Tatooine Graffiti

Part 1 - The Setting of the Twin Suns

"The setting of the twin suns of Tatooine was the safest haven for his thoughts, as if that wound that insisted on corroding his soul fed a bit from that spectacular landscape, leaving his mind at peace for a few minutes.

Luke Skywalker was 17 years old then and had an incredible urge to run through the desert screaming. It wasn't something diagnosable through normal means. It was like an itch that his hand couldn't reach, which had started timidly a few years ago and now bothered him a lot.

Last night, he had spent all the energy cells of his rifle shooting at a large rock. It was 15 minutes of relief watching the rock shatter into small pieces amid loud noises and colorful explosions. A loss that would take two months to recover without his uncle noticing. And as therapy, destroying rocks no longer worked. Shooting rodents was no longer fun either. He knew that something was missing in his life, an unfinished component of his existence seemed to be demanding attention. Slowly, his eyes filled with tears, blurring the majestic stars in front of him on the horizon.

He knew he was an unimportant person on an unproductive farm, in an insignificant town, on a wretched planet! He hated it! He detested the mediocrity of the people around him. Just today, his uncle had received a visit from old Ben Kenobi, only to spend hours arguing with the old man in a loud voice. After Ben left, his uncle told him not to go near the valley where Ben lived. Luke didn't like it, as he had nothing to do with his uncle's fights.

"They look like a pair of breasts, don't they?"

Luke jumped in surprise. He looked back to see a familiar and smiling face.

"Biggs?"

"Who were you expecting, Governor Tarkin?"

"Didn't you see you coming?" — he pretended to cry, making a sleepy face.

"Of course, you didn't see! You're standing there, daydreaming! Although I agree the suns look like a pair of breasts..."

Luke finally smiled upon seeing his friend, Biggs Darklighter, two years older. They used to hunt together, but he hadn't seen him since the last harvest. He was much taller now, with a sparse beard.

"Are you ready for the party, Wormie?" — asked Biggs, poking Luke's clothes with his finger.

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean, 'what do you mean'? It's the end of the year, time for the Hutts' commercial celebration parties! Foreigners come to spend their money on the festivities! Mos Eisley will be packed..."

"I hate these parties, Biggs!" — cursed Luke, irritated — "Remember last year? Uncle Owen hosted two merchants from Alderaan at our place. Each with three kids! I had to sleep in the living room. If that happens again this year, I'll at least sleep in the guest room."

"It's going to happen, Luke" — said Biggs, shrugging. — "Your uncles need the money. So why not enjoy it? Relax and enjoy this tragedy that is your life, Wormie."

"I can't stand these foreigners from Alderaan either." — Biggs agreed, sitting on the ground — "They're all snobs and treat us like trash! They think Tatooine's capital is Mustafar, which is in another solar system. But it's okay, just remember that Mos Eisley will be teeming with girls during the festivities!"

"Girls who will be after foreigners, Biggs!" — Luke retorted — "Remember that Tatooine girls prefer a Wookie to a Tatooine boy."

"Alright, Wormie! Our people don't value themselves, but we can pretend to be foreigners..."

"Great idea! We can steal their ships and clothes too, right?" — Luke said sarcastically.

Biggs stood up and brushed the sand off his clothes.

"Well, you can come to the party with me tomorrow and try to pick up some girls, or you can keep staring at the sky all day. But decide now, or I'll invite Biggs to go with me! At least he doesn't complain as much!"

"Biggs will be helping his father at the fair." — Luke said. — "But what do you mean, 'go with you'?"

Biggs was already heading inside the house when he turned to Luke with a triumphant look, as if he had been waiting for the question.

"I bought a Gpn-2443 landspeeder from a Jawa about three days ago." — Biggs said with an uncontrollable smile. — "it must have been salvaged from some crashed ship in the desert. I bought it for less than half the price, but it was still a month's worth of harvest money!"

"Isn't that the same model used by those Coruscant merchant's kids?"

"It's been three years and you haven't forgotten, have you? Well, it's our turn to act like the Coruscant boys!"

Luke laughed for the first time in three days.

"Luke! Come to dinner!" — Aunt Beru shouted from inside the house.

Biggs scratched his sparse beard with a challenging look at Luke.

"So? I'll pick you up in three days. Until then, get yourself some better clothes, okay?"