Never Talk to Strangers...

The death of Jabba the Hutt rocked the backwater planet of Tatooine as nothing else could have. With the gangster lord destroyed, his empire was ripe for plucking and many sentients were stepping up to do the deed.

Life at Kip’s went on as it always had, interrupted only by occasional blaster fire, a bar fight, or impromptu drunken strip tease.

Aislynn moved back into her room upstairs. For almost two weeks, she stayed there, coming downstairs only when Mac or Kip forced her to eat something, sinking back into the depression she couldn’t break out of.

The rest of the time, she stayed behind locked door, replaying in her mind every tender moment of the last six years, and collapsing into ragged tears. Three weeks after the “incident” as it was being called, a man staggered into the bar with a most outlandish tale.

He claimed to be an ex stormtrooper, gone AWOL from the imperial army - a thing completely unheard of. He told about a battle on a moon encircling a world called Endor. He told of how a group of rebels had allied themselves with a band of Ewoks, and brought down the emperor himself.

The last death star was destroyed. Vader himself perished in the battle, killing his master and turning the rebel alliance into the New Republic. The Imperial army had fallen to pieces overnight. His story brought him so much free booze that Aislynn and Riley had to carry him back to his lodgings.

The next day A’zael verified the story. One of her regular clients, a high ranking imperial officer had come into town the next night, dumping the rest of his soon to be useless imperial credits on her and disappearing into the night. The galactic balance shifted.

And life at Kips continued as it always had.

~ ~ ~

“...so no shit, there I was, standing face to face with three of the most vicious killers in the known universe and my rifle’s half way ‘cross the room...”

Aislynn listened half heartedly to yet another story from the man in front of her. He was a young hunter who went by the name Jodo Kast. He was not bad looking, and quite popular among the ladies. A’zael was particularly fond of him. Apparently he was a very good tipper.

“Aislynn? Are you even listening to me?”

“Hmm? Yeah, sure Kast, I’m sorry. I’m just tired. I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

He looked concerned. “Anything wrong?”

“No, just...” she reached down to stroke her very pregnant belly, smiling sadly.

“You still miss him, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I still miss him, Kast. I’m going to miss him until they lay me in the ground.”

“He must’ve been a hell of a man.”

“He was.”

“Well, look, if you need any company tonight, just company, now... I’m not trying to... I mean, I’m here,” he stammered, trying to sound innocent and failing miserably.

“Thanks, but no.”

“That’s a standing offer, y’know. Anytime I’m in town, you’ve got a friend.”

“Thanks, Kast. Look, I’ve gotta lock up. Do you want one to go?”

“No. I’m good,” he smiled at her, showing a mouth full of straight white teeth. He handed her the console with his tab. He keyed in his codes quickly, and flashed her one more winning smile and adjusted his gun belt before he walked out into the dark streets.

She looked down at the console and noted that he had indeed added a hefty tip to the tab. Hopefully, he wouldn’t get himself killed for a while. She liked it when her good customers stayed alive. She started gathering up ashtrays and empty glasses. She heard the door open, and cursed herself for forgetting to lock it.

“Kast, I’m really not in the mood for this.” she said, without turning around. She waited for the door to slam shut, and when it didn’t, she whirled around in irritation. “Look, I told you I’m closed...” and stopped.

Two men stood in the shadows near the door. The shorter of the two stepped forward and smiled a crooked smile. “I thought you might make an exception, baby girl. For two friends recently returned from the dead. And very thirsty.”

The second said nothing, just leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed. She took a tentative stop towards him, not daring to believe her eyes. “Boba...”

He stepped into the light, and she rushed past Dengar to throw her arms around his neck.

She could hear the other hunter chuckling behind her as she reached up to run her finger through his formerly dark hair, now completely white. She tentatively reached up to trace the puckered scars on his face. Hard to tell one from another now, it looked as though he had been taken apart and put back together. But he was here, alive, and breathing and alive.

“How...” she whispered breathlessly.

His face creased in smile, wider than any she remembered, as he glanced over his shoulder at Dengar.

The shorter man shrugged and offered, “Indigestion?”

Boba's eyes widened slightly as he looked her over. He pressed both hands to her belly. Aislynn felt the child inside her kick, and saw Boba smile in response. "You should have told me."

"I tried," she began, chokinng over the words. "I tried so many times..." and then she couldn't speak any more, tears which she had forced down for the past months breaking loose.

He drew her close, and she could feel the warmth of him through the soft silk he wore. She pressed her face against his shoulder and sobbed. He kissed her hair, holding her against him in an embrace at once fierce and tender.

When she had finished, he took her by the hand and led her out the door, and down the familiar path towards his ship.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

He paused at the door to the hangar and scanned the starlit sky, raised his hand and pointed towards a distant cluster of stars. “To find that castle in the sky, love. If you look real close I think you can see it, right out there.”

And maybe, just maybe, they lived happily ever after.

Fin.