Chapter Thirteen
Jabba's Palace
"Of course I'm worried. And you should be, too. Lando Calrissian and poor Chewbacca never returned from this awful place," Three-pio told his small companion who whistled his bravery. "Well just because you helped master Ani rescue the Chancellor doesn't mean anything. This is Tattooine, the planet I was built on. Don't be so sure. If I told you half the things I've heard about this Jabba the Hutt, You'd probably short-circuit.
Artoo, are you sure this is the right place?I better knock, I suppose." Three-pio knocked on the large door. "There doesn't seem to be anyone there. Let's go back and tell Master Luke." A small hatch in the middle of the door opens and a spidery mechanical arm, with a large electronic eyeball on the end, pops out and inspects the two droids.
"Tee chuta hat yudd!" the voice asked and Three-pio translated it to himself, Tattooine, it was Huttese alright.
"Goodness gracious me!" Threepio points to Artoo, then to himself."Artoo Detoowha bo Seethreepiowha ey toota odd mischka Jabba du Hutt." The eye looks at one droid and then the other. " I don't think they're going to let us in, Artoo. We'd better go." Artoo beeps his reluntance as the door opened. Anakin had installed a vidcam with Artoo and watched the whole thing from the safety of Ben's hovel. The door opened and Artoo wheeled in as excited as it was possible for a droid to be. Three-pio moved after Artoo as fast as his legs would carry him. "Artoo, wait. Oh, dear! Artoo. Artoo, I really don't think we should rush into all this." Three-pio and Artoo were approached by four guards. "Just you deliver Master Luke's message and get us out of here. Oh my! Oh! Oh, no."
"Die Wanna Wanga!" stated a guard.
"Oh, my! Die Wanna Wauaga. We -- we bring a message to your master, Jabba the Hutt," Three-pio stated. Artoo beeped, "And a gift? What gift.
He says that our instructions are to give it only to Jabba himself." The guard looked back and forth between the two droids. "I'm terribly sorry. I'm afraid he's ever so stubborn about these sort of things." Artoo beeped as they were led toward the center of the palace. "Artoo, I have a bad feeling about this." Three-pio looked at the huge botch of flesh that was Jabba the Hutt. "The message, Artoo, the message."
Artoo whistles, and a beam of light projects from his domed head, creating a HOLOGRAM of LUKE on the floor. The image grows to over ten feet tall, and the young Jedi towers over the space gangsters.
"Greetings, Exalted One. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight and friend to Captain Solo. 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 that we can work out an arrangement which will be mutually beneficial and enable us to avoid any unpleasant confrontation. As a token of my goodwill, I present to you a gift: these two droids.."
"what did he say?" Three-pio asked, shocked, or at least as shocked as his wiring would allow him to be.
Luke's voice continued, "Both are hardworking and will serve you well.."
"This can't be! Artoo, you're playing the wrong message," Three-pio stated as the hologram of Luke disappeared.
"There will be no bargain," Jabba replied, "But we are keeping the droids."
"We're doomed," Three-pio screeched.
"I will not give up my favorite decoration. I like Captain Solo where he is."
Jabba laughs hideously and looks toward an alcove beside the throne. Hanging high, flat against the wall, exactly as we saw him last, is a carbonized Han Solo.
"Artoo, look! Captain Solo. And he's still frozen in carbonite."
One of Jabba's Gamorrean guards marches Artoo and Threepio down a dank, shadowy passageway lined with holding cells. The cries of unspeakable creatures bounce off the cold stone walls. Occasionally a repulsive arm or tentacle grabs through the bars at the hapless droids. Artoo beeps pitifully.
"What could possibly have come over Master Luke. Is it something I did? He never expressed any unhappiness with my work. Oh! Oh! Hold it! Oh!"
A large tentacle wraps around Threepio's neck. He manages to break free, and they move on to a door at the end of the corridor.
He pushes a button and, before the dancer can flee, a trap door in the floor springs open and swallows her up. As the door snaps shut, a muffled growl is followed by a hideous scream. Jabba and his monstrous friends laugh hysterically and several revelers hurry over to watch her fate through a grate. Threepio cringes and glances wistfully at the carbonite form of Han Solo, but is immediately distracted by a gunshot.An unnatural quiet sweeps the boisterous gathering. On the far side of the room, the crush of debauchers moves aside to allow
the approach of two guards followed by an oddly cloaked bounty hunter, leading his captive, Han Solo's copilot, Chewbacca. Princess Leia smiled, and Luke and Anakin didn't trust her to fool anyone. Bib takes his place next to his disgusting master, and whispers into his ear, pointing at Chewbacca and the bounty hunter. Jabba listens intently, then the bounty hunter bows before the gangster and speaks a greeting in a strange, electronically processed tongue. Leia smiled behind the disguise and spoke through the enunciator. ''I have come for the bounty on this Wookiee."
Three-pio seemed greatly distressed. "Oh, no! Chewbacca!"
"At last we have the mighty Chewbacca," Jabba lets out a loud, long, blood-curdling laugh and turns to Threepio, waving him closer. The reluctant droid obeys.
"Oh, uh, yes, uh, I am here, Your Worshipfulness. Uh... yes!" Three-pio looks at Leia, after a moment, not recognizing her. "Oh. The illustrious Jabba bids you welcome and will gladly pay you the reward of twenty-five thousand."
Leia smiles as she thought, why not make a profit as long as she had to be here anyway. Besides, Han deserved a consolation prize after being frozen in carbonite she shivered at the thought and continued speaking in Ubese, "I want fifty thousand. No less. "
Jabba immediately flies into a rage, knocking the golden droid off the raised throne into a clattering heap on the floor. Leia adjusts her weapon as Jabba raves in Huttese and Threepio struggles back onto the throne. The disheveled droid tries to compose himself. "Uh, oh... but what, what did I say? Uh, the mighty Jabba asks why he must pay fifty thousand," he asked Leia, clearly not recognizing the being he had watch be born.
The bounty hunter holds up a small silver ball in his hand. Threepio looks at it, then looks at Jabba, then back to the bounty hunter. The droid is very nervous and Jabba is getting very impatient. Leia smiled, see what this princess could do. She wondered if either of her real parents had been so daring, she knew Bail and Breha hadn't.
"Because he's holding a thermal detonator. " The guards instantly back away, as do most of the other monsters in the room. Jabba stares at the silver ball, which begins to glow in the bounty hunter's hand. The room has fallen into a tense hush. Jabba stares at the bounty hunter malevolently until a sly grin creeps across his vast mouth and he begins to laugh.
"This bounty hunter is my kind of scum. Fearless and inventive. " Leia couldn't help but smile through her disguise at the praise she had received. The only kind of compliment a being of this scum of the galaxy could offer.
"Jabba offers the sum of thirty-five. And I suggest you take it," Three-pio said hopefully, his mechanical eyes fixed on the thermal detonator.
"Zeebuss," Leia replied in Ubese.
"He agrees!" Leia smiled slightly at the he that Three-pio mentioned. The raucous crowd of monsters erupts in a symphony of cheers and applause as the party returns to its full noisy pitch. Chewbacca growls.Three-pio spots Lando Calrissian, disguised as a skiff guard in a partial face mask, but he doesn't comment. The band starts up and dancing girls take the center of the floor, to the hoots of the loudly appreciative creatures.
Leia leans against a column with gunfighter cool and surveys the scene, her gaze stopping only when it connects with a glare from across the room. Boba Fett is watching her.Princess Leia of Alderaan shifts slightly, cradling her weapon lovingly. Boba Fett shifts with equally ominous arrogance. This day will see the end of you, Boba Fett, Leia thought ominously. Leia wished she could move things alone, but Anakin had been clear that waiting till night when things would have calmed down and most would be heavily intoxicated was the way to go.
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Night had finally arrived and instead of waiting for Luke, Anakin, and Ben she moved ahead with the plan. They were Jedi afterall they would figure something out, of that she was sure. Han Solo, the frozen space pirate, hangs spotlighted on the wall, his coffin-like case suspended by a force field. The bounty hunter deactivates the force field by flipping a control switch to one side of the coffin. The heavy case slowly lowers to the floor of the alcove. Leia steps up to the case, studying Han, and then turns to the controls on the side of the coffin. He activates a series of switches and, after one last hesitant look at Han, slides the de-carbonization lever. The case begins to emit a sound as the hard shell covering the contours of Han's face begins to melt away. The bounty hunter watches as Han's body is freed of its metallic coat and his forearms and hands, previously raised in reflexive protest, drop slackly to his side. His face muscles relax from their mask of horror. He appears quite dead. Leia's ugly helmet leans close to Han's face listening for the breath of life. Nothing. She waits. Han's eyes pop open with a start and he begins coughing. The bounty hunter steadies the staggering newborn.
" Just relax for a moment. You're free of the carbonite.": Han touches his face with his hand and moans " Shhh. You have hibernation sickness."
" I can't see."
"Your eyesight will return in time."
" Where am I?"
" Jabba's palace."
" Who are you?"
The bounty hunter reaches up and lifts the helmet from his head, revealing the beautiful face of Leia.
"Someone who loves you," she said in her normal voice no longer using the enunciator as she shook her hair free.
" Leia!"
" I gotta get you out of here," she said lowering her lips to his and brushing a soft kiss to his lips. She helped him to her feet as she heard a familiar laugh.
"What's that? I know that laugh". The curtain on the far side of the alcove opens, revealing Jabba the Hutt, surrounded by Bib and other aliens. He laughs again, and his gross cronies join in a cacophony of alien glee.
"Hey, Jabba. Look, Jabba, I was just on my way to pay you back, but I got a little sidetracked. It's not my fault." Jabba laughs.
" It's too late for that, Solo. You may have been a good smuggler, but now you're Bantha fodder," Jabba replied in Huttese.
" Look..."
" Take him away! " Jabba ordered and the guards grab Han and start to lead him away.
" Jabba... I'll pay you triple! You're throwing away a fortune here. Don't be a fool!" Han is dragged off, as Lando quickly moves forward and attempts to lead Leia away.
" Bring her to me." Jabba chuckles as Lando and a second guard drag the beautiful young princess toward him. Threepio peeks from behind a monster and quickly turns away in disgust.
" We have powerful friends. You're gonna regret this... Have you ever heard of the Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker. He's my father. Touch me and you will be batha poodoo."
" I'm sure. He's just a slave boy."
Inexorably her lovely face moves to within a few inches of Jabba's ugly blob of a head, and Leia turns away in disgust.
" Ugh!"
" Ohhh, I can't bear to watch," Three-pio mummered.
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Anakin, Luke, and Obi-Wan made their way through the sandstorms toward Jabba's palace. It was time to make their move.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Obi-Wan muttered.
"You always have a bad feeling whenever I have a brilliant plan," Anakin replied.
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" Ah! Chew--Chewie!" The giant Wookiee barks with glee."Wait. I can't see, pal. What's going on?" Chewie barks an excited blue streak." Luke? Luke's crazy. He can't even take care of himself, much less rescue anybody." Chewie barks a reply. " A...Jedi Knight? I--I'm out of it for a little while, everybody gets delusions of grandeur." Chewie growls insistently. He holds Han to his chest and pets his head. HAN I'm all right, pal. I'm all right. "Anakin too. I see where Luke gets his stubborn streak from." Chewis barks again. "I don't know where I get mine from."
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Noisily, the main gate lifts to flood the blackness with blinding light and reveal the silhouetted figure of Luke and Anakin Skywalker along with Obi-Wan Kenobi .Anakin and Luke are clad in black Jedi garb and Obi-Wan wears his old cream colored garb. Luke strides purposefully into the hallway. Two giant guards move to block Luke's path. Luke halts. Luke raises his hand and points at the puzzled guards, who immediately lower their spears and fall back. The young Jedi lowers his hand and moves on down the hallway. Bib Fortuna appears out of the gloom. He speaks to Luke as they approach each other, but Luke doesn't stop and Bib must reverse his direction and hurry alongside the young Jedi in order to carry on the conversation. Several other guards fall in behind them in the darkness.
" I must speak with Jabba," Luke began.
Bib answers in Huttese, shaking his head in denial. Luke stops and stares at Bib; he raises his hand slightly. " You will take me to Jabba now!" Luke said preforming an old Jedi mind trick that he had just recently learned. Anakin and Obi-Wan hang back letting Luke take the lead for the time being. Bib turns in hypnotic response to Luke's command, and Luke follows him into the gloom." You serve your master well." Bib responds." And you will be rewarded."
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Jabba is asleep on his throne, with Leia lying in front of him. Salacious sits by Jabba's tail, watching it wriggle. Leia is now dressed in the skimpy costume of a dancing girl; a chain runs from a manacle/necklace at her throat to her new master, Jabba the Hutt. Threepio stands behind Jabba as Bib comes up to the gangster slug.
" At last! Master Luke's come to rescue me," Three-pio cried as Anakin mediated. He wanted to take out his lightsaber and slice it through Jabba's slimy throat for degrading his daughter that way. Calm down, Anakin. You will have your revenge, he told himself.
"Master. " Jabba awakens with a start and Bib continues, in Huttese "...Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight."
" I told you not to admit him."
" I must be allowed to speak."
" He must be allowed to speak." Jabba, furious, clobbers Bib and shoves him away.
" You weak-minded fool! He's using an old Jedi mind trick."
Anakin wondered how Jabba knew of the old Jedi mind trick. Luke stares hard at Jabba." You will bring Captain Solo and the Wookiee to me." Anakin smirked if Jabba could see through it, there was no way it was working on him and he thought to tell Luke that but settled against it. Some things his son needed to learn on his own.
"Your mind powers will not work on me, boy."
" 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." It was that moment that Anakin feared for Luke's soul, for Darth Vader had said the same thing to Obi-Wan before he had burnt in the lava of Mustafar. He, himself, had said the same to Count Dooku before losing his arm, they were words of pride. Anakin felt a whisper through the Force.
" There will be no bargain, young Jedi. I shall enjoy watching you die. " Luke reaches out, and a pistol jumps out of a guard's holster and flies into Luke's hand. The bewildered guard grabs for it as Jabba raises his hand.
" Bascka!" Anakin and Obi-Wan use the Force to somersault over each other's head landing on either side of the floor that suddenly drops away, sending Luke and the hapless guard into the pit. The pistol goes off, blasting a hole in the ceiling. Jabba laughs and his courtiers join in. Leia starts forward but is restrained by a human guard-- Lando, recognizable behind his mask. She looks at him and he shakes his head "no."
"Any more bright ideas, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asks.
"Not yet, I'm just the Hero you are the Master," Anakin replied with a nod as he starts to ask about a strategy. Obi-Wan shakes his head and motions for another one. "That will never work," Anakin says as he tugs on his ear. Anakin uses the Force to open the pit and again uses the Force to slow down his fall as he and Obi-Wan appear beside Luke.
"Oh, this is good. Let's all die," Luke says.
"To die is not the plan," Obi-Wan replies.
"Well you wanted to know me better," Anakin counters. "Looks like we will have plenty of time."
"Trust the Force, Luke," Obi-Wan admonishes.
At the side of the pit, an iron door rumbles upward and a giant, fanged RANCOR emerges. The guard runs to the side of the pit and tries futilely to scramble to the top. The hideous beast closes in on him. The Rancor moves past Luke, and as the guard continues to scramble, the Rancor picks him up and pops him into its slavering jaws. A few screams, and the guard is swallowed with a gulp. The audience cheers and laughs at the guard's fate. The monster turns and starts for Luke. The young Jedi dashes away just ahead of the monster's swipe at him, and picks up the long arm bone of an earlier victim. The monster grabs Luke and brings him up to his salivating mouth. At the last moment, Luke wedges the bone in the monster's mouth and is dropped to the floor. The monster bellows in rage and flails about, hitting the side of the pit, causing an avalanche. The monster crushes the bone in its jaws and sees Luke, who squeezes into a crevice in the pit wall. Luke looks past the monster to the holding cave beyond. On the far side of the holding cave is a utility door--if only he can get to it. The Rancor spots Luke and reaches into the crevice for him. Luke grabs a large rock and raises it, smashing it down on the Rancor's finger.
The Rancor lets out a loud howl as Luke makes a run for the holding cave. He reaches the door and pushes a button to open it. When he succeeds, he sees a heavy barred gate between him and safety. Beyond the gate two guards look up from their dinner. Luke turns to see the monster heading for him, and pulls with all his might on the gate. The guards move to the gate and start poking at the young Jedi with spears, laughing. Luke crouches (against the wall) as the monster starts to reach for him. Suddenly he notices a main door control panel halfway up the wall. As the Rancor moves in for the kill, Luke picks up a skull from the cave floor and hurls it at the panel. The giant overhead door comes crashing down on the beast's head, squashing it like a sledgehammer on an egg. A startled gasp is heard from the stunned court. There's consternation at this turn of events. Heads look to Jabba, who is actually turning red with anger. Leia cannot suppress her joy. Jabba utters harsh commands to his guards and they hurry off.
"Good Job," Anakin and Obi-Wan both say as they embrace Luke briefly.
"Bring me Solo and the Wookie," Jabba orders.
The crowd of creepy courtiers parts as Han and Chewie are brought into the throne room, and other guards drag Luke up the steps. " Han!"
" Luke!"
" Are you all right?"
" Fine. Together again, huh?"
" Wouldn't miss it."
"How are we doing?" Obi-Wan asks and Anakin smirks.
" The same as always," he replied, fond missions returning to both of their minds.
" That bad, huh?" Obi-Wan counters.
" Where's Leia?" Han asks.
"I'm here." Threepio is standing behind the grotesque gangster as he strokes Leia like a pet cat. Several of the guards, including Lando, bring Luke from the other side of the room. Boba is standing behind Jabba. Threepio steps forward and translates for the captives.
"Oh, dear. His High Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated immediately."
Anakin smirked, Jabba reminded him of Grevious. " Good, I hate long waits."
"Try not to upset him, Anakin," Obi-Wan said in a soothing tone.
" You will therefore be taken to the Dune Sea and cast into the pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlacc."
" Doesn't sound so bad. I could think of worse ways to die," Anakin mused.
"...In his belly, you will find a new definition of pain and suffering, as you are slowly digested over a thousand years."
" On second thought, let's pass on that, huh?" Anakin said looking at the others for agreement. Chewie barks his agreement.
"You should have bargained, Jabba. That's the last mistake you'll ever make," Luke restated. Jabba cackles evilly at this. As the guards drag the prisoners from the throne room, a loud cheer rises from the crowd. Leia and Chewie exchange concerned looks, but Luke Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi Jedi Knights, cannot suppress their smiles. Afterall, Anakin and Obi-Wan had not yet found themselves in a situation that they could not get out of.
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Jabba's huge sail barge moves above the desert surface accompanied by two smaller Skiffs. One of the skiffs glides close, revealing Anakin, Obi-Wan, Luke, Han, and Chewie -- all in bonds -- surrounded by guards, one of whom is Lando in disguise.
" I think my eyes are getting better. Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur."
" There's nothing to see. I used to live here, you know."
"Nine years too long," Anakin replied.
"How about twenty-three years too long."
"You are right. You win."
" You're gonna die here, you know. Convenient."
"No one is going to die...not today," Anakin said with a smile. "This is where the fun begins."
"Your definition of fun and mine, Anakin, are slightly different," Obi-Wan said sarcastically.
" Just stick close to Chewie and Lando. I've taken care of everything," Luke told his friend.
" Oh... great! "
Jabba and Leia are now by the rail, watching. Threepio leans forward and the slobbering villain mumbles something to him. As Threepio steps up to a comlink, Jabba raises his arm and the motley array of intergalactic pirates fall silent. Threepio's voice is amplified across loudspeakers. " 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. "
"Threepio, you tell that slimy piece of... worm-ridden filth he'll get no such pleasure from us. Right? " Chewie barks his agreement. Anakin smiled with intent and Obi-Wan looked the example of Jedi serenity.
"Jabba! This is your last chance. Free us or die," Luke said clearly. Lando moves unobtrusively along the skiff as Luke shoots a quick look of conspiracy to him.
The assembled monsters rock with mocking laughter as Artoo zips unnoticed up the ramp to the upper deck. Jabba's laughter subsides as he speaks into the comlink.
"Move him into position," comes the amplified voice of Jabba the Hutt, Han Solo's enemy, and former employer. Artoo appears from below and zips over to the rail facing the pit. Below, in the skiff, Luke is prodded by a guard to the edge of the plank over the gaping Sarlacc. Luke looks up at Artoo, then gives a jaunty salute: the signal the little droid has been waiting for. A flap opens in Artoo's domed head. "Put him in. " Anakin is moved toward the pit.
"It's been nice knowing you," he said with a smile.
Anakin is prodded and jumps off the plank to the cheers of the bloodthirsty spectators. But, before anyone can even perceive what is happening, he spins around and grabs the end of the plank by his fingertips. The plank bends wildly from his weight and catapults him skyward. In midair he does a complete flip and drops down on the end of the plank in the same spot he just vacated, but facing the skiff. He casually extends an open palm and -- his lightsaber, which Artoo has sent arcing toward him, drops into his hand. "I'm afraid, I'm not ready to part with my friends, or die," he said. With samurai speed, Anakin ignites it and attacks the guard who prodded him off the plank, sending the hapless monster screaming overboard. The other guards swarm toward Luke. He wades into them, lightsaber flashing. Lando struggles with another guard at the back of the skiff. Before anyone knows what is happening two other lightsabers are lit, one of cyan blue and another of emerald green. Luke knocks another guard off the skiff and into the waiting mouth of the Sarlacc. He starts to untie Chewie's bonds.
"Easy, Chewie. "
Boba lands on the skiff and starts to aim his laser gun at Luke, who has freed Han and Chewie from their bonds. But before Boba can fire, the young Jedi spins on him, lightsaber sweeping, and hacks the bounty hunter's gun in half. Immediately, the skiff takes another direct hit from the barge's deck gun. Shards of skiff deck fly. Chewie and Han are thrown against the rail.
For a moment, Luke is distracted, and in that moment, Boba fires a cable out of his armored sleeve. Instantly, Luke is wrapped in a strong cable, his arms pinned against his side, his sword arm free only from the wrist down. Luke bends his wrist so the lightsaber points straight up to reach the wire lasso and cuts through. Luke shrugs away the cable and stands free. Another blast from the Barge's deck gun hits near Boba and he is knocked unconscious to the deck, next to where Lando is hanging. Anakin deactivates his lightsaber and reaches down to help Luke up to his feet.
"Next time be more careful," Anakin admonishes. Obi-Wan jumps down and frees Lando and the four of them are now on safe ground. Boba Fett can't say the same thing.
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Leia turns from the spectacle outside, leaps onto Jabba's throne, and throws the chain that enslaves her over his head around his bulbous neck. Then she dives off the other side of the throne, pulling the chain violently in her grasp. Jabba's flaccid neck contracts beneath the tightening chain. His huge eyes bulge from their sockets and his scum-coated tongue flops out. The Exalted Hutt's huge tail spasms through its death throes and then slams down into final stillness. Leia struggles to free herself of her bondage.
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Luke finishes off the last guard on the second skiff. He sees the deck gun blasting away at his helpless companions. Luke leaps from the skiff, across a chasm of air, to the sheer metallic side of the Sail Barge. Barely able to get a fingerhold, he begins a painful climb up the hull, when suddenly an ax smashes through a window an inch from his head. With Jedi agility, Luke grasps the wrist holding the ax and yanks the helpless guard through the broken window and into the deadly pit. The injured Chewie is reaching over the rail for the dangling Han, who is in turn blindly reaching down toward the desperate Lando. The Baron has stopped his slippage down the sandy slope of the Sarlacc pit by lying very still. Every time he tries to reach for Han, the loose sand moves him closer to his final reward.
The deck gunners have Chewie and the desperate dangling human chain in their gun sights when something up on deck commands their attention: Luke, standing before them like a pirate king, ignites his lightsaber. The deck gunners have barely reached for their pistols before the young Jedi has demolished them. Immediately, Luke turns to see two more gunners (who have been uncovering a giant gun at the end of the barge) racing for him, firing their laser pistols. Leia is struggling against her chains in desperation as Artoo zips through the tumult of confused monsters to the rescue; the stubby little droid extends a small laser gun and blasts the chain apart. LEIA Come on. We gotta get out of here quick. Artoo and Leia race for the exit, passing Threepio, who is kicking and screaming as Salacious Crumb, the reptilian monkey- monster picks out one of the golden droid's eyes " Not my eyes! Artoo, help! Quickly, Artoo. Oh! Ohhh! You beast"
! Artoo zips over and zaps Salacious, sending him skyward with a scream, crashing into the rafters as Artoo, Leia, and Threepio (with his eye dangling from a wire) hurry off. Luke is warding off laser blasts with his lightsaber, surrounded by guards and fighting like a demon. Leia emerges onto the deck as Luke turns to face another guard.
"Get the gun! Point it at the deck! Leia turns toward the barge cannon, climbs on the platform, and swivels the gun around. Point it at the deck!"
A laser blast hits Luke's mechanical hand and he bends over in pain, but manages to swing his lightsaber upward and take out the last of the guards. He looks at the wounded hand, which reveals the mechanism. He flexes the hand; it still works. Near the rail of the upper deck, Artoo and Threepio steady themselves as Threepio gets ready to jump. Artoo beeps wildly. T
" Artoo, where are we going? I couldn't possibly jump". Artoo butts the golden droid over the edge and steps off himself, tumbling toward the sand. Luke runs along the empty deck toward Leia and the barge gun, which she has brought around to point down at the deck.
" Come on!" Luke has hold on one of the rigging ropes from the mast. He gathers Leia in his other arm and kicks the trigger of the deck gun. The gun explodes into the deck as Luke and Leia swing out toward the skiff. Obi-Wan and Anakin force jump to where Luke, Leia, Han Solo, Lando, and Chewie now are. Han leans panting against the rail as Chewie helps Lando onto the deck. Luke and Leia land on the skiff with flair." Let's go! And don't forget the droids."
The Sail Barge is exploding in stages in the distance. Half of the huge craft is on fire. Threepio's legs stick straight up from the dune where he landed. Next to it, Artoo's periscope is the only thing above the sand. The skiff floats above them and two large electromagnets dangle down on a wire. With a loud CLANG, both droids are pulled from the sand.The little skiff skips around the burning Sail Barge, which continues its chain of explosions. As the skiff sails off across the desert, the barge settles to the sand and disappears in one final conflagration. A ferocious sandstorm blocks our view. They emerge slowly from the veil of sand, pressing on against the wind. First come Artoo and Threepio, followed by Leia guiding Han, then Luke and Lando come into view, each supporting one side of the towering Chewbacca, who hobbles from his wound. Lastly, we see Anakin and Obi-Wan clasping hands. Soon, they can make out some large vague shapes in the blowing sand. It is the Millennium Falcon and, parked beside it, Luke's trusty X-wing and a two-seated Y-wing. They must shout to be heard.
"I don't know. All I can see is a lot of blowing sand!"
" That's all any of us can see, you nerfhurder," Leia nearly shouts, forgetting the carbon freezing momentarily.
" Then I guess I'm getting better." As soon as the group huddles under the bulk of the Falcon, the wind dies down to something more describable as a severe weather condition. Threepio hits a switch, and the gang-plank lowers with a HUM. " 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."
I know , your father and the old hermit. No, I'm thinking a lot about it. That carbon freeze was the closest thing to dead there is. And it wasn't just sleeping. It was a big wide awake nothing!" Luke nods, as Chewie growls affectionately at the young Jedi warrior, mussing his hair like a proud uncle. And Leia warmly hugs him.
"I'll see you back at the fleet."
" Why don't you leave that crate and come with us?"
"I have a promise I have to keep first... to an old friend. "
"That's my boy, loyalty above all else," Anakin declares proudly. "Still want that test, Leia?" Anakin asks.
"No, I believe you. It just takes some getting used to. I killed him Anakin."
"I know. I felt it through the Force. I'm proud of you to, daughter." Anakin hugs her and kisses the top of her head. "We'll be back soon, Princess. I promise you."
"I know...Father."
Anakin, Luke, and Obi-Wan leave with Artoo at their heels as Anakin and Obi-Wan get into the Y-Wing and Luke gets into his X-Wing.
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Han looks dubiously at Lando, obviously remembering his friend's betrayal and subsequent aide " Guess I owe you some thanks, too, Lando."
" Figured if I left you frozen like that you'd just give me bad luck the rest of my life, so I might as well get you unfrozen sooner or later."
" He means "You're welcome," Leia translated for them.
" Come on, let's get off this miserable dust ball. "
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Han replied with a grin.
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Luke is at the controls, with Artoo attached behind him outside the canopy. Luke speaks into his comlink to the others, in the MILLENNIUM FALCON. " I'll meet you back at the fleet."
Leia speaks over the comlink " Hurry. The Alliance should be assembled by now."
" I will. "
Han takes the comlink from Leia " Hey, Luke, thanks. Thanks for coming after me. Now I owe you one."