A/N: Hope y'all enjoy this, let me know what you think.

Chapter 1 – The Great Escape

As the starship struggled through the atmosphere, the cargo hold shook like the world was coming apart at the seams. Sinead pressed herself against the wall which was growing hotter as gravity tried to drag the ship back on the ground. She had squeezed herself in between two crates and hidden by the shadows she was impossible to spot from the walkway.

Sound of blood rushing through her ears drowned out her labored breathing and loud bangs from the ship. She pressed a shaking hand to her mouth and tasted blood. Her other hand curled around the handle of the whip, thumb hovering above the button that would power it up, releasing a power she didn't know how to handle. The whip, the one that started it all. It was heavy in her hand. If anyone found her, they'd meet a quick end, if she didn't accidentally dismember herself first.

Eventually, the floor evened out and Sinead allowed herself to shift, her burning leg muscles crying out in protest. A drop of sweat landed in her eye and she rubbed her forehead. She was drenched in sweat, whether from fear or the hot wall she didn't know.

As the ship got farther and farther away from the cursed planet, the fog of terror started to lift. She was free, or as free as one could be hiding in a cargo hold, stowing away on a starship bound for the unknown; they might as well take her into the heart of Hutt space.

The hiss when the door opened hit Sinead like an icepick at the back of her neck.

Bothans. Two of them made their way down the walkway, growling deep in their throats as they went, their paws almost silent on the metal floor.

Sinead shifted ever so slightly, breath caught in her throat, ready to pounce.

One Bothan stopped in front of her hiding place. She saw its long face through cracks between the crates, long canines curling up over its upper lip.

A clawed hand curled around the crate, pulling it back.

Sinead forced her eyes open. Her finger found the button and-

A loud growl and the Bothan let go of the crate and pushed it back in place. Sinead watched with wide eyes as they went further down the walkway and helped the other carry a much larger crate out of the room.

The door closed behind them, and Sinead let out a sigh of relief. The cargo hold felt cold suddenly, and empty, the only light came from ancient fixtures in the ceiling that flickered every time the ship shook.

She made it. She was going to make it. Once the ship docked, wherever that would be, she would sneak off and find another, get as far away from the Hutts as possible.

She'd find Kyen.

... ... ... ... ...

Four months later

Gineesh was nestled in between two glaciers, growing from the cracks like stubborn weeds too deep-rooted to ever be pulled out completely. If the dormant volcano under the biggest glacier ever woke and flooded the area with molten lava, the city would find a way to break through the volcanic rocks before it even had time to cool off.

Two years ago, a surveyor from the mining guild found spice deep down under the ice and rocks, and what used to be a small port whose only claim to fame was that it was a stop on the way to Mon Calamari, bloomed into an entire mining operation.

Sinead had found a job in the big shipyard carved out of the ice, doing maintenance on the enormous freighters that came every day to pick up spice. Her father had taught her just enough not to get herself killed in an industrial accident, but mostly she fetched tools and ran messages for the more seasoned mechanics.

Working around the big ships made her feel closer to her parents than she had in a long time. They'd owned a freighter, running cargo for whoever wanted to pay for it and Sinead had grown up among the stars.

She was jostled when she left the shipyard by big burly men coming in for their shift, their clothes covered in crusty oil and mud. The ever-present snow lined the road, turned grey from pollution. The road itself was a mess of mud and sludge and as Sinead walked, she felt it seep into her cheap boots.

A Twi'lek female waited for her just outside the shipyard; Ludah was young and pretty, her blue skin vibrant in the grey surroundings. She smiled when she saw Sinead.

"Jesha! I was about to leave without you."

Sinead shuffled closer to Ludah so they wouldn't be separated in the steady stream of people leaving and coming into to work. The sun was nearly below the horizon but work never stopped a place like this.

"I had to finish up before I could leave. You know how it is."

Ludah squeezed past an overturned hovercart someone had left in the middle of the road. "I told you, you could work with me at the cantina. You'd get to sling ardees instead of oil for a change."

Sinead huddled further into her cloak. The glaciers sheltered them from the big snowstorms that ravaged Toola but that didn't mean it wasn't colder than a wampa's balls.

"I've tried the whole server thing, and it turns out I'm no good at it."

"Because helping drunk assholes get even drunker is so hard."

"You're really selling this cantina job, you know that?"

Sinead knew she shouldn't talk to anyone more than necessary. She definitely shouldn't befriend the neighbor for fun walks through the slum, but she did anyway. She was a social creature and the last months had been hell in more ways than one, although a different form of hell than the one she escaped from.

"Your loss."

Ludah leaned closer to Sinead with a conspiratorial glint in her eyes and said, "Lon stopped by after my shift ended."

Sinead blew out a deep sigh. "You know I don't want to hear about this."

"But he told me he's leaving tomorrow. We're gonna meet later, down by the mine."

"Ludah ..." Sinead said, looking around to see if anyone overheard them.

"I'm serious! I might never get to see him again when he joins the resis-"

Sinead's heart shuttered in her chest. "Shut. Up." Her eyes roved around them, hands balling into fists in her pockets. Everyone looked too preoccupied with themselves to notice them, but it only took one before the Empire descended on the planet like vultures. "Think before you speak, will you?"

"Sorry," Ludah said, not sounding particularly sorry. "I'm just so tired of being stuck on this frozen pile of bantha shit." She looked at the ground like the planet itself could hear her insult. "I'm tired of drunk astash grabbing my lekku and following me home. I don't want to end up like my parents."

"Keep talking like that, and you'll end up in a prison camp, which I guess technically counts as getting off-world," Sinead said.

Ludah sniffed and crossed her arms. "I hate this stupid place." Another nasty look at the ground. "I'm sweating under my lekku and the rest of my body is frozen solid. How does that even happen?"

Sinead let Ludah rant the rest of the way to their lodgings, at least it was better than her talking about the resistance. News of the Resistance's victories over the Empire had reached all the way out to the frozen planet and tension was building in the slums that, if not taken care of, might explode into a revolt.

It wasn't that Sinead didn't understand where Ludah was coming from; she knew all too well the stifling feeling that came from staying in one place too long, kept in place by a literal or metaphorical chain, but she wasn't going to risk the Empire finding her just because Ludah had cabin fever.

They rounded the last corner and their lodgings were at the end of the road. Ludah's house was bigger, sturdier built than many of the surrounding shacks and warm light spilled out from the windows. In contrast, Sinead's one-room hovel looked like it shouldn't even be standing up.

Something made Sinead stop in her tracks; a chill that had nothing to do with the cold went through her body.

"Jesha? Are you all right?" Ludah looked at Sinead with furrowed brows. They stood in the middle of the road. "You look at bit pale."

A shadow moved behind the lone window of the hut, and Sinead took a step back.

"You know, I forgot something at the shipyard. I'll just see you tomorrow, yeah?"

She didn't wait for Ludah to answer but turned around and hurried back the way she came. There were fewer people on the street, the few streetlamps to be found in the slum still in working order was alight, making everyone who passed underneath look sick in the yellow light.

She reminded herself not to run as she hurried back towards the shipyard. Someone walking fast might just be late for work, but someone running would attract too much attention. She looked around as subtly as she could, trying to see whatever it was that gave her that feeling like it was the end of the world.

The smell of fire, oil, and metal hung in the air as she entered the shipyard, the sounds of heavy machinery just as loud as when she left, echoing in the big open space. A Wookie passed her carrying a rotor across his shoulders almost as big as he was.

Only one freighter was docked so there weren't as many people around as there could have been. Sinead hurried into a dark corner and entered a maze of pallets filled with spare parts for the ships. Stopping in front of the wall she removed a small panel. The whip was still there, the kyber crystals fused into the metal glinting in the low light.

Sinead didn't give herself time to be relieved. She returned the whip and replaced the panel, making the wall look untouched.

She left the shipyard by a rarely used side entrance and hurried down the street. Another breed of people had appeared after the sun went down; beggars and homeless who crowded around burning drums to find whatever warmth they could.

A hovercart filled with miners went past and as it was right beside her, Sinead stole down the nearest alley and the darkness swallowed her up.

Filth and frozen mud covered every surface and as Sinead ran, she nearly tripped over a garbage can, spilling its greasy content on the ground. The few windows turning towards the alley was blocked off and only slivers of light came through the dirty windows.

A Weequay sat slumped against the wall, and at first glance Sinead though he was dead. As she hurried past, he looked up and his hoarse laughter followed her, echoing through the alley.

If she could find a ship that departed tonight, maybe she could stow away on it, buy herself some more time. Then when the coast was clear she'd return for the whip and-

Pain exploded across her face as she turned a corner, the world tilted and she landed on her side, hard, holding her face like it was about to split in two. She tasted blood in her mouth.

A Trandoshan stood before her, his eyes glowing in the twilight.

"There you are," he said, the words low and rough. "I've looked all over the galaxy for you." While she lay dazed on the ground, he bent down and snatched the blaster that was hidden behind her cloak. "That thing is much too dangerous for a girl like you."

Sinead forced her hands to stop trembling. Snow and mud had already worked its way through the many layers of her clothes. He'd taken her blaster, but she still had a vibroblade tucked into her boot.

"Y-you have the wrong person," she said, edging away from the Trandoshan.

His maw opened in a grin. "I don't think so," he said, bending down and grabbing her by the wrists. "You're exactly the girl I'm looking fo-"

Sinead's foot connected with his stomach, sending him flying back and landing with a crash on top of an abandoned bag which split open and a black, foul-smelling content spilled out on the ground.

Sinead got to her feet and didn't waste a second breaking into a dead sprint, running blindly down the alley. His undulating hunting call echoed between the narrow walls, and ancient survival instinct kicked in gear, screaming at her to hide in the nearest hole she could find.

But he would find her, in the end. That's what Trandoshians do.

The alley opened into the main thoroughfare that cut through the slum like a dirty scar.

Sinead burst into the road like shot out of a cannon, screaming at the top of her lungs, the kind of scream that once it ended made the silence ring even louder.

People stopped in their tracks and watched as she made a beeline to a group of Besalisks standing by a grill where three small creatures hung suspended over the flames.

"Help!" Sinead's voice cut through the cold air like a whip. "Help! He's trying to kidnap m-" her legs were yanked out from under her and mouth filled with dirty snow as she for the second time that day landed on the ground.

A crowd formed around her; several blasters pointed directly at the Trandoshan who came skulking through the snow, a grappling line trailing behind him.

"She's a wanted fugitive," he said, snarling as his beady eyes jumped from blaster to blaster. "Sinead Cade-" He held out a small bounty puck where an image of Sinead spun slowly, the blue light making the Trandoshan look pallid and sick- "is wanted for theft and murder.

A murmur went through the crowd and one after one they fell away until people just moved around them like they rocks in a stream.

The Trandoshan bent over her again, catching her wrist in his hand. "If you run again," he said, snarling as he drew in a breath, "I'll fly back to the Hutts with you strapped to the hull of my ship."

He fastened bindings around her wrist and once he was sure they were secure, dragged her up by the arm. "Walk."

Sinead walked, head bent low in defeat while her eyes swirled around looking for a way out. She still had the knife tucked away but if she tried to use it she had better make sure it stuck.

Snow fell as they trudged towards the port located on the edge of Gineesh, covering the ground with fresh powder. Sinead's clothes started to freeze and she had lost most feeling in her hands and feet. The Trandoshan had a bruising grip on her upper arm, steering her towards certain death. His claws cut through her clothes like it was tissue paper, and Sinead felt warm blood trickle down her arm.

"If you send me back there," Sinead began, wincing as his grip got even tighter, "I'm as good as dead."

"And why is that my problem?" The Trandoshan yanked her to the side as a hovercart came zipping down the road, nearly hitting them.

"My blood will be on your hands."

The Trandoshan laughed, a raspy sound like scales slithering over stone. "You won't be the first and you won't be the last."

Sinead swallowed and wet her lips. "I can pay you," she said, her voice lower and smoother than before, "I have something worth more than what they're paying you, I promise."

"Shut up." The Trandoshan pushed her forwards and she landed on her knees in the snow. "We aren't all stupid enough to piss off both the Hutts and the Empire."

Sinead made a strangled sound as he grabbed her and hauled her to her feet. A weight was sitting on her chest. As the Trandoshan dragged her along, her fingers found the knife and she hid it in the palm of her hand.

"You're making a mistake."

"I'll live. Too bad you won't."

A ship rose in front of them, its charred hull and dark windows making it look like it was abandoned. The Trandoshan released her to press a button on his wrist vambrace.

Sinead flicked open the knife and lunged at the Trandoshan, burying the knife in his shoulder until only the hilt was visible.

The Trandoshan screamed and struck her on the side of the head with a fist that felt like a rock covered in sandpaper. She used the momentum to spin around and run. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears and with every labored breath, the cold air felt like knives in her lungs.

A roar echoed between the starships, and Sinead was about to chance a look behind when pain exploded in her shoulder and threw her to the ground. A smell of burnt flesh filled the air.

Rough hands grabbed her hair and pulled her head out of the mud. The Trandoshan pressed his disgusting mouth to her ear.

"You really shouldn't have done that."

And everything went black.

... ... ... ... ...

Sinead came to, lying on her back in a small room. The first thing her brain registered was how cold it was. Her clothes were soaked in mud, melted snow, and blood, and the air was cold enough to crystallize in front of her face.

When she opened her eyes, she thought she had gone blind. Eventually, her eyes adjusted to the darkness as the only source of light was a small crack under the only door to the cell. Because it was a cell, that was for certain. She was lying on a small cot and the only other furniture in the room was a metal bucket pushed into the corner which Sinead had no intention of touching no matter how long she was stuck there.

The dull pain emanating from her shoulder turned into a fiery agony when she tried to move. She covered her mouth with a filthy hand to stifle her cry. That only made it worse as her wrists were still bound together and every time she moved her arm, a new stab of pain tore through her shoulder.

She couldn't just stay there. She had to get up, find a way out of this.

Gritting her teeth Sinead counted to three and hoisted herself into a sitting position, nearly sliding off the cot. Pain exploded behind her eyes and she pitched forward and emptied her stomach on the floor. When she gingerly pressed a hand to the back of her neck, she discovered that her hair was stiff with blood.

Sinead breathed deeply against the wave of powerlessness that hit her. As long as she didn't panic, she'd find a way out. She had to.

Getting up took more tries than she cared to think about. She stepped around the sick on the floor and examined the door, a thick slab of steel that a thermal detonator wouldn't be able to break through. The rest of the cell was as if poured straight into a mold, there wasn't a crack or gap in the cold wall.

A low, constant hum made it clear that she was on a starship and it was heading nowhere good. A strangled sob escaped her lips as her fingers dug into her arm. Her body felt light as if it'd been hollowed out while she slept or expelled with the vomit.

She didn't know how long she stood there. The room shuddered as the ship hit the ground. It felt like someone had filled her ears with cotton.

The door hissed open and the Trandoshan appeared, his beady eyes trained on her. There was a dark stain on his shoulder and a bacta patch peeked out under his jacket. Grabbing Sinead's bound wrists, he pulled her towards the door.

An involuntary, guttural scream tore from her mouth and she dug in her heels as he dragged her down a narrow walkway. The ramp was down, sunlight streaming through the opening, and as the Trandoshan shoved her through, Sinead closed her eyes against the sharp sun.

The sight that met her when she opened her eyes made her want to close them again: Slezza the Hutt sat fat and glistening in the shade of a canopy held by four slaves; Beside him, Jusgra stood just as pale and insipid as she remembered him. A group of palace guards surrounded them.

On the other side of the landing platform, an army of white shone brightly in the sun. An Imperial officer dressed in grey was waiting in front of a squadron of stormtroopers.

She'd hoped she never had to step foot on Sriluur again. The dry heat assaulted her the minute she stepped out of the ship, making sweat break out under her clothes.

Sinead hissed between her teeth as the Trandoshan grabbed her injured shoulder and dug in his claws, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

Jusgra's long face split into a smug smile. Humans came in all shapes and sizes, but Sinead had never seen anyone as disproportional as him.

"Ah, I see you've finally found your quarry. Took you long enough."

The Trandoshan growled. "Delivered in one piece, just like you said."

Jusgra grabbed Sinead by the chin and lifted her face into the sunlight. "Not without damaging the merchandise, I see."

Sinead's vision flashed and she spat directly into Jusgra's face.

He hit her across the face with enough force to make her legs give out, and she slipped out of the Trandoshan's grip, landing on the dusty ground.

Slezza laughed and said something in Huttese but Sinead's ears were ringing too loud to hear.

She pushed herself to her feet. There was no way in hell she'd meet her fate lying helpless on the ground.

"If you're all quite done," the officer said, brushing a speck of dust off his grey coat. "I'd like to interrogate the prisoner."

The Trandoshan grabbed Sinead and pulled her close. "Not before I get paid."

Jusgra looked back at Slezza, who nodded his great head, and then Jusgra procured a pouch from a hidden pocket. The credits clinked when the Trandoshan caught it.

"You'll see it's all there," Jusgra said in a bored tone, examining his shirtsleeve.

"I just check if it's all the same to you," the Trandoshan said, turning the pouch upside down and counting the credits that fell in his palm. When he was satisfied, he gave Sinead a hard push towards the others.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

The starship took off, making Sinead's hair whip around her head. She kept her eyes trained straight ahead. Her breath came out in short bursts.

The officer stepped forward, flanked by two Stormtroopers who grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, making her clench her jaw in pain.

Slezza's booming voice rang out with a command.

"I do believe-" Jusgra stepped forward with his own guards behind him- "that seeing as she is property of the great Slezza the Hutt, and he deigned in all his magnificent glory to pay the bounty, she rightly belongs with us."

A change went through the guards and stormtroopers alike, tension boiling just below the surface. The stormtrooper to her right shifted his grip on his blaster rifle.

The officer patted his forehead with a handkerchief, not used to the oppressive heat of Sriluur. "She stole a valuable artifact belonging to the Empire and I am tasked with getting it back. Since an alternate payment was found, the weapon still belongs to us."

"And we will relay the information on its whereabouts to you as soon as we've extracted it, I guarantee."

"That wasn't part of the deal-"

Slezza let out a gurgling roar, and the officer whirled around to face him. A hush went through the stormtroopers and there was a low clicking sound of blasters being readied.

If they ended up opening fire on each other then maybe Sinead's death would be worth it.

Jusgra listened to Slezza with a passive face, before smiling coldly at the officer. " Slezza the Hutt permits you to extract the information as you see fit, providing that she'll be delivered back alive, as the glorious Slezza wishes to oversee her punishment personally."

The officer gave a curt nod. "I can't see why that will be a problem." He adjusted a button on his coat and looked for the first time directly at Sinead.

"I don't suppose you'll tell us where you hid the weapon and get it all over with?"

"D'emperiolo nok," Sinead spat, looking directly into his runny eyes.

"This one has always been … spirited. More trouble than she's worth, really," Jusgra said.

"Yes, well the Empire has a way of making people talk," the officer turned toward Slezza and gave a curt bow. "The Empire thanks you for your cooperation and looks forward to a long and profitable partnership."

As the stormtroopers led her away, Sinead looked up at the roof of the small building connected to the landing platform. There, in the heat haze, a shadow crouched behind a water tank.

Something glinted in the sunlight.

A grenade landed between the Imperial and the Hutt and all hell broke loose.