Disclaimer: I don't own star wars or kotor. Any similarities in names or personalities to people in real life is purely coincidental. Enjoy :)

I was at the end of my shift in maintenance, thank the Force. I was really tired and just needed some sleep. The droids were in constant need of memory wipes and repairs, I had been working long hours the past few days and, to top it all off, I had been having lots of crazy dreams lately. I should have just stuck to exploring the remote areas of the galaxy and treasure hunting. At least that was exciting. I know the Republic's doing its best with the war against Darth Malak sucking them dry and all, but it would be nice to get paid a little more. I stifled a yawn as I fixed another one of the combat droids and decided it could wait until my shift tomorrow. I yawned again making no attempt to hide it and stretched my arms above my head. I put away my tools and left maintenance.

As I walked to the dormitory, I noticed a few Jedi walk by me. I didn't have a great love of Jedi or their council, but they could at least try to get along the engineer who makes sure everything's working properly. Not that I found it difficult to find something valid to argue with them about. Just yesterday I got into a heated debate with one of the Jedi about the ticks in the power couplings. The ship had been in a couple of minor fire fights with some Sith fighters (which was to be expected since we were a Republic warship headed to Taris to break the Sith blockade there) and the Endar Spire wasn't liking it. The fighters got a few lucky hits on the ship and then she started to fall apart. Thankfully, we managed to fix it...mostly. The Endar Spire still worked just fine but there were still some minor systems that needed some repairs. Not that those systems were all that important; we could still hold up if we got attacked again.

One of the Jedi walking by blocked my way, forcing me to stop. Her intense grey eyes locked with my own green ones. I'd seen her around plenty of times. She was the Jedi I had argued with yesterday. She looked about twenty-years-old-maybe younger-and, though her face was devoid of most emotion and had a snobbish look to it, her eyes told a different story. There was a pain inside them that I couldn't describe but could easily understand. It was the kind of pain one only felt if they lost someone very close to them. Maybe this woman lost a close friend in the war against Malak?

"Why aren't you fixing the last of the damaged systems?" she asked.

"Because they are working just fine. Besides, we're pretty much there and those systems won't have any effect on any battles we may get in anyway." I yawned again but this time I really couldn't stifle it. The best I could do was covering my mouth with my hand. The woman and the other two Jedi looked highly offended that I wasn't taking all my time to fix everything completely.

The black-haired Jedi woman that was standing beside the grey-eyed Jedi opened her mouth as if to say something, but she was interrupted by a brown-haired man, who looked like he was well into his thirties. It was Commander Onasi. I'd heard about the Commander, but I never actually met him before now. He was an ace pilot and was rewarded several times for his bravery in the Mandalorian Wars.

"Bastila, we've got a problem!" he yelled, looking scared as hell. The woman with the grey eyes looked at the Commander with an expression of bewilderment across her face. Bastila? As in...Bastila Shan? I heard quite a bit about her though it was just vague rumours in cantinas and later on, from other soldiers. How could I not? She was the captain of the Endar Spire, after all and she was apparently the Jedi who fought and killed the Dark Lord Revan, Malak's Sith Master. Although, I had to admit, I was not entirely sure how true that was. I mean, if what I heard about Revan was true, then she was a strategic genius and had some serious dark mojo. Bastila's expression suddenly shifted to that of anxiety.

"What is it, Carth?" she asked. Commander Onasi looked at me and his facial expression changed to a much more…professional look.

"You should come to the bridge. We'll talk about it there." Whatever was going on, it must have been too important for a lowly maintenance officer to hear.

"You work in maintenance, don't you?" Carth asked me.

"Yes, I'm actually the maintenance officer," I explained.

"You look pretty tired, Officer..." He drawled as if trying to remember my name.

"Alexie Degana and yes, I've been working longer hours since that last fight with those Sith fighters," I replied honestly. I only recently became the Maintenance Officer, but I've always been put with the engineers because of my natural knack for droids and machinery in general.

"You'll need rest for when we get to Taris, Officer Degana; dismissed."

"Whatever you say, Commander," I said with a slight salute as I walked away. I turned my head to see Bastila's eyes widen in terror and the entire group rush to the bridge. What the hell was going on? I shook my head and decided not to think about that right now. I needed to go back to my dorm and sleep. I walked to the dormitory and opened the door to my room to find that my friend and bunk mate Trask Ulgo had already gone for his shift. When I got transferred onto the Endar Spire, I was already friends with Trask and he was totally cool with me taking the other bunk. We worked opposite shifts, so it wasn't like we slept at the same time or saw much of each other. I tiredly kicked off my boots, threw off my clothes and plopped into bed without bothering to put on the clothes I usually sleep in. I didn't normally sleep in my underwear, but I was so tired that I simply didn't care. The moment I fell onto the bed, I passed right out.

I walk slowly down the familiar-looking hallway, taking my time so I can put this off just a little longer. I'm afraid to tell her the thing that I'm about to do. Will she understand? Can she forgive me? Knowing my little sister, she probably won't. We may not be blood related, but she is more like me than anyone else I know, so she may as well be my sister. I am suddenly at the door to her room and I take a deep breath. I can't put this off any longer. With my chin up and shoulders square, I open her door. She never locks it. The door opens, and I see her reading a datapad but not look up. I guess she did not see me. I lean against the door frame and watch her for a moment. Her brown hair is pulled into a neat braid down her back though there are a few hairs that are out of place, and her grey eyes are focused on the text. I wonder what she's reading for a moment but quickly decide that I have to tell her before I change my mind and run like a coward. I clear my throat and she jumps up startled.

"Hi Bastila," I say with a small, sad smile. "I didn't mean to scare you." Bastila returns it with a weak smile of her own but doesn't say anything for a few moments. She looks distracted and far away…like she's thinking hard about something. Does she already know? I bite my lip nervously.

"Oh, it's okay. I was just reading," she says. "What are you doing here?" I sit down on the bed beside her and look at her in the eye so that she knows that I'm being serious.

"Bas, I need to talk to you about something...something very serious," I say. Bastila looks down and concentrates on picking off non-existent lint from her blanket.

"I...I thought so," she stammers. "I need to ask you something very important."

"Of course, anything," I reply. My heart leaps into my throat. I already know what she's going to ask.

"I've been hearing things from the others, even Alek and Rayn. Are they true? Are...are you seriously going to fight the Mandalorians on the Outer Rim?" I take another deep breath, but I don't look away.

"Yes, it's true. That's what I came here to tell you. I wanted to say goodbye because I'm leaving tonight," I reply though I'm not sure how I managed to say that so calmly. I guess it's because I truly believe in my cause. Bastila put her text down and slung the bag that was beside her over her shoulder. "I may not agree with disobeying the Council but I'm coming too," she says stubbornly. I shake my head.

"No," I say as calmly as I can. "You're not." She can't come; she's not even a Padawan yet for crying out loud! She's my little sister, not in blood and body but in mind and spirit, and I'll never be able forgive myself if anything happens to her. Bastila suddenly looks like I had just slapped her in the face.

"Why not?" she asks sadly.

"You're too young, Bas. War is no place for a fifteen-year-old teenager who hasn't even entered Padawanhood yet. Especially one as gifted as you."

"You and Rayn are only twenty-one, only Jedi Knights for, like, a few months and Alek's nineteen, barely an adult and still a Padawan. What difference does my age or rank make?" Bastila retorts. Well, what she is saying is true and I know I'm going against everything I told her by telling her to stay but I'm not dragging her into this.

"The point stills stands. Bastila, I've made my choice, but you still have a chance. Why throw your life away when you can become the great Jedi I know you will be?"

"That's exactly what Rayn said to Mical," Bastila mutters bitterly under her breath.

"See? Even my brother agrees!" Of course, he does. He is far wiser than I. Always has been.

"But-"

"No buts," I interrupt her. "You're not coming and that's final!" I finally snap at her. I feel guilty for acting like I'm her mother, but this is for her own good. I know it is. No one talks for a few moments but Bastila and I enter an intense staring match. After a few minutes, she looks away from me angrily.

"Fine," she whispers. "I'll stay, and you can...you can go and die. See if I care." Those words tear out my heart and it takes all of my strength not to cry. I stand up and leave Bastila's room without a single word or looking back.

I was abruptly awakened by a loud explosion and the sound of the emergency sirens. The room shook violently and held on to the sides of the bed to ensure that I would not be thrown off. The Endar Spire was under attack.

~ Darth Synkka