The time was at hand.
When Atiel first heard the news about her lord's agents exposing themselves and leaving a trace, she feared. They were on the brink of having their plan exposed; if Cassian and his allies managed to find the Voidcaller on Copero and study it, their plot would lose the element of surprise. Her lord foresaw this, however, and he was right to put faith in his servants.
Over the last day, Atiel made sure that the evacuation went as smoothly as possible, and luckily for her, everyone played their part to perfection. Most of the Voidcaller had already been transported away, and it would take no longer than an hour to transport the rest. By the time Cassian arrives here, he will find nothing. Even if some soldiers stay behind, their conditioning will prevent them from revealing anything about Lord Jadus or Voidcaller. But even that was unlikely; many, including Lokin, were already off-world. Everything proceeded according to their plan…
Until someone knocked on their door.
First, it was a blast. Someone launched a rocket from the outside, and judging by the lights and some of the computers turning off seconds after the explosion, the assailant knew where to hit. Of course, this immediately raised the alarm and made all remaining soldiers grab their weapons. Meanwhile, Atiel rushed to the nearest working camera to see what was going on outside. There was a squad of Chiss soldiers and warriors approaching the mountain right underneath the landing pad. Yet their leaders were the most interesting part. A Chiss wearing Sith armor and a blonde-haired Jedi walking beside him. They arrived earlier than she expected, but it wouldn't be a problem, not with the gift that fate sent to them. Atiel took the communicator out and activated it.
"Vaylin, they're here."
"The Outlander?"
"Yes. If you have anything to 'say,' now is your chance."
…
As Cassian stepped towards his target, all he had to wait for was the first aerial strike that would strip the outpost of most of its energy and send a clear message to conspirators that hid inside. Raina's schematics helped; her allies knew where to strike to inflict the most damage.
"Perfect," Cassian said the moment he heard the explosion. Jac and Jaesa stood behind him, along with some soldiers from the Ascendancy; all of them approached the rear gate of the reclaimed outpost. The plateau that surrounded it would provide a perfect opportunity to distract the forces that protected the outpost. "Get ready; I can't imagine them giving up without a fight." He commanded and ignited his lightsaber. He heard the voice of his apprentice from behind.
"Are we sure this is even wise to attack without warning? Probably late to ask, but…I just hope we didn't make a mistake."
"Don't worry, it can't be anyone else," Cassian reassured her. "Besides, Chiss Ascendancy won't tolerate interlopers, no matter who they are, and it's exactly what we need." He explained before one of the shuttles above them began broadcasting a message loud enough to reach the outpost.
"This is an announcement for whoever is now hiding within those walls! We know that a group of malcontents has claimed this outpost without authorization from the Ascendancy. If you wish to avoid further hostilities, you will follow my instructions…"
Before the voice could finish, a rocket emerged from the opening in the mountain in front of them. It flew towards the shuttle with incredible speed and pierced its defenses.
"No!" Jac shouted, but there was nothing he could do. The message was interrupted, and the ship fell and crashed on the nearby mountain. The rear gate began to open only a few moments after, unleashing their enemies. A squad made of automatic droids and soldiers clad in both Imperial and Republican uniforms emerged, rushing towards Cassian and his allies. As expected…Not without a fight.
"Stand your ground!" The Sith Lord commanded with as much enthusiasm as he could possibly muster and prepared for the coming battle. Those warriors must have been skilled if lead conspirators sent them forth, but they could not be anything Cassian hadn't seen before in his tireless years.
The droids held vibroblades in their arms, clearly designed for close combat; they composed the front line of the attackers while the soldiers remained behind and shot from a distance. Cassian, meanwhile, did not intend to hide behind the backs of his backup; there was neither honor nor thrill in that.
The Sith Lord charged forward and clashed with the nearby two droids. They attempted to strike Cassian, but he immediately blocked the onslaught, slicing the blade in two and piercing the lone droid. Before the second one could attack, the Sith squashed its core with his force. He allowed himself a moment of reprieve, but this quickly proved to be a mistake. A third droid tried to strike from behind and managed to slice through Cassian's armor and even reach his skin. The Chiss let out a pained shout before turning around and tearing the droid's head off.
"Master!" Jaesa spoke with fear and immediately began to channel force to heal Cassian and give him her strength. She allowed him to stand up and continue the fight with the remaining droids, relentlessly crushing every single one of them.
"Jac!" The Sith shouted. "Deal with the soldiers; we'll take on the droids!"
"On it!" The Jedi spoke and rushed towards their opponents. The Ascendancy soldiers that stood behind them opened fire, immediately slaughtering some of the enemies, but this was not enough; enough still remained.
Jac maneuvered between their shots, shielding himself with a powerful force aura that weakened some of the blasts. When Jac reached the soldiers, he aimed for their blasters. Some he managed to weaken and knock out, but most resisted and forced the Jedi's hand. This couldn't be all; Cassian knew that. If this outpost mattered to the conspirators, they would send more forces to defend it…Especially considering their uniforms. Both men from the Republic and the Empire were here, showing that the roots of this conspiracy went deeper than just Chiss Ascendancy and Zakuulans. What could be going on here? Who was behind this? Cassian tried to focus on the battle, but something else plagued his mind. A dark, all-consuming presence that became stronger with every second. A spirit possessing powers beyond what any single entity should be allowed to have…
"There's something there!" One of the soldiers shouted and pointed at the dark gate. For a moment, Cassian wondered if this could be the source of this mysterious presence, but it ended up being something far simpler.
"As if we didn't have enough on our hands…" Jac sighed with mild disappointment as a giant Isotope-5 War Droid marched from the shadows. This will be a bit more complicated than usual, but it is nothing they can't handle together.
"Incoming!" A soldier shouted as the droid prepared its cannons and launched the rockets into the air above.
Not all managed to evade. Some soldiers succumbed to those rockets. Cassian saw their bodies get torn apart by the shockwave, but he had to endure. The droid approached slowly, continuing its unending onslaught. But by the time it arrives, there will be nothing but a smoke-filled wasteland in there.
"I'll do my best…" Jaesa said as she continued to channel her healing power. "But you'll have to deal with it quickly!"
"On it," Jac said confidently; he was the closest to their opponent and ready to distract it. He tossed some nearby boulders at the droid, making it activate extra protocols. Two flamethrowers emerged and unleashed a powerful wave aimed at him. Jacques must have expected it. The snow before him melted in a matter of seconds, but most of it didn't reach the Jedi as he used his force to spread the flames. He didn't intend to attack it, leaving that to his ally.
Cassian clung to his lightsaber and rushed towards the droid while it was vulnerable. He knew a lot about their weak spots; he already had to fight one like this during his last visit to Copero. Cassian avoided the scorched lands and leaped towards the droid; all he needed were a few precise strikes and piercing its core…
But something changed just before he could attack.
The dark presence grew closer.
It was right above him.
…
Much to Raina's relief, Cassian and his squad played their parts very well.
Not that she had much to fear after seeing the Sith Lord in action during their hunt for Theron. He had to face the full might of House Inrokini, including a prodigy Chiss by the name of Valss, an opponent he crushed with relative ease. Now, Cassian and his allies took on the conspirators' soldiers and droids. If they are lucky enough, their enemies would assume that this is the extent of the Ascendancy's attack. Meanwhile, she guided separate teams toward other entrances at different landing pads. Their task was to get inside and discover as much as possible about the conspirators' plans, as well as to try and sabotage their operations. Even though Raina was no longer part of the Ascendancy, Saganu still trusted her with some of the codes and override programs that would take the guard droids out of commission. Hopefully, the conspirators haven't reprogrammed encryption protocols entirely.
"Here we are," Raina said quietly the moment she and a squad of Chiss agents entered the dimly lit halls of the outpost. There didn't seem to be any defenses so far, which was more worrying than relieving. It couldn't be that easy; Raina would sooner believe that they were walking straight into a trap. "Let's search around, but be careful; there's no telling what kind of defenses they prepared for us. If you find anything suspicious, get a copy. If there are any remaining droids, spread the virus, it should be enough to hack them."
"You can count on us." One of the Chiss soldiers said.
"I have no doubt. Kerano's squad, take the south chambers; my squad will move north."
It was time to get down to business.
Raina led her squad to the north, ready to wreck the outpost in the best way agents like her have been taught to. Viruses, sabotage, extraction, all of this information would be invaluable to Chiss Ascendancy and the Alliance. However, no matter how hard Raina tried to look, she found nothing. All computers were disabled, and even though she and her agents looked through everything they could find, the databanks were empty. Of course, Raina knew from the start that this couldn't have been like this. Conspirators must have taken all data with them and destroyed any backup copies. Of course, they would; it couldn't have been so easy. At least the viruses proved useful. Raina set a few that began the process of hacking the turret and droid-controlling systems. In a few minutes, all defenses here will see members of their squad as friendly targets and attack anyone who threatens them.
However, there was one important discovery to be made.
"Lieutenant Temple, you should take a look." One of the soldiers called for her, making Raina come into an adjacent room with two of her agents. Both of them stood near a large canister filled with a peculiar substance that Raina hadn't seen before.
"What is this?"
"We found this in their storage room; there must have been more." One of the agents said.
"I haven't seen anything like this before; perhaps fuel for a new biological weapon?" Another suggested.
"I think I know," Raina responded. The violet color was a rare sight among chemicals, but it fit Cassian's description of what he and others found in the vial on Zakuul. The spies were ready to sacrifice themselves to prevent a sample from falling into the Alliance's hands; now, they had the chance to undo that. "We need to take that out of here quickly. Let's…"
Before she could finish, Raina heard the shots being fired. One after the other, two blasts pierced both of her companions' heads, making them let out their last pained breath, and their lifeless bodies fall on the floor beneath. Moments after, Raina heard quiet steps behind her.
"Not a single step." That voice…It made the woman freeze in fear and disbelief. For a moment, she thought that she was hallucinating. "Now, turn around." This commanding tone left no doubt in her mind even before she stared at the woman behind her. When their eyes finally met, Raina saw a Chiss with black hair and a sniper rifle in her hand. There were two droids behind her, and the whole trio pointed their weapons at Temple.
"Sir, is that…Atiel?!" Raina couldn't contain her disbelief as she recoiled in fear. It felt as if a phantom emerged before her. Five years of separation since the last time they saw each other since Atiel journeyed to Zakuul and disappeared into the shadows only to reappear during the founding of the Alliance and then leave once again. The hope to find her grew fainter every month, but Raina still wanted to catch up one day, perhaps even work together again. To find her here, of all places…It was too much like an insane dream coming true.
"It's been a while, Ensign…Ah, sorry, Lieutenant. Perhaps simply Raina will do? Either way, you'd better not make any sudden moves. I already killed your other spies and destroyed all of your viruses before they took hold."
"You…No!"
"Don't sound surprised; I know how intelligence works, Imperial or not."
"Why are you here? The Alliance looked for you, I looked for you, others did, too!"
"I am here because I have to take care of a mission that you should've stayed away from," Atiel said coldly.
"Stayed away from? Is that why you never reached out?" Raina tried to make as much as possible from what Atiel would tell her, but it was nigh impossible to hold back her pain and anger. After years of loyally serving her, the Agent simply abandoned her as if she meant nothing to her.
"Yes. You always had your loyalties lie with the Empire and the Ascendancy. That you would even join Cassian's Alliance is enough of a surprise."
"And where do your loyalties lie, then?"
"Finally, you ask the right question." A faint smile crept on Atiel's face. "You seem angry, even though I simply had my reasonable suspicions regarding you. You can prove me wrong here and now if you join us."
"And if I don't?"
"I'll kill you." She said without reservation or doubt.
"For…For what?"
"For a greater purpose. Whatever you think of me and my allies, what we're doing will help the galaxy in the long run. Save it, even."
"What are you talking about? Save the galaxy from what?!"
"From the tyranny of powers that made it their playground. Those who rise above others, gods among men that created orders that define our galaxy."
"The Sith?"
"Jedi, too. Zakuulan scions, Voss mystics, every single one of them…"
"You speak like a Star Cabal's lackey! What happened? Did someone condition you again?" Raina pleaded. "I can help, just let me…"
"No, I have my free will." Atiel shook her head. "You've been by my side, and you know what I've been through. What both Sith and Jedi did to me…How they were afraid of me and tried to make me a brainwashed slave. And you? You might have had a happy family life if not for your talents. Sith would've never taken an interest. But you killed your own father without challenging them. You never questioned their doctrine…And now, they are waging pointless wars with the Republic, power grabs, and an endless cycle of degradation where those with the gift of force prey on those without it. I want to break it…I can't tell you the details just yet, but I will welcome you into the fold." Atiel spoke with faint warmth, although Raina wasn't sure whether it was just an elaborate act or if she genuinely felt something. "I may not know what you felt when you killed your father, but if you want to avenge him, this is your chance." This was a promise of something she was once conflicted about a long time ago…But times have changed. Raina's loyalty to the Empire grew, and she would not turn away from it after everything she had gone through, no matter how much some part of her wanted to rejoin her old superior. But at the end of the day, Atiel was a terrorist, and Raina saw more than enough of those conspirators' methods, both on Copero and on Odessen.
She had no way to fight Atiel, and the moment she rejected her offer, she would be dead. But she could create a small window for herself…Raina had to escape and warn the others of who she found.
With one quick movement of her hand, she pushed the Cipher to the nearest wall with force while she wasn't on guard.
Then she ran.
…
What a welcome surprise, the Outlander right at their doorstep.
Just when Vaylin began to get bored, the entire facility got shrouded in darkness, and a few minutes later, Ariel told her the joyous news. Vaylin needed no other reason to run towards the hidden rear gate where their enemies gathered. Even though her power had been limited again, she didn't care for it as long as she got to see the shocked looks on their faces. Jacques especially…This Jedi was obsessed with his concept of justice, which included laying her and her brother to rest. He must have been very satisfied when he killed her…Now, she would get to see his reaction to her survival.
As for Cassian, he's been rather bored in recent months; Vaylin saw that much from within his mind. His passion waned, and every new battle became tiring and draining to him, not fun to watch at all. Perhaps a twist of her reappearance will make his existence a bit more fun. Vaylin might not have felt his presence without their father's spirit to guide the Outlander, but she knew where to go.
As the young woman made her way through the outer halls, she couldn't hold back her anticipation. She was about to confront them…To confront her killers and make them pay. This must have been the reason for her return; it had to be. Why else would she want to return to this cruel galaxy if not for vengeance?
"Come on, we're nearly here!" A worried voice called out from the adjacent corridor, making Vaylin turn to her side. There were a few Ascendancy soldiers, fully armed and making their way towards the rear gate.
"And what about Lieutenant Temple?"
"She'll find her way…She is the only survivor from her division, but she told us to escape. I trust she'll handle herself."
"Now, who do we have here?" Vaylin asked with wide-eyed curiosity as she stared at them.
"Damn it, they followed us!" One of the soldiers pointed his weapon at her while another recoiled in fear.
"Wait, why does she look like…"
The other didn't listen and took his shot. Vaylin didn't even move as the blaster shot was about to pierce her heart. No need to focus, to fight, no need to even raise her hands. A single thought was enough to shroud herself in a powerful aura that turned the blast into vapor.
"Big mistake."
An array of force lightning obliterated all of them, allowing Vaylin to continue her path. Eventually, she left the outpost and found herself amidst one of the platforms that was hidden behind the mountainous veil. Vaylin could see the battle that was going on down below. Cassian, Jacques, and a bunch of their loyal pawns are incredibly typical. They had an entire array of corpses lying in front of them, making their way towards the gate. Even a huge Iso-5 droid collapsed as Cassian sliced its core in half. At least his skills haven't deteriorated, even if his state of mind did. The moment the droid fell and Cassian jumped back, the Sith Lord raised his eyes, meeting Vaylin's gaze almost immediately, as if expecting her. Way to spoil the surprise…
Vaylin jumped down and landed in front of their guests, unable to hold back an emerging smile on her face. When she saw fear emerge in Jacques's eyes, as she felt his hands shaking, she knew that he was terrified, and for good reason.
Cassian's reaction was different. No fear, only surprise and disbelief.
"How…" Chiss said in a quiet voice.
"Hello, Outlander…Missed me?"