Authors Note: This story begins within six months of the end of the Clone Wars during the Jedi Purge. Lord Vader isn't the only one looking for rogue Jedi and rebels. The Emperor has hired certain bounty hunters to find them as well.

Before I get to far into this I would like to put out there that I am very well versed in the Star Wars Universe, I also use the Star Wars wiki page to help me maintain the chronology of said universe as well as any characters that are not my own. I hope to add a litany of other known characters from this period of time, you never know who might pop up and what I might tie into this so look out.

Chapter 1

Streaking through the sky on a trail of fire a lone Y-wing starfighter circled the smoking ruins that had once been the Jedi Temple. The massive construct was many years old and had stood guard over the galaxy for generations. Naomi Sterling was horrified when she had read the official reports about the order's betrayal. She took the job eagerly after that, the young bounty hunter had no issues with hunting down traitors. She would bring them to the justice they deserved.

During her third pass around the temple the exterior sensors had finally picked up her craft, a hidden portal lowered from the wall allowing her to land safely inside. The thruster jets and repulsors gave Sterling the precision she needed to guide her nimble craft into the foreboding darkness before her. Only a barely audible thump which seemed to echo slightly in the eerie silence of the hangar alerted the young woman that she was solidly on the ground.

Lighting her wrist beacon as she climbed from her cockpit Naomi saw the setting sun vanish as the hangar door had closed behind her. She had to admire the efficiency of the new Imperial Government having secured the main power and leaving access to only those authorized to be there. The only trouble was there were no over head lighting systems active except in specific areas such as the Jedi library near the ground level.

"Come on Snipe I'm sure you'll have doors to unlock for me further in." Miss Sterling watched her astromech un-hook itself only to glide down on its build thruster systems mounted on its outside legs.

The hunter looked all around her seeing the scars of war. Shattered Aerosprithe and Actis starfighters still in their neat rows parked as though they were still ready for flight had it not been for the damage they had acquired during the purge. "It must have been nice to have had this kind of money to throw around."

Naomi wanted the throw up when she entered the main hall one of the few places that still had active power systems. The untended bodies of Jedi padawans still littered the floors still were they had fallen during their foolish but brave stand against the then Clone Army.

"My gods this is madness!" Kneeling near a felled little girl her training saber just out of reach. "It's one thing to put down a rebellion but this?" wrapping her fingers around the saber it's cold metal etching the memory forever into Naomi's mind. "Sleep well young ones I won't forget, even if the rest of the galaxy does I won't"

Naomi stood hooking the saber to her belt opposite the one she had received mysteriously shortly after the war had ended and just as the Jedi Rebellion had started. "Come on Snipe let's get this over with before I lose my lunch."

Having watched hours of security footage Naomi Sterling saw the truth about the Jedi Rebellion. She had witnessed one of her childhood heroes betray his own to bring down what had been broadcasted as a an open rebellion. Ever sicker to her stomach the huntress fell to her knees her vision clouding as images began in mind's eye showing her the darkness of a forest world. Its trees rising far over head nearly blocking the daylight.

She had started this mission as a bounty for Master Yoda dead or alive. Now she simply wanted to help him. It hadn't taken her long to realize who had deceived who during those closing days of the war. It was just hard to swallow. Her quest seemed to lead to Kashyyyk, a troubled world recently sanctioned as an Imperial Slave planet. Getting access was going to be tough, fortunately the Imperial Navy still believed her to be working for their boss.

Recovering from her collapsed state Naomi decided on a pit stop on Nar Shadaa. "Come on Snipe I think it's time to pay a visit to our ole friend Shug."

Nar Shadaa had always been an ugly world to Naomi Sterling, despite that ugliness the bounty hunter still thought of the smuggler's moon as home.

"Shug you old pirate I'm coming in through the chute I hope you got those new engines you promised me." without missing a beat the starfighter screamed into a holo-sign and disappeared into Shug Ninx's spacebarn.

"I really wish you'd at least let me turn the defenses off before you came in here like that Sterling, but at any rate bring her on in I got something for you that's better than those engines you wanted." Shug sat back in his office smiling at his reckless friend.

Shug Ninx knew most of the best smugglers and more than a few bounty Hunters who worked out of the smugglers moon. Being a master starship mechanic lead him to meeting all sorts. Naomi Sterling just happened to be one of his favorites. Sure she paid well and on time, but it was more than that. She had the standard Corellian attitude plus her looks were always nice to see. Ninx wasn't an old man and he knew what he liked and Naomi Sterling was definitely on his top ten list of beautiful women. Shug sat thinking of her long red hair and dazzling emerald eyes when the tell-tale sound of a Y-wing's repulsors woke him from his reverie.

Leaving his office Shug walked straight the emerald-green fighter whose canopy had just swung up. "Naomi you're surely a Corellian for not calling in before entering the chute."

Jumping down from her fighters cockpit Naomi was smiling ear to ear. "I knew you'd get the guns down before they'd start shooting." Naomi removed the helmet on her head revealing the coppery red hair Shug remembered so well. "Now tell me what could possibly be better than the engines you promised?"

"Well she's right over there." Shug pointed to the other end of his garage to where a near brand new YT-2400 sat still undergoing a retro fit. "She's only had one owner. An owner new to the moon and who had a nasty run in with a Barabel a few days ago."

"Very nice what does that have to do with me and the engines you promised?" Sterling knew what was coming she just wanted to know how much it was about to cost her.

Shug wrapped his arm around his friend's shoulder walking her toward the new freighter. "Look darling we both know the Imps are cracking down of personal starfighters, making it harder to find parts. Even the new Headhunters are tough to service right now. This on the other hand is perfect for smugglers bounty hunters and anyone else looking to find a fast ship with plenty of punch."

"How much Shug?" Naomi knew she needed a new ship she just hated spending the money.

Shrugging sheepishly shug named his price. "For you Naomi I say 30,000 credits out the door."

"30,000!" Naomi was shocked she knew that new and near new ships were expensive but that one seemed a bit much to her. "You didn't even have to buy this one Shug! How can you get away with that number?"

"That's easy the 30,000 covers the repairs and modifications plus 3% extra for profit." Shug knew better than to over charge the huntress not just because she was a good customer but because cheating a bounty hunter was never a good idea.

Naomi was speechless for a moment while she though over what her good friend had just told her. "So what your telling me is you are doing nearly 25,000 creds worth of modifications to this ship?"

Shug smiled he knew the gears were turning in the young woman's mind as to what he had actually done to the vessel to cost that much money. "That being said that's all I'm charging you for. If I wanted to make you pay for the ship herself the cost would be closer to 50 or 60,000."

"You really know how to make a lady a good deal. Show what you've done to her so far and I'll tell you if I'm going to pay that much for it or not." Naomi knew she was getting cheated somewhere but she and Shug knew she would make him make it up to her in personal modifications to turn the freighter into a bounty hunting ship.