Iris gathered everyone in the conference room on her ship once they entered hyperspace. Her crew sat dispersed around the table before she explained what Theron had told her. She kept her calm demeanor, hoping not to convey her doubts about the mission. She couldn't help but feel that she and her companions were overqualified for it. Another small voice said to humble herself and that Jedi were always there to be of assistance.

"Are we sure this isn't a suicide mission?" Doc asked after getting the details. Iris felt a moment of relief, her small voice proving to be right. "Invading an imperial warship with just the six of us doesn't seem to be in our odds. Are we getting any form of backup? Do we even know where they would be on the imperial warship?"

"Theron sent me the schematic of the warship in question. It shows where they keep prisoners before they are transferred to prisons. But no, we are not getting any backup," Iris informed. Before there was time to argue, she continued. "Teeseven, I need you to create a distraction once we get in the hangar bay, so we have more time to maneuver. Lord Scourge and Kira will go with me to rescue the prisoners. Doc and Sergeant Rusk will hold the hangar and protect the ship. But this is only the plan if we don't find Theron's people first. We may not need to get into the imperial ship at all."

"How are we supposed to find the warship or the privateer ship?" Rusk asked.

"We have been given the last known coordinates of each ship and possible trajectories to investigate. I have also reached out to the Jedi Order about this mission, and they will also be on the lookout as well. Master Satele has sent out descriptions for Jedi passing in the area. If either ship is spotted, we will know right away," Iris explained.

"And the Jedi can't help in anyway?" Doc pressed as she shook her head.

"Many of the Jedi who will be on the lookout have their own missions to complete. I have a distress beacon if things don't go according to plan, and Master Satele will inform the Republic military what has happened," the jedi explained, holding up a small device. Doc leaned back in his seat, concern filling him. Iris knew that this was a risky mission, but the Force was with them. If they followed the plan, they would be all right.

Iris dismissed them soon after a couple of logistical questions and she went with Kira to the bridge. Kira put in the coordinates as Iris turned on the scanner. Theron had also sent them the specs for the privateer ship, so they knew what to look for. It wasn't long before they arrived in the Corellian sector, and they began their search.

Kira lounged in the captain's chair and swiveled back and forth while Iris stared at the screen. Her former apprentice had put the ship on an auto navigation program, so she didn't have to manually fly it. Iris hoped that she could find the ship intact and out of fuel, finding the crew inside to be alive and well. The thought of boarding another enemy ship unnerved her, and she wasn't sure if it would be wise with such a small crew.

A couple of hours passed as they searched the last known area, and there were no traces. Kira had since left the bridge, going to meditate and think. Iris sat in the captain's chair once she was gone, staring at the screen. She rubbed her eyes a few times to clear away the fatigue she felt, not wanting to miss anything. However, there were no ships or signs of life. Iris knew they had just begun the search, but she still felt disheartened. She nearly jumped when someone knocked on the doorframe.

"Hey Doc," she greeted, relaxing back in her chair.

"No luck, huh?" he guessed as she nodded. He sauntered onto the bridge and leaned against the console, watching the scanner. "Why don't you take a break and let ol' Doc take a turn? You've been up here for hours. I'll let you know when something comes up on the scanner."

"Are you sure?" Iris asked as she stood. He nodded and guided her out of the room.

"I'm sure. Go rest those beautiful eyes. I'll alert you at the first sign of trouble," he promised as Iris stepped into the hallway. She sighed and smiled at him.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Anything for my favorite Jedi," he grinned before waving her off. With a chuckle under her breath, she walked back to her room and took off her robe. She flopped on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

Doc had come on to her very strongly when they first met. So strongly, in fact, that Iris constantly questioned whether it was a good idea to have him on the ship. She needed to focus on her missions and her duties, not wondering when the flirtatious medic was going to turn the corner. After a few conversations and some heated words, Iris was able to get through to Doc and have him tone it down. She wanted to make it clear that if she was going to disobey her order, then it was going to be with someone that was respectable and who she could rely on.

Doc regarded her differently after that, but Iris wondered if Kira also talked to him about it as well. He stopped the pickup lines and empty compliments, but he still would sneak in a few flirtations when it was just the two of them. Iris had denied that it, thinking it wasn't anything but Doc being himself. However, when Doc conveyed his true feelings towards her and said that he had fallen completely for her, she was stunned. She turned him down, saying that she was a Jedi, and she couldn't betray her order for him.

Iris was shocked at how well he took the rejection, and he continued to be himself around her. He stopped the incessant flirting and pick up lines, showing more platonic forms of affection around her. He understood that her first duty was to the Jedi, especially during current events. Iris guessed that he was going to try again once the war ended and see if her feelings had changed. Even then, she wasn't sure if she could give him what he wanted, but she recognized that she had grown close to him. She often consulted with him and talked through ideas and battle plans. He had grown to be one of her closest friends, which worried her still.

Attachments were forbidden for a reason, as they could cloud a jedi's judgement. She was reminded why they were forbidden every time she and Doc found themselves on the battlefield. The thought of losing him was unbearable, and she wasn't sure that she could remain calm and collected if he were to die. Iris had never felt true anger or fury, but she was sure that she would if anything were to happen to him.

Iris groaned as she realized that she would do the same if Kira or any other of her crewmates were killed. Doubt and confusion filled her as she realized how close to the dark side she actually was. She sighed and rested her arm on her forehead. The sooner she could be back on Tython, the better. She hoped that she could find the clarity she needed there, meditating on the mountain top. A knock on her door dragged her from her thoughts.

"Come in," she informed when she felt Scourge's presence on the other side. No doubt that he had felt the conflict in her. Iris didn't bother to get up as the sith walked in the door. "I imagine you would like to lecture me again."

"Is that what you need?" he asked before taking a seat in the chair across the room. Iris rolled her eyes and turned to the ceiling again.

"No," she replied flatly.

"Your emotions are running amok again," Scourge noted. Iris rubbed her face with her hands before returning them to her side.

"I'm aware," she whispered.

"Emotions are not a bad thing to experience. They are in fact natural occurrences."

"A jedi should be able to contain their feelings and not let them control their life."

"Is that what your emotions are doing? Controlling your life?" Scourge chuckled darkly before shaking his head. "Emotions do not control the way you live your life. They shape it and bring life into existence."

"They should still be kept in check," Iris countered, finally sitting up straight.

"Like they are now?" he teased before she frowned. "I thought not."

"Can we not talk about this right now? I was hoping to get some rest before we found the ship and her crew."

"The dark side is not evil, jedi. Only the people who wield it can be. Just like not every jedi is a good person," he reminded evenly before he left her room. Iris waved her hand to shut the door behind him, knowing that he was right. She hated when he was right.

The jedi drifted off into a peaceful sleep as dreams formed in her mind.

They were mostly nonsense before a clear vision came into her head. She was on board an imperial warship, not unlike the one they were looking for. She stalked the hallways to find her way out, realizing that this was the place she had been kept as the emperor's minion. Panic filled her veins as she rushed to the hangar, hoping to find her crew and ship just as she once did before.

She saw her crew on the floor, including Scourge, and where she had seen Scourge before stood an ancient sith woman with her sabers drawn. She could feel her crew still, realizing that they weren't dead, only unconscious. Iris drew her own sabers to fight the sith woman only to see a bigger picture. The sith wasn't the reason for her crewmates' situation, and she was fending off their attackers. The enemy both wore white and black armor. As she rushed towards the sith woman, she saw strangers with her companions and staggered.

Soon, the dream quieted as the woman had defeated the last solider. Iris turned to see the sith woman turn around. Her skin was a darker crimson than Scourge's, and her eyes were a bright grey color. Iris found herself staring, as the woman slowly smiled. She was startled to find the smile kind and welcoming instead of the usual bloodlust. The woman spoke two words to her before Iris gasped awake.

They're safe.

Iris panted as she recalled her vision before checking the time. It had been a few hours since she had fallen asleep. She clutched her chest as she calmed her breathing. It had been a while since she had such a clear vision, and she wondered who the kind sith was. Iris committed the woman's face to memory before there was a crash at her door. She jumped to her feet and opened the door to find Doc banging on her door.

"We found the warship," he explained, practically dragging her to the bridge. He pointed at the screen and Iris grimaced as she saw the scanner. It was indeed the worst-case scenario as the crew's signal was firmly placed inside the imperial warship a parsec away from their location.

"Alright. I'll inform Theron, you make sure that everyone is awake and ready to go," Iris instructed before they left. Iris went to the holotable and called Theron immediately. It took a few tries before he answered.

"This is Theron," he answered, his focus clearly on something else.

"It's Master Vao," she informed, gaining his full attention. "We have found your crew. Unfortunately, they are inside the warship. We are gearing up for the infiltration."

"I'm glad to hear that you found something. I wish you the best of luck. If we don't hear from you in the next twelve hours, I will inform Colonel Darok," Theron explained as Iris nodded. That wasn't a promise of a rescue, but it was something.

"I will let you know when the mission is complete," she informed before shutting off the terminal. She left the room to find her crew ready and prepared with Kira on the bridge. She held her arms behind her back and tilted her head down once.

The crew dispersed, knowing their mission as Teeseven did his best to hide the ship's signature from the imperial scanners. It seemed to work as best as they had hoped as they were able to land inside the hangar. However, it seemed that the imperials had taken notice, and a few squadrons were rounded up to greet them.

Iris jumped out of the ship, taking the soldiers head on with Scourge and Kira close behind her. Teeseven left the ship in the chaos to find a terminal to start false alarms in other areas of the warship, thinning the imperial ranks for the rest of them.

Once the hangar was secure, Rusk and Doc got to work as Iris led her charge into the hallways. They took out guards and turrets with ease as they made their way to the brig. Iris had downloaded the schematics onto her holo and followed the map as quickly as she could. Scourge kept watch once they found the area and had incapacitated the guards.

Kira searched the computers for any matching descriptions that Theron had given them. She unlocked the door as Iris went to greet the crew. She was met with a blaster to the face, which she quickly ducked before the shot went off. With wide eyes, she stared at the captain of the crew, a Mirialan woman, who looked equally mortified. She holstered her weapon and held up her hands as Iris held one of her sabers.

"I take it that you're the rescue brigade?" the captain asked with a light chuckle. Iris glanced behind her to see her small crew and nodded.

"Theron sent me," she informed as the people left the cell. Kira found their belongings, as the rest of them were unarmed.

"At least that man can do one thing right. He didn't tell me that this was a suicide mission," the captain groaned before she held out a hand. Iris shook it carefully as the woman smiled. "Captain Mara Lumin, at your service. Thanks again for the save."

"Iris Vao," Iris replied with a thin smile. "And don't mention it."

"Damn, Theron got us a damn war hero to save us? It's a pleasure," Mara reiterated gleefully. Iris raised an eyebrow at her, shocked by the lack of urgency. She turned to one of her crewmates. "Risha, get a lock on where they're keeping our ship!"

"On it," the human woman informed, nearly shoving Kira out of the way. Kira backed off and decided to help Scourge, but not before flashing an annoyed look at Iris. The jedi took a deep breath before turning back to Mara.

"Thanks again for the save. Once we know where our ship is, we'll get out of here. Meet you back at Theron's, eh?" Mara suggested as Iris slowly nodded. "Oh, and take this before I forget."

"What's this?" Iris asked as the woman handed her a data disk.

"I made a copy of the information that Theron wanted. I had a feeling that we would need an extra copy in case we were captured."

"Where's the first one?"

"My second in command still has it. Dumb imps didn't think we got any information. Now I know that if at least one ship gets out of here, then Theron will get his information," Mara explained before the privateer crew stood in front of them. "Alright people let's get moving. We have a date with a cantina that I do not wanna miss!"

Iris only watched as Mara and her crew left, heading towards a different hangar than the one that Kira had landed in. The jedi shook her head before she gestured for Kira and Scourge to start heading back. They found that the path they had already trailblazed was fairly clear other than a few patrolling war droids.

Once they made it back to the hangar, Iris helped dispose of a few more droids and an imperial officer as she found Doc and Rusk holding their ground. Iris told Teeseven to rendezvous with the ship as she quickly boarded. Kira prepped the engine as the astromech found his way onboard. Iris watched for reinforcements before the engines whirred and she closed the hatch.

Kira flew them through the cannon fire and got them safely away with only minor hull damage. Iris relaxed again as Kira jumped into hyperspace. The jedi turned to the computer and input the data disk into the console. Her holo rang soon after and Iris found the Mirialan captain on the other end with a shit eating grin.

"Looks like we both got away, jedi," she smiled as Iris could hear the cheering behind the captain. Something didn't sit right with her, though. They were cheering as if she and her crew broke them out of the brig instead of clearing part of their path. "I just wanted to thank you again for rescuing my crew and me. If there's anything you need, let us know."

"Thank you, captain. I will, uh, keep that in mind," Iris smiled as she bowed her head.

"See you station side, jedi. Stay safe out there," Mara replied with a mock salute before the holo ended. Iris pocketed the device and turned towards Kira.

"At least she thanked us," Kira sighed. "Back to Carrick station?"

"Yep," Iris sighed as she settled into her chair by the computer. The relaxation was short lived as Doc came tumbling into the room, a datapad clutched in his hands. "Doc? What is-"

"You need to see this," he informed before he led them to the holotable. He hooked his datapad to the terminal before a familiar face appeared on the holo. Master Kiwiks was standing with a holo in her hand, her eyes widened and alert.

"We have a situation here. The Empire is attacking Tython! I repeat, the Empire is attacking Tython!" she nearly shouted before a blast threw her from the holo. Iris and Kira paled at Master Kiwik's words.

Tython was under attack.