Cassian despised his father.
Seeing or even just thinking about his face vexed him. The Sith Lord naively believed that he could put the pain behind him, thought that his father seeing the son he was disappointed in rise to such greatness would be enough of a punishment for him, but clearly, this wasn't the case. Dezuno wasn't just content with standing aside and cutting ties for good. He had to interfere in Cassian's life and try to destroy everything he ever built.
If that was so, then Cassian would gladly repay him in kind. He and Vaylin only returned to the city to steal a speeder and charge towards the coordinates, crossing the territories of multiple noble houses. Cassian wasn't sure what they would find at the Westwind estate, but as long it was something that allowed him to ruin Dezuno's plans, it would be worth it. He allowed Jadus's fleet to get to Odessen…Jaesa died because of him. It wasn't enough for him to strip Cassian of the life he could've had among the Chiss; he had to take his new life, too. Those were the only thoughts Cassian could focus on as he rode a speeder towards the estate, all while his father's most hurtful words circled in his mind.
"I heard what happened with Aruzo…Do you even realize how disgraceful what you did was?"
"I fought back; you said yourself that I can't allow our family's honor to be insulted!"
"You used the force and allowed all other heirs to see it!"
"Those heirs are my friends…"
"Insolent boy, I told you what you should and shouldn't do many times before."
It was always like this. Every time Cassian displayed some of his gifts in public, he shamed his family, and his father would never let him forget it. All the times he berated him, called him a fool and a rebel, all for refusing to bury his powers. All the stories he told to other families to turn them away from his own son…Like many Chiss, he despised the force and saw it as a curse that gave one an unearned advantage and an unmerited sense of superiority. And every time, he managed to get even worse.
"Aaargh, stop, it hurts!"
"If I catch you using the force again, you'll have this wristband on you all the time. If you try to use the force…It will put you in your place."
He wasn't above tormenting him directly, either. Dezuno believed that if shame wasn't enough, then pain certainly would be. Shock collars, wristbands, physical punishments…Sometimes, even the serums that he and his obsessed scientists injected in an attempt to sever Cassian's connection to the force.
"AAAGH, please, stop, IT HURTS!"
"What did I tell you about not listening to me? I gave you every chance to stop, but you just did not listen. Giving you a choice in those matters clearly doesn't work, does it?"
Again and again, forcing his son to scream in pain, the serums poisoned him from within, all without a single shred of remorse or compassion. There was someone who tried to extend a hand, however, or at least pretend to. Someone who sat by Cassian's side, helping him heal his wounds and bruises while singing a quiet lullaby. There were times when he even felt safe in her presence.
"Shhh…It's going to be alright. I talked to your father, and he said that you're free to go today."
"Why is he doing this? Why is he so scared of this force…Why is anyone scared of it when it's so strong?"
"Your father worries for you, Delaoso; he fears that the force will corrupt you as it did many others."
"But I know there are people who use it freely on other planets, and they don't get corrupted!"
"Those people are very naive, and we shouldn't be like them…But I understand you, really. It's not easy to accept…I think it will take time."
"Dad doesn't care if I understand it or not…He just wants me to give it up."
"Your father only wants the best for you, even though it may not seem like that sometimes. I promise you that he is worried…He cares about you."
Always the same excuse and the same promise.
It was for his own good.
He cared.
One day, Cassian would understand.
His mother's embrace was just a distraction from all the shame Dezuno wrought upon him. And now, even thinking about it made Cassian's hands shake.
"You will understand one day."
Cassian's trance ended abruptly as he was forced back into the real world, desperately trying to hold himself together and maintain hold of his speeder. The thought of his parents made Cassian seethe in unbridled rage; their arrogance, spite, and hypocrisy were beyond any measure. To think that he even entertained a thought of letting go of his anger…Cassian felt Vaylin's soft touch, reminding him that he was not alone on this speeder. She followed him throughout this ordeal, for one reason or another, and clung to him, and the Chiss felt like her presence was the only thing that prevented him from going mad.
"Are you alright?" Vaylin asked. "Try not to get us killed and ride into a tree, okay?"
"He tricked me…" Cassian clenched his teeth again. "That pompous waste of air…And I even indulged him! I should've known that he would be one of them; I should've!"
"We can still teach him a lesson," Vaylin said in a reassuring tone.
"Yes…We can torture him, make him suffer, and then erase him from existence so he can't even bother you again." She said in her usual playful tone, allowing a faint smile to emerge on Cassian's face.
"That's exactly what I'm going to do. I'll destroy him and everything he holds dear."
"Can I watch?" Vaylin wondered. "Actually, no, screw that; I want to help you destroy them. Would be only fair after you killed my own parents instead of me."
"You can play a part; don't worry," Cassian reassured her. If his battle against the conspirators had not been personal enough before, today, it has become the primary goal of his entire existence. Cassian never expected to become so engaged in his pursuit of vengeance, yet he wouldn't stop until his father paid the price.
And that moment came closer as the due finally arrived at their destination, seeing a lavish silver complex emerge from beyond the forest's glade. A lone castle that was the conspiracy's cradle.
The Westwind Estate.
…
Atiel wouldn't show her true emotions to anyone else, but the day left her infuriated. Malfunctioning droids…Lana Beniko's handiwork to distract her and her soldiers, a ploy that worked far too well. While Atiel worked to put the base in order, three powerful assailants landed on Odessen and made their way toward her master. Those arrogant idiots believed that they could kill him, and of course, they failed miserably.
But as unfortunate as it was, their arrival wasn't without damage. Ki Sazen and the most powerful of her ghouls were slain; she believed she could take the assailants out and attack them on the platform, but the outcome was predictable. Atiel didn't mourn her loss, Sazen was a loose cannon, and the results of her experiments could be used by someone more level-headed. But unfortunately, Lana Beniko escaped along with Jacques Elias…A resourceful and clever woman who knew what was happening in Odessen. Nothing would be a secret anymore, and this worried Atiel. Nevertheless, she decided to retain her faith in Lord Jadus, and her primary concern was to help him recover.
"My Lord, I think you should spend some time in a kolto tank," Atiel advised him as she patched up his wounds left from lightsaber combat. "I will make sure your healing chamber is the most well-guarded place in this world."
"I have no time for healing." The Archon shook his head. "Those interlopers might have lost, but they distracted me from the test." Atiel knew what he was talking about.
"Are you sure that it's them and not some assassins? Maybe Liorel should handle it?"
"It can't be anyone else. Doran told me that they raided his spire and accessed the archive…If they were searching for leads, there is only one they'd find there."
"Westwind Estate," Atiel concluded. "They wouldn't find much there if we simply didn't intervene."
"I would not waste such a perfect opportunity." The Archon shook his head.
"Forgive me my boldness, but…Is it about Vaylin?"
"Indeed." He still had plans for her, and despite her undying loyalty, Atiel wasn't sure what to make of it. Vaylin's miraculous resurrection was not a part of their initial plan; no one could have predicted that, but ever since the Archon discovered her, he believed she might be the key to ensuring a prolonged reign of the void even after he is long dead and gone. "She needs to be tested one last time before I adjust our course."
"I don't think she will join us voluntarily." Atiel sighed. "She's a very narrow-minded person and doesn't care for long-term goals. Even the promises of a galaxy in flames didn't sway her."
"Correct, and if she fails the test I have for her, she will be exterminated along with Cassian and Jacques."
"And what test is it?"
"The one that I ordered Liorel's followers to set up the moment Doran told me of their escape; a couple of days were more than enough for that. He has come to oversee it personally, and so will I…Via a vessel, of course." The Archon explained. "The results will see if she has any use for us."
"But…What use can she have? I'm sorry for my ignorance, but I just don't understand."
"Vaylin is the only being in the entire galaxy who has the power that can match and even overpower that of Vitiate, and we know exceptional he was. Great power, and immortality, but most importantly…He had the ability to create void, like on Ziost and Nathema. Vaylin has that very same potential."
"Is it not dangerous to allow her to unlock this power in herself?"
"It is worth the risks. We may orchestrate the first wave, but what then? We are mere mortals, and there has to be someone who will continue to oversee our most grandiose challenge…Vaylin can put the galaxy on its knees and make sure the void lives on."
"She is also psychotic and unstable."
"Exactly…She is an impressive specimen. I have never seen anyone with such great power and such weak mind before. She fights for her place in the galaxy, tries to claim her independence and future, but she is nothing. Just a broken shell. If she reacts as I expect her to, I will have my confirmation."
Atiel wasn't sure what to make of this. If the Archon wanted to enslave Vaylin, they could have a powerful, unmatched asset, but what if anything went wrong? They would have a catastrophe as horrible as dealing with Vitiate on their hands.
Her musings were interrupted by the opening of the doors and a few droids coming in. They led a prisoner tied in his shackles, heated but far from broken. A man with crimson skin and scars on his body, still looking up with spite and anger in his eyes. The violet collar around his neck, however, held him back.
"Archon Jadus." The droid said. "We prepared the prisoner for incarceration, there is no armor or weapons left on him. We also installed the void collar."
"Good." Lord Jadus turned towards Scourge. "He is our most prized possession coming from that unfortunate incident. He killed Sazen and even made me retreat, if only for a moment, but now it is over. He is simply a caged beast that will become our martyr."
"This is not over." Scourge looked up and spoke with hatred and disgust. "Mark my words, you will pay for what you did to Kira. I don't know how, but I will break my chains! Your pathetic collar won't contain me. No mere toxin will." As he spoke, Scourge tried to break free from his shackles, but they were far too restrictive. "I will find you and tear you apart, limb by limb…Sazen's death would be a bliss compared to what I will put you through!"
"You have fallen low, lord Scourge, such a disappointment to witness. This Jedi was just a child; she possessed no worth to someone who had lived for over three centuries. Without Vitiate's influence, your emotions took hold of you…And they are just as weak and immature as the woman you mourn. Take him away!"
Atiel stood in silence as she watched Scourge shouting in rage as the droids dragged him into darkness. The Archon clearly needed him alive, and Atiel had something in mind. To show that the era of force is over, they would have to allow the galaxy to see a fall of a powerful force-wielder. And what better choice there was than someone who was once blessed by emperor himself?