Tatooine
Boba Fett flexed his hand and felt the sting of punctured skin on his fingers, a testimony to the strength of her jaw and the sharpness of her teeth. They were back in his quarters now, the door shut and locked behind them. Inside of his helmet, he activated the security sensors he'd hidden in the room to make sure no one had invaded his privacy or tried to plant bugs of their own. The room was untouched. Someone was finally programming the cleaning droids correctly, perhaps because they were tired of replacing them.
"I was starting to worry for a moment there," Leia said. "But that was pretty clever, to make Jabba think it was his idea."
"It's never wise to let a Hutt know what you really want." Fett stripped his glove off and examined the damage. "You broke skin."
She crossed her arms, her posture defensive. "You startled me."
"How's your face?" he asked. "Hurt?"
"Not much," she looked at him and shrugged. "It worked. I'm not complaining."
Fett unlocked his case and removed a medkit. "I do many things for Jabba, but I don't perform sex acts for his amusement." He smeared antiseptic gel across the bite marks on his fingers and replaced his glove.
"It must be nice to that option," she muttered, tugging on the metal collar around her throat. "Do you think he'll really..." She couldn't seem to bring herself to finish the sentence. "When Han can see again?"
The bounty hunter took his time answering. She was smart enough to hide the fact that she understood Huttese, but not smart enough to hide her relationship with Captain Solo. Jabba wanted revenge on the arrogant smuggler, and he was not above making the princess pay for every ounce of spice Solo cost him. "He might." Leia looked vaguely nauseated, but she didn't say anything in response. "Unless Solo succumbs to hibernation sickness first," Fett offered. "If he dies, your value significantly decreases."
That didn't appear to reassure her. "You wouldn't actually buy me, would you?"
"Not for the price Jabba's asking."
"That's not funny," she replied coldly.
He turned the medkit toward her. "There's a coldpack in there and some painkillers."
"I'm fine," Leia said absently, then looked up, startled, when he took a purposeful step toward her.
"You owe me information."
She held her ground, her spine straight. "Luke's coming next. He's going to negotiate our release."
"With what?" Fett demanded. "More droids?"
She gave him a sweet smile that didn't touch her dark eyes. "You asked me to tell you what comes next, and I did. You can't change the terms of the deal now."
Hidden behind his helmet, Fett glared at her in silent frustration. The information was never the point. He should be gone, blasting off Tatooine with Jabba's credits in his account. Instead he was standing here and thinking about the exact location of every clasp holding on that ridiculous outfit. She wasn't so cold when she was naked, her cheeks flushed and her eyes growing wider as he -
He should have thrown her out of his room the moment he walked in. Jabba occasionally found it amusing to send him company, females of every shape, size, race and species, as if he were determined to find out Fett's type through random selection. Some tried to seduce him, others were plainly terrified of him. If they were willing to be quiet and leave him alone, they could stay.
Leia Organa was not quiet, nor did she leave him alone.
Fett suspected it wasn't really complicated. Her success was the result of his own failure, first to admit his attraction and second to control his emotions. She made him angry and he wanted her. He still wanted her. And she still made him angry, but not as angry as he was at himself for getting into this mess. He couldn't help her, and he couldn't abandon her. He could only stall, and wait for something to change.
"I'm going back to the throne room," he told her, wanting to be away from her and away from the unmade bed that seemed to be constantly in his peripheral vision.
Leia quickly put herself between him and door. "I want to come with you." The chain hanging from her collar was wrapped around her own fist, and she held it out to him. When he started to brush past her she moved again, pressing her back against the door. "Won't Jabba be insulted if you toss his gift aside so soon?" She said insistently, offering the chain again. Fett successfully resisted the impulse to open the door and let her fall on her ass into the hall. He should chain her to the headboard while he was gone. She would put up a fight, but he could have on her the bed in seconds. The problem was that even the thought of her sprawled out on the bed, flushed and furious, sent heat rushing through his veins. A wrestling match was not in his best interests at the moment.
"Stay close, don't talk to anyone," he ordered. "And wipe that smile off your face."
The throne room was quiet at this time of the day. Jabba was taking his post-breakfast nap, and many of the other courtiers were sleeping as well. The bounty hunter's favorite alcove was vacant, the one that gave him the best view of the audience chamber. He could see Leia clearly in the 360-display of his helmet. She let herself be led by the chain, but her body was tense and ready. She kept looking in the direction of one of the guards.
It was one of the human ones, a dark-skinned male in a raider's helmet, and he seemed to be watching the princess very closely. He was new, wasn't he? Fett turned when they reached the alcove to get a better look at the man, but a scuffling noise at the entrance drew his attention first.
He only saw a glimpse of a hooded figure, but all the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and he reached back for his rifle. Bib Fortuna came rushing through the arch and down the stairs.
"At last," the golden protocol droid exclaimed, telling Fett what he didn't need to be told. "Master Luke's come to rescue me!"
"I told you not to admit him," Jabba snarled in Huttese, not happy to have been woken.
"I must be allowed to speak," Luke Skywalker said quietly.
"He must be allowed to speak," Bib Fortuna echoed blankly.
"You weak-minded fool," The Hutt ranted. "He's using an old Jedi mind trick!"
Skywalker's eyes scanned the room, settling briefly on Leia before he stepped forward and fixed his gaze intently on Jabba. "I'm taking Captain Solo and his friends. You can profit by this...or be destroyed. But I warn you not to underestimate my powers."
Leia leaned forward, and Fett tugged warningly on her chain.
"There will be no bargain, Young Jedi! I will enjoy watching you die!"
Fett was already in motion as Skywalker Force-pulled one of the guard's blasters to his waiting hand. No sign of a lightsaber yet, but it was only a matter of time. He took aim, but before his finger could squeeze the trigger, Leia slammed into him with enough force to knock him backwards into the wall. She snatched up the chain and ran for the center of the room, dodging around the cowardly minions trying to escape the chaos. Fett pushed off the wall and regained his balance, cursing silently. He swallowed his anger and lifted his arm, taking careful aim.
"Bascka!" Jabba shouted and the trap door fell open, dropping Skywalker and an unlucky guard down into the rancor's den. Leia was only a few steps away from the opening when the fibercord whip wrapped around her legs and she went down fast, her outstretched hands barely breaking her fall. There was a roar of appreciative laughter as Fett began to retract the cord, dragging her backwards across the stone floor. "Luke!" She strained and kicked, trying to free her legs, but the cord was tight. Jabba watched with great appreciation as the bounty hunter grabbed her roughly by the metal collar and pulled her to her feet.
"Bring her over here," The Hutt roared. "She should watch the Jedi die."
Fett pulled her so close that his helmet was almost touching her cheek. "Don't," he ground out, low enough for her ears alone. "Do that again." He dragged her to the edge of Jabba's dais, holding her in front of him with one arm locked tightly around her waist.
She was leaning forward and twisting around so much that his own view of the den was obstructed. He heard the frantic squeal of the Gamorrean guard, cut off abruptly and replaced by the sound of bones crunching in the rancor's mouth. Leia flinched, turning her head away while the crowd cheered. It didn't matter that the guard was one of their own moments ago, the scent of blood was in the air and the frenzy was on.
The bounty hunter had personally witnessed a spilled drink escalate into a bloody brawl in this throne room. Give Jabba one prisoner to execute, and it could rapidly become a series of gladiatorial death matches. Not long ago a splicer, a Rodian female, was caught stealing from the Hutt's databanks. Rumor was that Jabba had her whipped and given to the guards. She lasted two days before the Gamorreans tore her apart.
Fett looked at Jabba's yellow eyes, glowing with bloodlust, and his jaw clenched of it's own accord. Leia shouldn't have drawn attention to herself. What if the Jedi died too quickly and Jabba ordered the princess thrown in next?
No. She was a shiny new toy, and Jabba wouldn't waste her life, not before he had his chance to use her to torment Captain Solo. As long as the Jedi died fighting and the smuggler remained in the dungeons, Leia was fairly safe.
There was a rusty squeal from below, and crashing thud. Leia gave a faint cry and sagged against his arm, and he thought it must be over now. Skywalker was dead, and they were containing the rancor. But when he looked, he saw something else entirely, something he did not expect to see. The rancor was dead, it's neck crushed beneath the heavy inner gate, and the dark-clad Jedi was still standing.
This was not good.
"Bring me Solo and the Wookie," Jabba bellowed. "They will suffer for this outrage!"
The audience quickly turned from raucous to malicious, jeering as Skywalker was dragged into the throne room along with Captain Solo and his Wookiee first mate.
"Together again," the smuggler quipped as they dragged him forward. "How are we doing?"
"Same as always," Skywalker responded.
"That bad, huh? Where's Leia?"
"I'm here," she said in a choked voice. Solo turned his head toward her, but it was clear from his blank expression that he couldn't really see her. Chewbacca took one look at Fett holding Leia and snarled, but Skywalker made a cautioning gesture and the Wookiee held his place.
Jabba started talking and the interpreter droid stepped forward. "His High Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt has decreed that you be terminated...immediately."
"Good," Solo smirked. "I hate long waits."
"You will be taken to the Dune Sea and cast into the pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlaac. In his belly, you will find a new definition of pain and suffering as you are slowly digested over a thousand years."
The Wookiee roared unhappily, and Solo looked deflated, but Skywalker maintained the same eerie calm. "You should have bargained, Jabba," he said confidently as the guards pressed in. "That's the last mistake you'll ever make."
The Hutt laughed and the protocol droid scrambled to translate. "The Almighty Jabba also wants you to know that he has decided to spare the princess the same fate." The droid paused and added. "At last, some good news!"
Jabba turned his attention to Fett, his yellow eyes gleaming. "For you, Fett, a very special, one time offer. If you still want her."
Solo turned his unseeing glare toward Jabba. "You can't do that! You can't give her to that bounty hunter!"
"Too late for that," Jabba laughed, and Fett felt Leia stiffen with anger. He couldn't see her face, but he could see the furious red flush creeping up the back of her neck. His grip on her waist tightened, his fingers digging into her side. Now was not the time for angry outbursts. He hoped she understood that.
"Jabba, don't be a fool!" Solo exploded, struggling against the guards holding his arms. "You could ransom her for – for more money than you can imagine! If you give her to Fett, he'll sell her off to the highest bidder in a second!"
"No I won't," the bounty hunter replied flatly. "I'll take good care of her, Solo. Regular meals. Regular exercise."
The taunt was effective. Jabba chortled, the crowd howled with laughter and Solo lunged uselessly forward, cursing inventively. Leia's entire body was taunt as a drawn bow, but to his relief, she kept quiet.
If he backed out now, there was no telling what Jabba would do to her. Actually, he could think of a number of possibilities, and he found all of them deeply and violently unacceptable. It would undoubtedly cost him some unreasonable sum of credits, but Leia would be safe and Jabba could bask in Solo's anguish as he watched the woman he loved sold like an animal.
He touched her chin, turning her face up toward him. She looked at him with defiance, but she didn't fight him. "You want to say goodbye, Princess?"
Surprise flickered in her eyes, followed quickly by suspicion. "...Yes."
"Yes what, Slave?" He demanded, and her jaw clenched visibly. She looked at him with those unflinching dark eyes and for a tense moment he wasn't sure what she was going to do.
"Yes..." She said the words as if they hurt. "...Master Fett."
Salacious Crumb cackled, setting off a round of snickering and crude comments from the audience. Fett released her, but kept the end of her chain in his hand. There was enough slack for her to approach the smuggler, just close enough to touch his face. Solo jerked, but quickly relaxed when she murmured "it's okay. It's me."
"Leia-" the smuggler started to say, but she covered his mouth with her hand. "It's going to be okay, Han," she said, her voice firm and steady. "It's going to be okay. Please believe me."
She turned her head toward Skywalker, and a look passed between them. Jabba shifted his enormous bulk and went searching in his bowl for a live, wiggling snack. Fett knew the Hutt well enough to know that he was getting bored.
He tugged sharply on Leia's chain, and she turned back toward him reluctantly.
"On your knees," he commanded. "Crawl back to me."
Salacious Crumb gave a squeal of approval, and Jabba began to laugh again. Leia shot the Hutt a look of pure loathing, then sank gracefully to her knees, her pretty face carved out of stone. The spectators cheered her progress with a cacophony of lewd calls and gestures, and her fellow captives looked on with dismay. Leia kept her focus on her path and her progress until she was kneeling at the bounty hunter's feet. Fett felt a strange mixture of fascination and respect as he watched her dust sand and dirt off her palms, her chin held high.
Bib Fortuna appeared at his elbow with a datapad. "His Excellency's price."
Fett glanced at it and felt a rare and uncomfortable jolt of shock. He'd expected an unreasonable sum of credits, but Jabba was asking for more. Much more.
Because now Jabba knew exactly what he wanted.
"Done," Fett said through gritted teeth, and Jabba's eyes bulged with delight.
"Oh dear," the golden droid moaned in the hush that followed. "What will become of me now?"
"Take them away," Jabba ordered, waving his hand carelessly toward the other prisoners. Solo was still protesting and cursing, but the Hutt's attention was elsewhere. "I regret that we will never become better acquainted," he said to Leia, and the droid dutifully repeated the translation. "But you must give your full appreciation to your new master. Enjoy her, Fett," Jabba added. "I'm sure she'll be worth the price."
The bounty hunter inclined his head coldly to the Hutt and pulled on Leia's chain. "Stand up." She obeyed, her face still turned toward the door where her friends had been taken away. She looked numb.
The bounty hunter's steps were sure and steady as he left the chamber, the outer calm projected by his armor gave no indication of the turmoil within. For fifteen years he'd been dealing with Jabba, and this was the first time the Hutt had ever gotten the better of him. It did not sit comfortably with him at all.
He slapped the light panel as they entered the room, turned and temporarily suspended his brooding. Leia was dirty and bruised, her first journey across the rough stone floor had skinned her knees, arms and the outside of her left leg from hip to calf. Some of the scrapes were raw and oozing blood, but they were a minor concern. Her face was unnaturally pale, her red lips pressed together in a slash of color. Her expression was one of mild confusion, her eyes unfocused.
He removed his helmet and laid it on the table with his blaster. Leia stood still, meek and quiet while he removed her collar. He turned her around and gave her a light shove towards the 'fresher. "Get in the shower."
She took one stumbling step forward and stopped.
He walked her into the shower, stripped her naked and turned the water on, full blast. He pushed her head under the freezing spray and she gasped. Her eyes widened, but there was no fire, no protest. "Leia?" He said, but she shivered and looked away.
Fett adjusted the water temperature and dropped the heavier and less water resistant pieces of his armor. He stepped into the shower, cupped her face and kissed her deeply, wanting a reaction and not caring if was a returning kiss or a slap. She gave him neither, so he held her, resting her head against his breastplate and stroking her wet hair with his hand. The water gradually became warmer and he tried again. "It's over now."
"Don't do that," she said in a fierce whisper. "Don't be nice. Not after that." She was still pale, but her eyes were sharper and more focused. Satisfied that she was recovering, Fett stepped back and took a closer look at the raw skin on her forearms. She jerked in response. "Ow."
"They need to be washed," he said, pulling them under the warm water. Her hands were shaking.
"Are you still cold?"
"I'm having a bad day," she replied tiredly.
Fett shut off the water and turned on the air dryer. "I'm going to put bacta on the cuts. Hold still."
She took a deep, audible breath, and the shakiness seemed to subside a little. He found himself glancing up at her face every few seconds, worried that she might actually faint. "Do you feel dizzy or sick?"
She shook her head mutely, and he knelt to tend to the scratches on her leg. To his surprise, she put her hand on his shoulder, leaning a little against him. "A little dizzy, maybe," she said wryly. "I'll try not to throw up on you."
Relieved by the return of her sense of humor, his mouth curved into a tight smile. Her skin still felt cold to him, but she seemed much steadier now. There were little drops of water beading down her smooth abdomen, only a few inches from his face. He wondered what she would do if he put his mouth there, and licked the water from her skin.
The hand he'd been resting innocently on her hip tightened involuntarily.
"Can I go lay down?" Her voice was quiet but steady.
"Of course." Fett straightened and left the shower, stripping off his wet armor and clothing. Leia walked past him into the bedroom, her wet feet leaving small, half-footprints on the tile floor.
He was down to his shorts when he stopped abruptly, cocking his head toward the bedroom as if he'd heard something, even though he hadn't. He wasn't sure what made him think of it. She hadn't looked at him, and she hadn't made a show of not looking at him. There was no real reason that he could give a name to, nothing but instinct.
He walked out of the 'fresher, too late. "Leia," he said as she turned, naked and wet and holding his own rifle on him. In spite of that arresting sight, he looked at the steadiness of her hands first, then at her eyes, trying to gauge whether or not that resolve included his immediate death. "You can't save your friends with one gun."
"Probably not," she agreed. "But I can get myself out. And I can take your armor." She smiled faintly. "I bet all of that Mandalorian commando stuff would come in handy at the Pit of Carkoon."
"A bold plan," He replied carefully, "I'd almost like to see you try it."
"Sorry." Leia raised the blaster slightly and flipped the setting to stun. "You'll be unconscious. Any words of farewell?"
"I took the power cells out," he said, and she hesitated, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. A de-celled blaster would have been noticeably lighter, something she undoubtedly knew. But now she was rethinking it, wondering if this particular rifle had a different weight balance, wondering if he would have had time to unload it while she was staring blankly at the wall.
She had to look, and in that split second he moved forward and grabbed her arm. The blue-white stun bolt ratcheted harmlessly off the ceiling and the bounty hunter ripped the gun from her hands. Leia took a wild swing at him, and he grabbed her wrist, spinning her around and bending her over the table top with her arm twisted and held against her back.
"You sneaky, soulless, kriffing liar," she spit, struggling uselessly. Fett tossed the blaster on the bed and leaned into her, holding her still with his weight.
"You have nothing to gain by attacking me," he said in her ear. "So don't be stupid." He pulled her up and turned her to face him, keeping her pinned between him and table, holding her wrists against her back. Her dark eyes were blazing with fury, her chest heaving. He tightened his grip on her, making sure she knew he was serious. "Control yourself, and I'll drop you off in Mos Eisley with a clothing and a gun, a free woman. Point a weapon at me again and you lose the first two things."
"You expect me to believe that?" Her voice was sharp and breathless, and her body was so tense, she was almost vibrating.
"I expect you to think this through," he replied in a low, calm voice. "I'm your best chance of getting out of here alive."
"And I'm worth more alive," she said bitterly. "The Empire won't pay you as much for my corpse."
"I'm not taking you to Vader." She rolled her eyes and Fett impatiently grasped her chin, forcing her to look up at him. For some reason it really annoyed him that she bought Solo's claim. "What reason would I have to lie to you?
"Oh come on," Leia said scornfully. "That's not a blaster in your shorts."
"That's true." Fett replied, dropping his hand from her chin and keeping his voice level. "But just because I want to fuck you doesn't mean I'm going to screw you. I didn't buy you to use you or sell you."
She held his gaze fiercely for a moment or two. Some of the hostility faded had from her eyes, but her expression was still wary. "If I say I believe you, will you let go of my arms?"
Fett let go and stepped back. Leia rubbed her arms, her eyes avoiding him now. "Was I expensive?"
"Yes."
"I'll pay you back."
The bounty hunter moved away to retrieve his weapons and helmet. "Don't concern yourself. What's done is done."
In his peripheral vision, he saw Leia pulling the sheet off the bed. "How much was it?"
"The next time Jabba needs my services, the fee is waived. That was his price." Fett went to the 'fresher to collect a few more weapons and lay out his clothing and armor to dry. She was calm and rational now, with his weapons secured he might be able to grab a few hours of sleep in the chair. When he returned, she had the sheet wrapped tightly around her, her bare arms folded over her chest to hold it in place.
"That's a disgustingly bad deal," she said. "Jabba could ask for anything."
Anger gave his voice a sharp edge as he leaned down to pack up his gear. "I'm aware of that."
"Why?" She said, sounding troubled. "Why would you do that?"
"Does it matter?" He snapped his case shut and straightened. "We're leaving first thing in the morning. I'm going to get some sleep. I suggest you do the same."
Leia took a few seconds to mull that over, then raised her head and swallowed. She took a step in his direction, the tension back in her limbs, and he tensed too, unable to read her intent in her eyes. "If you take me to Vader after all this, I swear-"
"I won't." He said, a little amused by her attempt to threaten him. "Not this time. And if I ever decide to collect the bounty on your head, you won't be naked and unarmed when I come for you."
Her returning smile was a little shaky, but she took another step toward him. "Easy with the flattery, Fett. I'm going to start thinking you like me."
He was beginning to reach that conclusion too. "I admire anyone who has the strength of will to crawl when necessary."
She came closer, a light burning in her dark eyes as she lifted her arms and put them around his neck. The brush of her lips was tentative, a question that he answered without hesitation. At this point, there was no reason not to. One more wrong decision couldn't possibly matter.
The sheet slipped down, and then caught somewhere at her waist as her tongue curled appealingly around his. He pulled the sheet free and let it drop, gathering her up easily and laying her down on the bed. His mouth moved to her throat, against her hammering pulse, and then further down to the valley between her breasts. She jerked against him and made a very inarticulate, but encouraging noise.
Her legs wrapped around his, impeding his plans to move his mouth lower, to see if there were any of those little water droplets left on her belly. His hand could still go lower and did. Her hips bucked and her legs tightened. "Don't," she gasped, the word a curse and plea. "Don't wait." And then she bought his compliance with a single breathless word. "Boba..."
Later he would try to remember how long it had been since anyone called him by first name, let alone a woman in a state of arousal. In the moment he knew nothing but fire and the strong, sweet invitation of her body under his.
"Wait," she gasped. "Stop." The moment stuttered painfully to a halt, and Fett waited, holding his breath. She twisted, sliding out from under him. Leia rose up her knees and tossed her unraveling braid over one shoulder. "This time," she said fiercely. "I'm on top."
He rolled over immediately, pulling her to him. The light in her eyes was stronger and wilder than before, and her nails pressed into his chest as she sat up, breathing hard, her entire body flushed with heat. There was an answering current of adrenaline in him, an absolute willingness to take this and let everything else go. Allies or enemies, regardless of who her heart belonged to, she was here now. With him. "Better?"
"Better," she agreed, and leaned down to capture his mouth in an aggressive, demanding kiss.