Stepping In (Star Wars AU)

Chapter 24

Shmi's P.O.V

Shmi was so nervous. She was meeting one of her grandchildren! Obi-Wan seemed to sense this as they approached the house. 

"Relax. You have nothing to be nervous about."

"What if Owen and Beru won't let me see him?"

"They have no right to do so."

Shmi says nothing as they walk down the stairs to the lower part of the Lars' basement. (A/N: I guess you would call it a basement.)

"Are you sure we should be coming down here? We don't have permission." Shmi murmered.

Obi Wan smiled.

"It's not like Owen will shoot us. At least I hope he won't shoot us." Obi-Wan whispered the last part to himself.

Shmi could here voices in the room around the corner.

"The Jawas will be here soon. We need an astromech and what else Beru?" 

"I need a translator droid that speaks Bocce."

"Do you need anything Luke?"

"No Uncle Owen."

Obi-Wan was about to step out and reveal them but Luke said something that made him stop.

"I'm planning on joining the Imperial Academy after this year's end."

"Luke...We need your help here. We can't do it all ourselves." Owen says.

"But Uncle Owen! You'll be buying droids later today to help around the farm! They can replace me!"

"Maybe next year but this year, we need you."

Luke sighs in defeat.

"Okay Uncle Owen." 

Obi-Wan steps out from behind the corner. Shmi stays behind the corner. Owen stands up sharply and glares.

"You are not welcome here." Owen says.

"Luke why don't you go up stairs and find some credits? Those Jawas always overprice the droids." Beru asks.

"Okay Aunt Beru."

Luke walks out of the room.

"What are you doing here Kenobi? You know you are not welcome here. Luke will not be trained in the tricks of a long forgotten cult."

"You can come out now." Obi-Wan says to Shmi.

Shmi slowly steps out. It takes a few seconds before Beru recognizes her.

"Oh thank the Force!"

Beru rushes over to hug her.

"I can't believe you're alive! What happened?" Beru asked.

"Who is that Beru?" asks Owen.

"You don't recognize her? It's Shmi!"

Owen looks at Shmi harder.

"Shmi?"

Owen hugs her next.

"How? How are you alive? Anakin told us you were dead..."

"I was kidnapped. The tusken raiders that took me weren't really tusken raiders. They were pirates who worked for a bounty hunter. They made it look like I was tortured and drugged me. The drug made it look like I was dead. When Ani came for me, the drug was starting to take its toll. I woke up in a cell. I didn't know where I was until a man named Sidious told me what happened after I had 'died'. Apparently, when I was unconscious, one of the pirates took me away and escaped with me. I was imprisoned ever since. He...he told me things. About Anakin and the Jedi and the Republic."

"I'm so sorry Shmi." Beru consoled.

"I think I know what happened to you. During the Clone Wars, I went undercover as a bounty hunter and I had to look exactly like him. The Jedi Order faked my death and gave me a transforming shot with the bounty hunter's DNA. After the transformaton, I looked exactly like the bounty hunter. Anakin must have been so blinded by his emotions that he didn't sense that it wasn't his mother's body."

There was a moment of silence.

"I want to see Luke." Shmi went right to the point.

"Of course. Luke! Can you come down here?

Luke stalked down the stairs.

"Luke....um...we have something to tell you." Beru started. She gestured to her. "This is your grandmother, Shmi."

Luke stared at her.

"Where were you? Where were you after all this time?"

"I was held hostage by a very bad man. Everyone thought I had died. I escaped from him and I searched for Obi-Wan. I knew he would help me. He's the one who told me I had grandchildren."

"Grandchildren? I have a sister?"

Owen and Beru looked at each other.

"I better talk to him and explain everything." Obi-Wan suggested.

"And what does crazy old Ben have to do with anything?" Luke asked.

Everyone ignored him.

"No. He will not be persuaded to follow the tricks of a cult!"

"Owen, he needs to be taught to control it! If he isn't taught control, Vader could find him!" Shmi butted in.

Owen looks nervous.

"Your precious Jedi killed my brother. Even if we didn't know each other long or if we weren't blood related, he was still my brother. I will not allow my nephew to go down the same road."

"No. The Dark Side destroyed him until only Vader was left. It's Luke's destiny to destroy the Sith."

"Owen, maybe Obi-Wan and Shmi are right. We can't stop Luke's destiny."

"Fine. Explain everything to Luke. If he wants to follow the Jedi, I won't stop him but if he doesn't you have to leave him alone."

"Deal. Come Luke, I have much to tell you."

Shmi, Owen, and Beru walk away to give them privacy. Shmi could here noises from outside.

"It seems like the Jawas are here."

Owen grabs the credits and heads out with Beru and Shmi in tow. When they got to the sandcrawler, Shmi looked at the line of droids the Jawas had on display. She was surprised to see C-3PO and R2-D2.

"Owen. Get those two droids."

"Is that C-3PO?" He asked.

"Yes. I know the other droid. It was Anakin's old droid."

"Alright. I'll take the gold protocol droid and the blue and white astromech." Owen handed over the credits.

The Jawas turned the droids on and shoved them over to Owen.

"Oh my! So rude." C-3PO criticized.

R2 let out a series of excited beeps. Shmi smiled at the little droid.

"It's nice to see you again R2."

"What are you talking about? We obviously do not know these people. You must have a malfunction."

R2 let out a frustrated beep and shoved the gold droid.

"You bucket of bolts! My memory has not been wiped! Preposterous!"

"So his memory has been wiped? That makes sense." She told R2.

R2 beeped again.

"A message? For Obi-Wan? From who? Princess Leia Organa!? She's been captured by the Empire!? She was sent to get Obi-Wan and bring him to Alderaan? Okay. Come with me."

Shmi walked back inside with everyone following her.

'Please be safe Leia.'

A/N: So the events of 'A New Hope' has finally started! Sorry for the long wait. I like to do a lot of research to make my stories as accurate as possible to the original movies. I finally reached my goal of making a chapter with over 1,000 words! Hope you enjoyed this long chapter!