Suns Among Stars

Book One: A Man Among Boys

.

.

.

A/N1:Major AU story!

.

.

A/N2: I do not own Star Wars.

.

.

A/N3: Please note that this is the FIRST BOOK in a Trilogy.

.

.

Chapter One:

It wasn't the bright light of the double suns peeking in through his window that woke him. Nor was it the delicious scent of the morning meal his aunt cooked about that time of day so her boys could begin their work on a full stomach.

No, it was the foreign weight of a warm body pressed to his that woke him up, and as he opened his eyes, Luke Skywalker's memory of the night previous returned. He swallowed with great difficulty when his eyes confirmed what his mind was trying to tell him.

He had indeed made love to the girl lying naked in his arms.

And in those moments when they'd been one… he'd been in utter and complete bliss. But at the present…

Now that he was awake, and the new day had begun, all Luke felt was a crushing guilt. A horrible sense of shame settled like a rock in the pit of his stomach.

What the hell were you thinking Luke? He asked himself as he tried to disentangle their limbs without waking the girl.

With his humiliation, however, came anger. He recalled the heated moments before his body had given in, while his mind tried to stay true to the teachings of his guardians. But one fact rang clear above all others:

Venussia Atriedes had seduced Luke Skywalker last night.

It had begun innocently enough. They had been on their way home from a party at Laze 'Fixer' Loneozner's house in Anchorhead. On their way they'd spoken about school, and possibly studying together for a test.

But then any native Tatooinian's worst nightmare had come to be: a major sandstorm. They'd been forced to take shelter in a cave while the tempest raged outside, and after about two hours his companion had decided she'd been bored long enough.

That had been followed by her not-so-subtle attempts to get him to bed her. Luke had fought against her advances, trying to control his body even as she played the 'sand-in-my-clothes' card.

He'd offered her the blanket they now lay on, but she'd been insistent, and had used every angle she could think of. And slowly but surely, as she became more bold in her 'hints', he'd lost the battle to stay firm.

Finally Luke had been unable to control himself any longer, and they had made love…

The memories ended and Luke closed his eyes against the tears that came then, but it was no use.

He had never felt so filthy in all his life.

With a downward glance at the slumbering form, he wondered if Venussia felt the same. Thinning his lips, Luke folded his half of the blanket over her naked body, refusing to look at her any longer.

He was angry with her, yes, but Luke knew he was also partly to blame for giving in.

Luke dressed silently, and then left the cave to check on the speeder. He glanced about the bright desert landscape, wondering how long ago the storm had ceased. It was little wonder the pair of them had missed the event, since they were too wrapped up in their act to care.

Luke shook his head, wondering how he was going to explain this to his aunt and uncle. Aunt Beru would be shocked, and possibly horrified with his actions last night, but it was Uncle Owen that Luke was truly scared to tell.

Who knew what the man would do… or worse yet, what he wouldn't do. Owen had always been the quiet and stoic type, but when the man found something to believe in, he was a firm supporter of that, and that was final.

When he found out what Luke had done…

"Hey."

Luke spun, his thoughts interrupted by the appearance of his companion. She was thankfully clothed.

"Hi," he muttered, turning away to go about his previously intended task.

"Have you been crying?" Venussia asked incredulously. "I didn't realize I was that good…"

Luke spun on her, his eyes harder than she'd ever seen them. "How can you be so carefree after what we did?"

She frowned. "What did we do?"

Luke gaped. "You cannot be serious! You don't remember having sex?"

She smiled slowly. "Of course I do. You have a real gift, Luke."

He sighed in frustration. "No. What we did was vile, and completely wrong. Why the hell did you have to choose me to seduce? I already have enough on my plate without you adding to it."

Her eyes flashed. "And who do you think they'd believe if you tried to tell them that particular story?"

"What?" Luke was confused.

Venussia walked up to him and struck a haughty pose. "Everyone knows that when teenagers make love, they tend to favor the girl's story. The guys get saddled with most of the blame, especially if the girl claims that he was the one to start things."

Luke glared. "But you did: you started everything last night! I tried to fend you off, but you just couldn't take no for an answer!"

Venussia's face hardened. "Who is likely to believe that if I tell them sweet, gentle Luke has a mean streak that no one sees because he's always locked away on his farm?"

He back-stepped as if she'd physically struck him. "Y-you wouldn't."

"I would if you tell anyone, or try to pin this on me," Venussia warned. "And I promise you they will believe me over you if I paint you as a pervert. You're smart, Luke: a boy could easily overpower a girl. It wouldn't take much for me to convince everyone."

Luke looked away from her, disgusted to the core. "Fine, I'll keep quiet."

"Good. Now, let's not fight any longer. Why don't we go home and pretend this never happened?" she settled comfortably into the passenger's seat of the speeder.

Luke fired the speeder to life, trying to ignore his raging emotions.

Why did he have a terrible feeling that their 'secret' wasn't going to be one for very long?

00000

When Luke finally pulled his vehicle into the garage, he simply sat where he was, trying hard to contain his fault and grief.

He doubled his efforts when two sets of feet clamored over the walkway that extended from the main part of the homestead to the garage.

"Luke!?" Beru Lars called out.

Luke winced at her worried tone. He hadn't even tried to contact his guardians last night in the frenzy to get out of the way of the approaching wall of sand. Not that it would have gone through, but still.

He shoved his shame down, and locked it tightly away when his aunt and uncle burst into the garage.

"Luke!" Beru threw her arms around him, squeezing him tightly.

It was all Luke could do not to break down in her arms.

"We were so worried about you!" Beru exclaimed as she pulled back, taking her nephew's face into her hands.

"I'm okay, Aunt Beru," Luke said gently. "A friend and I got caught in that sandstorm and had to take shelter. We, ah… fell asleep without realizing it. I'm sorry to have worried you."

He glanced to Owen Lars, who stood to the side. Would the other see something in Luke that only a married man could?

Luke fervently hoped that his uncle didn't suspect anything.

"Well, we're glad you're home safe, Luke." Owen patted his shoulder affectionately. "That's all that matters."

Luke nodded, looking away. He was saved having to explain his odd behavior when his stomach rumbled loudly. He grimaced, but Beru laughed, taking her nephew's elbow and guiding him into the house.

"You must be starving," she said.

"Yeah." He smiled, grateful for the subject change.

"You said you fell asleep?" Owen asked from behind.

Luke tensed for a heartbeat, wondering if his uncle was fishing for information.

"Yeah," he said, turning to look at the man.

Owen nodded. "Then you won't need to rest before beginning today's work. With that big storm, there will be a lot of sand and damage to clean up."

Luke tried not to wilt with relief that Owen hadn't been looking for facts after all.

"When you've eaten, come find me on the south ridge," Owen instructed.

"Yes sir," Luke replied, allowing Beru to settle him at the table.

When Owen was gone, Luke bent his head to his hands. A gentle pat to his back startled him, and he looked up to find Beru hadn't gone to the kitchen yet.

"Luke, are you okay?" she asked softly. "You seem on edge."

He blinked, fumbling for words. "Aunt Beru…"

She rubbed his back soothingly. "Luke, we trust you when you said you were caught in the storm. We raised a good boy."

Luke didn't know how he didn't snap right then and there, but he managed only to nod, and then stare after Beru as she went to get his breakfast.

They trusted him… and he'd lied to them.

That fact made him feel infinitely worse, and he had to force himself not to run from the house before eating, for that would only make his guardians suspicious.

But as soon as he was alone in the sands, doing the tasks Owen gave him for the day, he couldn't hold it in any longer.

Luke dropped to the ground behind the condenser he was repairing, and sobbed.