Star Wars: Rotta's Revenge

Chapter 7

Rotta stared at him in astonishment. "What? Impossible!" he snarled. "He was the one who told me-"
"Told you that we were the ones who killed Jabba?" Leia breathed a silent sigh of relief as she saw from the look on Rotta's face that Luke had guessed correctly. The seeds of doubt were planted. "He was the last one left, wasn't he?" she continued, gambling further. "No one else to back up his claims?"
"How dare you make this accusation?" the Hutt blustered. "Boba Fett has been-"
"Loyal to your father?" Luke raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps, until he got what he wanted from him. Once he got the bounty for Han, he no longer had any need for your father. He killed him on the spot and proceeded to attempt to take my friends and me hostage once more, to bring us to the Emperor. He was looking for us too, after all, and two bounties are better than one."
"You're lying!" Boba roared, brandishing his blaster. A glare from Rotta froze him where he stood.
"Is this true, Fett?" the Hutt posed the question with the air of someone who did not wish to be denied. The doubt had taken root and was sprouting rapidly. "Are you a traitor?"
"Absolutely not!" the bounty hunter exclaimed, though he trembled as he spoke. He knew that Skywalker was lying, by he had nothing but his own word to back it up. And Skywalker had three friends with him who would of course be willing to corroborate everything he said. Fett was finished. But that didn't mean he was going to go down without a fight. "He's trying to trick you with some Jedi magic! Don't listen to him!"
"Jedi mind tricks don't work on Hutts," Leia said quietly, letting no hint of excitement show on her face. "Hutts are well aware of that, aren't they, Rotta?"
Rotta of course knew this extremely well. It was a point of pride with the Hutt clans. He sighed resignedly. He hadn't wanted to believe it, but it seemed there was no other choice. He turned to the bounty hunters who had brought Luke and the others and addressed them.
"Boys, I have a new job for you. One that will pay twice as well." He gestured toward Boba Fett. "Throw him into the Sarlacc pit... and make sure he stays there."
"No! NOOO!" Fett roared as two of the bounty hunters gripped him tightly by each arm and leg and escorted him out of the premises. The others followed, except for the Rodian, who turned and looked at Rotta.
"How will the bounty be split?" he asked. "Will those two get the biggest share, since they carried him to the pit?"
"I care not how you choose to divide the bounty," the Hutt said indifferently. "What matters to me is that the traitor is disposed of. Whether or not you fight amongst yourselves makes no difference to me."
The Rodian scowled, but did not protest. He left the palace, leaving Luke, Leia, Han, and Lando alone with Rotta.
"I am sorry to have put you through this," the Hutt said now to them. He slid forward and undid their bonds. "You're free to go, and I thank you, for pointing out the traitor to me."
"You're most welcome," Luke said, rising unsteadily to his feet, rubbing at his wrists where the bonds had chafed them. He reached out a hand, and his lightsaber along with three blasters flew from the belt of the Sullustan bounty hunter, into the room, and into the hands of their rightful owners. "We won't bother you again."
"I'm sure you won't," the Hutt agreed. "But there's one more thing..."
"What is it?" Lando asked, panic suddenly seizing him. "You got what you wanted, now let us-"
A subtle kick from Leia silenced him. They were almost in the clear. It wouldn't do to start acting suspicious now.
"When I discovered my father's body," Rotta spoke slowly, "it was apparent that he had been strangled by a metal chain, of the kind he used to keep his personal slave close by. It seems like an unusual kind of weapon for a blaster-wielding bounty hunter to use, doesn't it?"