Tatooine Graffiti

Part 4 - Dewback

A menacing roar echoed through the noisy night of Mos Eisley. The Mandalorians exchanged glances and then turned around, startled. The roar belonged to a Dewback, the giant lizard used as a mount by the Empire's Stormtroopers. Alongside it was an entire Imperial troop assigned to patrol the city. Luke hoped that among those dozens of white-armored figures, his friend Nadai was present.

A group of officers approached.

"Any problem, Luke?" asked an electronic, yet familiar voice.

"It's better not to interfere with Jabba's business!" threatened the Mandalorian leader, turning to the Stormtroopers.

The officer aimed his rifle at the Mandalorian and fired at his chest. A bubble of blood and metal seemed to burst from the Mandalorian's torso. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air at the corner. The other Stormtroopers menacingly prepared their weapons. All the Mandalorians immediately retreated.

"Jabba has an agreement with us, no aggression towards the farmers," said the electronic voice of the officer. "He knows that if he breaks this agreement, we might break some of ours. Do you have anything to say?"

Another Mandalorian nodded and performed a characteristic Mandalorian bow. Then, he turned to the others and signaled them to leave. They all activated their jetpacks and flew away. Luke finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Nadai!"

"Always at your service, kid!" replied the Stormtrooper.

"I'll assign an escort for you!" the officer determined.

"I'm feeling important!" Biggs smiled.

"I have to find my father!" Ingra reminded them. "He must be looking for me, he must be worried!"

"Don't worry! If he reported your disappearance, he should be at the command center," reassured the officer.

Luke looked at Ingra with a sigh. He knew she had to find her father as soon as possible. He also knew it would be safer for him and Biggs to go back home. Even though Jabba would behead anyone who harmed a farmer, it wasn't wise to take risks. He had to take one last look at the face of the girl from Alderaan. For a moment, he got lost looking at her full lips. Black hair fell over her brown eyes. Her skin was sweaty and dirty after all the running around during the night, but still showed the healthy glow of youth.

"I guess I owe you a thank you for saving my life," Ingra said with a smile.

"He didn't save your life!" Biggs interrupted. "He only saved you from a lifetime of servitude, that's all!"

The girl's face lit up with a mischievous smile, and her eyes locked with Luke's for an indefinite moment. Luke wanted to say things, but he was afraid they would sound too cheesy under the watchful eyes of an Imperial troop. Maybe they would sound cheesy to that beautiful girl who made his heart race. For a second, millions of ideas, speeches, declarations crossed young Luke Skywalker's mind, but he simply smiled.

"Thank you both!" Ingra smiled again before following the Stormtroopers.

The twin suns, known as Tatoo I and II, would still take hours to set on the horizon. Luke remained at Biggs' house for some time, waiting until he felt safe enough to return to his uncle's farm.

"She was amazing, wasn't she, Luke?" Biggs commented.

"Yeah," he replied tersely.

"Maybe we'll go out again. There will be other girls," Biggs said hesitantly.

"Maybe," Luke tried to disguise his frustration.

When Biggs left on the Landspeeder, Luke Skywalker refused to go inside the house, choosing instead to sit on his favorite rock, gazing at the stars. His brief adventure was supposed to momentarily soothe the devouring beast inside him. However, after meeting Ingra, another beast awakened in Luke, even fiercer and more tormenting than before. Something dormant that not even hunting rodents in the skies could satisfy. As he observed the stars, he understood that they were like Ingra, utterly unattainable for him. They were there, waiting for him, but he couldn't free himself from Tatooine's arid soil.

That night, Luke came to the conclusion that he needed to escape from the farm. He had to leave his aunt and uncle behind and pay any smuggler to take him away from there. He would work with freighters until he could join the academy. He felt that this was his destiny and that he had to act that very night! Without hesitation, he firmly entered the house. His resolute steps led him to a note left by Aunt Beru.

"Luke, the merchant is staying in the guest room. Please, don't make noise."

That was the last straw for Luke. He couldn't bear the presence of another elder and their family throughout the celebration season. It was the end! He rushed to the room, his eyes on the verge of tears. He didn't want to cry! Why couldn't he be strong? All he wanted was to enter the room and pack his things to leave.

As he opened the door to the room, he came face to face with a white figure, making him let out an involuntary scream. He had to lean against the wall to steady himself. For a brief moment, he suspected it was an ambush planned by the Mandalore. However, as he looked into those same brown eyes, smooth black hair, full pink lips, and the white dress, he knew it was Ingra standing before him...

"Don't scream! My father is a heavy sleeper, but I can't guarantee the same for your uncles!" Ingra said with a warning tone.

Ingra's voice was the nourishment the beast craved. A pulsating energy surged through Luke's body, making him smile uncontrollably. It was a silly smile, like that of a child receiving a new toy. He tried to contain the emotion, but it was in vain. After all, who said he should hide it? Who said he couldn't smile?

"I managed to find my father, thanks to your friend! And it seems we'll be staying here in your..."

Luke didn't let her finish the sentence. He hugged her tightly and sealed his lips with hers. The beast was unleashed! His soul hissed with satisfaction!

"Sorry!" Luke murmured, frightened by his own impulsiveness.

Ingra smiled again, a mischievous smile accompanied by a disconcerting look. Luke didn't notice, but she was devouring him with her eyes.

"I'd like to thank you for saving my life!" Ingra said, her voice growing increasingly provocative.

"Well, as Biggs said... I just... saved you," Luke said, glancing away. It seemed like the beast had been temporarily tamed, leaving the awkward Luke Skywalker in its place. When his eyes met the girl's again, the white dress was no longer there. It lay on the floor, next to the white cape, exactly where his eyes had been seconds before. Now, his wide eyes couldn't look away from Ingra's body, the girl from Alderaan.

"Am I being direct enough for your culture?" Ingra asked with an enigmatic smile.

The beast was now untamable. Luke felt the heat of Ingra's body in his arms, the softness of her skin under his fingertips. The kiss grew fiercer, the contact more intense. Ingra slid her hand under the tunic Luke wore and scratched his back with her nails. When they finally lay on the bed, Luke whispered that they only had a few hours before sunrise on Tatooine. However, Ingra promptly disagreed.

"We have over a month until the end of the celebrations. Until then, I'll live here with you... in your house..."

Luke Skywalker's life in Tatooine used to be depressing. He spent almost all his time yearning to be somewhere else. He knew he didn't belong to that life; he knew he wanted more from life than being a farmer on that desolate planet. But from that moment on and in the days that followed, the young man experienced a complete happiness, more intense than ever. And in the years that followed, Luke would remember that these days were among the happiest of his life.

(The End)