Fan Fic: Whispers on Dxun (Page 1 of 3)

Well since you asked nicely, here's some more (not properly edited as yet):

Helif Pois sat perched in a tree. She had her stealth generator on so she would only appear as a shimmer if someone looked in her direction. She was almost totally invisible it was only as she moved that a flicker appeared.

She had a pair of micro binoculars to her eyes and had spotted her pursuer. She smiled, she must have really ticked off the Hutts. Boba Fett didn’t work for just any sum of money.

But Pois had known that she would have a large sum on her head. She had stolen some prized gems from Zorba the Hutt. There were at least two Krayt Dragon Pearls in her booty too.

Pois could only guess at just how much the Hutt had offered for her “capture”. She didn’t doubt that she’d be requested as “live merchandise” the Hutt’s enjoyed torturing those who committed crimes against them. Pois smirked at that, the way the Hutts acted you’d think they were innocent fops. What a joke.

Lowering her binoculars, Pois climbed slowly down the tree. She didn’t want to draw unwanted attention. She’d been to Dxun before and knew her way around some of the jungle tracks. She just had to remember to avoid most of the wild life.

She’d come across one cannok so far, luckily the beast hadn’t been particularly bright, she been able to simply walk passed it with her stealth generator activated.

Pois’ goal was to reach one of the few settlements on Dxun. Not that you could really call them settled. They were generally small, hostile and well guarded. It wasn’t surprising since most of the planets inhabitants were Mandalorian descendents.

With a sigh Pois made her way towards one of the worn tracks. Her plan was to steal a small space craft, fly to Onderon and get passage to a much more populated place where she could easily blend in. Although Dxun held many places to hide, it was much too boring a place for Pois. She thrived on the city life and its rich citizens.

-

Marsden Etek sat on the tree stump in front of his cabin cleaning his blaster. He was one of 54 Mandalorian descendents who’d chosen to live on Dxun in this particular area. He had been training as a soldier since he was a child but there really wasn’t much action on Dxun.

Sure he’d taken out many a boma beast and cannok but still it wasn’t the same as true combat. He’d only tasted that twice, both times had been on away missions. The first time it had been with the Rebels, the second time as brute force for Jabba the Hutt. Of course they’d been hired as mercenaries but that didn’t worry Etek he was glad to get any battle experience.

He’d taken away a full suit of Imperial armour on his first mission, which he’d modified for the jungle. He’d painted it mottled shades of green and brown. He’d also added to the helmet’s functionality plus he’d remodelled it to look more like a Mandalorian helmet.

True Mandalorian armour was hard to come by and the remaining suits that were left on Dxun were only granted to the most skilled and honoured soldiers. At 19 standard years of age, Etek was considered too young and inexperienced to be granted such status. But one day he’d have a suit of his own, even if it was a relic from the first wave of Mandalorians to land on Dxun.

Today Etek and four other young Mandalorians, were to scout the perimeters of their territory, mainly to sweep out some of the dangerous beasts that roamed the land and also to check for intruders.

They knew that a freighter had crashed. A party of the more skilled soldiers had gone to check out the wreck. There were no bodies so the crew had survived. They had no idea of numbers, but any survivors were going to have a rough time against the wild life if they didn’t carry weapons.

Etek just hoped the survivors were hostile, it meant he’d get some target practice.

Lifting his blaster for inspection, Etek smiled at his own work, the blaster was clean as a whistle. He stood and walked into his cabin, it was time to change into his armour.

-

Pois stopped as the trail led into a low cavern. She wasn’t about to venture inside. She had no idea if it had multiple exits or only one. She wasn’t about to get trapped. Instead she started walking into the thicker foliage as she edged around the large rock formation.

To leave as little sign of her passage as possible, Pois had to slow her pace and pick her path carefully, there was no point in rushing if one could be tracked easily. She was starting to make some progress when she heard voices. She immediately froze where she stood, knowing that her stealth generator would work best when still.

She could hear the murmurs of conversation but Pois was too far away to actually hear what they were saying. Slowly she squatted down on her haunches and was able to find a gap in the foliage which she could see through.

Two young men in armour stood talking. Both had their helmets in their hands and they indicated to something. Pois strained to hear but it was useless she was just too far away.

She crept forward slowly, even then she could only make out a few of the words being spoken, but it was not enough to work out what they were discussing. She was close enough to make out their faces and she could tell they were young, neither looked to be over 25 standard years old. Pois smiled at that. She could use their age as an advantage. Young men tended to follow their emotions and Pois knew just how to play them.

Pois herself was only 24, but she considered herself far more mature and experienced then others her age. Her success at theft had made her cocky and somewhat arrogant, though she hadn’t even realised it.

As the two men were joined by another three, Pois realised their intent, they were going on patrol. They greeted each other and Pois had a moment to choose her victim. She looked for the youngest and most naïve in appearance. She didn’t want some roguish charmer who had a way with the ladies. She was after innocent virgin material, it made it so much easier to influence them with her feminine wiles.

Pois smiled as she picked one of the new comers. She guessed he’d be lucky if he was twenty, he looked intense yet a little uncertain. His dusty brown hair was somewhat shaggy and hung almost to his eyes. She wondered if it was a way he  hid his emotions. His face was quickly covered as he placed his helmet on his head.

Pois didn’t take her eyes of him. She waited for the patrol to roll out and smiled as they all went separate ways. It was unfortunate that her choice had headed off in the direction she’d already come from. Still it would make it easier for her to “accidentally” come across him.

It's Stormtrooper armour.  I shall elaborate in the next installment.

Well I haven't elaborated on the armour as yet, but here's the next installment:

Etek had been sent off to the South. He felt disappointed at the Sergeant’s choice, but he couldn’t argue with someone who outranked him. Still it shouldn’t be all bad. He’d have to venture through the cavern and it generally attracted a few cannoks so at least he’d have some defence practice.

As he stalked along the path he had the feeling he was being watched. He paused several times during his patrol but saw nothing. Once he thought he saw some sort of shimmer in the dense brush but it was gone before he could take a better look.

The sensation didn’t fade and Etek was growing edgy. He almost missed the growl of a cannok. He lifted his blaster and took out the cannok before it got to close.

Etek took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. His chest was tight with anxiety, he didn’t want to be ambushed, especially when he was certain he was being followed. He looked around again, but still he saw no one.

-

Pois found herself surprised by how observant her chosen soldier was. He knew he was being followed, he just didn’t know who it was. She smiled briefly but she had to get in front on him. She couldn’t allow him to go into the cavern, that would be heading too close to Fett.

Pois knew that Fett would never give up on her. That was why she had to escape. At least if she got away for a while she might be able to get the bounty on her head lowered. It was a slim chance, but it was better than the alternative.

Quickening her step, Pois hurried towards the cavern, when she reached the mouth she snuck inside and turned off her stealth generator. It was time to meet her chosen victim.

-

Etek was finally starting to calm down. The feeling of being watched had ebbed and he was starting to feel more confident. As he headed towards the cavern he saw someone standing with their back to him just inside the opening.

Etek stood straighter and held his blaster proudly, he just hoped he wasn’t walking into a trap. As he got closer he was able to see that it was a humanoid female. She wore fairly plan clothes, a tan shirt, brown pants and a pale green utility vest. She had a blaster pistol strapped to her right thigh but her hands weren’t near it.

Her black hair was in a high pony tail and he was rather startled as she turned around to look at him, she had mottled black spots on her face which identified her as a Mirialan. She raised her hands in the air as she saw his blaster pointed at her.

“Who are you?” He asked in his most commanding tone.

“My name is Helif Pois. I was on the freighter that crashed. I just want to go home.” She replied.

Etek lessened his grip on his blaster and lowered it slightly. He doubted that Helif was any real threat. She just seemed desperate to get home. He could understand that. “Is your ship repairable?” He asked.

Helif shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not a mechanic.”

“What about your crew mates? Surely one of them was a mechanic.” Etek pointed out.

She paused and looked a little bewildered, then she seemed to focus and look back at him. “I got separated from them.” Her lip trembled. “The beasts killed them. All of them, I think.” She lifted her shaking hands to her face to cover her tears.

Etek lowered his blaster to his side and stepped forward and touched her lightly on the shoulder, drawing her attention. “I’m sorry to hear that. We shouldn’t stay out here. There are too many dangerous beasts in the area. I can take you back to my village.”

Helif looked up, her tear filled eyes shining. “I’d like that.”

Etek nodded and found himself captivated by her dark eyes. He was reluctant to take his hand from her shoulder. A part of him instinctively wanted to protect her. He knew as a Mandalorian descendant that he should shun weakness. But this female didn’t invoke his disgust. She stirred something else. He mentally shook himself. There were too fewer females his age in his village, that was why he was intrigued. At least that was what he tried to tell himself.

As she wiped away her tears, Helif asked a question. “I need to go to Onderon, can I get passage from here?”

Etek shrugged. “We have a shuttle we use to go to Onderon. I could probably pilot you over, provided that Mandalore gives me permission.”

She smiled at him and Etek felt his heart pound, she was beautiful. “I’m sure he’ll be okay with it.” She said quietly, almost shyly.

It was then that Etek realised that his hand was still on her shoulder, he quickly dropped it and cleared his throat. “We need to head back that way.” He pointed in the direction he’d come.

Helif nodded with a small smile and took the lead.

although i think it would look cooler and make more sense to have him have scout trooper armor (because scout troopers were usually set up in jungles) i love the story especially when she was such a good spy

this is great she is just toying with him but i kind of feel sorry for him though... hehe

I hope we get to hear more about the Commander and the people in the village.
This story is great! Helif Pois is an interesting character too.

Sorry for the delay here's a bit more...

Pois lay on the metal bench breathing with the slowness of sleep. She might have lost the ability to lie but she could still act. She felt hands prodding at the puncture wound on her neck but she made sure to be as relaxed as an unconscious person would be.

She heard a humming noise and suddenly felt a warmth wash over her. It must have been some sort of body scan.

“I can’t find any toxins in her system so I’ll assume it’s a sedative.” She heard a deep male voice say.

“Fine let her sleep. Let me know when she wakes up.” said another male voice. She was fairly certain it was the Commander’s.

She heard one of them leave. The other walked over to her again, checking her pulse for the umpteenth time.

As a hand touched her forehead, Pois’ eyes blinked open, her hands lashed out and grabbed the medic’s head and slammed it into her knee. He dropped with a gasp. Pois went for her blaster but it was no longer in her holster. She was about to pick up a tray and smash it over the medic’s head when she felt a hand wrap around her throat from behind. “Drop the tray,” Said a male voice.

Pois complied. The medic stood up holding his bleeding nose. He glared at Pois for a moment then back at the Commander who held her. “There’s certainly nothing wrong with her.”

“I noticed that too.” The Commander replied, his fingers tightening slightly. Pois winced at the pain but said nothing. “You’ve got some explaining to do young lady.”

-

Boba Fett scaled the wall to the Mandalorian village with ease. He sat on the peak and viewed the settlement below. No one seemed interested in him, he would appear to be one of their own in his Mandalorian armour.

Dropping with the stealth and elegance of a cat, Fett made his way through the village with the easy pace of a predator. He had a purpose and this time it wasn’t to find Pois.

-

Etek was finally starting to calm down. He’d taken a cold shower and now sat in only his cargo pants drinking an icy cold glass of water. His back was to the door but he knew it had opened.

Assuming it was the Commander, Etek poured another drink. “So what did you find out, Commander?”

As Etek turned to hand the drink to his guest he was surprised to see a man clad in genuine Mandalorian armour, more scarred then any worn in the village. “I beg your pardon, Boba Fett. I thought you were someone else.”

Fett took the offered glass. “If you had expected me, I would be the surprised one.”

A smiled tugged at the corner of Etek’s lips. “So what exactly did she do?”

“She stole some valuable gems from Zorba the Hutt.” Fett answered and lowered his feeding straw from his helmet and sipped the water.

“Zorba? Geez she’s got some nerve.” Etek shook his head in confusion.

“Indeed.” Fett replied and retracted the feeding straw then placed the glass back on the table. “She’s also going to try and escape this place and manipulate you to do it.”

Etek blinked in confusion. “Why don’t you capture her now?”

Fett shrugged, “I could but I want this one to learn a lesson before I take her in.”

Etek turned her head to the side, “I thought she’d be wanted dead.”

Fett shook his head. “The Hutt’s prefer live capture for those who steal from them.”

Etek felt his blood run cold. “They’ll torture her, won’t they.”

“Without a doubt,” Fett answered, no emotion touched his voice.

“Then what purpose is there in teaching her a lesson?” Etek asked.

Fett stood in the doorway. “You’ll see.”

lov'in it mel. ur awsome

I love it!

Another installment... (sorry it's been so long)

The morning was bright and sunny. It totally contradicted Etek’s mood. He wasn’t looking forward to seeing Pois again. Part of him dreaded the thought, another part of him was oddly thrilled by the idea. He wanted to quash the latter thought.

He dressed in his armour once again and headed outside. He went to the hanger bay to prep the shuttle he’d be taking to Onderon. He’d decided that was where he would deliver Pois to. She wanted to go there and he didn’t want her here. It made perfect sense.

Etek was going through the final checks when he heard footsteps on the permicrete. He stopped as he saw two soldiers escorting Pois towards him, her hands bound. It seemed the Commander had assumed that Etek would fly her out. He smiled to himself at the thought.

“Leave her,” Etek told his fellow soldiers and they complied. Etek took her bonds in his fist and pulled her close. “Looks like you get your wish. We’re going to Onderon.”

The corner of Pois’ mouth lifted slightly but the smile didn’t touch her eyes.

Etek didn’t dwell on her reaction, he was still mad as hell. He was partly contemplating throwing her out of the hatch once they were in Onderon’s orbit but he knew he wouldn’t.

Dragging her behind him, Etek boarded the ship and shoved her roughly into the co-pilots chair. He strapped her seatbelt in and was very focused on avoiding contact with her.

Then he got into the pilot’s chair and started the remaining flight checks. Beneath his helmet his jaw twitched, he was angry but he still wanted to look at her and that only infuriated him more. He let out a long breath and continued the checks.

-

Pois decided that silence was the best option for now. She could practically feel the angry waves rolling of Marsden. He was paying way too much attention to his pre-flight checks.

So it seemed that she still had an effect on him, even if it had changed from affection to rage. She could still work with that, although she was feeling a slight touch of regret. She mentally shook herself, now was not the time to get soft.

Finally Marsden finished his methodical checks and launched the shuttle. Pois waited until they were out of Dxun’s orbit before she spoke. “I suppose you want an explanation?”

Marsden body was facing forward but she saw him tense at her words. She waited a moment but he didn’t speak.

“My life has been a hard and complicated one.” Pois began.

Marsden turned to look at her. “Theft from a Hutt is hardly the work of a hard done by peasant.”

Pois nodded calmly. So he knew her situation, it wasn’t surprising, his Commander would have informed him of her confession. This complicated things. “I started small but I found I had a talent, unfortunately it was one that there are laws against.”

Marsden shook his head. “Admit it, you like what you do.”

Pois smiled, “Yeah I do. It’s a challenge and I live for the thrill of the moment.” She looked up at Marsden, hoping her eyes locked with his beneath the helmet. “I’m sure you live for the moment too.”

“I don’t steal.” Marsden pointed out.

“But you kill.” Pois pointed out in turn.

Marsden leant forward sharply. “I have only killed in the heat of battle, never simply for the thrill of it.”

“You want to kill me now though, don’t you?” Pois said pointedly.

Marsden sat back. “No I don’t.”

Pois felt a wave of relief wash over her. Then she looked up at Marsden, “What do you want to do with me then?”

Once again Marsden was silent. Pois had put a touch of sultry in her tone but Marsden wasn’t biting. She sat back into her chair and looked at the dark sky. “Do you ever wonder if there’s a better life out there?”

“I’m a Mandalorian, I stay with my kind. Unlike you I understand loyalty.” Marsden said sharply.

Pois blinked, that actually hurt her. She hadn’t had any loyalty from anyone she’d ever know. Marsden seemed to believe that loyalty was something easily given. Such a thing had never been the case for her. “And unlike you, I’ve never had the luxury of loyalty.”

“Going for the sympathy angle now, are you?” Marsden growled.

This time it was Pois who was feeling angry. “No, if I was I’d do a better job then that.”

Marsden actually laughed. “Wow, I think you might actually be telling the truth.”

Pois crossed her arms in annoyance. “I’ve told the truth to you more often than you think.

Marsden’s helmeted head turned slightly to the side. “Sure you did.”

“Honest! I did. I only covered up about my small misadventure with Boba Fett.” Pois pouted.

Again Marsden laughed, “Small misadventure? I don’t think there’s such a thing if Boba Fett is involved. You don’t really think you’ll get away from him, do you?”

Pois chewed her bottom lip. “No I don’t think I can evade him forever. I just want to be able to avoid him until the bounty drops.”

Marsden shook him head, “You stole from Zorba the Hutt, he’s more likely to increase your bounty the longer you’re missing.”

Pois felt a chill go through her body. She knew what he said was true but she couldn’t let go of the hope of escape. She moved her arms back and allowed her elbows to rub against the secret pocket in her vest that contained the stolen gems. “Sometimes our emotions get the best of us. I got too greedy.”

Marsden’s voice was quiet in reply. “Our emotions can mislead us.”

Pois blinked, it seemed that she was actually getting through to Marsden and amazingly it was with the truth. She would never have believed such a thing in the past. “Marsden,” she said quietly.

He turned to look at her.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have betrayed your trust.” Pois said, actually meaning it.

Marsden snorted. “I’m sure you are.”

Pois shook her head, “No, I didn’t mean it they way you think. I am genuinely sorry. It’s not often that I meet someone who is so… so…”

“Gullible,” Marsden finished for her.

“No, I was going to say nice.” Pois said and dipped her head feeling a little embarrassed by the admission.

Marsden’s voice turned cold. “Lay off it. I’m sick of your chatter. Be silent until we reach Onderon.”

Pois opened her mouth to protest, however Marsden took her chin in his gloved hand. His grip was not gentle. “I do have tape. I can force you to be quiet.”

Pois closed her mouth and let out a harsh breath. Yet she remained silent. She would wait for him to talk.

-

Etek could still hear the echo of Pois saying his name. She’d said it so tenderly that he’d wanted to believe her apology. He’d been so close to caving in that he’d had to get her to stop talking.

Even now he was uncomfortably aware of her presence beside him. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to believe that she really was sorry and thought he was nice. But Boba Fett couldn’t be wrong. Helif Pois was not what she seemed.

Yet Etek wanted to forgive her. He wanted to believe that she wanted him, because as much as he wanted to deny it, he did want her. “Are you part Falleen?” He found himself asking.

“I thought you wanted me to remain silent?” Pois countered.

Etek glared at her beneath the helmet. “Just answer the question.”

“No,” she simply replied. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason.” Etek said sternly.

He noticed Pois smile out of the corner of his eye. “What’s so amusing?”

“You are. You’re trying to justify why you find me attractive aren’t you?” Pois smirked.

Etek shook his head, annoyed that she was so astute, though his question had been pretty obvious to read. He wished he’d remained silent. “Fine, yes I was wondering how I could I possibly be attracted to scum like you.”

Pois looked astonished. “You think I’m scum? I’m offended by that.”

“Good, now maybe you’ll leave me alone.” Etek snarled.

Pois looked him up and down. “If you wanted to get away from me you could have got one of your soldier buddies to drop me off. I’m sure you’re not the only soldier on the planet that can fly a shuttle.”

That made Etek bristle, he hit the autopilot button and stood up. He hit the release on her seatbelt then grabbed Pois by the shirt front and pulled her to her feet. “You’ve got a lot of nerve. You’re the one tied up here.”

“Physically maybe, but you’re the one tied in knots inside. Admit it Marsden, you don’t know what you want right now. There’s a part of you that wants to throttle me and another that would like to do something more pleasurable.” Pois told.

Etek dragged her away from the co-pilot chair and pushed her against the bulkhead. “Why do you taunt me? It’s clear that your feelings aren’t genuine.”

Pois’ face turned serious. “My feelings might not have been genuine in the beginning, but I do find you extremely attractive. I wish you’d take your helmet off.”

“I’m sure you do. It’d make it a lot easier for you to attack me.” Etek snarled.

Pois raised her tied wrists. “I haven’t mastered the art of fighting with my hands bound.”

“That’s easy for you to say.” Etek growled. He took of his helmet against his better judgement.

Pois’ eyes softened as they roamed over the contours of his face. “You haven’t shaved.” She said raising her hands, her fingers touching his stubbled jaw.

He flinched away. “No I didn’t. I was too angry.”

Pois moved closer. “It suits you.”

“Being angry?” Etek queried.

“No, having stubble. Makes you look more appealing.” Pois said moving closer. The scent of her skin filled Etek’s senses and as he attempted to move away Pois managed to lift her bound hands over his head and wrap them around his neck. She pulled him close and kissed him.

Etek felt as if his knees were going to buckle beneath him. She tasted so good and her lips were wild yet tender against his. He found himself returning her embrace and then her kiss. He quivered as she ran her tongue across his top lip.

He actually groaned as she pressed her body closer to his, her soft breasts pressed against his chest-plate and Etek felt his heart pound faster and wondered why he hadn’t pursued a woman before now.

Feeling bold Etek slid his hand from Pois’ waist to her firm backside, pressing her even closer to him. She responded by deepening their kiss and grinding her hips against him.

It was the proximity alert that brought Etek back from the brink of making a potentially fatal mistake. He removed Pois’ arms from his neck and shoved her back into her seat as he returned to his and made the adjustments for landing.

“You haven’t fastened my seatbelt.” Pois said as she indicated to harness hanging beside her.

Etek paused and then moved to strap her back in. He didn’t miss the fact that she sat forward so his hand brushed against her breast as he moved the harness into place. Once he was done he returned to the pilots chair and prepared to land.

After a brief exchange with the Onderon authorities, Etek was designated a landing platform and landed the shuttle with practiced ease.

“So what happens now?” Pois asked.

Etek sighed. “I take you to a motel, untie you and you do whatever you want to do.”

A cheeky grin spread across Pois’ face. “You say whatever I want to do, does that involve you?”

Etek felt himself blush at the suggestion. “You’re trying to lead me astray.”

“I think you want to be led.” Pois told.

“Possibly, let’s get this over with.” Etek said as he stood. He released Pois’ seatbelt and allowed her to stand.

She raised her hands. “You can untie me now.”

Etek shook his head. “I don’t think so. You’re likely to steal the shuttle on me.”

Pois smiled and shrugged. “Well I am a thief.”

“Exactly, now let’s go.” Etek said as he pointed her towards the exit.

Here's another bit, we're getting close to the end now...

Slave I settled into place on the Onderon landing platform only a few places away from Etek’s shuttle. The notorious bounty hunter had followed the small craft in, knowing that Etek would not reveal his pursuit. Even if the Mandalorian descendant did it wouldn’t matter. Boba Fett always got his prey.

As the hatch opened Fett was greeted by a figure in a cloak, their face hidden by a large hood. “Greetings Boba Fett,” a female voice said.

Fett gave a nod of his head in greetings. It had been a long time since their last meeting. “You received my message?”

“Yes, I did. I’ll do as you instructed.” The woman said.

“Good. I’ll meet you later as discussed.” The hooded woman walked away as Boba Fett headed into the city centre.

-

Janine held the cloak close to her face. Although she looked human she wasn’t quite. Her origins were unknown except to those Imperial scientists who had put her together. Her skin was tinted a faint orange and her eyes were like those of a feline, though a deep green.

Her long black hair was pulled back into a long braid that was concealed beneath her cloak. Her taloned fingers and toes were covered, along with her short tail that hung to the middle of her thighs.

It had been some time ago that Janine had met Boba Fett. Initially she had been a bounty of his. She had been a prize to the Emperor and had been believed dead at the end of their exchange. However she had been restored to full health by one of the scientists who had been involved in her creation.

At her reawakening Janine had discovered she was not the only experiment the Empire had created. A male version of herself had been the first test subject, though he had been a volatile mix of unbalanced rage and violence. Janine had let him lose believing he was an innocent victim like herself. However this was not the case.

Janine had called upon Boba Fett to help her rid the galaxy of the horrible beast. Once this was accomplished Fett had offered her a job with him as an informant. Previously she had been located at Bespin, however she had relocated at Fett’s request.

Now she was to assist Fett in his current bounty. She was not to take on Helif Pois but to monitor her movements and assist the Mandalorian descendant, Marsden Etek, if it was required.

She already knew that Etek had booked a motel room, presumably to rid himself of Pois. Janine made her way there through the busy streets, hoping that Pois wouldn’t turn violent.

-

Pois felt a little shaken. She had Marsden under her thumb again but she didn’t feel pleased about it. Nor was she proud of what she would have to do once she was free of her bounds. She needed to steal the shuttle from Marsden. She knew that she would lose his trust entirely if she did it, but she didn’t really have any other choice.

She could try and steal another ship however it would be easier to steal Marsden’s. She’d know where he was and only had one being to worry about. Stealing an unknown vessel provided a lot of possible problems, like if it was empty? Was the crew nearby? How many people were needed to fly the ship? And so on.

As he walked her to her motel room she felt a growing sense of dread. Part of her wanted to ask Marsden if he’d come with her, but she knew he wouldn’t. He’d want to remain with his fellow Mandalorians.

Marsden opened the door and held it for her, allowing her to walk into the room. It was nothing flash but Pois didn’t mind. She walked to the window and looked outside. They must have been at least four floors up, probably so she couldn’t escape through the window as soon as he untied her wrists.

Pois turned to look at Marsden and raised her tied hands. “Is it time yet?”

He shut the door and walked towards her. Pois had expected him to cut the bonds loose, instead he untied the knot and unwound the rope. Pois shook her hands at her side, her fingers tingling slightly at lack of blood flow.

Marsden looped the rope around his hand neatly before fastening it tidily at his side. “Well you’re free now. I’ll leave you to your escape. Just don’t plan on stealing my ship.” He said pointing a stern finger at her.

Pois reached out and put a hand on his shoulder before he could turn away. “You don’t have to go straight away.”

Marsden stood silent before her. She couldn’t read him at all with his face covered by his helmet. Even his body was still so she couldn’t read that either.

“What are you thinking?” She asked.

Marsden’s head tilted downward. “I was thinking I should go.” His voice went quiet. “But I don’t really want to.”

That made Pois smile. “I was hoping you’d stay with me, even it is only for a little while.”

Marsden didn’t speak for a moment and Pois realised he was torn. If she was going to get him to stay she was going to have to be persuasive. “Do you want to see the gems?”

That got his attention, “You have them on you?”

“Of course, I didn’t trust a simple hiding place.” Pois told as she reached for her secret pocket and removed a small maroon velvet bag.

She went to open it as Marsden’s gloved hand covered hers and pushed the bag away. “I don’t want to see them. If you return them to the Hutt would your bounty be lifted?”

“To be honest, I hadn’t thought of that. But the Hutt’s aren’t known for leniency, I’d be punished just because I pulled it off.” Pois admitted.

Marsden nodded, “True.” His gloved hand hesitantly rose to touch her cheek. “I should go.”

Pois cover his hand with hers and intertwined their fingers. “Take off your helmet so I can see your eyes one last time.”

With a nod, Marsden complied and removed his helmet. He looked very uncertain and there was a touch of distrust in his eyes. Pois didn’t blame him but it made her feel worse, knowing what she had to do.

She moved towards him and captured his lips in a kiss. He returned it with as much passion as she. Pois then ran her hand up to his head, her fingers splaying through his hair. She began running kisses along his jaw, down his neck then back up to his ear. He groaned and Pois rubbed her check against his.

Marsden moved his hands to cradle her face and turned her head so she could look into his eyes. Pois wanted to cry, there was such a tender hope there and she was going to crush it. She rushed in to kiss him again and he stumbled back in surprise of her vigour.

She pressed up against him as he was now leaning back against a wall. Her hands roamed over his armoured body, releasing latches that held it together. He in return, removed her vest and was tugging at her shirt.

With a sense of dread Pois waited until she thought his attention was diverted, she reached for his blaster pistol in his thigh holster. She switched it to stun and shot Marsden in the foot.

A look of surprise and betrayal flashed over his face before he slumped to the ground. “I’m sorry, Marsden.” She whispered quietly, feeling the worst she had ever felt in her life. She had the opportunity to finally trust someone and have someone trust her and she’d destroyed it.

She stood for a moment just looking at Marsden, wishing that things had been different. “Why didn’t I meet you earlier in my life?” She said quietly before removing his armour. She’d need it to successfully steal his shuttle with the least suspicion.

-

Janine had been standing on the balcony. The couple inside had been so caught up in their own business that they hadn’t even noticed her standing there. She had already contacted Fett to let him know of the situation. Now it was her time to make a move.

With a gloved finger, Janine activated the balcony door. As she had suspected, Pois hadn’t shot to kill. Etek was breathing.

Janine pulled a stimulant patch from a pouch on her belt. She applied it to Etek’s bare arm and watched as he came to with a sharp snort. He glared at her for a moment before turning curious.

“I am Janine. I’ve come on Boba Fett’s behalf.” She told simply.

“I thought Fett worked alone.” Etek replied as he looked around.

“He does, but even the best bounty hunter needs informants.” Janine said as she removed her backpack and started removing its contents.

Etek tried to stand but he was still a little giddy. Janine took his arm and drew it across her shoulders to assist him. “I’ve brought some goodies, on the boss’s behalf.”

Etek looked confused, but he liked the idea of goodies from Boba Fett. “So let’s see them.”

Janine smiled, “Ah a man of my own heart.” She removed a dark flight suit with several armoured plates and matching helmet then handed it to Etek. Next she pulled the best items from the bag, genuine Mandalorian gauntlets.

Etek gasped, “Are those for me?”

Janine grinned, “They sure are. Boba was impressed when he saw how you’d modified your own armour. He thought you’d appreciate these.”

Etek picked them up with awe. He looked over them as if he’d been bestowed with the most precious gift in the universe. “Wow, these are amazing.”

“And they are now yours.” Janine told.

-

Pois walked through the streets with an easy gait but her mind was swirling with turmoil. She wanted to go back and wait for Marsden to come to and apologise, but the problem was if she did that she was cutting into valuable time. She stopped several times in her confusion, but the need to survive overrode the need to go back to Marsden.

She found it relatively easy to get into the docking bay. She paused in mid stride as she saw Slave I further down the hanger. In a moment she was running for the shuttle, she opened the hatch in a fluster and climbed aboard. She quickly locked the hatch and ran for the cockpit. She was in the chair less than a second before she felt the cold metal of a blaster barrel touch her temple.

“I see you betrayed Etek as I suspected.” Fett said dryly.

“It was the only way to escape cleanly.” Pois protested.

Fett tilted his head slightly, “No it wasn’t. It was the easiest for you.”

“Easiest? No you’re wrong.” Pois cried, “I betrayed the only person who I had a chance with.”

If Fett had been capable of it, he would have laughed. “I’ve seen your type many times before. You betray everyone.”

“No, no it’s not true! No one gave me a chance! My life has been nothing but pain.” Pois strained in desperation.

Fett snorted, “Perhaps.”

Pois dug around her thigh pocket and pulled the bag of gems out. “Take these back to Zorba. But please don’t take me back, or at least not alive.”

“You’re not worth anything dead.” Fett replied coldly.

Their exchange was cut short as the hatch doorway opened. Pois couldn’t see around the bulkhead but she didn’t need to. “Up,” Fett commanded.

She did as she was told as the blaster barrel was still firmly pressed against her head. She walked out into the belly of the shuttle and saw a woman in a robe and a man in armour. She could tell it was Etek simply from his posture.

Tears ran down Pois’ face. She wanted to say sorry and she wanted to escape.

“The shuttle is yours Etek.” Fett said simply.

Etek nodded, “Thanks for the gauntlets.”

Fett gave a nod in return, “No problem.”

“You were in with Fett?” Pois said with appalling betrayal.

Etek shrugged, “He told me what to expect and you didn’t deviate from that path.”

Pois’ bottom lip quivered, “But I thought…”

“You thought that I wanted to be with you? Well if you had a heart that would have been a possibility. But clearly you don’t.” Etek stated with a cold finality.

“I do. I’m sorry. I wanted to go back for you. But…” Pois’ plead was cut short as Fett shoved her out the door and directed her to his ship.

-

Etek stood quietly as Pois was taken away by Boba Fett. His head dropped once she was out of sight. He’d played it cool, but the truth was he was bleeding inside. She’d ripped his heart out and he didn’t know what to do.

Janine stood beside him quietly before turning to him and giving him a comforting hug. “Do not despair, my friend.” She said quietly.

Etek let her hold him. He needed the comfort. “I was hoping I’d be wrong.”

“You might be yet.” Janine replied enigmatically.