"Last Stand at the Lars Homestead," SW gen
Many, many thanks to imadra_blue for the beta. I especially appreciate the adverb search-and-destroy - those things grow like kudzu! - since I need a lot of help there.
Title: Last Stand at the Lars Homestead
Fandom: Star Wars (Disclaimer)
Characters: Beru, Owen
Categories: Gen, PG
Word Count: 1906
Summary: When Luke doesn't show up to work on the South Ridge, Beru and Owen worry something horrible has happened - and that's before the Empire shows up.
Beru had finished the midday meal and calculated how much durum flour she had left in the bin when Owen came in.
"Has Luke been back?" he asked before she could even hand him his plate.
"No, I haven't seen him. Isn't he on the South Ridge by now?" She pushed the plate into his hand.
Owen set the plate back on the counter without seeming to notice it. "If he's gone to Anchorhead to see his friends, he's not flying that Skyhopper for a month." He switched on the comm unit and punched the button for the Darklighters' store. "Huff, this is Owen. ...Yes, I heard Biggs got a commission. He's done your family proud. That's part of the reason I'm calling - has Luke come to see him this morning?"
Beru waited for the explosion that was sure to come and hoped Luke hadn't left anything important undone. He meant well, and she knew he didn't want to do anything to risk the farm. He just didn't understand how much they needed his help to keep the vaporators running and stay out of debt.
Owen's expression didn't change, but Beru sensed his attitude shifting. "I see. Well, I'm sure he's around somewhere. Thanks for your help." He hit the disconnect button and stared at the comm.
"Maybe he's at the Tosche Station," Beru said. "He didn't come home with those power converters yesterday. He might have gone back for them."
"That must be it." Owen stabbed the button for the Tosche Station. "Fixer, this is Owen. Have you seen Luke?" Beru watched his face as he listened. "I see. Well, if you see him, tell him he'd better be home first thing."
Beru realized she had set her plate down beside Owen's without realizing. She met his eyes. They quickly looked away. Going missing in the morning didn't mean anything. Luke couldn't have gone far from the homestead.
"Maybe the Marstraps," she said, her mouth dry. Owen punched in the numbers of all the nearby homesteads, and then the not-so-near ones, and then every family in town, his mouth and the lines around his eyes growing tighter and grimmer.
Owen's hand still pressed against the wall by the comm unit as if he needed the wall for support. "I should take the Courier out and look for him," he said. "That old X-34 might have broken down just out of sensor range."
It was still too early to call out the neighbors to search - even if they could gather enough of them to go. So many families had suffered the last time they'd responded to a call for help from the Larses.
"We have to call him, Owen," she said. "After what Luke said about the droid, we'd be foolish not to."
It was a measure of Owen's concern that he didn't protest. Instead, he said, "You had better talk to him. I'm not sure I can, especially if I find he's been keeping Luke all this time without telling us."
Beru led the way to the garage, to the comm unit hidden behind a false wall. It had been an expensive unit once, sleek and powerful, with visual capabilities. It was still far superior to the farm's ancient, patched-together system. It only received signals from one place.
She checked the power cells and saw that they were still fully charged. They had all agreed long ago that connecting the unit to the power grid was too dangerous. She drew in a breath, then switched it on.
The old man answered almost immediately, looking as remote and serene as she remembered, though perhaps more weathered. "Ben, have you seen Luke?"
He turned his head slightly as if looking at something she couldn't quite see. "No. Should I have?"
"No one's seen him since this morning. He told us last night that our new droid claimed to belong to you."
Ben stilled, and something in his eyes turned hard. It frightened her.
"You were right to call me, Beru. I fear something has been set in motion that... I hoped we would have some time yet." He closed his eyes. "He's near - just at the edge of the Jundland Wastes."
Part of the knot in her heart loosened, and she heard Owen let out a breath. "He's safe?" She wouldn't think of the alternative unless Ben said otherwise. She wouldn't.
"Yes... Though I think I should go and meet him. I don't think he was prepared for this long a journey." Studying Beru's face again, he added, "He will be safe. I promise you."
"Thank you. Bring him back to us."
She broke the connection and then sagged against the workbench in relief. Owen came up behind her and placed his hand over hers. "I have to get back to work now that I know he's safe," he said. "I guess that old man is good for something."
"Let me reheat your meal, at least. I can't have you feeling faint before the afternoon's half over." They rode the elevator out of the garage in silence.
Halfway back to the entry dome, Owen stopped. "Someone's coming." Beru squinted against the suns. A cloud of dust betrayed a large vehicle - larger than anything Ben owned, and it was too soon for him to have arrived.
"It could be the Marstraps coming to ask about Luke," Beru said, certain they would have called first. And driven a smaller vehicle. The knot in her chest returned. Few people had reason to travel in large numbers on Tatooine, other than the Jawa traders - and they wouldn't be back so soon, at such a speed.
"I think we'd better stay where we are," Owen said.
They waited at the top of the entry dome steps as the transport approached the homestead. It pulled up three meters away, spraying Beru and Owen with grit. The door open with a scream of rust, and a line of stormtroopers marched out. Beru shivered. She had a bad feeling about this.
The captain came up to Owen. "Mr. Lars, I understand you purchased two droids yesterday."
"Yes, I did," Owen said, hands on his hips. "Is that a problem?"
"These droids are the lawful property of the Empire," the captain said. "You are required to return them immediately or face prosecution to the fullest extent of the law."
Beru stood behind Owen, hands folded in front of her. It was maddening to stay silent, unable to do anything. But she and Owen had encountered Imperial officers before. All they had to do was play their parts and the officers would be satisfied.
"Of course I'll be happy to cooperate with the Empire," Owen said. "I had no knowledge of this when I bought the droids. I'll be having words with those Jawas if they ever come around again, you can be sure."
"They won't be returning. Now, turn over the droids, Mr. Lars."
"I sent them with my nephew to work on the South Ridge this morning," Owen said, sounding as if he were he talking to a neighbor. "I'll go call him back for you. It shouldn't take him long to get here."
"You'll take us to him. Do not contact him to warn us we're coming."
"As you like. It'll take a while to cover the ridge if we don't know exactly where he is."
"We'll take as much time as necessary."
"Of course." Owen turned to her. "Beru, would you go prepare some refreshment for these men? They'll be thirsty after the search."
She nodded, her mind already racing to figure out how to comm Ben without anyone noticing, but the captain pushed her back. "She'll come with us."
That white mask unsettled her. Did the man beneath want to get out of the suns and return to his brothers in the garrison? Did he burn to rough up the locals he probably considered beneath him? Or was he as unfeeling as the mask?
The captain's datapad chimed. He turned his helmet downward, then looked back up at Owen. "Are you aware that a man named Kenobi resides near this homestead?"
"The crazy hermit? Yes, he lives in these parts. I'd hardly call it nearby. It must be at least half a morning's drive through the Wastes."
"You admit you've been to his place of residence?"
"I didn't say that. I just said I know how long it takes to get there. I guess you haven't been stationed her long, or you'd know we all know the distances to each other's homes around here whether we visit or not."
"You will tell me about your contact with Kenobi or I'll take you to headquarters for concealing an association with a Rebel spy."
"That's ridiculous. What good could he do them out here?"
The captain's hand settled on his hip blaster. "I ask the questions, Mr. Lars. I repeat, what contact have you had with Kenobi?"
"I've run into him a few times in town. I assume he came in for supplies."
"And you say your nephew is working on your farm right now?"
"That's right."
"Then explain why you called Anchorhead earlier asking about his whereabouts."
"He disappeared for a couple of hours. Turned out he broke down a ways out. But he's fine now, and back at work."
"Not according to our aerial holographs."
They knew. Beru had tried not to imagine this day, had hoped it would never come. They had kept a low profile. But somehow the Empire knew about the droids, and Ben - and maybe about Luke, too. They knew where Luke was. It would only be a matter of time - and not much time, if Luke knew the Empire had his aunt and uncle. He had too much of his father in him.
She looked at Owen. He smiled, one of the rare smiles he saved just for her. There were so many things to say - but in truth, there was no need to say them. They knew.
Owen looked back at the captain. "I see you have more information than I do at this point. What is it that you want?"
"We'll be taking you two into custody along with your nephew and Kenobi for subversive activity against the interests of the Empire. Your associates should arrive in one point five hours."
"I see." Owen's hand shifted slightly on his hip. Unnoticed behind him, Beru buried her hands in her pockets and bowed her head as if in resignation. She peered at the stormtroopers from beneath her eyelashes. "Well, officer, then we have a problem."
Quicker than the captain could react, Owen whipped out the tiny blaster he kept hidden in his sleeve and shot the captain in the chest. Beru forced herself not to look as the stormtroopers raised their blaster rifles, but she heard the blasts and heard him fall. The transport's cannon turned to face the entry dome. Good, she thought. There will be smoke. Luke will see the smoke, if Ben doesn't sense what has happened here first.
The small blaster in her pocket never showed under the thick fabric; she didn't think Luke knew she had it. She'd carried it since the morning the Sand People took Shmi. She shot three stormtroopers before the cannon whined.
She had just enough time to think, Luke, I hope you don't come back at all. Fly.
*****
Title: Last Stand at the Lars Homestead
Fandom: Star Wars (Disclaimer)
Characters: Beru, Owen
Categories: Gen, PG
Word Count: 1906
Summary: When Luke doesn't show up to work on the South Ridge, Beru and Owen worry something horrible has happened - and that's before the Empire shows up.
Beru had finished the midday meal and calculated how much durum flour she had left in the bin when Owen came in.
"Has Luke been back?" he asked before she could even hand him his plate.
"No, I haven't seen him. Isn't he on the South Ridge by now?" She pushed the plate into his hand.
Owen set the plate back on the counter without seeming to notice it. "If he's gone to Anchorhead to see his friends, he's not flying that Skyhopper for a month." He switched on the comm unit and punched the button for the Darklighters' store. "Huff, this is Owen. ...Yes, I heard Biggs got a commission. He's done your family proud. That's part of the reason I'm calling - has Luke come to see him this morning?"
Beru waited for the explosion that was sure to come and hoped Luke hadn't left anything important undone. He meant well, and she knew he didn't want to do anything to risk the farm. He just didn't understand how much they needed his help to keep the vaporators running and stay out of debt.
Owen's expression didn't change, but Beru sensed his attitude shifting. "I see. Well, I'm sure he's around somewhere. Thanks for your help." He hit the disconnect button and stared at the comm.
"Maybe he's at the Tosche Station," Beru said. "He didn't come home with those power converters yesterday. He might have gone back for them."
"That must be it." Owen stabbed the button for the Tosche Station. "Fixer, this is Owen. Have you seen Luke?" Beru watched his face as he listened. "I see. Well, if you see him, tell him he'd better be home first thing."
Beru realized she had set her plate down beside Owen's without realizing. She met his eyes. They quickly looked away. Going missing in the morning didn't mean anything. Luke couldn't have gone far from the homestead.
"Maybe the Marstraps," she said, her mouth dry. Owen punched in the numbers of all the nearby homesteads, and then the not-so-near ones, and then every family in town, his mouth and the lines around his eyes growing tighter and grimmer.
Owen's hand still pressed against the wall by the comm unit as if he needed the wall for support. "I should take the Courier out and look for him," he said. "That old X-34 might have broken down just out of sensor range."
It was still too early to call out the neighbors to search - even if they could gather enough of them to go. So many families had suffered the last time they'd responded to a call for help from the Larses.
"We have to call him, Owen," she said. "After what Luke said about the droid, we'd be foolish not to."
It was a measure of Owen's concern that he didn't protest. Instead, he said, "You had better talk to him. I'm not sure I can, especially if I find he's been keeping Luke all this time without telling us."
Beru led the way to the garage, to the comm unit hidden behind a false wall. It had been an expensive unit once, sleek and powerful, with visual capabilities. It was still far superior to the farm's ancient, patched-together system. It only received signals from one place.
She checked the power cells and saw that they were still fully charged. They had all agreed long ago that connecting the unit to the power grid was too dangerous. She drew in a breath, then switched it on.
The old man answered almost immediately, looking as remote and serene as she remembered, though perhaps more weathered. "Ben, have you seen Luke?"
He turned his head slightly as if looking at something she couldn't quite see. "No. Should I have?"
"No one's seen him since this morning. He told us last night that our new droid claimed to belong to you."
Ben stilled, and something in his eyes turned hard. It frightened her.
"You were right to call me, Beru. I fear something has been set in motion that... I hoped we would have some time yet." He closed his eyes. "He's near - just at the edge of the Jundland Wastes."
Part of the knot in her heart loosened, and she heard Owen let out a breath. "He's safe?" She wouldn't think of the alternative unless Ben said otherwise. She wouldn't.
"Yes... Though I think I should go and meet him. I don't think he was prepared for this long a journey." Studying Beru's face again, he added, "He will be safe. I promise you."
"Thank you. Bring him back to us."
She broke the connection and then sagged against the workbench in relief. Owen came up behind her and placed his hand over hers. "I have to get back to work now that I know he's safe," he said. "I guess that old man is good for something."
"Let me reheat your meal, at least. I can't have you feeling faint before the afternoon's half over." They rode the elevator out of the garage in silence.
Halfway back to the entry dome, Owen stopped. "Someone's coming." Beru squinted against the suns. A cloud of dust betrayed a large vehicle - larger than anything Ben owned, and it was too soon for him to have arrived.
"It could be the Marstraps coming to ask about Luke," Beru said, certain they would have called first. And driven a smaller vehicle. The knot in her chest returned. Few people had reason to travel in large numbers on Tatooine, other than the Jawa traders - and they wouldn't be back so soon, at such a speed.
"I think we'd better stay where we are," Owen said.
They waited at the top of the entry dome steps as the transport approached the homestead. It pulled up three meters away, spraying Beru and Owen with grit. The door open with a scream of rust, and a line of stormtroopers marched out. Beru shivered. She had a bad feeling about this.
The captain came up to Owen. "Mr. Lars, I understand you purchased two droids yesterday."
"Yes, I did," Owen said, hands on his hips. "Is that a problem?"
"These droids are the lawful property of the Empire," the captain said. "You are required to return them immediately or face prosecution to the fullest extent of the law."
Beru stood behind Owen, hands folded in front of her. It was maddening to stay silent, unable to do anything. But she and Owen had encountered Imperial officers before. All they had to do was play their parts and the officers would be satisfied.
"Of course I'll be happy to cooperate with the Empire," Owen said. "I had no knowledge of this when I bought the droids. I'll be having words with those Jawas if they ever come around again, you can be sure."
"They won't be returning. Now, turn over the droids, Mr. Lars."
"I sent them with my nephew to work on the South Ridge this morning," Owen said, sounding as if he were he talking to a neighbor. "I'll go call him back for you. It shouldn't take him long to get here."
"You'll take us to him. Do not contact him to warn us we're coming."
"As you like. It'll take a while to cover the ridge if we don't know exactly where he is."
"We'll take as much time as necessary."
"Of course." Owen turned to her. "Beru, would you go prepare some refreshment for these men? They'll be thirsty after the search."
She nodded, her mind already racing to figure out how to comm Ben without anyone noticing, but the captain pushed her back. "She'll come with us."
That white mask unsettled her. Did the man beneath want to get out of the suns and return to his brothers in the garrison? Did he burn to rough up the locals he probably considered beneath him? Or was he as unfeeling as the mask?
The captain's datapad chimed. He turned his helmet downward, then looked back up at Owen. "Are you aware that a man named Kenobi resides near this homestead?"
"The crazy hermit? Yes, he lives in these parts. I'd hardly call it nearby. It must be at least half a morning's drive through the Wastes."
"You admit you've been to his place of residence?"
"I didn't say that. I just said I know how long it takes to get there. I guess you haven't been stationed her long, or you'd know we all know the distances to each other's homes around here whether we visit or not."
"You will tell me about your contact with Kenobi or I'll take you to headquarters for concealing an association with a Rebel spy."
"That's ridiculous. What good could he do them out here?"
The captain's hand settled on his hip blaster. "I ask the questions, Mr. Lars. I repeat, what contact have you had with Kenobi?"
"I've run into him a few times in town. I assume he came in for supplies."
"And you say your nephew is working on your farm right now?"
"That's right."
"Then explain why you called Anchorhead earlier asking about his whereabouts."
"He disappeared for a couple of hours. Turned out he broke down a ways out. But he's fine now, and back at work."
"Not according to our aerial holographs."
They knew. Beru had tried not to imagine this day, had hoped it would never come. They had kept a low profile. But somehow the Empire knew about the droids, and Ben - and maybe about Luke, too. They knew where Luke was. It would only be a matter of time - and not much time, if Luke knew the Empire had his aunt and uncle. He had too much of his father in him.
She looked at Owen. He smiled, one of the rare smiles he saved just for her. There were so many things to say - but in truth, there was no need to say them. They knew.
Owen looked back at the captain. "I see you have more information than I do at this point. What is it that you want?"
"We'll be taking you two into custody along with your nephew and Kenobi for subversive activity against the interests of the Empire. Your associates should arrive in one point five hours."
"I see." Owen's hand shifted slightly on his hip. Unnoticed behind him, Beru buried her hands in her pockets and bowed her head as if in resignation. She peered at the stormtroopers from beneath her eyelashes. "Well, officer, then we have a problem."
Quicker than the captain could react, Owen whipped out the tiny blaster he kept hidden in his sleeve and shot the captain in the chest. Beru forced herself not to look as the stormtroopers raised their blaster rifles, but she heard the blasts and heard him fall. The transport's cannon turned to face the entry dome. Good, she thought. There will be smoke. Luke will see the smoke, if Ben doesn't sense what has happened here first.
The small blaster in her pocket never showed under the thick fabric; she didn't think Luke knew she had it. She'd carried it since the morning the Sand People took Shmi. She shot three stormtroopers before the cannon whined.
She had just enough time to think, Luke, I hope you don't come back at all. Fly.
*****