Cassian listened to every single word of Koth's story, every single moment of the horrendous hellfire that Zakuul suffered. Everyone sat and listened to Koth's voice quiver in fear while tears emerged in his and Kaia's eyes. The girl was hit especially hard, shaking and looking down, barely able to form a word. Everyone on Zakuul heard Jadus's announcement, his desire to 'free' the galaxy and bring forth a new, perfect era that he envisioned. In the end, all it brought was suffering and desperation, a whirlwind of deaths and agony…Inflicting scars that would never heal. Jac had to hear the mortifying news of his old friend succumbing to its flames, all for the sake of Jadus's degenerate scheme.
All that was left now was revenge.
…
Cassian, Lana, and Xarion took charge of the planning process. The reclamation of Odessen was at hand, and they had more allies than ever before. Lana came to Cassian with welcome news only moments after the initial message Jac conveyed to her.
"Theron found allies? Are you sure?" Cassian wondered as he awaited for Lana and Xarion to activate the holocomm.
"Yes, he told Jac about it, but he asked us to contact him." Jac felt incredibly somber and shaken after learning of what happened to Scourge. It was best if someone else took on the negotiator role. Soon, the hologram of a famed spy emerged before the trio of Sith. Cassian noticed him visibly pausing to stare at the holograms before him before he finally spoke up.
"Finally…With all that happened in the last few days, I didn't even hope to see you so soon; I just always ended up feeling there'd be some type of catch. And yes, I listened to the message Jac sent and know what you've been through; I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you out."
"We all did our best," Lana reassured him. "No need to doubt our choices now."
"Yes, you're right, of course, just…Heard what happened to Jaesa, Kira, Scourge, and then the entirety of Zakuul…I thought that after defeating Tenebrae, nothing and no one could rival him, and then it wasn't even a month. Really shouldn't be surprised by anything anymore, should I."
"Agent Shan." Xarion pressed on. "If you know of our circumstances, we should not waste any time and begin to work on our plan."
"Straight to the point, huh? Probably for the best. So, we're in for the battle of the fleets?"
"Yes," Cassian responded. "Jadus's defenses around Odessen have weakened, but they're still formidable foes." He looked over to Xarion, prompting the Sith to continue.
"I called a fraction of Imperial forces to our cause, the fleet that answers to me directly. They will attack Odessen when the planet is rendered defenseless. Can Republic give us something of equal power?"
"Well, can't speak for the Republic, but I've brought out the big guns. There are a lot of sympathizers among the Republic; they remember what the Alliance did in their fight with Zakuul, no matter what our allegiance is now. I brought a fleet controlled by officers who wanted to help. Nothing too grandiose, but will do just fine with Odessen."
"That would suffice as long as we attack at the same time."
"Hold on a minute, I'm not done yet," Theron spoke up. "I got us one more ally…And he wanted to introduce himself."
Soon, another hologram emerged beside Theron, a man who immediately piqued Cassian's interest. He was of a species the Chiss had never seen before. The color of his skin was hard to discern via hologram, yet this wasn't the main giveaway of his unique origin. He had four arms emerging from behind his Jedi robe, something quite rare in a humanoid species. The man looked young, around Cassian's own age, and his expression was colored by a confident smile.
"Cassian Narok, right?" The man asked as he looked at the Chiss before him. "It's an honor to meet you."
"And you are?"
"Master Vajra Devarath of the Jedi order." He introduced himself, piquing Xarion's interest.
"I take it you're a Raudra?" The Sith asked. "Interesting…Most of your people never leave your Raudraksha."
"It's a long story; it's been a while since I returned home…" Vajra paused for a moment. "But that's not what we're here to discuss. Theron told me about Darth Jadus and what he plans to do; we've all seen that he'll stop at nothing to destroy everything in the galaxy. I want to help you."
"You're with the Republic, right?" Cassian asked. "I hope you realize that by helping us, you help out allies of the Empire. Your own leaders won't be happy with it."
"To hell with this! I don't answer to the Senate; if they believe that they should ignore a threat to all of our factions and governments for the sake of a petty squabble, then I am not going to humor them."
"Oh, I like this one." Cassian chuckled before Theron spoke up.
"Don't worry, Vajra is clean and doesn't care who helps as long as it's for the good of the galaxy…Used to grind Saresh's gears because of that, as a matter of that." Theron explained, followed by a light chuckle from Vajra. "He's an old friend, we fought together back in the days Zakuul attacked."
"And yet you never mentioned him," Lana said with interest.
"Hey, you don't expect me to tell you about every single one of my friends? How about cheering for me to finally become a more open guy?"
"It's not that. I just don't remember ever seeing anything about this Jedi in my records; you'd know how rare it is." Lana wondered, and Vajra intervened.
"Perhaps you've heard of me by the name 'knave'?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I used it during some of my undercover missions not to attract attention."
"Hm, that does strike a chord…Hold on, are you the Jedi who was at the forefront of the assault on the Temple of Sacrifice? The one who people in the Coalition called 'The Storm' and 'The Bane of Massassi'?"
"You're right, that's me."
"I remember hearing others talk about you and not being sure whether I was lucky to never have met you or whether it was a missed opportunity..Never expected to find out the answer, but here we are."
"Theron told me a lot about you, Lana Beniko. I know about your role in building this Alliance, and rest assured, many in the Republic appreciate your contributions to lasting peace."
"Back in the day, it was more of a contribution to not getting obliterated by an all-powerful fleet controlled by two maniacal children…But thank you, I'll take it."
"Then I assume we are all acquainted now." Xarion spoke. "I am Darth Xarion of the Dark Council, but I do not act in their name today. Like you, I pursue Jadus's complete destruction and annihilation. Together, we can reach this goal…And it's time to make our move."
…
Less than a day remained; soon, Odessen would be retaken.
Cassian yearned to strike directly against Jadus, but the elusive Archon always made sure it was nigh impossible to reach him. He was willing to sacrifice his pawns, but they weren't endless. Eventually, his forces would stretch thin, and now that Odessen's defenses were lowered, this was the perfect time to strike back.
Everyone was preparing themselves for the strike; it was imperative that they put all of their differences aside and fight against a common enemy, although it was difficult for some…
"Any news from your spies?" Cassian asked Darth Xarion when he got an opportunity.
"Everything goes according to the plan. Jadus moved his forces away from Odessen, and now we managed to figure out why exactly. He's forming a blockade around Iokath, and Star Cabal's fleet is joining him, too. It seems as if he got his new bastion, and the loss of Odessen is, therefore, inconsequential."
"Inconsequential for him, perhaps, but we have all of our allies and resources there. And everyone would like their payback with Jadus."
"That they would." Xarion nodded in approval.
Meanwhile, next to them, Lana and Koth finally found a fleeting moment of leisure that they could use to catch up and try to think of something other than the horrible tragedy that befell Zakuul.
"…I'm sure you know most of it from galactic news. We killed Arcann, Vaylin, and Valkorion, even though some of them didn't like staying dead. Ever since, it's been a steady decline."
"What was that thing with Theron? Cassian broadcasted a message to him across the entire galaxy."
"I'm not in the mood to go over that nonsense." Lana sighed.
"I mean, this nonsense took away your entire fleet and the old girl…"
"Better tell me about what you've been up to. I heard you served the Zakuulan paragon, Doran Mart, right?"
"Yes, thought that maybe one of our people could lead us to something better than chaos and tyranny…I thought wrong." Koth sighed with disappointment. "I hate agreeing with Cassian, but maybe it was the time I learned this lesson. Next time I see some idol trying to gather a following, I'll stay away." Koth declared proudly, making Lana raise an eyebrow. "Hey, come on, I'm not THAT gullible."
"Sure…" Lana couldn't help but chuckle. She turned towards Kaia, the girl was sitting in the corner in silence, thinking to herself. "Maybe you should try being a role model yourself, for a change? She will need one."
"Yeah, you're right…I don't know where we'll go next. If there is even anywhere to go, considering what that madman tries to unleash, But I'm not abandoning her, not after what we've been through." Before Koth could say something else, Jac stepped towards him. The Jedi was quiet after he heard the tale about Scourge and his end, but now he finally found the courage to speak.
"Koth, I'm sorry that I'm asking about it, I know you don't want to think about Zakuul, but…"
"It's fine," Koth reassured him. "What's is done…Mourning while Jadus is still out there won't help anyone."
"Are you sure Lord Scourge is dead?" Jac asked with a quivering voice. "He's a strong, resilient man, even without the force at his disposal. If you and Kaia didn't see him die, this…"
"I'm sorry, Jac, truly, but he was already bleeding from multiple wounds and had a broken hand. He lost so much blood that I had to carry him, and then the rubble buried him…He fell into the fiery abyss. No one can survive that."
"I…I see." Jac took a deep breath before hearing Vaylin's voice behind him.
"Told you he won't survive." The woman said coldly. "But you can still avenge him when we get to Jadus, maybe tearing him apart will become something of a bonding experience for us?"
"Seriously? You, of all people, trying to lecture me on how to handle emotions!?"
Jac and Vaylin managed to avoid physical confrontations, but that did not mean they were content with each other.
"Not even five minutes…" Lana sighed, noticing the gaunt silhouette of the Seeker beside her.
"Reminds me of my intelligence days." He said. "Any day we had to deal with the Dark Council, their bickering was hardly different."
"I wish it wasn't so true." Lana sighed. "As short as my days as the minister were, I feel I've had more than enough for a lifetime."
"Speaking of Intelligence matters…I would like to ask you about Cipher Nine."
"Atiel?"
"Yes. As much as I want to stop Jadus, I won't deny that the matter is personal. Atiel owes much to me, and vice versa. Now that she chose the side of a man who did everything in his power to sabotage our old Intelligence, even seeking the aid of the Star Cabal…She should be brought down." He said with confidence and resilience.
"I'm afraid there is not much to tell. Atiel has been surprisingly transparent with us. She helped a great deal; it was for her selfish desires of finding Jadus, but the Alliance lasted for a while…She turned against us as quickly as she did against the Intelligence, and that was always her intent."
"One day, I thought that her fanaticism was a feasible price to pay for her skills…And I will fix this mistake."
"Attention, everyone." Xarion's loud voice echoed in everyone's ears as he and Cassian called for all others. "Come here. Our plan of attack is ready."
The other participants were quicker to gather.
"So, don't keep us waiting." Lana prodded him, but Vaylin was the first to speak.
"Can't we just come and crush all of them? It worked on Copero."
"Odessen is a weak target at the moment, but it doesn't mean that we can afford carelessness. Its defenders are armed with Voidcaller; a single misstep can lead to losing one of our own. However, this weapon won't help them against the armies we've gathered. Both Theron Shan and I brought our own fleets; both will be stationed in space, ready to jump to Odessen the moment we command. This will make the conquest an easy task."
"Not conquest, reclamation," Jac said with stark disapproval.
"The terms are irrelevant." Xarion shook his head. "All that stands between us and Odessen is the base's defense systems; they would have to be disabled from the inside, either by manual shutdown or a complete blackout. The strongest of you will land in the wilds and make your way to the base. This will be Cassian's, Jacques's, and Vaylin's responsibility. It should not be too difficult. We have reliable intel that states that Darth Jadus is not on Odessen."
"And what of 'Ninth Siren'?" Seeker inquired.
"Her whereabouts are unknown, and her presence is a possibility. I take it you would like to infiltrate, as well?"
"Indeed."
"As long as you don't allow your vendetta to cloud your judgment."
"I have faith in my abilities, and I don't require your permission."
"Very well," Xarion said. "After the base is rendered defenseless, the fleets will strike. I will join the battle alongside Lana and Koth. Shan and Devarath will strike at the same time, and this will overwhelm them. Remember to leave some of Jadus's followers alive if at all possible; some of them may know more about his plan, as unlikely as it is. If we all do our part, we will claim Odessen and plan our next step from there."
"One problem…" Koth spoke up. "Cassian said that if I ever set foot on Odessen, he'll execute me personally. Don't feel like risking it." He remarked, making Cassian visibly roll his eyes.
"Consider yourself pardoned, Vortena."
"That's more like it."
At last, the stage was set, and in mere hours, Jadus would feel their shared wrath.