Book of Boba Fett - Getting to Know the Man Behind the Mask Chapter 2
THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS
Chapter 2: The Tribes of Tatooine
“Sometimes fate steps in to rescue the wretched,” states Fett. After the skirmish in the streets of Mos Espa in Chapter 1, we are left with a lot of questions. One stands out the most: Who wants Boba Fett dead? With a prisoner in tow, Fennec Shand makes her long trek back to Boba’s palace. Fett & Fennec attempt to interrogate the assassin, but the prisoner remains silent, only speaking to hurl a curse at the Daimyo. “We spared your life after you tried to take mine, and you curse me?” Fett’s frustration is growing with the ongoing insolence around him.
We learn from 8D8, the droid that has been frequenting Boba’s court during meetings, that the assassin is of the order of the Night Wind. Fett seems intrigued. He’s used to being the hunter, not the hunted. Fennec is completely unimpressed, “Overpriced. You’re paying for the name. They’re just people in hoods.” It makes me wonder what Fennec thought of Boba prior to their meeting. Were clients just paying for his name as well?
Fennec’s disdain for this assassin is apparent. “Perhaps he fears the rancor,” she states as she triggers the trapdoor and the assassin plunges into the pit. Fennec’s ability to read people is spot on yet again, and the assassin confesses as to who hired him: the Mayor of Mos Espa, Mok Shaiz. As the door rises, it reveals a lone rat in the pit. Technically now two rats and no rancor.
Where Is Your Pomp and Circumstance?
It’s time to visit the mayor. The small parade back into Mos Espa includes Boba, Fennec, the assassin, and the two Gomorean guards. The group is met with more insufferable disrespect when they arrive to meet the mayor. “Do you have an appointment?” “I didn’t see your litter arrive.” Fett storms into the mayor’s chambers. Mok Shaiz, voiced by Robert Rodriguez, acts like he doesn’t know who the new Daimyo is. “You know damn well who I am. If you don’t know who I am, then why did you send this man to kill me?” Fett growls at Mok Shaiz. Shaiz orders the assassin killed. These assassins are not allowed to operate outside of Hutt space, and he thanks Fett for turning him in, giving him a reward.
“I am not a bounty hunter.” Fett is clearly trying to make a new name for himself, elevating himself from his previous position. “I’ve heard otherwise,” Mok Shaiz is content with treating Fett as he would a hired gun.
The mayor offers a warning of the complications of running a family and gives the new Daimyo a lead to visit Garsa’s Sanctuary again. Begrudgingly following the mayor’s information, the ensemble goes to pay her a visit. Garsa then informs them that the Twins laid claim to the territory. The Twins are Jabba’s cousins. The sound of steady beating drums is heard approaching. It seems like the Hutt’s litter has arrived with the usual customs the people are used to seeing from the Daimyo.
Black Krrsantan makes his first appearance as an intimidating figure hired by the Twins. Boba is familiar with Krrsantan and references his past of being trained as a gladiator.
You can cut the tension of the stand-off in the street with a knife. Fett makes it clear that this territory is his, and he has earned it by killing Bib Fortuna, who for a short time took Jabba’s throne after the Hutt’s death. “If you want it, you will have to kill me for it.” The Hutts decide against starting a war. “Bloodshed is bad for business. We can deal with this later.” They decide to handle the dispute at a later time. Fennec alludes to the fact Fett would have to get permission to kill the Hutts. The Hutt clan is one of the biggest, well-connected crime syndicates in the galaxy. Putting a hit out on one of them means taking a stand against all of them.
Back to Bacta
Once again, we are getting a glimpse of Fett’s time in the desert before taking the title Daimyo. The Tusken’s are now treating him more of an equal than a prisoner. They are training him in their form of combat, teaching him to use the Gaderffii or Gaffi stick. The clan seems invested in his advancement, even if he struggles to master the fighting form at first. Both parties in training seem frustrated with each other, yet that doesn’t stop the training session.
The training session is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of a train. Sharpshooters from the train take potshots at the Tuskens as it passes through their territory. The Tuskens take heavy losses from the surprise encounter. The Tuskens mourn their family and tend to the wounded that night. Fett happens to catch a glance of the bandits, the Niktos, on speeders pass not far from where the clan is encamped.
Fett is tired of the useless slaughter and approaches the clan leader, saying he could stop the train. The Tuskens let him go, and he sets out on his own. He tracks the bandits to Tosche Station.
Right before Fett arrives, we get a glimpse of local life. A quiet cantina is turned rowdy with the presence of the bandits. Laze and Camie, a young couple, are trying to mind their own business. A deleted scene from A New Hope featured Camie at Tosche station. This couple knew Luke and Biggs Darklighter. They never chased dreams off-planet but instead settled for the simple life. This couple gives off the feeling they knew the settlers the Niktos bandits killed. The thugs start taking their food and drink, imposing their presence on the couple. “It’s not right!” exclaims Laze. A scuffle breaks out, and it’s clear the Niktos will win this fight just by sheer numbers.
Fett Walks Into A Bar
A fight breaks out. Fett downs the Niktos, leaving the bartender and human couple untouched. His mission here was a simple one: retrieve the speeder bikes. He ties them together, bringing his own makeshift train back to the Tuskens.
On his return, it’s clear he already has a plan in mind. The gears are turning in his head, and his goal is to solve this ongoing problem. As he approaches the chief, the other Tuskens start to disable the speeder bikes. The Tuskens have long stuck to their primitive ways in the desert for survival, so Fett will need to overcome their predisposed dislike for these advanced mechanical rides. He has to reason with them to stop their dismantling, saying, “No. These are mine. This is how we stop the train.”
With his newfound trust won with the Tuskens, he sets to work at teaching them his ways. Their ongoing communication is backed with sign language to ensure the communication is clear. They have eased into a comfortable friendship with each other, and they have a mutual understanding they are now allies.
“It’s Like Riding a Bantha”
Fett has his work cut out for himself in teaching the Tuskens how to ride the speeder bikes. He starts out with the basics, which results in one of the most gif-able situations in the series. I enjoyed watching the Tuskens learn to pilot and get their bearings jumping from one speeder to another. Practice makes perfect as they try and try again to perfect their new skills.
While Fett is teaching the Tuskens, he does not stop training with them in the use of the Gaderffii, or gaffi, stick. Trust and respect start to run deep as his instructor starts showing a more sportsmanlike attitude toward Boba.
A Clan of Tuskens on Speeder Bikes Pull a Train Heist
Fett leads the attack. It’s obvious he trained them well. They seem comfortable in the task at hand, and they know what they must do to eliminate this threat. Fett teamed with the Tuskens make a good team with different backgrounds in fighting skills. The clan chief makes a dramatic appearance to help turn the waning tide in the Tusken’s favor by slamming a speeder straight into the train and barely clearing the jump to aid in the fight. Fett reaches the control and brings the train to a stop.
With the train halted, Fett addresses their captives, a group of Pykes. Pykes are best known for their distribution of the illicit substance of spice (basically space crack.) Spice is harvested by slaves in mines on the planet Kessel. Fett wants to know if they are carrying spice on this train. The leader plays dumb at first, but the Tuskens immediately uncover a very large stash. Fett sets up some new rules for the Pykes, letting them know, “These sands are no longer free for you to pass. These people (the Tuskens) lay ancestral claim to the dune sea.” Letting them go free with their lives, pointing them in the right direction, Fett lets them know their passage is under the watch of the Tuskens, and going free is a sign of their civility.
“I Thought He Was A Part of the Dream”
It’s clear the Tuskens have accepted Fett as one of their own. The matter of officially making him a part of the clan is at hand. They give him a gift, a small lizard, saying, “Now this will guide you.” As soon as the lizard is revealed, it jumps at Fett’s face and climbs into his nose, disappearing. He seems apologetic for losing the lizard immediately and somehow handles the situation with a diplomatic grace that understates the fact that a lizard just disappeared into his sinuses. Doesn’t that tickle or hurt? This shows Fett’s calm and collected disposition that can stand the test of whatever unexpected or bizarre trial he may face. The chief explains that the lizard will guide Fett from inside his head.
Fett goes on a vision quest, being overtaken with hallucinations of the Dune Sea transforming into a literal rolling great sea of water, reminiscent of his homeworld Kamino. There is a massive gnarled tree atop one of the crests. As Boba gets closer to the tree, it begins to entangle him, which brings back memories of being smothered and trapped within the Sarlacc pit. He sees a vision of himself as a boy watching his father leave Kamino in the Firespray on Kamino. He breaks free from the tree and is rewarded with a dry branch.
He makes his way back to the camp, where he is welcomed by the chief, who calls back the lizard, which crawls back out of Fett’s nose. “I thought he was a part of the dream.”
The clan starts Boba’s final rite of passage. They clothe him as one of their own in their ceremonial garb. The child he saved excitedly leads him to the crafting station, where they teach Fett how to craft his very own Gaderffii stick. Boba is attentive to detail and has an eager willingness to learn their technique so he can incorporate it into his own life and adopt his newfound skills. Fett was orphaned at ten, and the Tuskens welcomed him into their family, accepting him as one of their own. They end the ceremonial day at night around a fire where they start the movements of war which turn into a tribal dance in which they all partake. He is now one of them.
Conclusion
Fett presently has much work to do as the new Daimyo. He is determined to do things his way and enact new standards overriding long-entrenched traditions and ideas of what his position means for those he presides over. His overall goal is to bring stability to this area’s ongoing bickering factions. He’s a shrewd businessman and knows there is more profit to be made when there is clear, concise communication between the powers that be. He wants to avoid an all-out war and offers compromises without wavering in his stance and vision.
His time with the Tuskens has proven to be a true rebirth. His vision quest where his past met his present helped us see as an audience the transition from his old life to his new one. He returns, determined to embrace the change.
Perhaps the time in the Sarlacc made him reevaluate his own priorities? He’s earned the reputation of the best bounty hunter in the galaxy, yet he seems ready to take the next step into something much larger than just business for himself. He will have to prove himself all over again in this new role. Will he be able to succeed as Daimyo?
What did you think of Chapter 2? Let me know your favorite parts in the comments!