Predator and Prey

Prologue

The woman stared down at the small child on the bed. It had been another year to the day since she had last seen her daughter's father, in nine months it would mark her child's second birthday... she dreaded the day when her daughter would ask just where her father was. What would she say? Lie and say her father was at war in the Rebellion or the truth? That this was never supposed to have happened, and that the girl's father was who knows where in the galaxy without any care or knowledge of his daughter's existence?

She knew she never should have agreed to help that man, but he had been so charming at the time. With a sigh she picked up the sleeping child. "You look so much like him..."

The girl stirred in her rest, her face distorting slightly as if having a nightmare. The woman started soothing her. "It's alright, I'm here. I'll take care of you."

A knock at the door made her jump and she quickly sat down her child to open the door. A Nautolan was standing there with a human at her side; both of them had their weapons drawn. She backed away quickly, fear in her gaze as they walked in.

"Where is it hidden?" The man asked.

"What, what hidden?" She tried to distract them from the sleeping child, fearing they would hurt it.

The Nautolan whispered something to her companion who spoke once again. "Nothing that should worry you, a friend of ours has it now."

The blaster's shot killed her instantly.

"She was scared, she didn't even know anything; you didn't have to kill her." The Nautolan turned to the man; her fourteen head extensions sensing weak signals through the air while her black eyes bore into him. "Now her child will die."

"The Empire said no one alive." They shrugged. "Go back to the ship, Das, and I'll take care of the baby."

"Wait." Das stayed his hand. "She's a child. She won't remember any of this, we could raise her to be loyal to the Empire."

The child stirred a bit uneasily as she picked it up before opening its eyes to stare curiously at her. The human gave a huff but put away his blaster. "Fine. But you're taking care of that thing."

Das shrugged, she knew Nathale would warm up to the child once it grew older. "Alright. I'll name her Zheth."

"Just Zheth?" Nathale shook his head. "If you're going to name her after the Mandalorians at least do it right... Give her to me, I'll see what she looks like."

Das handed over the girl with a smirk at her bounty hunter turned smuggler comrade. "See that's the spirit."

He gave her a look. "Zheth Crogh, happy? If I were you, I'd just give it a simple name... a human name, like how I changed mine. This one will stick out like a Rebel in the Empire, and you saw how that turned out."

"Well we can't just use her real name... if she even had one." Das walked towards the ship with him, ignoring the people in the small village just as they ignored her. "I wonder where her father was."

"Dead probably." Nathale snorted in disgust as he saw two people scuffling over some spare food, though he knew he'd do just the same in their situation. "Look at this place, no wonder the map to the Rebellion's location was hidden here! It's the worst place in the galaxy with all Carlac's snow and mountains it wasn't a surprise the rebel base's location was saved here!"

"Shut up, these people might be kind but we killed one and are stealing a baby, they can't take that kindly." Das hissed at him as a few of the locals glanced their way.

The child gave a cry of discontent and Nathale glared at her before handing Zheth back. "Take care of it."

Das stared down at the child in her arms as the dark eyes searched for its mother, desperately wanting to feel its mother's safe arms. "Sh, it's alright. I'll make sure you survive now... You're going to be a great smuggler one day if you stick with us. Think of all the stories you'll have then, and perhaps one day you'll meet your own companion to work with and share your stories. All smugglers need someone to watch their back."

Zheth's cries settle slightly at her voice but the squirming didn't stop. Das sighed; the child would grow to think of them as a family one day, for now though it wanted its real mother. She felt the ship rock slightly as it took off and quickly put the child in a safe place before going to the cockpit to help Nathale fly the ship into hyperspace.

"Let's go find our friend and finish delivering that map, shall we?" Nathale smirked, his storm cloud gray eyes flashing with greed.

Das nodded and smiled back, content that everyone was relaxed once more in her senses. "Maybe then we'll be able to pay back the Hutts."

"Greedy fat slug." Nathale muttered under his breath venomously. "One day he's going to get what he deserves and if I don't do it I know someone will."

She gave a sound of agreement in her native tongue before watching the stars warp around them as they finally went into hyperspace.