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Lets say on his way to drop Luke off at the Lars Family Farm, Obi Wan suffers a fatal heart attack and dies.

A patrol of Sand People come across his body and baby Luke and take baby Luke and raise him as their own.

How do you see things developing?

Given Obi-wan was only about 40 when he dropped Luke off, I think its more likely that the Raiders would sack the homestead sometime after Vader tracks down and kills Obi-wan.

Even then, I'm sure the Force will eventually send the droids to a certain Raider camp. Wasn't there already a tusken Jedi or three?

CaptainChewbacca wrote:Given Obi-wan was only about 40 when he dropped Luke off, I think its more likely that the Raiders would sack the homestead sometime after Vader tracks down and kills Obi-wan.

Even then, I'm sure the Force will eventually send the droids to a certain Raider camp. Wasn't there already a tusken Jedi or three?

A'Sharad Hett was human, but ran with the Tuskens. As far as Wookieepedia goes he's on Tatooine at this point, leading a band of them.

Star Wars is... inconsistent in its portrayal of the Tuskens. Hett is very much an anomaly; as far as I know, he was only accepted because his dad was a powerful warlord, and that Hett took over several tribes by brute force--we saw, after all, what a Jedi can do to Tuskens in Ep II. But the Tuskens, as depicted, can range from appearing as a primitive, extremely xenophobic desert tribal warriors to fairly advanced, culturally open individuals like Sliven (the Tusken who brought up Tahiri). A big part of this seems to stem from the way they're treated by humans and other, more technologically sophisticated immigrants. When the settlers leave the Tuskens alone, they'd probably take in an orphaned human child; if there's a period of protracted war, they'd most likely kill it.

A more interesting scenario pops up when you get an individual like Hett involved. His conquest/slaughter of moisture farmers around this time was only stopped by Obi-Wan; with the Jedi dead, and someone as naturally powerful as Skywalker in his possession, Hett could probably conquer/slaughter most of the non-Tuskens on Tatooine. The only real opposition I can see is Jabba, and we all know how Luke dealt with him...

So, Hett starts playing 'Muad'dib' and re-enacting Dune with Tuskens as Fremen?

That... kinda rocks.

Until Vader and the Inquisition hears about funny going ons in the Jundland Wastes from the resident Imperial garrison. Jedi and Ex Jedi who start making waves end up pretty badly during the Purge.

Hett may be good, but he's not good enough to stop a base delta zero.

I kinda doubt the garrison would notice (much less care) until the Raiders were literally at Mos Eisley's doorstep--which, depending on how far Hett wants to take his little crusade, may be never. Even if they did, why would the Empire even bother BDZing the place? I realize it's a fairly worthless planet, and thus they probably wouldn't care about obliterating whatever meager capacity it had for supporting life to begin with, but if their automatic solution is to sterilize every planet they suspected Jedi were hiding on, places like Coruscant would be the first on the chopping block. The fact is that they have more efficient ways of dealing with Jedi, particularly given Palpatine's interest in turning some of them into his own minions.

As for Vader, I remember references somewhere about him avoiding Tatooine like the plague, right up until Episode IV. It's why Obi-Wan felt so safe bringing Luke there, I think--can't remember where I read this, may have been Dark Lord. Someone correct me if I'm wrong about that.

I'm more interesting is Luke's role in all this. Someone with that much innate power, raised in a culture that hates more or less everyone else? That's just downright dangerous. Assuming, of course, the whole planet doesn't get sterilized. If you want to take the thought experiment to fruition, here's another question: what happens if a "savage" Luke Skywalker, raised by Tuskens and taught to kill without remorse or a second thought, gets off Tatooine?

EDIT: There's a legacy comic where Hett tells the story of what he was doing on Tatooine during these events. As far as I can remember, no one would think it was anything but tribal uprisings--he was, as far as everyone else knew, just another Tusken. Certainly the garrison must've heard rumors, but no one lifted a finger to protect the moisture farmers or check things out.

Although a BDZed Tatooine would make an excellent glass factory.

I think it's interesting that Darth Vader would avoid Tatooine; if there are supposed to be so many worlds in the Empire, what reason would he have to even go there? You don't have to avoid a sand-covered wasteland if you have so many other, more interesting, places to visit, right?

Tatooine gets way too much screen time and page space, IMHO.

Glassing Tatooine would be the most cost effective way of dealing with Hett. That way neither Vader nor the Inquisitors need to reschedule.

Besides, I figured that the moisture farmers would probably start talking about the Sand People, which would eventually reach the years of the garrison.

This thread reminds me of this story. It's her own idea on what happens, but without the "Obi-Wan go bye-bye" part.

Pelranius wrote:Glassing Tatooine would be the most cost effective way of dealing with Hett. That way neither Vader nor the Inquisitors need to reschedule.

The real genius of Order 66 and the subsequent Purge was that the Empire didn't need to go out of its way to deal with every Jedi. Hett is engaging in very limited warfare on a planet no one cares about, and he's not likely to trouble anyone offworld. Frankly, I doubt anyone but Obi-Wan even knew he was there; he doesn't seem like the type to leave survivors ti run off with tales of a lightsaber-wielding Tusken.

As I understand it, the Emperor is concerned entirely about suppressing the Jedi, not necessarily sending people to every single planet to search for them. Witness his own directive to Lord Vader:

"In having survived, Yoda and Obi-Wan aren't exceptions to the rule. I'm certain that dozens of Jedi escaped with their lives, and in due time you will have the pleasure of killing many of them. But of greater importance is the fact that their order has been crushed. Finished, Lord Vader. Do I make myself clear?"

Now, assuming his agents locate Hett/he decides to pursue the matter, a BDZ is still far from the most cost-effective way of dealing with the situation. Sending a few TIEs to strafe all known Sand people locations--that's cost effective. Some light shelling from orbit--that's cost effective too. Sterilizing an entire planet to kill one man is not. I have to think that the cost of hypermatter fuel required to run a reactor at full for over an hour is more than the cost of whatever fuel a squadron of TIEs would use...

Besides, I figured that the moisture farmers would probably start talking about the Sand People, which would eventually reach the years of the garrison.

They did, from what I understand. The garrison just didn't care. A few dozen or hundred settlers way out in the boonies being wiped out by local tribes isn't all that pressing of a concern for a garrison that, according to Wookiepedia, "Paid little heed to the crime infesting the spaceport." If they don't even cover the only piece of real estate worth having on that dustball, why would they cruise out a thousand kilometers into the desert to chase a few ghost stories?

I still think that a BDZ, with it's 100% kill rate, would be the best course of action there. TIEs may be cheaper, but they're also far less effective. If I cared that much about Hett to send anybody at all, I would want to know for sure that he's gone.

BDZ ideas are just fanboyism. There is not a shred of evidence to ever indicate such crude blows being utilized simply to eliminate one Jedi. The disguised secret purpose-built bombardment vessel Eye of Palpatine was tasked only with heavy bombardment of a limited geological feature on Belsalvis (the Plawal rift) and that was to eliminate a Jedi Master and dozens of Padawans and Younglings. And the reason for its secret construction and mission is that its mission for one reason or another was considered too likely to rouse opposition in the Imperial Senate. And you're telling me a planet-wide BDZ to wipe out a Tusken warlord they might need know about is appropriate?

Why on earth do you need to kill off the entire planet and also turn the entirety of its surface to glass just to kill one man!

Unless your in a computer game universe one man, even a high ranking Jedi is going to be knocked off by the local garrison force once they put their minds to killing him. The tatooine garrison has bombers as i recall.

The only reason this Hett fellow survived order 66 was because he was out scouting after all.

The only real opposition I can see is Jabba, and we all know how Luke dealt with him...

His sister choked him to death with a chain?

Seriously how is a single Jedi (or two) leading a band of savages going to compete with the urban settlements when they can simply send a private yatch to vaporise them from the sky? There's a big difference between slaughtering farmers and attacking a disciplined Imperial garrison or even just a crime lords hit men.

Robert Heinlein, in Starship Troopers, has a line about "spanking a baby with an axe", iirc. We're talking about the same degree of overkill here, with regards to a BDZ. Sure it'll work, but it's a gross mis-allocation of resources if a precision strike is viable--which, in this case, it is. You don't see us nuking Afghanistan to take out the new terrorist leader of the week, do you?

Dark Flame: The whole point is that Palpatine doesn't care. Hett's no threat to him, just another provincial tribal leader. The Jedi Order is broken; the individual survivors are, in Palpatine's eyes, more or less impotent. He's not going to lift a finger to stop some tribal warlord unless/until said warlord becomes a credible threat. Again, though, the point is moot. No one knew Hett was even there; they just figured it was an internal Tusken affair.

Tanner: Jedi are frighteningly effective at dealing with a crime lord's hitmen. Luke crippled Jabba's entire presence on Tatooine in an afternoon, and that was only after his attempts at bribery/diplomacy failed. If the Tuskens are admittedly vulnerable to air assault--hence my recommendation of using fighters to take them out--then the Jedi are still very much capable of sneaking into a fortress and removing the snake's head, as it were.

I don't dispute that the garrison could devastate the Tuskens. I merely maintain that they wouldn't care to do anything until Mos Eisley itself was under attack. As for the urban settlements, there's... what, two on the whole planet? Remember that Hett has extensive experience leading soldiers from the Clone Wars; he's not going to simply allow his army to be slaughtered by civilian hardware that way. Worst comes to worst, and he decides attacking the cities is either unfeasible or impossible, then he settles for "merely" killing every outland settlement he can. I honestly don't know what his ultimate objective would be, with a powerful apprentice like Luke around.

Edit: specified what I was referring to in paragraph one.

Tanner: Jedi are frighteningly effective at dealing with a crime lord's hitmen. Luke crippled Jabba's entire presence on Tatooine in an afternoon, and that was only after his attempts at bribery/diplomacy failed

Because Luke went to him and Jabba wanted a 'flashy' execution, which was evil genius style long and drawn out while allowing maximum opportunity for escape.

In a straight out fight the jedi would simply get shot as Jabbas goons go out on their skiffs with some light artillery mounted on them and blast him into little bits of goo.

I merely maintain that they wouldn't care to do anything until Mos Eisley itself was under attack

They went out on foot to wipe out a bunch of Tuskens that were attacking farmers in one of the short story collections. Actually I think that was set just before ANH so maybe this guy was involved some how in stirring up the natives.

Remember that Hett has extensive experience leading soldiers from the Clone Wars

Bet that's a lot of use leading a bunch of savages in a campaign of genocide against farmers, let alone against an Imperial garrison.

Just out of interest is this guy from a recent novel or from the comics?

Desdinova wrote:As I understand it, the Emperor is concerned entirely about suppressing the Jedi, not necessarily sending people to every single planet to search for them. Witness his own directive to Lord Vader:

"In having survived, Yoda and Obi-Wan aren't exceptions to the rule. I'm certain that dozens of Jedi escaped with their lives, and in due time you will have the pleasure of killing many of them. But of greater importance is the fact that their order has been crushed. Finished, Lord Vader. Do I make myself clear?"

I'm sorry, where is this quote from? I don't think it was in the movie.

The real genius of Order 66 and the subsequent Purge was that the Empire didn't need to go out of its way to deal with every Jedi.

Indeed; the beauty of Order 66 and Palpatines plan for the Jedi in the first place was a win/win situation. The Jedi Order was crushed both in numbers by Order 66 but also politically since Order 66 is justified by a 'Jedi rebellion'.

Palpatine didn't have to destroy every Jedi, he had to crush their power base in the Republic. Now, after Order 66, they are scattered, decentralized, and a sizable chunk of the population think they are usurpers, another chunk of the population don't know but might have doubt.

As the novels says, the best Jedi trap is the one where no matter if the Jedi die or live, you come out on top.

I thought I remembered Palpatine saying something similar in Dark Lord, but the quote was taken from a comic called Purge. It's cited at the wookiepedia entry on the Great Jedi Purge. Haven't read the comic myself, but it's apparently about Vader killing several Jedi who meet on Kessel.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Great_Jedi_Purge

In a straight out fight the jedi would simply get shot as Jabbas goons go out on their skiffs with some light artillery mounted on them and blast him into little bits of goo.

Just like that speeder bike did to Luke on Endor, right? They're not exactly what you'd call sitting ducks, and Jabba's men are hardly a crack fighting force. Based on the things we see Anakin and Obi-Wan do, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the same of Hett and Luke.

They went out on foot to wipe out a bunch of Tuskens that were attacking farmers in one of the short story collections. Actually I think that was set just before ANH so maybe this guy was involved some how in stirring up the natives.

Haven't read that story, sorry. Hett, as far as I know, was operating several years earlier when Obi-Wan stopped him near the Lars farmstead.

Bet that's a lot of use leading a bunch of savages in a campaign of genocide against farmers, let alone against an Imperial garrison.

Just saying, he should know the very basics of planning so as to avoid getting his entire army slaughtered. I don't think that's too much to expect of a general.

As to your question, he's from the old Republic comics, but this story is told in the newer Legacy ones.

Just like that speeder bike did to Luke on Endor, right

A single guy on a light vehicle with a small weapon comparable to a hand gun in a tight environment that forced him to get too close.
vs
Jabba had two large vehicles with a dozen guys on, each with some larger weapons just as escorts, if its a war I'd imagine he could get his hands on something a bit heavier seeing as his custom yatch has six military grade turbolasers on it.

Just saying, he should know the very basics of planning so as to avoid getting his entire army slaughtered

Fair enough, hes going to have a grasp of the tactics the Empire would use against him but the Tuskens are hardly a military force, they lack training, firepower and mobility.

How does he get off planet in the comics?

Darth Tanner wrote:

Just like that speeder bike did to Luke on Endor, right

A single guy on a light vehicle with a small weapon comparable to a hand gun in a tight environment that forced him to get too close.
vs
Jabba had two large vehicles with a dozen guys on, each with some larger weapons just as escorts, if its a war I'd imagine he could get his hands on something a bit heavier seeing as his custom yatch has six military grade turbolasers on it.

Just saying, he should know the very basics of planning so as to avoid getting his entire army slaughtered

Fair enough, hes going to have a grasp of the tactics the Empire would use against him but the Tuskens are hardly a military force, they lack training, firepower and mobility.

How does he get off planet in the comics?

Can't he just sack Mos Eisley and steal a ship? I don't know how big the Garrison was, but a few thousand tuskens with some offworld-smuggled weapons should be able to at least temporarily take the spaceport.

The Jedi Order was still systematically hunted down even if it was no longer the "top list" concern for the Order of the Sith Lords; the Inquistorius was incorporated to accomplish exactly this goal.

I imagine the Empire posted bounties for any Jedi that were unaccounted for as well.

There was a Force-sensate sociopathic Cerean bounty hunter named Del Korrot that preferred to take Jedi bounties, and the Empire paid him to supplement their official effort by the Inquisitorius. They continued to do so until he started getting too fucked up and killing too many people for no reason, and then Palpatine sent Vader to kill him.

I'm therefore left wondering why Obi-Wan continued to wear his traditional Jedi robes when he was hiding from the Empire. Can you explain that to me?