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Description
Cover for Part 2 of my "Star Wars: Friendly Fire" Story (Story below). Boba and his team hunt for Delta Squad.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, Delta Squad, or any of its properties ([Legends and Canon material alike] the Characters, the Planets, events, ships, Gear, etc. Mentioned in this story). All those belong to George Lucas, Lucasfilm, and Disney. I do however own “Shadow Squadron’s” Commander Shadow, Spooks, Umbra, Captain Gloom, and Shade, and The Rookie. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

Note: This story is not technically canon and is a work of FAN-FICTION, and was inspired by my love for the Republic Commandos. After seeing Delta Squad’s brief appearance on the Clone Wars TV show, I wondered what a marriage of Canon and Legends material would look like if the members of Delta Squad showed up once again in the Canon universe. Thank you and enjoy.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

STAR WARS:
FRIENDLY-FIRE
(Part 2)
Order-66 has been issued, commanding all Clone Forces spread throughout the galaxy to turn
against their Jedi Commanders. After learning that the Inhibitor Chips are the cause of the Clone Army's sudden erratic behavior,
Jedi Master Quinlan Vos races back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant with the help of Delta Squad, in the hopes of warning the Jedi before they fall prey to
this deadly trap...

***
    Delta Squad’s Attack Shuttle exited hyperspace and began its approach toward the planet, Coruscant: the sparkling capital of the Republic. As luck would have it, the shuttle had not been followed.

    “You’re sure they can’t track us?” asked Vos, skeptically as he entered the cockpit.
    Fixer nodded. “I disabled anything that Republic Forces could use to track this ship. We’re not being followed.”
    “Good.” Said Vos. “We need to head to the Jedi Temple as soon as possible and warn the Council about the Inhibitor Chips before any more Jedi commanders are ambushed by their clone forces.”
    In a matter of minutes, the Shuttle entered the planet’s atmosphere and toward the many skyscrapers of the enormous planet-wide city. The small fighter disappeared into a mass of starships flying throughout the busy city.
    Fixer and Scorch directed they ship through the city and towards the Jedi Temple, as the morning sun crept over the horizon; A sight that would usually be considered beautiful if not for what the Squad saw next…
    The once proud Jedi Temple, one of the crown jewels of Coruscant and the Republic, now stood in flames; a large pillar of dark smoke pouring from its tower.
    Vos’s eyes widened. “By the Force…” He gasped, in a state of horror and disbelief.
    Boss entered the cockpit and placed a hand on Vos’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, General…It’s gone…”
    For a few minutes, no one said anything. The sight before them was beyond words. They had arrived too late to prevent the massacre that had taken place at the Temple mere hours before their arrival.
    Scorch was the first to break the silence. “What do we do now?” He asked.

    Vos wiped a small tear from the corner of his eye, then composed himself. “We go into hiding. The Temple isn’t safe anymore. We need to find somewhere to lay low for a while and resupply. I may still have a few connections in the Criminal Underworld on Level 1313 willing to help us out.”

Famed bounty hunter, Boba Fett sat in a booth of one of the finer bounty hunter cantinas in Coruscant’s underworld district of Level 1313 (which really was not saying much) as he browsed through the bar’s DataCore looking for his syndicate’s next bounty. Fett’s shaved head (which was usually covered by the Mandalorian helmet on the table in front of him) disguised the teenage bounty hunter’s age well. Seated across from Boba, was a Theelin female with strawberry-blond hair styled in pigtails, named Latts Razzi. A Kyuzo male wearing a large metallic hat, named Embo, sat in an adjacent booth, while his anooba, Marrok, slept quietly at its owner’s feet. On the other side of the bar stood a green-skinned Trandoshan dressed in a yellow flight suit, known as Bossk and a combat droid, known as Highsinger stood beside him.
    Fett’s small holopad suddenly blinked, indicating that there was an incoming transmission for him. Reluctantly, the young bounty hunter pressed his holopad and answered.
    A small Hologram of Chancellor Palpatine appeared on the holopad; his scarred face shrouded in shadow by the hood of the Chancellor’s long robes. The entire cantina grew silent; its patrons were suddenly made aware that Fett was talking to the Chancellor himself.
    “Boba Fett…” said the Chancellor.
    The young bounty hunter remained calm, unintimidated by the Chancellor. “Chancellor…” He said, coolly. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
    “I have need of your services.” The shadowy figure said dryly. “You will be paid generously… should you accept my proposition.”
    “You have my attention...” Said Boba, raising an eyebrow.
    “It has come to my attention that a squad of Clone Commandos has committed high treason by disobeying my direct orders and deserting the war effort with their Jedi commander, Quinlan Vos.” The Chancellor continued. “I’m told you have been acquainted with the Jedi?”
    “Briefly,” Boba said. “But it was not an association I’d make again”
    “It matters not…” replied the Chancellor. “My sources believe the clones have come to Coruscant and are using the Jedi’s connections in the Criminal Underworld located in the lower levels of the planet to hide. Your methods are of no interest to me, but I want the clone deserters eliminated."
    “What about the Jedi?”
    “The Jedi will be dealt with…” A crooked smile appeared on the Chancellor’s scarred lips. “… In time. But he is of no concern to me at the moment. Your targets are the clone deserters of Delta Squad. Eliminate them at all costs.”
    “As you wish.” Said Boba, as the hologram of the Chancellor winked out.
    Fett withdrew his Hunter Image Caster from a pouch on his belt and downloaded all the files available on Delta Squad onto a Bounty Puck. The young bounty hunter stood, placing his Mandalorian helmet over his head, and looked at his team.

    “You heard him. We’ve got a job to do.”

     ***
    The small Attack Shuttle began its descent to the lower levels of Coruscant. Soon the sky was a distant memory. After what seemed like an eternity, the shuttle finally docked on a landing pad of level 1313. As the crew walked down the down the ship's loading ramp, Vos turned to the Clone commandos.
    “Watch your step. Crime is an everyday occurrence down here.” said Vos. “My contact will be waiting for us in the market.”
    The group moved further into the dark crime-ridden and poverty-stricken underworld dimly lit by artificial lights; the clones were amazed by how many homeless refugees littered the streets.
    “There’s so many…” said Scorch, passing a group of beggars.
    Vos nodded. “Many of these refugees will go their whole lives without seeing the sky, let alone the surface level.”
    Vos and the clones of Delta Squad rounded an alleyway and made their way into the market district. The market place was busy with criminals and mercenaries all trying to buy gear and weapons from many of its Black-Market vendors.
    Vos scanned the crowd for his contact. “My contact should be here any—”
    “My Friend…I say, My Friend…” called a Weequay, as he made his way through the busy crowd toward the group.
    The Weequay wore a long red duster that billowed about him with each step. On his head he wore a helmet and large goggles. Unlike many of his race, the Weequay carried himself like an aristocrat, his head held high; a trait that no one around him seemed to pay any attention to.
    Vos turned to the Weequay approaching them. “Hondo Ohnaka.”
    “Quinlan Vos. You are a sight for sore eyes.” Hondo said in a smooth voice.  The Weequay gestured to the crowded market. “I have not seen this many liars and cheaters since I fired my traitorous crew…” – He sighed, taking a moment to reminisce – “Ah…Good times.”

"Hondo is your contact?" Fixer asked in disbelief and alarm. "You can't be serious, Sir! You're putting our lives in the hands of a greedy, second-rate Pirate? If I had a credit for every story I heard about this pirate..."

Hondo clenched his chest and acted hurt by the clone's comment. "You wound me... I will have you know, I am a completely legitmate businessman!"

  Hondo turned back to Vos, noticing the Jedi’s robes.

“This is not a good time to be dressed as a Jedi, I think.” Hondo said, a hint of confusion in his voice. The Weequay quickly seized the opportunity to turn the conversation into a business proposition. “So… For a small fee…”
    Vos crossed his arms and raised an eye brow.
    “Ah! Kidding. Kidding.” The Weequay laughed nervously. “As it just so happens, you are catching me on a good day.  I will help you, free of charge!”
    “How generous of you.” Vos said, knowing full well that had not been the Weequay pirate’s original intention. He pointed at the Clone Commandos standing behind him. “This is Delta Squad.”
    Hondo took a step towards the Clone Commandos, admiring their Katarn-class Commando armor.
    “You know…Commando Armor is very profitable on the Black-Market. I could—”
    Hondo placed his hand on Sev’s shoulder armor. The Clone turned his head to the Weequay Pirate.
    “Do you value that hand?” said Sev, daringly.
    The Weequay Pirate slowly and cautiously removed his hand from the Clone Commando’s armor, then took a step closer to Vos.
    “On second thought, I think you should keep the armor.” He said, visibly uncomfortable with the way the clone was looking at him.
    A large crowd began to gather in front of a large holoscreen outside one of the local establishments. The live newsfeed of a scarred and hooded Chancellor Palpatine addressing the Senate appeared on the screen. The group turned their attention to the holoscreen.
    “The Jedi hoped to unleash their destructive power against the Republic by assassinating the head of government and usurping control of the clone army…”
    “Can you believe this garbage?” Vos said shaking his head, as he continued watching the screen.
    “The remaining Jedi will be Hunted down and defeated! Any collaborators will suffer the same fate…”
    Sev looked at his clone brothers. “I guess that means us.”
    “The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed, but I assure you my resolve has never been stronger…”
    Vos turned to the group. “We need to keep moving before someone spots us.”
    “It is now a good time to lose those Jedi clothes, I think…” said Hondo gravely.
    “I think you’re right.” Agreed Vos.
    “In order to ensure our security and continued stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire…”

    The group moved away as the crowd roared and cheered. They did not need to hear the rest of the speech. They’d heard enough.

    After ditching his Jedi robes and tunic, and changing into clothes better suited for someone trying to pass as a low-life bounty hunter, Quinlan Vos tucked his lightsaber into the inner pocket of the jacket that covered the “new” bounty hunter armor he now wore on his chest. He then placed a small blaster pistol in the holster hanging at his side.
    Vos turned to the clones and pirate, showing off his bounty hunter disguise.
    “What do you think?” He asked.
    Hondo clapped his hands together in delight. “Very nice! Very nice! What did I tell you? The Jedi certainly knows how to blend in.”
    The Clones looked at each other, then back to Vos. “This will all be for nothing if someone sees your face, Sir.” Said Fixer.
    “Hmmm…The clone has a point.” Said Hondo, putting a hand to his chin. Suddenly his eyes lit up. “Ah! Wait right here! I have just the thing!”
    After a few minutes, the Weequay Pirate returned; carrying a Dune Sea Drifter helmet in his hands.
    “Let it never be said that Hondo Ohnaka never went out of his way to help a Jedi.” Hondo said proudly, handing the helmet to Vos.
    “Not bad.” said the Jedi, smiling as he inspected the helmet.
    “You would not believe what I went through to get that.” Said Hondo. “I was on Mos Eisley and—”
    “Another time.” Interrupted Vos, turning to Delta Squad. “If we hurry, we can catch a transport off-world.”
    “’An excellent idea!” Agreed Hondo.
    Vos began walking away, until he realized the Commandos had not followed him. He turned back to them.
    “You’re not coming, are you?”
    “Negative, Sir.” said Boss. “You’ll have a better chance disappearing without us painting a target on your back.”
    Vos thought for a moment, then realized the clone was right.
    “Then this is where we part.” Vos held out his hand. To his surprise, the leader of Delta Squad shook the Jedi’s hand.
    “It’s been an honor, General. We owe you a lot.”
    Vos slid the Dune Sea Drifter helmet over his head, then walked away from the group. Good luck, Delta Squad. May the Force be with you…He thought to himself, as he vanished into the crowd.
    The Clones stood in silence for a moment…until Hondo broke the silence.
    “’Such a noble sacrifice…” said Hondo, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. In seconds, he was back to his old self. “Well! All this charity has been very unprofitable. Extremely bad for business. I bid you good day!”

    With that, the Pirate walked away from Delta Squad.

     ***
    A short time later, Hondo walked towards a nearby cantina for a drink, grumbling to himself. Before he reached the door, the pirate felt the barrel of a blaster press into his back.
    “Oh, what a day this has been…” He said to himself, raising his hands in the air. “I don’t have any more credits. You clones have bled me dry.”
    “Hello, Hondo…”
    To the Pirate’s surprise, the voice behind him belonged, not to a clone commando, but to the young bounty hunter, Boba Fett. Boba pressed his blaster into Hondo’s back a little bit harder.
    “Ah! Boba… It’s been a long time.” Said Hondo with a smile.
    The bounty hunter did not lower his blaster.
    “We received a tip that a Jedi was seen down here accompanied by four Clone deserters wearing commando armor. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
    “Me? Oh, I try not to associate myself with such traitorous individuals.” –Boba pressed the blaster even harder into the Pirate’s back – “Oh, those clones! Of course! Though...there was no Jedi with them the last time I saw them.”
    The young bounty hunter pulled his blaster back a little, still pressing the barrel against the pirate’s back.

    “I would be happy to provide information on the whereabouts of the clone commandos… for a small price, of course.” Said Hondo with a small smile.

***
    After a while, Delta Squad decided it was time to return to their shuttle and walked back towards the landing pad where the Attack shuttle was parked.
    When the Squad was five blocks from the landing pad, Boss noticed a Trandoshan bounty hunter following a few feet behind them. As he looked around, he noticed a Kyuzo bounty hunter wearing a large metallic hat accompanied by his pet anooba approaching from their right side and a C21-Highslinger droid approaching on their left.

    “Turn here.” Boss said over the squad’s private comm channel. “We’re being followed.”

     ***
    From his position on the rooftop of a small nearby building, Boba Fett watched the clones through the scope of his new EE-3 carbine rifle.
    “Just a little closer…” He whispered to himself as the four clone commandos got closer in range of his blaster.
    Suddenly, the clones turned into an alleyway.
    “They’ve spotted us!” Boba growled angerly. “After them!”
    The bounty hunters on the ground followed Delta Squad into one of the other marketplace districts. As the bounty hunters closed in behind the clones, Latts Razzi stood in front of the clones, blocking their path.
    “Leaving so soon?” She asked, mockingly.
    She was joined by Boba Fett a moment later, landing beside her with the help of his jetpack.
    The bounty hunters drew their weapons and pointed them at Delta Squad.
    “Don’t move, Clones.” Ordered Boba with a hint of disgust in his voice.
    The clones soon realized they were surrounded by the bounty hunters. They quickly stood back-to-back, covering each other from all sides.
    “How are we doing this, Sir?” Asked Fixer over the private comm channel in his helmet.
    Boss looked around and noticed a large group of unarmed civilians around their location.
    “I want minimum civilian casualties. Understood?”  Ordered Boss. The other clones nodded.
    Boss fired at the Mandalorian bounty hunter in front of him. The bounty hunter dodged quickly and was back on his feet in no time.
    The Blaster-fire caused a panic to break out among the civilians, who; as soon as the fighting started; scrambled to find cover.
    The clones open fired on the rest of the bounty hunters.
    Bossk and Embo quickly jumped behind a market stall and used it for cover as they returned fire.
    Highsinger began laying down heavy fire with his E-5C heavy blaster rifle.
    Scorch quickly flipped a nearby Black-Market dura-steel table onto its side; knocking a wide variety of heavy blasters and ammunition crates (one of which, contained four DC-17M ammo packs and a small bacta-patch) atop it onto the floor; as the clones used it for cover, while the team’s demolition expert quickly filled his pack with the ammo packs and the sealed bacta-parch that had spilled onto the floor.
    “Take out that droid, Delta-Seven!” Ordered Boss.
    Sev noticed a small speeder carrying several large old cruiser engines on the trailer behind it flying over the market. Wasting no time, the Commando fired at the trailer hitch, detaching the trailer and its heavy cargo from the speeder. +
    The trailer and its cargo came crashing down towards the market below; landing hard on one of the droid’s leg as it attempted to get away; the heavy trailer pinning the droid’s leg to the ground and knocked the droid’s heavy blaster rifle beyond the droid’s reach.
    “One down!” Announced Sev to the rest of Delta Squad.
    “Good work, Delta-Seven!” Shouted Boss. “Keep up the assault!”
    Embo tossed his wide-brimmed metallic hat at Boss; knocking the clone’s rifle out of his hands. Seizing this opportunity with a swift, fluid motion, Latts Razzi had the unarmed leader of Delta Squad wrapped in her grappling boa.
    Before the bounty hunter could react, the Clone Commando activated the retractable vibodagger in the knuckle plate of his armor which make just enough space for him to slide one arm free from the grip of the bounty hunter’s whip-like weapon, before it had wrapped around his arm completely. Using his free hand, Boss grabbed the taut end of Latts Razzi’s weapon and pulled with all his might.
    The slim bounty hunter, unable to compete with the strength of the clone, was suddenly pulled off her feet; accidently letting go of the boa as she fell forward and landed on her face.
    Using this small window to his advantage, Boss quickly unwrapped himself, and dove towards his blaster, retrieving it in mid-roll as he seamlessly recovered on his feet.
     “Time to move.” Boss said.
    The Commandos followed their squad leader through a long, tight alleyway as they made their escape.
    After noticing the fleeing targets, Boba activated his jetpack and attempted to follow the clones until a blast from Delta Squad’s sniper clipped one of the thrusters of the Mandalorian’s jetpack; the jetpack, unable to support the young bounty hunter’s weight with only one thruster, suddenly shorted out, causing the bounty hunter to plummet to the ground. Boba was back on his feet in seconds, and continued his pursuit on foot.
    In an attempt to free itself, Highsinger used his built-in wrist-blaster to shoot its pinned leg of its body as it crawled away from the fallen trailer. Getting to its…foot, the droid found that it was impossible to continue its pursuit on one leg.
    The Kyuzo bounty hunter barked an order in his native language to his pet anooba, Marrok, while he fired at the escaping clones with his bowcaster. Upon hearing the order, the anooba darted after the fleeing targets.
    The clones rounded another corner and made a mad-dash for their shuttle on the landing pad mere meters away.
    Just as the bounty hunters rounded the corner to continue their chase, they were met by a squad of Coruscant Underworld Police that had arrived on the scene to investigate the public disturbance.
    “Halt!” Ordered the Captain of the Underground Police.
    Ignoring the order, Bossk pointed his Relby-V10 mortar gun at the squad of Underworld Police and fired a warning shot at their feet.
    The officers responded by firing at the approaching bounty hunters.
    “Calling all units. Suspects are armed and dangerous. Requesting backup at our position.”
     “YOU IDIOT!” Boba yelled to Bossk, firing at the Underworld Police as the bounty hunters doubled back to find cover from the oncoming blaster-fire. “YOU JUST HAD TO SHOOT AT THE UNDERWORLD POLICE!”
    Boba looked up just in time to see Delta Squad’s Null-class Attack Shuttle take off and disappear as it headed back to the upper levels of Coruscant.
    “BACK TO THE SHIP!” He shouted. “WE DON’T HAVE TIME TO DEAL WITH THESE GUYS!”
    A police cruiser flew overhead, closing in on the bounty hunters’ location.
    “I’ve had enough of these guys.” Growled Bossk, aiming his mortar gun at the oncoming police cruiser and firing at it.
    “Taking heavy fire!”
    The blast hit the police cruiser’s rear engine, causing the speeder to lose altitude.
    “Mayday! Mayday! We’ve been hit! Losing altitude! We’re going dow—”
    The police cruiser crashed into the entry to the narrow alleyway, then exploded.

*BOOM!*

     The debris from the speeder plugged the alleyway and prevented the remaining Underworld Police reinforcements from following the bounty hunters.
    Boba turned to Bossk and without warning, punched the Trandoshan hard in the snout.
    “What was that?!” Shouted Boba. “That wasn’t part of the plan! Now we have to deal with those guys too!”
    Boba punched the Trandoshan again.
    “’Try that again and I’ll—” growled Bossk angerly, making a move to grab the young bounty hunter with his three-fingered, clawed hands, until he felt the barrel of Boba’s EE-3 carbine rifle press against his throat.
    “You’ll what? Kill me? I don’t think that’s going to work out for you.”
    Bossk realized that the other bounty hunters were now pointing their weapons at him too; even Highsinger who was leaning against Embo for support; was pointing its arm blaster at him. Understating he was completely outgunned, the Trandoshan reluctantly let go of Boba and stepped away. The other bounty hunters lowered their weapons.
     “That’s what I thought.” Said Boba. Then turned to the other bounty hunters.  “Back to the ship. I’ve got a call to make.”

    Embo whistled, recalling Marrok to him, as the bounty hunters hurried back to Slave I.

***
    Later on, Boba contacted the newly appointed Emperor on Slave I’s private frequency. The hooded image of the Emperor appeared before the young bounty hunter.
    “You’re Majesty.” He said nodding his head to the Emperor.
    “You may dispense with the pleasantries,” Said the raspy voice of the Emperor. “Did you locate the clone traitors?”
    “We did.” Boba said hesitantly. “We traced the ship to a landing pad on the lower levels. The Jedi had already fled before my team located the targets. My team had the clones right where we wanted them, but we lost the element of surprise and the targets got away.”
    “How unfortunate…” Said the Emperor dryly. “It appears this business transaction has proved unfruitful.”
    “We were able to put a tracker on the ship, before we engaged the targets.” Continued Fett. “My team will be able to track Delta Squad’s location anywhere in the galaxy. We won’t fail you again.”
    “I have underestimated you…” The Emperor smiled wickedly. “However, your services are no longer required.”
    “What?” Said Boba, confused. “My team is tracking Delta Squad as we speak. We can finish the job.”
    “That will not be necessary. You will be paid for your trouble. You will provide me with the current location of Delta Squad…And you will not interfere with this search any longer.”

    “As you wish.” Boba said, transmitting the coordinates to the Emperor.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(TO BE CONTINUED.... In "STAR WARS: FRIENDLY-FIRE (PART III)...)

________________________________________________

If you enjoyed this story check out the next parts below:

Part 1: www.deviantart.com/darth-slaye…

Part 3: www.deviantart.com/darth-slaye…

Description
Cover for Part 2 of my "Star Wars: Friendly Fire" Story (Story below). Boba and his team hunt for Delta Squad.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, Delta Squad, or any of its properties ([Legends and Canon material alike] the Characters, the Planets, events, ships, Gear, etc. Mentioned in this story). All those belong to George Lucas, Lucasfilm, and Disney. I do however own “Shadow Squadron’s” Commander Shadow, Spooks, Umbra, Captain Gloom, and Shade, and The Rookie. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

Note: This story is not technically canon and is a work of FAN-FICTION, and was inspired by my love for the Republic Commandos. After seeing Delta Squad’s brief appearance on the Clone Wars TV show, I wondered what a marriage of Canon and Legends material would look like if the members of Delta Squad showed up once again in the Canon universe. Thank you and enjoy.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

STAR WARS:
FRIENDLY-FIRE
(Part 2)
Order-66 has been issued, commanding all Clone Forces spread throughout the galaxy to turn
against their Jedi Commanders. After learning that the Inhibitor Chips are the cause of the Clone Army's sudden erratic behavior,
Jedi Master Quinlan Vos races back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant with the help of Delta Squad, in the hopes of warning the Jedi before they fall prey to
this deadly trap...

***
    Delta Squad’s Attack Shuttle exited hyperspace and began its approach toward the planet, Coruscant: the sparkling capital of the Republic. As luck would have it, the shuttle had not been followed.

    “You’re sure they can’t track us?” asked Vos, skeptically as he entered the cockpit.
    Fixer nodded. “I disabled anything that Republic Forces could use to track this ship. We’re not being followed.”
    “Good.” Said Vos. “We need to head to the Jedi Temple as soon as possible and warn the Council about the Inhibitor Chips before any more Jedi commanders are ambushed by their clone forces.”
    In a matter of minutes, the Shuttle entered the planet’s atmosphere and toward the many skyscrapers of the enormous planet-wide city. The small fighter disappeared into a mass of starships flying throughout the busy city.
    Fixer and Scorch directed they ship through the city and towards the Jedi Temple, as the morning sun crept over the horizon; A sight that would usually be considered beautiful if not for what the Squad saw next…
    The once proud Jedi Temple, one of the crown jewels of Coruscant and the Republic, now stood in flames; a large pillar of dark smoke pouring from its tower.
    Vos’s eyes widened. “By the Force…” He gasped, in a state of horror and disbelief.
    Boss entered the cockpit and placed a hand on Vos’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, General…It’s gone…”
    For a few minutes, no one said anything. The sight before them was beyond words. They had arrived too late to prevent the massacre that had taken place at the Temple mere hours before their arrival.
    Scorch was the first to break the silence. “What do we do now?” He asked.

    Vos wiped a small tear from the corner of his eye, then composed himself. “We go into hiding. The Temple isn’t safe anymore. We need to find somewhere to lay low for a while and resupply. I may still have a few connections in the Criminal Underworld on Level 1313 willing to help us out.”

Famed bounty hunter, Boba Fett sat in a booth of one of the finer bounty hunter cantinas in Coruscant’s underworld district of Level 1313 (which really was not saying much) as he browsed through the bar’s DataCore looking for his syndicate’s next bounty. Fett’s shaved head (which was usually covered by the Mandalorian helmet on the table in front of him) disguised the teenage bounty hunter’s age well. Seated across from Boba, was a Theelin female with strawberry-blond hair styled in pigtails, named Latts Razzi. A Kyuzo male wearing a large metallic hat, named Embo, sat in an adjacent booth, while his anooba, Marrok, slept quietly at its owner’s feet. On the other side of the bar stood a green-skinned Trandoshan dressed in a yellow flight suit, known as Bossk and a combat droid, known as Highsinger stood beside him.
    Fett’s small holopad suddenly blinked, indicating that there was an incoming transmission for him. Reluctantly, the young bounty hunter pressed his holopad and answered.
    A small Hologram of Chancellor Palpatine appeared on the holopad; his scarred face shrouded in shadow by the hood of the Chancellor’s long robes. The entire cantina grew silent; its patrons were suddenly made aware that Fett was talking to the Chancellor himself.
    “Boba Fett…” said the Chancellor.
    The young bounty hunter remained calm, unintimidated by the Chancellor. “Chancellor…” He said, coolly. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
    “I have need of your services.” The shadowy figure said dryly. “You will be paid generously… should you accept my proposition.”
    “You have my attention...” Said Boba, raising an eyebrow.
    “It has come to my attention that a squad of Clone Commandos has committed high treason by disobeying my direct orders and deserting the war effort with their Jedi commander, Quinlan Vos.” The Chancellor continued. “I’m told you have been acquainted with the Jedi?”
    “Briefly,” Boba said. “But it was not an association I’d make again”
    “It matters not…” replied the Chancellor. “My sources believe the clones have come to Coruscant and are using the Jedi’s connections in the Criminal Underworld located in the lower levels of the planet to hide. Your methods are of no interest to me, but I want the clone deserters eliminated."
    “What about the Jedi?”
    “The Jedi will be dealt with…” A crooked smile appeared on the Chancellor’s scarred lips. “… In time. But he is of no concern to me at the moment. Your targets are the clone deserters of Delta Squad. Eliminate them at all costs.”
    “As you wish.” Said Boba, as the hologram of the Chancellor winked out.
    Fett withdrew his Hunter Image Caster from a pouch on his belt and downloaded all the files available on Delta Squad onto a Bounty Puck. The young bounty hunter stood, placing his Mandalorian helmet over his head, and looked at his team.

    “You heard him. We’ve got a job to do.”

     ***
    The small Attack Shuttle began its descent to the lower levels of Coruscant. Soon the sky was a distant memory. After what seemed like an eternity, the shuttle finally docked on a landing pad of level 1313. As the crew walked down the down the ship's loading ramp, Vos turned to the Clone commandos.
    “Watch your step. Crime is an everyday occurrence down here.” said Vos. “My contact will be waiting for us in the market.”
    The group moved further into the dark crime-ridden and poverty-stricken underworld dimly lit by artificial lights; the clones were amazed by how many homeless refugees littered the streets.
    “There’s so many…” said Scorch, passing a group of beggars.
    Vos nodded. “Many of these refugees will go their whole lives without seeing the sky, let alone the surface level.”
    Vos and the clones of Delta Squad rounded an alleyway and made their way into the market district. The market place was busy with criminals and mercenaries all trying to buy gear and weapons from many of its Black-Market vendors.
    Vos scanned the crowd for his contact. “My contact should be here any—”
    “My Friend…I say, My Friend…” called a Weequay, as he made his way through the busy crowd toward the group.
    The Weequay wore a long red duster that billowed about him with each step. On his head he wore a helmet and large goggles. Unlike many of his race, the Weequay carried himself like an aristocrat, his head held high; a trait that no one around him seemed to pay any attention to.
    Vos turned to the Weequay approaching them. “Hondo Ohnaka.”
    “Quinlan Vos. You are a sight for sore eyes.” Hondo said in a smooth voice.  The Weequay gestured to the crowded market. “I have not seen this many liars and cheaters since I fired my traitorous crew…” – He sighed, taking a moment to reminisce – “Ah…Good times.”

"Hondo is your contact?" Fixer asked in disbelief and alarm. "You can't be serious, Sir! You're putting our lives in the hands of a greedy, second-rate Pirate? If I had a credit for every story I heard about this pirate..."

Hondo clenched his chest and acted hurt by the clone's comment. "You wound me... I will have you know, I am a completely legitmate businessman!"

  Hondo turned back to Vos, noticing the Jedi’s robes.

“This is not a good time to be dressed as a Jedi, I think.” Hondo said, a hint of confusion in his voice. The Weequay quickly seized the opportunity to turn the conversation into a business proposition. “So… For a small fee…”
    Vos crossed his arms and raised an eye brow.
    “Ah! Kidding. Kidding.” The Weequay laughed nervously. “As it just so happens, you are catching me on a good day.  I will help you, free of charge!”
    “How generous of you.” Vos said, knowing full well that had not been the Weequay pirate’s original intention. He pointed at the Clone Commandos standing behind him. “This is Delta Squad.”
    Hondo took a step towards the Clone Commandos, admiring their Katarn-class Commando armor.
    “You know…Commando Armor is very profitable on the Black-Market. I could—”
    Hondo placed his hand on Sev’s shoulder armor. The Clone turned his head to the Weequay Pirate.
    “Do you value that hand?” said Sev, daringly.
    The Weequay Pirate slowly and cautiously removed his hand from the Clone Commando’s armor, then took a step closer to Vos.
    “On second thought, I think you should keep the armor.” He said, visibly uncomfortable with the way the clone was looking at him.
    A large crowd began to gather in front of a large holoscreen outside one of the local establishments. The live newsfeed of a scarred and hooded Chancellor Palpatine addressing the Senate appeared on the screen. The group turned their attention to the holoscreen.
    “The Jedi hoped to unleash their destructive power against the Republic by assassinating the head of government and usurping control of the clone army…”
    “Can you believe this garbage?” Vos said shaking his head, as he continued watching the screen.
    “The remaining Jedi will be Hunted down and defeated! Any collaborators will suffer the same fate…”
    Sev looked at his clone brothers. “I guess that means us.”
    “The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed, but I assure you my resolve has never been stronger…”
    Vos turned to the group. “We need to keep moving before someone spots us.”
    “It is now a good time to lose those Jedi clothes, I think…” said Hondo gravely.
    “I think you’re right.” Agreed Vos.
    “In order to ensure our security and continued stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire…”

    The group moved away as the crowd roared and cheered. They did not need to hear the rest of the speech. They’d heard enough.

    After ditching his Jedi robes and tunic, and changing into clothes better suited for someone trying to pass as a low-life bounty hunter, Quinlan Vos tucked his lightsaber into the inner pocket of the jacket that covered the “new” bounty hunter armor he now wore on his chest. He then placed a small blaster pistol in the holster hanging at his side.
    Vos turned to the clones and pirate, showing off his bounty hunter disguise.
    “What do you think?” He asked.
    Hondo clapped his hands together in delight. “Very nice! Very nice! What did I tell you? The Jedi certainly knows how to blend in.”
    The Clones looked at each other, then back to Vos. “This will all be for nothing if someone sees your face, Sir.” Said Fixer.
    “Hmmm…The clone has a point.” Said Hondo, putting a hand to his chin. Suddenly his eyes lit up. “Ah! Wait right here! I have just the thing!”
    After a few minutes, the Weequay Pirate returned; carrying a Dune Sea Drifter helmet in his hands.
    “Let it never be said that Hondo Ohnaka never went out of his way to help a Jedi.” Hondo said proudly, handing the helmet to Vos.
    “Not bad.” said the Jedi, smiling as he inspected the helmet.
    “You would not believe what I went through to get that.” Said Hondo. “I was on Mos Eisley and—”
    “Another time.” Interrupted Vos, turning to Delta Squad. “If we hurry, we can catch a transport off-world.”
    “’An excellent idea!” Agreed Hondo.
    Vos began walking away, until he realized the Commandos had not followed him. He turned back to them.
    “You’re not coming, are you?”
    “Negative, Sir.” said Boss. “You’ll have a better chance disappearing without us painting a target on your back.”
    Vos thought for a moment, then realized the clone was right.
    “Then this is where we part.” Vos held out his hand. To his surprise, the leader of Delta Squad shook the Jedi’s hand.
    “It’s been an honor, General. We owe you a lot.”
    Vos slid the Dune Sea Drifter helmet over his head, then walked away from the group. Good luck, Delta Squad. May the Force be with you…He thought to himself, as he vanished into the crowd.
    The Clones stood in silence for a moment…until Hondo broke the silence.
    “’Such a noble sacrifice…” said Hondo, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. In seconds, he was back to his old self. “Well! All this charity has been very unprofitable. Extremely bad for business. I bid you good day!”

    With that, the Pirate walked away from Delta Squad.

     ***
    A short time later, Hondo walked towards a nearby cantina for a drink, grumbling to himself. Before he reached the door, the pirate felt the barrel of a blaster press into his back.
    “Oh, what a day this has been…” He said to himself, raising his hands in the air. “I don’t have any more credits. You clones have bled me dry.”
    “Hello, Hondo…”
    To the Pirate’s surprise, the voice behind him belonged, not to a clone commando, but to the young bounty hunter, Boba Fett. Boba pressed his blaster into Hondo’s back a little bit harder.
    “Ah! Boba… It’s been a long time.” Said Hondo with a smile.
    The bounty hunter did not lower his blaster.
    “We received a tip that a Jedi was seen down here accompanied by four Clone deserters wearing commando armor. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
    “Me? Oh, I try not to associate myself with such traitorous individuals.” –Boba pressed the blaster even harder into the Pirate’s back – “Oh, those clones! Of course! Though...there was no Jedi with them the last time I saw them.”
    The young bounty hunter pulled his blaster back a little, still pressing the barrel against the pirate’s back.

    “I would be happy to provide information on the whereabouts of the clone commandos… for a small price, of course.” Said Hondo with a small smile.

***
    After a while, Delta Squad decided it was time to return to their shuttle and walked back towards the landing pad where the Attack shuttle was parked.
    When the Squad was five blocks from the landing pad, Boss noticed a Trandoshan bounty hunter following a few feet behind them. As he looked around, he noticed a Kyuzo bounty hunter wearing a large metallic hat accompanied by his pet anooba approaching from their right side and a C21-Highslinger droid approaching on their left.

    “Turn here.” Boss said over the squad’s private comm channel. “We’re being followed.”

     ***
    From his position on the rooftop of a small nearby building, Boba Fett watched the clones through the scope of his new EE-3 carbine rifle.
    “Just a little closer…” He whispered to himself as the four clone commandos got closer in range of his blaster.
    Suddenly, the clones turned into an alleyway.
    “They’ve spotted us!” Boba growled angerly. “After them!”
    The bounty hunters on the ground followed Delta Squad into one of the other marketplace districts. As the bounty hunters closed in behind the clones, Latts Razzi stood in front of the clones, blocking their path.
    “Leaving so soon?” She asked, mockingly.
    She was joined by Boba Fett a moment later, landing beside her with the help of his jetpack.
    The bounty hunters drew their weapons and pointed them at Delta Squad.
    “Don’t move, Clones.” Ordered Boba with a hint of disgust in his voice.
    The clones soon realized they were surrounded by the bounty hunters. They quickly stood back-to-back, covering each other from all sides.
    “How are we doing this, Sir?” Asked Fixer over the private comm channel in his helmet.
    Boss looked around and noticed a large group of unarmed civilians around their location.
    “I want minimum civilian casualties. Understood?”  Ordered Boss. The other clones nodded.
    Boss fired at the Mandalorian bounty hunter in front of him. The bounty hunter dodged quickly and was back on his feet in no time.
    The Blaster-fire caused a panic to break out among the civilians, who; as soon as the fighting started; scrambled to find cover.
    The clones open fired on the rest of the bounty hunters.
    Bossk and Embo quickly jumped behind a market stall and used it for cover as they returned fire.
    Highsinger began laying down heavy fire with his E-5C heavy blaster rifle.
    Scorch quickly flipped a nearby Black-Market dura-steel table onto its side; knocking a wide variety of heavy blasters and ammunition crates (one of which, contained four DC-17M ammo packs and a small bacta-patch) atop it onto the floor; as the clones used it for cover, while the team’s demolition expert quickly filled his pack with the ammo packs and the sealed bacta-parch that had spilled onto the floor.
    “Take out that droid, Delta-Seven!” Ordered Boss.
    Sev noticed a small speeder carrying several large old cruiser engines on the trailer behind it flying over the market. Wasting no time, the Commando fired at the trailer hitch, detaching the trailer and its heavy cargo from the speeder. +
    The trailer and its cargo came crashing down towards the market below; landing hard on one of the droid’s leg as it attempted to get away; the heavy trailer pinning the droid’s leg to the ground and knocked the droid’s heavy blaster rifle beyond the droid’s reach.
    “One down!” Announced Sev to the rest of Delta Squad.
    “Good work, Delta-Seven!” Shouted Boss. “Keep up the assault!”
    Embo tossed his wide-brimmed metallic hat at Boss; knocking the clone’s rifle out of his hands. Seizing this opportunity with a swift, fluid motion, Latts Razzi had the unarmed leader of Delta Squad wrapped in her grappling boa.
    Before the bounty hunter could react, the Clone Commando activated the retractable vibodagger in the knuckle plate of his armor which make just enough space for him to slide one arm free from the grip of the bounty hunter’s whip-like weapon, before it had wrapped around his arm completely. Using his free hand, Boss grabbed the taut end of Latts Razzi’s weapon and pulled with all his might.
    The slim bounty hunter, unable to compete with the strength of the clone, was suddenly pulled off her feet; accidently letting go of the boa as she fell forward and landed on her face.
    Using this small window to his advantage, Boss quickly unwrapped himself, and dove towards his blaster, retrieving it in mid-roll as he seamlessly recovered on his feet.
     “Time to move.” Boss said.
    The Commandos followed their squad leader through a long, tight alleyway as they made their escape.
    After noticing the fleeing targets, Boba activated his jetpack and attempted to follow the clones until a blast from Delta Squad’s sniper clipped one of the thrusters of the Mandalorian’s jetpack; the jetpack, unable to support the young bounty hunter’s weight with only one thruster, suddenly shorted out, causing the bounty hunter to plummet to the ground. Boba was back on his feet in seconds, and continued his pursuit on foot.
    In an attempt to free itself, Highsinger used his built-in wrist-blaster to shoot its pinned leg of its body as it crawled away from the fallen trailer. Getting to its…foot, the droid found that it was impossible to continue its pursuit on one leg.
    The Kyuzo bounty hunter barked an order in his native language to his pet anooba, Marrok, while he fired at the escaping clones with his bowcaster. Upon hearing the order, the anooba darted after the fleeing targets.
    The clones rounded another corner and made a mad-dash for their shuttle on the landing pad mere meters away.
    Just as the bounty hunters rounded the corner to continue their chase, they were met by a squad of Coruscant Underworld Police that had arrived on the scene to investigate the public disturbance.
    “Halt!” Ordered the Captain of the Underground Police.
    Ignoring the order, Bossk pointed his Relby-V10 mortar gun at the squad of Underworld Police and fired a warning shot at their feet.
    The officers responded by firing at the approaching bounty hunters.
    “Calling all units. Suspects are armed and dangerous. Requesting backup at our position.”
     “YOU IDIOT!” Boba yelled to Bossk, firing at the Underworld Police as the bounty hunters doubled back to find cover from the oncoming blaster-fire. “YOU JUST HAD TO SHOOT AT THE UNDERWORLD POLICE!”
    Boba looked up just in time to see Delta Squad’s Null-class Attack Shuttle take off and disappear as it headed back to the upper levels of Coruscant.
    “BACK TO THE SHIP!” He shouted. “WE DON’T HAVE TIME TO DEAL WITH THESE GUYS!”
    A police cruiser flew overhead, closing in on the bounty hunters’ location.
    “I’ve had enough of these guys.” Growled Bossk, aiming his mortar gun at the oncoming police cruiser and firing at it.
    “Taking heavy fire!”
    The blast hit the police cruiser’s rear engine, causing the speeder to lose altitude.
    “Mayday! Mayday! We’ve been hit! Losing altitude! We’re going dow—”
    The police cruiser crashed into the entry to the narrow alleyway, then exploded.

*BOOM!*

     The debris from the speeder plugged the alleyway and prevented the remaining Underworld Police reinforcements from following the bounty hunters.
    Boba turned to Bossk and without warning, punched the Trandoshan hard in the snout.
    “What was that?!” Shouted Boba. “That wasn’t part of the plan! Now we have to deal with those guys too!”
    Boba punched the Trandoshan again.
    “’Try that again and I’ll—” growled Bossk angerly, making a move to grab the young bounty hunter with his three-fingered, clawed hands, until he felt the barrel of Boba’s EE-3 carbine rifle press against his throat.
    “You’ll what? Kill me? I don’t think that’s going to work out for you.”
    Bossk realized that the other bounty hunters were now pointing their weapons at him too; even Highsinger who was leaning against Embo for support; was pointing its arm blaster at him. Understating he was completely outgunned, the Trandoshan reluctantly let go of Boba and stepped away. The other bounty hunters lowered their weapons.
     “That’s what I thought.” Said Boba. Then turned to the other bounty hunters.  “Back to the ship. I’ve got a call to make.”

    Embo whistled, recalling Marrok to him, as the bounty hunters hurried back to Slave I.

***
    Later on, Boba contacted the newly appointed Emperor on Slave I’s private frequency. The hooded image of the Emperor appeared before the young bounty hunter.
    “You’re Majesty.” He said nodding his head to the Emperor.
    “You may dispense with the pleasantries,” Said the raspy voice of the Emperor. “Did you locate the clone traitors?”
    “We did.” Boba said hesitantly. “We traced the ship to a landing pad on the lower levels. The Jedi had already fled before my team located the targets. My team had the clones right where we wanted them, but we lost the element of surprise and the targets got away.”
    “How unfortunate…” Said the Emperor dryly. “It appears this business transaction has proved unfruitful.”
    “We were able to put a tracker on the ship, before we engaged the targets.” Continued Fett. “My team will be able to track Delta Squad’s location anywhere in the galaxy. We won’t fail you again.”
    “I have underestimated you…” The Emperor smiled wickedly. “However, your services are no longer required.”
    “What?” Said Boba, confused. “My team is tracking Delta Squad as we speak. We can finish the job.”
    “That will not be necessary. You will be paid for your trouble. You will provide me with the current location of Delta Squad…And you will not interfere with this search any longer.”

    “As you wish.” Boba said, transmitting the coordinates to the Emperor.
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(TO BE CONTINUED.... In "STAR WARS: FRIENDLY-FIRE (PART III)...)

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If you enjoyed this story check out the next parts below:

Part 1: www.deviantart.com/darth-slaye…

Part 3: www.deviantart.com/darth-slaye…