"So here's the job," Canderous said once they had arrived back at the apartment. They all gathered around to listen, though Carth somewhat begrudgingly. "I want off this planet as much as you do. As you know, the blockade currently prevents that. Any ship that launches into the atmosphere without the proper clearance codes will get shot down by the planetary turbolasers. Even if we manage to bypass those, we still need a separate set of codes to bypass the orbital fleet. Those codes are kept in the military base here in the Upper city. If your crew can infiltrate the base and retrieve the codes I can provide the ship to get us off the planet. I can also provide you with the means to get into the base undetected."

"So if you have the means to get into the base and the ship," Venar asked, "why not just do it yourself? Why ask us?"

"I'm Mandalorian. We're not known for our subtly. The way you handled yourself at the race with skill and discretion is exactly what we need here. If the Sith know we've taken the codes they'll just change them and the plan will fail. That's why stealth is the key here."

"He makes a valid point," Bastila said, "that base is heavily guarded. It would be suicide to storm in with brute force. Secrecy is our ally in this situation."

"So how do we get in?" Venar asked.

"There is a droid shop run by a twi'lek here in the Upper City," Canderous explained, "she has a droid for Davik Kang, the local crime boss of the Exchange. Davik sent me to pick it up when its ready. Its a T3 astromech droid that's capable of slicing into highly advanced and secure networks and systems. Should get you through the back door of the base no problem."

"Hold on this is crazy," Carth spoke up suddenly, "are we seriously considering breaking into the Sith military base? Do we even know how many troops are crawling around that base? This is a crazy risk."

"I think I have an idea..." Venar mused with a slight smirk, "it just might work."

Sarna couldn't believe her luck. She had thought Rusk had abandoned her that night after the party. Typical, she had thought. She figured he had gotten what he wanted and then skipped out on her as soon as possible. She supposed though that was to be expected of someone who wasn't a Sith. Over the couple days that had followed she had all but forgotten about the man she had met at the bar, with all the excitement with what happened at the race and such.

She was especially surprised when he had come running up to her on the street while she was on her way back to the base to finish her shift. She was still in her communications officers' uniform. He had looked so excited to see her and he had explained that something important had come up the other night and she had passed out pretty hard. She was inclined not to believe him but he seemed so sincere... and he was very attractive.

She followed him back to the apartment he was staying at. He said he was going to make it up to her for the other night. It made her chest swell. No one had ever come back like that before. Not for an officer in the Sith ranks. She could at least indulge him for a moment, at least hear what he had to say. Though she had a good idea what he was expecting to happen...

What she wasn't expecting, was a blaster pistol to be shoved in her face as soon as the door opened. She was ushered inside by a scruffy looking man with dark hair.

"What is this?!" she bellowed, "Rusk! What do you think you're-"

"Sorry, sweetheart," Venar said with a smirk, "but we're gonna need your uniform."

"Also we're going to have to insist you don't call for help," Mission said walking forward, Zaalbar close behind. "My friend here likes ripping the arms off of Sith cowards."

"Grrrrraaaaaawwwwwhhh!!!!!" Zaalbar was, of course, protesting to that idea, but Sarna didn't know that.

Sarna scowled as she began removing her uniform at gun-point.

Bastila waited in an alley around the corner from the military base dressed in the Sith officer uniform. It fit a little snug but it was enough to pass as a proper disguise. She tapped the comm on her wrist. "How are we looking out there Carth?"

"So far so good," Carth's voice came back, "I got eyes on Venar and the droid now."

A few minutes later, a Sith trooper came strolling around the bend into the alleyway, followed by a small silver astromech droid.

"Alright," Venar said through the trooper helmet, "this is T3-M4. He's gonna slice in through the back door and disable any security measures along the way."

"Then lets get moving," Bastila said, smoothing out her uniform. The three of them casually strolled out of the alley down the street towards the base. Sith fighters flew in the airspace overhead weaving between the huge skyscrapers. Citizens moved out of their way as they walked. Up ahead a large intimidating structure loomed. The holographic signs on the large square building had been reprogrammed with the symbol of the Sith Empire.

"Remember, this used to be the military base of the planetary independent government," Bastila pointed out. "Its defenses might be older than ones the Sith typically use." They walked around towards the rear of the building to an accessway that was locked by a code console.

"Alright T3," Venar said, "Lets see if your skills are really as good as Canderous said." With that the little droid extended little mechanical arm that plugged into a socket in the console. The droid beeped as the arm interfaced with the console.

"You know I have to admit," Venar said suddenly, "you're not what I expected from the Jedi."

"What do you mean by that?" Bastila asked, surprised by the statement.

"Well, most people seem to be of the opinion that the Jedi are the cold, distant protectors of the galaxy without ever really showing emotion. You're more... normal."

"Well, thanks, I think. There are some Jedi like that though, maybe most of them. Perhaps I'm just not as trained as they are yet. Emotions can be... distracting at best."

"Well distractions can be good from time to time..."

"Are you... flirting with me?" Bastila asked suddenly with a stern concentrating face, staring directly into his eyes as if to peer into his very mind.

"What are you doing... are you reading my mind?" Just then accessway opened and T3 let out a beep of triumph.

"Just... focus on the task at hand please," Bastila said as they walked through the door. They walked into an empty hallway that seemed to lead to some sort of server room filled with terminals and machines with blinking lights.

"T3 can you download schematics for the base at one of those terminals," Venar asked, "we need to find out where the orbital codes are being kept."

T3 beeped an affirmative and slid over to what looked to be the main server. Again, a tiny metallic prod extended from his boxy frame and began interfacing with the computer. Metallic footsteps sounded behind them and Venar and Bastila turned to see a silver protocol droid come trotting over.

"Excuse me," the droid said in a core-world's accent, "but I'm afraid I must see your clearance codes for this room. No one is permitted in here without them."

"Uh... I think your memory core is malfunctioning," Bastila said, "you already checked my codes."

"That's strange my databanks don't recall scanning your codes..."

"Exactly."

"Oh dear. Please forgive me. I will report to maintenance at once!" With that, the protocol droid hurried off.

"Nicely done," Venar said.

"Oh, well, yes thanks."

T3 beeped a series of tones that indicated he was uploading the schematics to Bastila's datapad. The schematics showed the entire base, every single room with hundreds of notations with information about the purpose of each room.

"Tee, can you highlight where the codes are being kept?" Bastila asked as she scanned her eyes over the datapad. The droid beeped in confirmation and one of the rooms lit up in a red outline on the screen. It was a small room further towards the back of the base with only one perceivable entrance.

"Looks like an office of some sort," Bastila said, "Tee, you stay here and plug into the network. Monitor any chatter and make sure you keep the alarms disabled. We'll keep you on our comms." The little droid beeped in acknowledgement then plugged back into the terminal.

Bastila and Venar left the server room and followed the directions of the schematics down a long corridor. They passed a large open doorway that opened into a large mess hall where several officers and troopers were sitting in jumpsuits eating their meals or engaging in idle chatter. Further down, they passed several rooms that served as sleeping quarters and bunks. Some of the off-duty troopers were taking naps or reading on their datapads. They also passed a rec room, though there was no one inside at the moment. A squad of armored troopers passed them in the opposite direction as they walked along. Venar overheard one of them say something about an incursion into the Undercity.

Soon they were alone again walking down an empty hallway. They were nearing the room where the codes were being kept. It was just around another intersection. Suddenly, Bastila quickly pulled Venar into a supply closet and shut the door. She held up a finger to her lips, signaling to be quiet. They sat in the dark listening as they heard a door hiss open down the hallway and a pair of heavy footsteps coming in their direction. Venar looked out a tiny slit in the closet door to see a man in a dark grey suit with a black hood and piece of black cloth hiding the lower part of his face. A lightsaber hung from his belt. He looked back at Bastila who was kneeling on the floor with her eyes closed.

Venar watched through the slit in the door as the Sith apprentice drew closer. His heart beat fast in his chest and he felt a familiar cold feeling as the Sith drew closer, like he had felt on the Endar Spire, before Trask died. This feeling was not as strong as it was then, though. Suddenly, the man stopped right in front of the closet as if he was a predator picking up the scent of his prey. He turned towards the closet inquisitively, tilting his head slightly to one side. He neared the door and as he opened it, Bastila's eyes shot open and her hand extended reaching out with the Force. Seizing the Sith with an invisible grasp, she pulled him through the air into the closet, and into her igniting lightsaber. The yellow blade quickly pierced his chest and then retreated into the hilt.

Venar's heart was pounding as Bastila stuffed the Sith fully into the closet and closed the door behind him. She reached out a hand towards the door and with an audible click, the door locked. "That was too close," she said, "we need to move quickly." They brought themselves up to a brisk walk as they rounded the corner to where the room they sought was. It was a short hallway with a single sealed door at the end. The console next to it showed that it was locked.

"Tee," Venar said over his comm, "can you unlock the door from the server room?" He heard a series of beeps come back through the comm. Then, a few moments later, the door whooshed open. They hurried inside as the door slid shut behind them. The room was larger than it first appeared on the schematics. It was a large office with a single white desk in the center and several databanks at the back of the room. They soon noticed, however, that the room was occupied. A bald man in dark black robes stood up from behind the desk.

"What do we have here?" the man said in a surprised but cynical tone, "what a surprise..." His eyes widened as if he just realized something. "Well now, I've been looking all over this planet for you... Jedi."

"We've been made," Venar said as he took off the trooper helmet, "we need to get out of here."

"Oh no," the bald man said, igniting a red lightsaber, "Stay awhile, I insist." Venar took aim with his blaster rifle... when suddenly Bastila ripped it out of his hands with the Force.

"You fire that shot it could alert someone outside," she said, "let me deal with this." She ignited her double blades and leapt forward in a yellow blur of spinning light. Venar stood back as the red and yellow blades clashed sending sparks into the air. She unleashed a flurry of swift quick strikes meant to keep her opponent on the defensive. He blocked her first three hits and then parried the fourth and then pressed forward with an onslaught of his own. His strikes were slower but more precise, powerful hits meant to push her back several steps.

Venar ran over the desk terminal and plugged Bastila's datapad into the console. He searched through lists of files until he found the security codes for the planetary turbolasers. One file down were the departure codes to bypass the blockade. He started transferring a copy onto the datapad. He looked up to see the Sith Overseer lifting Bastila into the air in a Force choke. Venar charged forward, tackling the Sith from behind and the two of them went tumbling onto the floor. Suddenly, an invisible power swept him off the floor and launched him hard into the ceiling. Bastila charged forward forcing the Sith the block her lightsaber, and Venar fell to the ground with a thud. His vision blurred as the wind went out of him.

Bastila delivered several quick strikes to keep him on the defensive then feigned a strike to the left, then striking the hilt of her weapon into the chin of the Sith. He staggered back a few steps as she lurched forward with a stab of her blade. He dodged to the left and then leapt over her with a spin and sent his crimson blade in an arching chop towards her back. Bastila instinctively twisted the other end of her blade behind her, blocking his strike at the last second. Bastila was as surprised as the Sith, when Venar kicked him just behind the knee-cap, causing the Overseer to fall forward onto his other leg. He Force pushed Bastila into the far wall as he spun around with a slash of his blade. She bounced off the wall and landed on the floor with a thud.

Venar ducked under the red blur as it whizzed above his head. He ducked and dodged several more strikes, each time the blade failing to hit its mark, until finally the red blade grazed Venar's shoulder, sending sparks flying off the silver armor. The armor took the brunt of the blow but he felt the heat sear his flesh. He fell backwards onto the floor as the bald Sith walked closer.

"You are strong in the Force," the bald Sith said, "I can sense your power... and the darkness you hold inside. Why waste your time with the Jedi?"

"They haven't tried to kill me yet."

"That's because they're weak. I managed to take out your friend easy enough."

"You Sith really like to get ahead of yourselves don't you?" Just then, Bastila leapt throught the air with a wide arching downward swing of her blade. The bald Sith spun around and blocked the blow and then pushed her back a step. Venar used the opportunity to swing out a kick that clipped the Sith in the ankles. The opponent's feet slipped out from under him and he landed on his back. Bastila swung her blade hard, the bright yellow light connecting with the red one. The Sith's lightsaber was loosened from his grip and it went flying across the room.

"You're beaten," Bastila said in a firm tone. Venar got to his feet slowly, holding his hand to his wounded shoulder. He walked over to the desk console and retrieved the datapad.

"We have what we need," Venar said, "end him and lets go."

"I can't," Bastila said.

"What?" Venar asked as if he hadn't heard her right. The Sith began laughing in a deep mocking tone.

"The Jedi... don't kill the defenseless," the Sith explained.

"Bastila we have to-"

Suddenly, she plunged her yellow blade into the Sith's chest. His eyes went wide with surprise and pain as the blade bore a hole through him.

"One who has the Force is never defenseless," she said as she deactivated her weapon and returned it to her belt.

"Come on," Venar said, "we need to go."

"Tee, come in," Bastila said as they left the room. Luckily, there wasn't anyone around to hear the brawl. "Lock down that room, make it appear as a malfunction. We can't let anyone discover what happened until its too late." The droid beeped back a reply and Bastila and Venar hurried down the hallway back the way they came, towards the server room.

"Carth," Venar said over the comm, "can you read me?"

"Roger that, soldier."

"Contact Canderous and Mission," he explained, "we've had a slight complication. Our plan is still in tact but we need to be off the planet soon. We have maybe an hour or two, tops."

"That's cutting it awfully close."

"Just do it, Carth. We don't have another option."

"Copy that."

They made it out of the base with no further trouble. They ditched their disguises in the alley and began making their way back to the apartment. Adrenaline was still coursing through their veins as they walked along the street. Anytime they saw a Sith trooper or an officer, they silently feared they were coming for them. But they never did.

The streets seemed especially tense all of a sudden. Not from the Imperial forces, though, but from the citizens. Venar noticed a few of them giving subtle signals to others across the street. They made their way into a large central plaza that was packed with troops and Imperials as an officer was giving an oppressive speech, broadcast by loud speakers throughout the square.

Without warning, a blaster shot rang out, and a hole was burned through the forehead of the Imperial officer. Suddenly, blaster fire rang out from behind stalls and from within store window and began peppering the area where the majority of the Imperial forces were. In an instant, chaos erupted in an awkward violent chorus as the troopers returned fire.

Bastila and Venar ducked low as they made their way through the battle. "They're actually rebelling," Venar said in shock, "Didn't think the Tarisians had the spine for it."

"You'd be surprised what people are capable of when they have to," Bastila replied as they hunkered down behind a stack of durasteel crates. Venar drew his blaster pistol from its holster and readied himself in case anyone took a shot at them. An explosion shook the ground as a grenade was detonated about a hundred yards away.

"Venar come in," came Canderous' voice over the comm, "can you read me?"

"Loud and clear, Ordo," Venar said over the sounds of the fighting.

"Meet me at the coordinates I'm sending to your comm. Bring the droid. Bastila, you need to meet Carth at the apartment. He will fill you in once you get there."

"Understood," Venar said. Then turning to her he said, "think he's crossing us."

"Well, we've come this far. Doesn't make sense to back out now."

"Alright, I'll see you later."

"Venar."

"Yes?"

"Be careful."

"Sure thing, beautiful."

"I take it back," she said frowning.

"Yeah, yeah. You can let me know how that no emotions thing works out for you later." She just rolled her eyes and turned away to leave, though he could've sworn he saw a faint hint of a smile before she turned.