The two Jedi's stayed in the ship for the night. It was just the two of them, as Leia had gone. However, Luke worried about her. She should have been back by now. He was pacing a little bit, constantly glancing out the

windows at the two setting suns.

"Do you think that slug caught her?" Anna asked. She was resting in her chair, holding the hilt of her lightsaber.

"Lando has already confirmed it," he said. "Apparently Jabba's holding her as his slave. She released Han, as she was supposed to, and I guess when they tried to get away, he was able to catch them. Lando tried to get away with her, but Jabba made sure she stayed with him."

"So what's your plan?" she asked.

"We're going to have to change when we go," Luke said. "In order to not look overly suspicious, Lando wants us to go in a couple of days. He'll make sure nothing bad happens to them." He paused. "I want you to come with me."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"You'll be fine," he said. "After all, you're the one who's trained."

She glanced down at her lightsaber. "What makes you think that Jabba will even listen to you?" she asked.

Luke smiled. "The best part about having someone on the inside is that you can control a lot more than you think," he responded. "Lando knew that this might happen, and he knows how to counter it. All you have to do is stay close to me. I'll do the talking. If there are two of us, there's a chance he might be more intimidated."

"It's Jabba the Hutt," Anna said. "He's not intimidated easily."

"Still, the two of us can think quickly," Luke said. "I have faith in you."

She smiled, lifting her lightsaber up to that she could look at it better. It was still her pride and joy, and learning how to wield the double blades was a challenge, but she was able to figure out a strategy. She glanced up at Luke, and for a brief moment, an unwelcome memory suddenly forced its way into her mind. The nightmare she had been plagued with back on the medical frigate, with Luke, and those piercing yellow eyes…

She shook her head. There was no reason to dwell on what had happened in the past. It had been months since she had even thought of the memory, why was it suddenly returning to her now?

Luke sat down in the seat next to her, and she clipped her lightsaber back to her belt. They wouldn't be going until the morning, even though they planned on leaving earlier. It would be suicide to go out in the deserts of Tatooine in the dark. Until then, they were stuck with each other. She leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. It felt as though it was forever since she had slept, and even closing her eyes for a few moments, no matter how innocent it may seem, felt as though she was already recharging. It didn't even seem to matter to her that she wasn't in the most comfortable chair in the galaxy, but anything would work. Exhaustion was finally starting to take its toll on her.

However, she was still attentive and heard as Luke shifted forward in his chair. She didn't open her eyes, but she kept her ears on him, trying to pinpoint his location. It was a habit of hers that she had developed through her years and one that was not soon to go away. When you had to worry for your life every time there was the sound of movement, you learned to pick up on everything.
Luke said nothing as he walked out of the room, leaving Anna alone. There was a part of him that wondered if it was wise leaving her in the room alone, but it wasn't like she could do anything. Still, there was always that fear of had doing something she would regret.

Like fall in love, he thought to himself and turned his head away. Why was he feeling this way about her? It wasn't like they had known each other for very long, only about eight or ten months. Why now? He sighed, and sat down on the small bed that was laid out. Staying in the ship for longer than expected was going to have its ups and downs, there was no question.
He lay down on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Tomorrow, he would be sure to get an update from Lando. There was nothing worse than uncertainty.

Anna awoke to the sound of Luke's voice resonating through the small ship. She lifted her head, seeing that she had fallen asleep in the chair, and her neck was a little bit stiff because of it. She raised her hand to the back of it and began to gently massage it, then sat up. Luke was still far enough away that she couldn't hear the specific words he was saying, but she knew that he must be talking to Lando. There was no one else he would be in communication with if Leia was captured. She stood up from the chair and stretched, and walked over to where Luke stood.

"Any updates?" she asked.

"Jabba's got his guards posted everywhere, looking out for me," he said. "Jabba is not aware that you are with me."

"The only dangerous people who know I exist are the Imperials," Anna said, turning away from him. "I highly doubt Jabba would know who I am. I keep a pretty low profile, something that this Han person obviously didn't understand."

"He's a smuggler," Luke said.

"And I engaged in that as well," she said. "I never got caught."

"Han's not as stealthy as you are," Luke said. "You'll see what I mean when you meet him. I'm sure you'll like him."

"That would be nothing short of a miracle," Anna said, rolling her eyes. "I've heard almost nothing about this guy except that he's frozen in carbonite, and we're on a rescue mission to get him back."

"We get into a lot of situations," Luke said.

"I can tell," she said, glancing out the window. The same two colours of Tatooine never changed. "Do we leave tomorrow morning, then?"

"From what Lando has told me, yes," he said, standing up from his chair.

"What do we do until then?" she asked. "It's not like we can just leave here. Surely there will be Imperials out looking for us."

"Only if you make enough noise to attract them," Luke said with a smile. "As much as I hate this place, it is my home planet."

"What are you suggesting?" she asked.

"I need to go back to my old home," he said. "My aunt and uncle, who were two of the only family members I actually knew, were murdered. I just want to see the place one last time."

"Of all the things you've come to peace with, not including the revelation that Vader is your father, you still haven't come to terms with the fact that your aunt and uncle were murdered?"

"You'd be surprised at everything I haven't yet dealt with," he said, turning to the controls. "It won't take very long."

Anna sat down beside him, looking out at the vast desert. "It's going to be damn-near-impossible to find this place," she said to herself and glanced over at Luke.

"Not if you know this place as well as I do," he said, and the ship lifted off.

Even though Luke hadn't returned to Tatooine since he had fled from it after the murder of his aunt and uncle, he still knew exactly where the farm was. There was a part of him that was telling him to not lay eyes on it again, and to let the past rest but seeing the destruction of his home had always eaten away at him. If I hadn't been out that day, I'd be dead as well, he thought. That thought had always been in the back of his mind, and his heart had always been heavy.

"Did they know?" Anna asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

"Know what?" he responded quickly.

"About Vader?" she asked.

Luke glanced down momentarily. There was a large part of him that wanted to say no. He wanted to believe that Owen and Beru were fed the same lie. However, there was another part of him that said that they knew.

"I don't think so," he said. From the corner of his eye, he could see that the look on her face was one of disbelief, and he let out a soft sigh. There was no reason for him to lie about it, but he wanted to protect the memory of his aunt and uncle, even if there were times when he was unimpressed with their overprotectiveness.

They reached the farm, and Luke slowly brought the ship down. What he wasn't prepared for was that he was inexplicably calm. He had imagined himself to be anxious over seeing what the farm and turned into, but instead, he felt as though he was back after a long time. He was home.

Anna put her hood up as the two of them walked out of the ship and into the bright light of the morning suns. She felt the heat as soon as she stepped out into the sand. Her heavy boots were not made for the terrain of Tatooine, making walking across it difficult. Still, she felt as though she needed to be there for Luke.
The farm looked to be rather aged, which was expected. The moisture towers looked as though they were falling apart, or were barely standing. The Jawas have been through here, she thought. There wouldn't be much left if they had scavenged the place.

Luke looked around at the surrounding area. He felt that at any moment, his aunt and uncle would walk out of the house and greet him, then scold him for going out on his own. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. There were so many memories on this farm, and even though he expressed his discontent toward staying as a farmer instead of joining the rebellion, he still felt as though he didn't fully appreciate the home that he had. Now, his home was uncertain.

Anna walked up behind him, then stopped. She knew that seeing everything for the first time years would be taking its toll on him.

"Holding up okay?" she asked.

Luke opened his eyes and turned his head over his shoulder. "I guess so," he said. "It's just…surreal to be back here and see nothing going on."

Anna dropped her gaze to the sand. She could never sympathize with him. She had never had a place where she could actually call it home, not when it mattered, at least.

He looked out at the landscape one last time before he turned away, then starting walking back to the ship. Anna turned to watch him.

"That's it?" she asked.

"It's all I wanted to see," he said, not turning to look at her. She adjusted her hood and followed him. She seemed to understand that he didn't want to dwell in the past too much. Maybe my mannerisms are starting to wear off on him, she thought to herself.

"Luke, wait," she said, right before he entered the ship. He placed his hand on the top part of the door and turned to look at her. Her eyes held his for a moment.

"Isn't there anything else you wanted to see?" she asked.

They flew silently back to the place where they had decided to dock the ship. Anna kept her eyes on Luke, as he seemed to be lost in thought. It couldn't have been easy for him, seeing his destroyed home once again.

However, he was doing a good job of hiding his emotions. She leaned back in her seat and watched as the endless expanse of desert sand and blue sky stretched on in front of them.

The next morning was the moment that both of them had been waiting on for months. Luke was up before the suns even broke the horizon line, and Anna walked over to him. She would be lying if she said that she wasn't nervous. Even though she knew that she had everything set up for her; her lightsaber skills, Force knowledge, and backup in the form of Luke, she still felt as though more things could go wrong. After all, Leia's attempt had already failed, and the guards would be ready to intercept them.

"You're going to be fine," he said as he put his hood up. "Just stay with me."

Anna nodded and let out a deep exhale. She pulled her hood up over her head and wrapped her fingers around the hilt of her lightsaber. "You know where we're going?" she asked.

"Oh yes," Luke said. "And relax. With the two of us, I'm sure they won't try anything."

"You've clearly never had the experiences that others have had," she said, half to herself. She had only been involved with Jabba a few times before, and it was because her life had depended on it. Engaging in smuggling led to some unpleasant encounters.

The two Jedi Knights walked out into the bright morning light of the suns and kept their eyesight directed down. Anna only had a very vague idea as to where she was going, but it was clear that Luke knew the exact route they were to take. Whatever gets us out of this terrible heat the fastest, Anna thought to herself.

They walked in silence. There was a lot on the line with this mission now, especially because nearly all of their friends were in the palace. Not only that, but Anna still wasn't too trusting of Lando yet. She was right to believe this, though; she barely knew him.

"We're here," Luke said, and she looked up to the sight of Jabba's towering palace. The unapproachable metal doors screamed danger at her, but she suppressed the nerves as best as she could.

"Do you want me to get my lightsaber out?" she asked.

"No, keep it hidden," he said. "I'll take care of everything."

Anna nodded and followed behind Luke as he stepped before the door. With a simple motion of his fingers, the door slowly began to rise. It was nothing new to her though she would never have guessed that the very same man who stood un front of her, whom Yoda had told her, had struggled to pull his X-Wing out of the swamps of Dagobah, would be able to lift one of the most indestructible-looking doors that she had seen. He had definitely been practicing, working to master his knowledge of the Force.

They walked into the darkness of the hall, and Anna instantly felt the change in the aura. She tried to keep her negative emotions under control, and fought the urge to grab her lightsaber, but she was struggling with it. Luke could feel it.

Two guards caught sight of the Jedi's walking in the hall and turned to block the way. Luke didn't even seem to be phased by it. Instead, he raised his fingers, pushing each one back against the walls. Anna couldn't help but smile as she walked.

Her head shot up once again when she heard shouting from the lit room at the end of the hall. Her hand flew to her lightsaber, but she felt Luke's own hold her wrist. His message was conveyed silently, and he let go of her hand as soon as the source of the shouting was right in front of them. Anna knew exactly who it was that stood before them. Bib Fortuna, otherwise known to her as Jabba's lapdog.

"I must speak with Jabba," Luke said calmly, but with authority. Bib just shook his head, saying something in Huttese that Anna could only make out as "no". She could understand some Huttese, but the way that Bib was talking made it near-impossible to comprehend. Luke turned slightly to stare directly at Bib.

"You will take me to Jabba now," he said, raising his head slightly.

Bib paused for a moment before turning away. "I will take you to Jabba now," he said. Anna tried to hide the fact that she was impressed with how smoothly Luke was handling everything.

"You serve your master well," Luke said. Bib continued to repeat what Luke said. "And you will be rewarded for it."

The three of them walked into the main audience chamber of the palace, where there were still some beings that were asleep, including Jabba. Under her hood, Anna's eyes rolled. He was unappealing as sin. In front of him lay Leia, chained to the throne. The former princess was trying to hide her emotion at seeing the two Jedi Knights, but Anna could tell that the other girl was happy that they were finally there.

"At last! Master Luke has come to rescue me!" Threepio's voice rang out. She winced at how loud he had to announce their presence. To her surprise, no one had commented about her.

Bib walked over to Jabba, who was startled awake. "Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight," he said, and Jabba furiously barked in Huttese.

"I told you not to admit him!" he shouted, then his huge eyes rested on her. "And who is she?"

Anna turned, keeping her face directed down, but she was watching the gangster slug carefully. Before she could answer, Luke cut in.

"I must be allowed to speak," he said calmly. Bib relayed the message, and the rage the Jabba contained was suddenly unleashed. He threw Bib out of the way.

"You weak-minded fool!" he roared. "He's using an old Jedi mind trick."

Luke just watched Jabba carefully and pulled his hood off. Considering the events of the past year, it was hard to imagine that Luke could now stand in front of one of the most well-known, and frankly dangerous gangsters in the galaxy without faltering once. In order to keep herself calm, Anna had one of her hands resting just above the fold in her cloak where her lightsaber stayed hidden.

"You will bring Captain Solo and the wookie to me," he said in the same calming voice.

"Your mind powers will not work on me, boy," Jabba spat at Luke.

"Nevertheless," Luke responded. "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."

Jabba started laughing, and once again, his eyes rested on her. "You," he said to Anna. "I've seen you before."

"I've been seen by many," she snapped back, not being able to keep her voice as calm as Luke was able to.

Jabba laughed again. "You used to smuggle for me," he said. "And now, you associate yourself as a Jedi." He turned to look at Luke, and from behind the throne, Threepio suddenly spoke.

"Master Luke, you're standing on—"

Jabba cut off the droid. "There will be no bargain, young Jedi," he said. "I shall enjoy watching you die."

At that moment, the reference to what Threepio was talking about suddenly dawned on her.

Luke's hand shot out, and a blaster from a nearby guard leaped into his hand, but Jabba had anticipated the move of the Jedi. His arm flailed, and the floor underneath Luke dropped away.

"Luke!" Anna cried out, and went to go jump after him, but was suddenly restrained from behind.

"Get off of me!" she hissed, turning her head to look at the guard holding her. She recognized the face behind the mask, but still fought him. If this plan was to work, she had to sell it.
Lando was able to hold her back easily, and she turned to look into the pit that Luke had fallen into. Before she could form the thought, Threepio had spoken the name of the beast.

"The Rancor!"

Landon pulled Anna back behind Jabba's throne, where the two of them could see Luke better, but could talk without being noticed.

"How does this feed into your plan?" she whispered.

"It doesn't," he said. "Don't worry, I'm sure that Luke can get out of this."

An unlucky guard had fallen into the pit with the Jedi, and its screams echoed throughout the audience chamber. The spectators were cheering for the beast to go after the young Jedi, and Anna's hand flew to her lightsaber.

"Don't," Lando said, placing his hand on top of hers. "You won't be able to kill more than three before they shoot you down."

"What do you suggest then?" she asked.

"Give it to me," he said. "Luke has his with Artoo just in case he were to get captured. I suggest you do the same."

Anna, reluctantly, let Land take away her prized weapon, and he hid it. "Don't worry," he said. "Once Luke signals for his lightsaber, I'll get this to you."

"You better," she said. "That's also assuming Luke survives this."

Both turned to watch as Luke was picked up by the beast. He looked to have something his hand, and with a quick motion, he pushed it between the beast's gaping jaws.

He fell from the grasp of the Rancor, hitting the ground with a thud. However, he wasted no time ducking into a crevice in the cave while the beast snapped the bone that held it's jaws apart. It roared, and Anna winced. Although she had faith in Luke to defeat the monster, it had never lost.

It turned to see Luke crouched under the crevice, and went into reach for him. Anna couldn't see what Luke did, but it roared in pain, allowing Luke to run into the next room. For a moment, he disappeared, and the beast followed him slowly, roaring all the same.

There's no way he can kill this thing, Anna thought. He can't run forever.

However, when Luke was back in view again, he seemed to have spotted something. His face turned from incredibly fearful to that of concentration, and he picked a skull up off of the ground and wasted no time. Whatever he was aiming for, the skull hit it, and Anna could only watch as the door that kept the monster at bay slammed down on top of it. It cried out as it came down, and There were stunned cries from around the room as everyone suddenly realized what had just happened. Anna smiled as she saw him heave out a sigh of relief, and glanced over at Leia, who also seemed to be happy. Jabba, however, was not in the same great mood.

Lando moved her over to the other guards, and as soon as the slug caught sight of him, he started barking orders.

"Bring me Solo and the wookie," he said. "They will all pay for this outrage. Including the girl."

Anna sneered at him, but he didn't react. After all, he had other things to be worrying about.

She watched as Lando disappeared to the prison below, and her hands were snapped in binders behind her back. She growled as she turned to see everyone in the audience chamber all moving around frantically. Her eyes rested on Leia, who had her hand on her neck. Clearly, Jabba had no intention on Leia's comfort, but why would he? In the time that Anna had known him, he had been anything but caring. What the gangster didn't realize, was that what he was witnessing was just the tip of the iceberg. Though this wasn't the ideal plan, the exit strategy was still in place, and it didn't end well for anyone in the audience chamber that wasn't a part of the rebellion.

You have no idea what you're in for now, she thought.

Yay ROTJ finally! Also a chapter that's 3x longer than usual (almost 10 pages on Word)!
Mostly as a thank you for all of the encouragement and sticking with me through my hiatuses, and partially because my dream university accepted me!