This story takes place in the same Universe as Chapter two: When In Doubt Head For Hondo. and takes place about a year later.

There are ghost stories in this Galaxy. A recent story is the burning Tusken Raider encampment on Tatooine, that no matter how it is approached, observers can never reach it. On Lost Alderaan there was the story the sightless Prince who haunted the Palace and legend has it ensured that there would never be a male heir to the royal family so Alderaan never suffered from a folly like his again. They say there are more ghost stories on Coruscant that there are inhabitants, which many people say is unsurprising.

And now we examine the ghosts of Geonosis. Geonosis first battle field of the Clone Wars. Geonosis origin point of the original Deathstar. Geonosis a dead world.

Some suggest the entire planet is a ghost. Which is nonsense, but there is a feeling, when you're on its surface, that there are things that slip by you just outside of your range of vision. Even species who have a near 360 degree field of view have said they feel that way.

Arguably though the most famous ghost is that of the frightening headless Mandalorian warrior said to haunt the ruined arena. The few people who claim to have seen the fearsome apparition claim it appears to be searching for something. Most suggest he's looking for his head. One, a Rodian who as child had accompanied their parents on an archeological/survey expedition shortly after the fall of the Empire and who claims to have had very up close encounter with the ghost, says they think the ghost is looking for something else entirely.

The main camp was set up in the arena because it seemed the most defensible location. My parents were excited, well, excited isn't the most appropriate word, but it was the first time they could actually excavate a site without Imperial minders breathing down their necks. Probably the first time they knew their findings would be taken seriously. I know the adults of the expedition had heard stories from previous visitors to Geonosis about the arena and its ghosts, but my parents did their best to keep me from hearing about them. But I was nine standard years old and curious and there was a Kiffar geologist, Tarea Vos (Note: despite the name Tarea Vos is not related to late Jedi Master Quinlan Vos) who firmly believe that children should be told things rather than catch information half-heard and worry about something without all the facts. So she told me about the previous sightings and was adamant that I shouldn't be afraid, and to tell an adult if I saw a ghost. Father was livid, but I think Mother was relieved.

Anyway, it wasn't long after that that someone spotted the ghost. A Correllian who was always disagreeable woke the whole camp up screaming after he took a late night stroll and ran into the headless mandalorian. Kept babbling on how it tried to steal his head. I'm pretty certain he was lying.

After that more people saw the ghost, but no one really had any incidents with it. Mostly it just wandered with its hand reaching out like it was looking for something. But if it was looking for its head you'd think it would be searching the ground, not kind of waving its hand in the air. I mean that would make more sense, right?

I don't know, maybe what happened with me is coloring my memory, but the ghost seemed more sad to me, than scary.

What happened with me? Well, my parents would let me explore the more exposed interiors of the arena and I had found this really comfortable hidey-hole where I could see everything that was going on in the arena, and I could have some privacy from some of the other children. One day I fell asleep. When I woke up the sun was setting and a headless warrior ghost was standing over me. I was mortified then, but I'm not ashamed now, I admit I soiled myself.

I backed myself up against the wall, and whimpered as it reached for me. Then it touched my arm. The closest I can come to describing what it felt like is if the air itself had solidified, not cold, not warmer, just the ambient temperature. And as it patted its way up my arm I could see...you know how you can just tell when someone is getting excited just from the way they hold their body? Well, the ghost was getting excited, and then it touched my face, my head, and it, sorry, sorry, it's just so hard to remember, it hurts. It froze for a moment and then its shoulders slumped and, and its body language was just so sad.

Then it patted my shoulder and just disappeared. I freaked out and ran back to the central encampment.

I don't think it's looking for its head, I think it's looking for someone. And I don't think it means that person any harm.

Luke was almost certain he was going to have to Use The Force to get Boba out of the ship. His husband kept getting right to the hatch and then back away like it was going to bite him. Boba had been like that ever since that holonet series, "Ghosts of the Galaxy", had been broadcast. Inching forward towards going to Geonosis and then deciding that maybe now was not a good time to go. Considering Luke had seen Boba face down a Death Watch contingent with little more than a vibro-knife and a smile (and wasn't that a memorable fight; Death Watch had been foolish enough to broadcast to most of the Galaxy. All it had done was cement Boba's position as Mand'alor), he knew this fear was as unnatural to Boba as philanthropy was to Hutts.

Really, if it hadn't been for Owen saying out of the blue that he wanted his grandpa to be happy, it probably would have taken years to get Boba to go. (They were going to have to talk about Owen; he wasn't Force-sensitive, but he kept doing and saying things that generally unnerved people.) And now they were on Geonosis and Luke was having to coax Boba out of the damn ship.

Luke stepped up right behind Boba just before he could back away for the twelfth time and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"I'm right here, Bo," Luke said softly, "whatever happens, I'm right here."

Boba shot him an annoyed look.

"I know you're here, Skywalker. I'm just," he paused taking a step down the ramp, "I'm just not certain the time is right. Stupid holo-show said sundown, or night."

"In my experiences ghosts appear at all hours of the day," Luke replied as they haltingly walked down the ramp.

"Your ghosts are not really ghosts, Skywalker," Boba grumbled. They'd discussed this at length long before this business had come up. Boba insisted Force Ghosts were psychic projections of disembodied minds and it was no good pretending otherwise because Proper Ghosts didn't throw objects at people when it did the most good for their pupil. It was either completely random or on a fixed schedule; not when he was about to get the upper hand in a fight.

Luke chuckled, but noticed they finally on the floor of the Geonosian Arena. Boba broke away from him, taking in a deep breath and letting it out in broken puffs. He pointed to a place where a single broken block of stone stood.

"There were three pillars there. Your parents and Kenobi were chained to them. There was a nexu, acklay and a, a reek, that the Geonosians were going to use to kill them," Fett stopped and turned as if on a pivot, and pointed to a broken structure that might have been a balcony at one time, "there, we watched from up there. We watched..."

He just kept staring at the ruined royal viewing box, and Luke knew that Boba wasn't really there with him at that moment. Luke stayed close, but he gave Boba space. Even though he knew in the end this was what Boba needed, regardless of any ghosts, he was entirely aware that there was a potential that Boba might lash out. And that Boba would never forgive himself if he hurt Luke.

"The Jedi came. Windu came. He held his lightsaber to Dad's throat."

Boba started with a jerk and marched across the space, Luke following in his wake. He began to climb to a little hollowed area, it may have been some Geonosian elite's little private box. It was almost naturally shielded. The perfect place to hide a child, Luke realized.

"Dad told me to stay here," Boba said softly once he had climbed into the space, smaller than he remembered it, "and I watched. The reek trampled him. Then Windu. Killed him."

He finally looked at Luke like a man looking through fog.

"He just fell over. Just fell over. They all kept fighting."

Luke sat down next to Boba. He felt he had to say something, but only one phrase came to mind.

"I'm sorry."

Boba sagged heavily against Luke.

"And that, Love, is why you're a better Jedi than any of the ones that came before," Boba murmured, taking Luke's hand and lay his head on Luke's shoulder.

Neither was sure of just how much time passes, but Luke was the first to notice the shadow drifting towards them. He looked up and took in sharp breath.

Force Ghosts didn't look like that. There was something comfortingly, well, glowy and ethereal about them. This was something that almost seemed solid. Luke recognized the armor from holographs. He had never known just how much like his father Boba moved though. There were differences aside from the lack of a head. Jango Fett must have had a slightly bulkier build than his son which Luke attributed to life differences. And there was something very cold about the sheer sleek spotlessness of the armor. Boba's armor wasn't as bashed up anymore, but it still was more...Luke couldn't pinpoint it, but Boba's armor seemed more real.

Luke carefully reached out with the Force. It was so strange trying to examine the presence that was there; it was like trying to grasp water. But it was there.

Luke looked at Boba and realized he was dozing.

"Bo, wake up," he whispered.

Brown eyes snapped open, and Boba sat up straight.

"Oh."

Neither one of them moved. Luke felt a little absurd, a Jedi Master, the Jedi Master, and he was afraid.

It felt claustrophobic as the ghost knelt down in front of them, and reached out. Its hand splayed out on Boba's chest, and Luke understood exactly what the Rodian had said about the phantom's body language. Right now, it was curious, almost hopeful, as the hand moved upward to Boba's shoulder, and then confused and disappointed as it reached his face, and traced his features and the scars. Its shoulders started to slump.

"I grew up, Dad," Boba said quietly, and that brought the figure to almost rigid attention, "I'm two years older than you ever got to be."

Then both hands were on Boba's shoulders, and if the ghost of Jango Fett had had a head his face would have been mere centimeters from Boba's.

"I have three children. I have someone who loves me; he's right next to me. I have a home."

Luke could have sworn the ghost started to glow.

"I'm happy Dad."

And the ghost shook with unheard laughter and it wrapped its, his arms around Boba. And Luke watched as strange matter flowed and coalesced to form Jango Fett's head. He whispered something to Boba, but it was so low Luke couldn't hear it, nor did he try to. Then Jango sat back on his heels, grinning staring as if to burn the memory of his grown son's face into his memory. He reached out and ruffled Boba's hair, then shimmered out of existence.

Luke turned to Boba, carefully not reaching out in the Force to respect Boba's privacy. Boba glanced over at him.

"Let's get to the ship."

It seemed a bit of a blur until the next morning. Mostly Luke remembered holding tight as Boba wept silently in the crowded berth on Slave I.

Boba woke first as usually and had already ready the ship for takeoff, when Luke came yawning into the cockpit to secure himself lift off. Slave I really was the strangest ship to fly.

"So, you're happy?' Luke asked lightly.

Boba snorted and rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth tilted upwards.

"There's one less ghost on Geonosis, Skywalker. Let's go home, Love."