"What do you mean we can't leave yet?!"
Carth stood before a very determined Bastila. Canderous was at his side, actually agreeing with him for once. It had been a week already, and the Council was still stalling. If it weren't for Carth wanting Akanni to be there, he'd have left already.
Well, that and the fact that the docking ring was closed in with a dome. They'd have to punch a hole in the roof to get out.
"Whatever your problem is, fix it." Canderous growled. "Now. She's on a damned Sith world, princess. We're going to get her back."
"Please just listen," Bastila tried, attempting to calm herself to persuade them. She bristled at the 'princess', but let it go. Not the time... "Akanni hasn't received her orders yet. It would be a waste of time and resources to leave only to come back after we've found Desiraye."
"I could give a gizka's ass about her orders!" Carth shouted, "Desiraye's life is more important. If we have to come back after we save her, then so be it."
"I agree," Akanni said, coming up behind them, "And I've told the Council that."
"And what did they say?" Canderous questioned.
"Well, after a rather hasty deliberation, they've agreed to let us go under the promise that we'll return. But as insurance that we will, they've decided that we have to leave someone behind."
Everyone was in an uproar over that. No one wanted to be left behind. Not on this mission.
"Wait, everybody calm down for a minute!" Akanni snapped, "I've already decided who's staying behind. But it's not as simple as that."
She turned to Bastila.
"Since we're going to a Sith planet anyway, it makes the most logical sense for you to remain here. They know you're face, so at the very least you'd have to stay on the ship."
Bastila nodded. It did make the most sense.
"But you said it wasn't that simple," Carth put in, "So what else is there?"
"The Council feels that Bastila isn't enough of an incentive to bring us back," Akanni sighed, casting a sympathetic look at the older Jedi, "So we have to leave Mission and Zaalbar as well."
"What?! We're leaving half our crew!"
"It's not like they could really be of much help to us there anyway." Akanni reasoned, "Could you see a Wookiee just strolling around on Korriban?"
"She's right," Canderous agreed, "They'd have to stay on the ship too. So they might as well stay here."
Carth still didn't like it, but said nothing further.
….
After finding a dark corridor and decloaking, Desiraye slunk into the cantina. She ordered a drink and sat in a corner by herself, listening to the chatter around her. She didn't learn much, but discovered that the outpost was called Dreshdae, and that the Sith academy lie beyond it.
As she nursed her drink, she noticed a Rodian and an Aqualish enter the cantina, taking a seat on the opposite side of the room, behind her. She could feel their eyes on her, and wondered vaguely what they wanted. She could sense the volatile emotions within them, and knew that whatever they were involved in, it could be very bad for her.
Her fingers inched closer to the lightsaber tucked beneath her jacket as the two aliens stood, and she grasped the cool metal as they approached her.
Just wait until they're close enough. Don't get ahead of yourself, Raye...
When they were about a foot and a half behind her, she drew on the Force to aid her tired body and leapt to her feet, spinning to face her attackers. Lightsaber humming, she sliced off the Aqualish's hand as she Force pushed the Rodian into the wall on the other side of the room.
The bartender looked up at the commotion, and over the screeching of the Aqualish, Desiraye spoke.
"You saw nothing."
"I... saw nothing."
"You do not wish to detain me."
"I do not wish to detain you. Yes, you are free to go."
He blinked a couple times, seeming unsure of his words but not protesting them. He never saw the delicate wave of Desiraye's hand. Dropping some credits onto the bar, she turned for the door. She hadn't quite made it when she noticed a man she hadn't seen earlier sitting at a table, watching her.
His brown hair hung in his eyes enough that she couldn't see them clearly, but she felt amusement from him. Wordlessly he held up his glass and nodded. She nodded back and continued on, safe in the knowledge that he meant her no harm.
Out in the corridor, she barely made it two steps before blinding pain filled her senses.
She couldn't fight off the strange assault, and as she collapsed to the floor, the last thing she saw was a pair of black boots.
"Nicely done, Jedi. You will do well here..."
….
Mission and Zaalbar weren't happy with being left behind. They weren't thrilled with the fact that they'd be stuck on the ship at Korriban either, however, so they opted to stay behind without a fuss.
As soon as they were settled into the Enclave, the Ebon Hawk left the planet. It would take about a week to reach Korriban, which was far too long for everyone's liking. They all tried to pass the time various way, none too successful.
As they neared the planet five days later, Akanni called Carth and Canderous into the main hold.
"The Council has decided that since we're going to be on Korriban, we should look for a Star Map." She said, "So along with this being a rescue mission, we also have a job to do."
"And how are we supposed to find a Star Map on a Sith planet?" Carth asked, "It's not like they'll just let us wander around on our own,searching the place for any hidden artifacts."
"They suggested that we go undercover. The Sith academy is here, so if we can get involved with that, we might be able to do a little digging."
"And we're just supposed to walk through the front door and hope they don't shoot us?"
Akanni hesitated at that. She had a plan for getting them in, but she knew he wouldn't like it.
"In the beginning, Canderous and I are going in alone. Just until we get a lay of the land and find our footing among the Sith."
"What?! No, I'm not staying behind. I'm coming with you."
"You coming will jeopardize the entire mission."
Carth looked at her like she'd sprouted horns. Him, endanger the mission?
"How do you figure that?"
"Any Force adept can look at you and see your loyalty to the Republic, your aversion to the dark side. If you go in there and try to tell them that you want to join the Sith, they really will shoot you."
"But -"
"Can't save your daughter if you're dead, Republic."
Carth glared at Canderous briefly, sighing heavily as he ran a hand over his face. They were right, and he knew it. Him being there would put them in danger.
"But won't they be able to tell that you're loyal to the Republic too?"
"No. I can use the Force to project a darker nature, make them believe that I've lost faith in the Jedi. And Canderous will be easy to get in. The hard part will be explaining him to everyone. How many Mandalorians do you think join the Sith?"
"Not many." Canderous growled, "And I can't say I like doing it now. Mandalorians do jobs for the Sith, sure. But they don't become Sith."
"I'm not exactly thrilled with it either, but we don't have a choice. We need access, and only they can give it."
….
Screams echoed through the halls of the Sith Training Academy on Korriban.
"Why do you hold so steadfast to the Jedi Council? They have betrayed you."
Desiraye looked to the woman before her, whose image seemed to twist and dance before her dizzy eyes. Her lightsaber lay on a table a few feet away, but she couldn't summon the strength to bring it to her hand. And even if she could, it would never make it through the force field surrounding the cage she was held in.
"They didn't... betray me."
The woman laughed.
"Even you doubt those words. I can see into your mind, Young One. I know what they did to you. They turned their backs on you, abandoned you, killed the one man who was good to you."
Desiraye had tried to focus her mind and construct walls to keep the intruder out, but that was hard to do when being electrocuted.
"What they did was wrong.' The woman whispered, "You know that as well as I do. We Sith are much more open about things like this. We would encourage your curiosity,your desire to grow."
"Somehow I doubt that."
Electical surges flooded her body, and the screams began again.