The scent of beer and death sticks filtered through Anakin's nose as he entered the club once more.
"Stay close to me R2 around here you'll never find a more wretched hive of the Core's scum and villainy."
R2 beeped inquisitively
"I have a friend that I think could help us identify this dart." As he spoke, he noticed Lunae sitting at a table from the corner of his eye. A moment later, she looked straight at him and gave him a gesture to hither toward her. Anakin obliged.
"Hey handsome, did you miss me?"
Anakin smirked. "I'm here for business not pleasure."
Lunae shook her head with a teasing scoff. "Jedi business?"
Anakin nodded.
Luane smiled. "Ah well, perhaps another time. What is it that you need in the meantime?"
Anakin pulled out the toxic dart from one of his Robe pockets. "Do you think you can tell me where this dart came from? I looked through the archives at the temple and it was labeled as unidentified."
Luane grabbed the dart and observed it. A grin came across her face. "Well, I got good news and bad news. The bad news is I can't tell you much about this. The good news is I know who could."
She pointed to a figure. It was a duro leaning against a chair with his feet on the table. A brown hat covered his eyes, and a cigarette was hanging loosely from his mouth. Lunae let out a whistle. "Bane, Nan wata jeejee dayan uba!"
The figure looked over and took his cigarette out of his mouth, crushing it in the ashtray in front of him.
"Someone call out my name?" the figure asked in a gravelly voice.
Lunae signaled him to come over. The figure couldn't help but smirk. "Of course, I should have known it'd be you, Minx. What's the job this time, some deadbeat fleece your old man again?"
"Actually, my friend here needs your help. Anakin Skywalker, this is Cad Bane mercenary, bounty hunter, and gunslinger extraordinaire. Cad Bane, this is Anakin Skywalker, jedi knight.
Lunae handed him the dart. "Can you tell us what this is?"
Bane looked at the dart and then gave a smile. "Not only can I tell you what this is, I can tell you who is the man that uses it...for the right price that is."
Minx smiled and handed Bane 500 credits, which the mercenary wasted no time pocketing.
"What you're looking at here is a Kamino saberdart. They're sharp and easy to hide unless you know what you're looking for. Looks like the shooter shot this one in a panic. You're getting sloppy, Jango."
"Jango?" Anakin asked, cocking his head to the side.
"Jango Fett, He's a mandalorian bounty hunter, an old war vet that fought the death watch during the Mandalorian Civil War. He was recruited by some unknown client after being hired to take down a cult called the Bando Gora. Some sort of job working as a template for those cloners on Kamino. He doesn't get out very much these days.``
"Can you tell me where to find this Kamino planet?" Anakin asked.
"Yeah it's beyond the outer rim, about twelve parsecs outside the Rishi Maze. Give me a minute, I'll have my droid make you a copy of my star map. I've dealt with both Jango and these cloners before. As long as you have a deep pocketbook the cloners will treat you just fine. Jango, on the other hand, doesn't trust anyone. So if you want to confront him, you better be willing to fight."
Anakin smirked. "I'll keep that in mind."
Lunae smiled. "Since you're here, Cad, my Jedi friend here has another potential job. If you're interested."
Cad cocked his head to the side. "Huh, never took a job from the council before. Didn't think the Jedi liked my kind of scum."
"This isn't from the Jedi order." Minx assured him. "This is personal…and off the record."
Bane smiled, "I don't turn down a job, as long as the price is right."
"You see, my friend here had to leave his mom behind when the Jedi recruited him into their ranks. She's a slave girl, he hasn't seen her in years. Poor thing's losing sleep over it. Problem is, officially he's not allowed to see her as part of the Jedi order."
"Wellness check huh? Not my usual repertoire, but I'm not against it. What's the pay?"
"5000..." Anakin blurted out the price without thinking much about it. Even Cad had to take a step back.
"Heh, I can't believe I'm saying this, but 5000 credits is steep for a wellness check on a slave girl."
Anakin looked at Minx who just smiled and nodded. It seemed like whatever he was willing to offer Cad, she was willing to foot the bill.
"My mother was about the only thing I had as a slave. I don't want to lose her because I wasn't there for her. Everytime I go to sleep I hear her screaming and calling my name. As bizarre as it sounds, I know she's in trouble, I just don't know from what exactly."
Cad smirked. "Ohh, so it's not just a wellness check. You need the woman rescued from some unknown hostels and smuggled off the planet alive, and you need it done without the Jedi knowing."
Anakin nodded.
"Now that's my kind of job. Got any leads?"
Anakin took out a holographic image of his mother. Granted it was ten years old but it was the most recent picture of her he had. He never went anywhere without it.
"Her name is Shimi Skywalker. She works for a junk dealer named Watto on the Planet Tatooine."
Cad chuckled. "Oh yeah I know him. Toydarian, Skinflint, big gambling addict...I'm assuming this woman is no good to you dead."
Minx tossed him 2000 thousand credits. "Consider it your payment should you bring her back dead. Bring her alive and you'll get the other 3000."
Cad tipped his hat. "You got yourself a bounty hunter. Pleasure to do business with you two."
Bane gave Anakin the Star Map copy, while Anakin and Minx gave him their communication links.
"Keep in touch with Skywalker and me if anything comes up we want to know about it. If any...unexpected costs come up, put it to my charge."
"Noted," Bane said. "Skywalker, be careful. Fett has killed Jedi knights before...with his bare hands."
"Understood, I'll make sure to be vigilant."
Bane opened his comlink. "Todo, ready my ship. We're heading to Tatooine."
"Right away, sir." Todo said.
As the gunslinger walked away, Anakin turned to Minx. "You didn't have to do that."
Minx gave a sly smile. "Hey, no one should have to be separated from their mom. Besides, maybe I want something in return."
Anakin's lips started to twist downward. "Which is?"
"I want to come with you."
Anakin took a step back.
"Wait you can't..."
"Look, you're dealing with beings who are driven by one thing and one thing only, credits. That's something I've got. I've dealt with Jango's type before. You're going to need me. Besides, I just helped you with your problem. Besides, I'm bored. The nightlife is fine, but after a while I need something more. I need an adventure. Plus, being able to hang out with an attractive rogue like yourself has its own rewards.
Anakin looked to Minx, and then to R2. He sighed. "Alright, fine. Come on." The two headed out, and Minx bought a transport. Minx was hard to read and her motives beyond the superficial were a mystery to him. Perhaps it'd be best not to question it, but the question still ate at him. Surely there was more to it right?
"R2 set coordinates for Kamino." The ship lifted off and jumped into hyperspace. Minx was brimming with visible energy, and Anakin wasn't so sure that letting her tag along was a good idea.
"I have a bad feeling about this..." he mumbled.