"…So what do you think of this extra ingredient."

Porcellus stared at the glass vial the spindly twi'lek had placed on the counter, the amber liquid glinting malevolently under the fluorescent light of the palace kitchen. Worry creasing his brow, the chef glanced up to find the unnerving smile of Bib Fortuna baring down at him, his blood red eye's filled with as much deadly purpose as the poison he had just given him.

"And y-your sure this will kill him." Porcellus stammered finding it hard to believe that such a small amount of the deadly fluid could kill anything as large and resilient as a hutt. This was not the first time a member of Jabba's court had entered his kitchen with the intent of poisoning the hutt lord's food. More often than not they tried to convince Porcellus to assist in their plot, but the chef had always been too cowardly to comply. However, after last night's events he was more convinced than ever that the hutt deserved to die.

Fortuna's wide razor filled smile seemed to grow. "I spent several fortunes on obtaining this" He said as he picked the vile and held it between his fingers. "It's a toxin specifically made to attack the hutt's system. The process is slow but once the fat slug consumes this, it will only be a matter of time before he is dead."

Porcellus swallowed his throat dry and his palms sweaty as he reached to take the glass container in his trembling hands. With one dose he could end his tyrannical master's life, end his cruel abuse, and free… But then a thought struck him.

"Wouldn't Jabba test the food first?" His thoughts were of Oola, already having witnessed Jabba feed the beautiful dancer with food he suspected of poison.

Fortuna only laughed "Don't worry, the poison is slow acting. By the time that green slut he keeps leashed to his side starts showing any signs of illness, Jabba will have already ingested enough of this to kill a Krayt dragon."

Porcellus felt his blood go cold as he looked at the poison he held, imagining Oola unknowingly licking the poisoned food from her hutt master's hand. He could see her collapsing onto the stone floor during the performance that always came after Jabba's meal, dying with her slave collar still around her neck. He didn't know if he could live with himself.

"No." He said firmly thrusting the vial back into Fortuna hands.

As he turned away to return to finish preparing Jabba's next meal he felt a sudden claws dig painfully into his shoulder pulling him back around to meet the livid major-domo. "Why" Fortuna hissed in annoyance, his eye's flashing dangerously "Because you don't want to kill the girl! You do this and I'll buy you a harem of twi'lek whores…."

Porcellus swatted his hand away and shook his head, his resolution firm on his face, even though he could feel the sweat on his neck as he stared the majordomo down.

Fortuna was slightly taken aback by the normally docile chef's attitude, and seemed to look at Porcellus as if he was reevaluating him. Seeing perhaps he had underestimated him he smoothed his cloak and attempted to regain his composure. "Here," Fortuna said opening the vial and pouring half of it into another beaker. "Only half is needed to finish the hutt" He placed it on the counter and turned to leave his long cloak sweeping behind him.

As Fortuna opened the door to leave Procellus nursing his shoulder, the twi'lek called back to the chef "Consider this: would she really want to live the rest of her life as the hutts plaything?" Porcellus had no response and with that last remark, the majordomo stepped out into the corridor the door closing softly behind him.

Porcellus breathed deeply as the door closed, feeling the tension leave his body. He rubbed his shoulder where Fortuna's claws had dug in finding a small amount of blood had stained his white shirt. He knew he would have to find a new one before he brought Jabba his dinner.

Returning to the kitchen a few moments later with a fresh shirt beneath his apron, Porcellus went back to the table, stopping as he glanced at the vial of poison still lying where Fortuna had left it. He lifted it and expected it again. He imagined standing in the alcovewatching the hutt lord choke on his own bile, the feeling of immense satisfaction he would feel knowing he was the one who dealt justice to the cruel crime lord. It would mean his freedom as well as the freedom of countless other slaves. Unfortunately it would also mean the death of one.

Porcellus walked to the jar of paddy frogs and uncorked the stopper but as he lifted the deadly broth over he stopped. He saw Oola laying against her master's corpse her beautiful green skin pale and cold, still held close to the hutt's body by the leash around her neck. Her eyes were wide with shock and confusion, never to understand why she had to be sacrificed, never to be free from the hutt's grasp or know it was Porcellus that had saved her.

The chef tried pushed the thoughts aside, thinking of all the women he would save from Oola's fate by ending Jabba's life. He'll kill her anyway probably something far more horrible. But he knew that wasn't true. Yarna had survived for years as the hutt's slave and Porcellus had seen many slaves continue to serve after a time as Jabba's personal pet, often times rejoining the harem or sold to another gangster. If he tipped the vial, there would be no chance for Oola's survival, and he would have sealed her fate.

He clenched the glass, struggling to make his decision as the container shook in his hands. He closed his eyes and felt his hand tip to the side, his breath held tightly in his chest…

The bombastic sounds of the Max Rebo Band rocked the throne room, feeding the movements of the drunken crowd that had amassed for Jabba's nightly celebration. Smoke choked the room, the hutt lords guest partaking in every illicit substance that was provided to them, encompassing nearly every narcotic known to the galaxy. They smoked, they drank, they fought, and in their revelry abused any passing slave girl was unfortunate enough to catch their sadistic fancy. It was everything Porcellus hated about the palace, and the reason he normally stayed as far away from the audience chamber as possible. Tonight, however, he had stayed after delivering Jabba's fifth meal of the day, positioning himself at the entrance of the room as he watched the lovely Oola dance in the center of the room, and praying she would live to complete her performance.

Still, seemingly suffering no ill effects from the scraps Jabba had tossed her before the band had begun, Oola pranced at the end of her leash, her movements seemingly effortless despite her bondage. Porcellus sighed in relief, and felt the vial that remained in his pocket, still full and still unused. He had worried that somehow Fortuna had slipped the poison during his time in the kitchenbut it seemed his paranoia was unfounded. For now Oola was safe from the major-domo and with the other vial in his pocket, she was safe from him as well.

Relaxed now, he leaned against the archway at the entrance and displaced himself from his horrid surroundings to focus on the dancing twi'lek beauty. Her head tails swung in perfect motion with her body, her toned athletic figure glistening in the faint light that shown above her. Despite the vulgar moves that were forced into her routine, caressing herself and giving exaggerated hip shakes whenever her enticing back-side was turned towards her master, Oola was still able to bring grace and form to her performance. Porcellus knew that the hutt and his guests could only focus on the jiggling of the slave's assets, but he could see much more. All he had to do was look at the peaceful expression on her lovely features to understand how much she enjoyed the art of the dance, despite her situation and despite her horrid audience. This expression and the memory of the kiss they shared had steadied his hand and kept him from spilling the poison into Jabba's meal. He knew not what she wanted but whether she still wanted to live after experiencing the horrors of this palace or not, he had decided he would not be responsible for her death.

Porcellus found it difficult to ignore the jeers that came from the crowd. They roared at the each salacious step of the dance, groping Oola through her scant mesh outfit whenever her movements brought her close to their grasp. The crowd truly went wild as she paused in her performance before her master's throne; suggestively running her tongue across the metal links of the chain she held before the beat resumed and she continued her impassioned gyrations. Jabba himself was greatly pleased, laughing and toying with the chain, joining his guests in the verbal abuse of his favorite pet. They all saw her dance as the exhibition of a slut, provoking and teasing her audience for her own shameful pleasure, but Porcellus knew they were just the choreographed steps in a dance and that little pleasure could come from being the center of attention for the dregs that infested Jabba's fortress.

As the party began to reach its peak the band came to the end of their song, blasting one final note out across the room. Oola spun to the center the room arching her back, kicking her leg high before falling to the floor and bowing deeply before her hutt master. Unfortunately the quick motion of her falling caused her left breast to spill from the loose netting that confined it; bouncing lewdly a she finished her pose at the front of the throne. The court cheered and whistled laughing at her unintended exposure, Oola taking several moments to notice her green tit dangling in the open air, her face turning a deep crimson as she fumbled to pull the mesh over her shame. Not that it mattered much considering how scant her clothing was her dark green nipples still clearly visible through the holes of the netting. Still the crowd enjoyed it and brought a new wave of heckles from inebriated audience.

Jabba meanwhile was laughing on his dais, drool spilling down his front at Oola's apparent humiliation. "Ah, do that again" He roared wanting a repeat of the movement that had caused her to expose herself.

One of the band members, however, interpreted the hutt's call for more as a desire for another song and the band immediately began a new number. Caught off guard Oola and the other dancers quickly recovered and once again began their sensuous movements on the dance floor for their revolting viewers. After feeling his temperature rise at Oola's treatment, Porcellus felt himself relax again. He knew this would be Oola's last performance before she returned to Jabba's side and the chef had no desire to see more the hutt's molestations, so he prepared to leave, looking forward to seeing another performance tomorrow night.

Still tonight he was finding it hard to pull away, her performance was special tonight for some reason. Perhaps it was his own imagination but Oola seemed to dance as if she had a new hope, moving with more passion and energy he had seen before. Normally he could see her reluctance in the tasteless and provocative steps that Jabba enjoyed, but tonight she seemed to place her heart and soul into each motion even the ones that so obviously demeaned her body.

Porcellus, however, was not the only one who seemed to notice this new effort in Oola's performance, but Jabba as well whose orange eyes were glued to the scantily covered green body that he held leashed to his desires. His tail was thrashing with excitement and his tongue hung from his mouth as he tugged on Oola's chain wanting his dancer's attention.

From his vantage point over the crowd, Porcellus watched Oola's step faltered at the commanding tug, her eyes opening as she turned to her master. As her gaze found Jabba's, the obese slug leered through the smoke, beckoning her close as his eyes glinting with deep carnal lust. Catching his lecherous stare, Oola's face turned dark with fear and disgust, having obviously seen this look many times before. Porcellus remembered it as well and from his brief experience during his visit to the pleasure quarters he knew Jabba was not going to wait for her to finish her performance, much less wait to bring her to the privacy of his chambers. He would take her before his court as a sick encore to Oola's performance and have his beautiful slave finish her dance on his tail for all his guests to see.

But Oola did not come at his call gripping her end of the leash and backing away, shaking her head in refusal. Jabba, however, did not seem perturbed and only laughed, pulling more forcefully at her chain followed by a deep command "Da Eitha."

Oola was yanked forward, her cheap sandals sliding across the smooth stone floor, but still she refused to submit. She continued to shake her head as she held her leasd, pulling back against as she attempted to keep away. Porcellus could see the tears brimming in her eye's as if she knew the inevitably of her fate and how futile her resistance was and yet she resisted anyway. "Na, natoota," Came her tearful plea over the concussive music.

The band continued to play but the rest of the crowd was beginning to stir from their debauchery to turn to watch this one sided struggle of master and slave. They knew that such disobedience would be met with harsh punishment, but instead of pity excited looks and murmurs passed through the court, the sadistic beings looking forward into seeing what would happen next. It sickened Porcellus. He had heard some of the guard brag and tell stories of what Jabba let them do to resistant servants and while he hoped they had been exaggerated there was certainly no chance of him staying to find out.

The chef continued to watch Oola's plight, Jabba playing with her like a fish on a line allowing her to struggle against her bondage before him for his depraved pleasure. The hutt lord gave another forceful tug, yanking Oola forward with a cry and almost sending her sprawling onto the dais. "Ama walta." Was his invitation, his scum coated tongue sliding suggestively across his blubberous lips.

"Na negatorie na! Na Natoota" (Not here! Not here!) Oola's cries becoming more desperate as she tried to regain her footing and pull back. Porcellus looked over the rest of the audience who had by now all turned their attention to the perverse game of tug-of-war, even some of the other dancers joining in on the snickering at their sister's plight. It was all a sick show to them Porcellus realized, struggling to find what entertainment could be had from watching someone else's suffering. They were no better than Jabba himself and each deserved a dose from the poison he held in his pocket

Jabba's eyes had become dangerous slits now, obviously losing his patients with his slave. With another tug he could have brought he too him but instead he choose to allow her to come to come to him, pointing to an unmistakable spot beside him on his dais "Ama walta!" His voice thundered.

At that moment Porcellus turned from the scene, he knew that Jabba had tired of the game and now would begin the second "act" of the nights entertainment even if not all the participants were willing. He took a few steps away from the throne room when from a behind a blood chilling scream cut through the air. Porcellus froze, the music had stopped and he could hear the crowd cheering and clamoring against each other, the hutt's deep laughter rising above them. His eye's wide the chef turned back unable to see what had happened over the gathering mass of courtiers. He couldn't see Oola but he noticed immediatly that Jabba no longer held her chain.

Rushing forward Procellus pushed his way through the crowd and watched as the hutt's throne moved towards the grate, catching glimpse of the opened trapdoor before the dais covered it. The same trapdoor he had spent years fearing, standing over it and hoping that it would not fall out from beneath him. Fearing more than anything what lay in the pit below.

Cold sweat running down his face, he pushed his way to the edge of the grate and peered down into the inky blackness below. At first he saw nothing but then a soft feminine moan echoed from the chamber and he followed the sound to where Oola lay crumpled in the sand slowly lifting herself to her feet. At first she seemed confused, surprised, her eye's darting around the room in disorientation, but as the realization of where she was came over her face contorted in horror. She looked up through the grate at the audience that encircled it leaning over as they cheered and laughed awaiting her demise. Her frightened eye's found Jabba, and her voice that had so obstinately refused the hutt now rose from the pit to beg for her master to rescue her, a naïve hope that left Porcellus choked with pity. Jabba had no mercy for his disobedient slave and continued his uproarous laughter, slobbering down his front as he ignored her desperate cries.

Porcellus's whole body felt a chill run through it as a metallic shriek came from somewhere beyond the view of the grate, Oola suddenly jumping and spinning toward the sound. Though he could not see, he knew that at this moment the metal grate was lifting slowly revealing the monster that it kept encaged, the monster that had haunted his dreams all throughout his long tenure in this horrible palace.

Oola was backing away, her body trembling in fear, her eye's traveling upwards as she froze in the sands of the cavern. A deep growl came from within followed shortly by a scream that echoed throughout the throne room and left Porcellus completely numb.

Porcellus closed his eyes but could still hear the thunderous roars, the terrified screams, and the laughter around him. He attempted to back away but the tightly packed bodies around him kept him close to the grate forcing him to endure the sickening execution till its end. Finally, almost mercifully, one last long scream came from the pit and everything for a moment became quiet. All that could be heard was the soft crunching of bones below, before the crowd once again erupted into cheers.

They cheered and clapped as if they had seen the end of some sporting spectacle and slowly the mass of scum that surrounded Porcellus dispersed, allowing him to move from the center of the throne room. Shakily he stepped away taking one last glimpse past the grate and saw the beast as it lumbered away, a monstrosity from which nightmares were forged, a long silver chain hanging from it's rows of jagged teeth. Slowly he found his way to one of the walls and slumped heavily against it seeing Jabba plop a spiced frog in his mouth from the corner of his eye, as if he was reenacting the scenes from below. Seeing the hutt eat reminded Porcellus of the poison that remained in his pocket unused, realizing now that the lovely twi'lek he had yearned for since her arrival had perished and all his caution had been in vain. With that he wept, pulling his knees against his chest and cried softly into the stained cotton of his sleeves.

Porcellus stayed curled against the wall for a few hours, not moving even at the sound of blaster fire or the mention of a thermal detonator by another the hutt lords guests. He simply sat and waited. After a while the party recommenced only to die again as it became late and the remaining guests shuffled off to return to their quarters. Porcellus joined them walking quietly amongst the crowd away from the throne room, no one noticing the determined look on his face as he slipped into his kitchen, still clenching a glass vial tightly in his grip.