CONFRONTATIONS PART II
Bossk strode up to the escape hatch and, hefting his blaster rifle, keyed open the hatch.
He had been prepared for some resistance. He had not been prepared for the stream of blaster bolts that greeted him as the hatch slid open, swarming around him and stinging at him like giant red firegnats. Shocked and completely caught off balance, Bossk flailed for a minute before falling over backwards onto the deck plating, his blaster rifle spinning uselessly out of reach. His mind tried franticly to figure out what was happening.
Who was shooting at him? The merchandise, obviously.
Where did he get the blaster? Fett must have given it to him.
No, this couldn't be right. When Bossk had captured the merchandise back in that office block on Corellia he had had a blaster, but that fool couldn't have hit the broad side of a sitting rancor, never mind pepper him with the impressive volley of shots that had just knocked him to the floor. Then who--
Bossk looked up to see Fett standing over him, blaster leveled at Bossk's chest.
Seeing Fett standing there caused something in Bossk to snap, the last vestiges of control over the Trandoshan's primal instincts.
He lunged at Fett, ignoring the scorching bolts burning into his chest. Reaching out, he smacked Fett's blaster out of his hands before the two collided. Grabbing the armored figure's neck, Bossk slammed him against the side of the escape pod again and again until spots started to cloud Fett's vision. Releasing a blood-curdling snarl, Bossk threw Fett against the wall, where the battered hunter collapsed on the floor. Lunging on top of him, pining him to the ground, Bossk slowly brought his claws together, Fett's neck the only thing between them and offering little resistance.
Fett floundered under Bossk's weight, trying to think of something that might save him. His legs were both firmly pinned down and his arms couldn't reach anything.
As his claws closed the distance between each other Bossk heard something whipping past his ear. He paid it no heed and, a second later, was engulfed in darkness. Something large and almost heavy landed on him and by reflex he swatted it away.
He instantly realised his mistake.
Fett, suddenly able to move his arms, reached over and triggered the flame-thrower attached to his wrist. A plume of fire burst seemingly out from his hand and splashed over the tapestry that was now covering Bossk. Howling, Bossk tore the scorching tapestry off his back, simultaneously ripping his now burning jumpsuit away and cursing Fett by all the heroes and deities portrayed in the other tapestries that hung in the *Hound's Tooth*, now missing one epic battle.
By the time Bossk had rid himself of all the blazing fabric and stood naked in the hold of his ship, Fett had calmly retrieved his blaster and was pointing it at Bossk from across the room.
"Don't move." Fett's harsh voice rang out through the ship, echoing and sounding like a hundred Fetts, not an idea that Bossk particularly enjoyed. "Get up to the cockpit and disable those explosives."
Unable to think of any way to save himself right now, Bossk walked up the ramp to the control section of the ship and accessed the explosives remotely. On the screen a timer counting down from five seconds, rather than the five minutes he had started with, appeared.
"Now!" Growled Fett.
"Why should I?" Asked Bossk, the sides of his mouth twisting into a smile. He was suddenly thoroughly sick of the continual reversal of fortune Fett had a way of bringing about. Thoroughly sick of Fett always wining. "Maybe I should just---" Fett terminated that sentence with a quick shot to Bossk's leg.
"Now." He repeated in a much quieter, much more threatening tone. Snarling with pain and outrage, Bossk reached out and disarmed the bombs a mere split-second before the countdown reached zero.
"Good." Said Fett, before stroking the trigger and sending Bossk collapsing on to the floor.
Bossk strode up to the escape hatch and, hefting his blaster rifle, keyed open the hatch.
He had been prepared for some resistance. He had not been prepared for the stream of blaster bolts that greeted him as the hatch slid open, swarming around him and stinging at him like giant red firegnats. Shocked and completely caught off balance, Bossk flailed for a minute before falling over backwards onto the deck plating, his blaster rifle spinning uselessly out of reach. His mind tried franticly to figure out what was happening.
Who was shooting at him? The merchandise, obviously.
Where did he get the blaster? Fett must have given it to him.
No, this couldn't be right. When Bossk had captured the merchandise back in that office block on Corellia he had had a blaster, but that fool couldn't have hit the broad side of a sitting rancor, never mind pepper him with the impressive volley of shots that had just knocked him to the floor. Then who--
Bossk looked up to see Fett standing over him, blaster leveled at Bossk's chest.
Seeing Fett standing there caused something in Bossk to snap, the last vestiges of control over the Trandoshan's primal instincts.
He lunged at Fett, ignoring the scorching bolts burning into his chest. Reaching out, he smacked Fett's blaster out of his hands before the two collided. Grabbing the armored figure's neck, Bossk slammed him against the side of the escape pod again and again until spots started to cloud Fett's vision. Releasing a blood-curdling snarl, Bossk threw Fett against the wall, where the battered hunter collapsed on the floor. Lunging on top of him, pining him to the ground, Bossk slowly brought his claws together, Fett's neck the only thing between them and offering little resistance.
Fett floundered under Bossk's weight, trying to think of something that might save him. His legs were both firmly pinned down and his arms couldn't reach anything.
As his claws closed the distance between each other Bossk heard something whipping past his ear. He paid it no heed and, a second later, was engulfed in darkness. Something large and almost heavy landed on him and by reflex he swatted it away.
He instantly realised his mistake.
Fett, suddenly able to move his arms, reached over and triggered the flame-thrower attached to his wrist. A plume of fire burst seemingly out from his hand and splashed over the tapestry that was now covering Bossk. Howling, Bossk tore the scorching tapestry off his back, simultaneously ripping his now burning jumpsuit away and cursing Fett by all the heroes and deities portrayed in the other tapestries that hung in the *Hound's Tooth*, now missing one epic battle.
By the time Bossk had rid himself of all the blazing fabric and stood naked in the hold of his ship, Fett had calmly retrieved his blaster and was pointing it at Bossk from across the room.
"Don't move." Fett's harsh voice rang out through the ship, echoing and sounding like a hundred Fetts, not an idea that Bossk particularly enjoyed. "Get up to the cockpit and disable those explosives."
Unable to think of any way to save himself right now, Bossk walked up the ramp to the control section of the ship and accessed the explosives remotely. On the screen a timer counting down from five seconds, rather than the five minutes he had started with, appeared.
"Now!" Growled Fett.
"Why should I?" Asked Bossk, the sides of his mouth twisting into a smile. He was suddenly thoroughly sick of the continual reversal of fortune Fett had a way of bringing about. Thoroughly sick of Fett always wining. "Maybe I should just---" Fett terminated that sentence with a quick shot to Bossk's leg.
"Now." He repeated in a much quieter, much more threatening tone. Snarling with pain and outrage, Bossk reached out and disarmed the bombs a mere split-second before the countdown reached zero.
"Good." Said Fett, before stroking the trigger and sending Bossk collapsing on to the floor.
