Chapter 2

It was a bright, sunshiny morning. Boba crawled out of bed and began dressing, excited at the prospect of a new day.

"Boba!" a voice called. "Time for breakfast."

Boba ran out of his room and into the kitchen. He stopped and rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Where their small table had once been, there was now a huge one, piled with all sorts of foods: toast, nerf sausage, fruit juice, stimcaf, and cereal.

And there, standing clad in a white apron and big mitts, was his mother.

"Boba," she said kindly. "You're finally awake. It's about time. It's time for breakfast, son."

Boba took a seat at the table. "Breakfast? Is this all for me?"

"Of course not," his mother said. "You must save some for your father."

"Honey!" came the voice of Jango from the bedroom. "Have you seen my necktie?"

"Didn't you leave it on the couch, dear?"

"I suppose I…." Dad could be heard moving from one room to the next. "There it is."

Jango Fett walked into the kitchen, clad in Mandalorian armor, sans helmet, looking bewildered as he tried to fasten a necktie around his neck. "Gornt poodoo," he muttered.

"Now, dear," Mother said, turning and smiling at her son. "Not in front of Boba."

Jango turned and smiled, too. "Good-morning, son. How did you sleep?"

Boba was cramming nerf sausage into his mouth. "Great, Dad."

"Wonderful." His smile shifted back to his confused look as he fiddled with the tie. "Honey, could you help me with this? I can't seem to—"

"Here, let me." She grinned and walked over to him, expertly tying it about his neck. She stepped back, looking at him, very pleased. "There. Perfect."

"Not quite. Jango turned and plucked the last piece of his ensemble, the helmet, off the counter. He placed it on his head and looked at them. "Well. How do I look?"

"Like the most handsome man in the universe, dear." Mother poured a cup of steaming stimcaf. "But aren't you going to eat before you go?"

"I'll take something with me. Gonna be a big day at the office."

Still smiling. "Well then. Knock em dead, honey." Mother leaned over and kissed the side of the helmet.

"Yeah. Knock em dead, Dad," Boba said.

"Oh don't worry. I will. Good-bye, dear. Good-bye, son." Jango turned to leave, armor, tie and all.

"Bye, Dad!"

"Bye, Honey!"

Boba sat up swiftly, then realized he was not in the kitchen with his father and imaginary mother. He was still in bed, and he had been having a dream. He went to the window and opened the blinds. Outside, the sky was dark and the rain was pouring down. Just like always.

Boba's face fell for only a moment. He started dressing. It was time for breakfast.

In his own room, Jango's head shot off the pillow like an ion blast. He grabbed his WESTAR-34 instinctively. But he relaxed instantly, realizing…it had only been a nightmare.

Just a horrible, horrible nightmare.

At breakfast, Jango and Boba sat at their small table. Like everything on Kamino, it was streamlined and efficient. They crunched happily on their efficient breakfast, a biscuit and nondescript meat patty that had come out of the ultra-efficient Kaminoan food synthesizer.

The door whirred open and Zam Wesell entered, wearing her bodysuit, sans helmet and heavy weaponry. She sauntered into the kitchen as though she lived there.

"Zam. So glad you still remember how to knock."

The other hunter snapped her fingers. "I knew I forgot something. And here I was thinking it was my undergarments."

Boba giggled. "Please, Zam," his father said. "We're trying to eat here."

"And I wouldn't want to interrupt you while you were enjoying your most delicious meal," Wesell replied. "But have you checked the bounty postings this morning?"

"Not yet. I only woke up an hour ago."

"Early hawkbat gets the grub."

"What's a hawkbat?" Boba asked.

Jango continued crunching on his biscuit. Zam decided to answer. "Kind of like an aiwha, only a lot smaller. And their poop stinks worse."

Boba laughed. Jango rolled his eyes.

Zam continued. "A new job came up this morning. Out of Bothawui. Target's supposed to be still in the sector."

"Great," Jango said. "A Bothan high-crime. Probably a slicer who embezzled credits with his computer, right?"

"That's what Bothans do best."

"How much is the bounty?"

"Five thousand."

"I'll pass."

"Aw, come on, Jango. It's close enough that it'll be worth your loss in starship fuel. It'll be some extra credits coming your way." She picked up one of the meat patties, and dropped it disdainfully. "Maybe you'll be able to afford some better food."

"I don't need the credits. I've got plenty of money coming in from the cloners. Besides." He took a bite of the patty. "I like this food."

"Come on, Jango. I know you've got to be going stir-crazy here."

"Stir crazy," Boba repeated thoughtfully. "What's that, Dad?"

"Something I'm not," Jango replied. "Look, Zam. Today I start another round of training programs with the soldiers. Someone is paying me well for an army of the best soldiers in the galaxy. I don't intend to disappoint them."

Zam looked at the hunter, down at Boba, then back at him again. "Are you sure? I could use the company."

"You'll do fine on your own."

"Yeah. No doubt there." Zam took a step back. "All right. Suit yourself, Fett. But I don't want to hear you asking for a loan when I get back."

"You'll be safeguarded from that possibility if you don't come back."

Zam grinned. Jango might hardly ever smile, but she'd come to appreciate his friendly jabs. "You may be the biggest and baddest of us all. But you're not that lucky."

Zam turned and walked out.

Boba stared at his father, who finished chewing his last bite and then looked at him.

"What is it, son?"

"Nothing. I forgot you were training the clones today."

"It's my job, son."

"I know."

Jango looked at him, stood up, scraped his plate, then took Boba's plate, finding it clean and empty of crumbs. "You're a good boy, Boba," he said. "Enjoy your solitude while I'm gone. Time alone is important for a bounty hunter."

"Okay, Dad."

Jango headed for his room to change, then to the proving grounds to start the training program.

At least the clones would see some action today.