Battle of the Great Pit of Carkoon

The Battle of the Great Pit of Carkoon, also known as the battle over the Great Pit of Carkoon, or the Battle of Carkoon, took place in 4 ABY as part of a campaign by Luke Skywalker to rescue his captive friend, Han Solo, from the gangster Jabba the Hutt. Following a failed infiltration of the Hutt's palace, Jabba attempted to execute Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Solo's companion Chewbacca by throwing them into the Great Pit of Carkoon, home of the Sarlacc.

Skywalker was prepared for this type of situation, having stored his newly constructed lightsaber inside his droid R2-D2 prior to the rescue attempt. Just as the execution was to take place, the droid launched the lightsaber into the air, equipping Skywalker and allowing him to neutralize all of Jabba's guards. During the ensuing chaos, Jabba was assassinated by Leia Organa, another participant in the operation who was taken as a slave by Jabba, and Boba Fett, an associate of the Hutt considered to be one of the greatest bounty hunters in the galaxy, was catapulted into the Sarlacc's maw by Solo.

Text and facts from the “Battle of the Great Pit of Carkoon” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.