“He is not armed,” she said in her calm voice. “On Aargau, free citizens may come and go as they please, once they have received clearance. This boy has received clearance. And he has broken no rules. He can decide for himself.”
She turned to Boba. “Boba Fett. Do you want to accompany your guardian to the ship? Or do you want to remain here?”
Freedom! “I’ll wait here,” he said, trying not to let his excitement show.
For a moment he thought Aurra would lunge at him. But then she seemed to think better of it. After all, would a real guardian attack her charge?
“You better wait!” she snapped. “I’ll be right back, so you better not move!”
The guards stood beside her, glaring. Aurra turned.
“Let’s get this over with,” she said. She started walking toward Slave I, a guard at either side.
But when they reached the docking bay she looked back at Boba one last time. Her face was calm, but he could see the rage in her eyes.
Still, when she was out of sight, Boba couldn’t help grinning to himself. At last. He was on his own.
CHAPTER FIVE
Boba stared at the shadow that was Slave I waiting in the docking bay. He could no longer see Aurra or the guards.
But he liked looking at the ship - - his ship The Mandalorian helmet his father had left him was still on board, where Boba had stored it, safe from Aurra Sing He wished now that he had thought to bring thee helmet with him. It had saved his life when he wore it, back on Raxus Prime.
And, with the helmet on, he could be mistaken form adult. That could be useful, sometimes.
But other times - like now it was also useful to be a kid. No one expected a kid to be as smart as Boba was, or as self-sufficient No one expected a kid to know that Dooku and Tyranus were the same person.
And no ‘one expected a kid might have plans that didn’t include a parent or guardian. Especially a guardian like Aurra Sing, who was only using him - and would get rid of him the moment she didn’t need him anymore. He had no doubt about that.
Boba knew he only had a very short time until Aurra returned from the ship. When she got back, he would have to go with her to one of the lower levels to get his father’s fortune. Boba knew she could not be trusted. If she had the chance, she would double-cross him.
And she has no right to the money at all, Boba thought angrily. My father intended that fortune for me! Not some other bounty hunter - and especially not Aurra Sing!
But without Aurra, he had no way of knowing where to find his father’s treasure. It was somewhere here on Aargau - but where? The attendant had said it would be on one of the first three levels-but each level was enormous. Without any credits, Boba might as well be back on toxic Raxus Prime.
He sighed loudly. Then, remembering where he was, he turned a little worriedly and looked at the attendant in her boring Banking Clan uniform.
He expected her to be watching him. Isn’t that what grown-ups did? Watched you all the time, so you couldn’t move, or even think, on your own? Boba hated it, just as much as his father had hated any kind of supervision, by the Bounty Hunters’ Guild - or anyone else.
But the attendant seemed to have forgotten all about Boba Fett. She stood behind the desk with her back to him. She was talking into a communicator and scanning a computer screen. Boba had just started to turn away again, when something shiny on the desk caught his eye.
The info card! Aurra Sing had forgotten to take it back!
It was still in its slot on the desk, gleaming softly in the harsh red light.
“Wow!” Boba whispered to himself in excitement.
If he could get it, he might be able to use it to locate his father’s fortune!
Boba looked around furtively. Across the plaza, the security droids hovered near a bank of turbolift doors. On the other side of the plaza, a group of uniformed guards stood at ease, talking. Several people wearing clothes that identified them as members of the Banking Clan were walking toward the desk.
In a minute they would be here. The attendant would turn to greet them
And Boba would lose his chance! Quickly, he reached across the desk. For an instant his hand hovered above the shining card. Then, quick as lightning, he grabbed it.
That was easy! he thought. He glanced at the desk. The attendant still had her back to him - but as he watched, she began to turn.
Quickly, Boba put his head down.
Don’t run, he thought, even though every nerve in his body was firing RUN!
Don’t look back - even though every second he imagined the attendant noticing and shouting at him to stop. He began to walk away, as fast and as silently as he could. He crossed the plaza, his head still down, his sweating hand clutching the shining card. He headed toward the turbolifts that descended to the lower levels.