“Moon!”, Okha tried to call out in the storm. She proceeded to remove her helmet, and yelled with all her might, “MOOOOON!!!” The amount of sand and debris was so severe, she had to put her helmet back on. She continued to walk and use whatever instrumentation to get some type of bearing, but nothing worked. A few more steps, and the storm cleared enough to reveal the surrounding area and a structure came into view in the distance.
I know this place, she thought to herself.
The structure was a large white building of sorts. It contained several flat surfaces and domes. From a distance, it resembled the cantina in Mos Isely spaceport. Suddenly, the storm began to pick up. Okha despised the cantina, more so because of the elements she would typically run into there. Her hate for the storm was greater, and rather than continue in the sandstorm, Okha decided to make her way towards the cantina and find the entry. The storm increased in intensity, and the visibility decreased to almost none, Okha had to place her hands on the structure and began walking around it. For a brief instance, there was a break in the storm and she found the entrance.
Okha immediately thought of her mentor, If anyone knows where she is, he does… I need to find him!
Okha fought through the crowd, she pushed and pushed and pushed, but felt like she was making no progress. Her anger began to escalate. She knew that the operatives running Moon’s abduction had a lot of financial influence and probably were hiring the best bounty hunters to get the information that led them to the girl.
He must be involved! If they absolutely wanted her, they absolutely needed him!
Struggling through the crowd, eventually Okha had enough and drew her WESTAR-34 blaster pistols at the crowd and yelled, “EVERYONE GET CLEAR!!”
She quickly realized her blasters were okay, and a slight confusion set-in. Where they not damaged on Kamino?, she thought to herself. She also noticed the barrels where a different color, they had a brown-chrome finish instead of the original silver-chrome.
What is going on here?
Suddenly, Eeloh Ssaah comes out of the crowd, and in a taunting fashion calls out, “Hellooo Okha, what brings you here?” Okha drew both of her blasters at Eeloh. “Oh, I know you are looking for her. Trust me, no one here knows,” Eeloh smiled as he gestured around the room. Okha snapped, “how can I trust you?! All you’ve ever done is cheat, steal and lie!!” After a brief pause, Okha’s confusion returned, “Wait!... How did you survive?!”
Eeloh motioned to his head, “there are a million things you are not meant to understand, and a million and one you chose not to.” Eeloh smiled in a way only a Duro can and continued, “remember, you chose this,” he proceeded to take his hand and motion it toward Okha, “you have no one to blame but yourself…” “SHUT UP!!” With the smile still in place, Eeloh shrugged his shoulders, “Okay… if that’s how you want it…. EVERYONE!... Let’s go!” He turned his back to Okha and proceeded towards the crowd, raising his right arm and created a circular motion, “Let’s go, common…”
Every alien, creature, human and character in the cantina began to follow him. Okha’s confusion knew no bounds.
Why would everyone follow this worthless scum?... Okha began to call out, “Hey!!” “HEY!!! EELOH!!”
No response and no one turned around or even acknowledged. Eeloh had already blended in with the crowd and was lost. Okha thought she’d heard a sound and turned to the main entrance and saw no one, turned back to where the crowd was, and there was no one. The entire cantina was completely empty. Much to her disbelief, she was completely alone.
She turned on her tracking systems and began to scan the room for life-signs, heat, anything and everything. Even sounds - nothing.
The silence was suddenly broken by footsteps coming from the main entrance.
She immediately drew her left pistol and turned to whomever it was. At first, she was uncertain, but in her heart of hearts, she knew who it was. “There you are!” she smiled under her helmet. Slowly and without hesitation, the dark silhouette of a Mandalorian-armored man continued to walk into the cantina. The room was poorly lit, but she knew her heart was right, “who told you I was looking for you?”
Again, without hesitation, the dark figure continued to walk, and began to get closer to her and replied, “no one.”
Eventually, the light confirmed the identity. She was both glad and distraught. Her once-mentor known as Boba Fett was finally there. Or, was he? Her mind struggled to come to terms if what she was witnessing was real. However, if this was her only chance to find Moon, her heart was telling her that she should take the risk.
As he approached, she noticed his EE-3 Blaster had been modified and that his armor color had changed. His gauntlets were now red and looked as if his rocketpack had more detail on it. She could tell by his subtle movements that he must have undergone some type of struggle and he was trying to heal from severe injuries. She could not help but ask, “have you been trampled by a bantha stampede?”
“Let’s just say I have to deal with some injuries that will not heal any time soon.”
Okha continued to follow his every motion, his every step - pointing her pistol at his head, “Where is she?”
Boba casually walked right past, “like I said, I do not know… “ Okha made the best of the opportunity to holster her left pistol, and grab Boba’s blaster rifle from him. She simultaneously kicked him in the gut and drew her right pistol, aiming it straight at his helmet, “where is she?” Boba raised his hands slowly, “I honestly do not know.” Deep down, she knew that he had let her disarm him. Boba had countless countermeasures for anyone trying to pry his weapon. Maybe he would use one. His flame-projector? The fibercord arrow? The wrist-rocket launcher? She knew he could still kill her if he wanted to. In a heart-beat and without hesitation. She also knew that if anyone in the galaxy had any knowledge of Moon, it would be him. She needed to risk it all.
After a moment of silence, Okha proceeded to throw Boba’s EE-3 Blaster across the room and draw her left pistol. She eventually placed the barrels of both pistols under his helmet and yelled, “FOR THE LAST TIME…. WHERE IS SHE ?!”
Boba kept his hands up, maintained composure and answered, “Okha, I think you already know… .” Okha did not let him finish - she moved in and shoved the pistols closer. Eventually, Boba took a step back, “Easy, if you pull any of those triggers, this will end - and you will have no answers.” “SO! YOU DO KNOW!” “Not of that which you seek, but I do know of something that might help you.”
Okha’s voice demonstrated both lack of credence and loads of contempt, “something like what?! That they will hold her captive until I do what they want?!”
WIth a calm demeanor, Boba interjected, “you may eventually find her, but you may not be able to get her to safety.”
Okha was disappointed that her former mentor could have thought so little of her, “after everything that we have been through. Everything I have learned from you, for you not to believe that I can..” he interrupts,”It is NOT about your abilities. I am well aware of what you can do. It is her that I speak of.” There was a brief moment of silence. Okha concluded it was not about her or Moon, “Arla?” “You will need something different to defeat her.” “Something different?”
Boba brought his hands down and regained his natural stance despite the two WESTAR-34 pistols pointing at his face, “you’ve heard of the darksaber.” Okha was puzzled, “yes, I have heard of it… that it was created by an ancestor of Pre Vizla, Tarre Vizla, one of the first Mandalorian Jedi.” Boba nodded and Okha continued, “It was held at the Jedi temple for some time until it was stolen during a conflict - just as the Old Republic fell.” Boba nodded, “what else?” Okha continued, “It remained with house Vizla for generations, and was used to unify the clans of Mandalore and align them in the old ways of the warriors.” Boba nodded, “go on…” “ eventually it was taken by a Sith son of Dathomir, abused during the Clone Wars and eventually kept on Dathomir by the Night Sisters.” Okha lowered her pistols and continued, “Sabine of house Wren, retrieved it from Dathomir and wielded it for a while, only to give it to Bo-Katan in an acknowledgement of power, and that she should lead the Mandalorian people against the Empire”. Boba nodded once more, and Okha continued with a level of disdain, “you want me to steal it from Bo?” “Mandalore needs the leader Bo has become. She deserves the Darksaber.” Okha breathed a sigh of relief. She did not want to confront Bo if it was not necessary. Boba continued, “Although it is legendary, and has its strengths, it also has its limits.”
Okha was confused, but continued to listen.
“There was an equal and opposite saber. A saber made from the kyber crystal found on the opposite side of the planet from where dark one was found. The true light-saber. It is believed to be far more powerful.” “More powerful, how?” “No material or form of energy can stop the blade.” Underneath her helmet, Okha’s eyes widened in disbelief. Boba continued, “known as the Purity-Saber to those who knew of its existence, as the blade itself cannot be seen, just the glow.” Okha remained puzzled and did her best to believe him. Boba lightly shook his head as he continued the story, “no one, I mean no one is to know of its existence. It has been guarded in secrecy, and was meant to remain as such for all time. No Jedi or Sith was to know... for, whomever would wield it, would be unstoppable.”
Okha holstered her pistols, and proceeded to remove her helmet. Her disbelief was still there, but she tried to control it, “why would you, of all the people in the galaxy, know of something like this - THIS BIG - or know of its whereabouts.” Boba did a slight nod, “simple, the last person who knew made me swear an oath of silence before he died.” Okha frowned in confusion, took a moment, and then she extrapolated, “he was a bounty. He knew his end was near. Interesting.” Boba’s silence confirmed her assumption, but then he proceeded to add, “the exact location has been tampered within my memory, but there is a way to find it if you know the clues.” Okha interjected, “your memory? Tampered?” “My injuries are more than just physical.” With that, he began to head towards the main entrance. Okha noticed he was leaving without his blaster, “wait, your forgetting…” “my blaster?,” he interrupts her as he stops and turns. “Okha, you know me - I would never forget it. Nor would I let anyone take the real one from me.” Okha was slightly confused, took a moment, but then nodded, “so, you are not here. I am not here. This isn’t real.” Boba silently turned back toward the entrance and continued. Okha exclaimed, “where is this then?... where is the... How is this possible?” Boba stopped once more, but did not turn around this time, “let’s just say someone else knows about this. Someone who allowed for us to meet.” Okha was confused and riddled with questions. “Wait! Where are you?” Boba did not hesitate and continued. “Boba, you are in pain, I can feel it! STOP!” As the door opened, the light that came from the outside became blinding. The storm that was outside began working its way into the cantina. Sand was blowing everywhere, the structure was gone and Okha could not maintain her composure.
This continued for a few minutes, until suddenly, she was outside and could see past the storm. The storm calmed for a moment to reveal that she was out in the Dune Sea. She could make out a giant ditch in the distance.
Is that… is this the Dune Sea? The Pit of Carkoon?, she thought to herself. She could hear something coming from it. Cries. Loud cries. Silent cries.
The Saarlaac... her heart sank.
She knew something was wrong, “BOBA?!... BOBA - ARE YOU THERE?!”
Suddenly, the storm picked up again. It got dark and she could not see a thing.
She took a few steps back and felt like she suddenly stepped into a sand trap. GREAT, she thought to herself. It gave way and her body had dropped down to her knees as the sand beneath her collapsed. Okha gasped and tried to ignite her jetpack, as it sputtered and stalled. Suddenly, she was waist-deep in the sand, “NO! NO NO! NOT NOW!” The sand continued to collapse and engulf her. In an instant, it was up to her chest.
“It cannot end this way! NO!!”
She quickly adjusted her right gauntlet to fire the fibercord anchor. She looked around, but found nothing to anchor to. She fired it into the storm, and it was gone. Little by little, the sand collapse continued to swallow her whole. Eventually, it approached her neck, then her chin. Her thoughts dwelled on knowing that one day she would die alone, but never expected it to be this way. Eventually, there was nothing but darkness. Okha took her last, deep breath and held it in.
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