Run as far as she possibly could and never look back; those were the only thoughts stuck in Vaylin's head on an endless loop. She jumped from the estate floor right onto the grassy ground and made her way into the woods. She knew Cassian would chase her, but he was wounded and would go slower, and Vaylin couldn't allow him to come close to her. No matter how much he wanted this, no matter how much he'd begged, he couldn't come close…

An image of an explosion flashed before Vaylin's mind, forcing her to slow down for a split second. An uncontrollable, destructive wave of power that annihilated even the Voidcaller that cleansed her veins of its foul taint but also stroked Cassian's essence. He couldn't resist such untamed power, and Vaylin could feel the echo of the pain he sensed as the wall above him crashed, ready to bury him. He could've died.

Could've died.

Died.

It wouldn't be the first time Vaylin's power went out of control. She remembered her childhood, a time when even the mildest annoyance or anger could make her power become uncontrollable and incredibly destructive, a guard she crippled after he didn't catch her ball, a caretaker she knocked out, all those knights on the arena she squashed. She remembered herself back then…Back when she couldn't control her emotions, she still was afraid that people might die. Cried in her mother's arms, asking what was wrong with her and if she was really that dangerous. She remembered therapy and attempts to suppress her power and training, but nothing worked. In the end, Vaylin simply decided not to care anymore. It didn't matter how many people died from her power; the only thing that mattered was that she would never hold back. Never again.

But now, just one death was enough to break her utterly and irrevocably. Even thinking about Cassian as she ran deeper into the woodlands was unbearable, not when the burden of guilt choked her. What if he needed immediate medical attention, and she just left him in the dust? She should come back…But that would mean seeing the fear in his eyes yet again, and Vaylin couldn't bear it. He was the only one who wasn't afraid of her, the only one she wasn't afraid of; if this was about to change, everything would be ruined…

"AAAARGH!"

Vaylin screeched in fear and anger, unleashing yet another powerful and destructive force wave. It stripped her of her powers and annihilated all life in a small territory around here, leaving nothing but an ashes crater in its wake. Lifeless and pale, just like Nathema…And Vaylin, at the heart of it, is completely powerless and unable to act. Couldn't even walk any longer…Vaylin wailed and fell on her knees as tears swelled down her eyes. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Not when she was haunted by demons of her past, an indestructible power that could destroy anyone at a whim, even those people Vaylin loved. For one, she found someone who didn't want to betray her…And still ruined her chance.

Vaylin noticed a sharp rock lying beside her. Yes, this will do…An easy, quick way to end this torment is just by cutting her veins. Vaylin grabbed the rock and brought it closer to her hands. Just one quick move and she would drown in the puddle of her own blood…It was not as quick as piercing herself with a lightsaber, but it was much better than continuing to exist in this miserable state and continuing to hurt those she wanted to protect. Everyone will feel better…She would finally be free, and Cassian would be safe from her anger and force. It's what she wanted and what he needed, but…If she killed herself, Cassian would be devastated to see her go.

He cared about her, wanted her to live and stay…The pain in his eyes as she ran away flashed before Vaylin's eyes. With anyone else, Vaylin wouldn't feel anything, but after the time they spared, even if it was just a few days, the kinship she sensed was enough to stay by his side…Those bonds were dangerous to form, especially for her. Vaylin was never able to maintain one, and the more she tried, the more she would hurt herself. Some things were simply not worth it…But why did she hesitate? Was she afraid to die? No, this couldn't be it. She would never put someone else's desires above her own. That would be suicide, idiotic, foolish…And still, Vaylin couldn't do it. I couldn't leave this life knowing that a man who extended his hand would be heartbroken by it. She became a slave to her feelings once again.

Vaylin collapsed, no more power to cry…Just sobbed in silence, giving in to her weakness.

…

Cassian did not have time to properly react with how quickly everything around him happened. The sheer whirlwind of chaos and emotions that overtook him made the Sith Lord slow down. After breaking free from Merr's trap, he ran around the embassy in a desperate attempt to find Vaylin, until eventually discovering her in a secluded room with some dust, ash, projectors, and a suspiciously thick air. By the time he saw her, Vaylin shook in fear and rage, seemingly in a trance without any connections to reality.

And worst of all, she seemed to be in great pain. However, when Cassian rushed forth to save her, Vaylin unleashed a powerful force wave, forcing Cassian away as the wall crashed into him. The Chiss couldn't deny that he felt fear for a moment. It has been a long time since he felt such a loss of control and shock. When Vaylin raised the rubble, he tried to act confident, but it must have been clear from his voice.

Still, it was nothing compared to the terror he saw in Vaylin's eyes. Was it her fear of what she saw in that vision of hers? Perhaps she was afraid to lose control? No, this wasn't something so straightforward; it was seeing him wounded that made her fear…She cared, after all. Cassian wondered how she had seen him for a long while, and now he knew that it wasn't just a simple partnership.

Cassian followed Vaylin's trail, desperately looking for her across the forests, praying that it wasn't too late. He wasn't sure what she wanted to do, but her emotions took hold of her…He had to intervene. When Cassian saw the ashen crater, his heart skipped a bit due to the sheer horror and distress he felt in his heart, but he couldn't allow himself to hesitate. He had to find her. The Sith Lord ran forth and soon witnessed a depressing image.

A weak woman, lying at the very center of the ashen crater, shaking in fear and sobbing. Those weren't violent sobs; they were full of exhaustion, quiet, and irregular, as if Vaylin had no strength left in her. She finally subdued her power, yet it led to her giving up. She crawled into a fetal position, closing her eyes in shame.

The Sith came up to her, gently kneeling down and putting his hand on her back. Vaylin shivered for a moment, forcing herself to look. Cassian looked into one of her eyes, reddened and stained with uncontrollable tears, staring at him with a very faint, agonizing feeling of hope.

Cassian couldn't hold back his tears.

The Chiss moved closer, gently embracing Vaylin, sharing his warmth with her. Even now, he could sense her shaking from time to time, looking away from him once again.

"I-it's okay…I'm with you." Cassian knew how much he needed those words back when he was still a boy, and Vaylin deserved to hear them. He wanted to say them. He spoke a few words of reassurance in as much of a soothing tone as he could muster. They stayed like this, in a snuggling position for some time. A few minutes or almost an hour, Cassian didn't care enough to count. Vaylin gradually calmed down and stopped shaking and sobbing, eventually revealing her eyes and allowing Cassian to wipe her tears.

"I'm…I'm sorry…" Vaylin spoke in a meek tone, though it was clearly hard for her to form words.

"It's alright, I was…I was just worried, but it's alright. You put quite a show back there, even broke the Voidcaller's restraints somehow. And…What did you see?" He asked, making Vaylin look away. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"It's alright, I will…I'm just not ready yet." Vaylin explained. "Cassian, I…I wanted to kill myself." She admitted with shame.

"W-what?"

"For a moment, at least, but…I couldn't do it. Do you know why?" Her voice trembled. "I didn't want to leave you. Didn't want to have you come here, see me dead, and…" Once again, the tears emerged in her eyes. "I almost killed you there, I didn't mean to, but…"

"I lived, didn't I?" Cassian smiled. "Still could feel my legs after that…Somehow."

"But it can happen again, it…No one can rival my power, and it's fucking horrible! I still haven't learned to control it; there are no chains, no conditioning, and nothing! I'm free and that…It's more horrifying than I could ever imagine. But still, even though it's very dangerous, I…I want to stay by your side. When you're with me, I…I feel like I can relax and sleep without being afraid for once! It makes no sense; you're the Sith Lord who defeated me, one of the strongest in the galaxy. Everyone is terrified of you, but…I wanted to say something like this ever since I saw your father…I understand! You're just like me, aren't you? What we became…We wouldn't have turned into this if only, if only…" Cassian looked down in shame at those words, still watching Vaylin's endless tears.

"Thank you, Vaylin," Sith said as his voice shook. "Truth be told…I feel this way, too. But you already knew, didn't you?" He said playfully, making Vaylin allow a faint smile to emerge on her face.

"Why else would you throw your friends' trust away for me?"

"I knew we were similar ever since I visited Nathema, but your pain…It outweighs mine or anyone I know." Cassian admitted. "Your family failed you, letting you stay in that nightmarish prison. I killed many people in my life, and after ending Valkorion himself…Killing got stale very quickly. And when I saw you alive with both of us finally free from the influence of this monster, I realized I wanted to help you. Not out of any ulterior motive…I didn't know how it would turn out. I still don't. After we deal with Jadus and all of this is over, Jacques and others will never let you go free, but I wouldn't accept it any other way. You…You will be free! And I will be free, too. Then, we can do anything we want."

"And can we…" Vaylin said with relief, her cheeks reddening at the sound of Cassian's words of compassion and belief. "Can we do all of this together? I don't want to die, I really don't but…I don't know how to do it without you…Without you being there with me. It's fine if you want to find your own way in life, but wherever you go…Can I come with you?"

"I would love it."

"T-thank you!" Vaylin said with a voice brimming with hope and joy as she rushed into Cassian's arms, allowing herself to sink into his embrace. "Thank you, thank you, thank you…"

"Too early to think about that, still." Cassian shook his head. "We have a conspiracy to stop."

"Y-yes…Of course. How did you get out of the trap?"

"Our captors happened to be remarkably dumb. That was not an issue. Liorel is dead, and Jadus was never empty…And the place is swarming with Opticrons. I'd search some of the remaining halls and then a break on the ship."

"Yeah, I'd love a break after all this…"

"And if you'd want a little intimacy, I think I can easily get both of us in the mood," Cassian said with a playful smile, allowing Vaylin to reciprocate.

"Oh, shut up." She responded with sarcasm as Cassian helped her get up.

"Now that's better…Come on, we deserved a rest."

…

The return to Rishi, the Kolto tank, the echoes of Xarion and Seeker's voices…All was muddled and faint as Jac battled the pain. At first, it was the aching in his body, the agonizing pain that Jadus inflicted on him, but eventually, this pain faded, even if the weakness persisted. The medical care Xarion's droids and kolto could never heal those wounds. No matter how much more powerful he felt, the Jedi still didn't want to stand up.

"Master Elias, we have stabilized and healed you."

One of the droids said as Jac opened his eyes, lying on a medical bed with medical machines looking at him. He felt no more physical pain; he could raise his hands…But they shook.

The image flashed before Jac's eyes as he saw Jadus raising his hands. The Jedi saw himself in this vision, too, rushing forth to stop him while there was still an illusion of a chance to save Kira. He saw him ripping out her heart a thousand times in just a few seconds, forcing the Jedi to let out a pained moan as the realization pierced his heart.

This was not a dream.

Jac shook and turned, promptly falling to the floor. It was all true, the battle, the failure, seeing Kira die right in front of him, laying there powerless as Jadus fought Scourge…And worst of all, he had to run away and leave his friend behind. He couldn't blame Lana for making this choice; she had no chance to save Scourge, and if they hadn't run, Jadus would've killed or imprisoned them. As pragmatic as ever…Her actions made perfect sense, and yet Jac couldn't let go of the pain in his heart. Tears streamed down Jedi's eyes as he shook.

"I'm sorry…Kira…Scourge…I'm so sorry!" He could not hold back anymore, Jacques wept. Shook and cried as the sorrow of lost lives overtook him. A part of him believed that after playing a key part in destroying the Emperor himself, there was no challenge, no hurdle that they couldn't overcome, but he was proven wrong in the most brutal, agonizing way possible. "Kira, I…" His padawan and one of his closest friends, a woman who looked up to him just like he looked up to her, a child of the Emperor who overcame her past and became a hero of the galaxy. That's not what she fought for…

"Jac?" The Jedi looked up and saw Lana rushing into the room, probably after hearing his cries. "You're awake!" Her relieved voice dragged him back to reality, making Jac finally force himself to look up. Lana was alive and well, at least some relief…And she no longer had anything on her neck.

"Your collar…"

"Xarion and Seeker helped me take it off without exploding the bomb, but that's beside the point now. How are you doing?" Lana spoke up with hope.

"We left him behind…" Jac spoke quietly. "I…I failed them."

"You did your best." Lana tried to reassure him, but her words fell on deaf ears. "I'm sorry we couldn't save Kira, but I know there will be a chance to avenge her."

Yes, there will be.

And Jac will make the most of it.