The Sand Will Provide

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Publisher's summary

On Tatooine, two Imperial stormtroopers encountered a young Tusken Raider and debated what to do with them. Suddenly, an old man took the child. The old man left the child at their home. In his journals, the man, Obi-Wan "Old Ben" Kenobi, wrote that everyone needs a little help sometimes.

Opening crawl

It is a period of survival in the galaxy.
As war rages on between the Galactic
Empire and the Rebellion, the battle of
everyday survival continues for those
trying to live a normal life.

Between the scorching heat of the twin
suns on Tatooine and the vast deserts
of the Jundland Wastes, the life of a
Tusken Raider is not an easy one. But
when the world has turned its back on
the Tusken Raiders, they always have
the sand to call their home....

Plot summary

A herd of banthas are being hunted by armed men on Tatooine. After the hunters kill several of the creatures, a group of Tusken Raiders arrive on the scene and find the carcasses.

A narrator explains that some believe the Tusken Raiders can communicate with banthas not through words, but with their minds, and that the two species are spiritually linked. Without one, the other would not survive the harsh world of Tatooine. The Tuskens celebrate, believing the sand has provided for them once again. In the Jundland Wastes, every day is a struggle, and the Tuskens see it as a cause for celebration when they return to their village with food. The sand will always provide, the narrator says.

The hunters and Tuskens engage in a battle, and both sides suffer casualties. The hunters believe that the Tuskens raided their people’s farms and open fire, killing many Tuskens.

The narrator remarks that on Tatooine, too little water and too many thirsty mouths often lead to violence. The narrator has heard that the Tusken language has over 50 words for sand, which is their everything—their cradle, their grave, and their lifeblood. But the Tuskens must always remember that one thing the sand will never be is their friend. The sand gives, but it also takes away, making the Tuskens strong, for without that strength, there is no place for them in this world.

Elsewhere, in a tavern on Tatooine, a lone Tusken reaches for a glass of ale, but the bartender stops him, saying that Sand People aren't allowed. The Tusken is thrown out of the establishment. Two stormtroopers arrive and, upon seeing the Tusken, tell him to get back to the Jundland Wastes. As the troopers debate who will have to physically remove the Tusken, a mysterious person wearing a long hood appears and uses a mind trick on the troopers, telling them to let the man go. The stormtroopers comply.

The narrator is revealed to be Obi-Wan Kenobi, who has been recording his thoughts in his journals during his time as a hermit on Tatooine.

Media

Collected in

• Star Wars (2015) 37
• Star Wars Vol. 6: Out Among the Stars
• Star Wars Vol. 3
• Star Wars by Jason Aaron Omnibus
• Star Wars: From the Journals of Obi-Wan Kenobi
• Star Wars Modern Era Epic Collection: The Screaming Citadel

Appearances

Notes and references