Saga 100 Grains of Sand - UDC 3 response, Week 14: Why Can't We Be Friends?

Title: 100 Grains of Sand - amidalachick's drabbles
Author(s): amidalachick
Timeframe: Various
Characters: Various
Genre: Various
Notes: My response to the 3rd Drabble Challenge. These are the first things I've written in a while and my very first drabbles. Thanks to BigFatty and Zonoma for running such a great challenge!
Disclaimer: It all belongs to George Lucas. I'm just playing.

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[b]Week 1[/b]
[hr]
[b]HAPPY[/b]

Luke Skywalker wasn't sure anyone could be truly happy on this planet, especially not a moisture farmer. It was a hard, monotonous life. Every day was like the last...rise with the suns, collect the little bit of precious water from the vaporators, make seemingly-endless repairs, then go to bed to rest before doing it all again.

Luke knew that some of his friends [i]seemed[/i] happy. But in his mind, real happiness could only be found somewhere else, far away from here. Every night, he looked towards the sky, dreaming about the day when he could set out to find it.

[b]SAD[/b]

Luke stood with a small group of friends. They were quiet and solemn as they mourned the loss of a friend.

Sal, as everyone called him, had gotten caught out in a sandstorm. His body hadn't been found, and probably never would be. His parents had invited a few of his closest friends to attend the burial ceremony, where they would place some of their son's clothes and treasured possessions in a shallow grave and speak the words which would release his spirit to the skies.

As the ritual came to an end, Luke thought even the wind sounded sorrowful.

[b]CURIOUS[/b]

Luke had always liked to explore. As a child, he'd spent countless afternoons roaming the desert, digging in the sand, and searching around the farm for unusual stones, trinkets, or creatures. There had been plenty of times when his findings had been met with a very unenthusiastic reception from Aunt Beru.

She still had some of the things he'd brought her, though, such as the polished stones he'd found in a cave that was rumored to be an abandoned krayt dragon den. She'd often said that his curiousity would someday either get him into trouble or take him very far.

[b]ANGRY[/b]

Some people believed that sandstorms were caused because the planet was angry.

This particular storm had been raging for nearly two days. It was a monster, even by Tatooine's standards. The wind howled endlessly. The sand was blown into a deadly, impenetrable curtain that knocked out all comm contact. There would be damage and, for anyone who wasn't able to find shelter, death.

Luke was conscious of these things, as was anyone who had grown up there. He could almost believe that the planet was angered by the presence of sentients and doing its best to get rid of them.

[b]CONTENT[/b]

Despite his restlessness and frustrations with a moisture farmer's life, Luke found a few moments of utter contentment piloting his T-16 Skyhopper.

As soon as he climbed into the cockpit, he forgot all his problems. His world narrowed to the controls and the surrounding landscape. It didn't matter if he was navigating a difficult canyon, racing his friends, or just speeding over the desert. He enjoyed it all.

Uncle Owen didn't seem too happy about his piloting, but he didn't forbid him from doing it, either. Luke wouldn't care if he had. No matter what, he would never stop flying.

 

Beautiful!! These were so well-written! I LOVED them!!
Despite his restlessness and frustrations with a moisture farmer's life, Luke found a few moments of utter contentment piloting his T-16 Skyhopper.

As soon as he climbed into the cockpit, he forgot all his problems. His world narrowed to the controls and the surrounding landscape. It didn't matter if he was navigating a difficult canyon, racing his friends, or just speeding over the desert. He enjoyed it all.

Uncle Owen didn't seem too happy about his piloting, but he didn't forbid him from doing it, either. Luke wouldn't care if he had. No matter what, he would never stop flying.

It's so hard to pick a favorite, 'cause they were all so wonderful! But if I had to, I think this would be it. It sounds like me and dancing. I love it so much!
Fabulous job!! I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this thread!

 

The drabble challenge is back; I've enjoyed reading the responses for it. Stellar start, 'chick!

 

Lovely! First, please PM me when you update. Second, I loved them all, but this was my favorite:

Some people believed that sandstorms were caused because the planet was angry.

This particular storm had been raging for nearly two days. It was a monster, even by Tatooine's standards. The wind howled endlessly. The sand was blown into a deadly, impenetrable curtain that knocked out all comm contact. There would be damage and, for anyone who wasn't able to find shelter, death.

Luke was conscious of these things, as was anyone who had grown up there. He could almost believe that the planet was angered by the presence of sentients and doing its best to get rid of them.

 

Lovely, those little peeks in Luke's life

 

Uncle Owen didn't seem too happy about his piloting, but he didn't forbid him from doing it, either. Luke wouldn't care if he had. No matter what, he would never stop flying.

I Luke's determination. Great drabbles!

 

Great title for the thread. I enjoyed Curious and Content the most. They seem to capture Luke's truest nature at this time.

 

Beautiful job with these. They're a great insight into Luke's character and life on the dustball.

 

Good show, amidala! I really liked how you concentrated on life on Tatooine without overt SW references. Sad and Angry were great in giving a glimpse of the devastation and tragedy wrought by sand storms.

Content showed how Luke maintained sanity in the dreary life od moisture farmer. Flying was freedom, no matter what Uncle Owen says.

 

Well, I can't resist Luke.

Great first set here! I really loved his yearning in "Happy" but I have to say my favorite was "Angry". What an interesting way to look at it. It seems so strange that people would live on Tatooine, with its beyond harsh conditions. I liked Luke's musings.

 

Liked Luke in these. Well done, amidalachick.

 

These were really fascinating - I liked the glimpse into Luke's pre-rebellion days. I think my favorite was "Curious", but I also liked the end of "Happy" - I don't think Luke would've been truly happy living on Tatooine his whole life. Great job!

 

Those were wonderful!

I loved the peek into Luke's life on Tatooine.

Sad was heartbreaking but probably a tragic reality of living in the desert



Great beginning. I look forward to more

 

dancing_star: Thank you so much for reading! I'm so glad you enjoyed these.

The_Face: Thank you so much for reading!

VaderLVR: I will definitely PM you, and I'm very glad you liked "Angry". It was my favorite to write. Thanks for reading!

earlybird-obi-wan: Thank you very much!

DarthBerryStraw: He gets it from his parents. Thank you for reading!

Jade_eyes: I just had to pick a Tatooine/sand/desert-related title. Thank you very much for reading!

BigFatty: It was kind of a challenge to write them 'in-character', since usually I just gush about Tatooine's beauty. Thank you so much for reading!

brodiew: Thank you so much for reading, and for your great comments.

ginchy: I'm very glad you liked "Angry". Thank you so much for reading these!

DaenaBenjen42: Thank you so much!

path-seeker: Thank you very much for reading!

KELIA: I'm glad you enjoyed these. Thank you for reading!

Thank you again, everyone! Your comments and support mean so much to me.

 

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[b]Week 2[/b]
[hr]
[b]ALDERAAN[/b]

Breha Organa sat on a bench, surrounded by a grand vista of Alderaanian mountains. She usually enjoyed being outside and admiring the scenery. Yet today her eyes were fixed on her husband as he approached her with their adopted newborn daughter.

All she knew was that the baby girl was a daughter of one of Bail's dearest colleagues, who had died giving birth. As Breha carefully, reverently took the baby in her own arms, she wondered if the mother who would never get a chance to know her was now caring for Breha's own unborn children somewhere in the afterlife.

[b]YAVIN IV[/b]

It appeared to be an insignificant moon, covered in jungles and ruins. But, although Luke wasn't sure, he thought the Force was strong here. When he closed his eyes, he could almost see and hear flashing lightsabers and children's voices.

"Hey, kid!"

The familiar voice brought Luke back to the present. He opened his eyes to see Han and Chewbacca.

"We've been looking for ya," Han said. "Her Highnessness is almost ready to start the ceremony."

"I'll be right there," Luke said.

He looked once more out across the jungle. He had a feeling he'd be seeing Yavin IV again.

[b]BESPIN[/b]

Cloud City's graceful architecture and location high in the beautifully-tinted tibanna gas clouds of Bespin made for a very romantic spot.

Leia was surprised that she would think of something like that at this time. She did, after all, have about a million other things to worry about, including the Rebellion, Luke, and whether Lando and his people really were trustworthy. Some sense or intuition was telling her to be wary. Still, for this moment, she let herself indulge in her thoughts about Han and their relationship. Maybe here, amidst the clouds, she could finally tell him how she felt.

[b]HAPES[/b]

Throughout his years as a smuggler, Han had heard many stories and legends about various star systems and cultures. Spacers seemed to be particularly fond of tales about beautiful women on exotic planets. The Hapes Consortium, since it was mysterious and off-limits to most of the galaxy, spawned more than its share of tales. According to the rumors, every Hapan was gorgeous and a physically perfect specimen.

Han had never really believed all the stories, and now, as he stood bound in the carbon-freezing chamber, he [i]knew[/i] that no woman in the galaxy could ever be as beautiful as Leia.

[b]DAGOBAH[/b]

Yoda sat on a log, amidst the swamps of Dagobah. He sensed a powerful, yet untrained presence and knew the boy was approaching.

Soon, he would reveal himself to Luke and begin his training. So much depended on the young Skywalker, and on him. If he failed in this, he would fail the Jedi Order and the entire galaxy.

The Force flowed through him and around him, giving him peace. He thought he could feel ghostly presences of old friends, long gone into the netherworld, and could almost hear their voices reassuring him that he, and they, [i]wouldn't[/i] fail again.

 

The Force flowed through him and around him, giving him peace. He thought he could feel ghostly presences of old friends, long gone into the netherworld, and could almost hear their voices reassuring him that he, and they, wouldn't fail again.

And they didn't. Very nice week two!

 

HAPES

Throughout his years as a smuggler, Han had heard many stories and legends about various star systems and cultures. Spacers seemed to be particularly fond of tales about beautiful women on exotic planets. The Hapes Consortium, since it was mysterious and off-limits to most of the galaxy, spawned more than its share of tales. According to the rumors, every Hapan was gorgeous and a physically perfect specimen.

Han had never really believed all the stories, and now, as he stood bound in the carbon-freezing chamber, he knew that no woman in the galaxy could ever be as beautiful as Leia.
Awwwwww! Such wonderful drabbles!! I loved them all- especially Yavin IV. Please add me to the pm list?
Fabulous job!!

 

I like the imagery of Angry; and Leia's hope for her relationship with Han in Bespin. Great job!

 

I loved them all. Each brimmed with a depth of emotion, but very subtly at the same time.

 

Beautiful! I think my favorite was Bespin.

 

You're doing a great job with these, amidalachick!

This week Hapes and Bespin were my favorites. I really liked how you turned a concise narrative on the legend of Hapan beauty to Han, in carbonite, thinking of Leia. Great twist!

As for Bespin, Leia's thoughts were a refreshing change from many fics depicting Han wondering how to tell her that he loves her.

Keep it up!

 

Lovely and touching set of drabbles.

Great job

 

Great response to prompts that weren't exactly easy.

If you're doing an update PM list, I wouldn't say no to being on it. If not, that's fine. I'll follow this regardless.

 

Oh, wow. "Bespin" just tugged on my heart-strings... how Leia allowed herself a moment to contemplate and what we know of what will happen. Great use of that prompt! And I'm envious of your use of "Hapes". That was the one that threw me the most. Excellent set!!

 

Week 1 - This was a wonderful set of Luke drabbles. Content was my favorite, and works well with Angry ? they almost seem to go hand-in-hand. Curious was cute ? I liked imagining little Luke exploring Tatooine, dangerous as it may be.



Week 2 - Alderaan was sweet. What a wonderful thought!

Bespin & Hapes made for a great H/L one-two punch. Makes the freezing incident that much more depressing.

I look forward to the upcoming drabbles!