One-shot about Anya leaving Tattooine. Takes place at the start of A New Hope.
Leaving Tattooine
I walked down into the house where Luke was fixing up the two new droids they had just bought.
"You know of the rebellion against the empire," said Luke excited
"That's how we came to be in your service, if you take my meaning sir" said one of the droids
"Have you been in many battles?" asked Luke
"Several I think, actually there's not much to tell. I'm just an interpreter and not very good at telling store, well not at making them interesting at least" he said
Luke turned around and saw me standing there "Hello Anya, this is C-3PO and R2-D2, the new droids" said Luke "Well my little friend, you've got something jammed in here real good" said Luke, going back to fixing up the other droid "Were you on a star cruiser" he started to say before jumping back when a hologram started coming out of it.
"What's this?" asked Luke
"What is what, he asked you a question, what is that?" said the C-3PO "He says it's nothing sir, merely old data, pay no mind"
"That's not nothing," I said
"Who is she?" asked Luke "She's beautiful" said Luke
I don't know why but him saying that seemed to stir some feelings inside of me, jealousy perhaps. No of course not, Luke was my closest friend and only that. We had known each other too long for it to be anything else. Still, if it wasn't jealousy then what was it?
"I'm afraid I'm not quite sure sir, I think she's the passenger on our last voyage, a person of some importance I believe" said C-3PO
"Is there any more of this recording?" asked Luke
C-3PO started talking to R2 while Luke just stared at the woman in the message, looking as if it was the first time he had ever seen the sun, he was entranced by this stranger.
"He says that he is the property of Obi-Wan Kenobi, a resident of these parts, and this is a private message for him" said C-3PO "Personally sir I don't know what he's talking about, our last Master was Captain Antilles but with all we've been through this little R2 unit has become a bit eccentric"
"Kenobi, like Old Ben Kenobi" I said
"I beg your pardon but do you know what he's talking about?" asked C-3PO
"Old Ben Kenobi, he lives out beyond the dune sea, he's a bit of a hermit" I replied
"I wonder who she is" said Luke "She sounds like she's in trouble I better play back the whole thing"
"He says the restraining bolt is shortening his message circuit, he suggest that if you remove the bolt he might be able to play back the entire recording" said C-3PO
"Oh, yeah, well I guess you're too small to run away on me if I take this off" said Luke
"I don't know about this Luke, you could get in trouble with Uncle Owen," I warned
"It'll be fine, he's not going to go anywhere" he assured me
"Okay, but if he runs away it's your fault" I said
Luke managed to take off the restraining bolt but the image disappeared as soon as he did.
"Hey, wait a minute, where'd she go?" asked Luke "Bring her back, play back the entire message"
"What message, the one you've just been playing," said C-3PO hitting R2 on the head "The one you're caring on your rusty innards"
"Luke, Anya, Luke" called out Aunt Beru
"Alright, we'll be right there Aunt Beru" said Luke "Here, see what you can do with him I'll be right back"
We walked out of the room and up to the house, leaving the droids there by themselves. I did not have a good feeling about this.
We got to the table and Luke sat down and started eating his lunch with Beru and Owen.
"Anya your mother is looking for you," said Beru
"Thanks, I'll go to her now" I said walking away
I found my mother next to our small house hanging out the washing on the line. She turned and smiled at me when she saw me coming, she always did have a lovely smile. Everybody said that I looked like my mother; we were the same height, same lean but curvy build, same long curly light blonde hair, although hers had streaks of grey in it. The only thing about us that was different was our eye, I had my father's emerald green eyes, my mother always said that they would light up just like his when I had an idea or was excited.
"Anya, have you been out with Luke?" she asked
I walked over to her and started helping her hang out the rest of the clothes "They bought two new droids today, one had this strange message on it of this woman, Luke was besotted with her" I told her, the last part was said rather bitterly
My mother just laughed at me "I'm guessing you don't like Luke paying attention to another woman, jealous are we" she said
"I am not jealous" I said annoyed
"Anya, you cannot lie to me, especially not about Luke" she said "I see the way you two look at each other, you may not know it now but you will some day. Your destiny and Luke's are intertwined, always have been"
"Whatever you say mother" I said walking away after hanging up the last piece of clothing
It was early in the morning and I was sitting at the table eating my breakfast when I heard a knock on the door. My mother got up and opened the door to see Luke on the other side.
"Hello Luke, what are you doing here?" asked my mother
"I'm here to see Anya, Armi," he said
I got up and walked to the door, my mother winked at me before walking back to her room.
"What is it Luke?" I asked
"Before you say I told you so just hear me out," he said making me realize what had happened
"R2 escaped didn't he," I said
"Yes, I need help to find him otherwise I'm in serious trouble" he said
"Okay I'm coming," I said following Luke out to the speeder
C-3PO was waiting in there for us, Luke climbed into the front seat while I sat on the back.
"Luke, one thing" I said and he turned around "I told you so"
"There's a droid on the scanner dead ahead, might be our little R2 unit, hit the accelerator" said Luke
The speeder sped up as R2 came into our sights. We stopped and got out right in front of R2.
"Hold on, where do you think you're going?" asked Luke
"Master Luke is your rightful owner now, we'll have no more of this Obi-Wan Kenobi gibberish" said C-3PO "And don't talk to me of your mission either, your lucky he doesn't blast you into a million pieces right here"
"No it's alright but I think we better go," said Luke, R2 began shaking "What's wrong with him now?" asked Luke
"There are several creatures approaching from the south-east," said C-3PO
"Sand people, or worse" said Luke grabbing the blaster from the speeder "Come on let's go have a look, come on" he said
"Are you insane Luke?" I asked, "You're going to get us killed," I said following after him
"We'll be fine, trust me" he said
"That's what you always say, then we get hurt or get into trouble," I said
"Well, we're still here so that' something" he said
"You'll be the death of me Luke Skywalker," I muttered to myself
"There's two Bantha's down there but I don't see any sand people, or there they are I can see one of them now" said Luke
Suddenly one of the Sand People jumped up in front of us and knocked Luke down.
"Luke" I called out before another one of the Sand People knocked me on the head, instantly knocking me unconscious.
I groggily woke up on a bed inside someone's house. I looked over to see Luke and Ben on the other side of the room. I slowly got up and walked over to them, sitting down next to Luke.
"You alright?" he asked
"Yeah I'm fine," I said
"My father didn't fight in the wars he was a navigator on a spice freighter" said Luke, continuing whatever conversation he had been having with Ben
"That's what your Uncle told you, he didn't agree with your father's ideal, thought he should have stayed here and not gotten involved" said Ben
"You fought in the Clone Wars," said Luke in disbelief
"Yes, I was once a Jedi Knight, the same as your father" said Ben
"I wish I had known him," said Luke solemnly
"He was the best Star Pilot in the Galaxy and a cunning warrior" said Ben "I understand you've become quite a good pilot yourself" he said making Luke smile "And he was a good friend, which reminds me, I have something for you" Ben got up and opened a chest "Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough, but your Uncle wouldn't allow it. He was afraid you would follow Old Obi-Wan on some idealistic crusade like your father did"
"What is it?" asked Luke getting up
"It's your father's lightsaber, the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy as a blaster" said Ben as Luke turned it on and a blue beam shot out the end of it "An elegant weapon for a more civilized age. For a 1000 years the Jedi Knight's were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic, before the dark times, before the empire"
"How did my father die?" asked Luke sitting down next to Ben
I could see Ben pause, as if thinking about how he should answer, before he spoke "A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights, he betrayed and murdered your father. And now the Jedi are all but extinct. Vader was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force," explained Ben
"The Force?" asked Luke
"The Force is what gives the Jedi his powers, it's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, it penetrates us, it binds us together" explained Ben he got up and walked over to R2 when he started making noises "Now, let's see if we can't figure out what you are my little friend, and where you come from"
"I saw part of the message" said Luke
"I seem to have found it," said Ben as the hologram appeared again
We all watched on us the message was delivered, the hologram disappeared after it finished leaving everyone in the room silent.
"You must learn the ways of the Force, if you're to come with me to Alderan" said Ben
"Alderan, I'm not going to Alderan. I'm going home, it's late, I'm in enough trouble as it is" said Luke getting up
"I need your help Luke, and yours Anya," said Ben "She needs your help, I'm getting too old for this sort of thing"
"I can't help, I've got work to do. It's not that I like the Empire I hate it but there's nothing I can do about it right now. It's such a long way from here," said Luke leaning against the wall
"That's your Uncle talking," said Ben
"Ugh, my Uncle, how am I ever going to explain this?" asked Luke
"Learn about the Force Luke" said Ben
"I can take you as far as Anchor-head, you can get a transport there to wherever you're going" said Luke
"You must do what you feel is right, of course" said Ben
"Come on Luke, we better get going," I said getting up and walking over to him
"It certainly looks like Sand People, look there's Bantha tracks and everything, but I've never heard of them hitting something this big before" said Luke as we walked around the wreckage
"That's because it wasn't Sand People, but we are meant to think they did. These tracks are side by side, Sand people always ride single file to hide their numbers," said Ben
"These are the same Jawas that sold us R2 and C-3PO," said Luke
"And these blast patterns, too accurate for Sand People, only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise" said Ben
"But why would Imperial Troops want to slaughter Jawas?" asked Luke before it dawned on him, they were looking for the droids "If they traced the robots here then they might have learned who they sold them to, and that would lead them back home" said Luke
"Wait Luke, it's too dangerous" called out Ben as Luke ran towards the speeder with me following close behind
We jumped into the speeder and started for home, both wondering if our families were still alive.
When we arrived home we found the house billowing with black smoke, we got out of the speeder and ran forward. As we moved closer we saw two charred corpses lying before the entrance. Two, only two, so where was my mother.
"Mother, Armi, where are you?" I called out running towards our small house
When I reached the house I ran inside to find my mother lying on the floor leaning against the wall.
"Mother, are you hurt?" I asked kneeling down next to her
"No, I am fine, Beru and Owen are dead" she said
"I know," I said solemnly
"You must go now Anya, you need to go with Luke," she said
"No, I'm not leaving you here" I said
"Anya, your destiny is with Luke, you need to go with him," she said taking my hand "I will be fine, I promise you"
"But you will be alone" I said tears in my eyes
"I will never be alone, your father is always with me, and he is always with you" she said, "Now go, find Luke and leave this planet," she ordered
"I love you mother" I said tears running down my cheeks
"And I love you" she replied "And just to tell you, for future reference, I always liked Luke" she said making me smile
I slowly backed away from her and reluctantly stepped out the door. Luke was standing not too far away from the house waiting for me to come out. Our eyes locked together, his eyes had always been bright and full of excitement, but now they were full of sadness and grief. I walked towards him and pulled him into a hug, both of us letting our tears fall. There was nothing for either of us here now, looks like we would be heading for Alderan.