Chapter II: Loca

Boba paced his ship in agitation, the Slave II making it's way safely through the darkness of space without it's master's direction, allowing him to think over his actions.

Vader most definitely would come after him for destroying the new clones, and yet he still needed his the credits the empire could offer. Boba swore under his breath in his native tongue as he stopped pacing and made his way to the small room and the sleeping infant lain out on his bed.

Boba stared down at the small child, still wrapped in the blood-crusted shirt of the technician, little fists moving slightly in sleep.

Briefly, Boba wondered what had come over him. He was a bounty hunter. One of the greatest, and therefore, had a full book of enemies. There was a war on, between the surviving Jedi on Coruscant, and the Empire now headed by Vader after the execution of Chancellor Palpatine.

I can't care for a child. Boba thought inwardly. With his line of work, he could disappear forever, or die in some unknown place, leaving the child alone. Yet I survived.

Boba shook his head as he crouched next to the child, chin in his hands as he stared at it.

Shifting and yawning, the brown eyes cracked open, looking at him with their trusting dependance as they slowly finished opening.

Reaching over, Boba gently brushed the fuzzy black hair from the child's eyes, chubby fingers wrapping around his own. A small smile turned up one side of his mouth as the baby tried to suck his finger.

"Hey." Boba said, pulling his finger out of the strong grip and gently caressing the head. "What am I going to do with you?" He asked softly, the baby's hands moving in their jerky movements. "I don't even know what to do for a child."

Boba shook his head. To raise a child while working as a bounty hunter was a bad idea, and even worse in the middle of a war zone. The Spaarti clones and Vader on one side, the remaining Kaminoan clones and Jedi on the other.

The baby's face pucker up and the lower lip stuck out as it began to whimper.

"Shhhh." Boba whispered, gently rolling it into his arms. "Shhhh."

The baby's hands swung wildly as it began to squeal, louder and louder as the Mandalorian bounty hunter looked around for something to console the child. He didn't have anything to feed it... not yet that is.

Wait. He had that bantha milk that the one bounty a few days ago had had.

Jostling the baby over to the other arm, Boba made his way quickly over to the cabinet, pulling out the warm milk and setting it on a table, sitting down with the baby on his lap, unscrewing the cap on the bottle.

The baby was screaming now, and Boba winced as the cap finally came off. He snatched up a cloth and stuck it into the bottle before holding it out to the child, tapping it's lips with it.

Reflex caused the baby's mouth to open and it sucked eagerly at the cloth, Boba having to force it back out of his mouth to re-dip it.

The baby started making hum like noises as it sucked, eyes staring up at him with complete, pure trust, striking a cord in Boba's body, but he forced it away. He had to get rid of the child as soon as possible. Somewhere safe. The only problem was that, as it grew, it would more and more resemble clones, becoming a dead giveaway.

"Unless..." Boba muttered under his breath. "Unless Dengar and Latts would..." He shook his head. It was unlikely, but he'd have to try.

Boba looked back down at the baby, whose eyes were half-closed, and the sucking becoming weaker and weaker. He smiled. "Hush, Loca. I will make sure you are safe."