Author's notes: I'm sorry this took so long, but it turned out almost twice as long as I had hoped. However I think you'll like some of the details pertaining to Mara's back story and her reactions to Anij. Mara should be a fairly prominent character in coming chapters.
For anyone new to this, Mara Jade is an Emperor's Hand impersonating a dancer named Arica. So I use these names interchangeably to try and segregate where Mara is acting or thinking as herself or where she's acting as the dancer Arica. Hope this doesn't make things too confusing.
Please R&R! Thanks again to all who've done so already!
Arica Jade
Although Jabba was by far the most powerful Hutt in the known galaxy, he certainly didn't choose to portray his wealth through possessing an enormous or luxurious castle. He didn't put much value in a stone and masonry shell which was aptly called a palace. Almost nothing was wasted on exotic architecture or elaborate forms of entertainment. It was in the trophies and flesh he owned where Jabba flaunted his wealth. The palace itself was little more than a shelter and fortress used for the sole purpose of protecting his most valued possessions.
As with the rest of the palace Jabba's throne room was normally poorly illuminated, but the lights were dimmed almost to the brink of pitch black. Only a single spotlight in the center of the chamber highlighted a dancing woman of whom was trying to impress Jabba with her skills. Little did he realize it but this redheaded human female was in fact a high-ranking Imperial agent of whom answered directly to the Emperor himself. Although she answered to Arica her real name was Mara Jade, an Emperor's Hand.
However Jabba wasn't a fool. He knew as well as anyone that sex was among the most cliché means to an end, which was why he saw every beautiful woman such as the one in front of him as a potential assassin. However it was an unfortunate necessity that he cycle in new dancers and entertainers on a regular basis. It was simply economically unfeasible to maintain a huge harem of slave girls, as they would pose a significant security risk if all were to unite against their captors. As such Jabba tried to maintain about twenty slaves, and supplement them with paid entertainers. This had a double benefit of being cheaper in the long run than buying what ultimately became expensive rancor treats, and allowed Jabba to showcase as many 'new slaves' as he desired.
Jabba also found that willing servants also performed much better than those whom are coerced. And while this Arica had already earned the approval of a fat alien (whom she didn't bother asking for a name) serving as a proxy, Jabba wanted to judge her for himself. And thus far he was quite pleased with the redhead's incredible skill and finesse, interrupting this audition before she was even halfway through her performance.
Bellowing out a command, The Max Rebo band halted mid-song upon hearing Jabba's voice, and then quickly changed from the loud and energetic tone of Arica's dance number to a soft and subdued ambiance melody.
Despite the disruption, Arica continued dancing up until C-3PO translated his mater's words to galactic basic. "Master Jabba says you may stop now. He's satisfied with your performance."
Arica smiled with total sincerity and lowered her head submissively. "I am pleased to have met the incredible expectations of my new master, the Great Jabba the Hutt."
"Your service to Master Jabba is effective immediately." C-3PO translated.
Arica's smile sharpened. "Whenever the Great Jabba calls upon me, whatever he may demand... I'm ready to serve."
Jabba smiled with great satisfaction and gave Arica her first official command, which was to remove her clothes.
She didn't flinch as many others might have in her position. Mara knew from the start that she would have to use her body as a weapon if she stood any hope of selling the deception. Having purged any trace of her former identity, she was now a prestigious performer seeking employment from anyone willing to pay her fee. As such it was just as important for Arica not to be too compliant. She didn't wish to raise any suspicion.
Placing her hands upon her hips, Mara broke the 'obedient servant' character and reverted back to Arica's true personality. "So our contract is official? I hope your man told you that I don't do anything until I've received at least half my fee up front."
Jabba let out a rhythm of low laughter, taking a liking to this new girl. Without hesitation he gestured to his twi'lek majordomo, Bib Fortuna, to present Arica with a data pad. On the device was a copy of her contract, where an electronic signature would unlock half of what she was promised.
Mara in reality couldn't have cared less about matters of payment or job parameters, but she did take the time to skim over the terms that she would be agreeing to. Hutts were notorious for their ability to manipulate contracts in such a way as to legally take possession of people's lives. And while Jabba couldn't possibly have hoped to forcefully take Mara as a slave, he definitely had to potential to muck up her plans to assassinate Skywalker. And so she had to familiarize herself with such matters as well, otherwise it could have resulted in a mission failure.
Contracts such as the one Arica had in her hands have gained an unfavorable reputation among most women. Although the pay was good, sexual favors were almost always a given. However there were often limits imposed upon what a master was allowed to demand, and the indentured servant was often allowed the freedom to terminate a contract at any time... keeping her earnings for what services have already been provided.
However such contracts were often riddled with legal loop holes that a clever Hutt could use to his advantage. Paying off a servant's debts was among the most favored ways of taking an unwilling pleasure slave, as she could not afford the steep financial penalties of withdrawing from such a contract.
Such as what happened to Rila and Falere when the twi'lek twins unwittingly signed into a contract with Jabba. Having been accepted into a prestigious dancing academy, Jabba offered to pay for their training if they would serve him for a period of three years. Unfortunately Jabba didn't recruit them solely for their dance talent, and were almost exclusively used as pleasure slaves. When they tried to withdraw, Jabba had managed to draw out the legal battle until the pair were forced to accept a new contract under unfavorable terms. In the end they agreed to serve for a full twenty years, but this time without a constant fear of being raped.
Satisfied with the terms of this contract, Mara placed her thumb upon the fingerprint scanner to make it official. For a thousand credits, she would serve Jabba as a willing slave for a duration of five days. Sexual favors under this contract were covered as 'added expenses.' Which meant that Arica would serve as a pleasure slave while maintaining the right to negotiate with clients for each time her services are provided. And although Mara had no reservations about whoring if it served a greater purpose, she had no intention of demeaning herself when mental persuasion could serve her purposes just as well.
However her choice of garb now belonged to Jabba. Mara was up to that point clad in a single piece body glove intended to accentuate her trim figure without revealing too much of her body, but now had it to go. As such she bowed her head and addressed her new master with a low, seductive tone. "Your wishes are now my command, Master Jabba."
Unfortunately for the Hutt, Bib Fortuna wasn't so eager to watch a strip tease. As much as he would have relished it, there were simply more pressing matters that needed tending to. It was then that he stepped out onto the dance floor to take matters into his own hands. "No, I think that we're done here. This slave will escort you..."
"No, I'm not done with her yet!" Jabba bellowed out, clearly enraged at Bib's insubordination.
One of the many things about his master that Fortuna despised was how brilliant yet lazy he really was. Starting from humble beginnings Jabba had organized what became one of the largest criminal empires in the galaxy, and yet it was often a battle getting him to focus on serious matters. Ever since Leia delivered Chewie into his waiting hands, all the Hutt could focus on was in planning one celebration after another to showcase his new prize. Fortuna wouldn't have minded that so much, provided that Jabba would give him the full authority required to get his work done.
Unfortunately Jabba wouldn't surrender that much control, making him a required participant in virtually every major decision that expands and maintains his empire. And that required great time and effort that Jabba wasn't willing to invest, making him yet another burden for Fortuna to deal with. The twi'lek twisted his head around and firmly, but politely tried to persuade Jabba to divert his attention back onto business. "Master we've urgent matters that require your attention. You'll see her again at the party tonight."
Arica was forced to wait for Jabba and his majordomo as they engaged in a heated exchange. Given that she wasn't a part of the conversation, C-3PO had since stopped translating. Mara didn't know either twi'lek or Hutesse, so she found it next to impossible to understand the nature of their discussion. Even then she may still have been able to read their expressions and body language, but found even that wasn't really possible. Seeing anything in the blackness of the throne room would have been difficult enough without a spotlight beating down upon her. So despite being the only one clearly visible in the chamber, Mara was ironically also the only one in the dark.
An uncomfortably long moment later, their arguing ended abruptly and C-3PO relayed his master's instructions. 'Master Jabba says he wants you to remove your clothing... slowly,'
It was then that the room exploded with excitement, many eager for the redheaded human to remove herself from the body glove which concealed her modesty. Arica had noticed that the word 'slowly' likely suggested that Jabba wanted her to perform a strip tease. However revealing herself before an audience wasn't what concerned her so much as being left wondering what Bib and Jabba were arguing about. Did they suspect that she was a spy?
Of course Mara wasn't there to kill Jabba, but certainly the Hutt couldn't have known that. And although she couldn't fault Jabba for being suspicious of her motives, it would have certainly ruined her plans. Ironically it would also have been bad for Jabba, whom wouldn't have to contend with Skywalker if she were to succeed.
Whatever their suspicions might have been, Mara realized that her mission took priority above everything else. Even her own survival was secondary. And if she were already discovered, then she was dead in any event. So if choosing death between Jabba and the Emperor, or continuing her mission on the assumption that everything was alright... there really wasn't much of a choice. Forcing any lingering doubts from her mind, Mara did not break her character. It didn't take long for the cheering to die down as Jabba's guards eagerly awaited her response. "As you command, Master Jabba."
Her answer came with roaring approval, offset by equally great disappointment. That was usually how it went as nearly half of Jabba's court had an insatiable appetite for beautiful women, whereas the others took a perverted pleasure in pain and suffering. Had she refused Arica would likely have been fed to the rancor, which was always an exciting event to the kind of company Jabba kept in his palace.
To become an Emperor's Hand was amongst the greatest of honors, but it was amongst the most dangerous and thankless of any ranks within the Empire. Particularly for Jade it was difficult to know how she fit within any kind of command structure. Compared to the military, which had an organized and absolute chain of command, the Sith ranks were highly variable from one incident to the next. Given that there wasn't an official command structure beyond Palpatine as the Supreme Master over all Dark Jedi sworn to his allegiance, everyone below him were decided by whom was strongest or most favored by the Emperor. Even Darth Vader couldn't overrule Jade's authority without an explicit mandate from Palpatine, which rarely ever happened.
However Jade didn't officially have a prestigious rank akin to that of a High Inquisitor like Jerec, whom was unofficially Palpatine's second in command just below Vader. Under the Inquisitors were the Shadow Guard, an elite group of Force-sensitive commandos. The Emperor's Hands, along with the Emperor's Reach, Emperor's Voice, and Emperor's Eyes constituted an elite group of agents whom answered only to Palpatine himself.
In a sense these agents were on equal or greater footing as Vader, but lacked any real power due to the secrecy of their existence. They were not apprentices, but Force-sensitive spies and assassins with the singular purpose of carrying out special operations where other tools like Vader or the Imperial Navy would be too obvious. In fact their confidentiality was so extreme that none of them knew of the others' existence... or even that they had other such counterparts.
This was in fact Jade's first mission as Palpatine's newly appointed Hand, and it has thus far not gone as she had expected. Informed that her first target was to be the son of Darth Vader, she had originally envisioned clashing lightsabers with him in mortal combat. It would have been the perfect opportunity to show Palpatine that she was a more worthy apprentice than Vader, of whom she knew was destined for replacement.
Having been Palpatine's apprentice since before she was even born, Vader was clearly incapable of surpassing his master. It was exactly for that reason Vader defied the Sith rule of two when he used Galen Marek in a failed attempt to overtake the Emperor. It was obvious he intended to use Skywalker for that purpose as well. To ensure that didn't happen, Jade was dispatched to take out the young Jedi. Despite having been a promising replacement for Vader, Luke had already proven a close equal to his father in their duel at Cloud City.
Obviously he had received training. And without knowing the source nor the extent of Luke's knowledge of the Force, he was an unknown variable that Palpatine couldn't allow. Maybe on his own Luke may still have been captured and controlled, but certainly not if he and Vader were to combine their efforts against him. So again Palpatine had lost a worthy successor because of Vader's interference.
Hopefully her success against Skywalker would win Palpatine's favor. Maybe if she could even manage to extract a confession from Skywalker, her master would see fit to finally do away with Vader once and for all. And while Jade knew that she had no chance of being selected as Vader's replacement, she greatly favored Lord Jerec in any event. Unlike Vader, who was little more than a living weapon, Jerec had the charisma and value for knowledge of a proper apprentice.
After her audition came to a close, Arica couldn't help wondering to what degree Palpatine could read her thoughts through their telepathic link. Although it often required both of them to consciously maintain a stable link to have a conversation, any thought or sensation she experienced was open to him if he were to force that link open. Fortunately though he wasn't likely to risk her mission unless she were the one to initiate contact with him.
Arica wasn't shy and it showed very prominently in her performance. What she didn't realize as she stripped everything away was that she was in fact being evaluated by the Zeltron slave sitting upon Jabba's throne... a fact she didn't realize until the chamber lights returned to normal. Arica felt an unexpected chill run down her spine upon this discovery, but her facial features and emotions were kept in check... given that even the slightest hint of fear was enough to warrant suspicion.
Anij was among Jabba's most valued assets, of which he valued more than even his prized rancor. It was for that reason she spent more time with him than any other of his slaves. Having captured her at the age of 33, Jabba was pleasantly surprised by how well Anij endured forty years of servitude. Despite being over seventy years old, she maintained the physique of a goddess.
Zeltrons were naturally very beautiful, but they also possessed a means to read and sometimes feel other people's emotions. It was for that reason members of her species were often recruited by crime lords and negotiators. Anij in particular was highly adept at reading and anticipating people's intents that she was described as knowing their every move before they did. And there was something very suspicious about this woman.
Having witnessed many such displays before, Anij always had to fit the emotion of the person to the situation. She has seen and felt the most extreme embarrassment and fear of unwilling slaves who were ordered to reveal themselves in public displays of humiliation, and she knew the ecstasy of many professional dancers who've made a career of selling their bodies to unwitting buyers. As such Anij really couldn't identify a spy just from reading their emotions alone, but she could at least breach the mask of a person's voice and body gestures.
Arica wore nothing now except for a pink thong and a pair of dancing slippers. Anij had since lead her out of the throne room and into a large chamber where she could personally inspect this woman while also fitting her with an appropriate garment. There were thousands of various outfits ranging from the sheerest bikinis to lavish dresses worthy of royalty. Many were passed down from slaves no longer in Jabba's service, and many that have never been worn before. The sheer range of options available made it possible for just about any new slave or servant to be made ready on short notice.
Having done this many times, Anij started off by visually and physically inspecting Arica... trying to push the woman outside of her comfort zone. Sure enough this provoked the young woman to speak up, her voice calm and sweet. "Is this really necessary? Surly I pleased Jabba, otherwise he'd not have approved my contract."
Anij couldn't sense anything, as if the human were actively blocking out any emotion. "It's standard procedure. Usually Master Jabba doesn't have girls strip down during their first audition... he must really like you."
Mara knew almost instantly that this wasn't just 'standard procedure.' This slave wanted to provoke her emotionally and probe into the deepest recesses of her psyche… an obvious tactic from a Zeltron. Mara completely engrossed herself into her role and responded accordingly. "Well you can tell your master to keep hoping. Because I'm not some Hutt plaything like you."
Anij raised her head in surprise, but was quick to conceal her shock. Suddenly she saw an opportunity to properly provoke Arica. "Well according to your contract you are."
"What?!" Arica exclaimed.
"Yes, but it says that Master Jabba would pay you quite handsomely. So it's not like it wouldn't be worth your while... unlike a slave such as myself."
"Only if I consent." Arica retorted. "And I doubt that Jabba would be willing to pay my price in any event."
Anij smiled devilishly. "Actually that part pertains only to Master Jabba's guests. You might not have noticed in the fine print that the Master is entitled to demand sexual favors from you without your consent."
Little did Mara know it, but Anij was lying. Jabba actually never really demanded sexual favors from servants unless it was for the purpose of breaking their will. Arica on the other hand was a paid entertainer, so she wouldn't have been expected to do much more than sit upon the throne with a leash around her neck.
Arica didn't have the contract with her, so there was no way to confirm this assertion. However she did have a way out if she terminated the contract early. "If what you say is true, then it seems Jabba and I will have to renegotiate our agreement. Unless he's willing to pay a fortune, I'll never prostitute myself to a Hutt."
Anij could certainly tell that Arica wasn't lying about that. Jabba was extremely repulsive, and no human woman would ever want such horrible memories. Arica's standards were actually quite reasonable, but how reasonable...? "A small fortune? What, are you talking five hundred credits? A thousand? Jabba just may be interested."
Mara in fact had no price whatsoever, but Arica certainly had to have one. She was the kind who would sell her body to the highest bidder, and therefore this question required an answer. "Three thousand credits... that's my price."
Anij smiled and folded her arms across her chest. "Three thousand is quite a lot, surly you'd do it for only one."
Arica was becoming frustrated. "This is not negotiable! I will not give my body to a Hutt unless the stakes are high enough." Mara genuinely didn't want to get involved with doing sexual favors for Jabba, so she came up with a figure high enough that he wouldn't be interested. In reality Mara would have done what was required to accomplish her mission, but not if she could avoid something so unpleasant.
Fortunately Anij got exactly what she needed from this exchange. She raised her hands innocently and closed the matter. "Alright I'll inform Master Jabba that you're not interested and we'll go from there." Now that she had a means to determine whether Arica was a spy or not, the Zeltron slave turned her attention to a pink outfit which was hanging on a clothes rack nearby. Without so much as checking to see whether it fit, Anij took the outfit by the hanger and pressed it against Arica's chest as she moved towards the doorway. "Put this on and wait here. A guard will arrive to escort you back to the throne room."
Anij was always very careful when it came to identifying potential threats to her master. Considering how many enemies Jabba has made over hundreds of years, anyone seeking employment could be an assassin. However there were also many genuinely desperate souls she recommended be turned away because their motives were unclear.
This Arica really wasn't very different from most of the entertainers who come before Jabba, except that she never exhibited any fear. That wasn't exactly indicative of a thief or an assassin, but new dancers almost always fear for their lives once they're inside the palace.
Finding Jabba and Fortuna arguing over 'more important matters,' Anij stood before the throne and politely awaited for her master's attention. Once she had it, Anij simply reported the situation. "Arica is a skilled actress. I've no idea what to make of her."
Bib stated the obvious. "Then she's a threat. We should dispose of her."
"Not necessarily." Anij interjected. "When I said that Master Jabba wanted some... intimate time with her, she grew quite concerned."
Jabba looked at Anij with suspicion. "I thought she was just an entertainer."
"She is, but I think you should make her an offer... see how much she's willing to sell herself for." Anij suggested. "If she's another of Solo's infiltrators, she'll do whatever it takes to maintain your favor. If not, she'll reject the contract."
Jabba thought about it for a long moment, remembering that Anij usually had the best suggestions of anyone he's known.
Again Mara found herself before the mighty Jabba, only this time arguing about her contract. Mara most certainly was determined to complete her mission, but spending an evening with Jabba was far beyond what she was willing to do. Jabba started out by offering a mere 500 credits and slowly but steadily increased it until hitting that threshold of 3000 credits of which Arica had demanded.
Mara hated the prospect, but felt that she couldn't possibly have rejected such an offer without arousing suspicion. 3000 credits was a significant sum of money that no one in her position could turn down for a single night's work. Believing she had no other choice, Mara was forced to accept the offer.
"Excellent!" Jabba shouted out. "I look forward to spending some time alone with you tonight. In the mean time..."
Mara's eyes widened as Jabba reached behind him for a chain that was attached to the throne, at the end of it was a slaving collar. This caused some excitement within the throne room, as everyone watched with anticipation.
Jabba held the chain in front of him, allowing the collar to swing back and forth like a pendulum. "...my newest slave won't be joining us until tonight. My throne could use some color, and you'd do quite nicely."
He was obviously referring to her hot pink outfit. Mara actually didn't care at all for the color she wore, but it was Arica's favorite. Now clad in a thong bikini paired with the matching brassier Anij had given her, Arica was ready to serve. Suspended from her brassier was a semitransparent veil extending midway down her thighs, vaguely resembling a dress. A slit went down the front center of the outfit, just wide enough for her navel to peak through.
Unlike Leia, Arica refused to show any embarrassment or modesty. She was a willing participant in all this, and a well-paid entertainer without any reservation of wearing that slave collar. Unlike the collars that the real slaves wore, the one at the end of the leash was merely a prop. So Arica smiled enthusiastically and ran towards Jabba as if very excited. Climbing upon the throne, resting upon her knees, and offering her neck to Jabba, Arica showed nothing but confidence. "I would be honored to brighten your throne, Master Jabba."
As Jabba placed the collar around Arica's neck, Anij couldn't help feeling sickened by such a pathetic display of affection. Anyone who knew what it was really like to be captive could see right through the performance and know that Arica wasn't really an unwilling servant. However that kind of over acting was exactly what alleviated her suspicions about this woman. This Arica really wasn't a spy, but a damned fine actress.
Convinced that her master was content, the Zeltron approached and briefly looked Arica in the eye. Although this test hadn't happened as she expected, Anij was fairly confident that Arica was who she claimed to be: a talented entertainer who was simply down on her luck and desperate for an opportunity to strike it rich with a wealthy employer. It was then that she turned her attention to Jabba. "She is very beautiful, my Master. Arica is sure to make anyone envious."
Jabba took Anij's compliment as an indication that the girl had passed her inspection and wasn't likely an infiltrator. "Thank you for readying her. I'm going to need all my girls ready for tonight's celebration... speaking of which, is that twi'lek girl ready?"
Anij didn't wish to answer, as even she didn't know the condition of the slave Jabba was referring to. "Sienn'rha? I don't know... it's only been two days."
"Can she or can't she perform even the most basic tasks? I don't care about her feelings!"
Anij was reluctant to answer, as she didn't want to make Sienn'rha's life any worse than it already was. She couldn't say 'yes,' no matter how hard she tried.
Jabba waved his stubby arm out at Anij to emphasize his command. "Just bring her to me! She can at least sit and stay quiet, can't she?!"
Anij reluctantly forced her head forward and did as she was ordered. "Yes, Master Jabba! I'll bring her right away!"
More notes: As with many great books, I'm now going to start diverging into different story lines. I think between various perspectives around a fairly-linear time line, I can get a lot of story into a very short span of time. I'm also going to try and preserve some mystery as events unfold so that I can preserve some significant plot twisters. I'm even considering changing the rating on this to M so that I can liberally write whatever I desire. Any thoughts or comments on that?
PS: just letting you know that this Mara/Jabba thing isn't going to turn out as it may seem, so don't think this is turning into a typical Slave Leia fanfiction. Hope you liked having Mara get chained up.