Chapter Two: Close Calls
Well, here we are! Chapter two of Boba Fett: Struggles. Everyone who guessed Padmè Amidala was right, so here's a cookie!
"What are we doing?" I whispered; my mouth dry. We had been sitting under this ledge for the past two hours and my stomach was starting to growl loudly.
"Here," Aurra muttered, passing me a half-eaten, mushed ration bar. I grimaced, but accepted the food. I pulled the wrapper off, taking a bite. It was stale and bland, but I choked it down anyway.
"And if you're cold, some kid has a bedroom a few ledges down," Aurra commented lazily, pointing.
"Oh, um thanks," I nodded, crawling down the ledge and then opening the window to which Aurra had pointed. I jumped into what appeared to be a bedroom that belonged to a boy about my age, judging from the holo pictures mounted on the wall. I walked over to a tall clothes chest, looking inside. It was filled with brown, tan and black Vjun tunics and pants. I quickly slipped into a black set before turning to go. But as I opened the window, something caught my eye on the nightstand. I headed over to get a closer look. To my shock, there was a holo-zine with one of my mug shots on it. I scooped it up and headed back to Durge and Aurra.
"Wow, someone's all dressed up," commented Aurra, rolling her eyes. Durge nodded slowly, but he was focused on something else. I followed his line of sight, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I opened the holozine and flipped to the page the talked about me:
Boba Fett is one of the galaxy's youngest bounty hunters. He is currently in prison on Coruscant for infiltrating a Republic Jedi Cruiser and the attempted manslaughter of Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu, two of the galaxy's greatest heroes. It is predicted he will become one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy if he turns back to his old ways after getting released from prison.
I slowly fell asleep, the last part echoing in my head. Well, I thought. Hate to let everyone down…
I was awakened as a small silver Naboo Royal Starship landed. After the ramp was lowered a fairly short woman with curly brown hair stepped out of the ship. She had on a simple silver silk dress with trailing sleeves. It was covered with beads and embroidery and her hair was up in an intricate bun, topped off with a small silver circlet. I rolled my eyes.
Typical senators, I thought, rolling my eyes. Thinking they're royalty or something.
The senator was leading a tall Jedi Knight with scruffy hair and dark robes and an adolescent Togruta, presumably the Jedi's apprentice, into her apartment. For some reason; they looked familiar. I just couldn't figure out where I had seen them. Suddenly, it hit me. It was Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano.
I fingered my blaster. It would be so easy to take them out, right then. They wouldn't see it coming. They had both helped-
"Not now, Boba," Aurra muttered to me.
"But-" I started.
"There will be time for revenge-trust me," Aurra smirked evilly at me. I shuddered. I knew she meant well, but you never could trust Aurra Sing… for anything.
"Now!" Aurra snapped thirty minutes later. "The Jedi has left-wait, no; just the Togruta." The scruffy haired Jedi stayed with the senator, talking to her for a few more minutes, before escorting the senator out of the front door.
"Durge, sneak down there and take out the guards; Boba, go in with Durge; but then start following the senator and the Jedi," Aurra hissed. "Do not let yourself be seen, at any costs," she said as she turned to go.
"Wait, Aurra, where are you-" I stared, but to no avail, as she was already gone.
"Come on, kid," Durge grabbed me around the waist, jumping off the ledge.
"Here we go again," I muttered as we fell hundreds of stories, towards the front courtyard of the complex. The wind rushed past us, abruptly stopping as Durge turned on his jetpack and glided into a shady crevice behind a dumpster.
"Durge, come in-Durge do you read me?" hissed Aurra's voice from Durge's comlink on his gauntlet.
"Yeah, I read you," said Durge into his comlink.
"I need you to sneak aboard the senator's ship and take over the controls," she ordered. "Later, I want you to-listen very carefully- pick me up twenty clicks from the Jedi Temple and then fly us to Tatooine; I have some business to attend to there," Aurra said through Durge's comlink. "Oh, and Boba-I need you to stall the Jedi so that they can't get back on the ship, but make sure that the Senator gets on the ship-got it?"
I leaned over and talked into Durge's comlink "Sure, Aurra."
Durge was about to turn of the comlink when Aurra said something else. "Boba?"
"Yeah?" I asked, curious.
"Don't mess up this time," Aurra snapped.
"Sure," I muttered under my breath.
"What did you say?" I could feel Aurra's glare through the comlink.
"I-um-I said yes Ma'am," I blurted hurriedly.
"That's what I thought," Aurra said flatly. "Aurra out."
Durge turned off his comlink then signaled me to go and stall the Jedi. "Go on, might as well get started…"
"Yeah, sure," I ran to the doors of the building, ducking inside. It was a very luxurious lobby. At the front desk was a Chiss male manager. He had the dark blue hair and glowing red eyes that were the trademarks of his species.
"Um, excuse me kind sir, I am here to deliver a private package to Senator Padmé Amidala, for her eyes only; if you could grant me permission to take it to her-" I started.
"She is on the seven-hundredth floor, room 313," said the manager flatly, rudely cutting me off as he smoothed his overly gelled hair.
"Thank you," I said as I quickly hurried over to the turbo-lift. It took me a few minutes to find the button for the seven-hundredth floor. I smirked to myself as I zoomed upward, towards Senator Amidala's floor. Finally, the door opened; I pulled a blaster out of my tunic, just in case. At the end of the hall was Amidala's room, 313. But just as I crept closer, suddenly, I heard voices behind me. It was Amidala, and the Jedi! They came back before I could hide in the apartment.
I cursed under my breath, darting into a supply closet. Aurra owes me, big time.
I watched through a crack in the door as they walked by. Oddly enough, they looked very… friendly with each other. As in, holding hands and whispering friendly. I stared slightly, never having seen anything like that before. I sighed in relief when they entered the apartment and I could come out of the closet. Just as I closed the door behind me, I grabbed an empty box from inside the closet to back up my story, I heard footsteps behind me. It sounded like the swish of high traction soles a- a jedi would wear.
"What are you doing up here?" asked a teenage girl's voice. I whirled around, coming face to face with none other than Ahsoka Tano.
I bit my lip nervously, avoiding her piercing blue eyes, "I, um, got lost."
"On the 700th floor of a residential building..?" Tano asked skeptically, surveying me. I glanced nervously at her belts. When the heck did she get two lightsabers? I hadn't been in prison that long, had I?
"I have to deliver this to Senator Amidala. It's for her eyes only," I looked pointedly at Tano before realizing I was breaking out of character.
"Okay then, I'll take it to her," Tano smirked, extending her gloved, orange hand.
"Um, no, I'll-um, get fired," I said, quickly making up an excuse.
"Okay then, you figure this out, kid. Bye," Tano waved her hand as she pushed past me, going into Amidala's apartment.
I gritted my teeth. Kid? I'm not a kid! I'll show her. I'll show all of them! They think they can just lock me up? Dismiss me? Well, not anymore.
