My Only Hope (Kolath and Panda)

[The Unusual Panda]

"Koose chekta nei."
"H'chu apenkee, o'grandio lust."
"Ah'chu apenkee?"
"My pee kasa Lara."
"Keel-ee calleya ku kah. Yacha neechu."
The small, dark haired girls eyes widened as she looked at Jabba, not knowing what to do or what to say. He had just called her over, asked her name, and then sentenced her to death by the Rancor. Lara was truly a beautiful woman. Curly black hair that barely touched her shoulders, baby blue eyes, legs that seemed to go one forever, and curves that were only accentuated by the girls small body. She was only about five foot one, and since Jabba kept her bare foot constantly, her small stature was indeed apparent. She was kept with a lock around her neck and a chain that connected to one of the far walls, and her clothing was quite skimpy. She had a small top on, which barely covered the girls chest, and a tiny belted bottom that threatened to fall off at any moment. As she stood in front of Jabba, she realized she had to act fast, and although she didn't know enough Huttese to speak to him that way, she decided to try her luck in english.
"Glorious master, please, halt your decision making for just a few moments. I cost you a great deal of money, and feeding me to the Rancor would be just like throwing it away. Might I suggest, Illustrious one, that you sell me to a Bounty Hunter in order to pay a reward to one of them. I would be out of your way, and you would have saved money that you would have to waste on the bounty hunter."
After conferring for a moment, he spoke to his assistant before laughing, nodding, and starting to speak. Although, she listened more closely to the Protocal Droid who was translating for her.
"Master Jabba agrees that it would be a waste to feed you to the Rancor, so he has decided to sell you to the most interested Bounty Hunter for a slightly higher price then what he got you for. But stand warned, if you get in his way again, he'll bring you straight to the Pit of Carkoon before you have time to disagree."
"Thank you, oh Mighty Jabba. Your humility and grace is sure to be heard for a long time."

 

[Kolath]

Luke slowly sat up from the rough stone of Junland wastes. His hand brushed his forehead where the Tusken Raider had clocked him good. Looking up he saw a man in a brown all-temputure cloak smiling down at him. â??Ben? Ben Kenobi?â? the man smiled nodding and leaning back a little. â??You had quite the fall young Luke what brings you out so far?â? motioning to the Astromech droid that was finally coming out of the crack he had hid in. â??This droid seems to think that it belonged toâ?¦â? Kenobi raised his hand stopping Luke mid sentence. â??There is something of importance that is about to take placeâ?¦and we are needed come Luke we most get to Jabbaâ??s palace quickly.â? Luke just stared as the old man quickly got up heading for the speeder with out even asking where it is.

Picking 3PO up he quickly followed after Ben and climbed into the Speederâ??s driverâ??s seat. Following Benâ??s directions they made a quick stop off at Benâ??s house before rushing off toward Jabbaâ??s Palace. Stopping a fair distance from the palace Ben got out holding his hand out toward it before nodding. â??She is in there.â? Along the way Ben had explained many things to him about the force and the Jedi and how it used to be. Luke had asked many questions and found out much but rather than being unsure about all of this he had taken it all in stride and taken up his fatherâ??s lightsaber without any hesitation. â??I know that Iâ??m not trained yet Ben but I want to help.â? Smiling Ben nodded, â??Trust your feelings they will guide you your power is beyond what you think.â? Nodding the two of them walked toward the palace willing to do what they had to in order to save the girl that Ben had sensed.

 

[The Unusual Panda]

"Boba Fett, Master Jabba would like to know if you wanted to buy a slave girl."
"Which one?"
"Lara."
The bounty hunter smirked, although, you couldn't see it. As he contemplated however, Lara was serving drinks to the people and aliens in the palace. It was clear she was terrified, what with Jabba paying extra attention to her to make sure she didn't mess up. Her breathing was rapid, as it would be if she had ran a marathon. Just then, Bib Fortuna hurried into the palace, whispering something in Jabba's ear before the slug nodded. Fortuna then grabbed Lara, throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her to the rancor pit. He dropped her on it, the girl biting her lip hard as she looked to Jabba.
"Tibi Jeedi. Fortuna, Koose hoohah tah je."
Lara's eyes widened at the mention of Jedi, the girl hoping and praying that someone would come to save her, and that the Jedi's were that someone. She sensed a presence she knew from when she was a little girl, before her father had been murdered by her Sith mother.
"Luke?"
She muttered softly, shaking the feeling off before looking at Jabba. He signaled for her, and she came quickly to his side. When he told her to lay by his side, she did so, sitting down and crossing her legs before taking a deep breath and waiting for whatever would happen.

 

[Kolath]

Both Luke and Ben were now in the cloaks that marked them as Jedi and slowly were led into the throne room both with their hands deep in the large open sleeves. Ben stepped forward onto the trap door that led down into the Rancor pit, Luke stayed a step back obviously looking around at the bounty hunters and other guards spread around looking at the two like they were already ready to shot.

Ben spoke from the confines of the hood which covered his face. â??Lord Jabba we have come to retrieve that which is not rightfully your property.â? He nodded to Lara, â??She is a free born woman you have no claim over her because the one that sold her did not hold a ownership papers. Under the laws of the Republicâ?¦â? Jabba began to laugh and speak the translator droid working quickly over time to keep up with him â??The mighty Jabba reminds you that the Republic has been gone for nearly twenty years now and even when they were around they held no sway over his dealings.â? Sighing Ben shook his head, â??I hoped that we could do this without resorting to this but since I can tell you wouldnâ??t even sell her to me I have little other choice. â?? suddenly four lightsabers snapped to life one in each of the two menâ??s hands. â??If you will not give her too us then we will take her.â?

 

[The Unusual Panda]

Lara watched the two Jedi, and the seconds the sabers came out, she made her own move. She slowly stood up, bowing to the mighty Jabba before putting her hands together.
"Oh illustrious Jabba, please spare these two Jedi. They are foolish warriors who do not know how powerful you and the Empire are. Please don't kill them. I would also like to make a business proposition with you."
He looked at her oddly before nodding and allowing her to speak. She then walked off, going off to her quarters and grabbing her pillow before walking back and ripping it open. Inside, were at least 100,000 credits. THe slugs eyes widened before he shouted at her.
"Master Jabba, the means in which I got the credits is not important. What is is that I would like to buy my release. As you know, you paid fifty thousand for me, well, I'm willing to double it."
He nodded and smirked, Fortuna grabbing the bag before bringing it back to the Hutt. They conferred for a few minutes before laughing and grabbing her chain as the protocol droid started speaking.
"Master Jabba thanks you for your kind donation, but he's afraid that you are his property, and you have no right to these credits."
"But-"
"Echuta! Stoopa schutta! Tah-koh tee womp rat e’nachu!"
Within a second, she had a blaster pointed at her face, which made her stumble back onto the rancor pit. Then, they shot. Quickly though, with reflexes only a Jedi had, she grabbed her chain and put it in front of the blaster laser. It cut through the chain, the girl scrambling back and running behind Luke before sighing.
"My names Lara...."
She whispered, watching the slug get angry and call for Boba.
"And I suggest we get the hell out of here before the bounty hunters take our heads!"

 

[Kolath]

Ben was skilled beyond reason and the instant the fire started his lightsabers jumped into action. Using the force to guide them around the room the blocked and deflected every bolt that came toward the three. Luke had pulled off his cloak and laying it over Laraâ??s shoulders he smiled. â??Iâ??m Luke but I think that we can save the pleasantries for later.â? Lukeâ??s own lightsaber slashed out across one of the bounty hunters that had charged in close taking him down in one slice. The group headed for the entrance way Ben still being the defense as they reached the narrower passage.

 

[The Unusual Panda]

"Luke? Oh god, I knew it was you...."
She whispered, grabbing his hand tightly and running, leading him from the place as Obi-Wan protected them. She jumped into the speeder, starting it up before getting out of it. She was too nervous to be alone right now, and so she ran back to Luke as she watched him for a moment. She didn't actually know it was him, but she was hoping more then anything. She had met the boy when she was very young, before her father had been killed and far before getting into Jabba's hands. She was six or so at the time, and she was always at Owen Lars's house just to see him. The two would play and laugh, and the truth was, she had liked him a lot back then. And somehow, she still did. The girl thought about Luke quite a bit, wondering what would have happened if she hadn't been sold to the Hutt's. Maybe the two of them would've hit it off. Maybe not. She had just wished she had the chance, but even if it was him, the chance was gone. They had been away from each other for at least ten years, and there was no way he'd remember her enough to like her.
"Um, Obi-Wan, Luke, I honestly think we need to get out of here right now. Because if Fortuna comes out here with a blaster, I will start crying."

 

[Kolath]

The Jedi master took a moment while still blocking the many blaster shots. â??Yes my dear this I am aware of I would suggest that you and Luke get out of here and be ready to go.â? They were still moving back through the narrow halls and it was that reason that Obi-wan had not gotten surrounded and over whelmed.
Luke grabbed a blaster from one of the fallen guards and with saber in one hand and blaster in the other quickly moved back toward the entrance of the palace. â??Come on Lara time to be going.â? He cut through one of the guards that had circled around before making a faster but still tactical retreat, staying with Lara when she moved.

 

[The Unusual Panda]

Lara stayed close to Luke, hurrying out of the place before looking into his eyes.
"What about Obi-Wan?"
She asked softly, biting her lip lightly before getting back into the speeder. She tapped her fingers nervously on the steering wheel, black curly hair in her face as she shut her eyes. She was terrified, and rightly so. The girl had been a slave for ten years, she hadn't explored her powers at all, and to top it all off, The Empire wouldn't protect them from the Hutt's. Hell, not even the Jedi Council could stop the Hutt's rule on Tatooine. She watched Luke for a moment, biting her lip as she leaned over the side of the speeder.
"We can't leave until we have Obi. I'll feel too bad. Do you think he's okay?"
She looked at him before looking at the entrance of the palace, just praying that he'd be okay.