Veger watched his cellmate pace back and forth, occasionally shaking the bars of their prison. The cage was suspended from the ceiling in one of the Marauders' shacks by a rope. The wind was still howling outside, and the window shutters rattled loudly.

Daxter gave a frustrated grunt and gave the cage door a kick for good measure before sitting down and glaring at Veger. "Of all the people I could have gotten locked up with, it had to be you," he groaned. "I'd rather be in here with Pecker!"

"I'm not exactly happy about the situation either, but for now, we're stuck, so there's no need to start a fight just because you don't like me," Veger replied.

"Hypocrite," Daxter grumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"You didn't have a problem with throwing Jak out of the city just because you didn't like him," Daxter said.

"That's hardly the same thing," Veger replied.

"You're right; it's worse!" Daxter got to his feet. "He saved the city, saved you, and you thank him by leaving him out here to die?!"

"Jak was dangerous, a loose cannon," Veger replied. "He was a time bomb waiting to go off. I wanted to protect what was left of Haven's people."

"Is that why you destroyed the palace, along with half of the city?" Daxter snapped.

"That half of the city was controlled mostly by the Metal Heads. Besides, it's better to sacrifice a few to save the majority." Veger's neutral expression hardened. "I suppose Jak slaughtering most of the Krimzon Guard was a nobler act?"

"Well… they were the bad guys!"

"Try explaining that to their friends and family," Veger said. "The Krimzon Guards were doing what they had to. Some believed what they were doing was right, but many didn't. Why do you think Torn defected to the Underground? He had no choice. No one could just 'quit' being in the Krimzon Guard," Veger explained. "Once you signed up, it was a lifetime commitment. If you tried to quit, you were arrested, convicted of treason, and executed." Veger made a slashing motion across his throat to emphasis his point.

Daxter subconsciously rubbed his neck. "I… guess it never occurred to us."

"Of course it didn't. Why would it? When you're fighting a war, you don't think about the people on the other side. They're enemies; less than human, right?"

Daxter remained silent for a moment, then took the offense again. "Hey, wait a minute! You're trying to send me on a guilt trip?! You're the one who took Jak away from his dad so you could use him as a guinea pig!"

Veger opened his mouth to protest, but silenced himself. He scoffed and turned his back on Daxter. "I don't need to explain myself to you."

"You're only saying that because you can't! You can't justify kidnapping a child for the sole purpose of… of torturing him! You're in no position to preach about morality, pal! You've done nothing more than hurt others for your own selfish reasons! You don't want what's best for everyone, you only want power, and you step on anyone who gets in your way! You don't care about anyone other than yourself! You never have and you never will!"

The words seemed to echo in the silence that followed. Veger drew his knees up to his chest, but said nothing. Daxter waited, almost wishing that Veger would argue back. But the older ottsel just sat there silently. Satisfied, albeit a little disappointed, by the easy victory, Daxter sat back down and stared at the wall. The storm outside had calmed down, and what little moonlight that managed to make it through the shutters illuminated the room with a pale white glow.

Daxter yawned loudly and, after casting a wary glance over his shoulder, lied down. He yawned again as his eyes slid closed and he fell asleep.

As the sun peeked through the windows, Daxter was slowly roused from his slumber. The ottsel yawned and stretched, trying to get the kinks out. He looked over at his cellmate, who was still sleeping. Suddenly something caught Daxter's eye. The sun was glinting off of a small trinket in Veger's hand.

Daxter got up and quietly walked over to the older ottsel. He thought Veger's face looked wet for a minute, then disregarded it and focused on the golden trinket. Curious, Daxter carefully opened his cellmate's hand and pulled the necklace free. It was a locket. He fiddled with it, trying to get it to open. It was stuck and absolutely refused to yield. Daxter slipped over to his side of the cage and started to tap it lightly on the floor of the cage, hoping the impact would open it.

"What are you doing?!" Suddenly Daxter was tackled from behind. "Hand it over you worm!" The two ottsels rolled around their suddenly-claustrophobic cage, wrestling over it. The two of slammed into the wall and it slipped from Daxter's grasp. It fell to the cold, hard floor of the shack and burst open.

"Now look what you've done!" Veger shoved Daxter away and looked down at his locket. It looked like it had broken right in half. He hurried over to the cage door and tried frantically to pick the lock. Daxter looked down at the trinket. The picture inside was of a family of three. A husband, a wife, and their son, no more than three years old. His parents… Daxter thought. However, as he looked closer, he realized that Veger wasn't the child… he was the father!