It's always a good night, when The Naughty Ottsel has a reason to party. Music blaring, drinks flowing and the sound of happy voices, chattering away filling the air. What made it even better, this particular night, was the fact that not only had the South Gardens and West Bazaar been cleared of any straggling metalheads and Krimson Guard bots, and the areas reclaimed for the city, but Jak and Daxter, (with a modicum of assistance from the Freedom League), had just recovered the North Gardens as well.

Daxter hummed to himself, taking it all in, as he rushed to and fro, refilling drinks and restocking bar snacks. He was in his element here. It hardly felt like work, with all the socialising and laughing and general spreading of happiness. He may have been taken from his sleepy seaside village and thrust into a cold and uncaring future, but he'd made a new home and filled it with those who he loved most. His beautiful ottsel girlfriend, Tess and his oldest and very best friend, Jak.

"Hey Rat!" Torn's scratchy voice quickly pulled Daxter out of his musings. "Where's your other half?"

"Well she's down in the basement connecting up the new beer barr…Oh!... You mean Jak, don't you."

Daxter's ears drooped as he pointed lethargically to where his partner in crime was lounging, flirting awkwardly with Kiera. With barely a nod, as thanks, the lanky commander stalked over to the other side of the bar to annoy the eco warrior instead, and Daxter, unable to contain his natural inclination to be nosey, angled his ears, to the best position to listen in.

"Jak," Torn began, "I want to make you aware that Ashelin and I appreciate all your efforts into rebuilding Haven. We realise that you have family connections with Spargus and we want to thank you for sticking around here."

"It's ok!" Jak sighed, with a sort of half smile.

Daxter craned his neck so he could hear better. Being Jak's main confidant, he knew that there was an unresolved issue Jak had with Spargus, something he really, really did not want to face. Staying in Haven was the easy option… a way out. However, much as his quiet friend had improved in the art of conversation, Daxter knew he still lacked the words to convey his inner turmoil.

"Going forward," the scratchy voice continued, "We need to enter the Main Square area. After which we can secure the tunnel to the catacombs. We can then move on to the city district and finally the stadium." Jak nodded but kept his head down, staring at his feet. Haven City was lucky to have Torn's organisational skills, but the young hero could do without this just now. Now was the time for drinking and being with the ones he loved, surely this could have waited till tomorrow. Or possibly indefinitely, he wasn't fussy.

Daxter was not oblivious to his comrade's discomfort. His best friend needed an out and he had just the distraction.

He bounded over to Jak's table and began to feign being drunk…well, more drunk anyway. "Hey!", he fake slurred, "Why you tellin' all thiiis to the blond (hic) wondererer. Ah'mm der real hero." He caught Torn's hard stare, who's face became even more hardset as he growled, "Enough of this!" Daxter appeared to trip over his own tail and tumbled into the tattooed wonder's lap. Torn unceremoniously hoiked the poor ottsel up and cast him roughly onto the table. "See you tomorrow Jak, to set out our plans for recapturing the next area." With that, the Freedom League commander promptly stood up and walked brusquely out the bar.

Jak's eyes followed Torn as he left, then turned to his small, orange saviour. "Thanks Dax!" he smiled. A real smile this time, albeit small. Daxter's spirit lifted.

His work was done, and he was free to go back to what he did best. Pouring drinks and entertaining customers.

The night passed far too quickly and before he knew it, the rude buzz of Jak's communicator woke Daxter with an abrupt start. He looked down at his girlfriend Tess and she snuggled further under the covers on their little ottsel sized bed, trying her best to ignore the loud humming. He groaned and sluggishly made his way towards the offending noise.

Standing outside his friend's bedroom door, he let his frustration be known. "For precursor's sake Jak. Who is that, at this time in the morning?"

"Umm no-one!" came the slightly embarrassed reply, "I set an alarm coz Torn wants to talk to me. Something or other about his strategy for Main Square."

Daxter yawned. It was far too early for this and from the sound of Jak's voice, he didn't seem entirely enthusiastic about this meeting either. "Fine!" he found himself grumbling, "See you when you get back. I'm going to bed."

"Ok!" Jak sounded downcast.

Daxter felt a slight pang of guilt, but not enough to get him out to the Freedom League headquarters. Not at this time in the morning. Not after a party like last night. Jak would just have to go on his own. He plodded back to his own room and smoothly slid in next to Tess. As he felt his eyelids go heavy, he consoled himself silently, "Oh yes, definitely the right decision."

It was several hours later, when Daxter finally roused. Tess was already up and was downstairs cleaning the bar. He got up, plodded into the kitchen and made himself a coffee. His stomach baulked at the thought of breakfast, so cup in hand, he shuffled down the stairs.

He was never so grateful for the dim light of the bar, as he slouched through the door from the living area. His head hurt and his stomach churned. He would need to take it easy today.

His resolution lasted exactly ten seconds as Tess handed him an anti-bacterial spray, a bowl of hot water and some cloths. "Thank goodness you're up Daxiepoo. You can take over the cleaning. I have to get to the gun course to help Kiera." The female ottsel's eyes shone with a deadly gleam. "We're making a stealth zoomer. Deadly quiet. Undetectable by radar… and I get to equip it with enhanced strength, quick fire, multi eco, super charged canons."

Her eyes returned to their usual happy-go-lucky mode. "So, see you later cutie", and with that she was off.

Daxter was trying to work out if she'd notice if he left wiping the tables for today, so he could nurse his hangover in peace, when the door opened again and in stormed Jak. He looked just as miserable as he'd sounded before.

Jak, fumbled for a bit with his eco ring and having released the buckle, let it clang noisily to the floor. He then, slumped across to the bar, plonked himself, ungracefully down on one of the old worn stools and opened himself a beer.

Dax felt he should break the tension.

"Hey, you have to pay for that, you know. Those drinks aren't free." he joked.

"Hmmmpf", came the reply.

"Do I need to get you some light eco?" Daxter kept his voice jovial. He was determined to lighten the mood.

"What?! No! I'm fine."

His friend did not look fine. Daxter could only watch as Jak sighed and stared into his beer bottle, emptily. Maybe he should have got up earlier and gone with his friend. You know, not let him face the Freedom League commander alone. He should let him know.

"So, big guy…Sorry…you know…about before." Daxter spoke gently and braced himself for whatever acerbic retort would come back his way.

"S'ok Dax. You didn't have to be there, and you sounded like you really needed the sleep", Jak didn't appear to be particularly annoyed but for all intents and purposes still seemed like what Daxter could only describe as dejected.

"You wanna go back to bed for a bit?" the ottsel offered.

"No! I don't think I'd be able to sleep anyway." Jak reached over and opened another beer.

Daxter didn't like this. This was not the usual cocky, a bit too sure of himself Jak. This was depressed Jak. First seen after his escape from Praxis prison and then again after…

…Daxter gasped as the realisation hit him.

This explained it all. Jak's low mood, his lack of interest in his work. It wasn't that he was hungover or just annoyed with Torn's micromanagement. He closed his eyes as the memory forced itself to the front of his mind.

There they were...Jak, Daxter and Damas ready to take on the Dark Makers and save the world, as the Slam Dozer barged its way through what used to be the Main Square district and up the ruined steps to where the palace used to stand. The three looked at each other with determination before as they halted the vehicle, so they could alight and descend to the catacombs below.

Before they could disembark, however a blinding light tore towards the buggy, upended it and hurled Jak and Daxter from their seat.

The king of Spargus was not so lucky. He pained gasp urged for the young friends to move closer, and they found him crushed beneath the heavy frame of the Slam Dozer. "It is a good day to die," He whispered, "I'm so proud to have been at your side in the end." Typical Damas, using his last breaths to encourage and reassure.

It was what came next, that was the kicker, the moment that caused the memory to transcend from painful to unbearably distressing.

As Jak supported the dying sand king in his arms, his muscular shoulders slightly shivering, as he bit back his tears at losing the one authority figure, who seemed to get him. Who didn't chastise, or criticise or manipulate, but in lead by caring for his citizens, and inspiring them to look after one another. A king among men in more ways than one.

Damas, in turn, looked up to his young charge, as he asked him for help. To carry on a search, that the monarch would no longer be able to undertake. To look for his lost son, who was taken from him and hidden amongst the chaos of Haven. With his last breath, Damas intoned that he would give Jak a sign, so he could recognise the child, and pulled out an amulet hung around his neck…

…The Seal of Mar.

The same Seal of Mar that had hung around young Jak's neck, before they sent him to the safety of Sandover.

Damas was Jak's father.

And now he was dead.

Daxter glanced towards his friend, who held his deceased father gently, eyes distinctly glassy, ready to shed the tears, they'd been holding back far too long.

"Yes, you were that child!"

Another voice, almost a sneer shocked both teens out of their grieving. They looked up in unison to see Count Vegar. The same Count Vegar who had incited the council of Haven to sentence Jak to banishment to the wastelands. The same Count Vegar who confessed to blowing up Haven's palace, killing hundreds of innocent people and the same Count Vegar who tried to kill them.

What was he doing here?

He carried on, "I took you from Damas hoping to harness your eco powers for my experiments"

Daxter's heart quickened. He knew Vegar was evil, but this was beyond the pale. He could hardly make out what Vegar was saying, such was the rage held within his chest.

"You were the son of the great warrior Damas"

Why was Vegar rubbing salt in the wounds? Daxter could feel his pulse pounding with anger.

"And he never knew"

Daxter's fury only grew with each syllable sounded out by that smarmy, vile voice.

"How delightful!"

That was it! Daxter could take it no longer. As he watched the slimy, embittered excuse of a man disappear down towards the catacombs, he knew he would follow. He would make that man pay. For everything.

Daxter sat back on his haunches. He hadn't made Vegar pay, had he? The wannabe villain had just stolen Jak's chance to become a precursor, like himself and was now hanging round Spargus. He couldn't understand why the wasteland city let the disgraced count stay. If he were Sig, he would have tossed his murderous, kidnapping, power hungry, sleezy ass into the desert months ago.

He turned to his partner, who was now on his third beer, with a new understanding. He resolved there and then, to not leave his friend's side until this Mar forsaken mission had been completed.

"So," he asked more seriously this time, "When do we head into Main Square?"

"Tomorrow, Torn doesn't want to waste any time. He thinks if we take so much as a breather, the metal heads will take the advantage and undo all we've accomplished so far". Jak picked at the label of his beer bottle.

"He so needs to lighten up, but while we're on the subject," the ottsel mused, "when Main Square has been rebuilt, there should be a monument to your dad. Let the people of Haven know that the king they cast out, gave his life to save their worthless butts. Might make them less trigger happy on the old ejector seat out the city, do you think?"

This made Jak smile, despite himself. "I like the idea Dax. Damas sure deserves to be remembered…" his face soured, before he continued ruefully "… but you of all people should know, saving Haven counts for nothing in that department."

Daxter looked at as his friend thought for a few minutes, while he finished his drink. He watched carefully as Jak slowly regained his posture and the determination crept back into his steely blue eyes. The lopsided smile came back, as the eco warrior pondered, "It definitely is something to speak to Ashelin about though."