Chapter 68

Han and Chewbacca were escorted at blaster point into the throne room of Jabba the Hutt. Neither of them was able to see for a moment or two as their eyes adjusted from the brilliant sunlight, but there was no mistaking where they were. The stench of a hundred different alien bodies, of spoiled food and alcohol permeated the very walls of the room; the sound of raucous laughter and rude bodily emissions was heard from every corner. As their eyes adjusted to the dimness, they found themselves standing at the foot of the massive dais on which reclined the repulsive pile of flesh that was Jabba the Hutt.

"So, Han my boy," Jabba rumbled. "We meet again at last."

"I was on my way to pay you back, Jabba," Han began at once. "But I got a little side tracked. You didn't need to send that bastard Bossk after us."

"I was getting tired of waiting," Jabba responded testily. "So where is it? Where's my money, Solo?"

"I…I don't have it with me," Han replied. "Your hired goons sort of took me by surprise."

"I see," Jabba replied, his large eyes narrowing. "Then you'll have to work off your debt, Solo."

"How do you propose I do that?" Han retorted. "I'm not exactly cut out to be a dancing girl."

Jabba was not amused at Han's attempt to be humorous, and continued to stare at him unyieldingly. "Have no fear, Solo," he replied. "There's plenty of work to be had around here for a strong young slave such as yourself." He turned to Chewbacca. "Not to mention the mighty Chewbacca," he added. "Slavery is something he is accustomed to, isn't that right?"

Chewbacca growled in fury and tried to lunge at Jabba, but the Gamorrean guard who stood closely by him yanked him back by the large manacle around Chewie's neck.

"There are alternatives to slavery, should you find the thought of it too distasteful," Jabba continued once the wookiee had been properly contained. "The Rancor is always hungry."

The motley group of aliens Jabba kept as courtiers laughed uproariously at his comment. Han and Chewie exchanged a look of utter hopelessness.

"Take them away," Jabba commanded with a wave of one great flabby appendage. "Lock them up while I decide upon a fitting job for each of them."

Han and Chewbacca were brutally pulled and pushed out of the throne room and down a narrow set of stone steps at the end of a corridor. The hall way was very narrow as they passed by a series of cells, from whence the moans and screams of the denizens of this most horrific prison could be heard. The stench was almost overwhelming, at Han had to cover his mouth and nose as he gagged in response to it. Finally the two were shoved into a dank, dark cell, which smelled equally foul and was scattered with debris that neither Han nor Chewie wanted to know the source of.

"We're really in it deep now, pal," Han said as he peered into the darkness, looking for somewhere to sit down. The pain in his ribs was excruciating, and he was beginning to feel lightheaded. "We never should have left Bespin."

"But the Alliance was expecting us," Chewie pointed out. "We had no choice."

"Yeah," Han replied as he sat down on a stone bench. It was damp, but at least it afforded him a place to rest. "Wait a minute," Han muttered as a thought stuck him. "If the Alliance is expecting us, and we don't show up, then maybe they'll realize something has happened to us!"
"Or maybe they'll think we just took off," Chewie replied. "Like you told Leia we were going to do one of these days."

Han frowned, realizing that Chewbacca, as always, had a valid point. How many times had he told Leia that he needed to leave, that he'd had enough, that today was definitely the day he was going to pay off Jabba….and yet he hadn't left, he had always managed to find some reason why he couldn't leave, while deep down inside he knew that she was the real reason for his delay.

"Maybe," he admitted at last. "But maybe not. There's at least a chance," he said, trying to convince himself as much as Chewbacca.

Chewbacca didn't reply; he didn't want to dash Han's hopes. But he realized that the Skywalkers had more to contend with at the moment than the possibility that he and Han had run into trouble.

Star Destroyer Executor

Padmé woke up alone. She got dressed and then walked out into the common room where she found Luke alone eating breakfast.

"Where is everyone?" she asked.

Luke looked up at his mother. "On the bridge," he told her. "We're on our way to Tatooine."

Padmé frowned. "Why?" she asked simply.

"Han and Chewbacca have been captured by bounty hunters," Luke explained. "They're being taken to Jabba the Hutt."

"And your father is taking this vessel to rescue them?" Padmé asked incredulously.

Luke nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I half believe it myself. Leia sort of….talked him into it."

Padmé lifted an eyebrow. "I see," she said. "I hope she thought to contact Mon Mothma before leaving the fleet."

"She did," Luke replied. "I think they were pretty surprised that Dad would try to help Han and Chewie like this."

"Maybe it will help them to believe that he has changed," she said. "I'm going to the bridge too," she said. "Are you coming?"

Luke nodded as he downed the last of his juice. "Right with you, Mom."

Anakin stood on the bridge of the mighty vessel, watching out the view screen as they raced through the galaxy. Tatooine… the thought of returning to his home planet filled Anakin with mixed feelings. He had not set foot on the sands of the desert planet since the time his mother died. That night still gave him nightmares, and the memories of it were part of the reason he had never returned. But now he would…. and why? To save the life of a man he despised, a man who probably deserved whatever fate Jabba had in store for him, a man who had somehow captured the heart of his only daughter.

Anakin turned and looked at Leia as she walked around the bridge, doing her best to preoccupy herself with learning the function of each of the stations and getting to know the men who manned them. She's a natural leader, Anakin thought with pride as he noticed how easily she spoke with the men while still maintaining a professional distance with them. She was born to lead, like her mother, like me. Yet, despite the appearance she maintained to the men, Anakin knew that she was worried. He had come to know his daughter very well since the time they had been reunited. The bond between them was a powerful one.

Leia could sense that her father was watching her, and she turned her eyes to his. When he smiled at her, she returned his smile, expressing her gratitude for what he was doing for the man she loved.

"ETA to Tatooine?" Piett asked.

"Four point seven hours, sir," one of the men replied at once.

A look of distress crossed Leia's face briefly at this. Four and a half hours is a long time when you're in danger, she reflected grimly, when you're in pain.

Padmé and Luke entered the bridge, both impressed by the efficiency with which the men conduct themselves. Anakin turned to see his wife and son on the bridge and walked over to join them.

"I understand we're en route to Tatooine," Padmé said.

Anakin nodded. "Seems Captain Solo has landed in some trouble with the Hutt."

"And you decided to help him?" Padmé replied.

"Well, it was either this or Leia would have taken it upon herself to affect a rescue," he told her. "And I was not about to allow that to happen."

"No, of course not," Padmé said. She linked her arm through his and reached up to kiss his cheek. "You're a good father," she told him.

Anakin felt a little embarrassed that Padmé had chosen to show her affection for him at this precise moment, with the men on the bridge watching. Well at least they can see that I'm no longer Darth Vader, he reasoned as he put his arm around Padmé. "Thanks," he said. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that she managed to talk me into it. She's had me wrapped around my finger since we met on the Death Star."

Padmé laughed. "That doesn't surprise me in the least," she replied.

Jabba's Palace- Planet Tatooine

Chewbacca shuffled through the throne room, ankles manacled together, carrying a tray of drinks. The ignominy of the situation was almost more than the proud creature could bear; but he knew that any resistance would only end in punishment. Chewbacca could be patient when he needed to be; and the situation he and Han found themselves in clearly called for patience. An opportunity would present itself, of that Chewbacca was certain. In the mean time, he would bide his time, and do his best to keep the young one from doing anything stupid. Easier said than done, Chewbacca reflected as he served his tray of drinks to the various creatures that filled the throne room. Han was nothing if not impulsive…not to mention pig headed…

As for Han, he'd been put to work in the basement, where he was assigned to repairing the palace's droids and mechanical devices. It at least kept his mind off of how desperate a situation he was in. Han enjoyed working with his hands, and he was good at it; so thus far he had managed to avoid being punished. However, unlike Chewbacca, he was not a patient man. He was constantly looking for a way to escape, but so far no opportunities had presented themselves. I'll never get out of here if I'm stuck down here, he reasoned as he packed up the tools he'd been using. I have to get up to the throne room; I have to get closer to the surface…

While Han wracked his brain thinking of an excuse to go upstairs, Chewbacca entered the repair shop.

"I brought you some supper," he told Han, setting a tray down on the work bench where Han had just been busy at work.

"Thanks," he said, looking at the extremely unappetizing tray of slop. "I think," he added wryly.

"I need to get upstairs," Han told his friend between mouthfuls. "We'll never get out of here if I'm stuck down here."

"I may have an idea," Chewie said. "The food replicator has been malfunctioning a lot. You could come up to repair it."

"Yeah," Han replied, taking hope. "Good thinking, pal! I'll come up tonight when most of them have gone to sleep. Who knows, we might get lucky."

"I hope so," Chewbacca replied. "I'm getting pretty tired of serving drinks to these low lifes."

"Hey, at least we're still alive pal," Han reminded his friend. "That's something."

"I guess so," Chewbacca replied. "I'd better get back upstairs before someone starts complaining about being thirsty," he said with a roll of his eyes.

Han laughed. "Okay, I'll be upstairs as soon as night falls. Be ready for anything, pal."

Chewbacca nodded his understanding and then left Han to return to his own duties.