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"Very well, I see your reasoning. You are free to respond to this message in a manner you see fit. I trust you know how to proceed in regard to every potential outcome?"
"Yes, my lord."
…
Atiel rarely spent any time off-duty, especially now that she became a martyr for a grand cause. She had no doubt nor wavering in her heart, not when the promise of a galaxy reborn loomed ahead. But even so, she could not escape occasional reminders of her past life. The bonds she forged, the alliances she made, and the places she visited all found a way to haunt her.
Now was Alderaan's time. She took a few days off duty and traveled to a planet of warring royalty, political intrigue, and majestic landscapes, all to answer a message she received not so long ago.
Agent, apologies for attempting to intrude on your private frequency, but no words can describe how happy we are to learn that you survived. We do not know what you are up to, nor is this the priority. It has been years, Agent, we yearn for a meeting. We are at the service of House Thul on Alderaan, yet we can make some time for you. We do not wish to detain you from your new duties, but we would appreciate it if you could pay a visit.
Vector Hyllus.
Vector managed to track down Atiel's messaging address despite all the security she protected it with and now asked for a meeting, their first one since she set out for Zakuul alone years ago. Even though she rarely thought of him while she was away, this new turn of events intrigued Atiel, and after getting her permission, she decided to respond.
Very well, Vector, I will come to Alderaan. My only request is that you keep details of this meeting private as well as this location. Pick a place far away from Thuls' eyes and send me the coordinates, date, and time. I will be there. See you soon.
Ninth Siren.
When the time came, the chiss woman made her way to Alderaan per the coordinates that Vector sent. It was a small, abandoned house on the outskirts of Thul territory, a good pick for them. Vector trusted her. Out of her former crew, he was the most reliable and loyal. Honor was not an empty sound to him, which at times made Atiel wonder how he ended up in this line of duty.
As Atiel walked into the quiet house after moving through the forests of Alderaan, she finally saw him. A young man with pale skin and dark robes that matched the color of the joiner's eyes. It has been a long time, yet it seemed like Vector didn't change whatsoever.
"Atiel…We weren't sure we would ever hear your song again." Vector turned around as a welcoming smile emerged on his face, and his black eyes stared at Atiel once again.
"Vector. It's been a while." She smiled in response, as well, hoping that she wouldn't have to wait long before getting to the point in a natural fashion.
"We are so glad to see that you have not merged with the shadows completely just yet. We missed your guidance and friendship long after our crew disbanded." Vector pointed to the nearby chair and suggested Atiel take a seat. "How has your mission gone? I understand if you'd rather keep the details classified, but curiosity has become a powerful force that guides our song."
"I'd rather hear about you first," Atiel suggested. "What did you do during those years? I suppose the Empire kept you occupied."
"Yes…" Vector said with sad bitterness in his voice. "Soon after we separated, the Empire conscripted the kiliks to fight in a war against the Eternal Empire."
"As I suspected they would. The Empire would throw every life they had on the line before submitting." Atiel remarked. "Commendable, to an extent, but hardly practical."
"They sent us on the front lines. Neither of the Empires showed us any mercy. Millions dead…We felt every light go out." His voice grew quieter as his hand shook slightly. Kiliks were attuned to the hivemind; Vector would feel their joy and pain, and during galactic wars, there was little joy to be found. Atiel always found this system amusing, yet weak. Killing one kilik could weaken the others and make them vulnerable. "Our service to the Empire has left us scarred, but there's is no point in reminiscing on what is done. We are much more curious to learn about your mission."
"You should understand that those secrets are not being shared lightly." Atiel shook her head. "If I was careless, I would've been long dead by now."
"Do you not trust us? We trust you, Agent. After all we've been through, this is not a point of doubt for us. There must be something you're willing to share." Vector remained polite and calm, as always, but he clearly wanted to learn more. Atiel sighed, realizing that there was no point in stalling.
"I followed Lord Jadus's trail to Zakuul in my attempt to find him. I had to forge a new identity and appearance, infiltrate their military and intelligence." Atiel recounted those days with disappointment, for in the end, all the time she spent on Zakuul had been for nothing. Jadus was far away, on a planet that lay beyond civilization or even the reach of the force. Coordinates that were impossible to find without him sending a signal first.
"Did you find him?"
"No, this mission turned out to be an utter failure."
"We're sorry to hear that." Vector reached out and tried to comfort Atiel by putting a hand on her shoulder, but she gently moved away. He might think this was a time for pleasantries, but that wasn't how she saw things. "We heard you served in the Alliance…We tried to contact you back then, but the Empire tightened its grip; we're sorry we couldn't reach you." He spoke with regret.
"Don't be ashamed. We all did our best. But yes, I did serve in the Alliance until Arcann's downfall. When I realized that my search for Lord Jadus was going nowhere, I searched for Allie's and came in contact with Lana Beniko. She and the Jedi Battlemaster were planning to break my old acquaintance out of Arcann's grip."
"Cassian Narok…"
"I had my doubts that Wrath's presence was so crucial for their little uprising, but I was wrong."
"How did it feel to be a part of it?"
"Alright. I did what I do best, undermined Zakuul from the shadows, and worked with Lana, but I never cared for Cassian's vendetta. I suppose it was worth catching up with Kaliyo and SCORPIO." Atiel chuckled.
"You've seen them?"
"Oh, yes."
"How are they? We haven't been in contact with any of ours since conscription." Vector said with hope.
"Kaliyo is, as she's always been, an occasionally useful nuisance. Cassian found a use for her, and she seems content enough. As for SCORPIO…She finally got a chance to pull off her gambit. She manipulated Cassian and Arcann into a duel and took the throne for herself. I heard she even worked with Vaylin. That is until Cassian finally turned her into a pile of scrap." Atiel could hardly hide her distaste for the treacherous droid. "I won't miss her."
"A shame, but we suppose one can't fight their own nature; SCORPIO did what she was created to do," Vector said with shame. Did he really think of her as some sort of comrade? That relic of the past? Atiel had to contain herself from shaking her head in stark disapproval.
"As for Raina, I avoided contacting her. She returned to Chiss space and still does her duties there, there is no need for her."
"Don't you want to see her after all those years?"
"Not particularly." Atiel shrugged.
"We see…And what of Eckard? We've been quite in how the doctor is doing, ourselves." An innocuous question that brought them to the main topic that Atiel wanted to discuss ever since she received the message.
"I…I'm afraid I can't answer that."
"Why so? Is everything alright?" Vector said with worry.
"I know where Lokin is, but that is classified…I can reveal it to you, if you swear that you will not mention this meeting to a single soul, not even to those of the hive."
"We promise. Even now, the hive cannot see us. You're safe here, Atiel." He reassured her, making the Agent take a deep breath.
"As I said, I only served in the Alliance until the downfall of Emperor Arcann, and there is a reason for that. Just before Arcann's flagship attacked Odessen, I received a signal from Lord Jadus himself. It was enough to find him."
"You've discovered Darth Jadus?" Vector spoke with disbelief.
"I have…And now I am his hand once again. Everything I do I do on his orders, I answer to him and no one else. Do you accept that, Vector?"
"We…Always felt troubled by your decision to take his side and betray Watcher 2, but we respected it then; we respect it now."
"Good." Atiel nodded. "I have sworn to bring his vision of the galaxy to fruition."
"The last time we gave way to his vision, Imperial worlds were consumed by fire and terror." Vector became suspicious.
"He has another goal in mind."
"What goal?"
"I will not say. Only he and I know it's nature, and it has to stay that way for a while. But I will say that this outcome will benefit the galaxy…" She explained with pride. "It will be unrecognizable; we will have to go through hard times, but at the end of it, all of us will be free, and the powers that corrode the galaxy will forever be gone. That includes the Sith that conscripted your kind to the war, the ones that considered you nothing more than a parasite. Lord Jadus seeks to change that once and for all."
"We have raised this concern amongst other diplomats; the reforms are…"
"They are not enough, Vector! Even if something changes, it will be minuscule, and you will never live to see it." Atiel clenched her fist. "The galaxy needs to be reforged in flames, and while Lord Jadus and I already have a lot of allies who hide in the shadows, we would always welcome more."
"You want us…"
"To stand by our side," Atiel said firmly. "Doctor Lokin is with us. I found him months ago, slowly dying from a terminal disease. I got him a cure, and he pledged himself to our cause. You could be the same."
"And what would that entail? Doing everything your lord wants us?"
"It will be worth it, Vector, I promise." Atiel stood up. "Imagine a galaxy where everyone is equal, where all live in the same conditions, and all they are judged by is their merit. We would no longer be pawns to those who were fortunate to have gifts that are unreachable to us. Even more so, if you show our ways to other kiliks, Lord Jadus would welcome them, too."
"Is that…Why did you come here, Agent? To try and recruit links to your cause?"
"You know I'm always keeping my options open."
"True, we always admired your pragmatism…But tell us this, and we ask you to be honest. This flame that you speak about, those inevitable hard times that will come with your plan…How many will die?" His question made Atiel pause, yet there was no way to avoid the answer.
"Billions. Billions will die so even more can thrive."
"That is a logic far too similar to the one our Sith masters used when they sent us to die on the front lines. Thank you for your honesty, but we will never support such a cause." Vector stood up and said sternly.
"Is that…Your final answer?"
"Yes." He nodded. "We admire your loyalty and respect your choice, but it is clear that our songs are far too different to become a part of the same tune. It was…Pleasant to see you, Atiel. Thank you for offering us this moment of reminiscence. We will keep our promise and never utter a word of what we discussed here to anyone, but here is where we part. It's been our plea…"
A single shot from a blaster, a single corpse falling to the floor.
Then silence.
…
"Ninth Siren to First Archon, do you hear me?"
"I do. Have you met Vector Hyllus?"
"Yes. I told him of our mission and offered him a chance to join along with any other willing kiliks, but he refused. I disposed of his body and am positive there were no other witnesses. The situation is resolved."