The day when Odessen fell left a mark of shame on Lana Beniko, and even though she despised the thought, she had no other choice. Cassian's escaping was fortunate enough, especially considering the miracle that ended up saving his life. She could never imagine Vaylin, of all people, doing something like this, changing her allegiance so quickly for reasons Lana couldn't understand. She tried to destroy the Alliance and kill all of them many times, and now she just abandoned the opportunity? It was nonsensical, insane…Just like Vaylin's entire being. If Cassian was alive, he would show himself; Lana had no doubt of that, and if not, this could only mean that Vaylin simply wanted to kill him herself.

Thoughts like those made Lana shudder.

She was forced to admit defeat in front of the entire Alliance and to submit as they put a collar around her neck. The void collar, as Jadus called it…It worked exactly as expected, sending a dosage into Lana's veins every hour. She felt it every time; it wasn't too painful, but discomfort remained. It felt as if someone had choked her neck, making it harder to breathe. This effect lasted a few seconds, but it still felt as if she was drowning. Having to endure it again and again, along with seeing their base being taken over by Jadus's forces…It was hard to keep herself together.

Lana was the first one to agree to cooperate with Jadus, if only to ensure others' safety. Without Cassian or Jac, she was next in the line of command, making it her responsibility. Trusting Jadus was a huge risk in itself, yet so far, he has kept to his promise and has not hurt anyone. He quickly retired to the commander's quarters that were once Cassian's, leaving the base to his underlings to run. Lana tried everything to secure a communication channel, examining every encryption code she had, but it was futile.

The best she could do was to send a message to Theron, encrypting it with the code they devised on Rishi, but even if Jadus wasn't able to decipher it, his security measure would still detect a message being sent from Odessen. All of them were trapped in a meticulously designed cage that Jadus forced them into without any feasible opportunity to escape or even reach out to anyone outside, and this realization was infuriating.

"Oi, Lord Beniko!" Lana heard a gruff voice from behind her, and as the woman turned around, she saw a tall, bulky man in armor reminiscent of Imperial black ops. Lieutenant Pierce is a former war veteran and one of Cassian's old associates. "Been looking for you."

"What is it, Lieutenant?"

"Some nasty business in the Force Enclave," Pierce explained. "That Sazen bitch's been bothering Sana, still trying to force her out of the enclave along with all recruits." Of course…Jadus and Atiel might have been reasonable to an extent, but some of the thugs in their army were more than happy to exercise their power for the thrill of it.

"And is there any reason you're coming to me instead of stopping it yourself?" Lana sounded more bitter than usual, though she quickly realized that taking her anger out on people who were as victims as her wouldn't help anyone.

"You think I didn't try? She told me to sod off; if I provoked her further, I'd probably end up without head, and I remember you being against any of us dying without purpose."

"Yes, that's… That's right. What do you want me to do, though?"

"You're the only one of us. Jadus gave some authority; more likely, she'll listen to you than me."

He was right; it was worth a try; at least Lana would see what Ki Sazen was capable of.

"Let's not waste any time, then."

The two of them made their way towards the enclave, preparing for matters to potentially get complicated. Lana had a file on Sazen from the times of her Imperial service and knew that she was a ruthless, arrogant Sith who only cared about advancing her project concerning force-sensitive nekghouls. Lana didn't expect Ki to be reasonable, but she was more than willing to show the fallen Jedi that even if Alliance members became prisoners, this did not allow her to walk over them.

"See what I meant now?" Lana heard a mocking voice as she approached the Force Enclave. "We need space, and there is no place left in here for you. Not like you need to train in the force now anyway."

Lana saw the grey-skinned zabrak stand before Sana-rae, a Voss mystic who looked down in shame. She had a void collar on her neck as well, as did every force-sensitive Alliance member. Those two were not alone, however, as Sazen had a squad of grey-skinned creatures standing behind her.

"Nekghouls?!" Lana could barely believe her eyes. "You didn't mention them."

"Eh… Weren't any before I left."

"Please, I only ask that you leave space for me to meditate." Sana-Rae: "Most of my visions came within the enclave; it's remote, and I can concentrate here…There is no other place like this on the base."

"And what makes you think your visions matter?" Sazen chuckled. "From what I heard, you Voss live in stagnation, heeding shady visions and signs instead of taking control of your own planet. I'd try and explain what a wasteful way of thinking this is, but…I doubt your silly Voss head is big enough for those thoughts." She continued to humiliate Sana-Rae for no other reason than to feel superior. Lana felt utterly disgusted.

"What is going on here?" She said loudly, attracting others' attention. Nekghouls took out their training blades, ready to attack any second.

"Calm down, friends!" Sazen told them to hold back. "No need for violence; I'm sure Jadus's new pet isn't so stupid as to attack us here."

"I say again, what's going on here?!"

"Advisor Beniko!" Sana-Rae said with relief. "This is madness…She wants to train her nekghouls here."

"And why is that wrong?" Sazen said with annoyance

"Because I know what you want to do. You'll infuse them with Voidcaller, make them walking vessels for the poison… You'll ruin our enclave, and it will only be a start."

"Is that true, Ki?" Lana asked.

"Yes, and what's it to you? Voidcaller is our main weapon against whoever tries to attack us. No Sith or Jedi can withstand it." That much was true. The Voidcaller gave Jadus's conspirators an overwhelming advantage against force-users. If not for it, they would've never surrendered the base; not a single one of them had any hope of winning against Cassian except, perhaps, Jadus himself.

"We agreed to cooperate, no more, no less. Enhancing your poison isn't a part of that."

"Oh, really now?" Kai could barely hold back her smile. "How can you be so utterly clueless? 'Enhancing poisons' is why we are here in the first place! And if you think you're in any position to argue, you're an idiot!" She became more agitated.

"This 'research' is dangerous." Sana-Rae pleaded. "Can't you see? "

"Dangerous this, destructive that… I've heard enough of that from my Jedi masters back when they saw me as some lowly Padawan. And now? I am a part of a group that will change the entire galaxy."

"Why did you do it, Sazen? Why abandon the Empire? "Lana asked, wondering if Ki could give away more details about Jadus's plan. She wasn't someone who watched what she said.

"Why? The same reason I abandoned the Republic! I found a better offer…Jadus gave me what I needed. Protection for me and my cult, this new Voidcaller to experiment with, and especially an opportunity to partake in one of the grandest endeavors our galaxy has ever seen…"

"Is that what you call the grandest endeavor? Taking over one planet?" Lana said begrudgingly. "I've seen more than enough of that in my lifetime, and most of such conquests are forgotten already, much less centuries in the future."

"This is only the first step. Do you think your pathetic world is a worthy end goal? Of course not!" Sazen laughed. "When we're done, the whole galaxy will know our names!"

"Is that what Jadus told you? Fed some empty platitudes without even explaining the purpose?" Lana said with disappointment. "I know how many people he sacrificed for his scheme with eradicators. Do you think you're any different? I doubt Jadus even remembers their names." She said, making Ki Sazen avoid eye contact for a few moments.

"Those pawns were too weak to survive in Jadus's new world…And I'm not!"

"And what is this Jadus's new world? Did he give you the details?"

"He…He told me what was necessary, and I will know the full details soon enough!"

"Just like I thought, he didn't even share his plans with you. And after all this, you still think he cares about your fame and accomplishments?"

Before Sazen could respond, Lana heard more steps coming her way. The Sith looked around and saw Atiel wandering into the Force Enclave.

"What is going on here?" She asked calmly.

"I'm trying to concentrate! "Sazen said arrogantly. "And those freaks don't get the hint."

"Please, you have to listen." Sana-Rae looked at Atiel. "She wants to train her nekghouls and empower them with the Voidcaller. Whatever she creates will be devastating."

"Good," Atiel said. "We will need 'devastating' very soon. Now, leave Ki to her workings unless you don't want to get shot on sight."

"But…"

"I will not repeat myself."

Sana-Rae found no response; instead, she moved away as she looked down in defeat. Atiel turned towards Lana and Pierce.

"Now, the reason I came here…"

"If you want me, then you'll have to wait," Lana said dismissively. "I haven't finished all of my work around the base yet."

"I don't want you, actually. I want him." Atiel looked at the Lieutenant.

"Me? What for?" Pierce raised an eyebrow.

"I have a few questions to ask."

"You'd better wait, then, I have a job to do."

"That's not up for discussion. You were one of Cassian Narok's closest associates before Zakuul invaded, and you will tell me everything you know about him."

…

Time for a visit…

At first, Vaylin got excited at the prospect, but of course, Cassian just had to make it more boring immediately.

"When we get to them, let me do the talking."

"What, talking? Are you serious! We can kill all of them with no effort, and you say we're going to talk?!"

"Yes. We can kill them, but the more people we kill, the more attention we garner. It won't be long before the entirety of Zakuul knows we're here. That includes whatever agents Jadus has here. And then, before you know it, he'll bring his entire Voidcaller arsenal with him. If we pose as Exchange so they allow us passage to the city, no one will notice."

"I hate you."

"I'm sure you do."

She didn't, not really; she just hated Cassian's infuriating tendency to make sense. Even she had to begrudgingly agree that unless they wanted to expose themselves to their enemies, a discreet approach was for the best. Eventually, she caved in. Cassian and Vaylin dressed themselves in Exchange for armor sets, which were designed for swamp exploration and protection from poison and corrosion. They would also help cover their faces and hopefully avoid suspicion. They took some access codes and made their way to the checkpoint. As they continued to head towards the city, Vaylin pondered on Cassian's questions.

Why did she save him?

She couldn't explain those feelings yet, not to him, not to herself. She could only recall how she felt as Jadus was about to execute Cassian. It was as if his lightsaber was aimed at her neck, not his. If Jadus killed him, Vaylin felt that a part of herself would dissipate in that very instant. As if any reasons she had for returning to the realm of the living would just immediately become utterly irrelevant and pointless. Even though the only reason she came back was because of her desire at the spur of the moment…If Cassian died, she just felt like this moment would never arise again. But did this mean she came back for him? No, this was idiotic and made no sense. He was her enemy until recently, and his attempts to reach out were probably just a ploy. Surely she'd know all about lies and deceit after dealing with SCORPIO?

Vaylin wasn't sure.

Soon, the two of them arrived at the nearest checkpoint. It felt strange to see Zakuulan technology being overtaken. When Vaylin visited those during her time as High Justice, knights of Zakuul and Skytroopers loyally guarded them, maintaining Eternal Empire's supremacy. Now, all knights were gone, and the few Skytroopers that remained got reprogrammed. Other than that, she could only see gangsters in similar outfits walking the grounds that knights once walked. Everything was lost now, everything became a hive of scum and villainy, and Vaylin was a stranger in her own home. Much has changed in such a short time; at this point, she just had to follow through and see what remained of her and Arcann's old Empire.

As the two of them approached the checkpoint, they caught the attention of two Exchange guards.

"Halt!" One of them said. "You're ahead of schedule. We didn't expect any patrols to report at this time."

"We have urgent news for overseer Calum," Cassian said.

"What news? Calum's busy."

"Regarding Paragon's forces, we'd like to talk to him in private. I'm sure he will be more than willing to take a break for such revelations."

"Hm…"

"Just let them pass." The other guard said. "I'd rather someone else deal with Calum and not us."

"Fine, I guess…" The man sighed. "Your codes."

Cassian and Vaylin scanned the access codes, opening the way forward for them. Vaylin was impressed by how simple it was; they didn't even consider that codes and armor could've been stolen. Knights of Zakuul would never allow themselves to be so unprofessional.

"Come on, wait inside, and I'll fetch him for you." He beckoned for them to follow into the checkpoint's inner sanctum, once it was used as a waiting room for people to get transport ships and ascent to the gateways etched in the metal walls that overshadowed the swamps. Vaylin could barely stop herself from giggling.

"What an idiot…" She whispered and chuckled as the two of them walked behind the thug.

"Don't jinx it," Cassian warned her.

"Sit here." The man pointed at the few waiting seats. "I'll tell Calum… It's about Paragon, right?"

"Correct."

"Guess he sent his forces…Hope that fuck finally gets what's coming to him."

"Just let us discuss it with the overseer."

"Fine, whatever. I'll get him for you."

The man left as Cassian and Vaylin took a seat. The woman yawned and stretched her legs.

"Oh dear, I forgot how it feels walking through the swamp for hours…My poor legs."

"It's been going better than I expected."

"Those Exchange goons are really as dumb as they seem."

"What else do you expect from gangsters? It's a perfect job for someone who's either too brave or too stupid. They only care for credits, and they often get theirs regardless of how well they did their job…"

"True, I suppose. There must have been many in your old Empire. Do Sith Lords torture them and cut off their limbs, or do they tend to go straight for the head?"

"Straight for the head most of the time. During war days, we were too busy to waste time on swine like this." Cassian said with anger in his voice.

"You really hate them, don't you? Let me guess, some bandit stole a precious Sith Holocron toy from you?"

"I wish it was that simple…" Cassian sighed. "Had to work closely with some of those before the academy."

"Ooh…Were you in a gang? Your crew must love seeing you on all the holo-channels."

"I didn't have a large crew, just a…Call it a Bounty Hunter duo."

Before Cassian could talk more, the two of them heard someone approaching. This time, there were multiple steps at the same time; they were loud, and Vaylin could already hear shouting coming from the hall.

"You're on thin ice. You think we won't kill you?" An angry voice echoed, immediately attracting Vaylin's and Cassian's attention.

"Of course, you wouldn't; I'm the only hope for your sorry mugs to get any intel at all!" Another, quite boisterous and confident voice replied.

"Now you're asking for it!" The first voice responded, and an echo of a loud punch soon followed. "You think that's painful? We're giving you to the overseer, and trust me, he'll take more than just fingers.

"I've survived worse…So go on, do your worst, I'm not giving them away."

Vaylin looked at Cassian.

"Looks like someone's having fun over there. Should we take a look?"

"No, let them have their fun."

"Aren't we supposed to help our 'friends'? They're beating someone up, and we're pretending to be on the same side…Maybe if we don't join, they'll suspect us of something shady."

"For not wanting to help them beat up a prisoner?"

"Maybe they're only hiring sadists. Better be safe than sorry…" Vaylin said playfully, but before they could act, they saw a man tossed to the floor right in front of them as three Exchange guards towered over him.

"We're only getting started!" The guard shouted as he looked at his victim with pure glee. Vaylin finally got a glimpse of the wounded man. He looked oddly familiar. With darker skin, resilient eyes full of pride, and short black hair, it felt as if she had seen him before, but where?

"Do your worst."

"Oh, we will do that and more… Should've stopped fighting for Zakuul a long time ago; it's ours now!"

"It's not, and it will never be." The man spat at the guard before him. "We're already fighting back, and we'll drive you away before you bastards know it!"

"Is it…" Cassian spoke quietly. He was focused on the man before him, watching guards drag him across the corridor as he made the gruesome job all the more difficult for them. "And here I thought we were done with surprises."

"He looks familiar, but I can't wrap my head around it…" Vaylin said.

"Remember that genius who put a quantum bomb on the Gravestone?" Cassian said with annoyance, immediately attracting the group's attention, especially the prisoners, who reflexively shivered at the sound.

"Wait, is that…"

"What?" One of the guards asked abrasively. "Look me in the eyes, you…"

"That voice, I'd recognize it anywhere…Outlander?"