CHAPTER 1
The dying heat of Tatooine's setting suns beat down on Obi-Wan as he shuffled across the dunes, making his way to the rocky Junland Wastes was difficult but worthwhile for the isolation. Dressed in fraying robes with a cloth head-covering that obscured his face, he was tired like always. The heat never let up, pushing at the hermit in continuous waves of humid air making Obi-Wan's quiet meditative walk quite difficult.
"Oh I was not made for this" Obi-Wan murmured under his breath adjusting the rucksack he carried. The heavy weight of Black Melons rustled in the pack along with the reliable heft of metal. His lightsaber, the last reminder of an Obi-Wan that once was. Once Jedi Master, General, Negotiator and Grand Master now just Ben. A hermit's life suited him, hopefully, Owen Lars would be in an amicable enough mood to accept his offer of Black Melons. The drought had hit the people of the Great Chott salt flat especially hard, the Lars family included. With Jabba demanding more and more in water tributes, the salt flat's farmsteads could hardly survive, let alone pay. Obi-Wan ended that train of thought he couldn't help them, only Luke and the Lars'. With luck, he could see Luke and help them disguise the water containing melons as mere rocks. He sighed, another reason to avoid Qui-Gon's training, too many painful memories to withstand he supposed.
Obi-Wan crested a rise and his hovel came into view. Perhaps he would deliver a gift for Luke during his visit and then return home to begin his evening training. Yes, that would be a good idea, Luke would like a handmade starfighter model to play with and maybe he could ask Beru for some tea once Owen's hysterics were finished.
"LUKKEEE! It's getting late out won't you come inside."
"A little longer Auntie Beru!" shouted Luke as he waved his arms around. The old headhunter toy floated through the air executing an awkward series of manoeuvres. Luke had discovered his amazing ability a while ago, but when he showed Uncle Owen and Auntie Beru, floating the blue milk over to their side of the table, Owen had gotten mad. His uncle's face had gone from surprise then to outrage walking over to Luke and telling him in no uncertain terms that he was never to float things around again. Something about it not being safe.
Luke hadn't listened, how could his floaty power be unsafe for anyone. He wanted to show Old Ben when he came for a visit, although Ben was more like a friendly uncle, sneaking him treats and toys and always smiling. He liked that, maybe Ben could be his new Uncle. People always said that Old Ben was a Wizard, maybe he and Ben could be a Wizard duo. Luke giggled at the idea of Kenobi and Skywalker, Wizards Extraordinaire!
"Luke!" shouted Uncle Owen, "you better not make me come up there!"
Luke released the toy from his floaty powers and yelled back "I said a little longer! I'm eight years old now, I can even fly the Skyhopper. Can't I stay outside for ten more minutes!"
"No! Come inside Luke," replied Owen, his footsteps were getting closer, audible from the vaporator Luke was hiding behind. His favourite play spot had the convenient benefit of being a low ditch shielded from view by a large moisture vaporator.
Luke sat silent as Owen circled into view sliding down into the ditch behind the vaporator. Owen's face softened and he kneeled across from Luke. "Hey bud, I know you wanna play but you have to come inside now."
"Why? I'm big enough" replied Luke.
Owen sighed and his face became stern "There are scary things outside when the sun sets Luke, do you want to be taken away in the night?"
"No. But I'm not afraid of Sand People Uncle Owen."
"Not just sand people," muttered Owen bitterly casting his hateful glare towards his shoes.
Luke tilted his head, he could feel a deep resentment burning within Owen "Why are you so angry Uncle Owen?"
Owen tried to keep his emotions from spilling over into his expression but Luke could tell his feelings, "It's nothing." Then his expression softened, in an attempt to distract the boy from continuing this further line of questioning "Tell you what. Luke, if you come inside and get ready for bed I'll tell you an old spacers tale."
Luke's eyes lit up, "REALLY!"
"Yes, really," Owen winced at Lukes's volume.
"Ok…" Luke tried to backpedal his excitement but he knew Owen could tell he wanted to hear those stories.
Owen rose, followed by Luke and the middle-aged farmer herded his nephew towards the house. "Alright now head inside, Luke I want to see you ready for bed when I'm back inside"
Luke trudged into the house only pausing for a moment to empty the sand out of his white and tan shirt, boots and pants.
Owen Lars watched the horizon from a small hill near the Lars homestead; it had good visibility for the flats. As the sunset began to end he massaged his temple, Luke was such a handful sometimes and they were giving him the lion's share of the water. Owen licked his lips, he and Beru were becoming dehydrated from lack of water last he saw their neighbours they were suffering from the drought horribly too. The entire community would have endured this drought easily but Jabba squeezed them for more and more water to sell to the cities. Owen had even heard that the rich Mos Espa couldn't afford Jabba's water prices. The tax was pointless, all to keep Jabba's gang war going with the other Hutts, after all, Jabba was the last Hutt to oppose the growing criminal confederation in Hutt space.
He felt exhausted, but had to keep up positive spirits for Luke though. Even if it made Owen promise to tell him nonexistent spacers tales just to get him to go to bed. Owen loved the boy like his own son, all he wanted was for Luke to be safe. Owen whirled around hearing soft steps behind him.
Beru raised her hands in mock surrender "I yield, I yield." Her face broke out into a grin and he gazed at her warm expression with love. Beru, his beautiful wife, loved Luke just as much if not more than he did.
Beru wore her dark blue farm fatigues even this late, they both worked too hard. She gestured with her head to the rifle carried in her left hand pulling her own rifle, carried in her right, closer to herself. "Now that I've surrendered I think you owe me an explanation as to why there is a rambunctious sand gremlin ranting on about spacer tales."
Owen chuckled as he took his rifle from his wife "I'm afraid I've promised him one too many stories and am running out."
"Then you're lucky you nagged your father into telling you all the stories he could when you were young." Beru teased. "What are you going to tell him tonight?"
"I think I'll tell him a monster story, maybe a rendition of the Great Krayt Dragon Battle, but in space," Owen answered.
"Ohhh that's a good one," Beru pulled Owen in and kissed his cheek. He kissed her back with the same love and caring.
They stood there for a moment hugging each other. The silence was broken by Owen first, "Right, should we get to work then? These fields won't check themselves for signs of sand people and other dangers."
Beru nodded. Slinging her rifle across her back she lifted her Macrobinoculars from her waist and looked out across the desert flats. In all directions, there were vaporators planted spaced out evenly in the open sand. A few vaporators yet to be repaired were dark but the activating lights and defensive measures on other vaporators said mostly all was well. The industrial hum signaling preparations for the productive morning fog harvest.
"Do you see anything?" Asked Owen as he examined his rifle for sand damage.
"No, nothing dear." Beru looked again across the open flats, scanning for traces of unusual damage to the vaporators or even the glint of a Tusken rifle scope in the rocks of the Junland Wastes. Beru saw nothing of note and turned her Macrobinoculars to face the main thoroughfare, it was then that she saw rising dust on the horizon "Wait, Owen is that a speeder?" She focused her binoculars on the root of the cloud and zoomed in, the advancing night made it hard for her to make out what it was.
"Has to be," replied Owen simply "that kind of sand kickup can only be produced at extremely high speeds though." His eyes widened in realization, "It's Jabba's tax thugs."
"It can't be," Beru said, "We already paid them off for the next half week, all our work, we got their water and managed to have enough for ourselves."
"It can be honey," Owen almost shed a tear but, water in these times was too precious to be wasted. "Jabba is losing his war. And he'll take more of our water to fill his coffers."
"We could contact Ben?" Beru suggested.
Owen's face hardened, "No."
"What then Owen?" She looked at him "We cannot pay and survive and we cannot survive without the farm."
"We protect our own," said Owen. To him it was a certainty, his duty as their family's leader depended on his ability to keep his loved ones safe.
Beru conceded,"Alright then Owen." She was well aware of the fact of life that was protecting one's family,
It was then that Owen began to plan, "Beru, you need to hide Luke away in the safe room," he paused and caressed her face "then come and watch my back from our hill. You should be hidden enough and I know you're the best shot between us." Owen looked out at the household tiredly "With you at my back I can negotiate a sandswimmer."
Beru laughed quietly and brought him into an embrace. He kissed her and she responded in kind, both husband and wife holding each other with a desperation they had never had before.
"I love you." They both said it at the same time and their loving smiles only widened. Tatooine had always held danger but they weren't afraid. They would survive for their family, for themselves, and most important of all, for Luke.
Note: Please leave a comment I'd love some constructive criticism or even just an opinion, Thanks!
