10 Kamino: The Force Connection.

"Take off!" the young boy commanded, starting the ship's engines.

The sound of the Slave I's turbines filled the air as it lifted off the ground and departed from the landing platform. Kamino was known for its heavy gray clouds and electric discharges. When they had landed on the planet, they had easily passed through the clouds, so Gabriel wasn't too worried about the ship. His primary concern was the possibility of being pursued.

"How did she find us?" the self-proclaimed Sith Lord asked, addressing the empty space.

"My acquaintance betrayed me," the boy replied without taking his hands off the controls.

Gabriel pondered this. Jedi likely wouldn't have been able to discern that he and Shaak Ti were aboard Boba Fett's ship. It seemed the starship had come for Boba himself, not them. Of course, he could play his cards differently, but Boba still represented a valuable asset for the future, one that Gabriel would undoubtedly exploit.

"But don't worry," the boy continued, navigating the ship through the clouds. "The discharges in the clouds create interference in communication, so they won't be able to track us anymore."

These words were reassuring to Hassan. It was unlikely that the Jedi would be able to pursue them after the injuries they had inflicted on her. Gabriel was holding back, but he had managed to break several of her bones with a single throw into her ship. At least, that's what the Sith believed, given the significant dent left in her vessel.

The ship soared into the cold, boundless cosmos, captivating Hassan with its mystery. He had never been in space before, so each time he watched the dark expanse through the window, his heart skipped a beat. This was in stark contrast to his temporary companions, who were accustomed to such sights.

Boba left the cockpit and headed to the rear of the ship, carrying a peculiar book in his hands. This book held further instructions for the child from his deceased father, and it wasn't surprising that he wanted to read it in solitude.

The two adults watched Boba with their eyes as he walked away. Shaak Ti gazed at him with sympathy, while Gabriel's emotions were concealed behind his mask, which reflected the surroundings, slightly distorting them. Once the boy had disappeared into the adjacent compartment, Hassan followed him, tiptoeing. He had no intention of missing the opportunity to find out what Jango had in store for them.

"Hassan!" the captive called out to him, albeit in a hushed tone. "Let the child be alone!"

"His father was a mercenary," Gabriel replied in the same tone. "He might have advised him on all sorts of dangerous things that we should know about. Don't you agree?"

The Togruta shot him a heavy glance for a couple of seconds, then let out a deep sigh and leaned back in her seat. The imitator's words contained grains of truth. The boy was still young, so he might misunderstand something in his father's message or misinterpret it as a call to action. Boba loved his father, and she hoped that Jango loved his son too.

The woman glanced at the passage to the other compartment once more and saw part of Gabriel's cloak. He was still keeping an eye on her. However, Shaak Ti had no intention of escaping. She had a great opportunity to gather more information about the unknown Jedi fugitive. While she was almost certain that Hassan was not a Sith—she could not sense any dark emanations from him—she couldn't quite classify him as a Jedi either. He claimed to have achieved everything on his own, through his own effort and training. From her perspective, achieving such a high level of mastery in the Force and combat without a teacher was impossible. The Jedi Master wasn't in a hurry, but sooner or later, she would unearth the truth, as that was the reason she was still here.

The Togruta closed her eyes. Her thoughts flowed toward Hassan, from whom she sensed unease. With each passing minute spent in his company, she found herself reading his emotional state more and more clearly—an ability she couldn't explain. The whole situation felt strangely akin to a Force connection between two adepts or even between a master and apprentice.

Memories of two deceased Padawans flooded Shaak Ti's mind. Like any other master, she had grown attached to her young apprentices. She remembered the pride she felt when they were knighted as Jedi and the profound sadness she experienced upon learning of their deaths, even feeling their loss through the Force. Perhaps it was the will of the Force, but both her students had perished on their first missions, and she blamed herself for it.

Over time, she had managed to overcome her emotions, suppressing the negative ones, but the scars on her heart remained. Shaak Ti shook her head, dispelling the resurfacing memories and emotions, then turned her gaze toward the adjacent compartment. However, she involuntarily flinched when she saw Hassan looming over her, staring intently.

The captive turned away from his peculiar mask, adorned with patterns resembling cracks, which she saw as a reflection of her distorted face.

"What's wrong, Shaak Ti? Do you feel... sad?" Hassan asked.

"Everything's fine, Hassan," the Jedi Master replied, casting a fleeting glance at him.

"Really?" He settled into the pilot's seat opposite her, or rather, the girl's seat. "But it seems to me that things are not fine. I sense bitterness, but it's not directed at me. It's you, isn't it? It's the first time... I feel this."

"It's likely that we have formed a Force Bond," Shaak Ti replied after gathering her thoughts.

"What's that?" He leaned forward.

"You don't know what that is?" Ti responded with a question.

"I'm a self-taught individual," the boy clenched his fist, causing sparks of lightning to flicker across it. "I learned everything on my own, so I don't understand some of the terminology."

"Force Bonds form between two Force adepts. Sometimes they can spontaneously arise due to certain circumstances, but more often, Bonds connect a master and their apprentice," Shaak Ti lectured in an instructional tone.

"Are you suggesting that the Force has bound us because I carried you on my shoulder?" Darth asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I ask you to take this seriously, Hassan. Now we can influence each other," the woman replied with a slight frown.

"What do you mean by 'influence'?" Hassan inquired.

"Force Bonds can extend infinitely, connecting those who were close to each other. If one of them dies, the other will inevitably sense their death."

Suddenly, she caught herself explaining the material as if to a Padawan, just like in the old days. It was as if she were teaching Hassan the basics of Force theory, treating him like an arrogant, self-assured student. These thoughts made her fall silent and close her eyes to immerse herself in a brief meditation to clear her mind. Old scars were making themselves felt.

"Shaak Ti, are we already that close to each other?" Darth casually crossed his legs. "We haven't even had a first date!"

"What about Boba?" She ignored his words, regaining her composure.

"He's sitting in the adjacent compartment, processing information," Darth ran his hand over the mask.

"What have you learned?"

A silence hung in the air as Hassan gazed at the ceiling, while the Togruta watched him expectantly, scanning him through the Force Bond. She sensed that he didn't want to tell her the truth but also didn't want to lie. It seemed that the self-proclaimed Sith was in mild shock from what he had learned.

"His father sent him to find Dooku," Hassan finally broke the silence, and now he watched the captive's reaction. Shaak Ti's eyes slowly widened as she realized the words of her captor. He felt fear and indignation emanating from the Togruta's body, which instantly vanished without a trace. Shaak Ti had excellent control over her emotions, making her one of the most resilient Jedi Masters in the entire Order. Gabriel was impressed.

"We can't allow him to do that," the Jedi said calmly but with a hint of concern.

"Can or can't," Hassan sighed heavily, "he won't listen to us. Boba will unquestioningly follow his father's instructions, and you know that. Besides, his father worked for Dooku, didn't he?"

"You mean Dooku will take care of the mercenary's son?" the Togruta skeptically tilted her head.

"I'm not sure, but it seems that Jango left an inheritance for his son with Dooku," Gabriel's fingers sparked with energy, "I don't know what Jango had in mind, but I don't think he was a fool."

"Nevertheless, we can't hand Boba over to Dooku," the Jedi insisted.

"He won't listen to us," Gabriel shook his head.

"We must at least try," the woman insisted.

"You..."

Hassan fell silent as Boba entered the main deck. He looked completely different from before. While he had seemed lost earlier, now there was a fire of determination burning in his eyes, ignited by his late father's words. Darth got up from the pilot's seat, and Boba took his place.

"Boba," the Jedi was about to start her persuasive speech when the captor interrupted her.

"Are you sure you want to go to Dooku?" Hassan asked.

"You heard everything, right?" Boba replied somewhat resentfully.

"What did you expect from a Sith?" he shrugged.

"My father ordered me to find Count Dooku, and I intend to do just that," Boba replied firmly.

"You can go with me, Boba. I knew your father, so I can take care of you," Hassan suggested.

He was lying. Shaak Ti was certain that Hassan was lying, but he used the lie for a good cause. Boba wouldn't listen to her, a Jedi, so in this situation, he might be influenced by him. It might be somewhat wrong, but the Jedi Master was grateful to her captor.

"Thank you for the offer, Darth Hassan," Boba turned his chair towards the ship's main panels, "but I can't disobey my father."

"Are you sure about this?" Gabriel made one last attempt.

"Sure."

The Sith looked at Shaak Ti, who sadly nodded in response, whispering with her lips:

"Thank you."