STAR WARS

Opening scene - Blockade Runner

Note that the battle taking place at the very begining of the movie is within site of Tattooine. As we later learn, princess Leia has the stolen plans for the Death Star. She loads the plans into R2-D2, and sends him off in search of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Coincedence? Not likely. The princess knows Kenobi is there - the recording she makes refers to her mission to bring him to Alderaan. That's why she's desperately trying to get right here to Tatooine. Her message to him addresses him as 'General Kenobi', indicating he is very likely an active military commander. Oh sure, he could be in retirement, but we'll see a good many questionable and suspicious facets to this old man's character.

So, what's his job? Why is Kenobi hiding out on Tatooine? And he is hiding, because even Darth Vader's formidable Force skills are not enough to sniff him out.

Kenobi's job, simply put, is to watch Luke. Now, later still we are led to believe that the Rebels have hidden Vader's children from him (actually, Vader only had ONE child, but more on that later :). Right, so the Rebels cleverly hid Luke from his father ... with his father's STEP BROTHER! And Luke lives under the name Luke SKYWALKER (Vader's own surname)!! Wow, holiday dinners at the Lars' must have been quite awkward. Okay, so if Kenobi is doing Luke this big favor by hiding him, why is Owen so resentful of Kenobi?

Because Kenobi isn't hiding Luke. Vader is. That's a big one to drop on you all of a sudden, so let's look at it. The Rebels could have hidden Luke anywhere, with anyone. Why is Luke not living with Kenobi, learning the ways of the Force? Why is he not used as a hostage long since? We're told later that Vader did not know that he had a kid. If so, why at the begining of Empire Strikes Back do we find Vader searching the galaxy for Luke Skywalker? Shouldn't there be some scene somewhere with Vader going "I didn't even know I HAD a kid, un-TIL..."

There are too many holes in the Rebels' story. Vader only goes storming around the galaxy looking for Luke when Luke turns up missing from Tatooine. The Rebels didn't advertise that they had the son of Skywalker on their side, right? Because theoretically they did not know they had the son of Skywalker with them, right?! Vader mops up the Rebel forces on Hoth and comes storming in, looking for his son - how does he know Luke is his son if even Leia, leader of the Rebellion, does not know Luke is Vader's son?

Vader is hiding Luke on Tattooine. Kenobi knows who Luke is, that's why Kenobi's on Tattooine. Leia, as the leader of the Rebels, must know what Kenobi is doing on Tattooine. Leia knows that Luke is the son of Anakin Skywalker. Let that sink in, it's another big one. It's one of the main points of the 'Skywalker Paradigm' and it will be nearly self-evident long before the end of these discussions.

As we'll see, Vader has good reason to hide Luke...