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Tatooine 0BBY
My name is Beru Whitesun Lars and today I died. I was murdered by the Empire. I probably should have seen it coming when we took in Darth Vader’s son.
But what can I say? One of the last of the Jedi shows up at your front door with a baby and asks you to care for him, are you just going to say no? Of course not. We were the only family he had left.
We never talked about having kids, Owen and I. To raise a child on Tatooine would be difficult. Losing Shmi the way we did hurt us all. The fear of losing a child like that...but when Obi-Wan handed Luke to me, I knew we would love him like he was our own.
And we did, you know? It wasn’t always easy but we loved Luke, perhaps too much. Owen didn’t want him to be anything like his father. But I understand why Luke wanted to leave, Owen did too and I think that’s what he was afraid of. To lose Luke like Anakin or Shmi was lost would have been too much for both of us.
When C-3PO showed up again, I just knew something was going to happen. I don’t know how I knew, but I did. He didn’t remember us of course and I’m not sure Owen remembered him, but I did. He was kind to me. Sometimes when she thought she was alone, Shmi would talk to him about Anakin. She missed him. I never understood why she couldn’t speak to him or see him. She said it was the Jedi way with pride in her eyes and so much sadness it broke my heart to even speak of him.
I was there just around the corner when Luke found the message from Leia hidden in the astromech. I didn’t see her but I heard her voice asking for Obi-Wan’s help and I knew everything was about to change. She reminded me of her mother even though I only knew Padmé briefly.
Luke was up early the next morning, he told me the astromech had wandered off and that he was going to go look for him. I told him I wouldn’t tell Owen and told him to be careful. He said he would and that he’d be back soon. It felt like a final goodbye but I didn’t know those were the last words we’d ever say to each other.
When the troopers arrived, I knew we were dead. I knew why they had come and I knew I would die before I told them anything. I called out to Owen, wanting him near me.
Owen tried to convince them we knew nothing of the droids. He didn’t know how important they were. I never told him. He wouldn’t tell them anything. He almost had the commander convinced the Jawas had been mistaken.
But then He commed in. If the commander hadn’t mentioned our name, maybe we’d still be alive. Maybe not. But as soon as the commander said Lars, He had to see us.
I’d heard His name whispered across cantinas and never understood how one man could inspire such fear. But now I did.
Even in hologram form, I feared him. It was silent except for his breathing. He stared at us.
He looked past us just for a second at where Shmi’s grave was before Owen took down the headstone. And I knew it was him. It was Anakin. He had survived. I feared for Luke, but I would take his existence to the grave.
“Kill them,” he said. I wasn’t surprised. I just wondered what Shmi would think of him now. Owen and I held each other, there would be no fighting this time.
Then all I knew was nothingness.