𝐰𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞. | a. skywalker

𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

We found a speeder in the distance, and quickly bartered with a merchant to use it for the day. Unfortunately, we could only find one, so I resorted to the back, holding onto Anakin's shoulders for support. It was nearly midday, so I only hoped we would reach the homestead that his mother, who I now knew to be Shmi, resided at.

Overlooking the speeder, the desert had its own, mysterious beauty. The twin suns reflected over the horizon, creating a mystical juxtaposition against the beige sand and the bright blue sky. While it wasn't necessarily a place I would like to call a home- I enjoyed the bustling city of Coruscant tenfold more than this- it was a nice change of scenery.

Thankfully, the journey took no more than a half hour, and the Lars' homestead became visible in the distance. The sand colored, dome shaped residence nearly blended into the surrounding terrain. As we got off the speeder, I noticed a rather large gold droid working around the front portion.

"Good evening," the droid chirped. "May I help you?"

Anakin cocked his head to the side. "Threepio?"

"Oh, my, oh, my! Master Anakin! My goodness, I can hardly believe it! And this must be..." the droid trailed off.

"I'm Lorelei," I said with a soft smile.

The droid, 3PO, bowed slightly in a greeting. Before more formalities could be exchanged, Anakin got straight to the point.

"I'm here to see my mother."

"Oh, dear! I'm so terribly sorry, Master Ani," 3PO said in dismay.

"What happened?" I asked nervously.

"We better go inside," 3PO replied.

We walked through the corridors of the residence. It was nice, with rooms tucked away and small decorative pieces adorning the walls. 3PO lead us to the courtyard, which was donned with small flowers.

"Master Lars, Master Owen!" 3PO called out. "Somebody to see you!"

A young man, with short brown hair and a hint of stubble along his face, who looked to be just slightly older than us, appeared with a young girl, who had her blonde hair tied up into buns on both sides of her head.

Anakin greeted them. "I'm Anakin Skywalker. I'm here looking for my mother."

The man reached out to shake his hand. "Owen Lars. I guess I'm your stepbrother. This is my girlfriend, Beru."

"Hello," Beru nodded.

"I'm Lorelei," I introduced.

"I had a feeling you might show up here someday," Owen continued.

"Is my mother here?" Anakin questioned.

"No, she's not," an unfamiliar voice answered.

We turned our heads to the side to see a man in a wheelchair making his way towards us. One of his legs was dismembered, with a bloody bandage encasing it. I wondered what may have caused that.

"Cliegg Lars," the man replied. "Shmi is my wife. Come on inside. We have a lot to talk about."

We followed them inside, sitting in a quaint kitchen, but there was room for all of us. Beru placed several cups of a steaming liquid before us. I nodded in gratitude towards her, and she left the room quietly.

"It was just before dawn. They came out of nowhere. A hunting party of Tusken Raiders," Cliegg started, his eyes clouding over as he recounted the story. I could sense Anakin's uneasiness as Cliegg spoke. Maybe his dreams really were premonitions.

"Your mother had gone out early, like she always did, to pick mushrooms that grow on the vaporatos. From the tracks, she was about halfway when they took her. Those Tuskens walk like men, but they're vicious, mindless monsters. Thirty of us went out after her. Four of us came back. Three more are still out there looking. I'd be with them, only...." he paused for a moment. "I just couldn't ride any more. Not until I heal."