A/N: So, here, only a week later, is another chapter. Hope you enjoy. Thanks to those who continue to review and keep me going, and thank you to the new viewers who've just begun to read my story. Hope you enjoy this next chapter. I think it might make things a little more interesting. Be prepared for the appearance of a cannon character.
Chapter 10
2.6 BBY
Han Solo sat at the table and fingered his blaster. His clothing had changed in the past two years, and he now wore a white shirt with a black vest over the top. Around his waist, attached to his belt was a blaster holster, brown pants led down to knee-high brown boots. He was extremely comfortable and confident. Since he, Buffy, and Chewie had teamed up, things had gone really well. They were making quite a name for themselves. Some of the deals that Han agreed to, Buffy wasn't entirely comfortable with, and Han couldn't say he blamed her. At times, the things they smuggled would have been illegal in any era.
Han fingered the bag of credits at his side and smirked. If this kept up, he could buy a new ship soon. He didn't want just any ship though. He wanted a ship that would outrace any Imperial TIE fighter and hide cargo from any suspicious dealer. He was keeping his eyes open, but so far, he hadn't quite found the ship of his dreams.
He heard a disturbance start on the other side of the room, and without looking, he knew Buffy was coming. She caused a stir wherever she went, and he had to admit, that the last two years hadn't hurt her already good looks. She walked toward him, but in all honesty, the word walk didn't do it justice. Her every movement was smooth, and it was more of a predatory glide. Her every step emanated confidence, and her blond hair was just below her shoulders as it bounced in a sultry way. Buffy's clothes mimicked Han's in a way, but hers were definitely made for a woman. Her vest was a little more form fitting, and her blasters hung a little lower. Her shirt opened to show her neck. In the two years since that day when they were captured, Buffy, Han, and Chewbacca had tried everything to get the slave collar off, but finally, Buffy decided to just disguise it as a necklace. It no longer looked liked a slave collar, it looked like an expensive piece of jewelry. It accentuated her throat, and gleamed in the light of the room. Her pants were also tighter, but still decent.
Though she looked amazing, Han was very protective, and over time, many potential suitors had learned to back off before the Wookie and the large Correlian got involved.
The eighteen-year-old settled herself down next to Han and smiled sweetly at their customer. Her face had lost a lot of its baby-fat, and now she could only be called beautiful. She comfortably placed her arm on Han's shoulder and said, "So, what the cargo today?"
Their client lost the ability to speak. Han smiled. There might have been a time where he was attracted to Buffy, but they had instead settled into a comfortable brother/sister relationship. Her charms no longer worked on him, which was lucky, or she would have gotten away with all sorts of nonsense.
Finally, their client seemed to regain his tongue. He was a large humanoid alien, with four arms instead of two, and he greened lecherously at Buffy as he turned his mind back to the conversation on hand.
"It's just a shipment of Drakma Meat heading to the Eighth Quadrant. It must get there before the end of the month, and you know what that means."
Han grinned and winked at Buffy. "That means we go through the Cloistra Asteroid Belt. Think we can handle that, Buffy?"
"What's the price?" Buffy asked, her face not giving away an ounce of her excitement. She did so love those asteroid belts.
"Five thousand credits if its delivered on time. Two thousand now, and three thousand there."
"Twelve thousand," Buffy stated flatly. "It's a dangerous trip. You won't find another ship and crew who can make it at half the speed."
"Seven thousand," the creature haggled back. "Maybe not at quite the speed, but still in plenty of time. You don't have a monopoly you know."
As Buffy and the creature haggled, Han just sat back and watched. The girl certainly had changed since he had first met her. She was more powerful than ever, and though Han loved to watch the nightly sparring matches between her and the Wookie, he loved even more to watch the sparring matches between her and the customers. They never came out on top.
"Ten thousand, five hundred it is," the creature sighed. Then he glowered and said, "If it's not there on time, you will owe me twice that."
Buffy smiled charmingly at the creature and patted him on one of his four hands. "Don't you worry," she said, "we're worth every credit."
The creature grumbled, but seemed content with the price. They each shook and then Han gave the creature directions to Dreamer so that he could bring his cargo there.
Han smiled as we watched Buffy's face light up, the girl coming to the forefront as she grabbed his hands and danced around with him. "Cloistra Asteroid Belt, here we come!" she laughed and then she released one of his hands and pulled him toward the exit with the other one.
No, Han speculated as he followed her toward the Dreamer, it wasn't even the changes in her face that made her seem so different. It was the confidence she had in herself. When he had first met her, she had seemed out of place, lost even. Now, she knew who she was and where she fit in. She was still the same person, but she was happy. Han was glad to see that. Occasionally, looks of sadness would flit across her face, but they were brief, and he or Chewbacca were quickly able to distract her from thoughts of the past.
Just before they reached the exit, a man stepped in front of Buffy and raised his hands to show that he held no weapon. Han moved forward quickly to stand shoulder to shoulder to her as she tensed slightly. In the past two years, they had often ran into imperial troopers, and had been forced to avoid more than one bounty hunter.
The man in front of them however, seemed to be deliberately trying to put them at ease. Buffy appeared to relax as he continued to hold his hands up, but Han knew how quickly she could react if the situation demanded it.
"Well?" Buffy finally asked, "Are you looking for a hand-out?" She sounded slightly breathless, and Han glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He was surprised to find a faint blush on her cheeks, and he looked at the man in front of them, trying to figure out what had caused Buffy's strange reaction.
The man was tall. He looked to be in his late twenties, and his skin was tan. Brown hair covered his head in a messy way, and he wore brown pants and knee-high boots. He wore a tight white shirt, and Han could see that the man was strong, but that didn't explain Buffy's reaction, unless...
Han's eyes widened as he looked at Buffy one more time. She didn't find him...attractive...did she? They had been to many planets, but this was the first time Han had seen Buffy react in such a way to another human. As for himself, Han was not very impressed.
The man smiled, and Han heard Buffy suck in her breath slightly. That only made Han tense up some more. If Buffy's guard was down, Han would have to be twice as diligent. There was no way he was letting anyone take advantage of her youth.
"No handouts are necessary, thank you. I just wanted to talk to you, Buffy Summers."
"And who exactly are you?" Buffy asked, her voice firm again and her eyes hard as she gazed suspiciously at the man. Relieved that she was back to normal, Han returned his full attention to the man and waited for his answer.
The man's grin broadened. "My name is Boba Fett, at your service," he said, and elegantly bowed. Buffy bowed her head briefly, a faint blush in her cheeks again.
"I have heard of you," she admitted, "you're pretty famous as a bounty hunter. Tell me, what are you after today?"
"Only a moment of your time. You and your crew have become well known. I would like to buy you a drink and speak to you for a moment."
Usually, Han could predict the number of seconds it would take Buffy to laugh in his face and leave the would-be suitor in the dust, but as he waited for her response, the pause continued, and surprised, he turned to her again. She was nervously biting her lip, and her eyes, though still guarded seemed to be considering.
"Alright," she said.
Han felt his jaw drop. "What?" he said, outraged.
"I'll just be a few minutes, Han," she said and Han grew angry as Boba's grin widened again.
"No," Han growled. "We've got to leave now, Buffy."
Buffy looked surprised, and then murmured to Boba, "Just a moment, please."
Pulling Han to the side, she muttered, "What's wrong with you?"
"Me?" Han said, angry, "What's wrong with you? When's the last time you've been willing to give one of these scum bags the time of day?"
Buffy's green eyes clouded for a moment, and then she smiled at Han and murmured. "Just trust me okay? I'll be careful."
"Fine," Han growled, "I'll be right back with Chewy. He'll scare that bounty hunter off."
"Han!" Buffy said, here eyes wide in shock. "I'm eighteen! I know what I'm doing."
"Sure you do." Han sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He sighed again, and then said, "Half an hour."
"What?" Buffy said.
"I'll give you half an hour. If you're not back to the ship by then, Chewy and I will come and rip his arms off. After that we're leaving for the trip."
"Thank you, Han!" Buffy said, and impulsively hugged him. "I'll be there in a minute."
Han glared at Boba one more time. He had heard of Boba, and though his reputation claimed that he was the best, they also told of his ruthlessness. Han worried about leaving Buffy with him, but he knew how capable she was, so he crushed his worries and marched out to their ship.
Buffy turned, relieved and looked once again at the handsome man in front of her. If Han had pressed her, she wouldn't have been able to explain why she had agreed to talk to Boba, but she couldn't help the blush that spread over her cheeks as she looked at him again. In a way, he reminded her of Angel. He seemed to smile more frequently that she remembered Angel doing, but she could see the darkness behind his gaze that intrigued her and set her slayer senses humming. She walked back toward him, and she could see that he admired the way that she moved. She grinned, and he extended his elbow to her. She took it and he led her over to a booth. He ordered them two drinks and then they sat.
"So, Boba," Buffy said, "don't insult my intelligence. Why are you really here?"
Boba smiled, and traced an old scar in the table and instead of answering, he said, "I'm surprised you agreed to speak to me. I had heard..." then, turning his brown eyes toward her, he grinned and said, "Never mind."
Then, he leaned back and became more business like. "You and your crew have become famous throughout the Empire. As traders and smugglers. Your reputation is nearly as impressive as my own."
"I guess I'll take that as a compliment," Buffy said,
"Yes, it was meant as such," Boba said. "I am in fact seeking your services. I am looking for someone. A young woman. She would be about your age. I have a picture here. Perhaps you would be able to tell me if you have seen her before."
Boba pulled a picture out of his pant pocket and displayed it in front of Buffy. To her surprise she looked upon herself a couple years previous. She knew when the picture had been taken, she was in her cell where she had met Han. The slave collar adorned her neck, and her expression was angry. Buffy couldn't help but remember the feelings of helplessness that had filled her at that time.
Trying to maintain her Sabacc face, she handed the picture back to Boba. "Sorry, I've never seen her before," she said.
"Interesting," Boba said, and tucked the picture away again. At that moment, the drinks came, and Boba took his and sipped a little from it. He winked at the waitress, and she smiled back at him. Buffy rolled her eyes, and took a large swig from her own cup. Alcohol had never affected her slayer mentality much. However, her every sense was on alert. She didn't look that much different from the girl in the picture, and she suspected that Boba knew full well who she was when he had presented the picture to her.
"That's an interesting necklace," he finally said, after a moment of silence. "Where did you get it?"
"Tatooine," she said. It was the first planet that had popped into her head, and it seemed as good a place as any. She sipped a bit more of her drink, but at that moment, she felt it begin to take effect. With a start, she pushed it away, spilling it all over the table.
"What did you do?" she growled, as the world began to spin a bit. She shook her head and it straightened out, and she shoved her way to a standing position. "I'm gonna kick your..."
"Well, well," Boba interrupted her, "I'm surprised that you are still standing. It seems the rumors of your strength are true. But regardless, I'm going to have to ask you to come with me."
He stood easily from the other side of the table and advanced toward her. Feeling as though she were moving through molasses, Buffy was barely able to dodge his movements. He seemed surprised that she could move at all. Her senses were clouded, and she was unable to use her slayer senses to her full extent, but her body was well-conditioned. You don't train every day with a Wookie and remain helpless.
Boba was impressed. Though her eyes seemed a little glazed, the woman moved gracefully from stance to stance as she parried his attempts to grab her. He was glad that he had paid the waitress to put a little something in her cup. He would be interested to fight her at full power, but something told him he would have been the worse for it. He had heard what her companion had told her about the half hour time limit, and if his plan was to succeed, he would need to have her in his ship long before that. The other patrons of the Cantina watched, but would not interfere.
"If you try to touch me," she slurred, "Chewbacca will rip your arms off."
Boba once again attempted to reach for her arm, and he was stunned to suddenly find her foot planted in his gut at shocking force. He managed to grab her foot to keep himself from falling backwards, and she twisted it out of his grip. However, as she spun around to regain her balance, he managed to move in and grab her wrist, attempting to twist her around and trap her arm behind her.
He was stunned when she back flipped over his head, and managed to pull his arm behind his back. Because she was much shorter than him, he was forced to crouch a bit to keep her from pulling his arm out of his socket. Impressed, he turned his head toward her and looked into her face. He saw the triumphant gleam that filled her expression, and couldn't help the flush of heat that ran through him as he looked at her eyes.
"Most of the time, though," she said, sounding a bit drunk, "I don't need Chewbacca's hel..." her sentence was cut off midword as he lifted his arm and spun around, grabbing her other wrist. Then, without a moment's hesitation, he kissed her.
Her eyes opened in stunned surprise. It had been years since she had last been kissed. Her slightly drugged body responded and she relaxed her grip on his wrist.
Boba for a moment forgot what he was doing. He forgot all about the reward. He released her wrist and planted a hand on her cheek instead. Then abruptly, he found himself flying through the air as a bellow filled his ears.
A monstrous hairy Wookie stood between him and the girl. The Wookie bellowed at him in severely threatening tones, and Boba quickly scooted back. One drugged girl he could maybe handle, but if the Wookie was here, the Corellian wouldn't be far off either. It was a slight setback, but Boba Fett was nothing if not flexible.
"Well, I guess that ends our little dance," he said, standing and brushing off his pants. "I'll catch you later, Buffy," he said, the double meaning to his words angering the already furious Wookie. Buffy still looked a bit stunned, and one of her hands went up to touch her lips. Boba grinned and vanished into the crowd.
Han appeared a moment later, shaking Buffy slightly as she continued to stare off after the Bounty Hunter. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"Mmm...fine," she slurred. "He drugg'd mmm with somethin'." With a growl, Chewbacca picked here up and carried her back toward their ship. Buffy inneffectually pounded on his chest and set, "I c'n walk."
"It's a good thing you came and got me," Chewbacca snarled, "That man was up to no good. He...kissed...her!"
"I can't figure out why she agreed to meet with him anyway," Han agreed, his face set in a scowl. "That kind of mistake could have cost her. He must have given her quite the dose to get her to this state. A dose like that would have knocked a regular human out. Even with us heading straight back, he would have been long gone before we returned. What did he want anyway?"
"We'll have to ask Buffy when she's more coherent," the Wookie said gently as he watched Buffy pass out in his arms. She snuggled toward the warmth of him furry chest, and Chewy felt his heart melt. If anything had happened to her...
He gently laid her in her bed and left her to sleep. When she woke up, she would probably have a headache, but at least she was safe. Which was more than he could say for Boba Fett if he every got his hands on him.
Boba Fett's smile dropped away as he watched the Dreamer take off, and he silently followed in Slave I. His lips still tingled from their recent contact, and he couldn't help but let his thoughts stray back to that woman. He hadn't expected her to be so...mature. From the picture, he thought he would be dealing with a little girl. Instead, he had found a young woman. He couldn't believe that his body had betrayed him at the moment he should have been able to capture her. Though he regretted the loss, he couldn't manage to regret the kiss. Boba Fett never failed, and the reward for this one could ensure that he would never had to work again if he didn't want to.
She was an impressive woman. He had seen her the first time a few months ago on a different planet. She had kicked a man through a wall that had been hitting on her. His brief look at her face reminded him of the picture, and he had been almost certain at that point that she was the one he was looking for. After a few more months of watching and waiting, he felt that he had created the perfect plan to trap her. He had had the waitress place a near fatal dose in her drink, worried that it would be too much. Now he knew not to underestimate her again. Next time, he would up his game to the next level, and find a way to get rid of the Wookie and the arrogant Correllian.
