Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to ol' George Lucas :) And I also do not own the rights to any of the songs I use for this story.
Yay I'm glad that the last chapter was good. I was a bit worried since it had been a few months since my last posting. For anyone not familiar with Roz she's one of the characters from the video game "Bounty Hunter" (which I LOVED and finally beat last week woohoo!!).
Iile
The Outland Station II had been a current resident of the Lahara Sector in the Outer Rim for the past six years. It had been built from the original scraps from the first Outland Station along with parts from Republic star cruisers that had been sent to the junkyards many years ago. It was an odd structure of metal, forming a twisting column shape above the planet Agamar. The assembly was home to a vast assortment of species that gambled away large amounts of credits on the popular beast games, which pitted two or more ferocious creatures from different planets against each other. Rancors were a popular favourite that brought in customers like flies, eager to see the massive beasts crush the other challenger into a bloody pulp against the durasteel floors. Large mature males fetched handsome sums and species breeders were found on every floor of the station, auctioning off the animals they had captured or raised.
The games also attracted prostitutes and thieves who made their living off of other people's wallets. They slunk about in the darker corners of the buildings, baiting their prey with flashes of knives or bared skin. It was only when a bounty hunter came along that they vanished from the station either in a holding cell or aboard one of the planetary shuttles that brought them down to the main port in Calna Munn on Agamar, only to show up again on the return flight back.
The Republic had turned a blind eye to the on goings happening within the Outland Station for it was too far away from Coruscant to be much of an immediate bother. Republican credits therefore had no value on the tables. Patrons from parts of the galaxy controlled by the Republic had to exchange their currency to either Hutt produced credits or to the ones made by the infamous Net, an organization rumored to have an immense hidden empire and who controlled over two thirds of the spice trade throughout the entire galaxy.
All dealings involved with the Outland Station II were run by a female Toydarian by the name of Rozatta. She had been well known in the Outer Rim for many years, having been in the gambling business all of her life. She had been the previous owner of the original Outland Station before it was destroyed and currently she was the one Boba wanted to get in contact with. Jango had often spoken fondly of Roz back on Kamino. She had been an informer of his before he had accepted Count Dooku's offer to be cloned and who Jango had lost contact with over the passing years.
Boba hoped that Roz hadn't forgotten his father so he could play that card in order to get her to help him in his search for Kish. Getting someone to believe that he was actually Jango Fett's son might take some doing and Boba was tempted to bring along his father's helmet but it would broadcast to everyone that something was awry regarding the famous bounty hunter.
The comm unit beeped as Boba entered the Outland's security perimeter,
"Identification please," buzzed the voice of an air traffic control droid.
"Slave 1," Boba reported.
"What is your business?"
"Beast games," he lied.
"Acknowledged. There is a standard twenty credit fee at the gates to the main arena to access the games. Would you like to hear this week's specials?"
"Not reall--"
"Ten percent off for a group of five or more beings, one free meal at the Agamaview restaurant for newly weds, senior discount of fifteen percent for customers between the ages of 85 to 2000 years old providing positive species identification upon entry, and buy two beast game tickets for the next two shows and get the third show free. Do you apply for any of these specialties?"
Boba sighed irritated. "No."
"Remember to please check all food items, animals, and plants falling under the station's controlled population's list upon arrival and to please leave all firearms including blasters, cannons, assault rifles, stunners, grenades, and class A4 weapons upon your ship. Only knives up to 26 inches long are permitted on the premises…"
The droid rambled on as Boba itched to terminate the exchange but since he had not been informed of his landing coordinates he had to sit and listen patiently.
"Areas 37 and 51 are out off limits for renovation and all Republican credits are prohibited. Your landing site is CC-290-I, platform 12. Please enjoy your stay at the Outland."
Finally…
He veered the Slave 1 through the other waiting ships to his docking platform set slightly out of the way of the main flow of traffic. The hanger held only two other crafts which satisfied Boba for the less people he had to interact with, the better. He set the ship down and made sure to turn on the defense systems and grabbed a dark cloak along with a small blade. He wouldn't be able to do much with it if he ran into trouble, it was merely a tool for escape, a quick slice through a kneecap or groin area would buy him time to become lost in the crowd away from an attacker given his small size. It hadn't taken Boba long to learn that children were 'almost' always ignored; minus his two encounters previously where that lesson had failed. The cloak would hide most of his face and body but wasn't too conspicuous that it would attract the attention of the station's security.
The bay area was fairly devoid of activity. Only two Rodians kept watch, their blasters slung low against their hips as they slouched against the hull of a large cargo carrier in boredom. Their concaved ears rotated in Boba's direction as he stepped off his ship and the Rodians observed him for a few moments before their interest waned and they returned to watching the traffic through the gravity field of the bay doors. Boba silently moved off in the opposite direction following the neon glow of the direction signs for the beast games arena. During the time aboard his ship he had downloaded a layout of the station while the droid had been droning on about the prices. The diagram had shown that the arena would allow him the quickest access to the main lifts to the upper levels of the station.
The level of sound increased as Boba got nearer to the beast games. A mass of aliens and humans swarmed in lines at the ticket holder booths leading into the seating zones of the arena. Beyond, the loud reverberation of music blasted out through the tunnels sending the crowd into a frenzied excitement.
"Bawitdaba da bang a dang diggy diggy diggy said the boogy said up jump the boogy!"
"Bawitdaba da bang a dang diggy diggy diggy said the boogy said up jump the boogy!"
He waited just outside the pulsating line of fans, watching for an opening. There… The guard turned his back to him, a Twi'lik shifted away from a human, and no one was looking in his direction. Boba slipped through the brief opening in the crowd into the stadium.
The seating benches ran down to a square fenced-in pit at the very bottom. Huge spotlights rotated from the ceiling sending different coloured circles swirling across the floor. Five stairways led down to the pit, each with a separate entrance which was letting more customers stream in, filling up the remaining seats. Across the open space in the middle Boba could see the metal doorway of the large lift. With the crowd pushing him from behind and his destination ahead he moved down the stairs towards the circular pathway leading around the fencing.
The crowd roared suddenly as the pit floor slid open and a platform rose up from the depths holding a man with inky black hair falling down over his bare back and knotted muscles coiled under sweat beaded skin. At his left side was chained the powerful form of a Bodovik, an ice world predatory feline. It pulled back its lips from its teeth in a snarling yowl.
Immediately hands went up, people calling out their bets to the creditors who handed them marked chips, even without them seeing what other beast the Bodovik would be fighting.
The noise got louder.
"And this is for the questions that don't have any answers
The midnight hunters and the topless dancers
The gang of slavers, ships packed with masters
The Hutt's with the spices and the chicks with blasters"
The trainer unhooked the chain and departed through a gateway in the fence. As soon as the locking mechanism snapped shut the fencing wires were turned on, sending volts of electricity through them making them glow a vibrant yellow. The Bodovik paced within its electric prison watching the crowd with its slit eyes.
Boba stopped walking to gaze at the caged animal, realizing that this was the second time in the past week he had seen beasts being forced to entertain a crowd. He frowned, not understanding just why this was bothering him so much…
Another hidden gate in the pit slid open. The feline twisted its supple body around and faced the hatchway as three male Troglodytaes lumbered out from the darkness. Each Troglodytae was a dark, dark green, almost black, with a long whiplash tail and four wedge-shaped claws on each one of its trunk like legs. Their hooked mouths hissed as the reptile's forked tongues tasted the air, smelling the crowd and the Bodovik. The largest male reared up on its hind legs and let out a high pitched roar which then tumbled into a vibrating growl.
On the other side of the fence from the Bodovik Boba could see its owner calling out commands to it, urging it to attack.
The feline's fur rippled along its back as it coiled its muscles and leapt through the air landing on the alpha Troglodytae. Parts of the crowd cheered as the Bodovik tore a gaping hole in the shoulder of the other animal before the Troglodytae snapped its mouth over one of the Bodovik's paws and pulled it into a death roll. The feline yowled again and struck out with its long teeth and grabbed a hold of the Troglodytae's head and twisted it until the neck snapped and the animal slumped to the floor dead. The other two Troglodytes hissed as they smelled their companion's blood and attacked the Bodovik from opposite sides.
The crowd went wild as the three collided in a mass of claws, fur, and teeth. The background music blasted out even louder, going along with the excitement of the spectators.
"For the detonators ticking and the heads that hang
All the pirates getting money and the heads that bang
Wild wampas and porno flicks
All my allies in the starship in cell block six"
The larger Troglodytae had its jaws locked around the tawny neck of the Bodovik while the other was pinned underneath the feline, flailing its legs as its belly was slashed open by gleaming teeth. The legs stilled as the Bodovik twisted its head down and thrust its canines into an arc, cutting open the creature from neck to abdomen. The people cheering for the reptilian creatures booed as the second was killed, their chances of winning were growing slimmer. Now the fight was between the remaining Troglodytae and the Bodovik. Both were weary from the stress of the battle. Froth dripped onto the floor from the mouth of the feline as it dragged in each breath, fighting the grip of the Troglodyate's mouth around its neck. The animal lurched forward pulling the reptile along, using its heavier body mass to try and dislodge the hold. It yowled before curling its body sideways almost in half while it brought its large paw up and slammed it into the Troglodytae's side. The force of the strike made the reptile release the Bodovik's neck in a yelp and it didn't recover in time to leap away from the second strike of the Bodovik's other paw. The reptile was thrown up backward into the air where it flew into the wires of the electric fence. Sparks shot out in all directions where the Troglodytae hit, then the creature fell to the floor, its body blackened and torn.
The fight was over, the Bodovik the victor. There were cheers and boos from the crowd as some of the spectators eagerly jumped out of their seats to run off and claim their winnings, while others threw down their worthless chips and stormed off to other parts of the station. The music died out and an announcer's voice came over the speakers.
"Next beast game will occur at nineteen hundred hours. Please exit the arena accordingly and be sure to partake in the other activities available within this facility."
Boba waited until most of the crowd had dispersed before walking down to stand before the electric fence. It still hummed with power, confining the tired Bodovik within. The feline looked up as he approached. Its mouth hung open as it gulped in large breaths, its frame shaking from exhaustion. Blood dripped onto the floor from multiple wounds in the animal's side and throat, staining its fur coat a dark crimson. This was its life. Forced to fight in order to stay alive another day, until it was beaten by something stronger. It had been taken from all that had been familiar to it, its homeworld and family, to come to a caged place of steel and hateful masters.
The Bodovik watched Boba with its slit eyes and he could almost feel the feline was telling him that its life was some part of a bitter metaphor for his own. You had to fight to survive, kill or be killed; there was no other way to go about it.
"Find something interesting, boy?"
Boba turned to see the Bodovik's owner leering at him from across the pathway.
He didn't reply.
The man's brows came together in a deep frown and he wiped a dirty hand down one pant leg.
"Unless you have business about buyin' me cat, it'd best do you good if you'd scatter before I call the security," the man warned. "I don't want you messin' around with my best animal, ya hear?"
Boba nodded slowly and moved off towards the lift without giving another thought to the feline. He stopped however just in front of the doors and turned back to the man who still stood watching him.
"Do you know where I could find Rozatta?" Boba asked, chancing that the guy would tell him since he was in fact working for her.
"And what would a small kid like you need with her?" the trainer inquired, unraveling the Bodovik's chain from his belt.
"I have a payment for her… from my boss," Boba covered, hoping that the lie would work.
It did and the man pointed upward. "Take that there lift up to level 17. Go down the blue hall and turn a left at the end and don't go through any of the doors. You'll come to the end of the second hall and there should be another lift that will take you up to her offices."
Boba nodded thanks and entered the lift, sighing as the doors shut firmly behind him. So far so good…
The trainer's directions were true and it took him less than fifteen minutes to get to the second lift. A guard stood on duty in the hallway with a heavy repulsor rifle slung over one shoulder. Boba recognized the humanoid creature as a Trandoshan, a more vicious race that were often used as hired thugs and mercenaries. He slowed down his pace and kept his hands at his side in full view showing that he had nothing to hide. The guard looked down at him from his full two meter height with skeptical eyes. Kranssh was no fool and knew that even the most harmless looking individuals could be loaded with trouble. He cocked the rifle to rest on his forearm and held up a clawed hand.
"What is your purpose here?" he asked in rough basic.
"I need to talk to Rozatta." Boba stopped walking forward altogether and stood facing the armored Trandoshan.
"So do a lot of people," he replied. "The boss only sees people with money. You have money?"
"No."
Kranssh smiled showing several pointy fangs. "I thought not. Children do not have much money therefore Rozatta does not take interest in them. The only other way to see her is if you have an appointment. Do you have an appointment?"
"No," again Boba answered, staring straight into the guard's eyes unwilling to back down.
Again the Trandoshan smiled. "No appointment; no talking to the boss."
"I have information for her."
Kranssh waved his hand in the air. "Bah. Many people try that one and it never works." His curiosity however was slightly peaked. "Tell me your information and I'll make sure it gets to her," he offered with a crooked grin.
Boba frowned. "It's for Rozatta only."
The guard shook his head. "Then your trip up here has been in vain. You will not see the boss today, nor any other day that I am around. Now you have to leave," he said, gesturing with his rifle to the direction in which Boba came. "And don't let me catch you on this level again. Understand?"
"I must talk to Rozatta," Boba spoke again in a harder voice.
The Trandoshan growled and stepped forward. "You will leave or I will force you to leave," he threatened in a menacing tone. Boba stood still where he was, compelling himself to remain calm and unafraid. This angered Kranssh even more and he was about to grab the kid by the arm when a female voice crackled overhead.
"Kranssh! What are you doing?" it demanded. "Stop playing around with that boy and get back on duty!"
Immediately the Trandoshan straightened up and looked over into a hidden security panel in the wall.
"I'm sorry boss but this kid won't leave."
"A kid's giving you problems now? First it was the drunk, then the Gamorrean that didn't know where he was to go for his duty. I swear it, Kranssh, you're twice that kid's size and yet you can't even get him to budge an inch." The voice laughed. "I gotta hand it to ya kid. Not many face up to the likes of him. Now you say that you have information for me huh? Well you've got two seconds to convince me ta' let you up here."
Boba realized that he was being addressed by Rozatta.
"I have information about Jango Fett."
There was a pause from the speaker. Kranssh shifted away from Boba as if he had suddenly contracted a disease.
"Why didn't you just say that before, kid?" he grumbled. "Anything involving that bounty hunter is dangerous news."
It was amazing to see the change that had come over the Trandoshan at the mention of his father's name. How quickly he was to back down in fear, not even knowing if the information came from Jango himself or was just a rumor or even a lie. Pride swelled briefly in Boba's chest. He wondered what the guard would do if knowing he was facing Jango's son.
"Scan him, Kranssh, then send him up," Rozatta ordered before flicking off the comm.
Kranssh complied without another word and grabbed a small paddle from his belt and ran it through the air in front of Boba. It beeped as it found the concealed blade.
"Leave that here with me," instructed the Trandoshan. Boba removed the knife and handed it to him. Kranssh stepped to the side of the hallway and motioned him towards the lift.
It was a short-lived ride and the doors opened to reveal an ornate room filled with red velvet chairs and an oval desk in the center. Curtained windows over looked the beast game's arena and the air had a slight spicy odor to it.
"Come in, come in," rang out the voice that he had heard in the hallway.
He stepped hesitantly into the room.
Rozatta floated over to him from her seat by the window, her two wings flapping behind her. She was one of the most colorful characters Boba had ever seen as his gaze ran over her small round frame. Her skin was light red in colour and she was currently dressed in a bright blue outfit complete with dangles, sparkles, buttons, and jewels. Large rings adorned her tiny hands and she even wore a hat upon her head complete with the plume of a feather.
She moved in front of Boba, also giving him the once over.
"What's your name kid?" she asked.
"Boba."
"Now what is this about Jango Fett?" she asked, puffing on the end of her long curved pipe sending purple smoke up into the air. "Hmm or better yet, start by telling me just why I should trust you that this information you're about to give me is real."
"You and Jango were close friends one time, weren't you?" Boba asked, evading the question.
She laughed and shook her head. "That was a long, long time ago! It's interesting that you would use that term for my relationship with that bounty hunter. Not many even knew that we chatted, much less were friends."
Roz plopped down on one of the table chairs and patted the stool beside her. "Sit down, sit down. Relax a bit and rest your feet. You look pretty weary for a kid."
Despite himself Boba's mouth twitched with a small smile. He had nothing to fear from Rozatta, he could feel it himself and also he trusted the stories his dad had told him about her fair and easy going nature.
"Now," she began as he sat next to her, "I haven't seen that ol' son of a gun for many years now. I've only gotten a few memos from him but even those have dwindled. He and I use to be pretty close at one time, with him quite a help with some of the scum back at the old Outland. I always was sure to pay him well; he did a great job, minus my finder's fee that is…" Her voice trailed off as she stared up at the ceiling in a moment of remembrance.
She sighed and turned back to Boba, giving herself a little shake. "Sorry for rambling honey, you were going to tell me?..."
It was Boba's turn to sigh, almost wishing he didn't have to be the one to break the news yet again. "Jango Fett is dead," he told her in a low voice.
She nearly fell off her seat.
"What?! How did... how did he die?" she asked flabbergasted at his words.
"It happened during a battle. A Jedi knight killed him."
Roz clasped her hands in her lap and shook her head slowly. "I always knew that he would go the way of the warrior…" She chuckled sadly. "The galaxy is out of a good man, and a great hunter."
Boba nodded.
"Well, no sense in living in the past. I'm just glad he died fighting. That was what he always wanted, he told me that every time I worried over him, telling him that he would sooner or later get himself killed on one of those hunts of his. I'll miss him, I can tell you that…"
Boba felt relived that she was taking it so well. He didn't want any crying… not after all the crying he did back on Geonosis.
"I remember when he went after the Bando Gora leader. I was sure he was gonna get himself done in that time but, he came out shining, along with a handsome fetch of credits."
"The Bando Gora?" Boba asked.
"That was the name of a nasty cult until their leader was killed by Jango. They soon broke up after that and good riddance, the galaxy is a lot better off without them."
She puffed a bit more on her pipe. "Now you say you witnessed Jango's death. Why did you come to tell me though? You some kind of messenger that he had?" Her eyebrows rose with curiosity.
Now for the other piece of info…
"Jango was my father."
This time Roz did fall off her seat. She hit the floor with a thud and sat there staring up at him with wide eyes. "Your father?..."
Her pink face split into a wide grin and she quickly flapped her wings flying back up in front of him. "His son! Oh my goodness… This is such a surprise! I always told him that he should start a family, said that it would be good for him but I never thought he was actually listening to me!" she chatted excitedly. She squinted as she looked him over more carefully this time. "Yes…yes I do see a slight resemblance…"
Only a slight resemblance?
"I'm actually a clone of him, one that he raised himself," he tried to tell her.
"A clone, adopted, birth, doesn't matter. You're his son," she said grinning. "Oh my look at what a bad hostess I'm being! Are you hungry? Want anything to eat? Drink?"
"Umm no that's fine."
"You sure honey? It'll take less than a jiff to get something up here."
He was about to protest again but his stomach rumbled, giving him away. He sighed, "I guess something would be good. I haven't eaten in a while…"
"Sure thing, what do ya' feel like?"
"Soup maybe?" he asked uncertainly.
"Soup it is then." Roz flew over to a comm unit on the wall and turned on a view screen. Kranssh appeared in the window.
"Kranssh!"
The large Trandoshan jumped at the voice and turned around. "Yes boss?"
"Get an order of soup up here!"
"Sure thing boss."
The screen went blank and Roz laughed. "Sorry if that fellow gave you a hard time earlier. He's all muscle and got a good set of brains but his temper's a little short."
"I could tell."
Something beeped and a tray slid through a hatchway across the room.
"Ahh soup's here! Told ya' it would take less than a jiff." Roz retrieved the tray with the steaming bowl and set it before Boba. She took a seat next to him and drew slowly on her pipe while he picked up the spoon and examined the food.
"It's good; the chef made it this morning."
He nodded and took a sip. It was pretty good, and it immediately made the hunger pains fade from his stomach.
"I don't entertain much these days," Roz told him as she fiddled with her pipe. "After that whole thing with Montross, Jango and I both felt it would be best for me to disappear for a while and beef up on my security measures."
Montross?
"Wasn't he that old enemy of my father's?"
"Sure indeed. He was also hired for that Bando Gora job, to make it a little more interesting I suppose. That big lug though just sat back and let Jango do the work, following him around, getting the snoop on his information and leads. Bah! If its one thing I can't stand it's laziness on the job, especially in that line of work," she grumbled. "You're father though was really something. Never listened to me though… I remember when Montross came to the Outland and shook me up pretty good. It was all a ploy to get Jango mad and boy did it sure work. I was left for dead, Montross hoping that your father would find me before the station blew, and I was sure I was a goner. However Jango didn't take no for an answer. I told him to just leave me be and get out, but that bugger slung me over one shoulder like a sac of nerfs and got me out of there. We barely made it to that ship of his before the bombs went off."
"And that's why you went into hiding? So that Montross wouldn't come back?"
"Yes and also until Jango finished up with that job from, oh what was his name… that Count Dooku. I didn't need those Gora people running around here, that's for sure."
"I know Count Dooku. My father was still working for him when he was killed."
Roz cocked her head to the side. "Hmm I guess that's why I hadn't heard from him much over the years. Is this Dooku a nasty character?"
"I guess… actually that's why I'm here," Boba told her. "I'm looking for him, and for a woman named Kish Tyres. I was wondering if you would be able to help me locate them."
"Of course! Hell, I'm damn good at finding people. It might take a while though," Roz informed him.
"That's alright."
"It shouldn't take longer than a couple of days; I'll call it in to you on your ship."
"Okay. It's called Slave 1."
Roz laughed. "So that ship's yours now huh? I still have the messaging codes for it so contacting you shouldn't be a problem."
Boba nodded and got up, putting back on his cloak.
"You following in Jango's footsteps I take it?" she asked.
"Yes."
Roz gave him a warm smile and patted him fondly on the shoulder. "That's good to hear. I might be needing your services later on in the future," she said chuckling. "Now, my advice to you is to head to Coruscant. Everyone turns up on that planet it seems, and there's a good chance one of those two people you're looking for might be on it. If not, you're sure to find things to aid you in the meanwhile."
"I'll do that. Thank you for your help, Roz."
"No problem kiddo. I'll contact you soon with those locations and good luck out there. The galaxy's a big mess these days."
He nodded thanks once more and said his goodbyes.
The trip back to the Slave 1 was in high spirits…
**Wow, that chapter took me a long time to write. I was listening to Kid Rock when I wrote part of this so that's why his lyrics are in it (I changed them a bit though to go with the star wars theme better). Wasn't too sure about how to end it, but then again I never am sure about my endings. Anyway, hope that explained about Roz and stuff (to those that have played Bounty Hunter) and thanks for the reviews, you guys rock!
Seiko ;P