Luke groaned as his mother and sister were late for their check in. Lando had sent an encrypted message instead saying that they needed to go to Plan B. He had waited a little while before grabbing his cloak. He walked down to the palace and opened the steel door with the Force. Luke strode through as two guards flanked him. He waved them away, dissuading them, before continuing on his way. He hadn't been in the palace before, but the hallway seemed straightforward enough.
A stranger appeared and tried to stop Luke, but he wasn't one of the guards. However, his mind was just as weak. The man tried to get him to turn around, probably assuming that he was in the wrong place.
"I must speak with Jabba," Luke informed as the man shook his head. Luke raised his hand and waved it over the other's face. "You will take me to Jabba now."
"To talk to Jabba now," Bib Fortuna answered with a nod. Luke put his hand down and lowered his head.
"You service your master well," Luke complimented as the man guided him to the throne room.
The room was large and dark, as it was still the early morning. Luke had received the message in the late night and assumed that a morning approach would be best. Luke clenched his jaw when he saw his sister chained to the Hutt on the throne. Threepio voiced his excitement at Luke's presence, but it was ignored. Bib whispered into Jabba's head as the gangster woke up, confused when he saw Luke. However, Luke could not see any sign of his mother, Han, or Chewie.
"Luke Organa, Jedi Knight," Bib informed before Jabba turns to him.
"Tong bas tong wang leepa choonkay!" Jabba shouted, anticipating that Luke would try to admit himself. Apparently the Hutt knew more about the Rebellion than he let on.
"I must be allowed to speak," Luke informed sternly before Bib turned back to his master.
"Jedi muss pee ek oh een," Bib translated, insisting that Luke be heard. Jabba growled before pushing him over, shouting about Luke and his old Jedi mind tricks. Luke stepped forward, pushing his hood down off his head to his neck.
"You will bring Captain Solo, the Wookie, and the Rebel to me," Luke demanded. Jabba laughed as Leia bit the inside of her cheek.
"Ya koo tocha ka poonoo nee sok nyee," Jabba chuckled, insisting that he was no weak minded fool.
"Nevertheless, I'm taking Captain Solo and his friends. You can either profit from this or be destroyed. It's your choice," Luke countered before his eyes narrowed. "But I warn you not to underestimate my powers."
"Master Luke, you're standing on-" Threepio started before Jabba leaned forward.
"Ha mongo wan chee kospah ol Jedi," Jabba laughed, telling Luke there would be no bargain. As Jabba reached for a button, Luke held his hand out as a guard his pulled forward by the blaster. Within milliseconds, the floor gave way to Luke and the guard, sending them below.
Luke stood and saw himself in a dark cavern with a sky light above. He could see Jabba and his criminals with Leia and Threepio. The guard tried to climb up the shoot they just came out of as a roar ripped through the dungeon. Luke backed up as a large metal door raised to show a rancor. Keeping his panic under control, Luke scanned the room, checking for any means of escape.
Seeing the squealing guard first, the rancor went after him first as Luke watches in terror. Seconds later, the guard was gone, and the rancor turned to him. Luke grabbed the nearest thing to him as the rancor swiped at him. He dodges the first attempt, but the rancor grabbed him the second time. Luke held out the bone before shoving it into the monster's mouth. The rancor shouted and dropped the Jedi.
Seizing the opportunity, Luke dived into a crevice under the wall. The bone didn't distract the rancor long enough as it grabbed for Luke again. However, he found a large rock and smashed on of the rancor's fingers. The creature howled in pain before it backed up, leaving Luke another opportunity. The Jedi dashed for the other side of the cavern where he could see a door. He rushed to it and opened it only to find another door caging him in.
A growl from the rancor told Luke that he was coming for him again. Luke turned and saw a small panel near the large metal door that held the rancor earlier. He grabbed a nearby skull and threw it at the panel, using the Force for it find its mark. Just as the rancor stepped through the threshold the metal door came down upon it, its jagged edges piercing its body. Luke sighed as the creature struggled weakly before dying.
The Jedi could hear Jabba's outrage over him as the rancor keepers ran in to check the damage. Luke wrestled with one before he was captured once again. He was dragged up the steps back to the throne room as Han, Chewie, and Padme were being brought in.
"Han!" Luke shouted, glad to see his friend out of carbonite. He went to shout for his mother as well, seeing that she was also in one piece, but she gave a subtle head shake.
"Luke!" Han answered as he stared blankly forward.
"Are you alright?" Luke wondered while they were dragged together. Chewie grumbled a reply.
"Fine. Together again, huh?"
"Wouldn't miss it."
"How we doing?"
"Same as always," Luke sighed.
"That bad, huh? Where's Leia?" Han inquired as they were presented in front of Jabba.
"I'm here," Leia replied. It was strange to hear her voice so defeated. Before Han could speak, Jabba whispered something to Threepio before grinning at his captives.
"His High Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated immediately," Threepio explained.
"Good, I hate long waits," Han grumbled as Padme was removed from the three others.
"However, General Organa will be turned over to the Empire," the droid added as Luke struggled. Jabba chuckled as he watched the Jedi writhe helplessly as his mother was brought next to Jabba. "You three will therefore be taken to the Dune Sea and cast into the pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlacc."
"That doesn't sound so bad," Han whispered to Luke.
"In his belly, you will find a new definition of pain and suggering, as you are slowly digested over a thousand years," Threepio finished.
"Never mind," Han grumbled before Chewie agreed. Luke steeled himself as they were taken away.
"You should have bargained, Jabba. That's the last mistake you'll ever make," Luke warned and threatened. Jabba chuckled before he called for his sail barge to be prepped.
Padme had her wrists and ankles bound while she was dragged around. Jabba kept a short leash on her daughter, and Padme couldn't remember a time where she was angrier than right then. Jabba settled himself in the middle of the barge while Padme stood next to him with Leia directly in front of him. Padme knew that both of them were being presented as trophies in different contexts. It wasn't long before the barge and the speeders were off into the desert. She could see the speeders from the window and saw her son with Solo and Chewbacca. She thought she saw Lando as well, but he could have also been on the deck above.
They arrived to the Sarlacc pit and Padme's heart dropped. Luke's plan hadn't failed quite yet, but it wasn't looking spectacular. Even Padme didn't think that Luke had planned on getting captured, but Artoo was on the ship and had free reign of the space. They could still pull out of this, but Padme remained skeptical. Threepio went to the window equipped with a loudspeaker.
"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," Threepio announced as his voice echoed across the desert. Padme exchanged a look with Leia.
"Threepio, you tell that slimy piece of worm-ridden filth he'll get no such pleasure from us!" Han shouted as Chewie echoed him. Padme stifled a grin as she looked at the floor.
"Jabba, this is your last chance! Free us or die!" Luke warned as everyone went to the windows and railings. Jabba shouted as the guards started to push Luke towards the plank. Padme bit her tongue as she watched, helpless.
Just as Luke was nearly pushed off the edge, he jumped, causing a gasp to escape from her lips. Not that anyone noticed as Luke used the edge to pull him back up into the air. He flipped over the pirates and criminals to land in the middle of the speeder as Artoo catapulted a lightsaber to Luke. Within a second, Luke was equipped with his saber and was taking on his attackers.
Jabba shouted in rage as he commanded his mercenaries to take care of the problem. He would not stand for this. Luke kept knocking the guards and criminals into the pit where the Sarlacc waited before releasing Han and Chewie.
Boba Fett flew to Luke and nearly got the drop on the Jedi, but Luke turned around and sliced the blaster in half. Something knocked the speeder as Chewie fell over, causing a minor distraction before Boba shot a cable at Luke. Now entangled, Luke writhed before the saber sliced through the cable. Boba went for another attack before the barge fired on them again, knocking the bounty hunter unconscious.
"Han! Chewie?" Lando shouted as he tried to climb out of the pit. He had been knocked down during the fight and he was stuck by the pit.
"Lando!" Han shouted as he looked around. He wasn't as blind as he was, but he couldn't see perfectly either. Luke leaped to the next speeder while Han and Chewie went to Lando's aid. Boba Fett stood before taking aim again at Luke, hardly caring for the smugglers behind him. Chewie shouted as Han turned around, a long spear in his hand.
"Boba Fett? Boba Fett? Where?" Han asked as he turned again, knocking into the bounty hunter's rocket pack. The pack ignited, sending Boba into the air before crashing against the barge and sliding into the pit. He was then quickly dragged into the Sarlacc's maw before Han could figure out where he went.
Padme had watched the panic outside as the criminals and guests were running around too at Jabba's command. Leia jumped from her perch and wrapped the chain that held her around Jabba's neck. Padme grabbed one side as Leia held onto the other and they pulled against the Hutt's throat. Jabba clawed at his neck folds as his tail spasmed before his body went still, a sigh the last thing to escape from his lips. Padme helped Leia untangle the chains from the corpse before Artoo rolled up. With a spark, Leia was free and helping Padme free of her bindings. Once they both were free, they followed Artoo back on deck.
When they made it to the top, Luke was deflecting the barge blasts before making his way to the barge as well. Leia went to an unattended gun as Luke shouted for her point it at the deck. Padme grabbed a blaster from a halved criminal and helped defend her son. Padme could see Lando with Han and Chewie on one of the speeders, not too far off. Padme glanced at her son, who nodded. She had walked through this trick with Luke a few times, mostly in telling stories about the Clone Wars, but now she got to see if he was paying attention. While Leia blasted the barge with its own gun, Padme ran across the deck and leaped off the edge. Luke Force pushed her safely onto the speeder as Lando caught her.
Once the barge started to implode, Luke called Leia over as he grabbed one of the ropes attached to the sail. He held the rope as Leia held onto her brother by his shoulders before they swung down to the speeder. Before they left, they grabbed the droids and sped back towards the Falcon and Luke's x wing. Plan B hadn't quite gone as expected, but it had worked. Han was out of the carbonite and with them once again.