CHAPTER TWO: Solo
"No disintegrations!" Darth Vader ordered, facing and pointing directly at Boba Fett. The other bounty hunters side glanced at him, their hateful eyes warming the deepest darkest crevice of his being. Fett had time and time again snatched merchandise from under their noses. The poor pathetic creatures. Fett's lips strained to form a small menacing smirk beneath his visor. "As you wish," he replied, now ignoring the spectators.
A small lieutenant approached Vader and informed them that they had caught sight of the Millennium Falcon. While the other wanna be hunters watched through the view port, Fett navigated through the Star Destroyer Executor's vast passage ways to docking bay fifty-three.
From experience, the mechanics and other loiterers had stayed away from Slave I. Vader had been slightly less than pleased with the result previously, but had not retaliated. The docking bay had only minor damage…and three officers and a couple of mechanics was nothing the Empire couldn't replace.
Sitting at the controls of his ship, Fett could not say he felt at home. "Home" was no longer a word in his dictionary. Indeed, a great many words had gradually been erased due to his ever growing coldness to the galaxy.
Flipping the controls for the ship, Fett ignored usual protocol and did not inform the command crew. This was his usual way and like always, the arrogant Imperials let him. In fact, with his reputation and consistency in proving his point, the Imperial officers let him get away with much more than even a Moff.
He checked the sensors and found no sign of Solo's ship. Obviously the Imperials had let him escape their view, but according to Fett's unique technology, no ships had jumped into hyperspace, meaning Solo was still within the vicinity. Over his com-unit, Fett listened to the Imperial traffic, and learned that soon, Vader's Star Destroyer Executor would be leaving the Hoth system. No matter, the other bounty hunters would have no chance of catching Solo now.
The garbage was dumped, and the Star Destroyer disappeared.
Yes. Only the Star Destroyer left the system.
Now, Fett pressed a button, just to the left of Slave I's controls and checked the nearest screen. No computer activity…? Clever Solo, Fett thought to himself. Just floating somewhere.
If he was, there would be no way that Fett would be unable to make a visual scan of the area and pick him out. He coaxed his ship into a 360-degree flip and turn, giving him the whole view of space…nothing but the trash debris.
His computer buzzed at him. There he is, Fett thought triumphantly and followed the navacomputer's direction which pointed him directly…into the trash ring. Just beyond that, there was a flicker of engine light, a burst of speed and the Millenium Falcon blasted out of sight.
Damn it.
Solo had to have seen him and did the quickest jump out of the area. Sure, Fett had Solo's jump coordinates logged, but Fett's computer also let him know that there were no systems or likely destinations along Solo's path. It had been a blind jump and one foolish to follow. Solo had escaped. Wait a minute...
He spun and drew his side arm.
Indeed, as he had suspected, there were two figures in black.
"I don't need any assistance," he stated with a chill. Imperial spies perhaps? He didn't care. They had smuggled aboard his ship. Rising from his pilot's chair, he aimed his weapon threateningly.
They didn't move.
"Hands up," Fett stated.
They tried to attack first. Fett shot one squarely in the chest, but the second tackled him bodily, pinning his spine against the back of the pilot's chair. To Fett's surprise, the one he had shot, did not fall…or falter in any way. In all rightness, that opponent would have been dead. Fett didn't let that stop him, however.
He used his elbow and jabbed the man holding him in the neck. That one fell. But the first had grabbed Fett's weapon and tried twisting it away. Fett punched him in the temple, or tried. His adversary barely was able to avoid the blow and ended up catching Fett's fist in the jaw. The weapon was released.
A tidal wave of shock rocked Fett's body. Before he was able to bring another offensive to the second attacker, that individual had used some foreign weapon against Fett, merely touching him with it on the bend of his knee. Fett could hardly believe he fell, and didn't remember that he did. He had just felt the gravity tug…and then was out cold.