Carth:

            Why was I even here?  Decorated star-pilot of the Republic and the most important task I could find at the moment was "caffa duty."  I suppose the mission that the Endar Spire was on was important in its own right, but I hated feeling useless.  I could have been out doing what I do best, killing Sith, instead of being stuck in some covert operation that was so secretive that I wasn't even told what the hell was going on. 

            Since those Jedi got their paws on the Endar Spire everything had rapidly spiraled downward.  I was immediately demoted from being in charge of the men to an inept peon.  At least I got fancy title for my trouble: Advisor.  If the Jedi bothered to listen to advisors outside of their little council perhaps the Mandalorian Wars wouldn't have been as horrible as they were.

            Walking towards the cockpit, I took notice of that cute ensign, Meila I think her name was.  She waved enthusiastically and headed my way.  She seemed to think that I held some authority in scheduling work shifts on the ship and was eager to get on my good side because of it.  I wondered what would happen if she found out I was only a figurehead advisor, but at the same time I felt that even misguided banter was better than being left to my own thoughts. 

            She began with asking me about my day, like usual but didn't get very far.  That was when the first enemy blast hit the Endar Spire.  A wall panel blew and the poor kid was sent sprawling across the hallway.

            A winding gash marred her pretty face, but she was still alive.  I slung her over my shoulder and activated my personal communicator.

            "This is Carth Onasi.  All hands to the bridge!"  A logical command, but at the same time, futile.  Sith troopers and dark Jedi were swarming the ship as I spoke and there was no way in hell that the Republic was going to win that fight.

            The rest was mostly a blur.  When the adrenaline starts pumping through my veins, I rely on muscle memory to stay alive.  If I take the time to doubt or think over an action, that's usually when I end up hurt.

            Somewhere along the line I handed the injured ensign off to someone else, found Bastila Shan and escorted her to the escape pods.  Once safely by the escape pods I cracked into the Endar Spire's life support and tracked the whereabouts of the remaining crew.

            Regardless of escaping crew members pleading for me to join them, I kept my eyes locked on the moving red dots on the computer screen.  It was difficult to wrench my eyes from the screen because it seemed that by diverting my eyes for five seconds another dot would fizzle out.

            Eventually there was only one dot remaining.  Its movement was slow, but steady.  I chewed my lip until I tasted blood, but I'd be damned if I were to just abandon whoever it was out there.

            When the door opened, I overreacted.  I was concentrating so much on watching the dot, I didn't stop to realize that the dot was right outside my door.  My muscle memory took over and my blasters were immediately pointed at the intruder.  I'm just glad I stopped before I pulled the trigger.

            "Who are you?" I demanded.  Then I realized it was the last crew member.  It was so good to see that I was going to make it off that ship.  "You made it just in time!  There's only one active escape pod left.  Come on, we can hide out on the planet below!"

            She had been too shocked to move, I think.  I'll admit, throwing blasters in someone's face isn't the best way to make a good first impression.  Her dark violet eyes had been peeled open as wide as they would go, but as soon as she had time to blink her face had turned sour. 

            "Wait just a damn second!  Who are you and why should I trust you?" 

            I thought about dragging her into the escape pod, but she gave me such a feral look that I knew it would have been safer to take on ten kath hounds unarmed.  Enemy turbo lasers slammed into the Endar Spire.  She needed an answer, and quick.

            "I'm a soldier with the Republic, like you.  We're the last two crew members left on the Endar Spire."  She still didn't look convinced.  I sighed, and continued.  "Bastila's escape pod's already gone, so there's no reason for us to stick around here and get shot by the Sith.  Now come on—there'll be time for questions later!"

            She gave a suspicious nod, damn it, I'm supposed to be the suspicious one, but she followed me to the escape pod. 

            Once she was safely inside the cramped pod, I slid in beside her.  The closest planet was Taris, a Sith occupied hole, but it wasn't like we were being flooded with choices.  I punched in the coordinates and gave her my best reassuring smile.  She looked like she was going to be ill.