Odessen has been reclaimed.
At long last, the moment that Cassian awaited ever since the humiliating defeat that Jadus wrought upon him, but it was nowhere near as satisfying as the Sith expected. He did his best to sound prideful in his announcements and rally others up, but he quickly realized it took much of his energy. In the end, Odessen was just another military object; if it wasn't for his friends being held hostage, this wouldn't have been an issue at all.
As Cassian walked among the base's halls, he realized just how hollow they felt. They invoked many memories, though few of them were satisfying. The holoterminal, which has been a source of bad news during the war, the hangar which would be the ground for skirmishes between Imperial and Republic soldiers, the force enclave, utterly decimated and tarnished by Ki Sazen's experiments, the platform where he watched Vaylin die…This base was a relic of the bygone era, the one Cassian wanted to move away from, or else he would waste his entire life on it and end up unhappy and empty, even more than he was after Valkorion's demise. After spending a few days away from the politics of war by Vaylin's side, Cassian knew that he wouldn't be staying here.
Still, it was too early to discard the Alliance just yet.
The next few hours after the fires ceased were spent disarming Void Collars Jadus forced on others and interrogating surviving soldiers of the enemy. As expected, they knew next to nothing about Jadus's plans, most of them were brainwashed into silence, and the few that managed to speak only mentioned Iokath.
After everyone had a chance to breathe, Cassian called everyone to the hangar, which was the perfect place for an announcement. Vaylin and Jacques stood by his side, though the two of them paid much more attention to each other than to the crowd in front of them. Cassian knew how to make fiery speeches, yet his passion for them was no more.
"I'm glad you are all safe." Was the best he could say when everyone had finally gathered
"Likewise, my Lord," Quinn said with pride and joy in his voice. "Jadus and his men wanted us to think that there was no hope, yet we knew you wouldn't fall so easily!"
"The battle isn't over yet." The Chiss shook his head.
"Then lead on, my Lord," Quinn said without hesitation, making the nearby standing Gault roll his eyes.
"Someone's way too enthusiastic about dying…How did you reach double-digit age again?"
"You have something against?" Quinn said with scorn. "If you are not willing to follow Cassian, then why are you even in this room?"
"Nah, I have no problem with him at all," Gault said before looking at Vaylin. "That gal, however, looks like she's about to zap someone, and considering I once stole a hefty sum under her nose, something tells me I might be on her list of annoying people." This snide comment prompted Vaylin to respond.
"If I cared about credits that much, my life would've been way more dull…"
"She is with me," Cassian spoke up. "I know that many of you will have objections, but I will not be negotiating them. Vaylin helped liberate the base, and she's more than willing to partake in the coming attack on Jadus's fleet; whatever you think of her, she will help us immensely." He explained, but Jac had something to say, as well.
"This is not a pardon; we haven't forgotten the grievous crimes she inflicted on all of you and countless people she murdered; it is strictly a matter of priorities. Right now, Jadus and the Star Cabal fleet are an immediate threat that we cannot ignore. Once the crisis is quelled, we will administer justice."
"Mood-killer…" Vaylin snorted and looked away, but Jac's focus was on a response coming from Raina Temple.
"Still, are there guarantees she's loyal to us and won't turn on us first?" She questioned, making Koth interject.
"Listen, I'm the first one to say that Vaylin needs to pay for her crimes…But she will help us. She's the most powerful-user alive, and I've seen what kind of insanity we're up against. I've been on Zakuul…Barely escaped with my life, in fact." Koth's voice grew more sorrowful, and so the Seeker interjected.
"What happened in Zakuul was only the beginning. The Voidcaller weapons he installed on Iokath will soon fire across the entire galaxy. Xarion's spies relayed what was transpiring; the Star Cabal fleet encircled Iokath and was preparing for the blast as we spoke. They could fire any time now…We can't linger, not even for a second."
"Wait a moment…" Raina looked closer. "Aren't you…"
"It's been a while, former Ensign Temple. Congratulations on your promotion." Seeker acknowledged her. "I think you'll understand why there is no time to discuss our past now."
"Of course. So, what's the plan?"
"The blockade is far too strong to engage in open battle, but there are blind spots in there. Xarion's spies have spread around the fleet and will help us with that. They say their ships are positioning themselves all around the galaxy to carry the blast, creating a chain reaction that will decimate the vast majority of planets and their coordinates are kept secret. Our main course is to attack Iokath and destroy Jadus's weapon. Another strategy is to strike at the flagship and take their leader, Cantor, hostage. This may quell the Cabal, but Jadus wouldn't care for another loss."
"And what can we expect on the surface?" Raina wondered.
"I don't know." Seeker sighed. "It is only natural to assume Jadus would not leave his prize without the best defense possible." The man explained before looking at Vaylin. "This is where you come in. You are by far the strongest among us and will no doubt play a key part in this battle."
"Don't look at me. I'm only useful as long as I avoid the Voidcaller." Vaylin shrugged, making Jac interject.
"Vitiate himself was afraid of your power. Do you think the Voidcaller would work on him?"
"Probably not, but he…" Vaylin paused for a moment as if a realization dawned upon her.
"What?" Jac pressured her.
"He got his power from absorbing all life on Nathema via some complicated ritual."
"Do you think you can do something like this?" Cassian said with curiosity.
"What?!" Jac spoke up. "Are you seriously suggesting we give her the power of a whole planet? The kind of power Vitiate had after Ziost?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying," Cassian responded confidently. "Not Odessen, of course, but there are suitable 'test fields'…And what do you say, Vaylin?"
"I did learn to body-hop like him that one time…Thought it cost me a lot of my power."
"You doubt yourself?" Cassian wondered.
"No, I'm simply weighing the odds. You don't think I would reject the possibility of having that kind of power? Hah, not in Jac's wildest dreams!"
"We have to focus on the present." Seeker noted. "If this plan has any guarantee of success, I support it, but if not…"
"Ahem." A calm voice came from the crowd. A man with pale skin and a beard that Cassian saw during the Odessen invasion on Jadus's side…This must have been Eckard Lokin. "There might be more to this plan than you think. You see when I was still working for Jadus and Atiel, they introduced me to their facility in Nathema. This was where the Voidcaller was first manufactured, and the processes it took to synthesize are most fascinating. They learned of an entity called "Zildrogg" that Valkorion used to ascend all those years ago."
"An entity that was destroyed months ago," Cassian interjected.
"Perhaps, but Jadus and Atiel did everything they could to build something similar from the scraps; Zakuulan engineers helped them with it. This new machine they have in their lab was supposed to mimic the process Valkorion went through, yet they could never find a suitable way to charge it. Perhaps it could be possible with Vaylin's power. I believe there's a probability, not to mention that life has returned to Nathema…"
"You want that world to die once again?" Jac said with disgust.
"One world or the entire galaxy." Cassian crossed his arms. "What would you choose?"
"It's not…"
"Anyway." Lokin continued. "Jadus only shared its location with a few people he considered trustworthy…And I happen to be one of them."
"Hold on a moment." This time, Major Jorgan interfered. "Are we seriously placing our lives into the hands of a ruthless mass murderer and the word of a man who served Jadus?"
"Alas, we are your best bet," Lokin said confidently. "Though, my part is rather minuscule compared to Vaylin's."
"This plan is foolish." Jac continued to argue. "It has little to no chance to succeed, and even if it does, we'll give this kind of power to all of Vaylin. There must be another way!"
"Enough!" Vaylin shouted, emitting a slight wave of force energy that made those nearest to her shake. "I see you people have no faith in my abilities whatsoever…Or think that I will use this power to destroy all of you. I like proving naive fools like you, Jac, wrong, so I'll do it. I'll go to Nathema and use that machine the Doctor talked about. And then…Well, it's your lucky day. I hold more of a grudge against Jadus than any of you!"
…
Many in the Alliance were shocked by Vaylin's statement, even more believed that she was tricking them and would use Nathema's power to annihilate them all. They had their reasons to think this way and Cassian couldn't judge them, yet he knew better. When the meeting was adjourned and everyone returned to the duties, preparing for an assault on Iokath, the Sith Lord chose to follow his 'girlfriend'.
"Vay…"
"What? Come on, I didn't say anything wrong." The woman sneered and rolled her eyes at the insinuation.
"No, none of that. Just wanted to thank you."
"Thank me?"
"Those people despise you, yet you still chose to fight by their side."
"It's an alliance of convenience…" Vaylin clenched her teeth. "I would've crushed them along with…What should we call them, Jadusites? You get it."
"It must have taken you a lot of willpower, yet you still chose not to fight. I know it's not easy, so thank you."
"I'm only doing this for you," Vaylin said, making Cassian pause at hearing such a blatant admission, yet he soon allowed a proud smile to emerge on his face.
"That's all I ask, after all." Cassian held Vaylin's hands and looked into her eyes, helping her to let go of her doubt.
"So…Guess I'm not waiting for anyone. Lokin gave the coordinates."
"I want to come with you."
"But what if the ritual is successful? I'll kill you!"
"Don't worry. I'll get back on the ship before you start. Just want to be by your side; I'm sure you wouldn't mind."
"No, of course not…Partner."
They both knew that whatever fate awaited them after Iokath, they would face it together.
"Eh…Am I interrupting?" A cautious female voice echoed from behind, a blue-skinned twi'lek kept close and looked at the couple as if she was scrutinizing a herd of exotic wild animals.
"Hello there, Vette." Cassian smiled. He was glad to know one of his oldest friends was safe and sound. Luckily, Jadus's army didn't harm her. "Are you doing alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, just…Uuuh…" She looked at Vaylin. "I'm not sure where to start."
"Filtering words is for the weak." Vaylin shrugged. "Just say what you want."
"Can I have a promise you won't…How did Gault call it, 'zap' me?" She said with fear, making Cassian stop it.
"Come on, she isn't dangerous, not to you anyway, and you should know it better than anyone. Didn't she save you during the battle?"
"Yeah, and she also said you're her boyfriend." She said, making Vaylin let out a light chuckle, and Cassian didn't mind, either.
"About time we called things by their actual names," Cassian said confidently.
"So it's true, really?" Vette took a deep breath. "Great…Cas, I know there's no accounting for taste, but…Really? HER?!"
"Hey, that's just rude." Vaylin pouted and crossed her arms.
"She kills…Okay, fine, killed people for fun and wanted to bombard our entire base to oblivion!" Vette let out. "I know you wanted someone more…Should we say, 'wild,' but this is overkill?"
"Well, we're happy together," Vaylin said carelessly. "You won't try and ruin your friend's joy, will you?"
"I was asking Cassian."
"Because we understand each other." The Sith responded. "Because I felt better by her side than ever since my awakening from carbonite prison, and I am not going to let go of that feeling. Because I like seeing her smile, and when I look at her, I know that I would do anything for a chance to be with her, that I want her and can't have enough." Cassian's passion grew stronger with each word said; his eyes burned bright with desire, and he would not even try to quell it."
"T-thank you…" Vaylin said, her voice growing surprisingly soft and even shy, just a slight change before coming back to her usual disposition. "No, seriously, thanks, that was so romantic! I'd kill many people for you too…And I'll even work with those bores for you, so I guess we're even!"
"Hard to argue with that…" Vette sighed before looking up and staring at Vaylin, her eyes looking far more stern and confident than before. "Hey…You!" She spoke up boldly. "Listen, I…Not sure if you know, but you're the luckiest woman in this damn galaxy if you have Cassian's loyalty. He's not lying when he says he'd do everything; this man will literally fight anyone, go anywhere, and kill anyone for those he loves! I'm still surprised by the lengths he goes to from time to time; seriously, it's insane! So treat him well, alright? Be loyal, kind, and…I don't know, not the kind of person you were before." Vette took a deep breath. "Not sure if I can show it in any way, but I'll be very grateful if you treat him right."
"Vette…" Cassian reached out to her.
"No, no, it's fine; I just really needed to say it," Vette reassured him. "I just hope I'm not shouting into the void here…Guess there's no point waiting for a response." The twi'lek sighed and turned around, making her way, but she hesitated when Vaylin finally spoke.
"Don't worry, he's safe with me," Vaylin said as she leaned onto Cassian's shoulder. "He was very kind to me when I needed it and…And I always return favors." She declared with pride as Cassian embraced her, looking into Vaylin's hopeful eyes, unable to look away.
"Cute." Vette was finally able to speak with relief in her voice and allow herself to smile. "Good luck, Cas…I hope you know what you're doing."
As she left, Cassian felt Vaylin clinging to him, caressing his arms and looking into Cassian's eyes.
"Didn't you say Vette was usually more romantic than that? Not a bad speech, but…"
"Come on now, she's done pretty well."
"Can't say that got me in the mood."
"That makes one of us." Cassian smiled and kissed Vaylin, noticing a blush emerging on her cheeks, unable to hide the joy she felt from the moment. She mellowed out in his arms, allowing him to feel the weight of her body, enclosed in a smooth, dance-like movement…However, it didn't take long for the two to remember that they were not in the best place for this. The two stopped when they saw two soldiers raising eyebrows at their behavior. "You're not going to let them stop us, are you?"
"Naughty, naughty…" Vaylin said playfully before moving away from Cassian. "Don't know about you, but I'd rather not kiss when there are people who feel like shooting me…And I'm not even allowed to kill them first." She said before letting out a demonstratively loud yawn. "You know, we'll probably need some sleep before the battle, right?"
"You think we have time? Since when did you get so optimistic?"
"Ah, come on, they'll be getting ready over the next day or something. Just…Wake me up when we get to Nathema, I'll be on the ship."
…
The battle on Odessen went like Atiel expected…Almost. She agreed on the details with her master and made all the decisions in advance. She would lose and abandon Odessen when the time would be right, regrouping with her master on Iokath. Yet even Atiel didn't expect the opposing force to be this overwhelming. Cassian, Jacques, and Vaylin ship from both fleets and even a uniquely talented Jedi master, Vajra, is by their side. As she saw them decimate the forces left on the base, she even dared to doubt if their victory in Iokath was assured…Of course, this thought was just momentary heresy that the agent discarded as she landed at her lord's fortress on the Forgotten World. The world where the Void Hammer was already fueled by the power of the purest Voidcaller. After Lokin devised the formula, it was easy to synthesize. He might have betrayed them, yet he had already done his task.
It was time to rejoin her master.
When Atiel passed through the halls, she saw many guards and defensive systems. Some were Jadus's loyal soldiers, whom he conditioned to obey his orders. Others were purifier droids, and Iokath's defensive forces were reprogrammed to obey the Archon. There were more than just regular drones; some were powerful paladins who could fight in close combat, some were flying engineers who shielded other warriors, and there were more than enough to defend the place, both warriors of flesh and those of durasteel.
However, none of this matched the awe Atiel felt as she entered the core room. The Forgotten God Nahut rose above the ground, a machine of war and destruction, recreated as a perfect image of what he once was. Of course, her Archon was there, too. He wore a mechanical armor made of Iokathi durasteel, each plate pulsing with energy and flowing in a bright golden color. The Voidcaller-infused weapons were engraved in it, a perfect symbiosis for the coming clash.
"My Lord…" Atiel spoke quietly, making Jadus move his gaze.
"Welcome." He said calmly. "You are just in time to witness the full glory of our work. Every step we took ever since I clung to this vision, this promise of a better future…Now, only one step remains."
"My lord, if I may…Cassian's forces are strong. He has both Jac and Vaylin at his side, and now he freed every hostage we had on Odessen. We have to be careful."
"We will. Always." Jadus responded, still not letting go of the devotion and uncharacteristic excitement in his voice. It was incredibly rare to see her master so jolly, to hear his voice being so sweet and fulfilled. The silence was interrupted by an incoming holocall. "Ah, perfect timing." Jadus took his holocomm, and a hologram of a Togrutan man emerged before him. Apparently, Cantor wished to check in.
"First Archon." The man said calmly, greeting his ally.
"Do you have anything to report?"
"Everything is proceeding as planned. All of my captains received their coordinates and will arrive there in a matter of hours. All ships above Iokath are already in positions."
"Marvelous. Then your part is almost over."
"Don't try anything, Jadus…I know you're not doing it for our cause. You have your own motives and goals; I only help you because, so far, they align with mine."
"Shrewd, my friend, yet you are not in a position to bargain. The key to your safety is still in my hands."
"You don't have to remind me." Cantor frowned. "It doesn't matter…It's too late for either of us to turn back. What about the weapon?"
"It's charging, which will take time, but in a matter of hours, it will be ready to unleash a storm of galactic proportions," Jadus reassured him. "Keep your chin up. We are at a precipice. Tomorrow, we will break the cycle of stagnation and open the galaxy's eyes. Its people were blind to the truth for thousands of years; they refused to see freedom for what it is. They grew too comfortable in their chains, so comfortable that they saw no point in breaking them. Even those who call themselves Sith…But soon, they will all know what it is to live without the privilege of the force. In the face of our enlightenment…Everyone shall be equal."
They were at a precipice. Indeed, all that was left was to wait and prepare to defend the Void Hammer with their lives and see this mission through to its end. First Archon, Second Voice, and Ninth Siren, finally tasting the fruits of their labor…
They were not willing to let them go.