In the dim coolness of the palace's audience chamber, Mighty Jabba slept, dozing peacefully as his enormous hulk rested on the stone expanse of his dais, his head bowed slightly, eyes tightly shut. He breathed in and out through his nostrils, from which mucus slowly dripped, giving his breathing a deep, wheezing, but also quiet, sound.
His courtiers, guards and various other scum and villainy lay here and there thrughout the cavernous room, huddled into corners, snuggling into piles, sprawling here and there on the floor and sleeping sitting up on the steps, all snoring peacefully. Apart from the gentle sounds of their sleeping, softly drowned out by the Hutt's congested snoring, there was no noise in the chamber save for the soft chittering of Salacious Crumb watched Mighty Jabba's thick tail wriggling against the bare thigh of his master's most prized possession.
His Princess. His slave.
Leia Organa. Around her throat was an ornate golden collar. It kept her close to her master at all times, for a chain hung from the front of it, trailing gently down her side and around her back, up into the small, fat, almost childlike hands of Mighty Jabba. Even while he slept, he dared not release the chain that kept his prize bound to him in servitude.
She lay sprawled sensually before his great bloated belly on the dais, sleeping in the stillness. Somewhat comfortable. Jabba's pliant belly felt good against her naked back, and the pillows were of the finest silks and velvets, stained though they were in slime, drool, mucus, and various other unmentionable bodily fluids. She was in the lap of luxury, almost literally, for the very tail that so held Crumb's interest was partially curled around Leia and her nest of pillows, providing a nice, moist hollow for the nearly naked human female to recline in.
When she awoke, she heard a disorienting voice. "I have a meeting with Jabba."
She opened her eyes, glancing up at the frog-bowl beside her, and listened carefully.
She sat slowly up before Jabba. Staring into the mans eyes, Leia felt a chill due to the cool air traveling over her exposed flesh.
She glanced down at her half-naked body, at the long, thick, green tail that slithered and wiggled sleepily beside her bare thigh, and at the lizard-monkey sitting in the thick, coiled base of that tail. Blushing deeply.
There was a rustle as Bib Fortuna climbed up onto the throne, and the shuffling of his sandals as the majordomo moved beside his master. Throughout the chamber, sleeping cronies and criminals began to stir awake to behold the newcomer.
C3PO exclaimed from nearby; and Leia's eyes opened in an absurd combination of annoyance and relief. The droid had finally been permitted to return to the audience chamber at some point in the night from whatever tasks he'd been sent off to do. "It's time for The High Exalted Ones meeting" he added hopefully, and more of the crowd awoke.
"Master," Bib said, and there was an enormous, phlegmy groan and the skin-crawling squelch of folds of sticky flesh stretching and parting from itself as her loathsome captor, Jabba the Hutt, started awake. She felt the cushions shift against her bottom as the Hutt shifted, and the chain that kept her by his side jingled as the shadows of his short, chubby arms fell over her.
"This is," Porcellus Bib said, and Leia glared up at him as he spoke, then right back down at the throne before her as she felt the tip of Jabba's tail brush her lower abdomen, making her skin crawl. "Creature tamer," she heard the majordomo add, almost reverently.
Leia tensed as she felt the chain lift from where it was touching the back of her shoulder, tightening in the air; steeling herself against the inevitable yank the Hutt would make upon it, sooner or later, she listened as the chain jingled with Jabba's moving arm as he bellowed in a groggy voice, "I warned you not to admit him, while I'm asleep!"
"May I speak," Porcellus said in a firm, even tone. "He must be allowed to speak," Bib repeated simply, and despite her escalating tension, Leia felt herself grin inwardly as she realized what was going on. Jabba, however, was not so amused.
The first quick tug on the chain came, and Leia threw a glare over her shoulder. "Ooooaaah," the Hutt growled in annoyance, and there was a grunt and the rustle of cloth, likely from some kind of physical outburst he was making upon Bib. "You stupid fool!" The lizard-monkey began cackling, and the Hutt snarled, There was the sudden shifting of flesh, and then Bib cried out and grunted in pain as he was thrown onto the floor.
At this demand, Jabba began laughing. "Ho-Ho-ho-ho-ho, hah-hah-hah-hah-hyeaaiii." As he did, Porcellus briefly met Leia's gaze, then moved back up to the Hutt as he stopped laughing.
Jabba began petting her as she continually moved her head to avoid his groping while he also stroked her bare skin with the end of his slug tail.
Porcellus told Jabba he could purchase the Rancor for the amount he offered him before.
Hearing the chain links jingle behind her as they were pulled taut, Leia tensed. "I will purchase it for cheaper than I said," Jabba said, pulling slowly back on the chain. Feeling the collar tighten on the front of her throat, Leia firmed her abdomen and tried to lean away from the Hutt, but her throat began to be crushed; closing her eyes and silently gasping for air, she rocked back towards Jabba just as he mercifully slackened the chain, and straightening, she let her breath out.
"Nevertheless you will give me what you offered," Porcellus said, stepping slowly closer to the throne, several guards moving in behind him. "You will get the rancor once I get what you promised. You can either profit by this...or I will have someone take care of you." He waited a moment, and when no interruption or response came, he added, "It's your choice, but I warn you not to underestimate what I'm capable of."
Jabba snorted and growled at this, his amusement gone.
"Sir Threepio shouted. "You're standing on a-!"
"BAH!" Jabba snarled, and before Leia could ponder the terrifying possibilities of what Threepio had started saying, the Hutt delivered a quick, hard yank on her chain. She blinked and gagged as she felt herself pitch backwards, but was able to catch herself before Procellus e had to witness her pathetically falling back upon the Hutt's huge belly. "There will be no bargain, young man" Jabba barked, and Leia was able to sit upright again. When the Hutt added in a grim, smug voice, "I shall enjoy watching you die, while I get my rancor you said I would get," Leia's eyes widened, and as the Hutt began laughing, she looked helplessly back up at him, wondering what he was planning to do.
Then suddenly things moved fast.
He reached in his jacket: a blaster!
There were gasps and screams, and Jabba bellowed "Aaagh! Boscka!" as Porcellus raised the gun before him, pointing it right at the Hutt-
Then there was a fleshy thump behind Leia, and something shook the throne. Leia gasped as Porcellus and the surrounding guards all started where they stood, and then suddenly he was falling straight down, and as he did, he fired the pistol up at the ceiling, sparks and shattered stone raining down before the throne. Leia cried out as Porcellus disappeared into a black space that had appeared before the throne, yawning open as the trapdoor opened wider, and a Gammorean guard squealed and cried as he tumbled down after Porcellus.
"Porcellus!" Leia cried, and a second later, a hand seized her arm. In a panic, she glared up and saw it was Bib . She wanted to ask him what was going on, to scream at him, to know where the hell he'd been while Jabba had been- But the look in his eyes stopped any further thought. He shook his head, and then there was another tremble in the throne-and she suddenly realized it was moving.
Likely powered by repulsorlift coils, the throne moved slowly forward as the trapdoor swung back up, sealing safely beneath it. Bib stepped back, and Leia felt Jabba's tail flopping and twitching excitedly by her leg.
"The great Tamer," Jabba taunted, chortling gleefully, "The great Tamer..." Leia watched in confused terror as a wide section of floor before the throne seemed to drop down and slide back into itself like a puzzle piece, and when the thick metal grating appeared beneath it, she realized in horror just what it was: a hidden window, pointing straight down.
As the throne came to a wiggling stop, making Leia sway where she sat, she leaned forward and looked down; the space beneath was massive, illuminated only by the light from the audience chamber above. Ragged stone walls had been cut away in one section, where a massive metal door began to move-
The collar tightened, and Leia reached up and grabbed her collar as she was forced upright. No, no, NO, she thought desperately, trying to force enough of the collar free of her throat to breathe. Not now!
Still bellowing his booming laughter, Jabba tugged harder on the chain, forcing Leia to lean back just as everyone began shouting and cheering around her. Her heart pounding, Leia realized with horror that whatever was behind that huge metal door in the pit below was now in full view to them, and only by an act of sheer will was she able to keep herself upright long enough for Jabba to become distracted by whatever was going on below. Jabba slackened the chain enough for her to lean forward again, but when she looked down through the grating, she seemed to only see a mass of dark brown movement beyond it, and realized with horror that something enormous was very much alive down there.
Leia tried to cry, then held her tongue as she recognized the squirming figure of the guard being clutched in the monster's paw. It was horrifying to watch the squealing Gammorean being lifted to the monster's face, and cringing, Leia turned away from the feeding monster, hearing the horrible, wet crunching sounds ended, Jabba uttered a long, thrilled cry-the guard was dead, and now only Luke remained-and Leia forced herself to look back down, and gasped, eyes widening.
As if things couldn't possibly look more grim, Leia watched in horror as the monster began to lift another figure toward itself, and there was no mistaking it now: He seemed to be holding something long and pale, swinging it towards the monster as it angled its head, preparing to eat him-and cringing, Leia squeezed her eyes shut to the cheering cacophony.
For a wildly selfish moment, she almost wished that Jabba would pull the chain and make it more difficult for her to have to witness what was going on below. If she had to watch him die, she thought, no, she knew, that she may well go mad-and that was probably precisely why she was left free to watch this; no doubt the Hutt wanted to instill as much fear as possible into her, to torment her watching people die.
No, Leia urged herself. Forcing herself to have more faith in the dealer, Leia opened her eyes and leaned forward. She just managed to watch as Porcellus ran into a cramped corner somewhere on the far end of the pit, and as the crowd grew louder, the chain tightening, Jabba's tail brushing her bare legs as it flipped and flopped excitedly about, Leia knew that this was truly going to be the end-
Then there was a small explosion and a shower of sparks from somewhere in the darkness below, and the grind and squeal of metal, followed by a floor-vibrating thud and a thunderously loud cry-and then, sudden, strange silence.
All around, the crowd grew still, and Leia looked up to see them all staring, wide-eyed and frowning, all deadly quiet.
There was no way that Porcellus death could have done this...
No, NO! AAAGH!" Jabba cried, and Leia knew exactly what had happened: somehow, Porcellus had killed the monster!
Feeling tears hit her eyes as Jabba cursed and bellowed behind her. She began to grin, to snicker, to laugh uncontrollably at her renewed hope-
YANK!
Jabba tugged the chain very hard then, and with a choked cry, Leia fell back on his fleshy belly, the sound of her impact lost in the racket of the outraged, horrified, cries of the audience around her. As Jabba began barking orders, Leia took the opportunity to push herself upright again, but then Jabba tugged again, harder, choking her. Grabbing the collar and shaking her head, Leia fought against her cruel captor, but Jabba was too strong for her, and kept her struggling upon his belly as he shouted, "Bring me that man, and his servant! He will all pay for this outrage!"
As several guards scattering to obey -Leia gagged and kicked her bare legs about, trying to allow some kind of slack on the chain.
"Talk droid!" Jabba bellowed, and Threepio came meekly over. "Translate this to him..." As he spoke, he slackened the chain enough for Leia to push herself upright, coughing and gagging...but then she faltered, her eyes widening as she listened to just what he wanted Threepio to say. Her heart sank; she was mortified. There was no way the Hutt was telling the truth, was there? Surely, he was exaggerating the notion of-
Jabba gave a warning tug to the chain, and Leia tensed. "Worry not, my pet," he said with playful cruelty, "you will still be staying with me for quite some time my beautiful princess..."
Leia's skin crawling at the thought, she realized something: regardless of her value to the Hutt as a hostage, she was being treated as something of a pet to him, wasn't she? Just a source of entertainment and affection, a companion for his whims-no more, and no less, than even that giant monster now lying dead in the pit below. For a moment, she almost felt sorry for it.
A moment later, a familiar voice broke in: "Princess!" Porcellus was being brought in from one door, and following his gaze, Leia looked-and suppressed a grin.
As he was pushed toward before the throne, and it took Leia a moment to realize that the floor had sealed shut again.
As much as Leia was enjoying his casual, banter, Jabba was not so amused. He tugged on the chain, and Leia bared her teeth with a gasp. Enough! she willed him.
"Where's the princess?" she heard his servant ask, with a blindfold on covering his eyes. I'm here!" she cried, but then Jabba gave another firm tug on the chain to silence her.
"Now, droid. Tell them!" Jabba barked.
"Oh, dear..." Threepio said, turning to the prisoners standing before the throne. "His High Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated immediatly."
"it cant be that bad," Porcellus muttered.
Beside Leia, the lizard-monkey cackled loudly.
"You will therefore be taken to the Dune Sea and cast into the pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlacc," Threepio said, and Leia bristled with tension. "In its belly..." Threepio continued, and just as she heard Jabba's wet mouth as he licked his lips, the chain was tugged; she closed her eyes and rocked back, but it was just a passing yank, and she glared out of the corner of her eye as she leaned forward again as the droid finished pronouncing the death sentence. "...you will find a new definition of pain and suffering, as you are slowly digested over a...thousand years."
So there it was; it was true, after all. Leia sat there, petrified; what could they possibly do now?
"On second thought, let's pass on that, huh?" the servant said, his humor lost to the grim smile on his face.
To counter the air of sarcasm, Porcellus said, "You should've bargained, Jabba."
With the air of finality, Jabba commanded, "Take them away!"
Guards began to usher Porcellus, and his servant away, and as the crowd began to mill and move towards the exit, Porcellus glared back at Jabba and called out, grinning confidently,.
Jabba began laughing, and as the crowd began to file out through the arched doorways, there came another firm yank on the chain. Leia didn't resist this time; she didn't even cry. With a choked gasp, she fell back on Jabba, hearing as well as feeling the fleshy plop of his gelatinous flesh as her bare back landed upon it, her head nestled into a dimple in its upper slope. Leia barely even paid attention as the Hutt's hand fell to her shoulder and began to rub it, the lizard-monkey cackling louder. She could only stare after the crowd as they exited the audience chamber, her mind lost to the terror of certainty that a good man and dealer might perish- while was stuck here, forever.
When Jabba gave an upward tug on the chain and said something, Leia was halfway to her feet before realizing that he had commanded her, and in her distraught, she had obeyed.
Leia urged herself as she stood upright and turned, glaring, to Jabba. "Da eitha, Slave Leia..." he half-purred, half-gurgled, and Leia only resisted for a footstep before he pulled on the chain again, harder. She stood beside Jabba.
Leia's eyes widened at the sheer size of what loomed before her, only to squeeze shut as Jabba gave a tug on her chain.
The Sail Barge, as Jabba had called it, was a massive hovercraft, its deck crowned with three huge, red canopies that did bear some resemblance to the sails of a windcraft. Its massive engines were roaring, and it was already afloat, yet even more deep thrumming sounds arose as more of its workings came to life.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Jabba said behind Leia, slackening the chain; had she been asked this in another situation entirely, Leia might have agreed.
The exit from the audience chamber had been one of the longest trips of Leia's life-and, despite the dark, alien surroundings and the disturbing context of her captivity, it was uncomfortably similar to her doom-laden imprisonment by the Empire, in the moments before she watched the Death Star obliterate her homeworld of Alderaan.
Leia had only been too glad that Jabba's repulsorlift-driven throne had just entered a pitch-black hallway when her tears, long overdue, had finally hit.
After a seemingly endless trip through the palace's labyrinthine corridors, the throne had finally entered the cavernous hangars, where the crowds were piling into the Sail Barge as purchased a bigger one that the previous one to accommodate more guests. It was 3 times bigger than his orginal and onto a number of land skiffs to accompany it into the Dune Sea.
Hating the disgusting feeling of his squishy, greasy flesh upon the exposed skin of naeked back. "Mmmhhhh..." Jabba grumbled, and Leia gasped when she felt one of his hands cup her backside in a most uncomfortable and unmistakable grope. To try to escape his hand. His other, chain-wielding hand lowered and pressed to her side, the cold metal links touching her skin giving her a chill.
The harem-mistress, Melina, had told Leia not to worry about Jabba's intentions, that the Hutt was "a pervert, even by Hutt standards, not that perverse." Right now and after a number of other, equally disturbing occasions, Leia highly questioned that statement; she was only too grateful for the distraction, however temporary it may be.
Finally boarding the barge, Jabba maneuvered his throne deep into the craft. His pet lizard-monkey jumped from the throne and scuttled off to some far corner. Once they parked, Jabba forced Leia back against his belly as they waited for their departure.
The sounds of other vehicles exiting the hangar made Leia's heart sink even deeper into her chest, and as the barge continued to idle for the better part of another hour, she wondered if they would ever actually leave.
When they finally departed the palace, Jabba opened the barge's multitude of windows. Despite the fans blowing all around them, the hot air sweeping through the barge was still sweltering, and Leia tried to keep some distance between herself and the Hutt, as much and as often as she could.
Then told her she may look outside for a few minutes. He tossed some of the chain's slack at her feet, and Leia guardedly took up his offer, stepping off of the throne and moving to the windows across the way.
Leia gazed out the window at the huge, orange hills of sand as they rolled by, took a deep breath of the hot (but amazingly fresh) air. She let the desert air, heated by Tatooine's twin suns one of the land skiffs appeared alongside the Sail Barge, and she gasped.
Porcellys and his were on one of the skiffs outside, driving right alongside the sail barge. Leia leaned in towards the window and placed her arms against the frame, watching them.
Leia only came back to her senses when a nightmare sound interrupted her: the chain jangling. "Like what you see, Leia?" Jabba called behind her, and the chain tightened.
Determined to stay at the window for as long as possible, she twisted back and glared at the Hutt. Two Jawas were helping bring the chain's remaining slack back to Jabba; she knew her time was nearly up, but then Bib Fortuna appeared, carrying a goblet half as as tall as her arm, filled nearly to the top with dark liquid. Jabba's attention was immediately consumed by the drink as his majordomo climbed up beside him on the throne, and Leia took the opportunity to continue looking out the window.
Just then, Porcellus was saying something to his servant, who turned to him and replied with a confident smirk. She wondered what they were saying; no doubt their usual sarcasm-riddled banter, for even then Porcellus inclined his head and said something out of the corner of his mouth in the way that even now made Leia feel warm, deep down inside.
Then the chain was pulled again, much harder this time, and with a loud, half-choked gag, Leia was easily yanked away from the window. The chain was a cacophony of metallic jangling beneath her as she grunted, struggling to keep her feet beneath her as she ran after the tug, her breasts bouncing uncomfortably in their ill-fitting cups. She nearly collided with the throne's stone facade, and with the best of her athletic reflexes, she leapt up onto it; however, her momentum continued to throw her forward, swinging her legs and arms out to brace herself. With a final grunt, she half-landed, half-climbed on Jabba's sloped bulk, trying to straighten herself even as her body gracelessly rammed against his, her belly and thighs coming into contact with his thick, doughy flesh with a most disgusting, fleshly smack. Jabba grunted from the collision, and as Leia's ponytail swung around her left shoulder from the impact and caught between their joining fleshes, she took a heavy breath and sighed, a sick, sinking realization creeping through her. After a single yank on her chain, she had unwillingly-unconsciously-ran to Jabba and assumed a nearly perfect slave's embrace.
Leia immediately pressed her hands to Jabba's belly and tried to push herself away, but then something cool and soft pressed her between her shoulder blades-fingers, which she recognized from their taloned tips as belonging to Bib. Ever attentive, Jabba's majordomo pressed hand firmly against her spine, pinning her in place against the Hutt. Narrowing his eyes, Jabba cooed in her face, "My pretty Leia," his slurring words uttered on a rank, heavy breath that was foul and heavy with half-digested wine. Leia turned her head away in disgust, her breasts heaving into thick, squishy rolls with wet squelching sounds as she sighed, and saw he was holding his goblet beside her head-and moving it quickly closer. As the Hutt added, still speaking in the same, sickeningly suggestive purr: "I love how you appreciating me more," she tensed and looked back at him, eyeing his huge, dribbling lips where they spoke uncomfortably close to her chest...
Turning back to Jabba, Leia watched as he wordlessly offered her the goblet. She reluctantly raised her hands to take it from him, but then he pulled it away, and she lowered her hands in humiliated realization. Blushing furiously, Leia waited for the Hutt to position the goblet before her in his hand until its glass rim touched her lips. He unsteadily tipped it up and forced her to drink. As she'd anticipated, the wine's flavor was bitter and smoky, but it had a fruity flavor that was surprisingly inoffensive; she swallowed, but the Hutt raised the glass higher, and Leia had to force herself to take another mouthful to keep up. She gulped it down hard, but the Hutt kept tipping up the goblet, and Leia blurted into the glass, splurting into the wine, and pulled her head back-and the still-pouring . She cried aloud, spitting and coughing, feeling a rush of warmth inside her-and a wall of slimy flesh quaking and jiggling against her half-naked body as the Hutt burst out laughing.
"HO-Ho-ho-ho-ho, HAH-Hah-hah-hah-hyyaaiigh!"
Leia glared over her shoulder, ready to deliver a whole new name for Bib Fortuna...but the majordomo was no longer behind her. In fact, he wasn't even on the throne; he was standing on the floor nearby, grinning at the exchange.
Leia's eyes widened, but she refused to believe the growing suspicion. She looked down, where Jabba's arms surely held her...but one was in the air beside her, holding the empty, dripping goblet, and the other remained at the Hutt's side.
Although she had originally been forced against Jabba, and Bib had kept her in place, she hadn't even noticed the Twi'lek's hand disappear from her back, much less that Jabba wasn't holding her. She had remained in the slave's embrace, not by any reinforcement or command-but fully of her own volition, like a proper slave.
Jabba clearly saw the look on his face, for the drooling corners of his mouth curled up in grim satisfaction. "You are learning," he said, and Leia realized what she had done-what she was still doing.
Leia was surprised and not a little suspicious of Jabba when he released her and let her sit down before him sitting on the base of Jabba's mighty tail, her rear silk skirt flowing down in front of Jabba's tail, as it covered her butt crack, Jabba felt Leia's tight, round buttocks against his tail, as her front silk skirt flowed down in between her legs, at her already exposed legs.
Jabba kept Leia on an extremely short tether while he was slowly going down Leia's naked back with his hand against her spine caressing it, gazed at his luscious princess. Jabba got to her birthmark on her lower right back his finger went in circles around it as he found every part of Leia attractive. The guards, men, and guests spoke of his impressive domination of the princess, as . Leia looked at them with a look of giving up. Leia felt the cold metal chain against her naked back as Jabba played with it reminding her where her place was. The princess gulped as she sat on Jabba's tail, which was surprisingly firm. Since she knew it was packed with several layers of powerful muscle necessary to propel the Hutt on and off his throne and able to move, but due to his laziness stayed on his throne. Leia could feel the Hutt's life force firing through his nerves and twitching muscles, running from the base of his tail where she was sitting.
An announcement was made over the sail barge's intercom; they were halfway to The Sarlac Pit. Everyone cheered as Leia stayed silent, sitting there half naked if there is such a word, as her outfit was so small it barley covered anything, chained to the vile Hutt sitting on his tail. Jabba licked his lips and yanked hard on Leia's chain in excitement. The princess watching in helpless terror, with her lower body on Jabba's tail, he colied it up more so she was more Jabba admired her scantily clad body.
During the long trip into the Dune Sea-over an hour, from what Leia could gather-she waited for Jabba to inevitably make good on his original promise from when she'd been captured, for him to thoroughly enjoy whatever sick, lecherous pleasures he would get from her company. However, he did no such thing; he all but ignored her in favor of food and wine, only pulling on her chain once or twice by accident. It was almost as if he were showing her some form of respect during this difficult period as she came to terms with herself and what she was; and in some small way, Leia was grateful for that.
Soon, the Sail Barge began to slow down. conversely, Leia's heart, having only just returned to its normal rhythm, began to race. They were almost at the Pit of Carkoon.
Leia looked away, but was left listening as he stuffed the thrashing, squealing thing between his toothless gums and swallowed. She could feel Jabba's bulky flabs jiggling wetly where they were in contact with her naked back, and groaned her repulsion. Then the Hutt belched horribly, and Leia, feeling nauseous in the cloud of miasma that welled out over her senses. To make matters worse, she heard Jabba slurping at the aftertaste, and she felt the tip of tongue lick at her face, and she had to suppress the urge to throw up.
Jabba reaching a chubby arm for his throne's controls, maneuvering it closer to the windows. As he commanded the heavy metal shades to be raised, and he didn't seem to notice or care when Leia stepped quickly aside and faced away from him. As the windows opened wider, golden shafts of sunlight washed in over her exposed skin. When the light met her eyes, she squeezed them shut, letting the hot air take her tears.
Around them, the crowd moved closer to the windows, leaving plenty of room for the Hutt and his slave. Outside, the landscape position themselves in a great semicircle around the edges of a huge pit in the sand, as if a cave had opened in the ground. Leia stepped forward, craning her neck to look down-and her eyes widened when she saw the bottom of the pit.
An enormous, leathery cone pointed down into the middle of the pit, its apex a ragged hole. Radiating above it were rings of hard flesh, lined with downward-pointing spikes-undeniably fangs. Clusters of tentacles poked out of different points on the thing's periphery, sensing and recognizing the activity above, beckoning. The Sarlacc was nothing less than a massive mouth in the sand-and it was waiting for its next meal.
And directly above it, Porcellus, and his servant were being ushered to the edge of their skiff.
Leia balled her fists at her sides, her heart thundering, as she waited.
"Victims of the almighty Sarlacc: his excellency hopes that you will die...honorably. But should any of you wish to beg for mercy, the great Jabba the Hutt will now listen to your pleas."
Jabba burst out laughing, and Leia looked back as Threepio handed him the microphone. "Move him into position!" he called.
Leia thought nothing back; she simply, helplessly stared at Porcellus, licked and pursed her dry lips, and waited.
"Put him in!" Jabba bellowed, and Leia closed her eyes, her pulse seeming to freeze in her veins. This was it.
He had been executed with no effort of trying to escape.
Jabba was shouting his joy. He unwittingly yanked Leia's chain, briefly choking her.
Tensing, Leia glanced back at Jabba.
The guards moved his servant into position. Jabba speaking through the microphone, "Drop him in".