#pooja 'helps' her dad and uncles test equipment and mayhem ensues

[radioactivepeasant]

Fic Prompts: Star Wars Wednesday

(Sorry it's late, the day after Christmas threw me off)

Owen almost closed the door in the man's face out of reflex.

Just what in the name of storms and sand were people with clothes like that doing out here? Even the families who owned multiple farms, like the Darklighters, didn't wear silks or colors like those. Which suggested to him that they were offworlders.

"Owen, what is it? Who's at the door?" Beru asked, coming in from the courtyard.

"Um," he said eloquently, and squinted at the dark haired woman. "I don't know, but they've got kids."

A lot of kids. Owen and Beru stared wide-eyed at two small girls and two red-faced infants.

He could have sworn he'd seen a familiar face behind the two at the door a moment ago, but dismissed it. Surely if it had been him, he'd have come straight to the door to greet them instead of sending strangers first.

No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than a familiar voice came floating up from the left of the stretch of sand that passed for a yard.

"Threepio, you know how to walk on sand! I can't levitate you the whole time, you can do this." Anakin marched into view looking a little exasperated and towing a golden protocol droid behind him. Walking behind him with an amused expression was the lady Owen remembered Anakin bringing to the farm the last time he'd visited.

"Sorry about that," Anakin sighed and reached over to take one of the babies from the other man. "Threepio almost went right over a dune. This is what happens when Artoo isn't there to supervise him, apparently?"

"He's been a little out of sorts, with the new babies and everything," Padme added sympathetically. "He just needs some time to adjust."

As Owen appeared to have temporarily lost the power of speech, Beru took it upon herself to find out just what in blazes was going on.

"It's...good to see you again, Anakin," she said, "We heard in town about the peace talks. It's probably too much to hope that the Republic will agree to find common ground with the Separatists, but at least the fighting's stopped in the Core, right?"

Anakin grimaced and bounced the baby girl in his arms. "The Core, sure, but what about all the chaos everywhere else? There's a lot of things that need to be fixed."

Owen snorted. "Yeah that's about as likely to happen as overthrowing the Hutts and becoming Senator of Tatooine."

Anakin looked a little too interested in that idea.

Owen stepped back and Beru invited them all inside to get out of the sun. After a brief, awkward silence, introductions were made.

"You remember Padme?" Anakin smiled softly at the woman in question. "We got married not too long after meeting you."

"So did we," Beru beamed at them. "I'm glad there was some happiness to follow the circumstances we met under."

Padme had taken the second baby from the other woman by now, and held him up towards Beru. "We wanted you to meet our children! This is Luke, and that's Leia."

Anakin took the other baby's hand and made her "wave". Neither infant looked particularly impressed.

"Good heavens, twins?" Beru gasped. "May I-? I mean, is it alright if-?"

Padme shuffled closer. "Well, we'll try it, anyway! Leia's a bit more cautious, but Luke is our little extrovert."

Soon enough, Beru was cradling the tiny boy, who waved his arms and made happy growling noises. Padme turned back to gesture to the other couple and the little girls.

"This is my sister, Sola, and her husband, Darred," she said, "And these are our nieces, Ryoo and Pooja!"

Anakin nodded. "We wanted you all to meet each other so that you'd have someone to contact in case of emergency."

Owen pondered that, then nodded. "Family takes care of family," he said gruffly.

Darred made an approving expression, and after some awkward attempts at beginning conversation, the ice began to melt, so to speak.

Anakin would later admit that his tinkering habit plus his stepbrother's ideas for improving machinery plus his brother-in-law's architectural skills did make for some potential chaos. However, he did not admit that until after the chaos had already been unleashed.