Disclaimer: I don't own this. Pity.

Sarna, Yun and Belaya returned to the 322nd barracks area. They waited a few minutes, then the combat alert blared. Antur dashed out of his quarters, buckling on a gun belt. Sarna ran up to him, carbine at the ready. "Sarna, Yun, what the blazes is going on?" he asked.

Yun shook his head angrily. "We've been had. That Twi'lek girl was no stowaway. She got loose and freed the rest of Shan's crew. They're tearing up the lower decks as we speak."

Sarna grabbed Antur's upper arm. "Major, there are two Jedi loose down there! What do we do?"

Antur frowned. "The Admiral has a pair of Dark Jedi bodyguards. I'll send a platoon to hold the bridge, then we'll lock the ship down. The rest of the troops will go after the escaped prisoners." He looked down at his shaking hands. "If there are Jedi loose, we might not have the strength to stop them. We need to go and put Shan down."

Yun cocked his head. "I thought the Dark Lord wanted her alive?"

Antur shook his head. "He does, but we have her captured, and we can't risk her escaping. She's the only thing keeping the Republic in the war, and I'm not letting her get away." He looked back up at Sarna. "Come with me, before they can affect a rescue." He marched off towards the turbolifts.

Yun glanced at Sarna; she winked. They donned their helmets and followed. Antur took the lift up to a level occupied by the regimental intel shop: code-breakers, interrogators, and the like. The prisoners were in interrogation room one. Antur opened the door to reveal Jace, Carth, and Bastila in their underwear, locked in force cages. He walked up to them.

"You don't know me," Antur snarled at Bastila, "but I sure as hell know you, Jedi. You killed my regiment commander on Taris." He walked over to the console which controlled the cages and their shock emitters. "That worm-head brat of yours got loose-well played, by the way-and freed the rest of your crew. They are currently fighting their way up here." He twisted the dial all the way up. "You're not getting off this ship alive, Shan. If Malak can't have you, you'll die here and now."

Sarna stepped up behind the major. "No, Major Antur," she said firmly, "You won't be killing these people."

Antur spun and reached for his sidearm. "What?!" Sarna raised her carbine and shot Antur twice in the chest. He fell to the deck, dead. Belaya ignited her lightsaber and chopped through the console. The force fields dropped.

Bastila stepped out, cautiously. "Thank you for stopping him. To whom do we owe our gratitude?"

Sarna, Yun, and Belaya removed their helmets and masks; Jace's jaw dropped. Sarna hefted her carbine. "Yun and I are defecting-can you give us a lift?"

"Sarna! You, but how…" Jace's voice trailed off as he was too startled to speak. Carth just stood there, mouth flopping open and shut like a fish.

Sarna walked up to Jace. "Jace, it's a long story that we don't have time for. We want to leave the Sith, and your ship is our only way out!"

Carth snapped out of his daze. "Right." He leaned down to take the dead major's sidearm.

"No need," said Yun, "We've got your equipment with us."

Sarna stepped into the hallway and grabbed the bags with the prisoners' equipment. "Gear up; we'll cover the door."

Yun and Sarna put their helmets on and headed outside the door to keep watch while Belaya explained the situation. "Well, we've done it now," said Yun quietly. "There's no way we'll survive if we don't escape."

Sarna swallowed hard. "Yun, why are you coming along? I don't want you to walk into danger just because of me. If you don't want to be a part of this…"

"Are you kidding?" Yun ripped his helmet off and glared at her. "Sarna, I was a cop. I joined the Sith because Revan fought to protect people while the Jedi and the Senate sat on their thumbs. I thought that's what the Sith stood for, and while we were clearing pirates out of the Rim, it felt pretty good to be with them. But I just watched a planet bombed to rubble and thirty children murdered in front of my face. At that point, there was no way I could stay." He shook his head. "I was afraid that I would have to leave you behind, because you wanted to stay with Tash."

"Good thing he was a bastard." Sarna laughed mirthlessly. "We can talk about 'us' later, Yun. For now, I want to help Belaya and Jace. I want to protect the galaxy from people like Brent and Tash. This is so much bigger than you and me."

Yun pursed his lips and nodded. "That's fair. Let's get off this barge."

Jace and the rest had donned their equipment; they came out of the interrogation room. Sarna led the way to the turbolifts. She called two lifts; the panel beeped and a red light flashed. "Frakk. The alarm has been raised. The bridge is on lockdown." She turned to Jace. "The bridge level is locked; there are durasteel shutters and force fields preventing access." She thought for a moment. "When we attacked Dantooine, the ship was hit with cannon fire from the surface. A section of the superstructure on the command deck and bridge was badly damaged. The crew has put up scaffolding in order to make repairs." She rubbed the back of her neck thoughtfully. "They were using a storage room in the regimental armory on the command deck as a makeshift airlock. You could grab spacesuits and climb the scaffolding, then enter the bridge level through another airlock."

Carth grinned. "I like it!"

Jace turned to Sarna. "Sarna, I…"

She held up a hand. "We'll talk later, Jace. We have to move!"

Sarna, Yun and Belaya covered their faces and boarded a lift headed down to the hangar deck. The doors slid open, and Sarna led the way toward the docking bay. Dead and wounded Sith littered the corridor, and the sounds of a pitched battle could be heard up ahead.

"All right, hold here," said Sarna. "We are about a hundred meters from the docking bay. Belaya, contact Juhani and make sure they know we are coming in. I don't want to be shot."

The Jedi nodded and closed her eyes for a moment. "The crew is blocked by a blast door; they are trying to cut through. The rest are holding off a group of Sith troopers."

Sarna turned to Yun. "Let's get as close as we can before the other troopers figure out what's what. We hit them from the back side."

Yun brought his rifle to shoulder. "Ready." The trio moved on, Belaya leading. They rounded a corner and saw the battle. Sith troopers were advancing against withering blaster fire, trying to find cover along the walls. The crew had partially closed one blast door to create solid cover. Canderous and T3 were sweeping the corridor with rapid fire. Mission, Zaalbar, and HK were aiming their shots carefully, picking off Sith in cover. Jolee and Juhani were slowly cutting through a sealed door, leaving trails of glowing metal around the edges. Nearly fifty Sith troopers were trying to overrun the defensive position, but the crew was doing a decent job of holding them off.

Sarna looked at the others. "I've got one grenade, then we hit them hard." She primed and threw the frag. The blast killed five troopers and wounded many more. The Sith realized much too late that they were under attack from behind. Belaya ignited her saber; the Sith defectors charged with bayonets and blaster fire. They tore into the back of the Sith group. Mission and Zaalbar drew blades and attacked from the front. The Sith broke; the survivors ran back toward the lift.

Belaya immediately moved to help cut the door; Sarna and Yun joined the others on the barricade. "We've got it!" grunted Juhani. Jolee lowered the melted durasteel to the deck.

Canderous nodded to himself. "Good. I don't want to try to hold off another assault here." T3 closed the other blast door behind them.

Mission moved invisibly to the docking bay door, returning after a quick look. "I count about forty troops with rifles and carbines, no Dark Jedi. The Ebon Hawk's ramp is up, but T3 scrambled the ship control systems before we surrendered, so he should be able to open it easily."

Canderous' comlink crackled. "Jace to crew: update, please."

"We're stacked up outside the hangar now," the Mandalorian replied, "Sith are guarding the ship in platoon strength. Your defectors got to us okay. We're making our attack now." He turned and pointed to the Jedi. Juhani went first, with Belaya and Jolee close behind. They ran at the Sith troops, swatting blaster fire aside on the run. Canderous swung around the corner and began laying suppressive fire. Zaalbar dashed to the far side of the doorway and began slamming heavy bolts into the Sith defenders. Sarna and Yun moved into the docking bay, staying low until they reached a forklift they could use for cover.

HK-47 readied his rifle. "Statement: We must get T3 to the ship. Request: Follow me, squad mate Mission." He powered on a shield and stepped into the open. Mission followed, using the much larger droid for cover. They forced their way to a cargo container beyond the defectors' position. Zaalbar moved up to join them; the three fired into a group of Sith riflemen who were taking cover behind a cargo crane. T3 scooted out from the hallway and sprayed a billowing cloud of fire-suppressant mist to conceal his movements. The little droid disappeared into the cloud. In a moment, the crew heard the sound of the ramp dropping. The mist cleared to reveal the chin turret down and traversing to starboard. The heavy repeater began firing into the Sith soldiers from behind. Under heavy fire and with no cover to speak of, the Sith began running for the doors.

"We don't have much time," said Canderous urgently. "We need to get a defense set up now. They will be back, soon, and with all their friends." The crew began constructing a fighting position. They used crates, machinery, anything solid enough to stop a blaster bolt. In the end, they were able to make a long, slightly curved barricade between the Hawk's forward landing gear. The floor space in front of the ship was left empty, to give the Jedi room to fight. Canderous took a position at the right end of the line nearest the ramp, with Sarna and Yun next to him. HK held down the left flank with Mission and Zaalbar. T3 readied the freighter for takeoff and operated the chin turret. Unfortunately, the Ebon Hawk's heavy cannon were much too powerful to be fired at targets in the docking bay.

Dozens of Sith came charging through the doors. HK and Yun began firing at long range, picking off Sith as they came in the door. Canderous and Zaalbar opened up as they got closer, aided by T3 on the chin turret. Mission and Sarna waited for targets to close to twenty meters before firing. The Jedi were mainly on the defensive, blocking incoming fire; they only engaged in melee combat if a Sith made it all the way to the barricades. The first wave was around a hundred troopers. The besieged crew repelled the attack without difficulty. The second charge was more than a full company, and included heavy troopers and grenadiers. The Jedi moved out into the open floor, carving a swath through the incoming soldiers. Sith drew vibroswords and moved in close; the Jedi held their own even outnumbered more than four to one.

There was a loud metallic clang, followed by a rumble. The durasteel shutters covering the docking bay opening began to move. The comm beeped again. "We have the bay doors open, Canderous," said Jace. "Status?"

"We've taken the hangar," said the Mandalorian. "We're holding off the Sith counterattack for now. Get here quick!" Jace acknowledged and ended the transmission. T3 screeched a warning from inside the Hawk. A Sith transport hung in space outside the docking bay; shuttles were approaching with fighter escort.

Canderous turned to the crew. "Mission, Zaalbar, HK, get to the guns!" The three pulled off the line and ran into the freighter. The turrets swung around to face the sky and began firing. The fighters were quickly destroyed, but the shuttles continued to landings in other docking bays. More fighters swooped in, trying to fire into the bay.

Yun's arm shot out. "Look up there!" A fight was underway in the control room above the docking bay. Two figures wielding green and yellow lightsabers were briefly visible in the window.

Canderous grinned. "They're nearly here! Get inside, I'll cover you!" The Mandalorian ran up the ramp; he dropped prone at the top and steadied his repeater on its folding bipod. Sarna and Yun fell back, firing as they went. The Jedi began retreating toward the ramp when a crate whipped across the room and struck Jolee in the back. He was knocked to the ground but got up quickly. A second crate flew at them; Juhani kicked it aside. The Jedi turned to face their attackers. Master Aramil glared at them; he was backed by several apprentices. Next to him stood Kaiya Turnell; she had her saber out and was radiating an aura of dark hate.

Sarna and Yun ran back down the ramp to the hangar floor. Belaya held up a hand to stop them. "Stop there, you two."

Sarna shook her head. "This is our fight, Belaya."

Belaya frowned. "You'll be killed if you try to join this battle."

"They'll be killed anyway," snarled Kaiya, shaking with fury. "How dare you spit on the chance we gave you to redeem yourselves?"

Sarna shook her head. "I don't need your redemption. I should never have joined the Sith. You're a greater evil than any of the criminals and warlords I wanted to run out of the Rim. We're standing against you."

Jolee grunted. "Belaya, if they want to stand with us, let them. The choice is theirs to make."

The three Jedi all twitched simultaneously. Aramil laughed. "You felt it, didn't you? My lord Malak is facing Bastila as we speak. She will bow before him or die." An insane smile lit his face. "You are all doomed."

The Sith raised their scarlet blades and moved in, spreading out as they came. Yun fired, killing an apprentice who was too slow to deflect the bolt. The marksman grinned. "That SAU training is finally getting put to good use."

Belaya and Juhani rushed the apprentices. Jolee took on the Sith Master. Kaiya angled her saber and faced Sarna and Yun. The rage on her face was gone, replaced by a strange, hungry expression. Kaiya lunged forward, slashing from knee height up at Sarna's chest. Sarna blocked and forced the Sith back. Yun had an easy stab at Kaiya's back, but as he moved in for the kill, he was knocked flying by a Sith apprentice who Juhani had just slain.

Belaya and Juhani were dueling half a dozen Sith at once. Belaya was a rock in the middle of the floor, parrying attacks from all sides. The Cathar was moving so fast she seemed to be in two places at once. Belaya swept the legs of one Sith and kicked him into the air for Juhani to finish. Two more came in at Belaya, but her partner landed behind them. Both were forced to decide who to face; both chose wrong and died. More common troopers with blades tried to join the fight, but the fierce pair stood their ground at the doorway.

Master Aramil tried to attack them, but Jolee forced him away. The Sith Master swept in with his double-blade, trying to put Jolee on the defensive. The old Jedi stood and fought, blasting Aramil with a powerful Force Push. Aramil slammed into the Ebon Hawk's right wing, then leapt atop the ship. Jolee followed, but found himself at a disadvantage as the powerful Sith slashed down from the higher ground of the ship's center section. Jolee raised his saber crosswise to stop the overhand strikes. He circled, standing on top of the cockpit and pushing Aramil back towards the engines. The Sith Lord caught Jolee with a pull and swung for his neck. Jolee ducked to keep from losing his head and hit Aramil in the chin with a strong uppercut. The Sith staggered back and unleashed a torrent of lightning. Jolee caught the bolts and hurled them back at Aramil, who dove out of the way and rolled. It was a fatal mistake. The blast of electricity struck the docking bay force field, which flickered off for a moment. Aramil was regaining his feet as Jolee kicked him full-force in the chest. The Sith Master was hurled backwards through the open docking bay door and out into the black. The force field snapped back on and Aramil drifted away into the void between stars. The three Jedi shut down their lightsabers and encircled the fight between Kaiya and the defectors.

The senior apprentice's confidence was shaken. She had been unable to seize the initiative against the troopers she had trained. Now she looked around at the Jedi, and shifted to a defensive stance. Sarna lowered her carbine slightly. "It's over, Kaiya. Drop your lightsaber-there's no reason to continue this fight."

Kaiya spat. "Typical Republic talk! You place no value in pride. You'd rather live in chains than die free. Well, Malak is bringing real freedom to anyone strong enough to take it. I will fight until I crush all others and stand at his side, or I die."

She let out an unearthly shriek. All three Jedi clapped their hands to their ears and fell to the deck. Yun charged in and Kaiya parried his bayonet thrust. She snapped her arms up and down like scissors and shattered Yun's rifle. The Sith slashed at his face; Yun backpedaled and fell. Kaiya raised her saber to finish him off but Sarna slammed her gunstock into the Sith's shoulder.

Kaiya spun to see Sarna's bayonet leveled at her chest. The defector's face was twitching with anger. "You will not touch him, Sith!"

The apprentice smiled sweetly; on her face, the effect was terrifying. "I'm going to break you, then I'm going to cut your boyfriend in pieces while you watch."

Kaiya pulled Sarna in; the defector led with her bayonet. The Sith knocked the carbine aside and punched Sarna in the stomach. Sarna stumbled and barely got her carbine around fast enough to keep from being cut in half. She kicked Kaiya between the legs; Kaiya grunted and hit Sarna with a push. Sarna slid backwards but stayed on her feet. Kaiya pursued and forced Sarna's carbine down, then tried to strike upward at Sarna's throat. Sarna kicked Kaiya's saber arm, stopping the slash, then stepped in and rammed her bayonet home.

Kaiya's mouth opened and shut as the gasped for air. She coughed, and a dribble of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. The Sith looked down at the bayonet in her chest, then back up at Sarna's face. "But… you're only human," she wheezed. Sarna pulled the bayonet out and Kaiya Turnell fell to the deck, dead.

Yun was helping the Jedi to their feet. Jolee shook his head to clear it. "Let's get aboard. Jace and the others should be here soon."

They headed up the ramp. A handful of Sith troopers tried to make another assault, but the chin gun and Canderous' repeater drove them off.

An eerie peace lasted for about five minutes, then Jolee's head snapped up. "They're coming!"

Carth and Jace came through the door at a full sprint; there were Sith troopers not far behind.

"Oh, no…" breathed Juhani: Bastila was not with them.

"Cover them!" cried Canderous, opening up with his repeater. T3 joined in with the chin turret. The troopers were forced to cover; Jace and Carth pounded up the ramp as Canderous pulled the lever to raise it. Carth kept running all the way to the pilot's seat. Jace strapped in next to him, and Canderous dropped into the third seat. The Ebon Hawk lifted off the bay floor and pivoted in midair. Sith troopers with rocket launchers ran into the bay. T3 sprayed them with the chin turret. Sarna watched the holodisplay as Sith fighters pursued them. The freighter's guns fired at the swarm of interceptors as they closed the distance. They were doing quite well until several fighters maneuvered directly under the freighter's belly. Carth began a roll to bring Mission's turret to bear, but two fighters got through and raked the right wing with cannon fire.

The entire ship shook; Sarna saw a flash of red light in the starboard dormitory. She tapped Yun's shoulder and they raced in to find flames licking up from a power conduit beneath the floor. Yun grabbed an extinguisher from a wall bracket and tossed it to Sarna. She began fighting the fire as Yun opened the compartment's emergency wiring panel to shut off the current. He threw a switch, and the lights went out. Sarna got the flames out, and the ship made the jump to hyperspace.

A/N: Again with the boss battle. I feel like Sarna and Yun couldn't fight anything stronger than a Padawan or apprentice. I don't want to stretch plot armor too far.