USAToday.com shares an exclusive excerpt from Reputation by Tara Sim, focusing on Boba Fett, one of the forty stories in Del Rey’s upcoming anthology From A Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi.
After delivering a captured Solo in carbonite, Fett contemplates his next move. “I wanted to be in Boba’s head while he fulfills his contract with Jabba, and in the moments right before the Sarlacc, which meant that Han was the natural through line,” Sim says. “It provided a really interesting backdrop to explore Boba’s pride in himself and his work, even though he’s just another one of Jabba’s hired hands – and could end up like Han if he’s not careful.”
Fett is the kind of character “who doesn’t hesitate to use others and resort to violence,” Sim says, though she also appreciates his “intriguing” pensive side. “He has baggage – who in the ‘Star Wars’-verse doesn’t?’ – and the way he shapes himself around it was really fun to discover as I wrote him. I was also thrilled to use his jetpack.”
“If you want to keep him,” Boba said, indicating Solo with his rifle, “pay me.”
The court at his back murmured at his daring. Who was he, a mere bounty hunter, to give an ultimatum to the Jabba the Hutt?
But they should have known by now: He wasn’t a mere bounty hunter.
Jabba gave a deep laugh and set down his pipe. He nodded at Fortuna, who went to collect something between the throne and the rotisserie cooker behind it. “You will be paid, Boba Fett. You will be paid even more if you decide to stay and take on more work from me.”
Boba glanced at the dancer. Her gaze had settled somewhere around Boba’s chest, as if inspecting his armor. Like she wanted it for herself.
Jabba enjoyed his various contracts, but no doubt the best transactions were the ones that came free of consequences.
“You just want to use me as a buffer between you and Crimson Dawn,” Boba said.
“Is that not what a mercenary does? And after all, you are the best of the best.”
The majordomo returned and handed Boba a large bag. The credits had a good heft to them; Jabba’s words even more so.
“We’ll see,” Boba said.
The music resumed once Jabba ordered Solo to be carted away to his wall of trophies. Boba turned and scanned the alcoves again, ignoring the riffraff who stared at him, and raised his eyebrows at the sight of a familiar face.
“ ‘Best of the best,’ ” Dengar muttered as Boba approached the other bounty hunter. “Would the best of the best have lost Han Solo?”
“The best of the best got him back from both the Empire and the rebels,” Boba shot back. “Seems you’re feeling cold toward me.”
Dengar scowled at the wording. His head wrap had seen better days, dirt-smudged and singed around his face. “Where’s Valance? The two of you were quick to run off together.”
The last Boba had seen of Valance, the cyborg bounty hunter had been facing down the wrong end of a thermal detonator, his purpose served in helping Boba get to Solo faster.
Boba shrugged in answer, and Dengar scoffed. “Should’ve known. You only ever look out for yourself.”
“You say that as if it’s not what we’re supposed to do in our profession,” Boba said. “We may have a code, but that doesn’t make us familiar.”
Boba had a hard rule: He did not work with anyone. First and foremost because no one could keep up with him, and he didn’t need others in his way. If he teamed up with someone, he used them and ditched them. Valance had learned that the hard way.
The green Twi’lek had returned to her dance. Under the grille Boba thought he heard the low growl of the rancor, desperate for a meal. Jabba liked to keep his pets hungry.
“You realize what he’s doing, don’t you?” Dengar muttered.
Boba had said it in his own words: Jabba was using him. It was nothing new to Boba. After all, his own existence as a bounty hunter was the price paid to run the biggest trafficking operation the galaxy had ever seen.
But Boba was getting paid for his use, and that was what mattered.
“I’m telling you, it all goes south eventually,” Dengar went on. “Just look at Solo. Jabba’s number one smuggler, then one job goes bad and bam, wall decoration.”
“Solo knew what would happen if he didn’t pay Jabba back in time. He didn’t play by the rules.”
Read the extract in full here. Pre-order From A Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi from Amazon.com (arriving August 29th) and Amazon.co.uk (arriving September 5th).
