There is no emotion, there is peace…
Jacques clung to Jedi code, though it became harder with every passing hour. The first time Cassian did not answer, Jac felt suspicious, but he didn't jump to conclusions; rashness would do him no good. However, once he and Kira found the encrypted channels that prevented them from reaching Odessen, Jac knew that this was no simple delay. Theron, Scourge, and Satele agreed on the matter; something had to be done.
Theron began searching different holo-frequencies in an attempt to discover even the smallest clues that could bring them closer to unraveling this mystery, but the process was slow, and at times, all they could do was to wait and hope that there was a reasonable explanation for this sudden change, though Jac didn't dare to hope that it would be easy.
As for Satele, she gave in and meditated, trying to sense the danger from afar. Jac wasn't sure if it would bring her any clarity, but every method was viable in their situation. He just wished that whatever happened, his friends were safe. Jac knew he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if anyone fell in a battle while he wasn't there to defend the Alliance.
"Any ideas on what it could be?" Kira's voice interrupted Jac's musings. They were in one of the meditation rooms with Scourge, not far from Satele. "Wouldn't bet on all their comms suddenly breaking at the same time."
"Perhaps Vaylin broke free," Jac said coldly, voicing one of his most fearful concerns. "She would go on a rampage and spare absolutely no one."
"Break free from THAT chamber?" Kira raised an eyebrow. "I know she's powerful and all, but even for her, that's impressive."
"She is Vitiate's daughter, so strong that even he feared her."
"He feared her potential." Scourge interjected. "Potential that never got realized because of her imprisonment of Nathema. A lone Emperor's spawn will not be able to destroy the Alliance base, not even close."
"Plus, I can't imagine her being very good at coding," Kira added.
"Do you have any better ideas?"
"Someone could be blocking our communications." Scourge noted. "Those new conspirators, most likely."
"They must have a lot of resources to pull off something like that."
"Perhaps they do. If they can brainwash others, who's to say they cannot block communications?"
"That's true…"
Before anyone could speak of other suggestions, the door to the temple room opened, and Satele graced them with her presence.
"Are you alright, master?" Jac said with concern, noticing Satele's tiredness.
"I am, thank you…"
"Did you see anything that can give us a lead?" Scourge immediately cut to the chase.
"Nothing clear, just fading echoes of a vaguely familiar presence…" She spoke quietly as if something haunted her. "Very harrowing and distressing."
"Was it Vaylin? "Jac wondered.
"No, her spirit is much like her father's. Strong, unbound, all-consuming. What I felt wasn't dissimilar, but…It was the other side of it."
"What do you mean?"
"Not the storm that Tenebrae or Vaylin are, but the ashes they leave behind. The same emptiness that overtook Medriaas and Ziost when the Emperor drained them of life. I can only call it 'void.'"
Jac reflexively clenched his fist. Could it be…No, he didn't even want to think about it. Vaylin was not as powerful as her father; she might have been a formidable opponent, but she would never have the strength to consume an entire planet like Vitiate did, not without extensive training and preparation.
"I still have contacts in Galactic Senate," Satele said. "Perhaps they can help us investigate."
"After we've made a deal with the Empire?" Jac shook his head. "I doubt it."
"Some of them are more open-minded than you might think. Perhaps…"
Before she could finish, Theron entered the room.
"Alright, you all need to see this!" He said with simultaneous anticipation and worry in his voice. "I caught a message, the same one appearing on multiple frequencies. It was encrypted, but I managed to decode it."
"Do we know who sent it?" Kira asked.
"No, I couldn't trace its origin; whoever sent it wanted to cover their tracks, no voice, either…" Theron took out his datapad and showed others a quick, simple message.
"Odessen has fallen. Darth Jadus has returned. He is now in control, and it is only the beginning. Whoever reads this, proceed with caution; he has a poison that can nullify the force."
…
Cassian and Vaylin didn't talk about what happened the moment they boarded the shuttle. She wasn't comfortable with it, and the last thing Cassian wanted was to make it worse. He could guess what had happened; she had seen something, an image she really didn't want to see. Cassian had moments like those, as well, and while they were disorienting for him, considering what Vaylin went through, they must have been outright mortifying. It was rare to see such horror in her eyes, the fear of a child as she is surrounded by darkness and trauma. If his reassurance did even the smallest part to soothe her pain, the Sith Lord was content with it. That was why he reached out in the first place. As irrational and deluded as it was, he wanted to help…
However, it was better to avoid any distractions when they were on an important mission.
Despite some complications, they finally got into the city. Cassian would love to feel any sort of relief, but this was only the first step in a very long and complicated endeavor, perhaps the simplest one. At least iknayids and the like were predictable, and now they found themselves among cravens. The people of Zakuul were at war, a war that did not concern them, yet it was the one they would inevitably have to witness and perhaps even participate in. Koth led them across the streets straight to the rendezvous point where Doran's forces would pick them up and take them to their leader. At least among all the people of Zakuul, Koth wasn't someone to set up a trap, at least not a trap that Cassian and Vaylin could not withstand.
Either way, they played along for now. Cassian hadn't visited Zakuul since taking the throne; his dislike of the world and the people that inhabited it was strong enough to keep him away. Even so, it was clear that much has changed, and not due to time. Durasteel towers lost their coloring and half the light; some were utterly destroyed and now lay in ruins. The once great city that Valkorion built was in decline.
The same could be said about its people. There were no skytroopers or knights in sight, only civilians who hid beneath the shadows of nearby towers. They were covered in dirt and clung together in groups, trying to share the warmth. They were like refugees, standing at the doors of those who were lucky enough to still have homes and pleaded to have scraps off their tables. Children running across the tarnished streets, a lone woman with a wounded leg sitting and moaning at the edge of the street, and a few armed men guarding their wives and children, they must have been preparing for danger, unsurprisingly so.
"It's strange to see Zakuul like this," Cassian said as he finally finished looking around.
"That's our new normal," Koth said with a heavy heart and a grim voice. "Got rid of three tyrants in a row and expected it to get better…Shame on us."
"Seems like there's many wounded around. You're not going to help?"
"I tried at first, but…What can one man do out here? I leave that to the professionals and do my best to help Doran… Don't know if it makes anything better, but I hope so."
"It's your people's fault," Vaylin said dismissively. "Well, sorry, 'our' people's. The only reason why those Exchange crazies are even trying is because instead of a strong Emperor or Empress, you elected some council of pacifist buffoons. If Indo and his ilk hadn't conspired against me, you might have still had a strong leader." As always, Vaylin didn't care to filter her words.
"Yeah, a strong leader who kills us for fun." Indo was a hero for challenging you." Koth responded angrily.
"This is rich." Vaylin chuckled. "What does it say about the people if their 'hero' got killed by a chair on Nathema?"
"At least we know what we're facing here; with you, it would be half-expecting parts of the city to blow up any day…Just because you'd want to see some pretty explosions."
"Explosions are fun."
"And that makes it worth destroying our people's lives?"
"Hey, if our people were half as fun and pretty as explosions, maybe I would've cared."
"See, it's all just a game for you." Koth shook his head. "You, Arcann, the knights, the scions…All of the orders had Valkorion's power and authority with zero responsibility.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That you're like children. Untouchable because of your force, so to you, everyone else is just a toy to have fun with! Even now, you two can have me do almost anything you want…Because it would cost you nothing to just snap my neck if I tell you to piss off. Would've changed your tune if you didn't have that kind of power."
"Is that your way of telling us to…Well, to piss off?" Vaylin raised an eyebrow. "Because if so, you said it yourself, we can snap your neck for that…"
"Enough, we've already gone through this," Cassian interjected. "No one's killing anybody, at least until we deal with Jadus. Understand?"
"Yeah, sure…" Koth sighed.
"Are we nearing the rendezvous point?"
"Yeah, we're here. See that platform?" Koth pointed forward. "They'll pick us up from there."
Koth led them to this platform. It was empty as of now, though Cassian did not expect it to stay that way.
"Alright, should be here soon," Koth said.
"Making your guests wait?" Vaylin sneered jokingly as they approached the platform. "How rude…" She must have tried to rile him up, but Koth ignored her attempts. However, something seemed off, as if they weren't the only ones aiming for the platform. Cassian's suspicions were proven right almost immediately as he noticed a faint crimson dot emerge on Koth's forehead. The Sith looked to the side, immediately noticing that it came from one of the abandoned towers. A group of snipers occupied ruined apartments, aiming for Koth. One of them was about to take their shot.
"Koth, look out!" Cassian said, attracting the attention of both his companions.
"What? "Koth wondered, but Cassian didn't listen to him. The sniper took the shot, and the Sith had to deflect it himself. Luckily, he was just in time to protect Koth.
"We're ambushed!" Cassian said, making Vaylin ignite her lightsaber, and Koth took out his blaster.
"Even here?" Koth said with anger. "Those rascals are getting out of hand…Come on, get ready!"
"Since when are you giving out orders?" Vaylin said in annoyance, but they didn't get any time to bicker. A tall man with brown hair, green eyes, and Exchange armor similar to the one Cassian saw in the swamps stepped forward.
"Have to say, I didn't expect you to be this elusive, Koth!"
"Oh, great…"
"You know him?" Cassian wondered.
"Unfortunately, yes. Calum, my old pal from the military and the commander of that checkpoint we escaped from."
"Other thugs mentioned him a couple of times."
"Stay back, I'll deal with it," Koth reassured them.
"This doesn't sound like a good idea."
"You said you didn't want to reveal yourself, right? I'll handle it." The man stepped forward. "Seriously, can you just leave me alone? I thought we agreed to disagree the last time we met, and here I have your men bearing the crap out of me and you chasing me through the damn city!"
"First of all, you came to my checkpoint uninvited. Can't blame me for the consequences." Calum said dismissively. "Second of all…I didn't expect you would keep this kind of company. The former Empress, miraculously back from the dead, and the commander of the Eternal Alliance.
"You…How do you…"
"You couldn't have seen us!" Vaylin spoke up. "I killed everyone who did!"
"When you're trying to clear out an entire base, there are always a few who'll outrun you or perhaps don't get noticed in the first place. I'm going to ask only once. My boss wants to see you."
"Tell your boss to go fuck himself," Vaylin said playfully.
"I'm not interested in allying with Nar Shaddaan thugs." Cassian supported.
"Koth, you should muzzle your friends over there."
"If I try, I'll end up losing my limbs…" Koth chuckled. "Not that I'd do anything for you after you tried to shoot me!"
"Sorry, orders are orders."
"If you think so, then why did you leave Arcann's military?"
"I…It was a different matter. Arcann was destroying Zakuul and creating the seeds of his own destruction, and Exchange is simply our best option now." Calum admitted.
"A bunch of intergalactic criminals? Do you hate our people that much?" Koth spoke in disbelief. "We fought for freedom together, and now…You say that's what we deserve?!"
"I'm simply admitting some harsh truths. Tyrants had to go down, but our new council has guided Zakuul too far in the opposite direction. We need strong leadership, the kind that will give us a purpose and not force us to participate in some stupid wars, like Empire and Republic! We need to rebuild, but we can't do this without a proper protectorate! You should've looked past your idealism for once…"
"Maybe you've given up on our people, but I haven't. We don't need to surrender to anybody to restore our home and have the lives we deserve! I doubt you'll ever care, though; you've made up your mind. But guess what? The 'force' is on my side!" Koth said with pride, he must have expected quite a show.
"Huh." Calum didn't sound impressed. "And hindsight is on mine. You really should change your meeting spots from time to time…" He took out a remote-control device. Before anyone could react, Calum pressed it, making the explosion's ring echo in Cassian's ears. There was a bomb inside the tower on the opposite side that they prepared specifically for their arrival, or so it seemed, at least…Those bastards were cunning.
The debris fell from above and landed all around Cassian, Vaylin, and Koth. The Sith Lord saw the Zakuulan soldier jump aside, while Vaylin did not get the same opportunity. She screamed in pain as part of the rubble pierced her leg.
"AAAARGH! "She fell on her knees, still in shock from this sudden strike. The moment Cassian heard her cries and saw the blood flowing from Vaylin's leg, he felt his heart skip a beat. The sounds around Cassian grew faint and distant. For a moment, nothing else existed in the entire galaxy except this wounded woman.
"Finish them!" Calum gave his next order, making his henchmen throw grenades into the emerging fog as well as continue sniping; Cassian found himself in a minefield. He did his best to deflect those blasts and finally rushed towards Vaylin; she breathed heavily, still reeling from her wound, and Cassian saw the rage in her eyes.
"Those…Freaks…"
"Hold on! Let me check the wound." Cassian looked at it and regretted the fact that he had never learned the healing aspect of the force; it would've been very welcome…A few more blasts came their way. Cassian had to react very quickly, but he managed to deflect them just before they reached Vaylin, using all of his powers and skills to protect her. Meanwhile, the woman continued to reel until finally looking up.
"I will…Make them PAY! "Vaylin screamed as her rage reached a boiling point. The woman stood up and unleashed a powerful wave of purple energy, throwing Cassian back and making him hit debris. The Chiss clenched his teeth in pain and raised his eyes, noticing the arrays of lightning coming out of Vaylin's fingers, directed all around her in absolute chaos. She scorched the debris, trying to reach their assailants through the smoke. "I WILL KILL THEM ALL! "Cassian could feel her anger taking the better of her, ready to annihilate anything in front of her. She still tried to hold herself back; Cassian could hear Vaylin's pained moans as she desperately attempted to contain her power and fury.
But when the smoke subsided, their salvation finally came.
"Wohoo, here they are!" Koth shouted in relief. A small shuttle emerged, unleashing all of its firepower at the abandoned apartments, promptly annihilating their assailants in a matter of seconds; Cassian saw Koth look away once they began the bombing; it couldn't have been easy watching a former friend die even after countless moments of falling out. When Vaylin saw the attackers blasted to Oblivion, she finally began to calm down.
When the ship landed, a few armed men and skytroopers emerged.
"Where have you been?!" Koth wondered. "We were about to get blown up in here!"
"You arrived ahead of schedule…And those are your new guests, I take it?"
"Yeah… There's a lot of explaining to do."
"Come along, all of you; the Paragon would like to have a word."