Chapter 4 The Interrogation
Boba was shocked into silence as the Clone commander pulled his arms behind his back and fastened a pair of binders around his wrists.
"What?" Breha demanded, "You are making a terrible mistake; he is like our son, and he would never hurt my husband."
"I'm sorry, your Majesty, but the evidence speaks for itself; I have been assured there is no mistake." Mon Mothma replied.
Gemma stood up, "Boba would never hurt Papa; your ev'dence is wrong." She insisted.
"What evidence is it that you claim to have?" Breha questioned.
The Vice Chancellor looked at the floor for a moment, "A case was found on the terrace where the assassin staged his attack; in that case was a weapon that had at one time been part a suit of armor." She answered and then looked at Boba, "Armor that belonged to your father, Boba."
"That's not possible." Boba told her and then looked at Breha, "I didn't do this; you must know that."
"I do know it; and I intend to prove it. I will tell you once again that you are making a terrible mistake, Vice Chancellor; one that you will regret for a very long time." Breha replied, "Four years ago, this young man nearly died saving my life; and he would never betray us, he looks up to Bail as a father. I do not care what evidence you claim to have; he was not the one up on that terrace."
"We shall see." V.C. Mothma answered, "Bring him."
Mon's commander took Boba by the arm and started down the hallway; Gemma started to cry and Boba turned back, "Don't worry; it's alright." He assured her.
The Clone jerked Boba roughly, and Boba resisted causing the Clone to pull his sidearm, "Don't make me use this." He warned.
"My sister was frightened and I was trying to…" Boba started.
"Quiet." The Clone ordered cutting him off and prodding him in the back with his blaster.
At that point, Gemma began to sob and Breha put an arm around her, "You are upsetting my daughter; if you insist on arresting my son, you will do so in a civilized manner." She said angrily.
"If 'your son' will cooperate and come along peacefully, he will be treated in kind; but if he continues to resist, he will be properly disciplined." Mon Mothma answered.
Breha glared at her hostilely, "His sister was upset and he was trying to reassure her." She replied, "Have you no compassion?"
The Vice Chancellor sighed and seemed to soften, "I'm sorry, Breh; this is not easy for me. Gemma, we will not hurt him, I promise." She said.
"But he hasn't done anything." Gemma sobbed.
"I wish I could be so sure of that." The Vice Chancellor sighed and started down the hall.
Boba looked back once more and gave them both a reassuring smile before allowing the commander to lead him away.
Breha felt drained as she watched them leave the medical center; she felt as if her support had been ripped from her. Beside her, Gemma continued to weep and Breha held her tightly trying to comfort her while trying to draw comfort from her at the same time.
"How could they think that Boba would ever hurt Papa?" Gemma wondered.
"I do not know; but you and I know he would never do such a thing. We will just have to discover who would want everyone to believe that." Breha answered, "I will contact Master Kenobi; he will help us."
"Help you do what?" Padme asked as she entered the waiting area.
"They have….the Vice Chancellor believes….believes Boba is responsible for what happened." Breha informed her, "He has been….he has been arrested."
"What?!" Padme explained, "That's impossible; Boba would never hurt Bail."
"Mon claims they have evidence that proves he did it." Breha said, then buried her head in her hands, "It is bad enough that this happened, but to have Boba arrested for it…"
"Well, we will just have to prove that he didn't do it; how is Bail doing?" Padme asked as she sat down next to her.
"I do not know; we are still waiting; Anakin is with him." Breha answered with a sigh.
Padme patted her leg, "Well, Ferri brought me here to wait with you." She said.
"Thank you, Padme." Breha replied gratefully.
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Mon Mothma led the way to a waiting transport; her commander pushed his captive inside and shoved him into the nearest seat before sitting down beside him. The Vice Chancellor seated herself just behind them and the transport moved away from the platform. A tense, uncomfortable silence prevailed and lasted the entire trip to the detention center where several other Clones awaited their arrival. The Commander stood up, dragging Boba with him and then prodded him toward the waiting escort. With Clones on either side of him, each taking an arm, and Clones both in front and behind him, Boba knew it would be foolish to resist; he entered the detention center without protest. Inside, the binders were removed and he was frisked for any weapons, given a pair of loose-fitting trousers, a tunic and a pair of soft-soled slippers, all a dingy gray; and taken to a room where he was ordered to change. His own clothes and boots were then placed in a box, his wrists were bound in front of him and he was taken to another room where an officer, sitting behind a desk, waited to begin processing his file. The officer eyed him for a moment, "Name?" He asked.
"Boba Fett." The commander answered.
The officer looked at Mon Mothma's commander, "His crime?" He asked.
"The attempted assassination of Chancellor Organa." The commander answered without hesitation.
The officer's eyes lit up, "Really? Well, what do you have to say for yourself, boy?" He demanded.
"What do you want me to say?" Boba asked sarcastically, "You have already decided I did it."
"So you are denying it then?" The officer asked.
Boba glared at him, "The Chancellor is like my father; I would never hurt him." He answered.
The officer turned back to the commander, "I assume there is evidence to prove that he actually is the assassin." He said.
"Of course; the weapon has been found, and it is the property of this boy." The commander replied.
"Well, son, I don't know how you can deny the evidence; why don't you just confess and save us a lot of trouble?" The officer requested.
"I don't care what evidence you have; I did not try to kill Chancellor Organa." Boba insisted.
The officer sighed, "Alright; if that's how you want to play this, but we will get to the truth eventually, it would be much easier for you if you just cooperated now." He said.
Boba shook his head, "I didn't do anything; what do you want from me?" He asked.
"Your confession; and the reason why you did it for starters." The officer answered.
"I can't confess to something I didn't do." Boba replied.
"I see; well, let's at least get your file in order so we begin questioning, shall we?" The officer suggested.
"Fine." Boba agreed.
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Anakin emerged from the treatment room and headed for the waiting area; and soon as he was in sight, Breha stood and moved swiftly toward him, "Well?" She asked.
"Well, it looks pretty good, I think. I'll let the med droid fill you in when it's finished, but his life Force is very strong." Anakin answered optimistically.
Breha heaved a heavy sigh of relief, "I do not know how to thank you, Master Skywalker." She replied.
"You don't have to." Anakin told her and then turned to his apprentice, "Ferri, why don't you return to the Temple? I'm going to stay for a bit just to be sure the Chancellor doesn't suffer any setbacks, and I will bring Padme back with me."
"Yes, Master." Ferri answered.
"Where is Boba? I would have thought he'd be with you." Anakin wondered.
"Anakin, Boba has been arrested." Padme informed him.
"Arrested? They can't possible think that he had something to do with this!" Anakin exclaimed.
"I am afraid they do, Master Skywalker; the Vice Chancellor claims part of Jango Fett's old armor was discovered up on that terrace. I do not know how it got there, but I know that Boba had nothing to do with it." Breha answered.
"Well, then we will have to find out who planted it there; don't worry, Milady, the Jedi will prove Boba didn't do it." Anakin assured her.
"Thank you, Anakin; I would like to be with Bail now, if you will excuse me." Breha replied, patting Anakin's arm, "Come, Gemma; let us go see Papa."
Anakin waited until they entered the treatment room before he turned to Ferri, "I want you and Zak to go back and see if you can find anything; anything at all that will help us prove that Boba didn't leave that armor up there." He instructed.
"Yes, Master." Ferri replied without question.
"I will wait here for a bit, just to be sure the Chancellor is improving, and then Master Kenobi and I will join you." Anakin continued.
"Yes, Master." Ferri repeated and turned to leave.
"And may the Force be with you, Padawan." Anakin added.
"Thank you, Master; and may it be with the Chancellor." Ferri replied.
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In a different sector of the city, the interrogation of Boba Fett had begun. Secured to a chair in the middle of a small room located in the detention center, the eighteen-year-old stepson of Bail Organa was questioned relentlessly by four examiners as they circled him like a pack of gundarks.
"If you weren't on that terrace, Boba; where were you?" One, a Chagrian, demanded and then moved to one side.
"I don't know." Boba answered turning to look at the Chagrian.
"You don't know? Why not?" Another, this one a Bothan, demanded standing on the other side.
"I don't remember." Boba answered, twisted his head to face the Bothan who was now circling behind him.
"You don't remember? Then how do you know where you were?" The third one, this one human, questioned as he moved to Boba's front.
"I know I wasn't up on that terrace." Boba insisted as he turned to face the human.
"Then how did your weapon get there?" The Chagrian, this time standing next to him, asked.
Boba turned to glance at him, "I don't have that armor anymore; I don't know how it got there." He answered.
"If you don't have it, then what did you do with it?" The fourth asked, a Mon Calamari standing directly behind him.
Boba moved his head as far as he could, "I got rid of it after I went to live with the Chancellor." He answered.
"Do you have proof that you 'got rid of it'?" The Bothan demanded from the opposite, forcing Boba's head around to look him in the eye.
"Proof? What proof? I dismantled it and threw it away; the Chancellor knows." Boba answered, trying to free himself from the Bothan's grip.
"Well, the Chancellor cannot vouch for you; that is very convenient, is it not?" The Chagrian stated, moving to the front again.
"Then ask the Queen, she knows too." Boba replied, turning to look up at the Chagrian.
"From what we understand, she would probably lie to protect you." The Mon Calamari said, maintaining his place behind Boba.
Boba turned his head as far as he could once again, "If she thought I had tried to kill the Chancellor, she would not lie for me." He answered.
"Then she is a gullible fool; we know all about you, Boba Fett. We know who your father was; you're just like him, aren't you." The human said is he bent down, coming nose to nose with Boba.
"I'm not like my father." Boba told him, meeting the examiner's stare.
The human straightened and glared down at him, "Like father, like son; you continued in his footsteps after he was killed on Geonosis, we have records to prove it." He replied.
"At first, yes; but…." Boba began.
"There is no but, Boba Fett; a mott can't change its stripes. You are a mercenary, a bounty hunter, and you were the one up on that terrace, weren't you." The Bothan demanded, taking Boba's head again and twisting it to face him, "Weren't you."
Boba pulled away from him and shook his head, "No." He denied.
"You are a liar." The Mon Calamari stated from behind him, "We are finished for now; but we are going to let you think about it for awhile, and when we resume, maybe you will have decided to cooperate."
Boba sighed in frustration and turned, trying again to face the Mon Calamari, "I am cooperating; I was not up on that terrace, I don't know who was, and I don't know how that armor got up there. You should be trying to find out who actually did try to kill the Chancellor instead of wasting your time with me." He replied.
"Be sure he is securely bound before he leaves this room." The Mon Calamari ordered and then left the room.
The human removed the restraints holding him to the chair and pulled his arms around his back. The Chagrian clamped binders around his wrists and nodded. The Bothan took him by the arm and started to lead him out of the room.
"Could you at least try to find out how the Chancellor is?" Boba requested.
The Bothan laughed, "Ah, you want to know if you were successful." He concluded.
"No, he's like my father; I want to know if he's going to be alright." Boba corrected.
"Don't worry; you'll know if he doesn't make it." The Chagrian retorted, as he and the Bothan escorted him a short distance down a hallway, shoved him into a windowless cell and locked the door, leaving him in complete darkness.