Episode I: A New Hope Chapter 1

July 6, 1985

Saturday

Ronald Reagan's 'Star Wars' is in effect!

The suggested 100 billion dollar military Strategic Defense Initiative (nicknamed 'Star Wars') is underway. This space dwelling missile system was proposed to combat the USSR's nuclear weapons and protect the citizens of the free world.

Police Under Investigation

After the arrest of four African-American men living in the slums of Los Angeles, the Imperial Police Department is now under fire of allegations of wrongful and violent arrests of those four individuals. No evidence has surfaced to prove these allegations but tensions are high between the law enforcement and the ones they serve.

Back to the Future Declared this Summer's Blockbuster!

Theaters are packed and lines are circling around the block to see this new action packed adventure through time. Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) embarks on a journey with Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) to save the past as well as fix the future in this new film by the aspiring new director Robert Zemeckis.

Leia fiddled with the news paper, making sure it covered her face, trying to distract herself by reading the articles that were pressed against her nose. Some were boring while some made her blood boil.

She eyed a group of officers as they walked passed and saw her chance to get away. She put down the paper and took off down the street, passing several gyms and frozen yogurt stands that had been restaurants and even a Farrells only a few years previous.

She turned a corner, heading into an alleyway, but ran into what appeared to be a solid wall.

She snapped her head up to look at what she had ran into. She stifled a gasp as she saw what-rather who- she collided with.

"Officer Vader." She greeted formally, collecting herself. "My apologies for running into you."

That was the truth.

If there was one thing she wished to avoid more than anything, it was running into the stone-hearted squad officer or any of the officers working beneath him.

"No damage done." The officer said but there was no politeness in his voice. "But I have to wonder, what are you running from?"

"I don't run from anything."

Leia looked up at the towering police officer. She didn't even reach his shoulders and was about the same width of one of his legs. His body was muscular but not in a way that would make woman swoon, but rather would make women walk on the opposite side of the street if they saw him coming. His face was littered with scars and burns, most noticeably a scar running across the right side of cheek and over his eyelid. He looked quite older than most of the officers she ran into on her...uhem...outings, which was not held by his receding hairline gelled down like he belonged in a 50's movie.

He was far more intimidating than the rest...despite only having one arm.

He had this gruffness to him. His mangled face and body displayed his strength right there for the world to see.

However, she refused to be intimidated. She stood tall and glared into his icy blue eyes.

"Miss Organa," Vader continued, his scratchy voice showed how much time he had spent with a cigarette in his mouth as a youth...and his stench showing that the habit had not faded. "The entire station is aware for your tendency to get into trouble."

"Well I can assure you, officer, I am simply just eager to get home."

"The senator can't protect you forever, Miss Organa." Vader warned, almost threatened. "One day your track record will catch up to you. I know you had something to do with that tape getting out."

"What are you talking about?" Leia asked, her face displaying stubborn innocence.

"Don't play dumb with me, Organa." Vader threatened. "I know you have that tape and soon I'll prove it."

"The tighter your grasp the more citizens slip through your fingers." Leia said before turning her heels and briskly walking away from the officer.

...

A golden retriever aimlessly walks across the dirt road separating two fields, it's collar jingling with every step it makes. It's lost and tired and acts older than it truly is, but it continues to walk proudly down the road blissfully unaware of the adventure that would surround him.

The dog stops to rest under the shade of a few trees encasing a plot of land, some might describe as a farm if the weather have been more kind. It was run down but well kept with rows of almond trees and tangerine trees within sight. The dog, exhausted, laid down by the large cabbage patch, watching a large group of people work their way through the rows, cutting the heads free from the dirt and roots.

Soon, a bit before noon, a young boy ran up to the farm, drenched in sweat that made his denim jacket rub his skin raw.

"¡Oye! Luke!" a man called from the field. "¡llegas tarde!"

"Lo siento uncle Owen!" Luke shouted, running his hand through his greasy blond hair. "The morning shift went longer than they said it would."

"Just hurry and get some water and get right back out here." Owen said firmly but empathetically. "You're already way behind."

"I'll be quick." Luke said.

He dashed towards the small house, making note, but not calling attention, of a golden dog sleeping beneath one of the trees surrounding the farm. He stuck his head underneath the tap faucet and took in large gulps of water before splashing some of it on his face. He rushed to his room (that he shared with 3 other boys: all his cousins) and put on his wide rimmed brown and tan hat with a long piece of fabric on the back to cover his neck.

He then headed out to the field, got on his knees and started working.

He looked up and saw that Biggs, his cousin closest to his age, was already half way done with his second row while Luke had barely had begun his.

"You've got a long way to go Luke!" Biggs taunted. "Worried that I'll beat you today?"

"You wish!" Luke called back.

"Don't over do it boys." Beru, Luke's aunt and guardian warned. "A few extra cabbages isn't worth both of you getting sunstroke. Ten cuidado."

"We'll be fine." Biggs told her.

"Don't worry," Luke said, hiding a cut on his arm from the work.

After an hour or two, Beru, Biggs's mother, Jess Darklighter and Zena Antilles (Owen's sisters) went inside to start lunch, as they always do, leaving the rest to continue working on the field.

"Hey Biggs." Luke called, halfway through his first row, "I think that dog over there is dehydrated."

Biggs looked to where he was pointing too.

"Yeah looks like it." Biggs said, continuing to work on his row. "Perro estúpido."

"¡No digas eso!" Uncle Huff shouted at his son. "¡Qué vergüenza!"

"Sorry papa!" Biggs shouted back.

Luke held back a snicker knowing full well that Biggs says much worse than that whenever his parents aren't present.

"Looks like Old Men's dog." Luke continued, "You know the man who lives at the end of the road, near the city?"

"Might be." Biggs said. "If you want to return it, go ahead."

"And let you win?" Luke said. "I'll do it later."

While trying to act indifferent, Luke couldn't help but keep glancing up at the dog. As soon as Beru called lunch, Luke rushed back to the house, filled a bucket with water from the hose, and carried it to the dog.

Just as Luke expected, the dog was dehydrated.

"You'll be alright, buddy." Luke said, petting the dog's head, it's fur covered in dirt but not as much as Luke's hands. "I'll take you back to your owner later tonight, ok?"

He took a rope that was laying around the cluttered farm, tied the end to its collar and the other end to the tree. He took some jerky from his pocket and threw it at the dog, who happily ate it before rubbing his head against Luke's leg.

"Ah you're a good boy, aren't ya?" Luke said, happily ruffling the dog's fur as the dog happily barked.

He couldn't resist playing with the dog, even though he knew it could get him behind schedule, at the very least cause him to miss lunch. But he didn't mind too much-he just wanted to experience having a dog for once. The family had never gotten one, unable to afford one. The only things that sort of resembled pets were the chickens they kept to get their eggs. But for a moment, Luke had a dog and he would take what he could get.

He glanced at the field where he had barely made a dent in the three rows of cabbages he needed to get done before 5 that night so he could leave for his job that night. His stomach growled, longing to go eat with his family, but he had to finish on time so he could drop off Threepio (Luke read from the tag) to his owner. He took a deep breath and went back to work.

He was able to finish the first row by the time the family was back in the field. Within an two hours, he and Biggs were tied. At a bit before 5, Luke stretched his back while watching Biggs finish his last row.

"How on earth do you do that?" Biggs yelled at him, impressed if not a bit annoyed. "You were nearly two hours late and you still beat me!"

"I've got to get to work." Luke put simply. "I'll see you in a few."

Luke went back into the cramped house and headed to the kids bathroom. He took a quick, but thorough, shower, washing a day's worth of dirt and sweat off of his body, and changed into a more formal shirt and pair of jeans. He looked himself over in the mirror, slightly wondering to himself if he would ever need to shave, before leaving. Aunt Beru was already in the kitchen.

"Buenas tardes, Tia Beru." Luke said, hugging his aunt from behind, startling her.

"Sobrinito!" Beru scolded him, her hand on her heart "You know better than to scare me like that. ¡Qué vergüenza!"

"Lo siento." Luke responded, feeling a bit back about scaring his aunt. "Sorry. Can I help with dinner?"

"Si, gracias."

Luke slid in beside his aunt and began rolling the shredded meat into tortillas, layering them in red sauce. Enchiladas, the thing they were currently making in bulk, were Biggs favorite which would make sense as it was his last night here before going back to his base. Antilles, Luke's other cousin, was already on the air force base, having been shipped out only a few days prior.

No don't, with tonight being his last chance, Luke would be bombarded by Biggs.

He was right.

"I don't get why you don't apply." Biggs said, shoving a sixth enchilada into his mouth. "You've graduated high school with great grades, not a speck on your records and you've always wanted to fly."

"Well yeah I've always wanted to fly," Luke admitted, picking at his rice. "But I'd rather be a commercial pilot. You know, nothing that involves me vs. the Reds."

"Which I also don't get." Biggs continued. "Wouldn't it be fun to go into combat?"

"Not really, no." Luke said, a bit darkly.

"Oh...oh yeah." Biggs remembered something. "Sorry about that. It just slipped my mind that your dad..."

"It's fine." Luke lied, cutting him off.

It wasn't really a secret that Luke was an orphan...well he considered himself an orphan at least. His mom was dead, that was certain. He had visited her grave hundreds of times before, making a point to visit her on his birthday...which shared the same date as the day she died.

His dad on the other hand…

'He died in Vietnam.' Luke reminded himself. 'He didn't abandon you and mom. He was serving his country. He didn't run out on you. He didn't abandon you.'

Though even he thought it, he would never really know for sure. Owen and Beru had told him as little as they knew about his dad: he had been a soldier in Vietnam, had a wife named Padmé and his last name was Skywalker. That was about it. That's pretty much all he had to go off of.

"Sorry about not being able to wish you off with the rest of the family." Luke apologized to Biggs. "But I have to go to work."

"It's alright." Biggs assured him, giving him a one armed hug as the other was still holding a fork. "Besides, I won't be gone too long this time. I'm sure we'll be having another huge family dinner again soon."

"No doubt about that. Good luck and stay safe."

Luke returned Biggs's hug before he walked to where Beru and Owen were sitting.

"I woke be back until late tonight." Luke said to the two of them. "Saturdays are always packed."

"Buena suerte." Owen responded. "We still have a lot to pick tomorrow."

"Cuidarse." Beru said. "Te amo."

"Te amo tambien." Luke said, giving the two of them a hug.

Luke donned his light blue denim jacket and squeezed his way to the door.

"Adios!" Luke called back to the family.

"Adios," The family called back to him.

And with that, he was off to work. But he had to make a quick stop first.

"Hey Threepio." Luke said, bending down to the dog, running his hands through it's fur. "You ready to go home?"

The dog barked as if it was trying to respond.

"Ok then." Luke untied the rope around the tree. "Let's get you home."

The city's edge was a two miles walk and about 20 blocks from that point to his work. It wouldn't be any hassle to walk the dog back to the address which Luke recognized as old Ben's house. Luke, as he always did, began to jog towards the city, finding that if he jogged he would get there faster without sweating too much. The dog kept up with him, but Luke could tell it was tired, like it hadn't been out for a jog in a long time.

He soon spotted the old house and the dog seemed to recognize it too as it lunged toward, causing the rope to almost slip through his fingers. He took off after the dog. The dog scratched against the weathered fence of the house. Luke unlocked the gate and went onto the larger than usual porch, knocking on the door.

After two attempts of knocking, the door was finally opened by the aging man. The dog leapt at Ben, licking his hands and almost knocking him over.

"Um hi sir." Luke said, momentarily forgetting that returning things involved social interactions. "Your dog...well I think he got out and ended up at our farm. I just wanted to return him to you."

"Thank you." Ben said, his happiness showing on his face. "He went missing a few days ago. I was beginning to lose hope."

"No problem." Luke said, checking his wrist watch, "I hate to be rude, but my shift starts in five minutes and I have to go."

"No worries." Ben assured him and Luke walked from the house. "Thanks again."

"No problem!" Luke called back as he took off jogging towards the city of angels.