Adventure in Beggar's Canyon

Adventure in Beggar's Canyon

Author: Jane Mason

Illustrator: Gary Ciccarelli

Medium: Picture book

Publication Date: June 1998

Timeline Placement: 6 BBY

 

Thirteen-year-old Luke Skywalker and his friend, Windy, who is definitely a boy (remember that for later), are bored on Tatooine. They decide to go for a joyride in Luke's T-16 skyhopper, maybe bullseye some womp rats, because that's a thing that was mentioned in the movie. Luke navigates the dangerous curves of Beggar's Canyon, but he clips a rock with the skyhopper's wing at a sudden turn and they crash. 

Miles (kilometers) from civilization and without any food or water, the two teens aren't sure what to do, as Luke's AAA membership has expired. Some Jawas appear and attempt to scavenge the skyhopper, but Luke and Windy manage to shoo them away. I would have traded the scrap for a ride home in the Jawas' sandcrawler but that's me. Later, some Tusken Raiders come by to inspect the wreckage. Luke and Windy hide behind rocks until they're gone.

As the suns go down that night, Luke retrieves some sleeping bags and lanterns from the skyhopper (you had those ready to go but no emergency supplies?) while Windy finds a cave for them to take shelter in. Unfortunately, it turns out to be the cave of a krayt dragon! And not the stupid sandworm one from The Mandalorian, one of the ones that actually look like dragons.

This could be the end for them, but suddenly Old Ben Kenobi appears. He makes a gesture with his hand and the krayt dragon heads for the hills in terror. "Who are you?" asks Luke. "I'm Old Ben Kenobi," says Ben. So in Legends continuity I guess this is when they first meet, as far as Luke can remember.

The next morning, Ben takes the boys out to a herd of wild dewbacks and mysteriously causes one to approach them just by looking at it. They ride the dewback back to the Lars homestead, where Luke is excited to tell his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru all about his misadventures. When he turns to Ben, however, the old hermit is already receding back into the Dune Sea.

Later, Luke and Windy return to Beggar's Canyon with tools to repair the skyhopper. Luke isn't worried about the dangers of the desert, because he has a strange feeling that Old Ben will always be looking out for him. Then in the illustration you just see Obi-Wan standing up on top of the cliff watching the kids like a big creep.

Adventure in Beggar's Canyon isn't strictly an original story, because it expands on dialogue written by Brian Daley for the Star Wars NPR radio drama, but this is the first time those events were ever depicted. Peculiarly, the same scene from the radio drama was adapted again the following year as the comic Luke Skywalker's Walkabout, which told the same story in a completely different and incompatible way. As far as canon goes, I'd stick with the comic version, but this one is fine too.