'Worth His Salt' (Chapter Five)
By Ennon
A/N-
BodomsGirl(Gracie)- Glad you really liked #4,too- and I hope this will prove to be worth the wait!
Doreenthatshot- Thanks for all the kudos. Great to see that you decided to check out this one after that previous one! Hope this update rocks for you!
Jackskellington666- Glad you think Anakin's right in turning himself in AND that the latest chappies rock (seems to be a common theme)! LOL
Skywalking- Yeah, he's noble and I HAVE noticed Anakin being somewhat of a drama queen (and like to think I haven't overlooked that facet). Glad you liked how he helped Kitster and Anakin's Solo comment. Hope the update wait wasn't too long (another theme)! LOL
"Just visualize the object and concentrate when lifting, Daughter," Anakin pleaded a week later while he and Luke were helping Leia hone her Force capacities in Obi-Wan's Tatooine hermit home.
" I'm trying! Unh. ..Omph. Why should lifting a pillow this way be so hard?" Leia groaned- as the small throw pillow barely lifted one corner off the floor.
"It's like a babystep. Crawling only seems easier because that's what you're used to," Luke encouraged.
"Just concentrate!" Anakin pleaded.
"Master Luke, Master Anakin, Mistress Leia,Mistress Padmé, Tashi Station doesn't carry my brand of lubricant and I'm barely able to move," Threepio sputtered as he came into room.
"We'll try to send Leia and Padmé with Chewbacca into Mos Eisley tomorrow to find it," Anakin groaned- while he was mentally trying to encourage Leia to levitate the throw pillow.
"Perhaps you could contact General Solo and. ." Threepio suggested.
"ARGH!Threepio," Leia growled as she dropped the throw pillow.
"And she was CLOSE to getting it! Why did you have to mention that name?" Anakin boiled.
"It was just a suggestion and. .." Threepio sputtered.
"It's okay. We all miss him," Luke sighed while Padmé nodded.
"Miss him? HA! After he just left us high and dry ? I wouldn't give him the satisfaction!" Leia boiled.
"Come on. You don't mean it," Luke scoffed.
"Don't tell me what I mean! Father, could you teach me how to do that Force Lightning thing now? " Leia scoffed.
"We haven't tested your or Luke's midichorinian levels yet," Anakin cautioned.
" Oh, but I can REALLY visualize wanting to use that at this moment," Leia sneered.
" Can't Artoo test those?" Luke asked.
"I'll have to add that to his programming when he and Chewbacca return," Anakin sighed.
"Mama, haven't they returned from Mos Eisley yet?" Luke asked.
"No, but I'm sure they'll be back in no time," Padmé assured her son while going up to hug him.
"Maybe we should start looking. Luke, you and Leia start to the east while your mother and I will start searching to the west of here. If we don't find anything in two hours, we'll regroup here," Anakin insisted.
"Excuse me, Master Anakin but what should I do?" Threepio asked.
"Lock the door," Anakin snapped.
"Do the dishes," Padmé added.
"And hope no intruders come here with blasters," Luke insisted.
An hour later, Luke suddenly stopped and took out his green lightsabre.
"What is it?" Leia asked.
"I feel Chewie is in pain but I can't focus where he could be and I also feel. .. Han," Luke sighed.
"Han? He's back! Where could he be?" Leia asked.
" I can't pinpoint it. I think he's being moved but I can't tell by what," Luke groaned.
"We'll have to run back to Ben's then take the hovercraft to find Father and Mama. They have Artoo's commonlink. Have you got where they are?" Leia asked.
"Yes, they're in a. . cave half a kilometer west of the house and, oh can't they ever wait? .." Luke chuckled.
"What are you talking. .? Ewww!" Leia shuddered as she herself got what Luke was saying.
A few minutes later in a certain cave with only the light of Anakin's balanced red lightsabre providing illumination . .
"Oh, Ani!"Padmé screamed.
"Oh, My Angel!" Anakin shouted.
" AHEM," Leia coughed- as she and Luke got to the cave entrance but turned their heads in the opposite direction..
"Would you believe your mother lost a hair clasp and I was helping her look for it?" Anakin gulped- as he and Padmé quickly unclasped themselves from each other and scrambled for their clothing.
"Haven't you children ever heard of knocking?" Padmé groaned while she and Anakin quickly helped each other back into their clothes..
"In a cave?" Luke laughed.
"We're dressed now so could you please tell us what this is about?" Padmé groaned while Luke and Leia turned their heads towards their parents and started walking towards them.
"Luke sensed something about Chewie and. .Han. Haven't you heard from Artoo on the comlink?" Leia asked.
"Uhm, it got turned off," Anakin groaned.
"When you two got turned on!" Luke laughed-while poking Anakin and Padmé in the ribs.
"Luke, we may have. .. gotten distracted but we're still your parents and are due your respect," Anakin snapped.
"It's Artoo again!" Leia gulped as she switched on the comlink over which was heard some very frantic beeps.
" You and Chewbacca were met at the Mos Eisley city gates by . .. Han? " Padmé gasped.
"Solo? What's he doing here?" Anakin sputtered.
"And then you three were attacked by Sand People and they knocked Chewie unconscious and carried off Han despite your best efforts?" Padmé gulped as she responded to the rest of Artoo's beeps.
"Now why was Han . ..?" Luke asked.
"Sunglasses!" Anakin snorted after Artoo answered Luke's question with beeps.
"Hang on, Artoo! Leia and I will be there in the hoverspeeder to pick you and Chewie up so we can tend to him," Padmé pleaded.
"I can take care of the Sand People," Anakin boiled.
"Father, no! Think of all the hard work you've been through to make it back to the Light Side," Luke gasped.
"Luke, Dark and Light Side doesn't apply to Sand People. They're savages who only understand intimidation," Anakin boiled.
"No, I don't believe you! I won't let you go back!" Luke pleaded.
"You told me that you were attacked by them for no reason the very morning. .. you first left Tatooine," Anakin groaned.
"But, now I see there WAS a reason! If they hadn't hurt me, Ben wouldn't have felt my distress, sought me out and tended to me," Luke insisted.
"What does that have to do with. ..?" Anakin asked.
"Don't you see, Father. If that hadn't happened, I could have been wandering around in the South Range looking for Artoo when the Stormtroopers came and. ." Luke pleaded.
" Owen and Beru's sacrifice to protect you would have been in vain because the Stormtroopers likely would have seen you," Anakin shuddered while he and Padmé tightly hugged Luke close to them.
"Besides, since our return here, haven't you felt something that may be from one of them?" Luke asked as they broke the hug.
"From a Sand People person? Impossible," Anakin sniffed.
" I'm sure more than one Jedi thought that about Outer Rim slaves," Luke snapped.
"Ooh, you'd better be right about this, Son, " Anakin sighed while wagging his right index finger.
"Even if he isn't, what we learn from this experience could help us in the longrun," Padmé pleaded.
"Oh, Angel. How I'm glad our children have so much of you in them!" Anakin beamed as he hugged her.
"Mama, we'd better see to Chewie and Artoo while Luke and Father make plans," Leia insisted.
Han was tied up in the middle of the Sand People camp and drifting in and out of consciousness. Every time he tried to ask for water, he got a blunt bang from a Gaffi stick by his Sand People warrior guard. He wondered if he could somehow send a message to Luke about his current locale. He couldn't understand why this had happened to him. The Sand People men went straight for him and ignored both Artoo and Chewie- and what were they doing so close to the city wall away from the Jundland Wastes?
Suddenly, he saw a Sand People man and a shorter Sand People youth leading a bantha with a large basin strapped on its back. Han's Sand People captors immediately ran towards the pair with gaffi sticks and tried to block access but then suddenly, the Sand People youth raised a hand and the others suddenly put their gaffi sticks down. They then accepted the offering of the tank which contained 100 liters of . . WATER which the two struggled to unload from the bantha's back. Then, the Sand People youth walked towards the captors and gestured to one of their own youths who declared (via grunts and gestures) his independence from his parents and insisted on going with the two. While this was happening, Han noticed the taller Sand People man walk towards him.
"No, not another torture session. I ain't in the mood," Han snapped.
"Hold still. I need to cut you free," Anakin whispered as he physically yanked the ropes apart.
"Kitster Banai?" Han asked in puzzlement.
"No, it's the Trash Compactor Monster," Anakin hissed.
"Oh, no! Not THIS!" Han groaned while he slumped.
"Captain Solo, as overwhelming as your gratitude is, I can't help but think you came back for something," Anakin sighed as he braced Han's wobbly weight.
"I forgot where Chewie put the sunglasses so I came back to ask," Han shrugged.
"I doubt you risked getting demoted and decommissioned for that! Why do I have the feeling you missed them and want to help?" Anakin asked.
"For the record, it's for Chewie, the Kid, the Princess , Amber Lady and the slaves NOT you!" Han sneered.
"Why do I sense that your hostility towards me isn't entirely due to my past atrocities?" Anakin asked as he started leading Han outside the camp.
"What do you care? You get to play hero all over again!" Han sneered.
"What we think of each other is irrelevant .However; if we are to work together, we need to be at least civil. Whoa, that sounded so much like Obi-Wan," Anakin wryly laughed.
" Can't argue that," Han shrugged.
"So there's some jealousy mixed in with your disapproval of my past," Anakin pondered.
"Don't be. ..!" Han boiled.
"Captain Solo, don't forget that I'm versed in both Jedi Mind Tricks and in Sith Weakness-Seeking Techniques," Anakin laughed.
"Ever since I first took the Kid off this Rock for three solid years all the way to Hoth, I never stopped hearing from him what a great Jedi Anakin Skywalker this, what a great hero that Anakin Skywalker, his fath-. .you were," Han groaned.
"Really?" Anakin exclaimed.
"Yeah, you know what it was like for me to compete with your rep?" Han boiled.
"I never quite thought of that," Anakin pondered.
"We BOTH jumped megahoops to aim for your perfect mark . Finally, just when he when we was starting to give ME that look he used to get when he talked about his perfect father, you're starting the hero thing all over again with him and everyone," Han sneered.
" At least you don't have to simulateously live UP to a past rep while living DOWN Vader's," Anakin sighed.
"Hey! We can't have bonded here," Han snorted.
"Of course not, Captain Solo. As far as the others are concerned, our mutual civility is due to caring about the same people and causes, " Anakin scoffed.
"So you're coming for me was your way of thanking me for keeping the Kid and Princess safe all that time?" Han laughed.
"You really don't make things easy, General Solo," Anakin groaned.
"Well, just so you know, I DO have something to offer everyone more important than my sunglasses. Here's SALT in your eye!"Han smirked.
"Chewie, I can sense them, too!" Leia exclaimed after Chewie gave a triumphal roar as she and Padmé carefully blotted Chewbacca's cuts with anticeptic while he stretched out on Ben's hermit dwelling floor.
"All of them?" Padmé asked.
"Yes, and they're bringing a fourth individual," Leia said in puzzlement.
With Luke and Anakin having finally taken off their Sand People face masks, they were seen half carrying in Han while leading a Sand People youth.
" I'll be damned," Leia gulped.
"Leia, our boys have found all found their way home," Padmé beamed while she and Leia hugged.
"At last, Master Luke, Master Anakin and Captain Solo! Artoo also expresses his relief!" Threepio exclaimed.
"And, we're relieved to see you,too,Threepio!" Luke replied as the four of them came inside.
"You have any idea how hard it's been to communicate with Cxrvce?" Anakin laughed.
"Who!" Padmé and Leia asked at the same time.
"Our Sand People protégé! He's the Force carrier Luke and I have felt since we landed here," Anakin proclaimed.
"You're actually going to train a Sand People youth to be . ..a Jedi, Father?" Leia gulped.
"Hard to believe, I know," Anakin groaned.
At which point Cxrvce started grunting which totally puzzled Chewie.
"He says that the reason they attacked Captain Solo was because he'd been seen talking to you, Master Anakin," Threepio gulped.
"Talking to me?" Anakin gasped.
Cxrvce growled some more.
"Master Anakin says that since you'd slaughtered that Sand People village 26 years ago! That can't be right. You weren't even been born at that time," Threepio sputtered.
"Never mind the logistics. We need you to interpretate for us,"Anakin groaned.
Through Threepio, Cxrvce explained that the neighboring Sand People village had kidnapped Shmi due to their women and children having gotten a plague but them not being able to afford medicine from the Toydarians. They were promised monies by the 'Dark Cloaked One' Palpatine to kidnap, and torture Shmi and kill as many human moisture farmers as possible for the monies but it backfired on all of them when Anakin slaughtered the village. Ever since then, they'd attacked anyone they believed were associated with Anakin (including Luke)! It would take a good week of strenuous and even argumentive and accusive negotiations on Anakin, Luke, Threepio, Cxrvce and the other Sand People's parts, but they, the human slaves, moisture farmers and Jawas all realized that they'd been kept at battle with each other down the centuries for the the Hutts, Toydarians and the human slavers, bounty hunters' interests.
"Okay, Chewie, you're sure the last of those charges are ready?" Han asked- a month later while Chewbacca nodded.
"Luke, Leia, you know what to do!" Anakin insisted as the three concentrated together.
At once, every one of the slave implant detonator radio towers was exploded via the Force in Mos Eisley and virtually every part of Tatooine.
"Kitster, are you and Bruard ready to moblize the freed slaves to make a run towards Tashi Station?" Anakin asked.
"We are with you, Ani, but are you sure about the. .. Sand People?" Kitster asked.
"I realized that instead of fighting them blow for blow, we could do better if we tried to work together what we each wanted. That first import of water slackened a lot more than thirst," Luke laughed.
"You're not going to let me live that one down, Son," Anakin groaned.
"You never even learned their language but Cxrvce's teaching both of us," Luke laughed.
"Cxrvce was virtually an outcast in his village for using his Force abilities for pranks but he IS the first New Jedi Padawan Luke's training- and he's gotten them to join us," Anakin hastily whispered.
"But a Sand Person Jedi?" Kitster gulped.
"Coruscant wasn't built in a year and we need everyone who can help! Tatooine will have plenty more resources to go around once we rid it of Hutts, Toydarians and human slavers!" Luke enthused.
Though chased by bounty hunters with blasters , most of the slaves made it with their families to Mushroom Mesa thanks to Luke and Anakin using the Force to snatch the blasters out of the bounty hunters' hands and into the former slaves. Leia and Padmé made raids into several Hutt harems and freed hundreds of captives without getting captured. From all directions, they were being chased by the Hutts,Toydarians and their allies into Tashi Station which was a large, barren plateau surrounded by slopes on all sides.
"Hutts, Toydarians have us completely surrounded," Kitster gulped.
"Dad, why didn't you listen to Mom and me about getting our hopes up? At least there was a chance for Chiara and my baby to live as a slave. Now, he or she will be killed before birth," the 28-year-old Bruard Batai groaned.
"I'd rather have us die free or not be born at all than have us being subjected to any more enslavement. Ani will help us! You'll see!" Kitster pleaded while his mate Amee and their son gravely shook their heads.
"Luke, you remember Beggar's Canyon east of here?" Anakin asked Luke via the Force.
"Yeah, just like where that reactor vent was located on the First Death Star," Luke recalled.
"That wasn't a coincidence," Anakin laughed via the Force.
"What about it?" Luke asked via the Force.
"It's actually a volcanic fissure and I believe there's a great amount of steam trapped 50 meters beneath its surface crack. I want you and Leia to join me in concentrating the Force to move the rocks just enough to let the steam vent," Anakin pleaded via the Force.
"Father, are you sure? I've barely moved throw pillows," Leia groaned via the Force.
"Those weren't important. These ARE! Besides, once we get the steam close enough to the surface, it will take care of the rest!" Anakin replied via the Force.
"Just visualize the rocks in your head, Leia," Luke pleaded outloud.
"Ha! Ha! Luke," Leia snapped.
"You know what I mean. Concentrate! The three of us can work this together," Luke pleaded via the Force.
Luke and Leia both visibly strained and became sweaty but Anakin kept his composure until.
"That's IT! We DID it!" Luke exclaimed.
"We DID it!" Leia beamed while she, Luke and Anakin all hugged each other's shoulders.
"We now have a geyser in Beggar's Canyon! You're ready, Father?" Luke asked via the Force.
"I need to wait until you and Leia drag the new steam cloud in this direction!" Anakin cautioned.
"I don't believe it," Han gulped while hovering overhead in the Falcon.
"You've known my son and husband for how long?" Padmé laughed while she kept control of steering mechanism.
"HUMAN SLAVES and Sand People! We have you surrounded! IF you surrender to us, we will only scatter your families to other planets but if you don't then we will make sure all of you die agonizing deaths!" Gardulla the Hutt (Anakin's onetime owner).
"Children, hurry!" Anakin pleaded via the Force.
"It's almost here!" Luke insisted via the Force.
Suddenly the large steam cloud from Beggar's Canyon hovered over the Mushroom Mesa where all 55,000 freed slaves and 4,000 Sand People were concentrated.
"Now, it's time!" Anakin proclaimed- as suddenly he concentrated and kicked up a large amount of fine sand from the surrounding plain which he sent into the cloud- causing it to. .
"RAIN! Ani, made it rain! I TOLD you he was the Chosen One!" Kitster beamed-as quite a few Tatooine frogs suddenly hopped to life from the newly formed mud and puddles.
"Ha! Ha! You've got us ALL wet! You think THAT will change anything?" Watto the Toydarian sneered while this rain soaked into the ground.
"You will let all the slaves and former harem captives stay free, reunite their families, pay off your bounty hunters then LEAVE here forever," Anakin,Luke, Leia and the Sand Person Cvxvre simultaneously sent out to the Hutts, Toydarians and human slavers.
"You think some WATER will get us vulnerable to Jedi Mind Tricks, weaklings?" Gardulla laughed.
"Nah, but here's SALT in your eye, lady!" Han smirked as he and Chewie squirted a large quantity of brine at all from one of Tatooine's brine lakes from a firehose, tank contraption via the Falcon that came he, Anakin and Chewbacca had built together. Han and Chewie had rerouted the brine into the machine gunner's nests and squirted the Hutts, Toydarians and human slavers that were surrounding the Mushroom Mesa while Padmé and Artoo were piloting the Falcon.
"Have a heart! Make them STOP!" Gardulla the Hutt pleaded- while all the Hutts and Toydarians were writhing in agony.
"What did I tell ya, Chewie? Hutts are nothing but big slugs that just need their hides soaked to bring out their REAL skin. Same with Toydarian waterbugs and slugs and waterbugs in all galaxies can't STAND salt!"Han smirked.
Chewbacca protested.
"Yes, Chewie, I believe you but Han did risk it all to return to help us," Padmé consoled.
"Now, I don't want to have to repeat myself a third time. You will FREE the slaves and harem captives, help reunite slave families, pay off the human bounty hunters and slavers then LEAVE here forever- OR you and your progeny will risk having more brine on your inner skins!" Anakin proclaimed while he, Luke, Leia and Cxcvce used the Jedi Mind trick with him again.
"We will FREE the slaves and harem captives, help reunite the slave families, pay off the human bounty hunters and slaver then LEAVE here forever," the large group of Hutts and Toydarians said in unison.
"Cxcvrce, Leia, Luke, I knew they'd see reason!" Anakin laughed.
In a week, every condition of Anakin's terms was met by the Hutts and Toydarians. Without the backing of the Hutts and Toydarians, their human bounty hunters and slavers quickly felt too outnumbered to linger in Tatooine- and fled barely hours after the last of the Hutts and Toydarians.
"Our planet is YOURS, Ani! All our peoples will proclaim you its ruler!" Kitster exclaimed while everyone celebrated when the last of the Hutt allies' vessals left while they held a large banquet at the Mushroom Mesa.
"No, I didn't do this for that! You helped re-awaken who I was more than anyone outside my family. I'm ready to turn myself into the New Republic authorities- as I'm sure this news won't stay in the Outer Rim for long, " Anakin sighed.
"You may get off the hook altogether, Pops. General Rexler of the Coruscant Central Command just captured the Bative System," Han groaned- as he saw his handheld pocket holovid's Galactic newscast.
"Oh, no! That's only five systems away from Endor. We need to DO something, " Luke exclaimed.
"What are you talking about?"Han asked.
"We're commissioned officers in the New Republic. Now that we've freed Tatooine, we need to be getting back to protect Endor," Luke pleaded.
"No, I think Coruscant's where we need to be headed next," Anakin exclaimed.
"Corcuscant. .. but that's where General Rexler's at and he has all that Imperial firepower. . . " Leia gulped.
"Precisely," Anakin replied.
"Ani, we can't possibly take on the ex-Imperial capital planet's defenses," Padmé gulped.
"Don't forget just on the dark side of the Tatooine moon, is Vader's Shuttle," Anakin exclaimed.
"With the readouts of every single Imperial base and installation," Han said excitedly.
"But those readouts are three months old. General Rexler will have no doubt changed the codes," Leia gasped.
"Daughter, you should know that virtually the only Imperials with any planning or imagination were myself and Palpatine. Between me and Artoo, I think we can wing around things," Anakin laughed- as he stretched himself out in the seat of the banquet table.
"But there's just eight of us," Han groaned.
"We've pulled ourselves out before with even less odds in our favor. Besides, with Father's skills and Force powers working WITH us, I'd say we can do it!" Luke exclaimed.
"Ani, Luke, the risk is too great," Padmé sighed.
"If we go back to Endor, the risk of ex-Imperials crushing the New Republic and trying to take me away from justice would be greater," Anakin groaned.
"And there are too few against all of them," Leia added.
"We'll help you, Chosen One!" Kitster beamed.
"You don't have to," Anakin insisted.
"No, now that you've given us a taste of what it's like to be REAL men and women fighting for our freedom, we'd like to offer our services to the Galaxy!"Kitster started to say.
"Services? You're not soldiers!" Anakin scoffed.
"We just did soldier to win our freedom!" Kitster beamed.
"One battle isn't the same as having been trained in combat for years," Anakin sighed.
" Besides, if we're successful in helping you and your family recapture Coruscant from the ex-Imperial General, the New Republic will NEVER be able to take Tatooine for granted again," Kitster exclaimed.
"Are you insane? We just got our freedom and now you want to risk our lives?" Kitster's mate Amee sighed.
"We'd be able to free so many OTHER Outer Rim slaves. Didn't it feel good to get those implants out?" Kitster beamed.
"Of course, and it feels good to know our future grandchild won't ever have to suffer getting one," Amee conceded.
"Then, we Tatooinians can offer our services to do that for ALL slaves in the Galaxy and the Hutts and Toydarians left quite a few spacecraft for us to use in their haste," Kitster proclaimed.
"Oh, the things we DO for you! Why can't men be easier, Lady Padmé?" Amee sighed while Leia nodded.
"Then they'd be boring and unamusing," Padmé wryly laughed.