(A recording of the transmission sent via an encrypted frequency private frequency, Odessen to Rishi)

"Can anyone hear me? If I have to send a message, then so be it, but I…"

"Raina? Is that you?"

"Lana? Finally! I've been working with the frequency for hours…Jadus did everything he could to make sure no message could leave Odessen, but I finally managed to encrypt it."

"Yes, I see the signal. Good work on the encryption. Are you alright? Did anyone get punished for my 'betrayal'?"

"Thankfully not…Though it would've helped if you told Vette and me about your plan."

"There was no plan; I had to improvise. By the time I came to the operations room, Jadus had the upper hand, and I did what I could to save Jac."

"I know, I'm not blaming you, but…You left us in a tight spot."

"You know I had to do this."

"Yes, of course…Jadus is too busy with his scheme to concern himself with his 'slaves'; anyway, I saw what he did to Zakuul. If no one stops him, he might do the same to Odessen and other planets, too."

"Don't worry, he won't stay in possession of that weapon any longer?"

"Why is that?"

"Because we are striking back. We have Cassian and Vaylin with us, and two small fleets are already in a position to strike Odessen and unleash a squad that will force the invaders away."

"That's…Some good news, at last. Be careful, Atiel is here, and she won't go down without a fight."

"Don't worry, we're prepared for that."

"Can I help in any way?"

"I doubt it. We discussed a potential base-wide blackout to allow us to slip inside more easily; it can be caused from within, but the last time I was there, Jadu's secluded maintenance rooms from anyone who isn't part of his personnel."

"Well…I think that's just perfect."

"How so."

"While you were away, Vette and I had someone new join us. He has the same access rights as Atiel and is eager to prove himself…"

"Let me guess, Lokin's conscience finally re-emerged?"

"Exactly. Just tell us when you're planning to attack, and we'll leave them open."

…

Ever since Atiel arrived in Odessen, she expected their enemies to make a move. As lord Jadus told her, he knows that Odessen's defenses are getting weaker as more and more are transferred to Iokath to ensure that the Void Hammer fires as planned. The first strike on Zakuul was a resounding success, and the next time it fires, the entire galaxy will be transformed. Cantor pulled through as well; the last time he called Atiel, he notified her that his Armada was taking position. It would take time to position the Cabal's ships all around the galaxy; the chain reaction needed to be strong enough to turn most, if not all, populated planets into void-overtaken husks. However, Cantor grew suspicious as the time passed.

The Second Voice knew what Jadus did on Zakuul and that it was not just void that he unleashed there. It was something they discussed at length: how Zakuul's destruction is a way to destroy the most glaring bastion of what Vitiate created and that the fate of the whole galaxy will be far more merciful. Whether Cantor still trusted Jadus's word on it wasn't clear, but it didn't matter as long as he did his part, especially when Atiel's master still had the black codex.

In truth, that was never the intention. The star cabal did not know of the true extent of Jadus's plan. Just like Zakuul, the Voidcaller would only become the first wave, and the second one would consist of enough firepower to level entire cities and drastically reduce the galaxy's population. Those who will survive the onslaught will take their first step toward displaying their right to live and control the force. As for those in the Star Cabal, they agreed to spread the first wave with their ships and install mass-destruction generators on them. The second wave would be sent around the same way, and while they would know that Jadus lied to them the moment they see the flames instead of the Voidcaller if they try to deflect or absorb the firepower instead of using it on their given targets, the ship would be annihilated. If they try to resist Jadus's plan, they die; if not, they get the privilege of spending the doomsday in the safety of their cruisers, but then they would have no choice but to accept the new galaxy.

The glorious rebirth…Atiel couldn't wait.

"Heya." A tired, careless voice emerged from behind her, causing Atiel to turn around. It was Vette who stood at the door.

"What do you want?" The Chiss said with mild annoyance in her voice.

"Straight to the point? Yeesh, and here I'm trying to be friendly…"

"Don't disturb me, I won't say it again."

"Relax, I'm just bringing you some of the reports from our departments on Odessen! Here they are, on a datapad…You could've just allowed others to send them straight to you, but I guess viruses are a real pain…"

"Just put it on my desk and leave."

"Alright, no chatter for you, Miss Grumpy."

"Get. On. With. It."

Vette was quick and soon got out of Atiel's sight, much to the Chiss's relief. After a few moments of silence, Atiel thought back to this interaction. She always found Vette a bit silly and careless, but she never felt the kind of visceral loathing that overlooks her now. Even seeing Vette's face vexed her…And this wasn't a unique case. The more time Atiel spent with Jadus, the more other people seemed hollow, empty, and pathetic. All those lowly, bumbling idiots that never grasped the grandiose scale of her lord's plan…Most of them were already doomed to become dust and ash. They were walking dead and didn't deserve her attention at all. All she had to do was to wait until the moment of reckoning finally came…It wasn't long now.

Soon, Atiel noticed a new holo transmission pop up on her comm, someone recorded a message. The woman took a deep sigh and braced herself for another incredibly exhausting talk. It wasn't as bad as she expected, for an image of Dr Lokin emerged before her.

"Greetings, Atiel. I was trying to contact you before, but unfortunately, your schedule was too busy, which is understandable. I recorded this message to convey some splendid news! My progress is in creating more doses of perfected Voidcaller. The First Archon will have a fresh supply rather soon…"

The moment Atiel grew at least somewhat curious, the message was interrupted. Lokin's speech morphed into chaotic mumbling and sounds, and the image became distorted. Atiel looked around her hastily, immediately scouring the room for any danger. Before she could notice anything, the lights around her dissipated and went dim."

The power of the base was completely cut down.

…

Vaylin was never one for long planning and preparation, but after spending time with Cassian, she grew far more understanding of the benefits that come with it. Despite all the boredom and seeming waste of time that treading carefully brought, there was a payoff to it. Sometimes, there was no time nor opportunity to enjoy the carnage to the fullest; sometimes, this would leave one damaged and exposed. In cases like those, a precise, powerful strike was the perfect solution.

Vaylin, Jacques, and Cassian landed in Odessen wilderness, not far from Sweetheart Hill, hiding and watching the Odessen base for the signal. Lana told everyone of the plan and her discovery; Lokin's help would make this invasion significantly easier, and the guards Jadus left in his wake would be shocked and unable to resist. The only downside was the complete silence that overlook the small camp. Vaylin would've preferred to see some more excitement around her when it came to coming battles. But Cassian and Jacques were distracted, with the Sith looking at the bridge in the distance, the one that connected the outer Odessen to the base. There were some guards on patrol, but there was nothing that they couldn't handle. After catching a glimpse of his face, Vaylin realized that he was rather unnerved.

"You alright over there? You look worse than Arcann after he tried some traditional Hutta cuisine."

"I'm just biding time and enjoying a moment of levity."

"No way, that's not the face of a guy who enjoys something."

"I just…When I start, I don't think I'll be able to stop. Those bastards humiliated me, took my Alliance, made me seem weak, and…"

"Everyone can afford to be a little weak sometimes. Look at me; I'm the most powerful person in the galaxy, yet when we were on Alderaan…This wasn't my best moment. It's forgivable."

"Not when all my friends are in danger because of that."

"Oh, don't sulk; we'll get your planet back. And teach Jadus and Atiel some manners."

"It's not about manners." Cassian shook his head. "He will pay for what he did to Jaesa dearly." This caused Jac to step in.

"So now you care?" The Jedi said in a dismissive tone. "When it's millions of people who mean nothing to you, you simply brush that aside, but when it's your friend, now you want justice?"

"I'm not doing it for justice. I'm doing it because I know I'll enjoy it." Cassian responded in kind. "You should've learned it by now."

"You are above this, you should…"

"I'm not, and you delude yourself by thinking otherwise."

"No, you always say that, but I know that…"

Before they could conclude their argument, they received a simple message from Lana.

Lokin did his part, so now it's your turn.

This was the time to strike.

"The base is on lockdown, and most of their alarms have been switched off…Good." Cassian said, preparing for a battle. "As we planned, then. Jac, you're with me. We'll recalibrate the base's defenses. And you, Vaylin, make a distraction and free as many prisoners as you can."

"Of course… I'll have some fun as well."

"Wouldn't be you otherwise."

…

Getting inside the base was far easier than Vaylin expected, a testament to the swift and effective schemes laid out by Lana's contacts. Vaylin got inside the hangar along with Cassian and Jac, slaughtering the few guards that stood in their way. As expected, they attempted to use the Voidcaller, but the combined force of the trio brought them to heel before they could as much as take a shot. When they were inside the base, the group separated; Jac and Cassian made their way toward the base of operation while Vaylin's task was to stay behind and cause as much chaos as possible to weaken Jadus's forces.

"Alright…" Vaylin took a very deep breath as a smile emerged on her face. She looked around, watching for places she could go from the hangar and cause the most chaos. The last time she was at the best of the base, Vaylin had to go from Jadus and his overwhelming forces, but as it stood, the place was barely guarded. There were occasional patrols, but they paled in comparison to the legion the Archon brought here. It felt as if he didn't care about keeping Odessen any longer.

But no matter how many or few soldiers, Vaylin still craved any fun she could get, especially when her first targets were getting close.

"Unauthorized presence detected." A mechanical voice echoed from behind, forcing the woman to turn around with emerging curiosity. There was a guard patrol consisting of both soldiers and droids.

"What the…" The man who led the group looked at her with suspicion and immediately raised his weapon. "Identify yourself right now, or we'll open fire?"

"What do you mean unauthorized!? There has to be some mistake! Just give me a second. I have my badge, I promise! Where did I put it…" Vaylin casually moved her hand towards her pockets, but this moment was more than enough for her to use force and snap the neck of the group's leader. "Found it! Oh, wait, there's no one left to show it to, isn't there…"

"Open fire!"

One after another, the blasts were launched in her direction, all of them infused with Voidcaller, as expected. However, Vaylin was well-trained and prepared for this; evading was an easy task. The shards flew past her as Vaylin sat on the metal floor right towards her opponent; she reached forward with her lightsaber, cutting their legs and forcing the two of them to fall on the floor as their pained screams emerged from their mouths. As Vaylin stood up, she crushed the enemy droids in an instant, finishing it off with an array of force lightning that incinerated the remaining soldiers…All but one.

"We're under attack, we're under attack!" He screeched as he ran further into the corridor.

"Aw, crap…No, no, you aren't getting away that easily!"

Vaylin rushed after him, piercing the man from behind and silencing him before he could warn anyone else, but she found her new targets almost immediately. The corridor that led into the next chamber had a few more guards, but those managed to not notice Vaylin's approach, as they were preoccupied already. The two of them stood before a durasteel cage with a prisoner inside.

"Think this is all we got? Tell me, did you have anything to do with the blackout?!"

"You sure he's smart enough to do this?"

"No, but I do know that his species are savage brutes who cannot see any reason! This animal was probably ready to sacrifice himself if it meant striking at us!"

Savage brute…This was getting interesting. Vaylin got closer and noticed a humanoid creature inside the cage, it had white fur and four dark eyes, a very unique appearance. Vaylin heard about this species, they were Talz, and even though they were rarely seen outside of their home-worlds, one of them was Cassian's friend. This must have been him…

"We have endured the worst kind of torture your kind can come up with." The Talz responded bravely. "We will not stop fighting for the sake of the clan!"

"Again, with this 'clan' nonsense…Listen here, you walking carpet, your clan is gone! The people you fought for now serve us because most of them were too fucking afraid to do anything. And do you know what happens to the few that aren't? I'll demonstrate…"

Before he could do anything, Vaylin launched her saber forth, cutting off the duo's heads in an instant.

"Sooo fragile. Where are actual fighters? I could kill those people with a yawn!" Vaylin complained as she walked towards the cage and looked at the Talz.

"You are the enemy of the clan." He said with the same stoicism.

"Huh? You mean Cassian?"

"The Sith clan."

"I'll take that as yes… You're Broonmark, right?" Vaylin asked as she searched the guards' bodies for a release keycard.

"How do you know our name?"

"Cas told me."

"Lies."

"Oh, come on, don't be stupid. You know we escaped together, right? Everyone does. And now we're back to clean up the mess."

"The Sith is here, too?" Broonmark asked, making Vaylin let out a playful smile.

"You'd bet he is."

"Take us to him." The Talz pleaded, rushing to the metal bars of his cage.

"Gladly! But I need you to promise that you'll be ready to spill some blood and kill some of those bastards by my side. You in?"

"Our claws are always sharp."

"Perfect! Finally, someone who understands how to have fun! Come on, try to not linger behind too much."

…

Vette knew that something was coming, and all she could do was hope for some change to finally reach Odessen. Those weeks she spent felt like years, bringing all the worst memories out of her subconscious. Vette thought about her days as a child, how she spent so much of her life in chains, looked down upon and made into a servant, a tool, and an object. The people Jadus brought weren't much different; they gloated over their power and enjoyed humiliating their 'new' slaves.

As unfortunate as it was, just after the blackout, many of those soldiers only cared about finding a scapegoat to blame for it.

"Hey, Twi'lek!" An armed man shouted, making Vette turn around swiftly. She hoped that hiding in the Underground Logistics server would spare her attention, but she was quickly proven wrong.

"Hiya. Before you ask for anything, I'm terribly sorry, but I'm on a licensed break, so…"

"Stay where you are."

"Huh? What for?"

"Did you have to do anything to do with the blackout? "The patrol leader asked, immediately making Vette chuckle.

"What, you aren't…Why would I ever do something so careless and stupid?"

"I know you're the tech specialist around here, so you tell me! Did you have to do anything with it?"

"No, I didn't."

"You sure about that?"

"Of course, I'm sure! I can remember things I did ten minutes ago!"

"Well… Don't say I didn't give you a chance." The soldier said with an arrogant, sadistic tone, making Vette realize that his cronies surround her. She tried to jump aside, but it was too late. One of the attackers punched her with his full force, making the Twi'lek fall on her knees.

"Aw, that…That hurts, you jerk!"

"I haven't even started." The soldier chuckled. "You'd better confess to anything you did behind our back, of course, you'll still be punished but lying and trying to deny it will only make things worse."

"Are you deaf! I said I didn't do anything. I know you think I'm stupid, but I'd never try to go against an entire army like that!"

"You aren't stupid? Pretty sure all of your species are; that's why they make such good slaves!"

"I mean… You're working for a guy who blew up an entire planet and will probably blow up more. If I'm stupid, then just how low does that put you?"

"You clever-mouthed…" The man spoke up with anger, but his calmer comrade interrupted him.

"Come on, don't fall for those cheap provocations! She's only making it worse for herself…Those things of yours, Lekku, you have your brain in there, don't you?" The man chuckled. "How about we see how sturdy they are? I'm sure your people wouldn't want their brains spilling out in the ground every time your head gets hurt.

"No, what are you…OUCH!" Vette shouted in pain as the guard began dragging her back, and the others smiled with sadistic glee. "It…Fuck, it hurts! Let me go!"

"No, not yet, not until you confess!"

"I told you I don't…" Vette was about to fight back, but she noticed a silhouette emerge from an adjacent hall, the one that made her heart freeze and her breaths stop for a moment that felt like an eternity. A woman with dark hair and black robes came after them, and Vette could easily recognize her. She made those soldiers seem like mild annoyance, like mere pups…Soon, the man who held Vette let go of her. He and his comrades rose up into the air, clutching at their necks and desperately struggling to breathe. Moments after, all of their necks were swiftly snapped, and their corpses fell to the floor around Vette. The Twi'lek remained on her knees, unable to look into Vaylin's eyes.

A gruesome image flashed before Vette's eyes of her on the Gracestone's bridge along with Koth, Aric, Torian, and Kaliyo. Vette was a prisoner at Vaylin's whim. She held absolutely no regard for their lives, ready to kill all of them for satisfaction. That's what she did with Torian.

"Been a while…Vette, right?" Vaylin said with a chipper tone as she approached closed.

"I-I…" Vette tried to hide her terror, as impossible as the task was. "You're not going to kill me right now, right? I…I clash with your decor, remember?"

"I changed my address."

"Oh…Ok, listen, I know you don't usually like this, but…Can we try negotiating? I can help you with something and…" Vette stuttered and hyperventilated, but Vaylin didn't rush to make any moves. Instead, she was smiling in a playful, friendly manner, which was even creepier coming from her. Vette realized that she wasn't alone, Broonmark emerged from the corridor right behind her, his vibroblade was drenched in fresh blood.

"Oh, stop sulking, dear." Vaylin sighed. "You're being rescued!"

…

"Our shuttle is ready, Vajra. It's now or never."

"I take it you've begun the bombardment?"

"A very mild one, yeah. Xarion and I agreed to only strike the most vital defense systems, no one will get harmed."

"I hope so."

"They've begun to send their warriors down there; if we join them now, Jadus's troops will have no chance."

"I'm with you, Theron. Show me the way."

"That's more like it…I guess that's not the best circumstance for the first visit, but I feel obligated to say…Welcome to Odessen."

Vajra was preparing for this battle for hours, bracing himself before delving into the Void's embrace. He hasn't encountered the Voidcaller yet, but the thought of such an effective and deadly weapon existing and being used by terrorists was incredibly disheartening. One wrong move and he would be left defenseless against the enemy and, worse yet, leave many innocent prisoners vulnerable. It was a situation that required caution and precision, and Vajra was willing to give it his all.

Theron and Xarion received an update on what happened on the base; their fleets emerged in the orbit of Odessen. Once again, the Republic and the Empire were united against a common foe. Vajra was not naive enough to hope that those would last, but he would take what he could.

He and Theron took their shuttle and began descending to the surface. They would inevitably have to maneuver to avoid Jadus's air patrols, but they were already busy trying to resist the overwhelming forces of Darth Xarion's fleet. Once the Republic joined in, the defenses were all but annihilated.

"Vajra, I know I've told you that already, but be careful with the Voidcaller. It was enough to take Lord Scourge out in one shot."

"Don't worry, they won't even know what hit them. Remember how Tari Darkspanner ended up?"

"Well, when you put it that way…" Theron chuckled but got distracted almost immediately. "Hold on, we're here… They've cleared a spot for us, but they're already fighting. Get ready!"

Vajra took a deep breath. The odds might have been in their favor, but the strongest weapon was in the enemy's hands. The platform was already consumed by battle; Vajra could see armed soldiers rounding up the Empire's forces while force-sensitive knights and acolytes assaulted the Sith head-on.

"Follow me, we'll take them out!" Vajra said in a confident voice as the door before them opened, the echoes of battle raging inside Vajra's ears. No matter how hard he tried to avoid war, he always ended up charging right into the fray.

The first step was taken immediately. Vajra grabbed an explosive barrel with force and threw it at the largest group of soldiers that fired at their forces. Moments before it landed, Theron shot the barrel and caused it to explode, drowning those soldiers in agonizing fire.

"Take up formation!" Theron commanded other soldiers, and only moments later, the Republic troops opened fire at the invaders. Their targets were the armed forces, while Vajra focused on the renegade knights of Zakuul who fought a squad of Sith. He ignited both of his lightsabers, one glowing with a bright blue color and the other with yellow.

Vajra joined the Sith squad and powered through the knights. One of them attacked him immediately, but Vajra pushed him towards the walls with his overwhelming force. The knight didn't have an opportunity to offer resistance. He lost the hold of his lightsaber and fell to his knees.

Before Vajra could come closer, a couple of them attacked him from the front. The Raudra blocked their strikes without hesitation; he paid them back almost immediately. Vajra's counterattack was far too swift for them to withstand, and in only a few moments, his blades slashed the limbs of his opponents and crushed them for good.

"You… You're strong." The wounded knight before the wall admitted as he looked down to the floor.

"I don't want to kill you. Stop this madness while you still can! Don't you see, tbh, your master is a monster? People of Zakuul should understand better than anyone…"

"SHUT UP!" The knight shouted and charged forward, about to attack Vajra, but before he could rise, a blonde woman with pale skin and yellow eyes pierced his body, quickly ending his life.

"You Jedi never cease to amaze me." Lana's amused voice echoed in his ears. "Starting a friendly conversation mid-battle is…An interesting strategy."

"I don't want to kill unless absolutely necessary."

"Not the case here."

Vajra noticed one of the soldiers trying to shoot Lana from behind; his blaster had already begun glowing with a violet color.

"Look out!" Vajra shouted, but he was too late to stop the shard. The radura reacted quickly and pushed Lana away with force, swiftly and gently, before following her himself and tearing the blaster away from the malcontent's arms.

"Well, that was close…" Lana let out a sigh of relief.

"What was that about starting conversations mid-fight, again?"

"Really, now?"

They were interrupted by a loud shout coming from one of the soldiers.

"There's too many of them! Retreat deeper into the base!"

After this cry, the soldiers began to run towards the gate that led deeper, but they were met with an unpleasant surprise. An array of blaster shots echoed from within, gunning down most of the soldiers. After Vajra turned around, he saw a trio of new faces. Two men in Imperial uniform, both with white skin, one of them thin with black hair, and the other with brown hair and a much bulkier build. The third was a dark-skinned woman with a collar around her neck, and judging by what Theron told Vajra about the state of Odessen, those collars were only forced upon her.

"That's more like it!" The muscular man said with cathartic joy and kicked one of the corpses. "I'll have those dogs run and regret the day they set foot on this world."

"Careful, make one wrong move without thinking it through, and you'll be the one running…" The other man already

"Shut your trap already. You're in no position to talk after sitting out the entire war!"

The woman, on the other hand, focused on newly-arrived allies.

"Lana, Theron!" She rushed towards them and gave them a warm greeting. "You're a sight for sore eyes…"

"Sorry for the delay," Theron responded. "We had to plan and prepare, but you didn't expect us to just stop fighting, did you? And now everything goes according to the plan, perfect."

"I wasn't sure if your attack had already begun, but I had to risk it. Pierce, Quinn, and I killed some of them and got their weapons while they were distracted, then cleared the way inside."

"Great job, the three of you." Lana commended them. As the group looked around, they realized that the main platform was finally under their control, with the few remaining terrorists retreating back into the base's depths. "Jac, Cassian, and Vaylin are here, too…Jadus might have left some of his men behind, but they have no chance of surviving all of us except perhaps Atiel. Speaking of her, do you know where she is?"

"Eckard told us she left her post but nothing more. Considering how good she is at hiding and sneaking around, we should expect her to still be around here."

"Agreed." Lana nodded. "We can't let her escape again. Theron, Vajra, everyone, after me…We hunt her down and reclaim what is ours!"