The ship was soon flooded with Sith and the sound of their footsteps was almost deafening to Brinna's ears. Horror washed over her and a sense of failure so strong that it made her weak in the knees threatened to rob her of all composure. Her stomach churned and she felt an instant of disbelief. She had never been a coward so why was their abduction affecting her as it was?

Glancing to her left, Brinna found that answer to that question. Her hand was locked on Carth's in a death grip and she found that he was holding onto her just as tightly. His face was white and she noticed with a jolt that at some point he had stepped slightly in front of her, though she could not say when. He was partially shielding her with his body and a strangled gasp escaped her at this realization.

Her first instinct was to attack, to defend that which was most dear to her, but even as her free hand closed upon the hilt of one of her lightsabres, she knew it would be useless to resist. They were simply overwhelmed by the Sith and it would be foolish to waste energy at this point. Far better to go relatively quietly and to bide time until Jolee could effect their escape plan.

Though the Sith were none to gentle with any of the crew members, it was obvious that Carth, Bastila, and Brinna were the real prizes. All weapons were seized and everyone was cuffed but Brinna, Carth, and Bastila received the most brutal treatment. After snatching the belt from around her waist, one of the Sith firmly planted a fist in the small of Brinna's back and she promptly went down to her knees, her eyes watering at the pain. She heard Mission cry out and could hear the sounds of the young Twi'lek struggling but her eyes were too clouded by tears of pain to see what was going on. Her Jedi brethren reached out to her, her pain becoming their own, and she heard Carth give an outraged cry that was cut off by a sudden loud cracking noise.

"Carth!" Brinna choked, looking over to see that he was now sprawled on the floor next to her. His eyes were squeezed shut in obvious pain and one of the Sith soldiers was standing with his foot pressed into the middle of Carth's back. Brinna could see from the way Carth's cheek was being pressed into the floor that the soldier was exerting plenty of pressure upon Carth's back.

"Struggle all you like. It won't get you anywhere," one of the soldiers sneered, seizing Brinna by her hair and yanking her head back with such force she saw stars and felt as though her scalp was being separated from her skull.

"Don't rough them up too much. The admiral will be angry," another soldier cautioned the one who was assaulting Brinna.

It was with obvious reluctance that the soldier eased his grip on Brinna. As much as she wanted to cry out in pain, she refused to give the soldier that satisfaction. She gritted her teeth until her jaw ached, biting back the sob that pressed at the back of her throat.

Carth was hauled to his feet and he, Brinna, and Bastila were separated from the rest of the crew. As Brinna watched her comrades being hauled away, she saw the stricken look in Mission's eyes, the cool collectedness of the other two Jedi, and the murderous expression that Canderous wore. HK was shouting invectives and threatening to blast everyone for daring to harm his master and T3 was beeping madly. Zaalbar roared some very obscene things and managed to knock over a few of the Sith soldiers before they managed to subdue him.

Are you all right? Bastila asked Brinna via the bond.

No lasting damage, Brinna assured her tersely. The others, I hope…

I know, Bastila interrupted and Brinna knew that though the other Jedi had the same fears and thoughts that she had, Bastila did not want Brinna to vocalize them, even via the bond.

Brinna's scalp felt as though it was on fire and her spine was sore where the Sith soldier had punched her. The pain enraged her and for a moment her vision went rather red. In her mind's eye, she could picture herself seizing her lightsabres, could smell the charred flesh of the Sith soldiers that she had hacked to death with them…

"Brinna," Carth whispered urgently, breaking through her reverie. She looked over at him and saw that his face with clouded with pain. Suddenly, she could feel his pain and she knew it had nothing to do with the injuries he had sustained at the hands of the Sith. He must have seen something in her face that had disturbed him and she felt suddenly boneless with fear.

Why does this keep happening to me? Why? What am I becoming?

She could feel herself trembling and she knew she had not established enough of a wall between her and Bastila. It was likely the other Jedi could read just about every thought Brinna was having, feel every emotion that Brinna experienced. In return, Brinna could sense fear emanating from Bastila.

They were stripped of all but their underthings and led into a holding bay with three cells. One look at them told Brinna that she and her companions were in for a world of pain. Acting on instinct alone, she lunged for Carth's hand and her fingers just barely managed to brush his before one of the Sith grabbed her by the wrist, twisting it so hard that she could feel that the small bones in it were on the verge of snapping. Carth roared and was rewarded with a smack across his face from one of the Sith's blasters.

Brinna, Bastila called out, her bond voice distorted by pain and something that seemed strangely like regret.

"Go fetch your admiral," Brinna growled at the soldier who unceremoniously pushed her into her holding cell. "Tell that coward to come down here and speak with us," she added as a force field was raised, trapping her inside a tube so small she could barely move. Sitting would be out of the question.

It was impossible to tell how much time passed as they waited for Saul. It was easy enough to tune out the jeers of the Sith soldiers but it wasn't so easy to try to resist Bastila, who kept attempting to draw Brinna more deeply into their bond. Looking at Carth hurt so much that it nearly undid Brinna and she saw in his eyes a pain that mirrored her own. At that point, she knew it was best for them both if she didn't look at him.

At last, Saul entered the room. He strolled in like a man without a care and didn't hesitate to open a dialogue with them by taunting Carth, insulting the Republic soldier by telling him that the years had been unkind, that he was barely recognizable.

It didn't take a Force bond for Brinna to feel the hatred that roiled within Carth. Forgetting her resolve not to look at him, she turned to see that he was regarding Saul with a look so caustic Brinna was surprised that it didn't eat right through Saul's skin. Carth's fists were so tightly clenched that his knuckles were bloodless and the muscles in his jaw were taut. His body was rigid as he confronted his former mentor, lashing out at Saul for attacking a civilian target without provocation.

Saul's attitude about the attack on Telos was so callous that it made bile rise in Brinna's throat. His excuse was that the Sith would not have trusted him had he not attacked, that he had to prove to the Sith that he was one of them. He told Carth that innocents always died in war and Brinna wondered if this flimsy rationalization enabled Saul to sleep at night.

"My wife died in that attack, Saul. And for that, I swear I will kill you," Carth said. The tone of his voice sent a chill down Brinna's aching spine.

Saul brushed his former protégé off, telling him that he was an insignificant part of the events and that it was the Jedi—Bastila and Brinna—in whom Malak was truly interested. Bastila immediately informed Saul that he and the Sith would be destroyed and that they would not betray the Jedi.

"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," Saul said, turning his eyes on Brinna for the first time.

"You're wasting your time, Saul. I'll never betray the Jedi!" Brinna told him, her voice hoarse with anger.

"You're defiant. I'm certain Malak will find your loyalty to the Jedi amusing. The Dark Lord would 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."

The history between us?

Brinna knew that Saul was baiting her, that he wanted her to ask him what he meant by the history between her and Malak but she refused to give him the satisfaction. Instead, she replied, "Malak won't get any answers from me!"

Ignoring her, Saul talked on, informing them that Malak would likely want to torture them once he arrived; Brinna immediately refocused her attention on her bond with Bastila. She would not ask Saul what he had meant by his comment but she would ask Bastila. Suddenly, all of Carth's paranoia and all of her own unease over the way Bastila and the Council had been acting seemed justified. There was something going on, something about which no one had deigned to inform Brinna.

"There's something very dark about you…" Jolee's voice suddenly rang in Brinna's head.

The history between us? Brinna repeated, this time for Bastila.

She could feel the other Jedi's tension, could sense Bastila frantically casting about for an answer.

"Don't waste your breath, Saul!" Carth burst out, distracting Brinna and saving Bastila from the necessity of answering. "We won't answer any of your questions."

"I'm sure you won't," Saul sneered. "However, we both know your friend's loyalties have proven in the past to be somewhat…flexible."

"What are you talking about?" Brinna spat at him, staring directly into his flinty gaze.

A mocking smile of satisfaction curled the corners of his lips as he informed her that he was the one who would do the questioning and she was the one who would answer. "The interrogation will begin now," he continued. "Each time you refuse to answer or give me a false answer, Carth will suffer."

Brinna felt as if the bottom had dropped out from under her and she was falling, falling. Her head snapped around and she met Carth's steady brown gaze. It was then she realized just what a sadistic bastard Saul was. He knew that threatening her with her own torture would avail him nothing. Instead, he would strike her where he perceived a weakness.

Her stomach heaved and, for a split second, she feared she would be forced to empty to contents of it in front of Saul's sneering gaze. An agonizing choice lay before her and she did not know what to do. When she thought about it, she thought of the millions who would suffer if she were to give Saul the information he was seeking and that made her path seem clear. But then she imagined the pain he would inflict upon Carth if she refused to answer and those millions seemed so faceless that Brinna could scarcely comprehend their existence. In that instant, she lost the will to fight Saul.

But then a small but insistent voice spoke. What would Carth want you to do?

She knew then what she had to say. "I will not betray the Jedi, not even to save Carth." There was no quantifying what it cost her to speak the words.

"My pain is meaningless! Tell him nothing!" Carth called out to her, determination clear in his voice.

"I tire of these games—now I want answers!" Saul snarled. "On what planet is the Jedi Academy at which you were trained?"

She closed her eyes as a dry sob ripped, unbidden, from her. "Jedi Academy? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Very well. This is the price of your resistance," Saul said coldly. He gestured to one of the soldiers.

The sound of Carth's screams filled Brinna's ears and it took her a few seconds to realize they were so loud because she was screaming as well. Unimaginable pain knifed through her body, stealing her of her breath, her will to live, her very soul.

Carth! her heart screamed. Carth!

His pain was because of her, because she had refused to answer Saul in a manner that satisfied the admiral. As Carth's screams ceased and were replaced by the ragged sound of his breathing, Brinna wanted nothing more than to lie down and die. Any resistance that had existed crumbled and she knew Saul would get just what he wanted out of her.

Brinna barely heard the admiral as he informed them that the question had been a test, that Malak had known the Academy was on Dantooine. He told them the Academy had been destroyed and Brinna knew with absolute certainty that he was not bluffing. Still, as painful as it was to think of all the dead Jedi, it was far more painful for her to recall Carth's screams, screams that seemed to echo on and on and on in her mind.

"You will pay for this crime, Saul! You and all the Sith!" Brinna cried out in a raw voice.

The admiral sneered openly at her, telling her they were empty threats. "Now…tell me your mission. How were the Jedi planning on using you to stop Lord Malak and our Sith armada?"

He had broken Brinna and she sensed Bastila's horror as she opened her mouth to respond. Bastila already knew exactly what Brinna intended to say. "We were searching for the Star Forge," Brinna said, her voice wavering beyond all control.

"Why? Why are you telling him this?" Bastila cried out harshly.

Brinna felt detached from her own body as she listened to Saul tell Bastila she should be grateful for the pain Brinna was sparing her. As Bastila angrily responded that the betrayal caused her far more pain than any torture could, Brinna looked over at Carth. He was staring at her with a stricken expression. She was suddenly aware of the tears that were rolling down her face. She felt utterly destroyed, utterly impotent. She had betrayed the Jedi and yet was still powerless to protect Carth from pain. In fact, the more she tried to protect him, the more pain she seemed to inflict.

"Tell me, how did you find out about the Star Forge?" Saul asked Brinna.

She closed her eyes. "Bastila and I saw Revan and Malak searching for it in our dreams."

"No! How could you betray the Republic like this?" Carth cried and the recrimination in his tone was almost worse than his screams had been.

Saul smiled sadistically as he mocked Brinna by telling her that her answers were upsetting to Carth. She gagged as he told her how pleasing he found her willingness to cooperate, how useful her answers were. He then left the room, telling them he was going to give them a small taste of the suffering they would incur at Malak's hands.

She welcomed the torture. She opened herself up and accepted the searing pain that the torture fields inflicted. The physical brutalization was far more bearable than the mental and even as she screamed, unable to control herself as the pain seemed to eat her from within, she felt a blessed relief that at least the mental torment had ended. As blackness began to lick at the edges of her vision, she let her body go limp, relaxed into it and accepted it eagerly.

Minutes, hours, days… Time passed by without any sort of meaning. All that existed was pain and a gray haze followed by the beautiful blackness of oblivion and then more pain, more gray haze. On and on this cycle continued until Brinna felt as though she was slipping away forever, falling and falling into the blackness. Then, abruptly, the torture ceased.

Slowly, she began to open her eyes, though she didn't really want to do so. No! Keep them closed! Slip away! her mind ordered but her eyes would not obey. Despite her commanding them to remain shut, they slowly opened. The light hurt so badly it felt as though a vibrosword had been driven through her eye and into her skull but then she saw Carth and her heart swelled with emotion.

I will not give in. I will not abandon him. I will not lose him.

Bastila and Carth urged her to be still, telling her that the guards had continued to torture them after Saul's departure and that she had received the worst of it. Carth called Saul a sadistic monster and Bastila told him that Saul had been perverted by the dark side, that the tainted path had led him into the depths of evil and that she feared Saul was forever lost.

Those words made Brinna feel a hopelessness that her heart refused to acknowledge. She wanted—no desperately needed—to believe that absolution was possible, even for the most depraved. "No one is without hope of redemption, Bastila," she said, her voice a hoarse croak.

The other Jedi studied Brinna for a long moment before replying that she supposed that redemption was possible. She said it was easy to lose sight of this possibility in light of the devastation she felt at the news of Dantooine. "First Taris, now the Academy…is there no end to the killing?"

"I know…it's hard to believe they're all gone," Brinna said. She reached out to Bastila via the Force. Though it was impossible for her to take Bastila's hand in her own physically, she could do so via their bond. For the first time since she had felt its existence, Brinna was grateful for the bond they shared.

Bastila's next words echoed Brinna's own thoughts. She wanted to believe that Saul was lying but she knew that his words had been true. Brinna could feel Bastila's worry as the other Jedi said they should have felt a disturbance in the Force, that the dark side was clouding their vision. They had lost their one place of refuge in the galaxy.

"None of this will matter if we don't get out of this prison before Saul gets back," Carth interrupted.

"Where is Saul Karath now?" Brinna asked, turning her gaze upon him. She had never before seen him look so haggard and his eyes were haunted as he looked back at her. He told her that Saul had mentioned Malak was on his way and that it was likely Saul had gone to prepare for the arrival.

"I only wish you had been able to resist the admiral's questioning," Bastila said, temporarily making Brinna forget the icy drop of fear that had settled in her stomach at the thought of Malak's approach. "I hope the information you revealed does not bring the entire galaxy under the dominion of the Sith."

Brinna's mouth fell open and she stared at Bastila in disbelief. Sharp guilt mixed with anger nearly overwhelmed her and Brinna found it difficult to master how own emotions. "I'm sorry, Bastila, but I couldn't just let Carth be tortured!"

Bastila began to lecture Brinna about the Code. "There is too much at stake to let reckless passion rule our actions."

"How dare you judge me?" Brinna shouted, losing her fragile hold over her emotions. "You have no idea what it's like to be put into that kind of position!"

"I know if I had been in that position I would not have betrayed the Order and the Republic!" Bastila flung back at her.

"No, you would have just left someone you care about screaming in agony!" Brinna cried, her voice rising. She felt herself spiraling out of control.

"Stop it, both of you!" Carth yelled. "Bastila you…you can't honestly say how you would have reacted in that situation—nobody can! Besides, Saul already had all the information. I could tell. The interrogation was a sham. Saul was toying with us. He didn't care what we told him. I think it was just an excuse to torture us before Malak arrived."

"Did you feel that? A disturbance in the Force," Bastila said, her quarrel with Brinna forgotten. The dread she felt matched the dread Brinna felt and, for a moment, the two Jedi existed in perfect harmony. "The admiral has sent his message. The Dark Lord knows we are here now. Malak is coming."

"Well, then we better hope Jolee busts us out of here before he arrives," Carth said in a forced even voice.

They fell silent. Brinna strained her ears for some sign that Jolee's arrival was imminent but she could hear nothing. Her eyes filled with tears once more and she closed them, wishing she would never again have to open them. Bastila's words rung in her head, stinging her and adding more pain to the pile of guilt and self-hatred Brinna already felt. Though Carth's assertion that Saul had merely been toying with them had brought her a tiny sense of relief, it was fleeting.

I am weak, she thought. The fate of the galaxy was placed in my hands and I failed the test.

And, yet, what else could she have done? What kind of choice had been given to her? How could one weigh her betrayal of the Republic and the Jedi against the betrayal she would have shown Carth had she not sought to protect him?

What is worse, to betray millions of those you don't know or to betray one whom you do, one whom you love above all else?

At that moment, the doors to the containment area opened. Brinna tensed, anticipating Saul, but when the doors opened she saw Jolee. Relief flooded through her but it died as soon as she realized that she had not sensed his presence. Bastila was right; the dark side of the Force was clouding their vision.

Malak draws nearer, she told Bastila. The expression on Bastila's face was grim as she tersely nodded her agreement.

Brinna didn't have much time to dwell on it for the others came jogging into the room after Jolee, who had turned his attention to the controls and was attempting to lower the fields holding Bastila, Carth, and Brinna in containment.

"Brinna!" Mission cried.

"It's okay, Mission," she said, trying to sound calm but knowing she was failing miserably. She was so relieved to see Mission alive and unharmed that she wanted to weep. "Stop eyeing me, Mandalorian," she added, trying to do something to ease the tension in the room, to ease the pain in her own heart.

Canderous's thundercloud expression vanished and was replaced by a challenging smile and the gleam that lit his eyes whenever Brinna taunted him. "After seeing the old man in his skivs, anyone looks good," he replied.

Jolee ignored the dig, his concentration clearly focused on the control panel. A second later, he hit the correct combination and the fields were lowered. In spite of her bravado, Brinna couldn't help but stumble as the support of the field disappeared. Instantly, Carth caught her arm, steadying her.

"Brinna," he murmured, his lips brushing over her left cheek. She was on the verge of taking his face in her hands when Bastila's voice reminded her of where they were and what was happening.

"Well done, Jolee. I knew we could count on you. A Jedi never fails to get the task done!" she praised the elder Jedi.

Carth gave Brinna a look of intense relief before saying, "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. The bridge is the only place we can open the docking gates of the hangar where they've got the Ebon Hawk. We have to open those gates before we can fly out of here!"

"We'd 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 of us is a match for the Sith Lord," Bastila cautioned.

"We need some type of plan," Brinna said.

"Surprise and secrecy will serve us best," Bastila said. "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."

"Count me in, then. I've got a score to settle with the admiral before we get off this ship and I have a feeling I'm gonna find him on the Leviathan's bridge!" Carth said, striking fear into Brinna's heart.

"I'm coming too!" she instantly interjected.

"That's a good idea," Bastila said, to Brinna's surprise. "The others can get to the Ebon Hawk on their own but Carth and I might need your help. The three of us will get our equipment and make our way to the bridge. The rest of you head down to the docking hangar where they've got the Ebon Hawk. You'll have to find a way to deal with the guards."

"Don't you worry about that," Canderous said, cracking his knuckles. "I know how to deal with the guards. They won't know what hit them!"

"Good. Get to the equipment room, grab what you need, and get going," Brinna instructed him.

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

Juhani took a moment to use the Force to heal Carth, Brinna, and Bastila. Then she and the others headed out, Mission pausing to throw her arms around Brinna in a fierce hug. Brinna hugged her back with equal ferocity, squeezing her eyes shut and thanking the Force that Mission was okay. As soon as Mission's back was turned, Brinna wiped a tear from her eye.

"We still have to get our equipment," she reminded Carth and Bastila as they watched the others leave. "Let's go."

They moved through the ship without much incident and were soon dressing hastily and collecting their gear. Brinna felt free to have a quick rifle through the other supplies and equipment and she quickly stowed several useful items she had found. Bastila and Carth had followed suit but when Brinna turned to tell them she was done, she found that Carth was right behind her, though Bastila was still busy rummaging through a storage canister.

"I know why you did what you did," Carth told her, bringing a hand up to her face to caress it gently.

"I couldn't watch…I couldn't bear…" Brinna said, tears rushing to her eyes and her voice failing her.

"I know," Carth said. Pain was evident in his eyes and Brinna knew he was thinking of when he'd had to watch his wife die in his arms as he had been helpless to do anything to save her. "If anything had happened to you…"

She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, holding it to her cheek with both of her own. His free arm went around her, drawing her to his chest. He rested his chin on the top of her head and held her for one short, comforting moment before releasing her with one last caress to her face. As he pulled away from her, she caught a glimpse of the look in his eyes and it made her heart lurch. Revenge was on Carth Onasi's mind.

"We need to move," he said, his voice loud enough for Bastila to hear.

Brinna knew that the other Jedi had only been pretending not to notice what was happening and she suspected Carth knew it as well. Though Bastila said nothing, Brinna knew exactly what she was thinking. Once again, the strength of her own emotions had broken down the barrier Brinna usually constructed to hold herself aloof from her bond with Bastila and Bastila had sensed everything Brinna had felt.

They made their way to the elevator, eliminating the few Sith who got in their way. As they reached the lift doors, Brinna's com crackled to life.

"This is Canderous. We're at the Ebon Hawk. Like we figured, it's under heavy guard. But don't worry…we'll figure out a plan to take care of them."

"No doubt about that," Brinna said. She pressed the up button on the lift and the doors shut quietly behind them, the lift carrying them upward.

She looked over at Carth, her gaze pleading. What she saw in his eyes truly frightened her for she could see that he was a man so bent on revenge he was nearly obsessed. Her fears were only confirmed when he looked away from her.

"Looks like our escape has no longer gone unnoticed," Bastila sighed when the doors to the bridge level slid open and the loud wail of an alarm met their ears.

"No sense in being subtle now," Carth said, lunging at one of the Sith who was bearing down on them.

As they fought their way through the bridge level, clearing room after room, Brinna's gaze remained on Carth as much as possible. He fought like a man possessed, like a man not the least bit afraid for his own safety, and it terrified her. She had seen him angry, had even seen him descend into a sort of battle madness. But never before had she seen him act recklessly. Her Force senses brushed up against his, feeling his intensity, but then quickly retreated. She felt heartily ashamed of herself for even attempting to read him. Whether he noticed or not, she could not say. His face was now a steely mask that gave away no clue to his thoughts.

When they reached the door to the bridge, they found that it had been sealed shut as a security measure due to their escape. Carth cursed under his breath and Brinna could see his mind racing.
"Follow me," he said, turning and darting off.

She and Bastila ran full tilt after him, straining to keep up. He led them back to a room where they had encountered several dark Jedi and then plunged through it into the airlock.

"We'll have to take the catwalk outside to get onto the bridge," he told them. He began pulling on a space suit and Brinna and Bastila hastily dressed themselves in one as well. Once their suits were secured, Carth opened the airlock doors and they stepped outside.

The beauty of space stole Brinna's breath away and, for the briefest of seconds, she felt as though she was back on the bridge of her own ship again, gazing out into that seemingly endless sky with its millions of pinpricks of light. She could see galaxies and asteroid belts coloring the blackness of space and it left her awed. It was short-lived, however, as the scream of a Sith fighter tearing through space rang in her ears. Glancing about, Brinna saw several more of them and her blood ran cold. The Sith were starting to mobilize now. It wouldn't be long before Malak made his move.

They reentered the ship and hastily removed the space suits. Fear and adrenaline made Brinna's fingers rather clumsy and she could sense Carth's impatience as she fumbled with her suit. Finally, she managed to get it off and they headed out into the corridor, the door to the bridge looming ahead of them. Carth immediately ran toward it and Brinna reached out, seizing him by the wrist.

"Carth, please," she pleaded.

"I have to do this," he said grimly.

Before she could say another word, he had opened the doors and Brinna saw the bridge spread out before them, Saul at the front of it.

"Very resourceful," he said, his eyes on Carth as they entered. "I assume you had some part in this; you learned your lessons well from me."

"The only thing you taught me was betrayal and death, Saul." Carth's voice ran with barely suppressed rage.

"Don't be a fool. I am giving you and your companions a chance to surrender. A chance to live. Darth Malak himself is on his way, he will be arriving any moment."

"He speaks the truth, Carth," Bastila said. She and Brinna could both feel it, the ominously alluring call of the dark side. "I can feel the Dark Lord's presence approaching."

"Malak will destroy you," Saul vowed, "but if you throw down your weapons now I will ask my Master to be merciful."

"I've seen enough of Sith mercy!" said Carth savagely.

"You always did like to do things the hard way. Lord Malak would have preferred live prisoners, but corpses will have to do."

Brinna did not need to think, she simply needed to act. Her lightsabres were in her hands and activated without her consciously telling herself to ready them, and she deflecting the first round of blaster bolts. She heard the snap and hiss of Bastila's lightsabre and the horrible cry that tore from Carth's throat as he pelted toward Saul.

"Carth, no!" Brinna screamed but he was beyond her reach, lost in a need that for years had nearly consumed him.

Tears streamed down Brinna's face as she did what she could, turning her attention to the Sith guards and hoping that she could at least protect Carth from their fire. From across the room, she could hear Bastila calling on the Force to heal their wounds before she too began battling the guards.

The sound of the battle was nearly deafening but it was nothing to the roaring in Brinna's ears. She felt utter anguish over Carth and that anguish was only augmented by the oily evil of Malak's continued approach. Every cell in Brinna's body seemed to revolt against that presence and yet there was something about it, something Brinna couldn't quite put her finger on…

Her battle cry rang in her own ears as she relieved the last Sith guard of his head, her lightsabres a flashing blur. She whirled around and saw that only Saul and his two personal guards remained. Bastila had just finished off one of the guards across from Brinna and was turning her attention toward Carth. Swearing loudly, Brinna called on the Force and the two guards froze in stasis. Saul, however, was unaffected, and Carth continued to bear down on him as Brinna drew in a deep breath, gathered herself, and Force leapt the distance across the room to where Carth and Saul were battling. She raised her sabres, preparing to strike Saul, but something stayed her hand. Some instinct, some elemental emotion of hers commanded her to give Carth the chance to avenge his family and her body obeyed. She turned and struck the guard to her left instead.

At some point, Bastila joined them as well. She took out the other Sith guard and as she and Brinna turned to help Carth, they found him standing over the admiral's prone body, his vibroblade poised to strike. The hatred Brinna felt rolling off him nearly brought her to her knees. She rushed to him, reaching out for him, but then heard a cough that froze her in place.

"The admiral! He's still alive!" Bastila exclaimed.

"It's time to finish this," Carth said. His voice chilled Brinna to the bone.

"No, Carth, don't give in to your hatred!" she said desperately.

"Don't you understand what this man has done to my life? Do you know the pain he's brought me?" Brinna could hear the edges in his voice, knew plainly just how close he was to losing all control.

"Killing him won't ease the pain, Carth," Bastila told him. "Do not become what you despise."

"Carth…must tell you…must tell you something…come closer…" Saul gasped. Carth hesitated for a moment, a torrent of emotions passing over his face, and then he knelt beside Saul, moving his ear closer to the man's lips. Brinna could hear Saul whispering but she could not discern the words.

Suddenly, Carth drew back, a look of abject horror on his face. Saul laughed cruelly and then coughed, but was not cowed. "You didn't know, did you?" he asked, laughing once again. "Remember my dying words. Remember them whenever…whenever you look at those you thought were your friends!" Saul choked.

"He's gone," Carth said, pushing himself away from Saul with a look of revulsion on his face. "He said…it can't be true, can it? No. No…no—it can't! Damn you, Saul! Damn you!"

"What did he say, Carth?" Brinna asked. She was frozen with fear, unable to move and barely able to think.

Carth cast a quick look at her and then he swung his gaze to Bastila. The look on his face suggested he had been savaged, destroyed. "Bastila—it is true, isn't it? And…and you knew! You and the whole damn Jedi Council. You knew the whole time!" he accused.

"Carth, it's not what you think," Bastila said and Brinna was surprised by the desperation in the young Jedi's voice. "We had no other choice! Please, you don't understand…"

"So make me understand!" he said, his voice ragged.

"Not here, Carth. Please…there's no time," Bastila pleaded. "Malak is coming. This isn't the place. Please, Carth, I'm asking you to trust me. For just a little while longer."

Brinna had no idea what was going on but she knew that she was more terrified than she had ever been. As much as she wanted to know what Saul had said that had upset Carth so, she could sense Malak approaching and she knew they had to get off the ship. "She's right, Carth," Brinna told him. She saw him shudder at the sound of her voice and she was bewildered. "This isn't the time. We can get into this after we escape."

"I'll trust you, Bastila, but as soon as we're off this ship I expect some answers!"

"Of course, Carth. As soon as we get to the Ebon Hawk I'll explain everything. To both of you. I promise."