Chapter 2: The Trial of Leia
Not wanting to blow this lawsuit into a big scandal, Leia begrudgingly agreed to settle their dispute through Outer Territory jurisdiction and gave the Hutts an advantage against her. She tried to find any witnesses to help her case but she can only go to Luke and Lando for help as they accompanied her to a secret meeting spot in the isolated planet of Reamma. Leaving Han out of it, because he might get too hot headed and cause her the trial. She spent nights preparing herself reading every page on the Outer Rim she can find.
Leia did not have any witnesses to call on her own and diminish Jabba's ownership of her, all she had was the moral support of Luke and Lando and to ensure a fair trial even if they preferred Leia to have a better advantage. She wore a conservative white dress that made her stand out from the dusky planet and symbolizing her purity against all charges that Rotta has placed.
With little surprise the judge was Zorba the Hutt, while Luke tried to intervene and challenge his bias towards Rotta. Leia calmed him down saying that she will be able to handle herself and win against any trick they have up their sleeve. Fueled with naive confidence, the proud senator intends to use whatever diplomacy she's learned against them. Aside from Rotta, Bib and his group with Jess and Ortugg visible in the stands. Other criminals were also present, knowing that this would be a very one-sided trial and are very much invested in watching the fall of the proud Leia Organa.
"Let's not waste anymore time here, the evidence presented already by Rotta has shown enough to convince us of his claim. What say you Organa?" boomed the large Zorba.
"I say bullshit! I killed Jabba the Hutt with my own two hands, and while I did dress and play the role of his slave I never submitted to him." Leia retorted.
"BAHHH! Surely there must be compensation for the murder of my father, and it is in his testament that you are listed as his property. I want to stake claim to that now before anyone else can take advantage of your status." replied Rotta salivating at the beauty of Leia and having revenge fantasies of all the ways he intends to humiliate her when he wins this trial.
"My status is a free sentient, and senator to the New Republic. To undo this would mean to undo all the established rules of the inner and mid rim territories." Leia retorted.
Zorba then rolled his eyes replying. "The Republic, The Empire, all those establishments fell but what didn't is the rule of the Hutt Clan. Our governance reigned over the Outer Rim territories for centuries while your politics fodder to insinuate your New Republic is better than our established rule is laughable Organa. More comments like that then you will be inciting war between our systems."
Leia shuddered, her friends and new Republic don't have the resources to go through another war, more so against the historic and powerful hutts. "I wish no war between us Great Zorba, all I want is justice."
"Justice?" roared Rotta. "You took my father's life, to say your believe in justice is to give yours to mine."
"Organa, I have to say that Rotta makes a fair point. What do you say?" Zorba asked.
"I refuse to do so Great Zorba. Because of Jabba's premature death, he never officially inducted me as his slave. I am not marked or tattooed with the Desilijic clan insignia, what you call Jabba's will is just written on unofficial paper, no one can testify that he actually took me as his own. I was just merely a prisoner that he sexually assaulted and humiliated on his barge." Leia explained.
"And what about me winning the auction for you?" Rotta asked. "I paid a handsome amount for your body, even if you don't recognize yourself as my father's. You are definitely mine." Rotta said angrily.
"I thought you might ask that. Like my defense earlier, not even the auctioneers listed me as property in the Outer Rim systems. You were all so excited to purchase me, seems like someone forgot to make me an official slave. Even if you check the holonet slave markets now, I have no profile because I am not a slave." Leia remarked.
The crowd murmured at her explanation pulling out holopads to clear her claim, Zorba double checked the will and was impressed with Leia's explanation. Maybe she does have a chance after all, and he'd hated to let her leave a free woman. However, her testament was strong. Rotta was fuming in anger and decided not to retort Leia's words discussing with his majordomo, a blue skinned Aqualish man - Chiboh. "What do we do now Chiboh? She is winning their praises."
Chiboh replied. "I underestimated her skills of persuasion Master, but please worry not I still have a few tricks up my sleeve." Rotta pulled him in by his collar. "You better or you are Rancor food tonight."
As the trial continued on, Leia took the stand again pleasing the hutt's with her words and spinning Jabba's death as a favor to everyone as a whole. "I assure you great hutts that Jabba's loss may have taken a toll on your business, but in return I helped in taking down the Empire. Surely that's compensation enough, I know how the Empire has hindered on your businesses and territories. I assure you under the New Republic we wish not to do that."
Zorba was convinced by her words after due consideration thinking to himself. "While Jabba had been the leader of the council this last century, he has grown quite lazy on Tatooine. This bitch may have given us a chance to elect better leadership." The tension in the room grew as Zorba growled in thought. "Your points are valid Organa. While it is infuriating to let a hutt slayer walk, I have to admit we have spent enough time entertaining you. Unless Rotta has anymore condemning evidence, the hutt clan will deem Jabba's will void."
"Wait!" Chiboh shouted. "We have a surprise witness for the stand. I call on Bib Fortuna's slave girl Jess." The crowd gasped and looked on with intrigue, just when they thought Leia was gonna get off easily.
Luke whispered to Leia's ear. "Can they really do that?" But ever the confident diplomat, Leia calmed him down replying. "They can try whatever they like. The win is as good as mine." However, Lando wasn't as convinced. "I got a bad feeling about this Leia, I hope you have a few more trump cards up your sleeve."
"What is the meaning of this Chiboh!" Zorba boomed. "You better have a good explanation for this."
"Indeed I do Zorba, now let me ask you Jess. Before you were a slave to Bib Fortuna, were you not a slave for Jabba the Hutt?" Chiboh asked.
"Yes sir." Jess answered compliantly.
"What proves you are his slave?"
"He purchased me, leashed me, then marked me." Jess replied but Leia retorted "Excuse me, Chibo what is this meant to prove. By all accounts, while Jabba had leashed me he didn't do much else to prove I was his property."
"Let me finish lady Organa." Chiboh argued. "Now Jess, were you present during Leia Organa's capture?"
"Yes I was."
"Did Jabba put Leia Organa in the slave's embrace?" Chiboh asked. Leia's eyes widened, now worried at Jess' response. Jess looked towards Leia with anger and envy. Prior to Leia's escape, Leia promised the slave girls in Jabba's harem that if she were to be free she would come back and free the rest of them but Leia never did. While Jess was an obedient slave, she hated being one especially Bib's who was sadistic and much hungrier for sex than Jabba.
Jess inhaled to answer. "Yes, Jabba did embrace her. The moment she was revealed to be in disguise, Jabba put her in an embrace even licking her cheek."
Chiboh then grinned victoriously. "And is that not evidence enough to prove she is a slave? While yes she is not yet registered as property, it is in huttese tradition that whoever a hutt embraces claims ownership and is made a slave. Additionally, there were many witnesses to it happen."
The audience of criminals applauded Chiboh's statement as if he discovered a secret gold mine. Even Zorba was impressed by this reveal. "And how sure are you that this slave girl's testimony is true?"
"Great Zorba, in the audience we have both Bib Fortuna and his bodyguard Ortugg. To assure my certainty, I will even go as far as asking Lando Calrissian who was present and undercover in the palace." Chiboh stated.
"Hmmmmm... that will not be necessary. I will take your word for it." Zorba stated, while he was impressed with Leia, he is a man of tradition and with Jess' testimony replied. "Organa, unless you can retort that convincingly, I will have to rule in favor of Rotta."
Rotta was basically salivating at tasting Leia's skin again and humiliating her in ways his father never got to, but Leia anxiously replied. "Great Zorba, I would like to ask for a quick break to rethink my course of action."
Not liking her chances, Zorba agreed to give her a 30 minute break hopefully to give her time to bid her friends farewell because she is more than assured to be Rotta's property. Leia, Lando, and Luke convened in one corner of the room. "What do I do now? I'm more than done guys. Luke isn't there anything you can try?"
"I'm sorry Leia, even if I wanted to. There are too many people for me to use the force on. The best chance we have is making a run for it." Luke replied.
"Doing that will be an act of war..." Leia replied with a shaky breath, for once nothing and no one can save her from this situation. She scanned the room and saw the fat Bib Fortuna sitting in the stands visibly kissing Jess' neck. "I have an idea but you're not gonna like it." Leia said to them. "What if I became Bib's slave?"
"Are you crazy Leia? That's even worse." replied Lando.
"If I accept my defeat as a slave forever yes, but think about it. Rotta wants me and is using the Hutt Clan against me, at least with Bib he doesn't have as much resources and won't start a war. All he has is what little he inherited from Jabba." Leia explained but Luke seemed very skeptical. "That still seems very risky and complicated, how are you even going to convince him?"
"You're just gonna have to trust me..." Leia said, Luke and Lando looked on worriedly but given their lack of options allowed her to follow through her plan. "If you ever need us we'll be waiting in our seats." Lando said.
Leia walked over to Bib and stopped him from molesting Jess. "Can I have a moment of your time Bib?" Smiling lecherously, he shooed Jess and Ortugg away. "Why of course princess, and here I thought you wouldn't notice me."
"Desperate times Bib, now walk me through your inheritance from Jabba." she asked.
"Simple, whatever he left on Tatooine was mine for the taking. The hutts didn't approve at first but unlike Jabba they were not fans of the heat and struck a deal for me to run Jabba's remaining businesses in the meantime." Bib explained.
"Thats perfect." Leia replied. "And why is that?" Bib asked.
"Because I want you to be my Master instead." Leia replied with a cold sorrow in her breath.
"Intriguing my sweet princess, not that I'm rejecting your offer. But why the change of heart hmmm?" said a suspicious Bib.
"I'm scared of Rotta okay, you saw him up there. He wants to torture me or worse, I just... We met in Jabba's palace, and if anyone will own me again. I prefer it'd be you." Leia replied alluringly playing to Bib's lust seeing the way he stared at her.
"And if I do this, how sure should I be you'd be a good little slut?" Bib asked and playing her role regrettably Leia gently slid her hand over his lap gently cupping his penis. "I promise... Master. I'll be very, very grateful."
The trial continued as the hutt council sat on the bench with Zorba in the middle. "Order everyone! Let's continue this trial. Leia Organa, what say you? Do you still have a testimony or do you submit to Rotta's favor."
Leia looked over to Luke and Lando with a worried smile, even Luke can sense that her plan will and can easily fall apart. "I... want to call a surprise witness of my own." Zorba sighed at letting this prolong anymore than it should have but given Leia's wit, he allowed it. "My witness is the former majordomo of Jabba, Bib Fortuna." The crowd gasped and Rotta's eyebrows shifted in shock to this as he tried to stop Bib from entering the center of the room. "Don't do this Bib or else I won't pay you for letting me borrow Jess." Rotta threatened. Bib looked back with a confident smile. "No amount of payment will amount to the reward I am about to get."
Bib took the stands as Leia asked. "Bib Fortuna, do you say that you stake a claim to Jabba's possessions?"
"Yes I do."
"And you have a formal document that says so?" Leia asked.
Bib pulled out a holopad showing the contract he signed with Zorba much to the Hutt's anger. "What is the meaning of this? Get to your point." Zorba boomed.
Bib answered for Leia. "Written in fine print, it is said that I can claim ownership of whatever Jabba had on Tatooine. Well, it is in my good memory that Leia Organa was on Tatooine during her capture."
Leia continued for him. "And if you do conside the slave's embrace as my initiation to Jabba's property, by right of inheritance I am Bib's slave." The crowd murmured in shock as they heard Leia admit before the council that she indeed was a slave.
"PREPOSTEROUS! Why are we even entertaining this buffoon! Leia Organa is mine to own, not his." Rotta stormed. "SILENCE ROTTA! Might I remind you that you created and signed that agreement." boomed Zorba. He discussed with the other hutts if they would respect Bib's claim.
Gorgo discussing "Going by the fine print, Bib's claim can be respectable. Although this wouldn't make Rotta happy." Brehan adding on "I disagree despite the signed contract, Rotta is still Jabba's son surely that has a stronger claim for Organa." Raggas argued. "I grow sick of this already. Leia Organa has caused us more trouble than she is worth and has wasted already so much for our time. Leave her with Bib, that way she is kept a slave and away from the clan. We'll just buy Rotta a new slave." The hutts argued on but came to an agreement.
Zorba led the final stretch speaking. "Hmmmm... this entire debacle had become quite peculiar. There is no certain ruling given the vagueness and complications Jabba had left for us, and thus we have come to an unethical conclusion. It is without a doubt Leia Organa be considered a slave based on the witness slave's embrace, however who gets to own her leash is a different argument. As in huttese tradition, aside from being bought another way to become a slave is through submission, we now give that power to Leia Organa. Whoever you submit to, will be your Master."
"This is unfair Uncle Zorba, surely there must be a more just way to handle this." Rotta refuted.
"SILENCE ROTTA! THE DECISION OF THE COUNCIL IS FINAL!" Zorba roared. "Now Leia, kneel to your Master."
Leia already knew her answer but looked Luke in the eye thinking to herself. "If you can read my thoughts Luke, please save me." Leia walked over to Bib who was still sitting in the stands and knelt in front of him taking a deep breath as she announced. "Oh Bib Fortuna, overseer of Tatooine. I submit myself to you as your slave. This council and everyone in this room saw me lose my status as a free citizen and I am now recognized as a slave. I beg for your mercy that you may take me into your harem."
Smiling lecherously, Bib stood in front of her cupping her chin. "I accept your offer... my slave."
Zorba raised a gavel. "The hutt council recognizes Bib as the true owner of revered Alderaan Princess and New Republic Senator Leia Organa. Court adjourned!"