Disclaimer: Knights of the Old Republic is awesome, and I wish I had ever made anything nearly as cool.

The crew assembled in the main hold to discuss their options. Bastila had been captured by Malak, and they didn't have the firepower to rescue her. The conversation took a shocking turn when Jace revealed that he was Darth Revan, captured and mind-wiped by the Jedi Council. Sarna shook her head in disbelief. If Revan himself can re-join the Republic, I have a chance for real redemption.

It didn't seem that easy; Carth, who appeared to be next in charge after Jace/Revan and Bastila, no longer trusted his commander. One by one, the crew spoke up in support of Jace. Sarna chimed in as well. "Things happen for a reason. If I hadn't met you, Yun and I would have died when Malak bombed Taris, or we'd still be Sith pawns. We're with you."

Jace smiled at the show of support and turned back to the pilot. "Well, Carth, will you stand with me against Malak?"

"Well, the others seem to trust you," Carth said slowly. "I really don't have any other choice but to trust you, do I?"

Jace nodded. "You have to try… for Bastila's sake."

Carth pursed his lips. "This must be even more of a shock to you… I don't know how you even keep going."

"How did you keep going, after Telos?" asked Jace.

Carth nodded. "I guess we both just have to find a way to push forward."

The crew drifted away to their stations. Sarna and Yun took the opportunity to rest. Sarna slept for more than half a day. She woke, stretched, and headed to the 'fresher, then walked out into the main hold. Several members of the crew were getting a meal, including Yun.

Jace looked up and smiled. "Hello, Sarna. Pull up a seat." She sat and took a cup of caf and a prepackaged meal plate. "As I've already told Yun, we owe you big-time. Thank you for your help."

Sarna shook her head. "I am glad to be here… and glad that you accept me after the things I've done. I look back, and I'm just sick."

Belaya reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "Then don't look back, look forward. You're free now, and you're helping us stop the Sith."

Sarna looked down. "Thank you all." She glanced back up. "What happens now?"

"We're entering orbit over Korriban," said Jace. "The last Star Map is there."

Yun frowned. "Star Map?"

Jace looked at Carth, who shrugged. "Tell them. They're part of the crew."

Yun and Sarna listened as Jace detailed their mission. "So Bastila will likely be with the Star Forge, when we find it," said Jace, "and we need to plan our mission here."

The Sith planet appeared on the holodisplay. The crew spent the next few minutes planning their infiltration of the Sith Academy. When they had finished, Jace turned to Sarna. "You, Yun, and Belaya had better stay aboard ship while we're here. We don't want to risk you being spotted by anyone who was on Dantooine during the assault."

She nodded. "We'll lie low and keep the ship ready if you need us."

Jace raised a hand. "While I'm thinking about it, come here, HK."

The droid walked over. "Query: You called, master?"

Jace nodded. "Give me that rifle, and take this." He handed the assassin droid a light blaster cannon. "Yun, this is yours," said Jace. He handed the marksman his worn, well-used sniper rifle.

The Sith defector took his weapon back with shaking hands. His grandfather's initials were etched into the plasteel stock. Yun grinned. "How about that." He looked up at Jace. "Thank you, sir; I never thought I'd see it again."

Sarna, Yun and Belaya remained on board the ship while several of the others went on missions in the Sith Academy. About a week after their arrival, Jace went to the tomb of Naga Sadow alone for his final test in the Academy. Sarna and Carth were on watch several hours later when a Sith frigate entered orbit far above.

"Frakk," Sarna growled, looking at the sensor display. "That is the Warspite; it was one of the ships in the task force at Dantooine." She looked up at Carth. "We may be recognized. We need to be ready to fly."

Carth nodded and sounded the alarm. The crew assembled in the main hold and he explained the situation. "What about Jace?" Juhani asked.

Canderous turned to Carth. "Davik kept sensor-shroud camouflage netting in the cargo hold. If we have to, we can conceal the ship in the mountains and come back for Jace."

T3 shrilled; HK translated. "Warning: Sith frigate is launching fighters and shuttles. Sensors show troopers moving on our position!"

Carth sprinted for the cockpit with Canderous and Jolee right behind. Blaster bolts from the troopers struck the ship, doing no real damage. The Hawk lifted off. The turrets opened up on the incoming shuttles.

"Cease fire!" cried Canderous. "Shut down the guns. No weapons fire, no sensor pings, nothing at all, understand? We need to shake them and hide in the hills."

The freighter accelerated away from the Academy hangar with a pair of fighters in hot pursuit. Carth twisted the ship through a mountain pass. The fighter pilots could not make the turn in time. They climbed up above the ridge and scanned the ground below, looking for the Hawk. Carth stayed low, hiding in the ground clutter. Jolee searched a topographical map and found a deep canyon. Carth brought the ship to a landing.

T3 took the droid lift to the freighter's topside as the crew raced outside, carrying the bundle of netting. Yun threw a weighted line to the astromech, who raced to the far side of the ship to lower it. Yun repeated the process, and the crew hauled the cloth over the ship. They quickly staked the net down. Carth hiked several kilometers away from the ship: if he had to contact Jace on the comlink, Sith direction-finding would not locate the freighter. Hours passed. Sith fighters crisscrossed the area, trying to find the ship. The sensor shroud worked well. The fighters overflew them several times without spotting them.

Shortly after noon, Carth's comlink beeped. "Ebon Hawk, this is Dustil Onasi, does anyone read?"

Carth thumbed his comlink. "Dustil, it's your father. What's going on?"

"Father, the Sith know Jace is in the Valley," said Dustil anxiously. "They are moving down from the Academy to cut off his escape, but there is another exit from the Valley. I'm headed there now to get him out. I've been in contact with a group of Sith who Jace convinced to defect. I'm meeting them at the exit in the Shifting Shadow with Dak and the droid. We'll get them out. Stand by in case I need help."

Carth acknowledged and ran for the ship. The crew had been listening in and the Hawk was uncovered and ready to fly. The minutes dragged by like days, then the comm crackled. "Shadow to Ebon Hawk, do you copy?" The crew relaxed as one to hear Jace's voice.

Canderous grinned. "Loud and clear. This is getting way too interesting."

"Are you all accounted for over there?" asked Jace. "If so, take off, I've got a ride."

"If you say so," said Canderous.

"One more thing," said Jace, "Don't shoot the Sith picket ship climbing out of the Valley. Dustil kind of stole the Master's personal ship." Carth looked at Jolee and laughed.

"Where are we headed?" asked Canderous.

"Manaan," replied Jace, "but don't go direct. We don't want to get intercepted again." Jolee began work on jump coordinates. Sarna watched the larger Sith picket join them in formation. They climbed out of the atmosphere and jumped to hyperspace.

Carth sat back in the pilot's seat. "All right, crew, we'll be making a series of short jumps to lose any pursuit, then taking a long flight to Manaan. We'll repair and resupply at the Republic Embassy, then head to the Star Forge." He left the cockpit; T3 took over the helm.

Carth walked into the main hold. "Belaya, Sarna, Yun, I need to speak with you." The three walked over. Carth clasped his hands together. "When we arrive on Manaan, you will be leaving this ship."

Sarna opened and closed her mouth several times while she tried to deal with her dismay; she saw that Yun and Belaya were similarly shocked. "But, sir, we wanted to come with you, we want to help! Haven't we earned that?"

Carth nodded. "You probably have, but Republic Intelligence will want to debrief you. Jace convinced four Sith Apprentices to defect; they were in the picket ship. I will lobby Fleet Command to allow you all to join the strike fleet in the Shifting Shadow."

Sarna relaxed and smiled. "So we all get our fresh start together. I'd like that." Yun nodded.

Carth dropped his hands to his sides. "Good. We can relax for now-we're about two days from Manaan." He turned and headed for the port dormitory.

Sarna took Yun's hand. "We should talk." She turned to Carth. "Is there anywhere we can speak alone?"

Carth nodded. "Comm room, just behind the cockpit." He pointed the way, and the defectors headed for the corridor.

Sarna closed the door to the comm room and sat in one of the chairs, folding her hands in her lap. "So… us. Yun, I'm just not sure. I know how you feel, but I've been through so much since Taris."

"I get it, Sarna, I do." Yun dropped into the other chair. "You loved Tash, and he betrayed you as cruelly as anyone ever could. It's hard to trust, to get close to anyone after that."

"But I trust you, Yun." Sarna wrung her hands. "I depend on you. As a fellow soldier, as a friend, maybe more, I don't know. And I'm afraid of our relationship turning romantic. I'm afraid it'll go nowhere, I'm afraid it'll go somewhere…" She sighed. "Does any of that make sense?"

Yun took a deep breath, sighed it out, and nodded. "I understand."

Sarna bit her lip. "Look… if we make it through this, I'm willing to give it a shot. We stop Malak, I'll save you a dance at the victory party."

Yun smiled faintly. "I guess we're not quite ready for happily ever after, then?"

Sarna smiled, then a shadow crossed her features. "Not yet. The story isn't over; we still have a war to win."

THE END

A/N: This story is definitely not over. If you've read Second Chances as well, you know about the other defectors and the Shifting Shadow, and have probably guessed that another party is forming. Time for a choice point: The next two sections of this epic can be read in either order, even though one is marked part III and one is part IV. That's the order I wrote them in.

Also, thank you for reading, if you're following the saga. How did you like my little side story? Leave a review and let me know!