ing cages aboard Slave I's main cargo area, Bossk had gone straight to the ship's medical supplies locker and had started patching himself up. Right now, as he stood there in the cockpit, his breath was a little short, due to the transparent compression bandage he had wrapped around his torso, immobilizing the ribs he had cracked when he had fallen from the crust-piercer machinery. That whole sudden eruption of chaos from beneath the abandoned mining colony's dismal watering hole was going down in Bossk's memory as one of the least pleasant episodes in his bounty hunter career.
While he had been tending to his wounds, Boba Fett had ignored the visibly worse condition he himself had been in-the crust-piercer's immense mass had, after all, landed directly on top of him-and had readied Slave I for takeoff. Bossk had grudgingly admitted to himself that that had been the smart thing to do; there had been no telling what other defensive measures Voss'on't might have had wired into place, any of which could already have been triggered by his capture. Better to get the ship and its merchandise out past the planet's orbit, just to be safe.
Once that had been taken care of, Boba Fett had taken the time to sort himself out, replacing the torn and broken pieces of his armor and operating gear from the stock of spares he kept aboard Slave I. Even his helmet-its dark visor had been cracked by the weight of the crust-piercer, but Fett had restored the optical component, along with the side-mounted comm antenna that had been broken off in the struggle. As Bossk looked at him, the other bounty hunter appeared just as experience-scarred as before, with the colors of the ancient Mandalorian warriors scraped and faded on the dented metal of the helmet-but he didn't look any worse than before.
Bossk wished he could say the same for himself. As far as he was concerned, the only creatures aboard Slave I in worse shape were the battered ex-stormtrooper in the holding cage below, and the dead bounty hunter Zuckuss stretched out in one of the ship's storage lockers. Even if it had been necessary, the unemotional manner in which Boba Fett had put Zuckuss permanently out of the way still struck Bossk as cold. Though that's what you get, he supposed, when you hook up with someone like Fett. It was a lesson he had already taken to heart.
"So that's it?" Bossk watched as Boba Fett turned back toward the cockpit controls." Nothing else?"
"There's no more to be discussed." Boba Fett's shoulders lifted in a slight shrug." All that's left is payday." He leaned forward, the forefinger of one gloved hand punching some new numbers into the navicomputer." If it's important to you, then you could say our partnership-our temporary partnership-has been a success."
"I'm glad you think so." Bossk drew something from his belt and set its point, with a sharp metallic click, against the back of Boba Fett's helmet." Because I'm ending that partnership right now."
Boba Fett turned his head and found himself gazing into the muzzle of Bossk's blaster pistol. The thought of whatever surprised expression might be on his face, behind the helmet's visor, amused Bossk.
"What's this supposed to mean?" Fett's voice betrayed no sign of emotion.
"I'd give you three guesses, if I thought you needed them." Bossk kept the weapon aimed straight into the top-center of the helmet's visor." But you don't. You might have been fool enough to trust me and take me on as a partner, but I'm sure you can figure out what's happening now." One side of Bossk's muzzle curled into a snarling smile." As I said, this partnership's over." He stepped back into the doorway of the cockpit and gestured with the blaster pistol." Stand up."
"Very well." Boba Fett swiveled the pilot's chair around." But as an ex-partner, let me give you a bit of advice. This is not a good idea."
"Shut up. Turn around and face the viewport." Bossk had kept a careful eye on the other bounty hunter as he had stood up." Don't try anything. This blaster's got a hair trigger-and so do I." With his free hand, he reached out and grabbed the various larger weapons from where they were slung at Boba Fett's back. He tossed them into the far corner of the cockpit, safely out of reach. Bracing the muzzle of the blaster between the other's shoulder blades, Bossk snapped the control lines for Fett's wrist-and forearm-mounted weapons. All the time he had been aboard Slave I, he had been carefully observing Fett for indications of any hidden gadgets. Now, as he stepped back again from him, Bossk was sure that he was completely disarmed." All right," said Bossk. He drew back into the space outside the cockpit's hatchway, still aiming the blaster at Boba Fett." Time to head below."
Fett was halfway down the ladder's metal treads when he stopped and looked up at Bossk holding the blaster on him." Of course you realize," said Boba Fett mildly," that you're taking some pretty big chances here. This is my ship; it's as much a part of me as any of those weapons you just took from me. Do you really think that I don't have other means of defense close at hand?"
"Not now, you don't." Crouching at the side of the ladder portal, Bossk reached with his free hand into one of his belt pouches. He brought out a fistful of miniaturized power sources, trigger mechanisms, and sensor relays. They glittered brightly and ominously in his grasp." I've kept myself busy while I've been here on Slave I. I've had a good look around, and I came prepared to make a few little changes of my own. Let me tell ya, pal-you don't have any tricks left up your sleeve." Bossk motioned with the barrel of the blaster." Keep going."
When Boba Fett reached the bottom of the ladder and stepped away from it, Bossk didn't bother climbing down after him. He jumped, landing bent-kneed and immediately snapping the blaster's aim at the center of Fett's visored helmet." You see?" He straightened up, smiling." You're not the only person capable of a few surprises."
"Apparently not." Boba Fett folded his arms across his chest." I congratulate you. You must have been planning this for some time."
"You got that right. I was planning it even before I came and had my little talk with you, when you agreed to go in with me on this job." Bossk pointed with a thumb-claw toward the ex-stormtrooper Voss'on't, still lying unconscious on the floor of the holding cage behind Fett." As nice as getting half the bounty for this particular piece of merchandise might've been, there won't be anything nicer than getting all the credits."
"Which is what you wanted from the beginning." Boba Fett slowly shook his head." Not much of a partnership."
"Yeah, right." Bossk sneered at him." It's breaking my heart just to think of betraying your trust and all. But you want to know a couple of things? One, I don't give a womp-rat's hindquarters what you think about it. And two-turnabout's fair play. You trusted me as your partner, the same way the old Bounty Hunters Guild trusted you when you came around
and applied for membership. When all along you were planning on sinking a vibroblade in our collective back."
"Who told you that?"
"Nobody had to tell me, Fett; I could figure it out on my own." Bossk tightened his grip on the blaster pistol." All I needed was some confirmation of my suspicions. And I got that through some contacts inside Black Sun. To make a few credits, they were happy to give me some interesting tidbits about what their boss Prince Xizor was hoping to do to the Guild."
Boba Fett's helmet turned to one side, as if the eyes behind the dark visor were peering harder at Bossk." What's Xizor got to do with all this?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Fett. I don't have time for it." Bossk raised the blaster, bringing it level with the other bounty hunter's helmet." And as a matter of fact-neither do you. You don't have any time left at all."
"What are you planning on doing?"
"The same thing I've wanted to do for a long time. Since the day we first crossed paths, I knew that this moment would come, Fett. And that one of us would be alive afterward, and one of us wouldn't. Guess which one you get to be."