Chapter 6 - Teth to Tatooine
Author's Note: Luke and Leia face dangers. :)
~ Amina Gila
Luke still isn't happy about this mission even if he grudgingly admits he understands its importance. He does not want to do this. He doesn't want to help slavers in any shape or form. The clones don't seem to have any questions about it, likely because they don't understand what it means the same way Luke does.
A part of him hopes they never will. A part of him knows they will eventually, because they can't fight in the galaxy without learning exactly what is out there, what it contains. If they didn't have to make a deal with Jabba, he wouldn't be so upset, but it's what it is.
He doesn't know much about Anakin's past on Tatooine, but it's enough to know that he hates slavers. And it's completely unfair that his father has to be dragged into this.
It's probably also unfair to be upset with Obi-Wan for asking, but he can't help it. Especially not when he just finished talking to Anakin about how the Republic is using a slave army, and if they don't think there's anything wrong with any of this, then... He can't help remembering his parents' near argument about the state of the Senate.
The more time passes, the more he thinks he agrees with Anakin about that.
"Are you ready?" Anakin asks, as they prepare to board their fighters.
"Yeah," he confirms, with more cheer than he feels – he is eager to fly, though.
Within minutes they're flying out of the cruiser, streaking down for Teth's surface, flying between the clouds filling the purplish sky. Laser blasts ring out around them, and Luke speeds the fighter forwards. This, at least, is something he has always liked doing and trained for.
He fires back at where the shots are coming from, once he's getting closer to the ground, trying to give proper cover to the gunships. Even so, a couple of them explode a distance away. There's too much fire here, and they can't take out the droids and their cannons on the tower up ahead fast enough.
Luke's fighter streaks forwards anyway, the droid forces on top of the monastery coming into view. Blasting through them and dodging their fire isn't hard, not when he can feel the shots coming before they're even close.
Anakin's fighter streaks into view moments later, helping him blast down the most dangerous droids, before they land their fighters right outside the still-sealed door.
Climbing out of his fighter, he moves to join his father, as the clones' gunships come flying in to land. "How many droids did you get?" Luke asks, cheerfully.
"I may have lost track," Anakin replies, mildly amused.
Luke huffs. He was really hoping to be able to compare how well they were doing – plus, it makes the battles feel easier, when he's trying to reach a goal of beating everyone else. He's heard the clones doing the same thing. "Fine, then we'll have to restart."
"I imagine there are many droids inside," Anakin says, and then gets this look on his face, that he does when he's sensing something, "But we are not alone here."
"Who is it?" Luke asks, frowning. He expected as much, but the warning is still appreciated.
"The presence is elusive, but it may be Merrin."
"We'll be ready, then," he states determinedly, as he and Anakin head into the place, the clones following them.
The halls are dark, except for lighting from the clones' helmets, and Luke can't shake the feeling that something is watching them. He doesn't like it.
"We'll need to go down," Anakin says, scanning the walls, "I imagine the prison level would be a good place to start looking."
"I don't like this place," Rex mutters.
"No one does," Luke agrees dryly, because he entirely concurs. He loathes it and the feeling that something malevolent is watching them from afar.
They keep moving anyway, spreading out to search faster. There are still some droids present, but their numbers are small enough that they don't pose at great. Even stranger, none of them are attacking. Luke doesn't like this. "We're walking into a trap, aren't we," he realizes, when they pass another group of battle droids hiding in the shadows.
"Yes, we are," Anakin replies, "But I sense the Huttlet is close."
They smell it before they get much further – apparently, Hutts do stink as badly as people make it sound like. Maybe worse.
Anakin opens the door to reveal a very small Hutt. It's... well, somehow, despite seeing pictures, it's not like what Luke thought a Huttlet would look like. They age slowly, so despite Rotta's age, he's still quite small. Human terms, he'd be younger than Luke, and he looks and feels very unhappy.
He's up to Luke's thigh, which considering the size of a fully grown Hutt, is very small.
He senses a flicker of emotion from Anakin before it disappears into the Force and his father slowly steps forwards. When he talks, he speaks in a language Luke doesn't understand, but from how... rough it sounds, he's fairly certain it's Huttese.
The Huttlet seems to deflate, saying something that sounds very unhappy. Which is weird, because Luke thought it would be more excited that they're here.
He doesn't miss Anakin's slight flicker of surprise, when he replies.
"What's it saying?" Luke asks, finally.
"He... doesn't want to go back," Anakin tells him, "I'm not sure why." He takes a few steps closer, crouching in front of him before saying something else. "Rotta says Jabba... executed a slave he was close with. He's still upset about it."
Somehow, Luke thought they were going to rescue a slaver. He's not sure why. Rotta is still a child, too young to fully understand the galaxy around him, too young to see slaves the same way his father does. Somehow, he never thought about how Hutts teach their children to be the same way before. He knew they weren't born evil, but it still felt like it.
"What'll we do?" Luke asks, frowning. What are they supposed to do, if Rotta has very legitimate reasons for not wanting to go back to his... evil father? He'd turn out much better if he didn't have to.
Anakin sighs. "I don't want to, but there's nothing we can do with him, and we need those trade routes right now. Maybe after the war, we can do something."
He has a point, even if Luke doesn't like it. He knows Anakin doesn't either. They would definitely start a direct war with the Hutts if they refused to bring Rotta home, though. Assuming they won't already.
The Huttlet makes a few more very unhappy protests as it follows them out into the hall. It's going to be very slow escaping while having to wait for Rotta, he notes, scanning their surroundings.
Thankfully they've already dealt with all the droids as they head through the place, back outside. Anakin has Artoo contact Reva on Tatooine to give her the update. (Seeing her again, Luke can't help but remember what happened to Boba on Geonosis – he heard more of the details of who those bounty hunters were later from Ahsoka.) "We have Rotta," Anakin tells her shortly, "Any progress on your end?"
"You have one rotation," she replies, "If you bring the Huttlet back alive, we may have a chance at negotiating a treaty."
"Better than it could be," Anakin says. Somehow, Luke doesn't think it'll be so simple, though. Something is wrong. He can feel danger, even if he can't entirely place what it's located around.
"So long as you get here," she responds, "Or this may backfire on us. He is open to little negotiation right now." Luke doesn't miss the obvious edge in her voice. It almost like they... don't get along very well. Given the kind of person Reva is, he's not surprised. Though it's just not quite what he expected when they were both Obi-Wan's padawans.
"Have you picked up any signs of Separatist involvement?" he asks, "They're all over here, but we need to know if this was staged." Because it easily could be. Luke would not put it past Jabba to drag his son into this in an effort to frame the Jedi for something, or to make the other Hutts believe that they were, to give them an excuse to join the Separatists in the war. That would be bad. This treaty is the only hopes of regaining Kamino, and if the Hutts start fighting against them... they really are in a tight spot.
"I do not see anything here. But if the droids were guarding the monastery, that is all the evidence we need, so long as Jabba will believe us."
Something twinges sharply in the Force, and Luke looks up sharply right as a laser blast tears through the ground right near some of the clones by the gate.
"Spider droids inbound!" yells one of them in warning, and he instantly whips out his blaster, shooting back at them.
Anakin has Artoo disconnect the call, instantly drawing his lightsaber to fight off the droids coming through the entrance. There's spider droids and battle droids of all kinds, and – This was definitely a setup. Are they trying to make it look like the Separatists are the ones breaking into the monastery?
"Get Rotta inside!" Anakin calls.
"Hurry!" Luke urges the Huttlet, backing towards the entrance, shooting at the droids to cover it. Though he didn't realize slugs could move nearly this fast, because moments later, they are inside. Then again, he can very clearly feel the Huttlet's fear.
The droids keeping coming, though, and soon, all of their forces have retreated into the building, sealing the door behind them.
"We need to find a way out," Luke says, "Unless we can fight them."
"Luke," Anakin says, turning to him, "Take Artoo, and find a way out. I'll stay here. Get Rotta back to the cruiser. We need to get him back to Tatooine as fast as possible if we're going to get this treaty made."
Luke nods, resolutely – barely catching himself from calling him 'father', before he takes off deeper into the monastery. This is going to be the first time he's all on his own in a mission, so he's admittedly a little nervous, but this can't be anything he can't handle. Anakin should have the attention of most of the droids for now, anyway.
**w**
Leaving Rotta alone on the landing platform is a bad idea, but Luke has no other way to reach the ship a distance off except riding on Artoo. There are droids marching up the slope already, and the bugs flying around in a frenzy are annoying him more than anything else, but at least it works.
The ship is in terrible condition, but it's nothing he can't work on salvaging and getting operational. Maybe he and Anakin can fix this thing up later. He flies back to pick up Rotta, taking off for the cruiser.
From up here, he can see the battle down below. So many of the clones have fallen here, but at least Anakin can stay to save the rest. (It still feels like the Republic is wasting so many men, to help a slaver when said child doesn't want to go back anyway. Maybe he's not looking at the bigger picture, but still.)
A battle is raging above the surface of the planet as he flies for the cruiser, but he makes his way through... until getting to the cruiser. There is no way he'll be able to land here, without risk. The cruiser won't be able to leave with him to Tatooine right now anyway, and they're running out of time.
So, the only option is to go by himself.
Rotta makes an unhappy noise, though he scoots forwards to watch as Luke makes the jump to hyperspace.
Luke can't understand him, but he really doesn't know what to say to him, either. He can't promise it'll get better when he goes back, and all he's wanted his whole life was to be with his family, without having to worry about anything else. Why someone could ever want anything else, he doesn't understand.
"If you don't want to stay with him, maybe we can do something when the war is over," Luke offers, lamely.
He has no idea if Rotta can understand him, but he waves a tiny arm, saying something. Maybe he at least understands a little.
"We wouldn't take you back if there was any other way," he offers, finally.
He spends the time in hyperspace working on upgrading the ship. Doing it alone is... lonely, if he's being honest, but it still gives Luke something to focus on, and he needs to hurry. He highly doubts they'll get to Jabba's palace without being attacked. At least Reva is on Tatooine – that's the only benefit, though he doesn't know he likes the thought of working with, much less relying on, her.
He angles them downwards towards the surface of Tatooine the moment they come out of hyperspace, only for the scanners to flash, indicating incoming hostilities.
"Artoo, get the guns working," Luke calls to the droid, spinning them forwards as the firing starts. There are two droid fighters attacking. Not vulture droids, strangely.
Artoo beeps affirmatively and gets to work, but the droids are closing too fast.
A blast suddenly strikes the ship faster than he can avoid it – he sensed it coming, but he was ducking another barrage at the same moment – and warning lights flash on the controls as he starts going down.
His first mission flying, and he's already being shot down?! Alright, it's not entirely surprising, because this isn't a fighter, and it's not really one of the kinds of ships that Luke has trained with flying. Still though, he doesn't like how easily that happened, and he has to take out the other fighters attacking before this gets worse.
"Get it, Artoo," Luke calls, twisting the ship away from another barrage of laser bolts. Teeth clenched, he struggles to keep the ship under control as it descends much too fast towards the atmosphere. He knew a crash was going to be eventually inevitable, but it feels ridiculously pathetic to make a mistake like that so early on.
The droid whistles, locking onto one of the droid fighters and taking it down.
And from there, for some reason, the other fighter turns off, letting Luke's ship continue hurdling towards the surface. Exactly what the intention is, he doesn't know, but for a full minute, he was almost certain he wouldn't make it back. What that would do to his family, especially now, Luke doesn't want to know.
He guides the ship towards the ground, trying to direct them towards the coordinates he knows Jabba's palace are at. If they can make it nearby, they can walk to the palace.
A hologram of Anakin flickers to life next to him. "Luke, I sensed the danger," his father says, "Are you alright?"
A little shaken up by how close he came to death, but yes, he is fine, and he tells Anakin so immediately.
"Yeah," Luke replies, a bit breathlessly, "I'm fine. We got shot down, though."
"Did you take them down?"
"One of them. The other pulled off its attack."
"That's unusual. Be careful. I'm sure more Separatist forces are waiting on the ground."
"I thought Reva said there were none!"
"Either they were hiding, or she missed them." He feels ridiculously smug that Anakin suggested that – maybe Luke isn't being entirely fair to her, but he didn't get a good impression of her from the start.
"Either way, I would've preferred a warning."
"Can you make it down alright?" Anakin asks, voice laced with worry.
Luke understands exactly how that feels, because he feels much the same. All he's been able to think about since Geonosis was what it would mean to lose Anakin or someone else he's close to. He only wishes none of them had to be in this situation. "I'll be fine," he replies, silently begging the Force that it be true.
"I'll contact Reva and tell her to find you," Anakin says, "I suspect there will be more forces waiting on-planet, and it might get a little rough."
Yeah, it already is. The ship is shaking, and the front of it is burning now as it plunges straight through the atmosphere and at an insanely high velocity. "I'll be careful," Luke promises.
Anakin sighs quietly, but he smiles even through his worry. "I know."
The connection cuts after that, and he instantly finds himself missing his father's warm presence, but he needs to focus on landing the ship right now. It's not as if Luke hasn't trained for crash landings, either, but they still hit the ground a bit harder than he expected after skimming across many hills of sand. Their impact was greatly cushioned, else... there probably wouldn't have been a ship left.
The sunlight is blinding when Luke steps outside, and it's positively sweltering out there. It must be a bit past noon, which is a good sign, because it's past the hottest part of the day – but still, it's unpleasant. Hopefully Rotta will be alright under these temperatures.
It doesn't help that the ship debris is still smoldering, the smoke clogging up the air.
He can't believe this is the planet that his father grew up on. Anakin hasn't been back here in years, not since Luke's grandmother died. He doesn't know all the details, but she was killed by slavers because Anakin wasn't able to come back and save her. The Jedi wanted him to break off all connection with her, Palpatine had told Luke.
Luke shakes the thoughts from mind, refocusing on the mission. It would be so much easier if Luke knew Rotta could understand him, because right now, he's not entirely certain. It doesn't help that he hardly knows what to say. "We have a ways to go," Luke tells Rotta. Hutts are hard to read, but he can still feel the child's emotions in the Force – he's still not sure he wants to go back, even if Luke thinks his fear of the unknown is drawing him back because he knows nothing else. He's lonely there, because there's no one else both his species and age, and the main people he knows are the slaves.
He can't help bonding with them, even if he thinks it's wrong.
Luke jumps off the platform, turning back to where Rotta is. He can't jump, so Luke has to carry him down with the Force.
He knew that he would inevitably end up alone during the war, but he didn't expect it to be so soon, or so lonely. Out here, the only company he has is Rotta, and he can't understand the Huttlet. Besides, a Huttlet is hardly his idea of company.
"Sorry we have to take you back," he says anyway, because he needs to say... something. The silence is eating at him.
Rotta babbles at him in Huttese, and Luke hopes that means he understands.
"We can come back," he adds. Now that the Republic has an army, after the war is over, they will have no reason not to come out here to help the slaves. That's what they were meant to do, right? Help people? "Later. After the war is over. What happened was wrong. You can change it when you're older." Except living in that environment, there's no way this caring will stay in Rotta. Sending him back here is wrong.
The Huttlet babbles at him again, and Luke opts to leave it there. Anakin, no doubt, would know what to say, but he doesn't. Leia probably would, too, but Luke's never been good with people. He's good with machines. He understands a bit of politics, but only what he's learned from Leia.
And speaking of Anakin, he said that Reva would be on her way. Luke doesn't see or sense her at all, but there is something else tugging at the edge of his awareness, a strange sort of light calling to him from across the desert. He's not sure what it means, and if were under any other circumstances, he would go look, but... not now. There's not time, and besides, he also senses something... dark.
One of the Sith.
Ventress, he thinks, because Maul's presence is darker than hers is, and less wild. Maul's darkness is black, charcoal-like, fueled by an animistic sense of never-ending rage. Ventress is softer than his, a bit lighter, something more of... he's not quite sure, but it's not the same thing.
He can hear the sound of a speeder now, though, and... "Stay back," Luke warns, drawing his blaster. He's never itched for a lightsaber more badly in his life than he does right now, as Ventress arrives on her speeder.
Luke's grip on his blaster tightens, and he takes a step back. He does need a lightsaber, and badly. A blaster will do very little against a Sith. There's not much, if anything, it can do. His fear comes with a flare of cold, hard rage. Ventress may not have been the one who hurt his father, but she still participated. Still helped.
"Skywalker's newest pet, here alone?" she asks, lightly, "Surrender the Huttlet now, and I will spare your life."
"And let you kill Rotta instead?" He's just stalling for time, really, because he knows he has no way of defeating her.
"I'm surprised Skywalker is so personally involved in this, given his past experiences here," she comments.
Geonosis flashes through his mind, and his anger flares instantly. She's already responsible for hurting his father enough. (He wants revenge, revenge against the people who hurt Anakin like this. Especially when they're also responsible for Dorme's death.) "Jedi help people, despite their personal feelings. Unlike you," he shoots back.
Something else is coming, he doesn't know what. But it doesn't feel dangerous, at least.
"I'm only here to return him to his father faster," she replies, far too smugly, "I imagine Jabba would like it if you came along as well – to confirm the Jedi involvement."
Luke doesn't wait, instantly firing. Of course, she reacts too fast, dodging the blast and drawing her blades. He backs away, shooting several more times. Artoo circles around, trying to zap Ventress, only to nearly get cleaved in two for his efforts.
He keeps shooting anyway, until a Force blast throws him to the sand. He spits out a mouthful of sand – yuck – coughing, and scrambles to his feet.
Ventress' lightsaber swings for him and he frantically rolls out of the way, but it's not going to be fast enough, and –
He lashes out, flinging her back with the Force far further than he ever has before. He can only blink at what he just did, hastily scrambling to his feet, right as another speeder races up, Reva leaping off and attacking the Sith.
"Get him to the palace," she yells, and Luke doesn't wait, streaking for Ventress' speeder. He lifts Rotta into his lap with the Force – ugh, he will need a serious clothes change after this, and he can only hope the smell won't stick to him anyway – and they take off, Artoo flying behind.
**w**
Sometimes, Leia doesn't think she'll ever get used to the months she's spent at home without her brother here. Everything is too quiet and empty. Padme is as busy as ever – Palpatine is also too busy to be around her much – and only Corde and Verse are left behind. Of course, she's busy too, with preparing to be Queen, and it lets her take her mind off everything for a time, but sometimes, when she has a moment too long to think, she can't help dwelling on it. She hasn't seen Anakin in person in all this time either, and she misses him.
Maybe it was all inevitable, but that doesn't mean she has to like it.
But that's not what's so concerning right now. She just heard the news of what's happening with Jabba, and she knows this is bad. "How could he really believe the Jedi would do something like this?" Leia demands, rhetorically more than anything.
What scares her most is that Anakin and Luke are directly involved in the mission, and she has no idea if they're going to be alright. Especially knowing the kind of person Jabba is.
"Likely, they were presented fabricated evidence," Palpatine replies.
"Perhaps I can get that treaty signed," Padme asserts, "I can try a direct negotiation with Jabba, as a representative of the Senate."
"I'm afraid that is not possible," Palpatine answers, "He is not accepting any communication from the Republic right now."
"Then maybe we can try something more direct?" Leia suggests. She doesn't know what, but if they have an option to do something, they can't not take it.
"Jabba has an uncle here on Coruscant," Padme says, perking up, "Perhaps I can reason with him."
"I'll go with you," she offers, immediately.
"It's far too dangerous," Palpatine interjects, concern obvious on his face, "You are well aware of what the Hutts are capable of."
"That's why I can't leave my brother to deal with them alone," Leia objects. Palpatine does have a point, but this once, she can't listen to that.
"I understand your concern," he replies, "But in this situation, there may be little you can do."
"I have to try."
"It may only endanger you unnecessarily," Palpatine cautions.
"It is necessary," Leia insists stubbornly. She knows why he's worried, but she has to do it.
He sighs, quietly. "Do take care," he concedes, at length. "I don't want anything to happen to you."
"We'll be careful," Leia promises, before hurrying from the room after her mother. She's been with her in negotiations before, but never in one quite as tense as this. Bringing an entourage of guards would likely only make the Hutt even less likely to agree, though.
They head to the Underworld, to Ziro's home. It's dark and shadowy and feels dirty, and Leia doesn't like it one bit. Nor she does like appreciate the assassin droid hovering behind them.
"A treaty?!" Ziro interrupts, furiously, before they can finish speaking, "A treaty is impossible! Jabba's son was kidnapped by your Republic Jedi scum."
Something about this doesn't feel right. He doesn't feel angry. More... she can't place it, but the anger he's showing isn't what he feels, and that instantly makes her start questioning the legitimacy of any of these claims.
"The Separatists are framing them," Leia cuts in, "You know the Jedi would never do something like this. "If you let us speak with Jabba –"
"No," Ziro snaps, "No more discussions! Escort them out."
Padme tries to protest, but the assassin droid is already grabbing her, shoving her for the door. Leia glares at it, shoving its metal arm aside as they move for the door. So much for that. There has to be something else they can do, and the way Ziro's acting is... strange.
"What now?" Leia asks, glancing around.
"Wait," Padme hisses in a whisper, moving to the door, crouching just out of sight.
Leia senses a twinge of... something, and peering around the corner, she catches sight of Ziro speaking to a hologram of Maul. She can't see his face clearly, but she can see enough despite him being hooded. More than that, she senses how dark he is in the Force.
That explains everything. He made this deal, and he –
She spins around, right as the same assassin droid abruptly rounds the corner. It instantly raises its blaster, and Leia lashes out instinctively with the Force – thankfully there's no actual person around to see them – throwing the droid back. She and Padme sprint for the entrance, hearing the droid's clanking behind them as it gives chase, but once they're out in the street, there's nothing it can do.
Padme pulls out her comm, making an emergency call to send forces to stop Ziro, and Leia discreetly knocks the droid's blaster from its hands with the Force before they take off.
Her heart is still pounding when they finally come to a stop a short distance away. "Maybe we should've brought security," Leia says, panting.
"They won't follow us out here," Padme assures, "At least this way, Captain Typho can have forces sent in immediately."
And they do, though Ziro is already on his way out when they arrive. It's a fast battle, though, before they have him under arrest.
He's trying to protest and wiggle his way out – quite literally – but he already gave them proof of being guilty.
That was the most adventurous thing she's done with her mother, or ever, period. She wonders, for a moment, what it would be like to fight alongside her father. She doesn't want to actually fight – she can't imagine actually killing someone – but she still wishes they could be together more. And that she could be with Luke. At least she gets to see her brother again briefly on hologram, when they call Jabba's palace. It's not much, but Leia suspects it'll be more than she can ask for soon.
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