A titanic azure cloud formation approached the floating city of Spire on Anthan Prime from the west, threatening to devour the magnificent floating city in its tempestuous waves. Lightning bursts cracked from within, illuminating the blue clouds with living white flashes, as the internal rumblings of its thunder echoed off the tall pinnacles of Spire. The wind picked up and raced through the streets, causing tourists to grip their hats and run for shelter as the sharp gales cut into the city. Powerful and exotic, the Anthan Prime monsoons provided tourists with excitement and beauty; and from the comfort of their grandiose resorts they could watch the lightning manifestations while praising their own wealth for the opportunity.
The monsoon progressively engulfed the city, its nebulous clouds rolling over the city and shaking it in its raging currents. The streets were quickly abandoned but not quiescent as thunder roared and the winds screamed.
The Keeper's men stood back from the open hangar bay door, their hands on their weapons as they stared into the dark blue cloud. A barrier energy shield was raised to prevent the winds from entering. All the lackeys that were stationed to guard the port observed the dark clouds and the sudden bursts of lightning from within.
The wolf Defel walked up to join them, chewing on a small metal pick. "Looks like trouble," he commented and spit the pick from his mouth. "A day for dyin'."
The nameless lackeys filled with anxious thoughts gripped their weapons a little tighter and tensed their shoulders in anticipation. They stared into the tempest, waiting for the man who they knew was coming, Boba Fett.
A flash of lightning lit the cloud, displaying a small, dark shadow in its center. Each successive flare showed the umbrage enlarging, only to be hidden again behind the blue cloud as the flashing light was snuffed. A ship was approaching. The thunder shook the hangar bay which seemed to the Keeper's men to be announcing the dark ship's approach.
Gradually, the clouded veil receded from the forward hull of the ship as the Millennium Falcon emerged; flashes of lightning continued to darken it with backlight. It slowly hovered over the parked and tethered X-Wings and into the hangar, its penumbra passing through the energy shield and over the Keeper's men.
The ship floated purposefully to the center of the immense room, and the Aqualish waved for it to land. The Falcon rotated so it faced the exit and then lowered, steam blasting from its ventral exhaust ports.
Thirty men rushed to surround the Falcon, some ducking behind maintenance carts and parked snub fighters. They readied their anti-armor grenade launchers and blasters. The Aqualish and Defel stood with a wide stance before the Falcon's ramp, waiting with their rifles ready.
The ramp descended as more bursts of steam erupted, creating a warm fog under the ship. A backlit man's shadow could be seen within as it stepped down the ramp. His heavy boots resounded in the hanger as the fully armed and armored man stepped down the ramp. Boba Fett had his EE-3 carbine rifle charged and ready. A scattered chatter of clicks and charges snapped as the Keeper's men prepared for the possible gunfight. Boba cooly stepped out of the steam and assayed the foes.
The steam dissipated, and PZ-85 cautiously started to work his way down the ramp and join Boba. For once, the droid remained silent.
"I'll need you to give up your firearms," the Defel ordered.
"Show me the girl first," Boba replied with a stern yet nonchalant composure.
The Defel nodded to the Aqualish. The green, bald Aqualish stepped forward and mumbled in his own language a few harsh words between his tusks. He held up a Holo transceiver and turned it on.
The Keeper's smug face appeared, black-eyed and smiling. "Fett-hic-on time, I see."
Boba simply replied. "I need to see the girl."
"Of course. Right to business," the Keeper stated, and the holograph shifted to Patch.
She was held by the upper arm in an uncomfortable position, but she maintained her nerve. "Boba," she started, "Careful, It's a-"
The transmission ended abruptly as it was obvious she was not supposed to speak.
"So, now you've seen her," the Defel said. "Now give up your weapons."
Boba nodded and calmly tossed his rifle a few meters in front of him. Then he removed his pistol. The thirty lackeys sharpened their aim as he did, but the pistol was tossed next to the rifle without incident. PZ-85 shifted uncomfortably behind him.
"Your belt. . ." the Defel said.
Boba reluctantly unfastened the belt and tossed it. Then he widened his stance.
"I'm not a fool, Fett," the Defel stated. "Your gauntlets, too."
Boba's mask gave nothing away; whether he expected to be disarmed of everything or not was a mystery to the Keeper's men. However, he removed his gauntlets and tossed them with finality on the pile.
"Satisfied?" he commented.
"Yes," the Defel answered and nodded to two red-eyed Duroses, which promptly sidled up to Boba. They gripped his arms behind him and snapped on polymer bonds. Another of the Keeper's men, a Weequay, rushed up to collect Boba's weapons. They ignored the protocol droid.
The Defel laughed, "That was much easier than I thought! Didn't you expect a trap?"
"It's always a trap," Boba replied flatly.
At that moment, a cataclysmic quake shook the hangar, as two of the X-Wings on the landing pad exploded into flames. Most of the men lost their balance and stumbled. When they gained their footing each looked out the bay port to see the shadow of an SS-64 assault ship in the strobe-lit clouds. It was Donal's ship, the Vigilance, that he had obtained during the war. The T-shaped silhouette hung in the air, firing its four forward laser cannons into the tethered and unmanned X-Wings, as one-by-one each met its final demise. When Donal had successfully destroyed the twelve parked snub fighters, he then turned tail and sped off.
For a moment no one knew what to do, their ships having been destroyed. Finally, the Defel ordered, "There are ships all around you. Get in them and hunt that slimy fambaa down!"
The Aqualish and nine of the men staggered to and hopped into the collectible single-man fighters. Three TIEs, an X-Wing, a B-wing, two A-Wings, a couple of Clone War-generation fighters, and a Naboo fighter all sped their way out the port.
The Defel looked angrily at Boba. "What did you accomplish with that?"
"You're down ten men," Boba chuckled. "Now the numbers are in my favor." He spun around and instantly gripped the neck of the Duros to his left, snapping it effortlessly; PZ-85 having burned Boba's bindings during Donal's distraction. The Keeper's men, caught off guard, stalled for a fraction of a second before raising their weapons.
Boba ducked and called out, "PZ, time for that programming."
"With pleasure," PZ-85 replied and held up both his arms out right. Rapid fire laser darts fired from his forearms, burning holes in multiple enemies. His upper torso began to spin as his feet magnetically gripped the floor. Soon the red flashes of laser darts sprayed throughout the room from the cyclonic upper body of the droid. Though the shots trilled rapidly from the droid, they were perfectly aimed, and very few missed their intended target. Any men that did not duck for cover, were shot down.
Boba, crouching under the spray, found his weapons and put them back on. By the time he had finished clasping his belt, PZ-85 had expended his darts, and its upper body was slowly coming to a halt. The Defel lay lifeless in front of him, his dark brown fur wet with blood. Boba picked up a rifle from the dead Defel and tossed it to the droid who caught it with its glowing red-hot claws.
A blaster shot zipped past his helmet from behind a maintenance cart, one of the men having found shelter from the droid's barrage. Boba looked in that direction and raised his rifle, but the man did not show his face.
"I don't have time for this," Boba said to himself, then fired a grenade into the cart, exploding it in orange flames. He turned to PZ-85. "Take out as many as you can and meet me back at the Falcon in five minutes."
The droid aimed past Boba and fired. Besalisk dropped a blaster pistol and fell over twenty yards away.
"Yes, Master," PZ-85 replied.