Chapter 8- The Message, Dinner, and Escape

Lena carefully lowered Threepio into a hot oil bath that was specially designed for him. "Oh, thank the maker. This oil bath is going to feel so good! I've got such a bad case of dust contamination I can barely move," Threepio said as Luke held what appeared a Lambda-style starship in his hand.

"It just isn't fair! Oh, Biggs is right. I'm never gonna get out of here," Luke said, putting the ship down and going to a work station.

"I think your friend is very nice, brother, but he doesn't know everything. I used to think the same thing about my home too, but then I went to Coruscant and I'm glad I did," Lena said, touching her brother's arm.

"Yeah, but you're not gonna be here forever. You are going to leave soon," Luke said dismally.

"Is there anything I might do to help?" Threepio asked from the oil bath.

"No. Not unless you can alter time, speed up the harvest, or teleport me off this rock," Luke said, kneeling in front of Artoo.

"I don't think so, Sir. I'm only a droid and not very knowledgeable about such things, not on this planet anyway. As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure which planet I'm on," Threepio said.

"Well, if there's a bright center to the universe, you're on the planet that it's farthest from," Luke said with a grunt as he cleaned out Artoo's servos on his domed head.

"I see, Sir," Threepio said. Luke smiled.

"No, you can call me Luke," Luke said, getting up.

"I see, Sir Luke," Threepio said. Luke smiled again.

"No, just Luke," Luke said with a laugh as he picked up a kit full of cleaning supplies.

"Oh. And I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. And this is my counterpart, R2-D2," Threepio said as Lena raised him out of the bath.

"Hello," Luke said to Artoo and the droid beeped. "Well, you got a lot of carbon scoring. Looks like you boys have seen a lot of action," Luke said as he tried to pull something out of Artoo's message port.

You don't know the half of it, brother, Lena thought as she sat.

"With all we've been through sometimes I'm amazed we're in as good condition that we are what with the rebellion and all," Threepio said. Lena didn't know if she should smack her head or throw Threepio's breaker switch for saying that they were part of the Rebel Alliance.

"You know of the rebellion against the Empire?!" Luke asked, shooting to his feet.

"That's how we came to be in your service, if you take my meaning, Sir," Threepio said.

"Have you been in many battles?" Luke asked.

"Several, I think. Actually there's not much to tell. I'm not much more than an interpreter and not much good at telling stories. Well not at making them interesting any way," Threepio said as Luke knelt in front of Artoo. Lena released the breath she had been holding. If Luke asked any more questions he might find out that Lena was with the rebellion, was a princess, and was a Jedi Knight.

"Well, my little friend, you got something jammed in here real good. Were you on a Starcruiser or-" Luke started to ask as he got thrown back and Leia's image then came out of the message port.

"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope," Leia said and then knelt.

"What's this?" Luke asked, looking at the droids. Artoo beeped a question.

"What is what?" He asked you a question. What is that?" Threepio asked shortly.

"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope," Leia repeated twice. Artoo beeped.

"Oh, he says it's nothing, Sir, merely a malfunction. Old data. Pay it no mind," Threepio said. Lena breathed a small sigh of relief. Apparently Artoo knew how to keep silent. His ability to keep a secret must have gone back to when he flew Anakin Skywalker around during the Clone Wars.

"Who is she? She's beautiful," Luke said in a slight dreamy voice.

Lena hid a smile behind her hand. Leia would probably think it amusing if she knew that Luke thought she was beautiful. Being the princesses of Alderaan was not without men and boys fawning over them. "I'm afraid I'm not quite sure, Sir. I think she was a passenger on our last voyage. A person of some importance, I believe. Our captain was attached-" Threepio started to say.

"Is there any more to this recording?" Luke asked to Lena's relief before Threepio could spill that Captain Antilles was attached to the royal house of Alderaan. Artoo whistled in the negative.

"Behave yourself, Artoo. You're going to get us into trouble. It's all right. You can trust him. He's our new master," Threepio said to Artoo. Artoo then beeped. "He says that he's the property of Obi-Wan Kenobi, a resident of these parts, and it's a private message for him. Quite frankly, 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," Threepio said.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi. Is that the one you were looking for, Lena?" Luke asked.

"Quite possibly. The name is quite common on some planets," Lena said, telling only half the truth.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi. I wonder if he means old Ben Kenobi," Luke mused to himself out loud.

"I beg your pardon, Sir, but do you know what he's talking about?" Threepio asked.

"Well, I don't know anyone named Obi-Wan, but old Ben lives out beyond the Dune Sea. He's kind of a strange old hermit," Luke said. If Obi-Wan had been a Jedi like Anakin and Talon had been, being a strange old hermit was probably a given. Not everyone hid in plain sight like Talon Orran had on Alderaan.

"My uncle and my papa used to tell me stories about him. He was a great general in the Clone Wars," Lena offered.

"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope," the hologram of Leia said.

"I wonder who she is. Sounds like she's in trouble. I better play back the whole thing," Luke said, stooping in front of Artoo. Artoo beeped.

"He says the restraining bolt has short-circuited his recording system. He suggests that if you remove the bolt he might be able to play back the entire recording," Threepio said.

"Oh, yeah. Well, I guess you're too small to run away on me if I take this off," Luke said as he picked up a multitool. Lena shook her head visibly at Artoo. If Luke saw this message he would see it with Obi-Wan. Artoo clearly got the hint. As soon as the bolt was removed, Leia's image disappeared. "Wait a minute. Where did she go? Bring her back. Play back the entire message," Luke ordered.

Artoo beeped. "What message?" Threepio hit him on the top of his dome. "The one you've just been playing! The one you're carrying inside your rusty innards," Threepio said.

"Luke! Lena!" Beru called.

"All right, we'll be right there, Aunt Beru," Luke called.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but he appears to have picked up a slight flutter," Threepio apologized.

"Here. See what you can do with him. We'll be right back," Luke said, handing the tools to Threepio abd he and Lena left.


Luke and Lena entered what appeared to be a dining room and sat down to eat. "You know, I think that R2 unit we bought might have been stolen," Luke commented as Beru poured blue milk into Lena's cup.

"What makes you think that?" Owen asked around a mouthful of food.

"Well, I stumbled across a recording while me and Lena were cleaning the droids. He says he belongs to someone called Obi-Wan Kenobi. I thought he might have meant old Ben. Do you know who he's talking about?" Luke asked, clearly not noticing the look that Beru and Owen gave each other. Being a Jedi, Lena noticed things like looks when someone else didn't.

"Mmm-hmm," Owen said in a grunt that was negative. Also being a Jedi, Lena could also sense when someone was lying like Owen had just done.

"I wonder if he's related to Ben," Luke said, starting to eat.

"That wizard is just a crazy old man. Tomorrow I want you and the girl to take that R2 unit to Anchorhead and have it's memory erased. That'll be the end of it. It belongs to us now," Owen said. Lena wondered if she could talk Luke out of that idea. If she could contact the rebellion, her father would come for her and they'd give money to compensate for the loss of Artoo and Threepio.

"But what if this Obi-Wan comes looking for him?" Luke asked, pouring himself some milk.

"He won't. I don't think he exists anymore. He died about the same time as your father," Owen said.

"He knew my father?" Luke asked, excitedly. Did he know him! Lena thought with amusement. Luke apparently had no idea that Anakin Skywalker had been a Jedi and that Obi-Wan had been his master.

"I told you to forget it. Your only concern is to prepare those new droids for tomorrow. In the morning I want them up there on the south ridge working on those condensers," Owen said. Lena wasn't sure now what she thought of Luke's uncle. What was so terrible about him knowing about Obi-Wan and Anakin? At least Talon had told her the truth about her father when he had been training her.

"Yes, Sir. I think those new droids are gonna work out fine. In fact, I, uh, was also thinking about our agreement about me staying on another season? And if these new droids do work out, I want to transmit my application to the academy this year," Luke said, looking at Beru and Owen.

"You mean the next semester before the harvest?" Owen asked.

"Sure. There's more than enough droids," Luke said, a fairly reasonable argument to Lena.

"Harvest is when I need you the most. It's only one season more. This year we'll make enough on the harvest, that I'll be able to hire more hands, and then you can go to the academy next year. You must understand I need you here, Luke," Owen said. Lena could see through the subterfuge. Owen was doing exactly what her own father did as soon as she grew up. He was trying so hard to protect that it was smothering Luke in the long run. If Owen wasn't careful he would drive Luke away. Luke would leave without his blessing.

"But it's a whole 'nother year!" Luke protested.

"Look, it's only one more season," Owen said, placating Luke's hurt feelings.

"Yeah, that's what you said when Biggs and Tank left," Luke grumbled as he stood.

"Where are you going?" Beru asked.

"Looks like I'm going nowhere. I have to go finish cleaning those droids," Luke said, leaving the dining room.

"Mr. Lars, he can't stay here forever. Most of his friends are gone. It means so much to him, not that I think anyone should go to the Imperial academy," Lena said, hoping that her outsider's voice would be the voice of reason.

"No offense, but it's none of your business. I'll make it up to him next year. I promise," Owen said.

Beru laughed lightly. "Luke's just not a farmer, Owen. He has too much of his father in him," Beru said dryly, siding with Lena.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Owen ground out, nodding his head. Lena finished the last of her food and went to join Luke.


Luke was watching the double suns set when Lena joined him. "Luke, you know he means well, right?" Lena asked, touching her brother's arm.

"Does he? You're the same age as me and your adopted family let you go," Luke said bitterly.

"Only because Uncle Bail, Aunt Breha, and my stepmother realized that Papa would drive me away by being so well-meaning. Your uncle will realize that eventually. Papa had to realize it. He came to see that what was the point of having me learn self-defense if he never wanted me to use it," Lena commented as the suns sank lower. It was quite beautiful. Alderaan had its own share of beauty, but this was a wild kind of beauty.

"Hmmm, we'd better get inside. The Tusken raiders come out at night," Luke said as he turned. Lena followed him and they went into the droid repair station. Luke pressed a button.

"Ooh!" They heard Threepio exclaim and come from behind a station.

"What are you doing, hiding back there?" Luke asked.

"It wasn't my fault, Sir. Please don't deactivate me. I told him not to go, but he's faulty, malfunctioning. Kept babbling on about his mission," Threepio said, sounding distressed.

"Oh, no," Luke said as he went outside, Lena and Threepio following him. Luke pulled out some binoculars and swept them over the landscape.

"That R2 unit has always been a problem. These astrodroids are getting quite out of hand. Even I can't understand their logic at times," Threepio said.

"Well, if astrodroids were logical and could think then we wouldn't need humans, Threepio," Lena said. Talon had drummed into Lena often not to totally depend on technology. He had said that was why Vader was more machine than man and why the Empire had all the control. They had put their faith in the cloning technology instead of the Force; something that was certain to fail and take the galaxy down with it. Or just the Jedi, with the exceptions of Obi-Wan, Yoda, Lena, and Talon.

"How could I be so stupid? He's nowhere in sight. Blast it!" Luke swore, lowering the binoculars.

"Pardon me, Sir, but couldn't we go after him?" Threepio ventured.

"It's too dangerous with all the Sand People around. We'll have to wait until morning," Luke said.

"Luke, I'm shutting the power down!" Lena heard Owen yell from a few feet away.

"All right! I'll be there in a few minutes. Boy, am I gonna get it. That little droid's going to cause me a lotta trouble," Luke said, his anger clearly showing in his voice.

"Oh, he excels at that, Sir. Come on," Luke said as he, Threepio, and Lena joined Owen. Lena hoped Artoo found a place for the night. She found herself wondering if the Force protected droids as well as Force-users. If she found her father she would ask him.