165Hope all of you are doing good out there, I know I'm swamped with the new found responsibilities of college life, but here I am trucking on.
Feedback has been surprising, I mean this with great sincerity, Star Wars (IMO) demands the utmost in respect and knowledge if you dare to call yourself a fan for it. Boba Fett? Doubly so, which tells me you all agree with his representation so far, which brings to my next topic.
Fett is not naturally a nice guy, he had to start as a child and fend for himself, sometimes allying with hunters who could take advantage of him whenever they wanted to (and often did). You want to talk about starting from the bottom? This guy is definitely up there, and as befitting a man who made it to the top? He's leagues above the kinds of men/creatures he'll run into here and it shows in his demeanor.
I hate to beat a dead horse here, but Darth Vader? Mace Windu? A Sarlaac? The Butcher of Montellian Serat? The hunter legends such as Bossk, Zuckus and 4-LOM? These are Fett's legendary clashes, hes a survivor. For god's sake if you honestly think the JSDF (who consider this stomp in fantasy land their first deployment) would ever have an easy go taking down Fett? You're nuts, if it were so easy, why haven't other hunters done it yet? Why hasn't the Empire done it yet? Plot? Reluctance? Fett's reputation? Perhaps the fact that they would never be able to? In the end only the authors of the original works know. You'd be surprised what one man with unique skills would be capable of, history has shown us this.
All the same, I'll say it here and now. Expect change in Fett. Those of us who know what his ultimate fate is? I haven't forgotten that...take that with a grain of salt.
That been said, it feels great to be releasing this and I look forward to one on one PMING any of you who have questions or comments. I'm almost always available, so both good or bad you can always expect a hasty response.
Chapter 7: Who I Am
"Foreigners aren't without honor. Take a look at any outsider who struggles against oppression or injustice and you will see someone with the body of an aruetii, but the soul of a Mando'ad." - Jango Fett, on his decision to incorporate non-Mandalorian drill sergeants into the Cuy'val Dar
The aftermath of Italica was a somber one; citizens ran to and fro trying to find lost loved ones, the dead and wounded seen to by JSDF infantry teams. For the JSDF, it was a job well done, for the citizens it had been a roller coaster of emotions from beginning to end, but one man stood out from the rest in how he viewed it.
Alone he sat atop one of the courtyard wall's pillars, basking in the glory of his latest success.
Boba had a simple job, protect his clients. It was fate that had made the protection of Italica a necessity, a means to an end. Some called him a hero afterwards, praising him for his selfless devotion to the citizens by jumping right into the fray.
They couldn't have been any further from the truth, to stand in the way of Boba Fett's pay was to risk an inescapable death. The bandits had done that, so they paid for their mistake.
Easy money for an easy job.
Boba silently eyed the large bag of coins that sat in his hand, tossing it into the air and catching it every so often. For all his code's tenets, the teachings of the Resol'nare, and even the mystery he tried to veil himself in, he was a very simple man. There was no complexity to him, you gave him a job that stuck to his code and you paid him for it. If you got in his way or otherwise sullied his honor? You paid with more than just monetary means.
Simple, the kind of simple that was easy to catch onto. At least to him, most seemed to be slow learners.
As Boba caught the bag from his latest toss, he paused to take a look across the land. His visor scanning the horizon as the sun began to rise fully, things weren't so simple anymore, they hadn't been for a while.
He still had no idea where he was let alone a name for the place, he wasn't any closer to figuring out a way back, he was working alongside a military he knew next to nothing about. Then, of course, there was Rory, nothing felt right about that girl. She was swathed in an aura of deception and scheming, his instincts were screaming that to him since the moment he met her. Yet they also told him she had a big part to play, for a master that not even he could comprehend.
In time he'd find out, he always did.
Thinking about all this gave him a headache, the kind that only some fresh air would alleviate. So he did just that, he got some fresh air. He slowly disengaged the seal for his helmet, setting it down on his lap, and exposing his face to the sun and clean air.
Boba took a deep breath as he rubbed his forehead, for the first time in a long time he was stressed. Stressed about what the future held, stressed about just how far his beliefs and code could take him.
Suddenly his train of though was interrupted by a chuckle came from behind.
Grey.
"There you are, I thought you'd be with Itami and the others during the negotiations."
Without turning his head to face the old knight, Boba continued to gaze at the horizon.
"Politics isn't my thing, ultimately the fate of this town and its inhabitants rests of the shoulders of Itami and his military. I'm just passing through on another job."
He heard the clanking of armored boots as Grey made his way over towards one of the pillars parallel to Boba's. He slowly rested his broadsword against the wall, taking his time look out over the edge as well.
"Ah, politics. The bane of any level-headed warrior, our place isn't in the conference rooms. No, our place is on the battlefield, that's where we settle our agreements."
"I didn't see you out there."
"Really? Perhaps you should look harder next time, I'm not exactly hard to miss."
"Must be getting sloppy then, that or I was too busy focusing on killing bandits."
"Perhaps, too focused that is. Nothing sloppy about what you were doing out there Fett, no that was something else."
"Hardly my best work."
"Oh? Then again I doubt fighting a dragon could be bested."
"You'd be surprised."
"Would I? I'd actually enjoying hearing about any tale that could best that."
"Find me when I'm not working and maybe I will."
The two sat in silence for a moment, the sound of distant rotors and the voices of the town's inhabitants taking hold. Finally, Grey sighed as he turned around to face the courtyard, his tired old eyes watching as the inhabitants were aided by the JSDF soldiers.
"I've been down your road before you know, living by my sword and my coin bag. Eventually, you'll want to serve more than just yourself, to have a life worth living."
Boba slowly turned his head to look at the old knight, staring him down with his emotionless features. For Grey, this was his first time seeing Boba without his helmet on, he merely raised an eyebrow at Boba's face. He'd seen that visage before.
A man with a dark past.
"Have you? I can assure you Grey, killing for a paycheck is as far as our similarities go."
"Perhaps you're right Fett, but I do know one thing."
Boba raised an eyebrow, what could this old warrior possibly know about him? What would he know that just about no one else did?
"What would that be?"
"Pain caused you to travel down your road, you lost something or someone didn't you? I know those eyes, that face. They belong to a man who had no other choice, you found something you were good at and stuck with it. You don't know anything else."
For the first time in a long time, Boba sat there stunned, if but for only a moment. This random backwater knight had singlehandedly read him like an open book. Well, the very basic concept of who he was.
Yet he wasn't angry, no, in fact, he felt a sort of common understanding. There was an air of wisdom about this knight, a sort of wisdom not born but made. He was old, probably older than Boba himself, and yet here he was still fighting, still sticking to whatever code he believed in.
He respected that.
Kuwahara reminded me of Skirata, but you might as well be him. Wonder how you two would get along?
"Surprised? Ah, I don't blame you, but let me tell you this Fett. It doesn't matter where you're from, a warrior's intuition is timeless. Just like when you first arrived here, you were absolutely correct about Hamilton and Pina. Though you were far off the mark about me, hence why I was prepared to duel you then and there. Though looking back, I'm kind of glad I didn't."
Boba nodded as a small smirk formed at the corner of his mouth, "Good choice old man."
"Indeed, but you're not exactly a youngster yourself."
"True."
Silence once more, soon a faint voice came through Boba's helmet, Itami's voice to be exact. He sighed as he redonned his helmet.
"What is it Youji?"
"We're getting ready to leave here soon, the Countess and Pina had wished for your presence at the meeting you know."
"For what? They only need to be thanking you, saving this town was a necessity for me. You can fill me in on the details on our way back to Alnus."
"Hai, we'll meet you in the courtyard."
Boba shook his head as he hopped down off the pillar he had been residing atop off. He made his way over towards Grey and outstretched a hand.
"Well Grey, perhaps I was wrong about you at first. This has been one of the more interesting exchanges I've had since I got here."
As Grey's hand grasped Boba's in a firm warrior's hand shake he smiled, "Likewise Fett, perhaps we'll share a pint over a fire someday eh? Swap war stories?"
As the two finished their handshake Boba unslung his blaster and held it at the ready, giving a small nod.
"Sure, why not old man. Let's see if you can make it till then eh?"
"Hah, I still have some tricks up my sleeves. Even if they involve me making sure her highness doesn't get into any more trouble."
"Yeah I have a fool to watch over too, I know that feeling."
With that, Boba made his way towards the steps, but not before turning around one last time.
"Grey, there is one thing you got wrong, however."
The old warrior raised an eyebrow as he folded his arms, "Oh? And what's that?"
Boba hefted his blaster into the air with one hand, shaking the coin bag with his other. As the bag continued to jingle he addressed Grey's misinterpretation.
"This job of mine? I love it, and so long as I can fight? My road will never end."
And with that, he made his way down the stairs.
A warrior's intuition is timeless, well said Grey.
En route to Alnus...
The departure from Italica was hardly a quiet one, flocks of citizens came to wish Itami and RCT3 safe travels. Many had come to personally give their thanks to Boba, seeing him as a divine gift from the heavens themselves, the JSDF being the gods who brought him along.
In the end Boba had merely nodded, there was no sense in playing the cold bounty hunter card. If he was to operate among them later on, he'd need their respect. Perhaps one born more out of fear if anything, but respect none the less.
So with a few waves, the members of RCT3, the girls, and their gun for hire said their goodbyes, mounting into the trucks and leaving.
Boba was going to use this travel time to get some sleep, even he had his limits. Of course, fate had a different idea.
"You're a hero to these people now Fett, how does that feel?"
"I've been called a lot of things Kurata, hero has never been one of them. Ally maybe, but never hero."
Though that title may prove useful later on, a favorable reputation makes for lucrative business offers.
"Ah cmon, I'm sure you felt some sort of satisfaction after that fight. You did good, we did good. Hell, even Akira seems to have lightened up to you."
"The only satisfaction I felt was getting paid, which may I remind you I do require double for the Siren."
Even if she didn't put up a fight.
Itami rolled his eyes as he went back to looking out his window, "Yeah, I remember. She's being sent back to Alnus you know, command wants to ask her a few questions. Besides, I'm sure the last thing she needs is being around the people of the town she was going to attack. So, Fett, I have a question."
Boba remained unmoving as he responded, "Shoot."
"Right, well there's a Diet summons going on back in my world. It's essentially a big political talk, they just want to know how we're doing here on our campaign. The girls have been invited, you should come along too."
"Youji?"
"Yes?"
"We'll talk about this when we get back to Alnus."
"Uh...hai."
Boba leaned back against the troop bay's wall, for all the ruggedness the vehicles had, they certainly took the terrain well. In moments the satisfying feeling of rest began to overtake him, Lelei and Rory having already leaned against him to catch some sleep of their own. Tuka meanwhile mirrored the others, she too had experienced a long sleepless night.
This had made for a sight Itami found pleasant, to say the least. The image of Fett and the three girls coexisting peacefully was a positive step in the right direction. He was warming up to them, becoming the ally Itami wanted him to be. Perhaps even...a friend.
In truth Boba was just too tired to care, he'd be sure to give Rory a rude awakening when the time was right.
"Youji, wake me when we get to Alnus."
Itami merely gave a thumbs up and with that Boba drifted off to sleep.
Boba was usually a slight sleeper, but in truth, the position he had found himself in had brought a sense of comfort he hadn't felt in a long time. As steadfast as he was, the comfort of a female was still a powerful thing and Boba was still a human being.
So it was no surprise that he didn't immediately awaken when Kurata didn't slam on the brakes at the sight that emerged on the horizon, it was also no surprise that he didn't particularly pay attention to the conversation going on between Kurata and Itami.
No, what woke him up was the shouting that was now going on outside the truck, the radio exploding with shouts and yells of confusion and the fact that they weren't moving. In moments his instincts had kicked in, he jumped out of his seat causing a now disgruntled Lelei and Rory to fall against each other. He then promptly kicked the back door open and made his way to the front of the truck, the sight that awaited both confused and annoyed him to no end.
Itami was being held by the scruff of his collar by a blonde woman with ringlet styled hair, atop her head rested a steel tiara. What had caught Boba's eye was the fact that she was wearing the same ornate armor Pina and Hamilton had worn earlier. To make matters worse, she wasn't alone, formed in a half circle in front of the trucks, a whole platoon's worth of female knights sat atop their mounts, their swords drawn.
The Rose Order of Knights, Pina's toy soldiers.
This was a dire situation, one that called for decisive action and tact. Two things Boba had in spades, the woman had been so fixated on throttling Itami that she hadn't even noticed Boba's arrival.
Her knights certainly did though and their facial expressions mirrored that of Pina's and Hamilton's when they had first seen him. Boba raised his blaster and aimed it directly at the woman's head, his voice coming from his helmet with the same chill it always had when he was angry.
"Put him down...now."
As the knight turned her head to face Boba, her face went from anger to one of shock if but for only a moment. She quickly composed herself and tightened her grip on Itami's collar.
"Who are you to give demands!? I am Bozes Co Palesti of the Rose Order of Knights, the right hand of the Empire! We are the Emperor's will made manifest and you dare defy that will?!"
Boba's grip tightened around his blaster, he had half the notion of putting her down then and there, but patience was a virtue all of its own.
"Of course, you are, but where are my manners? I am Boba Fett, Mandalorian bounty hunter currently under employment by the JSDF. One of whom you just so happen to be man handling, now before things get ugly, I'll ask you this one time and one time only. Will we be doing this the easy way? Or the hard way?"
Itami struggled against Bozes's grip as he looked at Boba with wild eyes, "Fett! This is all a misunderstanding! Let's not make any rash decisions!"
Boba shook his head, seeing Itami like this was embarrassing. How could a grown man in charge of leading troops be put in a situation like this? It was like as if he didn't even try to fight back.
"Youji, quiet. The only ones here with the misunderstanding is them, frankly, I'm a little irritated that this is even a situation in the first place. You're embarrassing not only yourself but your men as well."
Boba returned his gaze back to Bozes, "Now what's it going to be?"
Bozes's face twisted into one of abject annoyance as she tossed Itami to the ground, drawing her sword she made her way towards Boba. Whoever this woman was, clearly she wasn't used to someone defying her.
"The only ones who will be asking any questions is us, we will not submit to your intimidation!"
Boba slowly lowered his blaster, "So the hard way then?"
Itami outstretched his hand as he stumbled to get up, "Fett! Don't!"
It was already too late, Bozes had made her decision. Now like any adult, she had to live with the consequences of that decision.
She had made the critical error of approaching Boba Fett with the posture of someone about to fight, truthfully she was just going to try and intimidate him some more. A good bounty hunter took nothing to chance, they acted off instinct, always prepared for a situation to spiral out of control.
So in this case, Boba had done just that, it was out of respect for Itami's wishes that Bozes would still be alive once he was done.
The desire to not waste ammo and not being paid to kill her were both valid arguments as well.
In seconds Boba had raised his gauntlet, his fiber cord shooting out and wrapping itself around Bozes's ankle. With a simple voice command and firm upwards tug, the knight was on the ground and screaming as she was dragged towards him. With his boot now firmly planted on her sword arm, his blaster aimed at her forehead, and his other gauntlet aimed at the rest of the knights, he was safely in control of the situation.
Bozes lay there terrified beyond all words, she never had the chance to speak, never even had the chance to make a move, and yet here she was defeated at the hands of a man she knew nothing about. She had never even killed someone before, yet here she was staring death right in the face.
Her mind wasn't prepared for it, for royalty to be made a mockery of. So she lay there, trying her hardest not to cry, trying to hold onto whatever pride she still had left.
"Bozes was it? Believe me, when I say we could have avoided all of this, I did give you a simple choice didn't I? For whatever reason, you chose the hard one. Fortunately, all of you still have a chance to walk away from this. But first things first, you are listening to me, this time, right?"
Bozes lay there silent, tears slowly creeping up into her eyes.
"Well?.."
"Y-yes."
"Good, now first things first, tell your knights to put away their weapons. Oh and Bozes? Here's a secret between us, if they come any closer? You're going to get hurt, really, really bad."
Bozes slowly looked back at the other knights, her voice trembling as she called out. "Sheathe your weapons! Just stay there! I'm f-fine!"
Hesitant at first, they slowly sheathed their weapons, nervous looks on their faces all the while.
By now Lelei, Tuka, and Rory had been peering from the side of the truck, curious as to what was going on. Boba didn't have to turn around to see them, his helmet was giving him a good view via its rear facing camera.
"Girls? Back in the truck, everything's fine."
As the three went back inside, Fett addressed Itami next.
"Youji? Radio your men and tell them to get ready to head back to Italica. We just avoided a pretty nasty situation here, no doubt Pina and the Countess will want to hear about it from both sides."
Itami merely nodded as he reached for his shoulder-mounted radio, meanwhile, Boba went back to addressing Bozes.
"Well so far so good, now this is where you come in. I'm going to remove my boot, you're going to sheathe your sword, then you're going to hop into the truck with us. Until this situation gets resolved, you're our prisoner, just how these things work. So, will you cooperate?"
Bozes lay there silently, weighing her options for a few moments before she finally sighed.
"I...yield."
"Good choice."
Keeping to his word, Boba removed his boot allowing her to sheathe her sword. As she did so, he lowered a hand, something she hadn't been expecting. In her world, prisoners were hardly treated fairly and she had half expected him to start beating her down once she yielded.
"I will say this Bozes, charging at the unknown like that. Very brave."
As he helped her to her feet, he brought his helmet inches away from her face.
"But also very stupid. We aren't your enemies here, but don't think we won't hesitate to put you down if we need to."
Rookie.
With that Bozes was coerced into the back of the truck, as the doors closed Itami leaned out of his window.
"We're heading back to Italica! Your comrade here is safe and in good hands, everything will be resolved upon our arrival. So uh please just follow us!"
Unsure of what the future was to bring, but wanting to avoid any harm coming to Bozes, the knights merely nodded and followed in behind RCT3's trucks.
At the Formal Estate council room...
Boba, Itami, the three girls, and the rest of RCT3 watched as Bozes and one of her tomboyish subordinates, received quite literally, a royal ass chewing.
Pina paced back and forth as she continued to yell, more nervous and frightened than anything else. Meanwhile, Hamilton and Myui watched with wide eyes, they had never seen her like this before.
"You attacked them!? What were you thinking!? I understand your commitment to our people, but do you have any idea who these people are?! Who Boba Fett is?! The consequences of what your actions almost did!?"
The two knights stood at attention, completely at a loss for words. To their defense, they had no idea what had transpired at Italica, or that there had even been peace negotiations in the first place.
Bozes stammered as she tried to defend herself, "Your highness we merely saw the smoke rising from Italica and feared the worst. We had to act, honor and commitment demanded that surely you understand?"
Pina stomped her foot as she pivoted in place to face them, "And surely you understand the graces befitting a noble! Have we stooped so low as to talk with only our weapons? What if these people had been subjects!? How can we ever win the hearts and minds of our people if we act no better than..than animals!?"
The two knights shook with fear as they continued to look down at the ground in shame. Before Pina could continue, the most unlikely of people stepped forward to put an end to this back and forth argument.
Boba.
Before he could proceed Itami noticed his body language and whispered.
"Fett, what are you going to do?"
"Relax Youji, I've been in situations like this before. I don't do politics, but I do know how to conduct business talks. What I see here is the potential for some compensation, when do you have to go through the gate?"
"Tomorrow afternoon."
"Perfect, we stay here for the night, catch our breaths, perhaps get a warm meal, and we leave by tomorrow morning."
Itami nodded in agreement, he could see the logic in that, besides some rest and relaxation were always good for the men.
"Well then, do what you do best Fett."
Boba merely nodded and slowly walked forward with a casual stride until he stood by the knights. As he did so, Pina stammered as she began to find her words.
"B-boba Fett please forgive them! They often act without thinking, perhaps Grey has failed us in our training after all surely you can understand."
The bounty hunter slowly put his hand forward to calm the now red-faced princess, "Go easy on them. A good warrior puts the needs of his or her people before themselves. In this situation, they saw a band of heavily armed unidentified soldiers leaving Italica. In their defense I might've been pretty suspicious myself if I was in their position. Especially If I had been called in to repel bandit attacks only a few days earlier."
He slowly turned his gaze towards the two other knights, as their gaze met his he slowly nodded before continuing.
"Be that as it may, you aren't wrong in your frustrations either. Good warriors also know to represent their people with tact, often they may be the first representative both on or off the battlefield. In this situation, they clearly failed to do just that, but as you can see no harm came to my clients and therefore ultimately no harm came to your knights either."
Pina slowly untensed as she began to calm down, "As ever you speak with wisdom in your words bounty hunter. Surely they could learn a thing or two from you."
"Your highness, your respect is flattering but unnecessary here. What we've reached is an impasse, your knights impeded our progress back to Alnus and almost broke the terms of the agreement laid forth, whatever the specifics may have been are certainly lost to me as I wasn't present."
"Surely..surely there must be something we can do to put this event behind us, to show you that we honor our agreements."
Now we're talking.
"Perhaps, we are to head back to Alnus no later than tomorrow morning, the men here are tired, hungry. Ordinarily I'd ask for monetary compensation, but in this situation, I think we can come to an agreement that would be beneficial for all parties involved."
Be firm, be fair. Don't budge on your conditions.
Pina paced back and forth for a few moments, deep in thought. After a few seconds of this, she stopped and faced Boba.
"Go on."
Boba nodded as he maintained a casual grip on his blaster, one hand on its stock and the other on its pistol grip.
"Your highness? I think I can speak on behalf of both my client and his team when I say this, a place to rest for the night and meal will be more than adequate to compensate for this misunderstanding."
Pina put a finger under her chin and turned to face Myui, she may have been in charge, but this was still Clan Formal's territory. Ultimately the decision fell upon the countess, one that she seemed happy to agree on and she nodded with a smile.
With a spring in her step, Pina turned to face Boba and the others.
"Then we are in agreement, tonight we shall hold a feast. We would be honored if you joined us, Fett."
Boba merely nodded, "I intend to."
With the arrangements set and both parties in agreement, Boba made his way back to Itam, but not before stopping one last time. He slowly looked over his shoulder as he addressed Pina.
"Your highness?"
"Yes?"
"Grey didn't fail you in his training if he did? Ultimately you'd be dead by now."
With that he went back to leaning against the wall he had previous been occupying, leaving Pina and her knights to reflect on what he had said. Meanwhile, Itami looked at the bounty hunter with wide eyes as he folded his arms.
"Fett, that was...remarkably civil of you. You know, you should step before the Diet, give your account of everything that's been going on here."
Boba merely shook his head as he watched Pina converse with the knights and Myui in hushed whispers.
"One of the most important things about conducting business in my line of work Youji? Often at times some well-placed words and a gesture can make for progress all of their own, blasters are all well and fine, but to become the best? You need to act like the best, a professional. As for your "Diet"? I highly doubt your people will want to hear what a bounty hunter has to say, but I would like to accompany you to your world. To see how modern civilization fairs right now."
Defeated, but reassured that Boba was even agreeing to come with them at all, Itami merely smiled and nodded.
"I'm sure we can arrange that."
"Good, now let's carry on with the evening. Oh and here's another lesson for you Youji."
"Another one? Let's hear it."
"A professional always catches his breath when time affords it, being less than your best is hardly beneficial to job completion."
Itami raised an eyebrow, "So?..What are you trying to say?"
Boba shook his head, it should have been a no-brainer.
"I could go for some food and a good night's rest. You and your men have earned that as well, a good day's work demands a good day's rest."
Itami felt his spirits slowly lift, Boba had actually said something kind for once. A small smile formed on his face as he let the thought sink in.
I knew there was some humanity deep down in there somewhere.
"Youji?"
"Yes?"
"Drop the smile, you look ridiculous."
Itami's facial expression slowly turned to one of embarrassment. He hadn't even noticed he was smiling in the first place.
"Oh..hai."
Right back to square one...
And thus the day continued...
The rest of the day prior to the feast had been a slow one, but hardly uneventful. In fact much to Boba's disdain, it was too eventful. He often enjoyed quiet time in between jobs, thus far he had received anything but that.
One of the more prominent moments had been when the soldiers of RCT3 were introduced to Clan Formal's servants. The first thing that Boba had taken note of was the fact that almost none of them were human, humanoid was the most applicable term. From snakes for hair, feline features, and even one with ears that extended way too high to be considered comfortable, they were there in full effect.
A quick lesson from the clan's elderly head maid Kane had revealed an interesting piece of information. Evidently the previous count of Formal had been a bit of an idealist. He believed in equality for all species and thus was an avid practitioner of hiring non-human servants. It was a chance for them to have refuge, a chance for purpose, and a chance for the gap between humans and non-humans to be brought just a little closer. Even with his death, that mentality continued to be maintained.
Boba was impressed, to say the least, man had lost his title as apex predator a long time ago in his galaxy. He knew that better than anyone, clashes with Wookies and Trandoshans were certainly hard lessons learned. Best bounty hunter or not, he could never call himself a racist. Not a big surprise, many of his clients were definitely not human.
While he had used this lesson as a chance to learn more about the various species that resided in this world, the soldiers of RCT3, most notably Kurata and Itami had been absolutely ecstatic.
As it turned out, in their world humanoids such as Formal's maids were a thing of popular discussion in fictional works. Most notably, the feline maid, in particular, had been one of the more prominent things in said works. Kurata and Itami acted like children before a sweets shop, their eyes bulging with excitement as they rattled off a thousand questions to her. In response to this, an unhelmeted Boba had rolled his eyes, telling them that these maids were "Very tame" in comparison to the thousands of species he had seen during his jobs. He also warned them that "If you idiots catch something, I'll wring you both by your necks." Not surprisingly, Kurokawa was very much in agreement with that remark.
The pair's excitement soon turned to outright jealousy, however, once the maids had figured out that Boba was the famed "Sky Man", they were very quick to surround him and attempt to cater to his every whim. Their inhuman eyes beamed with curiosity as they tried to hear his tales of valor, clinging to him and calling him "Master Fett" as they examined him from head to toe.
The maids' attentions were nothing new to the bounty hunter, many a visit to the crime lord Jabba The Hutt's palace had garnered similar attentions. The only difference being the fact that those attentions had come from slaves, a far cry from maids. Curiously enough, though, Jabba was just as dead as the Count. For a moment, Boba wondered just what became of those slaves. Did they all die on the barge at the Sarlaac clash? Were some of them left behind at his palace?
In the end, he merely shook his head and calmed the maids down, telling them that "Business came before pleasure".
Eventually, the evening came and with it the feast that was promised. In a large elaborate dining room, all parties that were to attend congregated and sat at a large wooden long table. The finest silverware was set out, not a single expense was taken to ensure that the guests were treated in the best way possible. As a sign of respect, both RCT3 and Boba had left their weapons and gear behind, garbed in their uniforms, or in Boba's case his undersuit. Though Boba was certainly far from unarmed, respect or not you could never be too sure.
Though the non-Special Region groups had no idea what sort of food lay in front of them, it was all finely prepared and hardly unappetizing. Even Boba of all people could respect a good host, and halfway through the meal, he personally thanked Myui and her maids for their hospitality. A compliment not lost on the maids as they giggled.
As the evening continued and the food put away, the moment everyone, or rather the Special Region residents present had been waiting on arrived. The moment where the strange new foreigners to their lands were to talk about where they came from.
Itami and RCT3 were the first to go, and their stories had brought many a raised eyebrow. Buildings made of steel? Cities filled with lights? Towers that almost touched the heavens themselves? It was all very much amazing to Pina and the others. So much so they demanded to accompany Itami and the others back to Alnus, desiring to not only further atone for their mistake earlier, but to see this new world for themselves. Perhaps further negotiations could go down? A chance to spare the Empire from a hellish fate?
In the end, Itami merely shrugged and nodded, he didn't see the harm in it. Once an agreement was made, all eyes fell upon Boba. For all the stories that Itami and his men had told, even they were curious to hear about another world. The one that Boba came from, even Lelei was curious, her earlier conversation with him just the tip of the iceberg.
Boba sat there for a moment, to tell them of his world could be a very good thing or a very bad thing. He could destroy the very concept of their way of life, what was normal to him could be considered the work of gods themselves. Even Itami and his team would be blown away by the sheer magnitude of it all, even if science was something they understood. So in the end, he told them what they needed to know, or rather what he wanted them to know.
He told them about how he didn't come from a world, but from the very stars themselves. He told them how mankind shared those very stars with thousands of other species, how there were thousands of languages and religions to go with those species. He continued and told them about the myriad of different worlds he had seen, from death worlds, city planets such as Coruscant, to beautiful agricultural ones such as Naboo.
He told them about Slave-1, his pride and joy, one that he might never see again. How his gadgets were but a taste of the technology that came from his galaxy. He then went on to tell them about the Jedi and Sith, how magic was very much real where he came from, but in a different way and under different paths.
He went on and on, all the while fascinating everyone present including a curious Grey who had stopped by.
Finally, he told them about the Mandalorians, his people, his walk of life. Of their warrior mentality and the six actions that bounded them together as one, the Resol'nare. How many of them were bounty hunters just like him and wore armor just like him.
Kuwahara and Grey had almost jumped at that idea, an entire order of warriors like Boba? They'd seen what just one Mandalorian could do. An entire group? That would be unspeakable.
Finally after what seemed like an eternity of answering questions, he raised a hand. That was enough for one evening, any more and their brains might implode from the possibility of it all. Thus, the time for stories was at an end, all sides having learned something from each other that evening.
Eventually, the offer to use the Clan's bath houses was put forth, a private one for Boba in particular. A free meal, a place to stay and a hot bath? Who could argue against that?
Boba certainly couldn't.
At the bathhouse...
Fett leaned back against the side of the vast pool, the warm water felt soothing against his aching bones. In the quiet steam, he felt at peace for the first time in a long time, alone with his thoughts. Earlier a few of the maids had come to tend to him. Whether they came of their own accord or in some attempt by Pina or Myui to garner his favor for the clan, he was unsure.
Once their hands began to wander to places they didn't belong that had been the end of that.
"Ladies? I can take care of my own armaments thank you. Perhaps you could see to Itami and Kurata though, I'm sure they'd appreciate it."
Against their protests he slowly sent them off, a lesser man would have caved into his desires and would have had his way with them. Boba was not such a man and although he looked upon them and admired their beauty, there was one simple fact that hardly anyone ever knew about him.
His belief that sex before marriage was immoral.
In his eyes celibacy was the ultimate test of a man's mettle, to put aside desires in pursuit of a righteous cause. Whether or not having a family would be a liability to his job, was another matter. In truth he had long dreamed of dying of old age, to set Slave-1 on autopilot and forever drift among the stars. Often at times, however, he also dreamed of carrying on his father's legacy, to pass his knowledge onto a son, to train them just as his father had trained him.
Without being killed.
Boba had no clan, no woman had ever come close to being able to win his favors ultimately. A Mandalorian took pride in his clan, his family. Mandalorian bonds were stronger than any blaster and more durable than even the toughest beskar'gam. For all his strength, at his core, the galaxy's most dangerous bounty hunter was still human and with all the doubts that came with it at times.
Dismissing the thoughts, he slowly ran his hands along his face as his mind raced over the day's events, he had cast it aside as nothing at first, but slowly the feeling came back.
Just how unusually civil he had been today.
Boba was not an evil man, no evil was a subjective term. Harsh and firm sure, but never evil. He had never killed innocents and never done anything his father wouldn't do. Yet at the same time, he had been almost unusually kind today, in fact he almost felt a sort of fondness beginning to grow.
Here in this new world, he didn't have a reputation, not one particularly big yet anyways. In this new world, not everyone was out to kill him, not everyone was out to take his place.
What of his own world? Would he ever get back? No doubt Dengar had already picked up Slave-1 and delivered it to Mandalore per his request. Dengar was a dog, but he was a loyal dog. His rescue from the mouth of the Sarlaac had forged that reputation, Boba being the best man at his wedding solidified it.
Boba slowly looked at the ceiling as the steam began to overtake him, his mind wandering at the myriad of possibilities in front of him.
Then it hit him, there was an opportunity right in front of him, one he should have seen sooner. In this world, he could start new, his reputation would grow just as fast as it had back in his galaxy. There wasn't a man or beast that could oppose him, and no doubt the JSDF would be more than willing to allow him free reign if it meant the promise of shared technology.
An unopposed job market with clients everywhere, not a rival in sight. He had almost thought about Itami's world for a moment, but the notion quickly left him. No doubt there would be just as many schemers and backstabbers there as there was in his own galaxy. The JSDF would possibly become the new governing body or, at least, do away with the Empire and establish a puppet government.
With access to JSDF's munitions and technology, he could possibly even retrofit his own gear, perhaps even make more.
A slow smile spread across his lips as he slowly sank under the water.
Business was going to be better than it ever had before. As for his increased civility, well.
Even he was humane.
Mandalorian Words Used and Their Translations
Beskar'gam-Iron skin, also known to talk about Mandalorian iron, the material used in Mandalorian armor.
Before I get hit with the "Aww no sexy times?"
Read the book Last One Standing, Boba Fett is very much Celibate.
For the sake of logic, I went ahead and had this version of Fett not meet Sintas. It would leave a lot more unanswered questions, plus double marriages hardly makes for any sort of future pairings, woops! Let that one out...
*Update*-People yes I understand about Sintas and Ailyn, that Fett would technically be a grandfather, I'd like to direct you to a quote that I saw on some forums.
"I think Boba has an extremely poor self image. And deep down he blames himself for his father's death. Add that to the fact that the galaxy as a whole pretty much proclaims him to be a monster, and you get a terrible self-loathing complex hidden beneath the surface.
Maybe, when he first held that little baby girl and realized just who's hands she was resting in, fear gripped him and he ran...he just ran.
He thought he wasn't good enough to raise her.
Why curse her with a monster for a father?
He deals in doom and leaves death in his wake, nothing a child ever needs.
He didn't deserve anything normal, he wasn't even a "real person", just a clone.
Who was he to try and have a normal life when he destroyed so many others via his profession?
His very image meant danger to his family if they were ever discovered.
And...this is the clencher...the only person he ever truly loved was Jango, his father. When Jango died, it ripped Boba apart at the core. So when he saw his daughter, the notion of loosing something so precious again was entirely too much to bare. He couldn't bring himself to take the chance...
So he seems cold, brutal, and heartless... Leaving a young wife and newborn baby in a lurch. Indeed, there is no excuse for it. But there is perhaps reasoning behind the action...be it entirely sane or not.
Boba Fett disassociated himself from his wife and child because of his own guilt, fear, and thoughts of inadequacy."
Now think on that, powerful stuff indeed, but think once more. Fett NEVER remarried, never made that mistake twice. Eventually he did reconcile his feelings regarding the situation, but never the less he went on to lead Mandalore single.
In my story I want Fett to be thrust into new situations, perhaps maybe he might even make that mistake for the first time who knows? Point is, if I go that route it will make for a "true" Fett, but it will also make for a Fett who will probably never change his ways, something I want to show in this new world.
Maybe he'll find new purpose? Perhaps something will happen that will throw a switch? I can't do any of that If I make him a self loathing forever grim dark man. This is fanfiction, the possibilities of "What ifs?" We have Warhammer 40k crossovers with Space Marines actually cooperating with people who don't even know who the Emperor is, and mind you some of them are really good. Point is, I want to experiment here, show Fett in a different light.