I stared at the slimy fleshy back of the notorious crime lord as I crept through the shadows hoping to go unseen, hoping that I could pull this off. The last thing I needed to do was piss off the owner of this palace. The last thing I needed to do was catch the attention of Jabba the Hutt, because when you caught the crime lord's attention, be it good or bad, it was certain that you would never see the light of another day.

Literally and figuratively.

            Right now, what I needed to be doing was looking for the droid whose identification was stored in the holo-chip in my satchel. I needed to deliver the package that had been entrusted to me, and it was highly important that I get it to him as soon as I could. Rather than allowing all of these self-deprecating thoughts to roll through my mind.

I swore I could do this. I swore that they wouldn't be taking a chance on me. I swore that I had a better chance to slink through the shadows than anyone else at the Rebel base.

            Was I more qualified?

            Probably.

            Was I louder than the others?

            Most definitely.

            Did that make me better than anyone else for the job?

            No.

I think I impressed those in charge, I may have stepped on a few toes to get here, but that's how spies got the job done. It didn't matter who got in the way as long as the job got done. Regardless that this was my first actual mission, I knew I would get this done or die trying. I eyed the room realizing not dying might actually be more of the issue than completing my task.

I took a deep breath refocusing on my task. Right now, the Hutt was eagerly watching the dancing females before him, his face set into rapt attention as they danced as though their life depended on it.

Because it did.

That was already proved.

Only a day before a twilek seemed to have caught the eye of the crime lord, bad move, and she fought as he tried to pull her closer. So, when the floor opened, and she was thrown into the rancor pit my fear had risen an octave. That would be my fate I was certain if I was caught. I slid into a darkened corridor as the gathered onlookers cheered in both horror and adulation. Many lives were at stake today especially if I did not get the package to the droid, I moved hastily through the room and towards the corridor on the opposite side of the room.

The air was hot and dry and there was sand and dust in every corner, no part of this place was free of the reminder of this inhospitable planet. Tatooine, it was not a place, one settled unless they were criminals hiding from the law or folks so poor, they turned a blind eye to what went on around them. It was the perfect place to get away with your crimes.

I slid through a door in the belly of the palace, the room was void of any living creatures but brimming with droids, or at least parts of droids. My eyes scanned for the droid in question I was searching for.

"Who goes there?" an EV series droid spoke standing from its place on the far side of the room.

I was quick on my feet a lie coming swiftly to my tongue, "Lord Jabba is enquiring about the new droids."

"I have never seen you here before?" The droid scanned me.

"Why would you?" I said my tone even, "Do you ever leave this place."

The droid remained silent.

"The new droids," I repeated, "Where are they?"

"The protocol droid is at Lord Jabba's side, right where he is supposed to be." The droid seemed to be uneasy, and I cursed myself for not being observant enough to notice, "Is there a problem with its restraining bolt?" the droid continued, "It should be there."

I had to think quickly, "Why would Lord Jabba ask about a droid that is by his side?" I made my voice drip with distain.

"Why indeed." The droid was silent for a moment processing, "Perhaps I should just go and ask him."

Faster than the droid had time to move I pulled a vibro blade from my belt and hurled it across the room where it imbedded in the droids chest overloading its circuits with electricity.

"Dank farrak." I cursed. I needed that droid to cooperate, now how would I find out where the droid had gone? I heard a ruckus in the corridor just outside the doors. Moving swiftly to the droid I pulled my blade from where it was imbedded and slowly moved the droid to the ground.

I waited for the noise to pass and when I was confident that I would not be interrupted I lifted a holo device from my pocket, and with nimble fingers removed the cover to the droid's processing unit. Once it was revealed I plugged in the small wire from the holo device into the memory interface data scrolling open the screen in my palm. The information I needed scrolled upon the screen and I sighed, this job was not going to be as easy as I first thought. I stepped away from the droid and rushed from the room, hoping that no one would notice what had happened until I was long gone.

On the same holo device I had used with the droid I pulled up the map of the Palace, a crude image that had been procured in my first hours here from a mouse droid that scurried around the place, but I found the place I was looking for and went rushing down the corridor.

When I got back to base, I was going to rub this in Raas's face, I couldn't wait to see the haughty expression on her face when I told her how easily I had snuck through and completed the mission. I should have been paying closer attention rather than letting my mind wander because when I rounded the corner, I crashed right into two gammorean guards. Their green pig-like faces were filled with an expression of shock and surprise, before they hardened with resolve their vibro spears now turned towards me.

I cursed under my breath as I dodged the first lunge with the spear which only missed by a hairs breadth. I attempted to roll away only to find my tunic speared through by the weapon of the second guard.

My heart pounded.

I grasped at the pole now in a tug of war with the gammorean who clearly outmatched me in strength. Using his own strength against him I leaned back imbedding the spear into the sandy floor and sent him catapulting through the air. With a rip my tunic tore free from the spear as the guard crashed violently into the wall headfirst.

He would not be getting up.

This only made the other guard squeal with rage, the blare of it in the enclosed corridor made my ears ring. I couldn't dwell on it because should I not be able to silence him, it would only call more guards down upon me. I barreled towards him with a wild elbow, hitting him hard in the jaw. I had to bite back my own scream when my flesh caught on his tusk. Blood spraying everywhere, showering his face and blinding him momentarily. His head snapped back, and I could not allow myself to relent, I balled my fist before I punched viciously into his throat. I could hear the crunch of his larynx beneath my fist his body folded over his knees in an attempt to catch his breath. His hands wiping furiously at his eyes to clear my vital fluid from his vision.

I did not relent I knew that I could not. I grasped him by the tusks and brought my knee up savagely into his chest, he fell to one knee his beady black eyes watered as he angled his head to look up at me. Fear and resolution in their depths, he knew what was next. With barely any thought or remorse I brought down my bloody elbow between his eyes and I watched with mild contempt as his eyes rolled back and he slid to the floor unconscious.

I let loose a sigh of relief.

I needed to hurry if I was to get to the sail barge before either of these guards woke. I dragged the second gammorean I'd downed towards the first and removed my cloak. I ripped a small corner of fabric off to wrap my bleeding elbow before covering their bodies with the rest to hide them from view.

On silent wind of the force, I made my way through the shadows of the palace thankfully avoiding any more incidents. The Palace seemed far more quiet than usual. I had to make my way through Jabba's throne room to get to where I needed to go, and I gasped at what I saw...

The Princess. Chained by the side of the owner of this place, my eyes met hers over the distance and she shook her head and quickly looked away. Every part of me screamed to get her out, but I knew I could not. The air in the room had changed from earlier, jovial no more. No more was it filled with alcohol and smoke, but something else.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." I whispered to myself as I hurried out of the room. I knew there was not much time and now that the Princess was in chains this changed everything.

Didn't it?

I did not see the dark robed figure that had entered the room as I had exited.

I was relieved when I made it to the barge without any incident and even more, pleased that there were no guards around. There was just many, many droids being used as anything but for their purpose.

There was a whistle to my left and I spun quickly.

Artoo.

"Thank the Stars..." I whispered and moved towards him and began to remove the table that covered him. He rolled back shaking his head back and forth before snapping open one of his access panels.

I furrowed my brows, "Are you sure?"

He whistled again. I'd understood why they did not send him with it. You could never be sure how thoroughly they might search a droid... Jabba wasn't stupid.

I knelt down as I dug though my satchel my hand clasping around the object that I was sent here to give the droid.

I pulled it out and the bright desert light shone like a beacon through one of the narrow windows upon it.

Luke Skywalker's lightsaber.

My stomach tumbled as I thought too hard for a moment about the object in my hand.

An impatient whistle sounded from the droid, which shook me from my reverie.  I moved closer and slid the light blade into the opened access panel before pressing it closed. He shook from foot to foot causing the tray that he was nestled with in to teeter precariously.

He chirped a thank you and whirred in binary, "get away as fast as you can if you don't want to be caught in the crossfire."

I nodded my thanks and slid away towards the exit. I looked back over my shoulder at the droid whose eye was still trained on me, a soft whine escaped him, and I couldn't help  but feel like I was leaving him to the loth wolves.

"May the Force be with you, my friend." I whispered before I leapt from the side of the sail barge and began to run as fast and as hard as I could back to Mos Eisley space port, and back to my ship.