Bad Blood

Chapter 18 - Trust Me, I'm a Liar

Don't look at them. Don't make eye contact.

You're wearing a helmet. You can't make eye contact anyway.

Just keep walking, Vorte. Don't look suspicious.

One foot in front of the other. That was all Astéri had to do. Her heart was in her mouth as she marched through the corridors of Kanjiklub's stronghold. Whispers rippled in her wake.

Is that Astéri Vorte?

Why is she wearing a Mandalorian helmet?

You idiot, she is Mandalorian.

She doesn't wear a helmet though.

I heard she went after Boba Fett and killed him.

You moron! That's impossible!

I heard she died. I heard she got blown up. Maybe that's a ghost, come to get revenge.

That's bullshit. Go stick your head in a sarlacc.

Astéri didn't respond to the spreading rumours. She was banking on people's imagination taking over and making them believe something that wasn't true. All she had to do was give them a push in the right direction.

She tried to force a swagger into her walk and nodded at the occasional group of people as she passed them. They stared like their eyes were going to pop out of their heads.

She's so confident.

I bet she can take any bounty.

I heard she's being paid to take down the Emperor next.

That's crazy!

It wouldn't surprise me if it was true.

Astéri pointed finger guns at that last group of conspirators. "Hey, you never know. After taking down Boba Fett, that should be easy."

The group stared in awe as she sauntered off. It wasn't long before the rumours got even more outlandish.

Did you hear? Astéri Vorte killed Boba Fett with nothing but a toothpick.

A toothpick?

Yeah. I heard she scratched out his eyes with it.

No, no. That could never have happened. I heard she tricked Boba Fett into giving her his jet pack, then blew him up with a rocket.

That last one wasn't too far off what had happened during their fight. Astéri would enjoy fuelling that theory.

"They really want to believe it, don't they?" Boba said through the earpiece. Astéri jumped. He had been so quiet for the last few minutes, she had almost forgotten that he could see and hear everything going on.

"People like to gossip. It's in their nature." Astéri muttered.

"We can work that to our advantage."

"What does it look like I've been doing?"

"True. Still, you should make a bigger deal of it. Stop to talk more often."

"Maybe on the way out. Right now, just shut up and watch."

Astéri strode on through the corridors, her muscle memory taking her to Noron Lane's office. She decided to take a shortcut through the communication centre.

"Hey, 'Stéri! That you under that helmet, kiddo?"

Astéri's face split into a grin as she turned towards the voice calling her. "Oscar!"