Марта Уэллс: From a Certain Point of View

“I am most decidedly not a poet!” 2-1B said, indignant. “I must look into my programming. Perhaps I need some reconditioning.” What was it about this Jedi that brought out an eloquence heretofore buried in his circuits? His Maker apparently put in more sympathetic and philosophic programming than he’d realized. “In any case, it is a medical fact that we change and evolve. Don’t you ever say that dreaded poet word aloud near Effex-Seven. I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“It’ll be our secret.” He took a deep breath. “Let’s finish this, then. Go ahead and attach the hand.”

Too-Onebee’s internal hydraulics whirred in anticipation. Now he could really get to work. Using several micro tools, he began securing the bone stumps of Luke’s radius and ulna to the core mechanical components of the hand. Then he attached muscle tendons and nerves to the servo-circuits that would respond to the muscle contractions and electrical nerve impulses sent by his patient’s brain and body. It was delicate work, and painful, too. At times, Luke winced and refused pain medicine as 2-1B synced microscopic nerves. His face morphed from minute to minute. At times, he seemed angry. Then his expression turned sorrowful. His forearm twitched as 2-1B attached the tendons of his flexor pollicis longus and supinator. There were many more to go.

He was nearly finished. To connect synthskin to living skin, the surgical droid used a tool that neatly zipped them together. The bacta ensured that they melded in harmony without any rejection of the artificial tissue. Luke watched with astonishment as 2-1B opened up a compartment in his new wrist, showing the hydraulic mechanism at work.

“We are nearly finished. There is only some fine-tuning and final testing to be done.”

“Thank you, Too-Onebee.”

“It is my duty, and my pleasure.” Awkwardly, he turned left and right, to be sure FX-7 was not close by, then leaned in closely. He lowered his voice until it was barely audible. “May the Force be with you.”

Luke cocked his ear. “Sorry, what did you say?”

“MaytheForcebewithyou!” This time, he said it so fast, it sounded like a mechno-sneeze. From a distance, FX-7 whirled around, wondering why 2-1B seemed flustered.

Luke smiled, his face warming and relieved. He whispered back, “May the Force be with you, Too-Onebee. You’ve helped in more ways than you can imagine.”

“Well,” the droid said, lifting his head. “I do more than repairing broken things. I am not some simple Effex droid.”

From the corner of the surgical suite, FX-7 spun around and bleeped out a string of insults that would have made its creator blush.

“Stop calling me that!” 2-1B snapped before muttering, “I get no respect.”

The doors to the suite opened. R2-D2, C-3PO, and Princess Leia entered. Polished and gleaming as usual, the protocol droid waved his arms emphatically.

“Master Luke! You have your new hand! It looks wonderful.”

R2-D2 beeped a happy hello. The princess, in her floor-length white gown, nodded at Luke. 2-1B looked from her to his patient and noted the expression on Luke’s face. It was quite different from when they had been together on Hoth, after Luke had completed his bacta tank treatment. Now it was as if their gaze on each other had cooled to something less fiery, and yet still full of warmth. Different.

The princess smiled, but her eyebrows were drawn together. Another human in pain. Too-Onebee wondered what she had lost; all her limbs appeared intact.

Luke’s heart rate had descended to normal levels. For most humans, this would have been sixty to eighty beats per minute. For Luke, it was twenty-five—a significant change since he’d entered the surgical suite on the Redemption, and not uncommon in healthy Jedi according to records. Back on Hoth, when the princess had entered the room, Luke’s heart rate had shot up to ninety beats per second. Not this time.

“How are you, Luke?” she asked.

He smiled, a small one to match hers. “Better. I’ll be all right.”

Lando Calrissian commed in from the Millennium Falcon, where it was docked on the Redemption.

“Luke, we’re ready for takeoff.” In the background, Chewbacca agreed.

“Good luck, Lando,” Luke said.

“When we find Jabba the Hutt and that bounty hunter, we’ll contact you.”

Luke nodded. “I’ll meet you at the rendezvous point on Tatooine.”

In a soothing tone, Calrissian said, “Don’t worry, Leia. We’ll find Han. I promise.” With an expression of uncertainty, the princess raised her eyes to the window.

“Chewie,” Luke said, “I’ll be waiting for your signal. Take care, you two. May the Force be with you.”

At the sound of the Wookiee’s goodbye, Princess Leia smiled, as if knowing good news would come soon.

2-1B looked over his patient carefully as he performed the final pinprick sensation testing on the newly joined hand. Clinically, the medical records would show that post-procedure, the patient was in no distress and had tolerated the procedure well.

Personally, 2-1B would have said, He looked like a man with hope in his heart.

That is, if he were a poet.

THE WHILLS STRIKE BACKTom Angleberger

Again I am asked to serve.

The burden is great, the responsibility almost crushing…but willingly I take up my solemn duty again.

There are a thousand points of view, a thousand sacred artifacts, a thousand moments of history captured on holocron. I have studied them all. And now my task is to make them all one…One record, one history…one Truth.

May the Force be with me as I prepare to inscribe another entry in the immortal Journal of the Whills.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….

Well, actually…

What? How did you get in here? I thought you were told to keep out of it this time?

Sure, sure, I’ll keep out of it…if you want to confuse everybody with the first sentence—AGAIN!—that’s fine with me.

I haven’t even finished the first sentence!

You say “a long time ago,” but it’s not as long ago as the last one, right? It’s more like “in more recent developments.”

You want me to start this episode of the Journal of the Whills—which everybody has been looking forward to for three years—with “in more recent developments”?

Well, it’s more factually accurate…

It’s also stupid.

Whew, I was hoping that you would have learned how to take constructive criticism without becoming so hostile by now.

And I was hoping you would have learned how to shut your Sarlacc-sized mouth by now.

Fine, I’ll just sit here quietly while you fill the journal with errors and purple prose. Go right ahead!

It is a dark time for the Rebellion.

Oh, you’re doing this in present tense again? Goody!

I thought you were going to be quiet.

Quiet as a mouse droid. You may proceed…

Although the Death Star has been destroyed…

WHOA! “Has been destroyed”? Way to start with the passive voice!

La la la, I’m not listening…

Imperial troops have driven the Rebel forces from their hidden base and pursued them across the galaxy.

Oooh, okay, this is getting better. This is the part where they run into Skorr the bounty hunter on Ord Mantell!

Uh, actually, I was going to skip that.

What? Well, I guess you wanted to get right to the part where they all help Chewie get back to Kashyyyk to see his son for Life Day. You know, I have some notes here about that…

Not this again! I told you before: No Lumpy.

What the Fett? This is Lumpy’s chance to shine!