Chapter Text
Nothing can compare to a Coruscanti sunset.
That's what Commander Fox thought as he looked past the gleaming marble floor and out of the large floor to ceiling windows of Senator Riyo Chuchi's penthouse, bouncing his three month old daughter, Atina, in one arm while holding a mug of caf in his other hand. The infant, who was wrapped in a soft red blanket, watched him intently while sticking one of her thumbs into her mouth. Eventually he put the empty mug down and laid his forehead gently on hers in a keldabe kiss - a Mandalorian gesture of affection.
"Ouch, hey!" She had grabbed his curls with both of her tiny hands, letting out a joyful squeal showing off her gums. "How would you feel if I pulled on your hair, huh?" He tousled the few black curls on her head which resembled his own.
"Are you bickering with her again? She can't even speak yet to give you some quick-witted response."
He looked at his wife, Riyo, who had just come out of the 'fresher, draped in her purple silken bathrobe, her mauve hair still damp from the shower. She picked their daughter from his arms to stop the one-sided bickering. Together they stared out of the windows and Riyo noticed again how tense Fox seemed since he returned home from his duty.
"Something's bothering you, my dear. What is it?" she asked after several minutes of silently watching the cityscape.
He looked at her with the dark shadows under his eyes she had never once seen him without. Today he simply looked wearier than usual. Three years of effort to make Coruscant safer, protecting civilians and disrespectful government officials alike, left its marks - most of them invisible.
"I have a bad feeling about leaving for my shift. It's the same feeling I had before the zillo beast attack. Something's in the air, cyare, trust me."
Riyo looked at him with concern written in her golden eyes.
"From what I've heard, the war could end in a matter of days. Maybe you sense the change that's about to happen. Perhaps you're just nervous…"
He shook his head and grabbed her arm, looking at her intently. "No, I sense danger!" He sighed when their daughter whined at the tone of his voice. "Promise me you'll stay here! As soon as my shift is over tomorrow I will come and pick you up to escort you to work." he continued more calmly.
Riyo opened her mouth, trying to find the right words first. "I hear what you're saying, dear. Don't worry about us, okay. You're a trained soldier, trusting your instincts is what you do."
"Good, I don't want to worry about your whereabouts should Coruscant face any trouble."
The infant yawned in Riyo's arms, barely able to keep her golden eyes open.
"I still remember our emergency plan, Fox, don't worry. Do you wanna put her to bed? I know how much that means to you before returning to your duties."
"As always, cyare." He took their sleepy daughter into his arms with a gentle smile and went to her room which was filled with various toys and a beautiful crib made from the finest wroshyr wood. As he put her down he sung a Mando'a lullaby to her, one that the older clones sung to the younger ones, not just as cadets but in the barracks, and to the wounded on the battlefield as well, for some kind of familiarity and as a reminder that they were not alone in the face of war and an uncertain future. Tears welled in Fox's eyes as he watched his daughter fall asleep. In his eyes there was nothing more precious than his little girl. He pressed a tender kiss on her forehead and another one on the tip of her nose.
" Jate ca, ner cyar'ika."
He looked back one more time at his daughter's sleeping silhouette before he left the room.
"I heard you sing to her." Riyo wrapped her arms around him. "Mmm you never sing to me."
Fox chuckled "Do you have trouble falling asleep or do you love my voice so much?"
"Both actually. To know you're out there at night… falling asleep is hard knowing you're fighting crime out there."
"As long as I don't have to deal with another zillo beast, it's nothing I wasn't trained for. Don't worry about me." He pulled her into a searing kiss, hating to let go so he could be back at the base with his brothers on time.
"Stay safe, darling. I love you!"
"Always. I love you too." He took his helmet from the luxurious sofa, putting it on as he left for duty. The sinking feeling in his gut increased tenfold as Riyo's apartment door fell shut behind him. He hoped this war would be over soon so they could start their life together without having to hide. Their relationship and their little daughter was still a secret. The only ones who knew were a handful of his close brothers, who had covered for him when he went to visit his family in between shifts. Every time he had to leave his wife and daughter, it became harder for him. He had caught himself thinking about defecting more than once, and it terrified him. Doing so wouldn't just endanger him, but his family as well. Having romantic relationships and kids was against regulations for the clones. If anyone of a higher rank was to find out he would get court martialed and decommissioned. Riyo would face serious consequences, especially her political career, and who knew what the Kaminoans would do if they learned of Atina's existence. This was nothing Fox wanted to risk, for the sake of his family. He had no choice but to report back for duty.
Riyo had an unusually light sleep that night. What Fox had said before he had left wouldn't leave her thoughts. A sinking feeling in her gut woke her,it was still dark outside, at least as dark as Coruscant at night could get. She rubbed her temples and got up to check on Atina.
She found her daughter lying awake, but not yet screaming to be fed.
"Looks like you can't sleep either hm. This night seems darker somehow. I don't know what it is." She picked her up and cradled her in her arms, going to the kitchen to prepare some formula for a very early breakfast. While the water was boiling, she switched on the holoprojector hoping for news that the war finally had come to an end.
When she heard the chancellor's voice and turned to face the hologram, the full bottle fell out of her hands. Atina who was lying on the sofa whined at the hologram of the hooded figure.
"Galactic Empire?! What? The Jedi would never betray the Republic, what is this nonsense?" She went to look out of her large windows just like she had done the evening prior. A pillar of smoke coming from the Jedi temple made the sunrise a dreadful sight. She dialed Fox's emergency comm frequency, one she had last dialed when she got into labor, one he promised her he would always pick up, no matter the circumstances.
"Fox, please come in! What happened at the temple? Are you safe? Please comm me back as soon as possible, I'm worried sick!"
Riyo tried to calm herself down, feeding Atina and having takeout leftovers for breakfast. She had to turn off the news at some point. The Republic was no more and the war was suddenly over. The news was terrifying and confusing. There were so many things that didn't add up and didn't make sense. With each minute Fox didn't comm her back she grew more and more restless. The sun had risen at some point and Riyo couldn't sit and do nothing while Fox might be out there in great danger or worse. It wasn't that she didn't know about the risks of dating a clone, she just never thought anything would happen to Fox since Coruscant was safe compared to the war zones on other planets. She was due in her senate office in two hours. She commed Fox's emergency frequency repeatedly without him picking up.
"I have to check on him." she said with a determined tone in her voice and got dressed to leave the apartment, despite having promised Fox to wait for him. She turned on the nanny droid and gave her clear instructions on what to do in case she wasn't back at nightfall.
"As you wish, mistress." the droid replied.
"Wish me luck, my little darling. Let's hope your dad is okay." She kissed her daughter goodbye, giving her the little stuffed tooka she loved playing with, then Riyo put on her dark purple cloak which hood covered half her face. She had used it plenty of times before when picking up Fox after his shifts. Gathering every bit of strength she had, she left her apartment to search for the man she loved, calling a speeder cab to the GAR headquarters.
The male Sullustan driver was a real chatterbox. She politely pretended to be interested in what he was saying, but her thoughts were with Fox. At least until the driver was starting to gossip.
“Did you hear that the senator from Naboo passed away last night? From what I’ve heard she died in childbirth. Damn shame, she was a lot like you, Senator Chuchi - young and idealistic. She cared deeply for her people. May she rest in peace.”
Riyo’s heart skipped a beat. “Please tell me this is a cruel joke you’re pulling on me!” Tears welled in her eyes at the news. Padmé had been a dear friend to her, she couldn’t believe it. She wanted to believe he was wrong, that he mistook some other senator for Senator Amidala. But after all the news of the new Galactic Empire and the sudden end of the Republic, she knew it had to be the truth.
She got out of her ride in front of the GAR headquarters. She’d been there rather often since she came to Coruscant to serve her first term as senator. She had become friends with the troopers - and had fallen in love with Commander Fox. The more it surprised her when a batch of troopers approached her, holding her at blasterpoint.
“You’re not authorized to be here!” one trooper yelled.
Riyo pulled off her hood. “Boys, it’s me.”
“We must ask you to leave immediately or you will be arrested for trespassing and civil disobedience!”
The tone of the trooper’s voice was dead serious. Riyo bit her lip, hesitated for a moment and then glared at the trooper in front of her.
“I need to talk to Commander Fox immediately and I will not leave until I’ve done so!” She stood her ground. The troopers surrounded her and one of them put handcuffs on her. This was no joke. The men she had thought were friends or at least acquaintances of hers were acting like some mindless droids, like they didn’t know her at all. They grabbed her a bit too firmly and brought her inside. Commander Fox was ordering troopers around when she saw him. “Fox! I-”
“We found her trespassing on GAR property, Sir.”
“Take her to cell block B14.”
Riyo started squirming in the troopers’ grips when they led her away. “Fox! No! What happened to all of you?! Please talk to me! You’re not being yourselves! Can anybody understand me?! Fox! Don’t let them do this to me! Cyare!”
The term of endearment made Commander Fox struggle. He clenched his fists. Everything in him told him to let her go, to let her face a trial like all the other criminals. “Cyare!” The sound of her voice, a desperate plea, echoed in his mind. No! Good soldiers follow orders!
Riyo had no idea how much time passed until the door opened, revealing Commander Fox standing there. He was tense, his body trembled as he stepped inside her cell. Warily she walked up to him.
“Fox, I know you’re not… This is not you. I heard the news, saw what happened at the temple. Stars, I thought you were dead.”
“It’s CC-1010 to y-you…” He gritted his teeth. A terrible headache formed in his head as Fox was trying everything in his power to regain control of himself, at least for a moment long enough to help her get out of this.
“I- I need you to leave. Riyo…” He took off his helmet with trembling hands.
“What did you say? Fox… Cyare, please talk to me!”
“Leave Coruscant. You… you must go. Take the kid… Argh!” The pain became stronger with each second. He wouldn’t be able to resist the inhibitor chip much longer.
“I can’t leave, I need to finish my term!”
“Do it f-for Atina. Take her to safety. Don’t come back. The Empire doesn’t take kindly… to idealists.”
“I need to put the interests of Pantora before my own wellbeing. Come with me, Fox. I’ll get you off planet and-”
He put his hands on her shoulders. “We don’t have much time. Listen to me, cyar’ika. What I’m telling you now is v-very argh... important. My brothers are… not the same. It's like our brains got hijacked. I can’t fight it much longer. I’m a danger to you and our child. You must go! Leave as long as you can! Take our daughter and… Here, take this.” He handed her one of his blaster pistols. “I set it on stun. I can’t fight this irrational side in my brain. Stun me, stun whoever gets in your way! Get out of here, get our baby and disappear!”
“Fox-”
“Do it! That’s… an order!”
She put her hand on the trigger, but couldn’t pull it.
Fox took his second blaster pistol and pointed it at himself. “I love you, cyare. Do not come back here again. You made me… the luckiest man in the Galaxy. Made me a f-father. Thank you. Thank you for everything.” Tears welled in his eyes, then he pulled the trigger and landed on the ground with a thud, unconscious. Riyo stood there in shock. She couldn’t move until she heard steps from outside. She took a deep breath and did exactly what Fox had told her to.
With the dust of the war settling and the sudden change of government, it was surprisingly easy for Riyo to sneak off-world with her daughter. Leaving Fox behind was the hardest thing she had ever had to do, but getting her baby as far away from the now Imperial capital was a bigger priority.
She missed Pantora, especially her family's estate which was located on several acres of lush green land. Riyo knew she had to return to Coruscant as soon as possible to not cause any suspicions that she was hiding something. The only positive aspect was that her parents finally got to meet their little granddaughter for the very first time, and they were enraptured with her at first sight.
"Promise me you're gonna care for her in case anything should happen to me."
They hugged their daughter, assuring her over and over again that Atina would be safe with them. It hurt them to watch her leave. Last time she left it was to represent their homeworld, they had been hopeful and proud beyond words, this time fear was written in their eyes. Even they felt that the new Empire was casting a shadow on the Galaxy - a shadow that seemed to devour everything good. Atina was unaware of it all, most of the following months slumbering in her blankets and growing non stop.
By the time she crawled through the large house, exploring every nook and cranny, grandmother Koyiro and grandfather Ovar had gotten used to their granddaughter being around, and despite the dark times, Atina brought hope into their life - hope that a wonderful bright eyed child like her would make this Galaxy to a better place one day. Her laugh was contagious and reading stories to her in the rocking chair during the golden afternoon hours became Ovar's favorite time of day. Koyiro had discovered her talent for knitting and now couldn't stop making new clothing for her ever growing grandchild. It was one sunny afternoon like that when they sat together, Ovar reading yet another holobook to Atina, when their holocomm rang. The frequency was that of their daughter, but the quality of the comm was really bad.
"The situation got worse than I thought. I can no longer sit idly in my office with the Empire committing atrocities throughout the Galaxy. I don't have much time and neither do you! They will come after you next, you must flee, you-" A sudden noise erupted from the background of the comm. "Freeze Senator! You're arrested for treason against the Galactic Empire!" a voice that didn't belong to a clone yelled. The comm ended just as sudden, Koyiro and Ovar stared at the little comm device in shock.
"We must help her!" he said, gritting his teeth at the thought of his daughter in the hands of those new TK troopers. Koyiro put a hand on his chest to hold him back. "Listen to me, my dear. The best way we can help Riyo is to keep our promise we made to her, remember? In case something happens to her, we must keep our little one safe at all costs."
Now it was them who had to make the hardest decision in their life, a decision that led them down into the small hangar of their estate where they boarded their small luxury transport ship with their granddaughter and three suitcases of emergency luggage.
The family began traveling from planet to planet with chain codes they had acquired for a lot of credits from a black market contact. Around nine months later they received a call from one of their friends on Pantora with the devastating news that their daughter, Riyo Chuchi, had died in Imperial captivity. If anything, those news strengthened the bond they had with their granddaughter, as she was now the only thing they had left of their beloved daughter. The little girl seemed to grow a little more each day, she waddled around the ship, on shaky legs at first. At the same time she began babbling, starting with words like Granny and Grampa, but with the following months more words found their way into her vocabulary. Along with her vocabulary the messy mop of black curls on her head grew. Koyiro's favorite time of day was brushing through Atina's unruly curls in the morning, trying to tame them with bobby pins once they had become long enough for that. On every planet they stopped for supplies, they pretended to be farmers on a long needed vacation. It wasn't easy for the couple to not wear their golden face markings anymore. They had always been a symbol for who they are, something they simply couldn't wear anymore for the sake of anonymity.
After two years of space travel, a close encounter with a few stormtroopers asking questions made them change their plans. They had to leave the planet quickly, with not enough time to repair their damaged hyperdrive. Sub light travel was dangerous, Ovar and Koyiro knew that. That "night" Atina had trouble falling asleep.
"Gramma can you tell me a story?" The little girl looked at her grandmother with massiff hatchling eyes. With a warm smile Koyiro sat down on the edge of the bunk, pushing a strand of hair out of Atina's eye.
"Which one do you wanna hear tonight?"
"About mommy and daddy!"
"You can't get enough of that one, can you?" She took the little holoprojector which contained one hologram, the only picture of their daughter, on which she was seen together with her granddaughter and the clone who had fathered her. They looked like a happy little family, smiling into the holocam.
"Your parents worked in the same building, that's how they first met. Coruscant is one big city world with billions of people living there. One of the most impressive buildings was the senate building, that's where senators like your mom went to represent our homeworld Pantora."
"Why couldn't she do that from home?"
"Representing is more than being present when decisions are made, little one. You work together with people from so many different worlds to make the Galaxy a better place, with the goal that nobody has to suffer. It was in that building where she met your father, at least that's what she told us. Your father worked at a high rank in the Coruscant guard, that included protecting the chancellor."
Atina yawned. "Is a chancellor like a king? Like the ones from the other stories?"
"No, a chancellor gets elected by the senate, that means people that were elected by the people to speak for a planet vote for someone they have confidence in leading the senate. But every decision must be made by votes in the senate, whether it's the vote for a leader, or helping a system of planets. That's what democracy is. A king is a ruler not elected by anyone, unless on Naboo that is. A king is the sole ruler of a planet or system, making decisions based on what they wanna do. People have no say in what a king does. They get their power either by being born into royalty, or by killing the former king and taking the throne by force."
Koyiro sighed as she watched Atina's eyelids shut. She had taught for many years on an elite academy on Pantora, therefore she was much better at stating facts than telling bedtime stories. Nevertheless, Atina always fell asleep, no matter what she told her. With a sad look in her eyes she turned off the holoprojector and kissed Atina goodnight.
"Storytelling won't become a talent of mine anytime soon, I'm afraid." Koyiro sat down in the cockpit next to her husband who was flying the ship.
"Teaching is, and one day you can pass on all your knowledge to her." Ovar chuckled.
All of a sudden several alarms went off and several proximity sensors lit up on the console.
"Hang on, someone's out there!"
"Maybe they're friendly?"
"Koyiro, nobody comes close to a ship traveling sub light with good intentions!"
She went pale at the thought of anything happening to her family.
"Atina!" She hurried back to her granddaughter's room and it broke her heart to have to wake up the peacefully sleeping tyke.
"Gramma?" the little girl yawned, rubbing her eyes.
"Quick, Atina! We don't have time! You must hide! Go to the engine room, hide there and don't touch anything!"
A loud noise and a sudden jolt went through the ship. There were voices and footsteps behind the blast doors leading to the airlock. Koyiro watched Atina go into the engine room. As soon as the child was out of sight she pulled the small blaster from her holster, preparing to give the intruders an adequate welcome.
Hondo Ohnaka's last raids didn't turn out as lucrative as planned. His men were getting more impatient by the hour, something that showed in their behavior. They hadn't slept in proper bunks in weeks and they were running thin on ration bars. The frustration of his gang rubbed off on him. During times like these he understood why more and more of his gang decided to leave for good. The Empire was the main reason his gang was slowly falling apart. Strict controls and better guarded supplies meant less exploits for him. Less exploits meant less credits and therefore less food and life quality. He couldn’t blame his men for leaving this lifestyle behind given the circumstances. It felt like an era was nearing its end, slipping right through his fingers like sand from the tropical beaches of Rishi.
A new hope was a small luxurious transport ship that had appeared on their radar. As soon as they docked he sent some of his men ahead to take care of any obstacles. After the sounds of blaster shots had ceased he decided to go on board to assess the situation. He already heard the complaints of his men while walking through the airlock.
"All this work for crashing a wedding anniversary or whatever?! Hondo, this is not what we signed up for, there's only a set of earrings from the woman, and even that can feed us for three days if not less! There's nothing of value on board." his second in command, Skragg, a slim weequay with a preference for vibroblades, complained.
"How should I have known? Poor souls probably have a broken hyperdrive." He looked at the dead Pantoran couple by his feet when suddenly there was a sound right behind him. He and his men turned around, aiming their blasters at a little figure staring up at them, tear filled eyes wide in terror. The little girl sniffled and tried to run.
One of his men tried to shoot but Hondo shot him first.
"We had our fair share of adventures, but never have we killed a child, and we will certainly not start now!" Hondo spoke in a firm tone and went to look for the girl who had disappeared into another room.
When he pushed the door open he found a bedroom. At first sight he seemed to be alone, but he could clearly hear the sniffles that filled the air, which came from under the bunk. His attention however was drawn to a little holoprojector left on the nightstand. As he switched it on it showed a family picture. The parents were certainly not the older couple laying outside. They had to be the grandparents, he thought. He recognized the father as a clone. Not due to the armor he was wearing in the picture but due to the familiar face that was a carbon copy of a man he had regarded as a friend. Hondo sighed and switched the hologram off, putting it into his pocket, then crouched down to look under the bed, only to find the girl curled up in misery.
"Don't you wanna come out? You're safe, nobody's gonna hurt you." he assured her.
"No!" she whined.
Hondo thought for a moment, then grabbed a ration bar from inside his jacket, trying to lure her out. It took a while and eventually a little blue hand reached for it, a head of black curly hair followed and large golden eyes stared up at him as she munched on the ration bar.
"We can't leave you behind on that ship. Let's find your parents, how does that sound, hm? Wanna come with uncle Hondo and his crew?" Her answer wasn't verbal, instead she reached for his hand. A warm feeling overcame Hondo, something he had never felt before. It felt like he was doing something that mattered . Helping this little one find her family seemed like the right thing to do. As it turned out the rest of his pirate gang didn't share this sentiment.
"Argh Hondo, you're joking, are you? What do you want with that maggot?"
Hondo picked her up before answering. "Who killed the old couple anyway?" When Skragg pointed at two of the gang's rookies, Hondo pushed the girl's head into the crook of his neck so she didn't have to watch as he took his blaster and shot them in a second's notice.
"Don't wanna admit to her later that I let her family's murderers live."
"Have you gone mad?!" Skragg yelled. "That was my cousin you killed!"
"Have I gone mad? Maybe! Now, unless you wanna die here, let's go back on board and return home to get a proper meal!"
Hondo was met with silence. "What meal? Following you around brought us nothing but empty stomachs and insomnia for weeks, and now you take in this maggot and talk about a proper meal. We wager our chances with a fancy ship like this one. When we sell this luxury transport, we'll get enough credits to start over far away from you, Ohnaka!"
Hondo scoffed. "Good luck surviving out there without a man of my reputation! You'll be dead within two months, I bet!"
The airlock shut in front of Hondo, this was the last time he had seen the men that had been part of his gang for so long - a gang that was now a gang of three, his monkey lizard, Piff Mukmuk included.
"They won't know what hit them, once they have spent all their credits and can't find any work I bet they'll return, begging me to rejoin my efforts."
Atina rested her head on his shoulder as he carried her on board. Her eyelids became heavier with each second. The ship, a flarestar-class attack shuttle, wasn't the most convenient sleeping accommodation, especially not the co-pilot seat, but the little girl didn't seem to mind. Little did Hondo Ohnaka know that this little girl was about to turn his life upside down.
Florrum was way too quiet without his gang around. The base seemed much bigger without all the company. No music, no laughter, no blasterfire. Only Mukmuk the monkey lizard was waiting for him, curiously jumping on his shoulder, ogling at the little Pantoran girl resting her head on his other shoulder, still fast asleep.
"Looks like it's just the three of us now. Go and fetch the maggot some breakfast, will ya?"
He sat down in a messy room with a desk he used as a study of some sort. Mukmuk appeared with a bowl of mushy warm food. Despite not being visually appealing it smelled good and woke Atina from her sleep.
Confused, she looked around at the foreign environment she found herself in. Her bottom lip trembled and she was about to throw a tantrum, when a spoon filled with sweet scented mush pushed against it.
"Eat, you'll feel better." Hondo spoke, surprised at how gentle his tone had become. "We'll find your parents, I'm sure of it."
As soon as Atina got a taste of the mush, she devoured it with bright eyes, even licking the spoon after the bowl was empty.
"Now do you have a name I can call you or shall I continue calling you maggot?"
"Atina. Who are you?"
"Name's Hondo, the greatest of all pirates. Do you know where your parents are? Where are your mommy and daddy?"
Atina cocked her head. "I want Gramma and Grampa!" Tears welled in her eyes again and she didn't stop crying. Hondo knew he had to think of something. He needed help, someone who was good at finding people. He switched on the holoprojector with the holopic of her parents and Atina's crying subsided.
"Do you know them, do you know where they are?"
Atina just stared at him, puzzled at what he was asking her. Hondo shook his head and dialed the comm frequency of someone he knew could help - for the right prize.
Meanwhile Atina climbed off his desk, following Mukmuk around, giggling at the monkey lizard's antics. Hondo kept an eye on them while waiting for the other end to pick up the comm.
"Boba, so good to hear your voice, my friend!"
"Oh no…" Boba Fett grumbled at the other end of the call. "What do you want, Ohnaka?"
"Straight to the point, I see. Well, I have a little… problem. I'm looking for someone, and I know a hunter of your talent is more than capable of finding two people for me."
Boba knew being on good terms with Hondo Ohnaka could be an advantage in his line of work, so he agreed. "If the prize is right, I'm on my way."
"Don't worry about it, I'll pay handsomely for this job." the pirate assured him.
With a toothy grin and wide eyes little Atina watched a spaceship of extraordinary looks land outside. She had never seen anything like it.
"Ship, Hondo, ship!"
Atina ran towards the door, jumping to reach the knob.
"Where do you get all this energy from? I won't give you any more of that sweet mush, too much sugar."
When there was a knock on the door and it opened, Atina jumped right at the legs of the visitor, grabbing onto one for dear life.
Out of reflex, Boba aimed his blaster carbine at her.
"No no no, don't!"
Boba cocked his head at the golden eyes and the broad smile in the face that looked up at him.
He took off his helmet, making the little girl gasp in wonder.
"I take it this is the little problem you mentioned?" Boba said while trying to shake the tyke off his leg. "I don't smuggle people, especially not children."
"I don't want you to! No, I need you to find her parents for me. Take a look!" He handed Boba the holoprojector. The bounty hunter stared at the picture of the happy couple. Something tugged at his heart when he looked at the happy face the clone trooper made, who seemed to be the little girl's father.
"Now you know why I specifically asked you for help."
Boba put down the holoprojector and crossed his arms. "This will not affect my prize in the slightest." He looked down at the girl who jumped around his feet and pulled on the fabric of his flight suit.
"Stop doing that…!" As she didn't listen, he picked her up and glared at her, but was met with a glare that resembled his own, especially in the way she scrunched her little nose.
"Are you my dada?" she asked eventually and pointed at the holoprojector.
The frown between Boba's eyes softened at her words. "No, definitely not. But… I will help you." His expression hardened again when he looked back at Hondo. "I'm doing this for her, understood? And my price has just risen. Finding a specific clone in the Imperial army is hard enough, especially now since they are no longer really themselves since they have killed the Jedi. And the woman wears expensive clothing. Finding someone of a certain status in society costs extra."
"Whatever the prize, Boba, please find them."
The pirate and the teenage bounty hunter shook hands. Watching Boba Fett go, taking the holoprojector with him, made Atina cry, and Hondo comforted her as good as he could as they watched the Slave 1 lift off and disappear in the cloudy sky.
"He's looking for your mom and dad. Until he's back you'll stay here with Mukmuk and I." Hondo explained.
After 2 ½ months Slave 1 entered Florrum's atmosphere again. Atina sat outside and played with ragdolls Hondo and her had made together. When the bounty hunter approached Hondo's complex, he knelt down to check on the little girl who looked a bit dirty from playing outdoors, but happy nonetheless.
"Welcome back, my friend! It's always good to see you!" The pirate king greeted him.
"I'm surprised to see not a scratch on her. We need to talk."
The bounty hunter picked Atina up and they went indoors where Boba told Hondo what he had achieved in the little girl's case.
"I got access to the Imperial network. A specific file said that the mother was none other than the former senator of Pantora. Her name was Riyo Chuchi. She was captured shortly after the rise of the Empire for treason and died in Imperial captivity." Hondo's shoulders sank at the bad news. "Getting information about the clone from the holopic was a lot harder. The Imperial army doesn't want people like me snooping around. What I found out is that he goes by the number CC-1010 and that according to the latest data he serves right under Emperor Palpatine. Not a chance to talk to him without getting into serious trouble. I mentioned how the clones changed… I remember them being less… rude. I'm sorry I couldn't return with better news." He reached into a satchel on his belt and gave back the holoprojector, and he had something else - a little stuffed bantha toy which he gave the girl as a consolation gift.
"So what do I do with her? I'm not exactly a good role model for a youngling."
Boba huffed. "Neither am I, and I have another job on Tatooine. She hasn't starved or gotten sick yet, apparently you're doing something right. Keep that up and she should be fine, until you find someone more suited to raise her. I will see myself out."
When Hondo had taken the girl with him, he wouldn't have thought to end up in a situation like this. During the following days he packed his belongings to leave Florrum for good. Nothing kept him there any longer. His initial plan, to find someone to raise Atina, slipped more and more into the back of his mind. Weeks and months turned into years. At age 7 the young Pantoran was able to fly a spaceship, at age 11 Hondo let her take combat lessons a few of his bounty hunter friends had agreed to give her, and it was Boba Fett who taught her to shoot with a precision that only ran in the family's bloodline. Robbing, stealing, smuggling, with some bounty hunting jobs in between - Atina grew up to become a force of nature to be reckoned with, and this is where her story truly begins…