Chapter 52- Enter the Jedi and Being Sentenced
Lena stood next to her brother as the doors to Jabba's palace opened. Lena felt nervous. Not very many people outside of the Rebel Alliance saw Lena use her powers, but now Jabba and everyone would know that Lena Organa was really Lena Skywalker, a Jedi knight, and Luke Skywalker's twin sister. This could all have all been avoided if Jabba had released Han or Leia had come back to Obi-Wan's hut last night.
"Are you ready?" Luke asked.
"Are you, Brother?" Lena asked as she made sure the hood of her Jedi robes concealed her face and Luke did the same.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be. May the Force be with us," Luke muttered as they walked into the palace. Two Gamorrean guards walked up to them, with their axes held at ready. Luke extended his hand, choking the pig-like aliens with the Force. Luke and Lena then made their way to Jabba's throne room.
A Twi'lek with a impressive lekku wrapped around his shoulders approached them. "Yo macka chipowan Skywalkers. Jabba mo botowa tu," Bib Fortuna said, telling Luke and Lena in Twi'lek that they weren't welcome and Jabba wouldn't bargain. Lena had a small knowledge of the Twi'lek language, so she could understand everything that Bib said for the most part. She would hold this conversation and translate for Luke with her answers.
"We must speak with Jabba," Lena said in flat voice as she and Luke walked.
"Es tosit. Jabba no tusen di hunka bi. No bargain," Bib said in a whisper as he looked toward the throne room. Basically Jabba had ordered Bib not to admit Luke or Lena to the throne room.
'You will take us to Jabba now," Lena said, deciding to use a Jedi mind trick and hoping that Bib was weak-minded as she waved her hand slightly.
"Ataka bu Jabba now," Bib repeated what she said as he led her and Luke into the throne room.
"Very good, Lena," Luke praised.
"No kidding. I don't like doing mind tricks, but what choice do we have? You serve your master well," Lena said to Bib, layering her voice with the Force.
"Ay sota vanlocha," Bib repeated.
"And you will be rewarded," Lena said as they stood in the shadows in front of Jabba'a throne.
"A chunoh ayo ahtot," Bib repeated as he went to the dais where Jabba was sleeping. Lena's eyes met Leia's, who was sitting there, dressed like one of Jabba's dancing slave girls with a chain around her neck. The pain in her cousin's brown eyes was enough to break Lena's heart, but Lena couldn't concentrate on that at the moment. They had to free Han before they could free Leia or the droids.
"At last! Master Luke and Princess Lena's come to rescue me!" Threepio exclaimed exultantly.
"Master, gabba nopez Luke and Lena Skywalker, Jedi knights," Bib said, introducing Luke and Lena. Out of the corner of her eyes, Lena saw her father and Lando. The pride her father had could be felt in the Force from halfway across the room.
"I told you not to admit them!" Jabba roared angrily.
"We must be allowed to speak," Lena said to Bib.
"They must be allowed to speak," Bib repeated Lena's Force suggestion.
"You weak-minded fool! She's using an old Jedi mind trick," Jabba said, grabbing Bib by his robes and tossing him to the floor.
"You will bring Captain Solo and the Wookie to us," Luke said as he and Lena removed the hoods from their faces.
Jabba laughed derisively at that. "You and your sister's mind powers will not work on me, boy," Jabba said with barely concealed contempt.
"Nevertheless, We're taking Captain Solo and his friends. You can either profit by this or be destroyed. It's your choice, but I warn you not to underestimate our powers," Lena said, carefully injecting a warning into her voice.
Jabba grunted in disgust. "Master Luke, Princess Lena, you're standing on-" Lena heard Threepio start to say.
"There will be no bargain, young Jedi. I shall enjoy watching the both of you die," Jabba said. Lena looked over and saw her father and Lando next to Bib. Using the Force, Luke called a blaster to him as Jabba hit a button on the armrest of his throne. Lena drew on the Force as she, Luke, and a Gamorrean guard landed in a pit. Luke and Lena both removed the cloaks covering their Jedi clothing as they stood.
"Oh no! The rancor!" Lena heard Threepio shout as the door slid open with a creak. Lena felt all the blood rush from her face as she looked at a big creature with claws and teeth. From the look on her brother's face, he was just as scared.
As the rancor picked up and ate the Gamorrean, Lena and Luke looked around. Luke picked up a large bone as the rancor reached for him. "Luke!" Lena screamed as the rancor picked him up. Lena breathed a sigh of relief as Luke shoved the bone in the rancor's mouth. The rancor dropped him and Luke and Lena ran for a ledge that was large enough to crawl under. Lena watched as the rancor advanced. It was then Lena noticed a door. "Luke, look! A door," Lena said as she picked up a skull. The rancor screamed in pain as she slammed it down on its foot. Luke and Lena ran for the door. Luke pressed the button to reveal a set of bars. Luke and Lena grabbed the bars and shook them. Two guards pushed them back into the pit, with the rancor behind them.
Lena then looked at the door release switch. "Luke, let's lower the door on the rancor. Its nearly under the door," Lena whispered.
"Good idea," Luke said as he picked up a skull at their feet and using the Force he and Lena tossed it at the release. The door went right down on the rancor's neck, killing it almost instantly. Judging by the thundering, Jabba was furious, but Lena could feel the undercurrents of relief from her father and Leia. The rancor's owner then came into the pit, shock and sadness radiating off of him.
"Bring me Solo and the Wookie. They will all suffer for this outrage," Lena heard Jabba roar. The rancor's owner turned then, crying loudly. Lena looked over as her father and another guard entered the room. Talon gripped her arm gently and winked at her and Luke as they dragged them from the pit.
"Han!" Luke shouted and Lena noticed Han and Chewbacca being brought to join them.
"Luke!" Han said as the guards shoved them to the throne.
"Are you all right?" Lena asked.
"Fine. Together again, huh?" Han asked.
"We wouldn't miss it," Luke said dryly.
"How are we doing?" Han asked.
"Same as always," Luke said.
"That bad, huh? Where's Leia?" Han asked.
"I'm here," Leia said from her spot on Jabba's throne. Lena had to fight a grimace. Jabba was stroking Leia's hair as if her hair was his.
"Talk droid!" Jabba barked.
"Oh, dear. His High Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated immediately," Threepio said in a doleful manner.
"Good. I hate long waits," Han snarked and Jabba's pet cackled.
"You will therefore be taken to the Dune Sea and cast into the Pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlacc," Threepio said.
"Doesn't sound so bad," Han said.
"In his belly you will find a new definition of pain and suffering as you are slowly digested over 1,000 years," Threepio said, his voice getting lower.
Chewbacca roared. On second thought, let's pass on that," Han said.
"You should have bargained, Jabba. That's the last mistake you'll ever make," Lena said as Jabba ordered them out of the room and to the barges. Lena felt a smile cross her face as she thought of ridding the galaxy of the gangster. While no Jedi liked to kill, this time Jabba had brought it on himself by what he had done to her, Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewbacca. How he would die, Lena couldn't guess, but it would be soon.