by Colin Cook
side of his head on top of the Mandalorian's shoulder.
Jango didn't make any noise or overly expressive reaction; he just folded his arms around his son and held him tightly. Lightly he began to rub Boba's back with his right
hand, gently soothing the boy without needing to say a single word. Boba wasn't making any noise either, the firm upbringing in which Jango had raised him was keeping
the young Fett from crying out or shedding any tears. But judging from how tightly he was holding on to his father, and from the way Jango was hugging him back, it was
clear that the boy was deeply distraught, both with sorrow and now with relief at having his father with him again.
I on the other hand was viewing this reunion with a profound sense of apprehension and sudden regret. My hand was moving back and forth across my mouth and chin in
worried thought, a thought that had only now just occurred to me after seeing the two Fetts hug.
'What have I done? This…this was a mistake,' I thought to myself, my eyes widening slightly as I continued to look upon the tender moment happening between father
and son, the horrifying realization of the decision I had just made hitting me hard.
I had been too eager to bring Jango onto our side, too willing to pay any price to gain his trust and his loyalty. I had acted rashly, at the time only viewing Boba as a mere
means to an end, a simple resource to be exploited in our future war against Viraden and the Reapers.
I had just brought a kid into a galaxy that was doomed to soon suffer the slaughter of billions, a kid!
What was I thinking? I had just placed a young boy in unnecessary danger, and without the possibility of a return trip until my task was done. Now Jango would have to
watch out not only for himself but also for his son; and there would be nowhere safe enough, no refuge hidden enough, and no sanctuary strong enough to repel the
Reapers when they would eventually arrive and begin burning entire planets one by one!
"Axel?" Haxon asked in a concerned voice, having sensed the subtle changes in my body language. I didn't answer him, merely watching the Fetts hug each other before
slowly walking over to them.
"Its alright son…its alright," I heard Jango whisper to Boba firmly but gently as I came to a stop beside them.
"When you're ready, come and meet us up at the front. We'll drop you both off on a planet of your choosing…" I slowly began down to them as emotionlessly as I could,
an uncomfortable feeling settling in my gut.
"I'm sorry Jango…I shouldn't have done this."
With that I turned away from him just as he lifted his head to look up at me, absently beckoning for the group of Replicators to follow as I made for the door that would
lead back to the CIC.
Jango watched me leave, a strange look having come across his face. His gaze stayed on my back before turning and settling on the boy in his arms, his brow frowning
slightly in contemplation.
For a silent moment his eyes only twitched back and forth, as if he were fighting an internal battle within his mind, within his very soul, trying to decide on one of the most
deeply personal and uncharacteristic choices of his life.
Finally, just after I had reached the door and tapped its glowing red lock-pad, he turned back to me.
"Wait."
The door slid apart, allowing the Replicators and I to exit. But I was rooted to the spot, the single word having struck me like a lightning bolt. Several of the insects had
already begun moving out of the room, but after seeing that I wasn't following they turned to look up at me before hissing between each other in a confused manner.
With a stunned and mildly amazed expression, I turned around to face him.
Hugging his son one last time, the two separated from each other before Jango stood up to face me himself. With Boba taking a stand at his side, the bounty hunter
blinked once as he gathered his thoughts before speaking.
"I've…I've changed my mind," he said in his usual firm tone, although hesitating slightly as if for a moment he could barely believe his own words. By now I had walked
over to both of them, my eyes narrowed in suspicion but with a subtle smile of near giddiness creeping onto my face.
Had I just heard that right?
Seeing my expression caused Jango to roll his eyes in defeated annoyance while he folded his large arms.
"These Reapers will undoubtedly be a formidable force?" he inquired to me with a cocked eyebrow. I nodded curtly, my smile having now turned into a semi-smirk.
"Yes, very. And there's another enemy out there that will most likely be just as deadly, if not more so," I answered back, my focus starting to go serious again at the
small mention of Lord Viraden. As I said that, nightmarish images of cyborg Jaffa and death-masked Sardaukar Terror Troopers marching through burning streets briefly
flashed before my eyes, causing me to give an involuntary shudder that I somehow managed to keep hidden from the two Fetts.
"To combat them you're gonna to need an army, or a very skilled group of individuals," (Damn this guy's good!) Jango added back, a subtle meaning hidden in the
undertone of his voice. I nodded again in agreement, easily picking up on what he was all too obviously implying.
"Possibly both," I answered, my smirk widening slightly.
Jango nodded openly at that, giving a familiar 'hum' as his eyes looked down to the floor in a deliberate show of contemplation.
"I trained many men after Jaster died, and I was the one who instructed the Clone Army in how to fight their war against the Confederacy," the Mandalorian began
explaining, nodding again as if having come to a definitive conclusion in his own mind, before bringing his gaze back up to look me in the eye.
"Perhaps I could make a small difference to this motley crew of yours…" he said as he unfolded his arms.
"…if you'll have me."
While saying this he slowly extended his right hand out to me, slowly but with an un-explainable aura about it, as if it were the hand of a person reaching out to a potential
comrade for the first time.
My smirk had now transformed into a full thin smile. I knew full well Jango had already made up his mind the moment I had offered to bring Boba here in the first place;
this whole conversation and contemplative body language he was giving was merely a show to make his decision seem less abrupt. I had no qualms about that though, it
was the decision itself that I truly cared about. My smile warmed genuinely as I extended out my own hand and grasped his firmly, both of us shaking the others'.
"Welcome aboard Jango," I stated sincerely to him.
For the first time since I'd met him I actually saw the bounty hunter give a thin smile in return, one that only got wider as he looked down and laid a hand on Boba's far
shoulder.
"It'll be an odd but…refreshing feeling, to go back to my roots." Jango said these words more to himself as he held on to his son. With his jaw set and his face taking on
an expression of respect, he looked back to me and nodded once again before speaking in the same manner.
"My gun, my arm, and myself are yours Axel. Free of charge."
During this entire exchange Boba hadn't said a word, but after hearing his father pledge his support the young Fett gave me a suspicious glance before looking up toward
Jango.
"Are you sure about this dad?" he asked cautiously. Jango merely squeezed the boy's shoulder reassuringly.
"I am sure son, this is something worth fighting for," Jango stated with an odd tone of conviction and interest in his voice, as if he genuinely felt invested in the long
journey that was to come ahead. With that thought in mind I turned to look down directly at Boba with a cocked eyebrow, which was understandably met by a narrowed
"Can we count on you to help your father and us when the time comes Boba?" I asked down to him seriously, deciding to give the young Mandalorian the respect of being
spoken to as an adult rather than a child.
If my mistake in bringing him here was going to have any meaning, it would pay to start developing something of a rapport with the young Fett so as to truly bring him in
to the folds of the crew and make him more willing to see us as allies rather then accidental captors. Luckily my words had the desired effect of softening Boba's suspicion
of me, causing him to slightly ease the frown he was giving and look me up and down with a begrudging acknowledgement, clearly gauging me for any giveaways of a
hidden agenda.
"Maybe," he finally answered in a stiff tone, still maintaining his guarded attitude. I nodded to him in acceptance, feeling it wouldn't help my case to get picky on any
arrangement I made with our newest guest.
"Fair enough. But come on, back on the Citadel you wanted answers Jango, now I have the opportunity to give them to you," I said to both of them with a jerk of my
head back to the entrance door before turning around and joining the group of Replicators still awaiting me by its frame. Jango looked down at his son with one final smile
before clapping him on the back and following behind me, Boba remaining in step by his father's side the whole time.
With that, all of us exited out from the sleeper-pod area and made our way to the CIC back through the Med-bay.
"No, no! This piece goes here, that piece goes there!" Alec's voice shot out from the conference area in an annoyed manner the moment I stepped through the door. The
Guardian was sitting in one of the black cushioned swivel chairs set up around the table, with Yoda standing on its surface next to him. Both of them were hunched over
toward the center where they along with Polly, Sparky, and several other spiders were looking down on the hundreds of pieces of the Iron Man suit, all of which had been
gathered up and laid out across it.
At the moment they all looked like a bunch of C.S.I. coroners trying to piece together the body parts of a murder victim, each taking a portion of the damaged armour
and putting it in what they thought would be the most appropriate place. This succeeded in jig-sawing the Iron Man into a broken up representation of its original figure,
with its head, torso, arms and legs (minus the right hand that had been lost) all placed next to each other in their proper humanoid form.
The problem the group was having now however was in trying to figure out where all of the smaller more complicated pieces went.
"Alright this looks like it belongs to a foot, and this…this…I have no idea what this is," Alec said after placing a piece of dented plating near the suit's right boot before
picking up a small object that looked like it belonged in the circuit-board of a supercomputer.
Unfortunately despite all the progress they'd made, and as successful as Alec seemed to be in helping arrange the suit back together, the Replicators only seemed to be
getting more and more infuriated with him.
At the sight of him absently flipping the delicate looking component between his thumb and forefinger, their anger inevitably became inflamed. Polly quickly screeched with
a start before lunging forward and grabbing the object with his front pincer legs, ripping it out from Alec's grasp before he could register what was happening. Alec's
immediate reaction was to jerk in his seat and recoil in dramatic fear with his hands shielding around his face before quickly regaining his composure.
"Cool off Tin-Can, I know what I'm doing! Remember I was the one who showed you how to build this thing in the first place!" he expressed hotly.
Right away all of the machines, both on the table and those still making repairs throughout the bridge, turned and hissed angrily at the Guardian like a bunch of pissed off
Rattle Snakes while flaring their wing-flaps!
Yoda cocked a brow at this and folded his arms, turning and giving Alec a very pointed 'Now you've done it' look. The combined glares of the Replicators made Alec's
expression drop, followed by him slowly raising his hands defensively and shrinking back into his chair.
"Then again you were the ones who actually built it, so I guess I could just sit back and watch quietly," he added in quickly, getting an annoyed hiss from Polly before he
and the others returned to their work. I chuckled as I walked over to the table.
"All's well with the crew I see," I stated pleasantly to everyone in front of me, easily moving around and sliding into the chair next to Alec and Yoda before comfortably
reclining back and causally placing my left ankle on top of my right knee. Polly let out a noise of delight before quickly scurrying across the table toward me, fervently
nuzzling my outstretched hand as I smiled and greeted him. After giving him a few strokes across his wing-flaps, my Replicator friend latched on to my wrist and easily
climbed up the length of my arm, taking no time in finding a comfortable position to perch from on my left shoulder. While that was happening Alec was looking past me
back to the Med-bay's door, seeing Jango slowly walking out of it toward us while glancing around himself at the hive of Replicators operating throughout the room.
"So what was the verdict?" he whispered to me, eyeing Jango with guarded suspicion. I merely smiled and spoke openly while giving both the bounty hunter and Guardian
a reassuring nod.
"He's agreed to help us, with no additional charge aside from the normal necessities of room, board, and armaments." Alec jerked as if he'd just been stung, his suspicion
skyrocketing and mixing in with a sense of very sudden surprise. Jango saw this right away, folding his muscular arms in a showy manner and giving my companion a very
smug smirk.
"Guess you won't be the only muscle on this crew now Alec," the bounty hunter said to him, a subtle snarky undertone of humour in his voice. The Guardian however
wasn't sharing the sentiments, his expression remaining dead serious as he regarded Jango with a cold stare.
"Would you mind regaling me with how you managed to sway the mercenary into joining us?" Alec fired off coolly before turning his swivel chair and staring at me directly,
clearly bracing himself for what he thought would be the story of how I had promised the bounty hunter half the galaxy or some other absurd reward for his services.
But I didn't say a word; I didn't have to. All I did in answer to his question was smile knowingly and nod my head back over to Jango.
Or rather, the area just off to the side from Jango.
Nearly a dozen Replicator spiders had paused in their work to group around the Mandalorian, each gazing up at him with curiousity since many in the horde still hadn't had
the opportunity of a meeting while he had been asleep. Alec frowned at me before rotating his eyes to look at what I was indicating, and immediately his jaw dropped
once he saw it.
Boba was kneeling by his father's left leg, having entered the room directly behind Jango and therefore having stayed hidden from everyone's view during our exchange.
However, the young boy had chosen now to reveal himself due to the many machines beginning to surround him, his own curiousity of the Replicators overriding his
caution of the moment. Clear fascination shined within the young Fett's eyes while he looked upon the mechanical spiders, a small grin creeping across his face as he
reached out a hand and began lightly stroking one of them on their 'head' area. This caused many of the encircling spiders to hum pleasantly and start crowding around
Boba specifically, further delighting the boy into petting more of them.
Realization struck Alec, making him snap his fingers and giv
e a wide mouthed grin.
"Wow, I really am a genius!" he declared loudly while smacking the ball of his palm against his forehead (or maybe he just needed a V8, who knows), before letting out a
joyous cackle at the contribution he had unknowingly played in securing our new partnership with the former Mand'alor. A puzzled frown crossed Jango's face at this
typical Alecish display, followed by a short chuckle as he shrugged and shook it off. I on the other hand could only sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose, shaking my head
tiredly.
"Already let that notion go to your head, I fear you have Alec," Yoda remarked from beside us, his voice betraying the same emotion I was feeling at the moment.
Suddenly however Boba snapped up to a stand, a look of anger on his face after Yoda's words had caused him to look up from the floor to see who had spoken.
"Dad, that guy's a Jedi! I remember him from Geonosis, he invaded the arena and saved the one who killed you!" Boba warned up to Jango, jabbing an enraged finger
over at Yoda.
The cheery demeanor that had been lightly permeating around the room vanished in an instant.
"Oookayy…this has gotten awkward real quick," Alec muttered over to me from out of the corner of his mouth.
Yoda remained silent in the face of Boba's accusation, keeping his features in a grim expression, but also giving a slight frown that looked akin to disappointment. Jango
looked at Yoda for a moment before cocking an eyebrow and glancing down at his son, once again resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"He is a Jedi…and he's also the man who helped save my life, if I remember correctly," Jango said to the young boy before lifting his gaze and staring back at the Master
directly. This new information caught Boba by surprise, causing his guard to falter and his arm to drop.
"Without his help, my body would still be broken and I might not have made it off that station in as good a shape as I did. For that I owe him a debt of gratitude." As he
said these words, the Mandalorian gave a curt nod of respect to the Master.
"That is unnecessary, merely played my part I did, for your own well being and for that of our journey ahead," Yoda stated with a wave of his hand and a causal shake of