Jabba's huge sail barge moves above the desert surface accompanied by two smaller Skiffs. I can only stare at the sand on the hills as we cruise by them. If only I could move my hands, or just do anything to get out of this!
"I think my eyes are getting better." I look up to Han. "Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur."
I bit my lip not to chuckle, but a small smile somehow manages to escape. Luke looks over his shoulder to Han. "There's nothing to see. Cerise and I used to live here, you know."
"You're gonna both die here, you know. Convenient." He grumbles.
Luke looks over to the both of us. "Just stick close to Chewie and Lando. I've taken care of everything."
I nod, and say "Okay," like a child.
"Oh... great!" Han almost chuckles. I can only imagine what Leia is going through. Please God, let her be alright.
Jabba the Hutt rides like a sultan in the massive antigravity ship. His entire retinue is with him, drinking, eating, and having a good time. Leia is watching her friends in the skiff when the chain attached to her neck is tugged. She looks over to the monster for a second, glares, and returns her gaze to her friends.
This time, she almost chokes as the chain forcefully pulls her to the fat monster. He speaks to her in his own tongue. "Soon you will learn to appreciate me."
3PO wanders among the Sail Barge aliens, bumping into a smaller droid serving drinks, spilling them all over the place. The stubby droid lets out an angry series of beeps and whistles. "Oh, I'm terribly sorr- R2?! What are you doing here?"
The smaller droid beeps a quick response.
"Well, I can see you're serving drinks, but this place is dangerous. They're going to execute Master Luke and, if we're not careful, us too!" 3PO panics.
R2 whistles.
"Hmm. I wish I had your confidence."
The convoy moves up over a huge sand pit. The Sail Barge stops to one side of the depression, as does the escort skiff. But our skiff moves out directly over the center and hovers. At the bottom of the deep cone of sand is a repulsive, mucous-lined hole, surrounded by thousands of needle-sharp teeth. I had only heard of a Sarlaac from stories among drunk travelers when I was younger. They all lied; I have never heard any of them describe it to look like this.
A plank is extended from the edge of the prisoner's skiff. I feel a rough hand clutch my wrist tightly, and begin to pull me roughly to the edge! I feel my face drop, and I can`t stop my legs from shaking.
"Wait," I hear Luke step forward. My mind goes blank, as I continue to stare down at the beast down below. The fall alone would have to kill me-.
Something grabs the back of my dress, and pulls me onto the ground! I groan, and a guard forces me up. When I gather my bearings, I see Luke now standing on the loose plank where I was. My breath catches in my throat; please tell me your plan is good, Luke.
Soon, I hear 3PO`s voice echo. "Victims of the almighty Sarlacc: His Excellency hopes that you will die honorably. But should any of you wish to beg for mercy, the great Jabba the Hutt will now listen to your pleas."
I see Han step forward arrogantly and begins to speak. "3P0, you tell that slimy piece of-!"
My face falls. "Shut up, shut up!" I whisper, elbowing him to be quiet. He keeps going.
"-worm-ridden filth he'll get no such pleasure from us. Right?" Chewie growls his agreement. Me? I can`t believe I am going to die surrounded by idiots.
"Jabba! This is your last chance." Luke yells to him. "Free us or die."
In the corner of my eye, I see Lando move closer to us, and Luke turns to look at the massive ship ahead of us. A guard steps forward to prod Luke off the edge of the plank over the gaping Sarlacc. Luke looks up at the ship again, then gives a small salute to it, what is he doing?
Jabba`s voice bellows from the huge ship, and Luke is prodded off jumping into the pit, and cheers of the bloodthirsty spectators resound in my ears, as I am praying right now.
But, before anyone can even perceive what is happening, he spins around and grabs the end of the plank by his fingertips! The plank bends wildly from his weight and catapults him skyward. In midair he does a complete flip and drops down on the end of the plank in the same spot he just vacated, but facing the skiff. He casually extends an open palm and-his lightsaber, falls into his hand! How did-? R2!
In a flash, Luke ignites the saber and attacks the guard who prodded him off the plank, sending the hapless monster screaming overboard! The other guards swarm toward Luke. He wades into them, lightsaber flashing.
I see one of the guards fall onto the soft, sandy slope of the pit, and begin sliding down! He claws desperately as a tentacle grabs him and pulls him screaming into the viscous mouth!
Luke knocks another guard off the skiff and into the waiting mouth of the Sarlacc. He rushes over to me, and unties my hands. I turn around to face him.
"Thank you," I whisper, and kiss his cheek before turning to Chewie, and grabbing his bonds. He howls at the surprise, and struggles. "Easy, Chewie."
At that moment, I hear a series of blasts from a big cannon on the upper deck. I quickly move over to Han`s bonds. In the corner of my eye, Lando is tossed from the deck of the rocking skiff! He manages to grab a rope, and dangles desperately above the pit.
"Whoa! Whoa! Help!" He yelps in terror.
A man dressed in all green lands on the skiff and starts to aim his laser gun at Luke! But before he can fire, Luke spins on him, lightsaber sweeping, and hacks the bounty hunter's gun in half! Immediately, the skiff takes another direct hit from the barge's deck gun. Shards of skiff deck fly, pushing me, Han, and Chewie into the railing!
"Chewie, you okay?" Han asks, helping me sit up. "Where is he?" The Wookiee howls in pain.
"We`re okay, pal." I say.
I watch Boba Fett fire a cable out of his armored sleeve. Instantly, Luke is wrapped in a strong cable, his arms pinned against his side! Luke bends his wrist so the lightsaber points straight up to reach the wire lasso and cuts through. Luke shrugs away the cable and stands free.
Another blast from the Barge's deck gun hits Boba Fett, knocking him down onto the deck.
"Han! Chewie? Cerise?"
Han and I instantly look at each other. "Lando!"
The second skiff, loaded with guards firing their weapons, moves in on Luke fast. Luke leaps toward the incoming second skiff. I can barely see him jump into the middle of the second skiff and begin decimating the guards from their midst.
Chewie, wounded, tries to lift himself as he barks directions to Han, guiding him toward a spear which has been dropped by one of the guards. Han searches the deck as Chewie barks directions; finally, he grabs hold of the spear. I take his arm, and try to guide him to where I hear Lando`s-.
Boba Fett rises from the deck. He looks over at the other skiff, where Luke is whipping a mass of guards. He raises his arm, and aims! Not thinking, I sprint to him, my body colliding with his back, knocking him onto the floor again, and a laser firing form his arm!
He gets up quicker than me, grabbing my arms, and roughly pulling me up; not before knocking my face with his fist twice. My head is spinning, as I can barely see the edge of the ship getting closer!
"Boba Fett?! Where?"
Han turns around blindly, and the long spear in his hand whacks squarely in the middle of Boba's rocket pack, causing it ignite! We both fall off the skiff, but with me downward, and him into the barge!
My scream shakes as I fall-, wait, something`s got me! I barely pull myself up, seeing ropes loosely tied around my ankle. I stare back down into the saarlac pit; it`s waiting for me.
"Han, Han! Chewie?!" I finally manage to scream.
"I`m a bit busy here, girly!" Han shouts. I hear Chewie howl at him, then feel his hands grab my foot, and I`m being pulled up!
"Oh thank you, thank you!" I breathe.
The two of us look to see Han lying on his stomach, extending the spear downward to Lando, who is still dangling!
"Lando, grab it!" He yells.
"Lower it!" Lando shouts back.
"I'm trying!"
I feel something hit the deck, and soon, Han and almost everything else overboard! The rope breaks, and Lando falls to the side of the Sarlacc pit! Luckily, Han's foot catches on the skiff railing and he dangles above Lando and the pit.
Chewie and I hold onto the railing for dear life-, oh no not another one!
"Whoa! Whoa! Grab me, I'm slipping." Han yells to us. Crawling to him, Chewie and I grab ahold of Han's feet, holding him upside down, as he extends the spear toward Lando, who is clutching to the side of the pit. "Grab it!-Lando. Grab!"
Looking up, I see Luke pull someone from off the ship and into the pit!
Chewie and I keep a tight hold on Han, who is in turn blindly reaching down toward the desperate Lando. The Baron has stopped his slippage down the sandy slope of the Sarlacc pit by
lying very still. Every time he tries to reach for Han, the loose sand shoves him closer to his final reward.
"Grab it! Almost... You almost got it!" I shout to him.
Another blast hits the front of the tilted skiff, causing Lando to let go of the spear! "Hold it! Whoa!"
Han tries extending the pole to him again. "Gently now. All... all right. Now easy, easy. Hold me, you two."
Lando`s scream causes me to look back at him. One of the Sarlacc's tentacles has wrapped tightly around his ankle, dragging him down the side of the pit!
"Cerise! Cerise, give me the gun." I let one hand go, and am barely able to reach for the gun! I push myself further, and grab onto it, then leaning down to hand it to Han. "Don't move, Lando."
Lando looks up to Han. "No, wait! I thought you were blind!"
"It's all right. Trust me. Don't move."
"All right! A little higher! Just a little higher!"
Han adjusts his aim as Lando lowers his head, and the fuzzy-eyed pirate fires at the tentacle. Direct hit! The saarlac releases Lando.
"Chewie, Cerise, Pull us up!" Following his orders, Chewie and I pull on Han`s legs. "Come on! Okay,up, Chewie, up!"
Leia is struggling against her chains in desperation as R2 zips through the tumult of confused monsters to the rescue; the stubby little droid extends a small laser gun and blasts the chain apart.
"Come on. We gotta get out of here quick." R2 and Leia race for the exit, passing 3PO, who is kicking and screaming as Salacious Crumb, the reptilian monkey-monster picks out
one of the golden droid's eyes!
"Not my eyes! R2, help! Quickly, R2. Oh! Ohhh! You beast!" He wails. R2 zips over and zaps the monkey, sending him skyward with a scream, crashing into the rafters as R2, Leia, and 3PO rush up to the deck.
Luke is warding off laser blasts with his lightsaber, surrounded by guards and fighting like a demon. Leia emerges onto the deck as Luke turns to face another guard. "Get the gun! Point it at the deck!" He shouts to her. Leia turns toward the barge cannon, climbs on the platform, and swivels the gun around. "Point it at the deck!"
A laser blast hits Luke's mechanical hand and he bends over in pain, but manages to swing his lightsaber upward and take out the last of the guards. He looks at the wounded hand, which reveals the mechanism. He flexes the hand; it still works.
Near the rail of the upper deck, R2 and 3PO steady themselves as the gold droid gets ready to jump. R2 beeps wildly.
"R2, where are we going? I couldn't possibly jump." 3PO says. R2 butts the golden droid over the edge and steps off himself, tumbling toward the sand!
Luke runs along the empty deck toward Leia and the barge gun, which she has brought around to point down at the deck. "Come on!"
Luke has hold on one of the rigging ropes from the mast. He gathers Leia in his other arm and kicks the trigger of the deck gun. The gun explodes into the deck as Luke and Leia swing out toward the skiff.
Han leans panting against the rail as Chewie and Cerise help Lando onto the deck. Luke and Leia land on the skiff with flair.
"Let's go! And don't forget the droids." He orders.
Lando nods. "We're on our way."
The Sail Barge is exploding in stages in the distance. Half of the huge craft is on fire.
3PO`s legs stick straight up from the dune where he landed. Next to it, R2`s periscope is the only thing above the sand. The skiff floats above them and two large electromagnets dangle down on a wire. With a loud clang, both droids are pulled from the sand.
And that`s that! Sorry that I haven`t updated in a little bit, it`s just been the following that have been the worst things ever: High school, finals, mental breakdowns because of finals and dance, getting my wisdom teeth out, other stories, Christmas, etc. But, I know that I shouldn't be using them as excuses. Still, I wanted to thank every single one of you for being extremely patient with me. I hope that you had a merry holiday, and will have a good new year!