Author's note: Short but sweet. Enjoy! I'll see you at the epilogue… ;)

At Verana's request, the Rebels had relinquished a speeder bike to Fett for the journey back through Coruscant. Two-hundred and fifty thousand credits had been deposited in his personal credit account, and Fett was pleased to see the Jedi woman was true to her word. He stood inspecting the vehicle in the garage, nudging a few panels with the tip of his boot to make sure they would hold.

"It won't fall apart," said a voice.

Fett turned to look over his shoulder and saw Verana's son Tory standing behind him, hands buried in his pockets. The teen raised his eyebrows and smirked.

"I promise."

Fett faced the speeder once again and remained silent. Tory took almost hesitant steps forward to stand on his right, inspecting the vehicle as well. Fett could see persistence ran in the family.

"Why should I take your word for it?" he asked him, nudging the panels again.

Tory laughed shortly. "Because it's my speeder."

The bounty hunter looked over at him, then. A grin had crossed the boy's face, and he finally looked his age. Unkempt dark hair nearly covered his eyes and he wore ragged clothing stained with grease and dotted with holes. He looked very similar to the images Fett had seen of Samuel Luna, though the teen had his mother's eyes.

"She's pretty reliable, I'd say," Tory went on, "Just watch out, because she's pretty touchy. I guarantee you'll be taking some sharp turns."

"I'll manage," said Fett.

Tory smirked again and folded his arms, revealing a tattoo: the exact symbol painted on the left shoulder plate of Fett's armor.

"We found what's left of another speeder outside…would that be yours by any chance?" he asked.

"I borrowed it."

Tory laughed, but quickly muffled it once he realized Fett was not amused. He cleared his throat.

"Sorry about your luck…"

They fell into an uncomfortable silence, which was clearly more awkward for Tory than it was for Fett. The boy bit his lip, as if deciding on something.

"I want to tell you something," he said, "Before you leave and I never get the chance again."

Fett faced him, leaning against the speeder. Tory sighed, lifting his gaze to the T-visor of the helmet.

"…Ever since I could read, I've read stories about you. Most of them probably weren't true but…" Tory paused to laugh, shaking his head, "A kid can imagine."

Fett could see the teen was fighting against his thoughts with each word. But the bounty hunter was patient.

"Anyway…I just wanted to let you know that I always admired how you stuck to what you believed in." Tory almost winced, but caught himself. "That's it."

Fett turned back to inspecting the speeder, and the boy's shoulders slouched.

"I'm not a hero. Do not mistake me for one."

Tory frowned. "Well, I don't believe that."

"You can believe what you want," Fett told him with a slight shrug, "That would be the Jedi in you."

The boy laughed at him, a strangely staccato laugh, revealing a wide smile. Grinning, he said,

"So you do have a sense of humor."

Fett did not grant him a response. Tory just shook his head. Before he could say anymore, a little voice suddenly shouted over him.

"Wait!"

Both Fett and Tory turned to see Tinari running toward them, having just appeared from behind the twin blast doors. Verana followed close behind her, seemingly surprised by her daughter's speed. Tinari's reddish-blonde hair bobbed widely out behind her as she ran. Snoo was tucked under one of her arms and she nearly dropped the stuffed animal as she came to a stop a few feet away from Boba Fett, panting.

"You can't leave, yet," she gasped.

Tinari struggled to catch her breath, tucking strands of hair back behind the headband she now wore, smoothing down the wrinkles in her new outfit- a light blue dress with a small sash tied at the back. Interestingly enough, she was still wearing her beat-up traveling boots. Fett thought she looked more like the girl he'd seen in the wanted poster rather than the stowaway he had found. For some reason it felt like months ago.

"What is it?" he asked her.

Tinari would have spoken, but noticed her brother standing off to her left. She made a face and pushed at his legs.

"Hey!" he exclaimed.

"I want to talk to Boba Fett in private," Tinari declared, "Go away."

Tory did not seem willing to leave, but his sister wouldn't have it. She practically slugged him to get him walking and he finally complied, moving to stand several feet away where Verana waited. Once he was out of earshot, Tinari heaved a sigh and looked up at Boba Fett.

He waited for what she had to say as her eyes somehow locked with his. She suddenly threw her arms around his waist and squeezed the bounty hunter in a tight embrace. Fett froze, his arms awkwardly held at his sides.

"Thank you for bringing me back," Tinari told him, managing to squeeze him just a bit tighter, "Thank you for helping me."

Fett could not find words, truly surprised. He hesitantly pat her on the head and she pulled away from him, tucking her hands behind her back. She was beaming; Fett could only stare. He looked past her and saw the Jedi woman covering up a smile with her fingers. Her son held back laughter.

"There is no need to thank me," he said at last, "I'm only doing my job."

Tinari nodded. "I know that. But I just wanted to let you know I was thankful."

"…You've made your point." Fett paused to reach for something in one of the pockets on his belt. "I believe this belongs to you."

He held out a small pouch to her, and she squealed in recognition.

"My Jax! I knew you'd give 'em back!"

She happily took the little pouch in her hands, rattling the trinkets inside. A frown suddenly creased her forehead, as if she were thinking. Fett watched as she reached beneath the collar of her shirt and grasped a black cord, pulling it over her head. She presented it to him.

"I want you to have this."

Fett shook his head. "That won't be necessary."

But she had already pressed the object into his hand. He looked down at it, seeing a pendant hung from the end of the cord- a bronze disk with a jewel in the center that glittered green and blue in the light.

"You don't have to wear it," Tinari explained, "It's something from Arbola- I got it when I was little. It's meant to protect travelers, y'know-to keep them safe?"

She smiled at him as he turned the pendant over in his fingers.

"I don't need it anymore, but I think you do. Maybe you won't get in so many fights."

Fett almost laughed. "Perhaps."

He tucked the necklace safely away before turning to look down at her. She was still smiling, hugging Snoo close to her and rocking side to side.

"…I do have a question for you," Fett admitted.

"What is it?"

"Why did you choose my ship? There were plenty of different ones there- why choose mine to stow away?"

Tinari's grin broadened. "Because out of all my heroes, I knew you'd be the one I could trust the most. Mandalorians always look out for one another."

The bounty hunter looked over her one final time, feeling a slight smile curve his lips.

"Of course."

He finally turned to head for the speeder bike, slinging his leg over the side. Verana and Tory walked closer, the former putting her hands on her daughter's shoulders. As the speeder whined to life, Verana said,

"My family and I- we are forever indebted to you, bounty hunter."

"I'll take that debt, Jedi," Fett returned, hitting a switch on the control panel. He turned to face her and added, "It's almost a shame I couldn't meet your husband."

Verana looked clearly surprised. "Really? Why do you say that?"

"I have a lot of questions."

She couldn't help laughing. Ahead, the door to the hideout opened, revealing the patch of permacrete outside, lit by a pool of gold light. Tinari took a step forward as the speeder's engine revved.

"Good bye, Boba Fett," she told him.

He looked over at her and gestured with his hand in a small salute.

"Good bye, Tinari," he replied.

Twisting the speeder's accelerator, the bike went racing for the doorway. Tinari followed after him, running to the threshold and squinting in the fading sun as Boba Fett zoomed into the streets of the Orange District and soon disappeared from sight.

She stood there for a long while and watched the faint silhouettes of the various vehicles intersect across the sky. With a small sigh, Tinari turned and walked back the way she had come as the door closed behind her with a slight thud. Tory tousled her hair affectionately as she passed him. Hugging Snoo tight, she continued almost aimlessly on her path, eventually climbing the stairs back to her mother's quarters. By then the sunlight had all but faded, save for a dull glow of scarlet in the sky.

Tinari sat in the small patch of sunlight, placing Snoo beside her. With a wistful sigh, she reached for her Jax, untying the twine that held the pouch in place. She turned it upside down and the contents spilled across the floor in a glorious flash of colors. The bouncing ball thudded against the window pane. Oddly, there came a strange clattering noise, one she was not used to hearing. Frowning, Tinari threw the empty bag aside and reached for the new object. To her surprise, it was a small little holoscreen, with a piece of flimsy encased within it. A line of small, neat handwriting was visible.

Feeling a grin creeping across her lips, Tinari read it. The words were simple, but said enough, much like the man who had written them.

'A Mandalorian never forgets, especially those whom he calls friend.'

Tinari beamed, gazing out the wide window up at the crowded skies of Coruscant. She caught sight of a flash of yellow-orange far above in the patch of dark blue, knowing it was Slave I heading back through the atmosphere. As she watched the light flicker and grow faint, the last line of words came to mind.

'And 'good-bye' in Mando'a truly means, 'we will meet again.'"

Slave I vanished.