Chapter 15 – Sarlacc Pit Battle

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A plank extends from the skiff and Luke is shoved over to it. I'm practically holding my breath as I wait. One wrong move...

Threepio's voice rings out through the area. "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."

Han steps forwards instantly, looking in the direction of the Sail Barge. "Threepio," he calls, "You tell that slimy piece of worm-ridden filth he'll get no such pleasure from us. Right?" Chewie growls in agreement.

"Jabba! This is your last chance," Luke calls, "Free us or die."

"Move him into position," orders Jabba. Come on, Artoo, where are you?

The guard behind Luke pushes him forward, and he walks forward over to the end of the plank. He glances over at Lando in silent question, and he nods. He's ready. Artoo finally arrives at the edge of the railing. We're all in position. Just like on Zygerria. Hopefully the outcome won't be the same.

Luke salutes and the droid immediately opens his hidden compartment.

"Put him in!" commands the Hutt.

Now!

The guard pushes Luke again, and he jumps of the plank, instantly spinning around and catching onto the edge of the plank. The spectators begin cheering like crazy, not realizing what's really about to happen. He jumps back into the skiff, simultaneously calling his lightsaber to his hand. I reach out, pulling both of mine to my hands and igniting then, instantly cutting through my bonds, freeing myself.

We both move as a team, attacking the guards around us. Lando moves a split second later, lunging a guard standing next to him. Luke shoves one of them overboard to the Sarlacc. I step forwards, cutting through the guards moving towards us. I hit the first in the neck and stab the next through the chest. Luke, meanwhile, turns to free Chewie while I finish the fighting except the one Lando's fighting.

The Force screams a warning just as I'm moving forwards towards them. A cannon blast strikes the skiff, throwing Lando overboard. Thankfully, he manages to catch on to something to keep himself from falling. The guard he's fighting isn't so lucky. He falls down into the Sarlacc pit.

Boba, having seen the fight, flies over towards us and aims his gun. I immediately whirl around and cut his blaster in half.

Another blast flies our way, throwing Chewie and Han to the ground, Han asking in alarm if he's alright. His response is a howl of pain.

Unfortunately, that distracts both Luke and I as we turn to glance at him to see the extent of the injury. Boba fired a cable at us, pinning our arms to our sides. I cut myself free the same time Luke follows suit.

Another blast strikes the skiff, knocking Boba to the floor.

"Han! Chewie!" calls Lando from below, reminding me of his dangerous situation.

"Lando!"

The second skiff moves towards us, but Luke immediately jumps onto it while I turn to Lando. Crouching to avoid the worst of the blaster fire, I deactivate my lightsabers and reach out of the skiff towards him. He can't reach me. I'll have to use the Force.

Reaching into the Force, I slowly start pulling him upwards towards us. Hopefully the others will keep everything under control until I get back. Behind me, I hear Boba standing up again. Chewie frantically calls Han, warning him of danger.

"Boba Fett? Boba Fett? Where?" cries Han, turning blindly and somehow managing to hit Boba in the jetpack with a spear, making it ignite randomly and crash into the Sail Barge before it turns off. He tumbles down the side of the pit to the waiting Sarlacc.

Another blast rocks the deck, nearly making me lose my concentration. Luckily, I don't, and manage to pull Lando back in.

Now that he's safe, I turn my focus to the guards firing at the skiff just in time to see Luke jump towards the Sail Barge. He manages to catch on to the side and starts pulling himself up and climbs inside. I take a few steps back before running forward, jumping to the Sail Barge, using the Force to land right on it without having to climb.

We arrived just in time. The deck gunners are about to fire at the skiff again. Igniting our lightsabers, Luke attacks one, and I attack the other. They hardly even had a chance to register our presences. Spinning around, I spot two more guards heading our way.

Shifting position, we stand back-to-back fighting off guards attacking us and deflecting blaster bolts. Surprisingly, they're not much harder to fight than droids. Good thing, I suppose. Not all non-droids are easy to fight, like the Mandalorians. These guards were not at all trained to fight Jedi. How did Jabba seriously imagine they'd stand a chance against us? Maybe it's been too long since he's seen the Jedi in action.

I spot Leia hurrying out onto the deck, obviously having been able to free herself from Jabba. Good. He's probably dead, and if he isn't yet, he will be momentarily.

"Get the gun!" Luke calls, "Point it at the deck!"

She hurriedly climbs onto the platform and turns the gun.

"Point it at the deck!" I call to her. I run forwards, hurriedly finishing off the remaining two guards. Glancing around, I conclude there's no danger left up here. There will be more guards coming in moments, though. Now is our chance for escape.

"Come on!" Luke calls, running towards his sister. With one hand, he holds onto the ropes. Leia moves towards him, and he picks her up in his free arm. That's my cue to leave. I Force-jump back to the skiff just as he kicks the trigger. The twins land on the skiff the very moment the Sail Barge bursts into flames.

"Let's go!" I urge.

"And don't forget the droids!" Luke adds.

"We're on our way," replies Lando. Moments later, the droids are pulled into the skiff, which is zooming across the sand, leaving the huge burning and exploding craft far behind.

**w**

The eight of us walk through the raging sandstorm as the sand continues whip violently around us. I can hardly see anything. Now I understand what Anakin had been telling me when were came here all those years ago. It could almost have been in another lifetime.

"The desert is merciless. It takes everything from you."

"That's a happy thought. It won't take us, Master. Right, Artooie?"

Well, technically, I was right. Still, Anakin's not here. We're not with each other now, and I don't know when we ever will be again. I just want to go home. Maybe I'll ask Yoda if he knows how I can get back once we go to Dagobah again.

Threepio and Artoo are leading the procession with me following. Leia is guiding Han behind me, and Luke and Lando supporting the injured Chewbacca in the back. As we continue moving through the sandstorm, I finally can make out the shapes of our ships. We're almost there.

"Are we almost there yet?" growls Chewbacca from the back, who clearly can't see.

"I don't know. All I can see it a lot of blowing sand!" Han shouts back.

"That's all any of us can see!" Leia yells over the roaring of the sandstorm.

"Then I guess I'm getting better," he calls.

"Ships right ahead!" I shout.

Finally, we arrive at the Falcon and manage to step somewhat out of the worst of the storm. The wind dies slightly, or maybe most of it's just being blocked by the side of the ship. Han turns to Luke as the gang-plank lowers.

"I've got to hand it to you, kid, you were pretty good out there."

"I had a lot of help. Think nothing of it," Luke replies. He really ought to give himself a little more credit.

"No, I'm thinking a lot about it. That carbon freeze was the closest thing to dead there is," Han replies, "And it wasn't just sleepin'. It was a big wide awake nothing." I wince slightly. I knew it wasn't at all pleasant from my own experience, but I didn't realize it was that bad.

Luke nods, and Chewie growls affectionately, patting the boy's head. Leia hugs him as Chewie walks over to me and pulls me into a hug, which I return.

"Really," I say, turning to Luke, "You did do really good there, especially for only being trained half a year."

"Only thanks to you."

"You're a Jedi?" Han inquires, turning to me.

"Not exactly. I'm on that side of the spectrum, though." He'll never understand my explanation of being a Grey Jedi, of that I'm certain.

"I thought they were all killed except Luke," he comments.

"Do I look dead?" I quip, raising an eye marking at him.

"We better get going," reminds Luke as the wind suddenly begins picking up a little again, "We'll see you back at the fleet."

"Why don't you leave that crate and come with us?" asks Han, referring to our Y-wing. Normally, Luke would have taken his X-wing here, but since there was two of us hoping to head to Dagobah afterward, we didn't want a repeat of what happened when we left the planet.

"We have a promise we have to keep first... to an old friend," Luke replies.

"We won't be long," I assure them as we head for the fighter and climb inside with Artoo.

"I'll meet you back at the fleet," Luke calls over his commlink to the Falcon once we are seated inside and preparing for takeoff.

"Hurry," Leia responds, "The Alliance should be assembled by now."

"We will," I reassure her. Not like the journey there will take long. After all, we're just stopping by, having a conversation probably, and leaving. Luke is practically done training. We won't need to stay for that.

"Hey, Luke, thanks. Thanks for comin' after me. Now I owe you one," Han says before the connection breaks.

"I keep getting the feeling I won't be here much longer," I murmur, staring out the window at the stars.

"How would you even go back to your own time?" he inquires, though he doesn't look too happy at the prospect, which isn't surprising considering I'm one of his closest friends here now.

I shrug. That's what's been bothering me more and more.

"What will happen to this timeline when you leave?" Finally, he asked the question I'm sure has been bothering him the most. I've wondered the same myself.

"I don't know." I take a deep breath before continuing. "I think, but I don't know, that this timeline will just... cease to exist."

Behind us, Tatooine disappears from sight as we prepare to go into hyperspace. A message from Artoo appears on a screen in the front of the fighter as Luke pulls a black glove on over his mechanical hand.

"That's right, Artoo. We're going to the Dagobah system. We have a promise to keep, to an old friend."