Chapter 55

Juhani, born of the Cathar, had the heart of a hunter, it was in her blood. If she did not wish to be seen—she wasn't. All Cathar had a natural proclivity to camouflage their bodies according to their surroundings. She positioned herself in the electrical and technical workings in the upper decking. Her body heat would be masked amongst the heat wafting off the engineering workings. If the Sith used bio-scanners however she would have a more difficult time cloaking her life signs, but not impossible.

She observed with gnashed teeth as the silver-armored troopers flooded into the Ebon Hawk, Juhani witnessed Zaalbar throw one silverback into another, he whirled around and grabbed a third by his faceplate and slammed him into a bulkhead with such force that his head snapped back with a sickening crack. The wookieee simply let the corpse fall onto the deck with the carelessness often found in toddlers bored with an old toy without a second thought. A fourth trooper shot Zaalbar with a stun ray. The young wookiee crumpled on top of the body he had previously discarded. A fifth trooper used the heel of his boot to slam down on Zaalbar's skull. He'd live, but now while suffering a concussion and a major headache.

As expected, Mission's mouth got the better of her and she spewed out a string of curses and insults, least of all were the comparisons of the troopers mothers to Hutt's spawn. When she tried to rush to her friend the trooper that had shot Big Z stopped her with the same pulse riffle.

With a look over her shoulder to Skye, the teenager gave up, while Canderous and Carth snarled their own protests but also yielded their weapons and allowed binders to be placed around their wrists. Mutely both T3-M4 and HK-47 simply 'followed' the orders of their capturers. Jolee, taking care to hide his lightsaber within a hidden compartment in T3, made the troopers simply mistake him for an old man masquerading as the ship's medic and not a talented Jedi Councilor. His neck was therefore not slapped with a neurocollar as was the case with Skye and Bastila.

Juhani waited for a few moments before she slid from her hiding place and padded unseen out of the Ebon Hawk. Just in time to avoid the stromtroopers returning with scanners. No doubt they would be scouring the frigate from stern to bow.

'I shall not be seen.' Juhani whispered to herself. A smile creeping over her lips, giving her an almost feral look, if she were visible.

Finding the brig and the bridge was easy enough, getting to either was a tad more difficult. Especially if one wanted to remain unseen. She followed close enough to catch the human's words:

"Bastila, Carth and the crew have been taken prisoner as you ordered Commander," one of the shock troopers announced.

"Excellent. Have you searched the ship thoroughly? Admiral Karath wanted me to be on the alert for any kind of treachery."

"We searched the ship from top to bottom. Somebody would have had to be invisible for us not to find them in there," the first trooper said shaking his head.

"Well done. Return to your posts and I will tell the Admiral of this."

"Honestly, I'd thought they'd put up more of a fight," the first trooper said sounding a little more than disappointed. "Maybe the stories of the Jedi and their powers are overrated. They didn't even fight."

"That is precisely why the Admiral suspects treachery. It was all too easy. The Jedi and their dark counterparts have powers that can fool the senses and befuddle the mind. Remember that next time you think the Jedi and their like are soft."

The first trooper shuddered. He had no true experience, but he had heard stories from those within his regiment on how Lord Malak had wrapped his mind around one of the officers that had displeased him so thoroughly that the Captain of question had come away as nothing more than a vegetable. Of course, the trooper had had his own experience with force lighting when he had been off duty and in the cantina with his fellow squadmates and had made a snide remark about how the dark Jedi pranced around in dark ropes and expected to be worshiped as if they were as powerful as Lord Malak.

Three days (in the infirmary) later, the young Stromtrooper had a newborn, healthy respect and a deeper resentment for those that called themselves the Dark Jedi. But these Light-Siders gave up without so much as a fight. No flicker of lightning, no mind tricks. It was as if these vaunted Jedi had all but orchestrated their own capture. If that were true, then treachery was afoot just like the Admiral suspected. Of course, if the Jedi were willing to undergo the torture Admiral Karath would carry out, let alone what Lord Malak would do to them, especially against the Jedi, then the Jedi were truly crazy on top of being treacherous. It truly boggled the mind. Then again, the trooper wasn't paid to think of such things, nor was it his duty. Let the Gray-bellies worry about the Jedi and the Force. He had his own duties to perform and they didn't include the Jedi.

KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR

Roused from the effects of the troopers' blasters stun setting, the three 'officers' of the Ebon Hawk woke to find themselves behind the shimming golden forcefeild of a containment cell. Such cells were familiar to all three of them as cells used to interrogate prisoners and more often than not, torture prisoners as well. Officially of course, the Republic outlawed such barbaric tecnquies to get information from a prisoner. They were far more inclined to use drugs or psychology to get what they wanted. Unofficially, sometimes there was an ancient axiom that was often employed: 'Dark times sometimes call for dark measures.'

Up until now, none of the Silverbacks payed any attention to their captives, not until their Admiral passed through the blast doors of the aft bridge. The graying man almost smiled when he saw this master's quarry safely contained.

"Carth, it has been far too long since we last spoke. I see the recent months have not been kind in your case. I barely recognize you."

Surprisingly that hot flash temper did not spike, and indeed Carth's voice was low- almost neutral- as if not to give his former CO the pleasure of seeing his seething wrath. "But I recognize you, Saul" he smiled, using the Admiral's given name rather than title, something the Republic officer within him nearly cringed about. However, he took pleasure in openly defying the respect that the uniform- even an enemy's uniform- demanded. "I've seen your face every night as I promise myself I will kill you for what you did to my home world," the last worlds were not a scream of anger, or even a growl of rage, they were mater-of-fact. Cold and decisive.

"Did you learn nothing in your time under me? As a soldier you should understand that casualties were unavoidable. It was an act of war." Karath goaded.

"It was a cowardly act of betrayal!" the carefully leashed anger slipped, just a little. "Your fleet bombed a civilian target into oblivion without warning or provocation. The blood of those innocent people are on your hands!"

"In war, even the innocent must die. The Sith would not accept me until I proved I had truly turned my back on the Republic by bombing the planet."

Revan frowned a little, it was an act of worthiness on Saul's part? She had assumed it was Malak that had ordered Telos's destruction. Or had Ol' Tin Jaw given the order waiting to see if the lionized Admiral Saul Karath would actually carry it out?

"My wife died in that attack Saul, and for that, I swear I'll kill you," the words this time were growled.

"You used to be a man of action, not of empty words." Karath continued to probe under Carth's resolve, pushing him, "Cling to your lust for Revange if you must, but spare me your tired threats. I heard them all before. You are an insignificant part of these events, anyway. Lord Malak is far more interested in your Jedi companions. He has great plans for them."

"We will never serve Malak or the Dark Side! The Sith will be destroyed, Admiral Karath… as will you if you do not turn from this path." Bastila retorted.

"Your words are brave Bastila, but the lure of the Dark Side is hard to resist—or so I've been told. I wonder if your companion is as devoted to the Light as you are?"

"I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you Saul. I'll not betray the Jedi," Revan responded dryly.

"You're defiant. I am sure Malak will find your loyalty to the Jedi amusing..." the graying man smirked as he peered at the former Dark Lord in wonder. "The Dark Lord will probably reward me if I just killed you once and for all. But he may want to question you given the trouble you've caused him… and the history between you."

Revan carefully made her face as impassive as possible. She knew just as Bastila did, that they had to be very careful and maintain the façade that Skye Ravensong had no idea that she was indeed the former Dark Lord Darth Revan.

"History? What history? What are you talking about, old man?" Revan laid the ignorance card on thick.

Karath was taken aback. "You mean you don't know?" Now he let out a dry chuckle. "Oh, this can't be true, can it? You really don't know what's going on here, do you? Well I won't be the one to deprive Lord Malak of the pleasure of telling you himself."

He smirked once more. "The Dark Lord will no doubt torture you for information and for his own twisted pleasure. Eventually you will tell me everything. The Sith can be very persuasive. However, Lord Malak is in another sector. It may be some time before he arrives, so I suppose I will have to fill in for him until then. Activate the torture fields." He said addressing the trooper near the containment cell's main control panel. He didn't even turn this back to give the order; he stared at the three prisoners with a near sadistic gleam in his grey eyes.

At once both women and Carth gave anguished cries of pain, their bodies going ridged as bolts of electricity rippled down their spines into every nerve ending. Karath watched, asking nothing, demanding no answers. He knew what the thresholds the body could take before the subject blacked out. Just a few seconds more…

"Enough. I don't want them to pass out before I question them. Lord Malak will appreciate any information I can give him when he arrives."

The trooper complied woodenly as he had when he had activated the cells' torture field. It was if he were given orders to swab the decks of the mess hall rather than turn off the torture field. It was all the same to him.

"Don't waste your breath, Saul. We won't answer any of your questions," Bastila defied primly. Any hint of suffering was absent from her voice and poise. Though it had taken considerable effort to do so, but she wasn't going to give Karath the satisfaction of seeing her in pain.

She was a Jedi and it was to be expected that she possess a higher constitution, the Admiral reminded himself. He looked over to Carth first and saw his former protégée's body shudder with the after effects of the eclectic jolt. In that, at least, he had garnished some grim satisfaction. His eyes turned then to Revan she, like Bastila, seemed to have shaken off the effects of the torture rather easily. But Saul had seen many of the now Dark Jedi resist the same torments. It was always the same at first, a high resistance not only to the pain, but the mental and emotional bombardment of the torture- not simply of themselves, but also of their companions or even an innocent.

"I'm sure you won't, Bastila. But we both know your friend's loyalties have proven in the past to be somewhat… flexible." This time the Admirals' gaze remained fixed upon Revan, even as he was addressing the younger woman. Even if the disgraced Dark Lord had no memory of who she was, Bastila most certainly did.

"My loyalty is as true as Bastila's." Revan shot back—meaning it. The subterfuge came next. "What are you talking about? Why do you think I'd be flexible? Speak clearly old man."

"I am interrogating you, not the other way around! You will answer questions, not ask them!" Karath snarled. He had Darth Revan in his mind once before, her questions slithering in like a Geonosian brain worm. She was able to coble together the truth from tiniest scraps of knowledge, there was no way he was going to let the knife-eared bitch in his brain now.

Carth grinned at his old mentor's expense. He knew exactly how exasperating Skye could sometimes be when she went into 'question everything mode. At times it irritated him to no end. Even if he sometimes wondered at all the information the Nagai gleamed from just a few round-about questions that didn't seem to go anywhere or they were the same question she had asked a dozen other people already.

Carth had to admit he was curious at all these not so veiled hints that Saul was continuously dropping at their feet. Just who was Skye Ravensong? What ties did she have the Sith or this history between she and Malak seemingly had?

"It is time to put your loyalty to the test, Jedi. I doubt torturing you will gain me your true cooperation. Your will is too strong to be broken that way. However, even the strongest of heroes has trouble watching those they care about suffering," Karath's thin lips curled into a cruel smile.

Bastila was swift. She threw up mental barrier between she and Revan, knowing that even that small measure would not dampen the link between them from their Force Bond.

Revan snapped her head around and looked at her lover as if to say, 'what in blazes are you doing!'

So distracted was she in that fraction of heartbeat, the Nagai scarcely heard Karath's voice. "The interrogation will begin now. Each time you refuse to answer or give me a false answer Bastila will suffer."

"My pain is meaningless, Skye. Tell him nothing!" Grey eyes pleaded. Bastila knew what her lover was capable of when her protective nature raised and provoked That day on Dantooine when Carth had grabbed Bastila by the arm and began his tirade flashed in her mind. The earth beneath their feet within the garden trembled with the magnitude of Revan's wrath at Bastila having been accosted- and that was with a companion. What would it be like now with an enemy?

"I will not…" who she was talking to, whether it was Bastila or Saul, not even Revan was certain.

"I tire of these games—now I want answers. On what planet is the Jedi Academy at where you were trained?" the Admiral demanded.

"Alderaan. It's on Alderaan"

"Hardly, Alderaan is a planet of artists and philosophers. There is no Academy of Jedi there. I thought you were more clever than that, Jedi." Karath's voice was a glow with anger.

"This is the price of your resistance." He nodded to the trooper.

The center cell hummed as the golden field flared with electricity once again. Bastila screamed out. The bond allowed Revan to feel a touch of it, but her lover was blocking their link as much as she could.

Revan rebelled against the block trying to strengthen the link between she and Bastila. Before realizing that concentrating on that block was the only thing giving Bastila strength to endure. Her mind was so focused she was able to divorce herself from most of what she was enduring.

"Enough! You see what happens when you try to defy me? This first question was a test. Obviously, Lord Malak knew the Academy was on Dantooine, and it has since been destroyed by our fleet! Dantooine is an empty graveyard now. Nothing remains but a smoking ruin and the charred remains of your former Masters!"

Revan channeled her rage, her anger, as she had after the bout with Carth over the Tehk'la honor blade. If she could summon enough energy she could tear the neuro-collar from her neck. If she could do that she might be able to rip open a hole in the force shield around her cage.

"You will pay for this crime, Saul! You and all the Sith!" Carth growled his eyes tearing for Bastila, for Skye—for another planet fallen.

"You're lying, Saul. We would have felt such a disturbance within the Force," Revan defied the Admiral's words. Why hadn't she felt it? Why hadn't Bastila? Why hadn't Juhani or Jolee? Surely, they would have felt something. Thousands of voices crying out, suddenly silenced? They should have felt it!

She and Bastila shared a pained glance. The human shook her head at the unasked question: No, she hadn't felt it either. The younger woman had only now regained her strength, her body still rippling with ruminates of the torture.

'Let me in Bastila.'

'No. You need to concentrate—focus your energy. If anyone can defy the collar and our cells it's you. I will last a bit longer. Do not give in, my love. Don't give up. I will not.'

"It doesn't matter whether you believe me or not. The fact remains that the Jedi on Dantooine have been eradicated, along with any hope of someone coming to rescue you!" Karath roared. "Now tell me your mission. How were the Jedi planning on using you to stop Lord Malak and our Sith armada?"

"They were going to send me to assassinate Lord Malak," Revan hissed, her mind swirling with the Force. The pure power of it swelling in her—just a bit more.

'I love you… just hang on, he will hurt you.'

'I know.'

"Do you take me for a fool? The Jedi are not assassins. They would never devise such a plan!" Saul snapped over their mental conversation.

"T'is been done before with Darth Revan. Was it not?" Blue eyes met grey. "Before joining the Order or the Republic as a scout, I was numbered amongst the Night Sisters. I was one of their top Disciples, and they do… assassinations."

"Indeed." Karath glowered that the Nagai. "Perhaps you need a reminder of the consequences of refusing to cooperate… Night Sister."

Revan snapped her head around to her lover just in time to see the force cage glow brighter.

"NO! asshh no… Augh… the pain…"

'Damn it! Open the bond. Share your pain. Love, give it to me!' Revan pleaded.

"THE PAIN! AHHHH!" Bastila screeched, her cries piercing Revan's soul, biting into her heart as well as Carth's.

"Listen, can you not hear her suffering?" Karath oozed. "You can spare her further pain by simply answering my questions." Of course, he already knew what the Jedi were doing; it was evident from the places they had flown to. It was the same path Darth Revan and Malak had taken all those years ago. They were after the Star Maps that would lead them directly to the Star Forge. Any datapads that contained information from the maps they had already discovered must still be aboard their ship. Cleverly hidden. The Ebon Hawk once belonged to Davik Kang; the old smuggler undoubtedly had plenty of cubby holes and hidden caches aboard the ship, perhaps some hidden even still from the Jedi themselves. No matter.

That wasn't the true propose of the interrogation. Malak wanted the Jedi pushed, especially young Bastlia. How much would they endure before one of them broke? Seeds needed to be planted. From the knife-ear Karath recognized that sense of hatred swelling around. her. Remarkable, even collared and apparently without her memories of who she truly was the disgraced Dark Lord was formidable. He didn't understand the Force but he could not be mistaken in that there was some sort of connection between Bastila and Revan. This had to be reported to his Master of course, but how deep was it? How strong was that connection? Clearly Revan was experiencing some of the pain Bastila was experiencing, and if there that were true then the reverse was also true.

Interesting.

BASTILA!

"Enough Saul! Carth roared.

Saul ignored him.

Desperation within Bastila finally broke through, the Force Bond sparked and Revan felt if she were dropped in a vat of molten carbonate, what then was her beloved suffering if this was simple taste of the agony? Revan's teeth gnashed her teeth together, swallowing the pain, willing herself not to cry out. All that pain boiled in her center, giving her power enough- will enough- to channel it into the collar around her neck. Even in her pain-fogged mind she heard the metal clasps release.

"Now, I will ask again. On what mission did the Jedi Council send you?"

Revan looked to Bastila, her lover's breathing was ragged, laboured, as was hers. How much more could Bastila endure? Saul wouldn't kill her, he wouldn't dare.

Revan… It was a plea. Desperate. Pain filled.

'I love you.'

"You are a sick and evil man Saul Karath!" Carth roared banging his fists against the shield only to have it slam him back into the center of the small cell.

"Say… say… thing…" Bastila moaned. 'Revan… please…'

"This accomplishes nothing!" Revan snarled. 'I love you Bastila.'

"Perhaps another lesson is in order." Karath gave the slightest of nods.

The cell flared with power a third time: Bastila's screams were louder. Shriller. Her body crumpled in on itself, her spine ridge, her cells bursting in utter agony.

"NO… AHHHH!" She couldn't breathe for the torment. "NO… AUGH… I beg you… NO! Mercy! NO!" The screams suddenly stopped. Bastila fell into a heap at the bottom of her cell.

Revan made to sprint for her but was tossed back. A cloud of hate seethed in her soul, slamming hard in her mind. It would be so easy to reach out with the Force and kill that fracking human for what he had done.

"I am surprised she did not pass out sooner," Saul drolly observed. "Rarely have I seen someone withstand such punishment and remain conscious. I suppose it's because she's a Jedi. Ah well... I see I am wasting my time here. When Malak arrives, you will learn my interrogation techniques are considered merciful amongst the Sith." He smiled, "and I've seen what he can do to Jedi."

He took a step closer to Revan's cage, his eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure. "I will leave you here in your cell with a small taste of the horrors you will suffer when Lord Malak arrives, Jedi."

He turned to the trooper nodded and the cells- all but Bastila's- activated once more.

Revan had only a taste of Bastila torment.

Then there was darkness—blessed merciful darkness.

Blue eyes opened. The insistent hum of energy around her remembered Revan just where she was and this was most certainly not some horrid nightmare. Every muscle protested with movement, every nerve ending was on fire.

"Don't try to move too quickly. You might not be fully recovered yet. Admiral Karath had his guards continued to torture you even after you passed out." Bastila's genteel voice cooed over the pain throbbing in every cell of Revan's body. Her head throbbed with other sounds.

"They tortured all of us, though you got the worst of it by far. Saul wanted them to make us suffer. He's become some sort of sadistic monster." Carth said keeping his voice soft. This throat ached from the screams he belted out; he couldn't imagine what the women were feeling. Gods, what he wouldn't give for a few shots of kolto right about now, forget the shots, he wanted a whole bath in the blessed stuff, and a few shots of brandy after.

"The Dark Side has perverted him, Carth. Once you start down that tainted path it leads you ever further into the depths of evil. I fear he is forever lost," said Bastila, with a hint of her old confident self in her voice.

"No one is without hope of redemption, Bastila," Revan pointed out, meaning of course herself. She was once a Darth Lord of the Sith, and though reprogrammed to think herself a loyal scout for the Republic, once she found the truth of her identity, Revan could have easily slipped back to the Dark Side. She had not.

Bastila turned to her lover with a wry smile, however faint it was. "Yes, humm. I suppose you are correct. Sometimes it is easy to lose sight of that hope in the face of such unbridled cruelty, but you speak the truth." She sighed, her grey eyes resting upon her lover. "I suppose I'm taking the news of Dantooine's destruction quite hard. First Taris, now the Academy… is there no end to the killing?"

"Maybe Saul was lying," Carth sounded hopeful but even he knew it was a false hope.

"I'd like to believe that Saul was lying to us, but even as he said the words I knew them to be true. The Academy is gone." Bastila's voice was thin, weary.

"Why didn't we feel it? There are four Jedi on the Hawk; surely, we would have felt something. Anything. Surely such destruction can not be masked within the Force." Revan argued.

"The fact that we did not is a bad sign. I fear the Dark Side is growing stronger, casting shadows our vision can not pierce." Came Bastila's comment, her voice tired and anguished. "I can only hope some of the Jedi escaped. Vrook, Vandar, Zhar. I cannot imagine all them gone. Not all the Masters of the Council were on Dantooine, most were on Coruscant."

"Maybe they saw what we could not." Revan offered.

The young woman nodded. "In any case, we lost our one place of refuge in the galaxy." Bastila was quickly losing herself in her melancholy.

"None of this will matter once Saul gets back." Carth pointed out trying to the pull the Jedi out of their despair. "Saul mentioned that Lord Malak was on his way. I think the Admiral left to prepare for his arrival… and to report the results of our interrogation."

Bastila looked at her lover, her grey eyes holding a small amount of warmth. "It is fortunate you were able to resist the Admiral's questing. The fate of the galaxy could be changed by revealing the slightest piece of vital information." Bastila put her hand up as if to reach out and touch Revan's cheek. The force field of course barred any such action.

"I have to confess something. There was a moment… just a moment… when part of me was hoping you would tell Saul what he wanted to know. Just to make the horrible pain stop."

"Bastila… I am so sorry…" Revan's eyes glistened with guilt and grief. Now more than ever she wanted to take her lover into her arms and hold her close. "He would have tortured us no matter what I said, even if I gave him what he wanted."

"I've known Admiral Karath for a long time and I think you're right." Carth looked at the women with a new admiration. "The interrogation was a sham. Saul was toying with us. He didn't care about what we told him. I think it was just an excuse to torture us before Malak arrived. Though why he went after you so hard Skye…"

"Did you feel that?" Bastila cut him off. "A disturbance in the Force. The Admiral has sent his message. The Dark Lord knows we are here now. Malak is coming."

"Then we better hope Juhani busts us out of here before he arrives." Carth remarked.

KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR

Juhani saw one of the troopers, that had been in charge of the Ebon Hawk's search, walk past her position. He had been the one who had reported to the Captain of the Stromtroopers the fate of her fellow companions. Not even her footfalls sounded as she padded up behind the trooper. She waited as he was distracted by the security panel at the side of the door before she drove her blue lightsaber directly into his throat form behind- he didn't even get a cry of surprise or pain as he crumbled to the deck.

Rather than go through the blast door that had made the silverback pause, Juhani went down the ramp and the down the hall. The Cathar looked to the right and ignored the corridor that lead in that direction and discretely made her way further down the corridor and then went towards the hall that branched off from the left of the main corridor.

Upon seeing a patrolling Stromtrooper, Juhani ensured she remained cloaked. As she had with the first, the Jedi Guardian ensured her enemy's attention was drawn elsewhere before she struck. And again, Juhani focused on the Makashi form of saber combat, it was aggressive, if not precise, and suited the Cathar's natural inclination towards hunting. Makashi was practically good for Cho Mai- the dismembering of hands, Cho-Sun, removing the arm and Sai Cha—beheading.

The Silverback's head clunked to the deck with a loud thunk that Juhani was positive others would hear and be drawn to. Hiding the corpse was an option but the corridor left no options but to follow it around to the brig. Looking behind her, Juhani made a decision. Swiftly, she stripped the trooper of his armor and donned it herself. Then with the male in nothing but his tee-shirt and trunks, she dragged the trooper to an empty cell. Using the trooper's security code, she activated it and placed the dead man into the cell along with his decapitated head.

Wearing the armour gave Juhani a bit of freedom that sneaking around had not granted her. Living most of her life on Taris, Juhani had grown very accustomed to being ignored or perhaps the better, more apt descriptive, would be 'unseen'. More often than not, one wills themselves to not to see beggars, the impoverished, the abused, and those who were not of the same race because it was easier to ignore the disparaged.

A swift look to the cells revealed that the other companions of the Ebon Hawk were not within any of them. They must be on another level.

In another cell block.

Juhani gave a reflexive pause towards the prisoners. In a similar situation though admittedly on a grander scale, Skye had admitted that she left a 1,000 slaves where they were in order to complete her mission. To pause and let the few prisoners trapped behind the forcefields out could jeopardize her mission in freeing Skye, Bastila and the others or… or would it aid them?

Plan B. Hyperbole for Plain Bait. Hating the fact she was even thinking about using the prisoners as bait made the acid rise from Juhani's stomach and into her mouth. Then again… 'Needs must'. Pushing past the acrid taste that coated her tongue, she let them out, despite the fact the troopers would no doubt round them up by whatever means necessary. Hopefully, because they were behind forcefeilds meant the Sith wanted them alive. But that was no guarantee.

One exceptionally grateful rodian gave Juhani an ice-breaker, a practically useful slicer that was granteed to crack any encryption the Sith had in place within their computer systems. She was not the slicer that Mission was but Juhani wasn't boggled by computer systems either. Though having the ice-breaker was most certainly a very handy tool to have in her arsenal now.

The room on the left was closed. A quick look to the left signified this was the block's security station. Opening the door using the dead trooper's passcode didn't raise the alarm of the three silverbacks inside. Indeed, they scarcely gave Juhani a second look before they went on about how foul-mouthed the little blue tail-head was.

The three men had little time to react to the 'brother' that turned on them. A downward strike disarmed her first target. The next strike up and left, severed the arms of the second. Juhani spun and knelt, slashing horizontally at the third, another dispatched. Two more strikes and she was back in her original position.

The three silver-armored stromtroopers lay dead at her feet.

Juhani felt the power of the Force fill her; she bathed in the power, bathed in the essence of what Skye called the Grey Side. A dangerous path to be sure, so easy to fall back into the Dark, but Skye was never tempted and yet… yet Bastila, scion of the Light—a Sentinel who brought low Revan Dark Lord of the Sith, was slipping ever closer to that precipice. Juhani knew it. Jolee knew it. Surely, Skye, Bastila's lover of all people, had to have sensed it. To know it. Even feel it.

Cathar rage wasn't of the Dark Side; it simply was a natural part of being. It fueled the natural Hunter within. Prey was meant to fall to their predators. The Sith troopers like the Mandalorians on Dantooine fell as prey should.

Calming her mind, Juhani once more willed her body to become cloaked. Keeping her back to the bulkhead she moved along the long corridor towards the incline, a few more steps and she'd reach her destination to free Skye and the others.

At the incline was another trooper, he seemed to be stationed there. An odd place to be sure but considering the Captain of the Stormtroopers was expecting Jedi treachery, perhaps having a guard every fifty yards wasn't uncalled for. Juhani however replaced the word treachery with tenacious ingenuity.

Padding up behind the trooper, Juhani drove her saber into the man's back directly into his spine upwards into his heart. He did not have a chance to cry out. Taking his security card Juhani dashed up the ramp and into the security control center of the aft brig.

KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR

The cage's energy-field dropped!

Relief and hope flooded the trio with new vigor.

Revan went to Bastila almost immediately, took her into her arms and held her tightly. The Nagai looked up and reached out a hand towards Carth and he took it and squeezed it with affection and admiration.

It was then that the young Cathar savior padded into the room, a smile on her face in seeing her companions alive, though a little worse for wear.

"Well done, Juhani. In freeing us from the cell you have proven yourself truly worthy of the title Jedi." Bastila praised the younger woman.

The Cathar merely bobbed her head accepting the small gesture. Revan moved up to her and placed a warm hand upon the young woman's shoulder and smiled.

"If I remember the layout of this ship, our equipment should be in a storage chamber just through the north doors. After we grab our stuff we need to get to the main bridge controls. It's the only place we can open the docking gates of the hanger where they've got the Ebon Hawk. We have to open those gates before we fly out of here!"

"We better get moving. I can feel the darkness of Malak's presence approaching, and I don't want to be here when he arrives. None us is a match for the Sith Lord," Bastila looked to her lover who until now had been silent. The Nagai was still looking a little worse for wear. The longer session of torture she had suffered had truly taken its toll. Having experienced such torments herself- even for the brief moments she did- felt like an eternity of anguish.

"We'll need some sort of plan, other than getting our equipment back and blasting the bridge controls." Revan said pragmatically.

As they were speaking, the rest of the companions filtered into the aft brig. None of them seemed to have suffered the tortures Saul had used against the what the others had deemed the bridge crew.

"Surprise and secrecy will serve us best. A small group might have a better chance of sneaking onto the bridge undetected while the others make their way down to the Ebon Hawk." Bastila agreed.

"Count me in then. I've got a score to settle with the Admiral before we get off this ship, and I have feeling I'm going to find him on the Leviathan's bridge!" Carth stepped forward.

"Then that's the three of us," Revan stated flatly. "There is no way you will go there without me."

"Of course not." Bastila nodded her head. "The others can get to the Ebon Hawk on their own. The three of us will get our equipment and make our way to the bridge. Juhani, lead the others and head down to the docking hangar where they've got Ebon Hawk. You'll have to find a way to deal with the guards."

"Don't you worry about that. I know how to deal with the guards. They won't know what hit them." Canderous calmly supplied.

"Boastful declaration: I have been looking forward ending Sith meatbag lives. With increasing exhilaration: Let the fun begin." HK-47 almost seemed to smile. Almost. How he got a completely immovable head to express emotion was startling.

Zaalbar roared his agreement. It was time for payback.

"Guess surprise and stealth isn't going to be our way." Mission looked to Juhani and then to Jolee.

"Oh, I don't know about that. While our heavy hitters are out in front making all the noise we three can flank the enemy. I lived in the Shadowlands long enough to know how to use pack tactics when taking down prey," Jolee commented, sounding much a like an old Wook hunter as a Jedi.

"Good." Revan nodded her dark head. "Get to the equipment room, grab what you need, and get going."

"We'll meet you there as soon as we got those docking bay doors open. Just make sure the Hawk is ready to fly when we get there. And may the Force be with you." Bastila added.

Dashing through the cool corridors in one's undergarments and hearing the pitter-plat of barefeet slapping on metal wasn't ideal. Fortunately, Juhani had already neutralized any immediate threat and the companions' gear, weapons and other equipment were conveniently stored in a trio of storage lockers and duroplast cylinders.

It took only a matter three minutes before the bridge trio and the rest of the party were fully kitted out and making their perspective ways towards their intended targets. One lift going up, the other down to the hangar deck.

"The Command Deck will be the most densely populated area of the ship. Making it the most deadly. It houses not only the barracks but the med bay, droid bay and the armory and other assorted rooms," Carth explained. "At least that was the way it was when I served aboard her. I can't imagine it's any different now."

"Not so dissimilar to other capital ships within the Republic navy," Bastila said.

"With one exception- other than being a Sith vessel, the corridors of this ship will be filled with Silverbacks, Gray-bellies, a few dozen battle droids and of course everyone's favourite nasties… the Dark Jedi," Revan retorted.

"One day I'd like our enemies to be fluffy bunnies, just one day…" Carth said whimsically as the trio road the elevator up to the Command Deck.

"Bunnies?" Bastila quirked an eyebrow. "You want to face a hoard of bunnies?"

"Just for varieties sake, sure."

"Unless they're dire bunnies," Raven smirked. "Dire bunnies are the size of gundars."

"Leave it to you to ruin a fantasy."

"If you're fantasizing about bunnies Carth, we need to find you a new hobby… or a woman." Revan teased.

"Why not both, Sister?"

"Both. Why not, indeed? Tell you what, next cantina we're in I'll hire a dancer to dress in a bunny costume just for you and give you a lap dance. Sound good?" Revan tossed back.

"Ooh, I'd pay good money to see a flaunted Jedi pay for a lap dance!" Carth chuckled.

"If you're throwing those kinds of credits around you can pay for the fluffy bunny lap dance, yourself." Revan snickered. "Or the rounds. Yeah you pay for the rounds; I'll pay for your fluffy-bunny lap dance."

"You know I still recall you dancing with that Twi'lik in that Cantina in the Upper City. You got the moves, Sister. Ever show them to Bastila sans fluffy bunny costume?"

Revan tried to frown but it came off as a devilish grin instead. "Keep fantasizing Flyboy. I'll never tell."

Bastila, for her part stayed out of the banter. At one time she might have chastised both for not taking their situation serious enough. But she knew better. It was gallows humor-nonsensical banter to lift the tension of their mutual torture and darkness of battle to come. All three of them knew as soon as those doors opened it was all business. They were professionals- Jedi and soldier- and they did not take what was to come lightly.

For once it was gratifying to know Revan and Carth were not at each other's throats. That would not last long. Admiral Saul Karath and obviously Malak knew Revan's true identity. It was bound to come to light before they left the Leviathan. The fallout would be catastrophic if not handled correctly. Carth was going to go ballistic, no nuclear, when it all came out.

There was no way to put a positive spin on this, not as far as Carth was concerned. As for the others- it was hard to say. Zaalbar owned a life debt, he would not turn, Mission? Worshiped Skye as did Juhani, then again Bastila knew the Cathar's history and knew Juhani also worshiped Revan. As for the droids well… the young human could never tell with machines. No doubt HK47 would revel that he was now owned by the former Dark Lord of the Sith. If T3 had an issue he could always be memory wiped. Jolee? Canderous? With those two it was hard to tell. Granted, Mandalorians respected a strong opponent. But would he want revenge, especially against the one that destroyed Mandalore and took his mask?

That was future Bastlia and Revan's concern. Their immediate dilemma was the numerous enemies on the Command Deck and reaching the Bridge—defeating Karath and escaping the Leviathan without having to confront Malak.

The first two were a given, the last not so much.