Chapter 25: Family Gathering

The Mandalorians were fierce warriors and, as I laid eyes on the compound they had established half a mile away from the base we had set up, I knew they were taking extra precautions on security. It was a crude camp consisting of a small structure with two adjoining structures that fed off the same batch of generators. But, the most interesting thing about it were the number of guards.

I pulled a ways away from the entrance to the front yard of the camp. Sighing, I started my walk, "This could get interesting."

Mandalorians were like humans in a lot of ways, but it was a specific part of their genetic make-up that made them significantly different. Like humans, Mandalorians have genes that turn and turn off specific functions in the body. For example, emotions are one of those functions. The brain transmits thousands of electrical impulses to flip the switch on the genes, but Mandalorians send thousands more beyond that to trigger it faster and harder. Therefore, the tenacity and anger that is built within them can be displaced at a seconds notice.

Therefore, going to a facility where hot-headed Mandalorian Assault Commandos just came off from a battle and are guarding the man that led them through the bloodshed isn't the best idea. But, it isn't the best idea if you are breaching. Going in peacefully may earn you a few bruises but nothing serious. However, peacefully and me never went together very well.

The camp was surrounded by a metal chain fence with a voltage generator tapped into it to give anybody that touched it a deadly jolt. There were three small guard towers with sights on me already, two snipers in each post scanning over everything.

As I approached the gate, I held my hands up as two commandos ran up to me, aiming their heavy duty rifles in my direction, "Hi." I gave a disarming smile, "I'm here to see Fett."

"He's not here. Turn around, Jetii." The commando on the right, a tall soldier with maroon markings all over his helmet including the jagged eyes, commanded, raising his blaster.

"I believe Satine gave us clearance before the battle started." I said, my eyes hard and my tone slightly hostile, "So, stand aside, soldier."

"Who do you think you are, Jetii?" The commando on the left, a smaller soldier with blue markings on his armor, snarled through his helmet, "Satine may call the shots for her people, but we are different. Clearance may have been given to fight the darjetii, but after-battle talks were not in the clearance."

"You know what?" I laughed darkly, fed up with the un-cooperation, "Either you let me in or I go in by force."

The rifles were aimed at my face, "That a threat, takisit?"

My blood twitched with anticipation, despite my body trying to tell me to hold on that answer that was forming at the tip of my tongue. As I opened my mouth to answer, I saw someone leave the entrance from behind him.

It was Fett.

"Fett!" I shouted, causing the two commandos to turn around. Once they were occupied, I gripped the back of their helmets with my palms and slammed them together, feeling quite complacent when they slumped to the ground, unconscious. The sniper teams immediately had me in their sights, but I threw a Force push their way, their guns flying out of their hands.

I turned to Fett as he unsheathed his blaster and held it level at me. I ignited my blue lightsaber and held it at him, "We need to talk."

"If this is an attempt to gloat in my face about the Sith being too much for the defense force to handle, then you can get your ass out of here. I'm sure I can have you hunted for eternity on Mandalore soil for assaulting my men." Fett threatened.

I smirked, unfazed, "And I bet that I can kick your ass and take you to the Jedi Council to be punished for your attempts at stealing Mara and trying to kill me."

"Again with that, Marko?" Fett groaned beneath his green helmet.

"It's still fresh on my mind, Fett." I said, then deactivated my blade, "But, I'm not here to gloat."

"Then, pray tell, what are you here for?" Fett asked, his own weapon lowering.

I clipped my lightsaber to my waist and crossed my arms, "I'm here to ask about your decision on whether or not to stay with the Republic."

"You know, Marko, I'm just not sure yet." He said snidely, taking a couple steps to be toe-to-toe with me. "I don't know if I want an overconfident son of a bitch like you to be in charge of handling affairs. That's how it is right now right? The Jedi Order is in charge of most of the military affairs, except this plan came from you."

I nodded, "Yeah, that's true. I did propose the plan."

"And how is that going for you?" Fett asked.

I peered into his visor, locking with his brown eyes hardened with years of a difficult life, "It's actually going pretty well considering the amount of trouble Wrath has brought to the table."

"But you still have your losses, right?" Fett said, turning away.

I gripped his wrist tightly, enhancing my strength with the Force to bend the armor slightly, "Fett, I think I deserve a little respect for saving your entire planet from those bastards. You owe me that much!"

Fett flashed around, heel spinning in a circle as he gripped his hand around my throat, lifting me off the ground and cutting off my oxygen. Once I was in the air, I rolled my eyes in surprise. Damn! He's stronger than last time!

"I don't owe you a damn thing, Jetii." Fett growled.

Letting the Force flow through me, I brought both my hands down on his wrist, feeling it tighten and then collapse beneath the blow. Fett growled in pain before letting me go. Once I hit the ground, I kicked my left leg out, hitting him square in the chest, sending him to the ground, his helmet flying off of him and rolling to the side.

I unclipped my blue blade and reignited it, pointing it straight at his neck, "Look, I understand you're sore about the Jedi since Windu cut the head off of your father –"

"You son of a –" Fett started, but he stopped when I pressed my blade closer to his neck.

"–but I'm going to give you an opportunity to get him back." I finished, smirking when I saw the fire light in his eyes.

"How dare you lie like that?!" Fett snarled, aiming his wrist blaster at my head.

From the entrance, twenty Mandalorian commandos surrounded me, guns aimed to kill. They all were shouting at me to get off of their commander but I paid them no attention at all. My full focus was on the Mandalorian orphan at my feet.

"You think I'd lie to your face about something like that?" I asked, my own voice rising. "I can bring your dad back and in exchanged you will let Mandalore stay with the Republic. I also will have relief supplies delivered to your front step for all your wounded and replacement weapons for the caches that were blown up." I looked around at the soldiers that surrounded us, "Now, either tell your men to shoot me or we discuss this inside."

Fett stayed silent.

"Five seconds to decide, Fett!" I suddenly shouted, forcing his eyes to meet mine. "Five…"

"Four…"

Come on Fett.

"Three…"

COME ON!

"Two…"

"Fine." Fett ground out between clenched teeth. He lowered his wrist and I lowered my weapon, shutting it off. He stood to his feet and clenched his fist, holding it up into the air then signaling his men to fall back. And fall back they did. They left in a crowd behind the electrical fence.

Letting out a breath of relief, I smiled, "Now, shall we?"

"You better not be wasting my time, Marko." Fett growled out, turning around and starting to walk away towards the main center of his camp.

I ran up beside him, "I'd never."

Once we entered the main center, Fett led me to a room that was nicely furnished. He offered me a chair, which I accepted, then turned his head. I followed his direction and saw what he was looking at. A young woman with long black hair was holding a small tray that held three cups on it. She placed it down on the table in front of Fett and me, then took a seat beside Fett.

For a moment, I stared between the two of them. Then, they reached for the cups and took a swig. I took the last cup and took a small sip, realized it was alcohol, then took a big gulp of it, ignoring the burning sensation it sent down my throat. Even from the treatment from earlier, I was still feeling some pain from the injuring from facing Wrath and the Stalkers. Alcohol was a depressant in its own right, but sometimes it acted like a stimulant. However, pain succumbs to alcohols might, making it much more weak.

I sighed as the burning left, "That was tasty."

"So, what's this about my father?" Fett said softly, something I hadn't heard from him ever.

I clasped my hands together, intertwining my fingers together, "I'm not going to go into details, but I have an idea to bring your father back to life. All I need to know are the answers to two simple questions."

"Two questions and you can just make my father live again like nothing ever happened?" Fett asked, skepticism in his voice.

"I didn't think you'd believe me." I chuckled, turning to the woman, "I'm Blaze, and you are?"

"Karei Miran." The woman replied, soft-spoken but with an edge to it that showed you that she was a warrior like Fett. "Fett's mate."

"Mate?" I raised an eyebrow, "That what you Mandos call it?"

"Yes, now," Fett leaned forward, obviously wanting to get down to the juicy parts of the conversation as fast as possible, "I didn't believe you. I still am skeptical about what you say. Nothing like that has ever been possible before without some type of wizardry or blowback."

"If that's your way of asking if he's gonna become a zombie then I can tell you no, he won't be a zombie." I said. "He'll be as he died."

"How?" Karei asked, frowning at me in disbelief.

"Let's just say this: After I almost died during the Clone Wars, I gained this ability to merge with the Force and restore someone to life even after they had died. I can bring that person back and teleport them to the exact world they want to go." I explained. "I did it once before."

"Then why haven't you use this ability to bring back the Jedi that had died on Coruscant?" Fett squinted his eyes at me.

I sighed, "I learned soon after I brought that person back to life that I could only bring two people back every five years because of the ability's recharge cycle." My gaze drifted back to my drink and I took a big sip of it, "And, I've been saving these two for a special occasion."

"And you want to bring my father back?" Fett asked carefully.

I nodded, setting the cup down, "I know a lot about your dad and I know the Jedi weren't on best terms with him either, but I'm hoping you can change that given you accept my deal."

"First." Karei spoke, "What are your two questions?"

I snapped my fingers, smiling sheepishly, "Oh right! First question: Has it been ten years since he died?"

"Almost." Fett said, "Why?"

"Well, the ability also has a time limit. I can't bring anyone back that has been dead for over a decade and that seems like it won't be a problem with Jango." I said. "And my second question is this: if I bring your father back, will you give me your word you will let Mandalore stay with the Republic and also led your assistance in the war effort?"

Boba Fett looked into my eyes, into my soul, and stared. His brown eyes held a resolve that most men would kill for. Most men didn't have the stomach nor the heart to hold such a gaze. But, he did. He was the clone of Jango Fett and his son. He wore that title proud even in the war when he was fighting the Jedi on his own.

Respectable in its own right.

Fett nodded his head slowly, "You have my word, Marko."

Thank the Force. I gave a breath of relief, "Good. Now, there is one more thing."

Karei groaned, "Of course there is."

I gave a slight frown, "It's not bad, Miran."

"I'll be the judge of that." Fett broke up the stare down.

I crossed my arms, "I just need to know where you buried him. I'll bring him back and then take him back on my ship. I don't know if interstellar transmissions will work with the Force. I don't want to try it with your father. I was on Coruscant the last time I did this and the person was brought to Coruscant."

"Who was it?" Fett curiously asked.

"I won't say." I said firmly, "But, I don't regret doing it. And I'm sure I won't regret this one." I narrowed my eyes at him, "Right?"

Fett nodded, "Right." He frowned, "But, I want to go with you to see this happen."

"I guess that could work." I agreed, holding out my hand, "We have a deal, Boba?"

Fett, for the first time since I had known him, gave a genuine smile back and clasped my hand in his, giving it a firm shake, "You've got a deal, Blaze."

Karei smiled and kissed his cheek, "I'm so happy for you, cyar'ika."

Fett waved her off gently, "Stop, Karei."

I laughed, "No, by all means, have at it."

Fett threw a glare my way and I shrunk back with a chuckle, "Or not."

He got to his feet and put on his helmet, "Well, let's go, Marko."

I nodded, standing up, "Right." I turned to his mate, "Thanks for the drink."

Karei nodded, "You're welcome, Jetii."

"Marko." Fett called out.

I turned back to him, "What?"

His helmet's visor stared down with my eyes, "If you are lying, I'll kill you."

"Wouldn't lie about family, Fett." I said softly, "Mine are gone, so I guess getting yours back is the best I can do."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Fett grumbled gently.

I chuckled, "Thanks." I clapped his shoulder, "Now, let's go before we decide to have another drink because I don't know about you but that drink's got me stimulated as hell."

"Don't get too weird, Marko." Fett shrugged off the hand.

"I'm not." I frowned, "Let's go. We can take my ship. It's docked over at our command camp outside of the city dome."

"If you wish." Fett replied, cocking his EE-3 and holding it at the ready, "I assume Geonosis is still under Republic control?"

I nodded, "Thankfully it is. The Shadow Brigade did try to take it but the countermeasures that Obi Wan took the second time around made sure that they didn't break the line. Where did you bury your father?"

"Where his body lay." Fett answered, stone cold and emotionless. "In the arena."

"I would've thought you would've taken him somewhere else to be buried." I said to him, "Like him home planet. Concord Dawn."

Fett started walking and I followed closely beside as we made our way outside and then beyond the gate. He gave me a half turn with his helmet, "You know, I was sure he would have wanted to be buried where he died a warrior."

"True." I mumbled, making my way to my speeder, "You got a speeder?"

"I have a jetpack, Marko." Fett said like I was stupid.

I laughed, "I guess that's true." I started the engine, "Then let's go. No time to waste." The engine kicked to life and the bike went forward instantly, the wind blasting me in the face. I heard Fett's pack ignite a second later as he chased behind me.

When we got to the base, Ahsoka was there to meet us. However, she was less than thrilled when Fett arrived with me. After a minute of conversation, I gained an upper hand in her starting argument and I knew how the rest of the conversation was going to go.

"And you want to go without me?" Ahsoka asked, frowning hard at me with both her arms crossed against her chest. "Do I need remind you of what happens when we are apart?"

I can't tell if I'm supposed to answer that or not. I sighed, laying my hands on the sides of her arms, "Ahsoka, I wouldn't go without you unless I absolutely needed to."

"And you need to?" Ahsoka asked, pressing for more information like she did. As inquisitive as ever.

I nodded, "Fett's still on the edge about trusting me. If I bring you then it would look like I'm about to double cross him and you are my backup."

"That's a load of shavit and you know it, Blaze." Ahsoka's temper flared.

I gave her arms a squeeze, "It's not. I can't have Fett backing out and turning at the last minute before we leave because he gets suspicious." I chuckled gently, "I don't want to be staring down the barrel of an EE-3 before I have a chance to bring his father back."

"You sure that's wise?" Ahsoka inquired, leading her hands up to cup my cheeks gently. "From what I've heard, Jango Fett is one of the most dangerous Mandalorians that ever went against the Jedi. I'm pretty sure that with your vast knowledge you already know what happened at Galidraan."

"If you are referring to went Dooku led a Jedi team for a capture and Fett ended up killing half a dozen or more Jedi with nothing but his bare hands, then yes I know." I said. "And, to answer your question, it might not be wise or it might just be the way to get an advantage in this war."

"I think you overestimate the Mandalorians, Blaze." Ahsoka said gently, her thumbs moving over my cheeks, causing me to smile.

"They are trained killers that understand honor." I replied. "Jango and Boba alone could help a lot."

She sighed, letting her hands fall, "You know, you have the same stubbornness you had when I met you." She cracked a smile, "But, I guess that's just you."

"Ahsoka." I started, but didn't get far.

"Fine." She relented, "Go. Bring Jango back to life then get back here."

I smiled, pressing my lips to hers quickly, "Thanks. I'll be back before you know it."

"Better be." She laughed, tapping my cheek with her hand, her fingers cold. Normally, her fingers, actually her whole body, was warm. For them to be cold was strange.

I gave her a strange glance, "Ahsoka, your hands are cold."

Ahsoka stared at me gently, "And?"

You're hiding something. I thought, keeping it to myself, "It's just normally you are warm."

"So?" Ahsoka asked again.

"And, I feel that something's wrong." I finished, peering into her eyes. They stayed a calm blue that didn't show anything out of the ordinary. Normally, when she was hiding something, the color in her eyes would twitch to a darker blue, but they stayed constant.

Then they twitched only slightly.

"Nothing's wrong." Ahsoka put emphasis on the last word. She sighed, placing her hands back on my face and pulling my face to hers, our noses rubbing up against each other. I knew her intention wasn't to kiss me, but it was to tell me something. Her words came out soft and smooth, "I just wanted to talk to you about something."

"The same something you asked me about before we talked with Satine?" I asked, curiosity overtaking me.

She nodded, "Yes. It is important."

I smiled, "Ok. I promise that when I get back we can talk about it in length. You can have all my free time."

She couldn't help but crack a smile, "Deal." Now, she pressed her lips to mine, pushing her body up against mine as my arms snaked around her waist. The kiss soon turned heated and I pulled away gently, "Monitor the surrounding space for me while I'm gone?"

"That I can do, Master Marko." She smirked mischievously at me as her teeth nipped my bottom lip, then she pulled away completely as Fett walked up behind us.

"Your astromech primed the ship. Let's go, Marko." Fett took a rough grip of my arm. "I want to see this power of yours or bury you next to my father."

"Harsh." I muttered, giving Ahsoka one last smile before turning to walk to my ship with Fett. Once inside, he took the pilot seat, to which I objected. Begrudgedly, he moved to the co-pilot seat. R9 took his place near the pilot seat as I got into it, smiling when my hands met the controls to my ship. I quickly threw the engines in full gear and the ship blasted off the ground and into the sky.

Once we breached the outer perimeter of the atmosphere, I turned to the side as I tapped my earpiece, "R9 please input coordinates for Geonosis."

[Want to inform me why, Master?] R9, as questioning as ever, asked.

I shook my head, "Not yet. All I'm gonna say is that it's of the utmost importance."

[Fantastic.] R9 beeped more than enthusiastically.

I smirked and threw the switch to go into hyperspace, marveling at the stars as they stretched in front of me, white balls of light turning to streaks of blue and white that always marveled me. Then, we were off.

Geonosis was a lot of things, but a nice place wasn't one of them. It had rugged terrain, large, barren landscapes with big, rocky structures and spacious caves that the natives could easily hide in. That plus the heat and direct sun exposer made the planet a living hell for most living organisms. That was a primary reason that the Separatists set up shop there.

After the first Battle of Geonosis, the Republic took the planet and implemented special counter measures to ensure that the Separatists didn't retake the planet. But, that didn't help. Soon, the planet was taken over by the Geonosians and the Separatists came back. After the Republic re-took the planet, it stayed in their hold until the end of the war and beyond.

Now, here I was coming to the ringed planet for the first time to bring back the dead.

"Pull around to the Southern Hemisphere and follow along the –" Fett started to explain.

I waved him off, "I know where to go."

"How?" The Mandalorian did nothing to hide the suspicion in his voice.

"You probably don't wanna know." I couldn't help the laugh that escaped my lips. "It's more of a hassle to know and understand than you'd think, buddy."

"Not your buddy." Fett muttered.

I cast him a glare, "You know what I meant, Fett."

Fett didn't respond, but his energy in the Force twitched gently. His focus suddenly went alert as I broke through the atmosphere and sped off towards where the arena was. When we finally arrived on the scene, I took a long look down at the arena. It was decimated just as it was left. There were thousands of seats for the Geonosians that went to see the execution. However, some of those Geonosians ended up being destroyed by the Jedi strike force that invaded to rescue Obi Wan, Anakin, and Padme.

And this is where Windu killed Jango. I angled the ship down into the center of the arena and the landing gear gave a thump as it collided with the ground gently. I shut the ship off completely and turned to R9, "Stay here."

R9 gave a toot of acknowledgement and suddenly powered down.

Fett stood up and walked out of the cockpit without so much as a word. I followed quietly and out of the ship until he stopped walking out on the harsh, orange ground. When I realized what he was looking at, I took a breath of air. It was Jango's helmet upon a pile that looked much lumpier than the rest, obviously telling me there was a body buried beneath.

I cast a questioning glance at the bounty hunter in front of me, "I thought you took his armor after he died."

"I took a holo scan of it and had it replicated." Fett responded evenly, "There was no way I could take the armor off of his body."

"Ah." I understood, taking a few steps forward to look at the grave. "Is his head where it should be?"

Fett's own helmet turned to me quickly, "Yes."

I gave him a nod, then walked over to the grave and get down on my knees, holding my hands above the orange dirt. I took a deep breath and centered myself in the Force, letting it flow through my entire being. The cooling sensation that only happened in this instance flowed through into my actions, moving my hands in a circle as I felt the consciousness of the real world start to fade into nothing.

Nothing but the Force.

I opened my eyes to find myself sitting upon the same grassy hill I had come to known. The sun shone down, hitting my skin with warming rays that I was accustomed to. The Force was everywhere and it felt amazing as always. I got to my feet and stretched my arms, feeling something coming towards me.

I smiled as I saw Qui Gon come my way, "Hello, Qui Gon."

Qui Gon smiled back, "Hello, Blaze."

"I'm gonna guess you already know why I'm here?" I raised an eyebrow.

Qui Gon nodded, "Of course. Follow me." He gestured with his hand and I obeyed, following the wise Master. Every time I saw him again, it amazed me that he looked the exact same as before. No matter how much time had passed, he still looked the same. I was made known, quite some time ago, that you could alter your appearance in anyway when in the Realm of the Force, but he chose to stay like this. Slightly gray hair on the sides and a long pony tail. The exact same appearance as when he died.

We walked for a bit before coming to a large, crystal clear lake that shone under the sunlight. Upon closer inspection, I found that there was nothing swimming within the lake. It was void of anything. No life was swimming in it. I reached out a finger and the water rippled and suddenly life sprung to life. It wasn't aquatic life, it was the lives of fallen beings.

"What exactly is this?" I asked.

"This is the Lake of Life." Qui Gon said, casting an arm over the waters. "This is where the spirits of those who had no connection to the Force go when they die. It's almost like another life, but there are differences. The world that we know thinks that their spirits just merge into the Force and become part of it without any consciousness. Now, in a sense, that is true, but the real truth is this: when someone dies, they merge into the Force, but the Force takes their souls and puts them into this lake where they can live another life in any shape they want, but there is no strife or conflict or anything. However, they may hold onto their own dispositions that they had before they died. If they wish to do bad within the world, the Force restricts them, so all is not so peaceful for a select few."

"Is Jango one of those who stirs up trouble?" I asked, peering up as white flames suddenly pooled into the water. I could only guess that those were souls that had died in the real world. The mortal realm.

Qui Gon gave a shrug, "Not completely. He has become a bit mellow in his time here, but he holds onto the memory of his son."

"That's good." I said, standing up, "Then he'll be a little bit more compliant when he gets back to life. I need him for this."

"I understand your plans, young one." Qui Gon said, then his tone switched to a questioning one, "But, I understand that Master Yoda does not share your views on the situation?"

I nodded, "He's a bit skeptical of what I'm doing, but I know this has to be done. We need all the allies we can get and I'm sure the two Fetts could prove to be a great asset." I looked back onto the lake, "Did my parents and Ziv's family pass through here already?"

Qui Gon shook his head gently, "No, Blaze. I'm sorry."

I felt my heart constrict, "And I know I can't bring them back either."

"That's true. You were right when you said that if you or Ziv's family died in this universe, they would transport to the afterlife in their universe." Qui Gon said gently, laying a hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently. I felt the reassurance in his touch and I sighed deeply, letting my emotions go and flow into the Force.

"Damn it." I whispered, "You know, I wished that they hadn't died."

"I do as well." Qui Gon said.

"You're sure they are gone?" I asked one last time.

Qui Gon gave a nod, "I felt them die, but they did not go here. Therefore, I can only assume they went to the afterlife where they originated from."

I nodded sadly. After a minute of reflection, I looked the master in the eyes and gave him a stare, "Time to do this."

Qui Gon nodded, moving his body so he was completely adjacent to me. I raised an eyebrow, "Don't we need to bring the midichlorians together like last time?"

Qui Gon chuckled, "That was for Siri. This time around, we are doing it on a non-Force user so the procedure is different. Match my pose." He said as he flung his arms out to the side, palms upward.

I did as he asked and mirrored his pose. Suddenly a white flame engulfed us. The same white flame that had engulfed me on Mustafar all those years ago. The power it brought was phenomenal and powerful. The ground shook gently below our feet as the Force manifested all around us. The grassy grounds kicked up into the air, blades of green flying all around us and rotating within the vortex of energy we were creating. The entire Realm of the Force seemed to slow at the power output we were exerting.

Then, in an instance, it exploded all around us. The flame condensed into a solid white ball that encircled both of us. The ball rose high into the air and started to spin. As I was about to ask, Qui Gon spoke, "Now, we must converge the Force into the being we are about to bring back, then we must give him a place to return to."

"Will his body be buried still?" I asked.

Qui Gon shook his head, "He will be above ground and will awaken the same time you do. Also, his youth will be cut in half. He was killed nearly ten years ago, so he will be five years older than when he died."

I nodded and felt the power around me condense, "Let's do it then."

"Converge." Qui Gon said the one word and the ball around us expanded. "Think, Blaze."

I closed my eyes and put Jango in my mind. He suddenly became a clearness in my brain. I could see him clear as day, still in his armor and with his head attached. I could feel his energy now. It was building up inside me and then outside me.

Then, whiteness overtook my senses.

It stayed like that for some time before everything became clear again. I rubbed my eyes with my hands as my vision came back to me in full. I saw Qui Gon standing before me with a smile.

I groaned gently, "Well, that was something."

Qui Gon nodded, "It is done." He reached his hand forward, poking the center of my forehead with his index finger. The world around me started to whiten again and soon I fell backwards, but I didn't hit the ground.

I hit consciousness.

Groggily, I got to my feet, reinforcing my knees with my hands as I pushed back up. I turned my head to the side and saw Jango Fett lying on the ground, consciousness returning to him as well. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Boba run over to his father. His helmet flew off of his head as he reached down to help his father to his feet.

A cough rattled my throat, "Damn it."

I watched with shocked eyes as Boba stabbed his father in the neck with a syringe, rendering him unconscious once again.

"What the hell?" I nearly shouted.

Boba flung his father over his shoulder, "I know my father. He would have attacked first."

"You don't know that." I muttered, but then said aloud, "I get it." I reached my hand out and Jango's helmet flew into my waiting hand, "Let's get back to Mandalore."

Boba nodded, "Agreed, but," He walked up to me, then extended his hand to me with a smile, "Thank you, Blaze Marko."

I nodded with a smile and shook the hand with a tight grip, "You're welcome, Boba Fett."

Without another word, Fett turned around and walked back into the ship. I followed after him and within minutes we were soaring above the skies and into space. Then, we went into hyperspace.