Chapter XI: An Unlikely Brotherhood, A Troubled Partnership
Boba stared at the Jedi girl next to him, once again marvelling that he was actually working alongside the daughter of his worst enemy. "What's your dad think?" He asked, breaking the silence.
Jaina turned and looked at him, flicking her brown hair from her face. "He doesn't know." She answered. "And I think it'd be best to stay that way."
"I told you to tell your father!" Boba growled.
Shrugging her shoulders, the Jedi stared at him with her brown eyes. "Well I didn't. I think It'd be best that he not know." She responded.
Shrugging at her words, Boba turned his attention back to the people below them. "They haven't seen each other yet." He whispered needlessly, watching them from within the haven of his helmet.
After several moments of silence passed, he turned to look at Jaina, who was staring at him, but quickly averted her eyes when he turned towards her.
"What're you staring at?" He demanded.
"Nothing." Jaina answered quickly. "I'm just wondering how you stayed so young. You were what? Ten in the Clone Wars?"
Boba snorted. "Glad to see you read up on my past."
Jaina stuck out her lower lip in a pout as she crossed her arms across her chest, causing Boba to shake his head at the immaturity the "Sword of the Jedi" portrayed. "You're interesting." She responded.
Boba's helmeted head dropped down for a few moments before he turned and looked at her. "They made you the Sword of the Jedi for what reason, now?" He asked.
The young Solo smirked at him. "It wasn't on the account of my maturity, if you can believe that." She responded cheerfully.
Shaking his helmeted head, Boba glared at her through the visor. "Oh, I just might."
Turning away, Boba looked again at Yixta, who was monitoring the movements of Neitra below. He then turned to look at Tahiri, who was walking along with Jacen Solo.
"Hmmm." Jaina's hum, sounding directly by his ear, caused him to jump.
Rounding on the young Jedi, Boba glared at her. "Can you stop doing that?!" He snapped.
Jaina smiled sweetly at him. "I was trying to think." She responded.
Boba's glare deepened. "Just how old are you?" He demanded.
Jaina's smile widened. "That's for me to know, and you to find out." She responded.
Allowing his head to fall to the ground again, Boba swore inwardly. How did I get stuck with her? He thought bitterly. A tap on his shoulder caused him to turn and look up at the Solo girl, who smiled at him. "Because you needed me." She responded.
Anger licked through Boba's mind when he remembered those exact words being spoken to him, by his deceased wife, Syntas.
Boba turned on the Jedi, startling her. "I don't need anyone." He snapped, his sudden aggression catching him by surprise for only a moment before her own eyes flashed with fire. "Well I don't need anyone either!" She growled.
Jumping to a crouch, Boba glared at the girl. "You are acting like a child!" He snapped.
Jaina looked up at him from where she lay. "You are acting like an overgrown Bantha!"
Opening his mouth to respond, Boba stayed his comment when he saw the Jedi's eyes widen as she pointed behind him.
Suspiciously, Boba turned and looked down from the wall they stood upon. Yixta and Tahiri, both from opposite sides of the court, were looking up at them.
"Shab'la." Boba swore, pushing Jaina off the wall and scrambling down behind her.
As the two lay in the grass, Jaina turned to look at him. "That was your fault."
Completely annoyed now, Boba glared at her. "I believe it was you that raised your voice first." He answered.
Jaina raised an eyebrow at him. "Just who was that? You were the one that started shrieking like someone being fed to a rancor!"
Silence fell as the two lay in the grass, tension and annoyance hanging like Kamino storm clouds between the two.
"Look." Jaina began, causing Boba to vent in frustration. Could she not shut up? "If we're gonna make this work, we have to work together."
Rolling his eyes, the Manda'lore turned to stare at her. "As if that wasn't clear already?" He growled, causing the younger girl to glare at him.
"Look, Fett. If you want to help Yixta, you have to set aside your qualms with both the Jedi and my family background." The brown-eyed Jedi looked at him seriously, forcing him to acknowledge that what she had said was logical.
Nodding slowly, Boba rolled onto one elbow. "If we're supposed to work together, then that means you have to let me have my space or read up about me." He leaned closer to her. "But most of all, you've gotta trust me, no matter what your father may have already told you about me."
Silence fell for several minutes before Jaina nodded once. "Deal."
Boba stood up, considering what had happened before their fight. "We still need to figure out if it's sight of each other that will trigger them." He murmured softly. "Or if it's when they start to get close."
Jaina cocked her head. "What I don't understand, is how could Yixta be so close to you and Drinn, and not react?"
Thinking this over for a few moments, Boba shook his head. "I don't know." He admitted. "It may be because we're considered friends, and not loved ones... or, we may not be as close as we had thought."
The Jedi girl nodded slowly. "Maybe he did that on purpose... to protect you." She whispered.
Boba shook his head. "I doubt that." He responded, zoning out for a few moments before snapping back to reality. "Maybe you and I should try to converse with our wards, and try to figure out more about what Yunin did to them. There's gotta be a cure of some sort."
Jaina nodded. "Tahiri's a bit closed up about it, but I'm pretty sure I can get it out of her if she's not suspicious."
"Wonderful." Boba responded sarcastically. "You've got the easy part. I'm stuck trying to get it out of Yixta."
The young Jedi arched an eyebrow. "Is that bad?" She asked.
Boba snorted. "It's like poking a Bantha with a hot brand while trying to not provoke it to anger."
"Oh." Jaina said, staring at the wall. "May the Force be with you."
"Sure." Boba rolled his eyes as she began to walk away. "When sun shines on Kamino." He muttered under his breath.