But Boba wasted no time on anger or regret. The second missile’s tracking sensors had locked into Slave I - the missile was heading right toward him. Slave I shot up and sideways. The missile swerved and followed. Before it could strike its target, Boba loosed a volley from his blaster cannons.
“How ‘bout this, Tambor?” he challenged.
He heard the satisfying thunk of impact. Nanoseconds later, the missile imploded.
But there was more enemy fire coming! Boba withdrew Slave I to a better firing range, then blasted the enemy vessel.
“If I can just weaken his deflector shield,” said Boba, his console tilting forward as he took aim and fired. “Then go in for the kill!”
Pinwheels of energy flared and pulsed around Wat Tambor’s ship. Retaliatory blasts echoed around Slave I, but Boba was too fast -
KARRAAM!
A jaw-rattling blast as Wat Tambor scored a hit, penetrating Boba’s shield defenses. He glanced quickly at the monitor, saw nothing serious. His face tightened with fury as Slave I soared toward the enemy ship. He waited until the last possible moment, then fired.
BLAM!
A hit! Boba whooped as Wat Tambor’s vessel rocked dangerously. He’d breached the defense shield! Boba’s hand hovered above the console panel. Another moment and he’d have a clear shot - and Wat Tambor would be his!
Tatooine, here I come!
At that moment, something streaked into view. Another vessel, whipping past Wat Tambor’s ship like a ghostly flame. Boba sucked his breath in sharply.
I know that ship!
He’d heard about it on Tatooine, listening to the other bounty hunters recount firefights and acts of cold savagery directed against the Jedi.
Asajj Ventress, Boba thought. He watched as her starship swooped closer.
Asajj! She might have been the only other person in the galaxy who hated the Jedi as much as he did. Raised on the hostile, rapacious world of Rattatak, Asajj had been trained by a young Jedi marooned on her terrible planet. Ky Narec had been not only stranded on Rattatak - he had been effectively abandoned by his Masters, who had never sought to aid the young Jedi - or his protŠgŠ, Asajj, who longed to escape her cruel homeworld.
But the Jedi never came. Asajj never had the chance to prove herself to them, or to anyone but her mentor. And when Ky Narec died, Asajj vowed to avenge herself upon the Jedi. Allying herself with Count Dooku, Asajj had become one of the Republic’s fiercest and most deadly opponents. Her control of the Force was exceptional, but her rage was overwhelming, as were her combat skills… and her prowess with a starship. Boba watched with ungrudging admiration as Asajj’s vessel cleaved through space.
What an ally she would be! he thought. We could take on Mace Windu together.
No. Boba shook his head.
Mace Windu is mine alone, he thought, feeling a spike of rage. No one will deny me vengeance. No one…
A barrage of blasts shattered his thoughts. Barely a klick away, Asajj Ventress’s ship was hurtling right toward Slave 1.
She thinks I’m part of the Republic force! Slave I shot upward as Boba outmaneuvered Asajj. If only she knew the truth!
But the truth would be wasted on Asajj Ventress. She was here as part of Wat Tambor’s backup force. And at this moment, she knew only one thing:
An unknown ship was firing on the Techno union foreman.
And whoever piloted that spacecraft was going to die.
CHAPTER FIVE
BRRAAAK!
A deafening roar from Asajj Ventress’s ion cannons shook Slave I. Frantically, Boba fired back at Ventress’s ship.
But she was far too fast. As he watched, her ship vaulted over Slave I. Before he could fire back, Ventress’s laser cannons released a barrage of energy blasts.
BAM!
A direct hit!
Boba was nearly jolted from his console. He sent a rain of return fire, but it was too late. Slave I vibrated furiously as a second plasma blast hit home.
Gotta get away, Boba thought grimly. Can’t lose Wat Tambor.
Slave I shot after the Separatist’s vessel.
And Asajj Ventress shot after Slave I. Boba piloted his ship up, angling until Asajj was directly below him. He checked that Slave I’s mines were primed, then sent an ion mine whirling toward her. BLAM!
“Yes!”
But immediately Boba’s yelp of triumph turned to disappointment, as the mine ricocheted harmlessly from Ventress’s defense field, to spin off into space. At the same moment, a burst of retaliatory ion fire blazed from Asajj’s cannons.
BRAAK!
Boba groaned as Slave I rocked sharply to starboard. He fired back, but once more Asajj was too quick. He let the ship veer to one side, hoping to buy a few precious seconds as he checked the damage.
A glance at Slave l’s repair files gave him the bad news. Some of the outer panels had been loosened. Serious damage, but not fatal.