Star Wars_ Tales From Jabba's Palace - Kevin J. Anderson [118]
The motor pool was a vast room that contained Jabba’s pleasure barge, dozens of craft used in carrying commerce, landspeeders, and speeder bikes, all protected from theft and the elements by a heavy blast door. The room smelled of rust and grease, paint and dust.
The outer door to the motor pool thankfully was closed against the heat of the day. One corner of the room had stones on the floor, and on them was a bed of sand. Barada lay on it, stripped to the waist, his yellow eyes gleaming dimly in the feeble work lights around the room.
“What is it?” Barada hissed. Barada was a fierce creature with the cracked brown skin that matched Tatooine’s own harsh deserts in both texture and color, though the crest on his skull sometimes changed to a brilliant red. He was bright, secretive, and he was one of the few bond servants that Jabba trusted.
Barada should have been able to buy his own freedom from the Hutt, but Jabba had cheated Barada out of his freedom for far too long. Jabba would have been wiser to free the creature and employ him honestly. Instead, the Hutt would learn too late that his trust had been misplaced.
“Today is the day, my friend,” Tessek answered softly. “You will earn your freedom. All is well? Everything is secure?” He dared not speak more openly in asking if the bomb was planted on Jabba’s skiff.
Barada closed his eyes in acknowledgment. “I stayed up all day preparing Jabba’s skiff, but before I came to rest, there was a matter of interest that I learned of.”
“Which is?”
“More members of the Rebel Alliance have found their way into Jabba’s palace!”
Tessek hissed with displeasure. “Tell me of it.”
“The woman disguised as a Ubese bounty hunter who delivered Han Solo’s Wookiee friend, then tried to rescue Solo? We have ascertained her identity. She is none other than Leia Organa, princess of Alderaan. And Jabba has her chained at his feet.”
“That cretin,” Tessek said. “Doesn’t Jabba recognize how dangerous that is? Keeping Han Solo was impetuous enough, and adding the Wookiee was foolhardy. But imprisoning the princess? Surely the Rebel Alliance will effect a rescue!”
“Jabba thinks not. You should have heard him laugh when he learned her identity.”
“Jabba may laugh now, but we shall see who has the last laugh! Our plots will bear fruit soon, and I for one shall breathe easier once I put these Rebel heroes from the palace.”
Tessek spun away, left the room, his cloaks swishing. So many things to worry about. Rebel attacks, Jabba’s spies, the vile hints from some long-dead monk, the stupidity of Tessek’s own men, murderers in the palace. And the uncertainty of the success of Tessek’s own planned attack against Jabba.
Suddenly he heard the amused roar of Jabba the Hutt coming up from the hallway below him—at a time when the Hutt normally would still be sleeping. Obviously, someone was in trouble. Tessek hurried down to the audience chamber.
Everyone was awake. Bib Fortuna stood between Jabba and a young man dressed in dark robes. The lad warned Jabba, “Nevertheless, I’m taking Captain Solo and his friends. You may either profit from this—or be destroyed.”
The young man spoke with dignity, and there was so much threat implied by his tone that Tessek found his hearts pounding in his chest, found himself desperately hoping that Jabba would free his prisoners.
“Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho,” Jabba laughed, then said in Huttese, “There will be no bargain, young Jedi!”
Tessek could not see through the crowd of people, and stood higher to get a better look. One of Jabba’s droids began to shout a warning to the Jedi, but Jabba pressed a button, opened the trapdoor to his dungeon just as the young Jedi mysteriously drew a blaster, misfiring it into the air.
The young Jedi slid into the rancor pit, along with one of the Gamorrean guards. Most of the palace residents rushed forward to watch the ensuing battle, but Tessek held back, simply stared in horror at Jabba. The mad Hutt had no sense of propriety.