3 BBY

The planet Ord Mantell was a perfect hideout for a professional bounty hunter. It had the presence of the Black Sun crime syndicate and the Galactic Empire, both organizations which employed bounty hunters on the daily. It was also a good place for a new bounty hunter to learn. Kal's first order of business: getting a tattoo.

Boba shook his head as Kaleena's neck and collar bone was permanently embedded with white ink. He had recently helped her make her own symbol. Boba had expected her to paint it on her armor as he had done with his own, not get a tattoo of it that glowed in ultraviolet light. Although, he couldn't help but be proud that she was open to it. He had learned quickly that she had been fairly sheltered growing up and hadn't experienced a lot of the galaxy.

Once complete, Boba looked at the finished tattoo. While bleeding a little, it looked intriguing and reminiscent of a scar. It was triangular in shape with varying lines like a jagged maze. It was simple but complex like it's wearer.

Together, they began to walk back to Boba's ship. "I can't believe you got a tattoo," Boba told her.

"You're the one that put the idea in my head," Kal countered.

He scoffed. "How was I supposed to know that the first thing you'd think of was a tattoo or brand? Everyone I know would know what I was talking about."

"Well, I didn't know you, did I?" she asked, her voice filled with the sass that both annoyed and amused Boba at the same time. The thud of their boots were in sync as they marched across a metal bridge. None of the bystanders questioned the personal armory that they carried. Kaleena was glad she hadn't worn her armor, otherwise, her neck and shoulder would hurt a lot more than they already did. Her mother's necklace, though, was safely tucked away in her utility belt. No random tattoo artist needed to see a kyber crystal.

"Thanks to your new scar, we should probably wait a few days before doing another bounty. Or I can do one without you."

Kaleena gasped. It was a mixture of real and dramatic, just to add the obnoxious flair. "You would go on a hunt without me? I am hurt, Boba. Truly." He rolled his eyes and she knew it. She didn't need to sense it or see it to know it happened. "Don't roll your eyes at me."

"You know, sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have kids, but then I see you and realize I don't want any more." She chose not to comment.

As they climbed over the hill to Slave 1, they spotted two figures waiting outside the ship. Kal heard Boba sigh dramatically. "Do you know them?" she asked. His sigh was less of a do-I-have-to-blast-someone sigh and more of a what-do-they-want sigh.

"Yes, don't do anything stupid." While confused and slightly offended, Kal decided to follow his order. She didn't recognize the two as they drew closer to the ship, but she could tell they were bounty hunters. One was human with a major portion of his face scarred, and the other was an imposing Trandoshan. Kal was immediately more intimidated by the Trandoshan than the human. Anyone with a brain and any basic survival instincts would be more frightened by a tall, scaled creature with pointed teeth.

The two stopped in front of the waiting bounty hunters. The human smiled creepily. "Boba, we hadn't heard from you," he greeted.

"So you decided to track me down?" Boba guessed, crossing his arms. Kal tensed at his defensive stance but remained calm.

"It wasssn't hard," the Trandoshan replied. Was tracking someone ever really difficult for a Trandoshan? Their whole culture revolved around hunting things.

The scarred human hunter shifted his footing. "You don't exactly seem to be hiding, but you dodge our calls anyway?"

Kaleena watched Boba for any sign of aggression but found none. He displayed nothing other than stoicism and defensiveness. She didn't know that he was receiving outreach from other hunters, but why would he avoid them? "What does the Claw want?" Boba asked sharply.

The Trandoshan hissed. "For our leader to check in oncce in a while. Who'sss the kid you're toting around?"

"A new hunter I've been training. This is Kaleena." Both of the hunters looked surprised to hear Boba say that. While Kaleena was more interested in what the Trandoshan meant by Boba being a leader, she was also surprised to hear Boba be so forward about who she was with people she didn't know. He usually tried to hide her away or didn't offer her name.

The human and Trandoshan narrowed their eyes at her, studying her appearance, stance, and gear. "Does Kaleena have a last name?" the human questioned, glaring at the person who was distracting Boba from large bounties and his friends.

"Aput." Her answer was quick and defiant. She didn't appreciate being mocked. "Do you have a name or should I keep calling you scar-face in my head?"

Boba froze at her jab, regretting letting her walk over to the ship with him, but the Trandoshan simply burst into laughter. "That'sss Dengar. I'm Bossk," the alien introduced. Dengar was looking very offended and decided to continue glaring at her. "With humor like that, no wonder Boba took you under hisss wing." Dengar grumbled at his comment, so Kal snorted.

Boba shook his head at the two of them. "Why are you two here?" he asked.

"We were worried," Bossk answered. "It'sss been weekss ssince we heard from you last. Wanted to make sure you weren't in any trouble."

"Well, I'm not, but thanks." While his stance said one thing, his voice said another. Boba was actually grateful that they cared for his wellbeing. "You want a drink?"

Bossk and Dengar grinned. Bounty hunters don't turn down free drinks. All four boarded Boba's ship and made their way to the galley. Boba set his helmet down on the table. Together, they sat around the lounge, each with a drink. "How did you get dragged into babysitting?" Dengar asked.

With a stern look at Dengar, Boba replied to him. "We were after the same bounty."

"He attacked me in an alley," Kal quipped lightly. She bared no ill-will for it as she would have done the same thing. She simply liked hearing his defensive argument.

"You were following me."

Kal lifted her glass with a smile. "I wasn't hurting anyone."

"No, but you did a few hours later." Boba propped his feet up on the table like the mercenary he was. Kaleena shook her head at him. Her first kill was in the past, but it was defining. She had grown from it. She was more comfortable with sentient death. It shook her core at first, but she simply kept repeating that it wasn't any different than killing an animal because it wasn't. It was taking life regardless and she had done it freely with non-sentients. There was no reason for her to be hung up on it.

"Anyway, I have a question," Kaleena said to change the subject. "What's the Claw?"

"It's a syndicate of bounty hunters I formed during the Clone Wars," Boba explained.

That was almost twenty years prior. "Sometimes I forget how old you are." Bossk laughed at Boba's exasperated look. He vaguely regretted them being comfortable with each other because ever since Kal had grown more and more sarcastic and clever. "And what kind of name is the Claw? It's like you're trying too hard to be intimidating. Black Sun and Crimson Dawn are loads better."

"Krayt's Claw is the full name." Boba was trying to save face by saying the full name, but he knew she had a point. He couldn't change the name though. He formed it when he was about her age.

"Like after a krayt dragon?" Kal inquired, losing her joking tone.

"They're formidable opponentsss, like usss," Bossk said. "I want to kill one before I retire. They're the ultimate mark of a hunter." That phrase will hunter her forever.

Kal grinned. "Would you believe me if I said I killed a krayt dragon?"

Dengar scoffed and decided at that moment to speak. "No." There was no way he believed a small girl had killed a krayt dragon. Not in a million years.

"Well, I did."

Dengar still didn't believe her. While Boba and Bossk had doubts, neither thought she'd claim something without proof, which is exactly what Dengar wanted to see. "Do you have any proof?" His smug expression didn't faze her.

"Yeah, it's the one I didn't sell." Kal quickly ran to her small quarters, dug through her backpack, and pulled out the krayt dragon pearl. She couldn't exactly figure out why Dengar's words bothered her so much, but they did. And she couldn't sit by and watch as someone refused to take her seriously. Back in the galley, she held the blue pearl up so all three male bounty hunters could see it.

The familiar weight of the pearl shifted from her hand to one of Boba's. He held it in awe. He'd never seen one before, only heard of them. Tusken Raiders on Tatooine especially prized them. Boba was both proud and amused. He looked up from the pearl in his hand and at Dengar. "Do you believe her now, Deng?"

Begrudgingly, Dengar nodded. His eyes glinted with slight admiration. "You're not so bad, kid."