Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. I do own this story, except for the
Star Wars stuff.. Yeah, if that made sense.
I hope you guys liked the last chapter. Just for a warning, I've gone through a 10-year skip. In the story I mean. I haven't grown ten years in the last few days. There will not be any Yuuzhan Vong, mainly because I have not, and will not, read the New Order series. Seems silly to me. Besides, Jedi are prats. My personal opinion of course, but I don't like them very much. And no, it's not just because of Anikan. Speaking of Anikan, Leia's son Anikan is much younger than Jacen and Jania than originally. Just to get him out of the way. I really don't know what any of them are like much. Just what the character guides and such tell me.
Chapter 20 (yes! Into the 20s!)
Leia leaned back in her desk. No one was scampering into her office with reports and news, with petitions for her audience, with complaints or with documents that needed her signature. It was quiet times like this that she got time to think of personal matters. It was now that she could be Leia Organa Solo, not Supreme Chancellor Solo. This was the rare chance where her thoughts could be her thoughts.
Almost immediately she thought of her twin brother, Luke, and his Jedi Academy on Yavin 4. Her three children were there. Training to be Jedi. She was so proud of them. There was little Anikan, no longer little, and her oldest children, twins, Jacen and Jania. Sadly, Jania was distant from her, more distant that her other children. Thought of Jania brought unbidden thoughts of Joad. A vague memory of a six-year-old sweet girl, ten years past. But that was ten years ago. What had happened to her? Hopefully nothing, since she had not heard of anything from her informants. But then again, no one had heard about her encounter with the Fetts. She hoped Joad's mother had gotten to her. A sixteen-year-old girl raised and trained by the galaxies most ruthless bounty hunter would be frightening. She wondered if Joad even remembered her, or Jania or Jacen. She had not been able to contact Fett after they left Naboo. What was she doing now?
"Hey Dad, when do I get a ship?"
Boba looked up from the screen of the computer to look at his daughter. Had he really been this impulsive at that age? Well, impulsive was the wrong word really. Joad was disciplined well, and didn't question him. Didn't question him usually anyways. This was the first time today, but he was sure he would hear that question again before sunset. Just the same as the past week.
"Same answer to the same question Joad. It won't change. When you learn to handle Slave I properly."
Joad frowned. "But I can. I have been able to since I was 11."
"Two words Joad. Asteroid field."
She squirmed. "That was once! And besides, I was in complete control! Most of the time anyway. And you said that you've gone into-"
"When I needed to. I didn't go in for fun. That's suicidal."
"I'm still here."
"I'm not talking about skills anyway. You are very skilled at flying, as good as me."
She blushed at the compliment and looked extremely pleased with herself. Compliments didn't come often, but criticism was just as welcome. Her father loved her enough to make her perfect at her to be profession. The pleased look didn't last long though. They had had this discussion before. "I have to learn to be one with the ship, to become her. I can't just fly her. There's more to it than the controls. I know, I know." She looked sulky as she recited her father's lecture from memory.
Boba reached his arm across the space between them and tilted her chin up with his hand. "Fetts don't sulk," he said, giving her a wiry grin. "Besides, I have another surprise for you. Better than a ship."
Joad perked up. Her father was right, Fetts didn't sulk. Or cry. Or do any of that pansy stuff. But her father had a surprise. This was new, obviously. Surprises didn't come often enough, but if they were good, they were welcome. Boba gestured toward the computer screen. Joad got up and looked. And could barely keep back a squeak of joy.
"For me Dad?" Her voice was breathless. This was better than any ship.
"Who else? My armour won't fit you properly." On the screen was a 3D image of armour that would fit Joad when she stopped growing. It was like her fathers. A T-shaped visor, a jet pack, various hiding spots for weapons. "You'll be able to update it when you need to. It's not authentic Mandalorian armour, but it'll have to do."
Joad smiled. She was bursting with joy. Her own armour! That meant that her father had decided that she was close to ready to join in the hunt. The hunt! She could hardly wait.
"Where are you going to get it? The Kaminoeans don't make weapons."
"There's someone who owes me a.debt."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Padron Nidal muttered grimly as he worked. Metal working shops had changed much with technology, but Nidal mixed old ways with new. The result? The finest metal on Kindar. But, unfortunately, his techniques were not idiot proof, and mistakes did happen. His tail lashed and he wanted to bite something. Oh, how much he wanted to bite something!
The bell chimed in the front of the shop. Padron gnashed his teeth and threw the plate of overworked metal into the scrap pile. Taking off his apron and gloves and mask, he opened the heat resistant door and stepped into the cool shop. An instant later he found himself wishing to be back in that blasted furnace of a room. Shock didn't show well on Trianii cat features, but Padron's jaw fell open.
"B-boba Fett?" He regained his dignity. "How may I assist you? If I recall, I owe you a debt."
Fett nodded. The same Padron Nidal that he remembered. "How long will it take you to make this?" Gloved hand handed over holochip to clawed hand.
"A month, and least. Come back in a month and a half. And that's only if I spend all my time working on it. I don't usually do armour Fett. But for you, I'll do it."
Boba nodded. Just as he expected. Padron loved a challenge, anything that tested his skills. The small room was decorated with silver ornaments, so finely worked they looked like glass. But they were hard. Hard enough to withstand a blaster bolt and look brand knew. He knew that from experience. He paused before leaving. "How's your daughter?"
Nidal smiled. "She has a family now. Thanks to you." The Trianii blacksmith paused and looked at the 3D armour figure revolving in his hand. "How's yours?"
"A regular Fett." Under his helmet, Boba smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joad sat back, grinning. She was sixteen and in top shape. Muscles didn't bulge, but they were there. She could run fast and jump high. She could destroy or render useless the droids she fought now and then. They were out of date, left over from the mass of clones created for the Republic. The Old Republic she reminded herself. Her smile slid off her face. Was she ready? Sure, she was a deadly fighter, but.. Experience was required to be top-of-the-line in bounty hunter. Her father just taught her this so she wouldn't get blasted to smithereens before she could get experience. He himself had said it. She told him to be patient, to examine what she did wrong and fix it next time. She had experience from fighting her father. He didn't hold back on her anymore. She didn't hold back on him either. She liked living here on Kamino, but it wouldn't last forever. She just hoped she was ready when that time came to an end.
She also knew why they lived here. Years ago she had uncovered the secret of her being. Her father had been proud, saying that the skill of uncovering information was important. So, she uncovered as much information as she could. She hacked into the Tipoca mainframe and information stores. She found files on her "grandfather." She found files on her father. She found files on herself. She was a blotched clone. A mess-up. A one of a kind. And she was proud. Her father was proud. The Kaminoeans, on the other hand, thought she was delicate and wrong. They viewed her as proof of their incompetence.
Not that they were incompetent. The Kaminoean people were brilliant beings that had mastered cloning skills. Suan, who had taken over Tuan We's place after she died-murdered, Joad thought bitterly- avoided her. Not like Tuan We. Tuan We had been friendly and kind. The Kaminoeans were cold, thinking nothing of their cloning. But Joad knew that she would come here one day, perhaps asking for a son. She was a bounty hunter. She was a Fett. She would take her father's place as the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy. Curse the Jedi and their wish for peace. Bounty hunting was a profession, maybe as old as the "oldest profession", and her father's hatred was passed down as surly as his genes. The Jedi and their long noses, she thought, struggling to keep a sneer off her face. They would try to stop her before she reached her top level of performance. Curse the Jedi. She was Joad Fett and she would get to the top. She would make her father proud.
I hope you guys liked the last chapter. Just for a warning, I've gone through a 10-year skip. In the story I mean. I haven't grown ten years in the last few days. There will not be any Yuuzhan Vong, mainly because I have not, and will not, read the New Order series. Seems silly to me. Besides, Jedi are prats. My personal opinion of course, but I don't like them very much. And no, it's not just because of Anikan. Speaking of Anikan, Leia's son Anikan is much younger than Jacen and Jania than originally. Just to get him out of the way. I really don't know what any of them are like much. Just what the character guides and such tell me.
Chapter 20 (yes! Into the 20s!)
Leia leaned back in her desk. No one was scampering into her office with reports and news, with petitions for her audience, with complaints or with documents that needed her signature. It was quiet times like this that she got time to think of personal matters. It was now that she could be Leia Organa Solo, not Supreme Chancellor Solo. This was the rare chance where her thoughts could be her thoughts.
Almost immediately she thought of her twin brother, Luke, and his Jedi Academy on Yavin 4. Her three children were there. Training to be Jedi. She was so proud of them. There was little Anikan, no longer little, and her oldest children, twins, Jacen and Jania. Sadly, Jania was distant from her, more distant that her other children. Thought of Jania brought unbidden thoughts of Joad. A vague memory of a six-year-old sweet girl, ten years past. But that was ten years ago. What had happened to her? Hopefully nothing, since she had not heard of anything from her informants. But then again, no one had heard about her encounter with the Fetts. She hoped Joad's mother had gotten to her. A sixteen-year-old girl raised and trained by the galaxies most ruthless bounty hunter would be frightening. She wondered if Joad even remembered her, or Jania or Jacen. She had not been able to contact Fett after they left Naboo. What was she doing now?
"Hey Dad, when do I get a ship?"
Boba looked up from the screen of the computer to look at his daughter. Had he really been this impulsive at that age? Well, impulsive was the wrong word really. Joad was disciplined well, and didn't question him. Didn't question him usually anyways. This was the first time today, but he was sure he would hear that question again before sunset. Just the same as the past week.
"Same answer to the same question Joad. It won't change. When you learn to handle Slave I properly."
Joad frowned. "But I can. I have been able to since I was 11."
"Two words Joad. Asteroid field."
She squirmed. "That was once! And besides, I was in complete control! Most of the time anyway. And you said that you've gone into-"
"When I needed to. I didn't go in for fun. That's suicidal."
"I'm still here."
"I'm not talking about skills anyway. You are very skilled at flying, as good as me."
She blushed at the compliment and looked extremely pleased with herself. Compliments didn't come often, but criticism was just as welcome. Her father loved her enough to make her perfect at her to be profession. The pleased look didn't last long though. They had had this discussion before. "I have to learn to be one with the ship, to become her. I can't just fly her. There's more to it than the controls. I know, I know." She looked sulky as she recited her father's lecture from memory.
Boba reached his arm across the space between them and tilted her chin up with his hand. "Fetts don't sulk," he said, giving her a wiry grin. "Besides, I have another surprise for you. Better than a ship."
Joad perked up. Her father was right, Fetts didn't sulk. Or cry. Or do any of that pansy stuff. But her father had a surprise. This was new, obviously. Surprises didn't come often enough, but if they were good, they were welcome. Boba gestured toward the computer screen. Joad got up and looked. And could barely keep back a squeak of joy.
"For me Dad?" Her voice was breathless. This was better than any ship.
"Who else? My armour won't fit you properly." On the screen was a 3D image of armour that would fit Joad when she stopped growing. It was like her fathers. A T-shaped visor, a jet pack, various hiding spots for weapons. "You'll be able to update it when you need to. It's not authentic Mandalorian armour, but it'll have to do."
Joad smiled. She was bursting with joy. Her own armour! That meant that her father had decided that she was close to ready to join in the hunt. The hunt! She could hardly wait.
"Where are you going to get it? The Kaminoeans don't make weapons."
"There's someone who owes me a.debt."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Padron Nidal muttered grimly as he worked. Metal working shops had changed much with technology, but Nidal mixed old ways with new. The result? The finest metal on Kindar. But, unfortunately, his techniques were not idiot proof, and mistakes did happen. His tail lashed and he wanted to bite something. Oh, how much he wanted to bite something!
The bell chimed in the front of the shop. Padron gnashed his teeth and threw the plate of overworked metal into the scrap pile. Taking off his apron and gloves and mask, he opened the heat resistant door and stepped into the cool shop. An instant later he found himself wishing to be back in that blasted furnace of a room. Shock didn't show well on Trianii cat features, but Padron's jaw fell open.
"B-boba Fett?" He regained his dignity. "How may I assist you? If I recall, I owe you a debt."
Fett nodded. The same Padron Nidal that he remembered. "How long will it take you to make this?" Gloved hand handed over holochip to clawed hand.
"A month, and least. Come back in a month and a half. And that's only if I spend all my time working on it. I don't usually do armour Fett. But for you, I'll do it."
Boba nodded. Just as he expected. Padron loved a challenge, anything that tested his skills. The small room was decorated with silver ornaments, so finely worked they looked like glass. But they were hard. Hard enough to withstand a blaster bolt and look brand knew. He knew that from experience. He paused before leaving. "How's your daughter?"
Nidal smiled. "She has a family now. Thanks to you." The Trianii blacksmith paused and looked at the 3D armour figure revolving in his hand. "How's yours?"
"A regular Fett." Under his helmet, Boba smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joad sat back, grinning. She was sixteen and in top shape. Muscles didn't bulge, but they were there. She could run fast and jump high. She could destroy or render useless the droids she fought now and then. They were out of date, left over from the mass of clones created for the Republic. The Old Republic she reminded herself. Her smile slid off her face. Was she ready? Sure, she was a deadly fighter, but.. Experience was required to be top-of-the-line in bounty hunter. Her father just taught her this so she wouldn't get blasted to smithereens before she could get experience. He himself had said it. She told him to be patient, to examine what she did wrong and fix it next time. She had experience from fighting her father. He didn't hold back on her anymore. She didn't hold back on him either. She liked living here on Kamino, but it wouldn't last forever. She just hoped she was ready when that time came to an end.
She also knew why they lived here. Years ago she had uncovered the secret of her being. Her father had been proud, saying that the skill of uncovering information was important. So, she uncovered as much information as she could. She hacked into the Tipoca mainframe and information stores. She found files on her "grandfather." She found files on her father. She found files on herself. She was a blotched clone. A mess-up. A one of a kind. And she was proud. Her father was proud. The Kaminoeans, on the other hand, thought she was delicate and wrong. They viewed her as proof of their incompetence.
Not that they were incompetent. The Kaminoean people were brilliant beings that had mastered cloning skills. Suan, who had taken over Tuan We's place after she died-murdered, Joad thought bitterly- avoided her. Not like Tuan We. Tuan We had been friendly and kind. The Kaminoeans were cold, thinking nothing of their cloning. But Joad knew that she would come here one day, perhaps asking for a son. She was a bounty hunter. She was a Fett. She would take her father's place as the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy. Curse the Jedi and their wish for peace. Bounty hunting was a profession, maybe as old as the "oldest profession", and her father's hatred was passed down as surly as his genes. The Jedi and their long noses, she thought, struggling to keep a sneer off her face. They would try to stop her before she reached her top level of performance. Curse the Jedi. She was Joad Fett and she would get to the top. She would make her father proud.