"Then that's the other problem," said Bossk." I can see what he'd want from me-mainly, that I'd set you up somehow so you wind up dead and he doesn't wind up as hard merchandise in one of your holding cages." Bossk pointed with his thumb-claw toward the metal-barred structures on the other side of the hold." Voss'on't doesn't want to wind up on his way back to the Emperor. But what's in it for me? What does Voss'on't have that makes it worthwhile for me to deal with him? Like you said, he's probably already spent most of the credits he got from the scavenger operations that he pieced out the Destroyer to."
"Voss'on't has got plenty left to deal with. Maybe not credits on hand, but in his own kind of merchandise. Do you really think that Emperor Palpatine wants him back-and has posted that kind of bounty for him-just out of wounded pride, or something like that? The Emperor doesn't have that kind of emotional involvement in his stormtroopers; they're just tools for him, and if one goes bad, it's no big deal. There's plenty more to fill in the gaps in their ranks. If Palpatine wants Voss'on't caught and brought back to Coruscant so badly, there's a good reason for it. Voss'on't stole more than an Imperial Star Destroyer. He stole the code databases for all of the Imperial stormtroopers' Strategic Insertion teams; that's what the Emperor wants to get back into his possession."
"Codes?" Bossk gazed back at Boba Fett in disbelief-and disappointment." That's the big deal? What's so important about operational codes? That's the sort of thing that can be changed almost instantaneously if they fall into the other side's hands. Security breaches happen all the time in the Empire." Bossk shook his head." For that level of code, all the Empire has to do is send out a cancel-and-nullify signal to its military units, then send out a secured-and-encrypted relay with the replacement codes. It may be a complicated procedure, but it's cheaper than the bounty Palpatine has set up for Voss'on't's return."
"That's the procedure, all right." Boba Fett leaned forward slightly." For all of the Empire's military units-except the Strategic Insertion teams. Those units, like the one Voss'on't was part of, are not in constant communication with the Empire's communications centers. The Strategic Insertion teams are in deep cover; that's what they were designed for. When they're on a mission, especially in some remote sector of the galaxy, they can go for a long time without being in touch with any part of the chain of command above them. They're virtually independent operatives; that's why they're so few of them in the Empire. So they can't receive a cancel-and-nullify signal from their superiors, at least not in time to do any good. They have to stay with the original codes that they were sent out with-and those were the ones that Trhin Voss'on't took with him. And that's what the
Empire needs to get back, enough for Palpatine to have set up that kind of bounty."
"I got it now." The situation had started to become clearer for Bossk." Scrapping the destroyer was just to get the credits that Voss'on't needed to go into hiding; the real credits are in the code databases."
"Exactly," said Boba Fett." Voss'on't will try to cash in on those codes. He can either sell them back to the Empire, or he can see if the Rebel Alliance will pay him what he wants for them. He's under some pretty severe time pressure; the longer he goes without making a deal for the code databases, the less valuable they are. As the different Strategic Insertion teams finish their operations and return to their originating bases, then they can be fitted out with new operational codes. But in the meantime, Voss'on't has got some pretty valuable merchandise in his possession. If he can avoid getting picked off, and he can make the deal he's shooting for, he'll be set. With those kinds of credits, he can buy a lot of protection. But he still has to make the deal. He has to survive long enough to do that."
Bossk nodded, a little more excitedly." And that's where we come in."
"Exactly. I'm his main concern. I'm the only bounty hunter that Voss'on't is really worried about-"
"Wait a minute," protested Bossk indignantly." What about me?"
"Come on. Let's face reality." Boba Fett held up a gloved hand, as though trying to placate his partner." I've got the reputation, and I've got the skills to back it up. You don't."
Sullenly, Bossk grumbled a few Trandoshan words under his breath.
"You've got enough of a reputation," continued Fett," that it's just about plausible that I'd be willing to team up with you. We'll be able to convince Voss'on't about that. And once we've got him believing the setup, then we're on our way. If you're supposedly teamed up with me, then you're in the position to double-cross me. All these Imperial military types have a low opinion of bounty hunters; Voss'on't will fall for this story in a fraction of a Standard Time Part. For a cut of his eventual profits from selling the code databases, you can make sure that I won't be able to interfere with his plans. Or at least that's what you'll tell him. And that's what he'll believe."
Nodding slowly and thoughtfully, Bossk mulled over the details of the plan." How am I going to convince him that I can do that? That I can stop you from catching him?"
"That's the simplest part of all." Boba Fett spread his gloved hands apart." You'll kill me."
"What?" Bossk stared at the bounty hunter sitting across from him." Is that some kind of a joke?"
"I don't tell jokes," said Boba Fett," even when I'm not working. That's the plan. You're going to take care of Trhin Voss'on't's number-one problem for him. You're going to eliminate me-or at least that's what he's going to believe. And that's when he'll relax; that's when his guard will go down. And then he's vulnerable. He'll be an easy pick-off, then."
Bossk drew back from the helmeted figure, as though in an instinctive reaction to have wandered too close to a gaping precipice. His spine pressed against the cold durasteel of the bulkhead behind him, as deep and ominous suspicions formed inside his mind. What does he know? The brain inside the Mandalorian armor's helmet, and all of its cunning, intricate workings, was as hidden from him as though it had been concealed on the other side of this barren planet. Yet at the same time, he could feel Boba Fett's gaze penetrating him, inspecting each of his secrets, one by one.
With a force of will, he shook off the feeling. You're being paranoid, Bossk told himself. There's no way that Boba Fett would have been able to determine what Bossk's own agenda was. He's an ordinary, mortal creature like yourself. Like turning the key in a hidden lock, Bossk reached down into the core of his being and let his innate Trandoshan anger emerge. His father, Cradossk, if he were still alive, would have been embarrassed to see his own spawn being intimidated by any other living thing, including the notorious Boba Fett. The slitted pupils of Bossk's eyes narrowed even farther as the hormones of his anger seeped through his veins, tightening the heavy muscles they surrounded. It didn't matter, decided Bossk, whether Boba Fett knew anything about his real plans, about his intentions after the matter of pulling in Trhin Voss'on't was taken care of. When that time came, he would have a few surprises for Boba Fett. The other bounty hunter might think he was smart, but this time, Bossk was sure that he had finally gotten ahead of him.
"So how do we start?" The surge of anger brought along an equal amount of impatience. Bossk was tired of talk; he wanted action." How are we going to prove all this stuff to Voss'on't?"