Chapter 1
Tatooine
Ariana Kenobi woke up as her father was making breakfast. She pushed back the cream colored sheets. they had been white once before. But time and sand had done away with the original color. She put her feet down on the cold stone floor. She walked to the wardrobe and opened it she took out the dress that she wanted to wear today. It was a two piece with a dark blue, almost purple, skirt. Her shirt was a thin white blouse. The sleeves were long but she folded them up to her elbow. She pulled them on. She put her hair up in a ponytail to keep cool. She then walked to the mirror and checked it out. She had long flowing red gold hair, her eyes were dark purple. She smiled at her reflection and did the finishing touches to her outfit. She then walked out of her room.
"Good morning Father!" She told Obi-Wan Kenobi, her father. He smiled at her as she sat down in front of the bacon and eggs he had made for her. She ate hurriedly she had things to do this morning. Kenobi sensed something from her.
"What are you up to today?" He asked sincerely interested.
"Well, Father, I'm going to Anchorhead to work on my speeder bike." She replied with a mouthful of eggs. Kenobi smiled at his daughter. He knew the real reason she was going to Anchorhead. She had told him about running into Luke Skywalker many times. When she was finished eating she got up from the table. "Well I'm off I'll be back around lunch time." He smiled and nodded as she left the house.
Ariel Lars woke up when she heard a loud bang. It was her cousin going out to work on the evaporator. She pushed back her light blue sheets and placed her feet on the cold stone floor. She walked to her wardrobe to pick out an outfit for the day. When she found it she pulled it out. It was a light blue summer dress. The skirt flowed out as if it were made of water. Her sleeves were rolled up past the elbow. She pulled it on and braided her hair. She had long flowing black hair with dark blue eyes like a stormy sea. She smiled and walked out of her room. Her mother was out in the kitchen getting breakfast ready. And her father was out working on the farm. Luke left already to get to work.
Ariana threw down her wrench in frustration. She was never going to get this piece of junk running again. When she realized that was all she could take for the day she stormed out. She left the tools scattered over the work bench. She had tears of frustration in her eyes. She began to walk home under the two very hot suns.
Luke ordered the droid C-3PO to stop the speeder. There was a young woman with red hair walking in the desert's heat. He hopped out of his speeder and walked up to her. Her head slowly came up. Her cheeks were moist from crying tears of frustration. But Luke thought it was something serious.
"What's wrong Miss?" She wiped away the tears irritably.
"Oh it's nothing. I'm just frustrated. I had taken my speeder bike to Anchorhead to work on it. I couldn't get it to start after I did something to it. So I threw down my tools and left." Was her teary answer.
"Well don't worry I'll take you home. If you would like." Luke offered her. She smiled and nodded at his offer. "I just have to find a lost droid then I'll take you home."
She smiled tearily as she thanked him. Luke helped her into the speeder. 3PO took off again towards the rebel droid.
Owen Lars rushed into the kitchen. Where his daughter Ariel and wife Beru were working. He looked frightened. Ariel walked up to her father and placed her hand on his arm.
"Father what is it?" He looked down at her and then said his voice quavering.
"Ariel you must hide there are Stormtroopers at the house." Ariel looked at him horror stricken.
"No! I won't leave you!" She shouted in protest. Owen glared at his daughter.
"No you have to go! Go Ariel, you too Beru." His wife glared at him.
"You can send her away. But I'm not going." Shouted Beru.
"Ariel please everything will be okay I promise." He was gripping her by the shoulders and hugged her. She swallowed back the tears and bolted towards the garage. She was going to hide under the speeder. She watched troopers run out of the house followed closely by Beru and Owen. She buried her face into her arms so she didn't have to watch.
Luke had ordered the speeder to be stopped once more. 3PO stopped the speeder. Luke got out and ran to the little droid that was rolling towards Old Ben's home. Ariana looked at Luke when 3PO shouted at the little droid.
"...and no more of this Obi-Wan Kenobi gibberish." Ariana must have shown her surprise, for Luke turned towards her.
"What is it...? Sorry I don't know your name." Luke started
"My name is uh Ariana...Kenobi." Luke's mouth dropped open.
"So do you know an Obi-Wan?" She never got to answer for the little droid started to beep and twerp excitedly. Luke looked at Anna curiously as he turned back towards 3PO. "What is it? What's wrong?"
3PO looked worried. "He says there are several creatures approaching from the southeast." Ariana and Luke looked at each other.
"Sandpeople!" Ariana and Luke shouted together. Luke ran towards Ariana and grabbed her hand. Ariana never encountered a sandperson before. She was very frightened she had heard terrible things about them. Luke had dived behind a rock pulling her with him. She looked at him curiously he put his finger to his lips. As he pulled out his binocs and looked to the Southeast. Ariana looked at him worriedly.
"What is it? What do you see?" As if in answer to her question a thing that resembled an exterminator in a tan cloak was right in front of them. Luke grabbed Ariana and pushed her back behind him. She clutched on to his hand as he brought out his rifle but the sandperson cut it in half. Ariana screamed as Luke looked up in horror at the sandperson. Luke tried to protect Ariana but both of them were unconscious.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was sitting down to lunch wondering where his daughter was. He got a weird sensation through the force. There was something incredibly wrong with his daughter. He could barely sense her through the force. He grabbed his Jedi cloak and ran out the door. She was close by. He knew that much. He ran towards her presence through the force.
Ariana awoke to her father bending down over her worriedly.
"What happened?" She asked as she sat up rubbing her head. She looked around for any sign of Luke. "And where is Luke?" Her father placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"You were attacked by Sandpeople. And Luke is right next to you." She twisted her body around to look at Luke. He was still laying on his back. Ariana tried to get up to go to him. But Kenobi put a comforting hand on her. He got up and walked to him and placed his thumb and forefinger over Luke's temple. Ariana watched as Kenobi lifted his head up at a beeping R2. Ariana walked over to R2 and eased him out. He was worried she could tell but she coaxed him out. Kenobi smiled at her as Luke sat up and rubbed his head. Ariana rushed over to him and knelt down beside him.
"Rest easy son you had a busy day. And Ariana, why didn't you come back for lunch. " Ariana glanced at the ground before she replied.
"Well I couldn't get my speeder up and working so I started to walk home. And Luke was driving his speeder this way so he was going to bring me home after he found R2. " She pointed towards R2 as he spoke.
Kenobi smiled at her. Luke was sitting and looking at her befuddled. Ariana smiled at him. "Luke Ben Kenobi is my father and his real name is Obi-Wan. I wanted to tell you when you asked but we were attacked."
"So the droid does belong to you?" Luke said in amazement. Ariana looked at her father puzzled.
"I don't remember ever owning a droid." A bemused Kenobi replied. There was a loud howl that made Ariana jump. "We better get in doors. The Sandpeople are easily startled but they'll be back and in greater numbers." Ariana nodded in agreement.
"3PO!" Luke shouted in dismay. Ariana then realized that she had not seen 3PO since she woke up. She followed Luke and Kenobi. They were helping 3PO sit up.
"Oh my! I must have taken a bad step."
"Well can you stand we have to get out of here before more Sandpeople return." Luke tried to get 3PO to stand.
"I don't think I can make it. You go on without me Master Luke." 3PO wailed. Ariana glanced back over her shoulder nervously. But they finally got 3PO up and got him to the speeder. Luke helped Ariana into the speeder. As they neared the house Ariana started to calm down. She hadn't spoken since they got in the speeder. But she had stopped trembling. When they reached the house Luke helped her out.