Alright, so I'm bored and have nothing better to do. What is my solution? I write.
This will be following the events of episode 6, but I haven't seen it in a while. I will do my best to stay on track, but no promises. Enjoy reading!
It was such a simple op. In and out. Just a recon. So why the heck an I stuck in this stupid outfit?! Hera thought to herself. She looked around the crowded palace. From her point of view, she could make out several drunk species—most of them bounty hunters or smugglers—cheering and singing to the beat of some bad music. Right in the center of all that scum sat Jabba the Hutt. He laughed and licked the slime off his lips. He boomed something in huttese.
"His majesty the mighty Jabba wishes to see his new slave," the golden protocol droid announced.
Hera glared at the droid. Ever since he and that R-2 unit rolled in the doors, the whole mission had gone wrong. She was caught snooping, Kanan was taken away, and she had no idea what happened to Ezra. As soon as the galmorian guards caught her looking at the carbonite-like statue, they had dragged her away, beaten her a couple times, and forced her into a crazy dress-like outfit. Honestly, Hera didn't know how to describe the clothes.
A guard shoved her to the center of the room. The drunk beings laughed, and some of them started shouting "Dance!". Hera did the only thing she could do at that time. She danced.
It felt strange to be dancing again. The last time she danced as when she was seven. She used to dance all the time when she was younger. She would dance when she was happy, or when her father came home all depressed and upset. She never liked it when people were sad, especially her father. Yes, she didn't understand that he was mourning the loss of several comrades, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that every time she danced, her father smiled.
She wasn't used to listening to the music and keeping the beat. It was almost foreign to her. But when Jabba was angry, people got hurt. She didn't want to see part of her crew killed.
Jabba boomed another comment, followed by a deep laugh.
"The mighty Jabba is pleased," the protocol droid chirped, "and wishes to see his other slave dance."
Hera was about to be yanked out of the way when a bounty hunter spoke up from the crowd.
"Jabba!" he shouted and stopped to the front of the crowd. His scavenged clone trooper armor glinted in the dim lighting. "I'm looking for a new slave. How much for this one?"
Jabba frowned and spoke another decrypted answer.
"The great Jabba does not wish to part with his new slave."
Hera glared at the bounty hunter. This wasn't part of the plan. The plan was for her to stay at Jabba's palace waiting for Master Skywalker. She was a distraction, not a bargaining token.
The bounty hunter lifted several data cards out of a pouch on his side. "Shame," he mused. "I would hate to have to give Black Sun all these data cards about your dirty dealings." Hera could almost see the smirk on the bounty hunter's helmeted face. "Perhaps we could make a deal."
Jabba frowned but nodded. He shoved Hera forward and the criminal managed to catch her. She caught a glimpse of blue hair and yellow eyes. She exhaled and allowed herself a smile, but her relief was short-lived. An invisible hand clamped around her throat and lifted her off the ground for several long seconds before dropping her. Jabba's cronies cheered as Ezra loomed over her. He yanked her to her feet and dragged her into a hall. once inside, he slipped off his helmet.
"Are you okay?" he asked, worry in his voice.
Hera nodded, still rubbing her sore throat.
Ezra breathed a sigh of relief. "I've received word from Kallus that the Rebellion are sending general Organa to the palace. All you need to do is to lay low."
"And where is Kanan?" Hera asked.
Ezra shrugged. "I honestly don't know. He missed check-in so I was going to go look for him." He turned to go, but Hera caught him on the shoulder.
"You be careful," she told him.
Ezra nodded and ran off into the dark halls.
It didn't take long for him to find the right room in the maze of corridors. It was the only room that he could hear human screams from. Not wasting time, Ezra shoved the door out of the way with the Force and rushed into the room. He ignited his lightsaber and attacked the guards standing around, stabbing some and choking others. It took only seconds to eliminate all other life in that room save for him and his master.
"Kanan?" Ezra cautiously asked.
Kanan's frail form lay ruled up in a small pool of blood near the edge of the room. Ezra helped Kanan to his feet and started for the door, helping his master along the way. It took longer than expected for them to get out of Jabba's palace and into the blazing Tatooine sun since Ezra had to support Kanan's full weight.
Once outside, Ezra collapsed on the sand, just noticing a sharp pain in his side. Kanan fell beside him, slowly regaining consciousness.
"Are you okay?" he asked his Padawan.
Ezra nodded, though a little breathless.
Kanan slowly got to his feet and looked back at Jabba's palace. "We should get going. We need to get as far away from here as we can."
"Thank you again, Master Skywalker," Hera told the Jedi. She surveys the trashed hover boat that Jabba had once occupied. Now it was his graveyard. She unclipped her comm and held down the button to call. "Specter 6, Specter 2, come in." Static. "Specter 2?" Worry began to rise in her throat and sickening realization set in.
"I'll tell Lando to prep the Falcon. We'll find your friends," Luke promised, sensing her discomfort. "I promise."
Hera wordlessly nodded to the young Jedi that reminded her so much of Ezra. Another lump began to rise in her throat as possibilities swirled around in her head. They couldn't be dead. Not now.
"Anything?" Lando asked from the cockpit where Chewie, Leia, and Hera sat.
Hera resisted the urge to strangle him. "Not yet," she replied evenly. Much to her surprise, the con artist had seemed worried about their current predicament. Even scared. Maybe he was just good at faking it from all his years of playing Sabaac.
One of the Falcon's sensors started beeping.
"We're picking up to life signs," Leia reported. "They are pretty faint, but I think I can track them."
The Falcon made a sharp turn and started flying towards a rocky canyon.
Please, Hera silently prayed. Please let them be safe. As they drew closer, hope started to fill her soul. Maybe they weren't dead. Maybe they were just taking shelter and waiting for someone to find them.
The Falcon landed on the rocky ground and ascended the entry ramp. Hera rushed out as soon as the engines died down. She didn't stop when her feet nearly slipped on all the small pebbles. She didn't stop when she heard the others calling to her. She didn't stop when she rushed into the dark cave
that the sensors had motioned to. She only stopped when she spotted a trail of blood leading deeper inside. Fresh blood.
And with that I will leave you to scream and curse at me because of that awful cliffhanger.
Disclaimer: Uh-oh… There's blood. What did you do to them…?
Like I would tell you…
Anywho, follow, favorite, and review! Hope you enjoyed it and stay tuned for more!
May the Force be with you!
-Spector7 out!