Chapter Text
Luke has always been different from the other children. Not in a way that would cause others to avoid him no, it was quite the opposite. He had a nature about him that caused people to flock to him, an infectious joy that could charm pretty much anyone he met. It wasn’t often that he and his family traveled to Anchorhead, but when he did, the whole city knew.
“Aunt Beru look!” The young boy’s eyes were transfixed on a stand selling candied bofa fruit. Beru followed his gaze and chuckled
“If you behave yourself we’ll get one, deal?” She tapped his little nose, causing it to wrinkle.
The response was met with an excited woop as Luke was sure the fruit was as good as his. He very rarely got into any real trouble after all.
As they walked on, Luke took in his surroundings, feeling the ever present hum of many different lives being lived all around him.
Being a port city, Achorhead was forever bustling with beings from all over the galaxy, many of whom were unused to the climate of Tatooine and who’s discomfort pulsed around them in waves. The boy felt sorry for them, not one to take enjoyment in the misfortune of others, rather he empathized, especially for those he knew to hail from wetter planets. But since he had never lived anywhere else he wasn't able to fully understand their plight, for he had known nothing else to compare to.
Oh how badly he wanted to see the galaxy, experience more than sand and heat. Luke knew it would be some years before he was able to fly a speeder of his own, let alone a ship, but the fact that it was something within his grasp was comforting. In fact, he was chattering endlessly about the different ships that cycled in and out of the landing dock.
“Woah! A HWK-290!” he gasped, staring in awe at the long since discontinued freighter. It looked like it had been repurposed into a merchant vessel, which made sense considering it could carry up to 150 tons in its cargo hold.
“Risky flying a ship like that here, the Jawas’d have it stripped before they finish unloading.” His uncle Owen mumbled, seeming somewhat on edge as he scanned the crowds around them.
Luke couldn’t understand why the city made him so nervous, Anchorhead was safer than most Tatooine outcrops after all, including nearby Toche station. But at Toche station he was always getting lost in long, boring conversations, whereas here he was eyeing everyone like they had an active bounty.
Beru gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
“Pay him no mind, you know how stressed the city makes him.”
Luke did know, but he didn’t understand it. Was he on high alert or was he looking for someone? Maybe he could help and put his uncle’s mind at ease.
So Luke looked around, smiling at whoever caught his gaze until he felt the strong urge to look further down the street to their left. What, or who rather, his eyes landed on made him break out in a wide grin and he rushed off into the crowd.
Even at his disadvantaged height, the boy found it easy to get where he needed to go, effortlessly weaving through the sea of legs and other such walking appendages. Soon enough he was tugging on the robes of a much older man, who seemed somewhat startled at his sudden appearance.
“Ben!” The child greeted happily, giggling when the man picked him up and sat him on the table to get him away from the stampede.
He offered a smile in response but it was a nervous one “Hello Luke, where are your aunt and uncle?” he asked, his green eyes scanning the crowd in a way that mirrored Owen earlier.
“They’re over there” Luke pointed, waving at the panicked couple before turning back to the man. Who gave a meek wave of his own.
“Ben! Ben! Did you see the HWK-290??” he asked, bouncing in place “I read they can fly twice as fast as any other light freighter!”
“Hmm? Oh yes, I saw it, Luke.” he nodded, watching the Lars’ move a lot less elegantly through the tangle. It would be some time before they reached them so he decided to just enjoy the small amount of time he had with him.
“Twice as fast? Hmm yes I do believe you’re right. A bit risky to fly such a rare ship here” he mused, chuckling as Luke’s face scrunched up.
“That’s what uncle Owen said” Luke groaned, swinging his legs over the edge of the table.
“Is that right? Your uncle is a wise man, many would do anything to get their hands on a ship like that.”
Luke giggled “I’d rather get my hands on a starfighter!” he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with glee at the mere thought.
Obi-wan had no choice but to laugh, however briefly and regarded the child with a raised brow “And just what would you do with a starfighter then hmm?”
Luke gave him as toothy a grin as he could manage without all his adult teeth and answered instantly. “Fly it! Fly it anywhere and everywhere! Race laps around the whole galaxy!”
The hermit let out a genuine laugh, something Luke had only heard once before when he spied him muttering to himself. Uncle Owen had said he was just crazy, but he knew it was something else that he couldn’t explain.
“Indeed, that’s as good a reason as any to have a ship. I suspect you’ll get your wish one day young Skywalker” He hummed, reaching out to smooth a tuft of unruly hair.
“Get away from him!!” Owen’s snarl reverberated through the alcove and Luke was unceremoniously snatched from his seat.
“Uncle Owen! It’s ju-” Luke tried to reassure the older man but he was cut off by Owen growling at Ben.
“You stay away from him, you hear me?? How many times do I have to say it?!” the older man’s eyes shone with pain and he extended his hands in a show of submission.
“He approached me Owen, I did not seek the boy out.” He began, then let out a sigh of resignation when it became obvious there was no reasoning with him.
“What would you have me do?”
“I would have you shrivel in the desert far from my family. “
The hurt radiated like a tractor beam from him, though he did well to school his expression.
“Owen Lars!” Beru spoke up, now holding a crying Luke, her own face drawn up in anger “Enough. Let’s leave the old man to his business.” there was a clear promise in her tone, one that conveyed this conversation would continue far from young and prying ears. Owen finally relented, wrenched from his fear fueled rage and all he could muster in parting was “Stay away.”
Luke cried the whole rest of their visit, and the small family left without the bofa fruit.