[closed] you must do unto the others

[myownprice]

WHO: Boba Fett, Ezra Bridger, and Poe Dameron
WHERE: De Chima and Nonah
WHEN: Early March
WHAT: Boba and Ezra talk Jedi-murder. Boba and Poe talk starfighters.
WARNINGS: Discussion of murder and Kylo Ren.



(for ezra)
[When Boba finds himself in Ezra’s place-of-work, it’s not by intention. He doesn’t even know Ezra works there—all he knows is that this is where his client had requested a package dropped off and if Boba doesn’t understand the venue, he isn’t paid to. He just shows up, gives the place an unimpressed once-over and hands off the package to the right person, before making to vanish out of the door.

When he first catches sight of Ezra talking to someone off to the side, his first instinct is to hasten his exit. He doesn’t want the would-be Jedi asking him questions about what he’s doing there—even if he might be more friendly about it than most real Jedi. But then Boba sees who the other teen is talking to and stops in his tracks. The self-proclaimed Jedi is talking to Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren, who had introduced himself to Boba as the “Jedi Killer.”

Is that what’s going on? Is Kylo trying to trick Ezra somehow? If Boba wanted to kill someone discreetly, he might play nice at first, too. Maybe get them to follow him somewhere away from prying eyes?

It shouldn’t matter. Hadn’t Boba been happy to hear of how Kylo had slaughtered almost all the Jedi in his time? And people don't stay dead here anyway. He makes himself keep walking, even as the unease grows in his stomach. It’s not like Ezra is a real Jedi. Killing him—or letting him be killed—it wouldn’t count. Would it?

Boba shakes his head as he walks out of the building. He’s not in the business of protecting Jedi. He’s not going to interfere... He’s just going to watch and see what happens.

He summons his jetpack to get a good vantage point on a nearby roof and waits.

When Ezra does emerge, Boba is surprised to see that he’s alone. He waits as Ezra passes, expecting perhaps for Kylo Ren to pursue him. But when Kylo does exit the building, he heads in a different direction entirely. Boba looks in the direction Kylo is going and then down the road Ezra had taken—and follows Ezra.

A few blocks later, Ezra will here the rumble of jetpack ignition and then the thud of boots hitting the ground a few meters behind him. If he turns around, he’ll see Boba staring at him with a frown, jetpack already dematerializing on his back.]

Why were you talking to him?

(for poe)
]It’s a while before Boba takes Poe up on his offer to make a model of Slave I. There had been the slight inconvenience of the coma Poe had found himself in not too long after the New Year’s party and even after he’d heard that Poe had recovered, Boba hadn’t been sure how long he should wait before contacting him again. It’s not like it’s urgent, anyway. At 13, Boba should be too old for making model ships.

But it would be nice to see Slave I again. Even in model form.

Early March, Poe will receive a message in his inbox from one Boba Fett.]

You’re still making ship models, right?

Comments

[myownprice]

[Boba rolls his eyes at the line about fear leading to the dark side. It’s amazing the Jedi have lasted as long as they have while shunning an emotion meant to keep them alive.]

I don’t care, [he says again, scowling. And he doesn’t. The only reason he’s warning Ezra is that Ezra isn’t really a Jedi, which means Boba has no reason to want him dead. And not wanting someone dead definitely isn’t the same as caring.

He still looks away when he continues, words at a mutter.]

Kylo Ren told me he kills Jedi, [he says. He glances briefly back at Ezra, eyes narrowing.] And it’d be stupid if he killed you because you pretend to be something you're not.

[merging]

[When Boba says he's pretending, Ezra feels a rush of anger flair up, though he does his best to ignore it. It's not even directed at Boba, or anyone. He can't tell quite what he's angry about either, the fact Boba doesn't think of him as a real Jedi or the fact he's also not so sure if he really is one.]

He's not going to kill me. [Maybe he had never outright said he killed Jedi, but it wasn't like he was keeping who he was from Ezra. Kylo probably just thought it was implied? Also there aren't that many Jedi in the future to kill, and definitely no "real" Jedi according to Boba.] He's- We're training together. So you don't have to worry.

[myownprice]

[Ezra’s lack of reaction gets a moment of surprised silence from Boba. He’d expected shock, anger, betrayal—not the calm, almost blasé response that Ezra gives him. His own surprised look quickly changes into a glare.]

I’m not making this up, you know. He told me he nearly wiped out the Jedi—all except one.

[It doesn’t make sense. Even Jedi—and would-be Jedi—should feel something hearing that their acquaintance wants to kill everyone like them. Why is Ezra acting like it’s a non-concern?

Boba glares for a few more seconds. And then... his brow furrows and he regards Ezra with sudden suspicion.]

You know you’re not a Jedi, don’t you?

[merging]

I am a Jedi!

[He glares back, clenching his fists. It's easier to be sure of that when it's for the sake of an argument somehow.]

Why do you care if the Jedi are gone? That's what you want, right? And they're not even real Jedi by your standards. Poe told me the temple was destroyed. Kylo told me everyone was dead. I can put the pieces together myself.

But he's had plenty of opportunities to kill me here and he hasn't. And I don't think he will any time soon either. Like I said, we're training together.

[myownprice]

I told you, I don’t care—but you should! [Boba shouldn’t be getting angry about this. Ezra isn’t his friend and he shouldn’t care whether he lives or dies. But that’s not really what this is about anymore, is it?

Boba knows what it’s like to be a sole survivor. So had his father. It should hurt. Even for a Jedi, it should hurt.]

Even if he doesn’t want to kill you, he killed everyone like you, [Boba continues, glowering.] Doesn’t that bother you at all? How can you just act like it doesn’t mean anything?

[merging]

Because! I'm not going to let it happen!

[Ezra sighs, trying to calm himself down before he speaks again. He's already lectured enough as is, he doesn't need this from a kid who hates the Jedi.]

Kylo's from my future, you know. Like I'm from yours. I guess you could call it a future, though. But that's why I'm training with him. I need to become stronger, strong enough that I can save everyone.

[myownprice]

[Boba stills at Ezra’s angry response. it’s not the would-be Jedi’s temper that gives him pause, though. It’s that Ezra has finally said something that makes sense.

Forgiving one’s enemies is not something Boba can comprehend. Nor is shrugging off the murder of those close to you. But wanting to be stronger, strong enough to make the people who wronged you pay—that is something he understands.]

Does Kylo know that’s why you’re training with him? [he asks, lowering his voice as if wary of someone else hearing.] To try and stop him back home?

[merging]

He knows. Or he knows enough to figure out what my plan is.

[Funnily enough, his response was mostly the same as Kanan's. That Ezra should focus on the here and now, rather than what he can't change in the past or future. But he didn't outright discourage him the way everyone else did, and he still agreed to teach him.]

Maybe he's okay with it. He trained as a Jedi, maybe part of him wants the future I'm fighting for too.

wrap?

[myownprice]

[A Jedi training with a Sith and a Sith helping a Jedi. It’s strange but Boba supposes the two sides have always had a strange relationship. If anything, he feels more resentful of Kylo Ren. The man had boasted about being the a Jedi-Killer; had he been telling the truth at all, or was he simply taking credit for the work the clones had fought and died for? And now he might actually want to bring them back.]

The Jedi don’t deserve a second chance, [Boba says, eyes hard.] And you won’t be able to save them, anyway.

[He knows how this place works. Lucien will return home and die. Rex had already returned home and been betrayed. And Boba knows from his adult self’s memories that one day, he’ll return home and do something bad enough to regret for decades afterwards. None of them get to change their futures.

In this case, maybe that’s for the best.]

If you want to waste your time, [he says, stepping back.] Be my guest.

[He’ll put a bit more distance between himself and Ezra and then turn and walk away.]