Lana and Raina had no time to waste. Jadus had already put his plans in motion, and while they did not have all the details, there was no choice but to cling to the leads they still had and slow down the Archon's plan. Out of all the invaders, Eckard Lokin was the one most likely to listen. Raina continued to establish a connection with him, slowly getting him to reconsider his support for Jadus's destructive cause. This was done through a number of meetings in different settings. Lokin was more than willing to occasionally talk to an old friend. Little did he know that even when they spoke in a cantina, Raina carried a small listening device for Lana to hear their conversations.
"Ah, what a lovely place, this cantina! The ones I've been to tend to be less…Civilized. This one is quiet and doesn't have any big distractions." Lana heard Lokin's voice coming from the device with Raina's response following soon after.
"It wasn't like this when I joined. Much more boisterous and chaotic, Jadus's conquest changed a lot."
"I can imagine…Do you at least enjoy the new atmosphere?"
"I guess that's some silver lining."
"So, care to tell me where you've been in those last years?"
"Is that the kind of question a friend asks or a spy?"
"Come on now, Jadus and Atiel have all they want on Odessen and that mechanical world they claimed."
"Iokath?"
"Yes, something like that."
"I heard a lot about it despite never being there. It houses a number of super-weapons that both Empire and Republic wanted to claim."
"How fascinating…"
"I'm not sure if I want to see those fall into Jadus's hands."
"I am not sure if I do, either…But this it out of our hands. We are simply doing our duties as always, remember?"
"I suppose."
"So, let's get back to your pastime. Chiss Ascendancy, correct?"
Those talks were slow and only allowed the smallest glimpses into Jadus's scheme, but Lana didn't expect it to go quickly, making one wrong step could end up being catastrophic. Moments after, Lana heard a sudden knock.
"Heya…Lana, open up." Vette's loud voice echoed on the other side.
"Not now." The Sith responded snappily.
"Come on, I have a report on military activities. Aric told me to get it to you, and I'd rather not hear him rant at me for at least an hour!"
"It can wait."
"Come on, I'll be quick, just let me come in and…" With some people, arguing was just pointless, and Vette was one of them.
"Fine, come in." Lana muted the sound on her device and opened the door.
"Thank you." Vette rushed towards the table and placed the documents she had been carrying, but for some reason, she wasn't in a hurry to leave.
"Are you done?" Lana crossed her arms.
"Eh…Okay, don't get mad at me, but I might have overheard you and Raina having a chitchat or two. You've been meeting in the cantina, right?"
"Vette, I'm busy, and if you don't leave me to my business, Jorgan isn't the one you'll have to worry about!"
"I just want to help." The twi'lek let out with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Genuinely. Knowing you, you probably have a dozen things to try and take the bastards down!"
"I wish it was a dozen…" Lana sighed and turned towards her device.
"I want to help find Cassian," Vette admitted. "But we can't do that if we don't break free from Jadus and his cronies, and I just know you and Raina are up to something."
"Fine." Lana took a deep breath. "Come here in about an hour, and make sure you aren't followed."
…
After Doran crumbled and opened the pathway to the spaceport, Cassian felt that the most difficult part of their ordeal on Zakuul was over. It was an unexpected, desperate detour, and yet it proved to be far more enlightening than Cassian expected it to be. Now, they had a new lead to investigate. Alderaan was a beautiful yet dangerous planet, both because of the kiliks that roamed in the wilds and the political games of the noble families. Jadus would feel at home among them. With any luck, they would be able to discover more, perhaps even destroy a significant chunk of Jadus's power base. Cassian also caught up with Koth, even though the last time they parted, he said he never wanted to see the man again and meant every word. Koth was an idealistic saboteur who nearly lost the gravestone to Vaylin because of his stupidity. At least it taught him a thing or two about patience and thinking, something he didn't have before. Maybe his time with Kaia will teach him even more, all in due time.
For now, however, the Chiss was more than happy to abandon this wretched planet. When he and Vaylin arrived at the spaceport, it was empty, without a single soul inside. Doran didn't take any gambles and acted exactly as they demanded of him to save his life. Still, they needed to remain careful before finally getting off-world.
"So, which one are we taking?" Vaylin wondered, looking over various ships and platforms around the darkened building. "We need our ship to be pretty."
"Whatever can cross hyperspace and get us to Alderaan."
"…And pretty, right?"
"I'll leave that for you to judge."
Eventually, the two of them discovered a silver-colored Zakuulan ship of medium size, much like the Fury.
"How about this one?"
"Oh, those are nice." Vaylin said with a smile. "Can house a few people and has comfy beds…Oh, and hyperspace too, yeah. Some of my Horizon Guard used those."
"Then let's take it. It should be fueled…" Cassian walked towards the ship towards the platform right underneath the darkened sky rising above the fractured city of Zakuul.
"Ah…" Vaylin stretched and let out a yawn. "It wasn't too bad, I have to say. Didn't expect home to somehow become even more of a shithole, but people of Zakuul can surprise."
"There are some noble fighters among them," Cassian noted. "If there weren't, Exchange would've already won."
"Oh, don't tell me you're going soft on them now…Well, I guess Kaia is not that bad." Her voice grew quieter as Vaylin thought of the girl.
"Koth will take care of her."
"Not sure how much I trust that buffoon…"
"Okay, he will try to take care of her. And the more competent people he's taking her to will do the heavy lifting."
"Yes, that's more like it."
Before Cassian could respond, he noticed an armored and familiar silhouette emerging in the shadow of the small lodge above the platform they stood on, and they were armed. He saw those armor and helmets last night.
"Vaylin, behind you!" Cassian shouted, making the woman turn around and notice the Mandalorian standing above them. Tasara took her shot, but both her opponents jumped to the side, and the Voidcaller shard flew past them. For a moment, Cassian thought that this was a fatal mistake, so he turned around and began to force-choke Tasara.
"You should have left us alone!" The Chiss said as he watched the Mirialan shake and clutch her neck. However, in the next moment, Tasara counter-attacked. After taking a deep breath, she launched two explosive rockets, both of which landed on the platform beside Cassian and Vaylin, exploding in a matter of seconds. Those were not regular explosions, however, as two violet clouds emerged from the carcasses and engulfed Cassian and Vaylin.
"No, not again!" Vaylin shouted, but it was too late by this point. All they had to do was ignite their lightsabers and fight with all they had left, ignoring the pain in their veins and the force abandoning them.
"Almost too easy." Tasara's spiteful voice emerged. "No children to protect you, no one to play up their pity. I said you will only leave this world in my ship. I don't break promises."
"We can still fight you, even without the force!" Cassian spoke up. "If you think your Voidcaller supply is enough to make us give up, you are sorely mistaken. So perhaps you should stand aside and not aid deranged cultists."
"Deranged cultists, huh? Am I hearing this right? You calling someone deranged, considering who's standing right beside you." She looked at Vaylin. "You killed my riduur."
"And I'll kill you if I have to!" The woman responded snappily, giving Cassian a judging look.
"This isn't the time!"
"No, let her talk," Tasara interjected. "That's how you see us all, Vaylin, right? Just toys for you to play with. That's how you treated Torian, and today, I'll bring him the justice he deserves. I can't kill you yet…But I will make you feel every moment of pain that you made him suffer, and when I'm done, you'll regret ever leaving your grave."
Tasara began to shoot from two blaster pistols, aiming one at Vaylin and the other at Cassian. The Sith was quick to initiate a block sequence, parring each blast the moment it came close. He did not have the force to aid him, but the skills he was taught on Korriban and beyond were more than just force. The prowess and physical preparation allowed him to stand on his own. However, the same couldn't be said for Vaylin, as she barely had any training in lightsaber combat; without force, her skills were insufficient. Eventually, she missed one shot, and the blast hit her shoulder. Vaylin recoiled and moaned, letting her guard down for a split second, which Tasara took advantage of. The Mandalorian activated her jetpack and charged downwards to the platform. She held a vibroblade in her hand, which she pointed at Vaylin, about to wound her even further.
Cassian leaped forward and pushed Tasara aside. He hoped for an opportunity to wound her with his lightsaber, but the hunter was quick to block his strike, making their blades clash. Without the force to aid Cassian, she had the advantage.
"Still no regrets?!" Tasara shouted. "Fine, then, you'll suffer the same fate as her!" She continued her onslaught, moving incredibly quickly as Cassian desperately tried to block her strikes. Every time he thought Tasara created an opening, the woman masterfully evaded his attacks. She was not force-sensitive, something many Sith would consider a weakness, but this allowed her to cultivate her skills with sheer strength and technology alone, and it was an incredible boon of its own. Soon, she managed to slice Cassian's shoulder, making the Sith feel the blood fall on the floor, leaving crimson stains. This pain was sharp and sudden, but it was nothing. It wouldn't stop him.
Cassian wasn't alone in this battle. Vaylin attacked from behind and went for Tasara's head. This strike was swift and precise, it sliced a chunk of her helmet off but did not go any further, the hunter retreated, made quicker by her jetpack and avoided the strike.
"Striking from behind like a coward? Guess that's all you are without your prized powers!" Tasara said mockingly. "Trust me, I will enjoy breaking you!"
"Listen to me!" Cassian spoke up. "You have good reason to hate Vaylin…And me. But now is not the time to fight over it, not until Jadus is stopped. Vaylin has neither army nor resources while Jadus has all of that and more! He is about to unleash something devastating on the entire galaxy, no one would be safe!"
"Jadus this, Jadus that…Jadus didn't kill Torian." Tasara said in pain. She was not on Odessen during the invasion, but she must have heard enough. "And he didn't leave him to die, either."
"Vette was my friend; I knew her for much longer than Torian…I won't apologize for the choice I made."
"I don't expect you to, if I were in your situation, I wouldn't think twice about it, either. But I had enough respect for you and Vette to avenge her. I would've never forgiven it. And I though that you cared, too, at least that much. You never cared for him…Didn't you?" Tasara said, making Cassian pause for a moment. "Just like I thought."
She took out a second vibroblade and charged forward, clearly brimming with confidence.
"Follow my lead," Cassian said while side-eying Vaylin.
"Why is it always your lead?"
There was no time to argue, however. When Tasara attacked, Cassian attempted to force her to focus on him. He learned the pattern of her movements and attacks. The Sith Lord looked for an opening and an opportunity to pierce through her armor. She wasn't invincible, especially when she was brimming with rage. Cassian could see the spite in her eyes, a righteous anger at the woman who murdered her husband in cold blood, and a man who defended her. When it came to it, there wasn't much Cassian or Vaylin could say or do to console her, much like with Kaia.
Vaylin fought, too, though she had to take on a primarily defensive stance, taking one step back after the other. She was not usually cautious, but having no force in a situation like this left her no other opportunity. Cassian tried to mitigate that by distracting Tasara, but the hunter soon had enough of it. She fired another rocket, and Cassian had no choice but to jump aside to evade it. He could feel the shards piercing his leg and forcing the Sith Lord to kneel, but he had to resist the pain.
"Nothing to say for yourself, 'Empress'?" Tasara looked at Vaylin who continued her slow retreating.
"What do you expect me to say? That I'm sorry? Well, I'm not, but you wouldn't care even if I was!"
"Fair point," Tasara said coldly. "You could talk all you like, but it wouldn't change anything. You will pay."
Tasara rushed forward while Vaylin blocked her attacks; one after another, the hunter grew more agitated and distracted; simply looking at Vaylin's face was enough to revolt against her. She thirsted for vengeance, and this endless desire was her inevitable undoing. For a moment, she seemed distracted, and this was when Cassian took his strike. One precise hit at Tasara's jetpack that sliced it in half. The Mandalorian attempted to turn around, but it was too late; the jetpack exploded, and its tarnished shards were quick to spread around. Cassian jumped aside to avoid most of them, and so did Vaylin. Tasara fell and crawled on the ground with the remnants of the flame still on her armor. Cassian did not expect the explosion to kill her; Mandalorian armor was stronger than that, but this wasn't his intention.
"No…You…" Tasara reached out to her vibroblades only to have Vaylin snatch them from her. Tasara's last resort was her blasters, but Cassian took care of them by slicing all but one with his lightsaber. The Mandalorian jumped at the Chiss before her, yet she had to feel the lightsaber cutting through her armor and forcing her to scream in pain. She was wounded and too weak to fight. "AARGH! Tasara screamed as she breathed heavily, looking at the faces of those who defeated her.
"That was another close one…" Vaylin said quietly. "Should we finish her off?"
"No." Cassian shook her head and looked at Tasara.
"Go on…What are you waiting for? Do you want me to believe that you don't want to kill me? If you do, there…There would be no one to remind you of how you spat on Torian's grave!" She shouted with rage as Cassian took a deep breath. He would not lie to her, just like he didn't lie to Kaia. He made his choice, knowing that no one else would ever understand.
"You helped the Alliance along with many other Mandalorians; Darvannis and Voss would be in ruins now if not for your folk. And you also gave us a chance back in the city, so I'll give you one in return. If you'll try to chase us, I won't be as merciful. Come on, Vaylin." Cassian stood up and walked towards the ship's door along with Vaylin, with the wounded Mandalorian lying behind them. Tasara would recover. Cassian knew that much, especially when her wounds were not severe.
"WHY?!" He heard a desperate scream behind them. "Why are you with her? If it just because you need a strong ally to fight Jadus? You could find many others! You know what she did to you, to all of us! So just tell me…Why?"
"Would you believe if I said that I care for her well-being?" Cassian said, noticing Vaylin's slight surprise, though it was quickly drowned out by confidence.
"What?" Tasara spoke in a quivering voice, prompting Vaylin to respond.
"Yeah, I'm still not sure what he wants, either…But I'm not complaining."
"You care for her?" Tasara continued, laser-focused on Cassian. "And what about us? What about all those people that she killed? What…What about Torian?!"
"Do you really want to know? Yes…I care more for her than I ever did for you, Torian, or anyone else who she killed. I never pretended to, and I'm not going to start."
"And…What if she killed Vette?"
"Then I wouldn't hesitate to kill her," Cassian said casually, making Vaylin raise an eyebrow.
"Hey now…"
"But it didn't happen, and it doesn't matter now."
"You are a traitor…To every single person who fought for you and your Alliance! And sooner or later, they will know!"
"I hope they do…Goodbye, Tasara. If you want to live, then you won't continue your hunt."