Chapter 95
AN: Thanks to all the readers for their continued interest and great reviews. I apologize for how long this chapter is taking. I also was finishing "Beyond This Night" which tells about Ari's parents and Ari's life as a child on Naboo. Now, without further ado, the next chapter.
Ari's wish came true. Just after the morning meal, which was much later than usual, a lone, cloaked figure entered the palace of Jabba the Hutt. While most of the beings were just waking from their drunken sleep, Jabba was dozing as he often did. Attached to his dais was Princess Leia Organa. She was dressed in a skimpy outfit, made of gold metal that barely covered her, with a maroon cloth for a skirt. Like the others, she wore thing leather boots that went halfway up to her knees. Melina had done her job by braiding Leia's hair and keeping it in place with a gold and maroon hairpiece and given a pair of medium sized hoop earrings. Around her neck, was the collar that connected to the heavy chain that kept her a captive of Jabba.
Ari took all of this in the first few seconds she was in the room. She felt sad and embarrassed for Leia, but the Princess stood with her back straight, head held proudly. Even though she had faced much sadness and loss in her life, she refused to have it beat her.
Melina was clearly not pleased by Arica or Ari because they had disobeyed orders the night before. Both of the girls were glancing into the main audience chamber and Melina, who was standing nearby, shot them looks that showed exactly how she felt.
Ari felt a change all of a sudden and she became more alert of her surroundings. It was a change in the Force. She noticed that Arica had tensed as well and Ari once again wondered what this other woman's story was.
She did not focus on that though. Luke's plan was now coming into play. She could hear voices, one was that of Jabba's right hand man, Bib Fortuna, the other, while low, she was certain had to be Luke's. That idea was also supported when she saw Leia sit up a bit more, craning her neck slightly as if to have a better view of the two shadowed figures. She sat up a bit more, and then Ari saw a figure wearing a simple brown cloak enter, head covered by the hood.
He walked right in front of Jabba, and Ari noticed how he stole a look at Leia, probably to make sure she was alright.
She saw Bib Fortuna walk up to the sleeping Jabba while guards and other beings that had passed out in the room awoken from their drunken slumber due to this newcomer.
"At last! Master Luke's come to rescue me." Threepio's voice carried easily, and many more beings awoke, inching a bit closer to Jabba and this visitor.
Bib Fortuna awoke Jabba by announcing Luke. He seemed very willing to do so, more than Ari had thought he would. Jabba on the other hand was not pleased at all to see the young Jedi.
"I must be allowed to speak," Luke announced, interrupting the interaction between Jabba and Bib Fortuna. He carried an air of authority that Ari had not seen before. He looked and acted very much like the Jedi Knight he claimed to be. In the faint light coming in, Ari realized his robe was much like one that Ben would have worn. It made him seem older.
The albino Twi'lek seemed to repeat this, from what Ari knew of the Huttese language. She smiled to herself, making sure it did not show on her features. Clearly, Jabba was not happy about this, since he grabbed the humanoid by the front of his robe, pulling him close. When Jabba bellowed out about a Jedi mind trick, she knew that is what it had to be. Had that also been how he had gotten past the guards?
Bib Fortuna was pushed back from an irate Jabba, and Luke did not waste any time. He pulled back his hood to reveal himself then took a few steps closer, eyes never leaving Jabba.
"You will bring Captain Solo and the Wookiee to me," he stated calmly, as if he was simply talking about the harvest or the weather.
Jabba's reply could be understood just in the tone of his voice. He would not be swayed by a Jedi mind trick. Siri had told Ari that it only worked on the weak minded. While she had thought Jabba might be in that category, apparently she had been mistaken. A flicker of movement caught Ari's eye and she peered through the dim lighting to where the Hutt sat. It was Boba Fett, clearly intent on protecting Jabba.
"Nevertheless, I'm 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." Once again, his voice was firm and strong. While his words could be considered a threat, his body language, while tense, did not show any signs of an attack.
As this was going on, Ari felt rather than saw movement to her side and when she glanced over, she saw that Arica was rushing down the hallway. While she was curious and wary as to what the woman was doing, Ari stayed where she was. It was possible Luke would need her. Almost immediately though, she heard a voice inside her head. It sounded just like Luke, but he was not even looking at her. Right away she knew it had to be through the Force. Do not reveal your identity, no matter what.
Ari's thoughts were interrupted by Jabba's harsh, loud laugh that sent chills down Ari's spine and she thought she saw one or two of the other dancers shiver. In some ways, his anger might have been easier to deal with and understand.
"Master Luke, you're standing on..." Threepio started to speak but was cut off by Jabba, who seemed to stress his words by pulling on the chain that was keeping Leia captive.
Once again Ari only caught part of what was being said. It was enough though, to know that Jabba planned on killing Luke. She also had a feeling she knew how. She wanted to shout out to Luke, to finish Threepio's warning but held back, remembering what she had just been told through the Force. As the Hutt was talking, Ari noticed Luke glance over for a moment, to where Bib Fortuna now stood, next to a very familiar, dark skinned guard.
What occurred next happened so quickly that it took Ari a moment to process it all. Luke reached out with his hand. One of the blasters from a nearby guard flew into Luke's outstretched and waiting hand. He turned the blaster as if to shoot at Jabba, but the usually slow, slug like crime lord was now moving fast.
"Bascka!" he yelled, and suddenly the floor gave way. Luke and a nearby Gamorrean guard fell down into the pit. A shot rang out as the blaster went off, hitting the ceiling before disappearing, whether into the pit or among the crowd, Ari didn't know, nor was it her first concern. Luke had just fallen into the pit of a rancor!
Everyone pushed forward to look and Ari saw Lando go to Leia's side and shake his head ever so slightly. His meaning was clear. Whatever Leia wanted to do, she could not do it. Luke was on his own. 'At least he has his lightsaber,' Ari thought to herself, then frowned slightly. She had not seen him with it and if he did have it, wouldn't he have used it by now? The knot of dread in her stomach grew as she was half pushed by the crowd the last few feet to look in the pit below.
The guard and look had seemed to physically fine after sliding down the twenty foot chute. Luke's cape was now lying forgotten on the ground, amid the bones of the rancor's victims, which allowed Ari to see that there was no metal cylinder on his belt. Where was his lightsaber?
A rumbling sound was heard and Ari could see that a gate was slowly lifting. Right away she knew what it was.
"Oh, no! The Rancor!" Threepio exclaimed and as the creature was revealed, Ari caught Leia's horrified face.
As the rancor emerged, Luke took a few steps back. The guard on the other hand was too scared to think of anything else but escaping. He went to the chute he and Luke had just fallen though and attempted to climb, squealing in fear the whole time.
The crowd above the pit was loud, the patrons laughing and a few even taking bets on how long Luke and the guard would survive before the creature devoured them.
All the sound the guard made drew the rancor's attention and he grabbed the Gamorrean. Ari was able to look away before the guard was eaten, but she could still hear the sound of bones crunching in the animal's pointed teeth.
Still clearly hungry, the monstrous creature reached for Luke. There was no place for him to escape to, but as he looked around, he caught sight of a large bone, one that had been a part of one of the rancor's meals in the past.
Luke backed up a few more feet, but then he had a wall behind him. He was enclosed. The rancor reached out and grabbed Luke in a very firm grip. The crowd above was cheering even more. Ari, on the other hand, had to fight everything inside of her to not jump down there and help him. "Luke…" she whispered, fearful as the rancor brought Luke to his large, open mouth.
Even Leia had a look of fear and disgust on her face as Luke was moving toward the rancor's mouth. All of a sudden, Luke jammed the bone into its mouth and it dropped Luke as it roared, trying to dislodge the bone, arms swinging wildly.
Luke used this chance to sneak under a small crevice and after snapping the bone with its jaws, the rancor came after him again. It reached out with its long nailed claws to grab at Luke. Ari tried to see what was going on but it was hard to see what Luke was doing. She was leaning even closer to the grating watching intently. "Come on, Luke…" she whispered, not even able to hear herself over the roar of the crowd.
The rancor then pulled back, crying out in what Ari could only assume, was pain. It took a few steps back, and Luke took full advantage of it. He was on his feet and rushing to where the only door to the pit was. For a few moments, Luke was lost from view and the crowding aliens did not help. She tried to watch what was going on and she managed to see Luke, pressed against the wall. He reached down to pick up something from the ground. A rock? No, Ari could clearly see eye sockets. It was another victim of the rancor's.
Luke threw the skull at something on the other wall as the rancor came closer. He was almost right upon Luke again. Everyone was cheering, but it abruptly changed as the thick metal door came slamming down, right on the rancor, squashing the giant creature. As the crowd saw what happened, they started to gasp and shout out exclamations, amazed that the rancor had been defeated. Leia was unable to suppress her joy at this, and Ari had to cover her face as best she could to hide the wide smile she wore.
These two women seemed to be the only ones. Jabba was angrier than Ari had ever heard him. He gave orders to his guards who moved off in different directions. Lando was almost running as he rushed by Ari. He appeared a few minutes later with Luke, Jabba still bellowing in anger. While Luke seemed as if he was being led by Lando, Han was roughly being pushed toward Jabba by some Gamorrean guards.
"Han!" Luke shouted when he saw his friend. He was pushed past Ari and gave her the slightest smile of reassurance.
"Luke!" The smuggler sounded very relieved to hear the Tatooine native's familiar voice, since he was still unable to see.
"Are you all right?" Luke asked, seeing his inability to stand or walk.
"Fine. Together again, huh?" Han asked, a bit of attitude back in his voice.
"Wouldn't miss it," Luke replied as he was pushed a bit further in front of Jabba, Han soon being pushed beside him, Chewie following.
"How are we doing?" Han asked
"The same as always."
"That bad, huh?" Han questioned, a hint of joking still in his tone. "Where's Leia?"
"I'm here," Leia quickly assured him. Ari looked over the group. A number of guards were around Chewie, Han and Luke, weapons at ready. Boba Fett was standing beside Jabba, making any attempt to escape almost impossible.
Jabba started to speak, anger now clearly turning into something else. Something that Ari knew would follow. Revenge.
Threepio came forward and started to translate . "Oh, dear. His High Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated immediately."
"Good, I hate long waits," Han answered with his cocky attitude
"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 continued.
Ari gasped. She knew what the Sarlacc was and what would happen to those who fell prey to it. She had been warned never to go to that area of the planet. That type of death would be a horrible, painful one.
"Doesn't sound so bad," Han remarked, glancing over to where Luke was. Maybe he could at least see shapes, like where different beings were.
"In his belly, you will find a new definition of pain and suffering, as you are slowly digested over a thousand years." Threepio sounded very worried as he said this, clearly imagining it. Usually the droid saw things worse than they were, however, this time he probably was correct on how horrible that fate would be.
"On second thought, let's pass on that, huh?" Han replied, his dry humor not missing a beat. Chewie gave a bark, probably agreeing with Han.
"You should have bargained, Jabba. That's the last mistake you'll ever make," Luke answered threateningly.
Jabba laughed at this in a menacing way, and Leia finally caught sight of Ari, she gave her a look that showed she was concerned. Ari gave a slight nod. She was worried too, however as she saw Luke being led out, a secretive smile on his face, she felt slightly reassured.