Chapter 4

"Stay here," I ordered the little girl in an authoritative tone. I had no intention of losing a child on a planet full of scum and villainy. That is not something I want to explain.

"I wanna come…" the girl begged.

"No." I answered with blunt finality. I began setting the alarms and security of the ship, watching the child to ensure she did nothing to sneak past them as she had before.

"Why not?"

"Lizards," I stated with a sinister tone, "Big lizards."

Fortunately, that was possibly the only thing the child would avoid. I think she got the message, for once. As I finished setting the security, I departed the ship into the open air of the landing bay. Instantly, the planet welcomed me.

"I hate sand," I grumbled to myself as I felt something grate irritably against the skin of my arm. Even with the seal of my armor, it still found a way inside. Already, I couldn't wait to get off this damnable planet.

Tatooine: the planet no one ever wants to visit. Even less likable was the "venerable" Mos Eisely spaceport. If I had waited around the landing pads for an hour, I probably would have collected enough bounties to retire. Unfortunately, I had other things to focus on.

I marched through the streets of the settlement, scanning the world. Most of the inhabitants simply slouched along on some worthless existence, shifting from task to another without much purpose or excitement. Even a fully armored Mandalorian was not enough to evoke any interest. This dreary existence, pitiful as it was, was also very useful. The locals, accustomed to a bizarre array of visitors, paid absolutely no attention to even the most exotic passerby. However, those who had never set foot within the spaceport were instantly betrayed by their awe.

I had stopped outside a cantina for a moment, pausing to scan my surroundings. It was not long though, before I noticed once such sentient that was clearly foreign. It was a Pantoran, a light blue skinned-humanoid race, far more adapted to the cold than the heat. His astounded expression, in addition to the official looking black uniform with a red sash adorning the chest, which had been left open as he sought any relief from the heat, betrayed he was not a local. The natives adapted to the atmosphere of hell, and they certainly were not dressed in anything so ornate. Additionally, I noticed this man was clutching a satchel, flung over his shoulder, as he marched with a deliberate quickness. I immediately made to follow him. He constantly looked behind him and around him as moved, but it was pointless, he could not identify a trained stalker. How unfortunate for him.

Following along at some distance, I continued to follow the Pantoran. He was pitifully bad at this losing any pursuer, and it was rather easy to track him. The possibility it was too easy flicked through my head, but soon vanquished after he seemed to have gotten lost at one point on his journey. Eventually, he was capable enough to find his location near the edge of the city. It was a walled compound, with what appeared to be a lone entryway, a metal gate guarded by two humans. I could discern that, despite anything that may identify them, that they were both Senate Guards. They were too calm, too cool, too collected to be thugs or mercenaries. I took up a position scanning the wares of a vendor's stall nearby, glancing out of the corner of my eyes as the Pantoran approached the guards, while outwardly appearing to be admiring a fruit.

The guards demanded credentials from the Pantoran, which after some grumbling, he displayed. A displeased expression found itself on my face as they investigated him, realizing they did not intend to be lax about such. They allowed him to pass into the compound, before resuming their watch. Tricking them would be difficult, and beginning a gunfight would be unwise. I departed the stand, before making my way across the street, still scanning the walls of the compound. It was too high to mount on my own, but there were crates stacked against it to the left of the guards, which could be utilized as a way to climb over. I knew this would be my entry in.

I knelt down, as if I had dropped something, before scooping up a mixture of sand and rocks from the street. I turned, away from the compound, and walked around a building, before tracking back around the other side towards the compound. Between the building and the compound, the walls had created a bit of an alleyway. I could spy the guards standing watch, and I scurried towards the other side of the alley, now with my back pressed against the wall of the compound. Realizing I would have to move quickly, I took the rocks and sand still clutched in my hands, and chucked the debris against the wall of the compound, before kicking the structure for good measure. I then rushed back across the alleyway, concealing myself behind the building.

"You hear that?" One of the guards asked.

"Yeah," the other responded, "I did."

"We should go check it out."

"Agreed," the other answered as I heard footsteps marching towards me. The clock had begun ticking. I sprinted, back around the building, which fortunately for my purposes was taller than it was wider, coming towards the entryway once more. The gate was closed, but the crates were still stacked properly. I leapt onto one then propelled my way onto the other. Both of the guards had their backs to me, but I knew the distraction would only last for so long as they seemed to have realized nothing remained. I stretched up, grabbing the ledge of the wall with my fingers, before hauling the rest of my body over with a grunt as I flung my weight over into the compound. I grunted again as I clattered onto the ground, but the loose sand on the ground concealed most of the noise of my landing. Good.

I returned to my feat, to find I was in another alley, this one far tighter, but still enough to fit in. I drew my blaster, and continued walking in against the wall, away from the gate towards the corner. I reached the corner, and turned it, before I came to an opening. I stopped as I reached the opening, peaking out into what was a plaza with a moisture vaporator on each side of the plaza. The compound must have been a large rectangle containing four buildings within the walls, and this plaza was the center. There were two beings, the Pantoran, who still looked miserable in the heat as he had begun to slouch forward with his back facing towards me, and beyond him was a woman with brown hair pulled back into a braid, and deep blue eyes: my target. I smirked, as I concealed myself fully once more. The Pantoran fool had done my job for me. I drew both WESTARs, waiting for the proper opportunity to strike.

"Why did you insist on meeting on Tatooine," the Pantoran grumbled, "We could've just as easily have met in a world within the Republic that had a more hospitable climate…"

"With the Separatist crisis," the woman answered, "We have to be careful. Do you have the file Senator Brun needs or not?"

"I do," the Pantoran answered, "I just don't know why he wants Trade Federation financial logs, and why he couldn't request them through official means…"

"Trust me this way is better," she responded, "Now hand over the files…"

"Hand over those files and your dead," I growled as I emerged from my location, marching forward with blasters raised at both beings. "Hands. Air. Now."

The Pantoran turned around and immediately complied: coward. The woman, the one that actually had any information, looked at me with more curiosity and less intent to comply. She certainly was a warrior. The concept of a coming battle was exciting my senses.

"W…we are employed b…b…by the Republic Senate," the Pantoran immediately began babbling, "Harming us will…"

"No one cares out here," the woman interrupted. The Pantoran glanced at her, terrified shock on his face.

"Don't yell for the guards either," I ordered.

"Don't need to," she replied.

"Hands up," I ordered again. I then motioned to the Pantoran. "Or I'll take whatever your senator wants."

"It's all public record…" the Pantoran stated before I glared at him.

"Shove it." That shut him up. Still the woman seemed to be rather uncooperative.

"You don't care about that," she observed.

"I care about money."

"We can pay more."

"I have a reputation."

"And what's that?" She retorted, crossing her arms. Clearly, she was in no mood to co-operate. I stood silently for a moment. My mind does not fabricate lies that quickly, I am more a man of action. In this case, my delay proved to her I had no reputation. I do, I can assure anyone who's stupid enough to find out, but not one I could recall at the time. "Do you even know who your target is?"

"You."

"Am I?" She answered with a sarcastic skepticism. It didn't fool me. "Do you even know my name?"

"Tawny," I grunted, patience wearing thin.

"Or why I'm wanted?"

"I don't care."

"There's a bounty on you?" The Pantoran interjected, looking at his comrade. She waved his concerns away.

"You don't remember anything," she declared, before asking with a bit more tenderness, "Do you?"

"I don't need to," I hissed, noting I could lose control of this situation.

"I can offer you a deal," she stated, "If you let me return to Coruscant, I'll tell you everything you need to know."

"And how can you do that?" I chucked sardonically, not believing a word.

"I work for a senator," she stated with a sly smirk, "And I know your name, hunter." She then shrugged, "But if you want to shoot me, go ahead. You'll never know."

"W…wait!" The Pantoran panicked at this idea. "D…don't shoot!"

I stood silent, emotion concealed behind the visor of my helmet. Normally, I would have shot her, despite the fact she was worth more alive, except she seemed unnervingly confident, a confidence that forced me to hesitate.

It was a mistake.

Immediately a blaster shot rang out, striking the Pantoran in the back. He crumpled to the ground, dead, before I raised my blasters to the roof of the building the shot had begun from. I saw the hulking form of a reptilian species leap down. I tracked it with searing plasma, failing to make any actual contact. I cursed as he landed between the target and the wall, using her as cover and leverage. She immediately went to draw her blaster, but he swatted it aside. He lashed out again for her to duck away and deliver a firm blow to his snout. He backed away, yelping in pain, before lunging at her once more, grabbing her by the throat and flinging her aside with ease. Then as his reptilian eyes met mine, a scowl formed on my face.

He was Trandoshan: a particularly infamous hunter named Bossk. He has no honor, and deserves to die. I wanted nothing more than to kill him, and he would certainly not claim my bounty. I began to fire rapidly at his position, only for him to dive away and begin bounding towards me. I tracked him with my fire once more, but he weaved past, until he leapt on top of me, knocking and pinning me to the ground. He savagely stretched my left arm out, before biting, yes, biting, through the armor. I yelled in agony, before delivering another blow with my free arm which sent him tumbling off me. I looked over at my wounded arm, which had now turned the sand below it red. I began to my feet once more, my wounded arm hanging limply, only to be met by a kick from Bossk which knocked me to the ground once more.

He began to leer over me, savoring his victory and my coming demise.

"Itsss over hunterrrr," he hissed as he drew his blaster once more, only to be interrupted by the sound of a jetpack roaring to life. The Trandoshan looked up, only to be brutally slammed into by a hurling figure in Mandalorian armor. The two bodies went soaring in different directions as they untangled themselves with blows, until they were facing each other, each one kneeling on one knee. Bossk looked odiously towards the Mandalorian figure.

"Fett," he hissed. The Mandalorian raised his head, the emotionless gaze of his helmet returning a cold stare as the hunter nodded once. Then, in a swift jerk of a motion, the Mandalorian raised his wrist, firing a projectile towards the Trandoshan. Bossk dove to avoid the strike, but it exploded on impact with the ground, kicking up sand wildly and, as the screech of pain from the Trandoshan suggested, made contact. The Mandalorian ignited his jetpack once more, scattering more sand into the air, before streaking after his enemy.

Normally, I would have remained to finish the lizard myself. However, these were both competitors for a bounty in a location that had become a bit too crowded for my taste. Furthermore, I noticed my target had returned to her feet, grabbed the satchel the dead Pantoran had brought, and was scurrying out of the compound. Despite my wounded arm, which was still bleeding, I collected my blasters and made chase. Outside the compound, I found the gored corpses of the two guards. Bossk had relied on stealth far less than I had apparently. I charged after her, weaving my way through sentients of various sorts and appearances, focusing on one person and one person only. She must have realized she was being followed, as she weaved through the crowd, nearly losing me on a few occasions. The key word there was "nearly." Even, at a fair pace and interfering with disgruntled aliens of a seemingly violent disposition, not that I remained to find out, I kept up the chase.

Still tracking the target, I found her disperse within a group of Wookiees. I grumbled an expletive as she pushed her way through, realizing that the large girth of the furballs would conceal her briefly, but it could be enough time to escape. I began to rush past the Wookiees, only to find no trace of her. I cursed again. I had lost the target.

Or so I had thought. The Wookiees soon decided to leave, and revealed something I had yet to notice in the pursuit: they blocked an alleyway. A smirk found a way onto my face. The hunt was not over, far from it. It was clever of Tawny, she had almost lost me. However, again, the key word is "almost."

Drawing one blaster with my uninjured arm, I cautiously began walking down the alley, the shadows of the buildings creating a dimly lit pit. As I proceeded down, I realized a wall blocked the end of the alley, and, in front of that wall I found a humanoid figure.

"You lose," I declared with a snarl. Tawny looked at me, blinking once. I think she was surprised to see I hadn't given up the hunt.

"You're persistent," she admitted.

"Move," I motioned with my blaster for her to walk in front of me.

"Do you ever speak in complete sentences?"

"No."

"My offer stills stands," she stated, "Your memory for passage back to Coruscant."

"Not good enough."

"You'd rather be a mindless slave just to collect a bounty? You'd rather than having an identity?"

"You lie." I stated coldly, trying to conceal any nerves I might have shown. Of course I would rather have an identity, living as a free man instead of a pawn in another's game. However, I also knew, most of those promises were empty ones.

"You assume too much."

"Prove it."

"I doubt you're one to believe me."

"My name," I growled, "Tell me it."

"You really forgot that too?" She asked with a skeptically raised eyebrow.

"Give me an answer."

"It's Sev," she stated, rather casually, "Honestly, that isn't difficult to find. How the hell did you miss it?"

Sev: something about that seemed familiar. I suppose I knew intuitively it was correct. How did she know it? More importantly, how did she know what I did not? Perhaps there was more value in her offer of information than I had initially believed. She had something valuable, something I couldn't ignore.

"Follow," I ordered, holstering my blaster. I noticed a satisfied look on her face as I turned to leave. Soon afterwards I heard her footsteps following behind. Indeed, she did have valuable information, information I would get: one way or another.