So... uh... hi! I was not expecting to be back here ever again... and yet here I am. Currently, I am just transferring a fic over here that I post on AO3. I don't know if it will stay, seeing as though it is fairly adult and FF. net is not happy with that sort of stuff... but whatever. I'll cross that bridge when I get there. So... I hope you enjoy.


"What is your best quality, Boba?"

Boba must've been four or five at this point; he could remember lying in bed, listening to the laughter just outside his room. The only light in the room radiated from his stained-glass nightlight he had been gifted when he started to fear the darkness. He stared curiously into the face of the woman he may have called 'mother' had he known the word. Her gentle, pale hands carded through his hair as she unsuccessfully tried to coax him to sleep; he giggled and peered up into her warm amber eyes.

"Kwalitee?"

The woman only chuckled; someone called her name from outside the door, but she ignored them as she clarified. "What do you like best about yourself?"

Boba thought for a moment, his attention drawn to the sprawling brown lines that mapped the soft curves of her face; he reached out and gently touched the line that divided her chin. As a child, these lines confused him; but as an adult, he memorized those tattoos and the story of heartbreak that accompanied them.

"I can draw real good!" There were days when he would spend hours upon hours in his room, doodling his father's friends with his crayon set and sketchpad. Even the infamous Cad Bane's face seemed to light up when Boba presented him with his drawings.

"You can, darling." She grinned, flashing her pointed teeth; for the longest time, Boba would wait for his 'cool teeth' to grow in. He was so disappointed when they didn't... "Every picture you give me is tacked to the walls in my ship. I'll show you one day."

"Daddy says I'm real smart. I can count to one hundred."

"You are very smart, Boba. Smarter than even I am." Being smarter than a grown-up was quite the accomplishment to Boba, and he reveled in this when he was younger. He later learned that she may have embellished the truth just a little bit; sure she was unlearned, but she was as sharp as a whip and incredibly intuitive. "What else?"

"I'm nice to the longnecks, even when Daddy isn't."

"And why is that, Boba?" She inquired. Boba pondered for a moment, before shrugging.

"I want them to smile… I like it when people smile!" He beamed, and the woman gently pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"You, my sweet, are creative and brave and smart beyond measure. Life is going to teach you a lot of things, but there is one thing that you must always remember, no matter what. You must remember to be kind, even when it's hard."

The door slid open, and in stepped his father; he looked tired, but he was happy – Boba could just sense it. Jango knelt beside her, whispering something lowly into her ear; she stood slowly, her eyes drawing to the voices outside the door.

"I have to go." She bent down to press another kiss to his forehead, before starting toward the exit; she paused, standing in the doorway. "Do you understand what I have told you?"

Boba nodded as he watched her disappear; his father took her place and sung him to sleep with a quiet lullaby.

"Eh, Boba… would you look at that…"

Boba looked up from his drink to spy the bartender tidying up the 'bounty board', as most patrons called it. It was a blaring reminder of the top bounty hunters at the time and it was constantly changing… more now than it ever had. Although Cad Bane still held the top space, names like Latts Razzi and Embo were no longer present; most nonhuman hunters had fled the field when the Empire took over, and now the bounty board was looking incredibly…. Human.

Boba watched in anticipation as the bartender wiped Cad's name from the top. In one way, he was glad that the old man was gone; he had held the top spot for far too long. But in another way… it made his stomach clench. He missed the hunters of the old days, and it felt as though a little bit of him was stolen every time one of them disappeared; they were the only family had left at this point…

He shook his head as Aurra took the top spot, followed closely by Dengar; Boba watched as his name was bumped up a few spots, from the seventh spot to the fourth spot. But this victory felt awfully hollow.

"Did he die?" Boba inquired. The bartender shook his head as he tidied the rest of the board.

"Nah. He just dropped off the radar like most of the others." The human man climbed down the stool and wiped his forehead with one of his rags. He turned his attention toward Dengar, who was smiling smugly. "Congrats, number two."

The Corellian beamed as he received his complimentary drink and knocked it back; he let out a rather loud and obnoxious laugh, before patting Boba on the shoulder.

"Try to keep up, kid." He snorted, his attention drawn toward one of the lovely dancers who seductively complimented him; Boba just rolled his eyes as he tried to remember why he was hanging out with the older man.

He stared down at his empty glass, his mind racing in ten million directions; he briefly wondered where Cad had wandered off to before he was interrupted. The bartender slid him a drink – one that Boba didn't order. Boba sent the man a questioning glance, and the barkeep gestured toward someone sitting in a booth at the back of the bar; it wasn't uncommon for Boba to get gigs this way, so he went along with it. He swiped the drink up, before meandering over to the unknown man.

"Mr. Fett, I presume?"

"Whaddya want?" Boba frowned as he slid into the seat across from the man; the most defining feature about this man was that he had no defining features. Boba could easily point out any white-skinned human on the holonet and it would look just like him; he was middle-aged, clean-shaven, and he had all his teeth. He definitely didn't look as though he belonged there…

"I have… a gig for you." The way he said 'gig' sounded as though he was an old man trying to mimic the newest teenage lingo; it felt out of place, especially when mixed with his posh accent.

"Imperial?"

Even without his accent to betray him, it was evident that the man before him had been through Imperial training. His elbows never touched the table, his back was ramrod straight, and he constantly looked as though he was constipated. Boba had to stifle a giggle.

"You are intuitive, I'll give you that." The officer huffed, a small frown pulling at his thin lips; his blue eyes glinted coldly in the low light of the bar. "Would you like to hear what I have to say, or should I move on?"

"Go ahead." Boba leaned back, propping his feet up on the table; the Imperial seemed offended, almost as if this action was equal to Boba pissing on his mother's grave. The Imperial swallowed hard, before adjusting his collar.

"It has been brought to the Empire's attention that you were… close with some of the hunters of old." He mentioned this fact as if the Clone Wars had happened over fifty years ago… not seven. Boba shrugged but didn't give him anything beyond that. "The Empire would like you to gather them together. For that, we will pay you handsomely."

"That's… it?"

"Not quite. While the Empire holds a certain… disdain for criminals such as you, we all agree that you all are effective at what you do. So, we have a second task for you and your syndicate to fulfill; the Emperor wants the Hutt Empires dismantled, and he has all the faith in the galaxy that they could do it."

Boba knew there was a catch – there was always a catch when it came to working with the Empire; he narrowed his eyes as he watched the man's body language. He was still stiff as all hell, but Boba could see that something was off; he just had to figure out what it was.

"And you are to… what? Kill them off when they serve their purpose?"

"Hardly. We want to show the aliens that the Empire is not their enemy, and what better way to do this than to have aliens employed into our service."

"So, basically, you are hiring them instead of humans to boost your PR?" Boba just shook his head, a bit flabbergasted. "Unbelievable."

The man said nothing to this, but his eyes narrowed; he looked to be typing something underneath the table, but maintained eye contact with Boba the entire time. It was almost as if this man was sizing him up – and Boba didn't like that.

"What do they get?"

"A hefty reward, plus full pardons. They will be able to live freely without fear of retribution." He didn't skip a beat, as if this was something he rehearsed; Boba tried to ignore the knots in his stomach, but found it easier said than done. Something was up…

"And what if I say no?" Boba inquired, noting that a red laser dot appeared on the table; it slowly meandered up the length of his body to rest in the middle of his forehead… or so he assumed. He stiffened, and sighed. "I'll talk to them, but there is no guarantee that they'll agree."

"Oh, I trust that you'll convince them." The Imperial leaned forward, a sinister smile creeping across his face. "Tell them that the Empire will… not take kindly to such defiance. Are we clear, Mr. Fett?"

"Crystal." Boba hissed as he extended his hand to shake; the man slipped him a comm. number and a list of names, before stealing away. Boba watched as the officer disappeared into the crowd, before peering down at the piece of flimsi; Cad Bane, Embo, Sugi, Latts Razzi, Bossk... everyone he expected to be there was. Now... he just had to find them.