Alana's tale

                        The light blue skinned twi’lek grasped at her collar as the bounty hunter dragged her aboard his ship. His ship was big, old, dirty, and not at all where Alana wanted to be. Looking for a way to escape, she found a wrench lying on top of a box in the ship’s living lounge, grabbed it and swung it at the Chiss man’s head. He blocked the wrench then turned to face the shocked twi’lek, laughing in her face.

                        “You don’t have any idea who you’re dealing with, do you?” He twisted the wrench out of her hand and pushed her against the wall. “Let me clue you in, my name is Gorgal and I’m one of the most feared bounty hunters this side of the outer rim. So if you think you can outwit me, you better think again. Nobody gets past me!”

                         “Oh, really?” A metallic voice called from behind. "If that's the case, then I must be nobody." 

                          The chiss spun around to find a man in green mandalorian armor standing behind him wielding a blaster rifle.

                          “Boba Fett!” Gorgal shouted. “How did you get on my ship?”

                          “Not important,” Boba bluntly stated, aiming his blaster. “The bounty that Durga the Hutt put on you is. Now let go of your little pet and get your hands up, lest you want me to kill you.”

                           Gorgal complied with the order and raised his hands above his head.

                            “Huh,” Alana laughed at Gorgal. “Some bounty hunter you are.”

                           “Shut up, little Rutian,” Boba motioned with his blaster. “Make yourself useful, disarm him and I just might let you live.”

                           “Don’t listen to him,” Gorgal shouted. “He’s no better than I am! He’ll double cross you and leave you to die!”

                           “And that’s different than being with you how?” Alana asked.

                           “At least with me, you’ll have a place to live, as long as you behave!”

                            There was a stun blast and Gorgal fell to the deck.

                           “I hate small talk,” Boba growled. “Give me the weapons, now.”

                            Alana moved without hesitation, stripping Gorgal of all the weapons she could find then handed them over to Boba. The Mandalorian took the weapons then stepped closer to her. She tried to step back to get a little room, but she backed into an entertainment counsel that jutted out of the wall. He looked down on her, his facial expressions masked by his big green helmet. Paralyzed by his hidden glare, the twi’lek was surprised when Boba used a pair of cutters to remove her collar.

                            “Thanks for the help kid,” He said, picking up Gorgal. “Now get lost, you better get moving before someone else finds you like this.”

                             “Wait,” Alana chased after him. “You can’t leave me like this, all alone in the middle of desert.”

                             “Oh yes I can,” Boba said. “Very easily too. I don’t need a twi’lek slave girl and I certainly don’t need the trouble of being seen freeing one.”

                             “Aw c’mon,” She chased him down the boarding ramp. “Please help me out? I’m stranded on this horribly barren rock. I have no friends or anything out here, you’re the only person that’s helped me out since I got here. I promise I won’t be any trouble at all.”

                               Boba let out a grunt as he dropped his bounty into the back of an awaiting land speeder.

                               “Alright,” The mandalorian relented. “I suppose I could at least take you to Mos Eisely, but you’ll have to do me a favor when we get there.”

                               “What kind of favor?” Alana asked.

                              “Look kid, I’m in a hurry and don’t have time for a lot of stupid questions. You want the ride or not?”

                               She nodded her head in agreement, knowing that he was her best opportunity to make it off Tatooine. They hopped into the speeder and raced off to the spaceport. Alana still felt uneasy despite having been rescued by Fett, mainly because she still didn’t know what his true intentions were. Sure, he’d saved her from Gorgal and claimed he would take her to Mos Eisley, but how could she know he would keep his word?  She couldn’t, Alana knew that she was taking the biggest gamble of her life, hoping beyond hope it would pay off.

                              Over an hour later, they arrived at Mos Eisley and the man named Fett handed her a cloak.

                             “Put this on,” He ordered. “You’re going to need it for the favor you’re going to do for me.”

                             “Okay,” She cautiously accepted the cloak. “Speaking of which, will you tell me what it is now?”

                             “You’re going to make a delivery for me,” Boba pointed to a small building. “Go to that cantina and find a human man named Arkan, tell’em I sent you. Give him this, collect the credits he owes me and meet me at docking bay ninety.”

                              After she was done putting the cloak on, Boba gave her a small bag.

                              “Don’t mess this up,” He said. “You only got one shot at this kid.”

                              Alana got out and walked to the cantina with a nervous feeling brewing in her stomach. She had no idea what to expect, having heard all kinds of stories about the infamous cantinas of Tatooine and about the bounty hunter Boba Fett. She couldn’t let that deter her at this moment, however, for her life depended on completing the assignment the mandalorian had tasked her with. The twi’lek went inside the cantina was dimly lit, filled with large, scary looking beings, multi-lingual conversation and hokey Bith music. At the end of the bar, a gray haired human male sat with a glass of Corellian scotch, drinking his worries away.

                             Well, here goes nothing. She thought.

                             Alana walked up to the man and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to her in slight annoyance.

                             “Excuse, me sir, is your name Arkan?”

                             “It is,” He grumbled. “What’s it to you?”

                            “Ummm,” Alana stammered. “Boba Fett sent me.”

                            “Did he, now?” Arkan chuckled. “Never seen him with you before, tell me, how did a young girl like you get mixed up with a dreg like him?”

                           “It’s a long story,” Alana shrugged. “He told me to give you this.”

                           She held up the bag and showed it to him.

                           “Ah, so he finally got it,” He looked around discretely. “Let me have a look.”

                          “Show me the credits, first.” Alana jerked the item back.

                          “Fair enough,” Arkan smiled. “I know how much Boba likes his money.”

                          He set the credits down on the table.

                         “One hundred and twenty,” Arkan said. “Not a credit less. You can count it to be sure.”

                         She did so and found the total amount to be exactly as much as he said. Alana handed the bag to him, collected the credits and left. Walking out of the cantina, she found scorching sunlight waiting for her with a pair of storm troopers patrolling across the street. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her lekku to avoid being spotted by the troopers or anyone else that might recognize her. After she arrived at Boba’s ship, Alana walked up the boarding ramp and handed him the payment.

                       “Nicely done,” He rolled the credit chits in his hand. “Much quicker than I expected. If I wasn’t such a loner, I’d consider keeping you with me, but I just can’t afford the risk. Besides, I’m pretty sure you got some family or friends you need to get back to.”

                       “Oh yes, indeed,” Alana rubbed her head. “My poor mother is probably beside herself with dread. I’ve never so much as left the house without telling her, much less the entire planet!”

                       “Well, then, better get you home.” Boba powered up his ship. “Where’re you headed kid?”

                      “You’re going to take me home,” Alana asked in surprise. “That’s most generous, but I really don’t want to be a bother…”

                       “Don’t sweat it,” Boba replied. “Just remember, I’ll probably call on you for another favor in the future at any time. Understand?”

                     Alana simply folded her hands and smiled.

                   “I understand completely.”

                  “Good,” The mandalorian turned back to his controls. “Now where to?”

*********************************************************

                  After five hours of light speed travel, Boba landed his vessel at Theed spaceport on Naboo and lowered the boarding ramp. As Alana left the ship, the mandalorian bounty Hunter called to her.

                “Hey, kid!”

                 She turned around and saw him holding Gorgal’s blaster out to her.

                 “You’d better take this, you’re gonna need it.”

                 “Thank you,” She took the blaster. “So, when do you think I’ll see you again?”

                 “Oh, I don’t know,” He shrugged. “Don’t do many runs to Naboo, hardly any good bounties come this way. Although I will be back to collect that favor you still owe me, so don’t think you’re off the hook!”

                  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” She giggled. “Thank you, Mr. Fett.”

                 “You’re welcome,” He grumbled as he stormed back on the ship. “And don’t get yourself into any more trouble!”

                  The boarding ramp retracted and the Slave I took off into the atmosphere. Alana watched the ship float into orbit and pondered about the man piloting it.

                     Oh Boba Fett, She folded her hands over her heart. You’re my hero!