Nar Shaddaa

Durasay checked his chrono. The time he had been given was fast approaching. He finally had on a clean uniform, and looked better than death warmed over. His jaw was still sore from Craw's punch, but that was fine.

He looked to his Mandolorian friend, and gave a nod. This was one less loose end.

Craw's armor was spotless, he had taped over the crack in his visor and he was holding his armor. He had shaved and washed up, and although his eyes were still bloodshot, he did not look as shitty as he had that morning.

A young Sith aspirant was on hand as well to make sure the handoff went smoothly. Dealing with Hutts was a tricky affair and she would not have this going down poorly especially in Darth Xevious’ name. After the previous night, it was time for something to halfway right.

She was flanked by Imperial soldiers as she waited for the transport to arrive.

"Aspirant. Thank you again for facilitating this." Durasay spoke as he briefly glanced to the young woman. She was full of surprises, most of them deadly.

His eyes returning to the hangar, as the wind whipped around them, the large, ungainly transport arriving to its docking port. He straightened up his posture, looking over to Craw.

Craw was looking at the shuttle, a familiar twinge of panic in his bloodshot eyes. He straightened himself as well, not moving from his position.

A shuttle lands and a crew of mercenaries file out and then comes a woman, her hands in binders. She has a firm scowl on his face. They lead her down the ramp followed by a Hutt with a single working eye, the other was a scarred mess. He grins and looks around before approaching the Imperial, they have a brief discussion before the Hutt approaches Craw and Durasay, "You spend good creds for a troublesome slave, you the buyer?"

Craw looked at his mother, his expression was saddened. He then looked at the Hutt, his expression turning neutral. His response was short. "Yeah."

"Here you go," the Hutt says handing him a control module for the slave collar.

Craw took the control module from the Hutt and gave It a glare, before brushing past him and making his way to his mother. His legs were shaking slightly as he did. He stopped in front of her, deactivated her restraints, and in a shaking voice said "So, uh... Hi, mom..."

Durasay nodded to the Hutt, his face stern but grim. "A pleasure doing business with you, oh merciful one." His huttese was perfect, if only heavily accented.

Once it was clear, he bowed again to the Aspirant. "As I said, I will not forget this kindness the Empire has shown." He offered the young woman a smile.

He watched the reunion between mother and son. Walking to them, he looked at her. "You have a good son. I'm glad you're free." Then a nod to Craw.

"We can talk later." He wanted to give them time. He turned, and began to walk away.

Craw's mother squints at her son and then frowns. She then smiles briefly and frowns again before saying, "Well you're about ugly enough to be my boy, now you see where you get it from. You doing merc work now?"

She spits and rubs her wrists, "Tell me you brought some real booze."

Craw looked at her for a moment. His expression blank, before it turned into anger. He threw his hands up and, his voice still hoarse from that morning, yelled at his mother "JESUS! That's all you've got to say for yourself?! No 'Oh hey son, sorry for being away all these years' or even a fucking thank you?!" His tone was pained, sad, and angry.

"You going soft on me boy," she says with a frown.

"Soft? Yeah I fucking guess so. And no I ain't got no goddamn booze. Guess I thought you'd be happy with just bein' free, and seeing your goddamn son again." He didn't scream anymore. He didn't have it in him. All the anger had been bled out of him already, he didn't have any rage to give.

"Course I'm happy to see you, you idiot. I ain't going to cry my eyes out in front of these jerk offs though. Last time I done cried, was when I shot my pa and missed. Should have hit that bastard square between the eyes. So who's this, and whose she?" his mother says with a glare.

"This ain't no circus, so if they ain't family, kriff off."

Craw shook his head and stepped back. "She's one of the Sith who helped to get you free. The blue fella is a fellow crewmember of mine. Come on, I'll show you where my ship is docked. We'll catch up there." He gestured for her to follow him.

"You got a ship now?" she says with a whistle as she follows.

Craw nodded. His expression just tired now, today's and yesterday's drinking was starting to catch up with him. "Well technically it's a co-ownership with the rest of the crew. A chiss named Nudimsu and that pantoran back there, his name's Durasay." He said as he led her into the ship. He led her into the mess hall. And took a seat at the table.

"Well still fancy, you must be doing alright, to have a decent piece of junk like this," she says with a whistle. "So you going to pour your old lady a drink or am I gonna have to kill a man for some. The Hutts didn't like it when I helped myself. Got the scars to prove it."

Craw shrugged. "Everyone brings a little in. We're basically sill living job to job though." He took a jug of swill and a glass from one of the cupboards and poured his mother a drink. "Ain't the best stuff but it's all we've got." He paused as he took a seat again, and looked her in the eye. "So... Why'd ya leave?"

"Had to, jobs went bad... had debts to pay and no creds to pay them. I could have stayed and got everyone locked up or I could cut and run and just do what I had to. I raised you to be better than me, figure it was time to pay the Hutts. Didn't expect you to come looking for me, glad you did," she says drinking from the jug.

"Damn been a long time since I had something with some bite to it."

His mother adds, "Not saying it was right, but when the galaxy gives you a bunch of wrongs, sometimes that's all you got."

Craw looked at her, staying quiet. He let the silence stretch for a good long while, before finally responding. His tone quiet and grim. "Yeah, well. Guess you didn't raise me that well."
He paused again, shorter this time, before continuing. "Guess it runs in the family. Leaving, I mean. I, uh.... I almost got married a few years ago. Had my life in working order for once... But then, you know... Day before the wedding... Got scared and ran. Been running for a while now. So I can relate." His tone was dry and flat, still looking her in the eye.

"Been almost married three times, sometimes running is the best thing you can do. Ain't gonna judge you when I ain't done no better in that front. I know how to drink, shoot, and cuss; probably turned out better without me kriffing up your childhood, but you didn't have to suffer though I had a plan and you should've got some hefty creds once I got the Hutts to lock me up," she says proudly.

"Figure you must have put that to the ship."

Craw frowned, and continued in a sad tone. "Weren't the best thing I could do. Was the worst thing I could do. She's still hunting me for that, my fiancee. Planning on letting her catch me after we get off this fucking moon. Maybe she'll not kill me, which would probably be more than I'd deserve." Craw shook his head. And then added, almost as an afterthought "Didn't get any money from you. To be honest I thought you were dead until Corso told me he found you."

"Now you listen to me boy, you're Clan Toboga and if that bitch harms a hair on your head I am going to shoot her nethers so full of holes not even a hutt brothel gonna take her in. I commiserate with her anger but you kriff with a Toboga you get put in the morgue. I didn't go through 28 hours of labor just so you can give up and die to the first piece of tail to come along."

"Well that ain't right, your uncle should have gotten seventy five thousand creds," she says slamming the jug down.