Mastermind

Chapter Three: The Fall Of The Empire

A cell of the Rebel Alliance was gathered near Malastare where Luke was able to recover while the Rebellion remained in hiding. Luke was given an artificial hand when he brought up the loss of his lightsaber. Weeks later, Leia, Lando, Artoo, Erda and Luke made their return to Cloud City to assist Luke in recover his lightsaber, while along the way, Erda accompanied Leia into the carbon freeze chamber to figure out the decarbonisation sequence. It wasn't until they were ambushed and stunned by stormtroopers who put them both into carbon freeze when Luke and Lando saved them as well as prisoners - people of Cloud City victimised by the Imperial garrison that the rebels failed to kick out of the city - and led a revolt before escaping on board a landing shuttle. 

It was at that time that Leia, Luke and Erda discovered a second Death Star's construction over Endor, which had to be destroyed immediately before it became operational, though this could not be done until the entire fleet had been fully assembled. It was then that Leia and Chewbacca flew to Ord Mantell to find a suitable disguise to get her into Jabba's palace without being recognised. Luckily, bounty hunter, Boushh fired at them, revealing the cover story for Leia to infiltrate the palace. It was a quick fight as Chewbacca was able to kill the bounty hunter physically without damaging Leia's disguise before retreating to the Falcon. A few days later, Leia, Chewbacca, Lando and Erda arrived on Tatooine to infiltrate Jabba's palace. 

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Erda muttered as he followed Lando into the palace as they disguised themselves. 

"It'll be alright, kid. Don't worry about the princess. She knows what she's doing, she knows the decarbonisation sequence." Lando assured him as they walked down some stairs into the room where Jabba was, on a platform. 

Shortly after, Threepio and Artoo came along with a message from Luke to Jabba. 

"Greetings, exalted one. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight and friend of Captain Solo. I know that you are powerful, o 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." The message of Luke played. 

Jabba laughed as well as some of his subjects. A female Twi'lek chained by her neck sat by Jabba's side, which made Erda imagine if Lykta was still alive but in her position. Every other non-human species being put to labour upset him more as the message continued. 

"With your wisdom, I'm sure that we can work out an arrangement that would hopefully be beneficial and enable us to avoid any unpleasant confrontation. As a token of my good will, I present to you a gift: these two droids." 

"What did he say?" Threepio spoke, shocked. 

"Both are hard-working and will serve you well." 

The message ended and were sent away as the Twi'lek danced for Jabba as a band played and sang for Jabba the Hutt. Behind the lead singer was Han's carbon-frozen body. Suddenly, Jabba began to pull on the chain linked to the collar around her neck as she pleaded for her life until Jabba triggered a trap door that made the Twi'lek disappear, screaming as the platform Jabba rested on moved forward to a grate where Jabba and his audience looked over with eagerness as the Twi'lek was left to die at the hands of a Rancor as Jabba's pet. A few minutes later and a disguised Leia Organa came along with Chewbacca chained. She stood before Jabba and said a Boushh had  come for the bounty on Chewbacca. Unbeknownst to anyone, the bounty hunter who delivered Han to Jabba had tipped him off that Boushh wasn't Boussh. 

"At last we have the mighty Chewbacca." Jabba spoke in Huttese. "I offer twenty-five thousand credits for the Wookie." 

Jabba then called Threepio to translate what he was saying to 'Boushh'. 

"The illustrious Jabba bids you welcome and will gladly pay you the reward of twenty-five thousand." Threepio translated nonchalantly. 

"I want fifty thousand. No less," Leia bargained. 

"Fifty thousand, no less," Threepio translated quickly to Jabba. 

In a sudden outburt, Jabba knocked Threepio to the ground and said he would pay twenty-five thousand. Leia anticipated this thanks to a trick she learnt from Han and produced a thermal detonator which made everyone but Lando, Erda and Jabba take cover as Jabba laughed. 

"This bounty hunter is my kind of scum; fearless and inventive," said Jabba, impressed by Leia's trick.  

"Jabba offers a sum of thirty-five, and I do suggest you take it," Threepio translated. 

Leia agreed and deactivated the detonator as two guards took Chewbacca away to be put in jail. The party resumed as Lando and Erda changed their posts while Leia hung about to wait until nightfall before acting to free Han. Unfortunately, Jabba sprung a trap after Leia revealed herself to Han, whom she unfroze. It was there that Han was thrown in prison also while Leia was taken away to become his slave; to wear a demeaning, exposing outfit where she was chained to his throne and by his side at all times. 

The next day, Luke came to face Jabba in person, where Luke fell into Jabba's trap and sent into the Rancor pit where Erda made a risky move and sneakily placed his hand on Leia's, reassuring her that he would get her out of Jabba's grip and watched as Luke evaded the vicious Rancor before using a large bone to latch in between the beast's jaws, sparing himself from being eaten as he made a dash for a door before using a large rock to trigger the door for the Rancor to enter the rest of the pit which killed it. 

Outraged at his pet's demise, Jabba had Luke brought with Han and Chewbacca before Jabba to be sentenced to death by being thrown into a Sarlaac Pit. A slow and painful death. Later that morning, Jabba and his associates flew out on a sail barge to witness Luke, Han and Chewbacca's deaths, not realising that Lando and Erda had infiltrated his group where Lando would free his friends and Erda would free Leia. It was at a well-timed moment that Luke was able to acquire his lightsaber stowed on Artoo's person and was able to defeat the guards on the barge he, Chewbacca, Han and Lando were on as Jabba's men prepared turrets to open fire on them. 

Erda acted quickly as he removed the helmet that bothered him and drew his blaster to shoot the chain pinning Leia until a droid bounty hunter interfered and threw him out of the barge, dropping his gun for Leia to free herself with as both Erda and the droid rolled towards the Sarlaac to their demise.