SPACE – SOMEWHERE IN THE OUTER RIM

The StarWolf was in full stealth mode, a predator amongst the stars, sliding along unseen. Sensors were alive however, both passive and offensive, locating every ship nearby and scanning it while remaining hidden itself. It was merely waiting to be put into action, the power held back, reigned in, but still there in the subtle thrumming that could be felt through the deck plating.

Teffa Darkstar could feel his ship surging, eager and ready for action. The zabrak sat reclined in the command chair, relaxing though his eyes flickered to take in each registered reading that blinked over the ship displays, noting what was out there. He was simply in no mood to take out anything without a need. The meagre shipping vessels were not worth the effort for minimal profit, and he was above petty piracy. He was after all a Great Hunt champion.

It had truly not been that long since he had claimed that title, but it seemed like a different lifetime ago to Teffa. I wonder if Braden knows I did it and is happy, he thought. Teffa could not also help but wonder if Braden had not been killed by Tarro Blood, if he and Mako would have ended up together. Braden had been like a father to her after all, and Teffa doubted he would have liked his flirting and courting of her. Jory would have likely punched him square on the jaw.

Thinking on Braden, the bounty hunter could not help but remember the first time he had met the man. In those early days, Teffa had worked alone. He'd just got done a contract to take out a couple hired goons on Hutta that were hassling an Imperial officer. The guy was dirty as they came there was no denying he had made his own bed there. The guy had gotten on the wrong side of the ledger sheet betting on huttball. Still it was work, and the credits were good.

He'd completed the assignment and collected his credits. He had made right for the spaceport, but the bastard had alerted Imperial troopers of his deeds. The double crossing little weasel wanted his credits back. Teffa had been left no choice. Fight or wind up imprisoned by the Empire. It had been a good thing he was quick with a blaster. He'd gotten to his ship when he realized they had been waiting all along. A dozen armed Imperials were waiting for him, including his former employer. With few palatable options, Teffa had decided to go down fighting. That was when Braden, along with his companion, a nikto named Jory evened the odds. Once the dust had settled they were left standing, the Imperials were not.

"We've got a lot of work to do, but damn you're good with a blaster, kid!" Braden had said to him.

Not good enough, Teffa thought. He had not been there when Tarro Blood had shown up and killed both Braden and Jory. It was not the first time he wondered if he had been, would they still be alive. Mako had been off getting intelligence for them, a way to get into the hunt through Nemro the Hutt. That had spared her a similar fate. With just the two of them left, they had carried on, wanting to honour their fallen friends. No, you wanted revenge, Teffa reminded himself. He knew he had been affected by Mako's anger and more so by her tears.

"I got the bastard." Teffa whispered to himself in the quiet cockpit. "I got Tarro for you, Braden."

Teffa had finally caught up to Tarro Blood on the Aurora. The ship falling apart, they'd had their final confrontation. Bloodied and battered, Teffa had left the man to face death alone a broken shell unable to do more than scream and curse his own failings and fate. Mako had been about as bloodthirsty as she, but even for her, torturing and then leaving him to die as Teffa had, it stunned her.

"Hey." The soft voice broke the bounty hunter out of his reverie.

Teffa smiled and leaned back, peering up and over the back of the chair at the petite, thin woman who stood in the entry to the cockpit of the craft. The short bob cut hair had not changed at all, which was fine since he preferred Mako with that look anyways.

"So what's the word out there, Mako?" Teffa asked.

Since the start of their acquaintance Mako had been the brains and technical support for him. Sure there had only been the two of them left standing before the start of the Great Hunt thanks to Tarro Blood, but that was ancient history. They started out friends, but if Teffa was honest with himself, he had a thing for her right from the start. It was no surprise that he had decided to pursue her, and ultimately marry her. He liked to think somewhere in the great beyond Braden would have approved of them ending up together.

"You're going to want to see this." Mako said, and the tone of her voice made him spin the chair around to face her. The look on her face told him it was not good news. "I've checked this a few times, gone into everywhere and well…"

Teffa took the datapad she offered him and glanced at the information on screen. The bounty board was alive and well it seemed. That was not all that strange as it tended to ebb and flow, especially with the Empire and Republic still at each other's throats, though recently it had been pretty quiet. It was then Teffa noticed his name amongst the rest and he laughed. The amount had gone way up. Once upon a time he had been thrilled when some Republic scum had offered up fifty thousand credits for his head. This time however, the amount was five million.

"Looks like I'm going to be popular." Teffa chuckled.

"Look at the others, the amount and names." Mako said frowning, hands going to her hips in annoyance.

Teffa glanced at her then back to the list, noting there were a lot of credits being shelled out, the same amount as the bounty on him. It was then he noticed the names, the datapad almost falling out of his hands. His gaze rose to meet Mako's and he arched an eyebrow.

"I checked, the same unknown contact routed through a half dozen systems putting up the bounty. It almost looks like how my stuff was hidden. This stinks."

Teffa set the datapad on his lap and frowned. This was definitely not good news. Glancing back at Mako, the zabrak swore under his breath as his dark black eyes roamed over her swollen belly. Now was not a good time to be hunted at all, he mused. He didn't much care if someone wanted to take shots at him, but with Mako's condition, there was no getting around paternal instincts.

"Mako I need a secure channel."

Mako smiled softly. She had recognized a few of the names on the list, knew well enough Teffa had contact with them. One of them was the Emperor's Wrath after all. She was not supposed to know such, but well when you could get into almost any and all systems in the galaxy, information tended to not be in short supply. And the man had been at their wedding and seemed close to her husband, it was only natural to go and find out about him wasn't it?

"Already done and ready." She answered him, before taking half a step to leave. "Guess I should go?"

"No." It was all Teffa answered as he reached out and hit the comm button. It did not take long for the holo display to come to life with the familiar face of the pure blood sith he knew all too well.

"Necrolis, we've got a problem." Teffa growled, still frowning. "We need to talk, brother."