Disclaimer: George Lucas created the Star Wars universe and therefore has the rights to it. I merely am borrowing it for story purposes ;P
Well I'm finally back into the story writing mood. It sort of stopped after Christmas and drawing took over, but I'm glad it's back because now I can continue my epic about our dear Boba Fett. I keep reading other great Fett tales with lots of yummy romance and I really really want to begin adding it to Iile it's just that Fett still has to grow up a bit more. Dammit :( Oh well, I'll try to keep it interesting, there are always other things that can happen to Fett in the meantime.
Iile
The crowd in the stands roared its approval as the beasts emerged from the darkness of the tunnels. Thunderous applause accompanied the constant buzzing and clicking of the Geonosians, overpowering the screeches of the acklay and the snarling of the neux. Boba had never heard anything like the commotion that was reaching his ears right now, the noise increasing his level of excitement against his own will. It was intoxicating, a mindless banter vibrating through his head and he eagerly found himself holding onto the balcony with anticipation as the distance between the creatures and the prisoners slowly closed with each step of a foot or claw.
He could make out the movements of the Jedi as they tested the strength of their bonds while keeping an eye on the advancing menace. Common, common… Boba whispered to himself, wanting them to break free from their chains and have a fighting chance before their demise. He focused in on the young Senator, the target of the nexu, and saw that she had somehow unhooked herself from the cuffs and was now intent on climbing the pillar. Yes!
"What is she doing?!" exclaimed Nute Gunray, realizing that his foe wasn't staying put. "She is supposed to die!"
Amidala made it to the top of the pillar just as the nexu reached its base. It snarled and flexed its claws as its red eyes stared hungrily up at her.
The Jedi were having troubles of their own. The acklay had zeroed in on Obi Wan Kenobi and sliced its claws through the air, slamming them into the ground where the knight had stood microseconds before. Obi barely had time to dodge the attacks; he could feel the shift in the air as the creature's arms grazed his body. He twisted against his chain and managed to maneuver it just as the acklay swung again into the pillar. The metal was no match for the strength of the creature and shattered freeing him. He quickly ran around the pillar, putting it between him and the acklay. It clicked and screeched in anger. Kenobi managed to get a quick glace over at the others just in time to see Anakin use the force to flip over and onto the reek as it charged into his pillar with a defending crash. Anakin swung his chain over its horn and the links snapped as the reek pulled back from its attack.
"He can't do that! Shoot him or something," complained the Viceroy as he watched Anakin ride the reek across the arena.
Boba managed to drag his eyes away from the action below him to regard the Viceroy with annoyance. It was a wonder how his dad put up with employers such as this one. The neediness and whining was a constant headache, showing how weak Gunray was. No doubt he would be the type to turn tail and run back to his hovel if actually put in a situation where he was face to face with an opponent. It was quite odd of how someone like him had obtained control over such a vast empire such as the Trade Federation.
The snarl of the nexu made Boba turn back and he saw it reach the top of where Amidala was perched. She took the excess length of her chain and struck out with it, hitting the feline, trying to knock it back down to the ground. It held on and lashed out at her with its paw, its razor sharp claws cutting along her back tearing away park of her flight suit. She cried out in pain as the claws ripped long gashes into her skin. The nexu lost its balance and leapt back down where it circled around the pillar.
Amidala bit her lip and fought to ignore the searing fire on her back, concentrating on the matter at hand as the nexu began climbing the stone again. She didn't give it a chance to reach the top and jumped into the air and using the chain to swing herself towards it, slamming her feet into its belly and knocking it back to the dirt where it lay whimpering in pain.
Boba regarded her with slight admiration at how she managed to continue fighting after being wounded. It was almost too bad that she had upset the wrong people and brought her fate down upon herself along with her friends.
The crowd's yells had taken on a baffled tone as all three prisoners were turning the tide of the execution. The younger Jedi used his control over the reek to kill the nexu and now had both Amidala and Obi Wan with him, taking them away from the remaining danger of the acklay.
"This isn't how it's supposed to be!" yelled the Viceroy, fed up that his bloodbath hadn't occurred. "Jango, finish her off!"
Boba looked over at his dad to see if he would comply but a wave from the Count told them that Jango was to remain where he was.
"Patience Viceroy patience, she will die," he said calmly as if already having predicted the outcome of her fate.
Droidekas rolled out from a tunnel, their black armored bodies sending sand into the air as they swarmed around the reek, cutting it off in a circle of metal arms and blasters. Anakin pulled back on the chain slowing the creature down to a stop as the droids aimed their target locks his location.
"I'm afraid I'm out of ideas," he hissed back at Obi Wan.
"As am I."
Padme tightened her hold on Anakin's waist as her mind raced as to how they were going to get out of this one. Anakin pressed his hand against hers reassuringly as he felt her tension.
Suddenly the snap hiss of a lightsaber made Boba spin around to see a new Jedi standing with them on the balcony. The man had his blade dangerously close to Jango's exposed throat. Boba's breath caught as he dared not move. His father remained calm as he intently watched the Jedi beside him.
Count Dooku turned and gave the newcomer an amused half smile.
"Master Windu, how pleasant of you to join us."
Windu watched him with abhorrence. "This party's over."
All around the arena flashes lit up as a hundred lightsabers were activated by the Jedi that Windu had brought with him, sending the Geonosians flying up into the air in panic. Boba's eyes didn't leave the purple beam of the lightsaber near his father.
"Brave…but foolish my old Jedi friend," said Dooku. "You're impossibly out numbered."
Mace glared at the Count. "I don't think so."
"We'll see."
The marching of droids sounded from the tunnel behind them and Mace quickly pulled back as a barrage of blaster fire flew out at him. Jango donned his helmet and shoved Boba back out of harms way as the Jedi parried his lightsaber, making the blaster bolts fly off in different directions. Jango pressed a knob on his gauntlet sending out a stream of fire towards the Jedi, setting his robes aflame as Mace leapt off of the balcony down to the ground fifty meters below. The Jedi Knights and the droid army clashed together, the blaster fire and lightsabers creating an array of colour against the brown surroundings. Dirt and rock flew into the air as cannon discharges impacted in the ground, sending people flying with the force of the shockwaves.
Anakin, Padme, and Obi Wan were tossed from the reek's back as it was hit by the fire. Padme scooped up a fallen blaster rifle and downed droids with precise shots. Anakin and Obi Wan had been given another pair of lightsabers and they joined their comrades in battle.
A Knight managed to get onto the balcony and faced the duke but didn't react in time as Jango fired at him with his blaster, hitting the Jedi twice and driving him over the edge of the railing to his death below.
Boba knelt where he was in the shadows and watched as an enraged reek charged through the chaos towards Obi Wan who was now fighting alongside Mace Windu. Obi dove out of the reek's way as it barreled past him after Mace.
The Count gave a nod and Jango ignited his jetpack and flew into the path of the Jedi. He fired at him and Mace dodged the blast but lost his concentration on the reek and barely managed to twist away from the thrust of its horn. His lightsaber was flung out of his hand as the animal's side came in contact with Mace's arm and he dive rolled off to the side as Jango let loose another round of blaster fire. Windu used the force to leap over the bounty hunter's head and landed behind him and lashed out with a roundhouse kick. Jango blocked it with his arm and slammed his fist at where Mace's head was but missed as the Jedi nimbly rotated on his heel and applied a hit to the area between Jango's armour plates and he stumbled back under the force of the punch. Mace reached out and called his lightsaber to his hand. The beam ignited again and cut through the air at Jango who dodged and countered with his blaster.
Boba's fingers bit into his palms as he watched his father fight the dark skinned Jedi. Jango was a prized fighter but never before had Boba witnessed him fight against an opponent as strong as this one. The din of the battle around him faded as his attention was focused into a pinpoint of light which held only the two of them, the Jedi Knight and the Hunter. He watched as Mace shoved Jango back with a force attack, sending him face first into the sand directly in the path of the reek. He watched as his father was hit by the massive horn of the beast into a roll along the ground while being trampled under the reek's massive body. The jetpack sparked as it was crushed by one of the reeks feet rendering it useless. The beast came to a stop and turned around, scuffing the dirt angrily as Jango rose from the ground and faced it. It bellowed furiously and charged again, mowing down the droids that tried to get in its way. His father raised his arm and took aim at the head of the reek and firing one shot which pierced through its right eye and into its brain. Jango dove out of the way as the reek continued forward under the shear momentum of its charge and it collapsed dead against the sand.
Time seemed to slow as Boba watched Mace Windu, who had took the opportunity of the reek's distraction, to run towards Jango, his saber flashing as he blocked the hunter's shots. The blade sliced through the air as Jango tried activating his jetpack.
NOOO!! Boba's mind screamed as the machine failed and the blade swung down…
The purple glow cut in an arc beneath the Mandalorian helmet slicing through the hunter's neck, separating his head from his body and sending it and the helmet to the arena floor where they came to a rest in the brown sand.
Jango's body fell to the ground. The greatest bounty hunter that had ever lived, the father who was the only family Boba had every known and the person who meant everything to him, was dead.