RETURN TO THE PAST

THIRD PERSON-VILLERIA

As Villeria was watching over the outpost the Alliance had established on Tatooine two days after Hal and Nadeen liberated it, she pondered why the Rebellion would want to set up a base on a planet sparsely inhabited by outlaws, mercenaries, bounty hunters, smugglers, fugitives, and thugs.

Debating on whether or not to request a post on Ryloth perhaps, she was always concerned that the few inhabitants there were did not trust them, though a Bith smuggler said that soldiers wearing the same armor and carrying the same weapons and equipment her troops wore, although with a different symbol, had liberated them from the Empire. Villeria was also surprised when she found out that a Jedi had actually gathered a force of at least 752 locals to defend against an Imperial force heading towards the settlements passed the Dune Sea.

Villeria also remembered how she asked why they did that, and the Bith responded by saying "The leader of the entire force was a very old, very charismatic Jedi-in-exile. He even convinced 948 tuskens to join them as a coalition."

She then expressed confusion as to why a Jedi, as charismatic as he may be, would enlist the help of raiders, hunters, and scavengers, he said, "He persuaded them to join his men in an 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend" alliance.

Villeria then felt the pieces fit together. The local rebels didn't trust the tuskens because the tuskens could very well take almost all or all that they may have, but both sides understood that the Empire would show not one hint of mercy to any who either caused them any sort of trouble, defied them in any way, but the ones that got the worst of it were those who opposed them through force of arms. Also, she realised that the Jedi sealed the deal by promising the tuskens that joined them that they could salvage anything the Imperials had should they survive the battle.

Villeria knew it was obvious that the tusken-rebel cell didn't win. From what she heard, all but 36 of the 752 rebels were left alive when the retreat was ordered, while the tuskens were completely massacred. She even remembered that a fellow officer in the Alliance actually said that General Stagen had liberated him and at least 89 other prisoners.

The following fortnight, Villeria was leading a patrol unit when she was contacted by Braisa.

Villeria then said, "Braisa."

Braisa then said, "Villeria."

"What is it?"

"I was ordered to inform you that you are to head to-"

The sudden pause left Villeria puzzled and suspicious at the sudden pause.

"Yes?"

"The same planet you had less than 1/40 of your men left."

"Kamino." Villeria whispered.

Braisa nodded in confirmation.

When Villeria arrived at Kamino, she saw that this time there was a fleet defending the planet. Seconds after the Soul dropped out of hyperspace, the Alpha-class cruiser, the Majesty appeared along with the Relief Frigates the Adherence, the Starlight, the Cosmos, and the Countess emerged from hyperspace behind her. Villeria also noticed that General Nolek contributed to Kamino's defense since she saw three ships from his the Alpha-class Cruiser, the Breacher, and two Beta-class Relief Frigates, the Alliance and the Refugee in position with the five Mon Calamari Cruisers that were already posted there. knew that the Alliance Leadership didn't intend it, but she felt as though this was a chance to succeed where she had almost failed. Villeria then thought, "Finally, I can try again."

The moment 's gunship landed, she saw the Black Knight docked on the landing platform, an obvious sign that General Nolek was on the planet with clones from the 3rd Clone Legion. Villeria entered the command center and saw Nadeen in conversation with two other officers.

When General Nolek saw Villeria enter, he said, "Forgive me, men. I take my leave."

Looking around the room for an explanation, she said, "What was that about?"

A clone Commander said, "General Nolek was assigned this post until you arrived to ensure that there was an officer in charge the whole time."

As Villeria walked through the halls of the facility, she heard a voice say, "I sense your concerns; they are unfounded. I assume you heard about what happened to me on Balnab. Many officers have."

Villeria turned and saw General Nolek standing behind her.

"Well General-"

General Nolek raised his hand and said, "No. It's Nadeen. I trust you enough that I will allow you to address me by my name."

"Nadeen, you weren't here. I watched as hundreds of men who trusted and followed me die."

"And such a slaughter would be long remembered. On Balnab, 12'000 men were under my command. By the time Hal arrived with reinforcements, I had only 127 men left."

"That's the thing," Villeria said, "you're use to that kind of sight, that kind of chaos. You've seen tens of thousands of men die."

"I leave with these words: remember the reputation you have. And remember that there is now a fleet at your command as well as thousands of troops."

With that, Nadeen left.

As Villeria sat in her quarters, she pondered what the outcome would be should the Imperials attack again.

A week later, she got her answer in the form of twenty-four Star Destroyers. When Villeria saw the armada bearing down on them, she felt that the nine clone ships and five Mon Calamari cruisers, although 14 altogether, might not stand very long against the enemy ships.

She was plagued with these thoughts until she remembered that she faced impossible odds on Vanqor eight months ago and stood triumphant, yet she also remembered that she had fortified her positions.

This time, it was an open field. As watched the battle progress, she saw that Imperial ships were unable to, for the time being at least, break through.

Half an hour later, Villeria saw that the Imperials were attempting to slip their dropships through the orbital defenses. Without hesitation, she ordered rocket troops to form a line and fire at the dropships before they could land. As a precaution, she had her troops cover every inch of the landing platform should any ships manage to land.

Villeria then saw that the Imperial dropships pulled back to make way for TIE bombers that she knew were targeting her men. She then ordered her men to retreat quickly, though about 89 were killed. Villeria then knew that the Imperials could land.

As soon as the Imperial dropships began landing, Villeria ordered 370 z-wing fighters to intercept and destroy as many Imperial ships as they could and ordered 146 more to protect her troops from enemy bombers. While the Imperial ranks continued to swell, Villeria ran out, rifle in hand, to join the fight.

When she exited the building she saw that some of her men were in hand-to-hand combat with Imperial Jumptroopers. Taking advantage of the fact that she was less likely to hit one of her men in the air, she began to take potshots at the clearest targets she could.

The second she shot down her 60th target, she decided to use her pistols and join the melee. After absorbing herself into the fight, she rolled just as a Terror Trooper was about to claw at her. As soon as she got back on her feet, she shot an Imperial shock trooper in the neck with her left hand pistol at the same time downing the Terror trooper that almost got her in the chest.

Eleven minutes and three kills later, an Imperial Riot trooper almost hit her with his electrostaff before she discarded her pistols, grabbed the staff mid-swing, kicked and dislocated his right knee, causing him to double over, groaning in pain, then kicked him once again in the stomach, this time knocking the wind out of him and causing his grip on his staff to slacken. As soon as the Riot trooper was down, Villeria gave him a fatal shock in the chest.

As the battle intensified, Villeria decided to get more comfortable with her little souvenir, engaging other Riot troopers with it and electrocuting any that were too close for her to shoot.

Eventually, Villeria's own gunships began to land, adding more of her troops to the field. As her troops landed, Villeria short-circuited a Darktrooper droid that was about to tase her from the front and, without looking, zapped a Shadow Trooper that was about to brain her from behind and used the dead Shadow Trooper as a human shield just as a stormtrooper was about to shoot her.

She then rolled, dodging a blaster bolt in the process, and fatally electrocuted the stormtrooper who shot at her. She then engaged a Riot trooper. Twelve minutes later, she heard a riot trooper's electrostaff coming from behind. She then sidestepped and threw her opponent in the way of the second trooper, spun around, and electrocuted the trooper in his nervous system.

An hour and a half later, the Imperials began to drop their weapons. As Villeria walked across the field, she mentally gave a sigh of relief, not because the Alliance was victorious, but because she felt that the contest that she won had, at long last, allowed her to make amends for the thousands of men who'd died months before.