Chapter Eleven:
(A.N. Are you ready for this? Okay!)
Padme hated to dance. Especially in the outfit, it was insulting. While the grease of the galaxy watched she and half a dozen other slave-girls had to dance. She could always feel it when they stared at her, and it always made her angry. Still, it was her idea to wear the outfit in the first place, and she was glad she did. The guards passed her over as just another dancing girl.
She was glad when the band decided to take a rest, and she sat down heavily along with the rest of the slave girls.
A young twie-leck that would make any male of her species turned to the new- commer. "What are you doing here?" She asked.
Padme looked at the twei-leck, wondering if the dancer could be trusted at all. "I'm here to help a friend."
Yamma, the other human dancing girl, turned to Padme, her eyes inquisitive. "The spy that the guards took down to the dungeon?"
Padme looked at Yamma sharply. "What do you mean spy?"
Yamma shrugged her bare shoulders. "I can speak Huttese fluently, and they found a blaster on the newest slave. Everyone seems to be waiting for what Jabba's gonna do to him."
The twei-leck kept going. "Which brings us to you. What are you doing here?"
Padme sighed. "Anakin and I am here to free a Jedi."
Yamma laughed. "Good luck at that dear."
Padme lifted an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"We've all heard how Jedi are great fighters."
"Meaning?"
Yamma looked at Padme innocently. "It means Jabba's gonna test him out on some of his pets."
"Monsters." The twei-leck corrected. "But what are you going to do about it? You wouldn't come in here without a plan."
Padme didn't answer, fingering the stringy things that hung off her outfit.
"And I know Jabba likes double features." The twei-leck continued. "Your boyfriend will probably end up with the Jedi."
"What's in it for you?" Padme asked harshly.
"Us?" Yamma played at being insulted. "We don't even have transmitters, all we have to do is get outta this palace."
"We want to help you." The twei-leck said.
"No offence." Padme said dryly, "But how do you think you'll help me."
The twei-leck put her head from side to side, her twin tentacular appendages twitching ever so slightly. "We can do distractions. Since the slave was armed we're almost sure you are too."
Padme fingered the two silver cylinders she had attached to the costume earlier. "I might be."
Yamma nodded. "Alright then. When should we start?"
"When they bring Anakin and the Jedi out." Padme leaned in closer to her new-found friends. "I don't want to go into the dungeons to find them."
"Right." The twei-leck said. "By the way, my name is Janoo." She held out her hand.
Padme shook Janoo's hand. "I'm Padme."
Janoo looked up as she heard the intro to another song starting. "Show time- Again."
Padme and Yamma nodded, and all of the slave girls walked out into the middle of the floor.
"I'll pass the word on to the rest of the girls." Janoo whispered as they began a twirling dance.
"Right." Padme answered. She sighed to herself, leaning down and then up again, turning to the left and right. A dozen slave girls against all the thieves, murderers, and spice-runners of Jabba's palace. She must be crazy.
***ANAKIN AND OBI-WAN'S CELL***
"You must be crazy!"
Anakin shook his head. "That was our original idea."
Obi-Wan Kenobi was up and pacing again. "This is totally ludicrous."
Anakin shrugged. "I don't hear you getting any better ideas."
"Any idea would be better than waiting for them to pick us off."
"I thought you were some all-mighty Jedi dude." Anakin said grudgingly.
"I prefer stealth rather than taking on the entire palace." Obi-Wan objected.
"Do you have any other way of getting out of this?" Anakin asked angrily.
Obi-Wan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "No."
Anakin looked away. "Thought so."
Suddenly, the door on the other side of the cell slid open, and six gamorian guards entered. Anakin stood up. "Come to escort us to an excruciating death I see?" The guard retorted by giving Anakin a hard shove in the direction of the cell door. Obi-Wan didn't need to be shoved, he followed Anakin.
"When things happen I need you to follow my lead." Obi-Wan said calmly.
Anakin grunted. "Whatever Jedi."
***MAIN AUDIENCE CHAMBER***
Padme and the other dancers cleared the floor again as the music quieted into nothingness. The beings in the main audience chamber could sense the prospect of a thrill ahead and awaited eagerly.
Bib Fortuna, the vile major domo for Jabba the Hutt, stood up and raised his hands. "We have a special treat dis evening."
The crowed cheered.
"We will face a Jedi and a spy against-" He held the crowed in suspense. "A RANCOR!"
Padme suddenly felt a chill crawl up her bare legs, then it covered her whole body.
Jabba's throne reeled back, exposing a grate-like floor, displaying a cage that was littered with bones. From the cage Padme could smell the stink of rotting flesh. Out of the shadows leaped a creature so savage, so deprived of any sort of sanity it jumped up against the grating in the floor, and all of the spectators jumped back. Not wishing to become the evenings entertainment all of the spectators stayed clear of the grid and the rancor's fangs.
Padme looked up at Janoo and Yamma, who had mingled in with the crowed, and stood very close to lots of blaster belts ready to be pick-pocketed from. She nodded to them, and they returned the ready signal. It might work, it had to work. Padme stared back into the pit again, the rancor had retreated back into the shadows.
The crowed grew deathly silent. Waiting for the victims to be released into the creature's lair. There was a grinding of machinery, and suddenly Anakin and Obi-Wan was pushed into the pit. The creature roared in fury because of the invasion of his prison.
Anakin looked around, the place was dark and it stank. Judging from the sound of that roar this wasn't the best place to be either. He glanced over at the Jedi, who looked like he was strolling through his front room instead of the lair of a Rancor filled with gnawed on bones. "Great." Anakin mumbled. The Jedi tensed, and Anakin followed his gaze. "Oh Sithspawn."
Out of the shadows emerged a Rancor. Anakin had never seen one, but the rumors didn't do it justice at all. It was big, lizard-like, and drooled at them. Anakin felt like he was suddenly on the food menu. He looked up at the ceiling, hearing the courtiers excited cheers, and hoping to see Padme above him. The Rancor took a step closer.
Padme was suddenly pushed away. A spectator wanted her seat, and he wanted it now! Padme's anger flared, they were her friends that were going to get eaten and the stupid slime-ball was in the way of her saving them! Usually in these situations, Padme would have reminded herself to stay calm, but now didn't seem like the time. Taking a discarded ax the gamorreans usually carried she growled, hitting the rude spacer over the head with the blunt side. "It's my seat you scum!" There was a good 'Thunking' sound, but nobody heard it because they were watching what was happening in the pit, and as Padme looked in again she knew why. The Rancor had attached.
Obi-Wan dodged the enormous claws. What was it with him that said to monsters "eat me"? Maybe it was his aftershave- wait, he didn't use any! Obi-Wan ran for cover, and the monster temporarily lost site of him.
Anakin pressed himself into the wall, the crevice wasn't big enough for all of him, and his chest showed. He watched as the Jedi hid in the shadows, and the monster turned around looking for brunch. "Oh not good." Anakin knew he was spotted. The rancor howled again, rushing him. Anakin's heartbeat thudded in his ears as he waited for the last possible second to dodge the monster's fangs.
The rancor hit the hard stone and scratched at it, while Anakin rolled away. But it wasn't fast enough, the rancor spotted the movement. He was backed into another corner, no way out, beside's though the rancor's digestive system of course.
"Anakin!"
Anakin looked up, seeing Padme crouching above him on the grating. She was holding both lightsabers, and was going to throw him one. But that wasn't really what Anakin was thinking about at the moment. No wonder she hadn't wanted to show him the outfit- it was practically nothing, in fact, the costume was skimpier than anything he'd seen on a girl. What was strangly puzzling was how it stayed on her. Padme must have sensed his startled stare and he suddenly felt very embarrassed, she threw him the lightsaber, and he caught it. Instantly he turned back to the advancing rancor. Igniting the energy blade, he charged.
Padme threw the lightsaber to the Jedi, who caught it with a nod. Straitening, she saw the angry and surprised faces of the spectators. She looked around, spotting the other dancers in the crowed. "Fight!"
With that, blaster fire came from everywhere. Startled spacers suddenly found their blaster-belts empty and even more found their chests full of blaster burns. Fragile dancing girls suddenly became vicious, deadly, freedom fighters!
Padme leaped at a spice-runner, who was more surprised than angry, she wrenched the blaster from his belt and pulverized his face. She rolled away from the body, plowing down one after another of Jabba's courtiers before they could scream. All the years of dancing in front of slime of the galaxy had finally pushed the last button. The brief time of rest at the Skywalker's had reminded her of what living normally was, and that she deserved her freedom just like everyone else did. Padme was beyond being afraid, or angry, she was furious.
Down in the pit, Anakin sliced at the rancor's hard skin. The cuts were deep, and blood spirted everywhere. The creature roared in pain and rage. It swiped at Anakin blindly, but he dodged. Anakin cursed under his breath, he was just making the monster angry, the essential body parts were out of reach.
Obi-Wan watched as his companion swung wildly at the rancor's legs. The direct attack wasn't working. Taking in a deep breath, Obi-Wan leapt into the air, using the Force to propel him forward and up he landed on the rancor's back.
Anakin saw the Jedi fly through the air and land on the monster's back. "Sithspawn." He took everything back about himself, the Jedi was crazy.
Obi-Wan stood on his shaking perch, and plunged the blue blade of his lightsaber deep into the rancor's back. He did it again, and this time the rancor reared up, attempting to rub Obi-Wan off on the grated ceiling. But it was just fine to Obi-Wan; he didn't like staying in the pit anyway. With a quick slice at the grating he'd made a hole for himself, and just when he would have been crushed like a fly by a swatter he stepped through the hole up into the fray of the main audience chamber. Nothing like a rancor elevator.
Back in the pit however, Anakin wasn't thrilled to see the Jedi gone. The rancor looked like it might be slowly dying, but it was still really pissed off, and he was the only thing to vent on now. Anakin took a step toward the charging rancor. He didn't feel like jumping, so maybe he could let the monster pick him up and carry him like a little glass doll.
As the huge clawed fist closed itself around his body Anakin wondered what kind of idiot he really was. He almost dropped the lightsaber, but quickly got his grip back as he saw the enormous mouth he was moving towards.
Gaping jaws opened wide to swallow him whole, but as Anakin was in level with the rancor's head he jabbed out, burying the lightsaber blade into the monster's forehead. The creature's brains was fried eggs but still it had the energy to scream. Anakin thought he'd smelled some really bad things, but nothing compared to the rancor's breath. Then, he was falling, luckily the monster still had it's fist around him, or else he could have broken something. Anakin looked around, and then squirmed to get out of the monster's dead grip.
"Hey you!"
Anakin looked up at the ceiling where a twei-leck sat staring down at him.
"Climb up this!" She yelled, throwing down a long chain and tying it to one of the holes in the grate.
Anakin nodded, running over to the chain. He thought about saying thanks but he knew the girl would have already gone.
Above the pit, Padme threw herself away from blaster fire. The guards had finally gotten their act together and were firing into the crowed. But they were being picked off. The band members were joining the fight now too, adding more confusion to the guard's job. She dodged some more blaster fire, and took out several more courtiers. Confusion was everywhere; there was shouting, screaming, and blaster fire made everything into one continuous roar. She stood up in front of the throne, surveying the scene.
Unexpectedly, the whole palace shook, and Padme almost stumbled to the ground. It was the explosion that made the huge durrasteal entrance to the palace burst in on itself and reduced it to melted mettle. Then, through the entrance to the main audience chamber streamed at least a hundred of poorly dressed, determined ex slaves. Padme laughed with relief, so the reinforcements could come after all. Padme watched in awe as they fell upon Jabba's guards with blasters, large pieces of farming equipment, or anything else they could get their hands on. Padme spotted Kitster leading them, and he gave her a big grin.
Suddenly, something sticky wrapped itself around her arm from behind. It jerked her off her feet, and dragged her up on the throne. Padme glanced up- and screamed.
TO BE CONTINUED!
(A.N. I know, I know, I'm horrible at cliff hangers. What IS that thing!?! THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!!!
To Rose-Arwen-Padme, SO COOL!!! THANKS! I'll try not to disappoint you or anyone else with the rest of the story. *sitting in front of computer reading bio* SO COOL! YES YES YES!!
(A.N. Are you ready for this? Okay!)
Padme hated to dance. Especially in the outfit, it was insulting. While the grease of the galaxy watched she and half a dozen other slave-girls had to dance. She could always feel it when they stared at her, and it always made her angry. Still, it was her idea to wear the outfit in the first place, and she was glad she did. The guards passed her over as just another dancing girl.
She was glad when the band decided to take a rest, and she sat down heavily along with the rest of the slave girls.
A young twie-leck that would make any male of her species turned to the new- commer. "What are you doing here?" She asked.
Padme looked at the twei-leck, wondering if the dancer could be trusted at all. "I'm here to help a friend."
Yamma, the other human dancing girl, turned to Padme, her eyes inquisitive. "The spy that the guards took down to the dungeon?"
Padme looked at Yamma sharply. "What do you mean spy?"
Yamma shrugged her bare shoulders. "I can speak Huttese fluently, and they found a blaster on the newest slave. Everyone seems to be waiting for what Jabba's gonna do to him."
The twei-leck kept going. "Which brings us to you. What are you doing here?"
Padme sighed. "Anakin and I am here to free a Jedi."
Yamma laughed. "Good luck at that dear."
Padme lifted an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"We've all heard how Jedi are great fighters."
"Meaning?"
Yamma looked at Padme innocently. "It means Jabba's gonna test him out on some of his pets."
"Monsters." The twei-leck corrected. "But what are you going to do about it? You wouldn't come in here without a plan."
Padme didn't answer, fingering the stringy things that hung off her outfit.
"And I know Jabba likes double features." The twei-leck continued. "Your boyfriend will probably end up with the Jedi."
"What's in it for you?" Padme asked harshly.
"Us?" Yamma played at being insulted. "We don't even have transmitters, all we have to do is get outta this palace."
"We want to help you." The twei-leck said.
"No offence." Padme said dryly, "But how do you think you'll help me."
The twei-leck put her head from side to side, her twin tentacular appendages twitching ever so slightly. "We can do distractions. Since the slave was armed we're almost sure you are too."
Padme fingered the two silver cylinders she had attached to the costume earlier. "I might be."
Yamma nodded. "Alright then. When should we start?"
"When they bring Anakin and the Jedi out." Padme leaned in closer to her new-found friends. "I don't want to go into the dungeons to find them."
"Right." The twei-leck said. "By the way, my name is Janoo." She held out her hand.
Padme shook Janoo's hand. "I'm Padme."
Janoo looked up as she heard the intro to another song starting. "Show time- Again."
Padme and Yamma nodded, and all of the slave girls walked out into the middle of the floor.
"I'll pass the word on to the rest of the girls." Janoo whispered as they began a twirling dance.
"Right." Padme answered. She sighed to herself, leaning down and then up again, turning to the left and right. A dozen slave girls against all the thieves, murderers, and spice-runners of Jabba's palace. She must be crazy.
***ANAKIN AND OBI-WAN'S CELL***
"You must be crazy!"
Anakin shook his head. "That was our original idea."
Obi-Wan Kenobi was up and pacing again. "This is totally ludicrous."
Anakin shrugged. "I don't hear you getting any better ideas."
"Any idea would be better than waiting for them to pick us off."
"I thought you were some all-mighty Jedi dude." Anakin said grudgingly.
"I prefer stealth rather than taking on the entire palace." Obi-Wan objected.
"Do you have any other way of getting out of this?" Anakin asked angrily.
Obi-Wan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "No."
Anakin looked away. "Thought so."
Suddenly, the door on the other side of the cell slid open, and six gamorian guards entered. Anakin stood up. "Come to escort us to an excruciating death I see?" The guard retorted by giving Anakin a hard shove in the direction of the cell door. Obi-Wan didn't need to be shoved, he followed Anakin.
"When things happen I need you to follow my lead." Obi-Wan said calmly.
Anakin grunted. "Whatever Jedi."
***MAIN AUDIENCE CHAMBER***
Padme and the other dancers cleared the floor again as the music quieted into nothingness. The beings in the main audience chamber could sense the prospect of a thrill ahead and awaited eagerly.
Bib Fortuna, the vile major domo for Jabba the Hutt, stood up and raised his hands. "We have a special treat dis evening."
The crowed cheered.
"We will face a Jedi and a spy against-" He held the crowed in suspense. "A RANCOR!"
Padme suddenly felt a chill crawl up her bare legs, then it covered her whole body.
Jabba's throne reeled back, exposing a grate-like floor, displaying a cage that was littered with bones. From the cage Padme could smell the stink of rotting flesh. Out of the shadows leaped a creature so savage, so deprived of any sort of sanity it jumped up against the grating in the floor, and all of the spectators jumped back. Not wishing to become the evenings entertainment all of the spectators stayed clear of the grid and the rancor's fangs.
Padme looked up at Janoo and Yamma, who had mingled in with the crowed, and stood very close to lots of blaster belts ready to be pick-pocketed from. She nodded to them, and they returned the ready signal. It might work, it had to work. Padme stared back into the pit again, the rancor had retreated back into the shadows.
The crowed grew deathly silent. Waiting for the victims to be released into the creature's lair. There was a grinding of machinery, and suddenly Anakin and Obi-Wan was pushed into the pit. The creature roared in fury because of the invasion of his prison.
Anakin looked around, the place was dark and it stank. Judging from the sound of that roar this wasn't the best place to be either. He glanced over at the Jedi, who looked like he was strolling through his front room instead of the lair of a Rancor filled with gnawed on bones. "Great." Anakin mumbled. The Jedi tensed, and Anakin followed his gaze. "Oh Sithspawn."
Out of the shadows emerged a Rancor. Anakin had never seen one, but the rumors didn't do it justice at all. It was big, lizard-like, and drooled at them. Anakin felt like he was suddenly on the food menu. He looked up at the ceiling, hearing the courtiers excited cheers, and hoping to see Padme above him. The Rancor took a step closer.
Padme was suddenly pushed away. A spectator wanted her seat, and he wanted it now! Padme's anger flared, they were her friends that were going to get eaten and the stupid slime-ball was in the way of her saving them! Usually in these situations, Padme would have reminded herself to stay calm, but now didn't seem like the time. Taking a discarded ax the gamorreans usually carried she growled, hitting the rude spacer over the head with the blunt side. "It's my seat you scum!" There was a good 'Thunking' sound, but nobody heard it because they were watching what was happening in the pit, and as Padme looked in again she knew why. The Rancor had attached.
Obi-Wan dodged the enormous claws. What was it with him that said to monsters "eat me"? Maybe it was his aftershave- wait, he didn't use any! Obi-Wan ran for cover, and the monster temporarily lost site of him.
Anakin pressed himself into the wall, the crevice wasn't big enough for all of him, and his chest showed. He watched as the Jedi hid in the shadows, and the monster turned around looking for brunch. "Oh not good." Anakin knew he was spotted. The rancor howled again, rushing him. Anakin's heartbeat thudded in his ears as he waited for the last possible second to dodge the monster's fangs.
The rancor hit the hard stone and scratched at it, while Anakin rolled away. But it wasn't fast enough, the rancor spotted the movement. He was backed into another corner, no way out, beside's though the rancor's digestive system of course.
"Anakin!"
Anakin looked up, seeing Padme crouching above him on the grating. She was holding both lightsabers, and was going to throw him one. But that wasn't really what Anakin was thinking about at the moment. No wonder she hadn't wanted to show him the outfit- it was practically nothing, in fact, the costume was skimpier than anything he'd seen on a girl. What was strangly puzzling was how it stayed on her. Padme must have sensed his startled stare and he suddenly felt very embarrassed, she threw him the lightsaber, and he caught it. Instantly he turned back to the advancing rancor. Igniting the energy blade, he charged.
Padme threw the lightsaber to the Jedi, who caught it with a nod. Straitening, she saw the angry and surprised faces of the spectators. She looked around, spotting the other dancers in the crowed. "Fight!"
With that, blaster fire came from everywhere. Startled spacers suddenly found their blaster-belts empty and even more found their chests full of blaster burns. Fragile dancing girls suddenly became vicious, deadly, freedom fighters!
Padme leaped at a spice-runner, who was more surprised than angry, she wrenched the blaster from his belt and pulverized his face. She rolled away from the body, plowing down one after another of Jabba's courtiers before they could scream. All the years of dancing in front of slime of the galaxy had finally pushed the last button. The brief time of rest at the Skywalker's had reminded her of what living normally was, and that she deserved her freedom just like everyone else did. Padme was beyond being afraid, or angry, she was furious.
Down in the pit, Anakin sliced at the rancor's hard skin. The cuts were deep, and blood spirted everywhere. The creature roared in pain and rage. It swiped at Anakin blindly, but he dodged. Anakin cursed under his breath, he was just making the monster angry, the essential body parts were out of reach.
Obi-Wan watched as his companion swung wildly at the rancor's legs. The direct attack wasn't working. Taking in a deep breath, Obi-Wan leapt into the air, using the Force to propel him forward and up he landed on the rancor's back.
Anakin saw the Jedi fly through the air and land on the monster's back. "Sithspawn." He took everything back about himself, the Jedi was crazy.
Obi-Wan stood on his shaking perch, and plunged the blue blade of his lightsaber deep into the rancor's back. He did it again, and this time the rancor reared up, attempting to rub Obi-Wan off on the grated ceiling. But it was just fine to Obi-Wan; he didn't like staying in the pit anyway. With a quick slice at the grating he'd made a hole for himself, and just when he would have been crushed like a fly by a swatter he stepped through the hole up into the fray of the main audience chamber. Nothing like a rancor elevator.
Back in the pit however, Anakin wasn't thrilled to see the Jedi gone. The rancor looked like it might be slowly dying, but it was still really pissed off, and he was the only thing to vent on now. Anakin took a step toward the charging rancor. He didn't feel like jumping, so maybe he could let the monster pick him up and carry him like a little glass doll.
As the huge clawed fist closed itself around his body Anakin wondered what kind of idiot he really was. He almost dropped the lightsaber, but quickly got his grip back as he saw the enormous mouth he was moving towards.
Gaping jaws opened wide to swallow him whole, but as Anakin was in level with the rancor's head he jabbed out, burying the lightsaber blade into the monster's forehead. The creature's brains was fried eggs but still it had the energy to scream. Anakin thought he'd smelled some really bad things, but nothing compared to the rancor's breath. Then, he was falling, luckily the monster still had it's fist around him, or else he could have broken something. Anakin looked around, and then squirmed to get out of the monster's dead grip.
"Hey you!"
Anakin looked up at the ceiling where a twei-leck sat staring down at him.
"Climb up this!" She yelled, throwing down a long chain and tying it to one of the holes in the grate.
Anakin nodded, running over to the chain. He thought about saying thanks but he knew the girl would have already gone.
Above the pit, Padme threw herself away from blaster fire. The guards had finally gotten their act together and were firing into the crowed. But they were being picked off. The band members were joining the fight now too, adding more confusion to the guard's job. She dodged some more blaster fire, and took out several more courtiers. Confusion was everywhere; there was shouting, screaming, and blaster fire made everything into one continuous roar. She stood up in front of the throne, surveying the scene.
Unexpectedly, the whole palace shook, and Padme almost stumbled to the ground. It was the explosion that made the huge durrasteal entrance to the palace burst in on itself and reduced it to melted mettle. Then, through the entrance to the main audience chamber streamed at least a hundred of poorly dressed, determined ex slaves. Padme laughed with relief, so the reinforcements could come after all. Padme watched in awe as they fell upon Jabba's guards with blasters, large pieces of farming equipment, or anything else they could get their hands on. Padme spotted Kitster leading them, and he gave her a big grin.
Suddenly, something sticky wrapped itself around her arm from behind. It jerked her off her feet, and dragged her up on the throne. Padme glanced up- and screamed.
TO BE CONTINUED!
(A.N. I know, I know, I'm horrible at cliff hangers. What IS that thing!?! THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!!!
To Rose-Arwen-Padme, SO COOL!!! THANKS! I'll try not to disappoint you or anyone else with the rest of the story. *sitting in front of computer reading bio* SO COOL! YES YES YES!!