Immediately after the battle, Ashelin and Torn did what needed to be done and tried to assess if their tracking plan had been successful. To do this, Torn got in contact with Vin, but because many of the main computers in Freedom Headquarters had been damaged or destroyed when it came under fire, he had to visit the power room personally.

However, there Vin proudly revealed what he had detected with the long-range scanners. It took a while to travel the distance, but a single matching signal from a tracker had made it back. It was weak, and had only lasted for about half a minute, but that was all Vin needed. Within a day, he had thoroughly analysed the data, followed its trace, and produced a set of co-ordinates for where it had ended up.

The trackers had worked! They now had a location, a location that could possibly be their enemy's homeland, or at least somewhere that would lead them closer to it. Torn passed on the positive news to Ashelin, who in turn later informed Jak. The enemy had fallen for the ploy, but Ashelin suspected, judging by the very short window of time the signal had been transmitting, that they had discovered the tracker very soon after teleporting away from the battle, and likely had it destroyed. Did they realise the purpose of it? And if they did, how would they react?

The victory was tainted with this uncertainty. Ashelin's instincts were flaring up again, and she somehow felt that this success would not come without a cost. They had these coordinates, but now what? They led somewhere far, far away over the north-western mountains and the ocean beyond, further than anybody in Haven's recorded history had ever travelled before. Getting there would require extensive preparation and leave the city vulnerable for at least a day. Ashelin was already feeling misgivings. Was it even feasible to try and travel there? And if they did, then what? Would they be forced to fight once more?

These results opened up new questions and possibilities, ones which Ashelin struggled to make a decision on. She still hoped for a peaceful solution, a solution that would waste no further lives on both sides, but public opinion was against her; many of the other powerful city officials and pretty much all of the citizenry, as far as she knew, wanted to return all the death and damage that had been dealt upon them with reciprocal ferocity. To them, the only solution was to completely wipe out those who were a threat to their survival, and only then would peace be possible.

This made Ashelin sad. Why couldn't her people just understand? At the end of the day, she knew she had to do what was best for the city, even if it was against her own personal ambitions and morals, and the pressure was mounting as their zero hour drew nearer. Soon she would have to make a very difficult choice, and while the city worked towards its retaliatory objectives, she wished that something would come forth and offer her an alternative.

Several days later, Haven was almost fully recovered from the last attack. The destruction of many of the computers in the control room of Freedom HQ had been a major setback, but now they were repaired and replaced, and the fleet under construction at the drill platform was growing stronger by the day. However, the enemy had once more fallen silent; they had not returned for another attack since the last, bringing Haven another indefinite and uncertain respite.

One morning, Daxter, Tess and Jak were all in the pub again. Today was a quiet day, the Wastelanders had all recently returned to Spargus to bring back more supplies, and there were only a few regulars here at the moment. Daxter was chilling on the table top of the main bar counter, while Tess watched over the customers like usual. She noticed how they had all become gradually more settled as the days went by, and even among them there was a feeling that the war was almost at its end. It was the main topic of discussion on everyone's lips during their visits, and mood was generally relaxed and optimistic.

But Jak was bored and quiet, sitting on his stool with a drink in his hand. He had spent most of his granted days off here, with little else to do while he waited for the next objective from Ashelin. He disliked these periods of inactivity, and was restless to get on with the next stage in the plan, whenever that would end up happening.

Sometimes, to alleviate the boredom, he engaged in conversation with some of the other bar patrons, who were very pleased to get the chance to speak with the famous hero. He learned of how they had all held out through the constant battles, how one person's house had nearly been crushed by a falling jet, but most of all, how they all longed for the war to be over. Friends and family had died, and these people wanted those who had been responsible for it to pay, and looked to Jak as a representative of the Freedom League for their salvation. This made him feel new pressure, as he realised just how much hope he inspired in these people, and though confident in his abilities like always, it still daunted him somewhat to know how many counted on him.

"You feeling alright, Jak?" Tess asked him, noticing his quiet contemplation.

"Yeah," Jak answered automatically and without concern. "Just thinking about what'll happen next."

Tess understood. She was well aware of the significance of what had been achieved in that last battle. After all, she had heard it from Daxter many times already in his stories that he told to keep the customers entertained, but he did have a tendency to confabulate, and Jak often had to clear up the exaggerations for her.

She looked at the other ottsel now, who stretched out beside her with a big yawn, as if he were sunbathing on some tropical beach. She smiled to see him looking so contented. Normally the little guy was full of energy and excitement, especially since the pub reopened, but it seemed that this relatively quiet day had brought out his lazy side. At least he was easier to manage like this.

Then, a movement in the corner of her vision drew her attention, and she turned to see that a new customer had just taken a seat at the bar, one chair away from Jak.

"Oh, hi there!" she said, cheerfully and welcomingly. "Can we get you a drink?"

The man just shook his head and lifted a hand just a little. "Not just now, thanks," he mumbled without looking up. He sounded rather crestfallen and weary.

Jak's eyes flicked sideways to glance at the newcomer, and the first thing that he and Tess both noticed was his rather odd choice of apparel: he wore a coat that looked too large for him, a hat that was drawn down low, and beneath that, strange-looking dark goggles that completely obscured his eyes. He made quite a distinctive impression, nothing like anyone else who had come in today, but Jak dismissed it as probably unimportant. After all, fashion trends could be confusing, and he himself possessed a rather unique set of goggles too. Who was he to judge?

He returned his attention to his drink, and to Daxter who still lay daydreaming in front of him, not even bothering to open one eye.

Tess, however, politely persisted with the stranger. "Well, anything else we can do for you?"

The man shook his head again, this time letting out a deep sigh. "Oh... I don't know..."

Tess sensed that something was wrong. "You OK?"

He sighed again. "I guess... it's just this whole war. Kind of takes its toll on you after so long..."

Tess could see what he meant. He did look rather rough and worn out, and there was a stench of staleness coming off him that her sensitive nose could easily detect, like he had not washed for a few days. The war really must have hit him hard, and she guessed that maybe his home had been destroyed and he'd been living on the streets.

"No kidding," said Jak, who was also starting to feel the same way. Maybe this was someone he could relate to, instead of finding yet more pressure from.

"Do you think we really have a chance?" the newcomer asked drearily, still keeping his head low.

"We're doing our best," Tess answered sympathetically. "That's all we can do."

This did not seem to console him much. Tess analysed his body language, and could tell that this guy must be feeling very strained indeed. There was a loneliness and reticence about him also, which only made him seem even more pitiable. This was hardly something unfamiliar; she'd spoken with a number of people just like him who had turned up here at their lowest points.

"I don't think I've ever seen you here before," she then said, trying to stir up a friendly conversation to make him feel more comfortable and at ease, but there was genuine curiosity there too. She had a good memory for faces, and she would surely remember such a recognisable individual if he had ever previously visited.

"Uh... no," he replied simply. "I don't really go out much. This is the first time I've come here."

Daxter, who had lain silent and relaxed since the start of this limping, uneventful conversation, suddenly perked up at these words. "A new customer?"

Then all of a sudden, he sprang up onto his feet, reinvigorated with his usual energy, and making everybody jump slightly. "Well then, welcome to The Naughty Ottsel, my good sir! The best bar in town!" he proclaimed with great showmanship. "I'm Daxter, but you can call me Orange Lightning! I own this place, and it's your lucky day, because every customer's first ever drink here is on the house! Let me get you one!"

Before anyone could stop him or tell him that no drink was desired, Daxter had dived behind the counter, and re-emerged a few seconds later with a brimming mug balanced precariously on his shoulders. Jak was wise to reach out for it before any major spillage occurred, and he placed it casually on the table top between himself and the newcomer, who now felt obligated to accept.

"Oh... thank you," he said timidly, pulling the glass closer to himself. But he did not start drinking right away. He still looked troubled and unable to settle down into his current situation, something that Tess did not fail to pick up on. She thought she even caught a trickle of sweat running down his face.

Daxter, however, evidently noticed nothing. "Enjoy, my friend!" he said cheerfully, but then an impulsive thought suddenly struck him. "Ooh! Hey, if this is your first visit, you can't have heard any of my great stories yet!"

"Uh... no," replied the newcomer, now looking at Daxter bewilderedly.

Daxter broke into his signature, broad, toothy grin as he sensed another opportunity to recount his and Jak's epic adventures. Both Jak and Tess knew what was coming, and Jak rolled his eyes.

"Let me tell you all about the last battle!" Daxter announced, louder than he needed to so that most of the other customers took notice as well. "It's a tale of action, daring, and heroics, and best of all, it includes yours truly!"

"Whoa, hold up, Dax," Jak said, pulling on the brakes. "We don't need to hear it again."

Truth be told, as engaging as Daxter's stories were, he was getting a little tired of hearing them by now, and he wasn't really in the mood for yet another rendition at this particular moment.

"Oh come on, Jak!" Daxter complained. "Everyone loves my stories!"

"Actually, I'd... I'd quite like to hear that," said the man with the goggles, sounding and looking much more interested all of a sudden.

"Yes! Story!" called out another customer who had overheard, and his approval was echoed by the others.

Daxter looked smugly and victoriously at Jak. "You see?"

Jak and Tess met each other's eyes, and Tess shrugged as if to say, 'nice try, but let's just let him get on with it and have his fun'. Jak reluctantly relented, and tried to shut himself off as Daxter turned to face the open room and the small audience that was now paying attention.

He began his tale right there on the bar counter, peppered with his usual theatrics and animation as he led his listeners through a blow-by-blow account of the last battle. As usual, he chose to focus on the action rather than the strategy and thinking behind it, but soon everyone was hooked, especially the new guy sitting close by. Tess kept an eye on him throughout, and noticed how he listened with detached curiosity, almost as if he were taking mental notes she thought, but it was hard to tell where he was looking through those dark goggles he wore. She wondered what they were really for, and why he didn't take them off now he was indoors. It really did seem rather odd, and it roused her suspicions. Was he trying to hide something?

"We can take 'em on!" Daxter exclaimed once his story reached its dramatic conclusion. "And once this war's over, we're gonna hold an all-night celebration here, and you're all invited! There'll be music, drinks, dancing..."

With every item he listed, more appreciative cheers rose up, getting louder and more vigorous. Only Tess, Jak, and the guy sitting with them did not join in.

"No one, and I mean NO ONE, is going to stop us from partying!" Daxter finished triumphantly. "Another round of drinks on me!"

The greatest cheer yet erupted from the small gathering. Daxter took a big bow, basking in the admiration from his customers, and then he and Tess set about filling and handing out the promised glasses. The bar briefly became quite crowded, but after the other customers had dispersed with their fresh drinks, the room slowly settled back down to its casual murmur of conversations. The man with the goggles remained in his seat, but Daxter's story appeared to have brightened him up a little.

"Wow," he said to Jak, somewhat awe-struck. "That was quite a tale. Did you two really do all that?"

"Mostly," Jak admitted flatly, no longer caring to smooth out the embellishments.

As Tess began to clear away some of used glasses left on the table top, Daxter reclined in his place in front of Jak again, looking very content with himself as he closed his eyes and stretched out fully. "Ah! Yep, won't be long now, huh Jak? Soon we'll smash those baddies and then we can party hard!"

Jak just nodded silently and took another sip of his drink. Nobody spoke for a few seconds.

"So… you think we're winning then?" asked the guy beside Jak hopefully.

"Yep, we got this war in the bag!" said Daxter confidently, before anyone else had the chance to say anything.

"How so?" asked the man.

"The enemy aren't packing the same punch they used to," Jak clarified carefully. "We've been hitting them back for so long, they must be losing strength by now."

The man's posture straightened with understanding and renewed optimism, and then he broke into a smile, one which Tess thought looked strangely over-exaggerated. "Oh... well, that's great then, isn't it!"

His head flicked in her direction briefly and Tess smiled back, still acting friendly and polite, but her outward expression disguised her developing thoughts. An old instinct she had honed through her work in the Underground was tugging at her conscience insistently, telling her that something here was not as it seemed...

"Can't wait for this all to be finally over," he continued, now seeming much more talkative than before, "And it sounds like you two are the guys to get it done, huh?"

"You bet we are!" Daxter said immediately from his relaxed position. "That's why they call us the demolition duo! Jak and I have saved this city before, and we can sure do it again!"

"Wow. You're both real heroes!" said the man appreciatively.

"Well, we don't do all the work," Jak added more modestly, aiming to alleviate some of the pressure on himself. "The whole Freedom League's doing its best to get us through this."

"The Freedom League... ah, yes..." said the man thoughtfully, and he looked as though he was remembering something. "So… you're a part of that then?"

"Not officially," Jak answered bluntly, "But we do a lot of the legwork."

"Oh right. Cool."

There was another lag in the conversation and the guy looked like he was waiting for someone else to say something. But by now, Daxter was drifting off into his fantasies again, Jak no longer felt like talking, and Tess was still clearing away the last of the empty glasses from the table top. But she had been listening carefully throughout, still trying to place the suspicions that she felt.

Then the guy moved up, taking the empty seat between himself and Jak. They were right next to each other now, and Tess saw how Jak's arms tensed up, clearly uncomfortable with the uninvited closeness. She paid full attention now.

"So… what's next for us then?" the man inquired, dropping his voice a little but still sounding curious. "You two got a big plan or something to knock out those attackers forever?"

Jak pouted slightly, now feeling a little harassed by this guy's continued questioning and unnecessary breach of his personal space. He was starting to get a little too inquisitive for his liking.

"Don't worry," Tess broke in, trying to put an end to this sensitive line of enquiry, and also saving Jak from having to answer. "We'll get them alright, and that's all that matters."

Jak was silently thankful for Tess's circumvention. "Yeah. We're getting there," he added stiffly, barely hiding his annoyance. "Um... can you not sit so close please?"

"Oh, sure. Sorry pal," said the guy, and he shuffled away a little, but remained within arm's reach. As he moved, his coat swung open slightly, and Tess thought she caught a glimpse of something within. Whatever it was though, it happened too quickly to identify, but Tess suddenly sensed danger.

When he looked at her briefly again, she fixed a smile again quickly, pretending she hadn't noticed it.

"So… you must have personally met the leader of the city too?" the man asked further, not letting up on his questions. But this one caused Jak to raise an eyebrow. He would have thought the answer to this was obvious to everybody. Tess noticed it too.

"Yeah..." Jak answered slowly, not sure where this was going. "Why?"

"Oh, well, I bet he's really glad to have you fighting for us!"

Jak creased his brow in mild confusion, and then finally looked back at his strange tablemate. "Are you talking about Ashelin or Torn?" he asked. "Ashelin's the governor."

The man's expression faltered for just a second, but then he reclaimed it. "Oh, yeah, right, of course," he said quickly, smiling nervously. "Sorry, I got them mixed up. Like I said, I don't really get out much..."

Tess caught another bead of sweat roll down his face. This really vindicated her suspicions now; that was indeed a most uncharacteristic mistake, one that no citizen of Haven ought to make, even for someone who 'didn't get out much'. She and Jak shared a wary glance again, and in that moment, both could tell that they felt the same way. Something about this guy seemed very... off; turning up out of the blue for the first time, the strange goggles, the persistent questions, and he still hadn't touched a drop of his drink. They both came to the same conclusion, but they had to be absolutely sure, so they started to conceive an instinctive, silent plan.

"So where do you live, anyway?" Tess asked in a perfectly innocent manner.

This question seemed to catch the man a little off guard, but he answered quickly. "Oh... it's not far away."

"Whereabouts?" Jak persisted, not satisfied with such a vague answer. At the same time he wrapped his fingers gently around his drink.

"Oh... it's back in the really dingy neighbourhood," said the guy, waving his arm vaguely to the right. "You know... those slums. Quite close to the walls, actually... and those ruins right outside."

This was a plausible and believable answer at least, but Tess was not done yet. "Oh, I know where you mean," she said with a convincing tone of false understanding. "You mean by Dead Town, the part of the city that fell when Mar invaded."

"Yeah, that's it," said the man, confidently mirroring Tess's confirmatory behaviour. "I know it's not very pretty, but —"

WHAM!

Out of nowhere, Jak hit him full in the face with his tankard, and drink splashed everywhere. The man never saw it coming, and he toppled violently backwards off his seat and onto the floor with a loud clatter. The chatter in the room was immediately silenced as everyone turned around to see what had just happened, and Daxter sat bolt upright on the table top.

"Jak! Are you crazy?" he shrieked, seeing the scene before him. "You just attacked one of my customers!"

But Jak was on his feet in an instant, and Tess was paying full attention with a hard look on her face, her ears erect. "He's no customer, Dax," said Jak seriously. "He's an enemy spy!"

Daxter struggled to process how this could be, but in that time, the man was back on his feet, blood dripping from his nose, and his next actions confirmed Jak's accusation. He reached into his coat and pulled out the object Tess had glimpsed earlier, which looked very much like a weapon. But at once, Jak leapt forwards and grabbed hold of his arms to wrestle it from his grip. It went off by accident, shattering the mirror behind the bar with a laser-like projectile, and Tess and Daxter dived for cover under the counter just in time.

A few customers screamed and ran from the building, others hid under the tables, while the rest sat glued to their seats in shock at what was happening. A few more stray shots went off into the ceiling as they struggled against each other, until Jak twisted his opponent's wrist and the weapon fell at their feet. Jak kicked it away, swung the spy around with a burst of strength, and then landed a hard elbow strike to the side of his head. The spy's hat came off, revealing a pale, bald scalp. Jak struck again, but this time the spy ducked, rammed his shoulder into Jak's midriff and charged against him until his back hit the next wall. More customers scattered from the chaos as it spread throughout the room. Jak was winded, but he fought back and kicked against his attacker, sending him staggering away.

"Look out, Jak!" Tess screamed from behind the bar, for the spy had suddenly swept up a discarded glass and hurled it right at him. Jak ducked quickly as it smashed above his head, raining down droplets of drink and sharp shards. In this momentary distraction, the spy made a move for his dropped weapon again, but he was cut off by a loud yell.

"Yaaaaaa!"

Daxter had overcome his shock, pulled himself together and leapt bravely into the fray, landing on top of the spy and digging his claws into his exposed head. The spy screamed in pain and tried to pull Daxter off him, but the ottsel clung on valiantly, buying Jak more time to recover. Then the spy's hand found a firm grip on Daxter and yanked him away hard, but Daxter caught hold of his goggles, and as he was tossed away across the room and over a table, they came off with him.

"Agh!"

By now, Jak was back on his feet and ready to continue the fight, but his opponent now seemed disorientated. With his goggles gone, his eyes were only half-open and he was partially shielding them with one of his arms, acting like he had just been blinded. Jak briefly wondered if Daxter had clawed him in the eyes, but then he seized his chance, realising that his opponent was vulnerable.

He ran forwards to attack again, but the spy heard him coming and turned to face him. He was squinting, his bloodied face contorted in frustration and discomfort, and he did his best to continue defending himself by lashing out wildly and unpredictably. It was all too easy for Jak to avoid the desperate strikes and take him down. He caught his right arm and delivered a punch to his gut, an uppercut to his jaw, and then kicked his legs out from under him.

The spy went down hard and fast and his face hit the floor. He scrambled blindly around for anything he could get his hands on, but then Jak's heavy boot pressed between his shoulder blades, holding him down.

"Jak! Here!" called Tess, and she threw him a small handgun which she had produced from under the bar. Jak caught it and aimed it squarely at the back of the spy's head.

"Don't move!" he ordered, "Or you're dead!"

The spy knew he was defeated. It was pointless to try and run or continue fighting now, and he just lay there with his eyes closed, face against the floor, breathing hard, and feeling the humiliation of his failure. Blood was pooling under his nose.

By now, the last of the remaining customers had all fled the building, and there was silence in the room once again. Daxter re-emerged from behind the table he had been flung over, still clutching onto the spy's goggles.

"What do we do with him now?" asked Tess, eyeing the spy from the bar counter with a mean look.

Without taking his eyes off his fallen foe, Jak pulled out his communicator and contacted Torn, still breathing heavily from the fight. "Torn! We've got an enemy spy over at The Naughty Ottsel!"

"What? A spy?" came Torn's stunned voice after a second or two. "What the... how the hell did he get into the city, Jak?"

"I don't know," Jak answered, "But don't worry, I've got him apprehended."

There were a few more seconds of silence on the radio before Torn spoke again. "OK Jak, I'm heading to you right now. Keep him there."

There was a click as the radio switched off, and Jak let it hang loosely in his hand. "Torn's on his way," he said to the two ottsels, keeping the gun trained on the spy's head and looking down on him in disdain.

"Jeez," said Daxter, scuttling over. "He's a spy? And to think I gave him a free drink!"

"Good trick, Tess," Jak said with basic compliment, but not taking his eyes off the spy.

Tess smiled modestly. "Well, you're the one who brought him down though."

Daxter now understood how this spy had been unmasked. Tess and Jak had led him unwittingly right into their clever trap; of course, all true citizens of Haven knew that Dead Town had fallen to the Metal Heads, still within living memory, not to Mar, who was the legendary founder of Haven City, and not someone who had ever tried to invade at all.

"This guy clearly didn't know the city's history well enough, did you, pal?" Jak growled at his fallen opponent.

Daxter had now moved to stand a few feet from the spy's head, and performed a rude and taunting dance in front of him. "Ha! That'll make you think twice about taking on us! Not so tough without these, are ya?"

He dangled the spy's goggles annoyingly in front of his face, which only made the spy feel even more insulted, but he said nothing.

"Where'd his weapon go?" asked Tess.

"Dax, go look for it," ordered Jak, and Daxter reluctantly broke off his teasing to search the place. He found it under a chair not far away. It appeared to be a small handgun with a glowing green energy cartridge that housed some sort of tiny crystal, a bizarrely intricate device.

Only a few minutes later, Torn came marching in through the front door, looking primed and purposeful, and accompanied by a small team of soldiers. He surveyed the minor mess that had resulted from the fight, and then found the figure lying beneath Jak's feet. He needed no explanation to know that this was the enemy spy. He made a silent hand gesture, and two of his men then lifted up the defeated man under his arms and dragged him effortlessly out of the building without struggle, to a waiting transport cruiser outside.

Jak watched him disappear in disgrace through the front door, and finally relaxed the aim on his weapon. When the soldiers were out of the room, Torn came in closer to talk, looking deadly serious. "Tell me everything that happened here," he ordered bluntly.

Jak and Tess together gave a thorough account of the spy's behaviour and questioning, right up to how they had sussed him out and taken him down. Daxter punctuated the story with brief interjections, emphasising his own actions in the fight.

"How much does he already know?" Torn asked.

"Not much I think," Tess explained. "He listened to one of Daxter's stories and was asking about Freedom plans, but we didn't reveal anything."

"Alright, good," said Torn, feeling a little more relaxed. "But this is still serious. Ashelin thought the enemy were going to try something new, and I guess this was it, somehow managing to smuggle in this spy. She'll need to know about this, and I'll tell her next. It's a damn good job you stopped him when you did. Who knows what he might have done otherwise."

Torn stopped himself with a smirk, one so rare that Daxter thought it might crack his face. "Well, if it's Freedom HQ he's after, he'll definitely get to see the inside of it now, but he won't be able to carry out whatever trouble he was planning. That's for sure."

"What are you going to do with him?" Jak asked.

"We'll search him and interrogate him, find out how much he really knows already, and just how the hell he got into the city. Then we'll see what we can learn from him about the enemy. We could use him to our advantage."

"He had this weapon on him too," Tess said, handing it carefully over to Torn.

"And don't forget about these!" added Daxter, providing the spy's goggles.

Torn took both items, examining them only briefly, and then his eyes swept across all three of them in turn. "Good work," he said earnestly. "All of you. Jak, you're an irreplaceable asset to the city."

Jak shrugged off the gratitude and slumped back into his seat as if it was nothing at all, just another day's work.

"Tess, I can see I was right to entrust you to intelligence in the Underground; you haven't lost your touch."

Tess gave a single nod and an appreciative smile. "Thanks, Torn."

"And Daxter..." Torn paused in thought, and the ottsel waited eagerly in anticipation. "... just keep this place open, it's really helping the people."

Little though this was, it was some of the rare praise that Daxter had ever received from the tattooed commander, and it made him beam with pride to be recognised. He would certainly be mentioning this in his next stories!

Jak quietly processed the recent events. It had certainly got his blood pumping, and he felt ready for action once again. This war had just got a lot more interesting.