Author Note: I'm really sorry that I haven't posted for ages, but I got a bit carried away with one of my other stories. It was only supposed to be a one-shot, but now it's got 3 (almost 4) chapters. Well, It's almost finished now, so I should get back to regular posting of this soon.
Hope it was worth the wait. (p.s. I've cut some scenes out, because otherwise the story will go on for too long. Don't worry, they are unimportant scenes, and I bet you won't even realise they are gone. You can work out what happens anyway.)
Jango watched Beru sleep the next morning. She looked very young and fragile, her face bruised, her eyelids fluttering as she dreamed. Jango watched her with great tenderness.
Nute opened the tent flap and sunlight streamed in. Jango put a finger over his mouth and Nute, seeing Beru, nodded. Jango gently pulled the blanket over her shoulders before standing and exiting.
Maul was waiting for Jango outside the tent.
"Have the men start loading the ship. We're going home," Jango said to Nute. Nute, surprised, looked at Maul for a second before bowing to his commander and walking away.
"You found the girl?" Maul asked after a few moments of silence.
"I found her," Jango replied bluntly.
"Is she hurt?"
"Not as badly as those who hurt her."
Jango stared at the sea and there was another long pause.
"Do you miss your wife, Maul?"
"Always."
"I've never missed anyone in my life," Jango admitted. "I used to think it was a weakness, needing someone else."
"We all need someone else. Right now, the Empire needs you."
"The Empire got along fine before I was born and the Empire will be the Empire long after I'm dead."
"I'm not talking about the land, Jango. The valleys, the mountains -- they don't care what we do. The men need you. You should have seen the slaughter yesterday.""I saw it. And I saw who led the men to slaughter," Jango snapped.
"Sidious... is a proud man. But he knows when he's made a mistake."
"The man sends you to make his appologies? He doesn't understand honor. What are you doing in thrall to that pig of a king?"
"The world seems simple to you, my friend. But when you're a king, very few choices are simple. I cannot afford an enemy like Sidious," Maul sighed.
"Am I supposed to fear him?"
"You don't fear anyone, that's your problem. Fear is useful. Fear is our ally. Stay, Jango. You were born for this war."
"My life is war. Is that what you think?"
"Am I wrong?" Maul asked but Jango just stared at the sea again.
"A week ago you were right. But things are less simple today."
"Women have a way of complicating things," Maul said with a sly grin. Jango smiled too as he turned to Maul and clasped his hand.
"Of all the Sith Lords, I respect you most. But in this war you're a servant. And I refuse to be a servant any longer."
"Sometimes you need to serve in order to lead. I hope you understand that one day," Maul finished before walking away. Jango watched him go and then turned back toward his tent. He saw that Boba had been standing by the tent throughout the conversation, as stealthy and quiet as Jango had taught him to be.
"We're going home?" he asked.
"We leave at noon," Jango said without debate, before trying to enter his tent. But Boba grabbed his arm and blocked his path. Jango glared at Boba's hand, causing the boy to let go but not move out of the way.
"If someone curses us and our ship goes down, what will I tell the shades in Hades? That I died running from this war, abandoning our countrymen?"
"Our countrymen?"
"Yes, our country! We're Imperials, father. I broke bread with these men, I drank their wine, I listened to their jokes. These are our comrades. We cannot desert them. Your feud with Sidious is tearing this army apart. And your reputation suffers. The men are talking --"
Jango's eyes narrowed as his temper rose.
"If my blood wasn't in your veins --" he threatened.
"But your blood is in my veins," Boba interupted, seeing Jango's weakness.
"I gave you an order, Boba. We leave at noon."
And with that he opened the tent flap.
"If you command us not to fight for the king of kings, so be it. But please don't ask me not to fight for the Empire. When the shades hear my name I want them to know I led a worthy life."
Jango, his face unreadable, watched his cloned son walked away.