Chapter Text
Luke watches curiously as Din tinkers with his vambrace, “what’re you doing?”
“Ranov’la.” Din says, not looking up.
“It is not. You just don’t want to tell me.” Luke grumbles.
“Elek.”
Luke shakes his head, leaning over to try and see what he’s doing. Din purposely tilts his helmet to block Luke’s eyeline.
“You could have at least let me take it off first.” Luke says, wiggling his fingers. Din chuckles, pinching one of his fingers.
They’re about four hours away from Tattooine. The closer they get, the more restless Luke gets. He’s going to see his family again, after five years.
“Ogir.” Din says, tapping his wrist. Luke looks at it, it looks exactly the same. Luke wonders what Din did to it.
Luke glowers at the sand dunes ahead of them. In the distance he can see the Lar’s farm. Inhaling slowly, he presses his forehead to Din’s helmet, then tangles their hands together.
“Tsikala?” Din asks softly. Luke nods.
They walk towards the farm, and as they get closer and closer, Luke shakes more and more.
“Maybe we should go—“
“Luke?”
“Aunt Beru?” Luke whispers.
“Oh… you’ve gotten so big.” Beru says, walking closer. Luke presses into Din. Beru lets her hand drop, “I see… you’ve got a friend, and you’re free.”
Free. So she knew.
“Beru? Who is… oh.” Uncle Owen says, “Luke.”
“Hello.” Luke says.
“Who is this stranger you’ve brought to our farm?” Owen snaps.
“My husband.” Luke snaps back, suddenly defensive. Din tightens his grip on Luke’s hand, and Luke can feel his controlled anger.
“Your husband. You married a worthless Bounty Hunter?” Owen scoffs.
Luke clenches his jaw, then asks softly, “did you sell me?”
Owen flinches, looks at Beru, then at Luke again.
“Uncle Owen, did you sell me? Please, just tell me.” Luke begs, tears welling up in his eyes.
“Yes.” Owen says. Luke clenches his eyes shut, hot tears streaming down his face.
“Why?” Luke asks.
“Because you’re like your father.”
“The… the powers?”
“Yes. We couldn’t risk anyone finding out. They would have killed us all.” Owen says. Luke lets out a half scoff, half sob.
“So you sold me. To Jabba.” Luke turns to Beru, “and you let him.”
“Luke—“ Beru says, but Luke isn’t having it anymore.
“No. You let him sell me like a piece of property! I’m not an object!”
“You let this Bounty Hunter buy you like one!” Owen snaps.
“He saved me!” Luke seethes, “I love him, and he loves me, unlike you two.”
Owen sighs, “we should have left him with Ben.”
Luke inhales, “Ben? Ben Kenobi? Great. I’ll go talk to him.”
“Luke, wait!” Beru begs, “I’m sorry, Luke. I’m so so sorry.”
“If you were sorry, you wouldn’t have left me there. You wouldn’t have let him sell me off.”
“Gar’nibral.” Din spits, pulling Luke away. Luke lets him.
“I never want to see you two again.” Luke snaps over his shoulder, “since I’m nothing to you, you’re nothing to me.”
Din and Luke walk away from them. Luke knows his anger will fade into sadness, but now he doesn’t care. He knows Din will be there to help him through it.
“We have to go see Ben.” Luke says, “he lives out in the sea. Maybe… maybe he can help us.”
“Ben?” Luke calls, “Ben Kenobi?”
Ben tucks his hands into his sleeves, “Luke.”
Luke swallows, opting to get straight to the point, “who was my father? Is he the reason I’m weird? I was told he was a navigator on a spice freighter. That’s not true. Is it?”
“Come in. You as well, Mandalorian.” He turns and walks back into the hut, leaving the door open for them to follow. Luke follows him, tugging Din along with him, “make yourself at home, please. I’ll make tea.”
Luke sits. Din stays standing, his body language screaming discomfort.
“What brings you here, Luke?” Ben asks, setting a cup in front of him.
“My father. My… family.” Luke says, “I’m… I can feel people. Emotions, when they’re awake or asleep, things like that. What is that?”
“Have you ever heard of The Force, Luke?”
Luke shifts, “no, but I’ve heard of the Jedi.”
“The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together." Ben explains, “your father was a Jedi knight, the same as I. He was the best Star pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior. A good friend.”
Luke listens intensely, holding his tea cup with both hands.
“The Jedi are no more, now.” Ben says, sadly, “haven’t been since before you were born.”
“What happened to them?” Luke asks softly.
“They were hunted down. Killed by the men they trusted. Very few remained.”
“And my father?”
“He was betrayed and murdered by a young Jedi named Darth Vader.”
Luke flinches, he’s heard the name a few times at the Palace. An evil shadow, more machine than man.
“Did… did you know Uncle Owen sold me? T-to Jabba?” Luke asks.
Ben stares at him for a long few minutes, so Luke turns to Din to make sure he’s still okay. Din inclines his helmet slightly, clearly picking up on Luke’s silent question. Luke gives him a small smile in return, then looks back at Ben.
“They sold you?”
“It was after… one time I was upset, and a sandstorm came, but one wasn’t due for weeks. I think I did it. Me and Uncle Owen got in an argument, and I was pacing outside and suddenly… I was in the middle of a sand twister. Not a grain of sand touched me. Uncle Owen saw, left for a day, and two days later the Slavers came.” Luke explains, swirling the last few drops of tea in the bottom of the cup, “they dragged me away, put a collar on me that cut me off from the Force, I guess, and never took it off again. I was fifteen.”
Din makes a soft noise behind him. Ben sighs, “oh, Luke. I’m so sorry. Had I known, I would have come to free you.”
“It’s… okay. I’m glad you didn’t, if that makes sense, because I met him.” Luke turns to look at Din and smiles.
“I assume he made you Clan?” Ben asks, motioning to his vambrace.
“Yes. We got married.” Luke says, proudly, “I’m very grateful for him. He’s the best thing to happen to me.”
Ben smiles softly, turning to Din, “I’m very glad you freed him, Mandalorian. Thank you.”
Din nods once.
“He’s not a man of many words is he?”
Luke laughs softly, “no, he’s not. I do most of the talking between us.”
“Nayc.” Din snaps behind them, crossing his arms. Luke winks at him, then turns back to Ben.
“I want to know more about my father, and I want to learn how to control my powers.” Luke says.
Ben stands, “I have something here for you. Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough, but your uncle wouldn’t allow it. He was afraid you would follow old Obi-Wan on some damn fool idealistic crusade, like your father did.”
Luke sits up straighter, craning his neck to see what Ben is digging for. Luke stands when Ben walks over to him with a metal hilt, “what is it?”
“It’s your father’s lightsaber.” Ben says, “this is the weapon of the Jedi knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age.”
Luke turns it around in his hands, staring down at it. Something in it hums to him. It feels powerful.
He turns it so the hole he spies at the top is pointed at the ceiling, then presses the ignition button. His eyes widen as he stares at the brilliant blue. Din lets out a soft gasp behind him, and Luke hears him take a small step back. The hum it lets out is beautiful. Luke swings it gently, transfixed on the blade.
Luke swallows, turning the blade off. He sits down again, facing Ben.
“Ben… where can I find the Rebellion?”