"How do you know he lives there, Luke?" Owen asked with suspicion. "( ⊙o⊙)… Well, uh, Biggs and the mechanic said they wanted to go explorin
"How do you know he lives there, Luke?" Owen asked with suspicion.
"( ⊙o⊙)… Well, uh, Biggs and the mechanic said they wanted to go exploring..." Luke stammered.
Owen didn't want Luke to have any contact with Obi-Wan. He only hoped Luke would live a peaceful life on the farm, far from trouble.
But Luke clearly didn't share that sentiment. His current dream was to apply to the Imperial Academy and become a pilot.
It was dangerous, which is why Owen would later keep delaying Luke's departure.
"That's enough, Luke. Time for bed. We've got a broken moisture vaporator to fix tomorrow," Owen said, getting up and ushering Luke off. Clearly, the boy would be punished with extra chores.
Owen didn't want to talk about Obi-Wan anymore, and Amir didn't press the issue either.
From his pocket, he took out a credit chip and placed it on the table.
"Take it back. It's just one night," Aunt Beru said with a warm smile. "And Imperial credits don't go very far out here."
"Thank you," Amir replied once more and returned to his room.
Lying in bed, breathing in the uniquely dry, sandy air, Amir quickly drifted off.
Ever since Guligena had given him that kyber crystal, his nights had been filled with visions.
In his dream, it was again the dunes of Tatooine—but this time, no sign of Obi-Wan. Instead, familiar black armor and a red lightsaber appeared.
The crimson blade pointed at the people of Tatooine, stormtroopers standing watch nearby, the suns baking the sand, and a hooded figure lowering his head slowly into the cloak.
Then came a dim brightness, like a monochrome filter over high noon. The red blade slashed through the streets.
Collapse. Chaos. Screams.
"Ah... ha..." Amir woke with a yawn, rubbing his aching temples.
"Another bad premonition. Can't I just rest for a few days? Ever since leaving the academy, I've been running non-stop."
"I swear, I just want to buy a plot of land on Alderaan and retire."
He got out of bed, packed his things, and stepped outside. The sky was still dim, and the air a bit cold.
Luke was already up, waving a starfighter model through the air as if he were flying out of this desert-covered planet.
"You like ships, huh?" Amir asked idly.
"Of course! I'm going to be the best pilot in the galaxy—a proud Imperial pilot!" Luke declared.
"Then here, take this. You'll need to study hard to be a real pilot." Amir handed him a datapad—originally the Traveler's control interface brought by Sainil.
But Amir had transferred all control functions to his wrist display.
Now, the pad only contained piloting manuals—and tons of books Amir had downloaded.
"For me?" Luke hesitated. Even on Tatooine, a farm boy was among the lowest of the low, and he'd never seen such a finely crafted datapad.
"Yeah. It's got everything—Flight Mastery in 100 Days! You deserve it," Amir joked. "And notes by a master mechanic."
"So complicated..." Luke stared at the densely written interface. He was literate, but still, there were many words he didn't know. But he could always ask a protocol droid to read it—or his aunt and uncle, if they were willing.
"'Mechanic's Notes, by Amir'—wait a minute, that's you!" Luke scoffed. "You really called yourself a master?"
Amir laughed heartily and hoisted his bag.
"I'm heading out. Say hi to Owen and Beru for me."
Owen and Beru were already outside adjusting the farm equipment.
"I wish I could go with you, but Uncle Owen never lets me wander far," Luke said quietly. "Why can you travel to other planets already? Owen says I can't go to the academy until I'm of age."
"Then use this time to get ready for when that day comes," Amir replied, pointing at the datapad.
Though Amir knew full well that Owen wouldn't let Luke leave even when he came of age, he still wanted to encourage the boy.
"Take this—breakfast!" Luke tossed him a piece of fruit.
Amir caught it and stepped out. In the distance, the two massive suns slowly rose, painting the endless dunes in golden hues.
He opened his holomap, confirmed the direction, and resumed his trek—one step at a time.
"Should've stashed some cola on the Traveler," Amir muttered, missing his beloved ride.
Suddenly, he stepped on something hard. Bending down, he found a shell-covered object.
Cracking it open, clear liquid flowed out. He lifted it to his mouth, the water slightly sweet and refreshing.
In the distance, a large-eared, rodent-like creature watched longingly as Amir drank.
Its nimble paws gathered dew from its oversized ears and stuffed it into its mouth.
Every now and then, Amir used the Force to scan the surroundings for life signatures.
What looked like peaceful dunes were rife with danger—from massive sarlaccs that lay hidden in caves to Tatooine sand apes cooling off beneath the sand.
Startling one could mean instant death. These four-armed beasts could rip a person to shreds in seconds.
Amir looked up at some rocky outcrops—Tusken Raiders were hiding there, clutching gaderffii sticks and slinging blaster rifles, waiting to ambush passersby.
He chose another path to avoid the local thugs. No need to start trouble—getting shot would be a serious setback.
Reaching the top of a dune, Amir spotted a tiny structure in the distance. If his sense of direction was correct, that was Jabba's palace.
This Hutt was a big name here. All merchants had to pay tribute to him in exchange for protection.
The Hutt clans held vast influence over the galaxy's criminal underworld.
Jabba was one of the most powerful among them. This massive slug was a notorious crime lord in the Outer Rim. Bounty hunters, smugglers, and criminals all flocked to his banner. Any business with profit potential—he was in.
Slaves. Spice. Weapons.
The Empire couldn't stop such a massive organization, so they settled for cooperation.
And Guligena's people had been secretly sold to Jabba by an Imperial officer.
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