Saga The Last of the Old (Dear Diary Challenge 2010 - Completed 1/2/2011)

Ah! I too noticed the resentment so EARLY on! My lands no wonder by the time ANH starts, it's totally ingrained LOL

I too sense Beru's sweet nature and poor thing she has to placate Owen, be a guardian for Luke and stifle her own anxieties about Luke's heritage

Half if not most the resentment must come from fear of what the Force talent will bring upon Luke and the Lars.

 

Maybe it's not Obi-wan they are afraid of but the force in general.

Great update!

 

Man, I love this story! You are really doing a great job! Thank you and please keep writing!

 

I wonder if Obi-Wan will handle the resentment.
Possibly not too well since he is still not a welcome guest in ANH.

 

Hey, at least I'm trying! Like I said, last month I was tripped up by the NSWFF-RPF contest. I'm still working on my excuse for this month.

No pressure or anything.

Nice save.


On to Entry 4:

I have returned from visiting with Anakin?s step brother, Owen Lars. I wonder what the basis for resentment of Anakin is? Anakin was one of the few Jedi who knew their parents, and perhaps Anakin?s mother, poor Shmi spent many a day carrying on about her estranged son, causing an unseen rift between Anakin and the brother he never knew he had.

I can just see it:

SHMI SKYWALKER: Did I ever tell you about my son, the Jedi Knight?
OWEN LARS: Only about fifty times or so. Today.
SHMI: He was a podracer, you know. Youngest ever.
OWEN: How nice for him.
SHMI: He built C-3P0 too. With sand and table scraps or something.
CLIEGG LARS: Can't you focus on the kid that's not going to become a Sith Lord? Owen's right here, you know.
SHMI: Who?


Owen probably thought his stepmom was bonkers until Anakin showed up in AOTC to save the day. Then he disappears again. Cut to years later when some bearded dude shows up adoption agency-style, dropping off Anakin's progeny.

Every so often, Obi-Wan checks in:


OBI-WAN: Did I ever tell you about his father, the Jedi Knight?
OWEN: Yup.
OBI-WAN: He was a podracer, you know...
OWEN: Yup.
OBI-WAN: I don't want to spoil the story or anything, but his kid is kind of a big deal. Luke's not going to be lame and moisture farm his whole life.
(pause)
OBI-WAN: No offense.

I can't imagine why Owen is so bitter by the time ANH rolls around.


The best I could ascertain was that the young couple was incapable of bearing their own children, and the sight of Luke was bittersweet. They accepted charge of Luke with open arms, even if Owen seemed somewhat off-putting about the scenario.

That makes sense. The epilogue of ROTS is great, but I always wondered how the hell Obi-Wan sold that story to the Lars'. "Hi, you don't know me, but I trained Darth Vader who is your stepbrother and this is his kid and I need you to change his diapers and read books to him and all that dainty crap until I can yoink him out of here like my master did with the kid's dad and then I will make him a wizard and we will...hey, are you even listening to me? I'M NOT CRAZY!"

I like your explanation of things.

But today, I when I arrived to visit with the moisture farmers and Luke, I felt the resentment more focused on me. Beru was polite and hospitable, if wary, while Owen was more openly gruff and offensive. I even sensed anger when I asked if I could look upon the baby, even if for a moment.

Can't say I completely blame them. You wonder how much they know?Owen seemed to suggest in ANH that he knew enough?and how much that may concern them. Not to mention the fact that they're trying to build a family here. When you adopt a child, it doesn't take long for you to start thinking of him/her as your flesh and blood. Obi-Wan's well-meaning "well howdy do" visits are a harsh reminder of the circumstances with which they came to know Luke. He's their kid now, and yet "Old Ben" keeps poking around and they can't help but be curious as to why. It's one of the reasons why there's often an agreement between adoptive and blood parents about barring visitation.

It's even worse if they know he's a Jedi, considering their status in the galaxy at this point in time. Judging by Obi-Wan's "what to do when he starts rearranging furniture in his sleep" pointers, they know.

I tried to advise them on what to do i

 

Catching up on my reading! Sorry for being a deadbeat.

I'm loving this look into Obi-Wan's life. He's got a lot of time on his hands to think, which is not good for a guy who just lost his Padawan. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how things continue to go for him.

 

Love the insight into Obi-Wan's early days in exile. Sorry, but it still makes me sad to think of him all alone in the desert!

 

earlybird-obi-wan: Thank-you

Valairy_Scot: You know how ol' Owen can be, and I don't think I promised any Qui sightings? Ex, your call.

Jade_eyes: My gut tells me that was half of what contributed to Owen's agitated state too?

Takianna: hmmm?

JediKaren: Thank-you, I'll do my best to continue.

MsL: What??? Everyone loves Obi-Wan!!!

Ex: You exchange between Shmi & Owen I'm sure is the other half of the puzzle of gruffness behind he who is called "Uncle Owen".

And Obi-Wan just played the guilt card on the Lars? "Look if you don't take this cuddly little infant, I'm bound to either **** up his life, or chances are he's gonna' die?"

Commander: It's okay deadbeat. , as you can see, I'm not much on updating regularly? and thank-you!

Vadey Lady: He is very alone? but for how long? *sigh* Thanks for reading!

---

[b]Entry 5[/b]


During the most recent sandstorm I spent many a day inside my shelter, trying to find inventive ways of sealing the openings that served as windows to keep the skin tearing sands outside. I achieve little success.

Much of my time was spent meditating? on the past, the present and the future; trying to find a common thread that could make sense of it all. I?ve tried communing with my former Master, Qui-Gon Ginn, just as Master Yoda instructed.

I have been unsuccessful in my efforts, and each time I feel my hope waning. Frustration will simmer in my stomach, and when that moment occurs, the cave beckons. The Krayt Dragon was obviously no Force user, but something about it desires my brushes with the Dark Side. It beckons and coos, like a lady of the night in the lower levels of Coruscant.

Today, I could let it beckon me no more. I have avoided it out fear, giving the darkness a wide berth when near; but each time, I could almost feel it [i]smile?[/i]

When I entered, I could feel it drawing me deeper, much like the porridge served at the Temple drew me to the cafeteria when I was a boy. The dark presence within was threatening to crush me, it was so overwhelming.

Then I was surrounded by visions, they were almost tangible? it was of a sandy haired boy who looked much like Anakin had when I met him? then morphed into a fully grown man, donning all black? killing Vader as Palpatine clapped with delight?

And when I screamed for him to stop

[i]<*fzzzz*>[/i]



[i]<<<<WARNING!!!!! >>>>

Unknown Data Error?

RECOVERY SYSTEM OPERATING?





4.3 Files Recovered? 233.1 Files Corrupted? [/i]



[b]Entry 238[/b]

I paid an extravagant amount of credits to have both a cake and several liters of water delivered to the Lars? homestead. I fear that a desert recluse sending gifts to a family he has no outwardly apparent relationship to would arouse suspicion, but Owen has continued to ban me from his property.

I don?t believe he will actually file trespass complaints with the local Imperial garrison if I do; he wants no attention drawn to him, less my presence brings Vader down upon them; but I also see no reason to continue to agitate the man and risk the future should he let his anger best him.

Five years since the death of Anakin and Padmé seems so long ago, decades, not half of one. Time stands still in a society that is so third world, and shows no sign of progression. The memory of watching Anakin killing Jedi and younglings still seems surreal, surely a manipulated hologram, but watching him choke the life of his beloved was another matter. I would have sooner believed him to battle the entire Council to win her heart over causing her any pain. I was so wrong and truly felt Anakin?s death in that moment. I always knew somewhere inside how much he cared for her?.

 

Super update. Obi's regrets and sorrows come through very strongly.

 

Corrupted file! Well, darn.

Half a decade and nothing happening...you mean Obi still hasn't made contact with Qui? What a lonely life.

 

He is now missing parts of his diary Will he remember what he has written there and show us

Great update

 

Heeey!
Did you just steal 5 years' worth of entries? just when things began to be exciting?

Cake and water are by far less interesting than ominous dark presences. I be it was Ventress and Obi-Wan wrote down teh details of their meetings so she destroyed the files.

 

WOW! Great update. Time doesn't really fly for Obi-wan does it? Must be a lonely existence.

 

Short on time, but I want to thank all of you that continue to read!


Entry 239

My innate powers of observation seem to be failing me in this dreadful place. I just now noticed that almost five years of entries are erased from the journal archives. Certainly not because of a devious plot like the hiding of a clone army, but I have my suspicions nonetheless.

Is it mere coincidence that my episode in the cave is the starting point of the journal?s failure, or is it a reflection of my own failures. I could not stop the rise of the Sith, nor the fall of Anakin. I can not seem to live in harmony with his son Luke?s adopted parents Beru and Owen. Nor can I commune with my former Master, Qui-Gonn, just as Master Yoda had instructed before we parted. And of course there is my own failure in the cave. It was like an epitaph dedication to my life since Qui-Gonn?s death.

 

Poor Obi-Wan. But maybe he will find a way to commune with Qui-Gon and help Luke in a sneaky way with Owen unaware

Nice update

 

Maybe, if Obi-Wan can finally release his guilt and sorrow, he can find peace - and Qui-Gon.

 

Sorry guys, should have read "Beru and Owen"... all fixed now, AND forgot to send out PMs, here they come now!

 

Such a sad tale of Obi-Wan's life, but probably as close to the truth as we are going to get.
I can imagine how hard it may have been for Obi-Wan, even though he was brought up to live a simplistic life.

I don't think he or any Jedi for that matter, could imagine what pain and suffering really was until Vader emerged with Sidious and destroyed their hopes and dreams.

I am enjoying this.

 

Nicely done! I like these brief glimpses into Obi-wan's exile. He is doing the best he can in such a dismal situation. I am enjoying this.

 

Intriguing data loss -- i don't believe in coincidences either

 

Sad to think that all Obi-wan can see is his failure, when in truth, he did so many more things that were heroic. Great as always!

 

Yet another superb update. Obi-Wan... Gotta love him.

 

So, Obi, are you not going to tell us waht happened?
Not even a litle bit?


And what have you done now to be out of the graces of Owen and Beru?

 

Sorry it took me so long. Looks like my PM for Entry 5 got lost in the mail. I'm not sure what kind of twisted shell game you've got going here buddy, but I'm not playing

Obi-Wan's attempts to sandproof his shelter reminded me fondly of a Tatooine story I've been working on for a few years now (off an old OC challenge you issued, I think) involving a guy who just about cracks up trying (and failing) to keep sand out of his ship and crevices. The power of nature pervades, I suppose. Just look at Europe right now. It's 2010, and a single volcano hundreds of miles distant has shut down hundreds of thousands of flights for multiple days over a huge swath of the western nations. We can land on the moon and Obi-Wan can levitate stuff with his mind, but none of us can figure out how to stop nature when she gets stubborn about something. I like that.

It beckons and coos, like a lady of the night in the lower levels of Coruscant.

You'd know all about beckoning ladies, wouldn't you, Obi-Wan?

When I entered, I could feel it drawing me deeper, much like the porridge served at the Temple drew me to the cafeteria when I was a boy

YODA: Now, younglings, who can tell me how porridge is like the dark side?
KID 1: ith thasthes good
KID 2: don't have it before you go swimming
KID 3: goldilocks steals them because she's a stealer
KID 4: I saw Master C'Baoth wearing a dress!
OBI-WAN: they both beckon and coo like a lady of the night
Yoda does that exasperated wiping hand over the forehead thing from ROTS
YODA: Screwed the galaxy is.

It's interesting that Obi-Wan's vision in the Krayt cave is pretty much an accurate depiction of what actually happens (the truth from a certain point of view?). It's not hard to imagine Luke looking like Anakin did in TPM. He dons the black in ROTJ, but only because Yoda never let him read 1,001 Ways to Tell the Difference Between the Jedi & the Sith (#489: The Sith are known to wear black clothing, listen to Linkin Park, and rebel against the social norms society has tried to force upon them). At least he realized that you have to have a blue or green lightsaber to be a Jedi (stay out of this, Mr. Windu), or the whole game could've been over real early.

I like the idea that this might be one of the ways Qui-Gon is communicating with Obi-Wan, though the dark side aura of the cave seems to crush the life out of the chances of that happening. At least Obi-Wan didn't see Luke's vision from the Dagobah cave:


OBI-WAN: Oh god! Luke was Vader the whole time! That's why Shmi said there was no father?he was his own father! Curse you time travel!!
Dramatic "what a twist" chords play in the background.
YODA: Told you the metaphor was too deep I did.
QUI-GON: Who trained this yokel?


Love the data corruption. Nice way to keep things interesting and get the exposition moving without having to detail the monotony of daily life on Tatooine. I bet it got sand in the servos.

I paid an extravagant amount of credits to have both a cake and several liters of water delivered to the Lars? homestead

No wonder the Lars' are uppity and put off. Wasn't Obi-Wan called the "Negotiator" for his conflict resolution abilities? His acumen for figuring out people's thoughts and needs? Maybe he's already going senile. It's clear that Owen took the arrival of the water as an insult?perhaps even a threat! Here's a guy who breaks his back all day moisture farming, which is probably as much fun as it sounds. He's gotta deal with bantha poodoo, smelly Jawa grifters, something called "bocci" (probably a fungal infection)...just so he can grab enough water to eke out a miserable but honest existence, and somewhere in there provide for the Skywalker brat, too.

Then comes this bearded hermit who is like "ahaha water". At first, Owen's dumbfounded. Is this a joke? Is Obi-Wan being ironic, or is irony strictly a Sith discipline? Then he's insulted, maybe a bit outraged. To him, it's like peeing on the Fremen side of the road on Dune. By now thoug

 

earlybird-obi-wan: Don't want to get too sneaky with Owen, never know if he might turn Ben for a reward?

Valairy_Scot:
Maybe, if Obi-Wan can finally release his guilt and sorrow, he can find peace - and Qui-Gon. ? Stop trying to outguess me!!!!

Ale: STOP SCREWING AROUND & PAY ATTENTION!!!!

Gkilkenny: Exactly. Imagine anyone finding out your best friend was responsible for the mass atrocious murders? I'm glad you're enjoying!

divapilot: Thank-you so much! Me glad you likey!!!

Takianna: Sad to think that all Obi-wan can see is his failure
I couldn't agree more!!!!

MamaV: Thnx!!! And you don't have to really love him? you can if you want to, but you don't have to? I'm just sayin'

MsLanna: I think Owen and Beru see Obi-Wan and Anakin as the pinnacle of Shmi's demise? As far as what happened in the cave? all in good time.

Exeter: I love the way you read in between the lines and extract more than I actually put into it?

I like the idea that this might be one of the ways Qui-Gon is communicating with Obi-Wan, though the dark side aura of the cave seems to crush the life out of the chances of that happening. (on to something you might be)


("No. You are the father." "No, no. That's not true! That's impossible!" "Search your feelings. You know it to be true. And that's it for today's episode, 'Galactic Deadbeat Dads'. Tune-in next week for 'Is He Really A Creepy Stalker If You End Up Having His Children?'

And the results of the lie detector test show that you've had intimate contact with senators? over 15 times!!!! LMAO


Thanks for all the good stuff Ex, or should I say Gene Shallit?

---

[b]Entry 240[/b]

It has been several weeks, or should I say months since my last entry. My negative experiences in the cave have continued to press upon my dreams. I awake all hours of the night, sweating and screaming in horror at the images.

I had long ago thought no image could haunt me as deeply as those of Palpatine?s apprentice slaughtering defenseless younglings that marked the commencement of Order 66. While the visions in the cave do not surpass the holographic videos of that fateful night in terms of revulsion, they have taken its? place in prominence.

The scene plays out exactly the same: a young sandy haired boy - the image of little Anakin ? morphs into a grown man, dressed all in black. I see Vader, not as I saw him last, but as he has been shown in news clips on the holos, a deadly cyborg, much like Dooku?s own monstrosity, Grevious. I must add here that the similarities have not been lost upon me.

The young man battles Vader feverishly, slamming his lightsaber down upon Vader, again, and again, and again. Eventually Vader loses his hand trying to block the onslaught before Luke braces for the killing blow.

However, unlike in my vision within the cave, in my dream I consciously do not scream, for fear I would distract him from doing what I could not bring myself to on the lava banks of Mustafar, but the scenario plays out the same.

Palpatine?s attention suddenly shifts from encouraging who I assume is Luke, to turning on him, electrocuting the young man with Sith lightning from his fingertips. Just as before, I watch on as Vader does the same. He shifts his attention between the two, and I can almost see the approval in his face as Palpatine electrocutes young Luke to death and an expression of disgust as he watched Anakin?s son writhe in his death throes.

When I awoke, and the revulsion subsided, I realized what I must do. I cannot train another boy who should not be a Jedi, so he can die young like his parents. Nor will I train little Leia, even if Senator Organa begs for me to. I won?t send more children to their death. I know there are still other Jedi out there aside from myself.

Let them train the revolution.