[Boba Fett] - 3(5)

Boba nodded seriously. “Yes,” he said.

Beside him, Aurra Sing fidgeted impatiently. “Thanks,” she said. She started to reach for the info card. “Now, if you don’t mind - “

But before she could move, the attendant raised her hand. Seemingly out of nowhere, several S-EP 1 security droids appeared and swarmed toward the desk. They were followed by a third droid that made Boba’s heart pound in fear and amazement

An IG assassin droid.





CHAPTER FOUR


Boba heard Aurra suck her breath in sharply. Behind the desk, the attendant made a slashing motion with her hand. The assassin droid stopped. Slowly it raised one arm.

Its lasers were pointed right at Aurra Sing!

Instinctively the bounty hunter went into a defensive stance. “Call! it off!”, she ordered the attendant.

But the attendant only shook her head. “I told you,” she said in her calm voice. She was staring at Aurra’s blaster. “You’ll have to leave your weapons here.”’

“Not on your life!” Aurra Sing said. She reached for her blaster. But she stopped abruptly when she saw the assassin droid reach for its concussion grenade.

“Oh,” said Aurra. She withdrew her hand from her blaster. “Sorry! I guess overlooked that detail. I was so busy with everything else I was thinking about.”

Aurra looked at Boba and smiled - a smile that was more like a grimace. “Right, Boba?”

“Yeah,” said Boba. He hoped the grin he gave the attendant didn’t look as fake as Aurra Sing’s. “We were so excited about finally landing here, we just forgot!”

The attendant turned away from Aurra to smile indulgently at him. “I’m sure you did.”

Boy, are grown-ups dumb! thought Boba. He knew that the weapons check was the only thing that could separate him from Aurra - right away.

“But you still must leave your weapons here,” the attendant went on. She looked back at Aurra Sing - only this time she didn’t smile. “The penalty is death. This is your last warning.”

Aurra Sing scowled. “I never go anywhere unarmed.”

“Didn’t you read the planetary bylaws?” The attendant began to recite in a monotone. “No unlawful removal of precious metals. No possession of weapons except by Aargau citizens - “

Aurra cut her off quickly. “Can I leave them on my ship?”

The attendant nodded. “Very well. But you will have to be escorted by Security Personnel.” She gestured to the uniformed security guards who stood watching from a few feet away. In the distance, Boba saw other uniformed figures milling about. Some had their faces hidden behind helmets; others were bareheaded.

“I need a Sigma Red escort,” the attendant announced into her comlink. “She has permission to return to her ship,” she said to the droids, and made another slashing gesture.

At the attendant’s command, the droids retreated. At the same time, two of the uniformed security guards walked over to the desk.

“Is there trouble here?” one of them demanded. He looked suspiciously at Aurra Sing.

Boba felt his heart start to pound again.

What if they were both forced to leave Aargau before he got the fortune his father had left for him? He’d be as bad off as he was before. Worse, actually - because he’d be stuck with Aurra Sing!

But Aurra seemed to be thinking the same thing. Her expression suddenly grew calculating. She gave the security guard the same fake smile she had given the attendant a minute before.

“I’m cooperating, officer,” she said. But the look she gave Boba was anything but glad.

The clone guard continued to watch Aurra suspiciously. The attendant looked at her, too. She pointed at Aurra Sing.

“Please escort her back to her ship,” the attendant said.

The guards flanked the bounty hunter, one on either side.

“See that her weapons are properly stowed away on board,” the attendant went on. She looked at Aurra. “Once you have done that, the guards will escort you back to this desk. Then I will give you your final clearance, and you can access the other levels here on Aargau.”

Aurra Sing glared at the attendant. She looked at the attendant’s uniform: She was wearing a blaster.

“What about you?” snapped Aurra. “You’re armed!”

“Don’t you listen?” the attendant asked in disbelief. “Citizens may carry arms. In fact, it is unlawful for citizens of Aargau to not carry weapons.”

Aurra Sing turned to stare at Boba. “What about him?” she demanded. Aurra pointed at Boba angrily. “Why aren’t the guards on him?”

The attendant looked at Boba. He made sure to appear as young and innocent as possible - this was the chance he’d been looking for. The attendant shook her head, almost in sympathy for the boy.