On the morning of Liorel Merr's arrival to Alderaan, Cassian and Vaylin were ready to strike. They knew the place and had done their research. Silver Star Hotel was among the most prestigious in Thul capital and a prized destination for countless visitors, especially those from Imperial Space. It was no surprise that this would be Liorel's choice. Now, all they had to do was to reach him and learn everything he knew about Jadus and his plan. As Jadus's main agent in the Sith Empire, he must know a lot about the location of Westwind Estate, which he came to oversee. He will bring them there, one way or another.
Cassian and Vaylin got some ebon masks to cover their faces, along with drawing hooks so they could quickly climb the hotel's walls and get to the third floor. From there, nothing would stop them from seeing what exactly Liorel was hiding. They acted quickly while most of the city was still asleep, avoiding cameras and patrol droids. Eventually, they were finally inside, setting foot into lavish halls decorated in crimson.
"This looks cute…" Vaylin smiled. "I always said we should use more red on Zakuul, but I'm not sure why our people are so obsessed with silver and gold."
"Red is the color of the Sith Empire. I imagine Valkorion didn't want his new creation to be too similar to the past."
"I should've been born in your Empire; they have a much better style."
"Perhaps…" Cassian paused for a moment, having a thought of the future flash before his eyes. When this whole ordeal is over, what will he and Vaylin do next? They will inevitably face Jacques and countless other people who would demand their well-deserved justice. After all, when Cassian killed a murderous tyrant in front of entire Zakuul, he made a clear promise.
Vaylin would be next.
"Perhaps what?"
"Nothing just got carried away a little," Cassian reassured her; there was a lot to discuss when it came to their future, but the primary focus was on the mission, no more, no less. "Come on, let's find that bastard."
The duo made their way across the hall, carefully avoiding all cameras and making their way deeper into the building. Cassian did some research to see how Liorel looked; luckily, he was a public figure who held a respectable position within the Imperial government, so discovering him wasn't hard. He was a human man with dark skin, a black mustache, a balding head, and an impeccably done imperial uniform; there were a number of victories and major political decisions attributed to him. Why would a man like this conspire with Jadus? Was his current position not enough? Was the rogue Sith Lord that persuasive when it came to finding followers for his cause? Cassian couldn't wait to find out.
"Halt! "Eventually, a loud voice interrupted Cassian and Vaylin as two armed guards emerged from the adjacent hall, and the moment they witnessed interlopers, they pointed their guns at them. "Hands up, and take your masks off, or we shoot!"
"Oh, crap…" Vaylin sighed before casually unleashing the lightning that hit both of those guards, forcing their fried bodies to fall to the ground before they could as much as make a sound.
"Now they'll know someone is inside soon."
"What, you wanted me to roll over and die?"
"No, I'm not blaming you, just saying that we'll have to be quick." Cassian took a few steps forward, taking a quick glance at their weapons. "Hm, no Voidcaller shards…"
"Maybe we're chasing the wrong people?" Vaylin suggested.
"No, it can't be…Not after what Doran told us. Unless he was trying to misdirect us."
"I doubt he's that smart."
"Agreed." Cassian nodded. "Come on, let's make sure there's nothing left for him to hide."
Cassian and Vaylin spent the next half an hour searching the halls of the hotel as carefully as possible. There weren't many guards, but the ones that the duo met made sure to kill as quickly as possible, putting their bodies into places where they wouldn't be discovered immediately. However, despite being guarded, the hotel halls didn't have anything out of the ordinary in them; most rooms were empty. For a moment, Cassian even wondered if they genuinely got misdirected, but soon, he heard Vaylin's careful whisper.
"Psst, look." The woman pointed at the opposite side of the hall as a long man passed by. Cassian looked at him as he peeked from behind the wall, realizing that this man was none other than Liorel Merr himself; all of his features coincided perfectly. "It's him, isn't it?"
"Yes…"
"Time to have some fun."
"Careful, we still need him to answer our questions," Cassian warned her as he watched Liorel open a door and enter a previously locked room. Cassian and Vaylin went after him, trying to not attract any attention. They could corner him in that room and this fool would be powerless to resist. When Cassian reached the wall near the door and had an opportunity to look inside, he noticed Liorel activating a terminal at the room's center.
"Come on, we can take him!" Vaylin encouraged quietly.
"Wait… Let's see what he's going to do first. If he tried to leave, we'll take him."
"What's even the point?!"
They didn't have time to bicker as Liorel soon activated the terminal. At first, a map appeared, catching Cassian's immediate attention. It was a portrayal of a sector of Alderaan and the nearby holdings, each of them divided by house. Every capital was marked by a red dot, such as house Thul or house Rist, which would be a common element for radar, but Cassian quickly noticed something intriguing. Unlike any other holdings, the Panteer one had two marks; one of them marked the castle, while the other was in the wilderness to the west of the house. Could it be the Westwind Estate? Cassian couldn't believe his luck; he immediately began jotting down the coordinates on his own digital radar. It couldn't be precise, but once they were in the area, it would be no trouble to finally find it.
"I think we found our answers."
Before Cassian could continue, an echo of a holocall emerged in his ears; someone was calling Liorel. The man took a deep breath and answered. Cassian couldn't wait to hear a conversation between him and another conspirator, perhaps even Jadus himself…
"Eight Lord to Fourth Manipulator." A hauntingly familiar voice echoed from the holocomm moments before an image emerged. One single image that made Cassian freeze and stare in purest disbelief. "Do you copy?"
"I am," Liorel responded. "And what is it this time? I thought we agreed that we'd discuss our matters at the estate…Unless it is something urgent." He spoke while Vaylin looked at the hologram of a tall man with blue skin and red eyes.
"Is that another Chiss? "She said with wonder, but Cassian didn't have it in him to answer. Of all people to join an operation against Cassian and his Alliance…He should've expected it. The two continued their conversation with the Lord speaking first.
"It is urgent. Unfortunately, I have some urgent business to attend to with the rest of my house, so I won't be able to come."
"What? That's not what you promised the First Archon."
"The Archon will wait." The Chiss responded arrogantly. "I already risked losing my head for him. If it wasn't for my visit to Odessen, he would've never been able to sabotage the artillery guns! My agent nearly got caught, and my arrogant fool of a son could cut my head off at any moment."
"Oh…" Vaylin let out a quiet gasp.
"I have given my resources and troops, but I have other matters to attend to. If you or our dear Archon want support, they will have to wait."
"Perhaps you should tell him that yourself? You know how it goes. Breaking the agreement won't bode well for you or your house."
"I'll deal with my own problems; you deal with yours."
"You're still on Copero, I take it?"
"Yes, and don't expect me any time soon."
It was him.
Cassian's own father.
…
"Landing codes approved, welcome."
The plan worked so far, but this was only the beginning of the real challenge. Jac understood that, as did Scourge and Kira. Lana informed them of the distraction; by the time their group arrived on the planet, it was already in motion. Some of her new allies would create chaos on the opposite side of the base, which would draw some attention away from the route Jac and his friends would take toward Jadus, who would be residing in the throne room. He must be enjoying his newfound power; it was about time he lost all of it, and Jac was ready to give him exactly what he deserved.
When they landed, there were only a handful of soldiers meeting them, still thinking that this is a regular cargo ship from Zakuul, the trio had already ignited their lightsabers and donned on their protective gear. The battle would begin immediately.
"Everyone ready?" Kira's voice echoed from behind in an attempt to be cheery.
"Yes." Scourge responded firmly. "It's time we spill the scum's blood and make them pay."
"Follow my lead," Jac spoke up. "And please, be careful, both of you." He could only hope that his boisterous friends would follow his advice.
Moments later, the ship door opened, finally allowing the trio to step down on Odessen. There were three armed guards that looked at them with shock.
"What the…Open fire!"
But they were too late; Kira threw her double lightsaber, which immediately decapitated two of the soldiers, while Scourge rushed towards the third and pierced him with a lightsaber. There was no pleasure nor retribution in killing ordinary soldiers, no matter who they served, but Jac had to accept this as a reality of any war. Without sacrifices, only more innocents will die.
"Let's go." The Jedi took charge. "The main platform is nearby; the elevator is on the other side."
"Lead the way." Scourge encouraged him as the trio ran forth, hoping that they will face no more trouble before meeting Jadus.
However, this hope was quickly dashed the moment they stepped on the main platform. Jac could feel the stench of Void right in front of them, as well as the shouts of annoyance.
"Come on, stand up! I know you can take way more than that, pathetic little bitch!"
Jacques heard this exact voice and intonation not so long ago. A flashing image emerged before his mind, a memory of the time he, Cassian, and Lana battled against Vaylin on this same platform. Their current opponent was far weaker but just as unhinged.
"Is that who I think it is?" Kira said with a sigh. "Of all people to bump into on our way, it had to be the queen of loons."
"Good." Scourge said with anticipation. "This time, she will not get away."
"We have an advantage against her in an open space, but she has someone with her, too…" Jac and his friends moved forward, finally seeing their enemy,
Ki Sazen stood above a mysterious creature that was lying on the floor and occasionally shaking. She occasionally kicked it, all while getting more furious. The creature was thick and purple, and it was far from the only one, four more stood by Sazen's side, there could be only one explanation. The Voidcaller-infused nekghouls, just as Lana warned them. When the trio got close enough, Sazen finally turned around.
"And who are you?" The Zabrak raised an eyebrow. "Did you miss the memo?! I rented this platform for my experiments; sod off!" She said with agitation, prompting Scourge to respond.
"Are you pretending to be clueless, or are you that much of an idiot?"
"Hey, I think I know your voice…" Ki looked over her opponents and their lightsaber color pattern. "Oooh…Now THAT is interesting." She spoke with unearned amusement. "Of course, I remember now, the Tython clowns. Come to meet your doom? Came here for Jadus and think some extra armor will save you? Oh, please, he'll annihilate you before you will even get a chance to touch him! You know, I'll do both him and you a favor and end this farce right here. Kill them." Her last words were a command given to nekghouls who charged towards their opponents.
This time, however, the trio had nothing to be afraid of. The openings in their armor were minuscule, and Sazen had no idea where they were located. The ghouls immediately tried to pierce Jac's armor, only to have their claws clash with an indomitable durasteel shield. The ghouls' next step was to take a deep breath and let out multiple violet clouds towards the trio. If they inhale any of it, their force connection would be severed, but Xarion's respirators removed any possibility of that.
"Spread out. We can take them one by one!" Jac commanded, taking two nearest ghouls on himself, while Kira and Scourge took on remaining two. The Jedi focused on one of the ghouls, evading its chaotic strikes and onslaught. After a few more scratches, the beast raised its hands and gave Jac an opportunity to cut them off, staining his armor with its corrupted blood. The ghoul screeched only for a moment, Jac quickly ended it.
"Alright, I see you're still feisty…" Sazen said with anger. "And those fucking monsters just can't learn, they still need my help! Fine, then!" Ki raised her hand, unleashing a powerful force of lightning at all her opponents but primarily focusing on Jacques. The Jedi felt his entire body ache and teeth clenched, but he had to resist the pain at all costs. His movements became slower, and his pace deteriorated; the ghoul wouldn't be able to break through the armor, but it had more time to discover the weak spot with Sazen's help.
While parrying the strikes, Jac caught a glimpse of Kira battling another ghoul; the monster took a slightly different strategy as it attempted to bite through Kira's helmet, plunging its sharp teeth into the armor.
"Come on now, they taught you to walk on your two legs, infused you with who knows how much Voidcaller…But still didn't teach you to brush your teeth?" Kira stroked at the ghoul's neck and immediately decapitated it, allowing its tainted bile to drench her armor. However, she didn't hesitate and immediately rushed into the battle to aid Jac. "Leave the freak to me, Ki's on you!"
Jac nodded and jumped aside before moving forward towards the Zabrak Sith. He attempted to strike at her heart, but Sazen blocked his attacks in an expert manner.
"I've been doing some training, too!" Ki shouted in anger, though Jac could clearly notice emerging uncertainty and fear in her voice. She knew she was doomed; the void ghouls were her only chance, and the armor rendered them useless. Jac decided to amp up the pressure.
"Your form lacks grace and steadiness, but I am sure you can do better. Why are you holding back?"
"I… I'm not!"
Sazen continued to fight, relying on both her strikes and lightning, but none of those could push Jac back. He might have grown just a little slower because of the armor and reeling from the strikes, but he would not miss a single strike against her. Jac decided to tick her and opened up for a moment, staying in an attacking stance for more than a second, which created an opening. The moment Ki took the bait and rushed towards him, Jac pushed her a few meters away. He noticed that Kira finished off the ghoul she fought against and rushed forth to aid Jacques.
"You…" Ki's voice trembled. "NO! I…I did not go through all this training on Tython and Korriban to lose like this!" Ki shouted and tried to retaliate by gathering lightning in her hands, but before the Zabrak could attack, the loud sound of a head ripped off from a body echoed in Jac's ears. Scourge tore the ghoul's head off and threw it towards Sazen. The Sith Lord squeezed it tightly and unleashed the bile within, along with all of its Voidcaller clouds.
"No…"
"You should've gotten protection gear long ago." Scourge said in a mocking tone.
"NO!"
Ki attempted to strike with her lightning but failed. Direct contact with the Voidcaller…There was only one outcome for that. Now, she was powerless and at their mercy.
"F…Fuck yo…"
Before Ki could finish, Scourge grabbed her flailing body with force and slammed her on the nearest wall before throwing Ki to the floor yet again, all while she screamed in pain and agony. She even lost the hold of her lightsaber and now lay completely and utterly defeated. Scourge stepped forward and stood above her as a looming, merciless shadow. Ki shivered as she looked up at the triumphing Sith.
"How does it feel?" Scourge said coldly. "To feel the blood of your own pets poison you? Are you so powerless? You should've run while you had the chance."
"DIEEEE!"
Sazen grabbed her lightsaber from the floor, jumped up, and attempted to strike Scourge, but he swiftly cut her hand off, making the woman screech in agony as she recoiled in horror.
"AAARGH!" Sazen let out a pained cry and began to run away in fear, stumbling and kneeling occasionally as blood streamed down her body. She ran towards the elevator to the throne room, towards her precious Lord who would protect her, or so she hoped.
Scourge didn't allow her to live long enough to see it. The Sith raised his hand, pulling her back with force right onto his lightsaber, piercing Sazen's heart without a shred of hesitation. Scourge waited for her to let out her last weak, hoarse moan and finally stop breathing. Then, he tossed her body aside.
"You didn't have to make it that sadistic," Kira said with disapproval.
"She got what she deserved." Scourge said before looking at the elevator door. "Let's go; we have someone else to kill."