Part 9

There was some shouting and the rancor's head turned. Qui-Gon brought himself from his meditative trance in time to see the rancor lumber away. A metal grate dropped behind the brute and Qui-Gon sagged with momentary relief. "Di'reh! Come out!"

Qui-Gon cautiously crawled out and blinked in the bright lights beaming down on him. He walked over to a small side door that was open that he couldn't have seen from his hiding place. Four guards were waiting on him. "Jabba needs to speak with you," sneered one of them, grabbing his arms roughly and propelling him forward. Qui-Gon pondered this temporary reprieve the walk back into Jabba's esteemed presence.

"Give it back!" the Hutt shouted and the bronze protocol translated, almost coweringly.

Qui-Gon was confused until he noticed that the icon was no where to be seen. "Si'Haad!" he thought to himself. "She's here!" He could almost feel her nearby, no doubt smirking at the jam he was in.

"I do not have it, great Jabba," he said respectfully.

"Bantha pudu!" Qui-Gon had never seen a Hutt purple before and couldn't say it was a pleasant sight to behold. "Give it to me!"

Qui-Gon helplessly shrugged. "The little black box. Bring out the little black box," a voice whispered oh so softly in his ear. He recognized Si'Haad's mechanical tonality. He nodded and brought out the box that he had stored in one of the compartment pouches on his belt.

The audience fell silent at the revelation. "Now push the swirl design by your left thumb and keep it compressed. I'll do the rest." Qui-Gon did as he was told and the box began to hum. Weapons powered up and pointed in his direction but no one dared to fire in case the bomb in his hand decided to blow.

Jabba drew back in mild fright , his eyes glinting hatefully. "You will die too," he said. The droid was too shaky to translate but Qui-Gon got the jist of it. He wanted to kick on his portable translator on but did not dare move a muscle.

"Jabba will understand this if you speak to him. Tell him that this bomb only goes off if you aren't freed. Otherwise, the whole place goes boom."

"Jabba," Qui-Gon said, getting everyone's undivided attention. "I'll release the mechanism if you don't let me go. Otherwise this place goes sky-high."

Jabba's jowels shook with indignation. "You will die too," he repeated, regaining his equilibrium.

Qui-Gon shrugged noncomittally. "One cannot live forever, great Jabba. I don't have the statue, though I thought about keeping it for myself. Look elsewhere for your thief in your midst, but it was not me."

Jabba and Qui-Gon met stare for stare and finally Jabba began to laugh, waving him away like some irritating gnat. "Go then, and do not come here again. If we ever cross paths I will consider you an enemy."

Qui-Gon grinned. "Naturally." That was ironic, he thought. He bowed and began to back away, thought better of it and turned his back to Jabba and faced the exit.

"You're forgetting something," the voice whispered.

He kept walking but was perplexed. What was he forgetting?

"You're in the middle of the desert, stupid," the voice taunted. "Going to walk to Mos Isley?"

"Jabba," Qui-Gon turned around suddenly, startling the fizz band member next to him. "How about a nice transport shuttle to get me to Mos Isley? Oh, and make sure that no one messes with my ship. I'd hate to have to come back and just plant a bomb that you'll never see."

Jabba sucked on his bubble pipe and then gestured magnanimously. "Of course, Pax, it will be easily arranged. Give him the band's transport." The fizz band paled simultaneously but made no remark at Jabba's 'generousity'. Qui-Gon nodded again and followed Jabba's Twi'Lek flunky to the transport hangar.

Keeping his finger firmly on the button, he checked over the engines to verify no sabotage and got in. He started the engines and was soon on his way at high speeds. Qui-Gon figured the sooner he got as far from Jabba's fortress the better it was going to be.

"Very nice." Si'Haad materilized behind him and placed the statue in his lap.

"How do I deactivate this thing?" Qui-Gon growled, holding up the box.

"Take your finger off the button. All it does is light it up and make it hum. There is a bomb inside it but it can only be activated by remote. It also has various listening and recording devices." Si'Haad's voice was cold and distant. Qui-Gon was beginning to hate the distorter. He liked her real voice, husky and lilting.

He tossed the box at her in disgust and concentrated on piloting. No further comment was made the whole way back to the asteroid.