter only nodded in understanding. "I should have known, after what happened…"

Luke's interest was piqued when he heard this. Apparently Mr. Darklighter was also knowledgeable about whatever secret his aunt and uncle were determined to keep from him. Luke hoped Mr. Darklighter would say something more, but he didn't.

"Okay, I'll take you into Anchorhead and I'll see what I can do about getting you access to your credits. Only take you what you need to get replacement pieces. I'll leave a message for Biggs to come into town in a little while to get you. I can't bring you back, I have business."

Luke grinned at his friend's father. "Thanks, Mr. Darklighter. You are really helping me out."

Huff Darklighter had stayed with Luke long enough to use his influence in town to get Luke access to his credits, then he left him to make his withdrawal.

But Luke had changed his plans since he'd asked Mr. Darklighter to help him. As they'd rode into Anchorhead, Luke had noticed a used T-16 skyhopper just outside of town, for sale by owner. Luke, acting on impulse and not allowing himself the time to think about what he was doing, decided he was going to buy it. And as soon as his credits were firmly in hand he jogged to the edge of town where he'd seen the vehicle, and he purchased it on the spot.

Luke, giddy with excitement over his purchase, sauntered down the main thoroughfare of Anchorhead. The ownership papers of the used skyhopper were in his pocket along with a few spare credits. Luckily he hadn't needed to empty his entire account to buy it. He was still left with a little less than half of what he'd had.

Ahead of him, Luke saw the worn and sand blown sign for The Krayt's Nest Tavern, and headed towards it to meet up with Biggs. Luke couldn't wait to race his friend again, now that they had equal vehicles.

Luke walked into the dusty tavern, surveying the small, early morning crowd. Some were having breakfast, and some looked like they'd slept at their tables all night. Luke saw an empty table on the far side of the room and made his way towards it when a voice caused him to pause with a grimace.

"Luke!"

Luke cursed to himself, then plastering a false smile on his face he turned and came face to face with Camie.

"Cams, what are you doing here?"

"Dad let me get a job here. I've moved to the apartment above this place." Camie spoke this with an obvious hint in her voice. Luke had been out to dinners and races with most of the girls within a 100-km radius, but he wouldn't get involved with Camie. She was very beautiful, and she very obviously had a crush on Luke, but she had been around. She'd been out with Tank, and Deak and she even was with Biggs for awhile. Luke just couldn't do it.

"That's nice, Camie," Luke felt a little awkward. Camie was staring at him with a fierce intensity.

"Tough luck about yesterday's race," Camie said to break the silence. Luke's good mood faltered even more at the mention of his loss the previous day.

"Uh, yeah, thanks," Luke wasn't sure how else to respond.

Luke heard heavy footsteps behind him, and hoped it was Biggs so he could get away from Camie and her penetrating stares. Luke was disappointed when the footsteps faded towards the other side of the tavern, right past Luke.

"Will you be out at Beggar's Canyon tomorrow?" Camie asked, evidently unwilling to let the conversation end even though Luke was doing nothing to sustain it.

"Uh, yeah," Luke answered distractedly. He had just caught site of who it was that had entered, and he was speechless.

A young woman, probably a little older than Luke, with bright blond hair braided and wrapped in an ornate hairstyle, was standing at the bar. She was wearing heavy leather pants and tall heavy work boots and had a blaster strapped to her. She wasn't dressed like any moisture farmer Luke had ever seen. And now that he thought about it, he'd never seen her around before, period.

Luke couldn't take his eyes off her. All he could see was her profile, but he could tell she had long, thick eyelashes, and full red lips. Her cheeks were dotted with a light spattering of freckles, and her nose was turned up just slightly at the end. Luke stared, memorizing her every feature.

Luke could vaguely hear Camie saying something to him about repulsor strength of a skiff, nodded randomly at her statements. He knew he was being rude, staring at this stunning girl. But Luke could do no more than stare. He'd forgotten how to speak in full sentences, only issuing random grunts of agreement to go along with his nodding head.

The girl must have sensed herself being watched, and turned towards Luke and Camie's direction. Her eyes, so icy blue they were almost clear in color, met Lukes and he felt such a pain in his heart that he'd never felt before. He realized he could hardly breathe to look at her.

"Sorry, I gotta go," Luke interrupted Camie and turning on his heels he bolted out the door into the hot air of the street. Outside of the tavern Luke felt his breathing resume normal, and the pain in his chest subsided. He stood outside, his hands on his hips, breathing and staring at his feet.

What was that all about? Luke asked himself.

You stupid Hutt, you should go back inside and introduce yourself! Luke chastised himself for his dimwittedness.

No way! If I look at her again I think I'll die from the pain, I swear! The shy, sensible side of Luke argued back.

But I'll die if I don't meet her. I at least need to know her name! The brave, macho Luke retorted.

"Fine," Luke answered out loud as he turned on his heels again, preparing himself to once again set eyes on the beauty within.

"Fine, what?"

Luke jumped at the sound of his friend's voice.

"Biggs, you scared the poodoo out of me!" Luke turned to face his friend, laughing with relief. Biggs returned the smile.

"Why are we sweating out here in this hot sun when we could be inside enjoying a fine, cool beverage of our liking?" Biggs asked Luke, taking a few steps towards the tavern entrance.

"I, uh, well, I had to get out of there," Luke faltered.

Biggs was eyeing him. "Why?"

Luke didn't want to tell his friend of this new girl. Biggs was one of those people that seemed to get everything, that seemed to have all the luck. All the girls wanted Biggs (well, except Camie), Biggs was going to the Academy, Biggs had a brand new skyhopper (but hey, so do you now!). Luke was afraid if the two of them had a chance to meet, that Luke wouldn't stand a chance with the girl.

But before Luke had a chance to say anything, Camie stuck her head out the door to the tavern. "Are you going to stand out here all day?"

Biggs faced Luke with a knowing look and leaning in he whispered, "Ah, I see why you had to get out. When did Cams start working here?"

Luke shrugged, and the two walked back into the tavern. Luke's stomach was in knots but as his eyes slowly adjusting to the dimness of the room he caught no sight of the blond beauty. I couldn't have imagined her, he thought as he and Biggs sat at a table and ordered drinks.

"So, Luke, what'd you do so early in town this morning?" Biggs asked. Luke, momentarily forgetting about the lovely girl, looked at his friend and grinned.