Chapter Six: The Raiders of Jundland Station

Weeks later, as the twin suns set on Tatooine, Boba, Fennec, and the Gamorrean duo are aboard the Slave I, headed for a spice den built into the cliffsides of the Jundland Wastes. As Boba carefully winds his gunship through the craggy, treacherous canyons, Fennec catches sight of a glowing on a large flat area protruding from the canyon.

"There it is, Boba" noted Fennec, "Just where Don Shavamo said it would be."

Boba nods, adjusting the Slave I onto its bottom, landing it carefully on the platform. Emerging from the boarding ramp, he is flanked by Fennec and the Gamorrean duo, as they approach the torchlit, exotically scented gateway to the spice den. From behind rows of beaded strings covering the entrance, a bug-eyed LOM-series protocol droid emerges.

"Welcome to the Jundland Station," greets the droid. "Here for refreshments on your long journey?"

Boba signed with one hand, his blaster carbine in the other arm

"No," translated Fennec. "Emir Fett was told that the owner of this establishment would be able to provide information on the Pyke Syndicate's activities."

The LOM droid perks its head nervously, as it gestures them towards the cantina.

"Come inside, we have much to discuss," replies the droid.

As Boba enters the torchlit establishment accompanied by Fennec and his bodyguards, his nose is immediately overrun with the scent of all manner of spices and other narcotics, flowing through the air, even with his helmet's filtration functional. Looking around, he catches sight of several patrons of this hidden establishment. Most of them were members of the crime families he had attempted to make his vassals, from the tusked Aqualish to the Klatooinians to even the devilish Devaronians and the mantis-like Huk. Most of them were snorting copious amounts of spice, clouding the air inside the den. However, Boba noticed some more disturbing actions taken by these patrons.

"Beeogola Nechaska!" snarled a hulking Trandoshan thug.

A young tan-skinned human girl, no older than her mid-teens was screaming as she was being beaten by the reptilian brute. She was dressed in rather revealing garments, that typical of Hutt slave-dancers; evidently she was being treated as such. Boba attempted to walk over to beat the barbaric predator with his bare hands if he needed to, when he felt a hand grab his shoulder. Turning over, he saw an old, dark green-skinned rodian, with large bulging eyes, mottled skin, and radar-like antenna.

"If you intervene, it will get much worse for her," the old rodian explained in Huttese.

He looked at the girl, who whimpered as the Trandoshan cackled. This would not go unpunished. However, with a labored sigh, the Emir of Tatooine backs down. That monster's time would come later.

Walking over to Fennec, Boba begins to communicate what he had seen in Tusken hand signals.

"Young girl, probably a slave," signed Boba. "She was being mistreated by a lizard-man patron."

"I saw," Fennec replied in signals. "When the time is right, let me kill that animal."

Boba nodded, and the pair and the Gamorrean duo, tailed by the old rodian, followed the LOM droid into a balcony overlooking the vast canyons of the Jundland Wastes. In a dark corner of the room, sat a desk, upon which a large, gloved hand rested. Boba could barely make out the rest of the figure from the shadows, but sensed a familiar aura about him.

"Master," announced the LOM droid, "The Emir of Tatooine, Boba Fett, has graced you with his presence."

"Welcome Lord Fett," greeted the owner. "It is an honor to receive you into our fine station."

Boba signed his reply.

"No need for the pleasantries," she translated. "All we need is information on the Pyke Syndicate's next move."

"What makes you think I know anything about the Pykes?" inquired the owner.

"We have our sources," replied Fennec.

A deep, booming laugh echoed from the owner's mouth.

"Don't think I haven't heard why the Mayor left Mos Espa," chuckled the owner of Jundland Station. "You drove him off. Now, I would like to ensure that you would protect my interests before I divulge any intel on the Pykes. Particularly, I need assistance"

Boba glared through his t-shaped visor at the owner of the establishment, who still hid in the darkness. He gave his message to Fennec.

"Lord Fett is no longer some bounty hunter you can just order around," Fennec translated.

"Well, in that case, I will provide some tribute ahead of time," answered the owner.

The owner's other hand hoisted a large bag of credits and hurled it in the direction of Athmot the Gamorrean. Catching it with his free hand, the guard showed it to Kriic who squealed in response. Boba and Fennec, who had been looking at the credit bag, turned their gaze back to the owner.

"Thanks for the payment," replied Fennec, her tone cold. "Now what must we do to get the information?"

With a chuckle the owner begins to explain, "My workers and performers have been harassed by a group of bandits who have been roaming the sands of Tatooine."

Without Boba even having to sign, Fennec quips what they are both thinking, "You mean the ones you haven't evicted?"

"Those are just patrons," explained the owner of Jundland Station. "The bandits I refer to are half-droid, half-organic monsters who wish to deprive Jundland Station of its labor. You will know them by the speeder they ride, built from scrap and powered by old podracer engines. They plan to attack tonight. Best of luck."

Boba slowly nods before he, Fennec, and the Gamorrean duo leave for the mission.

Kriic and Athmot stand at the entrance of Jundland Station, waiting for the Bandits to arrive. As Athmot sharpens his vibro-axe, Kriic, nose twitching, looks over the canyon. The bottom is pitch black, only illuminated at places by Tusken campfires. The night is quiet. Too quiet.

"I don't like this," Kriic squeals in Gamorrean. "Why did Boba have to leave us on this post?"

"He is using his jetpack," replied Athmot, in squeals. "And please be more formal. Boba is now Emir Fett."

"I know," squeal-sighs Kriic. "It takes getting used to. At least Grand Vizier Shand is standing on a high cliffside."

Suddenly, a loud, distinctive revving echoes from the desert beyond the canyons. The unmistakable sound of podracer engines.

"They're here," squeals Kriic.

Meanwhile, Boba, having heard the revving, activated his jetpack, spewing roaring flames from its thrusters. Readying his blaster, the Emir of Tatooine takes aim into the desert as he soars into the canyon.

His visor's targeting systems catch sight of a massive landspeeder, fashioned from a salvaged Imperial hovertank, levitating just above the canyon floor as its podracer engines blast it into the canyon. Taking aim, he fires his blaster. The landspeeder swerves out of the way of the bolt. The armored Emir jets toward the main body, the wind rushing through his black Tusken robes. Aiming again, he blasts a door panel at the side of the vehicle.

Chink!

As the door slides open, a teenage Quarren, with a cybernetic leg, pops out and fires a stun blast that strikes Boba's blaster carbine, sending it tumbling a few feet to the canyon floor. Undeterred, he aims with his right gauntlet and begins to fire a series of wrist lasers at the young Quarren, who swiftly ducks back into the hovertank.

Boba rockets himself onto the hovertank, landing a kick into the Quarren's tentacled face. The young bandit staggers backwards, as Boba swings his gaderffii stick from its resting place on his jetpack, readying himself for combat. As the Quarren gets back up, Boba makes an upward swing with his staff, only to have it blocked by the cyborg's durasteel leg, which wraps around the staff. With a single twist, he flips Boba Fett onto the floor of the hovertank. However, as he attempts to pin down the Emir of Tatooine with his legs, Boba chokes the Quarren's cybernetic leg and hurls him out the open door of the tank, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Standing back up, Boba uses his foot to flip his gaderffii stick into his hand before taking a survey of his surroundings. Boba would have at least expected others to attack him as well. Where were the other bandits? He rushed to the cockpit, only to find it was empty. Looking out the viewport, he noticed that the hovertank was rocketing straight towards a cliffside. He was going to crash!

Boba jets out of the canyon, as a fireball engulfs the crashing hovertank, consuming it in a blaze of destruction. Fett rockets towards Jundland Station, having some idea of what was happening. As he approached the cantina in the cliffs, the Emir could make out the shapes of Fennec, Kriic, Athmot, and a dozen figures locked in combat. Fennec was wielding her knife against a cloaked figure with a droid's arm, who seemed to be the leader, as Kriic and Athmot bashed their vibro-axes against the metallic limbs of the other bandits. As he suspected: the hovertank was just a distraction. Boba shifts his left gauntlet to one of its most infamous settings and flips down his antenna. Taking aim, he is ready to end this bandit threat once and for all.

"Don't hurt Zeyma!" calls the young slave-dancer from before, as she rushed out to attempt to wrestle Fennec's knife arm away from the bandit leader.

What?! Boba thought.

That name. As Boba landed, his mind flashed back to four years ago, when he was in Mos Eisley. He had witnessed a Zeltron father selling his adolescent daughter, Zeyma, to a Zygerrian slaver in exchange for a small packet of spice. Boba had tried to intervene, kill the slaver before he took the young girl, but was too late to do so.

While everyone stopped their fighting, he watched the Zeltron girl carefully, as she removed her hood, revealing long, dark blue hair and a thin, beautiful, yet desperate pink-skinned face. Underneath her cloak, she wore a dark green tunic with shortened sleeves and cut off at the bottom, exposing part of her midriff, which, as the Emir noted, was quite modest for a Zeltron. Zeyma was now around seventeen standard years, with the mechanical limb of a B-2 Super Battle Droid for a right arm. Boba looked at her, questioning what he had been doing.

"Emir Fett, I really thought you would be on your side," Zeyma admitted.

"I as well," replied Boba, his voice a calm growl.

Boba saw that everyone, from Zeyma to Fennec, was surprised by him using his voice rather than hand signals to communicate with someone who seemed to be a stranger to him.

"What's really going on?" inquired Boba.

Boba looked to the young human slave-dancer, who was whimpering behind Zeyma. He began to piece things together. The owner of Jundland Station. That Zygerrian skughole!

Orkar Lash was awaiting news of if Boba Fett, the former bounty hunter, and his forces had fought off his former slaves who were attempting to steal the ones he had left. The corpulent, stocky Zygerrian played with his frontiersman's hat gleefully, as he imagined the son of the legendary Jango Fett ripping the head off of his most disrespectful ex-slave, Zeyma, who had refused to entertain his guests, forcing him to sever her right arm with a vibro-blade. However, things did seem to be taking longer than expected.

He was about to turn to scold Wald, when, suddenly, the sound of blaster fire echoed throughout the main hall of Jundland Station. Lash dropped his hat, before frantically picking it up and setting it back on his head. Then, the corpse of a hulking Trandoshan crashed into his balcony office, followed by the careful, yet furious predator-like footsteps of Boba Fett, flanked by his translator, two Gamorreans, and Lash's cyborg ex-slaves, including Zeyma.

"Emir Fett doesn't take too kindly to being deceived," snarled Fennec.

Boba hardened his gaze at the oversized Zygerrian slaver. Orkar Lash was much wider than he remembered, but then again Boba barely had time to catch a good look at this skughole before being interrupted by Vram Krim of the Pyke Syndicate. Boba took several threatening steps toward the Zygerrian, whose silver eyes began to widen, as he began to cower.

"The Pykes have made allies with the Huk and Devaronian families of Mos Eisley!" Lash cried. "That's why they didn't answer your call! I know nothing else, I swear!"

Boba did not relent, taking another step. While the information was useful, Lash's "business" with Emir Fett had gone beyond information.

"Release your slaves," growled Boba. "And I just might let you live."

Boba carefully eyes the Zygerrian, sensing reluctance from the slaver, as he fiddles with his frontiersman's hat, scratching his pointed, feline ears nervously.

"I'll leave this world," begged Orkar Lash, making a bargain, "If I can keep my slaves and reclaim the ones that were lost and stolen. Please!"

From the corner of his eye, Boba caught sight of Fennec, Zeyma, the Gamorrean duo, the old Rodian (who was named Wald), and the others watching him carefully, their eyes wide and sweat forming on their heads. Wald especially created quite a stench with his putrid Rodian's sweat. Shifting his focus back to Lash, Boba lowered his blaster carbine, leading the Zygerrian to let out a sigh of relief. However, the honorable Emir of Tatooine almost immediately raised his left gauntlet, hand pulled into a fist, pointing it straight at Lash's face.

"What the-!" screamed Lash, fear rushing back into him, "AAAAHHGHHHHH!"

With a single flash, Orkar Lash was reduced to nothing but ash. Boba lowered his gauntlet.

"As you wish," was Boba Fett's cold reply to Lash's initial request.

"Thanks so much Boba!" cheered Zeyma, squealing with joy.

Boba and the others were getting back on the Slave I, as she did this. The Emir of Tatooine took a quick glance at the young Zeltron, who seemed quite eager to speak with him.

"Is it true that you're like the clone troopers of the GAR, you know being a clone of Jango Fett?" she inquired. "Also, were you really rescued by Dengar from the Sarlacc Pit? Wait- that can't be true, where would he be then. Hold on- did Fennec rescue you from the Sarlacc, I heard she killed it with a seismic charge!"

Boba turned to Wald, looking him in his bulging, starry eyes.

Wald replied, "She was always a fan of yours, Lord Fett. Ever since she was a little girl."

Boba groaned with exhaustion, as he continued onto his gunship, ready to end this very, very long night.

"Commander," whispered a woman, whose voice was similar to that of a Jango Fett clone like Boba, "I have eyes on the Slave I."

"Excellent work Agent 24810," replied a female voice from her comms, "You and your squad keep a close watch on this Fett Emirate."

As the Slave I flew away from the Jundland Wastes, a trio of mysterious figures watched it from their perch upon a high clifftop. They would be sure to keep their eyes on Boba Fett and his Emirate.

Author's Note:

Hello everyone!

I have returned with yet another Chapter of The Book of Boba Fett Reimagined (which I am starting to call BoBFR/Bob-Fer for short). This time I have reimagined the much-disliked mods of the Disney+ show into something new: the Cyborg Bandits who were once slaves of this Zygerrian owner of Jundland Station, Orkar Lash. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and my take on the Emirate's muscle, as much as Zeyma is clearly enjoying her newfound employment under Boba Fett. Before we go, I want to address the ending section. The mysterious trio, while they will play a yet-unknown role in the story, won't overshadow Boba Fett in his own story. They are merely here to help propel his legend forward. That said, who do you guys think they are?

Thanks again for all the support, guys!

Best wishes,

-Benedict Sky