Fixing the Book of Boba Fett – Part 1

Hello There!

(Since there is currently not a Blog area available, I’ll post this here.)

There are a lot of problems surrounding the Book of Boba Fett, some related to canon, others related to the way the story is being told. So far, the series has been taking place on Tatooine, but the reason for Fett’s choice to stay on the planet is odd, and doesn’t make sense with his background in the Star Wars films. If you didn’t read my previous post on “Fixing the Mandalorian,” I think that both the Mandalorian and Boba Fett’s role in the story needs to follow a different plot-line. In this alternative story universe, Boba is the one who once trained Mando, and is the one who trained the first Foundlings in a generation. Boba has been trying to fulfill a promise he made to his father Jango, which is to reestablish the culture of Mandalor.
This idea came from something I heard years ago that blew my mind on the concept of the Mandalorians. It all goes back to Star Wars Episode II. The theory goes that Jango was the last of the Mandalorians, he felt cheated and lost, turning to bounty hunting for a living. Having seen the last of his order die to war, he is all that remains. Having never completed his training, he has mixed messages he starts to teach Boba Fett. “Remember Boba, you are not a clone like the others, you are my son, my own flesh and blood. In you, our Order lives on. In you, Mandalor will rise again.”

Now, I wanted to explore what it would be like to “Fix” the Book of Boba Fett. Below is how I would have started the first Season of the series instead of how Disney did it.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this concept!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The Tatooine market bustled as businesses found an economic post-galactic war boom in trading with the New Republic. With the fall of the Empire and the death of Jabba the Hutt, places like Tatooine are seeing growth in business, but also in their crime. With no law of the land, Tatooine is fracturing into city-states and street mafias.
A New Republic representative walks past, returning to his ship. “This place is hopeless!”
A Tatooine citizen shouts after him: “That’s right! Run back home and keep your Republic Poodoo out of this system!” Others laugh as the Republic Representative hurries off. Despite their profitable trade with the Republic, no one has any interest in shackling themselves with the new government.
Off to the corner of the street was an alleyway, one that led to an old tax station once used by Jabba the Hutt. The way was sanded over from years of unuse, but there was now a trail of footsteps that showed a resume in activity. The doors of the building had been reopened, and inside a new tax was being levied against the residents.
One of the merchants walk down the way, remembering the fear he once had when he used to meet with Jabba’s tax collectors. The merchant looked for a way to escape, but the path was between two buildings with no doors or windows. At the end of the path was a doorway that had been left open with green and black drapes that covered the upper portion of the frame. The merchant pushed the cloth aside and entered the dark room that was partially lit up by a ceiling window that illuminated the chair before him. A figure came into focus as the merchant’s eyes adjusted to the darkness.
“I found him.” The soldier proclaimed. “He proved to be harder to locate than I thought.”
The man in the chair leaned forward to reveal the green armor of Boba Fett. It was weathered from sand, despite being recently repaired and repainted. His human form was smaller than the creature that once used the chair, but the shadows made him seem far more intimidating to the Merchant. He was not the same man they had heard of years ago, he was changed, and not entirely for the better. The Sarlacc Pit he had escaped from had left it’s mark on his armor, body, and soul. He was wiser, but at the same time, more dangerous.
Nervously, the merchant rushed to explain. “I’m terribly sorry Lord Fett! I didn’t mean to ignore your summons, rumor is that you were dead, so I assumed your summons was a ruse by someone pretending to be you!”
“Someone WAS pretending to be me. But that’s not the case anymore. If you intend to do business in Mos Espa, you are required to pay a share in the defense of this planet.”
“Defense? Of course, anything to aid the defense of Hutt Space.”
Boba tilted his head slightly. “Hutt Space?”
The Merchant’s voice quivered as he started to realize his error. “You’re the Hutt’s regional governor… right?”
“I would double-check where you’re getting your rumors from. This planet is now outside of Hutt Space, and Mos Espa is under new management. As for rumors, I hear our open trade with Corellia and Hosnian Prime has made this planet flush with cash, and you’ve been making seasonal runs to trade with other planets for black market sales. Sales that have made this planet profitable for the first time in living memory. I believe Tatooine has men like you to thank for this business.”
The Merchant started to feel a bit more at ease from the Bounty Hunter’s praise. “I admit, it’s been much easier to get around… with maybe some secret trips to Sriluur.” He winked.
Boba’s droid addressed Fett. “We currently have no records of this man’s business, but it’s estimated he makes a profit between 100-200 Peggats a week.”
Boba looked back at the Merchant. “That’s a fair sum for an average trader. I’m not one to dig into private matters. You owe 100 Peggats for off-planet trading, and another 300 for your trips to Sriluur.” He leaned forward and his voice dipped. “Pay and be off or I’ll pass on your name to the Hutts that you’re traveling through their territory without paying your tolls to Hutta.”
The droid states: “Current black market prices on Sriluur are said to return a profit of 589% for minerals. Hutt Space import tariffs for such cargoes are between 3-5 thousand Peggats.”
In panic, the Merchant pulled a bag of coins and bars and tossed it onto the floor. “Take it! It’s all I have on me! Just don’t tell the Hutts!”
The droid scanned the amount: “553 Peggats. Amount acceptable.”
Trembling, the Merchant looked back at Boba Fett. The Bounty Hunter growled. “Next time you are told to pay, you should be swift to do so if you want to live. You shouldn’t be afraid of the Hutts, you should be afraid of me. Be off now.”
The Merchant rushed to the door as he fled from the dark room.

The soldier took off their helmet and sighed. “I dare say you just broke the spirit of another one of your subjects. You made your point, but at what cost I wonder.”
“I’m not a king. I’m doing this for my own purposes.”
“To pay off the Hutts. Yes, I’ve heard it before. But don’t you think it would be best to change your tactic with the locals? I served Jabba for years, and while he was cruel, he made sure that the average citizen didn’t see it. The rumors were enough to keep people scared to betray him, even though they had little to fear from him.”
Boba stood from his seat and walked to the scattered coins on the floor as a droid approached to collect the Peggats. “That merchant doesn’t know the situation, and I intend to keep it that way.”
“And if they do?”
Boba didn’t answer, instead he picked up one of the coins and looked at his reflection in the metal, then the Hutt symbol on the coin. “I’ve never liked the Hutts, but having them put a bounty on my head despite my services to Jabba was too far.”
“Yes, they don’t know how Jabba died, and the blaster fire on Jabba’s ship and your absence made them believe you were responsible. Honestly, it’s like they don’t even know who was also there.”
“They know, but they can’t let that information spread. They needed an enemy they could easily defeat to save face, but one strong enough to make it look like a challenge.”
“So they chose you, a man who’s still struggling to regain health; much easier than a Jedi who rumors say killed both the Emperor and Darth Vader. The Hutts know better than to put a bounty on a Jedi.” The soldier watched Fett toss the Peggat he held to the droid and returned to his chair. “Why are you choosing to stay here on Tatooine?”
Boba took off his mask and only the back of his head is visible to the audience, the soldier’s eyes widened in shock. “How many men do you know who’ve survived the torment of a Sarlacc Pit?”
“I didn’t know, forgive me.”
Boba put his helmet back on. “Turns out Tatooine has only a few mineral springs on this planet, one of them is under Jabba’s palace. No where else has such water. The minerals and microbes found in the water are a natural healing agent, but they can’t survive in sunlight and as far as I know, there are no other such springs off world. So until the toxin from the Sarlacc is gone from my body, I’m confined to this planet. When I’m healed, then I will run.”
The soldier is still shaken by the image he had seen. “Where do you intent to go after you’re healed?”
“I have an old promise to keep, one that I’ve put off for far too long. While in the pit, I realized I almost failed on that promise. I cannot let any more time pass.”
Their conversation was interrupted by another voice. “Good luck, bounty hunter!” A creature entered the dark room and approach Boba. “You’re going to need it, the Hutts don’t intend to lose this system so easily.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m the last emissary you will receive from Hutta. If you think you can pay off the Hutts, think again. That bounty was for your head, not for your life. Give in, or the Hutts will call upon their fleet to invade this planet.”
“I didn’t realize I was important enough for an invasion force.”
“You are. Jabba was the greatest of the Hutts, his wealth was unmatched. Should the Hutts let the greatest of their kind fall in such disgrace, they too will be attacked, and their rule over Hutt Space will end. And anyone who has power will do anything to avoid losing it. You know that better than most, don’t you Mandalorian?”
“Return to your masters, tell them if they want a war with me, I will send them back to that planet of worms they came from.”
The creature smiled cruelly. “A generation ago, the galaxy almost fell to the financial might of the Trade Federation. You’re just one man, I hope you’ll put on a good show for the Hutts.” The ambassador turned and left, ripping the green and black banner down as he stepped into the sunlight again.
Cautiously, the soldier spoke to Boba. “You just threatened the whole of Hutt Space, you think that was wise?”
Boba pulled a token from his armor, one that was old, yet cared for. There was a Mandalorian crest that was in its center, and Mandalorian Chain Script surrounding it. He turned it over and looks at it. The script is only one he can read: Fett Family. He returned the token to his armor. “I pity the Hutts. They’re about to learn the Jedi and the Sith are not the only threat they have in this Galaxy.”
END SCENE