"You! Getta outta my shop!"

"Is that any way to greet an old friend, Watto?" I asked with a broad grin that he definitely couldn't see behind my helmet. We've been on world for about an hour, the Jedi didn't want to be here anymore than the Queen did but at least she understood why we were here.

"Yous a good custa-ma, Tri'ent, ba' ya always, always, bri'g me trouble!" Watto shot back as Phantom, LT, and I walked through the door of the rundown little shop.

"Bantha shit," I scoffed, "you made half a million wupiupi the last time I was here!"

"Eight thousand peggat, Mandalorian," the Toydarian growled, "enough ta recoup my losses with Jabba, no muh, no less!"

"What the hell did you lose!?" I asked. We had only met once before but it was to get a shield generator for the Fist, thing still works like a charm. Worth every credit I had on me when I went to buy it - not that Watto knew that.

"What did I lose? What did I lose!?" The Toydarian practically screamed, "I los' da shield generata' and because I sold ta you Jabba decided to tax me even heavier dan usual! My slaves have been a workin' like crazy eva' since, ya bastahd!"

"How is that my fault!?" I asked, utterly flabbergasted, "no, nevermind," I said while closing my eyes and wishing I hadn't even come in today, "I'm here for a hyperdrive, and I'll pay you in water for it."

The Toydarian leaned across the counter, obviously interested despite himself. "Oh? 'Ow much wata'?"

"That depends on if you have the hyperdrive I need," I said coolly.

"You makin' dis harda' on me dan it has to be, Mando," he shot back, "what's da drive ya lookin' for?"

"A GBk-585 unit," I said, the Toydarian leaned back while stroking his chin slowly.

"Ani!" he called over his shoulder, "go get one uh da fighta' hypadrive we got las' week!"

"Yes, Watto!" a kid's voice called from the back of the shop as the Jedi Master and Padme walked in the store. I nearly facepalmed, I thought the Queen was going to stay in the ship and only the Ancestors knew why the Jedi was here.

"Whadda you want?" Watto growled slightly, "can't ya see I'm workin' wit' somebady?"

"Indeed," Qui Gon said calmly, "we are with them," he said indicating our group, making the Toydarian roll his eyes with a growled:

"Ah course ya are," before he turned back to me, "this hypadrive is pretty cheap, Mando. But in wata' it'll cost ya… Say, sev'n hundred gallons?"

"That's bantha shit and you know it," I growled, loosening my blaster in its holster, "try and cheat me again and I'll take it up with Jabba. You have two slaves, don't you? I'll give you three hundred gallons for the hyperdrive if you have the proper one here - intact and fully operational."

"Fi' hundred," he growled.

"Three and a half and that's the best you'll get from me, Toydarian."

"If I may," Qui Gon said quietly, getting my attention and the Toydarian's.

"No," I said quickly, "water's gold on this world, sir. And your republic credits will get you about as far as the ship you brought did - in other words? Nowhere."

"Understood," the unflappable master said evenly, "I'll remain silent."

"Thank you. Now, where were we, Watto?"

"Six and a 'alf," he said quickly.

"Two twenty just for that insult," I snapped back.

"Now yous insultin' me, Mando!"

"Less than you insulted me, bug," I shot back, leaning across the counter.

"Ohhh, you a dead Mando… T'ree hundred?"

"Two seventy-five, for this first one," I said, his eyes sparkling in slight confusion, "two fifty for any others you have." the Toydarian scratched his chin slightly as the unflappable Jedi Master turned to look at the small, sandy blonde dragging a repulsor lift with the hyperdrive unit on it.

"Here it is, Watto."

"Watch da store, Skywalka', me dwana no bata!"

"Yes, Watto," the boy said with a slight eyeroll as he walked over to a droid. I don't know what it is but there's something off about the kid, I let my eyes stay on him for a beat before I turn back to the hyperdrive. I let my HUD run a diagnostic on it but can't help my grin at the sight, the hyperdrive is in better than perfect condition and is ready for installation.

"I'll take it for two eighty, how many others do you have?"

"Nine," he says grumpily.

"I'll take six of them for the same price if you transport them. Meet me at my ship and I'll transfer you the water. Have the hyperdrives ready for me then," I said easily, Watto nodded in acceptance.

"Skywalkah!" he bellowed over his shoulder, "Ge' six of da otha' hypadrives li' dis one!"

"Yes Watto," the kid grumbled and stalked out back as the Jedi master eyed him oddly... Meh, probably the same thing I felt.

"Ani will help ya and ya cargo back to ya ship," Watto said, "it'll get tha horrid boy away fra' me for ah' least a few hour'," he muttered under his breath and buzzed away. I sighed knowing there was no way out of it.

"That boy was a slave?" Padme whispered as she slid beside me. I just nodded slowly in reply, the look on her face said everything she was too classy to say out loud.

After that we fell into a slightly uncomfortable silence waiting on the kid to come back. Thankfully, he got back rather quickly with six new hyperdrives all on repulsor lifts. The kid's eyes immediately locked on Padme and I just rolled my eyes, like hell an enslaved kid could get the queen of Naboo.

"So, when are we leaving?" the kid asked the Jedi, thinking he was in charge.

"Right now," I growled. The kid just glanced at me, scoffed, and looked back at the Jedi.

"I didn't ask you, bounty hunter, I asked the Jedi," I felt my anger swirl in my chest slightly, 'bounty hunter? Bounty hunter?! This Sand Rat has the audacity to call me, the heir of Clan Vizsla and second in command of Death Watch, a mere Bounty Hunter?!'

"Bounty hunter?" I asked quietly, out of the side of my HUD I saw Phantom and LT both stiffened at the tone. They knew if all too well, that was the 'the commander is fucking pissed, run for your lives!' tone. "Let me tell you exactly who I am, you damned sand rat-"

"Don't call me that!" he snapped, cutting me off as his blonde hair swirling like the sand around us. I growled but he just carried on, "my name is Anakin and I'm a person!"

"I don't care what you are, you will speak to me with more respect or I'll have to pay Watto more for making you into a grease stain," I barked at him. His eyes narrowed as he just scoffed.

"You wouldn't dare, a bounty hunter can't afford a pilot-mechanic."

"Good thing I'm no bounty hunter then," I snarled.

"Enough, Trident," Padme said quietly, laying her hand on my bicep. I looked down at her incredulously as her brown eyes met my visor. She nodded slowly before looking at the sand rat and tearing into him, "and you too, Anakin. Don't push him." Anakin looked at his feet for a second before pushing past me with the hyperdrives in tow. I glanced at Padme who was following the brat with her eyes with a frown on her face.

"Doesn't act like a slave, does he?" I asked lowly. Padme's lips pursed even further as the kid disappeared out of the door.

XXX

"Woah! It's so big!" the kid said as he looked at the Fist, I rolled my eyes as Phantom fiddled with the hilt of his lightsaber, LT loosened her blaster in her holster once again, and someone muttered that's what she said... Okay, that last bit may have been me but all three of us were being driven insane by the little shit, "what's it run?"

"Forty vestal virgins and a side dish of none of your damn business," I growled. I actually had to blink as I thought about what I just said, 'okay, what the hell are Vestal Virgins and where did the thought even come from?" I asked myself as the kid just turned to look at the Jedi instead.

"I am unsure," Jinn said, getting a raised eyebrow from the kid, "though I'm confident it is not run by these… Vestal virgins, as Trident so aptly put it." I grinned as the Jedi master looked slightly flustered.

"But it has to be your ship! Jedi get all the cool things," he said confidently.

"It's my ship," I hissed at the annoying little shit, "now just shut up, put the hyperdrives onboard, and leave."

"I can't leave, there's a sandstorm's blowing in," he said with a self-confident smirk. I whipped my head around and, sure enough, there was the mother of all sandstorms blowing in from the east. Quickly. Like, it would be on us in minutes, quickly.

"Get those hyperdrives onboard, now!" I roared, taking Padme in my arms and launched myself toward the ship. I saw Phantom pick up Jinn and do the same even as (and I winced as I realized it) LT got the little shit. The repulsor sleds homing in on Skywalker easily and quickly, in seconds we had the hyperdrives onboard the ship with the rest of our little crew, "are you okay?" I asked the girl in my arms. She nodded with a small blush.

"Yes, but if you could put me down?" I smirked slightly but did as she asked, "thank you, Trident."

"Fuck you, Trident!" I heard LT scream in Mando'a from across the bay, "if you ever put me in a position where I have to carry that disgusting, piece of Mythosaur shit, Sand Rat bastard again I'll cut your balls off and feed them to you!" I winced at that, knowing she was entirely serious. I'd seen her do it before, gruesome business but it worked out.

"You could have left him, A! I almost wished you had, damn it!"

"Then we would have had to hear him bitch about it until the storm passed!"

"We could always lock him in the brig," I snapped back and Ayla threw her head back as she laughed.

"What did she say?" Padme asked quietly as LT walked toward her interceptor and a group of heavies brought the hyperdrives in seconds before I felt the ship rock. I looked out the hangar door and saw a wall of sand trying to get inside the ray shield but failed miserably. I just sighed and looked back down at the beautiful queen.

"It's better you don't know," I scratched the back of my head slightly and she nodded but turned to look at something.

"What's he doing?" she asked quietly, I raised an eyebrow but followed her line of sight only to see the sand rat bolting over to one of the Talon-fighters.

"What is this?" he asked excitedly before bouncing off to the cordoned-off section of the hanger reserved specifically for the Strikers. I smirked as he was intercepted by a Heavy before he could go any further but that all went wrong with a wave of his hand. My eyes widened as the guard turned away without another word and the sand rat bolted straight for my Actis. After a short beat to register what the fuck just happened, the Jetti and I bolted over to my interceptor as fast as we could to stop the Sand Rat from causing anymore headaches. Thankfully, LT had already started orders to get the hyperdrives off the repulsor lifts and for the engineers to start working on squeezing as much thrust out of them as possible.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Sand Rat!?" I barked at the nuisance named Skywalker.

"I wanted to see the ships! Now leave me alone!" he said, waving his hand again - never looking at me.

"That doesn't work on us, Sand Rat," I said with an edge in my voice, the kid whirled around and his eyes actually bugged as he saw I was unaffected and reaching for my beskad.

"Trident," Qui Gon said calmly, "I understand you are frustrated, angry even. But violence is not the correct answer to the boy's actions."

"Then what is, Jetti? Because if you don't give me a damn good answer, I'll send Watto payment for services lost and a smoking corpse!" the kid finally understood what kind of danger he was in as he tried to start to edge away from us, "oh no," I said, forcing him up by his own blood, "you're staying right there."

"Let him go, Trident!" Qui Gon said heatedly, not understanding how I could pick the kid up without even raising a hand. I glared at him and focused on the slight amount of acid in the sand rat's stomach. I held that steady and let the arrogant ass fall. The boy fell to his face like a ragdoll… If a ragdoll could vomit and cry in pain. I almost felt regret for letting my anger get the best of me. I looked down at my fist and clenched it as the boy kept retching.

"Get him out of here or I'll kill him, Master Jinn," I said quietly, looking up at the pensieve Jedi Master. The Jedi nodded and took the boy's arm, pulling him to his feet, and dragged him out of the hangar - assumedly toward his cabin as I watched the paralyzed engineers, "well? Get to work!" I barked and immediately the hangar exploded into a flurry of activity. I saw Padme staring at me in what looked like a mixture of fear and confusion, I didn't even give her a second glance as I turned on heel and walked off the deck.

I needed to meditate.

XXX

Later…

"You mean to tell me this damn sand storm won't roll out for a couple of days?" I asked the Fist's pilot incredulously. I took a few hours to meditate but I could still feel my anger, feel the dark side, thrumming in my ears. I would have sighed if I were anywhere but on deck, I try to stay in the light but damn it the dark just feels so good.

"Yessir," the captain said as he examined his instruments and pulled me from my thoughts, "it appears to be that way. On the bright side? That should be plenty of time to install the hyperdrives you secured, ad'alor [1]. Then we can be off to Coruscant." He turned back to me with a grin that I almost returned.

"Finally, some good news," I joked. The Captain grinned even wider and opened his mouth to say something but, of course, that's when the alarms went off.

"What's happening?" I demanded of the pilot who had spun back to examine the instruments, but the alert had already been thrown up on screen.

"Sir!" a voice from the back of the bridge called as I examined the report and felt the dark side clawing to take control again, "it appears that the life support systems have been damaged, critically!"

"How the fuck are our life support systems critically damaged?" I roared, donning my helmet and following the crew of Heavies, astromechs, and engineers to our life support systems which also housed the shielding array.

We got there and saw something that almost made me hemorrhage.

Anakin fucking Skywalker standing in front of the smoking life control system while he tinkered with what looked like the shielding array.

"What did you do to my ship!?" I bellowed at the kid who didn't even look up from his place on the floor, enraging me that much more. "If I say the word," I told my troops in a deadly cold voice, "you'll open fire on this little shit. As it is, restrain him and toss him in the brig. Watto will want to know before I execute him."

That got the kid to whirl around with wide eyes, "you wouldn't kill me!"

"I wouldn't?" I asked in a fake confused voice before I smacked my visor with the palm of my hand, "you're right!" he swelled up slightly but I walked closer to him as I drew my beskad, and placed the razor-sharp blade at his throat, "I'd cut you into tiny, little, bloody bits before I thought about granting you the mercy of death," I hissed before I turned away from the little shit, letting the heavies that just marched in do their jobs.

"Me'copaani mhi at ti adiik, ad'alor?" [what should we do with the boy, sir?] The Heavy holding the squirming kid asked. Anakin froze at the unfamiliar language but glared at me with rage filled eyes all the same.

"Ibac naasad adiik, ibac 'uur cuun are'u. Ibic 'uur kaysh borarir," [that's no boy, that's our enemy. This is his work] was all I said back to the man, nodding toward the life support system. Every heavy in the room looked at the life support system and tensed up, the one holding the Sand Rat's entire demeanor changed in a heartbeat as soon as he laid eyes on the machine.

"You…" he growled at the now terrified kid, "pray that the ad'alor gets you first, he will have mercy. I will not."

And with that, a pair of Mandalorians frog marched the pleading, squirming Sand Rat from the Life Control systems and toward the brig.

"How long will it take to fix this?" I asked heavily, pulling my helmet off.

"I don't know, sir," a female engineer said as she looked at the life support systems. I'll have a team working on it around the clock. I'll give you my report every evening."

"Acceptable," I said quietly, "finish it in three days and I'll increase your pay by a quarter, permanently, and your team will get a twenty percent raise. A week and that pay raise will be twenty percent for you and five for your team, under two and you get the five percent raise while your team gets nothing. I'm sure you know what happens after two weeks?"

"Elek, ad'alor," she said quietly, already scanning the machine and barking orders into a microphone on her collar.

"Oh, and Lieutenant?" I said casually, turning my head back to her, "finish it in a week or less and you won't be a Lieutenant anymore - the same goes if you take longer than a month to finish."

"Elek, ad'alor," she said more hurriedly, her eyes blazing with determination. I chuckled slightly as I walked away from what could be a potentially catastrophic situation and donned my helmet one more time, the dark side screaming to be let go. 'Maybe I need to find the Jedi…' I shuddered at the thought as I walked into the hallway.

XXX

Nine Days Later…

"Excellent," I said to the woman standing over my desk, "you've done well."

"Thank you, sir," she said proudly, her chest puffed out and eyes blazing with excitement.

"I'm impressed that you finished it so fast. When you told me the extent of the damage after the third day, I was expecting the repairs to take at least three weeks. I don't know how you managed to motivate your team, Lieutenant, but I am most impressed."

"Sir, thank you, sir!" she said again. I waved my hand at the brunette in an obvious move for dismissal. She hesitated slightly but turned on her heel and marched for the door.

"Oh," she stopped as she reached the door at my voice, "and consider your pay raise active. And the one for your team as well, Commander." Her eyes widened at the unexpected promotion, after all she was just a lieutenant and two ranks away from a command post that wasn't due for another five or six years and she earned it in just over a week, "elek, ad'alor," she said quietly.

"Ba'gedet'ye, al'verde," [you're welcome, commander] I said back with a smile that she couldn't see under my helmet. She left the room after a crisp salute and smile on her face as I leaned back further into my chair with a heavy sigh. That damned Sand Rat may have cost us a week and some change on this hellhole but since the storm only broke yesterday we weren't out too much time. Not to mention that there were a few bright sides to being stranded. First of all, I was able to get the screaming of the dark side out of my head with help from Qui-Gon whenever he wasn't training his padawan. Secondly? Hotshot got to see the Boonta Eve Classic. She adores Podracing for some strange reason I couldn't fathom, but I found it far better to leave her to her quirks than listen to her bitch about what I kept her from. The damned event is apparently the largest pod-race in the galaxy and she would have wanted to stay for it anyway.

"Boss?" speak of the devil… "we have a situation," Hotshot said over the radio.

"What kind of situation?" I asked, already calling all the Strikers to the hanger as I strode out of the bridge, Hotshot wouldn't have called in unless it was earth shaking news.

"Short, blonde, and thought you'd killed it. The Sand Rat is racing."

"He's what!?" I barked into the comms, my anger radiating off of me and into the Force, I felt the dark rising and squashed it ruthlessly. I closed my eyes and took a shuddering breath but my blood was still up, "never mind, we'll be there in two minutes, tops. I'll kill that damned sand rat and those thrice-damned, Jetti myself!"

"And why am I marked for death?" the serene voice of master Jinn called from my left, I whirled around to see him standing there as confused as I was.

"Where's your Padawan?" I snapped, the Jedi looked confused so I started explaining, "the Sand Rat's at the Boonta Eve, he was a level three prisoner meaning he was under some of my best guards. No one should have been able to get him out, unless they were a Jedi. My people are good, but not that good yet," I grudgingly admitted. "I spoke to Watto who relinquished the slave to me, he didn't want Jabba's wrath coming down on his head with my own. If you want the kid, take him. If he dies in this thing? Even better for me, but he will be confined to the ship for the duration that he's aboard my ship."

"Understood," the man said with a smirk, "shall we go find the wayward youngling then?"

"We lost the Sand Rat? How the bloody hell did that happen?" Golem's unmistakable voice called as his towering figure made itself known.

"I didn't want to torture you six by guarding the little cunt," I said to him as the rest of the team joined us, "so I assigned that duty to the 'alor's retinue onboard."

"Ah," Golem said as he crossed his arms over his chest, "we're taking the speeders?"

"Yes."

"Good thing I launched them already," Cap's voice called from over my shoulder as she, LT, and Oak walked into the hangar in perfect formation while Phantom flickered into existence next to Golem.

"Launch another," I said, glancing at the Jedi. Cap didn't have to do anything, just nod to where the six jumpbikes were sitting in launch position.

"Impressive speeders," the Jedi said, walking over to the farthest speeder. I nodded approvingly, tossing him a helmet as I took the closest bike.

"Brace yourself," I told the Jedi, "these are meant to interface with a helmet, jetpack, and magboots. Not bare hands and the Force but we don't have much equipment to spare."

"I will manage. Thank you, Trident," the man said in his calm as ever demeanor as he slipped the helmet on and strapped himself to the bike's back.

"Hotshot," I barked into my helmet, turning to face the desert again.

"Yeah?"

"Get armored, we're coming in hot."

"One step ahead of you, boss," she said into the comms before she started cheering for blood with the rest of the crowd. I grumbled and cut the connection, turning to give a nod to the engineers. With a wave of one's hand, a man across the hangar threw a lever - starting the Electromagnetic Launch System (EmLS for short). I felt my magboots engage while the ejection system locked in my jetpack, if the bike crashed - or one was imminent - then the system would launch me sky high and act as a rocket-powered parachute. Before I knew it, the seven of us were off like blaster bolts. The EmLS was based on the Shatter gun principle, using an electromagnetic field to launch the jump bikes at ludicrous speeds. We shot out of the hangar at just over the speed of sound, much to the Jedi's displeasure. Thankfully, he didn't voice his annoyance as we rocketed to Mos Espa, praying that the slave would actually die so that he would finally be out of my hair.

Two minutes later and we were at Mos Espa's gates only to be stopped by Hutt enforcers.

"Halt! Mos Espa is closed by order of his greatness, Jabba! If you do not possess tickets for the Boonta Eve Classic, turn back or face certain death!" a Nikto male called out.

I raised my hand and dismounted from my speeder, "I do not possess tickets, but I am here on business with Watto the Todaryian. He and I closed a deal over a slave but we have been stranded in the desert so I do not have the little bastard's remote. He entered the Boonta Eve without my consent, the Sand Rat's name is Anakin Skywalker of Tatooine," I called out, not liking the fact that I essentially bought a slave even if it was Watto trying to prevent the Hutts from coming down on his head.

"Ah, yes, I am aware of the human. I was under the impression he was still Watto's slave as he is racing the Toydarian's pod," the Nikto said with an edge in his voice.

"He's doing what!?" I barked at the Nikto standing in front of me, he narrowed his eyes underneath his helmet.

"You did not know?"

"No! The little bastard's been in lockup for over a week! He destroyed my life support systems and I thought I could swindle the Jedi Council by selling him off to them, or at least make their lives hell by dumping him with them." I barked, not missing Qui Gon's raised eyebrow. The Nitko relaxed immediately but glanced at the Jedi.

"A worthy attempt, Mandalorian. Yet, the Great Jabba's orders still stand. If you do not own a ticket you shall have to wait until the race is completed. Should your helms be linked to the Galactic Holo, I believe the live stream is connected to channel Arkanis-Tatooine-Espa-Nine."

I just grunted and waved my hand at the guy, turning back to my strikers and noticing with a small smirk that Phantom and his bike had disappeared.

"Nuhaatyc, me'bana?" [Phantom, what's happening?"] my HUD flashed for a second as Phantom's video feed was pushed over my viewscreen. I growled as I saw that he had launched his drone to find and track the Sand Rat. The race was in lap three and toward the end of the race at that, "so he's not dead yet," I muttered as I watched him jockey for a few meters of ground.

"How, in the name of the ancestors, is he dodging the Dug?" Golem voiced the question we were all thinking.

"I have no idea," Oak answered, just as pissed at the little shit as the rest of us were. We all watched in disbelief as the sandrat not only passed the dug but made him crash in a ball of fire and parts. I narrowed my eyes as the bastard raced across the finish line.

"He won?" LT asked, completely baffled.

"The son of a bitch did it," I growled as the Nikto brought his wrist up to his mouth and listened to something being said. He nodded and stepped apart, raising his spear in an obvious signal.

"Mos Espa is now open to the public, by the order of his greatness and grace, Jabba!" the Nitko proclaimed as we anchored the bikes and launched skyward. The Jedi, since he didn't have a jetpack, just walked into the city as fast as he could as we hurtled toward the stands and the other two of our comrades. As we approached the raceway, I saw Hotshot's distinctive armor race skyward toward us while Phantom appeared on my HUD before flickering to life beside me. Together, we landed at the near-empty starting lane, pistols drawn as we surrounded the Sand Rat propped up on the Padawan's shoulders.

"Disperse," I barked to the crowd through a small voco-modulator in my helmet, it didn't do anything besides amplify my voice but it sure was handy for times like this. "Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you are to come back to the Fist of Mandalore with us. Skywalker, you have wronged us too many times for this to stand. You were being held in good faith but you are now my prisoner for true. Padawan Kenobi, you have aided in the escape of a slave assumedly for sport and your own entertainment. Further, you have assisted in thievery from a shopkeep of this planet. Any winnings you have won from this bloodsport shall be transferred to him, your master agrees to these terms and I remand you to him for your punishment."

"Indeed, I do," Master Jinn said as he strolled out of the crowd easily, "you will stand before the Council for this, Padawan. I had thought you were ready for knighthood, perhaps I should reconsider," he said coldly. I nodded approvingly as Obi-Wan took on a pained expression while Anakin was nearly panicking from behind a woman.

"This is your son?" I asked the woman quietly. She nodded at me as I glared at the Padawan again, "then I shall see you are freed, you will have what little time you can with him. My child, my life."

"My child, my life," Captain and LT murmured to themselves but I heard it clearly through the radios.

"Thank you," she said, falling to her knees as her pained expression slacked in that small amount of relief.

"What is the meaning of this?" I heard an amplified protocol droid's voice come from the top booth. I turned to see Jabba's enraged face but it quickly turned into one of surprise, "Son of Death's Head," I heard the voice of his protocol droid call from next to him, "what business do you have with this slave?"

"A debt owed," I called back. The Hutt didn't look happy but nodded all the same.

"Then go, return only if you must."

"I would have left a week ago, mighty Jabba. The boy is the reason I remain here. He single-handedly sabotaged my ship's life support unit badly enough that it took a team of my best until just today to finish the repairs," I called back to the Hutt who looked completely taken aback.

"Aboard the Fury and Fear?" I could tell the slug was pissed but the protocol droid just couldn't convey that rage.

"That was the name you had for her, aye," I called back to the Hutt in a flat tone.

"Do with the boy as you please, in my eyes his life is forfeit," I glanced at the ghostly pale Sand Rat who was trembling in his mother's arms, "but if you kill him, I ask you to make it quick. He was an excellent pilot. If you do not, he is no longer welcome on this planet - it is henceforth barred from him. Begone within the hour."

"Now do you see why I didn't want you sticking your nose around, Sand Rat?" I asked the kid as Jabba turned around to leave, "I bought that ship off of that particular Hutt. He upgraded it and made it one of his ships, but it was never his favorite," I hissed.

The boy said nothing, just nodding as I looked to the Strikers, "execute Shuk'la Buy'ce protocol. I have a Toydarian to negotiate with," I growled, "and take the Sand Rat with you."

"Bounty hunters? Why would we have to deal with them?" Hotshot asked.

"They'll want our ship for themselves since they know it was one of Jabba's," I growled lowly into the radio unit. The six stiffened immediately, they all knew that anything once belonging to the Hutts was pretty much open season for Bounty Hunters.

"We'll set up the Turbolasers and point systems, immediately," LT said as she took to the sky, the rest of the crew following her except for Phantom who was effectively my personal shadow while Oak and Golem stayed grounded, escorting the nuisance and his mother back to the ship.

XXX

"Whada'ya- You! I thought I told ya to stay outta me shop!" Watto howled as I stepped into the small, dusty area.

"You did, I'm here for two things. The Sand Rat's remote and his mother's," Watto's eyes bugged but he slid the remote to me easily.

"You not gettin' two slaves from me, Mando! You haven't even paid for da' hypadrives!"

"And whose fault is that? I have the payment ready but I'm not dragging it back here for your sorry ass, get a water truck if you want that water. Or we can call it even with the winnings from the Boonta Eve, the sandrat stole your pod so the winnings are yours by rights. Keep in mind that I could simply compensate you for the loss of your pod… As for Madam Skywalker and if you'd like to think of this as compensation for the water," I pulled a small, glowing, green crystal from a pouch in my belt and slid it onto the counter.

"Wha' kinna trash is dis, Mando," the Toydarian scoffed as he picked up the crystal with a pair of tweezers he had in his toolbelt.

"A kyber crystal," that was all I had to say for the Toydarian to whip his head up and look at me in horror mixed with a lot more interest but he pushed the crystal away anyway.

"No! I cannah take dis! If a Jedi foun' me wit' it, I'd be a dead Toydarian!"

"But if you sell it to Jabba then you can make enough for three slaves and recoup your losses from losing the hyperdrives and the pod if your winnings don't manage that. On the other hand, if you make the trip to Nar Shaddaa and sell the thing to Grakkus you would be in his favor. Not only that, but you would also make enough to live like a king, for a few days at least."

"And why is dat, Mando? Betta yet, why ain't you done did it if it's so valu'ble?" the Toydarian asked shrewdly.

"Then I'd have to kill the greedy Hutt," I said, much to the bug's shock, "he likes collecting Jedi artifacts but he doesn't have an operational lightsaber - thank the Force. Give him that and he would be a step closer to accomplishing it, but he would never let me go."

"Grakkus knows who ya are?" the Toydarian asked quietly, I nodded.

"Jabba may have saddled me with the name Neecho, but the rest of the Galaxy knows me as Kyr'am kovid ad'alor, the Son of Death's head. Jabba even called me it today," I growled and the Toydarian snatched up the crystal on the counter, pushing another remote to me.

"Get outta my shop an' don't come back. I don't need no attention fra' Jabba o' any udda Hutt," he growled, marshaling me out of the door and into the sand.

I turned to where I knew Phantom was, nodded once and took to the sky. Together, we both went to where the speeders were and saw them swarmed by Jawas intent on scrapping them both. I fired off a single blaster bolt in annoyance, dropping one Jawa like a gnat. Together, we landed our feet but I was the only one to ignite my lightsaber.

"Leave," I hissed at the scavengers. They grabbed their comrade's body and did just that, scattering like womp rats as they tore off toward their sand crawler, "let's go, J," I said quietly to the man behind me as we jumped on our speeders.

XXX

[1] - Child of the Leader