rock and metal, and the slimy, organic mass Wat Tambor had bioengineered
from Xagobah's native fungi. Warily, Boba approached the opening and peered
out.
Below, all was chaos. The main entrance to Mazariyan had been
breached. Clone troopers stormed through a huge gaping hole, tendrils of
smoke still rising from its edges.
"Whoa," Boba said in grudging admiration. "That was the explosion I
felt back there in the tunnel! The Republic must've used a thermal
detonator to blow their way in. Man, I'd love to get my hands on one of
those...."
He stared down to where clone troopers ran between the fortress and an
AT-TE - a Republic all-terrain-tactical-enforcer. A pall of smoke hung
above the ground, mingling with the purplish spores that pervaded Xagobah's
atmosphere. At the edge of the clearing that surrounded Mazariyan, blasted
malvil-trees oozed and burned. Flames licked up from the ruins of an
immense hailfire droid. There were blasted spider droids and battle droids.
The charred remnants of a Fromm tower droid were scattered across the
ground like the ruins of a small city. A few beleaguered battle droids
still made their way across the battlefield, firing relentlessly as the
clones rushed toward and past them.
It was clear that the Republic now had the upper hand.
"Wat Tambor must have given the signal to retreat," Boba muttered. "He
came here to regroup after he escaped from the Republic. Now that Glynn-
Beti's tracked him to his lair, he's got no reason to stick around."
Boba craned his neck to look into the sky. Sure enough, airspeeders
and even a few Jedi starfighters crisscrossed the violet haze, as though
searching for someone.
Wat Tambor, thought Boba. And they better not find him before I do!
A sudden blast of laser fire ricocheted from the ruined wall beside
him. Boba ducked back inside the gaping hole.
"That was way too close." He peered out. Far below, a clone trooper
was pointing up to where Boba had stood just seconds ago. Before the
trooper could alert others to his presence, Boba whipped out his weapon and
sent a return blast flaring through the smoke. The clone trooper fell, a
blackened hole where his chest had been.
"Time to get back to Slave I," Boba said. He reached back to touch a
small squarish object mounted near his weapons belt. As a matter of
caution, he'd left his primary jet pack back on the ship. But he still had
his liquid-cable launcher.
Good thing, too. It's a long, long way down.
He stepped cautiously out onto the edge of the blasted wall. Below,
the Republic's troops continued to mill about the battleground. But most of
the clones now seemed to be leaving the fortress, heading back to their
troop carriers. Boba shaded his eyes, adjusting his helmet so that he could
better focus through the smoke and spore-haze.
"There." His gloved hand stabbed at the air. "That's Glynn-Beti's
airspeeder..."
He watched as the Jedi general drew her craft closer to the AT-TE at
the clearing's edge. Glynn‑Beti had helped him earlier on Xagobah, after
Boba had saved her reckless young apprentice, Ulu Ulix, from certain death.
But Boba knew better than to expect any mercy from her now. And the
mere thought of the Jedi made Boba's gut tighten with anger.
That Jedi scum Mace Windu murdered my father, he thought. He glanced
back at the corpse of the clone trooper he'd killed in self-defense minutes
ago. The clone's helmet had rolled away from his slack face.
Jango Fett's face.
Boba's expression grew grim. He stared back at the AT-TE. The
diminutive figure of General Glynn-Beti had dismounted from the airspeeder
and was now approaching the vehicle.
"She'll be giving orders to her crew," Boba said. "Now's my chance....
"
Raising his arms slightly, he leaped from the fortress wall and
launched the liquid-cable, which hooked to a faraway tree. The ground
fungus. Wind and smoke flashed past him as Boba Fett swung above the
battlefield, heading toward the forest that hid his ship - and freedom!
CHAPTER FOUR
"There!" From the ground far below Boba, came a sudden Shout. "A spy!
Fire On him!"
Boba twisted to look down-A knot of clone troopers was running from
the AT-TE, pointing up at,him as they drew their weapons.
This secondary jet pack's only good for a short sprint. Can't waste
time firing on them! Boba thought with regret. He yanked his jet pack's
thruster to full force and tore through the air, blaster fire echoing at
his heels. Just a few yards ahead of him was the, forest of immense
mushroomlike trees. Now if I can just get undercover -
A blaze of laser fire ripped through the trees closest to him. Debris
and fungal ooze rained down on Boba as he steered his way beneath the
canopy. As the violet shadows closed around him, he grabbed his own blaster
and turned, sending a sudden volley back toward the ground. Two of the
clone troopers fell. The other raced toward the forest, only to stop
abruptly as a clear voice echoed from the AT-TE.
"Hold your fire!"
Boba grabbed hold of a malvil-tree branch and swung himself onto it,
catching his breath. He looked down and saw the clones returning to the AT-
TE. A small uniformed figure stared back at the forest. Even at this
distance, Boba could feel the force of Glynn-Beti's piercing gaze upon him.
He stared back, bold and unafraid, then turned and used the jet pack to
bring himself back down to ground level.
"Just in time," he said as he touched down. He heard the familiar
droning sound of the auxiliary jet pack's fuel cell expiring. He shut it
off, keeping his hand on his blaster, and began to run. His shoulder ached
from Grievous's wound, but he ignored the pain.
Got to get airborne before Wat Tambor does....
The forest was a tangled mass of fungus and ropy vines. Boba made his
way carefully through the trees, his weapon at the ready. Now and then he
glanced over his shoulder for signs of pursuit.
But he saw no one. There must be a mass exodus from this place, he
thought. The Republic and Separatists alike. That means Xagobah will
finally be given back to the Xamsters...
Boba felt a small pulse of relief, recalling the natives of Xagobah
who had helped him when he first arrived on-planet. The gentle Xamsters had
suffered under Wat Tambor's reign, either killed outright or forced to
fight against the Republic. Now, at last, they would be free again.
After a few minutes Boba's steps slowed. Around him the malvil-trees
grew thickly, undamaged by warfare. Somewhere, behind these huge mushroom-
like plants, Slave I waited, hidden by its cloaking device.
Boba stopped, listening for any sounds of pursuit.
Nothing. He touched the sensor on his weapons belt, deactivating the
cloaking device. There was a low hum. Then the sleek outlines of his
starship took shape in the small clearing in front of him. Boba allowed
himself a rare sm
ile.
"Good to see you again," he murmured.
He walked slowly around Slave I, inspecting the ship for any signs of
damage. But Slave I had weathered its time on Xagobah better than Boba had.
He checked the missile launcher under its concealed panel and made sure the
blaster cannons hadn't been affected by Xagobah's humid atmosphere. Then,
with a quick look around to make sure he was unobserved, he boarded his
ship.
Inside, everything was as he had left it. He took off his helmet and
set it alongside the control console. Then he grabbed a medpac and slapped
a dermibandage onto his wounded shoulder. The repairs to his body armor
would have to wait. He slid into the cockpit console and prepared for
departure. As Slave I's motors hummed to life, Boba did a fast scan of his
tracking computer. A set of coordinates flashed onto the screen, along with
the image of a Hardcell-class interstellar transport
Wat Tambor's ship.
"Gotcha!" Boba cried in triumph. More information scrolled across his
monitor.
VESSEL REGISTERED WITH TECHNO UNION. VESSEL DEPARTURE IMMINENT.
"Time to go," said Boba. He programmed Slave I's tracking device to
monitor Tambor's ship, then hit the thrusters. Like an arrow loosed from a
taut bow, Slave I shot into the air. Xagobah's murky atmosphere surrounded
the ship, but the flickering image of Wat Tambor's vessel shone clearly
from the computer screen. Within moments, Slave I had cleared the
atmosphere and entered the familiar star-shot darkness of space.
Behind the control console, Boba stared determinedly out at the
expanse of stars. He observed the stationary mass of the Republic's
troopship, and a single flare of light like a beacon: Wat Tambor's ship.
"Don't bother trying to run," he said as Slave I shot off in pursuit
of the craft. "No escape for you."
Wat Tambor's ship was designed for interstellar transport, not
fighting. That gave Boba the advantage - or so he thought. He got the
Techno Union foreman's vessel in his sights, bringing Slave 1 as close as
he dared before firing.
BLAAAAAMMM!
One of Boba's laser cannons released its payload: two large blasts of
compressed atomic energy.
"Sorry, Jabba," Boba crowed. "You said 'dead or alive,' but it looks
like you're gonna have to settle for dead...."
He angled Slave Ito the side, hoping for a better view of Wat Tambor's
destruction. But the wily foreman hadn't spent all those years with the
Techno Union for nothing. As Boba stared in dismay, a shimmering deflector
shield seemed to swallow Tambor's ship like a vast cloud. At the same time,
a sleekly shining concussion missile streaked from the transport. A moment
later, a second missile followed. The first missile's homing sensor sent it
racing toward Boba's energy bolt. There was a blinding flash as it
impacted, and Boba muttered under his breath. Concussive waves rippled
through the depths of space. Slave I shuddered.
But Boba wasted no time on anger or regret. The second missile's
tracking sensors had locked into Slave I - the missile was heading right
toward him. Slave I shot up and sideways. The missile swerved and followed.
Before it could strike its target, Boba loosed a volley from his blaster
cannons.
"How 'bout this, Tambor?" he challenged.
He heard the satisfying thunk of impact. Nanoseconds later, the
missile imploded.
But there was more enemy fire coming! Boba withdrew Slave I to a
better firing range, then blasted the enemy vessel.
"If I can just weaken his deflector shield," said Boba, his console
tilting forward as he took aim and fired. "Then go in for the kill!"
Pinwheels of energy flared and pulsed around Wat Tambor's ship.
Retaliatory blasts echoed around Slave I, but Boba was too fast -
KARRAAM!
A jaw-rattling blast as Wat Tambor scored a hit, penetrating Boba's
shield defenses. He glanced quickly at the monitor, saw nothing serious.
His face tightened with fury as Slave I soared toward the enemy ship. He
waited until the last possible moment, then fired.
BLAM!
A hit! Boba whooped as Wat Tambor's vessel rocked dangerously. He'd
breached the defense shield! Boba's hand hovered above the console panel.
Another moment and he'd have a clear shot - and Wat Tambor would be his!
Tatooine, here I come!
At that moment, something streaked into view. Another vessel, whipping
past Wat Tambor's ship like a ghostly flame. Boba sucked his breath in
sharply.
I know that ship!
He'd heard about it on Tatooine, listening to the other bounty hunters
recount firefights and acts of cold savagery directed against the Jedi.
Asajj Ventress, Boba thought. He watched as her starship swooped
closer.
Asajj! She might have been the only other person in the galaxy who
hated the Jedi as much as he did. Raised on the hostile, rapacious world of
Rattatak, Asajj had been trained by a young Jedi marooned on her terrible
planet. Ky Narec had been not only stranded on Rattatak - he had been
effectively abandoned by his Masters, who had never sought to aid the young
Jedi - or his prot©g©, Asajj, who longed to escape her cruel homeworld.
But the Jedi never came. Asajj never had the chance to prove herself
to them, or to anyone but her mentor. And when Ky Narec died, Asajj vowed
to avenge herself upon the Jedi. Allying herself with Count Dooku, Asajj
had become one of the Republic's fiercest and most deadly opponents. Her
control of the Force was exceptional, but her rage was overwhelming, as
were her combat skills... and her prowess with a starship. Boba watched
with ungrudging admiration as Asajj's vessel cleaved through space.
What an ally she would be! he thought. We could take on Mace Windu
together.
No. Boba shook his head.
Mace Windu is mine alone, he thought, feeling a spike of rage. No one
will deny me vengeance. No one...
A barrage of blasts shattered his thoughts. Barely a klick away, Asajj
Ventress's ship was hurtling right toward Slave 1.
She thinks I'm part of the Republic force! Slave I shot upward as Boba
outmaneuvered Asajj. If only she knew the truth!
But the truth would be wasted on Asajj Ventress. She was here as part
of Wat Tambor's backup force. And at this moment, she knew only one thing:
An unknown ship was firing on the Techno Union foreman.
And whoever piloted that spacecraft was going to die.
CHAPTER FIVE
BRRAAAK!
A deafening roar from Asajj Ventress's ion cannons shook Slave I.
Frantically, Boba fired back at Ventress's ship.
But she was far too fast. As he watched, her ship vaulted over Slave
I. Before he could fire back, Ventress's laser cannons released a barrage
of energy blasts.
BAM!
A direct hit!
Boba was nearly jolted from his console. He sent a rain of return
fire, but it was too late. Slave I vibrated furiously as a second plasma
blast hit home.
Gotta get away, Boba thought grimly. Can't lose Wat Ta
mbor.
Slave I shot after the Separatist's vessel.
And Asajj Ventress shot after Slave I. Boba piloted his ship up,
angling until Asajj was directly below him. He checked that Slave I's mines
were primed, then sent an ion mine whirling toward her. BLAM!
"Yes!"
But immediately Boba's yelp of triumph turned to disappointment, as
the mine ricocheted harmlessly from Ventress's defense field, to spin off
into space. At the same moment, a burst of retaliatory ion fire blazed from
Asajj's cannons.
BRAAK!
Boba groaned as Slave I rocked sharply to starboard. He fired back,
but once more Asajj was too quick. He let the ship veer to one side, hoping
to buy a few precious seconds as he checked the damage.
A glance at Slave l's repair files gave him the bad news. Some of the
outer panels had been loosened. Serious damage, but not fatal.
The starboard wing was another story. Two of the fins shielding the
repulsor grilles had been destroyed. Without them, Slave I was crippled -
he could fly, but his nav skills were seriously impaired. Worse, landing
the ship would be a real problem
Not that he could even think about landing now!