"You ever been to Sullust kid? No? You're in for quite a show..."
The older man's voice was drowned out by the rattling. The shuttle was entering through the atmosphere sending tremors through every heat-resistant tile that covered the vessel's undercarriage.
Pain carried its way across Boba's skull as looked out of the porthole trying to see anything through the toxic clouds covering the surface of the planet. He was beyond tired. He felt like a failure, he lost his father, his ship, and now his mind. Another flash of pain stabbed its way into his frontal lobe forcing him to sit before he fell. The flashing headaches had been plaguing him since he saw a Jedi kill his only friend, his dad, Jango.
Kavron stole a glance of Boba. "If you get sick this easy you're in the wrong job, kid."
"I'm fine."
"Doesn't seem so to me kid." Kavron's slipped a slight taste of ridicule into his words. Experience made him the expert where Boba's raw talent made him look mediocre, but he never worried much all of the hot-headed kids who came to learn from him had short life expectancy. Maybe this one would last long enough to earn him a finders fee on his bounty. Just maybe.
"I told you I'm fine." He paused. "And dammit I am not a kid."
"Alright alright no need to get so worked up..." Kavron stalled for a moment, tested the air then said it anyway. "...kid."
Boba's headache began to fade away. "Your an ass, you know that?"
"Yep, thats what all the little rats say, and yet they always end up dead. This ass will be here quite a bit longer I can promise you that." Kavron noticed the tension building. He couldn't have anything make a barrier between him and his partner even if he was only temporary. Boba gave him a deadly glare Kavron hadn't seen since he worked with Jango fifteen years ago. He cleared his throat gently. "...so...um...I guess I should brief you on our target.
"My target."
"Ours." Kavron interrupted. "Your father trusted me to make sure you didn't get yourself killed when you were ready to hunt so I'm going to take point and you're just going to have to get used to following me for awhile." He sighed. This would be a far more taxing trip than any he had taken for a long time. Kavron buckled in.
The small craft hummed over the industrial surface of Sullust parting the thick gas until it reached the hole surrounded by flashing lights that verified the landing bay's vacant status. As the landing gear came to rest on the pad both bounty hunters prepared to exit, never knowing that their simple hunt would become a story that hunters everywhere would speak of, and one that Boba and Kavron would never forget.
.
.
The man ran down the metallic halls of his cramped laboratory dodging the tables covered in circuits and schematics. He was balding and rather chubby especially around the waist. He was also short. He had never been taller than five foot six inches, but now as he grew older he had begun to start losing height and gaining even more weight.
With a leap the older man threw himself to the blinking light on his computer display and frantically fumbled his fingers over the small button and clicked it with excessive force.
The holopad glowed to life projecting the image of a stunning mirialan woman no older than twenty years. She had short black hair that she always kept above her shoulders, except for several strands on the front left that she allowed to grow slightly longer. Aside from her hair the woman had intense purple eyes (a rare trait of her species) and a smooth complexion that betrayed her efforts to appear commanding. As she turned surveying the laboratory the small man covertly examined her pert breasts and healthy frame. Their eyes met and he disguised his carnal admiration for his superior.
Her voice gilded through the room angelically. "Thank you for finally deciding to answer my calls." She noticed the mouse like man's stern facade and instantly assumed her controlling tone. "Drig? What is going on?"
Drig sighed. "You were right Andorna... about everything. They've sent out a bounty for the End of Days, and it's been answered."
"How much do they know?"
"The corporate president knows about the weapon and me, but I imagine that the bounty hunters will be sent after me alone they no nothing of your roll in this. They also won't tell the bounty hunters anything more than they need to know they wouldn't risk shedding extra light on the weapon." Drig paused and then spoke again his voice covered in worry. "Do you think they'll kill me?"
"The SoroSuub corporation would kill you without a second thought and the bounty hunters would only keep you alive so that they could deliver you to SoroSuub themselves." Her cold attitude offended Drig.
"Thanks for showing overwhelming concern for my life." He sarcastically said.
Andorna's face did not express any emotion. "You're life is a small price to pay to ensure the safety of this weapon."
Drig mumbled under his breath. "Bitch..."
Andorna failed to hear him and continued on. "I have checked the shuttle's passenger manifest. The bounty hunters are Kavron Colt and... a young hunter Boba Fett. I would suggest hiding in plain sight with a working disguise."
"Where do I start?"
"I will personally prepare your cover and you will retrieve it from at my apartment in Byllurun. Make sure you bring the activation codes and the final piece. I will assemble the weapon then conceal it." She stopped and listened to something then resumed. "I should warn you I am tapped into the SoroSuub enforcer's holo-frequency and they have begun to send out spies to tail you... a quick and stealthy journey is the best course of action. Any attention you bring to me will not be tolerated."
Before Drig could speak again Andorna ended the call. Drig was perplexed. He would finally meet the young woman who had been giving him his orders for the past few months.
Drig removed an old sidearm from his dirtied work table and put on his belt then donned his cloak to hide his face as he left his home he carefully stopped and removed the coin sized storage device that contained the remainder of the weapon's pieces. Drig stepped outside into the busy industrial city Serres Sarrano and began to walk to the nearest taxi as a feeling haunted him that he would never return.
.
.
Andorna ended the transmission. She walked through her modern styled apartment to the kitchen where she poured herself a glass of Corellian ale and drank hastily. Afterwards she threw up into the sterile silver sink and shrunk to the floor leaning against the cabinets. Andorna began to tremble and cry, rolling warm tears down her cold skin as she held her knees tightly. The feelings of her new body confused her, but her task was absolute. Drig had become compromised, she would need to kill him. Andorna had discovered one of the many limits to living within the confines of a mortal body; a conscience.
.
.
The streets of Byllurun were the busiest Boba had ever seen. In his childhood he had lived in Tipoca City on Kamino which besides the business atmosphere was completely unlike Sullust. The design had caught Boba's attention from the moment they stepped off the shuttle. Every street had a mirror image directly above that serviced pedestrians with the use of artificial gravity. A person walking on the mirrored walkway would look up (in reality down) and be able to observe the passing speeders from above.
Kavron noticed Boba's observance. "You think this is cool just wait until you see the headquarters."
Boba was overwhelmed with curiosity. "Why do this?" He said gesturing to the inverted road they were now walking on.
"Efficiency. SoroSuub has a reputation for being extremely efficient with everything; space, fuel, human lives, if there's a relationship with something to their profit they'll control it." Kavron cleared his throat then spoke in a softer tone. "Alright it's time I brief you on our target."
"Finally..." Boba murmured.
Kavron's response was quick. "Shut up and pay attention. You're a bounty hunter. While on the job we're professionals. Don't embarrass me."
"Ok ok I get it."
"We've got a meeting in ten minutes at the SoroSuub headquarters with the company president. It will be very official and we're being paid extra for discretion. I'll do the talking just keep quiet and behave."
Boba sighed.
The two hunters approached the end of the block and Boba saw the headquarters. Towering almost two miles above the street stood one of the galaxy's tallest buildings, its facade reflected the artificial light from the cave ceiling that sheltered Byllurun from the harsh atmosphere. The tower's sides were under the influence of artificial gravity allowing the sides of the tower to house courtyards and fountains and parks that all had a perfect symmetrical pattern reflect vertically. Several citizens mostly native Sullustans and the similar Bith. At the front of the structure a ramp with a five percent grade a quarter of a mile long led to the large glass double doors that sported the SoroSuub logo.
"Wow" was all Boba managed.
Kavron laughed. "I told you."
They walked towards the large doors when Boba noticed that it lacked door handles. Boba smiled and walked through the glass. "It's a ray shield."
Suddenly the ray shield beeped and pulsed red angrily. Boba turned to face Kavron as he was swarmed by Sullustan security forces. "It's also a scanner." Kavron said as he rubbed his temples.