His Legacy, His Revenge

Hours later, near sunset, they finally arrive back in Mos Eisley. The suns are just sinking past the horizon, casting an orange and red glow as dark blue spills across the sky.

Dragging him by the hand, Dia leads Boba to the hangar, unable to stop smiling. The doors are still locked, so Peli must still be out.

"Okay, close your eyes," he instructs Boba. "No peeking."

Boba obeys, and Dia unlocks the hangar and guides him inside. He flicks on the lights, revealing the ship, in all its glory, in the center of the hangar.

"Alright… open them!"

Dia watches Boba's face closely as he opens his eyes and takes in the ship. First his eyes widen, then they tear up. His bottom lip trembles.

"It's perfect," he whispers. "It's just like how it was."

Internally, Dia sighs in relief. "Do you want to know the name?"

Boba nods, still transfixed by the ship.

"If you don't like it, you can change it, obviously. I just thought – "

"What is it?"

"Jango's Legacy."

A sob bursts from Boba's chest, and he covers his mouth. His shoulders shake.

"Are you alright?" Dia asks anxiously, stepping closer and placing a gentle hand on Boba's back.

"Perfect," Boba whispers again, through his tears. He meets Dia's eyes and gives a watery smile. "Thank you."

"Of course." Dia smiles warmly. "I'm so glad you like it. And don't worry about the paint," he adds, stepping away to push the cans of paint across the floor to Boba's feet. "I saved the finishing touches for you." 

Boba looks like he might start sobbing again, but he sniffles and wipes his eyes. He bends to pick up a can of gold paint. "Let's do it together."

They spend the next couple hours, well into the night, painting over the multicoloured, patchwork hull, until it, Dia, and Boba are all covered in red, green, and gold paint. They step back to admire their handiwork. Boba rubs his forehead, leaving a smear of gold there.

The better part of the hull is green, in messy strokes that don't cover every bit of metal; the fins are red; and everywhere are gold accents. Boba seemed to especially like the gold paint.

"I think it looks good," Dia says proudly, setting his hands on his hips.

Boba hums in agreement.

The hangar door opens with a hiss, startling both of them. They turn around to see Peli heaving a toolbox through the door, muttering to herself. She sets down the toolbox inside and wipes her forehead, then freezes when she sees Boba.

"You're back!" she exclaims. Grinning, she crosses the hangar to pat Boba's shoulder. "How'd it go?"

"I got the armour back," Boba reports. "And the ship's finished now."

"It sure looks good," Peli says approvingly. She checks her watch. "Ah! Is that the time?! Go to bed, both of you! You're still growing, you need your sleep!"

She gets them a snack and some water, then shoos them off to bed. Dia lets Boba have his bunk in the hangar and sleeps on a blanket on the bench nearby. They both fall asleep quickly, exhausted from all the travelling and painting.

________

For breakfast, Peli cooks them dustcrepes and nausage, and they all eat together at the tiny picnic table in the hangar.

"So. What's the plan?" Peli asks them through a mouthful of dustcrepe. "When are you two leaving? Your ship's taking up a lot of room, you know."

Dia looks at Boba. "What is the plan?"

Boba finishes chewing, then says, "I've been thinking about that. We can't kill Windu on our own – we need someone with more experience." His expression twists, making it clear he's reluctant to admit it.

"We could go find Hondo," Dia suggests. "He might be willing to help. Or he might know someone who could."

"I was thinking the same thing," Boba agrees with a sigh, crossing his arms.

"Ah, it won't be so bad." Dia bumps Boba's shoulder with his own. "He's helped us a lot already."

"It'll take us a few days to reach Florrum, so we should leave soon."

"We can leave tomorrow, if you like," Dia offers.

"Are you sure?" Boba seems hesitant.

"Yep. I just have to pack up my stuff and say goodbye to everyone." Dia smiles. "Besides, the sooner we leave, the sooner we can get back here."

"I'll help you pack up some tools," Peli offers, standing.

"Thanks, Peli." Dia stands, clearing his and Boba's plates.

The rest of the day is spent packing up all their belongings, along with tools and components. They make several trips to the marketplace to grab rations, and Boba stops by a concealed weapons store, returning with a crate he stows in Jango's Legacy.

When they're packing up their few spare clothes, Boba regretfully admits he'd ruined the poncho Dia had bought for him. Patting his shoulder, Dia easily forgives him.

That night, Boba insists Dia take the bunk.

"No, really – " Dia tries to protest.

Ignoring him, Boba wraps himself in the spare blanket and lies down on the bench, his back turned. Dia has no choice but to give in, and settles onto the padded bunk against the wall. He switches off the lantern and closes his eyes.

His dreams are unpleasant. Something is chasing him, then someone is leaving, and thick chains wrap around his ankles, his arms, up to his neck, choking, devouring, dragging down –

He wakes with a gasp. Breathing heavily, he rubs his eyes. Ugh. Another nightmare. As his breathing recovers and his heart stops trying to escape his ribcage, he hears a noise. He props himself up on his elbow, listening carefully.

It sounds like… muffled sobs. He peers into the darkness, and can make out the lump that is Boba, on the bench. He seems to be shaking.

Quickly, Dia slips out of bed and crosses the floor. Boba is curled into a tight ball, and agonized sobs wrack his whole body. He mumbles something Dia can't understand.

"Shh, it's okay," Dia whispers, setting his hand on Boba's shoulder. Boba flinches, and his eyes blink open. "Are you alright?"

Boba sits up, wiping furiously at his eyes. "Nightmare," he sniffs. "I'm fine."

Yeah, right. "I had a nightmare, too," he admits. A memory stirs in the back of his mind, and he finds himself speaking quietly: "My little brother and I had nightmares a lot. He would always come crawl into my bed, and we could sleep better with someone beside us."

Boba studies his eyes, his expression vulnerable.

"Come on," Dia says kindly, taking Boba's hand.

He leads Boba back to the bunk, and they curl up together, wrapped in the blankets and each other's arms. They sleep peacefully, and neither one wakes again until the morning.