Credit for this fic goes to
Moments Chapter 43: Toothpick and 56: Demagolka by klcutting
With Boba and Bossk
Boba was sitting in the passenger seat of Slave 1, his father's Firespitter class transport ship. It's mild in the craft, with light coming from the glow of Hyperspace and a few lights on the ship's roof. Boba can hear the hum of the Firespitter as they prepare to drop out of Hyperspace, smell and taste the craft's metal and the scent of used plasma. They had just escaped a skirmish at the edge of the Unknown Regions. Finally, the seat he was in was comfortable, though the hard floor his feet were on did dilute the comfort. As they dropped out of Hyperspace, Boba noticed the ship wobble slightly.
"The gyroscope must be getting a bit old," Boba thought as the stars streaked back into view as the ship returned to real space near a pale, blue-and-grey orb in the blackness of space with one side lit up by the planet's K-Class Orange dwarf star.
"Thissssss issssss the placccccce?" Bossk enquiries.
Boba checked the coordinates. A scan of the planet revealed Kal Kentus.
"Looks to be. Why this signal is coming from here, all the way out in the Unknown Regions is a mystery," Boba admits. As they descend through the atmosphere, Boba watches for the building they're searching for.
The planet's surface comes into view, and a relatively flat plane is ahead of them. The grassy fields are coloured a darker greenish-brown, indicating a greater spectrum of light absorbed by the grass. There are a few villages here and there, but there don't seem to be any buildings of note. Boba checked the signal, "Straight ahead, according to the tracker".
As they progress, the villages grow more prominent and closer together as the plains are channelled by large hills into a valley. Soon they find themselves in a moderately large city. While nowhere near as large as Coruscant or Hosnian Prime, there's still a lot of ground and air traffic. Along with plenty of high-rise buildings and skyscrapers. And it is here that the tracker's destination finally came into view.
The building was over fifty stories tall and magnificently done in the silver stone of the planet.
"Unidentified ship, transmit security codes," came a voice suddenly. Bossk turns to Boba and states, "Get the codessssss now,"
"Understood," Boba sneered, and he got the codes transmitted, hoping they'd pass. Indeed, they did, and Boba and Bossk were given coordinates to the hanger they were to park in.
Once they landed, Boba stated, "Alright. Floor 40 is our destination. Bossk, you go in through the northern entrance. I'll go in through the southern entrance,"
"Alright, bossssss," Bossk replied, and they departed the ship.
When they exited the ship, Boba knew this was the place. It was Summer on the planet, so it was hot. He could hear many voices from around and above them. It sounded like something important was on. Boba could smell and taste the scent of the carpet, which had spilled food and drink stains all over it. Finally, the floor was softer than the ship, though the wood underfoot was just as solid. The other advantage of the carpet was that it muffled the sound of his footsteps.
Since it was stealth, as neither of them was allowed where they were, Boba and Bossk had to dodge around the security drones patrolling and make sure they were not seen by passing politicians, clerks, oligarchs and secretaries wandering the halls.
Finally, they reach the conference room, where they find a group of Oligarchs of various species, including Human, Chiss, Togruta, Transoshan, Muuns and Neimoidian, about to start conversations.
"What do you plan to do?" Bossk inquired, but Boba was already on it. He got out a small, insect-like device from his bag and sent it into the conference room, almost getting his hand squashed as a Neimoidian closed the door.
"What wassssss that about?" Bossk asked.
Boba shushed him, then set up a laptop to listen in on the conversation. "So, you want to go ahead with the Bounty Hunter Battle Royale?" a female Trandoshan asked.
A male Chiss stated, "I'm sure of it. It's about time we discovered who is the best of the best,"
"Several new Bounty Hunters have popped up in the last decade, and I think it's about time we discovered how good they are against the veterans," a Neimoidian male sneered.
The female Trandoshan stated, "How do we message them?"
"We use the Empire, of course. Use one of their communication channels. We can make it look legitimate," the Togruta, another female, sneered back.
"This will be great entertainment for the people of the Unknown Regions," the Chiss boasted to the cheers of the Oligarchs.
Boba looked to Bossk and asked, with barely more than a whisper, "What the kriff is this about?"
"it'ssssss jusssssst a money-making exercisssssse for the Oligarchs of this planet. I've never had time for ssssssuch trivial materssssss," Bossk replied dismissively.
Boba shook his head and growled.
"Do you have a target as a prize?" the Trandoshan Oligarch enquired.
The Chiss stated, "Not yet, but we have a few candidates that we think will be lucrative enough to do this. Including that female Clone, the Empire's after. Omega, I think her name is?"
"Leave my sister out of this elitist scum," Boba quietly snarled to himself, knowing she was likely the target.
"Well. Send me your list of candidates, and we can take a vote next time we meet," the Neimoidian stated.
The Chiss coolly replied, "Of course", before sending them out and dismissing them.
The bug returned to them once everyone had left the conference.
"Sssssso, what now?" Bossk demands.
Boba stated, "I think we should keep this bug around and see what other information we can gather about this Battle Royale. And to find out if Omega's going to be the prize, objective, or whatever,"
"Ssssssounds like a plan," Bossk sneered.
Boba nodded and started reprogramming the droid. After a few moments, the droid was now autonomous, with new priorities.
"Alright. Let's get out of here before too many people get suspicious," Boba said to Bossk, who nodded, and they creeped out.
However, they didn't effortlessly get out, as they had to stun a Security Droid before it could raise the alarm. Finally, they reach the platform, and Bossk calls the ship. Once the craft arrives, the duo climbs on board and departs the planet.
With Boba and Bossk
The atmosphere was tense on Slave 1 as they departed the Unknown regions. Bossk was surprised by Boba's behaviour. He hadn't expected this from him, especially regarding a Clone. Then Bossk realised that Omega was the only true family he had left. Combined with his Mandalorian heritage, it makes more sense now to Bossk. The lights cast Boba in a slightly different light, both more fierce but softer, more protective side. He could smell and taste the determination from Boba as he sat in the supportive pilot's seat. He decided to give Boba a little while to calm his thoughts.
Eventually, he heard Boba state, "I think my sister's going to be the one they'll select. She's lucrative to the Empire, especially as she's become a symbol of the Clone's insurgency,"
"How do you know that?" Bossk enquired, surprised.
Boba stated, "Crosshair told me,"
"Ah, yessssss. Crosshair would know about Clone activity," Bossk replied before he added, "Do you think we should contact Fennec Shand? See if she has gained favour with Clone Force 99?"
"Couldn't hurt, but let's wait until we get back to Hosnian Prime before we do that," Boba stated.
Bossk nodded, and they continued their path in silence.
Back to Clone Force 99
There was a sense of relief on the Havoc Marauder. The last few missions had failed, so it was nice to mission complete. Echo was glad the Marauder felt warmer than the planet they were on as he sat in the cockpit. Omega was at the console with Hunter. The hum of the ship was once again soothing him, along with the conversation between Hunter and Omega. He could smell and taste the ship's metal and the special wash that Omega uses. It was different from the one they used, owing to age and eczema.
Suddenly, they get a message from Cid.
"I'll take it," Echo stated, and when Cid appeared over the com, "Sorry to message you at this time, but I've got a new assignment for you on the planet Abseloth,"
"Abseloth? Why?" Hunter asked.
Shamto sneered, after barging in, "Two of my best bounty hunters, including your wayward brother, are trapped in that world by Pirates,"
"Maybe. What's Absaloth like?" Echo enquired to Tech, who stated, "It's a cave world, not unlike Utapau. It can be easy to get lost in the volcanic caves of the planet,"
"So, we definitely should rescue Crosshair, as he's our brother, and doing that will help with him re-joining us. But what about Fennec?" Hunter explained.
Tech stated, "We might as well get both. I know we don't have the best relationship with Fennec Shand, but she did save Omega's life on Bora Vio,"
"That is true," Hunter said. Echo enquired, "How do we know this isn't a trap?"
"I lost contact with them two hours ago, and Cid would blast me if I let her only mercenaries into any trap," Shamto stated
Omega said, "I never got the chance to thank Fennec Shand for saving me. I think we should rescue them,"
"Well, I wouldn't want to deny you the opportunity to do that. Alright, we'll accept," Tech stated, and the rest of the Batch nodded in agreement.
"Lovely, then we have a deal. Good. Good luck with the mission," Shamto stated, and Cid echoed that sentiment before the communication went down.
"Recalculating route," Tech stated. After a few minutes, the squad arrived outside a cavernous, near-black world. as they broke through the clouds, Echo realised the surface was basalt, explaining the dark surface.
Suddenly, several Pirate fighters appear behind a nearby cloud and start opening fire on them.
"Hold on. Wrecker, get to the tail gun," Hunter stated.
Wrecker called "On it."
He ran for the gunner's nest while the rest of the Batch got into the chairs and strapped up, ready for Tech's crazy flying.
Tech pulled hard on the controls to dodge the fire as Wrecker opened fire on the fighters.
After a few exchanges of fire, Wrecker managed to destroy two of the four fighters.
"Keep it up, Wrecker," Tech called.
Wrecker gave a thumbs up in appreciation before blasting the other two out of the sky.
"Good work. Let's get to the cave nearest to the beacon," Tech stated, and he flew the ship in for a landing.
"Looks like we're not the only ones after Fennec and Crosshair," Echo admitted.
Hunter nodded in agreement.
Once they land, the Batch suits up and heads out.
The caves are as black as the surface, and Tech has to use a flashlight to see where they're going.
"Hold it, traps," Hunter sensed, and he slowly approached a seemingly empty area. Kneeling, he spotted a tripwire. He grabbed his vibroblade and cut it so he wouldn't trigger the traps.
He had to do this twice more to disable other traps before they reached a fork in the road.
"Tech, Echo, Wrecker, you three must continue showing Crosshair you trust him. So you go down the right path. Omega and I will go left. Remember, if you get into trouble, send a message," Hunter stated.
The rest of the Batch agreed and went their separate ways down the paths.
With Hunter and Omega
It was hot inside the chasms as he and Omega went down one of the paths. Even though it was only Spring, that didn't affect the temperature much. There was no natural light. The only light came from lamp poles across the cave. There was almost no sound, only the crunch of the basalt under his and Omega's boots. Hunter can smell and taste the volcanic rock and the nerves emanating from Omega. The stone is solid and unforgiving. It's a creepy place, Hunter admitted, and not safe for Omega. They don't get far before Hunter senses a trap.
"Hey, Omega, would you like to learn how to disable this tripwire trap?" Hunter asked, turning to face Omega, who eagerly nodded.
"Come here, kid, let me show you," Hunter said, and Omega walked over to watch.
Hunter spent the next minute explaining this type of trap and showing her how to disable it. It took Omega a couple of goes with the next one, but she managed to disable it without incident.
"Good work Omega," Hunter said, which made Omega smile under her helmet. Suddenly, Hunter senses the approach of beings.
Getting behind cover, they fire on several Pirates waiting for them.
While engaged in the firefight, Omega notices two of the Pirates getting shot down by a mysterious third assassin.
"Who's there?" Hunter called after the last Pirates died, now training his blaster in the direction of the blaster fire. Omega did the same, and the figure revealed itself to be none other than Fennec Shand, holding her arms up in a motion of surrender.
"Well, this is ironic. Sorry about the misunderstanding on Pantora. I thought I could protect Omega from Lama Su's Bounty Hunters better than you guys could," Fennec stated.
Omega stated, "Thank you for saving my life on Bora Vio,"
"No problem, Omega, though you should be thanking Nala Se for hiring me," Fennec stated.
Both Omega and Hunter shouted, "WHAT?"
"Oh yeah, Nala Se hired me to keep Omega safe from Lama Su's Bounty Hunters. Once the Empire took them into custody, there was no more need for you," Fennec explained. Hunter and Omega looked at each other, shocked at the revelations.
"So, what brings you two out here?" Fennec enquired.
Hunter stated, "Shamto told us that you and Crosshair were trapped on the planet and wanted us to get you two out,"
"Huh. So, Shamto does care," Fennec replied. She then said, "Since you're here, and I need rescue, I just have one question,"
"What is that?" Hunter asked.
Fennec enquired, "Can you two trust me enough to escort me out?"
Hunter and Omega looked at each other.
Omega nodded, and Hunter said, "Considering you have no incentive to backstab us, and you haven't attacked us, I guess we can. But one move, and I won't hesitate to kill you,"
"Deal," Fennec replied, and they started their way back.
With Tech, Wrecker and Echo
It's colder in the cave that Tech, Wrecker and Echo find themselves in, though not much. Unlike Hunter and Omega's path, there is some natural light. Most of the light comes from lamps that cross the cave. The only sounds Tech heard came from the crunching rock under their boots. He can smell and taste the past volcanism. He can feel the rough ground that made up the planet. He looks to his datapad to see what he can learn about the world.
"Abseloth was a volcanic planet back in the day. These caves used to be full of lava, but they've been empty for some time now," Tech observed as they made their way down their selected path.
Wrecker commented, "I could follow that better than usual, Tech. You've been working on that".
"I have. It hasn't been easy, as it's taken months, but it has yielded results," Tech answered, though with noticeable pauses.
Echo said, "It's appreciated".
The trio then spot a few Pirates patrolling and immediately open fire. Two of the three were down before they knew what had happened, and the third only got one shot in before dying.
Two more pirates then opened fire on them, but they didn't last long before two sniper blasts rang out, and both fell over, headless.
"Crosshair," Tech stated, and they looked around for their wayward brother. Sure enough, Crosshair was standing nearby.
"It's been a while. It seems like you three are doing alright. Where's Hunter and Omega?" Crosshair sneered.
Echo explained, "Going down the other path, looking for Fennec Shand,"
"Good. We got separated when the Pirates attacked. We were both working together on a bounty. It seems like I could use your help to get out of here," Crosshair sneered.
Wrecker stated, "It's good to have you back on the team, even if only temporarily,"
"Don't push it, Wrecker," Crosshair sneered back as the quartet started heading back.
"What have you been doing since you deserted the Empire?" Tech asked, and Crosshair shrugged and sneered, "I've been a Bounty Hunter for Shamto on Hosnian Prime. Pretty risky work, but it pays well. I see you're still mercenaries for Cid. How did you find out about her?"
"I'd heard about her from the Jedi. She funnelled information to them. But after Order 66, her employees dried up. So we went to Ord Mantell, found her, and the rest is history," Echo stated.
"What about Rex? Is he still clinging to the idea of the Republic?" Crosshair sneered.
Tech stated, "Yes. We've helped on a couple of missions, but that's been about it. He's managed to secure the help of a Kaminoan called Kuan Si, and they're working together on something relating to the Inhibitor chips,"
"Kuan Si. I thought he was dead. So those Clones didn't kill him as the Kaminoans told them to," Crosshair nodded and lapsed into thought.
He added, "So, he's going to use this to save the Clones from the Empire?"
"More likely to give them their autonomy back and let them decide what they want to do," Tech stated.
Wrecker added, "We hope most of them do join the cause,"
"How touching," Crosshair sneered. He then saw movement in the dark and stated, "Get down", which Wrecker Tech and Echo all do.
Several blaster rounds fly over the top of them, and Crosshair also ducked to avoid them. Aiming with his Sniper rifle, he shot each of the pirates waiting for them.
"Thanks for the warning," Wrecker called.
Crosshair sneered, "Don't mention it. Though we're not out of the woods yet", and they started moving along.
Echo spots a trap and quickly disables it. Crosshair then stated, "Another ambush is nearby. But, if you three could use those branching paths, we can ambush them instead,"
The trio hesitate briefly, but wanting to show trust in Crosshair, they oblige.
Once in position, they all charge. And, thanks to Crosshair's strategy, they effortlessly defeated the Pirates.
"We're nearly back at the original point," Crosshair stated as they continued back.
Back to Hunter, Omega and Fennec
On the way back, Fennec decided on something.
"I don't know if Crosshair told you, but Boba knows you exist," Fennec stated.
Omega turned to face Fennec and asked, "I know. Crosshair told me a couple of weeks ago. How did he find out?"
"About three weeks ago, a mission to Thyferra. As to his reaction, he seemed stunned, honestly. After we completed the mission, we were on at the time, he asked about eight questions of Crosshair and me about you," Fennec explained.
She then turned to Hunter and stated, "Because he deserves to know that he still has a family. After losing Jango, he's been missing that crucial element of his life. And I think, knowing he has a family member still alive, might temper him a little,"
"Alright," Omega replied, and Hunter nodded.
Fennec then said, "Is that Zyggerian Bow you're wielding?"
Omega replied, "Yep. Got it not long after we fought with you,"
"It's come in quite handy," Hunter admitted.
Fennec replied, "If it works for you, more power to you. I also like your armour. It suits you,"
"Thanks," Omega replied, smiling under her helmet. Hunter found it a bit odd that she was acting like this. He concluded that Fennec must be working to gain their trust for some reason. She wasn't failing that so far, though how much he could trust her remained to be seen.
"Oh, I do have one other question," Hunter stated.
Fennec said, "Ask away,"
"Have you discovered anything else about Omega?" Hunter asked.
Fennec stated, "Well, I decided to return to Bora Vio after accidentally revealing her existence to Boba. Initially, it was to find out about a rumour I'd heard about a Kaminoan named Kuan Si. Once I went there, I found out more than just that,"
"What did you find out?" Hunter enquired.
Fennec stated, "Turns out there was a good reason why Omega was, essentially, Nala Se's guinea pig. Brace yourselves. She's got all the enhancements that you, Wrecker, Tech and Crosshair have, but to a much lesser degree,"
This stunned Hunter. Omega had all the enhancements of him and his brothers. He managed to recover enough to enquire, "By much lesser degree, you mean,"
"Say, thirty per cent stronger than the average Clone, instead of thirty times like Wrecker. Though I guess in Omega's case, that just means she's as strong as the average male clone of her age," Fennec explained. Hunter nodded, then realised what that meant, a stab of horror rushing through him.
It confirmed that whatever he and his brothers endured, Omega had to cop too. Including a series of tests that only he copped, that horrified him if inflicted on Omega.
"I was constantly tested for my various skills, especially my mimicry and photographic memory," Omega sighed.
Fennec stated sympathetically, "That doesn't surprise me".
"Why are you telling us this?" Hunter inquired, wondering why Fennec would supply them with this much information.
Fennec turned to face Hunter and responded, "Knowledge is Power Hunter. It was how I was able to overcome Cad Bane on Bora Vio. I learned as much as possible about him and adjusted my combat style. I recommend you guys start doing that if you want to survive long-term in this dangerous new world,"
"That is true," Hunter admitted.
He then turned around, and Fennec asked, "What is it?"
"Ambush. I can sense them from here," Hunter stated.
Fennec nodded, then said, "I'll handle it from above. Stay here and take down any that try to flee" before she climbed across the ledges until she was near the top of the tunnel and almost on top of the Pirates.
Getting into position, Fennec starts sniping. Most of the Pirates die by Fennec, and she only had to change ledges a couple of times to dodge fire. Hunter and Omega gunned down the two that tried to escape.
"Your heightened senses are a useful skill Hunter," Fennec admitted as she returned to them.
Hunter admitted, "It's a double-edged sword. As useful as it is to detect things like that, sensory overload is a major issue for me,"
"We'd better get going. We should be near the entrance," Omega called.
Hunter and Fennec nodded, and they made their way back.
After a bit, the two groups reunite. The area they reunite in is colder than either cave, though still hot. Hunter sees Omega open her helmet to take a drink. Hunter can hear a faint wind and the crunch of the rock under everyone's boots. The volcanic smell and taste are lesser here but still noticeable. The basalt is worn down but still rough.
"Good to see you survived," Crosshair sneered.
Fennec teased, "Surprised?"
"Not really. I had trust in my brother and sister that they'd help you get back,"
"Flattering," Fennec replied coolly. She then turned to Hunter and Omega and said, "Thanks. I guess we're even now,"
"Yeah, we're even," Hunter replied.
"We're not out of the woods yet. The pirates may have left traps, or an ambush, waiting between us and our ships, " Crosshair sneered.
Tech nodded, then stated, 'Agreed, Crosshair. I can send a drone ahead to see if anything is waiting for us,"
"That could work," Fennec replied. Tech dived into his bag. After a few moments, he found it.
"Here you go. It will help," Tech stated as he got the equipment ready. Fennec nodded, and then the drone flew up and patrolled back towards the ships.
Sure enough, there are a ton of what looks like blaster traps.
"Blaster traps. Crude but dangerous. There are also several around the ships. We'll have to clear them to access our ships". Hunter stated.
"We'll handle that," Crosshair sneered.
Fennec nodded. Echo then said, "I can handle the blaster traps. Only proceed when I tell you to, alright?"
"Alright," the rest replied.
They slowly returned towards the ship.
Soon, they reached the first group of blaster traps.
"Here we go. Now, where's the trigger?" Echo thought to himself as he looked around. Hunter kneeled to the ground to listen and soon pointed out the spot to disable the traps to Echo.
"Thanks," Echo said, and he disabled the group of traps.
Two more clusters of traps were soon disabled, and this impressed Fennec.
"I hope you're watching this Omega," Fennec commented, turning to Omega, who nodded, "Hunter's already shown me how to disable some of these traps,"
"A useful skill," Fennec stated.
"I think you'll find that you're in range for sniping at least some of the pirates," Tech stated to Crosshair, who nodded and activated his Sniper rifle.
"In this light level? Can you see in low light?" Fennec enquired.
Crosshair sneered, "It's part of my enhancement. I can see in low light. Or even in total darkness,"
"That is also a handy power. You don't need infra-red goggles or anything infra-red on your rifle," Fennec stated. Soon, Crosshair had the Pirates on the run.
"We're clear," Crosshair stated.
Echo and Hunter nodded, the last few traps were disabled, and a scan of both ships revealed the ships were clear.
"We're clear," Tech stated as they reached the two ships.
"Well, this is it," Hunter said, turning to Crosshair, who sighed slightly. Fennec turned to Hunter and said, "Thanks for your help,"
"No worries, Fennec," Hunter replied. Crosshair then sneered, "Don't get too sentimental. Cid's on Hosnian Prime, so we'll see each other again,"
"That we will," Hunter replied. As they went to leave, Echo called Crosshair's name, and when he turned around to face him, Echo stated, "Well, you've won my trust back, Crosshair,"
"Yeah. We shouldn't have shown mistrust in you. You're our brother Crosshair" Wrecker stated.
Crosshair replied, "Good. It looks like I may be able to re-join after all,"
"We'll welcome you back, Crosshair," Wrecker boasted.
Crosshair stated coolly, "Not quite yet, though. I've got a couple of loose ends to tie up first. Once those are taken care of, then I'll consider it,"
"Alright. We'll be here for you if you return," Hunter stated, and Omega confirmed. Crosshair nodded. Crosshair returned to the ship with Fennec, and their craft departed.
"Well, we'd better get going too. Tech, chart a course for Hosnian Prime," Hunter said.
Tech nodded, stated, "Affirmative," and went back into the ship, with the rest of the crew following, Omega looking downcast.
"Everything OK, ad'ika?" Echo enquired/
Omega sighed, "I thought Crosshair would rejoin us,"
Echo kneeled to her level, noticing that he didn't have to kneel as far as he had before, owing to Omega going through another growth spurt, put a hand on her shoulder, and said, "Hey, Omega, remember, Crosshair is his person. He has strongly indicated that he'll be returning to us, but he's got a couple of things to do first. He'll be back, alright?"
Omega nodded. Hunter then asked, "You think they'll have any missions for us on Hosnian Prime? I know Cid's there,"
"She'll probably have something for us," Tech stated. He then added, "Oh, if this piece of intelligence is accurate, Omega may have an opportunity to meet someone special,"
Omega perked up at this, and, half running to Tech, she asked, "Who is it, Tech?"
"Depending on what time it is, there's a chance Boba Fett may be present there," Tech stated, and Omega's eyes went wide in surprise.
"He works on Hosnian Prime? I thought he was operating out of Tatooine '' Omega wondered.
Tech got up the intelligence report, "According to this intelligence report. Boba goes between the two planets regularly. If we're lucky, we may be able to catch him while he's on Hosnian Prime,"
Omega nodded and took a seat, shocked at the news that she may finally meet her true Vod. Don't get her wrong, Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, Echo, and Crosshair were her brothers, but Boba was special. Boba was her Autosomal Identical Twin. She had heard a lot about him, and Fennec had stated that Boba had learned about her.
The Batch was a bit nervous. Echo knew about everything Boba had done in his quest for vengeance, so he was the most concerned out of them. Hunter just hoped Boba wouldn't brush Omega off, but considering that, according to Fennec, Boba was bursting to ask questions about her when he found out she existed, Hunter knew Boba would likely be more curious about her. He just hoped that Boba wouldn't ask any uncomfortable questions about Omega.
Meanwhile, with Fennec and Crosshair
Fennec's ship was a cold relief after the heat of the planet. As Crosshair took a seat in one of the softer seats, he noticed the lights on the ship's roof. He could smell and taste the sweat from both of them as Fennec took a big drink from a flask. He could also catch the scent of an Ion energy of some kind. The floor was solid steel, and Crosshair's seat was comfortable as they headed for Hyperspace.
"Fennec, I've got the converter Boba requested for his ship," Crosshair sneered.
Fennec responded, "Good. You'll have to hand it to me once we return to Hosnian Prime. I'll run it to Boba,"
"I'm sure he'll be happy to have it. What does he need it for?" Crosshair enquired, confused.
Fennec stated, "So the laser cannons on his ship can also fire Ion blasts,"
"Why does he want so much firepower on his ship?" Crosshair asked, his eyebrows raised. Fennec shrugged and stated, "I don't know. To prepare for any eventuality, I expect."
"Sounds like Boba, '' Crosshair replied. He then had an idea.
"If my brothers and sister are returning to Hosnian Prime, maybe you should try to get Boba to tag along with you. I'm sure he'd love to meet his sister," he sneered.
Fennec replied coolly, "I'm sure he would. If Omega wanted to meet him, that's more up in the air. But I will check and see if she wants to"
Back to the Batch
They reached Hosnian Prime and used the passcodes and the coordinates sent by Crosshair to navigate their way to Shamto's hideout.
Broadly, Shamto's hideout seemed like Cid's parlour. Although there was an air of upper market to it, the Batch noticed the fancier seats and tables. They had a thin layer of dust on them. There weren't very many beings around. It seemed like what Cid's Parlour would look like if it were in the Core instead of the Mid Rim. Complete with the scents of Alcohol and Spice that Hunter could smell and taste.
"There you are," Crosshair said coolly when the Batch arrived. Shamto cheered and stated, "Cid was right about you. Helping to rescue two of my top clients, you've all gained a lot of respect in my books,"
"Uh, thanks," Hunter replied. Cid then sneered, "Don't be so modest, Bandana. Anyway, Toothpick here was just telling us about the loose ends he needs to tie up before he returns to you guys,"
"What did you just call me?" Crosshair sneered.
Cid stated, "I did say watch where you drop those Toothpicks you always have in your mouth, or else you'll see my bad side. And using that, I came up with your nickname,"
"She gave us all nicknames. Even Echo eventually," Tech stated.
Cid stated, "Oh, speaking of Scomp Link, I need his services,"
"What for?" Echo enquired, surprised.
Cid sneered, "How are you at hacking encrypted Imperial files?"
"That'd be more Tech's domain, but I'm good at hacking too," Echo admitted.
Cid stated, "You're the only one who can even attempt Scomp Link, so get moving," she set it up for him. Echo linked in and started working. His eyes browsed in concentration.
"Where's Fennec gone?" Hunter asked.
Crosshair stated, "She's gone to drop something off for Boba. And maybe, convince him to come here to meet his sister,"
"What? Boba may be coming here?" Omega asked, astonished,
Crosshair sneered, "He's a stubborn one. I wouldn't get my hopes up too much,"
"Alright," Omega replied, nodding, before returning to her Dejarik playing.
With Fennec Shand
The ship was no different, with or without Crosshair. Fennec thought as she made her way through hyperspace. The only sound is the hum of her craft. She can smell and taste both the electronics of her ship and her washed suit. The seat is supportive and comfortable, though far from soft. She sent a message to Boba Fett on Tatooine."What's up, Fennec?" Boba asked.
Fennec stated, "We've got the ion converters for you. I'm on my way to your location to drop them off,"
"Alright. Oh, by the way, I've got some news for you. A reason for you to come to Hosnian Prime with me," Fennec suggested.
Boba sneered, "What could convince me to go there?"
"How about an opportunity to meet your twin sister?" Fennec stated
Boba was shocked, "What? My vod's on Hosnian Prime? I thought Cid was operating out of Ord Mantell, not Hosnian Prime,"
"Cid's there too," Fennec replied.
"Alright. Once you get here, I'll get Bossk to install the converter while I take you Hosnian Prime. Hopefully, we're right on time," Boba replied.
Fennec nodded and ended the conversation.
Eventually, Fennec arrived on Tatooine and landed outside the headquarters of Krayt's Claw. Sure enough, both Boba and Bossk were waiting outside.
"Here's your Ion converter," Fennec said, giving the package to Bossk,
"Good. Now Ssssssslave 1 ssssssshould use Ion weaponsssssss,"
"Make sure you don't damage my father's ship, alright?" Boba sneered.
Bossk stated, "It'sssssss OK. I'll be careful",
Boba turned to Fennec and said, "Let's get going. Are you going to send a message ahead that you're on your way with me?"
"Don't worry. I will," Fennec stated, and she turned back onto her ship, with Boba following.
"Hope everything goes well with your twin sister Boba" Latts called.
Boba turned back and nodded in agreement before following Fennec onto the ship. Bossk went to the nearby hangar to install the part.
Meanwhile, on Hosnian Prime
Cid turned back to Crosshair and stated, 'Now, where were we? Oh, right, Toothpick, what are these loose ends you've got to tie up,"
"Well, there's some event coming up for Bounty Hunters. I need to get more information about it and find out if the entire squad can enter just on my pass," Crosshair sneered.
Hunter asked, "What's this Bounty Hunter event about?"
"I don't know. But I know someone who has a history with this event. And Shahan operates out here on Hosnian Prime," Crosshair coolly before he showed a projection of a tall, male Weequay with a cybernetic arm.
"Shahan Alama, I had a feeling you'd go for him," Shamto stated.
Crosshair sneered, "It was either him or Cad Bane,"
"And considering my squad's history with the latter, I'm glad it's just the former," Cid sneered.
The Batch nodded, and Hunter reminded, "Omega wouldn't be here today thanks to Fennec Shand,"
"So, I heard," Crosshair stated. Shamto then added, "Surely you guys are going to take a bit of time to rest first,"
"Could take an hour or two. How long will it be before Fennec returns?"
"Two to three hours," Shamto replied.
"Omega, we'll rest before we go on our next mission. Do you want to come along?" Hunter called.
Omega replied tiredly, "Sure. I'm exhausted". Hunter nodded, and Shamto showed everyone to their room. Before that, however, Echo hacked the Imperial files.