"Luke Skywalker! Come out here please!"
Luke, who had been daydreaming at the breakfast table, snapped his head to attention. His Uncle was hollering so loud Luke wondered if the Sand People could hear him out in the Jundland Wastes.
Luke stood slowly, wondering what was causing his uncle to yell at him so loudly.
Luke, stretching his stiff back, made his way out into the bright sun of the morning, and paused mid-stretch. There, standing not ten meters from Luke was his uncle Owen, and Huff Darklighter. Biggs, looking quite sheepish, was standing just behind his father.
Owen Lars, his brow so furrowed he looked like he was sporting a uni-brow, cast an angry look at Luke. "What is that?"
Luke followed the direction of his uncle's pointing finger and he felt his prospects for a good day disappear as he looked upon his skyhopper, parked next to the Darklighter's landspeeder. Luke just stared at the vehicle postponing, for as long as possible, the moment he'd have to fess up to his uncle.
"Well?"
Uncle Owen wasn't going to give Luke the time. Luke took a deep breath and turned to his uncle. "It's mine. I bought it. The day before yesterday."
"Well, Owen, I think I'll take my son home, I'm sorry for this. Truly." Huff Darklighter gave Luke a deeply disapproving look, then guided Biggs by the elbow towards their landspeeder. Biggs threw a glance over his shoulder, mouthing sorry to Luke before his father yanked his arm and Biggs turned forward again.
Luke watched his friend leave with his father, feeling Uncle Owen staring at him angrily.
"Luke," Owen's voice had dropped so low it was almost a rumble. Luke looked at his uncle, trying to appear cool and calm but feeling like he was failing miserably. "Inside, now."
Luke dropped his head and entered the hovel, his uncle close on his heels.
Minutes later, Owen was pushing Luke down into a seat at the table, Luke's half-finished breakfast plate still sitting on the otherwise empty table. Luke wondered where his aunt was. Without her here to play referee, this so-called talk could get nasty.
"Will you please explain to me why you spent half your savings on a skyhopper? And what made you think you could lie to Mr. Darklighter like that? And what are you doing that you need a vehicle like a skyhopper? Not only are they useless for farming, but they are wrought with mechanical problems, and you'll probably have to spend the rest of your savings just to maintain the thing!"
"I've looked over the skyhopper, top to bottom and it's in perfect condition," Luke defended his precious vehicle, ignoring the angry questions from his uncle.
Owen scowled and grumbled something under his breath. Luke sat silently, listening to his uncle pace back and forth behind him, murmuring incoherent words.
Owen moved to the head of the table, and sitting in his regular spot, he took a deep breath. "Luke, I think we can talk about this like civilized people," there was another deep breath, "So, why did you spend half your savings on that thing?"
Luke, feeling there was nothing to lose at this point, looked at his uncle. He opened his mouth to speak, than closed it again. He absently shook his head. Luke let his gaze fall to the table and he sat for a moment, gathering his thoughts. Then he told his Uncle Owen everything. About the racing at Beggar's Canyon, about the Sand People and the shot that hit the landspeeder; he told him about asking Mr. Darklighter for help getting his money, and he told his uncle about seeing the skyhopper for sale, seemingly waiting for Luke to come along and buy it. Lastly he told his uncle about the race yesterday, and how exhilarating it had been. The one thing Luke kept to himself was the girl. His uncle remained silent throughout; though Luke could see the reactions on his face at each stage of his tale.
When Luke finished he sat staring at his hands, waiting for his uncle to start yelling again. Instead there was silence. Luke glanced sideways at his uncle and saw Owen staring at his own hands.
They sat like that for several minutes before Owen raised his head. "Luke, I know you think I am purposefully keeping you from doing the things you like, and hanging out with your friends. But I'm trying to protect you. I'm trying to raise you like I think your parents, had they lived, should have."
Luke's ears perked up at this statement. His uncle never freely mentioned Luke's parents. But he was disappointed as Owen made no more mention of them.
"I want you to succeed in life. If you truly want to attend the Academy, by your 18th year we can talk about it, until then I need you here on this farm," Owen stopped.
"But you can't do things like this, Luke. You can't abuse the friendship of a man like Huff Darklighter, and you can't keep secrets from your aunt and me, like going to Beggar's Canyon to race," Owen stood up and starting pacing behind his chair.
"I can't even begin to tell you how dangerous the Sand People are…if they had hit you instead of the landspeeder…" Owen stopped and gazed out into the open air pit just outside the dining area. Luke felt horrible. He hadn't considered his aunt and uncle's feelings. Luke stared at his uncle's back wanting to apologize or something, but he knew that wasn't what his uncle wanted. So Luke sat in silence, feeling like an ungrateful, selfish, mean, spoiled kid.
Luke and Owen stayed like that for a long time. Both lost in their own thoughts, absently watching the shadows shorten as the twin suns moved across the sky.
"I'd better go get your Aunt Beru. It's nearly lunchtime," Owen finally spoke, moving back across the dining area to head out of the homestead.
"Uncle Owen," Luke called out, his uncle pausing near the doorway. "I…I'm sorry."
Owen nodded and left the room. "Don't go anywhere, Luke!" he called back as he left to seek out Beru.
Luke sat at the table, not moving like his uncle had said. It felt like hours but was probably only twenty or thirty minutes before Luke heard the murmuring voices of his aunt and uncle coming down to the dining area.
Luke prepared himself for another onslaught of lecturing from his aunt.
"Luke, I hear there was some excitement this morning?" Beru said softly, sitting in her own place at the table. Luke gave his aunt a sheepish, half-smile.
"Your uncle and I have talked, and we would like you to go apologize to Mr. Darklighter for misleading him as you did."
"But I didn't do it on purpose-," Luke started to protest.
Beru held up her hand, and Luke's objection faded from his lips. "We want you to go apologize to Mr. Darklighter."
Luke stared at his aunt, reluctantly nodding, not hiding his dislike of this course of action. The last thing he wanted to do was go talk to Biggs' father. He felt sure he'd get a harder time from him than he got from his own aunt and uncle.
About an hour later, Luke sat in the Lars landspeeder, outside the Darklighter home. Owen had locked the skyhopper in the Lars garage, prohibiting Luke from using it.
"Hey, Luke!" Luke turned at the sound of his friend Biggs.
Luke climbed out of the speeder and waited as his friend approached. "Whatcha doing here?"
"My aunt and uncle are making me come apologize to your dad," Luke grumbled. Biggs snorted.
"My dad…yeah, he was quite angry when he noticed two skyhoppers in the garage," Biggs glanced towards his house.
"He's inside, in his office. I'll go tell him you're here," Biggs started towards the house, then paused. "I tried to hide it as best I could. But the skyhopper's kinda hard to miss. And my father doesn't usually go into the garage…anyway, sorry about that. But if your uncle isn't too mad and he'll let you, come out to the canyon tomorrow. I got some exciting ideas," Biggs grinned, then disappeared into his house.
Luke smiled distractedly and found himself waiting alone, trying to script his apology to Mr. Darklighter. He hadn't gotten very far when Huff Darklighter emerged from the house.
"Luke. Biggs said you were here and that you wished to speak to me," Mr. Darklighter stated, disposing with any pleasantries.
"Yeah, I, well, I came to apologize. I didn't plan to buy the skyhopper, it's just as we were driving into town I saw it for sale, and well, I wanted it…" Luke paused, squinting up at the slightly taller, elder Darklighter.
"I didn't think to say anything, I didn't think it would matter," Luke continued when Mr. Darklighter didn't respond.
"You didn't think at all," Mr. Darklighter said, breathing deep. "But I appreciate the apology. I imagine you felt left behind. Trying to compete with Biggs and his brand new skyhopper. Hopefully you haven't limited yourself and your future options by wasting credits on a skyhopper just to race your friends with."
Luke felt a growing animosity to Biggs father, and had to bite his tongue to keep from saying something that might exacerbate the now somewhat settled situation. So he just nodded, accepting Huff Darklighter's admonishment.
"Huff, I've got lunch ready!" a light, female voice called from the doorway of the home.
Luke and Huff both glanced in the direction of the voice. Luke saw Silya Darklighter, Biggs mother, standing at the door. He waved.
"Be right in," Huff turned back to Luke. "Take care, son."
Luke smiled weakly, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. He backed a few steps towards his speeder.
"Luke, will you join us?" Silya called out to him and Huff passed her and disappeared into the dark house.
Luke smiled and waved again. "I'm expected at home, Mrs. Darklighter, but thanks!"
Luke climbed quickly into his speeder and took off across the desert towards home, fully expecting to be sent to the far reaches of the farm to work.
Luke wasn't far off in his expectation. The rest of the day Luke found himself banished to the far North fields. Though he didn't want to stay in the fields all afternoon and evening, he didn't want to go back to the house either, just to have his aunt and uncle look at him with those disappointing stares. But as the suns started to set and the desert wildlife started coming to life for the night, Luke knew he had to make his way back to the homestead.
At dinner, Luke stared at his plate, and though he was starving, he simply poked his fork around his food, pushing it first to one side then the other. He wouldn't look at his aunt and uncle, though he felt their eyes on him.
"Luke, stop playing and please eat," Beru had finally said, a hint of annoyance evident in her otherwise calm and cool demeanor.
Luke turned his eyes to his aunt-then shoveled a small forkful of vegetables into his mouth, chewing slowly, savoring the juice that ran down his throat.
"Luke, your aunt and I have talked, and there are some things we need to discuss," Owen started and Luke, who had begun to take another bite of food, paused, his fork held mid-air.
"Well, we've decided we won't make you get rid of that T-16," Owen held his hand up before Luke could explode in choruses of "thank you's" and "I promise to…"
"You must tell us everytime you take that thing out, and you must let us know where, exactly, you will be going, with who, and when you'll be home. And we expect you to stick to what you tell us. If you change your plans, you tell us, if you can't tell us, then you come home. I realize we can't keep you totally secluded, and as long as you are very aware of the real dangers that are out there, like the Sand People, there's no reason you can't have fun with your friends…as long as your work gets done first," Owen added quickly.
Luke was still frozen, fork in mid-air. He waited for his uncle to say more and when he didn't Luke dropped his fork and looking between the two of them, he grinned. "I promise Aunt Beru, Uncle Owen, I will be careful and I will abide by all the rules you set. I won't disappoint you like this again. I swear."