Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to George Lucas. I only want to play in his
universe, I don't want to make any money off of this.
Going Swimmingly
"Keep your hands were I can see them," a familiar voice said. "And turn around—slowly."
"Merisu," Boba Fett said the other bounty hunter's name without inflection. He did as he was told, raising his hands above his head, and turning around, careful to keep his footing on the bottom of the waist-deep pool he was standing in.
The female was standing just past the waterline, holding a stunner pistol aimed at his chest. He glanced at his armor, which he'd set on a rock to dry. It was within reach, but it might have been on the other side of the galaxy, for all the good it would do him.
"Don't even think it," Merisu said. "Lace your hands together on top of your head."
He complied; there was no reason to resist now. There would be plenty of time for that later, once he was on dry land.
Merisu cocked her head to the side, studying him. "You're looking…better." She must have been running; her voice sounded tight, as if she were slightly out of breath, and her face was flushed.
He supposed she was right; by the time she'd taken him from the dungeons of Elbo the Hutt , Elbo's torturer Id Radoona had had several hours to work on him. Now, the bruises had almost completely faded, the worst cuts were just red lines, though they were still livid against the older, faded scars that covered so much of his body, and the smaller cuts had almost healed on their own.
Of course, Merisu hadn't rescued him or treated his injuries out of compassion; the bounty the New Republic had posted on him was for live capture only. Now, she was here to recoup her investment.
"Walk toward me. Slowly."
"Or what? You'll stun me?" If he complied too easily, she'd be suspicious.
"If I have to."
"You want me alive, remember?" he asked. "If you stun me while I'm in the water, I might drown."
"I'm not about to let that happen." She took a step closer to him. He took a step back, but she snapped the stunner pistol up into firing position. He stopped; the last thing he wanted was to be unconscious.
If he could get over the row of stones, he could get to the river. But he doubted he'd be fast enough to do it before Merisu stunned him.
"Walk toward me."
He took a step toward her. "Anything else?"
She smiled. "Maybe I should make you take off your shorts."
Basic psychology; sentients were less likely to fight if they were naked. He rarely had to use to such crude tricks. Most thinking creatures saw his Mandalorian armor and surrendered; those who did not were desperate enough to fight under any circumstances. But Merisu, with her less- imposing stature and nonexistent reputation, would probably have to resort to such tactics frequently.
"Doesn't matter," Fett said. "You already took the lockpick and the garotte." He dropped his hands to the waistband of his shorts. He saw her suck in a quick breath, and she raised the stun pistol a few centimeters.
"Keep your hands over your head," she said. She gave her head a short, sharp shake. "Somehow I don't think that would work on you."
"No."
"Now, come on."
He obeyed, walking out of the water. He saw Merisu's eyes flick up and down the length of his body, checking for weapons.
Merisu was walking back, to stay out of his grabbing range. When he was out of the water, she ordered him to turn around. Now, she approached, and pressed the stun pistol between his shoulder blades. She snapped the restraint on his right wrist, and pulled his right hand down.
"Now, put your left hand down."
He moved as if he were obeying her, but then jerked down and to his right. She fired the stun pistol. He'd hoped to duck completely out of range, but her reflexes just a shade better than he expected. The bolt slammed into his left shoulder, and the arm flashed into painful numbness. But he was already twisting away to the right. Merisu still had her grip on the restraint, but he extended his arm, getting himself enough room to deliver a roundhouse kick to the small of her back. She grunted, and staggered forward—but lost her grip on neither the restraint nor the stun pistol. She turned and fired at him, but he yanked his right hand forward, twisting her around and throwing her aim off. The bolt went wide.
He launched himself at her, and slammed her back. She staggered, and they both landed in the pool. But Fett was on top.
He got his feet onto the rocky floor of the pool, surged upright, then grabbed the front of Merisu's coveralls with his good hand. He held her head down, while she thrashed. Her hands came up—empty—and clawed at his wrist. Silvery bubbles broke the surface, when she could hold her breath no longer.
Fett yanked her up, so that her head broke the surface. She sucked in air.
"Where is your speeder?" Fett asked.
"No way! I'm not—"
He shoved her head back down, and waited for the bubbles of air. Then he pulled her back up.
"Let's try this again."
She shook her head. "You'll kill me."
He repeated the procedure.
"Last chance. I won't kill you—I give you my word."
He thought he could see the calculations going on behind her eyes. She had no reason to believe him.
He shoved her down again, but before he submerged her head, she cried out "Wait!"
He held her there, without speaking. She pointed over his shoulder, back in the direction she'd come from. "It's over the next rise."
"Thank you." He lifted her from the water, and half-dragged, half-carried her to the shore. He dropped her, and she collapsed in a heap, still panting. He walked to his armor, and began to suit up. In a very few minutes, he was ready. He turned to fix Merisu with his visor's gaze. "Don't try to follow me."
"Don't worry," she said. "I think I'll just…sit here…for a few minutes."
He nodded, and turned and walked quickly away.
It didn't take him very long to reach the speeder. He powered it up—but something was wrong. Something about the repulsorlifts, the sound was wrong…
He didn't take time to analyze it, but leaped out. And just in time; while he was still in the air, it exploded, sending him flying. He slammed helmet-first into the rocks, and the world was obliterated by a red shock of pain.
Going Swimmingly
"Keep your hands were I can see them," a familiar voice said. "And turn around—slowly."
"Merisu," Boba Fett said the other bounty hunter's name without inflection. He did as he was told, raising his hands above his head, and turning around, careful to keep his footing on the bottom of the waist-deep pool he was standing in.
The female was standing just past the waterline, holding a stunner pistol aimed at his chest. He glanced at his armor, which he'd set on a rock to dry. It was within reach, but it might have been on the other side of the galaxy, for all the good it would do him.
"Don't even think it," Merisu said. "Lace your hands together on top of your head."
He complied; there was no reason to resist now. There would be plenty of time for that later, once he was on dry land.
Merisu cocked her head to the side, studying him. "You're looking…better." She must have been running; her voice sounded tight, as if she were slightly out of breath, and her face was flushed.
He supposed she was right; by the time she'd taken him from the dungeons of Elbo the Hutt , Elbo's torturer Id Radoona had had several hours to work on him. Now, the bruises had almost completely faded, the worst cuts were just red lines, though they were still livid against the older, faded scars that covered so much of his body, and the smaller cuts had almost healed on their own.
Of course, Merisu hadn't rescued him or treated his injuries out of compassion; the bounty the New Republic had posted on him was for live capture only. Now, she was here to recoup her investment.
"Walk toward me. Slowly."
"Or what? You'll stun me?" If he complied too easily, she'd be suspicious.
"If I have to."
"You want me alive, remember?" he asked. "If you stun me while I'm in the water, I might drown."
"I'm not about to let that happen." She took a step closer to him. He took a step back, but she snapped the stunner pistol up into firing position. He stopped; the last thing he wanted was to be unconscious.
If he could get over the row of stones, he could get to the river. But he doubted he'd be fast enough to do it before Merisu stunned him.
"Walk toward me."
He took a step toward her. "Anything else?"
She smiled. "Maybe I should make you take off your shorts."
Basic psychology; sentients were less likely to fight if they were naked. He rarely had to use to such crude tricks. Most thinking creatures saw his Mandalorian armor and surrendered; those who did not were desperate enough to fight under any circumstances. But Merisu, with her less- imposing stature and nonexistent reputation, would probably have to resort to such tactics frequently.
"Doesn't matter," Fett said. "You already took the lockpick and the garotte." He dropped his hands to the waistband of his shorts. He saw her suck in a quick breath, and she raised the stun pistol a few centimeters.
"Keep your hands over your head," she said. She gave her head a short, sharp shake. "Somehow I don't think that would work on you."
"No."
"Now, come on."
He obeyed, walking out of the water. He saw Merisu's eyes flick up and down the length of his body, checking for weapons.
Merisu was walking back, to stay out of his grabbing range. When he was out of the water, she ordered him to turn around. Now, she approached, and pressed the stun pistol between his shoulder blades. She snapped the restraint on his right wrist, and pulled his right hand down.
"Now, put your left hand down."
He moved as if he were obeying her, but then jerked down and to his right. She fired the stun pistol. He'd hoped to duck completely out of range, but her reflexes just a shade better than he expected. The bolt slammed into his left shoulder, and the arm flashed into painful numbness. But he was already twisting away to the right. Merisu still had her grip on the restraint, but he extended his arm, getting himself enough room to deliver a roundhouse kick to the small of her back. She grunted, and staggered forward—but lost her grip on neither the restraint nor the stun pistol. She turned and fired at him, but he yanked his right hand forward, twisting her around and throwing her aim off. The bolt went wide.
He launched himself at her, and slammed her back. She staggered, and they both landed in the pool. But Fett was on top.
He got his feet onto the rocky floor of the pool, surged upright, then grabbed the front of Merisu's coveralls with his good hand. He held her head down, while she thrashed. Her hands came up—empty—and clawed at his wrist. Silvery bubbles broke the surface, when she could hold her breath no longer.
Fett yanked her up, so that her head broke the surface. She sucked in air.
"Where is your speeder?" Fett asked.
"No way! I'm not—"
He shoved her head back down, and waited for the bubbles of air. Then he pulled her back up.
"Let's try this again."
She shook her head. "You'll kill me."
He repeated the procedure.
"Last chance. I won't kill you—I give you my word."
He thought he could see the calculations going on behind her eyes. She had no reason to believe him.
He shoved her down again, but before he submerged her head, she cried out "Wait!"
He held her there, without speaking. She pointed over his shoulder, back in the direction she'd come from. "It's over the next rise."
"Thank you." He lifted her from the water, and half-dragged, half-carried her to the shore. He dropped her, and she collapsed in a heap, still panting. He walked to his armor, and began to suit up. In a very few minutes, he was ready. He turned to fix Merisu with his visor's gaze. "Don't try to follow me."
"Don't worry," she said. "I think I'll just…sit here…for a few minutes."
He nodded, and turned and walked quickly away.
It didn't take him very long to reach the speeder. He powered it up—but something was wrong. Something about the repulsorlifts, the sound was wrong…
He didn't take time to analyze it, but leaped out. And just in time; while he was still in the air, it exploded, sending him flying. He slammed helmet-first into the rocks, and the world was obliterated by a red shock of pain.