Beyond - Legends Child of the Desert- Luke, Mara, Ben- short story, COMPLETED

Title: Child of the Desert
Author: VaderLVR64
Characters: Luke Skywalker, Mara, Ben
Genre: Short story
Time: Post NJO
Summary: Recovering from the Vong Wars, Luke Skywalker decides to return to his first home.



Child of the Desert


He was a child of the desert. A harsh and desolate cradle to be sure. But the winds that had danced across the dunes had lulled him to sleep at night when he was a boy. And the suns that baked the ground hard had warmed him after the coldness of the desert nights. So it was understandable that when he was troubled, he might consider returning to the sands of his youth.

The Vong Wars were over, the galaxy was at peace. But the wounds inflicted by the conflict lingered, and he still ached with the pain of loss. Luke Skywalker was tired. He wanted ? no, he needed, a time of rest and peace. He had approached Mara and asked her to consider a journey to Tatooine, just the three of them. She had looked at him oddly, but agreed immediately. Perhaps she had sensed his need for solitude, or perhaps she had simply recognized that it was important to him.

He knew Tatooine would be as hot, dusty, and unpleasant as he remembered, but it was his first home nonetheless. It was here he had grown to manhood, here that he had discovered his destiny. Tatooine was home, the place he could go when his heart was sore and his soul was weary.

He had not been to his home planet in years. The state of chaos which engulfed the galaxy would have prevented it even if he had wanted to return. His desire to come back was a recent thing, born out of considering the future and wondering about the past. This dusty planet seemed a logical place to be while he did both.

In a matter of days he had purchased a small, abandoned farmhouse and they had packed enough supplies to see them through a visit of several months. He had ignored Leia?s protests and Han?s concerns. This was right for him and his family, at least for the moment.

He closed his eyes briefly as he entered Tatooine?s orbit, the impact of seeing it once again taking his breath away for a moment. He felt the warmth of Mara?s hand over his and he flashed her a grateful look. She always knew what he was feeling.

?Welcome home, farmboy,? she said softly.

The sound of that familiar word, an endearment from her lips, made him smile. He pushed away unpleasant memories of burning homes and the horrible sight of the bodies of those he loved. That was long ago, a lifetime away from this moment.

?Welcome home,? he repeated her words to himself in a whisper.

He landed the ship flawlessly on the powdery sand, and sensed that Ben had slipped free of his safety harness the moment the ship had touched down. He smiled as he heard the familiar sound of feet making their way toward the cockpit.

Ben burst in, his blue-gray eyes wide with excitement. ?Is this it?? he asked as he scrambled forward to look out the window. His bright gaze took in the oceans of sand around them. His face lit up with a broad smile. ?I love it!?

Luke smiled and ruffled his son?s hair. Ben was practically dancing with excitement as his father and mother prepared to disembark.

?Ready, Ben?? Mara asked as they gathered the last of the bags they would need for tonight.

Ben squealed and ran ahead of them. Mara looked at Luke and smiled. ?I think he?s got sand in his blood,? she said.

Luke grinned, some of his son?s excitement spilling over to him now. ?That shouldn?t be too surprising. Skywalkers come from these sands; it?s a part of us.?

?I know,? she said gently.

They shared a smile, and their hands touched briefly. The moment was interrupted by the sound of their son?s impatient voice.

?Come on!?

?We?re coming, Ben. Hold onto your banthas!? Luke called out, laughing.

Together, the three Skywalkers descended the ramp and took their first steps on the sands of Tatooine.


To be continued...

 

It looks great.

 

Off to a good start! Can't wait to see what you do with this?

 

It looks great.

What she said!

I love it... so much possibility... can't wait for more!

 

Looks like a great start! I always love your fics, VaderLVR!

 

Intriguing, VaderLVR64...

I think Tatooine plays a huge part in who Luke is, even though he left so long ago. Great to see you doing something with that.

His desire to come back was a recent thing, born out of considering the future and wondering about the past. This dusty planet seemed a logical place to be while he did both.

Makes sense...

Mara looked at Luke and smiled. ?I think he?s got sand in his blood,? she said.

Luke grinned, some of his son?s excitement spilling over to him now. ?That shouldn?t be too surprising. Skywalkers come from these sands; it?s a part of us.?

?I know,? she said gently.

Really nice exchange between them. I liked Luke's comment - very true. And Mara knows him so well.

Looking forward to more!

 

Awwww, how sweet! I'm so excited about this story. I've always wanted to read about Luke returning to Tatooine, and this is an interesting take on it. Will Luke be seeing any old faces?

 

Dear Emilie: I'll never tell!

 

Oh, but that makes it fun! I've always wanted to see Luke polish the floor with Fixer's behind, personally. Preferably with Ben watching on.

EDIT: That wouldn't be very Jedi-like, I suppose. *le sigh* But hey, a girl can dream, can't she?

 

I really like this idea, VaderLVR64. I agree with Knight_Aragorn that Luke's experiences on Tatooine truly shaped him. We all saw the major changes to his character in the trilogy, but he spent his first 20 years or so on a moisture farm. As Mara lovingly points out, he's a farmboy. Tatooine will always be home, in some respect.

 

Skywalkers are desert rats. I'm looking forward to Luke actually getting some rest. Poor guy deserves it.

 

Awsome start! I have a question: about how old is Ben?

 

He had not been to his home planet in years. The state of chaos which engulfed the galaxy would have prevented it even if he had wanted to return. His desire to come back was a recent thing, born out of considering the future and wondering about the past. This dusty planet seemed a logical place to be while he did both.


Makes sense to me! A great beginning, hope there will be more soon. Very soon.

 

To be continued...

Ack!

 

Great beginning. Looking forward to more, and I'm also hoping that they meet up with some of Luke's old companions. (I would say 'friends,' but not that many of the ones left were overly friendly to him, as I recall.)

 

Sara_Kenobi Thanks!

JediJainaSoloFel Me, too! I'm glad you like it. Today's chapter is a little different than the first.

Smuggler_Shidakis Thanks! I hope you'll like the rest of it.

Vongchild Thank you! The admiration is mutual, believe me.

Knight_Aragorn I've always thought that Tatooine would continue to be important to Luke. And when our hearts are broken almost beyond repair, home is where we want to be.

EmilieDarklighter Luke is on Tatooine to recover, and maybe some old friends will stop by to help him with that process. But I'm not saying for sure, you understand.

Leia Exactly! I hope you like the rest of the story.

RebelMom But they sure are cute desert rats, aren't they?

Valin_Halcyon Ben is about five because I figure that getting things running after the Vong wars took a while. Thanks for reading!

BrokenNoseOfQui-Gon I have to smile every time I see your username, it cracks me up! Anyway, thanks for reading!

RedGold Is that a good ACK or a bad ACK! Is it an "Oh good, more to read!" or "Oh no! More of this drivel?" HOpefully a good ACK! Thanks for reading!

Jedi2B Some friends and some not so much. And perhaps some faces from the past that he doesn't expect! Thanks for reading.

Author's Note: I wanted to warn anyone who is looking for an action packed story that this will not be it. This is more about the process of recovery after a life-changing time and the healing properties of home. A quiet little tale about Luke and his family.









Chapter 2

The house was small, but adequate for their needs. Ben was happily absorbed in exploring the rooms. Every now and then they heard him shout out with the discovery of some new wonder. Luke smiled as he helped Mara put away their supplies in the tiny kitchen.

She stopped what she was doing and looked at him with a grin.

Luke turned to her and he gave her a puzzled look. ?What?? He looked away from her as he began filling the shelves with various spices. When he glanced back at her, she was still grinning at him. ?What is it?? His voice had a note of exasperation to it.

?Nothing,? she said and turned away.

He stepped behind her and slid his arms around her slender waist. ?You?re not getting away with that, Mara,? he scolded her. ?What is making you smile like that??

She turned in his arms and kissed him heartily. ?You are making me smile,? she said.

?Is it my sparkling wit or my devastating good looks?? He asked with his lips quirking.

?Sort of,? she murmured.

?What?s that supposed to mean??

She laughed and buried her head in his chest. ?Let it go, Skywalker.?

He shook his head. ?Oh no, that?s simply not in the Skywalker genetic make-up, to let anything go. You should know that by now.?

Giving a long suffering sigh, she threw her head back in surrender. ?All right, all right, you win!? She pursed her lips and tilted her head, but didn?t say another word.

?Well?? He prompted impatiently.

?Patience, Jedi Master,? she mocked.

?Patience has never been my strong suit, and right now I?m not a Jedi Master, I?m your husband,? he whispered in her ear.

?Well then, as my husband you should let me keep my little secrets,? she teased. ?It helps keep the mystery in a marriage, you know,? she said with great authority.

?I can resort to drastic measures to get it out of you,? he assured her quietly.

She threw a glance toward the back of the house where their son still wandered. ?I?ve got a built-in chaperone, farmboy,? she reminded him with a grin.

Luke leaned down and whispered against her lips. ?Ah, but what I plan to do you can be done right in front of your little chaperone.? And as soon as the last word passed his lips he tickled her sides mercilessly.

She squealed loudly as she sought to escape his tormenting fingers. ?Stop!? she gasped.

He pulled back. ?Do you surrender??

?Perhaps.?

Raising his hands he gr

 

Oh that was so cute!!

I love the way you wrote Luke and Mara! Like two normal people! YAY!!!

 

?Are you calling me an idiot?? One red brow arched up and her green eyes narrowed.

?Well now, that would be stupid of me, wouldn?t it??

?Yes, but sometimes you forget to not be stupid.?

?Are you calling me stupid??

?No, I?m calling you male.?

?Ouch, that hurt.?

?The truth often does.?

That was hilarious! Love the story. You've done a great job with Luke and Mara.

 

I know, I know, I was only kidding.

That was great! The normality was so refreshing.

"Are you calling me stupid?"

"I'm calling you male."

LOL!

 

I really love the fics that are about moments of everyday life. They're so cute!

She shrieked as he began to tickle her once more. They both stopped abruptly to see Ben staring at them with wide grey eyes. He gave them a look of disgust and turned away.

*laughs* I adore this part! Super chapter, VaderLVR64.

 

Wonderful chapter! Very hilarious!!!! I liked the banter - very in-character. Wonder what's gonna happen?

 

Haa haa haa!

Hysterical Luke/Mara banter! Ben is so cute!

Love it!

 

Luke and Mara are hilarious together! Little Ben is adorable! This should be great!

 

Wonderful chapter. Luke and Mara - Ben's reaction was hilarious too, and so true. Parents? Snuggling? ...ewww.

And I notice Mara got away with it - Luke didn't actually find out why she was smiling. Maybe his memory is going...

Great job!

 

That was some great banter. I loved it.