Chapter VI
Then, shortly before the events of A New Hope…

The steamy air was colored faintly green from the dim lighting, plants, and scents permeating the cool room. The warm waters hardly made any noise as they gently lapped the mossy edges of their boundaries. The scents lay heavy in the air, tropical, exotic; it was a location befitting a suggestive location or romantic holodrama, or some undiscovered, dangerously exciting and erotic far-flung world.

While Coruscant could easily be called dangerous, undiscovered it was not. Yet this existed here in the heart of this mechanical metropolis, crowded with a mind-boggling number of people and filled to bursting with buildings, vermin—of many types—and most importantly, power.

And there were few more powerful than the Dark Prince of Black Sun. Xixor's reptilian lips curled into a small smile, his scaly head the only part of his body that could be seen above the balmy water he was immersed in. He debated a moment about dismissing the two female assistants and meditating instead in the peaceful surroundings, but decided not too. Things were not very relaxing now, and he wanted a more…active way to relieve his tension than mediation at the moment.

When Guri entered, the only reason he didn't have the beautiful, red-haired, blue-skinned, tattooed humanoid sitting a hand's-reach away on the side of the pool leave was because Guri might merely have been asking if he required her…assistance as well. That was also why he didn't simply order the droid out before she interrupted his relaxation. That, and the fact that she was an expensive and worthy piece of valuable machinery that did her jobs wonderfully. But when he heard the words that came out of her mouth, he was not nearly as pleased with her…

The half-lidded reptilian eyes narrowed coldly as Xixor's expression twisted from one of pleasure to a much uglier one. He ignored the anxiety the two females displayed. He could always have them eliminated if they became a problem. He could have any problem eliminated.

Up to and including one little bounty hunter.

Even if he had to do it himself.

Cold eyes flashed to Guri at his side. "Have her taken. Now. And then I want Fett dealt with. Utterly destroyed. I want his foolish reputation for survival forever shattered. I want him dead."

……………………………………

Shavlin Frrecóusé was a tall, thin human, immaculate in manner and in dress. Calm, cool, unruffled always, he prided himself on his composure. Many things surprised him, but it was a point of honor with him that he never showed it, not even to his own most private and trusted companions. However, his jaw dropped, his knees became rubbery, and he nearly found himself on the floor. He clutched his chest with one hand, the doorframe with the other, balancing himself, teetering. He stared into his daughter's room.

And out of it, through the gaping hole in the wall, the smoke filled room, the flames that licked at the little girl-furnishing, burning dolls and clothes with the same emotionless ferocity as it ate the small, frilly furniture Larrallna had loved so. But the sight of the room wasn't what threatened to still his heart, to knock him from his feet. Nothing that he saw there was, really. Gaping holes, flames, smoke, destruction of his darling child's prized possessions, these he might be outraged at, but not nearly startled into death. No, it was nothing that he saw. Rather, it was what he didn't see that scared him so.

His daughter.

She wasn't anywhere. And there was that gaping hole in the wall…

And she wasn't there.

And the hole…

Wasn't there…

The gaping…

His daughter…

Where…

Not…

His daughter…

Not there…

Not…

……………………………….

The Slave I's comings and going usually attracted a lot of attention on scummy planets, less on cesspools like Tatooine or Nar Shadda, but often on such elegant, respectable planets as he was heading to now, it was noticed with…disdain, and then ignored. This was, thus, an unusual circumstance. Especially because there wasn't anyone with a large price on their heads currently residing on the corporate headquarters of Frrecóusé Inc. Good, a challenge, perhaps. Of course, the job in itself would be a challenge, he was sure. Black Sun was sure to have something to do with whatever it would be; at the least, they should be watching closely. It would be an interesting test to see how well he could escape notice by such a large—and very good—intelligence network like they had. All Fett knew about the job so far was that Frrecóusé Inc. had contacted him to come here and discuss a job in his range of expertise.

His own intelligence sources had some trouble with the Frrecóusé security network, and all that they'd managed to determine thus far was that there was some kind of disturbance at the Frrecóusé mansion, and that there were rumors of Black Sun being involved. However, considering the state of things between the two, it was likely that they were nothing more than rumors. Still, his contacts here would have to start doing a little better, or at least figure out how to get more information to him shortly if he were to take this job.

There was two guards waiting by a speeder. No one else was even in sight. His helmet's sensor's could detect life forms nearby, he could even hear them and see infrared signatures. However, none of them seemed to pay him more than a cursory moment of fear. They also didn't regard him with the derision so common to the wealthy who thought—until they actually were merchandise—that they were above bounty hunters and their ilk. The two guards seemed respectful, too, however that was nothing unordinary. Guards could either be fearful, respectful, or contemptuous towards him, he had found over the years. That made no difference, however the reaction a few klicks north of the spaceport was. Two children were out in the yard as he passed by with an older woman; mother, probably, or some type of relation. They watched him fearfully, but the woman made no move to snatch the children back or step between him and them. He knew he was wrong about her reaction. There wasn't any relief in there. There wouldn't be. Fett blinked beneath his visor, then turned his attention to the nearing building. More like a fortress, it was a cross between a military base and a palace. There was smoke coming from the east of it, however. Fett scanned the image into his helmet's memory, in case he wanted to review it later. He adjusted the blaster rifle he cradled in his arms, ignoring the slight twinge of not-quite-pain from his left, recently broken and bound in a compression bandage and bacta patch beneath his armor.

Fett stepped ahead of the two guards. They made no move to stop him. He paused in front of the transparisteel door, however, and let them precede him into the room as a precaution. They looked nervous, dejected, and surly, but they didn't seem to be expecting anything. If there was a trap, those two didn't know about it.

Few things could surprise him. Even fewer could make him act noticeably surprised. The sight inside was one he'd seen over a hundred times before in his long career. However, Fett started slightly and paused on the threshold. The pause was brief, and the man sitting in the chair did not notice it. But Fett was shocked. While he had met with Frrecóusé only once before, and then for a short time, he knew some things about the man. He knew enough to know that something was very wrong with him. The normally immaculate, meticulous man was slouched dejectedly and…yes, and drunkenly in his chair. His clothes were covered in soot, in complete disarray, and tattered. His expression was one of extreme pain and numbness. There were marks in the soot on his face where tears had run. Frrecóusé blinked and pulled himself semi-upright when Fett entered. He also noticeably sobered up, in a hurry.

"Boba Fett," the man's voice, rather than being a carefully cultivated sonnet, was hoarse and grating, as if he had to force the words out through a tight and scratched throat.

Fett nodded. "Frrecóusé. I received the communication."

"Thank Marla…Fett, I need you to save someone for me."

Hidden beneath his visor, Fett's eyebrows raised. Again, thrown off balance. He would have thought, from the man's expression, that he wanted someone murdered viciously. "Save them?" Fett asked emotionlessly.

"She's been kidnapped…my daughter…" Frrecóusé's voice trailed off. He visibly made an effort to pull himself together, stifling tears in his eyes. After a moment or two, he continued: "She's been kidnapped. Larrallna."

Ah-ha. Fett had it figured out now. Larrallna Frrecóusé was the child Xixor had wanted him to locate and capture. Fett had refused, so obviously Xixor had decided that he'd get someone else to do the job. Fett nodded once. "How much?"

Frrecóusé looked up at him then, for the first time since he'd entered. "There is…something else you might want to know."

Fett waited calmly for the man to continue.

"The job…it was…well…" he motioned for one of the guards. "He'll take you to the…the room. You can look things over for yourself before you…before you agree to a price." The man's dreary gaze sharpened, "but there will be a price, Boba Fett, there must be."

"Suit yourself." Fett shrugged and motioned for the guard to precede him down the corridors…

…………………………..

Boba Fett rose from his crouch when he heard the footsteps approaching. He scanned the dust and microscopic fragments on his gloved fingers with the scanner in his helmet. He brushed some of them into a small vial and tucked that inside one of his armor's many pouches. He already had a good idea of what had been used—and by whom—but better to have the evidence and make certain later. Working off a hypothesis when you didn't absolutely have to was one of the stupider stunts you could pull. He scanned the remains of the child's bedroom once more, then turned to face the thin, distraught figure in the doorway.

Frrecóusé fidgeted but didn't say anything as he waited for the bounty hunter to complete his inspection of the room. The fidgeting wasn't a good sign, but at least the man still had the presence of mind to be patient.

"Suspicions?" Fett asked calmly.

For a moment, the company head seemed to wrestle with a decision, but then spoke in a burst of air: "Black Sun."

Fett nodded. That's what he'd figured out, but he had wanted to see if Frrecóusé might know of someone else who could be gunning for them. He waited to see if the other would continue.

"They sent someone…earlier…threatened us, told us not to go into their sectors of space—how does anyone like…that…'own' space? No right…" Fett knew that 'rights' mattered little to Black Sun and their ilk. "None at all…but never…never would have imagined…this…" The man was on the verge of having a break down. Best to conclude his business before that happened, while the other was still rational and thinking. Also best to secure a price before the man's greed kicked back in. The shock and horror would subside soon and—just like with the Hutts—he'd prefer a lower price. Probably not negotiate hard, anyway. The fool 'loved' the brat. Bad business, that. Of course, Fett normally would have left as soon as he heard it involved a child, but Xixor needed to be sent a warning not to try anything again, or he would. And the brat would be less likely to do that stupid childish "shut down" if it knew it was being taken to its father and away from its first kidnappers by the second…

"The exchange?" Fett asked, looking around the room again for specific signs of who, specifically, had done the dirty work. There were signs that you could find if you looked hard enough. People had "personal preferences" in their methods, and sometimes specific styles of work that their peers could recognize and either respect or scoff at.

"Just bring her here…we'll have the guards and things so that Black Sun can't get through…" Fett wasn't as confident as the other, but he stood less to loose, so it should be good enough. "I can give you specific coordinates later…after we get things…worked out…" his voice faded to a whisper and died away.

Fett nodded. That was their problem, not his. He named a sum. The man again surprised him when he failed to show any reaction, either surprise or incredulity. The guards' reactions, though, more than made up for their master's numbness. Both were scraping their jaws off the floor and one actually had to bend down and pick up the gun he'd dropped.

"Fine. Please…quickly. As quickly as possible." He looked at Fett with tear filled eyes. "I have to have her back…alive…all right…please…"

Fett just nodded, unmoved by Frrecóusé's emotion. "I'll contact you."

Boba Fett walked out of the palace and onto his ship, the Slave I. He made a quick check of systems, but lifted off fast rather than wait on a planet where Black Sun could notice him instead of making a thorough one.

He later cursed himself as a fool for not doing so…