Mandalorians Don't Cry.
By Esteban T. Rodriguez.
The hijacked Oovo IV spacecraft streaked across the stars to its remote destination. The Firespray Pursuit Special, one of six prototypes manufactured for the Republic Asteroid prison. Her owner had destroyed the rest of them and deactivated her ID transponder in a successful attempt to escape the prison. Now, her owner dubbed her Slave I. A ruthless title that fit his personality.
The ship's master, Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett stretched in the pilot's seat. He sighed and removed the blast helmet, kept in prime condition, like the rest of his armor. Fett looked around at the void. This was the one part of his job he hated: waiting. His last job had been so engaging, so exciting, so fun, but now it was all over. His assignment had been given to him by a Sith lord named Darth Tyranus. His target: Komari Vosa, the deranged former Jedi leader of the Bando Gora, a deadly society that had all but taken over the galaxy. Fett had killed so many, Meeko Ghintee, (Whom he had killed on Oovo IV after he had captured him on Outland Station.) Senator Trell, the Dug king and crime lord of Malistare Sebolto, Gardulla the Hutt, and his bitter rival. The only ex-Mandalorian in existence, a man known only as Montross. He was a ruthless man, who had left the Mandalorians after he had left the commander, Jango's adopted father, Jaster Mereel to die on Korda VI. Jango had assumed command, but was later betrayed to the Jedi on Galidraan, where every last remaining Mandalorian was mercilessly cut down. Vosa herself had killed twenty, or so she claimed. Montross and Jango had fought each other on Coruscant, Malistare and Kohlma, Vosa's graveyard moon. Fett got the upper hand on Montross, and left him at the mercy of the Bando Gora slaves, who feasted upon the bounty hunter, for they were no better then the living dead.
But now, what was Fett to do whilst en route to his destination? He had cleaned and polished his Westars five times already, twiddled his thumbs a lot and tried to doze off. None of them helped to pass the time. He was tempted to go back into the small sleeping quarters and start up a conversation with his new partner Zam Wessel, but he knew she must be tired. She had been hit by one of her own blaster shots, deflected in the Jedi fashion by Vosa. When she turned her blaster to the bound Jango, he could have sworn she would have shot him right there for abandoning her on Tatooine, but instead freed him so he could finish off Vosa. He still wasn't sure if Zam was still as positive towards him.
Speak of the Sith Lord, here she was. Her arm was covered in bacta, but she looked as if she had slept well.
"Hey there." Zam said as she took a seat beside him.
"Zam." Was all that Jango said. "How's the arm?"
"I've felt better," Zam admitted. "But I'll live. You seemed a little lonely, so I thought you might like some company."
Lonely? Jango Fett had been arguably one of the loneliest men in the galaxy. He had never had anyone in his life; the fellow Mandalorians he fought beside merely respected him, but his life had been completely devoid of love. Family, or pure romance, Jango never had it. Killing people had let his vent his loneliness and frustration, but it was an unquenchable thirst, one that grew back. But ever since Zam came into his life, it had been different. He felt something; a sort of lightness, and his insides began to do acrobatics whenever she was around. If indeed she was a changeling, then she had chosen a very nice skin. Her hair was a light blonde, he assumed. Her hair was hidden underneath a light gray helmet that gave her a professional, if not slightly comical appearance. Her eyebrows were small, thin and dark, that overshadowed her lovely blue eyes. Her nose was small, cute and turned up and her lips were thin, but pursed. There was a roguish trait about her that Jango found rather appealing. "Thanks." Jango replied, gazing out into the star field zooming past.
Zam shifted to get comfortable and inquired. "So when do I get paid?"
Jango cocked his left eyebrow, and Zam articulated. "My money. For all the hell I've gone through with you, as well as for my saving your hide a couple of times, it wasn't all just for you. I expect to be well paid, Fett."
"Don't worry about that." Jango said almost harshly. "When I get paid, you get paid." He instantly regretted saying this. He didn't want to make Zam feel uncomfortable.
"What was the price on her head then, Jango?" Zam asked. "C'mon, you can trust me."
Jango hesitated, and then said what he was promised. "Fifty million Republic Credits."
Zam let out a low whistle. "That's a pretty penny all right. So when will you get it?"
Jango hesitated again. Ah, curse it. Zam deserved to know the truth. "I'm not sure." He said. "The best I can figure is this Tyranus fellow who hired me for the job was looking for some sort of template for a clone army. Since I brought down Vosa, I'm that template."
"Clone army?" Zam said, her eyebrows rising. "For what?"
"I don't know." Jango said. "All I was given were the coordinates for this cloner planet, Kamino."
"Kamino." Zam repeated. "Well, are you going to be paid for this?"
"Tyranus said I'd be paid more than five million." Jango said. "Besides, I've got nothing better to do."
"Well, if that's the way it's going to be, then can I stick around? We work good as a team." Zam said, grinning.
Jango returned the smile and said. "Sure."
Kamino proved to be a small planet, though without any land surface, save for the structures built above the surface of the water. The inhabitants were tall, pure white, and very slender. There was a soft white glow everywhere, and Jango was nearly blinded when he first arrived. The apartment he had was also spacious and cozy, despite all the white, which Jango was really beginning to get tired of. Zam and him spent some time discussing several other missions, but then another being came into the picture. A human named Jussin Reed.
It was amazing what effect other people could have on Jango. It had been that way all his life, and it was no different now. For, the actions he and Zam engaged in took him completely by surprise. The female bounty hunter had leapt up, hugged him, but then their contact became a little more intimate. Their lips touched, with a small moan escaping form Zam.
Jango's jaw dropped, making him rather look like a fish out of water. His shock took over and he felt as if the bottom of his stomach fell out. He grimaced and silently stormed out of the room, leaving them to their devices, before he became a one-man audience.
Fett immediately took his twin Westar 34s and went out onto the rainy landing platform. He set up several targets and fired away. This time was different, for most of the time he focused on accuracy. Efficiency. This time, he blasted each and every target in sheer rage, anger. He didn't care if it was overkill or not. For each target, he imagined the face of this new Reed person. He was furious, and he vented it all here.
When all the targets had been reduced to smoldering pieces of rubble, Jango went back to his room, tired and upset. He put the blasters away and lay down. He sighed and covered his face with his hands. Why hadn't Zam told him? Why had he become so attached to her? Why did she have to be with him? What was wrong with Jango?
Fett sighed and turned over, remembering one thing Montross had said to him during their duel on Kohlma.
When you die, nobody cries.
Fett sighed again, knowing this was probably true. He had nobody. It was absolutely amazing how this reckless, silly girl, a changeling who didn't have her true skin on, could bring the proud, ruthless, hardened Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett to his knees.
His eyes were now burning, but Jango swallowed his emotions. Jaster's most important teaching came to him now. Above all, a Mandalorian warrior doesn't cry.
Jango Fett turned over, drew the covers up and fell into a restless sleep.
End.
Sorry if this depressed some people. This one girl I'm in love with, I just found out, is going out with another guy, and I just needed to vent. But if you'd like me to update, possibly with a happy ending, please review! Thank you and Ciao!
