Luke hugged Camie back tightly for a moment before he let go. "I was checking the Vaporators. I'm impressed you got them running again. I didn't think they survived the Stormtrooper attack."

"You mean Tusken Raiders, right?" Camie asked him. "I thought it was the Sand People who killed your aunt and uncle."

"Keep on believing that," Luke said after a moment. "It's safer for you."

Camie shrugged. "You know how Fixer is- was." Even after a year she still had trouble putting him in past tense. "He kept at it till he got them working." She absently mindedly ran a hand through her hair, and looked away as her fingers touched scar tissue. "Luke … you don't mind, do you? That we took over the farm. People need water-"

"Like I said last night, I'm sure Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen would have approved that you guys took a burnt out husk and made it a working farm again. And you're right. Your parents need water to keep the gardens growing." He gently reached out and took her shoulders. "Camie, I'm grateful to you- to both of you. You made this place a home again. After what happened … I can never thank you enough."

"We found the graves," Camie added, looking back at him. "For Owen and Beru. We fixed them up proper. Fixer said it was the least we could do." She sighed. "I know you two didn't always get along, but you really were one of Fixer's best friends. I hope you know that." She looked at her hands again. They were rougher now than they had been when Luke knew her before. The hands of a working woman, not a girl who was still allowed to be a child. Leia's hand look nothing like mine, she thought fleetingly. "You were one of mine too."

"The feeling's mutual." Luke smiled shyly, then looked away. "If I had more time, I could help you repair a few more of them. But I need to make some preparations ..."

"I understand. You didn't come back to play moisture farmer again," Camie smiled at him. "I'm sure the big Rebellion hero has much more important things to do than help out a farm girl."

Luke returned her smile. "I don't know that I'm really a hero, but thanks for saying that. Do you mind showing me their graves? I should pay my respects."

"Of course." Camie reached out and took Luke's hand in hers. It seemed like the most natural gesture in the world- one that surprised her only after she did it. "Your hand ..."

"Yes. I lost my real hand at Bespin."

"Leia mentioned something to me about that this morning," Camie murmured. "But … it's so life-like. I can barely tell."

"The Rebellion has good doctors."

"That's nice." Came bit down a surge of jealously. Of course Luke would have a top of the line prosthesis. If he was the Rebellion's Jedi, they would want him to have the best. It wasn't his fault that Camie could not afford even the most basic of artificial eyes. "They did a nice job. Come on. The graveyard is over here."

Camie had insisted on restoring the family graveyard along with the house. She had known the Lars, and they had always been kind to her. Given that they were now living in their house, making sure they had a decent family plot was the least they could do.

"Thank you for giving them a proper headstone and tomb." Luke brushed his real fingers against the stone. Since so much of Tatooine was literal sand, it wasn't really possible to bury bodies too deeply. Most people opted for cremation and then to have their ashes entombed in above the ground small crypts. "Ben and I did our best, but we didn't have enough time-"

"Ben? Old Ben? The hermit?"

"Yes." Luke smiled at her. "Turns out, he was really a Jedi Knight. He was going to train me to be a Jedi."

"What happened to him?" Camie had known the old hermit was gone, but like most people she just assumed the old man had either died of natural causes or been killed by one of the dangerous predators that frequented the dunes of Tatooine. They wouldn't have left so much as a bone behind so no one even thought of looking for a body.

Not that anyone probably would have looked anyway, Camie admitted to herself. The old hermit had no family, and he didn't seem to be close enough to anyone willing to spend precious time and water looking for a body that was probably long devoured.

"Ben- Obi-Wan- was killed on the Deathstar. He helped us escape. He was murdered by Darth Vader." Luke's face twisted into a mask of pain and anguish.

"I'm sorry, Luke." She was still holding his hand. She knew that she should let it go, but it had been so long since she had touched anyone that even an artificial hand was comforting.

"It's not your fault," Luke smiled at her. He turned his attention back to the graveyard. "Did you make a place for Fixer?"

"No. I've got his urn. When I leave, I'm taking him with me." She felt a twinge of guilt as she explained the plan to sell the farmstead once she had free title to it. "I'll make sure that it goes to good people. The Whitesuns have expressed an interest … they're Beru's people, you know."

"I know." Luke's eyes flickered to the grave of Cliegg, Owen's father. "That tombstone. It's new."

"It's old, actually. We found it hidden in the garage when we were cleaning it out." Camie looked down at it. "Shmi. That was his second wife, wasn't she?"

"I think so. He died before I was born. Uncle Owen didn't talk about family much. Guess now I know why." Luke looked away. "Did you find anything else?"

"Yes. It was just an old box- looks like it might have come out of a junk shop- but I think it was Shmi's hope chest. It had some things in it. Would you like to see it?" Camie knew that she was burning daylight- that she had chores to do- but she wanted to do something to lift the sudden wave of sadness that had overtaken Luke.

"If you don't mind." Luke's mood seemed to lighten, and Camie found herself smiling back at him.

"Come on." She led Luke back into the garage and fumbled in the back until she brought out the battered metal box. It had probably started life as some merchant's footlocker, but some effort had been made to decorate it, with some childish designs etched into the metal. There was also writing- somewhat crude, but legible:

"Shmi and Anakin," Luke read. "Anakin … that was my father's name." At the mention of his father, Luke's mood began to darken again …

"The lock was broken when we found it," Camie said so that Luke wouldn't think Fixer and she had intended to loot it. "I didn't know who to give it to, so we held onto it ..."

"It's okay, Camie. You had no way to get it to me. I grew up here, and I never knew this box existed." He gently opened the box.

There wasn't much inside.

Some clothing- old and worn, meant for a young boy or a small humanoid. What looked like a homemade toolkit. Some actual paper documents and two holo-crystals.

"I never took anything out of the box," Camie told him. "It's exactly the way I found it."

Luke reached down and picked up the papers. His eyes narrowed as he read them. "Kriff!"

"What is it?" Camie asked him.

"The papers. The top one is a property contract." Luke spat out a curse again. "Shmi and Anakin were slaves."

Camie gasped. "Luke ..."

Slavery was not unknown on Tatooine, but neither one of them had ever encountered actual slaves. For practical as well as moral reasons, the average farmer preferred droids to human servants. For all the breakdowns they tended to suffer from the desert heat and sand, droids did not require food or water to work.

"The paper at the end- it's an emancipation document. It looks like Cliegg bought Shmi- and freed her. BEFORE he married her."

"He must have cared about her a great deal," Camie comforted him. "It would have cost him a small fortune to buy a human slave."

"Yes." Reverently, Luke restored the papers to their case. To Shmi, the paperwork showing she was a free woman must have been one of her most precious possessions. "I wish I had known her. She must have been a remarkable woman."

"What about Anakin? I don't recall my parents saying that Owen had a brother..."

"Anakin must have been gone by the time Cliegg bought Shmi," Luke murmured. "He must have left her ..."

"Left her? His own mother? In slavery?! Surely he wouldn't have done that!"

"I've found out a lot about my father since I left, Camie. Believe me, that wouldn't be the worst thing he ever did." Luke closed his eyes for a moment.

Camie had no answer to that. What had Luke found out about his father that made him react so negatively to the man? "The holos, Luke. You should look at them. They might show Shmi- and your father."

Luke picked up the holos and examined them. One was slightly newer than the other- but still years older than either Luke or Camie. That didn't matter though; once a holo crystal was made, it would retain power for centuries if it wasn't destroyed. "I'm not sure I should-"

"Who knows when you'll be back again, Luke? You should take the chance."

Luke took a breath, and nodded. He turned the holo on.

The woman was not exactly old, but her face was worn from care, sorrow, and hard work. She was crying and clutching the papers to her chest. "Cliegg … Owen … you have no idea what this means to me."

"Of course we do. That's why we're recording it."

Luke smiled faintly. "That's Uncle Owen's voice. Maker, he sounds so young."

"You're a free woman, Shmi." A man walked into view of the holo and took one of Shmi's hands. He looked at her adoringly. "No one will ever own you again."

"Cliegg ..." Shmi returned the gaze.

"Beru!" Owen's voice called out. "Bring the cake in!"

"A cake?" Shmi said in amazement.

"A cake," the voice of Luke's beloved aunt replied. "Don't worry. I know better than to let Owen or his father in the kitchen, Shmi. I baked it myself."

"That wasn't necessary—"

"Of course it was," Cliegg said sternly. "Shmi, the last year with you- well, you took this place and made a home for Owen and me. If you choose, you'll make me the happiest man in the Galaxy-"

"Stay?"

"Show her the ring, Pa!"

Cliegg glared off in their direction. "I was working my way towards that!"

"Sure you were."

"Just tell her the truth, Cliegg," Beru's voice said gently, sounding wise beyond her apparent years. "Tell her how you feel."

"Shmi …" Cliegg cleared his throat. "You're a free woman now- no matter how you answer, you're free. But … I love you. We all do. I want you to stay – I want you to marry me. I know that I'm just a farmer, but I swear to you I'll do my best to be the best husband in the Galaxy- and if your boy ever comes home, I'll treat him just like I do Owen."

"That'd be a good reason for him to stay away!" Owen shot back.

Shmi stood frozen in shock. "Marry ….? You want me?"

"I will always want you," Cliegg told her gently.

"Say yes, Shmi," Owen added softly. "We need you. We all need you. Please say yes."

Cliegg looked into the surprised woman's eyes for a moment longer, and then turned away. "I guess I know your answer." He started to walk out of the image-

"Cliegg." Shmi grabbed his shoulder and spun him about. She launched herself into his arms and kissed him on the lips.

"I think that means she's saying yes," Owen observed.

"Yes!" Shmi said, breaking the kiss. "I'm saying yes." Shmi suddenly sighed. "I just wish Ani were here to see this …"

"You'll see him again," Cliegg said, embracing her. "You just have to have faith."

"Ani's moved beyond me. He's a Jedi now. They're forbidden to have any emotional attachments. I'll never see him again. He's probably forgotten all about me by now... Giving him up was the hardest thing I ever did, but he needed to go with the Jedi ..." She began to cry. "Ani ..."

"Shmi …" Cliegg pulled her close. "He's always going to be your son. And you've got another family now. You have us. Owen, me- even Beru. And now you're free..."

"You're right." Shmi dried her eyes. "Let's have some of that cake ..."

Luke shut the holo off. "So that was my grandmother … I wish I could have known her."

"At least you know she was loved," Camie told him sympathetically. "And judging by that holo she was a good woman. You should watch the other holo now."

"I'm not sure I want to," Luke admitted. "I may find out something that will spoil what I just saw."

"Luke …?"

"I found out that my father wasn't the kind of man I thought he was." Luke gestured at the first holo. "I think she was probably better off not seeing him again."

"Luke … I don't know what you learned about your father." She held up her hand. "And you don't have to tell me anything."

"It's probably better you don't know. At least not now."

"But I refuse to believe a woman like that raised a monster. No matter who he is, no matter what he became, if he's got a mother like that I have to believe that he didn't start out that way. You need to see what he was if you can." She touched his face, and felt him unconsciously lean into her fingers. It made her fingers tingle. "And no matter what he was, that doesn't change who you are."

"Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight?" He smirked.

"Wormie Skywalker, best bush pilot on Tatooine."

"You have got to stop calling me that."

"Maybe I will if you watch that second holo. Maybe."

"Fine." Luke grabbed the second holo crystal and flicked it on.

A young girl appears on the screen. Dark haired, a teenager.

"She reminds me of Leia," Luke murmured.

"I can see that," Camie admitted.

"Shmi Skywalker, my name is Padme. We met earlier when Anakin brought Qui-Gon Jin, myself, the droid, and the Gungan to your home. In winning that pod race-"

"My father won a pod race?" Luke asked in surprise as he placed the holo on pause.

"I heard rumors that a human child once won a pod race, but I thought that was a myth. Fixer said that humans don't have the reflexes to operate a pod racer safely …." Camie stared at the image of the young woman … girl really. She couldn't have been more than fourteen.

"The Force can sometimes guide us. That might have been it." Luke shook his head. "I don't think we'll ever really know." He resumed the holo.

"In winning the pod race, Anakin has done for me- for my people- than you will ever know. I wish that I could reward him- and you- properly. But this is the best I can do on such short notice. I made this holo from footage recorded by my droid R2D2-"

Luke paused the holo again. "R2D2?"

"You know the droid?"

"Yes. He wound up with Princess Leia. What are the odds of that?" Luke shrugged. He resumed the holo.

"I know that if it's at all possible Qui-Gon Jin and Obi-Wan Kenobi will see to it that Ani finds a home with the Jedi, but if something happens to prevent that, you have my word that I will personally see to his welfare. If the Force is with us, we will meet again. If it is not, then you have my everlasting gratitude for the things that Anakin and you have done for my people. I leave you with that gratitude, and these images of Anakin."

The girl disappears, and images of a young boy working on a pod racer take their place. There's an unfinished droid that looks like Threepio. A scattering of other children are present as is a clumsy Gungan. In the background, they see the girl Padme as well.

The holo ends with the boy smiling up at the girl.

"Someone had a crush," Camie observed with a smile. "Did you see the way he looked at the girl? It was adorable."

"Adorable," Luke echoed. He turned the image back on, focusing on the boy. "There he is. Anakin Skywalker. That's my father. That was my father … before." He turned the holo off. His hands were shaking.

"Luke." Camie could not stop herself. She grabbed his hands and held them in her own. "Luke … what is it? What's wrong?"

"My father … he's still alive, Camie. He's still alive, and he's a monster. If I told you his name- the name he goes by now- you would run away from me in terror. Everyone would. Even Leia."

"That's bantha poo, Luke. We're your friends. We care about you. No matter who your father is, that's never going to change. You should know that." Camie thought for a moment. "No matter what kind of monster your father is, you aren't one."

"Neither was he- once." Luke gestured at the holo-crystal.

"Maybe ..." she was reluctant to add any more, but she did. "Maybe he can stop being one."

Luke stared at her.

"If he was a good person, maybe he can be one again. And even if he can't, his destiny isn't yours. You're meant to do things, I think- important things. But you can't do anything if you let fear and doubt overwhelm you."

"Do or do not. There is no try." Luke's lips quirked in a smile. "A very wise person once said that to me. "You remind me of him."

"Because I'm wise?" Camie flashed him a smile and tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. This was Wormie Skywalker, an old friend. She didn't feel anything for him beyond that. She couldn't.

And he was leaving. In a day, maybe less … he would be gone again.

"Because you're both pretty irritating, actually."

"Oh you-!" Camie swatted at him, and Luke dodged, pulling her into his arms.

For a moment, they stared at each other.

He's awfully close, Camie thought to herself. I'd barely have to move to kiss him …

Luke blinked as though realizing the situation and let her go.

"I should … take care of my chores," Camie murmured, looking down at her feet. "I've got a lot to do."

"Camie ..."

"I'll see you again before you go, Luke?"

"Yes. I need to borrow a landspeeder if I could. I need to go out to Ben's cave."

"I don't have a spare, but I can drive you out there after my chores are done. Would that be all right?"

"That would be fine. Thank you, Camie."

"Anything for a friend." Camie looked at him again, forcing a smile on her face. "See you later?"

"Definitely." Luke smiled at her again, but he did not come any closer.

Maybe because neither of them were sure of what would happen if he did.

With a sigh, Camie walked back out into the harsh light of the Tatooine morning.

And Luke watched her go.

Author's Note: Yeah, this turned out much longer than I expected. But I feel like Shmi and Padme are short changed in the Skywalker saga and wanted to give them a little airtime.