A Hunter's Pride

Chapter 8: the decision

>Boba's POV<

It was impossible. He had been directly behind her. He had never taken his eyes off her. How could she disappear? The bounty hunter's footsteps echoed from the giant walls as he walked through the building. Boba didn't want to think about what could have happened. He just wanted to find her, unharmed and alive.

But that wasn't the only thing that bugged him. He couldn't see. It was dark and although he switched to night vision, he only could make out dark silhouettes. A few places seemed brighter than others, but there was no light source to be seen. And then there was this strange fact that the echo of his footsteps stopped after exactly two times.

A movement on his right made him turn around. Suddenly, a sharp, cold pain shot through his shoulder. Immediately, his hand shot up, only to feel the handle of a knife which was stabbed deep into his flesh, right in the gap between his shoulder and chest plate. He pulled it out with a hiss, pressing his hand on the wound, before looking around in order to find the person who attacked him.

His gaze met the dark silhouette of a female, standing in the shadows right in front of him without moving.

"Who are you?" The bounty hunter asked, but he got no response.

"Show yourself!"

To his surprise, the person did as he said and stepped forward into the dim light. Boba's eyes widened in shock as he recognized the woman in front of him.

"(Y/n)?" He asked, staring at his partner in disbelief.

She didn't answer, she just stopped a few feet away from him, staring into to air with glassy eyes. Boba didn't let down his guard, eyeing her suspiciously. Her skin was pale, almost white and dark veins ran through her face.

"(Y/n)?" Boba asked again, this time more careful.

Still, the woman showed no reaction.

"(Y/n), it's me, Boba." He said, taking a few steps forward "Do you recognize me?"

He gulped as he looked into her empty eyes.

"What happened?" He whispered, more to himself, carefully taking her hands in his.

The hunter's eyes widened in shock. Even through his gloves, he could feel the cold of her skin. Slowly, he brought one hand up to the woman's face, cupping her cheek with it. Cold like ice.

"What the hell?" He muttered quietly, almost whispering in the empty room.

Suddenly, her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed, but before her weak body could hit the ground, Boba caught her and placed the woman carefully on the cold stone floor. Her eyes were wide open, showing nothing but the white of her eyeballs.

"Hey, (Y/n)!" Boba yelled, trying to wake her up by shaking her. "(Y/n) don't do this to me, wake up!"

Panic started to rise inside his chest. He couldn't lose her. Not yet, not after he began to like her. He couldn't lose her like his father.

"(Y/n), please!" The bounty hunter begged, but the woman didn't show any sign of life except for the slight movement of her chest.

"She won't wake up."

Immediately, Boba pulled the girl up to his chest, trying to protect her from whoever was out there.

"Who are you?" The bounty hunter hissed, but the other man just chuckled.

"What did you do to her?"

"I? I did nothing. It's her own fault if she just walks in like that. As one of her kind she should know better." The stranger said.

"One of her kind?" Boba repeated, frowning.

"Oh, didn't she tell you? I wonder why."

"Tell me what?" The bounty hunter hissed, pulling her even closer to him.

The stranger laughed hysterically, taking a few steps forward. Boba turned half around, shielding the unconscious woman with his own Body.

"Tell you that she is one of your father's murderers, of course."

The bounty hunter's eyes widened in shock as he tried to process the information.

"You lie!"

"Maybe I do. Maybe I do not. Does it still matter, now that she's dying?"

Boba turned his head to the cold girl in his arms, looking at her pale face.

"No." He whispered. "No, (Y/n), please."

"She can't hear you~" the stranger sang, turning around in a circle, facing the bounty hunter again. "She will die, like your father."

"How do you know?" Boba yelled. "How do you know about my father?"

The stranger snickered.

"I know so much more about you, young Boba. So much more."

"Who are you?"

Out of nothing, the space around the other person became brighter, revealing his scarred face. Even though he wore a hood, Boba could make out his long, dark hair.

"You." He spat out. "You're this Thei'ra."

"Yes, yes, that's me." The man giggled hysterically. "I'm Thei'ra. You're looking for me, right?"

Boba clenched his fist. This man had no right to take (Y/n) from him.

"Heal her." He hissed.

Thei'ra raised an eyebrow.

"Do whatever I takes to heal her. Or you will regret it." The bounty hunter growled, only making the other man laugh more.

"Oh, I can't do that." He said amused. "But I know what you can do."

"What? What is it?!" Boba yelled, clenching on the woman's jacket.

"You didn't figure it out yet?"

Boba just kept quiet, staring at the other man through his visor.

"Oh, of course you didn't, you don't even know what this place is, dumb me."

He waited a moment for a reaction of the bounty hunter, but when nothing came, he continued talking.

"This is an old Sith temple!" The man shouted amazed, pointing his hands to the sky. "Deathly to any force users but Sith!"

Boba gritted his teeth. Carefully, he placed the cold body of the woman on the ground, before he stood up.

"Then I have to get her out of here. After I finished with you." He said determined.

"Oh, my sweet Boba. After you finished with me?" He giggled again. "By the time you caught me, your precious (Y/n) already took her last breath."

The bounty hunter turned his head back to the unconscious girl.

"It's either her, or me. What will you do? Will you give up on me, your bounty, for the first time in your life? Will you ruin your reputation just to save this poor, inferior bounty hunter?"

A blaster shot broke the silence. With a cry of pain, Thei'ra fell to the floor, grasping on to his leg.

"Never call her that again." Boba growled, towering the other man, pointing his blaster at his face.

Then, he turned around. He knelt down by (Y/n)'s side, picking the girl up bridal style. With echoing footsteps, the bounty hunter walked away from the whimpering man, towards the exit.

"Yes!" Thei'ra screamed. "Run and save your girlfriend! Your Jedi girlfriend! Watch her tear your life apart, like your father's!"

Boba ignored the man, all his thoughts laid with (Y/n). He would save her. And if it was the last thing he did.