Chapter two: The Reward

Summary: Boba Fett gets into trouble when he goes to deliver his bounty on the rocky world of Gambolla.

Note: I took a few creative liberties in this chapter: one was with my design of the territory of Gambolla, and one was with the accent I gave Y'rukkso the Whiphid, and his manner of shaking his jowls when disturbed. Just little things to enrich the story ...

Once they were back at the Slave 1, Boba sent his new companion to lock up his prisoner while he searched the ship's computer for information on Jooren Ven. What he found was surprising. Apparently, Jooren was a well-known slaver and smuggler on his home world of Coruscant, but he hadn't visited there in years. Instead, he was living in comfort in a remote mansion on Baramorra. But the most surprising piece of information was that on three different occasions, he had had a bounty placed on his head, and all three times, he had somehow managed to escape.

Not a fourth time, Boba vowed. Jooren Ven's days are numbered.

A small sound behind him signified U-ra's return. She sat down next to him and looked at him for a while, apparently waiting for him to speak.

"He's on Baramorra," Boba said.

U-ra nodded.

"I'll take you with me, but you're going to stay in the ship while I do the actual hunting, understand?" Boba said, giving her a hard stare from beneath his helmet. "I don't want you getting in the way … like you did today. You could have lost your life, and I my bounty."

"I knew you'd save me," U-ra said. Boba shook his head at her confidence, but didn't speak.

"So where are we going now?" the girl asked. She seemed in no hurry to reach Baramorra.

"I'm going to get Jooren Ven," Boba said. He wasn't sure he liked the "we" part. "But first, I have a little stop to make on Gambolla, in the Outer Rim. I have to drop off my old friend Djioe."

*****

Gambolla was a rocky, inhospitable planet even in its most civilized areas; in the remote compound where Boba's employer, Y'rukkso, made his living hunting big game, it was downright treacherous. Boba parked the Slave 1 behind a cluster of rock pillars and approached the compound on foot.

Y'rukkso welcomed him with open arms, which was kind of intimidating, considering the fact that he was 6 ½ feet tall and had huge tusks.

"Ah, Boh-bah, so nice of you to komm," Y'rukkso said in his familiar drawl. "You had good luck, I assoome?"

"You assume correctly," Boba said, looking up at the huge creature. "Here is Djioe Korma. Say hi, Djioe." He dragged the shrinking Gado out from where it was hiding behind him.

"Sooo, thees ees the leetle worm who dares to stee-al my wares," the Whiphid growled, thrusting his huge face close to Djioe, who trembled in fear. "Thank you, Boh-bah. Here ees your reward."

Boba accepted the jingling bag of coins with a smile, which no one could see behind his helmet. "Thank you, my friend. Before I go, I have just one question. I know you're familiar with a lot of … shall I say … questionable characters. I wonder if you've ever heard of a man named Jooren Ven."

Y'rukkso recoiled and shook his jowls to express his distaste. "Baad, very baad man you speak of, Boh-bah. Not een my house."

Boba bowed his head and turned to leave, but the Whiphid suddenly leaned close and whispered, "Eef you hunt Jooren Ven, you weell want to know thees: he ees smart … much smarter than anyone theenks. And he has many traps. Beware, Boh-bah, lest he set one for you."

"I'll be careful," Boba said. "Thank you again, Y'rukkso."

The bounty hunter was so deep in thought that he failed to notice the warning blip of the mine planted in the trail until it was too late. It exploded, taking a section of the pathway with it, and sent Boba tumbling down the steep ravine in a cloud of dust and rock fragments. He landed hard on the narrow pathway below and lay still.

*****

U-ra heard the noise from where she sat in front of the Slave 1. Leaping up, she ran to where the pathway had collapsed, peering down over the jagged edge. Below her lay the still form of the bounty hunter, his arms and legs sprawled in various positions. She couldn't tell from this height, but he appeared to be alive. Moving slowly, she negotiated her way down the slippery, rock-covered slope to where he lay and knelt over him. His chest was rising and falling, and none of his limbs appeared to be broken.

"All right, Boba Fett, let's see what you look like underneath this helmet," U-ra whispered, and slowly eased the headpiece from Boba's head.

She took the liberty of observing him closely for several moments, appreciating that she was one of the few people to ever see Boba Fett's face. Contrary to her expectations, he was actually quite handsome in a rugged way, with dark skin and short black hair. There were several scars running across his face.

He looks almost peaceful with his eyes closed, U-ra thought. Slowly, so as not to wake him, he leaned down and brushed her lips against his. He twitched and stirred. She pressed down a little harder, parting her lips and letting her tongue graze his mouth.

"Mmmff," Boba muttered. U-ra sat up quickly, hoping that the special, incredibly potent aphrodisiac mixed in with her lipstick would work quickly. Once the bounty hunter was under the power of the drug, he would be completely helpless. U-ra knew that when that happened, she would have to go along with his desires, unless she wished to have them forced upon her. She knew from experience that those who used such powerful means of intoxication on others were often just as much at risk as their victims.

Boba blinked and opened his eyes. "What happened?" he croaked. "Why is my helmet off?"

"I wanted to make sure you were alive," U-ra said quickly. "You fell all the way down here when part of the pathway caved in. You really should be more careful, Boba."

He didn't react to her familiar use of his first name, which U-ra took to be a sign that the drug was working. She helped him sit up and handed him his helmet, which he quickly put back on.

"Thank you," he said. His mind was a bit clearer now, and he could distinctly remember that a mine went off just before he fell. What is going on here? His next thought was of the girl.

I thought I told you to stay with the ship, his mind said. "Are you okay?" his mouth asked.

"I'm fine," U-ra said, smiling at him.

She's beautiful when she smiles. Why didn't I notice that before? She really is an extraordinarily lovely girl. Horrified, he brushed the thoughts away. What kind of professional was he, to get so distracted by some girl barely out of childhood? Perhaps he should reconsider his decision not to have a family. It seemed he was somewhat starved for female companionship.

"Boba?" the girl murmured. "Are you all right?"

Startled, he realized he'd been staring. "I'm fine," he snapped, his voice sharper than he'd meant it to be. U-ra looked worried.

Boba climbed to his feet and experimentally moved all his limbs. Good: he was sore, but nothing was broken. He looked up. The cliff where he'd fallen was too steep to be ascended. This called for alternative methods.

"All right," he said. I'm going to have to jet up to the top. I'll carry you, so hold on tight."

Before she could say anything, he picked her up, trying to ignore the way that her slim body seemed to fit against his. He activated the jetpack and soared upwards, landing on the ground a little ways away from his ship. He put the girl down, and if she noticed that his hands lingered on her waist a moment longer than necessary, she didn't say anything.

As he watched her walk up the ramp and into the Slave 1, he thought, this is not good at all. I need to finish this mission quickly and send this girl back to where she came from. I never should have brought her along!

Pronunciation Guide:

U-ra - YOO-rah

Y'rukkso - ee-RUK-soh