Something crept up on me. Something I knew I couldn't stand to think about. If I stay here, I'd be a hermit, a lost warrior. A cowardly Sith. I have to go back.

"Rooda, if we intend to stay here as our home-" I turned to her. "I can't stay here on Ikana forever. Sometimes I will have to go and joining the Rebel Alliance's affairs against the Empire."

"What do you mean?" She looked at me, standing up.

"I don't want to hide from the galaxy forever. I don't want to follow the path of Lord Sorin. He hid from the galaxy, and I now see I'm starting to do the same thing."

"I understand." Her ears dropped submissively and pointed to the ship. "You should go then. Go help the Rebel Alliance to stop the Empire. I'll do my best to make this place look more welcoming."

I nodded.

"Alright Rooda," I gently rubbed the side of her head with my metal claws. "I promise you I will come back alive."

"I believe you-" she nodded, a tear fell from her eye.

"Have faith, Roo."

I walked toward the cave exit to the ship. I opened its door and entered the ship, closing the door behind me and taking the pilot's seat. I started the ship for the Yavin system and flew the Nightmare out of Ikana Canyon, toward the night sky. Before leaving the atmosphere, I start the sails of the ship for the Yavin system, on the opposite side of the galaxy. And I think, each time I fly through space on the Zant's Nightmare, the more I realize, the sails are more efficient on cruising the galaxy than lightspeed. It may be a bit slower, but it makes the trip smooth sailing, literally. I sit back in the chair and watch the stars fly by the ship, I relax until I reach the Yavin system.

I think about how I wanted to stay out of the Empire's way but to hide like Sorin? I just can't stoop so low. That's why I'm going back. I might have Rooda back on Ikana to wait for me to come home, and I promised her I was coming home to her. I just feel like I have more that I need to do to help the rebel cause against the Empire. I don't want to be seen as a coward who hid in the farthest corner of the galaxy because of the Imperial rise to power. I want to be remembered as a warrior. A strong fighter. A daring rebel who would stop at nothing, but to help the rebellion grow. I opened my communicator and Rakine appeared.

"Lord Venison?"

"I've decided I am coing back to Yavin 4. I want to help the Rebel Alliance to rise against the Empire."

"But what about Rooda, and Ikana?"

"She's safe on Ikana. I'm just coming back because-"

"Because to want to help more. You don't want to hide beyond the outer rim and watch the possible rise against the Empire. You don't want to see them slaughter and attack innocent lives. You don't want to see them take total control over the galaxy."

Rakine brought tears to my eyes, but I mod and wipe them away.

"Yes."

"Well I'll inform them of your return to Yavin 4. You said Rooda is safe now?"

"Yes. Thats all that matters. I cant afford to lose her."

He nodded respectfully.

"You said you promised to her you'd come back alive?"

I nodded.

"Then you must come back to her alive. How do I put this? You should turn back to Ikana. You want to be safe and return to her alive, but here you join the most infamous cause against the Empire. This, you haven't thought through at all, Ven." He shook his head. "If you do intend to stay with us to help us fight the Empire, we may have to protect you as some sort of ambassador."

"No," I shook my head. "I'll be fine on my own."

"Oh, Ven," Rakine sighed. "Will there ever be a time where you will see past your arrogance?"

"No, Rakine," I shook my head again, flying the ship through the system to Yavin 4. I deactivate the sails of the ship as it flew through the atmosphere toward the Rebel base. The hangar door opened and I landed the Nightmare on the floor of the hangar. I stepped out and walked to a small chamber, hoping to find Karus or Mon Mothma or even Rakine. I opened the door and found Rakine standing up from a chair and walking toward me.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do? To help stop the Empire while Rooda stay by herself on an empty desert planet while you risk your own life to help the rebellion?"

"I promised her I would come back alive. And so I will." I nodded to him and Karus came in, a forehead wrapped in bandages and holding a small wheeled table, it was covered by a cloth.

"What is this, Karus?" I asked him as he slowly pulled the cloth off the table and revealed a pair of antler-sabers. Perfectly built sabers with four emitters on each mechanical antlers. Karus pushed a button which ignited all eight blades, but they weren't red. They were black. To match my darksaber.

"Are those for me?" I point at the antler-darksabers and I watch a grin grow on Karus' face.

"Since your earlier ones were destroyed, we had these ones made to replace the prior pair."

"I like these," Karus deactivated the blades and I picked one up and held it over my head. These were bigger, more lightweight, and had longer blades than Sorin's pair. I felt the broken antler-sabers on my head.

"Can we replace these now?"

"It would be painful- are you su-"

"I've dealt with pain worse than this. I can handle a mechanical replacement."

Karus shrugged and started to work on the antler-sabers on the back of my head. He started drilling the machines on my head and pulled out the mechanical fans, the central part which attached the emitters to the main part in my head. I could slightly groan as I felt the machines pulled from my head and he began to drill the main parts which are attached to my skull. He began twisting them around and I felt the tense pressure release as he pulled the mechanical cylinder out of the back of my head. He began to drill and twist at the other one and as he pulled the second one out, I felt the pain grow in the back of my head. I looked at the new antler-darksabers and I held one of the main ports, and handed it to Karus. He slowly twisted it into place and I held in all the pain I felt. I never screamed. I held it all in. He finished twisting the new parts in and he grabbed the new emitter halves of the darksabers. He fastened it onto my head and welded the entire thing to the back of my head. I felt the new antler-sabers being attached to my head and I asked Karus.

"Is it done, now?"

"No, my Lord. We still need to finish tightening, adjusting, and welding it. If you wish it to be a permanent part of you-"

"I do. Nothing would please me more than to have my new weapons finished becoming a part of me."

He nodded and kept to his work, fastening the antlers, tightening their grip on my head. I felt this change becoming more and more permanent, and I couldn't help but to give a sadistic grin at my own pain, as they are welded to my skull and head.

"It is done, Venison," Karus backed away and I stood up, feeling the lightweight metal darksabers now attached to my head, I felt the new upgrade and I looked at Karus with a sadistic grin, I laughed at my own pain.

"Thank you, Karus. Now I hope these upgrades are indestructible?"

"We tried our best to prevent any damage to come to them. So we added a shielding system to protect the emitters and antlers themselves. Nothing should break through the barrier and destroy them. That being said, they are indestructible. You wear our most advanced technology of our time. A lightsaber weapon that cannot be damaged or destroyed."

I felt them and I chuckled.

"This is a wonderful addition. Thank you Karus." I ignited my new antler-sabers and the black blades stretched out, four feet long each. Rakine ignited his red lightsaber and struck at the emitters then the machine. The antler base repelled his attacks and he chuckled.

"See? They cannot be broken."

I chuckled and deactivated my darksabers, and the shield turned off as well.

"The shields are only activated when the blades are. So keep that in mind, when your blades are out, your antler-sabers are indestructible. But when turned off, they are a tad vulnerable."

I nodded and headed to the door of the small chamber, Mon Mothma entering, stopping me in my place.

"I hope you like your upgraded weapons, Lord Venison. We have made our best effort to make a weapon you were familiar with, and that couldn't be damaged, so you could keep this power with you."

I nodded in respect.

"Thank you for these. They are truly a great advantage." I turn to Rakine and Karus. "I think these will help greatly, for any mission against the Empire."

Mon Mothma nodded.

"Now, Rakine has told us that you and your young apprentice have found a safe place for you to retreat to. A corner of the galaxy so to speak."

I nodded.

"Rooda and I have discovered it as an empty system. So we have named it after our word for "empty". We have officially named it the Ikana system."

She nodded.

"We will make not of this newly discovered system. In the mean time, we are planning what our next mission against the Empire would be. Would you mind to join us in the next council, Lord Venison?"

"I wouldn't mind at all." I turned to Rakine and Karus as they stood up, and the three of us followed Mon Mothma to the main council chamber of the rebel base.