Disclaimer: Well, what do you think?
Also, I'd just like to apologize in advance for formatting problems, if they're there, it's because I haven't been able to find a way to fix them yet!
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Warnings sounded as the Slave 1 fell out of hyperspace, a groan running through the ship. Fett's hands moved over the controls, locking in their destination. The cockpit shifted as the small ship reoriented itself to the glowing blue world that lay before it.
They hurtled forward. Fett shifted, keying in a long sequence of code. Syntas glanced at him questioningly. He hit the final key, waiting as the view screen shimmered, then let out the breath he'd been holding.
"Experimental cloaking shield. Mon Calamari hasn't exactly been welcoming to bounty hunters in the past. Probably what the Jedi was counting on." Heavy scorn colored Fett's words. Syntas held her silence. She of all sentients knew the reason behind that hate, but it didn't make accepting it any easier.
The blue orb hanging in space before them swelled, filling the viewscreen. The sirens began again as Fett took them into a steep descent. Syntas swallowed hard, fastening her crash webbing. Fett gritted his teeth, holding tightly to the controls.
Atmosphere screamed past them as they plummeted down. Wind buffeted the old ship. Syntas gasped as they flashed through clouds, obscuring the viewscreen. Fett growled, reaching over his head, shifting the view. The ocean below leaped into clarity in garish orange and blues.
Klaxons wailed as Fett pulled back on the controls, pulling them up seconds above the water. They slowed as they slowed to a stop over the endless blue oceans. Syntas took another deep breath, reassuring herself that everything was still in one piece.
Fett flipped the switches, powering down most of the systems, and getting to his feet, "I'm going to get ready; information says he's on one of the smaller island cities. We'll set down next door and take care of this."
"Let's be done with it." Syntas unsnapped the crash webbing, following Fett, and swallowing her doubts.
Fett pulled the padded shirt on over his head. Syntas took her own lightweight armor from the storage unit. She held it in her hands hesitating for a long moment. Fett continued strapping on his battered armor.
"Boba...I have a bad feeling about this."
He looked up, pausing, his jetpack in his hands, "I thought you couldn't sense the Force."
Syntas' hands tightened in frustration, "I can't it's just the nightmares, something's happening, something big."
Fett slung his jetpack onto his shoulders, "It will be fine. He won't be hard to find."
"And if it's not?"
"Then we'll deal with it then."
Syntas sighed, but then there was never much of a point in arguing with him. Fett slipped his helmet over his head, and picked up his blaster. She finished arming herself as Fett returned to the cockpit.
He took the Slave 1 out of autopilot and directed it towards the tiny dot on the horizon. It slowly grew, expanding into a gleaming white city. As they approached Fett dropped the cloaking shield. It wasn't long before a querulous voice broke in on the communicator.
"Approaching ship identify yourself."
Fett pressed the communicator, "This is the Slave 1, seeking to land."
"I uh we acknowledge you Slave 1. Come on in."
Fett deactivated the communicator, Syntas coming to stand beside him.
"I thought they didn't like bounty hunters."
His eyes remained on the controls, "They don't, but these little cities are desperate for trade, whether it's a running Jedi or a bounty hunter."
Fett set the Slave 1 down gently on the white docking bay pad. The ship settled slowly, making Syntas grab Fett's arm as they settled.
"What was that?"
"The cities float, some aren't as stable as they should be." He set the security systems, before rising.
"You can say that again," Syntas muttered under her breath as she left the cockpit.
Even the air was thick with moisture and everywhere the smell of the ocean and salt hung in the air. There was also a distinct smell of fish, Syntas couldn't determine if it actually was fish or if it was the inhabitants of the somewhat run down floating city.
Shops lined the wide streets. They seemed to sell just about everything legal and some of the more illegal products as well. Fett strode through the streets ignoring the shopkeepers advertising their wares, and for their part they generally ignored him in return. Syntas found she couldn't blame them for this. For all his youth Fett had seen enough of the universe to give you the feeling you really did not want to mess with him.
A small rat-like sentient detached himself from the shadows of an alleyway and sidled up to Fett. Fett kept walking, not acknowledging his presence. The sentient glanced up at Syntas, looking her up and down. His tongue ran over his lips.
"Got yourself a partner Fett?" His voice whined, grating on the ears of any who heard him.
To Syntas' surprise she found her hand straying to the blaster, holstered on her belt, but Fett was faster. His hand shot out catching the rodent-like creature by the neck. Fett lifted him from the ground.
"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you." His voice remained as cold and calm as ever. A few of the town's fishy residents glanced over at them, their eyes widening.
"I...I've got information you need! I'll give it to you free!"
Fett waited a moment, and then let Achnar drop to the ground.
He scrabbled away from Fett gasping, "The Jedi, he's staying at the Wave Crest Inn, two streets up, doesn't suspect."
Fett turned; leaving the informant huddled on the streets. He might lose Achnar, but Mon Calamari wasn't exactly a busy place. And Achnar'd been getting sloppy. It was probably time to replace him anyway.
Achnar ground his teeth as he watched Fett's retreating back. So Fett thought he could Achnar like that? He pulled a blaster from his shirt, training it on Fett's back.
Fett spun, the blaster bolt catching Achnar in the chest. The rat like being staggered backward, his hands going to the smoking wound before he collapsed backwards. Fett turned, holstered his blaster and continued walking. Syntas winced at the gathering crowd and the mess he'd created before following.
Fett walked quickly down the well lighted streets. They may have allowed him in, but the locals wouldn't be happy about the fact that Achnar was now spreading himself all over their street. He would have to work fast if he didn't want to deal with local law enforcement, and of course avoid alerting the Jedi to his presence.
Syntas hurried after him, more concerned with the nebulous senses filling her mind. It was almost like the Force, but that was impossible, she knew that was impossible. She shut her mind to the turmoil that seemed to be all around her, concentrating instead on the possible threats that seemed to follow them everywhere.
Fett paused at an intersection. A few speeders cruised through taking in more of the sights than hurrying to get anywhere. On one corner a few human merchants who seemed to have fallen on hard times shared a bottle concealed in a bag.
Directly behind them rose the Wave Crest Inn in all its neon blue and green glory. Fett could not decide whether the holographic squids swimming around the door or the singing kelp fronds were worse.
And the back of a Zabrak was visible through the window. He paused, waiting for Syntas to come up behind him. It seemed Agen Kolar had reached the end of his flight. He spoke quietly, softly enough to avoid being overheard.
"The Zabrak's in there. Go in the front, keep him from leaving. I'll come in the back."
Syntas nodded slightly, making her way towards the worst eyesore in the quadrant. Under her helmet she grimaced, you'd think a Jedi Knight would have at least some taste, but then you never know.
Her disgust only grew upon entering the establishment. A variety of sentients filled the large lobby, which was also populated by schools of brightly colored sea life which flitted about the lobby, occasionally through a surprised patron. Kolar was standing in the far corner, as far away from the room's holographic wildlife as possible.
She shifted pretending to study the screen detailing the places rates. Out of the corner of her eye she watched Kolar. Part of her was amazed. All the Padawans had known his name. But she was here to fight him. Some things simply weren't fair. But as she examined how she felt, it didn't bother her as much as she would have thought, perhaps she had in fact learned more about the galaxy around her since leaving the Order.
Fett made his way to the back of the Inn. Here the décor was somewhat less shocking. He tested the handle of the door, finding it locked. He reached into a pouch on his belt, fishing out a small electronic device. He pressed it to the lock, waiting well it processed. A moment later the door unlatched with a click. Fett simply replaced it in his belt and pushed open the door.
It creaked slightly as it swung inwards. Fett followed, scanning the room. The Inn's kitchen was silent, a few deactivated droids rested in niches in the kitchen walls, invisible in the shadows except for a few slowly blinking lights. Above them a charge monitor showed they would be inactive for some time yet. That at least would mean they wouldn't interrupt what Fett was about to do.
From the kitchen an unusually long hall, painted a glowing blue and decorated with painfully cheerful sea life led to the dining room and lobby. The few guests he past who recognized him cowered away, hiding behind whatever sort of cover was available. Fett cursed silently, this sort of fear in the air would surely alert the Jedi.
Syntas watched cautiously as the lobby emptied, it's former occupants perhaps sensing what was coming. Fett should be here any moment, then all they had to do was subdue Kolar and then—
A voice broke into her rushing thoughts, "Why would a Padawan join a bounty hunter against a Jedi Knight?"
Syntas looked up startled, to find Kolar facing her, his hands resting quietly in his lap, his eyes serious, "What sort of Order claims to protect peace, but buys that peace with blood?"
"At times peace must be protected with our lightsabers," He stood, and Syntas' hand went for her own weapon, but she did not draw it. "At times what is right is hard to see, I hope for your sake you have chosen wisely. I wish you well child."
With that he turned, drawing his own lightsaber, which burned a deep green color. He left Syntas caught between her doubts and her grief for a life and a belief she had since lost. He faced the hall from which Fett was emerging, blaster in hand.
Fett's harsh voice broke into the room, "Agen Kolar, you wanted by the Empire for crimes against the Emperor and his people. Come quietly." Nothing in Fett's voice allowed for other options, but Kolar simply tightened his grip on his lightsaber and shifted his weight.
Fett too prepared for the attack, "Resist and I will kill you, the bounty's the same, dead or alive, your choice."
"No reason to make it too easy, I remain an optimist even in these dark times."
Even as he finished speaking the Jedi lunged forward, his lightsaber seeking Fett, but the bounty hunter too was fast. Fett rolled aside, coming up on his feet, firing rapidly with his blaster. Kolar was pushed back as he struggled to deflect them all.
Syntas raised her own blaster, but Fett growled, "Stay out of this." She lowered the weapon angrily. From the Jedi the vague sense that may or may not have been the Force brought her only calm with a sharp undercurrent of fear and sadness. From Fett she felt a rage that shook her deeply, to experience such a feeling, even with the vague senses left to her was unsettling.
Agen dived under the blaster fire, coming up in Fett's face, lightsaber already swinging forward. Fett fell back, dropping his blaster, instead activating the flame thrower on his wrist. Kolar yelled shielding his face with his arm; the pale robe he wore caught fire, flames running up his arms, but as he twisted his foot caught Fett from behind. Fett crashed back into a table, landing on the shattered pieces on the floor.
The Zabrak shrugged off the robe, wincing slightly as he again wrapped his fingers around his lightsaber hilt. Fett scrambled forward, reaching for his blaster, but this time the Jedi was faster. The lightsaber flashed down, and not even Fett's desperate twist could carry him entirely out of its path.
The smell of burning flesh choked the room. Fett snarled, pulling away as Kolar struggled to adjust the angle of his attack and draw his lightsaber across the downed bounty hunter.
Forgotten by the combatants, Syntas raised her blaster, firing at the Jedi, disregarding Fett's command, she wasn't going to let him die simply to let him fulfill some desires for revenge.
Kolar's lightsaber came up to deflect the shots almost to fast to see. Distracted he didn't see Fett get to his knees, one hand pressed against the wound in his side. He drew a vibroblade from a sheath, coming up, thrust it into the Jedi's chest, he drove it in to the hilt.
Agen Kolar, the famous Jedi Knight, hero of the battle of Geonosis and formidable warrior looked down at the simple vibroblade that had ended his life. A thin trail of blood ran from the corner of his mouth, he staggered back, against the wall. He slid to the floor.
Syntas stepped forward, kneeling before him as his eyes faded. His lips moved almost imperceptibly. She leaned forward.
"May my death bring peace." His head fell forward. Syntas looked back over her shoulder at Fett.
"He's dead."
Fett didn't move, but his fury was evident in every line of his body, "I told you not to interfere!"
"I should have let you die?" Syntas felt a flush of anger color her own face beneath the concealing helmet.
"I was fine, this is my fight, I have an oath to fulfill."
"I thought we were partners, Fett, that means helping each other." She paused continuing more quietly, "Is your hate more important than what we have?"
Fett limped to the lobby counter, shoving overturned tables out of his way, one hand still pressed to his side, "This is something I must do."
Syntas reached out, her hand running down his helmet and arm; she pulled away, looking down at her hand, now stained with blood. She looked back up at him, "Then you will have to do it alone. Find me again when you have finished, if you can." Tears filled her eyes, but she would not let them fall. Carefully she turned not trusting herself to say more, and left the Inn.
Fett growled, slamming his fist into the countertop, taking a few deep breaths. He took a step to go after her, but stopped himself. He couldn't leave this, once again he was being taught a lesson in the galaxy's cruelty it seemed. He swallowed the anger that made it hard to even think, and slowly made his way out the back of the ruined Inn.
Behind them both, the bloodied body of Agen Kolar presided over a darkened and empty room. A moment later even that was gone, leaving destruction and a few bloodied rags, lit by a guttering fire. Then silence reigned, a silence oblivious to the dreams and fears of the sentients whose emotions left the air thick with their passing.
Author's Note:
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Well I'm proud, I may be slow to update, but at least it's a long update. Anyone heard the new clips of Fett's voice on the new DVD original series? Lucas replaced it! The guy who plays Jango does them. Personally I think he did fine as Jango, but as Boba in ESB... Lucas should have left well enough alone.
East Coastie1500: LOL, Theron certainly doesn't seem to have made friends does he? But I need him for now, don't worry though eventually he'll have a real battle with Fett.
Infamous One: Thanks for the offer... maybe I should take you up on that, but more people showed up for 6, hopefully they'll stick around for 7, maybe I should threaten to sick Jar Jar on them, there's a fate worse then death.
Firefly4000: Why thank you, hope this will do.
TriGemini: Don't worry it should be full of surprises in upcoming chapters.
Pingpong: Yikes! I updated! I updated! See? Just let the bounty hunter go slowly....