“Don’t fire, Fett!” Dr. Evazan warned. “I have the boy with me. So unless you want innocent blood on your hands, don’t make any sudden moves.”
The figure of Boba Fett remained frozen.
“Ha!” Evazan sneered as he took a few cautious steps forward. “Perhaps your reputation is greater than your skills, bounty hunter. You let me backtrack you and get to the boy. You should have known that was my only chance. That was your last mistake.”
Evazan took a few more steps toward the armored figure.
“Perhaps you’re not really as good as they say, eh?” Another step.
“Perhaps I should destroy you right now. Put you out of your misery.”
Evazan was close enough to touch Fett now. Fett stood before him, absolutely motionless. Still holding tightly onto Zak, Evazan reached forward and jabbed the bounty hunter with his blaster.
The armor, helmet and all, fell apart and clattered to the ground.
“Wh-?” Evazan started to say.
He never finished. A blaster bolt screamed through the air. Noise and light exploded around Zak, and beside him, Evazan screamed once, then slumped forward.
“Don’t turn around.” It was Boba Fett. Even without the helmet to filter his voice, the bounty hunter sounded cold as durasteel.
Zak realized that Boba Fett was standing behind him, completely unmasked. All he had to do was turn around, and he would see the face that few had ever seen, the face of the galaxy’s most relentless hunter.
He didn’t turn around.
“Pick up the helmet.” Zak obeyed. “Hand it backward over your shoulder.”
Zak kept his eyes forward and did as he was told. The helmet was snatched out of his hand. He heard an electronic snap as fittings locked into place. He knew then that he could turn around.
Boba Fett stood before him, wearing only a jumpsuit and his helmet, and holding his blaster.
“You tricked him,” Zak said.
Boba Fett said nothing. The bounty hunter retrieved his armor and pulled a small holorecorder from his pocket. He bent down to examine Dr. Evazan’s body. Zak watched. “Is he-?”
“Dead,” Boba Fett said into the recorder. “Termination of Dr. Evazan, also known as Dr. Death, confirmed by holoscan with medical uplink. Payment now due from twelve planetary systems.” Fett snapped the recorder off and tucked it back into its pocket. Then, with smooth efficiency, he began to put his armor back on.
Zak stammered, “He-he was going to kill me. You saved my life. Thanks.”
The bounty hunter spared the slightest glance. “Thanks are inappropriate. You were incidental.”
Suddenly Boba Fett straightened and drew his blaster faster than the eye could follow. He seemed to be listening. Zak listened, too, but at first he heard nothing. Then, finally, the sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears.
“Zak! Zak!”
He heard familiar voices call out through the mist. “Tash! Uncle Hoole! Over here! We have to help Kairn!” he called back.
It took a few more blind shouts, but finally Tash, Deevee, and Hoole found Zak. They were accompanied by a small band of Necropolitans led by Pylum, the Master of Cerements, who looked furious.
By this time Boba Fett was once again wearing his armored shell. The bounty hunter stood calmly by as Zak ran to his sister and uncle. “He’s dead! Uncle Hoole, Kairn’s dead!”
“Zak, what is going on? What are you doing out here?” Hoole demanded.
Zak shivered. His fear was wearing off, and he realized he was very cold. “I came out here on a dare, Uncle Hoole. But that doesn’t matter! Kairn’s dead! And I saw something-something you’re not going to believe. The Necropolitans are right! The dead are coming out of their graves!”
Hoole’s brow wrinkled. “What are you babbling about? We heard blaster fire.”
“That was him,” Zak said, pointing to Boba Fett. “He killed Dr. Evazan.”
“Who?” Hoole asked.
“Dr. Evazan. The wanted man he was hunting. Him.”
Zak pointed to Evazan’s lifeless body.
“I tracked down a bounty,” Boba Fett said. “Evazan is dead. Now I will take the body.”
“You cannot do that,” Pylum protested. “That would be a terrible violation of our laws. The dead-even criminals-must be buried immediately, otherwise the Curse of Sycorax will be on all our heads. We will give this body the proper ceremonies.”
Boba Fett stared coldly at Pylum for a moment. Zak had the distinct impression that the bounty hunter was trying to decide whether or not to vaporize Pylum with his blaster.
Apparently Fett decided he wasn’t worth the trouble. “Very well. I have recorded the death, and you are all witnesses. If I do not collect my bounty from the proper authorities, I will return to collect it from you.”