Chapter 26 End Game

By the time Boba Fett awoke, he was already settled into a room in the medical center. His first sight, when he opened his eyes, was the view of the upper towers of Coruscant; he sighed and stretched then turned his gaze in the opposite direction to find Breha, with a data pad in her hand, smiling at him, "Hello." He said groggily.

"Hello; are you feeling better?" Breha asked.

"I…I think so; where am I?" Boba asked.

"In the medical center on Coruscant; where did you think you were?" Breha asked.

"I don't know; the last thing I remember is…is talking to Master Kenobi on the frigate." Boba answered.

"Yes, then you took a very long nap; you were still sleeping when you were brought here." Breha told him.

"Oh….I'm sorry, Milady." Boba said.

"Sorry? Whatever for, dear?" Breha asked.

"I've been nothing but trouble since I came." Boba replied.

"No, Boba; you must not think that." Breha said.

"But I have been; I started all that trouble with the hunters and then got myself shot and then I let Tyrien kidnap me and Bail had to…" Boba began.

"Stop it; stop right there. You did not bring those hunters to Alderaan; and when you discovered what they were up to, you tried to help Master Kenobi catch them. You were hurt trying to do a very brave thing; you did not go looking to get shot. And you did not let anyone kidnap you; Haris told me what that room looked like, and for someone who let himself be kidnapped you fought pretty hard. Are you telling me that you had to fight with him so he would abduct you?" Breha replied, cutting him off.

"Well, no; but…" Boba answered.

"But what, Boba? You did not fight hard enough; is that what you think?" Breha asked, "You were a badly injured fourteen year old boy and you were trapped in a room with a man bent on taking you; you would have been very lucky if you had escaped. That was not your fault and you must not blame yourself for it."

"Yes, Ma'am….but Master Kenobi could have been killed; that would have been my…" Boba protested.

"No, it would not have been; and if Master Kenobi were here, he would tell you that himself." Breha told him, cutting him off again.

"Well, Bail had to come all the way to Myrkr…" Boba started again.

"Yes, he did; but since you were there against your will, that was not your fault either." Breha replied.

The door slid open and Bail, followed by Haris Averill entered the room, "What was not your fault, Boba? You are not still blaming yourself for all this, are you?" He said, "We have already talked about that."

Boba sighed, "I know." He admitted.

"Well then, we will hear no more of it." Bail ordered, "Haris said you should be strong enough to go home in a couple of days."

"Home?"

"Yes, you do want to go home, do you not?" Bail asked.

"Well, yes; but…" Boba trailed off.

Bail sighed and shook his head, "How can we convince you that none of what has happened is your fault? We wish to become your family if you would have us and we want you home." He said.

Boba's eyes filled with tears, "I...I want that too." He replied, "I…I'm sorry that I…that I…I've been so stupid….you've been so nice to me…and I've….I've been…and I didn't see it until it was too late…until I...I thought I'd never see you again."

Breha smiled and brushed the hair away from his forehead, "It is never too late, Boba; not while you still have breath in you." She told him.

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As he had promised Anakin, Obi-Wan spent the next two days resting and meditating; Zak spent most his time in quiet, secluded meditation or with Obi-Wan, although, twice he ventured to the Room of A Thousand Fountains where he was bombarded with questions about Ferri and what he had done. Both times he refused to discuss Ferri's betrayal or the reason behind it. Ferri did his best to avoid everyone, staying in his quarters as much as possible, leaving only for meals, which he ate by himself in the corner of the dining hall and for his required counseling sessions with Anakin and Yoda; whenever he was asked about the events on Myrkr, he would only shake his head and walk away. By the end of the second day after their fourth intensive session, Anakin finally detected a tiny crack in the defensive barrier that had formed as a result of Ferri's insecurity and he left that session feeling that, at last, there was some hope for the former Jedi apprentice. When he was not at the Temple, Anakin was with his family or with Padme alone as they searched for a suitable home in the city within easy distance from the Temple and the Senate buildings.

Three days after the frigate docked on Coruscant, Weston Carlyle stood before the Senate Judicial Committee to answer to the charges of threatening the Supreme Chancellor and obstruction of justice leveled against him. Despite numerous protests lodged by his over-paid defender, Carlyle was found guilty of both charges and fined 100,000 credits to be paid before he would be released from custody. To this end, he was forced to spend several more days in a Republic holding cell before his personal assistant, Stewart, could manage to gather it together. In addition, he was forbidden to speak if he attended Devan's trial and ordered not to assist his daughter or her partner in securing high-paid defenders; their defense would be handled by government defenders, not to prove their alleged innocence, but to merely see that they were fairly tried. But Weston Carlyle never stepped foot in the courtroom during Devan's trial; by the time it had begun, he had already gone back to Verdant desperate to correct the damage done, not only by his rebellious daughter, but by his own foolish criminal behavior. He knew he had a long way to go.

Devan's preliminary hearing took place before a week had passed with the decision that there were sufficient grounds for proceeding to a criminal trial. That same day, the preliminary hearings for her partner, Kien and their accomplice, Tyrien ended with the same results. Viral and Banyon languished in holding cells for another day before their preliminary hearings ended with formal charges filed against Viral for attempted kidnapping and attempted assault; and Banyon for threatening the lives of two Jedi Knights and aiding in the escape of known criminals. Although he was under no obligation to do so, the Chancellor requested that all trials be conducted as low profile as possible and concluded swiftly, but carefully to ensure that no doubt would be left as to the guilt of the hunters.

And so it was that Obi-Wan, Anakin and Zak found themselves, once again, in a Republic courtroom with Bail and Breha Organa and Boba Fett. Unlike Mas Amedda's trial many months earlier, the motive of Devan's defender was not to discredit the witnesses; and although his questions were probing, it was clear that they were meant only to dispel any doubt in the minds of the jury that Devan was, indeed, guilty of the charges laid against her. Obi-Wan was asked to relate how he and his fellow Jedi were led to Myrkr, the trap laid out for him and his young apprentice and the hunt he was forced to participate in when she had threatened his apprentice's life; as proof, the prosecutor presented the holo-tapes made by her and Kien. Zak was called up next and testified that he was ordered to bind first his master and then himself before being taken to a bunker where he was chained in a cell until freed by Anakin. Anakin was not called to testify during this trial, nor would he be for Kien's, but told that he would be for both Viral and Tyrien's. Perhaps, the most damning of all the evidence presented at Devan's trial was the testimony of Boba Fett, himself and the images, wisely taken by Haris Averill, of the injuries he incurred on his forced march from Tyrien's ship to the bunker. It was clear that Devan's cruel and brutal treatment of the young ex-bounty hunter would garner her little sympathy from the jury. Her trial lasted barely two days and the verdict handed down before an hour had passed after the concluding statements were heard. She was found guilty of all charges laid against her; fleeing to escape the law, criminal assault for her treatment of Boba, kidnapping, 2 counts, one each for Boba and Zak and worst of all the premeditated attempted-murder of Obi-Wan Kenobi. She was sentenced to lifetime imprisonment in the Kessel penal system to be instituted the following day. Frantically protesting her innocence, Devan Carlyle was dragged out of the courtroom back to her cell.

As Devan was hauled, kicking and screaming in protest of her innocence, to the prison ship the following day, effectively ending her free life, Kien Valier's trial was getting underway. Over the next two days, testimony and evidence, similar to that presented at Devan's trial, was presented. No one from the Valier family was present during his trial. Again, nothing was contested and the jury left the courtroom only to return quickly with a second guilty verdict on the same charges laid against his partner and like her, the day after his sentence was laid down, he, too, was aboard a ship heading for the Kessel system, although steps had been taken to be sure he was sent to a different prison colony. As he did after being captured by Aang and Banyon, he went quietly without resistance.

Two days later, the short trial of Banyon began and he was quickly found guilty of the charges laid against him and sentenced to ten years hard labor in the tympana gas mines on Bespin. Within two days, he had been tried, found guilty and sentenced and was on his way aboard the prison shuttle to begin his sentence.

The charges against Tyrien were almost as numerous as those of his accomplices; although he was not charged with the attempted murder of a Jedi Master, he was charged with the murder of the guard who had tried to help Boba as Tyrien attempted to flee with him from the medical center on Alderaan. In addition, he was also charged with criminal abuse for the drugging of Boba Fett and assault in connection with the boy's forced march on Myrkr. Along with Boba, Haris Averill also took the stand to describe the effects the drugs Boba was given along with the boy's physical condition both before and after the kidnapping. The fact that Boba had been in such a poor physical state when Tyrien abducted him sealed the case against him and his was the fourth guilty verdict handed down along with a life sentence on a prison colony near Ord-Mandel.

By the time of Viral's trial, 2 days after Tyrien's, everything Boba had been through had begun to take its toll. Despite the care even the defenders took not to tire the still-recovering boy, he barely made it through his final testimony, and as he stood up to return to his seat he collapsed and was carried to a nearby waiting area where he was tended by Bail's Doctor, Haris Averill. This event, combined with Anakin's description of Boba's state when he found him, hardened the jury against Viral and he was sentenced to twenty years in Bespin's gas mines for conspiring to kidnap the already captive boy and deliver him to his superior, whose identity he never revealed.

With the last of the trials finished, and Viral scheduled to be transported to Bespin the next day, Bail thought it best to take Boba home to Alderaan where he could rest and recuperate in the fresh cool climate of their mountain estate. And so, in the mid-afternoon the following day, Boba stood on the landing platform next to Tantive IV with his best friend who had come from the Temple to say goodbye.

"I'll miss you." Boba said.

"Well, it won't be long before you'll be back here." Zak assured him.

"I know, but I'll miss you anyway." Boba replied.

"You just take care of yourself, alright? Rest and get your strength back." Zak told him, not knowing what else to say.

"I will; thank you, Zak." Boba answered.

"Thank you? For what? I didn't do anything." Zak said.

"Yes, you did; you…you came to find me; you and Master Kenobi." Boba reminded him, "And don't say it was just your duty as a Jedi, because you and I know it was more than that."

Zak looked at the ground, "Well, it was our mission to find you, but it was also very personal to me." He admitted, "Because you are my friend, Boba."

Boba smiled, "And you're mine; I'll see you soon." He said and held his hand out.

"Count on it." Zak answered, smiling back and grasping his hand firmly.

Boba nodded, turned and walked up the boarding ramp where Bail stood waiting for him. They waved one last time before disappearing into the ship. Obi-Wan came over and put his hand on Zak's shoulder and they watched Tantive IV disappear into the clouds before returning to the Temple.

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Viral would never serve out his sentence in the gas mines of Bespin. Only two days after his arrival, his body was found at the entrance to one of the side shafts. The cause of death, labeled an accident during a preliminary examination of his body, was a fractured skull and massive bleeding from the resulting head wound. On further investigation, however, it was discovered that two of his fingers, one from each hand, had been severed. Although the area where Viral had been discovered was thoroughly searched, no sign of the missing fingers could be found. Viral's death was now considered murder, but the investigation came to halt when no clues leading to the murderer were found; Viral's killer remained a mystery and the motive behind his murder, unsolved.

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Egan whistled a lively tune as he entered the smoke-filled tavern where Cardl the Hutt conducted most of his business. In his pocket was an ornately carved box, lined with a fine satin-like dark green cloth.

"Egan, my friend! How good it is to see you!" Cardl announced jovially.

"Good day to you, my lord, Cardl; I have brought you a present." Egan replied as he removed the box from his pocket.

"A present? I love presents!" Cardl said, "What have you brought to me?"

"Oh, you're going to love this, I guarantee it." Egan said, opening the lid of the box and holding it before Cardl.

"A matching set! Beautiful, beautiful! I am very impressed; your new office is waiting for you." Cardl said when he saw the pair of fingers carefully displayed in the box.

"Thank you, Lord Cardl; I thought you'd be pleased." Egan said with a smile.

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"Who would kill Viral, Master?" Zak asked as he stood on the Temple observation platform.

"I don't think we'll ever know for certain, but I would guess it was whoever he was working for." Obi-Wan answered.

"Or someone working for him." Anakin added.

"Yes, in fact, that is probably more likely." Obi-Wan replied.

"Do you still think it's one of the Hutts?" Zak asked.

"Yes, that is a good possibility." Obi-Wan said.

"In which case, the killer will probably never be caught." Anakin surmised.

"That's not right." Zak decided.

"No, it is not; but sometimes, that's they way it must be." Obi-Wan answered.

Zak sighed and shook his head; Obi-Wan put a hand one his shoulder, but said nothing.

The three of them stood watching the traffic flow by until long after the sun had set before going back inside.

Well, another story has come to an end; I hope all of you enjoyed it. As usual, I would like to thank my loyal reviewers in no particular order: i luv ewansmile, JediDaughter1 and Jedi Master Arie Skywalker. And to those of you who read, but chose not to review, thank you for reading. And this is not yet the end of this little venture into an Alternate Star Wars Universe. There is another story waiting in the wings for posting. Originally entitled "Into the Darkness" with an alternate title in the works, it will focus on Anakin and those who are searching for him after a head injury leaves him with altered memories... I hope you enjoy that one too. Once more, thank you all for reading!