it was an oak colored end table. the other end table is staining well just not the edges. i got them for free so if i can't end the edges to stain i might as well just throw them away, but id hate to trash a project in the middle. the dresser is working well.

It's all about drying time. Did you wait until the conditioning was dry? Make sure the first coat of anything you use is dry before moving onto the next step. Think about fingernail polish. When you try and run the brush over a coat that's not dry, it does the same thing. Good luck!

Should i sand it down and retry or do mineral oils and retry? Staining over it doesn't seem to be fixing it

I should mention that the transformation kit is not a stain, but more like a paint with glaze and a protective coat. It's for things, like your tables, that don't respond well to stain.

You may also want to check out gel stains. I have used the Varathane brand made by Rustoleum but I hear the General Finishes brand is the best. I use gel stain like a regular stain, but it can also be used a bit like a paint. I had some stair treads that due to lots of stains were taking the stain unevenly despite having been sanded thoroughly. The gel stains can take a very long time to dry - over 24 hours if using more like a paint. See some tutorials online. There is also the Miniwax Polyshades. It is a stain and poly mix so they are supposed to go on evenly.

You could paint them - maybe try out the chalk paint tutorials, or just paint the top black if the legs are coming out fine.