Boba Fett: When the Fat Lady Swings

Boba Fett: When the Fat Lady Swings is the second issue in the Boba Fett series of one-shot comic books. It was written by John Wagner and illustrated by Cam Kennedy. It was released on September 18, 1996 by Dark Horse Comics.

Publisher's summary

Throughout the vast reaches of the galaxy—wherever fugitives meet or lawbreakers conspire—one name is always uttered in hushed tones, a name guaranteed to strike fear into the stoutest heart: Boba Fett. His prices are exorbitant, but if you're looking for revenge, or if you're looking for protection, he'll get the job done. And if you're looking to reclaim your kidnapped fiancé, the heiress to a Hutt's fortune, no price is too exorbitant.

Plot summary

Infamous bounty hunter Boba Fett pursues a pirate cruiser in Slave I. The pirates attempt to kill the hunter with proximity charges, but the ship's shields negate all damage from them, and in response, Fett disables the cruiser by destroying the ship's thrusters. Fett attaches his ship to the side of the cruiser and cut his way inside, blasting the shipmates aboard. Fett eventually reaches his target, the leader of the pirates, Toxus Li, who surrenders himself to the bounty hunter. Prepared to be taken away, Toxus is met with an unfortunate fate, the price is on his head, and that alone. Returning to his ship, Fett receives a communication from Gorga the Hutt, who is in urgent need of his services. He reports that on the planet Skeebo his bride Anachro had been kidnapped.

Before Gorga's call for help, during the wedding on Tatooine, Gorga the Hutt and his now father-in-law, Orko, are discussing how appreciative the newly-wed is for the other paying for the feast and how the other is glad to have the other as his son-in-law. Secretly, both Hutts have grudges against the other, wishing to dispose of them for their own gain. Joining the two, Anachro is pleased to see the two conversing as one big family. After the party on Tatooine, the newly-weds travel to the planet Skeebo, the first location on their post-nuptial tour. While learning about the history of the Skeebos of Skeeb, a group of Skavers begin attacking the group, scaring away the people transporting the Hutts. The Skavers attach rope to Anachro and begin transporting her away from Gorga. Having arrived on Skeebo, Fett is informed by the event, as well as holding Anachro ransom for one million credits. Fett meets Captain Voor of the Skeebo City Constabulary, who disagrees with the inclusion of a Bounty Hunter. Fett questions just how good the Constabulary really is at solving kidnappings, but the Captain is more focused on preventing more from happening and stopping the Skavers, he shortly leaves after, leaving Fett and Gorga alone. Gorga the Hutt finds the Captain to be incompetent, and reluctantly pays Fett's one hundred thousand fee. Fett's suggestion to locate Anachro is to pay the ransom and lure out the Skavers.

Meanwhile, in the Fferon system, on the planet Rutal IV, the Lizling Boz returns to Ry-Kooda informing him that he heard some pirates talking at a cantina, and his brother, Bar-Kooda, has been killed. Angered by this, Ry-Kooda and Boz return to the cantina, raging for information about his brother, they interrogate his old crew. The crew tells them that Boba Fett killed him for Gorga the Hutt and had him served up for Anachro and Orko. Out of anger, Ry-Kooda destroys the cantina and recruits the pirates of Bar-Kooda's gang.

Back on Skeebo, the Skavers have opened communications with Gorga, allowing him to talk with his partner, who is complaining about the lack of food she has been receiving. One of the Skavers lays out the terms of returning Anachro, having one man deliver the ransom unarmed, but any tricks, and they would hang Anachro. Fett plants a tracer into the ransom bundle, as well as a strange smell for the Skavers to take. Once Fett leaves the room, Gorga speaks with his Majordomo Ding, discussing how he is worried that if Anachro dies before her father, he will inherit nothing. Gorga also asks Ding about Hirsoot, Orko's personal servant, who tells him that he has his orders and understands the urgency of the situation. Meanwhile, on Orko's starship above Skeebo, he demands a drink from his servant, which Hirsoot secretly poisons, Orko also demands to be put in contact with his son-in-law to give him a piece of his mind. Angry at Gorga, the Hutt hits the glass in Hirsoot's hand, shattering it and preventing Orko from being poisoned.

Back on Skeebo, the unarmed man with the ransom money is spotted by Skavers and the ransom is taken from him. The tracer begins to work, and Boba Fett follows behind on a speeder. Fett explodes one of the Skavers speeders, alerting the rest of the riders to his presence. One of the riders tells the one with the ransom money to get away quick while he deals with the hunter, but to his surprise, Fett has disappeared and blasts him from a vantage point. Returning to his speeder, he notices that the tracer has stopped moving. Fett eventually arrives at where the tracer is, discovering the bag discarded. The Skaver with the credits arrives at a building, passing a cut of the credits to Captain Voor. However, using a sensor to detect the smell he had put on the credits, Fett bursts into the room, blasting the last Skaver he discovers that Voor has been in on it the whole time.

On Orko's ship, Orko is waiting from Hirsoot to give him a massage. Once again, the servant is attempting to kill his master with a blade, but the ship is suddenly shot by a mysterious vessel. Losing his balance, Hirsoot loses his blade, and his assassination attempt has failed again. Orko is certain that the attacking ship is Gorga, wanting him dead, however, the attacking ship is owned by Ry-Kooda. On the surface of Skeebo, Captain Voor is leading Fett to old mining tunnels that lead to the Skavers base, which they call Skeendu. While travelling there, they witness Ry-Kooda firing on Orko's ship once again. From a canyon, a missile is fired, hitting Ry-Kooda and crashing into the ground. Captain Voor gets the attention of the Skavers which Fett easily dispatches, while doing so, Ry-Kooda and his gang break out of the crashed ship, noticing the bounty hunter speeding away.

Boba Fett eventually reaches Skeendu, and silently infiltrates the base, stealthfully taking down any Skavers standing in his way. Fett uses the rope they planned to kill Anachro with to help lift her out of the compound, but he struggles to lift her into the air. Eventually reaching his speeder, he begins to escape with the Hutt, but the Skavers notice the ongoing escape and shoot one of the support ropes, nearly strangling Anachro to death. Fett leads the Hutt down into an old mine cart, which he uses to escape Skeendu. Ry-Kooda and his pirates arrive at a mine entrance, attacking the Skavers protecting it. The mine cart that Fett commandeered also comes out of this mine entrance, ramming into Ry-Kooda. Boba Fett stands before the Herglic and the two begin to fight. Using a concussion grenade, Fett weakens the cave ceiling above Ry-Kooda, crushing the adversary. Orko and Gorga finally meet on Skeebo, Orko claims that the attack on him was Gorga's doing, and requests his servant, Hirsoot, to kill him. However, severely exhausted from injuries and the failed assassination attempts, he faints. Fett returns Anachro to her father and husband, soothing the claims of the two wanting the other dead. Boba returns the ransom money, taking his cut from it, and offering his services again, if Gorga needs them.

Media

Cover gallery

Collected in

• Star Wars: Boba Fett: Death, Lies, & Treachery
• Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection Volume 9: Boba Fett: Death, Lies, and Treachery
• Star Wars Omnibus: Boba Fett
• Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The New Republic Vol. 7
• Star Wars Legends: The New Republic Omnibus Vol. 2

Appearances

Notes and references

External links

• Star Wars: Boba Fett (1997) #2 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)