Work Text:
The sun had set, but the city was more alive than ever. Fireworks dotted the sky more than stars, and the streets were bustling with activity. In a small alley beneath the planet’s three moons stood two men.
The first, an out-of-breath bounty hunter, scowling underneath his helmet as he raised his gun. Jango.
The other, leaning against the wall, was an equally breathless businessman, with his arms raised and his hands shaking. A pale Iridonian Zabrak named Kirt, though Jango didn’t know much more, nor did he care to.
“So,” Jango said, standing up fully, “what brings you to this part of the Outer Rim?”
“Just work,” the Zabrak said quickly as he stepped away from the wall. “A quick visit, is all.”
“I see.”
There was the faint rustle of the second blaster pistol being released from its holster, quicker than the blink of an eye.
“And you were planning to return from this trip alive, yes?”
The man named Kirt nodded frantically. Jango nodded slowly.
“Alright, then. I’ll give you tw-”
Jango’s comm beeped with a signal from Kamino. Only one person from Kamino ever contacted him.
Jango holstered one pistol, keeping the other at the ready, and held up a finger.
“One moment,” he said after a pause. He cleared his throat.
“Boba!”
The shift in Jango’s voice couldn’t be described as anything other than surprising to anyone listening, including the businessman facing him.
“How are you? Is everything alright?” Jango asked, leaning against the wall, one blaster still casually pointed at the man.
Jango heard a sniffle from the comm.
“I can’t sleep,” Boba’s small voice said. “Can you talk to me until I fall asleep?”
“Of course I can, Boba,” Jango replied easily, briefly shaking his head at the Zabrak when the latter opened his mouth. “What do you want me to talk about?”
Silence, save for the sound of blankets shifting, came from the other end.
“Um, where are you?” Boba asked, followed by the sound of more rustling fabric. “It sounds like there’s a party.”
Jango chuckled.
“There is a party,” he said, smiling under his helmet and walking over to the man named Kirt, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, his gun pressing into the man’s chin. “A festival, actually.”
“A festival?” Boba repeated. “Cool…. What’s it for?”
Jango paused to think for a moment. He didn’t really know.
“Hey, hey kid!” the pale Zabrak yelled, his voice strained, but still echoing in the alleyway. “Tell you dad to-”
Jango kicked him in the back of the knee, forcing him to the ground. Jango’s blaster pistol was still pointed at the man, though his attention was elsewhere.
“Who was that?” Boba asked, his voice wavering.
“I’m sorry about him,” Jango said in a soothing tone. “I’m working right now. This bounty is just being difficult.”
“Oh,” Boba said softly. “Sorry, dad.”
Jango frowned, lowering his gun slightly.
“It’s fine, Boba. You know that you always come first, even when I’m working, right?”
“Right.”
Jango could hear the smile in his son’s voice.
“Right,” Jango confirmed. “So, I’m going to keep talking to you, while I lead this man to the ship.”
“Okay!” Boba said, almost like a little cheer.
Jango chuckled, turning his head to look at the man on the ground — who had scrambled to his feet and was trying to make a break for it.
A series of fireworks covered the sound of a gunshot.
“Sorry about that, Boba,” Jango said, walking over to the Zabrak, who was now curled on the ground with his hands pressed to a bleeding leg. “He tried to run. You know how it is.”
Jango knelt down beside the shaking businessman, roughly pulling the man’s hands behind his back to tie them.
“It’s alright, Dad,” Boba replied, sounding happier now.
Jango hoisted the man named Kirt to his feet, the cold metal of his helmet pressed against the Zabrak’s ear.
“Don’t say another word,” Jango snarled, his free hand clutching the back of the businessman’s shirt. “Or you won’t leave this planet alive.”
When he received no response, Jango pushed the man forwards and led him to the Slave I, his gun pressed so harshly against the Zabrak’s back that it was likely going to leave a bruise.
“Do you want me to tell you about the festival?” Jango asked cheerfully as he turned his attention back to his son.
“Yeah!” Boba said, almost immediately. “Does it look fun?”
“It looks like something you’d really enjoy,” Jango said, stopping by a small booth selling little trinkets. “I’ll take you next year.”
Still holding the horned man at gunpoint, Jango purchased a model of a Firespray-31-class starship, just like his own. He’d been looking for one; Boba had wanted it for ages.
“There are a lot of fireworks,” Jango continued as he kept walking, the man named Kirt limping in front of him. “In every color you can dream of. The people are wearing masks of Reeks, the three-horned animals.”
“Yeah, I remember those,” Boba said softly.
“The parade is on almost every street. That makes it a little hard to get around. The festival supposed to go on all night, and into the morning.”
Jango stopped speaking for a moment as he tried to recall where he’d landed his ship. His eyes, scanning the buildings, landed on a small hangar.
“I wish I could tell you more about what the festival is for, but I don’t speak the language,” Jango said, leading the pale Zabrak to the hangar. “But I could guess what was happening.”
He paused outside the hangar door to deposit a small but hefty sack of credits into the hands of the woman who owned it.
“From what I’ve gathered, they used to keep the Reeks as some sort of pet.”
Jango didn’t stop talking as he opened the ship door and pushed the businessman inside, into the cargo bay.
“The people domesticated them, but somehow, it seems like the Reeks went extinct.”
He tied up the man’s legs and locked the door of the cargo bay behind him as he left.
“Well, on this planet. I’ve seen some before, like when we went to Geonosis, to deliver some animals for their arena.”
Jango stretched his shoulders before he sat down in the pilot’s seat.
“You remember that, right?”
He stopped talking, waiting for a response from Boba. Instead, he heard soft, slow breathing on the other side of the line. He smiled.
“Sleep well, son. I’ll see you soon.”