Disclaimer: I Didn't make KotOR, I just put my spin on the characters, that's all.

Sarna awoke refreshed and with a new sense of purpose. She looked across the room to see Yun stirring as well. Sarna hopped out of her bunk and hit the 'fresher. She emerged twenty minutes later dressed in ship's working uniform. She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned at the Sith emblem on her shoulder. The Leviathan had set a course for Manaan, and the spacers and troopers of the task force were eagerly awaiting several days' leave. Yun and Sarna had a different reason to look forward to their arrival in Selkath space. They met in the mess hall to plan. The troopers were talking animatedly about the previous day's battle, and the two conspirators could speak without being overheard.

"Do you feel better, too?" Yun asked.

"Yes, I do," said Sarna, twirling her ponytail with a finger. "I think I've known that I was doing wrong since Taris, but I just admitted it to myself yesterday."

Yun pursed his lips. "I don't know what will happen if we get away. I mean, we're Sith troopers, and we've participated in two massacres. The Republic might well lock us up."

Sarna looked at him sadly. "Maybe we deserve it. I'd still prefer a Republic prison to this place." She brightened. "And whatever happens, we can lean on each other."

The corners of Yun's mouth drooped. "You still don't feel the same way I do."

Sarna's face fell. "I don't know where we go from here, Yun. All I'm thinking about is getting away."

Yun's gaze shifted; he was looking past Sarna. "Here comes Kaiya. Time for phase one."

The Sith senior apprentice carried her meal tray over from the serving line and sat down at their table. "How are you two doing? That was an intense fight yesterday."

Yun shrugged. "Bumps and bruises. I heard you were injured, though. How are you, Captain?"

Kaiya grimaced and clutched her side. "I ran into Master Vrook Lamar. I'm out of the war for at least a week with several broken bones." She sighed. "Master Aramil has been called away to Malak's side, and I am pretty banged up. Most of the senior officers of the 322nd were injured or killed. Major Antur is temporarily in charge, but we're all off duty until replacements arrive. This task force is in no shape for another battle right now. Still, keep your ears perked up. Darth Bandon tracked Shan's ship to Manaan and SAU may be called on to help capture her if things go sideways." She looked right at Sarna. "I know you and Tash were close. Are you all right?"

It didn't take Sarna much effort to shed a tear. "More good people are dead because I failed. I owed him so much, and I couldn't be there to save him."

Kaiya shook her head. "The mission succeeded, Sarna. The Jedi base has been knocked out of the war. Victory requires sacrifice; it is our job to make sure that the warriors who fell yesterday didn't die for nothing." She smiled. "Don't feel bad about Tash, Sarna. I'm sure he would be happy at all you've accomplished."

Sarna prayed that the surge of rage didn't show on her face. "Speaking of that success, I have a favor to ask."

Kaiya swallowed a forkful of omelet and nodded. "You've certainly earned my gratitude. What can I do for you?"

Sarna looked at Yun. "The Jedi we captured, she killed pretty much my whole squad. I'd like to show her the error of her ways, but I'm worried she'll use the Force on me. Can you come along to keep an eye on things?"

Kaiya smiled wickedly. "I think I can pencil you in. Padawan Belaya is in the high-value prisoner section of the detention block. Let's head down after breakfast."

Once their meal was finished, Yun and Sarna followed Kaiya to the turbolift and headed down to the detention block. Sarna felt a twisted mix of emotions as she passed the interrogation room where then-Captain Antur of the military police had told her that her gear had been stolen by a Republic spy. They crossed the exercise yard and Sarna couldn't help it: she tapped the wall control and the pole slid out of the ground. She had faced a firing squad here, half a year and an entire lifetime ago. If I fail, I'll be back here, and this time I'll be shot. She took a deep breath. It's worth it.

Kaiya watched from a distance. "Well, Sarna, what do you think? Are you the same woman you were back then?"

Sarna looked at Yun, then turned to Kaiya. "No," she said quietly, "I'm something more."

The apprentice smiled. "I'm proud of you two, and so is Major Antur." They continued on to the detention area. Kaiya hit a few keys on a wall panel. "Let me kill the microphones. We wouldn't want to be disturbed."

Belaya's cell had a solid durasteel door. Kaiya opened it and led Sarna and Yun inside; the door slid shut behind them. Belaya was sitting on the bed, legs crossed, in a meditative trance. Yun leaned against the wall near the door, arms folded. Kaiya shook the woman's shoulder firmly, "Wake up, Jedi. Some of my people want a word."

Belaya looked up as Kaiya stepped back to make room for Sarna. "Remember me, Belaya?" she asked.

The Jedi glared. "You led the attack on the Enclave's south side. Your troops murdered a dozen militiamen who were trying to surrender."

Sarna nodded. "I'm Corporal Sarna of the Leviathan Special Assault Unit. This is my commanding officer, Senior Apprentice Kaiya Turnell, and PFC Yun Genda, also of SAU."

Belaya closed her eyes. "What do you want with me? I'm a Padawan, I'm not privy to the secrets of the Jedi Council."

"We know," said Kaiya. "There's nothing useful we can torture out of you."

"Still," said Yun, "Sarna and I have had time to think about all the good men and women who just died on Dantooine."

"We've decided to do something about it," Sarna said, grabbing Belaya's shoulder roughly.

Kaiya smiled cruelly; she felt Yun moving too late. He jammed the injector into the apprentice's neck twice. Kaiya's eyes popped open and she gasped, then her eyes rolled back and she began to fall. Yun caught her and lowered the apprentice to the deck. He quickly began removing her grey bodysuit.

"Belaya, listen carefully," said Sarna urgently, "Yun and I have had a change of heart. We want to defect to the Republic."

Belaya frowned. "Why should I believe you butchers?"

Sarna rolled her eyes. "Belaya, you have nothing to lose, and we just attacked a Dark Jedi officer. We're all in the same boat now! If we stay, we'll be executed." She looked down. "Belaya, one of the militia… he was just a farm boy, and I killed him. His face, he was so young, and so scared…" She shook her head. "And then after we captured you, two other troopers in our unit killed thirty or more younglings right in front of us. We can't be a part of the Sith anymore." She went on to explain how Tash had manipulated them, and his plans to turn her into a brainwashed Jedi-hunting commando.

Belaya nodded slowly. "I've misjudged you, Sarna. You have a good heart." She pursed her lips. "But do you have a good plan? We're trapped aboard a Sith cruiser without resources."

Sarna twisted a lock of her red hair nervously. "The SAU is off-duty for the next ten days. Sith apprentices wear black hoods and masks, so you can hide your face. You're going to take Turnell's uniform and hide in her quarters."

"The overdose I hit Kaiya with should put her out for two or three days," said Yun. "This ship is headed to Manaan for shore leave. When we're in Selkath space, we can escape in Ahto City." Belaya nodded and began removing her prison jumpsuit.

"I've got your lightsaber here," said Sarna, handing it over. "Your robes are in a storage room near the detention block. We may have to leave them."

Belaya clipped her saber onto her belt. "Robes are just clothing, nothing special. Forget them." She covered her face and the three left Kaiya in the cell, unconscious.

The rest of the day was fraught with tension as the Leviathan approached Manaan. Sarna had apologized to Antur for putting the 'prisoner' into a coma; the major was mostly amused. They waited in Kaiya Turnell's private quarters, expecting to take a liberty shuttle to Manaan. Belaya was a pilot, so they could steal a ride if they really had to, but they all hoped it didn't come to that. Then, the situation changed for the worse. The cruiser shuddered as it dropped out of hyperspace. The three looked at each other. "Something's wrong," said Yun. "We can't be in the Pyrshak system yet."

The combat alert blared and the loudspeaker crackled. "All able members of the 322nd, assemble in Docking Bay 19. Hostile ship capture is underway." The three looked at each other and returned to the barracks to don their armor before heading to the docking bay. Sarna's heart sank; they stood no chance of escaping outside Selkath space.

Major Antur met them in the corridor outside the bay. "Sarna, I've been hoping to run into you. The Sith Embassy on Manaan was attacked last week. The Republic force included Shan and two men meeting the descriptions of Onat Cartin and Jace Kilraen. 'Onat' is actually Carth Onasi, a famous pilot from the Mandalorian Wars. Kilraen was seen using the Force; the man's a Jedi. Bandon went after them two days ago. He hasn't been heard from since; it appears that Shan killed him and his entire strike team. Admiral Karath managed to learn what ship they are traveling on, and we've just intercepted them. It's a small freighter, so they have no real chance of escape."

Sarna felt sudden hope. "We're to take the ship intact?"

Antur nodded. "The freighter has surrendered, but we need to be alert for tricks. Your squad is down to two, so I'll be having other troopers handle taking the crew into custody. Where is Kaiya, by the way?"

Sarna jerked her head in the direction of the turbolift. "She was hurt in a duel with a Jedi Master. She's in no condition to fight and is resting in her quarters. She assigned us Apprentice Belon here to team with."

Antur nodded. "You're in very good hands, Apprentice." He glanced at Belaya, whose mask and hood rendered her anonymous. "Keep your eyes open, in case they try something. I'm off to speak with the Admiral; I won't be in on the capture, more's the pity." The three conspirators ducked into a maintenance shop to talk.

"What in the worlds do we do now?" asked Yun.

Sarna shrugged. "We'll have to try and steal the freighter. Maybe we can free the crew and have them help us."

Belaya looked around the group. "Can we do anything for Bastila?"

Yun shook his head. "Malak wants her, so she'll be heavily guarded. The Admiral will have her watched closely."

Sarna shrugged. "We may have to play by ear. Let's get somewhere we can see the ship land." They headed into the docking bay and took up positions along the wall, at the edge of the crowd awaiting the freighter. The red and tan ship came in on the tractor beam and set down. The bay control officer ordered the crew out of the ship. A Cathar Jedi attempted to sneak out while cloaked, but was caught and stunned. Belaya inhaled sharply. The rest of the crew came out with their hands on top of their heads. They were disarmed and cuffed; Sarna recognized Jace and Carth. The ship was scanned and a boarding party entered to pull out another person hiding aboard. The troopers came down the ramp dragging a teenaged Twi'lek girl with blue skin. The girl seemed to have picked the wrong ship to stow away on; she was hauled away to the low-security section to be returned to Manaan. Belaya elbowed Sarna in the ribs; Sarna took the cue and the three left the hangar discreetly and returned to Kaiya's quarters.

"I know those people!" said Belaya urgently as soon as the door was shut. "Most of them came from Taris with Bastila. The old man and big droid I don't recognize, but the others…" Belaya relayed what she knew of the Ebon Hawk's crew."I even recognize the Twi'lek-she's no stowaway. Her name's Mission Vao; she's a street kid from Taris. She helped Jace, Bastila and Carth escape."

Yun turned to Sarna. "The Cathar was a diversion. Mission is their escape plan."

Belaya nodded thoughtfully. "That crew is the size of a squad, and highly skilled. Juhani is a powerful Jedi Knight." She turned to Sarna. "If we can free them, we may have enough fighting strength to break out Bastila, Carth, and Jace."

Sarna thought a moment and grinned. "Better yet: we free them and let them start fighting their way out. Then we report the escape to Antur." Yun and Belaya looked shocked; Sarna pressed ahead. "Hear me out-Antur hates Bastila, she's killed many troops from the 322nd. There aren't all that many troops on this ship in fighting shape. If we play our cards right, Antur will try to hold off the rescuers himself, or kill Bastila before she can escape. We'll go with him, and he'll take us right to them."

There was complete silence for a moment. Yun let out a low whistle. "Sarna, you are devious. I love it!"

Belaya nodded. "A sound plan. We should get to the detention block."

They headed down to the low-security area. Two Sith troopers were headed the other way. "That kid's a brat," one was saying. "The Captain should have let us really teach her a lesson."

The other shook his head. "She's just a child, man! Trust me, she's had the scare of her life as it is. She was grabbing on to Bixby and crying for mommy. I think she'll be quite well behaved when we send her home." The two Sith howled with laughter as they headed for the lift.

Sarna moved to the corner and peeked around. Mission was out of her cell, slipping a keycard into her pocket. The patrolling guard had his back to the young Twi'lek, and she came up behind him. Mission caught the Sith in a rear choke, bringing him to the ground. She snapped his neck and grabbed his sidearm. Sarna took a step toward the corner; Mission jerked upright and spun to face her.

"Don't shoot, Mission!" Sarna came out from behind the corner, hands up.

Mission aimed the blaster coolly. "How do you know my name, Sith?"

Sarna stood very still, turning to her companions. "Yun, Belaya, come out here-slowly."

The other two walked around the corner with their hands where Mission could see them. The teen slowly moved her blaster back and forth, covering all three.

Belaya slowly reached for her mask and revealed her face. "Do you remember me, Mission? We met while Jace was training."

The Twi'lek nodded slowly. "Belaya, right? What in Chaos are you doing here?"

Belaya began to lower her hands; Mission twitched the pistol and the Jedi raised them again. "These two captured me during the Sith assault on Dantooine. They've since decided to defect to the Republic. I recognized you, and we want to help you get the others out."

Mission's eyes narrowed. "Why should I trust you?"

Yun rolled his eyes. "Because if we are loyal Sith, you're screwed already."

"Well, there is that," muttered Mission. She lowered the blaster. "Do you have a plan?"

Yun nodded. "First, we need to get your friends' equipment back…"

Mission and Belaya were able to easily subdue the Sith guarding the storage room where the crew's captured equipment was kept. Sarna, Yun and Belaya stood guard while Mission picked the lock. Once inside, they located the prisoners' belongings. Belaya smiled to see her robes again, though she wisely didn't put them on. Yun loaded the gear into an autonomous repulsor cart or 'mule droid.'

Mission grinned as she retrieved a stealth belt, vibroblade, and an enormous blaster pistol. "I'm ready here." The droid followed them back toward the main detention area. There were four guards at the entrance and two more watching from an upper-level shooting platform. Mission cloaked and slipped behind one pair of guards. Sarna and Yun took careful aim at the Sith on overwatch. Mission opened the fight, cutting one trooper's throat and shooting the other once in the head. Belaya threw her saber and cut down the second pair as Sarna and Yun dropped the two riflemen on high.

Mission began moving along the row of cells, releasing the members of her crew. They came out suspiciously, then Juhani shrieked. "Belaya, it is you! What in the worlds are you doing here, and dressed like a Sith apprentice?"

Mission and Belaya quickly introduced Sarna and Yun, who explained the situation. Canderous chuckled. "I wish I could see Jace's face when you bust him out."

Belaya re-covered her face. "That's our job. You must get to the freighter and secure it so that we can take off."

Mission cocked her head. "How will you get there and back with so few?"

Sarna looked down. "The defenders on Dantooine did a tremendous amount of damage to the regiment. There is less than a full battalion able to fight, and a handful of Dark Jedi. They will likely just try to hold you here until Darth Malak and Master Aramil return."

Juhani, Belaya and Jolee glanced at each other. "We've already felt a disturbance in the Force," said Juhani. "Malak knows we are here, and he's on his way."

Sarna blinked. "Belaya, let's pack up Jace, Carth, and Bastila's gear. We need to move! The rest of you, head to the capture hangar two levels down. The Ebon Hawk is in Docking Bay 19."

Canderous nodded. "We'll get the ship. Good luck."

A/N: Well, now we're all caught up, as Deadpool would say. What do you think of Sarna's journey so far? Drop a review, or PM me and let me know!