Chapter Three

As they traveled across the Dune Sea, Leia looked out of the window at her friends. Jabba began to tug at Leia's chain instructing her to come back to him. Though Leia ignored the tugs and turned her attention back to her friends.

"I think my eyes are getting better. Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur." Han said looking around on the skiff.

"There's nothing to see. I used to live here, you know." Luke said turning his attention towards his friend.

"You're going to die here, you know. Convenient." Han said looking back at Luke. Luke's expression had now changed, though Han couldn't see it.

"Just stick close to Chewie and Lando. I've taken care of everything." Luke said now looking at the desert.

"Oh. Great." Han said sarcastically, he then looked around once more the desert.

"Aah! Ow!" Leia exclaimed as Jabba gave a mighty tug at her chain that lured her back to him. Leia was now face-to-face with the Hutt. A guard held the princess' neck so she couldn't back away.

"Soon you will learn to appreciate me." Jabba said as Leia face him a look of disgust.

C-3PO walked around the barge nervously when he suddenly ran into another droid who let out a shrill beep. "I'm terribly sorry. R2, what are you doing here?" the golden droid asked his little companion. The droid let out a series of beeps as he responded to 3PO.

"Well, I can see you're serving drinks but this place is dangerous. They're going to execute Master Luke and, if we're not careful, us, too." 3PO turned his attention back to the R2 unit. Once more the little droid let out another series of beeps.

"Hmmph! I wish I had your confidence." 3PO said.

* *

Finally the barge had reached the Pit of Carkoon. The skiff carrying the prisoners floated above the pit while the other circled to stand guard. A plank extended from the skiff. A guard led Luke onto the plank, he looked below at the Sarlacc. The beast let out a squeal, Luke looked down once more. Chewbacca let out a short growl, the Wookie then looked down at the Sarlacc.

C-3PO looked out the window of the barge to translate Jabba's words to his victims. "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." while 3PO spoke to his former master and friends, R2 rolled up the the deck of the barge.

"Tibi Jedi." Jabba said speaking Huttese.

"3PO, you tell that slimy piece of worm-ridden filth that he'll get no such pleasure from us! Right?" Solo said looking to his copilot. Chewbacca roared in agreement.

"Jabba this is your last chance. Free us or die." Luke said looking at the Hutt through the windows of the barge. Laughter filled the barge as the Jedi Knight finished his sentence.

"Move him into position." Jabba's voice said quieting the laughter.

A guard prodded Luke in his back, moving him onto the plank. Luke tuned his attention to Lando Calrissian and nodded. Calrissian followed with a nod back to him. Luke looked up at the deck at R2. He saluted the little droid, R2 then opened one of his compartments. Inside was Luke's lightsaber waiting for Luke's signal to launch it to him.

"Put him in." Jabba ordered tugging on Emily's chain.

Luke jumped off the plank, but held onto the end. He back flipped into the air landing and catching his lightsaber launched by the droid. Luke activated it and started slating the guards one by one. Lando took the guards on one side while Luke handle the others. The guards were knocked off the skiff and into the pit.

From inside the barge Leia and Emily both exchanged happy glances and surprise. "I knew you had a plan Skyguy!" Emily whispered. With the commotion in the barge the girls looked around then back at each other, they nodded.

Back on the skiff Luke was making his way through the guards towards his friends. Skywalker began to untie Chewbacca, who let out a roar of happiness. "Easy, Chewie." Luke said untying the Wookie. The guards on the barge had now brought out the defense weapons. The gun blasted the skiff causing Lando to fall out with the guard he was fighting. Luckily Lando caught a rope before he could fall into the Sarlacc pit with the guard. The bounty hunter, Boba Fett, took off from the Barge to stop the Rebels from destroying Jabba.

"Help!" Lando yelled below the skiff still dangling on the rope.

Boba Fett then landed on the skiff, Luke turned around just as the bounty hunter raised his gun to fire at him. Luke swung the blade, cutting the gun. From the barge the guards yet again fired the defense weapons, hitting Chewbacca. The Wookie tumbled to the ground with Solo. Causing Luke to lose his focus off the bounty hunter and towards his friends instead.

"Chewie, you're hit? Where is it?" Han asked searching his furry friend. Boba Fett then released a rope, that tied Luke's arms down. He struggled with it then managed to deflect a shot from the guns above with his lightsaber blade. The shot reflected back to Boba Fett knocking him down.

"Han! Chewie!" Lando yelled still hanging from below.

"Lando!" Han said jumping up. Fires from the other skiff then rung out. Luke turned around and jumped onto the other skiff to take care of the guards while Han an Chewie rescued Lando. By now Boba Fett had stood up once more. He turned his attention to the Jedi aboard the other skiff.

Chewie roared to his friend "Boba Fett?" Han asked turning his attention to his friend. The bounty hunter rose up his arm to launch a missile at Luke. Chewbacca roared once more. "Boba Fett? Where?" Han asked turning around hitting Boba Fett's Rocket Pack. Causing the pack to malfunction and activating it. The pack took off making Boba Fett hit the barge walls and tumble into the Sarlacc pit.

Inside the barge Leia had successfully taken out the lighting in the barge by smashing the power system, making the windows seal shut. Leia and Emily both jumped over Jabba, swinging their chains around his neck. Both women started to pull as hard as the could as the Hutt started to struggle gasping for air.

* *

"Lando, grab it!" Han yelled lowering a guard's weapon to aid his friend.

"Lower it!" Lando yelled after attempting to grasp it.

"I'm trying!" Han yells back lowering the weapon to him.

* *

Emily and Leia continued to pull the chains to strangle Jabba. Finally with one last pull the Hutt stopped gasping and fight. The might Jabba the Hutt was dead.

Outside the guards had shot the defense weapon once more, this time the skiff tilted causing Lando to lose his grip from the rope and almost into the pit. "Grab me, Chewie. I'm slipping!" Han yelled to the Wookie, who held onto his legs. Luke turned to look a his friends then the guard who was firing the weapon. Luke jumped from the skiff and onto the walls of the barge. A hatched opened up as a guard attempted to fire at Luke, but was pulled out by the Jedi and thrown into the pit. Skywalker made his way up the walls to the deck to kill the guard firing the weapon.

"Grab it! Almost... You almost got it." Han said lower the weapon just a bit more for Lando to reach. On the deck, Luke activated his lightsaber again and took out the guard firing at the skiff below. Luke also deflected a few blasts from the other guards aboard the deck.

Chewie let out a roar at Han. "Gently, now. All right. Easy, easy. Hold me, Chewie." Han said lowering the weapon more.

"Eeyaag!" Lando cried as the Sarlacc wrapped one of it's tentacles around Lando's leg.

"Chewie!" Han yelled back up at the Wookie. The Sarlacc had begun to drag Lando towards it. On the deck Luke was still fighting off Jabba's guards. "Chewie, give me the gun. Don't move, Lando." Han said now attempting to aim a gun at the Sarlacc.

"Wait! I thought you were blind!" Lando yelled holding his hand up to stop his friend.

"It's all right! I can see a lot better! Don't move!" Solo yelled squinting his eyes trying his best to make out the form of the tentacle.

"A little higher! Just a little higher!" Lando said guiding his friend's aim. Han shot the vaster directly at the tentacle. The Sarlacc cried out in pain and let go of Lando's leg. He then grabbed onto the weapon had had waiting for him.

"Chewie, pull us up. Up, Chewie. Up." Han ordered the Wookie.

In the barge R2 assisted the women, with cutting their chains. "Come on. We gotta get out of here." Leia said looking at the droid then to Emily. The girls took off Emily picked up her lightsaber from a dead guard's belt then joined Leia.

"Not my eye! R2, help!" 3PO cried as Jabba's pet was tearing out one of the droid's eyes. R2 quickly made his way towards the golden droid. "Quickly, R2!" 3PO yelled. The R2 unit quickly zapped the creature making it jump onto the ceiling of the barge. "Beast!" 3PO yelled the creature made its strange noises.

Lando and Han were safely back onto the skiff as Leia and Emily met up with Luke on the deck. Emily activate her lightsaber to help him fight off a few of the guard. One attempted to blast he from behind but the Padawan quickly did a backflip slicing the guard in two in the air.

"Get the gun! Point it at the deck!" Luke yelled towards Leia a she made her way towards the gun. Luke continued to defeat a few guards, Emily and Luke were soon back-to-back surrounded by guards. Leia was now at the gun, she operated it, moving it towards the deck. "Point it at the deck!" Luke screamed as he cut off a guard's head. Luke looked over to his Padawan, he could tell she needed help. As Luke raised his lightsaber to strike down a guard who was battling Emily, a shot came from the side and blasted Luke in his artificial hand. He then turned and cut the guard in two with his lightsaber.

"R2, where are we going? I couldn't possibly go--Aah!" 3PO yelled as R2 pushed him off the deck of the barge and into the sand below. R2 then followed him into the sand.

Leia had set the gun up and swung to safety from a rope to the skiff. Luke looked over at Emily "Come on!" he yelled. She met up with Luke at the rope. He pulled her into his arms and held her close to him. Emily held onto the rope as Luke stepped on the pedal to fire the gun at the deck. The two swung from the rope onto the skiff. "Let's go. And don't forget the droids." Luke said as they arrived on the skiff.

"We're on our way." Lando said smiling as he drove the skiff away from the exploding barge. R2 stuck up his retracting scanner followed by a series of beeps and whistles to alert the group where they were. Lando floated the skiff above the droids and activated the magnets to pull the droids up.

After the barge had fully exploded Luke realized he was still clutching onto Emily. The blonde turned to face his gaze at her, Luke was pretty impressed with her fighting skills and had only ever seen that kind of fighting spirit in Leia. He quickly planted a kiss on her cheek. Emily quickly blushed and pulled away from him.

"I can't wait to get out of this outfit." Emily said looking down at the slave outfit in disgust.

"Me and you both." Leia said smiling at the new Rebel.

Luke smiled over to his Padawan "I think you look good in it." he said wrapping his arm around the blonde. He then quickly removed his arm "I mean--" he started then decided it was best not to talk. He moved away thinking of what he just said, he liked Emily. Actually it was more than like, he loved her in a way. He then shook off the feeling, it wasn't appropriate at all for a Jedi to have romantic feelings for his Padawan.