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The Fett Dynasty, Episode One of a Trilogy	By : WLTDNFADED Category: Star Wars (All) > General Views: 3625 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Star Wars movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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DISCLAIMER: I make no money off this and all characters (sans those of my own creation) are the product and property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm, Ltd.
Lyrics to �Running With the Devil� written and owned by Van Halen, copyright 1979

Chapter 3
Running With The Devil

For the first time since he began his agonizing journey across the Dune Sea of Tatooine, Boba Fett voluntarily rested his cracked and battered bones upon the desert sands. Tatooine�s twin suns had risen and fallen nine cycles during his trek, and Fett himself was surprised that he was still alive and breathing. But he knew it wouldn�t be for long.

His wounds were becoming gangrenous---there was no mistaking the odor. The intense heat had greatly weakened the antibiotics he carried in the small med-kit in his armor. He had consumed his last amino packet five days earlier, inedible as it was due to the Saarlac�s stomach acids� contamination. He had stopped counting how many times a day his vision would blur or black out completely. Miraculously, the rehydrating system in his armor had held out somewhat, purifying and reconstituting his perspiration back into his body; but even now, that system too was on the verge of joining all the others in complete shutdown.

His remote comlink to the Slave 1, his jetpack, flamethrowers, even the infrared and motion detecting systems in his helmet had given out days ago. The only functioning items Fett had available to him now was the blaster he had scavenged from the dead barge guard and the not-so high tech gaffi stick he had appropriated from a now-dead Tusken Raider; the latter item he used more as a crutch now than a weapon. With every passing day, another piece of plating deteriorated and fell off his armor. Fett had been forced to rely upon his own skill and instincts for survival and wondered, as he sat and looked out upon the endless ocean of sand dunes and islands of jagged rocks, if these attributes were more of a curse than a blessing.

He was dying; there was no denying it anymore. Even if Jabba�s palace sprawled just beyond the next dune, he would never make it over the crest.

Fett started to laugh as he finally succumbed to the delirium he had been ferociously fighting for days. *Scourge of the galaxy, most feared hunter in the entire Empire, the FETT,* he silently growled in his feverish mind. *So this is to be your grave--- the side of a sand dune on a filthy latrine of a planet�your grave�*

His focus scattered and his will waning, Fett�s thoughts raced and tumbled, one into the next. In an instant he found himself a mere boy again on Geonosis, standing over a makeshift grave he had dug �staring at the crude headstone he himself had carved bearing the initials �J.F.�

�Father�� Fett whispered. Again, he laughed, drinking in the irony of it all---a Jedi killed his father, and now he was about to die because of a Jedi�but there was a difference. There would be no son to bury Boba Fett.

*No son�no one�who in this universe will mourn my death�?

There could have been someone�*

There was no reason to fight her any longer; for the first time since that night on the Executor, Boba Fett invited and embraced the memory of I�Lai.

Until this moment, he had furiously tried to block her from his mind, to forget her existence, her face, her laugh� but all attempts had proven useless. She still crept into his dreams the few times he allowed himself sleep. The satin touch of her skin still haunted him in those few times of quiet, when there was no hunt, no chase. No matter how much work he would take on, as one job flowed into the next, it was never enough to blot her out, to be completely rid of her.

There had been women before her; cantina whores, pleasure slaves offered up by employers as part of his purse, spoils of his hunts who foolishly thought they could buy their freedom by exchanging their bodies...they had meant nothing to him. They were nothing to him.

But then came I�Lai� I�Lai�

He had been shaken, maddened and plagued by her and he couldn�t understand why�until that very moment, as he sat in the sand under Tatooine�s twin suns, roasting in his crumbling armor.

He recalled the moment he had lunged at her, pinning her to the sofa in his suite, unleashing his rage and revealing everything that he was to her in that moment---even to this day, he himself did not fully understand why he had done so---and then he remembered how she had reacted to him, how she looked into his eyes�

In her eyes he saw no fear, no terror. What Boba Fett had seen in I�Lai�s eyes was� recognition.

In that brief spark of a moment, I�Lai had reached down into Fett�s very soul and understood everything, all of it. She had seen a being that Fett himself had forgotten existed. The only other person in his life who had ever looked at him like that had been Jango Fett, his father.

And then she gave herself to him. He had actually given her the option to leave, but she chose to stay. She hadn�t stayed because she was afraid to go, or to use her charms as a bargaining chip, or because of his infamy or his money or his reputation. She had stayed because she wanted to be with him.

As Boba Fett had used everyone and everything he had ever encountered throughout his entire life, so had he been used as well--- until the moment I�Lai had touched his lips, his body, and his heart to hers�

*You never even told her goodbye.*

Fett tried to clear his mind for a moment as he focused hard on the dunes in front of him, hoping perhaps he could conjure the hallucination he had experienced the day re. re. I�Lai had seemed so real, so present and so beautiful as she reached for him and murmured his name�

But the image did not come this time. He found himself staring into nothing but barren wasteland.

Fett closed his eyes. He felt the last pulses of consciousness begin to wane. He leaned his helmet forward to rest on his knees and, with great effort, breathed the words he should have said to her all those months ago�

�I�Lai�farewell.�

* * *
�This is the Kronus to Palace control, do you copy? Over.� Lando repeated into the comlink, using the Millennium Falcon�s alias. Nothing but cold static greeted him from the other end. �Requesting permission to land. Do you copy?� Again, he was answered by static.

Lando glanced sideways toward Han Solo in the pilot�s seat, who met his glance with equal unease. �That�s not good, is it?�

Han took a deep breath and blew it out. �Well, I guess it depends on your point of view, friend.� He reached up and flicked the switches to the Falcon�s gravity control as they skidded through Tatooine�s atmosphere, the dunes and cliffs meshing into a huge gold dusted tapestry just below the cockpit windows. �Could be good for us if the slaves revolted after the news of Jabba�s death got back to the palace.� He rose from the pilot�s seat and started toward the hold. �Hey Chewie! You got everything set?�

Chewbacca looked up and barked his affirmation as he loaded the last gas cartridge into his laser crossbow. Han stood and took a quick inventory of the layout of medical equipment and weapons they had brought. �Looks good, Chewie.� Han donned his gun belt, and then slung a blaster rifle over his shoulder. �OK, tthe the helm. You�re going to drop Lando and me at the front palace gate through the belly hatch. Then take her around and dock her in the back alpha port---Lando and I will meet you there. Hook her up to the refueling station, and then try to find us a working speeder.�

Chewbacca grunted and nodded as he headed toward the cockpit.

�And Chewie,� Han added as Chewbacca turned back to him, �Stick close to the Falcon, ok? And keep your eyes open.�

Chewbacca nodded again, then strode through the cockpit door.

Lando had risen from the co-pilot�s chair, about to join Han in the hold. As Chewbacca passed him, he reached out, gently grabbed Lando�s arm and quietly growled a request.

Lando smiled slightly, patting Chewbacca�s paw on his arm. �Don�t worry, Chewie. I�ll keep my eye on him. I won�t let him do anything stupid.� He then turned and joined Han in the hold.

A blaster rifle lobbed through the air greeted Lando as he came through the door: Hpertpertly caught it while barely looking up. He watched Han move toward a small compartment positioned close to the floor and open its hatch.

Han Solo�s strict business-like demeanor had bothered Lando throughout the entire trip. Even in the direst of circumstances, Han was always good for a wisecrack here and there, making light of the fact they could be blown to bits at any given second; but not this time. He had barely spoken a word, outside of dictating coordinates, since their departure from Orri Prime. �Hey Han,� Lando said as he slipped the strap the medical satchel over his shoulder. As Han looked back over his shoulder toward him, Lando paused for a brief moment before continuing. �How are you feeling, buddy? You OK?�

Han�s expression remained blank and unreadable as he answered, �I�m fine, Lando. Never better. Here---� With that, he reached in and pulled out two free-breathers. He tossed one to Lando, who once again caught it with graceful expertise. �You may want to put that on before we go in.�

Puzzled, Lando turned it over in his hand. �What�s this for?�

Han stood up, slipping the mask over his head as he turned toward Lando. �If we find what I think we�ll find down there,� Han said dully, �you won�t be able to stand the smell.�

* * *

The Falcon reared off and made a graceful bank around the bulk of Jabba the Hutt�s palace, leaving Han and Lando standing just meters down the winding road in front of the palace�s massive metal gate. As they approached the entrance, the electronic eyeball of the perimeter droid thrust out from its portal in the door, squealing its programmed threats and curses in Huttese.

Lando lazily raised his rifle and groaned, �Yeah, yeah, geeby-jeeby this,� as he blasted the thing into bits.

Han strode to the side of the entrance and ran his hand along the wall until his fingers came upon a slight depression. He pushed in, and a large slab of stone came forward a few centimeters, and then slid aside to reveal a computer panel.

Han threw a look toward Lando. �Thinking happy thoughts, friend?�

Lando smiled through his breather mask and cocked his head. �Sendin� em right at�cha, buddy.�

Han flexed his fingers for a moment, then gingerly punched in the code he had struggled to remember the entire trip on the panel�s keyboard. He and Lando stood perfectly still, simultaneously holding their breaths�

With a rusty deafening screech, the huge metal gate began to slowly rise.

Han and Lando both heaved a sigh in relief and hit each other�s palms in a high five. �Leave it to Jabba, the most dangerous and feared gangster in the galaxy, to never change his security codes in twenty years,� Han scoffed. �Moron.�

�Ok, buddy,� Lando said as he raised his rifle into position, �Let�s lock and load.�

They stepped out of the blistering rays of the twin suns into the murky dimness of the palace entrance hall, weapons raised, small searchlights mounted atop the muzzles. As they moved the lights up, down, acroscross the expansive corridor, they both began to realize that Han�s earlier assumption of a slave uprising was proving true in a most gruesome way.

�Gods and Hells,� Lando breathed through his mask, �Look at this place.�

The decomposing and mutilated corpses of a dozen or so Gamorrean guards littered the floor. Some were already half-devoured by the variety of scavengers indigenous to Tatooine, whose scratches and scurries could be heard within the blood-spattered walls as they escaped the onslaught of harsh daylight.

Lando reached up and wiped his watering eyes. �And you weren�t kidding about the smell.�

Han walked over and kicked his boot against one of the corpses, lying decapitated on the ground. He quickly scanned the others around him. �They took all the weapons. Damn. That means they probably took all the working vehicles in the place too.� He turned to Lando. �Let�s hope they didn�t take Fett�s ship.�

�Last time I saw it, it was docked in the beta port. That was the day Leia and Chewbacca showed up in disguise. It may still be there.�

�Ok, let�s go. Stay sharp though�we may not be the only ones enjoying a tour.�

They weaved through the network of dank burrows and corridors, occasionally stumbling over bodies and pieces of bodies as they made their way to the smaller dock. Luckily, they found no other living being save for the intermittent womprat that scampered across their path. After several more minutes of traveling, Han and Lando came upon the entry to the beta dock.

As they cautiously entered the dock, they saw that Fett�s ship, Slave I, was the only ship occupying the space. They also saw the bodies of a dancing girl, two galley slaves, and a Gamorrean guard lying on the ground surrounding the ship.

�Good, it�s still here,� Han muttered.

Lando nodded absently, still hugging the entrance, surveying the bodies on the ground and their positions. He noted that they all lay on their backs with blast holes gouged directly over their hearts. They lay with their heads pointed away the ship, as though the shots had come from its direction. He also noted that none of them were armed, and there seemed to be no blast burns on the walls or floor, no evidence that a battle had gone on here, and that the bodies were lined approximately within the same distance in a wide semi-circle surrounding the Slave I. Something wasn�t right about this�

Han picked the comlink off his belt. �Chewie, we found Fett�s ship. We�ll be bringing it around to meet you there. Out.� Han switched off the link and began to walk toward the ship�s hatch�

Suddenly, the answer to his own mental questions slammed Lando hard, and he screamed, �Han, no! STOP!�

Han stopped abruptly and turned to Lando, annoyed. �What?�

Just as Solo stopped and turned, two scanning beams shot forth from just beneath the Slave I�s top-mounted blaster turret, �painting� Han in a graph of green light. Almost instantly, as the beams crossed his body, four small black spherical pods erupted from the hull below the lip of the cockpit window and sliced through the air. Small turret barrels popped from the top of each sphere, and red targeting lasers shot forth from the center of all four, each pointing directly at the middle of Han Solo�s back.

Lando burst into a run and dove through the air, tackling Han and sending them both careening to the ground as each sphere shot a flurry of repetitive blasts directly at the spot Han had just been standing. The blasts crossed each other as they sizzled the air and struck the stone walls surrounding the port entry. The air was thick with the smell of scorched rock and ozone.

Lando and Han rolled a few meters under and away from the ship, only stopping when they hit the back wall. Just as instantaneously as they had jettisoned, the deadly spheres were sucked back into their housings in the Slave I�s hull. Lando and Han lay on their stomachs on the dock floor for several moments of silence, covering their heads, panting and staggered.

As he listened to the ensuing quiet and peeked out from under arms over his head, the usually unflappable Han Solo allowed himself a rare vulgar expletive. �What the FUCK was that?� he yelled.

�That, my friend, was a Kaminoan genome scanner,� Lando answered, remarkably collected as he sat up and brushed himself off. �I had thme tme technology installed on Cloud City protecting the treasury vaults. Only mine was linked to an alarm---Fett�s got his wired into a Mandelorian Perimeter Defense System. An older technology, but deadly and efficient nonetheless.� He reached up and patted the top of his head, where one of the blasts had actually singed the tips of his hair. He shook his head. �The hatch is encoded directly to Fett�s DNA. Nobody can even get close to that ship without him.� He paused for a moment, adding, �Or at least a piece of him.�

Han huffed in utter aggravation and rolled over onto his back, staring into the Tatooine sky. �Well, that�s just GREAT!� He furiously grabbed the comlink off his belt again. �Hey Chewie, um, change of plan. We�ll meet you at the Falcon on foot.�

Chewbacca barked and growled through the comlink. Han�s mood seemed to instantly brighten. �What? Oh, good---somebody decided to cut us a break! We�ll meet you there�out.� He switched off the comlink and sat up, turning to Lando. �Chewie says he found a skiff tucked away in the vehicle port. He says he thinks he can get it to work. Come on, let�s get out of here.�

Lando stood up and reached down toward Han, helping him to his feet. Han clamped down on Lando�s hand as he stood. �Hey, Lando�thanks for saving me, buddy.� He rubbed the small of his back. �Although you didn�t have to be so rough about it.�

Lando smiled slightly. �Just doing what I can to make right, Han.�

They hugged the wall of the dock as they headed back toward the door, being very careful to avoid the Slave I�s near perimeter. As they walked through the door, Han turned back and, in spite of himself, glanced at the ship with odd admiration. �I just have to get me one of those��

* * *

The skiff violently jerked to one side as the repulsorlift engine sputtered momentarily, sending Han, Lando, and all their equipment crashing to the deck. Lando scrambled to grab the bioscanner from flying out of his hand and off the vehicle into the desert�s sands. �Chewie, are you suhis his piece of crap is gonna make it?� he barked. And once again, Lando was answered by an obscene hand gesture, this time from Chewbacca in the tiller�s driving position. Lando snorted through his nose. �Seems that gesture�s getting around��

Han hoisted himself back to his feet, brushing off the electrobinoculars slung around his neck and reading its digital screen. �Well, according to this, we�re on the right track. Showing me a readout of a large metal object about a hundred fifty kilometers from here. Could be a Jawa sandcrawler, but not likely. It�s not big enough, and even Jawas don�t stray this far into the boonies. It�s got to be Jabba�s sail barge---or what�s left of it.� He wiped the sweat from his brow with his shirtsleeve. �And Fett would most likely take a straight trajectory route, so we should be on course.�

Lando piped in as he read his own display on the bioscanner. �I�d say so, Han---I�m getting a reading. It�s faint, but it�s there.�

Han moved behind Lando, looking at the reading over his shoulder. �Yeah? Sure it�s not a Bantha or a krayt dragon or anything?�

�No, not nearly big enough. And it�s too faint to be a Tusken Raider. I just can�t get its exact coordinates yet��

Han raised the electrobinoculars to his eyes, scanning the vast horizon back and forth�until he saw a small dark spot set into a huge sand dune in the distance�

�There! There he is! Chewie, take it twelve degrees starboard!�

The skiff veered, speeding along the sands until the shape became visible to the naked eye. As they approached closer, the skiff�s crew could see the figure of a humanoid seated half-buried in the sand, its badly cracked helmet slumped over its knees. With one hand on his blaster and the other cupped around his mouth, Han shouted, �Fett! Boba Fett! Can you hear me?� The figure remained still and silent. �It�s your buddy, Han Solo!� Still nothing.

Han and Lando moved to the side of the skiff. �Ok Chewie, take her in nice and gentle, and extend the plank.�

The skiff gracefully descended and glided across the sands as it sidled up near the unconscious and unmoving Boba Fett. The loading plank slid out from the bulkhead, and Han laid down upon it, skimming its length on his stomach until he was leaning over the edge. �Ok Lando, get behind me and hold my feet. When I grab him, reach for his legs and get him on board.�

Han stretched forward over the lip of the plank with Lando anchoring his feet, reaching for Fett�s shoulder pad. �Chewie, take her down just a little more�easy�easy��

The skiff lowered a few more centimeters closer to the bounty hunter until Han was able slip his hand under Fett�s shoulder guard and grab a generous fistful of the undersuit and the furred hanging trophy scalps attached to it�

�Got him! Lando, get his legs! Chewie, take her home!�

The skiff elevated with Han Solo holding on to the airborne Boba Fett with one hand. Lando lay across Han�s legs on the plank, still anchoring him as he swung himself over the side edge and grabbed a hold of Fett�s legs, pulling him onto the plank. They inched backwards, holding their prize and hoisting him back onto the deck. Chewbacca steered the skiff into a hard bank and headed back to Jabba�s palace.

After pulling off his jetpack, they laid Fett on his back and knelt over him. Lando switched the bioscanner from bio-detection to medical scan and ran it up and down Fett�s body. �Yup, he�s a mess---severe infection�six broken ribs�broken shoulder�broken ankle and a fractured tibia. And lot�s of nice little internal injuries.� He moved the scanner over Fett�s helmet, and shook his head. �I can�t get a brain scan through his helmet.� He looked up from beneath his brow at Han, �We�re going to have to take it off.�

Han met Lando�s eyes, and the two paused as they realized the magnitude of that statement. Boba Fett�s face would be revealed to his enemies, and those enemies would live to remember it. The Devil was about to be unmasked.

Han glanced back toward Chewbacca, who met his gaze with the same understanding. Chewbacca grunted and nodded.

A strange smile crossed Han�s lips as he looked back at Lando. �Hey, what the hell, right?� Han said with a bitter laugh. �He�s out of business anyway.�

Lando reached his fingers around Fett�s neck, finding the tiny hydraulic clamp that fastened the helmet to the armor and pressing the switch. With a quiet hiss, the helmet gave way from the collar. Gently, he pulled the helmet off Fett�s head---and it cracked down the center into two pieces in his hands. Tossing them aside, Lando pulled the protective undermask away from Fett�s face.

They all stared down into Boba Fett�s scarred and bloodied face. Damp blood was caked into his spiked hair. A trickle of dried blood ran from his prominent nose. A massive bruise covered half his face, and his left eye appeared to be swelled shut.

Lando ran the scanner over Fett�s head. �Nice gash in his scalp�hairline skull fracture�massive concussion�and severe malnutrition. Gods and Hells, why is this guy still alive?� He leaned over and gently gripped one of Fett�s eyelids, pulling it back and inspecting the pupil. �Ok, Han. I need a glucose and a saline IV, some bacta patches, and the syn-skin ejector from that kit. Got it?� Lando�s request was met by silence. He looked up, irritated. �Come on, Han! Get moving!� His irritation waned, replaced by apprehension when he saw the look on Han Solo�s face.

Solo never averted his eyes from Fett�s face, and Lasaw saw his eyes become narrow and murderous. He heard Han�s breathing become heavy and erratic. �Han�� Lando murmured cautiously.

Han broke his attention briefly from Fett to raise his dark glare to Lando. �Excellent point, Lando,� Solo growled from his throat, �Why is this guy still alive�?� Before Lando or Chewbacca realized it, Han, with astounding speed, reached down and drew his blaster from its holster and aimed it right between Fett�s closed eyes�

�HAN! What the hell are you doing?!� Lando lunged at Han, grabbing his wrist and forcing it up. The blaster shot up into the sky as Lando landed his elbow against Solo�s throat, forcing him onto his back on the deck. Han in turn swung his other fist at Lando, clocking him upside his head. Lando cried out and rolled to the side, still holding Han�s wrist. Chewbacca slammed the skiff to a halt, sending them splaying across the deck. Lando scrambled to the rail, pulling himself up. As Han tried to get up, still brandishing the blaster, Chewbacca rushed up behind him and slid his massive arms up and under Han�s, clamping his paws behind his head. Han struggled and flayed, but could not lower his arms or break from Chewbacca�s vice-like strong-arm.

Lando held his head, leaning against the skiff rail, furiously attempting to catch his breath. �Han---just settle down now buddy, get a hold of yourself!�

�HE ALMOST KILLED ME, LANDO!� Han screamed, still thrashing against his f-mat-mate and friend. The sheer viciousness and wrath in Han�s behavior chilled Lando and Chewbacca alike down to the cores of their souls. He panted like an enraged beast as he spit out his words. �Carting me around in that carbonite coffin for months! Almost killing you, killing Luke, and Leia�� Han choked at the mention of her name, and Lando actually saw tears begin to well in his eyes and heard his voice strangled by a sob, �Leia, practically naked, chained to that repulsive, perverted slug like a piece of meat, like an animal---and I couldn�t save her! I was blind and helpless and I couldn�t do damn thing�� His body wracked as he continued. �And all because of that son of a bitch! And now we�re saving him, taking him to a sweet, beautiful girl, giving him a LIFE---he doesn�t deserve her, Lando! He doesn�t deserve ANYTHING!�

Lando stoo stu stunned silence. Until this moment, he hadn�t fully realized the enormity of Han Solo�s rage and torment from his ordeal with Fett and Jabba the Hutt. It had been so well hidden behind his armor of bravado and wisecracks, but now Lando saw that, deep within him, it was tearing him apart. And now that Solo had actually seen that Boba Fett was not a machine behind a mask, but an actual flesh and blood man like himself, was more than Han could obviously tolerate�

However, Lando held his ground. �Han, listen to me very carefully. Do you know what Leia went through all those months you were missing? Do you?� Han, panting and drained and still being held back by Chewbacca, glared at Lando and shook his head. Lando continued. �Sure, she remained the model of efficiency, the fearless Rebel leader, the steadfast and dutiful soldier---until she thought no one was around. Then Luke told me what was really happening.� He stepped closer to Han. �He told me he would stand outside her quarters and listen to her cry for hours. He told me she wasn�t sleeping, and soon after that, she�d stopped eating. At one point, she had gotten so thin and weak she was rushed to the medical frigate for treatment. She had no idea if you were alive or dead, and it was killing her. And do you know who was the one who snapped her out of it, who told us you were alive, who helped us find you? The Lady I�Lai.�

Lando stood face to face with Han, firmly holding his gaze. �And let me tell you this, friend,� Lando added harshly, �Even after going through all that, Leia wouldn�t want you to do this. She would never forgive you if you murdered the man I�Lai loves in cold blood. It would make you no better than him.�

Han lowered his gaze and his head. Lando nodded to Chewbacca, who finally let go of Han�s arms. Han threw the blaster to the deck. He rolled his shoulders in their sockets, trying to loosen their cramped muscles, as he walked over and hunched over the rail, bowing his head. Lando walked beside him and put his hand on his shoulder. �Han, I�ve known you a long time, and I know vengeance isn�t your style. You�ll have your day with Fett, but not today. Not like this.�

Han glanced at his friend, his expression a mix of anguish and shame. He reached up and wiped his face. �I�m sorry, Lando.� He craned his neck around towards Chewbacca. �Chewie, I�m sorry, buddy.� Chewbacca lumbered over and curved his huge arm around Han�s shoulders, apologizing as well for Wookiee-handling him so hard.

Lando patted Han on the arm. �Come on�help me get Fett patched up enough so he�ll make the trip back to Orri Prime alive.�

* * *

Chewbacca drove the skiff and its crew into the vehicle hangar just at the precise moment its repulsorlift engine decided to completely give out. Jumping over the rail with the speed and grace of a being half his size, Chewbacca landed on the ground and gave the skiff a swift kick, denting the plating, and growling in Wookiee, �Piece of shit��

�Heads up, Chewie,� Han called out as he and Lando carefully lowered Fett�s limp and bandaged body over the rail. Chewbacca reached up and caught him, laying him over his shoulder. Lando and Han hopped off the skiff, and the band started to make their way toward the beta port.

As they came upon the port�s entrance, Han tapped Chewbacca on the arm. �Ok Chewie, hand him overhewbhewbacca gently lowered Fett down, and Han grabbed two fistfuls of the back of his suit at the shoulder, holding Fett up as a shield. �Chewie, cover me and be ready to pick off those pods if they come out angry. Lando, you�re going to have to get in there fast.�

Lando nodded as they hugged the entry. �No problem, Han.�

Han hesitated, turning to Lando. �You can fly that thing, can�t you?�

Lando took a deep breath. �Well, we�re gonna find out, aren�t we?�

Han rolled hiss ans and hoisted Boba Fett upwards, ducking his head down behind him. He started to slowly walk toward the Slave I, with Lando slightly behind him and Chewbacca behind Lando, his crossbow aimed and ready for any defense assault.

Again, as Han hit the spot he had earlier, the laser graph of the genome scanner shot forth, enveloping the unconscious Fett, crossing its two beams over him in a green mesh. Unlike the last time, the beams made more than one pass, crossing over Fett four times.

�Come on, come on, hurry up,� Han grimaced, his arms shaking from fatigue as he held up Fett�s limp form, �It�s him already!�

As quickly as it appeared, the scanning beam vanished, and the hatch of the Slave I began opening in a fanfare of scraping gears, hydraulic hums and hissing steam.

There was no time for celebration. �Lando, go!�

Lando sprinted toward the hatch and leapt onto the ramp, stopping briefly and giving Han and Chewbacca a thumbs-up. �I�m in!� he called out and disappeared into the maw of the Slave I as the ramp ascended and swallowed him into the ship.

With a gust of breath, Han exclaimed, �Chewie, I�m done with this,� and thrust the unconscious bounty hunter in the Wookiee�s direction and turned toward the port exit. Chewbacca was barely able to catch Fett before he hit the floor and, as he again hoisted him on his shoulder, thought to himself how he was going to get his captain really drunk later that evening on Orri Prime---and then kick his ass�

* * *

The Millennium Falcon roared out of Jabba�s space dock into the outer atmosphere of Tatooine with the Slave I trailing directly behind.

Han was seated in the pilot�s chair, punching in data through the ship�s computer. He leaned into the comlink. �Lando, do you copy?�

Lando�s voice crackled over the speaker. �Yeah Han, I can hear you.�

�I�m uploading the hyperjump coordinates to you now�they showing up?�

�Gimme a second�where the hell is the viewer�OW! Damn it, could it be a little more cramped in here�yeah, here they are! Downloading them into the nav system as we speak. How�s our patient doing?�

�Well,� Han breathed as he turned slightly toward the hold, �We�ve got him on the med berth right now hooked up to the monitors. Chewie�s going to be keeping an eye on him, making sure he�s still breathing by the time we get back.� He turned back to the helm. �How�s it going in there?�

Lando�s exasperation came through loud and clear. �I swear, I�m going to need a week�s worth of traction after flying this thing! Or maybe I can just sweet-talk that blonde mechanic into walking on my back for a couple hours��

�Hey Lando,� Han said in a low voice, �what does it look like in there? I may hate the bastard�s guts, but I�m dying to see his toys!�

�Han, I can�t decide if this guy�s a technological genius or a paranoid whacko! He�s got redundant back-ups built into every single system in this ship, some with their own redundancies. There�s a stealth system in here that would rival an Imp destroyer---which is probably why you never saw him behind you on the way to Cloud City! And an ION cannon�who the hell would put an ion cannon in a ship this small? Plus, there�s a bunch of technologies here I�ve never seen before---like this thing. I wonder what this does�?�

�Lando, don�t touch anything you don�t have to! You don�t know what it---�

Suddenly, every speaker in the Falcon shook with the violent vibrations of the ear-splitting noise coming from the comlink. The high-pitched squeal of what sounded like some alien instrument came screaming over the speakers, accompanied by the low thumping of a primitive drumbeat and the equally deafening screech of a male as he attempted to sing�

I live my life like there�s no tomorrow�

�Lando, what the hell is that!?�

All I�ve got I�ve had to steal�

�I don�t know, Han�I just pushed a button��

Least I don�t need to beg or borrow�

�Well, shut it off!�

Yes I�m living at a pace that kills�

�I�m TRYING!�

Han could hear Chewbacca through the cockpit door, roaring over the din of the excruciatingly loud music, knowing it was probably damaging his sensitive hearing�

Running with the devil�

�Lando,� Han bellowed into the comlink, �SHUT THAT THING�� Suddenly, thlconlcon was flooded with peace and quiet-- �off.�

�Sorry about that, Han. Uh-oh� I think I broke it.�

�What the hell was that thing?�

�I don�t know---it was just this small case with buttons and a silver disc inside that says, �Music from Earth�. Where the hell is Earth?�

�I dunno, but wherever it is, if that�s what they listen to, remind me not to go there.� Han rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, pinching the bridge of his nose. �Lando, stop screwing around and just fly the ship! Get set to make the jump to hyperspace�and we�ll talk to you in a couple hours. Three, two, one.�

The surrounding stars streaked into white ribbons against black space as Han pulled the throttle and sent the Falcon into its self-made portal through space and time itself.

Han leaned back in his chair for a moment, rubbing his temples. It had already been an exhausting, aggravating day, and all he wanted was a soft, warm bed with a soft, warm Leia in it and a plate of hot food, none of which was available to him on the Falcon. But there were some ration bars back in the hold and, poor substitute that it was, he decided to go help himself to one.

He rose from the pilot�s chair and, running his hand through his hair, Han mumbled, �Krishk, what else could happen today?� As he turned, the answer to his question was, unfortunately, standing in the cockpit door, accompanied by a low voice of iced gravel�

�Surprise. Get your hands up, Solo.�

Han found himself staring down the muzzle of Chewbacca�s laser crossbow as it was cradled in the sling-dressed arm of the wounded, but now conscious, Boba Fett.

Even without the voice synthesizer of his now-discarded ht, Ft, Fett�s cold, grating voice made the hairs on Han�s neck stand on end. He stood frozen for a brief moment, and then slowly raised his hands, glaring into the black, snakish slits of Fett�s eyes. �I knew we should have strapped you down, Fett,� Han hissed under his breath. �Where�s my Wookiee?�

Fett tilted his head slightly, narrowing his eyes even more. �Aw, isn�t that sweet? Don�t worry, Solo, I didn�t kill your pet. He�s just taking a little nap.� While still aiming Chewbacca�s blaster at Han�s head, Fett reached down with his other hand and deftly unfastened his gun belt, slipping it off his waist and tossing it to the floor behind him.

Soloctedcted instantly, lunging for the crossbow, only to have Fett react even faster. With amazing speed and grace, Fett smashed his palm in a cut across Han�s jaw, following the hit with a second blow from his elbow. Han reeled back and fell against the back of the pilot�s chair, sinking to the floor, his ears ringing and his vision doubling.

Fett limped into the cockpit to stand over the dazed Solo. �Not too bright and a lousy fighter. No wonder you were such easy prey, Solo.� He reached down and brutally grabbed Han by the hair, pulling him up. �Get up.�

Han grabbed onto Fett�s gloved fist as he hoisted him to feetfeet, still lightheaded and confused by Fett�s precise attack. �What�what do you think you�re doing, Fett?� he asked as he furiously attempted to retain his equilibrium.

�Well, Solo, I think I�m commandeering your ship,� Fett replied in a nonchalant tone as he threw Solo back into his pilot�s chair. �Then, once I get my ship back, I think I�m going to blast you all to hell.� He leaned into Han�s ear and hissed, �And if that idiot Calrissian does anything to fuck up my ship, I�ll kill him twice.�

Han would have laughed at the threat if he didn�t actually think Boba Fett could somehow do it. Instead, he snickered, �Nice language, Fett. You kiss your mother with that mouth?�

Han was answered by the cold blaster barrel pressed against the back of his head and Fett frigidly whispering, �If I had been born from a mother, I probably would, Solo. With tongue. Now shut up.�

Han, his jaw throbbing, watched Fett intensely as the bounty hunter came around and, slowly and carefully, lowered himself into the co-pilot�s seat. Despite his astounding display of strength, speed, and sheer will, Solo could tell that Fett was hurting, and hurting bad. He saw Fett�s hand slip slightly off the chair�s arm, and heard him suck air hard through his teeth. However, he never lowered his eyes from Han�s and kept the crossbow on its fixed position hick. ck.

Han�s heart thumped violently in his chest, but he stared straight ahead out the cockpit windows and tried to seem calm. Solo couldn�t help but think that Fett�s actual face was just as cold and impassive as his infamous mask had been, if maybe not even more so. �Aren�t you the least bit interested why we�ve come to find you, Fett?�

�To be honest, Solo, no, I�m not. All I�m interested in is getting my ship back andchinching you die.�

�Then why don�t you just kill us now?�

�Because I, unfortunately, need you right now,� Fett muttered as he leaned back in the chair. �Once we enter real space, I need you to talk to that imbecile Calrissian and tell him everything is perfectly fine. Then I need you to call in the security clearances for our destination port. Then I hold you and the Wookiee hostage in exchange for my ship�and then I kill you. Is that simple enough for you to understand, Solo?�

Han glared sideways at the bounty hunter, fighting to keep his rage and hatred of him in check as he frantically tried to think of a way out of this. Obviously, the physical approach hadn�t worked: As much as he didn�t want to admit it, Han knew that, in spite of his injuries, Fett regenerated quickly and was a far more skilled and faster fighter than he was. Han was good with a blaster, but hand-to-hand combat was not his forte�he usually had a gift for talking his way out of such situations� Talking his way out�

Han turned to the hunter, raising his eyebrows a tad. �Do you even know where we�re going, Fett?�

Fett shot his glare back at Solo, himself raising an eyebrow. �Does it matter?�

Han stifled a chuckle in his throat as he recalled something Leia had said while they were imprisoned in Cloud City all those months ago��You certainly have a way with people��

*Well Leia, he thought to himself, let�s find out how true that is�*

�We�re going to the Dia-Orri system,� Han stated emphatically. �Heard of it?� He saw a flicker of recognition in Fett�s face and watched his eye twitch before he snapped himself back into his frigid composure. Gotcha, you son of a bitch�

�Imperial durasteel mining system, if I recall,� Fett said flatly, staring out into the frenzy of hyperspace.

�Well, it used to be�not anymore. The Alliance took it over months ago.� Han watched for any reaction from Fett, who was careful to give him none so far. He decided to push further. �Yeah, that was a pretty easy conquest, just the first of many we found there, if you know what I mean.� Fett shot him a deadly glare, but he pressed on, donning an arrogant smirk. �Yup, sent the Grand Moff packing for the old dirt nap, took over his entire operation, and then, well�that concubine of his�� Han blew a whistle through his lips. �Now she is a fine piece of Imperial issue. Courtesan, you know. From what I�ve heard, she kept the Rebel troops pretty well entened ned for weeks��

In a blinding instant, Fett had switched the blaster from his slinged arm to his free hand and planted the muzzle against the side of Han�s nose. His tone was low, cold, and lethal. �I suggest you shut up now, Solo.�

Han sat perfectly frozen, staring down at the barrel of the ber aer and feeling inappropriately giddy. �Oh, ya know her? Yeah well, that wouldn�t surprise me. I�ve heard that most of the galaxy has made the jump to her hyperspace at one time or another��

Before he even knew it, Han was pulled out of his chair by the shirt and slammed against the bulkhead of the cockpit. Fett had freed his injured arm from the sling, holding Solo against the wall by his throat. His eyes were no longer cold, but ablaze with fury. �Now listen to me very carefully, Solo. You will not say another word about the woman. Understand? You are not even fit to speak her name!�

In spite of the fact that he couldn�t breathe all that well, a laugh escape Han�s throat as he glared into the bounty hunter�s eyes. �What�s the matter, Fett? You have a soft spot for the whore? Did she get under your skin?� Han�s tone became serious as he asked, �Do you love her, Fett?�

He could feel Fett�s body quaking with rage as he saw Fett raise the crossbow to his chin. �You know what, Solo? I�ll just use the Wookiee as my bargaining chip. I think I will kill you now.�

�Can I just say one thing before you do?� Han choked out.

Fett hesitated, and then replied, �No,� as he was about to squeeze the trigger�

�I�Lai gave birth to your son two days ago!�

Slowly, Han felt Fett�s grip on his throat lessen and the cold barrel of the blaster pull away from his chin. Han gulped in deep breaths of precious air, as Fett stood back from him in staggered silence. Fett�s expron won was blank, but his eyes widened slightly as he stared into Han�s, trying to read them. �You�re lying,� he hissed.

�Am I, Fett?� Han spit into his face. �Why the hell do you think we came and got you? What, you think I risked my ass to dig you out of a sand dune because I think you�re a swell guy? Frankly, I�d rest my head easy every single night for the rest of my life knowing you were still rotting in the Saarlac!�

Fett tightened his grip again on Solo�s throat. �Then why did you do this? Why did you rescue me?�

�Because,� Han gargled through Fett�s chokehold, �I�Lai asked me to.�

Fett held Solo there against the bulkhead until Han�s eyes glazed over, then dropped him. Han fell to the floor, landing on his hands and knees, his back heaving as he fought for every breath.

Fett limped back to the co-pilot�s chair, setting himself in it, still aiming the crossbow at Solo. �How do you know I�Lai?� he demanded softly.

Han looked up from the floor at Fett. �She�s been supplying the Rebellion with metal ore and Imp information for months. She helped Skywalker and the others find me on Tatooine. And she helped us find you now.� He rubbed his aching throat. �Lucky me.�

Han saw that Fett�s demeanor had changed somewhat from cold and menacing to still cold yet inquisitive. He also saw that the physical stress Fett had demanded of himself in the last few minutes was taking its toll. �You�ve�seen her, Solo?� Fett asked quietly, blinking his eyes hard as he tried to focus.

Han slowly shifted himself into a sitting position on the floor. �Yeah, I�ve seen her, Fett.� He paused for a moment. �I�ve also seen your son�and now that I�ve actually seen your face, I can honestly say that he looks exactly like you.�

Slowly, Boba Fett lowered the crossbow; Solo wasn�t sure if it was intentional or simply because he didn�t have the strength to hold it up any longer. Fett swayed slightly in his chair, staring blankly toward the floor. It was apparent that his wits were slipping and his mind was reeling from everything he had just learned. �I�have a son,� he murmured simply. �I�Lai�had my son.� He closed his eyes, repeating her name, �I�Lai��

Han furrowed his brow as he noted the tone in his voice. Fett spoke I�Lai�s name with such reverence, with unreserved veneration and tenderness. By the gods, Han thought to himself, could it be that Fett actually loves her�?

However, Han was not touched to such a degree as to let Fett dwell too long on this valued moment. �Well, since we�re catching up on current events here, did I happen to mention that Vader and the Emperor are dead, and that we blew up the new Death Star, and that the Rebels won the war?�

Fett, confused and wavering, shifted his vacant gaze in Solo�s dtiontion. He tilted his head slightly and quietly asked, �What�?� before his eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped to the floor.

Han jumped to his feet, rubbing his aching jaw and fighting the urge to kick Boba Fett swiftly in the head. �The things I do for people�when did I become such a nice guy?� he groused as he stomped into the hold. �Chewie! Chewie, you all right?�

He heard Chewbacca gurgle from inside the med station. He ran over and poked his head in. Chewbacca was still dazed, sitting on the floor, holding the back of his head as blood matted into his brown fur. Han saw the dented and bloody metal medical supply case Fett had obviously used to hit him with lying next to the Wookiee.

�Here buddy, don�t move. Let me take a look at it.� Han leaned over and inspected the gash in Chewbacca�s head. �Yeah, it�s a nice one, but you�ll live.� He grabbed a small canister from the supply shelf and sprayed its contents into Chewbacca�s fur. �There, a little syn-skin should close it up.� Chewbacca barked in pain and swatted at him. �Hey, I know it hurts�that means it�s working! Don�t be such a baby�and don�t hit me! I�m tired of getting hit today.� He put the canister back on the shelf. �Ok Chewie, help me get that bounty-hunting bastard back in here. And this time, STRAP HIM DOWN!�

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The Fett Dynasty, Episode One of a Trilogy