Doing Time
BeElleGee BeElleGee@hotmail.com
Rated PG
Summary: Boba Fett spends time inside a prison cell until he
is 'pardoned'
by a high ranking imperial in need of his expertise.
The prison building was primitive. Its doors had to be pushed
open by means of metal bars
attached across each door's width. Instead of elevators, there
were endless dark stairwells. The offices
were sparsely furnished with only early model computers and drawerless
desks. Everything was
functional. Nothing was aesthetic. The prison's cells were simply
modified cages, gridded with heavy
wire mesh. There was no privacy for the prisoners that were detained
there. However, this was only a
temporary holding pen. Few inmates stayed more than a few hours.
Most were transferred, others
were immediately executed.
One of the prison's temporary occupants was a bounty hunter, known
throughout the galaxy as
Boba Fett. He sat in a corner of the prison cell on the warped,
cracked floor, studying the prisoner in
the cell next to him. It was impossible to determine his statement
for he wore an old modified shock
trooper uniform and helmet.
"You are wanted on two systems for murder," Fett said after awhile.
He continued studying the
other prisoner. "Aslonia and I believe Margate. You killed some
children, am I right? The Aslonians will
take you dead or alive for five and a half thousand. Margate
offers two thousand. You are the infamous
Co'mei Estelos."
The other prisoner turned and looked warily at Boba Fett. He nodded
slowly. "How do you
know such things about me?" He shifted positions uneasily.
Fett waited a moment before answering, debating with himself as
to reveal his identity to what he
saw as prospective prey.
"I know these things because I make it my business. I study all
the latest postings of wanted
beings. And I'm very good at what I do."
"Slime," Estelos growled. "Filthy bounty hunter."
Undeterred, Fett continued. "What are you doing here? Or are you
just passing through on your
way to Aslonia perhaps?"
Estelos didn't answer.
"Just wondering," the bounty hunter said and shrugged. "It's not
like I can do anything to you. Or
haven't you noticed, my friend? We both seem to be in a bit of
a bind."
Estelos sat forward. He smiled slowly. "So what did you do to
land in this pit? Why are you
here?"
"I've done nothing. Absolutely nothing."
"That's what they all say."
"Actually, it's my ship," Fett confessed. "Imperial scum all of
a sudden tell me I have no
authorization for owning and using the weapons my ship is equipped
with. Since when do I need
anybody's permission to do what I do?" He leaned back, cursing
in Huttese. "They gave me a warning
once, a long time ago. I disregarded it and here I am."
Estelos seemed to lose interest, but asked, "So how did they catch
you?"
Fett wondered again if he should tell Estelos who he was. He decided
against it. "I came for the
bounty on Mingo Nebia. He was wanted here. They recognized me.
So after they escorted Nebia to
the death block, they escorted me to this cell."
Smiling again, in a mocking sort of way, Estelos said, "That was
stupid of you."
Fett shifted uncomfortably on the hard floor and sighed heavily.
"They haven't paid me for Nebia
yet either."
"And your ship? What are they going to do with it?"
The bounty hunter turned away from Estelos and cursed again. "They
are disarming it," he replied
angrily. "I spent years building it. Modifying it. Making it
perfect. My perfect Slave. It's everything I
need. After they disarm it and I serve my sentence for ignoring
them, they told me I could have it back.
A lot of good it will do me then."
Estelos started to laugh. He stopped abruptly upon hearing the
door to the cell block rattle open.
A prison guard entered and strode over to Boba Fett's cell.
"Time to go Boba Fett," he barked, opening the bounty hunter's
cell door.
"Boba Fett?" Estelos said and spat. "I know that name..."
"I'm not going anywhere with you," Fett answered the guard tersely.
The guard extended the bounty hunter's weapons towards him. "You've
been cleared. Get out
and take your weapons."
Boba Fett rose slowly.
Estelos started shouting. "You're letting him go? What about me?
He's murdered more times than
I have!"
"Shut up Worm! You're leaving here as soon as we can arrange transportation
for you. And if I
were you, I wouldn't be so anxious about it," the guard yelled.
He faced the bounty hunter once more.
"You can pick up your payment for Nebia in the captain's office."
"I don't understand. Why the sudden clemency? If you don't mind
my asking," Fett began.
"You have been summoned by Lord Darth Vader," the guard explained.
"He has taken authority
in this matter over our heads and ordered your release."
Boba Fett took his weapons and secured them to his uniform. He
smiled to himself. "Darth
Vader, you said? Yes I know him well. He has employed me before."
He walked arrogantly out of the
cell, then stopped in front of the guard. "What about my ship?"
"Your ship will be returned to you as it was. This Vader has issued
you documented authority to
use its weapons. You certainly have friends in high places, Boba
Fett," the guard relayed warily.
Fett laughed. "Vader is no friend, I can assure you. He just pays
well and doesn't impose too
many restrictions. That's all I give a damn about." He started
to walk away, then turned back and
gestured at Estelos. "What is to become of this creature?"
"We are trying to find passage for him to Aslonia. He'll be turned
over to the authorities there,
then executed."
Fett smiled. "May I offer my services? I could take him to Aslonia
for you at no additional
expense. There is no need to find passage."
"No! No!" Estelos began screaming. "Don't turn me over to him!
I've heard about the things he
does...to his captives. Horrible things! Please, I'm begging
you!"
But the guard rather liked the idea. He began to unlock Estelos'
cell despite the prisoner's frantic
protests. "He's all yours."
The screams grew louder as Boba Fett stepped in front of Estelos
and raised his blaster. He fired
once and the cell block was suddenly silent. The guard looked
over at the bounty hunter with distaste.
Boba Fett merely shrugged.
"They are much easier to transport this way," he explained.