Disclaimer: I do not own KOTOR or any of the memorable characters. That would be nice though.

This is quite possibly the longest chapter yet because I was bound and determined to fit the escape from Taris all into 1 Chapter. Did I do it? You'll have to read and find out my fellow readers! I hope this chapter is to your liking and without further ado, here is the chapter!


Requesting Payback

"Revenge is a confession of pain."

The air speeder slowed down to a crawl as a building game into view. Canderous maneuvered the speeder gracefully around buildings before finding a garage as he approached. The doors to a hangar opened up as he slowly decelerated the speeder and entered casually, coming to a stop. They stepped out, Canderous first so that the personnel saw his face first. He was greeted by the mechanics and he simply grunted in response as he waited for Carth and Samirah.

Carth stepped out first before waiting for Samirah, who came out fluidly, her face not betraying any pain she was in. Carth was definitely impressed. She looked strong, confident and determined. The look of a Merc who knew she was better than half the personnel on this rock—she'd dare say more. She was putting on the act, not only for Davik, but his men as well. If she didn't look strong to them, they wouldn't want Davik to waste his time on her and they'd relay that message. Samirah would either be rejected within the first few moments—or killed.

In the speeder, she had quickly wrapped her leg and taken the med pack Carth had offered. She tended to it quickly and somehow made it look more like a fashion choice then a bandage for a wound. You couldn't let on that you were wounded when trying to get a job offer, could you? Of course, not. She had also somehow managed to turn her appearance from weary and ruffled to look more like a Merc. Her messy hair was in a ponytail but her bangs fluffed and uneven making her pretty but in a ruthless kind of way and falling lightly over her eyes.

When the personnel took notice of her, they stared with wide eyes, following her every movement. Some went as far as to check her out and when her eyes met theirs, they immediately looked away, startled by her eyes. Even though Carth knew her, he was surprised to find how cold her eyes had turned and the harsh expression across her face—dominant even. She leaned on her left leg (since her right leg was the injured one) as her left hand rested on her hip, waiting for Canderous to finish talking with the lead Mechanic. When he was done, he gave Samirah a nod and they moved on.

Canderous led the way as Samirah followed, walking purposefully down the corridors. Carth followed behind, amazed at her almost instantaneous transformation. He didn't think that the kind hearted girl who had argued with him about helping people over and over again had this potential—yeah, she had a temper but it wasn't really her fault… it was kind of his. The heels of her boots clicked down the corridor and rang throughout the hall as they moved. The clicking was on purpose, to show that she liked to make an appearance, liked to make her presence known—the persona she was putting on at least did.

Canderous opened a door and walked in smoothly to find Davik hovering over a datapad and speaking quietly with a man that Samirah remembered from the Cantina—Calo Nord. What in the blazes was he doing here? Didn't he have some poor child to steal candy from? At their arrival, Davik looked up and a grin formed on his face as he caught sight of Canderous.

"There you are, Canderous. I was wondering where you had run off too. You tend to disappear quite a lot these days." Davik observed making Canderous shrug with a small smirk. Davik's eyes moved past him to Samirah and he examined her from afar, a curious expression surfacing.

"You know me, Davik. I don't like staying in one place for too long. I have to find ways to keep moving, keep some action going." Canderous responded casually. Davik nodded his eyes still on Samirah as he assessed her from afar.

"Yes, I know that all too well. And who's this?" He said, bringing the attention to Samirah. "You brought someone with you? Most Intriguing, if I do say so myself. You usually travel alone. "He placed the datapad down and slowly walking towards them, his eyes remaining on her. Carth started to fidget, happy he was in the back and not under inspection. Samirah remained calm, not flinching under his gaze, not fidgeting, not a rosy cheek in sight—Carth was again, impressed.

Calo looked her over before a smirk arose to his lips, slowly turning to look at Canderous. They both held each other's gaze, the bad blood between them so obvious, you wanted to ignore its existence. Calo folded his hands in front of him as his eyes flicked from Canderous to Samirah and back.

"It's not like you to take on partners, Canderous." He said slowly and almost in a taunt. "You're getting soft." Samirah looked slowly over at him, breaking her eye contact with Davik to look at the bounty hunter. Calo didn't pay her much mind as his face contorted into what could only be his version of a smirk.

Canderous kept his tone playful yet dangerous as he smiled at Calo.

"Watch yourself, Calo. You may be the newest Kath hound in the pack, but you aren't top dog yet." He said smoothly making Calo's face turn from a smirk in to a glare. Samirah couldn't erase the smile it brought to her face, earning a glare from Calo. She looked back to Davik who was frowning at them both.

"Enough! I won't have my top two men killing each other—that's not good business. I'm sure Canderous has an explanation as to why he's not working solo anymore." Davik opted as he gestured to Samirah, his eyes on Canderous.

Canderous remembered the plan and looked away from Calo, not willing to waste anymore of his time on the pathetic excuse for a bounty hunter. Canderous was sure, given the chance, he would be able to handle the runt. Unfortunately, the plan didn't have room for revenge or pride to get in the way. Even if it was more than pride for Canderous.

"This is a special case, Davik. I ran into someone the Exchange might want to recruit." He said, giving Samirah an appraising smile. "You may have heard something of her exploits already."A flash of recognition hit Davik as he grinned.

"Ah, yes—now I recognize your companion. The rider who won the big swoop race. Very impressive… as was your display in the rather heated battle afterwards." He praised.

Samirah mentally grimaced at the idea of being so well known by a Crime Lord. It was completely against her tactics to be so widely known, especially with a Crime Lord—was bad for the line of work she was in. She swallowed whatever unease it brought her as she smiled at him before tilting and bowing her head slowly to him in respect.

"I am pleased that you approve. It is good to be found in your presence, Mr. Kang. I am Samirah Alda." She said respectfully, her tone showing potential to Davik.

Something about her rang Success to Davik and he couldn't help the smile it brought to him to think of her potential. Seeing her fight after the swoop race showed her talent in fighting and meeting her now, he could tell she was obedient. She respected power and received results when asked to get them. Her personality was exactly what Davik was searching for.

"You know, Canderous was right." He said, holding his hands behind his back. "The Exchange is always looking for new talent. You could have a bright future with our organization." He gestured to the Mandalorian, his eyes still on Samirah. "With a recommendation from Canderous—and a thorough background check—you could become part of the Exchange. Many would kill to prove themselves worthy of this honor."

Samirah turned her head slightly showing interest, but kept her eyes focused on him, a small smirk forming on her lips.

"Of course, Mr. Kang. You're offer… I find it very intriguing. I would be a fool not to accept such an honor." Davik smiled nodding his approval and waving off her formality

"Please, call me Davik." He assured her and she bowed her head yet again.

"As you wish… Davik." She amended earning herself a beaming small from him. He turned to Canderous, nodding happily to the Mandalorian.

"I approve, Canderous. Where did you find such a wonderful prospect?" He mused. Calo glared, not only at Canderous but at Samirah too. He didn't like his thunder being stolen. He didn't like new arrivals either. Samirah just smiled politely at him, happy that she was making friends.

"Call it fate, Davik." He replied and Davik chuckled. Samirah liked how everything was going. The pieces seemed to all be falling into place. The moment the chance presented itself, they would be home free and off of Taris.

"What about him?" For a moment, Samirah wondered what he was talking about until she followed his gaze.

Carth. They hadn't given a reason for his presence and for a moment, Canderous seemed at a loss for an explanation so Samirah offered the first one that came to mind. She only prayed they followed along and didn't ask questions.

"He's my lackey, Davik. Think of him as my personnel assistant; a follower if you will." When Davik gave her a skeptical look, she played it off with a sweet smile, but still had a hard edge to it. "Please, Davik, must I? My lapdog. He keeps my glass full… and me happy. I will keep him in line, I always have." She said with a silky voice. "You have nothing to worry about, Mr. Davik." Davik grinned, understanding her before chuckling.

Samirah turned her hard gaze at Carth who was, for a moment, shocked that she was capable of such a thing. Realizing what she wanted from him, Carth clasped his hands in front of himself and bowed to Davik. He waved him away like you would wave a servant away when they brought you something you didn't want, a smile still on his face. Carth inwardly grimaced, careful not to show his expression to their present company.

"I see, I see. Very well, you may keep him. You certainly are welcomed to one of my slaves, but I understand when you find a favorite." He mused. Calo crossed his arms, staring at Carth a little longer than Carth would have appreciated but he didn't say anything or even return the stare. "Well, come with me—I will give you a tour of my operations. I'm certain you'll be most impressed." Davik said proudly to Samirah.

As he walked by Canderous fell into step behind him as did Samirah with fluid motions to begin the tour. Samirah felt bad having to degrade Carth like that, even if it was only verbally. She would apologize once they were out of earshot of Davik and Calo. They were lucky she was able to keep up such a pretense and that he believed them. She was sure he would have suspected something but after she batted a few eyelashes and smiled, he seemed like he didn't really care.

Were all guys like that? She wondered how well that would work against Carth or Canderous. It might be something she'd have to test one day.

The tour took about an hour and it was the best thing Davik could have done for Samirah. She soaked in every inch of the estate and when they finally set eyes on the Ebon Hawk, Samirah couldn't stop the admiring look she gave the ship. To her, it was like gold. This ship was getting her off planet. This ship was her ticket out of here. She felt bad for having to steal it from Davik but… he was a Crime Lord. His kindness to them could simply be a pretense as well or simply the face he showed to his staff.

Besides, he probably had another one stowed away somewhere… what's one ship to a Crime Lord like Davik?

He brought them to the guest's quarter and showed them to their room, a content smile still in place. Samirah walked gracefully into the room, examining ever inch of it for a mere fraction of seconds before, in one fluid motion, she turned to meet Davik and bowed with just as much grace to him. Davik seemed to enjoy the attention and respect he was receiving from her because he smiled smugly at her. He felt empowered.

"You do me much honor, Mrs. Alda." He casually said as she stood straight, her form perfect yet delicate.

"Ms. Alda." She corrected, earning yet another grin from Davik.

"Of course, my mistake, Ms. Alda. These will be your accommodations. The slave quarters are just down the hall. If you need anything during your stay—food, a massage—feel free to call upon their services." He said without diverting his eyes from her even though she could tell he was skeptical of her own servant. "If all goes well with your background check, you will be invited to join the Exchange. I don't expect any trouble at all and will come to see you when it's all done." Samirah kept her smile focused on him.

"I do look forward to your next visit, Davik, as well as to working with you." She said in a smooth and dangerously sweet voice. Carth had to do a double take just to make sure it was Samirah who was talking. Not that he would have believed it if Canderous was talking in an alluring voice but… it would be more believable then Samirah doing it.

Davik just smiled as Calo snorted from where he leaned against the door. Davik shot him sharp look before looking gently back at her. Canderous was doing everything in his power not start snickering. He thought the kid was good, but he had never expected such a performance from her. He was intrigued to no extent.

"So do I. You will have to stay in these rooms as my guest for the next few days; I will not accept no for an answer. I can't have you disappearing before you can accept my offer. Feel free to visit the slave quarters at any time during you stay." His eyes finally flicked over to Carth, the one person he had yet to address or even acknowledge the entire time, directing his next words mostly at him.

"I must warn you that if you are found anywhere outside the guest wing during your stay—or if you bother my other guests—my security forces will deal with you most harshly. I greatly advise that you don't do anything reckless." He stated with finality. Carth nodded his head, resisting the urge to scowl.

Why was he the one suspected of being sneaky? That was all in Samirah's department. Just because he was the 'slave' didn't mean he was out to steal. Davik finally relaxed his stern gaze to look kindly at Samirah. Carth resisted another urge to gag. This entire situation was more than he bargained for.

"I will return once the investigation into your background is complete." He promised. "Until then, make yourself comfortable. Come, Calo, let us leave our guests in peace." He looked at Canderous and how relaxed he was against the wall. Canderous caught his eye and just smirked.

"I'm going to key her in on how things work around here. Get her up to speed." He said and Davik just nodded in approval with a grin still in place. Apparently he had no fears about Samirah entering their ranks so he had no suspicions either.

"Yes, that's a good idea. I'll leave you to do that. Come, Calo." He called again, leaving the room as the bounty hunter grudgingly followed. He shot Canderous a sneer before walking brusquely away. When the doors shut, Canderous relaxed.

"Okay, we're—"Samirah shot him a sharp look.

"Mr. Ordo." She interrupted, her pretense still up as she slowly began to move around the room.

Her hands were placed behind her back, her eyes scanning every inch of the room while Canderous scrunched up his forehead from confusion. Her eyes then focused on a potted plant as she slowly moved towards it, her eyes glancing at the rest of the room, a playful smile arising.

"I dare say you have an admirer. I do hope he doesn't cause us any problems." She spoke softly and smoothly, like she was patronizing the Mandalorian. "Maybe they're simply problems meant solely for you, but I fear I've been dragged along as well. I wish not to be swept up in your affairs. They shouldn't concern me."

Her voice lilting with each word and Carth swore she was a totally different person. Her voice was like velvet and each word just as menacing as they were sweet. Canderous looked at her puzzled before grimacing. He wasn't sure what she was getting at or even why she was still holding up that pretense. Carth seemed to have similar thoughts.

"Samirah—"Carth started but she shot him a look as well, from the far side of the room. Her eyes turning harsh and cold, holding more menace then her words.

"Do not speak unless spoken too, dog." She said harshly making Carth speechless. Did she just call him a dog? He watched in shock as she leaned against the table, fiddling with the potted plant. "Dogs must listen to their masters…" She said much softer and gentler. Canderous and Carth exchanged glances, both wondering if she was losing it. "I've learned that you must put a dog in their place before they become disobedient!" She shouted the last word, picking up the plant and hurling it at Carth.

He ducked as the plant smashed across the wall to his left. Even if he hadn't ducked, it would have missed him but that didn't make it any better. She'd thrown it too far to her right, the wall covered with dirt and the pot broken against the floor. Canderous jumped up to his feet in surprise looking at the plant before he and Carth's eyes met. Samirah walked brusquely to the plant and as she started to bend down, Carth grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked her back to her feet, narrowing his eyes at her. He pressed her against the wall to keep her from moving or escaping his hold.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He nearly shouted, gripping her shoulder firmly and making her flinch. "Has it all gotten to your head? We're not here to impress Davik and we're certainly not here to join the Exchange, we're here to get off this backwater planet as soon as possible! Don't go acting like your someone better than us just because a Crime Lord thinks you're a hot commodity! Don't forget which side you're on!" He fumed. The idea of it all was infuriating.

What the hell was she thinking? She looked at him with an odd expression: Confusion, curiosity, astonishment and disbelief all wrapped up in one expression. You could almost say she was angry for his accusation but he was just telling her what he was seeing.

"She's smart. Smarter than I thought." Canderous commented. Carth looked at him before following his gaze to the potted plant. A spark was seen popping out of the dirt. Samirah used her foot to uncover a small device, stealthily crafted to be hidden in the base of the pot. With her foot, she stomped it out before looking at Carth with a slightly hurt expression.

"You're lucky I broke the recorder when I hurled it across the room. You would have revealed our entire plan to Davik. The camera was cracked but it couldn't see much through the dirt. This was the only device I could spot and probably all he had. Anymore and he risks detection." She stated coolly. "Now, if you'd be so kind as to let go of my shoulder…" She breathed and Carth immediately let go. She let out a shaky breath, moving to the side and sitting herself on one of the beds.

"Samirah, I—"He started but she cut him off.

"Most of the Crime Lords I've ever come across are borderline paranoid. Even if they fully trust you, they're not above bugging your room just for that small chance that you'll betray them. Even if its twenty-five years later and you've done just about everything you can to prove your allegiance, you can still come to find a small hidden camera or a bug in the decorations." She explained, not meeting Carth's eyes. Canderous was smirking, not really paying attention to the tense air between them.

"You have more potential than I originally thought. If I wasn't planning on leaving the Exchange then I would seriously consider recommending you. Hell, I'd probably ask you to be a partner in crime." He ginned earning a small laugh from her and an incredulous look.

"Believe me, Canderous, that's endearing but I really don't think the Exchange is quite my type of business." She countered and he just shrugged. Canderous didn't think the cause was completely lost. Carth shook his head, feeling utterly embarrassed.

Samirah winced from her back pains before rolling her shoulders and trying to get used to the bruising. They were going to annoy her for the next few days. Damn Jedi. Using the force—that was downright cheating. When she looked up at Carth and saw his guilty expression, she smiled gently at him.

"Hey, it's fine, ok? You couldn't have known there was bug. You were doing what you thought was right so I can't blame you for it. If I ever was seriously like that, I'd expect you to tell me or at the very least, shoot me. We'll just say that you were getting even for the lapdog remark." She said with a grin and Canderous started snickering. "Sorry about that anyway, it was the best I could come up with that was potentially believable." She said thinking back to it.

"Potentially? You could have told Davik he was a Dark Lord of the Sith and he would have bowed down before him with the way you spoke to him. Didn't know you could act so alluring. That could come in handy." Canderous mused out loud and her cheeks immediately turned a bright shade of red.

How did she do that? Carth couldn't figure out how she could hold it together enough to not blush or flinch when she was in front of Davik with this deadly persona. Now that she was free of it, she was back to blushing and feeling embarrassed like a child again. Not that Carth was complaining, he just thought that it was amazing she could do that. She could really hold it together when she needed to.

"Please, Canderous, it was just an act to get us through. I really hope I don't have to do it again so let's not count on it." She said nervously and Canderous seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Carth was.

"Well, assuming there aren't any more bugs, we can continue as planned. We just need to figure out a way to get past the Ebon Hawk's security system and we can get the rest of your group. We do that and we can get off this planet." He stated happily. "No sense waiting around here. The sooner we get off Taris the better."

Samirah nodded her head before popping up off the bed and stretching her arms. Enough with the sweet talk, she was ready to grab a hold of that ship. She straightened her vest as she glanced at Canderous and motioned for him to follow. She pressed her hand against the door before slowly opening it, checking into the hallway. She slipped out into the hallway, holding the door open so that her two companions could walk out before she silently closed the door. She looked down both ends of the hallway and thought about her next step.

Down the hall was the slave quarters and going the other way brought her to the Throne room. From there, the different routes were divided up. It was the central point and that's where she needed to go. Her only thought was if her hacking skills were good enough to bypass the security system in time. Hacking a Crime Lords computer was tricky business especially if they were paranoid. Paranoid enough to have surveillance in every room no matter who it was—there was always that seed of doubt that his most trusted friend would turn on him at the drop of a hat.

Even with her sweet smiles, she was no exception to the rule.

They liked to cover their losses before they ever had a chance to happen—eliminate the threat. One occasion too many, Samirah had nearly paid for never checking for cameras. They were pure miracles when she escaped with her life, miracles that she praised each and every day.

Davik was definitely the paranoid type.

Samirah knew that kind of man all too well. She also knew the protocol. She glanced around, looking for any indication of surveillance—she needed to blot it out and do it before they went spelunking through the estate. She moved slowly, yet casually towards the slave quarters, Carth and Canderous following her curiously. They had no idea what she was up to. She was walking like she was a Merc again so they were careful not to say anything, unsure how she would respond.

She saw the camera as she started to enter the quarters. When she was out of its focus, she slid underneath it, pressing her back to the wall and looking directly up at it. She reached her hand smoothly up to the wires fiddling around. There wasn't anything that could shut down the entire grid but with this, it would look like they were on the way to the slave quarters when all the cameras do go out. It would cover their whereabouts. She fiddled with the wires, replacing this one with that one, careful not to screw it up. She furrowed her brow as she tried to focus and rework the camera. It would be easier if it was eye level but what person in their right mind would put a security camera at eye level?

Canderous and Carth exchanged a glance as they stood off to the side, waiting for her to finish up. After a moment, Samirah yanked away one of the wires and smiled happily before moving away. She brushed her hands together with a look of content over her face.

"The camera's been reworked. I still need to find a terminal though." She said quietly, replaying the layout of the estate.

There were a few sections of the estate Davik had not shown them, very cleverly cutting them out of the tour so that no one would notice or ask questions unless they were looking too closely. A clever plan on his part. Canderous knew more about the layout of the estate then she did seeing as how he worked for the exchange so she was hoping he would be able to chime in when needed. She turned around and moved brusquely down the hall, passing by their guest room and stopping at the door. She motioned for her two companions to stop moving before she opened the door and then closed it behind her.

Carth and Canderous exchanged yet another glance before looking at the door.

"Does she always do this? Disappear and leave you out of the loop?" Canderous commented, crossing his arms as he leaned on his back foot. Carth just nodded as his face remained neutral and focused on the door.

"All the time. Unfortunately, you get used to it. Not something I like, to be honest." Carth remarked, stuffing his hands in his pockets as they stared at the empty door for several moments, waiting for her to reappear.

Several moments ticked by before the door popped open and Samirah leaned in to smile at them.

"Alright, gentleman, this way please." She gestured as they stepped into the room, casting cautious glances in every direction.

"What were you doing?" Carth asked skeptically. There were no guards in here and if there were, she killed them quick and dragged their bodies to—well, where could she drag them? There was no where to put them.

"Without a terminal to deactivate the cameras, I have to use conventional means and do it manually. Once I find a terminal, we can move freely without any worries." As she spoke she pointed out two well hidden cameras that she must have deactivated or broken—Carth couldn't tell. He was willing to bet the former of the two though.

"You deactivated them without being caught in the recording?" Canderous questioned, a curious but smug look in place and she nodded.

"I'm not called a Scout for nothing, Mr. Ordo. I'm chosen to do what I do because I can get it done and not be seen." She replied happily before moving off to the side and opening a door to their left.

The Throne room's name did it justice. It looked every bit the part of a throne room fit for a king. A sole chair was in the middle on a pedestal, more elaborately decorated and centered than the rest around the room. Davik really saw himself as a king, the ruler, the boss. He focused everything on himself and liked to make it known who he was. She wondered how long his empire would last before some other person came in and took over.

They always did.

As they hurried down the hallway and opened up the door, she was ecstatic to find a terminal in front of her. She stepped inside and immediately ducked and rolled, sensing it before the blaster shot hit the wall. She rolled behind a table as Carth and Canderous pulled out their weapons and began firing. Samirah cursed, staring at the terminal. She needed to cut the cameras before the video feed reached Davik if the gunfire didn't. She pulled her blaster out and stood up taking careful aim as their attention was focused on Carth and Canderous.

She aimed at the first of the three guards and quickly took him out. The other two noticed her and diverted their attention to her, giving Canderous and Carth a clean shot at their heads. Were these really Davik's guards? She quickly spun around and immediately began typing as fast as she could at the terminal. Her eyes scanning every line of information as she tried to break the sequence and enter the system. Carth and Canderous checked the bodies, the only sound being the tapping of the terminal coming from Samirah.

After several moments of uneasiness from her, she finally gained access and began to terminate each camera, feeding the system repeated images so that they didn't get suspicious. If all the cameras were just out, Davik would be skeptical and wouldn't simply assume a power failure or some other possible explanation: Not someone like him. For crying out loud, Calo Nord was like a puppy, following his every move and there to bark at any person getting to close to him. Davik would probably have Canderous guarding him if it weren't for the fact that he was a Mandalorian. Like he told Davik earlier: He didn't like staying in one spot and she didn't blame him.

Once she fixed the cameras she began trying to unlock the hangar doors. As each second ticked by, she became more and more frustrated. The numbers weren't matching. She couldn't get through the system. Davik must really love this flagship because the system required for this kind of security would take a fortune. Of all the luck in the galaxy…

"What's wrong?" Carth asked from beside her. He watched the terminal as she tried to bypass it but kept coming up short. He didn't understand half of what the screen was showing but he understood enough: It wasn't working.

"I can't get through… Davik really takes care of his ships. It's been a while since I've seen this kind of security… I'll need a code or more time. Since time isn't something we have, I'll need to find another means of access…" She pointed out, still typing away at the console. She flipped through all of the camera images, seeing if Davik—by any chance at all—had a camera in his room or something useful on the terminal.

Flipping though images, she found a curious camera simply labeled "Guest" room. She flicked to see what the last image had been and she gasped at the console. Canderous crossed the room and looked over her shoulder to see what had startled her. She and Carth exchanged looks of shock to find a man in a containment cell. He seemed to be in physical pain, undergoing some sort of torture as Torture Droids circled the room. She despised the very creation of Torture Droids and liked their usage even less.

"What did that idiot do…" Canderous said in a low voice as Samirah turned to look at him.

"You know him?" He questioned and he nodded.

"Yeah, that's Hudrow, the pilot for the Ebon Hawk. At least… he used to be…" He mumbled. "I don't know what he did, but if he's in there, Davik didn't like it." Samirah closed down the terminal.

"Well we can't just leave him there! We have to go free him." Canderous frowned at her, resting his weapon on his shoulder.

"No you listen here, we can't go and save every person we find in a pinch. Sooner or later, we're going to find ourselves in a pinch and I highly doubt anyone's going to want to take the risk of setting us free." He complained as he frowned at her.

"And let me remind you that we don't have a way of getting the Ebon Hawk out of here yet. If we had a few hours then yeah, I might be able to hack the system. Again, time isn't exactly a leisure we can afford right now." She stated. "If he's the pilot, Davik must trust him enough with the codes, right?" She stated earning a deeper frown from the Merc.

"Yes." She smiled at him but his frown stayed in place. "But what's to stop Davik from changing to codes since Hudrow's apparently not 'trustworthy' any longer?" She just shrugged.

"Well, unless you have a better plan, this is what we have. If his codes don't work, we either find some that do or you'll have to just buy me enough time to hack the system." She explained sternly, not leaving anymore room for discussion as she walked back the way they came.

Canderous rolled his eyes as he followed after her, earning a chuckle from Carth.

"You'll get use to it…" He whispered to the Mandalorian who raised an eyebrow in question. "She usually gets her way." He amended.

"Maybe I made a bad choice…" Canderous grumbled as Carth smirked. Yeah, he had thought the same thing too—or at least something similar. Now look where they were. He would never have imagined being in Davik's estate as a 'guest' or stealing his flagship.

Life always had a surprise for you at every turn.

Samirah ran through the schematics, pinpointing the location of the guest room as she crossed the Throne room. She found the correct door, pushing it open, her blaster ready as a Merc on patrol walked by. He caught a glimpse of them and before he could point his gun to shoot, a blast hit him in the chest and knocked him back against the wall before he slid down. Samirah turned around, realizing she hadn't been the one to fire her gun yet. Carth's blaster was pointed directly at the guard and he just smirked at her.

"You were too slow." He commented and she raised an eyebrow at him, her hands on her hip.

"Is that a challenge Carth Onasi?" She asked in low yet smooth voice earning a chuckle from him.

"Maybe." He answered, walking past her and down the hall as they all followed behind.

Samirah looked at each door and before she could decide which one it was, Canderous passed by them both and walked to the far end of the room. He grimaced as he stared at the door, cracking his knuckles. Samirah and Carth walked up to his side staring at the door, both wondering the same thing.

"This is it." He said answering the unspoken question and Samirah didn't hesitate.

When the door wouldn't open, she immediately began hacking through it, the door popping open with ease and the two Droids turning at the disturbance. Immediately, Carth and Canderous took fire, drawing their attention as Samirah raced past the Droids avoiding shots. She found Hudrow gripping his skull as his face contorted in agony. His mouth opening like he wanted to scream out but not able to find the strength to do it. Samirah looked around for the console, finding it at the far end of the room.

She began toying with the console as a blaster shot hit the wall, barely missing the side of her face. She froze for half a second, shooting a quick glare at her companions before continuing to break the system. Canderous and Carth took down one Droid before they quickly worked to polish off the last one. It had been Carth whose bullet missed the Droid and nearly hit Samirah. It wasn't his fault, the blasted Droid moved just before the bullet could hit its mark.

Canderous fired a lucky shot that entered the main compartment and ricocheted around, destroying the interior of the Droid. As it dropped to the floor, Samirah had finished shutting the Torture Cage down. Hudrow fell to the floor, gasping out for air as Samirah hurried to his side and placed a hand on his back. He shivered and when he looked at her, his eyes were bloodshot and his face had paled a great deal with beads of sweat falling down the sides of his face.

"Th-Thank you…" He choked out, struggling to get to his feet as Samirah supported his weight. He staggered to the side but she caught him, keeping a firm hold on him.

"You have no idea what it was like in there… I don't know how much more I could have taken… before I went mad…" He spoke in a low, hoarse voice. His eyes were unfocused as he tried to get a clear head. He looked at Samirah as a slow but sad smile crossed his face.

"I couldn't leave you in there like that…" She said, suddenly feeling bad. She couldn't ask him for the codes, it would be insensitive. He had just gone through a lot of trauma and she didn't need to add to it.

"Hudrow, do you know the codes to disable the security system protecting the Ebon Hawk?" Canderous just flat-out asked, crossing his arms and looking at him with an expectant expression.

"Canderous!" Samirah scolded. He just shrugged at her, not understanding what he did wrong. She was going to ask him eventually right? Why wait, especially when time was of the essence. Hudrow just waved her off with a smile, despite how tired he must have been.

"No, no, he has a point. I do know them… I have to pay you back somehow and if you want the codes, I'll give them to you." He said a little breathless but he nodded his head. "Give me your datapad." He requested, holding his hand out. She quickly handed it to him as he entered the code and then handing it back.

"Is that all you can give us?" Canderous asked and Samirah swore she was going to hit him. Hudrow looked at him in surprise.

"What more could I give you? I was only the pilot of the Ebon Hawk, not Davik's personal assistant. I don't know."

"Oh come on, Hudrow, you know something." Canderous persisted and Samirah just looked at him.

"Canderous, he's—"

"I don't know anything!" Hudrow said a little louder looking away, not meeting Canderous' eyes. His body tensed and Samirah could feel the change as her arm still supported his back.

"Why did Davik put you in there?" He said, gesturing to the cage. "You had to do something that Davik really didn't approve of. He was fond of you and wouldn't have done this to you for a minor offense." Canderous stated, his penetrating gaze following Hudrow and noting his every movement.

"Listen, I don't—"

"Don't lie to me." Canderous said coldly, not letting up or believing the story.

"Canderous, enough!" Samirah shouted at him, shooting him an angry glare. "He's been through enough and doesn't need your constant questioning! That's not why we're here!"

"He knows something and he's going to tell me!" Canderous shot back, his eyes never leaving Hudrow.

Hudrow met his gaze and waited several moments before letting out a tired sigh and rubbing his head, flinching. Samirah moved to check his head but he waved away her help. He was just frustrated and tired. He wanted to get out of there as quick as he possibly could. He didn't like lingering around, not when he was sure Davik was bound to find out about his release. The moment he did, Hudrow needed to be as far away as possible.

"You haven't been paid, have you?" Hudrow started as Canderous narrowed his eyes. "Of course you haven't." He spat a little angrily. "He's not paying a lot of people, though I think you're the first one to go and get yourself a partner to steal his ship in response."

"How did you know that's what we're after?" Carth blurted out before he could think it through. Hudrow shook his head.

"I'm not stupid. Canderous comes in with someone he considers his equal and asks for the codes—not really many options there, sunshine." He said sarcastically and Samirah pursed her lips to keep from laughing. Hudrow turned his attention back to Canderous, pulling from Samirah and assuring her that he was fine now.

"The money—Davik's trying to cut back on everyone's pay. He's not making the money he needs to keep everyone happy. You're one of the more expensive products and that's taking a bigger toll on his pocket then he would like. Because of the quarantine, he's not getting shipments in or out of Taris. He's losing money and when that happens, staff tend to get ideas. If they don't get paid, they don't stay loyal. Information has a tendency to leak out. He was working out a deal with the Sith to get the launch codes and it was getting costly. He plans on getting the launch codes and dropping his less obedient employees while he takes his favorite lackeys off Taris—the ones he's kept at his side." Hudrow said before gesturing at Canderous.

"You, my friend, are one of the less loyal. You're a Mandalorian and with your kind of reputation, Davik thought you would turn on him even with the money." He said, glancing to Samirah as if his point was proven. "I didn't like the idea when I found out. Davik was going to keep me as the pilot but I would have a few… restrictions. I tried to fight it and he cut me out before I could do any damage to whatever order he had left here. He didn't want me revealing the plan. He was going to leave Taris and pretend that he didn't have any part in it! He was just going to throw it to the wind and—and let whatever happens, happen to it." Hudrow spat the words out. Canderous nodded slowly, grinning.

"Thanks, Hudrow…" He just waved off the Mandalorian, looking away. Samirah didn't know what to say… what could you say? Davik was worse than she thought. She looked at Canderous pointedly before he caught her eye and nodded.

"Thank you, Hudrow." Samirah echoed and he nodded before looking at all of them.

"I can I go now? I need to vacate the area before my escape reaches Davik's ears. I can't be found here when it does or I'm as good as dead." He stated a little frantically before Samirah nodded.

"Go, quick. Thank you for all of your help." She said softly and he returned her smile before he stood straight and hurried to the door. He wasn't wasting any time getting out of there. He didn't want part of any plan Canderous had ticking away in his mind. He knew that particular Mandalorian all too well.

"No need to thank me. I should thank you for my rescue…" He called over his shoulder as he hurried out the door and around the corner, disappearing down the halls.

Samirah watched the door a moment longer, wondering if he was going to be okay. He did just escape from a Torture Cage so he was doing pretty well under the circumstances. Canderous cleared his throat, drawing her attention away from the door.

"We have to codes, kid. Let's not linger any longer than we have too." Samirah nodded before turning to look at him fully. She lifted a finger and pressed it firmly against his chest, her eyes staring intently at him as she leaned close.

"Let's get one thing straight, Canderous. I know you have it out for Davik and Calo but they are not our priority. I don't agree with your interrogation. He was injured and not in any condition to answer your questions. While the information was useful, if you ever go against me again, I'll show you the extent of my capabilities." She said coldly and he watched her with a neutral face.

"You're going to kill me?" He finally asked, a small smile lifting the corners of his mouth. She mirrored his expression.

"You wish, Mr. Ordo. I'm not one to be brutal, but if you do unnecessary things again, I'm afraid I will have to as well. I don't like mistreatment of people we're trying to help. If you'd give me the chance—I'll help you figure this all out. But you have to be willing to trust me and my chosen method." Her smile turned sweet as she took on a child-like expression. "Are we clear?" She said in a chipper tone making Canderous grimace.

Carth shut his mouth and kept it that way as Samirah and Canderous stared each other down. Carth was beginning to think that Samirah could be so sweet and caring—but could make enemies just the same. That caring heart of hers that would help any person in need could also make enemies for the very same reason. Canderous grunted in response, before looking away.

"Alright, kid." He sighed, chuckling. "You win this time." She smiled.

"Glad we understand." She spun around on one foot and quickly glided out of the room as Canderous and Carth followed after her. They walked closely as she led them back to the hangar, her mood lifting despite Canderous' little incident.

"So, is she always like that as well?" Canderous asked in a low voice and Carth chuckled.

"Well, I'll put it this way. She's never threatened to beat me to a pulp." He said, grinning and happy that he wasn't the only man here who was at odds with her. Canderous' face twitched into a grin.

"Huh, guess I'm lucky." Carth gave him an odd look. The way he said it made it seem like he really was lucky. The idea made Carth raise an eyebrow at him as he tried not to think of what was going through the Mandalorians head.

Without any warning, an explosion rocked the building and Samirah fell against the wall along with Carth and Canderous. Her face twisted into a wince from the impact, making her back throb. They froze as another explosion rocked them in the opposite direction. Samirah let loose a few choice words as she tried to stay upright and not across the floor. The explosions weren't directed at any certain spot of the building, they were sporadic. If Davik knew they were running around, she doubted he would destroy the entire building to get to them.

Not like this anyway.

"What the hell's happening?" Carth yelled and Samirah shook her head, not having an answer to give him.

"We need to get to the Ebon Hawk, now!" She cried and they agreed.

She pushed against the wall and took off at a sprint as the ceiling sprinkled debris across the floor. They sprinted across the throne room, stumbling and staggering around as everything became unsteady. A large piece of the ceiling fell in front of Samirah and she skidded to a stop before it crushed her. They darted around it and pulled open the malfunctioning door to a conference room that held the terminal she had hacked. She kept going and pulled open the next door, grunting as they struggled to pull it open. The impact had disabled the two doors making them a pain to try and open.

The door protested before opening with a screech and they struggled to get through. Samirah found the terminal leading to the hangar and wasn't surprised to find it still locked. She immediately pulled out her datapad and linked it up with the terminal. The link was immediately established as she started the unlocking process. The building kept shaking and she struggled to keep standing as the building started to fall apart. Another piece of the ceiling started to separate from its place and Carth grabbed Samirah by the arm and yanked her to him as the piece crumbled into the spot in front of the terminal.

Samirah stared at the spot a little miffed that it was interrupting them. The terminal turned green signaling that it had accepted the code as another explosion rocked the building, knocking Samirah back into Carth. He caught her around the waist, her cheeks turning red. His hold on her was secure and firm to keep her from falling. Carth hadn't realized what he had done until her back was against him and his arms were around her waist. For a moment they didn't move and Canderous raised an eyebrow at them.

Carth avoided his gaze as he slowly let her go as she pulled free, both of them blushing.

"Thanks…" She breathed, not waiting for a response as she quickly moved to grab her datapad and watched as the door opened, revealing the hangar. The Ebon Hawk was in the middle, barely avoiding the blasts hailing from above.

Beyond the ship was the opened end of the hangar, revealing Taris and Samirah's heart stopped as she witnessed the destruction of the city. The blasts weren't just focused on Davik's estate—it was the entire city under attack. The hangar rumbled and she knew that they had to get out of there and get to the others. She desperately hoped that the apartment was still holding together. As she started for the ship, she froze as a familiar person was rushing across the hangar, shouting and pointing at different things.

"Come on, we need to go! Damn!" Davik shouted as he rushed to one end, typing away at a terminal before spinning around. "The Sith are bombing the whole planet!" He cried angrily and Samirah's eyes went wide.

The Sith? They were bombing the whole planet?

"I knew they'd turn on us sooner or later, the scheming—"He was cut short when his gaze crossed over Samirah, Canderous and Carth. "Ms. Alda…?" He asked curiously. She shrugged.

"Great minds think alike?" She offered as another blast made the building lurch and she had to catch herself against the wall again. When she looked up again, Calo had stepped up beside Davik, a smirk in place.

"They've come to steal the Ebon Hawk, Davik. Canderous led them here and he was helping them—I knew that Mandalorian couldn't be trusted. Their thieves." Davik's eyes went wide with horror.

"Thieves… in my hangar? In my estate? No, this will not do. Ms. Alda, you had potential. I had high hopes for your future!" He shook his head in disappointment. She couldn't help but shrug again.

"I hear that a lot…" She stated simply, her hand resting on the blaster pistol on her hip as a blast erupted off to her right. The blast made her turn her head as the wind blew through the hangar, ruffling her hair.

"So, you did all of this to get my precious ship? You think you could steal my ship for your get-away and leave me high and dry while the Sith turn the planet into dust? Sorry, but that ain't going to happen!" He shouted, shaking his fist at them angrily.

Samirah had the impression that winking and batting her eyelashes wouldn't get her what she wanted this time. Canderous stepped forward, a hard look covering his face.

"What about you, Davik? Leaving Taris while we're left to whatever hell you started here? You can't just run and think that you're home free." Canderous said, pulling his blaster rifle up and holding it against his chest.

Calo stepped forward as Davik narrowed his eyes.

"I guess that explains a lot… you found Hudrow… it explains how you got inside the hangar as well." Davik mumbled as another explosion rocked the hangar, everyone staggering under the force of the blast. Calo stumbled forward, his eyes focused intently on Canderous.

"I'll take care of this, Davik. I've been looking forward to this for a long time." He spoke and Samirah followed his gaze to see that he and Canderous were already in their own mind set. No one else mattered.

"Make it quick, Calo. The Sith mean business." Davik stammered as the ceiling was close to giving way. A crack originating from the center of the ceiling began to slowly branch out and climb down the wall to the floor. "If we don't get to our ships and find somewhere safe, the bombs they're dropping will kill us…" He expressed as the hangar shook again.

Calo just snorted, nodding his head.

"Understood, it shouldn't take long." Canderous just sneered at him as they were ready to finish whatever feud that had been going on between them.

"Don't bite off more than you can chew, Calo." Was Canderous' remark before their battle commenced, everyone else around them no longer their concern.

Davik started to slowly make his way to the ship, hoping to get out of there. Samirah wasn't about to go through all of that trouble just for him to sneak off with it. She sprinted down the lengths of the hangar and tackled Davik before he could board the ship. Carth had started to follow after but didn't know which side to help. After a few moments of thought, he opted for helping Samirah. The Mandalorian could take care of himself and besides, he'd probably resent the help later.

As he approached, Samirah was battling with Davik on the floor. She was trying to hold him down as he struggled under her hold. She was having difficulty trying to pin him down against the floor. He wasn't giving her any room to fight him. He eventually pushed her off as he rolled out from under her. They both stood up, the entrance to the Ebon Hawk the exact same distance from each one. Samirah's eyes caught sight of the crack as it slowly spread across the floor. She was willing to bet they had only a few minutes before this hangar fell to pieces.

That was if the Sith didn't get a direct hit on them. From the sounds she was hearing and the shockwaves that rippled under her feet every few seconds indicated how close they were.

"You would have done the exchange proud, Ms. Alda." Davik said, pulling out his blaster as Samirah pulled out her sword. "It's a shame you aren't trustworthy…"

"Me? Oh no, Davik, I think I would have been the least of your worries." She replied as a smile played at her lips. He wasn't amused as he took aim and fired. She dodged to the left before charging at him, her vibroblade in hand.

Carth wanted to take a shot but couldn't find an opening. He could end up shooting Samirah and that was something he didn't want to regret later. Samirah swung the blade as Davik was forced to be on the defense, blocking with his blaster. His attention was so focused on the Ebon Hawk and escaping that Samirah landed a blow to his left arm and he cried out before focusing on her for a brief moment. She swung once more as he dodged the move and in that moment, he hit her across the face with the end of his blaster.

She stumbled back, falling against the floor and feeling the shockwave beneath her fingers. Her vibroblade fell free from her fingers, skittering across the surface. Davik hovered over her, his gun pointed at her ready to shoot. Another explosion erupted and he staggered to the side, giving her an opening. She swung her leg under the Crime Lord quickly, knocking his feeble body to the floor. Even if he was skilled, he was still old and his body could only take so much.

She immediately jumped up to overtake him when he leaned forward and held his blaster up and pointed at her. She stumbled to a stop as he smiled. He had her. At such close range, she couldn't avoid it. She winced and closed her eyes when she heard the shots. She was sure that he had pulled the trigger when she heard them ring through the hangar. When she looked up, Davik's eyes were wide before his body fell limply against the floor. She glanced over to see Carth holding his blaster pointed at the Crime Lord. He lowered his blaster, before looking at Samirah with a frown.

"It wouldn't have taken me so long if you would stop getting in the scope…" He said, a smile tugging at his lips. Samirah returned the smile before grabbing her blade and looking to see Canderous. An explosion rocked the hangar again making the crack increase and putting them in even more danger.

Canderous and Calo had exchanged and received blows from each side, no one wanting to give in. When Calo looked over to see Davik's corpse, he grimaced. His odds weren't looking good. The crack on the ceiling had spread across the hangar and anything could give way at any moment. Samirah knew they needed to get out of there and quick. Calo stepped back, retrieving something from his pocket as Canderous gave him a quizzical look.

"Where do you think you're going, Calo!" Canderous yelled at him, anger flaring up in his eyes. Calo just smirked as he held his hand out to reveal a detonator.

Damn.

"You may have me outnumbered and outgunned, but if I'm going down, I'm taking you all with me! This thermal detonator will blow us all to bits!" He yelled out, holding the detonator out for all to see. Canderous didn't move, his eyes narrowing at Calo.

"What do you think you're doing, Calo? This is between you and me. This is about your honor and mine."He stated loudly, his voice gruff from exhaustion, not that he would admit it. He would fight until his body gave up and his last breath escaped his lips—that's how Mandalorians fought.

Calo shook his head, not rising to the bait. The building shook again and the ceiling began to split. An explosion blasted hot air through the door, making Samirah shield her face from the intensity of the heat. The debris dusted across the floor of the hangar, the room creaking and shaking meaning there was no more time to waist.

"Canderous! We have to go!" She shouted, Calo shooting her a glare.

"No one's going anywhere, not so long as I have this detonator! You move an inch and you're dead! I'm going to sell you guys to the highest bidder—Maybe the Sith." He mused, Samirah's eyes flicking to the roof. That ceiling was seconds from caving in. If only there was a push… something to hurry that process so that they could run while there was still time.

She watched the ceiling intently as crumbs drifted down. It was a push away from giving way under all the pressure. It was positioned perfectly above the bounty hunter, like fate—or as Bastila would say, the Force—had willed it to happen. It just needed a kick, a small little shove to get things started before he blew them sky high. The ceiling rumbled before it miraculously gave way a fraction of a second before a blast erupted above it. The ceiling collapsed and Calo's head snapped up to witness the cause of his soon to be death.

The concrete crushed him as he screamed a blood curdling cry before it all became silent. The force of the blast threw everyone to the ground, Samirah falling on her back and smacking her head against the floor, letting loose a few choice words as she squeezed her eyes shut. She could suddenly feel, rather than hear, the cracking of the hangar floor as it began to give way. Her eyes flew open as she struggled to her feet, seeing Canderous and Carth doing the same.

"Get on the ship, now!" She screamed and Carth immediately ran at full speed up the ramp. He was their ticket out of there. He knew how to pilot ships and she was suddenly glad he had come along. Canderous looked at the rubble where Calo's body was. "Canderous!" She screamed.

He stared a moment longer, trying to figure out if Calo was really dead. If that was really the end of his rival. It seemed so small and minuscule compared to the different ways he imagined taking him out. It didn't fit. It didn't work. So then why did it happen? It was just so… anti-climatic!

"Canderous!" She screamed, her anger flaring as the ship started. "Get your Mandalorian butt on this ship now before I drag you on it and kill you myself! I will not allow you to die here, now move!"She yelled as he finally made his feet move and sprint towards the Ebon Hawk. He ran with a smirk on his face as he ascended up the ramp and she followed after, quickly retracting it.

"Carth, go!" She screamed into her communicator as the Ebon Hawk lurched out of the hangar.

Samirah ran down the corridors, looking for the nose of the ship before she found the bridge, Carth seated in the pilot's chair. The Hangar began to give way, loosing whatever structure it had left as they barely made it out before the Hangar was lost. She stared out the window, her eyes wide in horror as the entire city began to fall under the blows hailing from space. The Sith were destroying the planet. Everything was falling to pieces as they eradicated its very existence.

Her eyes began to sting as her vision blurred slightly. When she rubbed her eyes, she found tears trying to fall down her cheeks and she tried to quickly brush them away. Why was she crying? Why was he chest clenching up in pain? She felt this unspeakable need to help them, to shield them from the people who were destroying their very lives. It was a feeling so strong that she never imagined she could feel that way. She had seen Crime Lords and thugs destroy lives and people to make a point or too erect revenge but she had never seen this, not something so brutal.

"You need to contact, Bastila! Make sure they're okay and tell them we're on our way!" Carth's voice broke through her inner turmoil and she nodded quickly, pulling out her communicator as Carth dodged blows and falling buildings.

"Bastila, are you there? Mission? Anyone!" She shouted, her voice breaking a few times before she cleared her throat. She couldn't focus on the city right now.

"Samirah! What in the blazes is going on?" Bastila's voice crackled through the communicator. "What did you do?" She accused and Samirah immediately frowned.

"I didn't do anything and unless you want to be a part of the Sith's redecorating plan, then you need to get outside now." She stated firmly.

"Do you think we would honestly stay inside a building as it fell to pieces?" Her condescending voice was all she needed. She cut the communicator off as she turned to see Carth approaching their apartment building.

At least, whatever was left of it.

"They're outside, waiting for us. They sound find to me." She stated sourly.

Carth nodded with a grin as he landed quickly, opening the loading ramp as he waited a few moments waiting for a certain sound. As he heard the quick footsteps across the metal floor of the ship, he took that as a sign that everyone was on board and closed the ramp. He quickly lifted off the ground, narrowly avoiding a blast from the left that rocked the ship. Samirah stumbled, grasping the back of the co-pilots seat. Carth maneuvered the ship to avoid any falling debris from buildings as he directed the Ebon Hawk up towards the sky.

As expected, Bastila bursted through the door and seated herself in the co-pilots seat as Samirah held on to the back for dear life. She began assisting Carth as they departed from the world, Samirah's eyes still focused on buildings. As another one fell, her stomach fell with it, her heart feeling torn and she suddenly felt this overwhelming presence and need to stop this.

"We have to go back." She stated, her voice barely audible, but reaching Bastila's ears. She spun, staring at Samirah like she was insane.

"We can't go back, there's nothing to go back too!" Samirah shook her head.

"No, we have to go back! What about Gadon, what about Zelka and Hudrow—there are people here that we have to help! We can't just leave them!" Samirah cried as her body felt another wave of grief. Her body shivered and it was like she went cold. Her gut had this feeling of pain and loss that was unbearable.

They were dying and she could feel it.

Carth looked at her from the corner of his eyes, seeing her complexion paling and tears pouring down her cheeks but she wasn't crying. For a moment, he was startled at her sudden change in tone and the loss of composure. No matter how angry or hurt she had been, he had never seen her cry or shed a tear. She was falling apart and this wasn't the best of times.

"Samirah." He spoke loud and sternly, focusing on his console but knowing that she had turned to look at him. "We have to get out of here. I wish we could do something but it's too late to do anything. I need you to stay together." He commanded and when he glanced at her, she was slowly nodding her head with a vacant expression.

"Samirah, I need you to plan the coordinates for Dantooine." Bastila interjected. Samirah nodded again and spun around, plotting the course Bastila had requested, her fingers fumbling at the console. She was antsy and couldn't stop shaking but she finally managed to get the course plotted.

She needed to pull herself together. She couldn't do anything for the planet if she died trying to escape or saving people who were either in hiding or… dead. These people didn't deserve this and she was sure that she would find a way to make things right. That was a promise she would fulfill. Just like the promise she made to revenge Trask, she would have revenge against Taris. They weren't going to be empty promises – She never made a promise she didn't keep.

She spun around, watching as the Ebon Hawk reached space, leaving Taris behind as nothing but pieces of rock and rubble. Carth entered the launch codes to avoid being blasted into bits along with the rest of Taris while Samirah's eyes caught sight of the Sith fleet hovering above Taris. The very sight of them brought shivers down her spine as she felt a hatred for their very existence. An alarm started to sound from the console in front of Carth and his face scrunched up into a scowl.

"We have incoming fighters… the Sith." He practically spat the words and Bastila shook her head in frustration before turning to Samirah.

"We don't have the hyperspace coordinates punched in; we need you to hold them off! Get to the gun turrets and fast!" Samirah looked at her skeptically.

"Bastila, I—"

"Now!" Bastila interrupted as she kept her focus on the ship and getting them into hyperspace. Right now, that was her priority.

Samirah sighed heavily before dashing down the corridor. She rounded the corner and jetted past Canderous, nearly knocking him over as she found the ladder leading to the gun turrets. She quickly climbed up into the small little dome and once she reached the top, she placed a hand on each side of the floor to hoist her completely up and inside. She climbed into the seat and swiveled around, placing her hands tentatively on the controls.

She looked up just in time to see a star fighter zoom by, instinctively making her duck her head. She sat up straight and grasped the controls, scanning the area for the fighters. It went really quiet for several moments before they slowly appeared and began firing at the Ebon Hawk. The shot pelted the ship making Samirah wince before pulled the trigger on the turret. A few shots were released but they didn't hit their target. Well, if she had a target.

She'd never used a gun turret before.

What was she supposed to do? She tried to aim but it was completely off as another barrage of bullets hit the hull of the ship. The ship bounced under the impact and she let loose a few choice words as she fired off a few shots again at random hoping to scare them off or make a lucky shot.

"Kid, what are you doing?" She spun around in the chair as Canderous frowned at her. With her in the gun turret, his whole body didn't fit, so all she saw was from his chest up. His arms crossed and leaning on the floor as he shook his head. "You have no idea what you're doing do you?" He clarified and she nodded quickly.

"I've never worked a gun turret, I never had a reason too!" Another barrage of bullets hit the ship and she flinched from the impact. Canderous quickly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her from the seat. He maneuvered her down the ladder quickly, setting her on her feet as he climbed up and took charge.

The sounds of the turret being fired comforted her as she slid down the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. Now she was really happy she hadn't left him back at Davik's hangar. She rubbed her eyes before looking at the top of the ladder, waiting until he had finished. Several moments passed consisting of nothing more but turret blasts and ships exploding before the Ebon Hawk lurched forward, causing her to tumble across the floor.

They had entered hyperspace.

She was still sprawled across the floor when the Mandalorian climbed down the ladder, shooting her a perplexed look. He slowly approached her, squatting down in front of her with his elbows resting on his knees.

"Slacking on the job a bit, aren't we?" He said trying to hide the smug look on his face. She slowly got up from the floor, standing up as he mirrored her movements.

"Oh ha-ha, well I'm not perfect. You can't expect me to do everything around here now can you?" She said with a slight smile, dusting herself off as his grin widened.

"No, but you certainly do try, Kid." He crossed his arms, a mischievous grin taking over and she suddenly felt like that was a bad thing. "And what was it that you said earlier? That if I didn't get on the ship, you would drag me aboard and kill me yourself?" He said, looking over her head with a bemused smile.

"Hey, you were debating whether or not to take his body as a trophy." Canderous looked at her half smiling and half in bewilderment.

"Trophy? You think I'd drag his sorry carcass onto the ship?" He questioned earning a shrug from Samirah. He just shook his head slowly. "I just think he went down too easily… a death that didn't quite fit him. I expected something a little more… eye catching. If he had set off that detonator, it would still have been a death unbefitting of a man like Calo. His death should be something that demanded attention. I always imagined him dying by my hand in battle of honor or by one of his many enemies.

"There's an old saying: Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer. Calo's enemies were his friends. That's how he liked to live. I was just a rival for a spot by Davik's side and a name that rivaled his. No one knew who to be more afraid of. He wanted that fixed. I just expected a little more from someone as ruthless and stubborn like him." Canderous explained with a look on his face that reminded Samirah oddly of something like admiration.

Suddenly, it was like Samirah had a small glimpse into the working mind of the Mandalorian. Even though Calo was his enemy, Canderous treated him almost like an equal—expected that much from him, at least. He wouldn't get drinks with the guy, but he respected that he was true to his work, true to his hunt. Canderous could value him, but he didn't have to like him.

"I think I… understand…" Samirah replied thoughtfully, looking off to the side as she pondered a bit more. Canderous grunted in response.

"I don't expect you too, kid. Just work on your turret skills and I think we'll be just fine." He grinned as he walked past her, patting her on the shoulder briefly before continuing on his way. Samirah turned slightly to follow his movements until he was no longer in her sight.

She crossed her arms, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes for a moment. She shuddered as she replayed the events back on Taris—each building crumbling from the impact of the attack. Why now? Why did they attack the planet then while all of their men were still there? Plenty of good soldiers under their command, perishing along with the rest of the inhabitants. Why not evacuate them? Why not warn them?

Sure, Mission blew up their base but if they had gotten some sort of message revealing the plan to destroy Taris, they would have been in the middle of leaving. Were they trying not to start a scare? Would it matter if they were going to destroy the planet anyway? It was a reckless thing to do and made no sense. What would make the Sith want to not only kill the inhabitants of Taris, but their very own soldiers? What did they want to destroy? What was worth the destruction of an entire planet?

Then it all clicked into place. There was one thing that wasn't there before. One factor that the Sith were after and when they couldn't get their hands on it, they decided they would try to destroy it.

They were after Bastila.

They wanted to capture her and when they couldn't find her, they didn't want to risk her escaping. If they couldn't have her on their side, they would destroy millions of lives to destroy hers. They would easily win the war with her on their side but if they couldn't have her, they wouldn't let her live to make a difference in the war. If they had begun the attack any sooner… they would have gotten their wish.

They barely made it out with their lives and now, her resolve to get even with them was much stronger now. She pushed herself off the wall and began to walk down the corridors of the ship, not really looking for anything in particular. She found Zaalbar and T3-M4 in the main room of the ship, Zaalbar already figuring out how to work the food synthesizer and T3 had powered down to rest. She kept walking, smiling at them as she continued down the corridors, following her gut feeling.

As she paused in front of one of the rooms, she realized there was something she was looking for. She smiled sadly at the door before she pushed it open and quietly stepped inside. It was one of the two sets of rooms and she presumed this side to be the girl's side because someone had already preoccupied it. Mission was curled up in a ball off to the far corner of the room. Her arms were wrapped securely around her legs, her eyes vacant as she stared at no particular spot.

Samirah crossed the room and just sat down beside her, pulling her legs in and holding her knees to her chest. From the looks of it, Mission was close to tears but was having trouble letting them fall. Her body shook as she slowly turned her head to look at Samirah. Mission just shook her head slowly.

"It can't be… gone." Her voice broke on the last word. "It was my home… and now… now its…" She had trouble finishing the sentence as her breathing became haggard before she finally let a few tears loose.

Samirah wrapped her arms securely around the Twi'lek as she cried silently. Mission accepted the small gesture of comfort, no one saying anything else for a good deal of time. It was a comfortable silence as Mission let the grief roll over her and taking its toll. Samirah couldn't imagine what she was feeling. She hadn't had a real home in a very long time. Traveling like she did, it didn't seem practicable to make a planet your home. She wished she had some wise words of wisdom to tell her but at times like these, silence was sometimes the next best thing.

When Missions breathing slowed down, the shaking and ragged breathing turning to shallow breaths. Samirah carefully looked to find that Mission had cried herself to sleep. It was probably for the best. If she slept, it would help her to cope with the grief a bit better. Somehow sleep always made things better. Instead of picking her up and settling her into one of the beds, Samirah stayed where she was beside her.

She laid her head on top of Mission's, her arms still wrapped around her. She would just stay like that for few moments more. She wasn't ready to let go of the Twi'lek whom she had grown so fond of. After a few more moments, she would place the girl in bed and wrap her up in a blanket so she could rest but right now, Samirah couldn't bring herself to let go.

As the few tears streamed down her own face, she slowly let through the few bits of uneasiness she felt. Her stomach still felt like it was doing summersaults all over again and she wanted to stay in this room a bit longer before meeting with the rest of the crew. She needed this small outlet. She didn't know what to expect next but she wanted this small moment to herself with Mission before she had to face it. Bastila had told her to set the coordinates for Dantooine. Samirah figured it was just so Bastila could go to the Council and explain the event to them. Her gut was telling her there was more to it than meets the eye though.

Surprise, surprise.


Ta-da! We're off of Taris! Its a dream come true! I never thought we'd make it this far or that you guys would continue to support me so pat yourselves on the back for me- scratch that, give yourselve a hug while your at it! You guys deserve the credit for this story! ^-^ Its a long chapter but I should have another chapter up soon anyway. It just depends when I finish it and after I proof read it. Thanks again guys and be sure to let me know what you think. I love to hear from you!

Much love to you guys and kudos as well! Keep going me going strong!

-SilverShards-