SWTOR Character Tales: Ragdat's Darknest Days KOTET 1-3

Welcome back, my beautiful freaks, to the Assassin's Den! It's time to get started in KOTET!

Time had passed between the defeat of Arcann and the rise of Vaylin.  She was causing a path of destruction while searching for her brother and mother, wanting to be rid of them for their betrayal once and for all.

Her search led her to Voss, which was under the protection of the Alliance thanks to Sana Rae and Vedere's friendship with the mystic Gaden Ko. Theron Shan and Sana-Rae happened to be on Voss meeting a contact and were caught in the attack, signaling the Alliance to scramble the fleet. The Alliance fleet moved to intercept and engage the Eternal Fleet, while Lana piloted a Zakuulan shuttle carrying Ragdat and Torian Cadera with a squad of Mandalorian warriors down to the planet surface to break the siege of the capital city of Voss-Ka. Upon landing, Ragdat got notification that Adaso and his brother, along a squad of Mandalorians serving Adaso, had also landed to assist in Ragdat's efforts.  Both grounds engaged Skytroopers throughout the burning city before meeting at the Tower of Prophecy, where Theron and Sana-Rae had been waiting for them. However, just before entering the tower, Vitiate froze time for Ragdat, and said, in so many words, "you need to kill Vaylin". After time was unfrozen, Ragdat helped in defending their position from Vaylin's Horizon Guards, and afterward, they received a holotransmission from Senya, who was at the Shrine of Healing. She was hoping that the Voss Mystics could heal her son's body and spirit and pleaded for the Alliance's aid, believing Arcann would join their fight. Lana believed that Arcann had to be neutralized one way or another, and she led Torian's Mandalorians towards the Shrine, while Adaso and his Mandalorians took a group of fighters to combat them from the air, while Ragdat and Theron took a third route, and rode the Mandalorian walker Storm Rider through the Old Paths.

Upon reaching the Shrine of Healing, Theron and Ragdat met with Senya, who again pleaded them to let Arcann be healed, while Vaylin, learning that her family was all in one place, ordered the Eternal Fleet to bombard the Shrine. Again, Vitiate told Ragdat to kill his son, and this gave Ragdat all the reason he needed to order Lana and the Mandalorians to protect the Shrine to buy Senya time and collapsed a tunnel behind them to stop the pursuing skytroopers. He and Theron remained near the entrance of the healer's chamber to hold off the Skytroopers, and once they finally reached Senya's position, they found that she had already ordered the Mystics to use her strength to heal her son in a Voss healing ritual, which left her comatose. Theron stayed to tend to Senya, while Ragdat and Lana chased the escaping Arcann to his shuttle, but were too late to stop his departure. However, Ragdat could feel Arcann's new presence in the Force, and could just barely see his eyes; while not as light as Vedere or Vizhdam, his presence was FAR lighter than it was, and his eyes had turned from the sickly yellow of a slave to the Dark Side to a much brighter blue. Ragdat knew he didn't have much time to talk, so he said only four words; "Your Mother is alive."

By this point Vaylin has ordered the Eternal Fleet to burn her family regardless of casualties on Voss, but the battle was turned by the arrival of the Imperial fleet, which turned the Eternal Fleet away. Vitiate again stopped time and urged Ragdat to pursue and kill Arcann, kill Valyin and claim the Eternal Throne, but Ragdat was having none of it; he would not kill either one, and he certainly wouldn't be claiming the Throne. When Vitiate unfroze time, Sith Empress Acina contacted Ragdat over holo, greeting Ragdat and invited the Alliance to Dromund Kaas to discuss a potential alliance against Vaylin. This got Adaso's attention, stating to not trust Acina; thanks to her, his entire family, all their forces and most of Colmallus' clan, were dead.  He said that Acina had sent him video messages of his younger sister, a girl who was only 9 at time time, being tortured as a way to demoralize Adaso against trying to take her throne, only killing her after realizing how powerful the young girl had become when she started speaking in a language that took decades to learn, a language that Adaso claimed that Brosra did not know before that; the ancient language of his people.  Acina said she would make no apologies for doing what was necessary to gain control over the Empire, Adaso said to never trust Acina. Ragdat, who had been listening this whole time, said that he couldn't turn away potential allies without talking to them first, and agreed that he'd at least talk to Acina before making a decision, with a caveat that he was not going to abandon the Republic even if he did ally with Acina.

Ragdat traveled to Dromund Kaas with Lana, Adaso and Theron, arriving to Kaas City, where Vitiate froze time to lamented that he spend too long on this world that was not worth saving. Ragdat wrinkled his nose in disgust, and reminded Vitiate that he killed him here before, and he'd doing it again as soon as his people figured out how. Vitiate just chuckled and unfroze time just in time for the group to be greeted by Gelmid Lorman, who introduced himself as the new Minister of Logistics when Beniko addressed him by his old title of Moff. Lorman escorted them to Acina, who greeted Ragdat warmly, though she did mock Adaso for following the Alliance despite how this Jedi set in motion the events that took his power base from him.  Adaso did not raise to the bait, however, and simply stated that he was there to ensure Acina didn't betray Ragdat the way she betrayed Adaso. Acina rolled her eyes, and insisted on speaking with Ragdat privately on her personal shuttle. Ragdat agreed, leaving Lana and Theron behind to keep an eye on Lorman, though Adaso chose a different path; he was going to his old estate to meditate on his situation and fuel his rage.

In flight and away from prying eyes, Acina stated that traditionalist Sith would not approve of the alliance she was offering and recognized Vaylin as the true threat. She assured Ragdat that her offer of partnership was genuine despite Adaso's protestations to the contrary, and that she had no intention of taking the Eternal Throne for herself, and Ragdat said the same, but he echoed Adaso's caution toward the Sith Empress. Their conversation was interrupted by a sudden engine failure, requiring Acina to crash land the shuttle and abandon ship. Now stuck in the wilderness of Dromund Kaas with their comms mysteriously jammed, Acina suspected someone sabotaged her shuttle, and Ragdat suggested Lorman as the culprit, though Acina shot down the idea. Lorman didn't have the courage to do so, she said, and this caused Ragdat to add that was the exact reason he was the prime suspect; Acina underestimated him.

Acina and Ragdat were forced to contend with the planet's dangerous wildlife and lightning storms, traversing the terrain to the crashed shuttle in hopes of recovering the emergency beacon. A group was already waiting for them there and identified as the GenoHaradan, whom the Empress had always assumed to be a myth. The "legendary" assassins proved no match for the Alliance Commander and the Empress of the Sith, however, as the pair swiftly dealt with the assassins and continued their search for the GenoHaradan camp.

They continued into the jungle, and just as they were about to head into the camp, they were met by Adaso wiping out the assassins. He looked furious, and directed all his anger at Acina, saying he "knew she'd betray them", but Ragdat rebuked the idea; it was Lorman, not Acina, and presented his theory. Adaso stood down, not wanting to argue with his Commander, and after clearing the camp, Ragdat discovered a holorecording from former Republic Supreme Chancellor Leontyne Saresh. Saresh was revealed as the one who ordered the hit, and Acina remarked on the treachery of the Republic leadership, though Adaso added "You're one to talk, Acina" before a gunship appeared and opened fire, forcing the three to take shelter in a nearby Sith tomb, where the entrance was collapsed by the barrage.Vitiate again froze time, and again remarked how these ancient resting placed of Sith Lords never truly held the secret of immortality, causing Ragdat to roll his eyes at this, saying that it was a privilege to become one with the Force, not something to be feared. Vitiate unfroze time, and Adaso immediately recognized what had happened within Ragdat after he came out of it, and wanted to say something, but chose not to, since he didn't want his Commander to be perceived as weak in front of Acina.

As the trio descended further into the tomb's depths, they found exactly what Ragdat had been saying the entire time; the traitorous Minister Lorman, who was behind the shuttle sabotage, and a GenoHaradan strike team seeking to finish their job. They quickly and easily dispatched the GenoHaradan, and Lorman panicked, claiming to have Lana and Theron hostage. This caused Adaso to burst into laughter, saying that Lana and Theron were not so weak that they would fall to Lorman's flunkies. Lorman, after once shouting "It's Minister Lorman! MINISTER LORMAN!", as he had several times before when someone called him by only his last name,  attempted to call his men, only to discover that his so-called hostages had dispatched them. Acina offered the Commander to decide Lorman's fate, and Ragdat calmly stated that Jedi don't kill their prisoners, something that caused Adaso to smirk, reaffirming that Ragdat was still denying his former master's control, but it caused Acina to frown. Ragdat said that Acina could do with him what she wished after due process had been gone through, but the fact remained that Jedi don't kill their prisoners.

Theron informed them that Saresh was coming to Odessen in a bid to take over the Alliance after she had earlier proclaimed that Ragdat was dead along with Acina. The four quickly returned to Odessen, where Saresh was making a speech in front of the Alliance personnel. Upon seeking Ragdat, she panicked and tried to flee, but Lana cut off her way of escaping. Saresh, in so many words, called Ragdat weak, saying that she'd have ended the Sith Empire AND the Eternal Empire months ago if she were in charge. Adaso said Saresh knew nothing of war, and that she'd lead them all to their death if she had the chance. Saresh just glared at Adaso, and flatly said "So, what, are you going to kill me, Commander? That's what I'd do." And Ragdat again calmly said that "Jedi don't kill their prisoners.You'll be given due process, but don't expect it to go your way." before sending Theron and Adaso to escort Saresh to a prison cell, to Theron's approval.

A little while later, Acina then contacted Odessen with a formal offer for an alliance, which Ragdat denied, saying that, while she had exhibited that she was trustworthy in this instance, she also illustrated a level of tactical blindness that Ragdat couldn't risk getting in the Alliance's way. Acina accepted this, and simply stated that she hoped they'd never end up on the opposite side of a battlefield. Theron, who was standing nearby with Lana and Adaso, asked why he chose not to ally with Acina, and Ragdat simply stated that, outside Adaso and Lana, he could never fully trust a Sith. He explained Adaso's honor code and Lana's pragmatism and sense of loyalty to those that had proven themselves made them unique among the Sith, and Acina lacked both. Both Adaso and Lana were placated, though Lana's pragmatism forced her to say that she hoped the wouldn't need Acina's reinforcements in the future.  Ragdat assured her that they had the strongest fighters and best equipment in the galaxy now, and that she shouldn't worry.

About an hour later, Darth Nox came into the command center and stated that she had managed to convince her apprentice, Ashara Zavros, to join the Alliance after their efforts on Voss, who had happened to be there at the time of the invasion, and Ragdat recognized the name; the Togruta Jedi who followed Darth Nox during her journey toward power, but resisted the corruption of the Dark Side while still accepting some of the Sith philosophy into her being.  Ragdat thanked her, but then got a notification of a distress call. The distress call was from Koth Vortena on the Gravestone; Vaylin had attacked and taken the ship. Koth, who had evaded capture, provided the Alliance with his coordinates, which gave Ragdat what he needed what he needed to mobilize the Alliance fleet moving to intercept. However, before he could leave, Vedere came up to Ragdat with a request for a team to rescue a former companion of her's; apparently, the Alliance had found Felix Iresso's location, and she wanted to free him. Ragdat gave the okay as he was boarding a shuttle with Lana.

Once the fleet got within the space around the Gravestone, Ragdat and Lana infiltrated the Gravestone in a boarding pod and dispatched several Skytrooper patrols along their way to Koth. Upon greeting each other, Koth revealed to them that Vaylin's forces risked triggering the quantum bomb that he installed as a precaution against SCORPIO, which infuriated Ragdat; between the personnel and equipment that a quantum bomb could destroy, this action would be grounds for treason charges based on the on the potential credit loss along. And that wasn't even counting the fact that Koth went behind his Commanding Officer's back knowing full well that Ragdat wouldn't approve of this. Ragdat begrudgingly joined Koth in disabling the fuses, while Lana provided distraction. Koth was elated that they defused his bomb and prevented his mistake from costing lives, but Ragdat said that after this, Koth was never setting foot on the Gravestone again. Koth said "I'd like to see you try to replace me", and then Ragdat said "And now, you're getting arrested on treason charges for the bomb AND threatening your Commanding Officer.  You're former military, Koth,, You know better than this." Koth was shocked at Ragdat's words, but he agreed to help Ragdat reach the bridge in the hope that doing so would help in his trial, only to be surprised to find it empty of Vaylin and her forces.

Koth disabled the bomb from the bridge console and told  his crew to evacuate in escape pods. SCORPIO then contacted them and revealed that she knew about the quantum bomb and manipulated Vaylin into leaving the bridge so that Koth could disable it. SCORPIO also informed Ragdat that Lana was cornered by Vaylin in the Dark Sanctuary, where the bomb was hidden. Ragdat and Koth arrived in time to save Lana from Vaylin, but their fighting still triggered the bomb's countdown. Ragdat dueled Vaylin, but just as Ragdat saw a Shatterpoint that would allow him to defeat Vaylin without killing her, Vitiate intervened and stopped the time as he often did before, although this time, Vaylin was able to overcome his restraint. She used the Force to throw Ragdat against the wall, which Ragdat assumed she was able to do due to Vitiate shutting down his TK Barrier again,  Vitiate uttered the phrase "Kneel before the Dragon of Zakuul", triggering Vaylin's secret conditioning and making her powerless to strike.

Unable to fight, Vaylin turned and fled, giving Koth the chance to disarm the bomb while Ragdat disabled the power relays to prevent its early detonation. As things calmed slightly, Ragdat told Lana to not forget they needed to put Koth under arrest for treason when once they were home.

A few moments later, Theron brought a team of Colonel Strannos, Aric Jorgan, Torian Cadera and Vette as reinforcements by landing an Alliance shuttle inside the hangar. However, SCORPIO took over control of the Gravestone, sending it towards an unknown location and locking the hyperdrive.  The Alliance converged on the bridge, however, their fleet were forced to witness as the Gravestone jumped out of hyperspace in an unknown system, surrounded by the entirety of the Eternal Fleet.

SCORPIO left the ship in her shuttle and contacted Ragdat again, revealing that the GEMINI droids were not imitations of her technology, but were related to her, as well as the Eternal Fleet and the Gravestone. SCORPIO uncovered their point of origin in the Gravestone and brought them all there, thanking Ragdat for assisting their journey and warning them that Vaylin and her remaining forces were sabotaging everything on the Gravestone. Ragdat rushed to the omnicannon, but in his absence, Vaylin returned to the bridge and overpowered his team. She threatened to kill Torian and Vette, but was unable to hurt anyone before a blinging white light engulfed the ship.

 And that's the first bunch of KOTET chapters.  I'll be doing them in batches of 3, then I'll run Iokath as one post, then, the Traitor Flashpoints together in one post.  I hope to have Ragdat's Darkest Days done before December.  And yes, if you're observant, you'll notice I've utilized heavily edited bits from the wookieepedia article on "The Outlander" to speed this up. 

For now, look forward to the next post, and stay beautiful freaks!