Enemy Alliance
Contributed By: Kellie Sharp
A pair of confederate-blue eyes glanced about, framed by the cold, gray steel of the holding cell bars. A hand reached up and unconsciously pushed a lock of brandy colored hair back. The only sounds that could be heard were the dull humming of a hyperspace engine at work and soft breathing from the prisoner…
As she sat in the holding cell, alone and tired, Kabe Lexa could only wonder how she’d gotten into such a mess. Well, not wonder really: she remembered the events leading up to her capture with a sort of painful clarity. Next time, she thought darkly, I’ll learn to deal seconds so fast that prince won’t have a kingdom left to gamble with.
Had she known he was royalty at the time, Kabe might have avoided getting into that high-risk game of sabacc in the first place. Or she would have been more careful not to get caught cheating. But who knew he’d take it so personally? It was only a few thousand credits…nothing to get so touchy about. But the next thing Kabe knew, there was a price on her head and she found herself the captive of the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy…
Boba Fett. Kabe shuddered. She had gone up against him several times before, and as of yet had never managed to get away once. Things weren’t looking any better this time. True, she had always managed to escape the hideous deaths that had been planned for her, but she was beginning to think her luck would soon run out.
Lexa supposed she should expect such things in her line of work. Ex-mercenary, smuggler, gambler, spy and expert pilot, Kabe had had her fair share of action and intrigue. She was close friends with both Han Solo and Wedge Antilles, whom she knew from her days on Corellia. She had run spice from Kessel to Nar Shaddaa, and, lately, begun working as a spy for the New Republic. All this, and she was barely eighteen.
The sound of footsteps on the metal floor snapped her from her reverie, and Kabe looked up in time to see Boba Fett standing over her. He sat a tray with some kind of food on the floor and pushed it to her with the toe of his boot. She eyed it suspiciously.
"Not exactly a gourmet dinner, huh?"
Fett said nothing, contemplating the girl from behind his visor. She hadn't changed a bit over the last two years. Her eyes flashed defiance at him.
Boba Fett shook his head.
"Kabe Lexa. How many times am I going to drag you back to your employer after this?"
"Why do you even bother?" Kabe placed the tray of 'food' on the other side of the cage.
"You have got to be the only person that I actually catch on a periodical basis."
"What are you saying? That I should hide better so that you get a good fight going after me?" she asked with an amused look on her face.
"I would catch you anyway." She shook her head.
"You're still as smug as ever. Then again, why not? You are the best bounty hunter in the galaxy after all." He leaned back against the wall in a casual manner.
"Just how old were you when I first caught you?" he asked.
"I believe it was when I was sixteen. Remember, I got caught smuggling spice onto Corusant?" Kabe took a bite of the food and was amazed to find that it was quite good.
"Ahh yes. You were the youngest Merchandise that I had ever gone after." Kabe raised an eyebrow.
"Did that stike you as odd?"
"Not really. There are bounties set everyday for people quite younger."
"Figures. THe whole galaxy is full of greedy barves." She looked up at the masked bounty hunter.
"Speaking of greedy, I'm surprised that you never went after children. Easy credits." She chuckled.
"What's the matter? To low of price?"
"Most of those children were taken advantage of and often tricked into suck things. Like you said, the universe is full of greedy barves."
Kabe was intrigued. "A bounty hunter with heart? I don't believe it." She leaned forward. "Why is it then that you went after me at only sixteen?"
"There is quite a bit of age difference between eight and sixteen. Beside, you had quite a bit of reputation, what with being aquainted with Solo."
She smiled. "I still do."
An alarm sounded. "What was that?"
The ships voice answered. "Ship approaching. Identified. Hound's Tooth. Owner: Bossk."
Boba Fett swore under his breath. "Trouble."
Bossk! Kabe knew of his reputation. She also knew that if Bossk got a hold of her she would not be treated quite as fairly as she was with Boba Fett. She watched the bounty hunter race up the ladder and towards the cock-pit.