Ambush on Dromund Kaas

When the Eternal Empire originating from Zakuul made its presence known to the broader galaxy and initiated the invasion against both the Empire and the Republic, Darth Acina stood as the sole surviving member of the Dark Council who wasn't killed or forced into hiding. Acina then took control of the Empire, proclaiming herself as Empress of the Sith and subsequently ratified a peace treaty with the Eternal Empire. She patiently waited for five years until an Alliance rose to challenge the Eternal Empire's control over the galaxy and commenced the War against Zakuul. Following the defeat of Eternal Emperor Arcann by the Alliance Commander during the Battle of Odessen, Acina openly resisted the messengers of his successor Vaylin, thereby concluding an era marked by Sith subservience.

When Vaylin's Eternal Fleet started an Invasion of Voss, Acina directed the Imperial Navy to provide assistance to the Alliance, which led to their victory in the conflict. After this event, Acina recognized the Alliance as an independent entity and extended an invitation to the Alliance Commander to visit Dromund Kaas for negotiation purposes. The former Republic Supreme Chancellor Leontyne Saresh became aware of the Alliance Commander's impending trip to Dromund Kaas and decided to use this opportunity to seize control of their Alliance. In cooperation with Imperial Minister of Logistics Gelmid Lorman, Saresh dispatched a contingent of GenoHaradan assassins to Dromund Kaas with the intention of sabotaging Acina's shuttle while she and the Alliance Commander were engaged in discussions, with orders to recover their deceased bodies.

The Alliance Commander journeyed to Kaas City accompanied by their advisors, Lana Beniko and Theron Shan. Upon arrival, they were greeted by Lorman, who escorted them to meet Empress Acina. She insisted on conducting their conversation privately within her personal shuttle, a request to which the Commander agreed, leaving Lana and Theron behind to monitor Lorman. During their flight, their discussion was disrupted by a sudden malfunction in the engine, which forced Acina to evacuate before the shuttle crashed. Saresh decided to delay the GenoHaradan's payment until they could provide the bodies as proof of death. Now stranded in the wilderness of Dromund Kaas with their communication systems mysteriously disabled, Acina and the Commander had to face the planet's hazardous wildlife and intense lightning storms, navigating the terrain towards the wrecked shuttle in hopes of finding the emergency beacon. A group of GenoHaradan was already positioned there, but they proved to be no match for the Alliance Commander and the Empress of the Sith. The pair quickly took care of the assassins and located their camp, where the Commander discovered a holorecording from Leontyne Saresh, revealing her involvement in ordering the attack. A gunship then appeared and began firing, compelling Acina and the Commander to seek refuge inside a nearby Sith tomb, the entrance of which was blocked by the barrage.

In the meantime, Lorman informed Shan and Beniko that the Commander was presumed dead. Saresh then contacted them, expressing false sympathy for their leader's apparent demise and offering to step in to fill the resulting power vacuum within the Alliance. Theron immediately rejected her offer, but Saresh insisted that they would eventually realize the correctness of her actions and proceeded to Odessen to attempt to seize control of the Alliance. As the Empress and the Commander descended further into the depths of the tomb, they encountered the treacherous Minister Lorman, who was responsible for sabotaging the shuttle, along with a GenoHaradan strike team seeking to complete their mission. After defeating the GenoHaradan, Lorman claimed to have taken Lana and Theron hostage and attempted to contact his men, only to discover that his alleged hostages had already dealt with them. Acina allowed the Commander to decide Lorman's fate, while Theron informed the Commander that Saresh was en route to Odessen in an attempt to take over the Alliance.

The Commander swiftly made their way to Odessen, where Saresh was delivering a speech before the Alliance personnel. Her timing appeared to be perfect, as some of the lower-ranking Alliance members were willing to listen to her, uncertain about the Alliance's future without their leader. However, just as she began her speech, the Commander, having survived the GenoHaradan and Lorman's betrayal, confronted Saresh and put an end to her attempted coup. Saresh refused to apologize for her actions, stating that she had identified an opportunity and seized it, believing that she deserved to lead the Alliance. She anticipated being executed, stating that it was the course of action that she and Vaylin would have taken. After her fate was determined, Acina contacted the Commander again, presenting a formal proposal for an alliance.