Author's note: This marks the second-to-last chapter. I almost can't believe it…This chapter is one of my favorites, so I hope you all enjoy it! Happy reading. :D
They had seen everything, crouched in the alcoves lining the narrow streets of Coruscant's ground level. The group was six men strong, just enough to patrol the territory, but not enough to deal with whatever had caused the explosion. They huddled in the alcoves for protection, squinting through the rain up at the chaos above. No one knew what to make of the attack, but one had a theory of his own.
He stared up at the ruins of the platform a few blocks away clenching his rifle tight, blinking droplets out of his eyes. His heart was thudding against his chest at a sudden realization.
That was Boba Fett's ship. That was Slave I.
He could have pointed it out amidst thousands of other ships in the sky; he had trained himself to look for it, hoping someday he would get a chance to at least catch a glimpse of it. All the stories he'd heard both from his father to and listening to former bounty hunters, told him enough.
"What's the ETA on reinforcements?"
The Captain's voice snapped him from his reverie and he straightened up.
"Three minutes, sir," he replied.
"Good. Let's get just a bit closer, then."
The squad moved from the alcoves back into the streets, trudging through the water as they went. The young man lifted his gaze to the sky once again and watched as Slave I banked left and disappeared back into the darkness. Thick smoke soon obscured his vision and he tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. For the first time in his life, meeting his hero didn't quite sit well with him…
******
Once he was sure his ship was returning to its correct destination, Boba Fett carefully let his jetpack power down. He and Tinari slowly made their way to solid ground, fully bathed in the strange amber glow of the Orange District. Fett scanned the area using the rangefinder on his helmet as he walked along cautiously, still holding Tinari with one arm. She squinted in the bright light, shaking the slick hair from her eyes. Fett finally set her down once he'd finished scanning for any immediate danger and knelt to her level.
"Are you hurt?"
Tinari sniffled, running her hands through her tangled hair, patting her chest for wounds.
"My shoulder hurts, but I think I'm okay…"
Her voice was weak and quivering. Fett looked at her for a moment before straightening up. She seized his hand.
"Why couldn't we have gone back on the ship? I don't like it here."
In another situation, Fett might have laughed. He'd never heard anyone say they wished to return to Slave I. Tinari was shaking; her hand visibly trembled in his. She edged closer to him as he looked around, listening. Lighting flickered, though it was barely discernable through the glaring orange lights. The torrent had caused the streets to flood, and the water was up to his ankles as he stood there. Thunder rumbled and Tinari jumped, looking over her shoulder. Fett released her hand to grab hold of his blaster rifle, but she ran around to his left side and grabbed his free hand tightly. Together, they began walking, Tinari inadvertently splashing through puddles as she went. The water they trod through was already filthy, even though it was only from the rain.
Huge buildings lay uninhabited around them, their windows dark and broken. The ground was littered with trash and rodent-like creatures rummaged through the waste for food. They scurried into the shadows as Fett and Tinari approached.
"There's no one here," the latter remarked, wiping water from her cheeks.
Fett knew even the Orange District was crowded. To see nothing in the streets, even during a downpour, was odd. They passed the pile of twisted and distorted wreckage caused by Slave I, smoke pouring from the scorched walkway despite the rain. Tinari whimpered and squeezed Fett's hand so tightly it almost hurt.
"I saw something," she hissed, "Something strange in the alley."
Fett stopped, turning his head to gaze toward the place she'd seen movement. Nothing was there, though his suspicion had been triggered.
"Keep moving."
Tinari nodded, falling into step beside him. She gazed around, her teeth chattering. They traveled in silence through the torrent, continuing to slosh through the filthy puddles until Fett's rangefinder suddenly burst to life; several images sprang into view across the helmet's visor and numbers flashed, signaling something was closing in fast. He pulled Tinari behind him and braced himself, pointing his rifle forward. Just as before, several figures materialized from alleyways, hurrying to rush toward Fett with rifles drawn.
They wore strange uniforms, dark in color with no visible insignia. Black ponchos hung from their shoulders and short-wedged helmets of the same color covered their heads. The heads up display blinked to life once again in his helmet and Fett could see another group press in tightly to his left. He knew without a doubt these men were part of the Rebel Alliance.
"Stay where you are," a clear voice shouted over the rain, "Don't move."
Fett kept his rifle trained on the men in front of him. Tinari snatched a fistful of his cape in her fingers and whimpered.
"Lay down your weapons," was the second order.
Fett did not respond.
"Lay down your weapons, or we will fire upon you."
Tinari gasped from behind him. Before he could stop her, she ran in front of him and threw up her arms. The line of men tensed, though they did not aim their rifles at her.
"No! Don't shoot him," she cried, "He's my friend; he saved me!!"
Fett went to grab Tinari and bring her back to him, but all of the Rebels clicked off the safety switches of their rifles and he halted his action. There was movement to his left and he noticed one of them had lowered his weapon. He took a step forward, and Fett could see him clearly in the orange light; he was a young boy, a teenager at the most. His eyes were wide in disbelief beneath the helmet.
"Tinari?!" he shouted, his voice muted by the rain.
The girl turned to face him, recognition in her eyes.
"Tory?!"
Fett watched as the boy clumsily shouldered his rifle and went to meet her. One of the soldiers stopped him and he struggled against him.
"That's my sister!! That's my little sister, get off me!"
"Tory!" Tinari squealed, grinning.
Fett snatched the back of her cloak before she could go anywhere. Slowly, he walked toward the group, raising one hand up in as a sign of peace. He let his blaster rifle hang loosely from his shoulder as he continued. Tinari squirmed excitedly in his grasp, trying to catch another glimpse of the boy. The Rebels still had their rifles trained on him as he stopped a few feet away; the teenager named Tory thrashed about in an attempt to reach his sister.
"I need to speak to the person in charge," Boba Fett told them.
"What business do you have with us?" one sneered.
"Important business."
The Rebels looked amongst themselves, clearly unsure of his request. Tinari's brother ceased his struggling to run up the line to one speak with one of them, a tall man with a thick moustache.
"Captain Raine, please. My sister...he has my baby sister…"
"We can't," he said, "It would be breach of protocol, Tory. How do we know he wasn't the cause of all that destruction? And you know she especially wouldn't want us to bring in a bounty hunter."
Fett tightened his grip on Tinari's shoulder, noting that the boy clearly was not in agreement with this fact. He watched as Tory strode closer to his commanding officer, rainwater pouring from the brim of his helmet.
"Sir, my sister has been missing for months. I thought she was dead, and you're telling me that you won't admit this man because it would be breach of protocol?!"
His voice cracked urgently as he pointed to Fett. He was silently impressed by the boy's audacity, watching as anger contorted his face. Tinari looked on as well, gazing up at Fett with a worried expression.
"I am not going to argue with you, soldier," Raine hissed, "Get back in line."
Fett frowned as he observed the others edging toward the teen, as if ready to stop him from doing something.
Tory was seething. "No. I'm not going to argue. You are going to let them pass right now!!" he bellowed.
What happened next was unexpected. Four rifles suddenly fired, the bright red bolts arching above them. Fett had to stop himself from reaching for his blaster; Tinari jumped in surprise. The Rebels moved away from Tory, as if they were afraid of him. He stood amidst them panting, his fingers curled into tight fists. He looked more shaken than angry, now, but Fett could tell he was still willing to argue further. Raine had an expression that resembled both fear and anger.
"…We'll take them with us," he said through gritted teeth.
The group of Rebels closed in around Fett and Tinari and they continued their trek through the Orange District, this time winding their way through several alleys. They still held their rifles pointed at the bounty hunter. Tory pushed ahead to the front of the group, staring at his boots. Tinari sighed, trying to see her where her brother was over the heads of the other soldiers.
The rain eventually slowed, due to the fact they had pressed through the alleys and were walking beneath long-since ruined billboards and lines of rusting scaffolding. Shadows darkened as they traveled and more of the rodent creatures squealed at the sight of the group, winding between their feet as they desperately scurried away. Tinari yelped and edged closer to Boba Fett. Ahead of them, Tory and the Captain had stopped by the side of a building. The latter shouldered his rifle to press his hand against one of the panels, revealing a hidden keypad. Raine punched in several passwords before replacing the patch. There was a beat of silence before the wall shuddered and slid aside with a heavy scrape of durasteel. The Rebels guided Fett inside.
Even with the automatic adjustment of his helmet, his eyes still had trouble correcting themselves from the absence of the orange light outside. He was nearly surprised by the amount of Rebels inside the hideout; they all stopped whatever they were doing to stare at the group walking past them. They were in a garage of some sort, and men and women -along with other creatures and droids- had all been repairing speeders before pausing. Tinari could only stare around them, squeezing the water from her hair. Fett watched as Tory ran ahead of the group, pulling the helmet and rain-soaked poncho over his head. He threw them aside on to a worktable and disappeared behind a twin pair of doors as Captain Raine stopped the group.
"Wait here. Tory's getting her," he barked.
Fett soon understood that his patience would be short with this man. He watched as he dismissed the other soldiers, simply staring at him.
"I should tell you our leader doesn't take well to bounty hunters," Raine informed him with an unpleasant smile.
"I'll cope," Fett answered.
Tory soon returned, practically bursting through the doors back into the garage. A large smile had lit up his face, taking away some of the sternness Fett had previously observed. A woman suddenly stepped into view behind him; a woman with long golden-red hair…
Tinari gasped so sharply, Fett turned to look down at her. She gazed up at him and beamed, her eyes dancing with amazement, elation and admiration all at once. Fett understood. He finally released her shoulder and watched as she sprinted away from him.
"Momma!!"
"Tinari?!"
She jumped into the woman's arms and seized her in a fierce embrace. Tory wrapped his arms around them both, hiding his face in her hair. The woman was wide-eyed, close to tears as she held Tinari close. She returned the embrace just as tightly, pressing kisses to her daughter's cheeks. Smoothing down her sopping hair, she whispered,
"Oh, sweetheart…you're so thin…" The woman continued to brush the hair from Tinari's eyes, sniffing back tears. She gasped softly. "What happened to your pretty face?"
Tinari giggled. "It's okay, Momma. They're just scars, now."
The woman laughed in quiet disbelief, exchanging looks with Tory. Tinari hugged her tight once again.
"I missed you so much," she said.
The woman kissed the side of her head. "And I missed you, too."
She gently set Tinari on the floor, checking her over instinctively for wounds as the little girl hugged her brother around the legs. Tory tugged teasingly on her ear and hoisted her up into his arms.
Boba Fett crossed arms over his chest and waited. Tinari's eyes focused back on him and she squirmed excitedly.
"Momma, look who brought me back!"
The woman's gaze finally fixed on him. Her smile faded at the sight of him, but she managed to retain her surprise. She glanced once over the Mandalorian armor, then her eyes somehow met his through the T-visor. Fett was momentarily surprised by the intensity of her gaze; it was as through she could actually see him beneath the helmet. He knew instantly that there was more to this woman than he'd assumed. Her eyes narrowed just slightly and Fett recognized the sudden feeling that gripped him. He hadn't encountered anyone like her in many years, but there was no doubt in his mind…
Every instinct told Boba Fett that he was standing in the presence of a Jedi.
"Bounty hunter," she quietly addressed him, "This is quite the unexpected visit."
Fett took a few steps toward her, watching Tinari smile at the fact her mother was talking to him. Tory swallowed hard and straightened up, staring at him. Fett could sense his eyes upon him, though the boy's gaze was not as strong as his mother's.
"I am Verana Luna," the woman told him.
Fett nodded to her. "You and I have matters to attend to, Verana."
She fixed him with a tight-lipped smile and returned his nod.
"Of course. Follow me."
She turned her back on him and he was relieved to not have her scrutinizing gaze boring into him. Tory fell into step beside her, though he looked at the bounty hunter over his shoulder. Fett remembered what had happened earlier with the bizarre weapons malfunction and wondered if the teen was a Jedi as well…
He followed the group behind the twin blast doors, automatically inspecting the room. It looked as though the Rebels had occupied what had once been a hotel of some sort; the normal entryways had been sealed off from the outside streets with permacrete and panels of durasteel to make it appear as a 'regular' building. They were now standing in the entrance hall of the former hotel, dimly lit by overhead lights. A small, non-functioning fountain separated a staircase in two, and several of the tables from the lobby had been set up to hold equipment and computers. Fett turned his gaze to see that several civilians were scattered around the hall, huddled together wearily or sleeping on cots and makeshift beds. Rebels were stationed at the computers or milling around on various tasks. Verana's voice caught Fett's attention.
"Tory, would you please take your sister to get clean clothing? Have the medical droid treat her for anything, as well."
She looked over at her son and smiled, bending down to kiss Tinari on the head. The teen's eyes flickered from her, to Fett and back.
"Mom…don't-"
"I'll be just fine, adi'ka. Tinari needs you right now. Please."
Tory bit his lip and nodded. He adjusted his grip on his little sister and carried her away, heading for a hallway off to their left. Tinari grinned and waved to Boba Fett from over Tory's shoulder. He turned back to Verana, who regarded him patiently, her hands clasped together in front of her.
"Let's not keep you waiting any longer."
Fett followed her across the room, making sure to match her pace. She headed up the staircase, nodding to the Rebels they passed. She was bothered by something; she looked calm and collected enough, but her eyes gave her away. Jedi couldn't hide everything, Fett knew.
What made the situation all the more confusing was the fact that Verana was vaguely familiar to him in some strange way, with her shoulder-length red hair and dark blue eyes. And the way she had addressed her children-Fett knew those were Mandalorian words.
Verana resembled her daughter more than her son; she dressed like a Rebel in a simple dark green tunic and grey slacks, complete with boots. Oddly enough, she wasn't wearing a blaster, though a utility belt was wrapped snugly around her waist.
"This way."
They had climbed to the third floor, which was still thickly carpeted. A thick layer of dust trailed along the walls where the latest occupants had not stepped. Verana presented a key card and a small computer panel scanned it. With a faint beep, the door slid aside to allow them passage. Verana stepped inside and Boba Fett followed, his hand tightening on the stock of his blaster rifle.
The room had at one time been something like a suite, though it was now cluttered with ammunition lockers and other items in various states of disrepair. Rebel uniforms lay in a heap off to the side, along with a pile of boots. Verana led Fett past the mess to where he could see a patch of light had fallen across the floor. A long desk stood to the left of a panoramic window, where one could see just above the Orange District. The rain had ceased and the amber lights had dimmed; a blood-red sunset could be seen through the cover of clouds and buildings. Verana faced him and let out a somewhat sheepish smile.
"I apologize for the state of things…I have been rather busy."
Fett took another glance at the disarray around them before turning back to her.
"So I see."
They stared at each other a moment. Verana moved to lean against her desk, kicking up small puffs of dust that caught the light. With a small sigh, she folded her arms; sunlight glinted briefly off of the gold band on one of her fingers. Her jaw was set firmly, though her eyes focused on anything but Fett.
"I suppose you want to get right down to it…" she began.
"Yes. You owe me two hundred and fifty thousand credits."
Verana nodded. "Certainly. I suppose what you have done warrants that much."
She straightened up, moving to walk away from the desk. Framed by the window, she looked almost 'soft' in the crimson glow coming from outside. Her voice was very quiet, as if she was working to control it. Fett silently recognized her accent as being from the Outer Rim. It too, was familiar.
"But I have a question for you," she said.
"And that would be?"
Verana finally looked at him, and he could practically see her eyes flash with anger.
"Why did you bring my daughter here?" she demanded, voice firm.
Fett took a moment. "I was under the impression you would want to see your child again."
Verana let out a humorless laugh, shaking her head. Her hair waved out behind her slightly, and the small beads in her hairpin clicked together.
"Do not toy with me, bounty hunter," she warned him, "You must have passed several Imperial outposts on your way to Coruscant- why bring Tinari here instead?"
"She was damaged during the trip; I knew you or the Rebels would pay more for her in the end, no matter the condition."
Fett wasn't expecting to actually feel the surge of anger coming from this woman. He had apparently offended her. Verana visibly composed herself, distractedly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Her jaw clenched and Fett knew her anger was gone.
"I hope you treated her well," she said, "Or there will be consequences."
Boba Fett allowed himself a laugh. "I highly doubt that."
"Do you?" Verana asked him, eyes narrowed.
"Of course. Those are strong words…especially for a Jedi."
Verana had firmly kept eye contact with him until that moment. Her gaze faltered, and though it was only for a moment, she had given herself away. To his surprise, she laughed.
"You dare to call me a Jedi?" Verana's lips parted into a smile and she crossed her arms again, standing at an angle. "That is quite the first for me. I have a husband and children; no Jedi is allowed such things."
The bounty hunter lifted his shoulders in a slight shrug.
"That just makes you disobedient. It doesn't hide what you are."
Verana's lips tightened into a straight line as she looked at him. Fett knew in that moment she was frightened of him; her expression did nothing to betray her fear, but he was sure of it. She moved from the window, slowly letting her arms drop to her sides. She stopped at the corner of the desk and faced him again.
"And how can you be so sure?"
Her voice was almost a whisper. Fett tilted his head.
"I know one when I see one."
Verana raised her eyebrows. "Then you must have an ability, as well."
"No," Fett countered, "Any Mandalorian can recognize his enemy."
He was already in motion even as the silver shape came tumbling from beneath the desk and into her hands. The familiar snap-hiss ignition of a lightsaber pierced the silence; Fett could see a flash of bright gold before Verana suddenly cried out in pain. She fell back a few paces to lean against the window for support. The saber deactivated as it tumbled to the floor and rolled to a stop at Boba Fett's feet. He had barely moved during the whole incident; only his left wrist was raised in front of him.
"You're pretty good- I'll give you that, Jedi."
Verana pushed herself from the window, holding her right arm. Grimacing in pain, chest heaving, she stared at him. Her fingers were wrapped tightly around the metal fins of a small dart.
"So tell me, bounty hunter- how long do I have?"
"It isn't lethal," Fett informed her, "Just a paralyzing agent. It will stop before it reaches your chest." He pointed and added, "You can take it out, now."
Verana yanked the wrist dart from her flesh and tossed it aside, where it plinked on to the floor. She gritted her teeth as numbness began to spread through her entire arm.
"I missed, actually; you caught me by surprise," said Fett.
A clattering sound caught his attention and he realized the lightsaber was rolling across the floor. He promptly brought his boot down upon it to stop the movement.
"Ah, no more of that." Fett paused to level his rifle at her chest. "I mean it."
Verana shook the hair from her eyes and made a small sound of pain as her arm tingled uncomfortably. She could hardly move it. Fett remained still, the rifle unwavering in his grip.
"All right," Verana began, "You can take me away just like they took my husband, but leave my children alone!"
Fett was seemingly unaffected by her plea.
"So your son is one, too."
He watched her blink back the sting of tears. "He has no hold on his power- it's only instinctive. And my Tinari…" Verana sighed shakily. "She is just like her father…"
For a moment, Boba Fett stared at her. She must have thought he was coming to kill her, or turn her in to the Empire. Verana grimaced once more at the pain in her arm.
"Your hatred of the Jedi blinds you," she said, "It is needless hate, Boba Fett."
Despite his best efforts not to react, a fresh wave of anger coursed through his veins. His finger flexed over the trigger and he had to deliberately force himself not to shoot.
"Your people murdered mine," Fett hissed, "A Jedi murdered my father! And for what? The 'good' of the Republic? To bring balance to that mystical lie you believe in?" He shook his head disgustedly. "You are the one who is blind."
"I understand your pain; I don't deny it!" Verana countered desperately.
"Typical Jedi arrogance. You only think you understand."
She shook her head. "I can. I never hated your people- I respected them."
"Respect is one thing. Living as I have, as my people have, is another," Fett growled.
"My husband is Mandalorian!!" Verana practically sobbed.
Her words thoroughly surprised him. Fett watched as her shoulders rose and fell slightly with each breath, her hair shining brightly with the red light of the sun. She took his silence as an opportunity to speak.
"I lived on Concord Dawn with him for ten years. Both of my children were born there and I can speak the language fluently; what else can I tell you to prove I am not your enemy, Boba Fett?"
Her voice was soft, almost pleading. Tears had appeared at the corners of her eyes. Fett refused to fully allow himself to buy into her sympathy.
"It's amazing a Jedi could last that long amongst Mandalorians," he said, "Two Jedi, from what I've seen. But that still does not-"
"Listen to me," Verana interrupted, "I had always hoped, as soon as I learned of the wars fought between your people and mine, that I would be able to speak to a Mandalorian without all the animosity of the past. I learned the culture and was accepted into it!"
She drew herself up to full height, still struggling through the pain in her arm. Verana stared into his eyes again and spoke.
"Aside from having my children, the most important thing that happened to me during those ten years…was the fact that I finally had a family. I had people who cared about me, accepted me, loved me."
She dared to walk up to him, so close the barrel of Fett's rifle grazed her shoulder. Verana pointed a finger on to the armor that protected his chest.
"I would die for a Mandalorian, Boba Fett. Know that."
He could only stare at her. Her words hung in the air for several seconds, powerful, earnest words. Verana turned away from him and faced the window, training her eyes on the sky visible through the buildings. She spoke again, only in a much gentler voice.
"Do what you must." Verana looked at him from over her shoulder. "But I am truly sorry for all that has happened."
Boba Fett couldn't find words to respond, in spite of the fact he wanted to. He had never heard a Jedi apologize to anyone or anything; those whom he had meant never seemed to realize the importance of the past, to acknowledge it as something that could have effects beyond their realization. Verana was the first to ever say those words to him. I am sorry…
It would not bring his father back, nor would it dissolve all the damage of the wars fought…but it was good to hear.
Fett carefully knelt to pick up the fallen lightsaber from the floor. Verana watched him cautiously, turning around to face him. Her arms were folded tight across her chest. He shifted his weight, still looking over the weapon, admiring is intricate design. Sunlight fell warmly on to the silver as he held it in his fingers. Fett lowered his rifle and held the lightsaber out to the Jedi.
"Thank-you," he said.
She took the lightsaber from his hand and held it in her palm; he was granted a small smile. Boba Fett only nodded his reply.