The Empire's Fall (Pt.1)

Chapter One: New Droids

"The Jawas are here, Luke! The Jawas are here!" I squeal, the Jawas being here means that we get new droids, which means new droids to work on.

"I know they're here, Lee. I'm not blind!"

I roll my eyes before we follow Uncle Owen, we stop when Aunt Beru calls out from one of the large holes that form our homestead. Luke and I walk over to the edge of the hole and Aunt Beru shouts up at us,

"Luke, Leeda, tell your uncle that if he gets translator to be sure it speaks Bocce."

"It looks like we don't have much of a choice-"

"-but we'll remind him," I yell, finishing my twin's sentence.

Luke and I return to Uncle Owen and we all look over the equipment for sale with the Jawa leader. Luke and I follow Uncle Owen at a slight distance, but I'm still close enough I hear what he says to a golden protocol droid.

"Yeah, we'll take that red one. No, not that one. You. I suppose you're programmed for etiquette and protocol."

"Protocol? Why, it's my primary function, sir. I am well versed in all the customs..."

"I have no need for protocol droid."

"Sir — not in an environment such as this — that's why I've also been programmed for over thirty secondary functions that..."

"What I really need is droid that understands the binary language of moisture vaporators."

"Vaporators! Sir — My first job was programming binary load lifters... very similar to your vaporators in most respects."

"Can you speak Bocce?"

"Of course I can, sir. It's like a second language to me."

"All right. Shut up. I"ll take this one."

"Shutting up, sir."

"Luke! Leeda! Take these two over to the garage, will you? I want them cleaned up before dinner."

"But we were going into Tosche Station-"

"-to pick up some power converters," I finish for my brother, again.

"You can waste time with your friends when your chores are done. Now come on. Get to it."

"All right. Come on."

"And the red one. Come on," I say, while I start to walk toward the garage. "WeIl, come on, red. Let's go."

The Jawas start to lead the three remaining robots back into Sandcrawler, one of the droids, a blue one, starts after us, but he is restrained by one of the Jawas, who zaps him with a control box. Uncle Owen is negotiating with the head Jawa. Luke, the two droids, and I all start off for the garage when a plate pops off of the top of the red astro-droid's head and it sparks wildly.

"Uncle Owen," we yell.

"Yeah?"

"This R2 unit has a bad motivator. Look!" I say, gesturing to the droid.

"Hey, what are you trying to push on us?"

The Jawa goes into a loud spiel, he's going on and on about how he didn't know. As if.

The new protocol droid taps Luke and I on our shoulders. "Excuse me, Sir, Miss, but that R2 unit is in prime condition. A real bargain."

"Uncle Owen?" I yell, I usually have get his attention because I tend to be the louder one between Luke and I.