Desperation

Dia has to work quickly. He heard the explosion from the camp just moments ago – if it worked, if Windu is dead, then Dia doesn't have much time to free the hostages before Boba returns and Aurra decides to kill them.

He wipes the blood from his vibroblade with his good hand and sheathes it on his belt. Holding out his left arm, he lets blood drip from the wound into the long grass.

As they'd travelled, Dia had read about the Dantooine wildlife. One of the most dangerous predators of the plains were the stalker lizards – bloodthirsty reptiles most active in the evenings.

The setting sun paints the clouds orange, and stars twinkle faintly in the darkening sky.

Dia stands at the edge of the trees, on the ridge of the hill that leads down to grassy plains as far as he can see. He scans the grass for movement, and squeezes more blood from his wound with a wince.

"Come on," he mutters, glancing over his shoulder. His comm stays silent on his belt, worrying him. Why wasn't Boba checking in? Had he been captured? Would Aurra decide to kill the hostages anyway, and abandon Boba to his fate?

Panic rising, Dia looks back at the plains, struggling to form a backup plan.

A flash of movement catches his eye; a purple tail disappearing between blades of yellowed grass, a few stones' throw from Dia.

Dia's shoulders slump in relief, but he's not out of danger yet. Turning on his heel and sprinting into the trees, he finds his way back to the clearing where Aurra and Bossk are waiting beside Slave I. He's careful to go the long way, avoiding the clones and hoping a bleeding quarry is more tempting for the stalker lizard.

Aurra is pacing around the clearing, her frustration clear in her scowl. Bossk sits on a rock, checking over his blaster. Both look up when Dia steps into the clearing, hiding his wounded arm behind him.

"Sorry," he says sheepishly. "I was really sick." 

With an eye roll, Aurra resumes her pacing. Bossk narrows his eyes and his tongue flicks out, tasting the air.

"Are you bleeding?" he hisses.

Kriff. "Um, yeah. I fell and cut it on a rock." He holds out his bloody arm apologetically.

Bossk leaps to his feet. "Aurra!"

Swearing, Aurra unholsters her blaster and aims for the edge of the clearing.

A moment later, not one, but two massive lizards step out from the undergrowth. Their yellow eyes glint menacingly, and their tails sweep over the grass.

"Get up the tree!" Aurra yells, firing off two shots.

Bossk grabs the back of Dia's collar and unceremoniously throws him into the air. With a yelp, Dia manages to latch onto a branch. Bossk follows, and Aurra jumps nimbly up the branch beside him, aiming her blaster at the stalker lizards. The predators circle the base of the tree, hissing.

"You idiot!" Bossk snaps, reaching into his pocket and throwing something at Dia. "You led them back to us!"

Dia barely catches the roll of bandages, and mumbles an apology. The two bounty hunters don't suspect he'd lured the lizards on purpose. He wraps the white fabric around his wound with a smug smile.

________

"What do you mean, Boba's here?"

"They've found him?"

"What happened to him?"

"He tried to kill the General?"

"No way…"

"Well, after what happened on Geonosis…"

Boba sits, fuming, with his knees hugged to his chest. The fabric walls of the makeshift prison do nothing to muffle the clone guards' hushed conversation outside.

This is the last place Boba wants to be. He'd decided not to blow up the munitions tent – it was too risky, too much chance that a clone would die, and Boba doesn't want to kill any of the clones. But that doesn't mean he wants to be anywhere near any of them.

His comm was taken when he was caught, and he picks nervously at a hole in his trousers as he worries about Dia. This exact situation is why Aurra took two of the clones hostage, but she might easily decide it's all too much trouble. If that happened, she'd have no reason to bring Dia with her. Would she abandon Dia in the forest? Or kill him?

With a frustrated sigh, Boba tears a hand through his hair, struggling to stay calm.

The door of the tent swishes open, and two beige-robed Jedi duck inside. Mace Windu regards Boba impassively, while the green Nautolan smiles toothily.

Boba glares at the both of them. "What?"

"Who are your allies?" Windu asks in an even tone.

"What makes you think I have any?"

"If you help us capture your allies," the other Jedi speaks up, "we'll be able to lessen any sentence you receive."

"I don't betray my friends," Boba spits, standing up. "And I don't care if I spend the rest of my life in prison – I don't regret trying to kill you!"

Windu's face doesn't so much as twitch.

"Sir!" a voice calls from outside.

"Yes, Ponds?" Windu says, his eyes not leaving Boba's furious expression.

"One of the patrols hasn't reported in," the clone commander replies.

The first glimpse of mild concern on Windu's face delights Boba, but the emotion is dampened by the reminder that there are clones – and Dia – still in danger.

"Where are your allies?" Windu asks again.

Boba hesitates.

________

"Go away, you stupid lizards!" Aurra shouts, firing at the stalker lizards circling the tree.

The lizards are agile enough to dodge most of the shots and tough enough to withstand those that do hit.

"They must be hungry," Dia murmurs, catching the predatory yellow gaze of one of the lizards. A shiver runs through him and he hugs his shoulders, ignoring the twinge of pain in his wounded forearm.

Aurra is growing irritated, and Bossk shifts his weight on one branch as though he means to leap down and fight the lizards.

"Over there!" Bossk suddenly hisses, pointing to the edge of the clearing.

Dia's head snaps up. White armour flashes through the trees – the clones are escaping!

"AAAARGH!" Aurra fires at the clones, enraged, but she doesn't have her proper rifle, and the trees give the clones enough cover to vanish in the direction of the camp. 

Relief courses through Dia, and a smile spreads across his face.

"What are you smirking about?" Aurra demands.

Dia's smile vanishes, but it's too late. Aurra's eyes narrow suspiciously, and Dia feels the same prey-like shiver of fear as when the stalker lizard had fixed its gaze on him.

________

Ponds takes off his helmet, revealing an infuriatingly sympathetic frown. Boba glares at him from across the tent. Windu and the other Jedi have left – a calculated move to try and lower Boba's guard. 

"I told you, I don't betray my friends," Boba tells Ponds, trying to hide his unease.

"If they're your friends," Ponds reasons, "don't you want to protect them from being captured?"

"That is what I'm doing."

"Could you at least tell me who your allies are?"

Still glaring, Boba doesn't answer, and Ponds gives a small sigh.

"Then, did you take our patrol hostage?"

Boba's eyebrow twitches. He realizes it with a spark of anger that only grows as he notices Ponds has caught it too.

"Those are clones, Boba," Ponds says, leaning forward with a deep frown. "Those are our vod."

"They're not mine!" Boba snaps. "None of you are my family!"

Ponds takes a shocked step backwards. Boba squashes the sickening twinge of guilt in his stomach and glares all the more fearsomely.

"COMMANDER!" a shout startles both Boba and Ponds.

A clone hurtles through the tent flap, alarm evident despite the helmet. "Commander, Razor and Stak escaped!"

"Bring them here," Ponds orders.

"Yes, sir!" The clone disappears.

Boba frowns. How had the clones escaped? Had Aurra freed them? No, she would never.

Two other clones – Boba recognizes them as the hostages from the paint on their armour – duck into the tent and salute to Ponds. Windu follows a moment later, and Boba shoots him a glare.

"It's good to have you back, boys," Ponds says, a relieved smile ghosting over his face.

Windu nods in agreement. "Report."

"Yes, sir." One of the clones' heads turns slightly to notice Boba. "There are three bounty hunters. One is a child who freed us."

Boba shoots to his feet, astonished. "Dia freed you?" he demands.

The clone glances at Ponds, who nods. "Yes, he undid our restraints and caused a distraction so we could get away."

He betrayed Aurra and Bossk, Boba realizes, fear turning his stomach to ice. He grabs Ponds' wrist, eyes wide.

"You have to hurry!" he cries, panicked. "Get back there and catch them, before they find out Dia betrayed them!"

He doesn't dare to imagine what Aurra and Bossk would do if they discover Dia's treachery.

Windu raises an eyebrow. "Now you want to give up your allies?"

Boba growls in annoyance. "Just Aurra and Bossk. You have to let Dia go free."

Ponds glances at Windu, almost beseechingly.

"… I will see what I can do," Windu replies evenly. He turns to Razor and Stak. "Can you lead us to the bounty hunters' location?"

"Yes, General."

"Then, let's ready the soldiers," Windu orders.

"Let me go with you," Boba pleads.

Windu hesitates, meets Ponds' eyes, then gives a brief nod. "Very well."

Relief loosens Boba's grip on Ponds' wrist, but the fear still clutches his stomach.

Hang on, Dia. We'll be there soon. Just don't let them figure it out.