Jundland, or "No Man's Land", where the rugged desert meet the foreboding dune sea. The two droids kick up clouds of sand as they leave the life pod and clumsily work their way across the desert wasteland while the life pod in the distance, rests half buried in the sand.
"Tatooine..." Anakin murmured in a very low voice. Memories flooded his brain, serving as a slave there, meeting Qui Gon and Obi Wan, leaving his mother behind to become a Jedi, returning to Tatooine after ten years only to find his mother re-married and then, holding her body as she took her last breath.
A tear rolled down his cheek as that last memory flashed in front of his mind. Obi Wan looked at his brother who had gone down the memory lane once again and sighed.
"Skywalker, are you alright?" asked Master Bilaba as she
noticed the Jedi Knight's displeased expression upon seeing his home planet.
"No, it's nothing. It's just that he hates sand" Obi Wan said in Anakin's defense. Anakin gave him a 'why did you tell them' look.
He didn't wanted anyone to know about his dislike towards sand. Ashoka and Padme smirked listening to it.
"It's rough, coarse, irritating and what was it Master?" asked Ashoka with a smirk.
"It gets everywhere. Happy now!!" Anakin deadpanned making rest of the room laugh a little at his dislike for sand.
"How did I get into this mess? I really don't know how. We seem to be made to suffer. It's our lot in life.", Threepio whined as he and Artoo continued to walk in to the sandy wasteland while Artoo replied with certain beeping sounds. "I've got to rest before I fall apart. My joints are almost frozen."
"How come that droid will freeze in sand and more specifically a desert?" asked Rex with a flabbergasted expression as he wasn't able to understand the words of the Droid.
"He must have meant that 'sand might get everywhere'. Must have picked that up from his master" Padme mocked in an indirect manner while looking at Anakin.
A series of chuckles erupted in the theatre as they were reminded of Anakin's dislike towards sand. Anakin rolled his eyes at the comment and explained what exactly did Threepio meant.
"He is trying to say that if he doesn't get proper rest then his joints might start creating problems" Anakin explained.
Artoo only responded with a few beeps before moving forward. "What a desolate place this is.", Threepio lamented.
Suddenly enough Artoo called out, makes a sharp right turn and starts off in the direction of the rocky desert while Threepio stops and calls out at him."Where are you going?", the protocol droid asked.A stream of beeps and whistles pours forth from the smaller droid.
"I must say that Artoo and Threepio are quite a team" said an amused Shaak Ti as she looked at the two droids one of them was constantly whining while other was whistling.
Everyone agreed with him.
"Well, I'm not going that way. It's much too rocky. This way is much easier.", Threepio snorted as he began to walk apart from the Astromech droid while countered with a long whistle. "What makes you think there are settlements over there?"
"Is it just me, or has it that Threepio doesn't remember anything from Tatooine?", Obi-Wan mused as Anakin and Padme realized this. From what they had observed, it looked like Threepio doesn't remember anything from the sandy planet where he was created and was taken along by Qui Gon Jinn when Anakin was ten.
"That is strange, why wouldn't he remember?", Padme also wondered why.
'A memory wipe perhaps? But why would I or anyone else do that?',Anakin thought.'More importantly, where am I?'
Artoo continued to make beeping sounds as they walked along the way. "Don't get technical with me.", Threepio snorted at him while Artoo continues to make beeping sounds.
"What mission? What are you talking about? I've had just about enough of you! Go that way! You'll be malfunctioning within a day, you nearsighted scrap pile!, he said asThreepio gives the little droid a kick and starts off in the direction of the vast dune sea.
"And don't let me catch you following me begging for help, because you won't get it.", he told him as the protocol droid went for another direction.
"Stop fighting both of you" Anakin said loudly as if he was yelling at both of them.
"An astromech droid is more helpful than protocol droid, sir" Rex said to the general who was also the creator of the two droids.
Artoo's reply is a rather rude sound. He turns and trudges off in the direction of the towering mesa while continues to make beeping sounds that only annoyed the protocol droid. "No more adventures. I'm not going that way.", he told the astromech droid whileArtoo beeps to himself as he makes his way toward the distant mountains.
Later on, Threepio, hot and tired, struggles up over the ridge of a dune; only to find more dunes, which seem to go on for endless miles. He looks back in the direction of the now distant rock mesas.
"That malfunctioning little twerp. This is all his fault! He tricked me into going this way, but he'll do no better.", the droid grumbled as he continued to make his way out.
"The fault is all yours" Obi wan said and all of them laughed at his comment.
'Where the hell am I?' Anakin thought to himself as he saw his two droids but he was missing since the beginning.
In a huff of anger and frustration, Threepio knocks the sand from his joints. His plight seems hopeless, when a glint of reflected light in the distance reveals an object moving towards him. "Wait, what's that? A transport! I'm saved! more adventures. I'm not going thatway!", he cheered as he made his way to that transport.
"He is asking help from Jawas, seriously?" Anakin facepalmed seeing what was conspiring on the screen.
"They would rather dismantle him then helping him" commented Caleb as he had read about Jawas.
The Jawas muttered gibberish noises as they busily line up their battered captives, including Artoo and Threepio, in front of the enormous Sandcrawler, which is parked beside a small homestead consisting of three large holes in the ground surrounded by several tall moisture vaporators and one small adobe block house.
'That's my step brother's home' Anakin thought to himself as he identified the homestead which belonged to his step family, the same place he buried his mother after her death.
As they were fussing over the droids, straightening them up or brushing some dust from a dented metallic elbow. The shrouded little creatures smell horribly, attracting small insects to the dark areas when their mouths and nostrils should be. Out of the shadows of a dingy side-building limps Owen Lars, a large burly man in his mid-fifties.
"Owen looks too old. He sure hasn't aged well" Anakin stated absentmindedly as he took in the appearance of his step brother. His words made everyone look at him wide eyes trying to digest the new information of Anakin knowing that man.
"You know him, Skywalker?" Mace Windu asked him.
"Yeah, he is my step brother" Anakin said flatly. His words took everyone by surprise as they had no idea about his step family.
"Since when?" Asked Master Mundi.
"Since my mother's remarriage." he deadpanned.
"When did you came to know about your step brother?" Asked Master Plo Kaan as he looked at the man suspiciously. For what they know of he had no communication with his family back on Tatooine.
"On a mission. I met him"
His reddish eyes are sunken in a dust-covered face. As the farmer carefully inspects each droid, he is closely followed by his slump- shouldered nephew, Luke Skywalker.
'The boy looks like Anakin' Obi Wan thought to himself with a smile remembering his teenage years.
'Why does he look like me? Is he my and Padme's child but I was 100% sure that we were going to have a daughter but looks like Padme won when it comes to gender guessing of the child?' Anakin thought to himself.
The scene cut to the inside of the homestead where two females were preparing lunch.
"Jawas are outside, Aunt Beru" a young girl in her late teens and young adulthood with waist length blond hair, blue eyes, pink plump lips and fair skin as she helped the other woman who was in her mid fifties, her aunt whose name was Beru in setting up the table for lunch.
'Beru, she looks old and worn out' Padme thought to herself as she looked at the woman whom she meet a few years ago. 'Surely the girl will be the daughter of one of her siblings. But why does she seem so familiar?'
"The girl will play a huge role in future." Master Yoda stated while the others nodded at his words.
"The girl's beauty is one of a kind for sure" said Captain Rex as he looked at the girl whereas everyone else agreed Someone was not happy to hear this.
'This girl looks like Anakin a lot' Obi Wan thought to himself as he looked at the young girl.
Anakin felt a strong connection with this unknown girl who was calling his step sister in law aunt. The connection and love for her was like a father loves his daughter. He felt a need to protect her from everyone that's he wasn't happy to hear Rex's words.
'That's odd she looks a lot like me. Given the fact Padme is pregnant could this be our daughter..' Anakin thought to himself.
"Surely, he must be bargaining bargaining about whatever he is buying. Will you pass the Bantha milk, dear?" Beru said while looking at her niece. Her niece passed her milk.
"Why don't you go outside to your brother and uncle, Jelena?" Beru said to her niece, whose name was Jelena. The said girl shook her head in disapproval.
'Jelena, is one of the names I had choose for my daughter. Could this be my daughter?' Anakin thought to himself. He was yet to discuss names with this wife. He could be wrong about her being his daughter but the feeling of paternal love towards Jelena was too strong that he was sure that she was his daughter.
"No, I don't want to go. With one gust of wind to many grains of sand gets into my hair and eyes." Jelena continued helping her aunt while talking to her. She grimaced when talking about sand.
"You know that I hate sand -" She was cut off by her aunt
"It's rough, coarse, irritating. Am I right, Jelly?" Beru asked her with a playful smile as she looked at her niece.
"It gets everywhere. You forgot to add that, Aunt" Jelena deadpanned with an eye roll making her aunt laugh at her expense.
The audience laughed at Jelena's dislike for sand. Anakin agreed with the girl. She was stating the facts about sand.
"Skyguy, is she your relative?" Ashoka Tano asked as she noticed the dislike of sand between the two a similarity. Anakin stayed quiet himself not knowing much about the relationship Jelena and he shared.
"Go, and tell your uncle and brother if he is buying a droid then it must have a translator in Bocca" Beru told her niece who nodded at her words and left from there.
"Looks like this girl, Jelena and that boy are siblings" stated Master Kit Fisto but that brought a series of questions.
"Skywalker, does your step brother has any siblings?" Asked Mace Windu in a threatening tone as he has clearly seen similarity in facial features of Jelena, her brother and Anakin but he wasn't going to come to any conclusion before investigating.
Anakin had realised that Master Windu has noticed the similarities between him and the two kids.
"No" Anakin told him. He didn't know much about Owen's family but knew that he had no other siblings.
"Then why is that girl calling your step brother and sister in law, uncle and Aunt?" Windu spoke in a threatening manner.
Anakin sweated bullets not knowing how to answer that question. He knew that now there is no escape from this question. His marriage and Padme's pregnancy will be known by all. He is going to thrown out of the order.
"Surely, Beru must have siblings and they are her sibling's children" Obi wan spoke in defense of his brother before anyone could further question him.
His answer made Windu stop from further questioning Anakin but he was still unconvinced by this answer.
Anakin gave Obi Wan a grateful smile.
One of the vile little Jawas walks ahead of the farmer spouting an animated sales pitch in a queer, unintelligible language. A voice calls out from one of the huge holes that form the homestead. Luke goes over to the edge and sees his sister Jelena standing in the main courtyard.
"Luke, tell Uncle Owen that if he gets a translator to be sure it speaks Bocce.", Jelena told her brother who nodded at her words.
It looks like we don't have much of a choice but I'll remind him.", Luke recounted as he turned to go towards his uncle.
Before going he turned to his sister and looked into her eyes.
"Why don't you come with me?" He asked Jelena.
Jelena rolled her eyes and said " I am not coming. The sand it gets everywhere"
"Yeah, I agree it's better if you stay here because if a little bit of sand which gets in your hair, you will ask me to help me to take it out of your hair. Surely, I am not up for that service" Luke deadpanned.
Everyone snickered a little listening to the siblings banter.
"I think they both are twins" Rex said as he took in the similarities between Luke and Jelena. They are of the same age.
"Why is Luke making fun of Jelena's hate towards sand?" Anakin said as he hated the way is son was making fun of it.
'Luke, is what I wanted to name my son. If they both are Owen's nephew and niece, they could be my children?' Padme thought to herself as she looked at her two possible children. Then a thought crossed her mind 'If they are my children then what are they doing on Tatooine?'
"Luke, go to Uncle Owen and tell him about what I told you" she said to her brother. Ignoring her brother's words about her.
"Oh come on. Why don't you come?"
"Luke, just go before Uncle buys anything" Jelena said with a glare and her pointed at the direction towards their uncle. She gave him her famous 'Do as I say' glare.
"Alright,alright I am going" Luke said and left from there not wanting to witness his sister's anger.
"Dangerous the anger of young Jelena is." said Master Yoda as he witnessed the scene in front of him.
"I have no need for a protocol droid.", Owen said as he looked over the droids present as Threepio began to panic. "Sir - not in an environment such as this - that's why I've also been programmed for over thirty secondary functions that...", he exclaimed before he was cut off.
"What I really need is a droid that understands the binary language of moisture vaporators.", Owen contemplated as Threepio began to think of a way to not get sold by someone else.
"Vaporators! Sir - My first job was programming binary load lifter... very similar to your vaporators. You could say..."
"Do you speak Bocce?", Owen asked him, wanting to get to the point.
"Of course I can, sir. It's like a second language for me... I'm as fluent in Bocce..."
"All right shut up!", he told the protocol droid before turning to the Jawa. "I'll take this one."
"Shutting up, sir...", Threepio complied.
"Threepio could be a good salesman" Ashoka Tano said and a series of chuckles followed as they all witnessed his efforts so that Owen could buy him.
"Luke, take these two over to the garage, will you? I want you to have both of them cleaned up before dinner.", Owen asked his nephew, who was less thrilled about this.
"But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters...", Luke whined to his uncle, who was unfazed.
"You can waste time with your friends when your chores are done. Now come on, get to it!", he sternly replied as Luke eventually gave in.
"All right, come on! And the red one, come on. Well, come on, Red, let's go.", he ordered the two droids.
As the Jawas start to lead the three remaining robots back into the Sandcrawler, Artoo lets out a pathetic little beep and tries to after his old friend Threepio. He is restrained by a slimy Jawa, who zaps him with a control box. Owen is negotiating with the head Jawa. Luke and the two droids start off for the garage when a plate pops off the head of the red astro-droid's head plate and it sparks wildly.
"Uncle Owen!", Luke called out.
"I don't think that he likes living with Owen" stated Anakin as he looked at his son. He was sure that these two kids on screen were his children.
'What the hell are my children doing on Tatooine?' Anakin thought to himself.
"Yeah?",
"This R2 unit has a bad motivator. Look!", Luke told his uncle, pointing at the now-broken unit.
Owen turned to the head Jawa and complained.
"Hey, what're you trying to push on us?"
The leader goes into a loud spiel. Meanwhile, Artoo has sneaked out of line and is moving up and down trying to attract attention. He lets out with a low whistle where Threepio taps Luke on the shoulder, in an attempt to save his friend despite their animosity earlier. "Excuse me, sir, but that R2 unit is in prime condition. A real bargain.", he suggested as the boy is rather interested at that.
"They have to take Artoo in otherwise how will the rebellion will receive message. If the empire founds it then they are doomed" Kit Fisto said as everyone looked concerned for the astromech droid.
Author's Note - Hope you liked it. The OC is Jelena Skywalker who is the daughter of Anakin and Padme. For Jelena's face claim you can imagine Gigi Hadid.