Made it! He slowed, and forced himself to breathe easily so that no one would notice that he was on the run. He was invisible, because nobody (or no creature) notices a ten-year-old.
Except another ten-year-old.
“Teff!” A hand caught his shoulder.
Boba turned, fists up, in a fighting stance, ready to defend himself against all the Jedi in the world, as well as their security droids, clone troopers, officials, or…
It was Garr.
“You forgot your flight bag,” Garr said, handing Boba the precious legacy from his father.
Boba was amazed. Had he been that confused, that panicked? That was breaking the bounty hunters’ code for sure, which was to remain calm in every situation.
Boba dropped his fists to his side. “Thanks,” he said, taking the bag from Garr.
“Why are you running?” Garr asked. “They are going to send us to a nice place, I’ll bet.”
Boba didn’t say anything; he didn’t know where to start.
“Glynn-Beti is going to be mad now. We’d better get back, quick, before - “
“Garr!” Boba grabbed his friend by the arm. “Come.”
“Where? What for?”
“Just come. I’ll explain!”
Cloud City’s central levels were open, at the edges, to the wind and air. Dragging Garr by the hand, Boba headed toward a park lodged up against a transparisteel barrier that looked down on a sea of streaming clouds. From here it was easy to see why Cloud City was considered one of the most beautiful cities in the galaxy.
“What’s this all about?” Garr asked as Boba parked himself on a bench and pulled his friend down beside him. “Teff, talk to me!”
“In the first place,” said Boba, “my name’s not Teff.”
“It’s not? What is it then?”
Boba didn’t want to tell another lie, but he didn’t want to tell the truth either. “Never mind that,” he said. “I have something more important to tell you.”
“You’re not an orphan?” Garr guessed.
“I’m an orphan all right. Just not a needy orphan wanting to be rescued by the Jedi.”
“But why not? If they want to help out…”
“I told you my father was dead, but I didn’t tell you how. He was killed by the Jedi. I saw it happen.”
Garr gasped. “Was your father… bad?” “Bad? He was good,” said Boba, his voice rising.
“But the Jedi are good,” said Garr. “They are the guardians of peace and…”
Boba began to see how hopeless it was. Garr would never understand.
“It was a misunderstanding,” said Boba. “But because of it, I can’t stay with the Jedi.”
“You can stay with me!” said Garr. “My parents will be returning for me soon, I know they will! They will take you in. We can be brothers. Or brother and sister. Or whatever.”
Boba shook his head. “You are truly my friend,” he said, “but I can’t afford to have friends. I have my own road to travel, alone. I must go my own way.”
“But..” Garr’s big brown eyes were filling with tears.
“We must say farewell,” said Boba.
“Good!” came a voice that was at the same time familiar and frightening. For the second time that day, Boba felt a hand on his shoulder. Only this one was cold, with a grip like steel.
“Boba Fett.”
Boba turned, slowly, because of the hand that pinned his shoulder. He saw bone-white skin, black eyes rimmed with kohl, a muscular but womanly figure in a red jumpsuit, and a shaved head topped with a single long lock of bright red hair.
And blazing angry eyes.
“Aurra Sing!” It was the bounty hunter who had captured him and stolen his ship. “I knew it! I saw Slave I following the Candaserri.”
Boba tried to twist away but Aurra Sing held his shoulder tight. Then Garr started kicking her. “Let go of him! Take your hands off him!”
“Who’s this?” Aurra Sing asked, picking up Garr by the hair, so that the kicks only afflicted the air. “Do I kill it or just toss it over the side?”
She held Garr out over the railing, suspended by a lock of hair over a thousand kilometers of empty air.
“Neither!” said Boba, finally twisting free. He put his hands on his hips and faced Aurra Sing defiantly. “Garr is my friend. As you are not. What is it you want with me?”
“I want to make you an offer you can’t refuse,” said Aurra Sing. With a quick toss, she dropped Garr back on the bench.
“O000ph!” said Garr. “What’s going on here? Who are you? Who is Boba Fett?”
“Your little friend is too nosy,” the bounty hunter said to Boba, without looking at Garr. “You and I have business, so tell him to make himself scarce.”