The moment the blackout fell upon the Odessen Base, Seeker felt his anticipation grow stronger. Ever since he decided to fight against the resurgent Star Cabal, his days were nothing but a patient cat-and-mouse game. Take careful steps, spy, gather information and resources, but never act in the open. Such was the spy's duty and calling, but in his elder age and after spending so much time and energy mending Sith's messes, the Seeker's patience began to thin. As helpful as Xarion was, sometimes you couldn't count on anyone but yourself.
Seeker infiltrated the base when the force-sensitive trio made their first moves and distracted most of the guards. Whoever Jadus left behind will not be an issue, even if they were armed with Voidcaller. Cassian, Jacques, and Vaylin were well aware of the issue and wouldn't allow themselves to get caught off-guard. They will reclaim the base, free the prisoners, and reinstate the base's defenses, this time back to their control. As for the Seeker, he was donned in armor that allowed him to merge with the crowd of Jadus's soldiers. All he wanted was to find his former prodigy agent. She was there, on the base, probably getting ready to escape back to her master at first sight of trouble, but she had to fall, and before that, Seeker had words to say to her.
The old man delved deeper into the base, staying careful and vigilant, only attacking soldiers when they strayed away from the pack. If someone found themselves away from the eyes of others, the Seeker would plunge his knife into their necks and toss their corpses to the ground. None of them could even make a sound. Of course, those corpses would be found, yet the survivors would have far bigger concerns by then.
Once the Seeker reached one of the larger chambers just near the laboratory, he noticed two armed soldiers standing beside two canisters filled with Voidcaller, which must be their spare supply.
"Hey, over there!" One of them is called the Seeker. "Did anyone find out what happened?"
"No, not yet." Seeker shook his head. "I've been tasked to deliver something to you…" He used this moment of hesitation to get closer to him and immediately attacked. A single blast shot in the neck killed one of the soldiers; the other tried to attack immediately, but the shock of seeing one of their own turn against them made him weak and susceptible. Seeker plunged the knife into his hand, causing the soldier to scream in uncontrollable fury. It only lasted a few seconds before the Seeker finally shot him to death, too. He needed a moment to decide where to go next, but this moment was swiftly interrupted.
Seeker heard an echoing sound that made him turn around and see a grenade land beside him. A swift explosion would've wounded him if the man didn't jump away swiftly. He evaded the shockwave, and once the dust had settled, the Seeker saw a silhouette of a slim, blue-skinned woman with crimson eyes.
Atiel…Here, at last. The Seeker took a deep breath in a swift moment he had. Both of them were incredibly skilled, yet Atiel surpassed everyone else in Intelligence with her wit and physical skills.
"I was just starting to wonder if there are traitors in our midst." Atiel chuckled and put her weapon upfront, immediately firing a shot. The Seeker rolled forward, evading the blast, and attacked Atiel immediately. He took out his knife and aimed for her heart, but the Chiss agent was prepared. She leaned back to avoid his attack and swiftly grabbed the Seeker's hand. The man felt her iron grip as Atiel tried to take the knife out of his arms. He clenched his teeth in pain, feeling as if she could break his arm at any moment.
The Seeker tried to shoot, but Atiel noticed his moments and jumped a few meters back. Her next step was to throw yet another grenade at the Seeker so quick that he barely had any time to react. This time, the explosion caught him, making the shards Pierce the weaker spots in his armor and pierce deep into his skin. Yet even bleeding, the Seeker stood tall and showed no signs of weakness.
"You're better than I expected," Atiel said as she looked over her opponent. "You're no ordinary soldier, are you? Where did you get the armor?"
"Considering how sloppy most of your forces are, this wasn't an issue." The Seeker responded before putting his hands on his helmet. He slowly took it off, unveiling his face. As Atiel gazed into the tired man's eyes, she saw the echoes of anger and disappointment in them and took a few steps back with her own eyes wide open.
"You? No, it can't be…" Atiel said with shock in her voice.
"It's been far too long, Cipher Nine, I wish I could say I'm glad to see you again." He said in a somber tone, watching as Atiel quickly regained her composure.
"So that's what you're up to nowadays? I'm surprised the Empire didn't send any clean-up squads to deal with such the glaring loose end you are."
"They did, but they underestimated my hiding skills."
"Why are you here now, then? You could've lived in your small place away from the galaxy's affairs, free to enjoy your retirement, but you chose to come here…You're with them, I take it? Jac is keeping an interesting company."
"I'm here because, retired or not, I do not leave my job unfinished. My last task before separating from the Intelligence was the Star Cabal, the same as yours. You gave the Codex away to Jadus, and as much I despised this choice, I trusted your judgment back then…I was wrong. Your master had the power to dismantle the Star Cabal while they were in disarray and free the galaxy from their manipulations, but instead, he allowed them to reform as long as they served his purpose."
"'His purpose' is the salvation of the entire galaxy, a new order under which only the most worthy would thrive!"
"And here you go, talking like another Cabal fanatic…I expected better of you, Atiel." The Seeker shook his head. "It was so easy to make you work with an enemy that nearly rooted us out…All for what? Because your precious Jadus thinks them useful?"
"Because he does what the old Cabal could never do, finishes the job! The Star Cabal we fought was a corrupt organization led by weak people, the ones who prolonged their war for as long as they needed to maintain power. With proper guidance and leadership, their ideas can spread…A world void of force will come true."
"And is that what you want?" The Seker wondered. "Why, Atiel? You know what happened to Zakuul; you know it's far beyond simply reducing the power of force sensitives; it's complete annihilation! So just tell me…Is this what you really want?"
"Yes, absolutely."
"Why?"
"Because…" Atiel paused for a moment and took a hasty breath. "Because I want to see all of them burn." Her eyes became vile and spiteful as she looked at the Seker. "When I was younger, I believed that serving the Sith was the best path for every Imperial citizen; I accomplished all of their orders without question. I excelled and became the best of the best, and how did they repay me? The Dark Council brainwashed me into their puppet, and YOU allowed them to do it. And the Jedi? They are no better. I heard enough of Ardun Kothe's self-righteous preaching when he used the keyword on me. To them, people like me are just tools to be used in an endless war between Jedi and Sith, a clash between their deluded philosophies! Lord Jadus was the only one who wanted actual change! He was ready to do what everyone else was too terrified to even think about! All pathetic weaklings who would fuel and prolong this cycle of dark and light fighting and struggling for crumbs of influence, Jadus was different!"
"He lied to you and the entire Intelligence!"
"He didn't understand what I could offer him, not until later."
"He simply used you as a convenient weapon."
"Yes, he did, and so what? Lord Jadus doesn't care about anything but his ultimate goal; he isn't clouded by sentiment, and that's exactly what the galaxy needs! I serve him because I want to see his vision come true, want to see those self-righteous, power-hungry freaks who toyed with the galaxy finally see all of their schemes and plans be dismantled! To see them all burn…And then, even if I never live to see it, there will be a new galaxy that emerges from the ashes of the old one! The one where only the strongest people, the ones who are brave enough to face the void and become one with it, will have control of the force…The ones that deserve it! I will march into this bright future, no matter how many sacrifices it will take, while the likes of YOU will cower behind those deluded monsters that used and abused you…Jadus gave me a choice, unlike Jedi, the Dark Council, and you."
"An ultimatum between joining him and dying? Is that what you call a 'choice'?"
"Says quite a lot that this is more than other force sensitives ever offered to people like me," Atiel said with confidence and pride. "But it doesn't matter to you, does it? You always talked about how the Sith held us on a leash and treated us as disposable…But when it came to acting, you always bowed your head and did what was asked of you! Did you ever actually believe anything you said…Or were you just a coward? Let's test it out…" Atiel raised her blaster and opened fire.
The Seeker was ready for her to attack at any point and easily evaded the shot before opening fire of his own. Coming close and trying to attack Atiel would be a waste; she was in much better shape than the Seeker, and he just got a taste of that. All he needed was to land a few precise shots to immobilize and maybe kill her, but with how easily Atiel evaded, it became a much more difficult task than with most others. The Chiss rushed around the room as if locked in a dance that made her untouchable. Everything she was trained to do and more, she is still one of the most talented agents the Seeker has ever seen, perhaps the most talented one ever. If only he could land a hit on her…
"Enough!" A loud voice interrupted them as the Seeker saw Atiel lose a grip on her rifle. There were new people emerging in the nearby gateway. Vajra, Lana, and Theron were all there, with more following them. Lana raised her hand and began to force-choke Atiel.
"You've run from us long enough…I know you aren't a fool. You know that you already lost this battle. Now tell us what Jadus is planning, or I will make it very, very painful!" Lana tightened her grip around Atiel, but the Chiss showed no signs of fear or submission. Instead, she quickly took out her other weapon, a small backup blaster, and aimed for the Voidcaller canister.
The shot followed immediately.
…
Jac could never imagine that a battle against forces of evil could feel so empty. As a Jedi, it was his duty to protect the innocents and fight those who harmed them. It was something he resolved to do ever since his youth, and he never strayed off the course. In time, Jac learned to enjoy his predicament and bring people peace and justice as any true protector of the Republic would. This was his belief when he rallied against the Sith and the Eternal Empire; it was his honorable battle, and he would never stray off the path.
Jadus's forces were not any different, and yet…Every time, this intrusive thought would emerge. They had Vaylin fighting by their side. The Eternal Empress, a member of Vitiate's murderous family, a tyrant who killed far too many people to ever redeem herself…Nor did she seek any redemption at all. It didn't feel right to forgive some murderous tyrants and yet hunt down the others just because they were more immediately dangerous. Even if Vaylin stops, this would not wash away her crimes…Jac knew that Cassian hoped that he would change his mind by the time they defeated Jadus and that Lana would want them to end this conflict as quickly as possible, no matter how. Theron would want justice, perhaps, yet he wouldn't go against his friends if it came to it…But was Jac himself able to do it? He had no answer, at least not yet.
All he had to do was close his eyes and continue the battle against a common enemy.
"Behind you!" Cassian shouted, pulling Jac away from his trance. The sorb fought three elite droids at the same time, yet the moment he saw that his friend was in danger, he immediately called out to him.
The Jedi saw another droid opening fire at him, ready to jump away at any moment. He ducked, which made the Voidcaller shards pierce the nearby wall. The Jedi used this opportunity to get behind the enemy and slash his visor with his lightsaber. This disoriented the droid, making it launch directionless blast patterns. Cassian and Jac easily evaded those, but the other droids were not as swift. One of them happened to stand right in front of the blast and got its circuits fried immediately. Jac chased the other two droids.
"Take care of the blind one!" He shouted to Cassian, and the Chiss got to it immediately.
Jac jumped towards the nearest droid and split it in half, quickly aiming for the other one. However, just as the Jedi was about to strike, he paused. An image flashed before his eyes, that of Vaylin staring into his soul, smiling and cackling…
"Come on, I know you want to kill me? Try it! Or are you a coward…"
She laughed and laughed, enjoying the power she had over him…Enjoyed reading him despite knowing he would bite back because of his promise to Cassian. Despicable…This thought made him slow down, and if it wasn't for Cassian destroying the final droid after he finished the blind one-off, Jac would've gotten wounded. At least now, all of them were finally gone.
"Are you alright?" Cassian approached his friend and spoke with curiosity and mild worry. "You seem distracted…" This was a genuine concern, yet Jac couldn't help but shake his head with a lingering trace of disappointment.
"Come on, Cas, we both know that what it is I'm distracted by." The Jedi responded sternly, making the Sith pause for a moment. He had nothing to say. "Let's just do what we came here for, alright?"
There was no disagreement from Cassian. The duo made their way towards the server room, and as they opened the door to the last hall that separated them from orbital control, they saw a large defense droid of Imperial design standing before the door. It wasn't alone, however, as there were four rakghouls chained to the nearby wall, howling and screeching the moment they saw their opponents.
"They really went a little extra, didn't they?" Cassian chuckled.
"Must be some of the last Ki Sazen's pets…" Jac said with disdain in his voice that there was no patience left in him, only spite and anger.
He held his lightsaber close to his chest and charged towards the monsters while Cassian took on the droid. Jac pierced one of the monsters right into its heart, forcing the rakghoul to let out a pained wail and paint the wall in its slimy essence. The nearby monster attempted to plunge its claws deep into Jac, but the Jedi cut off its hands and snapped the beast's neck. The last two were finished off by a precise lightsaber throw that cut off their heads, laying their bodies before Jac. Cassian did his job, too; he avoided some of the Voidcaller blasts and raised the droid into the air, gradually crushing its very core and processor, making the droid turn into a pile of scrap, which he threw around the room, crushing the remnants of the rakghouls. Enemies that might have looked terrifying to an ordinary person crumbled like a house of cards before some of the strongest warriors in the galaxy. Jac didn't delude himself. However, Jadus must have planned for them to re-capture Odessen and didn't waste too many forces defending it. The real battle was still ahead, and when they come for Jadus, the scheming Sith Lord will be ready.
…
"R-Rescued?!" Vette stuttered, dumbfounded by Vaylin's words, still shivering from the shock. "Hey, you…You're serious? Like…You're not going to kill me?"
"Of course not. Why would I?" Vaylin raised an eyebrow.
"Eh…Because you…Like killing people for fun?"
"That's just slander, I like killing ANNOYING people for fun."
"So I guess I'm not annoying… Thanks." Vette took a deep breath and looked at Broonmark. "And…You're with her?"
"She is the friend of the Sith clan; she thirsts for blood."
"Okay, that was a silly question…" Vette took a deep breath. "Raina told me that Lana will return with reinforcements, but…No way you're with them!"
"Of course, I'm not with them; they're with me!" Vaylin said proudly.
"And is everyone else here?"
"No one would miss a party like this. The Jedi whiner, blondie, the moody spy…"
"And Cassian?"
"Oh, don't worry, your best friend is here, too."
"He…Wait, how do you know he's my best friend!?" Vette said with shock, making Vaylin giggle.
"We spend a lot of time together, you know. Okay, not too much time, but it was very proactive." A playful smile crept on her face. "I have to say, I was wrong about him at first. He's actually a really fun guy."
"Great, the thing we need right now is you making friends with him…"
"Friend is the wrong word; I'd say he's more of…Hm, my boyfriend?" Vaylin said casually, leaving Vette with her mouth wide open and eyes staring at the dark princess. The twi'lek girl was a little too impressionable for her own good."
"The enemies of the clan!" Broonmark shouted as he pointed at another soldier squad emerging from the nearby hallway; those held their weapons tightly in their hands, already aware that they were swarmed by invaders.
"Kill them all!" The commander ordered.
"You rude little pricks…" Vaylin looked at them as lightning emerged in her hands, ready to scorch all of her enemies. "We had a sweet, friendly reunion, and you come in and ruin it!?" She created a shield made of lightning that absorbed all of their blasts. Even the Voidcaller shards got purged before exploding. "I'll make you suffer for that!"
"Okay, I see why Cassian became friends with you," Vette said, still in shock, and rushed behind Vaylin's shield. "Just don't point this thing at me, alright?"
Vaylin continued her onslaught in silence, focusing on eviscerating her enemies.
"You will all die!" She shouted before unleashing a storm of lightning which torched half of the soldiers and a few droids, those people were not even close to being fun opponents. Even now Vaylin could feel their primal fear.
"Yes, the girl knows how to punish the enemies of the clan!" Broonmark said with what Vaylin could only recognize as excitement and joined the battle. The Talz clawed his way through the armies, tearing apart the fragile flesh of the soldiers that dared to oppose him. The warrior barely even tried to evade; he simply endured the few blasts that hit his shoulders; nothing was enough to soothe his bloodthirsty rage. Vaylin liked him already. She cleared out the rest of the troops with her lightning. They didn't even stand a chance.
"Even when there are so many…They still go down like pups." Vaylin sighed with disappointment. However, she didn't notice one of the surviving soldiers raising up his blaster and pointing it at her, preparing the Voidcaller shard…
"Uh-uh," Vette said playfully as she pushed the gun away from his arms. "We're making it into a no-Voidcaller zone. Can't break the rules, alright?"
Vaylin turned around and quickly finished the soldier off with her lightning.
"And that's one more."
"Gross…" Vette said, a grimace of disgust emerging from her face. "Can you not at least kill unarmed people? Doesn't feel right."
"Sorry, this is a no-complaint zone."
"You make Broonmark look like a pillar of sunshine, and for the record, that's creepy."
Before Vaylin could respond, she saw another enemy emerge in the hallway, a woman who was running as quickly as she could yet immediately stopped the moment she saw Vaylin.
"Look who it is…" Vaylin smiled, realizing that her appearance alone managed to frighten Atiel, if only for a moment. "Sorry, I might be misremembering, but didn't you hesitate to free me when we last met? I think you ought to be punished for that…"
Vaylin unleashed the force of lightning, but Atiel quickly jumped back and ran further towards the hangar. "After her!" Vaylin commanded and rushed towards the elusive spy. Broonmark and Vette did the same, but they inevitably lingered behind due to their wounds and exhaustion.
Eventually, Vaylin caught up with Atiel before one of the docking platforms, the one where her old ship, the Phantom, resided. Every time Vaylin attempted to reach out for the Chiss with her force, Atiel always managed to be one step ahead. So quick, so ready to maneuver…She knew how to fight force-sensitives well. Once Vaylin began closing distance with Atiel on the bridge, she hoped that this would finally end up a success, but Atiel tossed a few grenades forward. She leaped over them moments before they exploded, destroying the bridge and creating a rift between the two women. Vaylin watched closely, trying to detect Atiel coming out of the smoke, but this hesitation cost her. Two more grenades emerged from the cloud, this time filled with a violet glow; they exploded mid-air before Vaylin could deflect or contain the Voidcaller.
"You know, Lord Jadus is very disappointed in you…He was ready to take you in, to allow you to become someone greater."
"Like I need anyone else to tell me who to become!" Vaylin said with spite. "Whatever your crazy master promises, I don't need it."
"A shame that you're so blind despite seeing and feeling so much about Nathema…Maybe you're still stuck in a childlike state of mind?"
"SHUT UP, BITCH!"
"You could've been an Empress…No, more, you could've been a Goddess if you joined my Archon, but you've chosen to be a slave. Pathetic."
"Keep talking like that, and I'll rip out your tongue myself!"
"Promises, promises…"
By the time the smoke subsided, Atiel's ship was already up in the air, and Vaylin had nothing that she could do but watch it ascend into hyperspace. She clenched her fist and teeth, many ways to tear Atiel apart, rushing through her head. She will kill her…She will kill all of them soon. But only moments later, Vaylin heard a familiar voice making an announcement that reached across the entire base.
"People of Odessen, this is Cassian Narok, and I have finally returned. The battle is over…Odessen is ours again!"