[Legacy Of The Force] - 08(46)

“Technically, yes. But therapy…”

“You said I had a year to live. I’m fine now.”

Beluine squirmed visibly. “You found your Kaminoan scientist, then.”

“I found what I needed.” Fett hadn’t had a checkup since the veterinary lab had cleared his blood samples. Physically, he felt fine. He suspected fate had spared him a pre-mature death so he could hang around and have his past catch up with him. I’m not proud of anything I’ve done. I’m not ashamed of anything, either. I did what I had to do. “I”ll find Sintas what she needs. If I need you, I’ll call you.”

Beluine was always good at knowing when he’d been dismissed. Mirta stuck her head out of the doorway, face set in a frown.

“Whatever Medrit says, Beluine did a good job, “she said. “You’re so ungrateful. Grandmama could easily have died.”

Fett recalled his first lessons in combat, learned at his fa-ther’s side. Commit fully to the attack. Don’t let up. Don’t stop to think. It was good advice for facing your past, too. He walked in and sat down at the bedside. Sintas was sitting cross-legged on the mattress, turning the heart-of-fire over in her hands as if she was searching.

“Who are you?” she asked, turning her face to him.

Don’t stop to think.

“I knew you when we were younger.”

“What’s your name?”

Don’t stop to think. Don’t… “Boba. Boba Fett.”

He expected the world to come crashing down at that moment, but Sintas just looked blank, as if she was trying to remember something minor, not the man who’d put a huge dent in her life. “I’m Sintas Vel, and you’re Boba Fett, and she’s…. she’s…”

Mirta took up position on the opposite side of the bed. “I’m Mirta Gev, “she repeated patiently.

“Yeah, Mirta…. are you my little girl? I have a daughter.”

Fett switched off. He hadn’t planned to, but it happened automatically. It was like a thermostat switch that tripped whenever things were in danger of overheating.

“Ailyn, “he said. How could he know how much she could handle at one time? She forgot it all the next moment, anyway. “Your daughter’s name was Ailyn. She was about sixteen last time you saw her.”

“I have to find her. She’ll be wondering where I am.”

Mirta fixed Fett with a stare that said Don’t even think about it. “Lots of things have happened while you’ve been in carbonite.” Mirta took a deep breath. “I’m your granddaughter. “

Sintas didn’t react for a while. She kept turning the heart-of-fire between her fingers, lips moving silently. Fett wondered if she was reading it and trying to tie up its information with what she was hearing. Sin was always sharp, analytical, looking for the angle. He didn’t know what al-ways meant, of course; from meeting her to leaving her had been just three or four years, tops.

She placed the heart-of-fire around her neck, one hand still clutching the stone. Grade leaned over and held the flowers in front of her.

“These are vormur blooms, “he said. “It’s me, Grade. Remember? From yesterday?”

Sintas inhaled the scent and just smiled. At least she wasn’t distressed now; that was something. Mirta got up and took something from the cupboard, something Fett hadn’t seen in a very long time. It was a red oblong canister with a handle on the top. Somewhere-not here, not now-his heart sank, but he didn’t let it touch him.

“We found this in Rezodar’s effects, “Mirta said, opening the lid.

A hologram leapt into life with a faint hum, triggered by the mechanism. Mirta looked up slowly, fixing Fett with an expression that might have been recrimination or a cue to tell Sintas what he could see and she couldn’t. Fett couldn’t tell which. The hologram showed Sintas holding a baby, all smiles, and Fett standing with one arm around her shoulder.

I could have said it was Spar standing in for me, doing Shysa’s bidding as usual, the idiot. But that’s me standing there. I remember the day.

Fett also remembered killing a lot of scumbags to retrieve that hologram for her, long after they parted. He couldn’t-wouldn’t-remember how he’d felt when the image was recorded.

“What is it?” Sintas asked, reaching out toward the source of the hum.

“It’s an old hologram, “Mirta said gently. “It’s you and your daughter, I think. My mother. And-your husband.” Her eyes were fixed on Fett’s, back to the cold black stare she had given him when they’d first met. It was as if Ailyn’s lessons in hating him were all flooding back to her. “It’ll make sense when you can see again.”