1 BBY

Kal woke up to the sound of the ship starting up. Rubbing her eyes, she climbed out of bed, threw on clothes haphazardly, and made her way to the cockpit to see what Boba was up to.

In the pilots chair was Boba, already dressed in his armor with his helmet sitting on the chair next to him. As he heard Kal's sluggish footsteps approach, he turned around in the chair. "Jabba the Hutt has a job. He wanted to hire me but I'm already working on something."

Kal's face pinched. "You mean we're on a job," she tried to correct, distinctly remembering they were both working on tracking the same bounty.

"No, I'm on a job," Boba stated sternly with no room for an argument no matter how badly Kal wanted to retort. "You're going to do the job for Jabba in my place. He's already expecting you."

She knew who the Hutts were. How could she not? She grew up on Tatooine and spent some time on Coruscant. Even if she hadn't become a bounty hunter, her past had already distinctly laid out her knowledge of the Hutt Cartel. And she definitely did not want to work for him. Nevertheless, Boba volunteered her services. If that meant working for a slimy alien, she would. For Boba. Only for Boba. "What's the job?" she asked as she picked up his helmet and sat on the chair.

Boba watched as Kal turned the helmet a few times. "I don't know. He was going to tell me face to face. He's being strangely secretive about it and was adamant that I be the one to go, but I told him you have my faith."

Looking up from the green Mandalorian helmet, Kal's face pinched again. "I don't know if that's scary or comforting."

The man chuckled. "You'll be alright."

It was nice to hear that Boba had faith in Kal's abilities. "Fine, where am I going?"

The ship jolted as it rose from the ground and the landing mechanisms retracted. "Jabba is on Tatooine. That's where you'll meet him, at his palace."

Kal's head snapped towards Boba. "What?"

"He has a palace." Boba's simple innocence to what she was asking at times was nice. He was more focused on a palace than on a terrible planet.

"Yeah, yeah, I got that. Don't expect anything less than that for a Hutt. But Tatooine?"

Boba's far-away look of musing donned his expression. "I guess I've always considered the location strange too since the planet is so dry, but yes, he's on Tatooine." At her silence, he glanced away from the windshield that now showed stars. They were about to enter hyperspace. "Why, what's wrong?"

A sense of dread filled her stomach. "It's-it's nothing. Just never thought I'd go to that dustball."

Although Boba could tell something else was wrong, he didn't want to pry too much. The last time he had asked her questions about her father and training as a Jedi, she clammed up when beings pressed for details. She was about to go do her first job for a Hutt. She didn't need to be second guessing anything. The stars blurred together as the Slave 1 entered hyperspace, making the jump to Tatooine.

Kal left Boba's presence to get fully dressed. Her boots were laced over her tights. Her shorts were secured by the harness that held her padawan braid and kyber crystals. Her tank top fit snuggly around her torso. Ever since revealing to Boba her training as a Jedi, she had clipped her lightsaber to the harness so she could have it with her at all times. Her long, black overcoat covered it easily along with a small blaster that was clipped to her other hip. Around her waist, securing her coat, was her utility belt. Two small sporting blasters were attached on each side. The last piece of her ensemble was her armor. One leather bracer that had her comlink on her right forearm. Durasteel armor covering her left shoulder, bicep, forearm, and fist. Kal picked up her heavy blaster from its place on a chair. She was ready for her introduction to the Hutt Cartel.

The Slave 1 docked in Mos Espa. Kal resisted the urge to cringe at the feeling of wind-blown sand as she walked down the loading ramp. At the top of the ramp was Boba giving her a salute. He had already given her the spiel about doing business with a Hutt: be polite and courteous, only speak when spoken to, don't question the job, do the job quickly and efficiently, don't negotiate the pay. It was almost the exact opposite of what should be done with almost any other employer, but she knew why. The Hutts were not known for their patience and understanding.

The droid, who Kal decided to name Gray after her revelation and its new matching paint job, beeped sadly as they walked through the bustling port city. Kal rented a speeder in order to make it to Jabba's Palace on the outskirts of the Dune Sea. She had a slight urge to go see her dad, but she couldn't make herself do it. She was hired for a job. She had to go meet her employer.

Her hair whipped in the wind as she flew across the sand towards the gangster's palace. It truly was a palace. It was tall, imposing, and stuck out like a sore thumb against the desert and sky. Where else would a powerful member of the Hutt Clan live?

Other speeders were located outside of the palace, so Kal parked near them and made her way up to the front door. There was no doorbell or knocker. The door barely even looked like a front door, just a large piece of metal bigger than a garage door. Kal decided to give knocking a try but barely made it close enough to try before a small hatch opened and a droid gatewatcher poked through.

"Who are you?" the droid asked in Huttese.

"Kaleena Aput," Kal replied. "Boba Fett sent me to meet with Jabba about a job." The familiar tone of Huttese had a fairly soothing affect on her nerves. At least she was comfortable with something about Tatooine.

The droid slid back into the door and the small hatch sealed shut. For a moment, everything was silent. Kal almost believed she wouldn't be allowed entry. But shortly after, the creaking of the large door could be heard as it slid upwards slowly. The thing needed to be greased. The bright twin suns of Tatooine bathed the inside of the palace with light as Kal ducked under the slow moving door to enter a grand hall. The floor was covered in sand as she walked, passing Gamorean guards on her way. The door fully closed with a loud crash as a pale Twi'lek male dressed in dark robes hurried up to her.

"De wanna wanga," the Twi'lek greeted. He was most likely Jabba's majordomo.

Kal bowed her head. "H'chu apenkee." His expression shifted into slight surprise as though he hadn't believed that she would be able to speak Huttese. Obviously, she did since she made it past the door. Unless the gatekeeper had a Basic setting that Kal was unaware of. But she knew that the greeter most definitely knew Basic, so Kal switched to it. "Boba Fett sent me to do a job in his place."

"Follow me. Jabba wants to meet you." The majordomo waved his hand as he turned around. Kal followed the Twi'lek deeper into the palace to Jabba's throne room. The room was lively, filled with music and chatting guests. The majordomo indicated for Kal to stand in the middle of the room, in front of the Hutt that sat on the throne with a scantily clad human female, as he went to speak to him.

Jabba the Hutt gestured for the band to stop playing the moment he spotted Kal. It took all her will not to freeze or look uncomfortable. She was a professional bounty hunter. She had no reason to be worried. Even if she was currently standing in front of a powerful gangster in the middle of a room filled with assassins, smugglers, and other bounty hunters. Kal made sure her stance was relaxed, holding her heavy blaster rifle downwards with her left arm folded over it. She didn't want to look threatening.

"You are the one sent by Boba Fett." With Jabba's words, the whole room grew even quieter. No one was whispering in hushed tones or chatting flamboyantly. Everyone's eyes were on her.

"Yes."

Jabba hummed as he studied her. "He spoke highly of you. What is your name?"

"Kaleena Aput."

"You are the one who took down Safonne Pendon, are you not?"

Kal knew she shouldn't have been surprised that the Hutt knew about that bounty, but she still couldn't help it. She worked with the great Boba Fett. There was no way people should recognize her name. "Yes, I am."

A deep throated laugh erupted from the Hutt. "You will serve me well." His thick fingers pointed towards her, majordomo took his cue.

"Boska!" the majordomo ordered, waving for her to go with him. Kal lifted the blaster, resting it on her shoulder as she followed the Twi'lek to a smaller, separate chamber while the sounds of music filled the throne room again. Inside the smaller room was a human male and a Wookiee lounging on the seats.

The man sat up as they entered the room. His eyes narrowed at Kal before he turned to the Twi'lek. "Bib, I thought we were working with Boba Fett?" he asked. His deep, sultry voice was filled with skepticism.

"There's been a change of plans," the Twi'lek answered. Kal wanted to laugh at his name, Bib, but she dared not to in his presence. "This is his associate. She'll be taking his place." Without more explanation, Bib left the room, leaving Kal with two strangers.

The Wookiee howled and seemed to laugh, but not at her. "Yeah, yeah, Chewie, I know," the man grumbled before grinning at her. "Han Solo. I'm the captain of the Millennium Falcon. This is Chewbacca. You are?"

"Kaleena." Her response was quick and concise. She just wanted to finish the job she was hired to do. "What's the job?"

"What, your buddy Fett didn't tell you?" Han's cynicism, sarcasm, and obvious dislike of Boba made her want to punch him already.

Kal's eyes closed a little, glaring at him. "He doesn't know either." Han wanted to say something rude or sarcastic back, but Chewie interrupted him before he could. "Sorry, I don't know Shyriiwook." She meant it. She was actually sorry that she couldn't understand what the Wookiee was saying. From her shoulder, Gray whistled and beeped. Kal brought the rifle down from her shoulder and looked at her wrist to read the translation. "I'm supposed to be a bodyguard?" Kal looked directly at her droid. "I don't remember programming you to understand Shyriiwook. That doesn't matter. What am I supposed to be guarding?"

Han ignored the interaction with the droid, going straight to the point. "Jabba wants us to smuggle something past an Imperial blockade. First, we need to pick it up from an Imperial occupied planet. Chewie is too easily noticeable and the Empire doesn't like aliens, so he'll be staying with the Falcon while you and I get the shipment. You'll also man the guns while we go through the blockade. Your accent might also help."

"When do we leave?"

Kal returned the rented speeder before joining Han and Chewie on their ship. She immediately regretted taking in the job as she saw the condition of the freighter. But she sucked it up. Her, Han, and Chewie couldn't be at each other's throats during this job. It required cooperation otherwise they would fail and not get paid. Not to mention, Jabba probably had plenty of pilots on his payroll. There was no way he'd hire an unreliable smuggler.

Han and Chewie were priming the ship for takeoff as she found her way to the cockpit. The ship as a whole seemed more like a home than Boba's ship. Granted, Boba wasn't a very sentimental person. Han glanced back at Kal when she walked in. "Strap yourself in, we're about to take off."

She didn't reply, but heeded his words. She sat in the chair behind Chewie, set her blaster rifle on the floor next to her, and buckled the seat belt. Kal was glad something at least seemed to work in the ship. The ship creaked as it lifted off the ground, making Kal grip the seat below her and glance around cockpit, slightly scared she signed her death warrant by boarding the ship.

Han flew the ship out of the hangar bay and into the sky, leaving Tatooine. As they entered hyperspace, Han turned around in his chair. "This time tomorrow, we'll be getting paid," he said optimistically.

An eyebrow raised as Kal glanced over the man. "You're strangely certain."

He waved his hands. "Well, what can I say? Gotta believe in your skills or you'd never get anything done." Han then hopped out of his chair and left the cockpit, heading towards the lounge.

The girl turned to the still seated Wookiee. "Is he always that infuriatingly arrogant?" she asked the hairy alien. Chewie shrugged his shoulders and nodded while making a few small noises. Kal didn't need a translation to know what that meant. "Hm. How'd you avoid the Empire anyway? I thought most of the Wookiees were enslaved." Apparently, that was the wrong thing to ask. Chewie roughly stood with a growl and hurried out of the cockpit, most likely to find Han. Gray beeped, so Kal read the translation. They are. She frowned. "Remind me to ask Boba if he added additional programming without my consent."

It couldn't be a coincidence that Kal took Boba's place to work with Han Solo and Chewbacca, especially when her droid was programmed with a language that Chewie spoke and that she herself hadn't programmed Gray to understand. Boba had known more about the mission than he let on. But why hadn't he told her? If it had anything to do with Han's obvious disdain towards the Mandalorian, she would have understood if Boba simply didn't want to work with him.

"Send a message to Boba," she ordered Gray. "Call him a liar."