Hello everybody. A new chapter is finished. It adds a new word of my own version of the Galran language to this story. I hope I have created a fitting little dynamic between Lotor and Haggar in this chapter, beacuse like I said, this one here is blind written. I do the best I can to keep the story and the characters fitting to the original ones.

Ronan And Acxa have to struggle with their emotions and with their past. And Freyda and Veronica tries to help them and to comfort them. I wish all of you a lot of fun with this new chapter

Fire in The Dark

Freyda entered the quarter. Ronan was busy with a console to write the promised report. Freyda noticed, that he did his best to avoid her look. She passed him silently and placed Tjaàl in the cradle in the sleeping room. The child has got sleepy on her way back to the quarter and was yawning heavily. After she had placed him in the cradle, she gave the baby a soft kiss between his growing horns and returned back to the living room to Ronan.

She kept standing in the doorway and watched him working on the desk. The thumb of his left hand was rubbing circles on his fingertips of index and middle finger. He always did this, when he was pensively thinking over something. She has fallen for his irrepressible will to do the right things. She has fallen for his kindness and love. And for his laughters. She was amazed every day, that he still found the strength to share his laughters with her. She wondered, if he knew, that this love and strength was guiding her every day. He had become her strength, but did he knew? Probably. But she had to remind him about that. Especially now.

She walked over to him and took the tablet console out of his hand and placed a kiss on his lips.

"Tell me."

Her warm voice brought this gentle smile on her lips. This warming and loving smile, she was craving for. He seemed to think about his answer, but then he sighed and faced her look.

"I don't know, what to do with her."

His smile faded. Tears were filling his remaining eye.

"Talk with her. I know, it's her turn now, but she still doesn't know, why you demanding revenge."

The bitter look returned to his face. Freyda took place beside him and Ronan buried his head on her chest.

"How could she. She was long gone, as I found out more about her. And then..."

He started to cry. Freyda's eyes also watered, but she was stroking his head. It was torture for him and so for her as well. But she had to stand strong. For him.

"And then you have found a new point of view."

Her voice was teary. Ronan got up and faced her look with a red cried eye. He nodded.

"I have told you her last words. After all I have seen on Tantalus,… I suddenly have seen a hidden truth in it. A last beg. I have sworn two oaths without knowing, they exclude each other. How could I fulfill one of them without breaking the other?"

The Galra pulled his head against her chest, giving Ronan a kiss on his head.

"That's why you have begged me to bring her the message. You have started the Call. It gives you options, Ronan. It gives her options."

He got a grip at her upper arms and pulled himself closer to her. His voice was so teary.

"Does it, Freyda? I hate her! How could I accept another option?"

He looked up with a tortured begging look, while his tears ran down his cheek.

"It hurts, Freyda! Every day! I have sworn to make it stop!"

He burried his head again in her chest. His muffled teary voice made the heart of the Galra cramp.

"But so much has changed. So much. For me and for her, Freyda.

Freyda kept quiet. She didn't know. All she knew was, that maybe the General and Ronan could find a solution together. But she wasn't sure, how the General would react, when she would be sure of his reasons.

"She finally tries to do the right things. To fix the damage, she had done."

Ronan nodded at Freyda, The grief in his face was overwhelming.

"Yes, that's another aspect." He hesitated. "And Kathy likes her. I'm sure, it would hurt her. How could I hurt her? How could I hurt other people, who have helped us, Freyda? How could I betray Abby? How could..."

His voice broke. He simply broke out in tears again. He cried for a while until he looked in her face again, with a look, that was desperately begging for guidance.

"I blame her for Tantalus. She was responsible. I hate her for this. But this hate, this blind rage. It the true reason, but I couldn't cage it out. I couldn't..."

Freyda finally started to cry as well. Both hugged each other tight, weeping out their desperation. This situation was a mess, the war has caused. And it seemed, that it was too much to clean up, without drowning in them.

Veronica and Acxa took seat on their bed in the quarter. The woman took the hands of the Galra and rubbed with her thumbs over her knuckles. This time, she would offer Veronica to ask her questions, beside her worries.

"Fate is calling. That was the message, Freyda had brought me."

She recognized the knowing look of her girlfriend and she started to chew on her cheek.

"But I see, you already know this translation."

Veronica nodded, but her eyes kept focused on Acxa.

"Yes. And I have found out, that this is a ritual challenge. Ronan is demanding rightful revenge."

Acxa sighed. She felt Veronica's hands trembling. She was nervous as well. The situation was frightening for her girlfriend and seeing her so desperate and nervous made Acxa's throat tighten again.

"Yes." She heard Veronica inhaling sharp.

"And you have accepted his demand, right?"

Acxa closed her eyes and tried to turn her head away, but instantly she felt Veronicas hand on her chin and the woman turned her face back to her.

"...Yes."

A dead silence hung in the room. It took Veronica a while until she continued asking.

"Why?"

A vital question. Acxa didn't know the exact reasons, but it was the best option. The only in fact for her. She was sure, that it was his right to demand revenge. She had seen his hate for her. She knew her past. The reasons must be hidden somewhere in this past. But she had to protect Veronica. Things were complicated and she wouldn't risk to scare her again.

"I'm not sure." She felt Veronica's pensive look. "Promise me, not to turn mad again."

"If you'll be honest to me, then I'll do my best."

A little smile rushed over Acxa's face. Honesty. She didn't promised to stay cool, but to try to understand her. Like she always did. That was the way, how she had cracked her guards, one after another. And she loved her for that.

"Do you know those moments, when you make a decision, without knowing why, but you instantly knows for sure, that this is the right option?"

Veronica's face showed sadness and worries, but she nodded at Acxa.

"It was the same in this case. I feel, that he has the right to demand revenge, but I simply don't know why."

She sighed again, waiting for another outburst of Veronica but to her surprise she was only pulled into another hug. So she continued her explanation, while she was holding her tight as well.

"I had hoped to find out more about him, but I failed. I couldn't remember him. I have checked the official list of the members of the Hades colony, Freyda had mentioned, due to the meeting report, but I haven't found his name."

She recognized, that her voice got a teary and more desperate.

"And even if I had found his name, I never was on Hades, not even parts of my troops."

Acxa felt a soothing kiss on her cheek. She looked in Veronica's eyes and she got scared. The woman was frightened. Her voice was shaking heavy, as she faced the widened eyes of the Galra.

"And w… what about… Tantalus?"

Acxa's blood ran cold. She remembered this assault. It was years ago. A great colony. Lots of quintessence to harvest. But the fights had become long and cruel. She remembered, that Haggar has put up the pressure on Lotor and so the witch had finally decided to burn down the whole colony in order to break any resistance. Haggar had send new bombs for this task. They had done their work, but this new system had also cost them a cruiser and lots of bombers, pilots and troops, because they had been incredible instable. Acxa curled herself to a little ball in the bed. She remembered the purple fires, she remembered the hollowed screams, the fights, the terror. Lotor had hve a giant quarrel with his mother about this new weapon system. Due to his reports she had promised not to work on with it. They had left the planet after this blazing attack at Lotor's order. But she knew some reports. Resistance wasn't broken, after this attack. It had only become more cruel and merciless. As the Galran forces had finally left the planet, they had payed a high price for the harvest.

"Acxa…?"

Veronicas voice was deeply worried. She tried to touch Acxas head, but the shock and fear only doubled in her face as Acxa shook her head heavily to deny her girlfriend to touch her. The Galra was shaking. She always was sure, that no one of the colony must have survived this harvest. The suit! Now she knew, why she had recognized the suit. She had seen those suits on Tantalus. The planet defense forces had worn those suits. She was shaking even heavier.

"You have been on Tantalus."

Acxa managed to nod at Veronica. Her girlfriend was pale. She took a quilt and covered the Galra with it in order to stop her from shivering. Then she crawled under the quilt as well. It took a moment until Acxa recognized, that Veronica was crying and also had started to shiver. She turned around and looked in the red swollen eyes of her girlfriend.

"With Lotor and the others." The Galra hesitated a bit. "As one of the commanding Generals."

She expected a shocked scream, but Veronica simply got closer to her and cried on. Acxa placed a hand on her back.

"You don't know about Tantalus?"

Acxa's voice was trembling. She knew, that Veronica always had an idea of her past, but it was one thing to deal with a vague hint and now being confronted with an concrete idea, what dark places were to be found in her past.

"No. Only that the colony was extinguished by Galran troops six years ago."

Acxa curled herself back to the shivering ball, she former was. Her conscious was gnawing on her.

"It's a terribly short summary for the guilt I have put on myself on this planet."

To her surprise she felt Veronica's arms around her. The woman started to rub her shoulders.

"Remember, what I have told you, as I confessed my love for you? 'Through light and darkness.'"

Acxa turned back. There was still shock and fear in Veronica's eyes. And Acxa was sure, that she was shocked, to be forced to face this dark truth of her past, but there was also determination.

"But I meant it. I knew, that you were once part of this madness. But you were pushed in this direction."

She recognized Acxa's confused look and started to rub on her horns. Her face softened, leaving only grief and sadness on them.

"You speak much more in your sleep, than you might think of. I know some pictures of your dark hours and of the steps, you were forced to walk this way until you got used to it."

Acxa blushed deep. Veronica never had asked her about this past. Only in some rare occasions, when she have had a really terrible nightmare or when Acxa had shared some memories by herself. She had offered her to talk about many times before. Without a direct question, but every time, she had told her stories about her own past, Acxa had understood, that this was also an offer to share some of her past with Veronica. But mostly she had stayed quite. And Veronica had shown patience. The patience and understanding, she needed so much. To realize, how many blanks her girlfriend might have filled for her own, surprised her. And at the same time it also didn't.

This love and trust, beside her dark past. This warming and supporting fire. She was surprised from the first moment, how easy the team had accepted her. Of cause she had to earn their trust, but they all had helped her to find her new place. But Veronica had not only dared to forgive her. She had found the strength to love her, beside all she had done. She pulled her closer again and kissed her. Veronica's eyes were still wet, but she gave her a comforting smile.

"You haven't to face this alone, Acxa. I don't know much about this, but I know, that you have to make the next step."

Acxa noticed the fire in Veronica's eyes. She took a deep breath and snuggled at her girlfriend.

"Thank you."

She felt Veronica's grip tightened on her.

"Am I right, that this kind of revenge is about an eye for an eye?"

The Galra heard the worries. She kept silence, knowing, that this was answer enough for Veronica. The woman behind her sobbed and placed a kiss on her neck. To feel her fear and worries made Acxa's chest tightened.

"But there might be a little hope."

Acxa almost felt Veronica's heart skipping a beat. So she continued her explanation.

"I have accepted his call with honor. This means a duel has to be planned. So now it's, like you have already figured out, my turn to talk with him about the reasons and when and where this duel should take place."

She could feel Veronica's grip tightened around her. Like her girlfriend would try to hold her forever, to shield her from any possible harm. She was strong. It would make things tricky for Acxa. She had to be careful.

"Then there has to be the 'Parfazzi'. It's the time to prepare for the duel and, what is most important, for both sides to think over, if this duel is really necessary. If both sides should have come to the conclusion, that there would be another satisfying solution, to settle things, then they could present them at each other an the day of the duel. Then both had to decide instantly, accept the solution or fight things out."

The silence in the room was almost too much for Acxa. She had expected a cheerful reaction. Something, what might have eased her own worries. But Veronica kept disturbingly quiet. She only tightened her grip around Acxa even more.

"You didn't sound that you have much confident about this hope, Acxa."

Her voice was weak and Acxa had to bite her bottom lip. No she hadn't. She had destroyed his home, she has helped to kill his friends. And maybe even more.

"He seems to have lost a lot."

She couldn't see her, but she was sure, that Veronica's eyes were resting pensively on her. But she kept quite and so did Acxa. The golden ring. She still didn't know, what had happened to him, but she had an idea, what he really had lost. It was the right decision to trust her instincts, that she had accepted the Call. Thanks to Freyda, she was sure, that the demand was rightful. By accepting, she had offered them a chance to settle things. To face horror and guilt. To regain honor. To find a closure. For both.

But she didn't know, how to make this understandable for the rest of the team. And the woman behind her, she loves so much.