In the year 3631 BBY, Lana Beniko orchestrated a rescue operation. This mission aimed to liberate the Commander from their carbonite encasement within the Spire located on the planet Zakuul. Beniko, accompanied by Koth Vortena, the astromech droid T7-O1, and the bodyguard droid HK-55, successfully infiltrated the Spire and freed the Outlander. They then managed to escape, evading pursuit by High Justice Vaylin. Due to damage sustained by their shuttle, they were forced to crash-land in the Endless Swamp surrounding the Spire. There, the team discovered the Gravestone, an ancient warship capable of challenging Arcann's Eternal Fleet. After undertaking essential repairs, the team was discovered and compelled to defend their position against waves of Skytroopers and Knights of Zakuul. The unexpected arrival of rogue Knight Senya Tirall, who came to their assistance, provided a temporary reprieve, allowing the group to get the Gravestone airborne and flee the planet. While in orbit, they encountered the Eternal Fleet, but a single shot from the Gravestone's omnicannon obliterated more than two dozen Eternal Fleet warships in a single blast, allowing the Gravestone to jump to the relative safety of hyperspace.
Following the Eternal Empire conquest, both the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire entered into treaties with Zakuul. These agreements placed them in a precarious position, gradually depleting their resources and disrupting their trade. Lana Beniko, the former Sith Intelligence Minister, ventured into Wild Space with the hope of galvanizing the galaxy into action against the tyrannical rule of the Eternal Emperor Arcann. Her goal was to uncover the fate of the individual blamed for the assassination of Valkorion – her ally from the Revanite crisis, known to the Zakuulans as the "Outlander." Early in her search, she encountered and exchanged information with Senya Tirall, a former member of the Knights of Zakuul who had resigned after Arcann ordered the massacre of the Scions of Zakuul. Later, she crossed paths with Koth Vortena, an exiled Zakuulan naval officer who defected with his crew following the Occupation of Denon. Beniko and Vortena dedicated considerable time to opposing the Eternal Empire together, developing a strong bond of trust. Beniko also acquired a bodyguard droid HK-55 and the astromech droid T7-O1.
Five years following Valkorion's assassination, Beniko finally discovered that her ally was encased in carbonite and held by Arcann within a secure vault containing his most prized possessions. Beniko launched a rescue operation, and in 3631 BBY, she and T7-O1 infiltrated the capital city of Zakuul, the Spire, while Vortena and HK-55 remained in the shuttle, serving as their getaway vehicle. After locating the Outlander inside Arcann's vault and freeing them, Beniko noticed that the Outlander was suffering from carbonite poisoning and promptly administered an antidote. Almost immediately, they were attacked by Skytrooper guards. Beniko then escorted the Outlander to the extraction point, while T7-O1 took a different route to create false alarms in other sectors.
Their escape was discovered, and the two were pursued by High Justice Vaylin, Arcann's sister and an extremely powerful Force user. Meanwhile, Vortena's shuttle was also detected, forcing him to evade his pursuers and request Beniko to move to a new pickup location. Vaylin attempted to intercept their escape by destabilizing a Sun Generator, which forced Beniko and the Outlander to navigate through a Skytrooper droid factory, where they destroyed ZX-199. The generator was on the verge of overloading and exploding, which posed a threat to innocent lives. Despite Beniko's objections, Vortena insisted that the Outlander detour to disable it before it reached a critical state. Vortena's shuttle was eventually shot down and crashed on a shuttle pad, where Vortena and HK-55 were surrounded by Zakuulan forces. The two managed to eliminate their attackers, after which Vortena stole a nearby shuttle and hurried to pick up Beniko and the Outlander.
Due to Vortena's issues with their escape vehicle, Beniko and the Outlander had to defend themselves against two Knights of Zakuul named Novo and Tanek. They were victorious, although Novo managed to escape, but were then cornered by Vailyn. Beniko prepared to sacrifice herself to allow the Outlander time to escape, but Vortena's shuttle arrived and opened fire on the High Justice, mowing down her skytrooper escort. Vaylin used telekinesis to shield herself with debris, before throwing it at the shuttle, causing significant damage. Vortena managed to keep the shuttle airborne long enough for the Outlander and Beniko to board, after which they fled the scene. They were about to be fired upon by defense turrets, but T7-O1 remotely shut them down, before continuing with his next mission on Zakuul.
The internal fires on the shuttle forced Vortena to make an emergency landing in the Endless Swamp. Beniko and Vortena remained behind to conceal evidence of their crash, while the Outlander and HK-55 proceeded to investigate a large technological object detected by the droid's sensors. When Beniko and Vortena rejoined their companions, HK-55 revealed that the object was not native to Zakuul, and Vortena quickly identified it as the Gravestone, the legendary starship that had single-handedly challenged the Eternal Fleet. The team began repairing the Gravestone, eventually restoring major systems to working order. At some point, Beniko sent a message to Senya Tirall, inviting her to join them and provide assistance. Meanwhile, Arcann determined that the damaged shuttle could only have landed in the Endless Swamp and ordered the Skytroopers to sweep the area, focusing on regions with significant metallic sensor readings. Arcann's forces soon located the Gravestone, which came under attack by Skytroopers and Zakuulan Knights.
Vortena and HK-55 remained on the bridge to prepare the ship for flight, while Beniko and the Outlander defended against the attacking forces outside. Senya Tirall arrived mid-fight to aid in the defense of the Gravestone, helping the Outlander defeat Knight-Captain Draynon Atrus and an Eternal Empire Walker piloted by Dru Velton. The Knights then used Zildrog's Wedge to isolate Beniko from the rest, managing to disarm her. Vortena and HK-55 arrived to eliminate the remaining Zakuulan forces, but more reinforcements were on their way, and the group prepared to leave Zakuul. The Force-users helped lift the ancient starship from the swamp. After everyone boarded and the ship left the atmosphere, the Eternal Fleet appeared to intercept them. The Outlander fired the Gravestone's omnicannon, destroying more than two dozen Eternal Fleet warships in a single shot, allowing the Gravestone to jump into hyperspace.
The Gravestone sustained damage during the escape, resulting in the loss of functionality of both the omnicannon and the hyperdrive. The group decided to stop at the Asylum shadowport for repairs, where they picked up Vortena's crew of engineers to restore the ship to full working condition. Their location was eventually betrayed by Heskal, which led to the Battle of Asylum, during which the Gravestone once again managed to evade the Eternal Fleet.
During the escape from Zakuul in Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Fallen Empire, players face three significant choices. The first is whether to detour to disable the Sun Generator, representing a Light Side option, or to allow it to explode and cause the deaths of thousands, representing a Dark Side option, which will permanently damage the player's relationship with Koth Vortena. The second is whether to allow Zakuulan exiles from the Endless Swamp to board the Gravestone, a Light Side choice, or to deny them aid, a Dark Side choice. The third is whether to reject Valkorion's offer of power, a Light Side choice, or to use it to save Lana Beniko from a wound, a Dark Side choice. This Dark Side choice could potentially lead to Valkorion taking control of the player's body during a duel with Arcann on Asylum.