Star Wars: Hard Merchandise

Summary

Bossk thought he had destroyed Boba Fett. However, Boba Fett had released the thermal explosives that Bossk had planted on his ship, and put his own ships ID codes on them, when Bossk had detonated the explosives, Fett had enough time to sneak around to the Hounds Tooth while bossk was basking in his glory. Bossk saw the Slave one right above him moments later, and could smell Fett's scent in his ship. Fett had planted a bomb somewhere, with an annoying female voice. Bossk quickly picked up some belongings and headed toward his escape pod. He jettisoned out of it, but he heard the voice of the bomb right inside. Bossk found the bomb, but didn't have time, or the knowledge to disarm it. The bomb didn't explode, it was a trap, Bossk had lost his ship to Boba Fett.

Neelah and Dengar were disappointed why Boba Fett didn't just finish Bossk off. He never explained his reason, but explained to them he needed Bossk's ship to use to ride around, because he wanted to be thought of as dead. "Let's see how they like it..." Boba Fett's voice was a dark whisper now. "When the dead return..." (Jetter 22)

Kuat discusses current events with his Security Chief about what is going on, and the threat that the Empire and Even the Rebel Alliance could have on the Kuat Drive Yards. He later finds out that Slave 1 has been found by the Rebel Alliance, he hopes that he can get the device which is inside of a droid inside of the ship. Kuat then remembers that the Slave 1 was a ship built in his own Kuat Drive Yards. Kuat and Fenald (the security chief) discuss the price of Slave 1 if it were auctioned, and that all the hidden surprises on the ship could decrease it's value. Kuat was really worried about the evidence inside of the cargo droid on Fett's ship. "If Fett destroyed the cargo droid," brooded Kuat "Or got rid of it somehow...then we might be safe." (Jeter 22)

Dengar wondered if Boba Fett could even pilot such a machine that was built for Trandoshans.

"There are certain difficulties," he said evenly, with no apparent emotion. "But they can be overcome." He raised his own gloved hands from the control panel's distinctive forearm grooves. "Trandoshan operating interfaces are on the crude and awkward side, but the ships configuration is otherwise standard. Anything of which those big claws are capable, I assure you is equally within my grasp." (Jetter 22)

Dengar and Boba Fett discuss things about their partner ship after Dengar had accused of their partnership hardly being a partnership at all. Dengar decided that asking Boba Fett about their destination was not going to get him anywhere since Fett wasn't going to tell him. Dengar went back into the cargo hold of the ship. Neelah had been overhearing their conversation through the Hounds Tooth internal communication system. Dengar and Neelah talked things about Boba Fett, like how he easily took care of a tough Bounty Hunter like Bossk. Neelah wanted to know things about herself, and she knew Dengar knew a lot about Boba Fett, she thought maybe if had him tell all he knew then she might remember something. Neelah listened to Dengar as he started telling the stories

And then... just after the events of Star Wars: A New Hope

The Bounty Hunters guild had split into two opposing groups, Gleed was a the ruler on one side, while Bossk was on the other. Kud'ar Mub'at was discussing a partnership between him and Gleed. Mub'at just told Gleed what he wanted to hear, which were lies, and Gleed trusted him. However on the other side, Balancesheet, one of Kud'ar Mub'at's nodes, was disguised identically as Kud'ar Mub'at and was discussing the same issues about the Bounty Hunters Guild with him. Kud'ar Mub'at was proud at Balancesheets performance, but it somewhat saddened him that he would have to destroy it soon.

Boba Fett is chasing a hunt saboteur named N'dru Suhlak, a kid with a modified Z-95 headhunter, and was pretty good at piloting it. Hunt Saboteur's are paid to safely carry bounties to one end of the galaxy. This one happened to have one Boba Fett was after. After chasing him for a while, Boba Fett lost track of him, he found Suhlak's ship and went straight toward it, however he saw something and just in time hit the reverse thrusters, he smacked right into a piece of transparisteel that had been camouflaged in space. If Fett wouldn't have reversed just in time his ship would have been scrap. Suhlak continued to sit there, so Fett thrusted toward him. Suhlak thought he saw what he thought was Fett's ship exploding, he had placed another piece of transparisteel out there for Fett to hit. However, Boba Fett was right on top of him in a few moments. Boba Fett boarded Suhlak's ship.

"I make it a rule," said Boba Fett, "not to interfere with other creatures' business. Except" --he stood in the opening of the transfer hatchway extending from his own Slave I, not wanting to step into the already crowded corners of Shulak's Z-95--"when they interfere with mine." (Jetter 127)

Boba Fett took the bounty Ob Fortuna, who was one of Cradossk right hand men. He was probably wanted for betraying his master. Ob Fortuna ran into Fett's ship and killed himself. However, it saved Boba Fett some time, this was one of the few bounties that was worth more alive if it was dead.

Xizor goes to Coruscant and discusses his plans further more with the emperor and Darth Vader. Darth Vader ends up almost choking Xizor to death, however, the Emperor tells him to stop and is displeased with Vader's jealousy. The emperor allows Xizor to keep on what he is doing. "I won," thought Xizor, "This round, at least."

Back to the present time. Neelah and Dengar discuss what Dengar had just told her about some of the stories of Boba Fett. They argue for a bit, and Neelah goes into the Hounds Tooth cockpit where Boba Fett is. Boba Fett tells her to relax. And she relates the story back to when Boba Fett was burned from the Sarlaac juices and dying on the dunes of Tatooine, and said that was only time she had saw him relaxing. "That wasn't relaxing," said Boba Fett, "That was dying." (Jetter 161) If it wasn't for Dengar and Neelah, it would have been his death. After some more arguing Fett went back to the navigational controls, and to his surprise Neelah grabbed one of his blaster pistols and stepped back pointing it at him. Boba Fett leaned back in the pilot's chair. "Congratulations," he said,