***

A week had passed. Cody and Boba had traveled to Bythal, searching for another job. There seemed to be plenty wherever you went. Cody sat outside the Slave I, leaning against a nearby tree. He draped an arm over his bent knee, watching the bugs jumping in the grass. They sang, and chirped, never seeming to quiet. He focused on the Force around him, the familiar warmth pressing against his skin. He held out a hand, calling upon the Force to lift his lightsaber. It floated above the outstretched arm, spinning slowly in the air.

He closed his eyes, his expression relaxed for the first time in the past two weeks.

Boba snatched the light-saber from the air in front of Cody, and tapped him on the head with it. "Wake up. Found a job." He was well aware that Cody wasn't sleeping, but it didn't change his approach.

Cody roughly yanked the lightsaber away from the other man. "Me'ven?" (What?) He stood, pushing his cloak behind him with one hand. "What's the job?"

"Twi'lek killed a man's family. He wants revenge, but he doesn't want to get his hands dirty. Thirty-five thousand easy."

Nodding, Cody attached the saber to his belt again, sitting once again. "Right. Y' know where this Twi'lek is?"

"No. That's half of what I'm paid for—FINDING the target." Boba removed his helmet, and sat across from Cody, passing a datapad to him. "All I've got is a blurry image of him, and his last known location."

Cody looked over the datapad. The last place the target had been seen was at a local Inn at the nearest city. "Then we talk to the Inn-keeper. Maybe ask around at cantinas. Was he tried for the crime?" Cody handed back the datapad.

"No. No one saw him—well, no one but our client; and the Bythal authorities won't give the death penalty… so our client won't settle for telling them."

Cody thumped his head back against the tree. "Most murderers have prior, usually minor crimes on record. If he does, the lower level police would keep tabs on him; maybe have a file with his possible whereabouts. But even if we could get ahold of the file, that would be assuming he's in their archives already."

"He's an off-worlder. I've got it narrowed down to ten possible suspects from fifteen. All blue Twi'leks with prior acts of violence. No locals matched the image. We should get started." Even as he spoke, he stood, using both hands to push off the ground. He cringed, favoring the right one, but tried not to show it as he replaced his helmet and held his left hand toward Cody.

Cody took the offered hand and pulled himself up. "Stay off the hand, Boba." There was no doubt he would need some amount of physical therapy to regain strength in the limb after the cast was taken off – but Cody didn't mention that, and hadn't.

The younger man stared blankly at him. He said nothing in return to that. "I'm ready. Town's that way," he nodded west.

Cody huffed mirthlessly. "'Lek." (Yeah.) He took point.

Boba matched his pace, and strode along beside him, checking the scanners in his helmet display. There were no lifeforms in the immediate vicinity, so they would be uninterrupted for a while—several miles, it seemed.

"I'll be needing armor eventually," Cody commented, not sure if he was talking to himself aloud. Either way. He was used to the near-constant conversation of Commander… Of Ahsoka; he missed her. It seemed to grow more evident to him in the most simplistic moments.

Boba's only response was a nearly inaudible grunt.

Cody let silence fall between them. He instead concentrated on the calming presence of the Force, content to let it stir within him. It eased the pain that seemed to have gotten a tighter grip on his heart.

Boba was concentrating on the future—the near future. The Twi'lek would be keeping a low profile; that would narrow down any Twi'leks staying in open places, or calling attention to themselves. They would have to talk to the inn keeper, certainly. The Twi'lek had probably left, but perhaps there was information they could gather on him from where he'd been.

Cody wondered if he had been replaced yet; yes, he assumed he had been. Despite what had been done to him, the Republic could still do good. They could still win the war. He trusted that it would be so. And besides, if they moved on, it would be best; certainly Ahsoka couldn't have been feeling the same grief he was. The farther away from the situation he got, the more strongly he felt. Or maybe it wasn't the situation, just one Togruta instead. He would keep it all close; a reason to bring peace wherever he could. There had been a true Light in her; beauty, kindness. Even if she was the only one in the galaxy, what he'd seen in her, he would die for.

The two walked on in silence, lost in thoughts; on the same planet physically, but mentally, in different worlds. The grass beneath them silenced their footsteps, and the soft sky overhead threatened light rain in the near future.

In the distance, Boba could make out the city. It would only be a short while now. The air was cool, making the distance seem shorter, and simpler. (It was preferable to Florrum's heatwaves and sand, certainly)

With a quiet sigh, Cody pulled the hood of his cloak over his hair. Bythal had become allies with the Republic, he remembered that battle well. He couldn't be recognized as a clone, otherwise word would most likely get back to Coruscant that he and Fett had been seen working together. Again.

Distant thunder rumbled in the silence, and the first raindrops began coming down in a light, nearly invisible shower.

The city was only a mile—possibly two—away at this point. It was easily visible. For a city, it looked relatively rural; small. Of course, compared to Coruscant, or even Florrum, Bythal's cities were comparably smaller.

The rest of the walk they were still silent. When they reached the city, it was far less crowded than most. No excited bustling groups flurrying from one store to another; just people content to walk, and content to say hello to each other, and content to treat each other with respect.

It was hard to imagine that somewhere inside of it, the Twi'lek resided – a cold-blooded murderer.