The ship was ancient and decrepit, fitting in perfectly with its arid surroundings. It was a piece of junk that would probably never die, just continue to get more and more out of date.
"One day," Raja mused. "I'll invest in an upgrade. When the credits and bounties come a bit easier." But for now, she would make do with what she had.
Her mood had soured during the long walk from Gardulla's lavish home as she grappled with the wailing toddler. Anakin had been throwing a tantrum of extraordinary proportions since he'd been taken from his mother. Screaming, crying, kicking and hitting, and generally making his displeasure known. Raja didn't have a lot of experience with children, but she was sure that they weren't usually this bad. It was a small miracle she had gotten him back to the ship without being stopped.
Even as she lowered the boarding plank, his wails continued. The young bounty hunter grit her teeth as she hauled the boy into the ship. It was small, with little room to spare, so there would be no escaping his relentless cries.
Raja wrestled the boy into a seat and strapped him in as best she could. Once the child was sufficiently restrained, Raja went to the cockpit to initiate takeoff. Carefully guiding the ship, she left the dusty planet behind. As they left the atmosphere and sped through space, she hesitated, trying to decide what to do next. She'd wanted to leave Tatooine as fast as possible, but she didn't know where to go next. Originally she'd planned to lay low until another promising bounty came along, but now she had custody of a young slave boy.
Raja sighed, leaning back in her chair and letting her eyes close. She was young and struggling to get by. She couldn't take the child. She didn't want to. She wasn't qualified to care for him long-term and she wasn't willing to make the sacrifices needed for Anakin to have a quality life.
She let the problem swirl around her brain, trying to find a solution. Anakin's screams provided a background cacophony that wasn't doing much to help. Eventually, his tantrum began to abate, his cried turning into exhausted whimpers.
Raja took a deep breath and held it for several moments, then released it slowly. Before she could second guess her decision she began putting the coordinates in for Corellia. She'd just have to take it one step at a time. And the first step would be getting the kid into the Republic system discretely and she had plenty of contacts in Corellia. She didn't want any authorities looking too closely at them, as she was little more than a child herself.
Once they were safely in hyperspace Raja went back to where Anakin was crying softly to himself. He reached for her, willing to forgive her, his desire for human comfort overpowering his indignation and fear. Raja released a breath in a light sigh before turning to remove her helmet. She set it down and ran her fingers through her short hair. It was damp with sweat. Usually, her helmet kept her cool, but Tatooine proved to outmatch its capabilities. Turning, she released Anakin and allowed him to climb into her arms. He held her tightly and his whimpers quieted. Raja sat, holding the child gently, if awkwardly. She held him as he settled into sleep, her mind planning their next steps.
Author's Note: My apologies for the delay in getting this chapter out. I wasn't originally planning it and it was giving me problems, but I felt it was essential to give more insight into Raja's character. Please remember that she's a young teenager who has been alone most of her life. I have the next few chapters drafted so they should be published soon. Any feedback is appreciated.