Life could be full of surprises, but earlier today, Cassian couldn't have expected to end up among Zakuulan swamps without means of communication. Just him, Vaylin, a few towering spires far in the mist, and wilderness that filled Cassian with some oddly nostalgic feelings. It was similar to the day Lana and Koth freed him from carbonite prison and all three had to escape Vaylin. Now, she was with him, following through the swamps without complaining or attempting to backstab him. Cassian tried not to show his delight, as this was exactly what he hoped for. All Cassian wanted Vaylin to understand that he didn't want to hurt her and wasn't her enemy, and he made it difficult by humiliating her in front of the galaxy. She must have found strength to trust him, or perhaps his apologies were genuine enough? Cassian would give her the time she needs, as for now…"
"Ewww!" He heard Vaylin's disgusted voice and turned around.
"What's wrong?" Cassian looked at her, rushing towards the nearby water source and putting one of her feet in.
"I stepped into something dirty…And gross."
"Everything here is dirty and gross." Cassian shook his head and crossed his arms. "My boots are drenched in mud already."
"No, but this is worse, stickier, like some Rancor shit! I hate it…And all this mud, too!"
"I wouldn't have taken you for someone afraid of getting dirty. Maybe I should've just told Theron to charge his blasters with mud balls."
"Not funny!" Vaylin snapped but then quickly paused, immediately changing her tone to a quieter and more thoughtful. "Hm, to be fair…I didn't mind it as a child. You know, one time I ran away with Arcann and Thexan to live in those swamps for a while…It was fun." Vaylin chuckled with delight. "I remember Arcann tried to play with me and threw mudballs. I taught him a little lesson and made him fly. Wasn't a clean spot left on his clothes after that."
She reminisced with childish pride while Cassian noticed something peculiar. A spot that Vaylin stepped on had a color different from the rest of the muddy landscape. A bright green tint and some acid spreading around the broken shards and tissue, a familiar sight… "He whined to Mother for hours without end, and Thexan just told him to laugh it off…You know, Thexan knew how to have fun, at least. Arcann was horrible at it!"
"Vaylin, wait." Cassian interrupted her.
"What? Listen to my story; it's exciting."
"You didn't step into the mud; those are invalid eggs!"
"Oh…You can find those in the open sometimes, but that means there's…"
She didn't finish as a loud roar echoed from behind them, making Vaylin and Cassian reflexively recoil as a ferocious monster emerged from the nearby pond. An insecticide creature colored in silver and crimson with multiple limbs and poison dripping from its fangs.
"And here's the mommy!" Vaylin smiled in anticipation; neither she nor Cassian were worried, not with their powers.
"She'd do anything to defend her children. Or avenge them." The Sith said as he ignited his lightsaber.
"Wish I had a mother like that." Vaylin sighed. "Oh well, got to kill it either way."
The monster spat its poison, but Vaylin evaded quickly. Cassian threw his lightsaber and cut some of the monster's limbs off, making it screech in pain as it drowned in its own blood. Vaylin raised her hands, forcing the monster into the air.
"Think you can attack me? Me?! I am the Empress of Zakuul, not now, but in the past and maybe in the future…I'm the strongest being in this galaxy, and who are you?! Nothing!" Vaylin became more excited with her every word, speaking louder and louder. "I'll show you what you get if you try to mess with me; prepare for an ultimate display of power, dominance, and…"
Cassian threw the lightsaber again, cutting off the monster's head. Vaylin recoiled and dropped the body as Cassian interrupted her display.
"What…What do you think you're doing? I had a speech to make!"
"I'm sure you're having a lot of fun with it, but…"
"Shut up!"
Cassian felt a powerful push forcing him towards the nearest pond. He barely had a split second to resist before finding himself completely soaked in dirty waters. Vaylin didn't let him go, continuing to hold Cassian in her grip.
"Listen here, blueberry…I joined you to have some fun. If you are going to take away my entertainment…"
"Or you could try and think ahead! With all the sound you're making, you're inviting everyone in those wilds to come and feast on us!"
"As if I can't kill every beast in here!"
"Well…Do you want to get drenched in their blood and insides? Iknayid eggs will be child's play compared to that."
"I…UUURGH!" Vaylin let Cassian go and formed a pouty grimace on her face. "You're so, so dull…But you have a point, I guess." She shrugged. "I'll need to take a bath after we're done here. I hate having too much dirt on me. It's…Eh, doesn't matter."
"See, sometimes 'boring' and pragmatic go hand in hand."
"Ugh, why did I even save you?" Vaylin rolled her eyes. This was a good question, which neither knew the answer to. Cassian wasn't sure whether this was the time to delve into it, but his curiosity got the better.
"You tell me." Cassian raised an eyebrow in suspicion.
"Huh?"
"You know your reasons far better than anyone else," Cassian noted. "You could've just stood aside and watched Jadus kill me; it wouldn't have cost you nothing. But you saved me, and not just to kill me yourself later."
"You want to know?"
"Anyone would."
"Too bad, I like keeping you guessing." Vaylin giggled.
"If you came back here to avenge your death, I'm one of the first people you should've gone after." Cassian hoped that perhaps those nudges would make Vaylin ponder and question her own motives, helping her understand herself.
"And why do you think I came back for revenge?"
"Why else would you take over that body?"
"Hm…I just felt like it." She responded lightly. "I saw a young woman's body lying free for the taking and decided I might need one later in case I have some unfinished business here."
"Do you even know what that business is?" Cassian said with amusement.
"No, I'm not sure yet." Vaylin paused and avoided eye contact momentarily as if thinking about her next words. "But it's more fun to figure it out along the way, don't you agree?"
"I don't."
"What did I even expect…Not to worry, I know there's a little fun in you; maybe I can bring it out." She said playfully, much to Cassian's amusement. "Maybe I'll want to go and obliterate a spire or two along with everyone inside…Maybe, 50% or so. Another 20% that I'll just want to travel around the galaxy, maybe visit Voss; I hope they haven't rebuilt completely yet, and 30% for…I don't know. It comes and goes."
"Hopefully, not striking me in the back."
"You make it more tempting like that…"
"I will fight back, all 100%…" Before they could continue their journey towards the city walls, Cassian felt someone approaching from behind. They were clearly not alone…
"And what are those going to be?" A cautious, quiet, yet still distinguishable voice echoed from behind Cassian. He turned around along with Vaylin, only to see four men coming from behind the nearest bushes. All of them wore black armor and masks that covered their faces; one of them carried a sniper rifle, while others held blasters.
"Careful, idiot, you're gonna…"
But it was too late by this point, as Cassian and Vaylin clearly realized what was happening and looked at them. The Sith Lord still had his lightsaber ignited, and the corpse of a ferocious invalid lay before them.
"Shit, shit…" One of the men asked before attempting to fire at Cassian. The Sith quickly deflected this blast with his lightsaber and force-choked the sniper. As the enemy shivered in pain and was powerless to resist, the Sith Lord tossed him aside and focused on the other 3.
"Open fire!" One of them commanded as they aimed at Vaylin. She unleashed some of her lightning at the closest foe, immediately causing the assailant to drop dead. Another took his shot, but Cassian managed to rush in between him and Vaylin and sent the blast back at him, piercing the man's head. The third one had his hands shivering in fear for the few seconds that it took Vaylin to rush towards him and slice him in half.
"I see my people are as stupid as ever." Vaylin sighed before turning towards the last survivor by the nearby bush. "Now, whatever to do with you…"
"I…I give up, please, stop!"
"We need this one for questioning." Cassian stepped forward and said commandingly. "This does not look like Zakuulan clothing, and I haven't seen fashion trends change that quickly." Cassian stood above the man.
"Wait, your voice, I…I think I heard it on the holonet, and you look like…You're the Alliance commander?!" He said, still unable to let go of the shock.
"Hah." Vaylin smiled. "Remember when you were some obscure figure hiding in Odessen that my brother couldn't even find? Everyone knows you now, apparently."
"Please…" The man said. "What do you want?"
"Start by telling me who you and your party are."
"We…We've been sent to patrol the swamps in case the Paragon's forces make their move, and…"
"Hold on, what are Paragon's forces? And who sent you?"
"I…We're with the Exchange. The boss sent us here to…To do our job!"
"And your boss is?"
"O…Overseer Calum, commander of checkpoint Dres!" Checkpoints were all around the capital of Zakuul, the gateways in its unbreakable walls that one could use to get into the city on a transport ship. This was exactly what Cassian and Vaylin needed to sneak into civilization and look for allies and means to escape Zakuul.
"And who is the Paragon?"
"Haven't you heard? That new ideologue that…That tries to drive us out of Zakuul; we've been at war with him for months!"
"Ah, I think I understand." Cassian heard talk about a man who tried to rally Zakuulans under a single banner and reclaim their home, though he didn't know the extent of his work. "Doran Mart?"
"Y-yes, him!"
"I see. Now, do you have anything to guide us to that outpost you mentioned?"
"I…We have radars and clearance codes. All patrols do!"
"Then we will take them and pay a visit."
"W…What? You can't be serious. They'll shoot you both on sight! You might have defeated the four of us, but hundreds are at the outpost."
"We'll improvise," Cassian said before igniting his saber, much to the man's horror. He recognized him, and Cassian and Vaylin needed to keep their identities low-profile while on Zakuul. Jadus could have eyes everywhere. "Thanks for your cooperation." The Sith said moments before decapitating the mercenary in front of him.
"Oh…" Vaylin said with curiosity. "So you can be eager when you want to?"
"I always am," Cassian responded. "We'll take their masks and clearance codes; then it will be time for a visit."
They had to secure a way to the capital, whether by negotiation or force.
…
Theron wasn't too excited about visiting the Jedi Temple but knew it was inevitable. If anything, he should've been surprised that it took some time before Satele extended a direct invitation, but after the spaceport incident, she had no choice. After nursing Jac, the group made their way to reclaimed temple grounds, which held many memories for most of them. Jac and Kira made their first strides towards greatness on those serene grounds, becoming the vaunted Jedi heroes they were destined to be, especially Jac. He might not have been Satele's student, yet she played a major role in shaping the man he became. The man who was willing to face oblivion itself in the form of Emperor Vitiate, the man who battled him on Dromund Kaas and emerged victorious. Theron knew Satele was proud of him. The way she addressed, Jac was enough to show it. Even his abandoning the Republic couldn't shatter this faith.
Theron didn't hold any of it against Jac; I thought it was hard sometimes. The spy wondered how his life would turn out if blessed with the force. Would he become the hero of the Jedi? Even if he didn't want to, something g told him Satele would push him on this path, a family tradition. After all, Theron has been through, he felt some solace in knowing he could never become a slave to Jedi dogmas. He would never want to become like Satele, to push his family and friends away…
Satele met them in her chambers.
"Welcome." The woman said calmly after hearing their footsteps, slowly interrupting her meditation. Theron saw a faint smile emerge as she eyed the four of them. "Jac, Theron, Kira…It has been a long time since I've seen you in the flesh. A shame that it had to happen under those circumstances."
"You weren't exactly easy to track in recent years," Theron remarked, quickly realizing that he should've stayed silent.
"We all had our reasons to keep apart." Satele sighed. "Perhaps it will change in the future, though I have my doubts." She ruminated before Kira spoke.
"Let's get to the important stuff. When we have terrorists walking on Tython like they own the place, we shouldn't waste time."
"Agreed." Scourge added. "Your messengers must have told you about our battle."
"Indeed." Satele nodded. "Ki Sazen was there, leading the assault."
"Yes, and she got away." Scourge said with anger in his voice. "The next time I see her, I will tear her apart like a deranged creature she is…"
"Don't give in to your hatred." Satele interrupted. "It won't serve us here."
"I have a good reason to be angry, as do you. You know what happened to you, padawan…"
"Juazo…" Satele said with shame, prompting Jac to continue.
"I'm sorry, Satele, I tried to reason with him, take him alive…But he left us no chance."
"I don't blame you, not when your actions saved lives. I only wish that it wouldn't be so common…Juazo, Trad, Syl, all those I sent to fight Zakuul. If only I could save at least one." As a grandmaster and a war veteran, Satele learned to mask her emotions well, but even so, Theron saw her pain. The way she blamed herself for letting those padawans down, did she share those feelings towards her own son?
"I have reason to believe Juazo is innocent," Jac explained. "Unlike Ki, he was in a trance, as if he could only act out a few specific tasks. His speech was impaired; he was going in circles and was completely subservient to Ki. No passion, no hatred, no spite, nothing to suggest that he fell to the dark side. If you don't blame us, don't blame him either." Jac reassured her.
"So those conspirators took him from us…That would explain his absence." Satele sighed. "I wish I didn't have to imagine the length Ki would go to break his mind, all while I didn't even care to search for him myself."
"You can still avenge him." Scourge encouraged. "Root out every single one of those terrorists and make them pay!"
"Perhaps I would if this made it easier, but I know it doesn't." Satele shot the suggestion down. "Better tell me about the anti-force poison. I take this isn't the first time you encounter it?"
"It isn't." Jac nodded. "A few days before you called us, Cassian and I had to deal with sabotage from within. A few Chiss spies and knights on Zakuul that possessed some of that poison, we traced them back to Copero."
"Did you find out who created it?"
"We know who commandeered the operation on Copero," Jac said. "Zola'tie'leo, Atiel. Former Cipher of the Imperial intelligence and one of the founders of the Alliance."
"Hm…" Kira interjected. "I remember you talking about her. Was she the one that left just before Arcann attacked Odessen?"
"Yes, and we haven't seen or heard of her since until Copero." Jac sighed. "Clearly, she supports a different cause now, like Sazen."
"Are there any connections between the two?" Theron wondered.
"Not that I know of…"
"Except both of them fought for the Empire before." Scourge interjected.
"What do you mean?" Jac wondered.
"I had doubts when you first mentioned the name, but when I saw Sazen, I recognized her. She was one of the newly-joining Sith during the early second war."
"And you didn't mention it until now?"
"I waited for a fitting moment. I met her a few times, never learning her real name, but I don't forget faces. When Sazen joined the Sith, she was immediately taken under the wing of one of the most influential members of the Dark Council at the time. Darth Jadus."
"Darth Jadus?" Satele spoke. "I heard much about him. The man who faked his own death to destroy the Council's power base and claim his place as the most influential Sith in the Empire…"
"Until he disappeared without a trace." Scourge finished. "Atiel was his chief enforcer, the one who helped him with his plan once he revealed the truth to her. She was called the Hand of Jadus."
"Yes, she mentioned that…" Jac spoke, realizing that the puzzle pieces had finally begun to fall into place. "And Lana believed that Jadus was still out there, plotting another scheme."
"Here it is, then." Kira sighed heartily. "A lead. Too bad, since I doubt anyone in Republic space will know a single damn thing about Jadus…"
"Cassian has contacts in the Empire," Jac suggested. "I'm sure he will help us out, if not regarding Jadus, then perhaps Atiel or Sazen."
"Then, let's not waste any time," Scourge said confidently. "Let's call Odessen and discuss our next step."
"Agreed." Jac nodded before walking towards the exit along with Scourge and Kira. He paused as he reached the door and turned towards Theron.
"Are you with us?"
"I'll…Take a moment. Don't wait for me." Theron said moments before Jacques and his friends left, drowning the room in pressing silence. It's been years since Satele and him got to talk with each other.
"I should've known better than to expect a few days of peace after destroying Tenebrae," Satele said softly as she approached Theron.
"No rest for the weary…" The man sighed and finally turned towards her. "At least it's an excuse for me to come and visit, whether you want to see me or not."
"I do, Theron, more than anyone," Satele said with shame. "I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to talk back on the ship. I hoped that another opportunity might arise."
"I'm here to help with the investigation first and foremost; you're our ally now."
"Theron…" Satele spoke softly. Recent years changed her. Theron did not hear the confidence and faith of a stoic Jedi in her voice, just somber notes of sadness, perhaps even yearning for something different. She wasn't the Grandmaster now, just Satele. "Kira told me about your participation. You didn't have to go with her, Scourge, Jac, and Cassian. Not only that, they didn't want anyone else to come with them. But you volunteered and demanded they take you with them."
"Yes…" Theron said awkwardly, this would come out sooner or later, no reason to deny it. "Didn't stop until they bulged."
"I know you wanted to help me." Satele smiled faintly before raising her hand, almost putting it on Theron's shoulder. "Thank you, Theron." However, the man stepped aside.
"Of course, I wanted to help!" He spoke up. "You may not always acknowledge it, but you're my mother…And I wouldn't like to lose another parent." Theron clenched his fist and watched Satele look down in silence.
"I won't hold it against you if you don't want to answer, but if you can…I want to know how it happened. How did Jace die?"
"He dug his own grave." Theron scoffed, trying to sound as uncaring and dismissive as possible. After all this was true, Malcom's greed and desire to claim the superweapon at all costs ended up taking his life. He even admitted his fault in the end! It shouldn't have hurt, not months after it happened. "Cassian wanted to take him alive, Acina wouldn't challenge him, and I told Malcom that this was a no-good doomsday device. He didn't listen, and it killed him."
"I see…There was a time when I tried to convince Jace to abandon this destructive path, but he never wanted it. Perhaps if I was there, I could've changed something."
"It's not your fault." Theron shook his head. "It's Malcom's…And mine."
"Yours?"
"Yes," Theron said with a heavy heart. "He might have chased the weapon, but I lured him and Acina to Iokath in the first place. It was a part of my ploy to get into the Order of Zildrog. I knew it was risky and that sacrifices would have to be made, but not this…Should've seen it coming. We…We argued a lot and never agreed on things, but that doesn't…" Theron felt his hands shaking. "I didn't want him to die. I remember Acina and her imps celebrating Malcom's death, and I just…Was on their side, you know? Just standing there and watching as they…"
"Theron." Satele reached out to him. "If you still care for any advice from me, then please, don't blame yourself. I know the lengths you took to spare the galaxy the order's wrath. You had to lie to your best friends, walk among enemies, endanger innocents…I won't judge you for it because you saved billions of lives. Many wouldn't have been able to carry on in your place. After all the pain you've been through, the least you deserve is to make peace with your choices, no matter how hard they are. And I know it feels impossible sometimes…But I believe you can do it."
"I…I don't know if I can." A tear fell down Theron's eye. "But thank you…Thank you." He said, looking at Satele's hopeful smile.
"I know it's a lot to ask and that I haven't done anything to earn this moment, but…Can we set aside our past and be mother and son?" She said in an almost pleading tone. "I think Jace would've wanted it."
"He would've…" Theron admitted, allowing his mother to give him a warm hug.
"And I know he would've forgiven you, even if you don't think so. Jace knew everything about making hard decisions and always stood by his convictions. That is why I loved him."
"Do you think there was ever a chance for? To be a family since the beginning…"
"Perhaps, if Jace and I made very different choices early on. Perhaps we would all be happier then, but there's no way to know; we can only make the most of what we have."
She was right, and Theron was grateful for this moment. Perhaps the pain will never fully go away. Perhaps he will never stop blaming himself…But Theron knew he had to try.
That's what his father would've wanted.