Part 7 (1/2)

”It would be worse,” said Jango Fett, ”except that I owe you one.”

”You do?!”

”Sure. For our Jedi friend The one who somehow managed to escape us in the asteroids. He's been captured now, thanks to you. You alerted the sentry, even though it meant you might get in trouble. You did the right thing.”

”Yes, sir. Thank you, Dad. I am sorry I disobeyed you.”

”I am, too, Boba,” said Jango Fett with a smile. ”But I'm proud, as well.”

”You are?!”

”I would be worried if you didn't disobey me at least once in your life. It's part of growing up. Part of the process of gaining your independence.”

Boba didn't know what to say. Did his father really believe he had only disobeyed him this one time?

So he tried to hide his smile, and didn't say anything.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

Confined to quarters.

It could have been worse. But it was still pretty bad. Boba's lonely life got lonelier now that he was stuck in the apartment.

”Jango; Fett was very busy; talking business with the Count and the Geonosian they called Archduke, among others. Boba knew better than to try to sneak out.

Confined to quarters.

Boba missed his library friend, Whrr.

He was trying to construct a model starfighter from bits of wire when the door suddenly opened.

There in his battle armor stood Jango Fett. ”Come, son,” was all he said.

That was all he had to say!

Boba scrambled to his feet and followed his father down the stairs; He was glad to get out of the apartment, for any reason. And he always felt proud, following his dad. He knew that anyone who saw them was thinking: That's Jango Fett. And that's Boba, his kid. He'll be a bounty hunter, too, someday.

There was a hush in the dim underground halls. Boba could tell something important was happening. He wondered what it was.

He knew better than to ask. He was lucky enough just to be out of the apartment.

At the end of a long corridor, they encountered a milling crowd of Geonosians. Some had wings on their backs; others didn't. A uniformed sentry waved them through, to the head of the line, and into a huge room with tall ceilings. Though the room was filled with Geonosians, it was so big it seemed almost empty. Every footstep and every cough echoed.

The Archduke and some other officials were seated in a sort of high box at one end of the imposing room, with about a hundred Genosians looking on. Two people stood looking up at them. Something about the way they stood told Boba they were prisoners. But proud, rebellious prisoners.

Jango and Boba squeezed into a crowd of Geonosians at the side of the room.

Somebody banged on something and the room got quiet. Almost, anyway. Everybody turned to look at the prisoners. Boba had to stand on tiptoe to get a good view.

One prisoner was dressed like a Jedi. He was a lot younger than the Jedi called Obi-Wan.

Maybe he's an apprentice, Boba thought. Though why anybody would want to be a Jedi was beyond him.

The other prisoner was a woman. And not just any woman. She was the most beautiful woman Boba had ever seen. She had a kind, gentle face - the sort of face he had always imagined his mother might have had, if he'd had a mother.

”You have been charged and found guilty of espionage,” said one of the Geonosians.

Another chimed in: ”Do you have anything to say before your sentence is carried out?”

The woman spoke up proudly. ”You are committing an act of war, Archduke. I hope you are prepared for the consequences.”

The Archduke laughed. ”We build weapons, Senator. That is our business. Of course we are prepared.”

Senator. Boba was shocked. He pulled his father's arm. ”What's a Senator doing here, as a prisoner?”

”Shhhhhh!” Jango hissed.

”Get on with it!” demanded another official, a Neimoidian with mottled green skin and bright red eyes. ”Carry out the sentence. I want to see her suffer.”

It was the other Jedi that Boba wanted to see suffer, not the wannabe - and certainly not the woman. The persistent Jedi. The one they had killed again and again. Jedi Obi-Wan Ken.o.bi.

But where was he?

The Archduke answered Boba's question. ”Your other Jedi friend is waiting for you, Senator. Take them to the arena.”

The arena! Finally they were going to get to see some action. It was what Boba had been waiting for.

And yet, somehow, he dreaded it.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

Like almost everything else on Geonosis, the arena was carved out of solid rock. Yet because it was open at the top, the arena was the brightest place in the entire underground city.

The seats were filled with excited Geonosians, all flapping their wings and screaming with excitement, even though nothing was happening yet.

Vendors in bright costumes worked their way through the stands, singing and whistling to advertise their trays of live insects and other Geonosian treats. Boba loved it, even though he wasn't tempted by the squirming tidbits, He could hardly believe his luck. He was out of the apartment, no longer confined to quarters. He was in the arena, about to see a show. Plus, he and his father had the best seats in the house.

They were sitting with the Archduke and the other officials. Jango Fett and Boba followed the Count into the official box. The crowd started cheering wildly, and, at first, Boba thought it might be for his father, or even for the Count.

Then he looked down toward the center of the arena and saw the entertainment.

The Jedi prisoners.

They were chained to three posts: the young Jedi to one; the Jedi called Obi-Wan to another; and the beautiful woman to the third.