Chapter 90

AN: Thanks for all the great reviews!

It took Ari's eyes a few moments to adjust to the dim lighting. While she did not sense any immediate danger from the being in the room with her, she remained alert in case that changed at any moment.

"Let me guess, a dancer," the figure spoke. Looking, Ari saw that the figure was a man, who was overweight with small, beady eyes. He was dressed in a nondescript tunic, pants and boots. At his waist, a blaster was rest, easily accessible in its holster.

Ari nodded in reply. "I am, Sir." She allowed her voice to tremble, as if she was just a scared farmgirl. Inside, while slightly nervous still, she was getting control of herself. She had to. She didn't want to think of what would happen if they knew who she really was.

"And you think you are good enough?" The man's voice was so smooth it was almost as oily as his shaggy hair.

"I am uncertain. That is why I wanted to see the other girls. Then I would know."

"What I know is that I can order you to be killed…" he trailed off menacingly and Ari cringed as if frightened by the man, but then she pretended put on a tough act.

"Or, I can allow you to dance for Jabba."

Ari was silent. She knew that the man probably just wanted to boast for the time being. If you gave someone a little bit of power, they always wanted more. That was how the Empire was as well.

"I want to see your moves, but in that outfit…it would be lost," he frowned and Ari hoped he would not force her to remove her clothing. She knew she would be given other clothes more than likely, but she did not want this man to even be near her. While she did not sense the dark side in him, he was definitely not a good person.

To protect herself from that, she did a few dance moves that she could make up due to her Jedi training. Her lightsaber movements were fluid, looking much like a dance. It was not too hard to change the moves to a dance. After about ten seconds of that, she stopped. She would have done more to convince him, but knew a farmgirl would not know much more than that

The man opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it. However, Ari knew he was impressed. She thought he might say something about it, but instead, he changed the subject to something else. "What else do you do well?"

'Well, he didn't kill me so I guess that went well' she thought to herself. "I would do whatever service that was required by the Great Jabba," she answered. It was an answer that didn't really answer the question, but the man seemed satisfied. He took a comlink off his belt and spoke into it. "New dancing girl here needs an escort."

A few minutes later, two Gamorrean guards appeared in the doorway. Ari knew it would be easy to touch their minds, or to escape them. However, that plan dissipated when another woman entered the room. Her dark wavy hair fell past her shoulders, going well with her tight, dark red jump suit. Unlike the others in this place, she had a small smile on her face. She gave Ari a glance, frowning slightly at her attire.

"You are a dancer?" she asked, voice holding an accent that Ari could not identify. In response, Ari just nodded. She had convinced the man. However, she had a feeling this woman was one of the dancers, so she would have to pass her inspection first. "Well, come along then, we will outfit you with better clothes and I can see just what you are capable of.

Ari could not believe she was wearing this. In fact, she could not believe that anyone would want to wear this type of clothing, if it could even be considered such. The silver material was very light, and was barely covering her. Her stomach and arms felt unnaturally bare. A dark blue skirt hung from her hips, slits running up each side until she knew it was considered indecent. It was also much shorter than any skirt she was used to, since it ended right at her knees.

"You are lucky we have something that fits you," Melina Carniss, the woman from before, remarked. "You could not wear those old Tatooine rags. This outfit shows off some of your better features."

Ari stopped herself from scoffing at that comment. She always considered her best features to be her quick mind and now her ability with the Force. Not how she looked wearing almost no clothing.

Melina tapped her middle finger against her lips in a thoughtful manner before her expression lit up. "I can't believe I forgot." She looked at Ari's bare feet for a moment then went to a closet where she seemed to have an endless supply for clothing. She pulled out thin, Bantha hide boots that went halfway up to her knees. Ari knew she had no choice put to put them on. Besides, the stone floor was cold, she even if the boots were thin, they were better than nothing.

Melina then moved around Ari, fixing the outfit so it fit just right, and then she worked on Ari's hair, keeping it loose, but holding back strands with silver clips so it would not fall in her face. After that, she fixed two silver bangles on Ari's left arm.

While she disliked what she was doing, Ari was impressed with Melina. Apparently she had come to Jabba as a dancing girl and had worked her way up in the organization. She now was in charge of all the dancers. She said it was to teach them dances and help with costumes, but Ari had a feeling she was also a spy for Jabba. No doubt some of Jabba's enemies might try to sneak a spy in. What better way than a beautiful dancing girl?

"You are all set…." She frowned then. Ari was allowing the shy Tatooine girl to show. It was not hard though, since she did not like the clothing "If you want to survive, you better grow less modest. The pay here is good, but that is if you please Jabba. So, show me what you've got and then you get to start."

Pushing back thoughts of her outfit, Ari did a few moves, extending one leg up and then moving in what she assumed was seductive, adding in turns, and ending with the flip like she had before.

Melina studied her for another moment, and then nodded. "You could use some pointers, but you'll do for now. Come along."

Ari followed the dark haired woman down the cold hallways. She could have sworn she heard moaning, like someone or something was in pain, but she didn't have time to dwell on it. She could hear music as well as voices. When they turned once more, they were in a room that Ari could only assume was supposed to be like a throne room. Her eyes immediately fell on the large, slug like Hutt. He looked the same as he had the first time she had seen him, when he had been talking to Han. He was still large, vile and repulsive. She felt bad for the woman dancing in the center of the room. She was a green skinned Twi'lek, wearing very little as well. However, her clothing as not what made Ari's skin crawl. It was the fact that she had collar around her neck with a heavy chain that connected her to Jabba's 'throne'.

"That is Oola. If you want to learn anything about dancing, she is the one to teach you. Twi'leks are known for being graceful." She motioned to another Twi'lek, this one had white skin, who was dancing with a few other females of different species. "Rystall," Melina continued, motioned to a white alien with purple spots, horns on her head and bright red hair. "Is also very good. If they are willing to help, you might live to see your first paycheck," she smirked and Ari just gave a nervous smile in return. No amount of money was worth this.

Aside from the dancers in the room, there was an assortment of other beings, humans and aliens. While she knew some of the species most of them were new to her, and she was shocked that so many would be out here in the middle of a desert. Of course, working with Jabba probably paid quite well.

Ari saw Boba Fett among the others, though unlike them, he was not joining in the merriment occurring. He seemed tense, ready for anything. His gaze fell on Ari for a moment, and she forced herself to look away. Not much unnerved her, but it would not be good to act too bold.

While she scanned the area with her eyes, her gaze fell on a far wall and she gasped. She couldn't see the features close up, but she knew who and what it was. It was Han Solo, trapped in carbonite.

"Jabba's favorite decoration," Melina explained then gave Ari a push forward. Another song was starting. "Go ahead, do what you can and they will do what they can to get you into their routines. Just don't do anything with Oola. Jabba would not be happy if his favorite girl's dance is interrupted."

Ari took a few steps forward, feeling the eyes of many of the room's occupants on her. She kept her head held high though. She was a Jedi. She could get through this. Off in a shadowed corner, she saw Lando who gave the barest tilt of his head. He knew she could get through this as well. Joining the other girls, Ari started to dance.