Asana stood in the former throne room of Jabba the Hutt and Bib Fortuna. Her blue eyes were only staring at the person sitting on the throne, sitting like a king and true ruler of the planet, Boba Fett, someone the female originally thought died a terrible death a few years backs when Lando, Princess Leia, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, and Chewbacca rescued the former smuggler and troublesome man named Han Solo from the Hutt.
"You repainted your armor," Asana mused toward Boba Fett, eyes staying locked on the newly and freshly painted armor the man was wearing. The colors were more bright and colorful, not chipped away with dirty coloring.
Boba Fett gave a small nod. "You grew out your hair." For all the years he had known the female, she never grew out her hair past the shoulders. It had always been pixie styled and short.
"Why? Don't you like it?" She teased, running a small hand through her long and flowing gray-white hair.
"I like it," Boba Fett replied, grinning beneath the helmet.
Fennec watched the two of them, not knowing who the female was except that Boba Fett knew her. Only Fennec was on edge and trying to make sure nothing would blow up within their faces once their guard was officially down. Even though most of the guards were dead and many lift the palace once Boba took over, that didn't mean the female shouldn't lower her own guard because Boba was being friendly with an old friend.
Past
It started near nightfall on the planet of Tatooine. The palace that had once belonged to Jabba the Hutt, Bib Fortuna sat holding court on the throne of the dead galactic crime lord. The Twi'lek had grown fat in his ascent to power, his jowls dropping along with the glistening lekku that wrapped around his neck and hung over his chest. Courtiers and various hangers on formed his entourage. Gamoorrean guards stood watch on either side, and the terrified Twi'lek captive was chained by her ankle to the base of the throne.
Bib sat back on his throne with a chortle, enjoying the spoils of his success. It was good to be king.
Then, from the stairwell above, there was a series of blaster fires. One could see the flashes and hear the noise of a blaster going off like an echo.
Bib leaned forward, commanding the guards in Huttese. The Gamorreans advanced toward the unseen altercation. Two more blaster shots rang out, and both guards fell to the floor, dead. Worried, Bib ordered another of his minions forward, and another. More blaster fire sprayed through the throne room as one by one each of them fell.
All that remained was Bib himself, and the chained Twi'lek as his side.
Out of the shadows, Fennec Shand slipped into view. Bib gaped at her in astonished silence. Fennec aimed the sniper rifle in the direction of the enslaved Twi'lek and pulled the trigger. The chain snapped, breaking to tiny metal pieces.
The Twi'lek woman seemed relieved to be alive and confused at the same time. Not understanding what was going to happen to her. Rather she'll die in a different way or at the hands of a blaster. With a subtle movement of her head, Fennec signaled that the Twi'lek was free to go. The Twi'lek leapt to her feet and ducked into the shadows of the throne room and ran toward her newly gained freedom.
Fennec stood up and looked at Bib Fortuna. The crime boss was still staring at her when Boba Fett walked into the room, holding a blaster at the ready.
Bib gasped at his new guest. "Boba," he said in Huttest. "I thought you were dead." A queasy smile came over his face. "I am glad to see you. I heard many rumors." Rumors that you were alive.
Boba didn't answer. He pointed the blaster and fired. Bib jerked once and slumped forward.
Stepping onto the platform, Boba Fett shoved the lifeless body aside and settled himself into the seat of power. Next to him, Fennec uncapped a bottle of blue liquor and lifted it to her lips.
Seated on the throne, Boba Fett gazed out, his eyes directed toward the future.
Present
"Who is she?" Fennec asked, eyebrows raised in the air, looking at Boba, questioning the male about the newly arrived female in the room.
Boba turned his head, looking at Fennec through his mask. "An old friend of mine. Her name is Asana." He honestly thinks the two females will take a liking to each other within only a matter of time. Only Fennec was concerned when it came to new faces. "We can trust her."
Fennec raised another eyebrow in the air. "Really?" Consider both Boba and she just killed Bib a few minutes ago and Asana showed up? "She could've been working for Bib."
Asana let out a small chuckle, which made the other bounty hunter look directly at her. "Trust me. I wouldn't be here working for anyone on a desert planet."
"She dislikes sand and heat," Boba Fett answered with a roll of his eyes. The man could recall the many times Asana had stated she would never take a job on Tatooine or Jakku because of the desert heat that acted like a live fire oven every time the sun reached midday.
"I wouldn't get caught dead here," Asana admits, a smile forming onto her lips as blue eyes locked onto Boba Fett. "I was only here to check out the rumors about Fett being alive. It seems I was correct to check Jabba's old palace first." After all, Boba Fett originally worked here when the Hutt was alive and in power.
"That's lovely," Fennec replied with a blunt attitude.
She sure is overprotective of Fett, Asana thought, realizing Fennec's relationship with Boba. Only Asana didn't understand Fennec's background enough to fully understand her connection to Fett. Neither woman seemed to understand each other very much. The only thing keeping Fennec from killing and ending Asana's life at the moment is because of the connection they both have with the Bounty Hunter on the golden throne.
"Mind telling me what you've been up to?" Boba Fett asked.
Asana gave him a brief smile. "As long as you tell me what you've been up to over the past few years."
"It's kind of a long story."
"I had a feeling it would be."
Once the story was told. Asana couldn't believe it.
"Wait."
"Wait, what?"
Asana lifted a black fingerless glove hand up in front of Boba Fett as the three humans sat at a wooden table within the throne room. The female Bounty Hunter had just heard a very strange tale about a Mandalorian. A little green child with powers that former Imperial's wanted for its M blood count to use in cloning, and the darksaber.
"It sounds very much as an insane tale that Lando would come up with for his chronicle books." The Asana admits, shaking her head in disbelief. She had heard many of the stories Lando had told her over the years and most of the tales woman believed the male made up just to impress women.
"You don't believe me," Boba Fett admits, eyeing her without the helmet on.
"I'm not saying you're lying," Asana wasn't calling anyone a liar here. Only the story was a hard one to believe. "I'm curious about one thing?
"What?"
"What makes that kid so special?" Asana asked, confused. "All because of some magic blood that a small percentage of the galaxy could have in them. Couldn't the Empire have used any of those kids instead of just this one that you're telling me about?"
"I don't know. All I know is that I promised to help the Mandalorian to save the kid and that's what happened," Boba Fett explained in a dull tone. He didn't really get involved in the mess or all the missions. Only knowing what Fennec explained to him after the kid was saved and Din won the Darksaber.
"Okay. But the Darksaber?"
"Yes, the Darksaber. What about it?"
Asana knew some history about the Darksaber from Jango Fett and her own father because of her mother originally being from Mandalore. The Darksaber was an ancient and unique black-bladed lightsaber created by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian ever inducted into the Jedi Order, prior to the year 1032 BBY. The weapon was kept in the Jedi Temple after Vizsla's passed into the Force, but members of House Vizsla stole the saber in a conflict with the Jedi, killing many of them with the stolen weapon during the fall of the Old Republic. The Darksaber was passed down, generation to generation, by the ancestors of Pre Vizsla, who held onto the weapon even after the pacifist ideals of the New Mandalorians replaced the warrior ways of Mandalore. If one was to wield the weapon, then they had a claim to the Mandalore throne.
"Well, I feel terrible for your new friend if he's going to rule Mandalore. Or have to fight someone to the death all because he won the Darksaber without knowing the rules." Asana admits with a small roll of her blue eyes, looking down at the wooden table.
"Bo-Katan wouldn't fight him to the death." Fennec stated, looking at the female with a small shake of her own head.
"Well, way back in the day when they challenged each other for the throne and the weapon it was a fight to the death." Asana explained, keeping her eyes down on the wooden table, not even bothering to look at the other bounty hunter female in the room that was standing beside Boba Fett.
"The rules have changed since then." Fett explained.
"Hopefully," Asana answered. "But if Bo-Katan really wanted to rule she should've been looking for the golden mask of Mandalore."
Fennec raised an eyebrow. "The golden-" Did Asana just say something about a golden object? "-what?"
"It's just a story." Fett stated. Only it had once been a very real object that passed into legend. Not many knew the story or the tale because the Darksaber replaced the object over the years.
"The golden mask is the original mask worn by the first Mandalorian that ruled over Mandalore." Asana explained as the female tried to remember everything she heard about the object over the many years. It wasn't something talked about in current Mandalorian history because of the object being long forgotten. "It was said whenever the next person that was in line to rule the planet would take up the helmet and claim themselves as Mandalore-the planet-the person wearing the mask will give up their identity and only do what is best for their planet and people." No selfish desires. "It was said that the mask held all the memories and knowledge of every ruler of Mandalore-which was why the person had to give up their identity."
"What happened to it?" Fennec wondered, smirking toward the other female.
Asana looked upward and locked eyes with Fennec. "It's not known."
"How it is not known?" The Bounty Hunter asked, eyebrows in the air.
Boba Fett cleared his throat. "In the stories the fate of the object was never stated because of mixed accounts." Sometimes the translation could've been wrong about what happened to the golden mask of Mandalore.
"The first account says the mask was stolen," Asana admits, trying to recall the time area. "The golden mask was said to have gone on mission during the time of Revan fighting against the Mandalorian. Another account said the mask was destroyed. The third said-"
"It was buried deep within Mandalore because they started using the Darksaber as a pathway to the throne." Fett added, narrowing his brown eyes. Many believed that combat was a better way to descend onto the throne than by picking someone to wear a mask and make choices for the people and fate of the planet. Everyone always had a goal in mind about how to rule when the golden mask didn't allow that kind of choice to be made.
"It was also written out of history because of how Mandalorian changed what wearing their helmets meant." Asana adds. "You know about how a Mandalorian isn't supposed to take off their mask. The Golden mask embraces the new Mandalorian way that has been created over the years, which was why not many talk about the golden mask."
Originally the Mandalorian mask was only to be worn in battle when the one wearing the golden mask stood for Mandalore and its people. But over time everyone believed a Mandalorian should always wear their helmet and never take it off no matter what. That's why the golden mask of Mandalore was considered a myth and a story among anyone that listened.
"But you said it might not be true." Fennec says before looking in-between Asana and Boba Fett, locking her eyes with the two of them.
"Maybe it is a story or fact. You'll never know until someone finds it. Either way many blame Revan and the mask for causing the Mandalorian clans to scatter because only that mask brought everyone in Mandalore together."
Boba Fett let out a small breath. "Now we're all up to speed with each other. I need to go see if I can find myself a bacta tank."
Asana looked at Boba Fett with concern. "Why?"
"I still have injuries that need healing." Fett explained, looking toward Fennec as the two stood up from the table and started to head out of the room. "Which was why I didn't want anyone to know I was alive until my health got better."
"Then I'll wait. I'm not in a hurry to leave, Boba." Asana admits, leaning back against her chair.
"Good to know." The male Bounty Hunter answered before heading out the doorway.
Here we go with chapter 3. Asana and Fennec meet for the first time and tension between the two girls begins. Boba Fett explained everything that happened in Mandalorian season 2 to Asana. Plus, Asana explained the Golden mask.
Asana is convince that Din and Bo-Katan will end up fighting to the death, but she'll also believe that Din might end up being the perfect ruler for the planet of Mandalore.