Another long one, yeesh. I'm just spouting these long chapters left and right in all of my stories haha.
The story should pick up after the next chapter. I just realized we're on chapter nine and we're not even past the first day haha.
Ah, I'll figure it out haha.
So, thank you for having Obi-Wan level patience with me haha.
Thank you for your wonderful reviews! I love the support and it encourages me to keep writing! Keep up the reviewing!
Enjoy!
Anakin watched over Aria's shoulder as she powered up her laptop, eager to finally see this Luke Skywalker. He raised his eyebrows when he saw a picture of himself—the older him from the third episode he guessed—on her password screen. Aria blushed.
"Don't judge please," she mumbled, typing in the password and waiting for the computer to load. She pulled up the desktop, and this time Anakin's expression wasn't discreet as he openly stared at her. He was all over her background; the current him too, so she couldn't weasel out of it. She pointed at him as she waited for something to load. "Don't judge."
"I think you're her favorite Anakin," Obi-Wan said with a smirk. Aria simply made a strangled, exasperated sound of embarrassment and continued what she was doing, pulling up something called Youtube.
She went to something she had saved as Star Wars Scenes on the page, on scrolled past all of the titles before any of them could register anything down to the bottom. Anakin read through the titles out loud.
"Luke Meets Yoda, Empire Strikes Back Yoda's Hut, Yoda training Luke part one, Yoda training Luke part two Do or Do Not There Is No Try. You didn't tell us Yoda was alive during Luke's time!" Anakin said, frustrated that she hadn't told them.
Aria smiled sheepishly. "You didn't ask…and besides, Yoda was nearing the end of his days by now…"
Anakin and Obi-Wan both shifted uncomfortably at the thought of Yoda dying, though said nothing as Aria selected Luke Meets Yoda. "This isn't the best quality, but it's better than nothing," she said with a small smile. The picture filled the screen, revealing a dark swamp, a shaggy haired blonde boy in tan clothes, and a filthy but familiar looking astromech droid…
"Is that R2?" Anakin and Padme both asked in shock.
"Yup. Yoda isn't the only familiar face…be forewarned, he won't be acting…himself at first…he's going to take advantage of the fact Luke doesn't know what he looks like…" Aria said.
Anakin cocked an eyebrow, weary of what she was implying, but let his gaze rivet back to the screen.
"Let's see now…that one there…" Luke mumbled too himself while R2 beeped and whirred quietly. He stood up, dusting off his hands. "There we go."
"Now all I got to do is find this Yoda," Luke said with a sigh, standing up and looking around. "If he even exists…"
He sighed, picking up a sack and moving it to the other side of the pitiful makeshift camp, still looking around. "It's a really strange place to find a Jedi Master…this place gives me the creeps." He paused to take a bite out of something in what looked like a military ration meal box. "Still…there's something familiar about this place..."
R2 beeped in question.
"I don't know…I feel like…"
"Feel like what?" came a sudden new, familiar voice.
Luke whipped around instinctively, blaster drawn. "Like we're being watched."
Yoda, to Anakin's shock, seemed to be cowering. "Ah! Away put your weapon! I mean you no harm! I am wondering…why are you here?"
Luke slowly lowered his blaster, though he seemed to be ready to use it at the drop of a hat. "I'm looking for someone," he finally said hesitantly.
"Looking? Found someone you have, I would say, hmm?" Yoda said suddenly, laughing his strange little laugh and getting a small smile out of Luke.
"Right…"
"Help you I can, yes, hmm," Yoda said cheerfully.
"I don't think so," Luke said with a small laugh. "I'm looking for a great warrior."
Yoda hopped off of his perch on a log with another strange laugh. "Oh, great warrior! Wars not make one great!"
Luke stood up quickly as Yoda started snooping around his camp, seeming at a loss as to what to do with this strange green troll, even as it inspected his food. "Put that down, now—hey!" Luke protested, moving to yank the bar out of Yoda's hand and move the food away. "That's my dinner!"
Yoda spat out the small bit he had nibbled on. "How you get so big eating food of this kind?"
Yoda clambered onto one of the boxes. Luke, meanwhile, was inspecting his dinner, tossing what Yoda had nibbled on away with a sigh. "Listen friend, we didn't mean to land in that puddle, and if we could get our ship out we would but we can't, so why don't you just—"
"Aw, you can't get your ship out," Yoda said in a mocking voice, currently poking around in another box.
"Hey, get out of there!" Luke protested, setting down his dinner once more and trying to stop Yoda from digging around more.
Anakin was currently trying to figure out how this was the same wise Jedi Grandmaster that was respected by the entire Order.
"Oh…no!" Yoda protested as Luke swiped something out of his hands before growling lightly and going back to rummaging around in the box.
"Hey, you could have broken this!" Luke said in exasperation, fiddling with something in his hands even as Yoda threw something out of the box behind him. Luke groaned. "Don't do that…"
Yoda simply continued to pitch more items out of the box until he finally found something to his liking: a lamp.
Shocked couldn't even begin to cover how Anakin was feeling watching this. His brain rejected connecting this annoying little troll to Yoda. There was no way. None at all.
Yoda laughed, shining the lamp at R2. "Aw…you're making a mess…" Luke grumbled, moving to pick up everything Yoda had tossed out. He noticed Yoda had the lamp. "Hey, give me that!" he grumbled, reaching for it. Yoda yanked it out of his reach.
"Mine! Or I will help you not!"
"I don't want your help, I want my lamp back! I'm going to need it to get out of this slimy mud hole," Luke said in annoyance.
"Mud hole? Slimy? My home this is!" Yoda protested, even as R2 made a move to snatch the lamp back. Yoda whipped around, fighting with him. "Wha—"
"R2, let him have it," Luke said jadedly.
In an attempt to retrieve the lamp, Yoda picked up his gimmer stick and started to whack R2 repetitively with the stick. "Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!"
"R2!" Luke warned, and the droid finally let it go.
Anakin and Obi-Wan both shared a look of incredulity. There was no words for this moment. Just facial expressions and shock.
Yoda watched R2's arm retract, shutting the compartment with his gimmer stick and a satisfied chuckle.
"Can you move along little fellow, we've got a lot of work to do…" Luke said tiredly, obviously ready to be rid of the small troll.
"No, no, no, no, stay and help you I will! Find your friend, hmm?"
Luke sighed, looking like he had even less patience then he had begun with. "I'm not looking for a friend, I'm looking for a Jedi Master," he finally snapped.
Yoda's eyes got big. "Oh…Jedi Master; Yoda, you seek Yoda!"
That got Luke's attention, and he crouched down in front of the troll immediately. "You know him?" he asked in surprise and even a little desperation.
"Mm…take you to him I will!" Yoda said before he let loose a cackle.
Beside him, Aria snorted, obviously amused.
"Yes, yes, but now…we must eat," Yoda stated with a laugh. "Come! Good food!"
Luke watched him hobble away, seemingly at a loss for words and unsure if he really wanted to follow the crazy old troll. Finally, he seemed to swallow his pride and stood up. "R2. Stay and watch over the camp," he said decisively.
R2 let out a trill of protests, which Luke ignored, promptly leaving the camp behind.
The video ended, and Anakin sat back. "What the kriff was that?"
"Language," Aria chided him with a smile. "That would be Yoda testing Luke's nerves. It only gets better."
"There's more?" Obi-Wan asked, seeming at a cross between horrified and amused.
"Yes there is," Aria said with a smile that looked a little too evil for Anakin's taste, though he knew it was only playful. "It's next on the list, here…"
She clicked the next video, and Anakin shook his head, turning his attention back to the screen where the swamp had reappeared, but in a different place; a hut.
Outside in the rain, R2 raised up to peek in a window. The scene shifted, revealing Luke crouched down in a cramped position inside the tiny hut. "Look, I'm sure it's delicious, I just don't understand why we can't see Yoda now!"
"Patience! For the Jedi it is time to eat as well." Luke sighed softly at Yoda's reprimand, moving through the hut and tossing a snake distastefully out of the way to get a bowl. "Eat! Eat!" Yoda cackled in the back.
Luke stirred the substance in the small pot, grimacing after he tried it. "Good food, hmm? Good food!" Yoda called from the back.
"How far away is Yoda, will it take us long to get there?" Luke asked, avoiding Yoda's inquiry about the food.
"Not far, Yoda not far," Yoda said, chuckling mischievously as he said it. "Patience. Soon, you will be with him."
Luke moved out of Yoda's way with a sigh. "Quickly!" Yoda added. "Why wish you become Jedi?"
Luke sighed. "Mostly because of my father, I guess…"
"Oh, father! Powerful Jedi was he," Yoda said with a nod and a chuckle. "Powerful Jedi…"
"Oh come on," Luke said, nudging Yoda. "How could you know my father, you don't even know who I am!"
Suddenly, Luke had an outburst, one that Anakin noticed caused Aria to flinch and Obi-Wan's eyebrows to shoot up in wary surprise.
"Oh, I don't even know what I'm doing here, we're wasting our time!" Luke snapped in anger, sighing as he tried to calm down in and running a hand through his hair. He put his chin on his fist, staring at the wall in frustration.
Yoda sighed, and his entire act cropped away, his entire demeanor changing. "I cannot teach him…the boy has no patience."
Luke stared at Yoda, obviously trying to figure out why he was talking to himself. Suddenly, a new voice joined them.
"He will learn patience," a disembodied voice echoed.
Yoda grunted, turning to face Luke. "Much anger in him…like his father."
"Was I any different when you taught me?" the voice spoke again, causing them all to look around.
Yoda turned back to Luke. "He is not ready."
Realization—and even horror—hit Luke. "Yoda…" he gasped.
"Yeah, that's right Luke, register the fact that you have been griping and snapping at Master Yoda," Aria said with a smirk.
"I would die," Anakin mumbled.
Yoda nodded in confirmation and Luke seemed to panic. "I-I am ready! I…Ben! I-I can be a Jedi! Ben, tell him I'm rea—" Luke cut off as he reached near shouting, hitting his head hard on the ceiling and recoiling in pain. "Ah…" he groaned.
"Ready are you?" Yoda asked sharply. "What knows ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi…my own council I will keep on who is to be trained," Yoda chided Luke, who was now sitting stiffly, alert, weary of the small being circling him. He truly seemed humbled at the moment, and Yoda simply kept humbling him.
"A Jedi must have the deepest commitment…the most serious mind…" Luke nodded, though Yoda looked upwards.
"This one: a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away to the future, to the horizon…never his mind on where he was!" Yoda suddenly said sharply, startling Luke as Yoda poked his gimmer stick at Luke's chest. Apparently, his mind had briefly wandered. "What he was doing!"
Luke looked abashed as Yoda hobbled around him. "Adventure...heh…excitement…ha! A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless!"
Luke drew back at Yoda's accusation, a strange look on his face, like a child who had just been severely scolded.
"So was I, if you remember," the voice said again, intervening once more.
"He is too old!" Yoda said stubbornly.
The comment caused Anakin to bristle, hearing a supposed descendent being denied training because the exact same reason he had been denied.
"Yes…too old to begin the training," Yoda said decisively.
Luke looked exasperated and even a little desperate. "But I've learned so much!"
Yoda sighed. "Will he finish what he begins?" he asked the disembodied voice as if Luke wasn't there.
"I won't fail you!" Luke said firmly. "I'm not afraid!"
"You will be…you will be…" Yoda said quietly.
The video ended and Anakin blinked. "That's it," Aria said. "Well…that's it of Luke meets Yoda…"
"Can't we see the others?" Anakin asked desperately, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice.
Aria chewed at her bottom lip. "It's just Luke training…nothing special particularly…I could show you Luke in the next movie, when his training is complete. It's a big difference."
Alaric, sitting in the chair next to her, cocked an eyebrow, so she clarified. "It'd only be a little bit though…perhaps the opening, the sarlacc pit? That's one of my favorite parts, and I was hard pressed to find the HD quality online of the whole scene."
"That one would be fine. I think it's perfect," Alaric said with a smile.
Anakin scowled. "Still keeping secrets I see."
Aria shrugged. "Just avoiding the parts that mention any of you three. It would probably be best if your futures remained anonymous."
"I thought Ben was his son in the future?" Obi-Wan suddenly cut it.
"Luke named him after the Jedi who found him and directed him to Yoda," Aria said, glad he'd changed the subject though a little jumpy that he had come so close to his own future. "Anyway, the sarlacc pit; Luke and friends were attempting to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, though the original plan didn't go so well and Leia ended up captured…oh why am I explaining? We'll just watch it from the start…"
Anakin sighed, sitting back again. "Alright, roll the movie. This should be interesting."
Aria smirked and hit play, smiling a little as one of her favorite movies from the Star Wars series started to play.
'Episode VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI. Luke Skywalker has returned to his home planet of Tatooine in an attempt to rescue his friend Han Solo from the clutches of the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt. Little does Luke know that the GALACTIC EMPIRE has secretly begun construction on a new armored space station even more powerful than the first dreaded Death Star. When completed, this ultimate weapon will spell certain doom for the small band of rebels struggling to restore freedom to the galaxy...'
The scene shifted to a large space station hovering over a planet, looking like the massive project was still under construction. A large ship entered the top of the picture, and a smaller ship could be seen exiting it, headed for the space station in the distance flanked by two other ships.
"Command station. This is ST-321, code clearance blue. We're starting our approach, deactivate the security shield."
"Security deflector shield will be deactivated when we have confirmation of your code transmission; stand by…you are cleared to proceed."
"We're starting our approach."
Alarms went off as the ship began to dock.
"Inform the commander that Lord Vader's shuttle has arrived."
Anakin sat up straighter in his seat. So this Darth Vader character was in this movie, and she was actually going to let them see a clip with him. His curiosity almost overwhelmed him as he focused entirely on the screen in front of him. He could feel equal levels of concentration coming from Obi-Wan as well, though it seemed Aria was struggling to remain calm beside Anakin.
"Yes sir."
The ramp lowered slowly, and the entire room seemed to hold its breath as a large, intimidating character descended the ramp, clad entirely in black.
Anakin shivered instinctively at the horrible mechanical breathing that came from the man. It sent chills down his spine.
"Lord Vader, this is an unexpected pleasure, we're honored by your presence."
"You may dispense with the pleasantries commander," Vader growled in a deep and resounding voice through a voice modulator. "I'm here to put you back on schedule."
"I assure you Lord Vader, my men are working as fast as they can."
"Perhaps I can find new ways to motivate them."
"I tell you this station will be operational as planned."
"The Emperor does not share your optimistic appraisal of the situation."
"But he asks the impossible! I need more men."
"Then perhaps you can tell him when he arrives."
The commander looked horrified. "The Emperor's coming here?"
"That is correct commander. And he is most displeased with your apparent lack of progress."
"We shall double our efforts."
"I hope so commander, for your sake. The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am," Vader threatened before turning on his heel and swiftly leaving the room to a flamboyant fanfare.
"Says the guy who strangles people because they annoy him," Aria muttered with a small snicker. "Oh irony…though I guess at this point he was getting better about it."
Anakin stared at her for discussing such a thing so lightly, though Alaric shushed her. "Aria, they're trying to watch."
Aria blushed. "Right, sorry. Darth Vader everyone."
"Yeah, your favorite Sith," Joshua said with a somewhat evil looking smile for a child as he joined the small group.
"Joshua, shush," Aria said, her face as red as a Sith's lightsaber.
Anakin turned his gaze back to the screen where two very familiar droids were walking along the familiar landscape of Tatooine. R2 beeped out a question, to which 3PO responded rather solemnly.
"Of course I'm worried; and you should be too. Lando Calrissian and poor Chewbacca never returned from this awful place."
R2 beeped and whirred in response.
"Don't be so sure," 3PO chided.
R2 beeped indignantly.
"If I told you half the things I've heard about this Jabba the Hutt, you'd probably short circuit."
The two cautiously approached Jabba's palace, and 3PO knocked on the door lightly. "There doesn't seem to be anyone here," he said almost immediately. "Let's go back and tell Master Luke."
R2 beeped at him the same moment a mechanical eye popped out, inspecting 3PO and asking a question or two in Huttese, to which 3PO responded somewhat hesitantly, explaining who they were and why they were there. The mechanical eye withdrew with a chuckle.
"I don't think they're going to let us in R2," 3PO said rather cheerily. "We better go."
As soon as he started to walk away the door began to open, and R2 rolled right in as soon as the door cleared his head. "R2, wait!" 3PO called. "Oh dear…"
Anakin watched in obvious amusement as 3PO fumbled after R2, jumping at every moving shadow and creature. He had to hold back his chuckle, though he didn't bother hiding his smirk. Instead he watched as the two droids were finally brought before Jabba, and 3PO told R2 to play the message from Luke. A million questions whirred through his head, though he had a feeling that they wouldn't be answered anyway, so he kept them to himself.
The young man appeared in holographic form, looking older than in the last video they'd seen him in; much more mature, but also like he had gone through much more. It made Anakin wonder what had happened in the previous film.
"Greetings Exalted One. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight and friend to Captain Solo," Luke said solemnly.
Even in the video Anakin could tell that Luke did not wear traditional Jedi robes, and he wore all black instead of the usual lighter colors. It was a fact he filed away for later with all of the other questions in his mind.
"I know that you are powerful mighty Jabba, and that your anger with Solo must be equally powerful. I seek an audience with Your Greatness to bargain for Solo's life. With your wisdom, I'm sure we can work out an arrangement which would be mutually beneficial, and would enable us to avoid any unpleasant confrontations. As a token of my good will, I present to you a gift; these two droids."
"What did he say?" 3PO asked in a near panic almost immediately.
"Both are hardworking, and will serve you well."
"This can't be! R2, you're playing the wrong message!" 3PO stated immediately.
Anakin frowned, trying to figure out what Luke was playing at. It was obvious he had something in mind, though what…he'd need a little more to figure that part out. He watched the other scenes unfold with mild curiosity; R2 and 3PO being prepared to serve Jabba, the dancer's death, the bounty hunter bringing the wookiee in, and his curiosity only served to grow when that same bounty hunter was snooping around later that night, approaching the frozen man Anakin assumed was this Han Solo on Jabba's wall and releasing him from the carbonite.
"Just relax for a moment," the bounty hunter croaked to the shivering and panicking Solo. "You are free of the carbonite. You have hibernation sickness."
"I can't see," Solo said immediately, obviously uncomfortable with the disability.
"Your eyesight will return in time."
"W-where am I?"
"Jabba's palace."
Solo froze and gasped lightly when he touched the mask on the bounty hunter's face. "Who are you?"
The bounter hunter removed the mask covering their head, revealing underneath…a beautiful woman.
"Someone who loves you," she said softly with a smile.
"Leia," Solo gasped before the woman kissed him passionately.
"I've got to get you out of here," she said, helping him to his feet.
Suddenly, a menacing chuckle echoed around the room. "What's that?" Solo asked. The laugh came again, and Solo froze. "I know that laugh…"
A curtain pulled back, revealing a very well awake Jabba and several of his servants.
"And so plan A fails," Aria muttered. Anakin glanced at her with a frown, watching as Solo tried to wiggle them out of their current situation before both of them were detained, lead to separate places. Solo was put in the cell with the Wookiee from earlier, Chewbacca.
"Chewy?" Solo asked hesitantly when he heard a low grunt. The wookiee let out a howl of confirmation. "Chewy is that you?"
Chewbacca ran to him, wrapping him up in his arms. "Ch-chewy! I c-can't see pal! What's going on?"
Chewbacca growled in response.
"Luke?" Solo laughed. "Luke's crazy! He can't even take care of himself, much less rescue anybody!"
Chewbacca made some rather protesting sounds in response.
"A…A Jedi Knight?" Solo laughed even harder. "I'm out of it for a little while, and everyone gets delusions of grandeur…"
Chewbacca grabbed Solo in a bear hug, wiping Solo's wet hair back as Solo tried to bat his hand away unsuccessfully.
"I'm all right pal…I'm all right…"
Anakin snorted. "He seems to have a lot of faith in his friend."
"He's also been in that carbonite for about a year now. He's missed a lot, and last he knew he still had to tail Luke to make sure Luke didn't get himself killed," Aria said with a smirk. "Now shh, I think Luke's coming now."
Anakin turned his attention back to the screen, where a hooded figure was making his way silently into Jabba's palace with little resistance until his way was blocked by two Gamorreans. The figure, who Anakin was pretty sure was Luke thanks to Aria, looked at the two for only a second before he put them both in a Force Choke long enough to get them out of his way before he continued on with purpose. The scene shifted, and Anakin could see that everyone was asleep, and poor Leia was in a golden bikini, chained to Jabba's side. The sight caused a flare of anger in Anakin, though he snuffed it out whenever Luke came back into the picture. Jabba's little henchman hurried to stop Luke before he could enter the room.
"I must speak with Jabba," Luke said calmly, looking like he was ready to push right past the man.
The man continued to protest, and Luke eyed him for a moment. "You will take me to Jabba now," he said calmly, waving a finger.
Anakin smirked. Typical Jedi Mind Trick…
"You serve your master well, and you will be rewarded," Luke said as the man hurriedly brought him before Jabba.
"At last! Master Luke has come to rescue me!" 3PO exclaimed as the man woke up Jabba. The gangster was immediately put into a bad mood.
"I must be allowed to speak," Luke said calmly despite the Hutt's bad mood and sharp accusations. The fact he had just used another mind trick almost could have slipped away from the watcher's attention had Jabba not gone into a rage when his man fell under Luke's influence, shouting at him that he was weak minded and throwing him aside.
"You will bring Captain Solo and the wookiee to me," Luke said sharply, finally removing his hood so everyone could see his face.
Jabba simply laughed at him, waving off is demand easily.
"Nevertheless," Luke said calmly, slowly pacing forward closer to Jabba. "I am 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 my powers."
Anakin raised his eyebrows. "A bold one isn't he?"
"Not any more than you are," Aria said with a small smirk. "Shh, it's about to get interesting..."
"Master Luke! You're standing on—" 3PO started, trying to warn Luke of something before Jabba cut him off, denying Luke's request.
Luke's still form snapped into action in a split second, his hand reaching out and calling the nearest blaster into his grip before a trapdoor opened below him, dropping him into the same pit the dancer had fallen into, as well as one of the Gamorrean guards.
Luke landed with a grunt, but he was quick to get back on his feet, tossing his robe aside as he gazed upward at the members of Jabba's palace who watched him from above. Anakin noted that he didn't have a lightsaber by his side, which caused him to frown. Why in the world would he be crazy enough to go into Jabba's palace without his lightsaber?
The giant metal door in the pit opened, revealing a huge rancor and causing Anakin to grimace. This wasn't good. It wasn't good at all.
It seemed Luke was thinking the same thing, eyes wide as he slowly backed away while the Gamorrean guard started squealing and tried in vain to get away. The rancor simply grabbed the creature, devouring him in three easy bites. It turned to Luke, who grabbed a bone in defense.
"Yes, because that is going to help against a rancor," Joshua scoffed.
"Hey, Luke is amazing, he made do with what he had," Aria chided him the same time the rancor grabbed Luke.
Anakin watched, mildly impressed as Luke jabbed at the rancor's mouth with the bone before wedging it between the rancor's jaws. Angry, the rancor dropped him, and Luke dashed for cover in a small space between the rock wall and the ground. The rancor snapped the bone in half, making a move for Luke, who had just spotted a door on the other side of the pit.
Luke smashed the rancor's hand with a nearby rock before leaping to his feet and sprinting past the creature for the door on the other end. The first door opened, but past that was a metal grate that he grasped in desperation, yanking on the metal as if that would do something before he turned around to face the rancor once more.
And the creature was nowhere near happy.
Breathing heavily, Luke's eyes zoomed in on the button just a few feet away. "The gate…"
He grabbed another rock on the floor, and instead of running to the button, now way too close to the rancor to be safe, he threw the rock at it. Sparks flew, but the gate's door slammed shut, the spikes impaling the rancor's neck easily and killing it. Everyone paused before giving a cry of outrage, though Anakin breathed a sigh of relief with Luke. At least Luke didn't have to worry about the rancor now.
One of the guards burst through the gate, grabbing Luke by the throat until the beast tamer pushed him out of the way, though he simply grabbed Luke again, dragging him away.
Jabba barked out some orders and the guard that Anakin had a feeling there was something special about left to follow them promptly. Anakin had to hide a small smile as the beast tamer cried over the dead rancor. It was kind of amusing.
Luke was dragged up the stairs, hands bound behind his back. "Han!" he called out.
"Luke!" Solo responded immediately, being dragged in from the opposite hall.
"Are you all right?" Luke asked as they were shoved forward, Solo rather awkwardly given his blindness.
"Fine. Together again, huh?"
"Wouldn't miss it."
"How we doin?"
"Same as always."
"That bad huh?"
Aria chuckled behind Anakin, who had also snickered. "I love that part," she said.
"Where's Leia?" Solo asked.
"I'm here," she responded from in front of Jabba.
"Oh dear…" 3PO said before he started translating. "His High Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated…immediately."
"Good, I hate long waits," Solo said sarcastically.
"He sounds so much like you Anakin, it's unnerving," Obi-Wan said with a wry grin. Anakin simply rolled his eyes.
"You will therefore be taken to the Dune Sea, and cast into the pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful sarlacc," 3PO continued as Luke listened intently, nodding slowly.
"Doesn't sound so bad," Han muttered.
"Not bad? He's not from Tatooine, is he," Anakin said in a voice of incredulousness.
"Nope," Aria said simply.
"In his belly you will find a new definition of pain and suffering as you are slowly digested over a thousand years," 3PO finished softly.
Chewbacca gave a loud howl.
"On second thought let's pass on that, huh?" Han said, a little wide eyed. Luke, however, was smiling.
"Why the kriff is he smiling?" Anakin asked in shock.
"Because he has something up his sleeve. Shush and you'll find out," Aria said with a smile.
Anakin scowled. Everyone was all too happy about this.
"You should have bargained Jabba," Luke said in a threatening tone of voice, continuing to speak even as he was shoved away. "That's the last mistake you'll ever make!"
"How Jedi like of him," Anakin quipped.
"He's just stating fact," Aria responded.
The group made their way to the pit on skiffs, and soon it showed Luke and Solo on their small skiff.
"I think my eyes are getting better…" Solo said slowly. "Instead of a big dark blur I see a big light blur," he stated sourly, blinking as if it would help while Luke stood calmly at his side. Luke smiled a little.
"There's nothing to see. I used to live here you know," he said rather matter-of-fact like.
Han gave him a look. "You're going to die here you know. Convenient."
Anakin snorted, a bitter scowl on his face.
Luke rolled his eyes. "Just stick close to Chewy and Lando. I've taken care of everything…"
Han had a look between incredulousness and a scowl on his face. "Oh…great…" he said sarcastically.
Once more the scene shifted to Leia, and Anakin looked away. He'd been looking away during all of these scenes. He didn't want to see it. He looked back at the screen however when he heard a crash and a familiar beep. It seemed 3PO had just run into R2, who was serving drinks on Jabba's skiff.
"I'm terribly sorry—" 3PO started before he cut off. "R2! What are you doing here?"
R2 beeped and whirred in reply.
"Well I can see you're serving drinks, but this place is dangerous! They're going to execute Master Luke and if we're not careful us too!"
R2 whirred.
"Humph, I wish I had your confidence."
The skiffs finally came to a stop at the pit, and the long tentacles could already be seen reaching out of the pit. Luke was pushed to the front and he peered with what appeared to be only half interest down into the pit, studying the teeth, tentacles, and beak.
"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," 3PO translated for Jabba. Luke stood straight and defiant, released from his bonds. But it was Solo who spoke, and Luke watched him warily from his peripherals at what he said.
"3PO! You tell that slimy piece of worm ridden filth that he'll get no such pleasure from us!" Solo stated boldly. However, he ruined the effect by pausing. "Right?"
Luke stepped forward. "Jabba…this is your last chance. Free us, or die."
Anakin's current frown deepened. What has he got up his sleeve, he wondered, frustrated he couldn't figure out what had him so cocky.
Jabba simply laughed before giving the command, and Luke was prodded forward down the plank towards the pit. He stood on the very edge, peering up at the larger skiff instead of down towards the sarlacc. Then, he turned his head and nodded.
Anakin sat at the edge of his seat as the guard he had a gut feeling about nodded in turn, as Luke made eye contact with R2 who whirred softly in response and moved to confirm he'd seen the silent signal, as Han looked around as clueless as him, and Leia stood in tense anticipation for whatever was coming next. He could hardly take the suspense, and the music wasn't helping either.
Luke held his gaze with R2 and saluted, a small two finger salute to R2, and a compartment in R2's dome opened, revealing the hilt of a lightsaber.
Luke dropped from the pit, turned around, grabbed the edge, and used it to catapult himself over the guards the same time that R2 shot the lightsaber through the air and into Luke's awaiting hand. Luke immediately ignited its green blade, and proceeded to cut down the guards that held them prisoner. The guard Anakin had a gut feeling about ripped off his helmet and engaged the two guards behind him instantly. Guard after guard tumbled down into the sarlacc pit below as they quickly overcame the small force on the skiff.
"Easy Chewy," Luke said soothingly as he freed the struggling wookiee. Up on the larger skiff, a gunner got set up and shot close to the turncoat guard, causing him and the guard he was struggling with to go overboard. The turncoat guard clung to a wire for dear life the same time a bounty hunter in Mandalorian armor appeared, launching towards the skiff.
Luke turned to face the bounty hunter, cutting his gun clean in two easily with his lightsaber. A shot came at them, landing somewhere behind Luke, who was momentarily distracted as Solo and Chewbacca hit the deck.
"Chewy! You're hit? Where is it!" Solo cried out. Luke was halfway towards moving to help them when the bounty hunter he seemed to have momentarily forgotten fired a steel cable that wrapped tightly around Luke, momentarily immobilizing him.
"And that, Anakin, is why you must always be mindful of your surroundings and don't let your feelings cloud your judgment," Obi-Wan quipped from off to the side. Anakin scowled but didn't say anything, too engrossed in what was happening in front of him.
Luke deflected a shot the gunner above had taken at him, deflecting it back at the bounty hunter and freeing himself of the cable and knocking the bounty hunter somewhere they obviously could not see him.
"Han! Chewy!" the turncoat guard called.
"Lando!" Solo said in recognition.
Alright, not a turncoat guard; one of their friends who infiltrated the palace. So that's the Lando they were talking about, Anakin thought.
As more blaster fire came towards them from the other small skiff, Luke turned, running across the top of their skiff before jumping to the other skiff, already starting to cut down the thugs that were on the skiff. The bounty hunter got back to his feet, obviously zeroing in on Luke.
"Boba Fett? Boba Fett?" Solo asked Chewbacca, who was trying to warn Solo. "Where!" he shouted, turning around and accidentally damaging the bounter hunter's jetpack and sending him straight into the sarlacc pit.
Obi-Wan stiffened at the mention of Boba Fett, and Anakin tried to figure out why. Maybe the name was familiar to him…Anakin would have to remember to ask him later.
Up on the big skiff, Leia struck at a power panel, knocking out the lights on the skiff and shutting the blinds. Immediately she grabbed the chain that was hooked to the horrid collar on her and jumped behind Jabba, hooking the chain around his throat and pulling back with all of her might.
"Lando grab it!" Solo said as the scene changed to the blind Solo trying to rescue Lando.
"Lower it!" Lando hollered back.
"I'm trying," Solo growled.
Leia, miraculously, managed to kill Jabba, hopping down from her perch to try and find a way out of her chains.
Outside, the skiff Lando was dangling from and Solo and Chewbacca were still on got shot and tilted dangerously, putting Lando dangerously close to the sarlacc pit.
"Grab me Chewy!" Solo shouted.
"I'm slipping!" Lando interrupted.
"Come on, grab it!" Solo shouted at Lando.
The action drew Luke's attention, and it seemed he set his new target as the gunner continued his assault on the skiff. Luke launched himself towards the larger skiff, starting to scale up its side free-hand and even tossing another minion of the Hutt into the sarlacc pit on his way.
"Grab it, almost," Solo was encouraging Lando, who was slowly slipping closer to the pit. "You've almost got it!"
Luke finally made it up the skiff, and the first person he cut down was the gunner, finally freeing his friends from his deadly barrage before he turned to the other guards on top of the skiff.
"Gently now!" Solo was saying. "A-alright, easy, easy, hold it Chewy!"
One of the sarlacc's tentacles grabbed Lando, who gave a shout of terror.
"Chewy!" Solo shouted.
Up on the skiff, Luke was fighting off a new wave of guards who came at him on top of the large skiff.
"I hate how it keeps switching the point of view so fast," Anakin grumbled as it quickly switched back to Lando and Solo.
"Chewy, give me the gun!" Solo shouted, snatching a blaster from Chewbacca and taking aim. It only served to panic Lando a little more.
"Han!"
"Don't move Lando!"
"No wait! I thought you were blind!" Lando shouted back, waving his hand in the air.
"It's all right I can see a lot better! Don't move!"
"A little higher, just a little higher!" Lando practically screamed.
Solo fired despite Lando's panic and hit true, causing the sarlacc's tentacle that he had shot to withdraw, freeing Lando who immediately grabbed the rod Solo had been offering him.
"Chewy, pull us up!" Solo commanded. "Up Chewy, up!"
Meanwhile, R2 was freeing Leia from her chains.
"Come on, we gotta get out of here!" she said firmly as she stood up. R2 differed to go help 3PO while she moved on to the top of the skiff where Luke was.
"Leia! Get the gun!" Luke commanded, never tearing his eyes from his current opponents. "Point it at the deck!"
Leia hurried to do as she was told, slowly moving the gun in place.
"Point it at the deck!" Luke shouted again. He raised his hand to deflect one shot, but a guard came out of nowhere and shot him in the hand.
Anakin flinched while Luke hissed in pain before lashing out at the guard with his lightsaber. "That's got to hurt."
However, Luke simply continued on as if he didn't have a hole in his hand.
Anakin watched as 3PO and R2 jumped off the skiff—or in 3PO's case got pushed off the skiff—before the point of view changed again. Luke was running to a rope on the deck, holding out his hand and gesturing for her.
"Come on," he said, holding her tightly to him before he fired the gun and jumped from the deck, swinging onto the small skiff the others had managed to commandeer. "Let's go, and don't forget the droids!"
"We're on our way," Lando said with a grin as he powered up the skiff, leaving the scene behind moments before the giant skiff exploded into flames. The picture changed to show two different ships leaving the planet behind, perfectly in line before they split in two different directions. The scene focused on the smaller ship that Luke was piloting.
"I'll meet you back at the fleet," Luke informed the others.
"Hurry, the Alliance should be assembled now," came Leia's voice.
"I will," Luke assured her before Solo's voice came through.
"Hey Luke, thanks…thanks for coming after me…" Solo said, sounding uncomfortable with how soft he seemed. "Now I owe you one."
Luke laughed softly but said nothing. R2 beeped out a question. "That's right R2, we're going to the Dagobah system."
He reached over and grabbed a black glove, pulling it over his…mechanical hand.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa; when did that happen? When did he lose a hand? And when did cybernetic appendages look so normal?" Anakin suddenly blurted out.
"I have a promise to keep…to an old friend…" Luke said on screen.
"In the last episode Darth Vader cut off Luke's hand in a duel. That's where it came from. And this is much farther in the future, so the appendages are much more realistic by now," she explained.
Anakin nodded, looking back at the screen to see Darth Vader once more on the screen, except now he was…kneeling.
He had a bad feeling about this.
Aria moved to stop the video, but Anakin grabbed her wrist. "No, wait, I want to see this."
Aria hesitated. "I don't think that's the best…"
"I want to see this," he said again, much firmer and annoyed she was trying to stop him again.
She thought for a moment as an old man appeared, hidden mostly by the hood of his black robe as he descended the ramp with the help of a walking stick.
Why would this Darth Vader character bow to such a fragile old man?
Then again…maybe this was the Emperor they had been discussing earlier.
"Alright fine," Aria sighed. Anakin released her wrist the same moment that Vader rose from his knees and began to walk with the old man.
"The Death Star will be completed on schedule," Vader said in his deep mechanical voice.
"You've done well Lord Vader," the old man croaked, his voice somehow sharp despite its raspy quality. "And now I sense you wish to continue your search for young Skywalker."
Vader was silent for several moments besides his mechanical breathing. "Yes my Master," Vader said rather softly for his intimidating persona.
"Patience my friend. In time, he will seek you out. And when he does, you must bring him before me…he has grown strong…only together can we turn him to the dark side of the Force."
"As you wish," Vader said slowly.
"Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen," the old man croaked before letting out a cackle that bounced around the room.
Anakin shivered from the sound, but stopped when Aria hit the pause button. "That's the end of the scene," she explained before Anakin could complain.
"Who was that?" Anakin asked slowly. Obi-Wan was also watching Aria for any reaction. Neither of them missed the fact she hesitated.
"The Emperor," she finally answered. "Vader's Sith Lord Master."
Anakin shifted uncomfortably. "It was just a movie, but I still feel cold…like it was important…"
"Because it was…but it's not a topic for today," Aria said hesitantly. Alaric was watching the conversation closely, listening to every word.
Anakin scowled, but Aria waved off any oncoming questions. "I'll give you answers once I figure out where I need to draw the lines."
IN the kitchen, a shrill beep suddenly sounded, making Padme, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Aria all jump. Alaric snickered at them.
"It seems dinner's ready," Aria said with a smile. "You three are in luck; we're having chicken enchiladas tonight."
Anakin sighed. Still none of the answers he wanted, but still answers to keep him satisfied. But he didn't bother pushing the subject any more. He was starting to get a little hungry…
Alaric stood up with a sigh. "I want to talk to you alone when we're done eating dinner," he told her softly.
"Okay," Aria said easily.
Anakin genuinely hoped that she wasn't in trouble for any reason. Especially if it had anything to do with him.
