That's what I get for being smart-Bossk's thinking processes rose in tandem with his self-disgust. Next time-Chairs flew clattering as his momentum knocked the watering hole's contents in all directions. Next time, I'll just reach over and pull somebody's head off.
Another bolt from Voss'on't's blaster pistol seared an inch above Bossk's scales. He rolled onto his shoulder, unholstering his own weapon and firing even before he had a chance to aim. The bottles of off-planet liquors, arranged in rows behind the watering hole's bar, shattered into wet splinters as the humanoid barkeeper dropped to the floor. Most of the other patrons, the molelike former employees of the mining
colony, had already scattered out of the way of the blaster fire, covering their heads with their shovel hands and hurriedly lumbering with an awkward, hunchbacked gait toward the worn steps leading up to the surface level, or crouching down behind overturned tables.
"Move over-" Bossk elbowed aside one of the miners. From across the chaotic, vacated space of the watering hole, Voss'on't's next shot hit the vertical tabletop shielding the pair of kneeling figures." Don't worry-he's not trying to get you." Bossk leaned around the edge of the table and laid down a quick barrage from his blaster, aimed well enough this time to force Voss'on't toward the arched opening of the watering hole's rear exit. Between his fire and the ex-stormtrooper's, most of the establishment's chairs and other contents had been reduced to singed and smoking rubble.
"Bounty hunter!" Voss'on't, hidden in the shadows at the edge of the watering hole, called out." If you think this is how you're going to get out of here alive, you're mistaken."
My mistake, thought Bossk bitterly, was coming here at all. Especially by himself-why he had ever agreed to Boba Fett's notion of splitting up was now beyond him. If they had double-teamed Voss'on't, as the original plan had been, they might have had a chance of taking him. Zuckuss's death now seemed needless; that should have aroused his suspicions right there. The only point to the present arrangement that he could see-and it was a realization not without irony-was that if Fett had been trying to eliminate him, so there would be a clear shot at taking Voss'on't solo and not having to split the bounty, that much at least had been accomplished.
"Tell you what, Voss'on't-" Bossk pressed his spine against the shield of the overturned table, one shoulder jammed against the silent form of the miner next to him. His shouted words bounced off the watering hole's ceiling." We could both walk out of here alive if that's the way you want it. That'd be an easy deal to make." Bossk kept the barrel of his blaster pistol pointed upward, the weapon's warmed metal almost touching the side of his head." But if I'm not leaving in one piece, then neither are you."
"Big talk, bounty hunter." The voice from the hidden Voss'on't drifted back, mockingly." It's easy to see that you never served in the Imperial forces. Bragging without being able to back it up is grounds for disciplinary action. You don't even know what you're facing, pal."
"As far as I can see," Bossk called back," you've got a blaster and I've got a blaster. And there's one of you and one of me here." He turned past the edge of the table and left off a bolt in the direction of the other's voice, then quickly scrambled back before Voss'on't could return fire." Considering how the Imperial stormtroopers usually make up in numbers what they lack in marksmanship-I'd say I've got the advantage."
A quick pair of bolts charred the rim of the table above Bossk's head, sending hot splinters across his shoulders." You're forgetting something, bounty hunter." The same sneering tinge as before sounded in Voss'on't's words." I may not have spent all the credits, but I spent enough of them. Enough to make sure there's plenty of surprises in store for someone like you."
"Yeah?" Bossk glanced at the weapon in his upraised hand, to be sure of its charge level. The indicator gauge showed that it held more than enough to disintegrate the entire structure of the watering hole, shot by shot, if necessary." Like what?"
"Like this."
Those words confused Bossk for a moment. They seemed to be from Trhin Voss'on't's mouth, but much closer, as if the ex-stormtrooper had managed to sneak up right next to him. He turned away from the edge of the table and toward the unemployed colonial miner. His glance was just in time to see one of the huge shovellike hands come swinging down toward his skull.
Bossk's blaster went spinning across the floor of the watering hole as his shoulder knocked the table upside-down. Stunned nearly unconscious, Bossk barely felt his arms flop loosely across the wreckage of the shattered chairs, their sharp-ended pieces caught underneath his spine. His vision was just clear enough, even though tinged with swirling red at its limits, to see both Trhin Voss'on't and the anonymous miner looming over him.
"You see?" Voss'on't smiled down cruelly at him. One hand held a blaster pointed down at Bossk. With the other hand, the ex-stormtrooper reached over and lifted a miniaturized comm device that dangled on a cord beneath the wrinkled, fungoid breathing filter that masked the miner's face. The eyes obscured by the heavy goggles, two round lenses beneath the heavy brow ridge of the helmetlike skull, gazed dully ahead as Voss'on't triggered a matching device in his own free hand." I spent the credits where they would do the most good." This time, Voss'on't's voice was picked up by a throat microphone, almost identical to the one Bossk had on, which then sounded from the tiny speaker of the device tethered to the hulking miner." There isn't a single creature in this colony that isn't on my payroll. They're all looking out for me. I like it that way." He switched off the throat mike, and his voice came unamplified from his own mouth once again." They're smart enough to work for me, but not to operate any kind of sophisticated communications gear, so I had to rig up a system that I could do a live transmit of my own voice; that way I could give them their orders personally. Plus it's great for little jokes like this one."
Upper-level stormtroopers had a reputation for gratuitous sadism; Bossk could see why now. He raised himself onto his elbows and gazed up sullenly at Voss'on't." So what are you going to do with me?"
"Same thing I did with the others that came around here." Voss'on't let the blaster dangle loosely in his hand." And that I'll do with all the others that think they're going to get rich from my hide." He motioned with the blaster to the miner standing across from him." Stand this fool up."
The two big shovellike hands slipped under Bossk's arms and brought him unsteadily to his feet; the effects of the earlier head blow hadn't completely faded away. Bossk managed to remain standing as the miner let go of him and stepped back a pace.
Now Bossk found himself looking directly into the muzzle of Voss'on't's upraised blaster.
"All right, bounty hunter." Voss'on't's ugly smile showed behind the weapon's barrel sight." Don't think I didn't give your little business proposition some serious thought. I did-but I'd already heard it from the last two bounty hunters that came through here." His thumb settled on the weapon's trigger stud." And I'd already decided that I didn't need their services, either."
"Wait a minute-" With his vision still blurred, Bossk spread his hands apart." We could still work something out-"
"We could," said Voss'on't." But since you're leaving us right now-for good-who exactly am I supposed to be dealing with?" His hand tightened on the blaster's grip, thumb beginning its pressure on the trigger.