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Boba stared back at her just as coldly. "Those are mine."

At his side the small boy began to whimper. Boba looked down at him. "Be quiet," he whispered.

Boba looked at the blade in his own hand, and then at the girl. He saw a flicker of unease cross her thin face.

Unease? Or could it be fear?

Fear is your friend, if it is your enemy's fear, his father used to say.

But the girl did not seem afraid of Boba. She continued to stare at him defiantly. He saw her gaze dart to the boy he held captive.

She's not afraid of me, Boba thought. She's afraid for him.

"Give my things back to me and I'll let him go," Boba said. "See?"

He held up the blade, then slid it into his belt. "All I want is what's mine."

An edge of desperation crept into his voice. Not because he was afraid - though he was, of course. Only a fool is never afraid.

I can't lose those. He felt the pit of his stomach grow cold, as though someone held a knife there. That's all I have of him.

"Yours?" The girl gave a bitter laugh. "I don't believe it. But - "

She stepped toward him. Behind her, Boba could glimpse the other children standing watchfully. "You must be very clever, or very lucky, to have gotten your hands on a Mandalorian battle helmet," she went on. "We are always looking for clever recruits. And lucky ones."

Boba shook his head. "I'm not interested. I work alone."

A hard smile crept slowly across the girl's thin face. "Then you won't last very long on Tatooine," she said. "And you'll need all the luck you can get."

Slowly she raised her arm, her hand curled into a fist. The other children did the same. Boba stared at them. Like poisonous flowers blooming, the children's fists unclenched. They held them up, palm out, so that Boba could see.

In the center of every palm was a single eye. And every one of them was fixed on Boba Fett.

CHAPTER SIX

"What - what are those?" Boba stammered. "The Master's eyes," the girl called Ygabba replied calmly.

"The Master?"

Without another word the girl turned and walked into the darkness.

Boba stared after her, confused and unnerved. At his side the small boy gave a pitiful wail. Boba looked down, ashamed - he'd almost forgotten him.

"Ygabba!" the boy cried. The girl kept going without a backward glance. "Ygabba, please, wait!"

Boba felt guilty. He steeled himself at the thought of those lidless eyes. His hold on the boy's wrist loosened, just a fraction.

But that was enough. With a shrill laugh the boy yanked his hand free. He slipped from Boba's grasp and ran gleefully after the others.

Boba groaned and followed.

It took only minutes for him to catch up. The dim room narrowed to a single tunneling passage. Its walls were made of some flimsy transparent material. Sand had seeped through gashes in the sides. He could see the others a short distance ahead of him. They were walking with no real urgency. He could hear laughter, and snatches of conversation.

"... will the Master be happy now?"

"I don't care, as long as he feeds us!"

"Shhh, all of you!"

Ahead of him Boba saw the tunnel widen into a circular opening. It glowed a dull orange. As the others ran through, they looked like black shadow puppets against a fire. Last of all came Boba. He peered around in search of the girl thief.

"Welcome, stranger," her voice greeted him.

He looked up. There she was, perched on a high metal shelf. She lifted her hand and he could see the extra eye watching him. Her bare legs swung back and forth. His helmet was in her lap.

"Don't worry," she said. "They can't hurt you. The eyes, I mean."

Boba turned, looking around in amazement.

He was inside the cabin of a starship. Not just any starship, either, but a Theed Cruiser - he recognized it from blueprints he'd studied in his father's quarters back on Kamino.

"How - how did this get here?" he asked.

"Same way a Mandalorian helmet got into your hands,"