Mission sat alone in the crew quarters of the Ebon Hawk. She was exhausted, not just physically, but emotionally was well. She had done more fighting in the last few years than she had in her entire life, and while she didn't reveal this to any of her older companions, she had never actually killed anyone before. Not really, anyway. She didn't count Gamorreans as people. Her first time taking a life had been yesterday when they infiltrated the Sith Base. She had fired her blaster right into the neck of a poorly armored off duty guard, who fell to the ground with a sickening gurgling noise.

"Great shot, kid." Canderous said approvingly, patting her on the back.

She was in such a state of shock that she forgot to get angry at being called "kid". She stared at the man she had just killed and she felt her stomach churn. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath suppressing the urge to vomit. She could not show weakness now, not in front of these people who had made a career of killing. Especially Canderous who she had gained a fearful respect of. She had merely clenched her jaw and pushed forward, firing when necessary and keeping to the back when not.

And now, just hours ago, she had witnessed the destruction of the only home she had ever known. It had all happened so fast that the events seemed a blur. She remembered standing in the apartment when there came a tremendous rumble, followed by horrified screams. She had rushed to the window and seen one of the largest buildings engulfed in flames. Several more explosions and rumbles and half the city was destroyed. The window to the apartment shattered and she was thrown backwards. Zaalbar rushed to her side and helped her to her feet.

"Where the hell are they?" Came Ice's angry shouts.

The three of them stayed behind with Carth and T3-M4 while the rest of them had gone to Davik's estate. They had made a plan to infiltrate the estate and steal the Ebon Hawk and return for the rest of them and escape Taris unnoticed. So much for that.

Right on cue a large figure came bursting through the smoke stopping right at the shattered window. The loading ramp to the ship lowered and Carth and Ice immediately boarded the airship. Mission was rooted to the spot, this couldn't be happening. Right now everyone and everything she had ever known was being massacred before her very eyes. Fear and anger had taken a hold of her and she found herself unable to move.

Zaalbar roared loudly and lifted Mission up and carried her onto the ship. No sooner had they flown away from the apartment than the building burst into flames. Mission's last sight before the loading ramp closed were flaming bodies jumping out of the windows of the ruined building.

Indeed, it was safe to say that Mission had seen and experienced more in the last few days than most people had in a lifetime. Yet Mission did not cry, she had not cried in years seeing it as a sign of weakness. She allowed herself to feel the grief and used it to fuel her rage and hatred of the Sith. She had simply sat in the dark quarters for hours staring at the wall. Malak would pay for this. She would make sure of that. She would train harder, become stronger, until she was able to slit his throat herself.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway and she took a deep breath trying to calm herself so she did not lash out at whoever was surely coming to check up on her. Ice entered the room and Mission felt a little sense of relief wash over her. If anyone could come close to understand what Mission was feeling it would be her. It had been Ice's home for several years as well.

Mission looked up and managed a weak smile. "Oh, hey."

"How are you holding up?"

Mission shrugged. "I'm fine, really. I mean I'm still in shock I guess, like it hasn't really set in yet."

Ice nodded in understanding. "I felt the same way after I saw Natera destroyed."

Mission was surprised. "Wasn't that destroyed by the Mandalorians?"

Ice nodded. "I had only been on the planet for a year, I never stayed in one place for very long. Natera was the first place I had ever made any connections with. It wasn't my home, but for a while it started to feel like it. Anyway, one day the Mandalorians came and started firing on the planet. I managed to stow away on a small cargo ship and we escaped just as the planet was wiped out. Everyone I knew was just gone, it was a lot to take it."

Mission stayed silent a moment. She didn't know Ice very well, and the few encounters that they had had on Taris had been nothing more than a passing greeting. The fact that Ice was opening up to her to try to make her feel better meant a lot to her.

"How did you manage to go on? I mean I'm not saying I can't go on or anything, but how do you make it so it doesn't consume you I guess?"

Ice thought for a moment. "I'm not going to sit here and lie to you and say that it gets easier. You are going to carry what you saw with you forever, but it doesn't have to control you. Use the anger and the pain and use that as motivation. You survived while others did not. Don't dishonor their memory by wasting the second chance you have been given. Use this time to be productive."

Mission nodded and Ice turned to leave. "Hey, Ice." Ice paused and glanced over her shoulder.

"What have you used your second chance for?"

Ice sighed. "When I discover the answer to that Mission, you will be the first to know."