Angel of the Sands

A teenage Owen Lars, on the pretext of fetching parts for vaporators, makes a trip to Mos Espa to mingle with his friends. Needing his father's approval to attend the upcoming Boonta festivities, he decides to stop by the marketplace to shop for his father's favorite chuba fish.

At the marketplace, he gets involved a big squabble with a vendor, over a sudden price hike and refuses to buy the fish, walking off in a huff. A young girl at the scene, a witness to the events, offers to sell him some fish she's bought earlier at the lower price. Owen thanks her and they talk briefly. They discuss the upcoming Boonta fair. There is a disruption to their conversation, due to a local squabble, and Owen returns from the marketplace, only learning her name, Beru Whitesun.

Eager to meet her again, Owen wonders if she could be related to a friend of his father Cleigg, named Geffen Whitesun. In a parallel to the dinner table scene in " A New Hope", Owen asks his father about Geffen Whitesun.
"I told you to forget him" snaps Cleigg, who harbors intense hatred for Geffen. Geffen happened to be a great friend of Cleigg once, but the two famous Sabacc players had a falling out over a public game, where Cleigg claimed Geffen had clearly cheated.

Owen wants time off to attend the Boonta festivities, but Cleigg doesn't want him wasting time with his friends. Owen, with Shmi's help decides to attend the Boonta fair, without his father's consent. He asks C-3PO to work on the condensers.

"Here see what you can do with them".

"Pardon me Sir, but what am I tell Master Lars if he were to ask where you were?" asks 3PO

"Tell him I went to get some hydro transformers and hope he doesn't deactivate you," says Owen hopping on to his speeder bike.

"That isn't very reassuring," whimpers 3PO

At the fair, Owen is carefully avoiding some Dugs he owes money to, all through. He meets Beru there, and they participate in many of the games. Beru it turns out is in fact a rather good shot, winning many of the games of marksmanship. The all Bith music troupe of Trobin D’an, struggling young musicians, play a tune "Angel of the sands", which both of them love.

Owen learns that Beru's father is indeed Geffen Whitesun, a trader and owing to the existing animosity between his father and Geffen, has to lie to Beru about his last name being Skywalker. Beru enters in the "Jump to Alderaan" sweepstakes, an all expenses paid tour of Alderaan. Owen finally asks her to the dance on Boonta eve.

The two lovers meet whenever possible aided by a common friend, Togu Nefris, an alien trader, who carries messages between the two. Unfortunately, the alien can only speak Bocce, but Owen and Beru get by with their limited knowledge of it.

The results of the Alderaan contest are announced, and Beru has won. Beru is ecstatic. However, her entry is disqualified at the last moment. An irate Beru demands an explanation, but the contest organizer Bib Fortuna refuses to assign reasons or refund her money. “Chu wana dunke no bata!” he snaps warning her not to ask too many questions.

On one of their meetings, an old friend of Owen refers to him as "Lars" and Beru learns his real name is Owen Lars. She feels bad about Owen lying to her and refuses to listen to his vain attempts to explain.

"Shut up!" she cries, visibly upset. The couple have a falling out of sorts.

At home her mother tells Beru not to trust boys ever again. "He seemed nice, I actually believed him " says a sobbing Beru. On his farm, Owen too, is upset but decides to try to make amends, and decides to send Beru a message through their alien friend, Togu Nefris.

Due to a mistranslation of Bocce by their alien friend, regarding the time & place to meet, Beru enroute from her shopping arrives at the wrong venue. On a tip off by Garindan, a snout nosed alien spy, the Dugs identifying her as Owen’s girlfriend, kidnap Beru.

Owen goes down to Mos Espa with 3-PO but when Beru doesn’t turn up at the appointed time & place, Owen hits the cantina to drink and forget. Togu who happened to see the incident, tracks down an inebriated Owen and with 3-PO’s help tries to explain the situation to him. Getting sober with a stimulating drink at Jira’s juice stand, Owen rushes to try to find Beru. Owen's speeder however malfunctions and a couple of Jawas offer to help only if they are paid.

Owen hitches a ride with a stranger from the cantina, explaining the situation. "Chabaza we chase them!" agrees the stranger, who drives his speeder like crazy. The stranger is none other than Ody Mandrell, a pod racer. A crazy chase through the crowded streets of Mos Espa ensues, disturbing even some Jawas on a Ronto. After a scary ride, they however lose the Dugs.

Meanwhile news of the couples romance reaches Cleigg, who goes to confront Geffen over the issue. While the two nearly come to blows, 3PO arrives at the Whitesun residence, and informs them that no one knows where Beru is. "What do you mean nobody knows?" says Geffen Whitesun. 3PO suggests that Beru has been perhaps kidnapped and that Owen has gone in search of her. Upon Shmi's advice, Cleigg and Geffen put aside their differences and rush to help, on their speeder.

Meanwhile Owen, finds the street musicians returning from a gig and decides to elicit their help. They play "Angel of the Sands", which creates a diversion, enabling Owen to sneak in to rescue Beru. Owen puts up a brave fight with an inspired Beru joining in for good measure, throwing vegetables at the Dugs. Some Jawas tip off a rival gang looking for the Dugs, Bib Fortuna making a hasty escape on his swoop bike.

The extortionist Dugs and Bib were in league after all. Everything is finally resolved and Cleigg and Geffen are friends again, when it is learned that it was in fact Bib Fortuna again, who had rigged the Sabacc game that created the rift between Cleigg and Geffen. Owen & Beru's Bocce speaking alien friend is apologetic. 3PO translates his words.- "I do believe he says he regrets the inconvenience caused and that all's well that ends well"

"Well we have no need for a translator anymore" says Owen with a smile.

"We understand each other perfectly" says a beaming Beru.

Owen and Beru meet at the Boonta dance, the band playing their favorite "Angel of the sands" in the background. Beru, is slightly disappointed as she was looking forward to Alderaan.

"Forget it- it's such a long way from here anyway "says Owen.