Chapter 4: Problems and Reunions

Sienna Khan's Throne Room, Menagerie, 12:30 pm…

The moment they had landed, Blake and Kanan were met by Ilia and taken before Sienna.

The moment they entered the building, both were searched, and would have had to surrender their weapons, had it not been for Ilia ordering the guards to back off.

And now, the moment they were about to enter the throne room, Kanan noticed Blake looking visibly tense.

"Hey…" Kanan said to his sister. "It's going to be okay. It's my mom."

Blake nodded with a sigh, just as the doors swung open, allowing Kanan and Blake to enter the inner sanctum of the White Fang's High Leader.

As with the old throne room hidden deep within Anima, this throne room was a long, spacious hall, made from stone and bricks, lined with columns. The walls were lined with niches containing statues of a mysterious cloaked Faunus wielding a spear.

Much like the old throne room, this throne room's walls featured a geometrical pattern with red banners bearing the White Fang symbol hanging from the columns. A crimson red carpet ran the length of the hall, leading to a simple, elevated throne.

Sat upon that throne was the High Leader of the White Fang, Sienna Khan.

Sienna Khan was dressed for war. Black armour covered her chest, shoulders, and forearms, and her shins and feet were covered in armour as well.

Kanan and Blake closed the distance, and respectfully knelt before Sienna, saying: "High Leader."

"Blake, Kanan…" Sienna said, before looking to her guards. "Leave us." She ordered.

The guards obliged, at which Sienna stood from her throne and descended the steps towards Kanan and Blake.

At which she hugged both of them tightly.

"It is so good to see the both of you." Sienna declared, eyeing both her son and Blake. "I hoped it would be you two that General Ironwood sent here. Though I also wouldn't have minded if Yang and Nathan were sent as well."

Kanan flashed his mother a warning look at the mention of Nathan, gesturing to Blake.

"Oh, sorry." Sienna said apologetically. "I should have known better."

"It's okay." Blake assured the High Leader of the White Fang. "Nathan recently wrote me a letter. It told me to stay strong for his sake. So I will."

Sienna smiled. "Has there been any updates on when he'll be able to return to combat?"

"Only 'he's doing well' from General Ironwood whenever we'd ask him." Blake replied. "It wasn't until last night that we got a proper update on Nathan."

"According to Jason, and the letter he gave us from Nathan; Nathan's essentially ready to return to combat, and in the best shape of his life. However, for whatever reason, General Ironwood is refusing to allow Nathan to return to combat. Nathan told us in his letter he thinks it's because Ironwood hates him for knowing better than Ironwood, who thinks as an older man and the one carrying the rank of general, he should know best."

"Of course. Men with egos in positions of power will always abuse that power to salvage their egos." Sienna mused with no effort to hide her disgust at this.

"If I may Sienna; me and Kanan were discussing Nathan's letter, and… Kanan suggested that we make it a non-negotiable part of any agreement between you and the general that Nathan be returned to combat as soon as possible." Blake said.

Sienna folded her arms, as if considering the ramifications of this move. Then, she nodded. "Anything that gets Nathan back into your arms sooner rather than later will be a major talking point." Taking a deep breath, Sienna added: "Of course, he'd be a major combat asset as well, but that doesn't matter as much as him being back where he belongs. Which is at Blake's side. Or in her bed."

Kanan burst out laughing as Blake began to blush madly.

As the laughter died down, Sienna said: "With all that said; I called some people since I knew you'd be joining us. And they should be entering the throne room right… now."

From there, the doors leading into the throne room swung open, revealing two familiar faces:

"MOM! DAD!" Blake called out as she dashed away from Sienna and Kanan and sprinted the length of the throne room, damn near diving into the waiting arms of her parents.

Kanan couldn't help but suppress a smile as he watched both Kali and Ghira hugging Blake, seeing a big smile on Blake's face as she reunited with her parents. He knew that they'd be able to succeed where he and Yang had failed in helping Blake.

Ghira's office, the Belladonna Manor, 13:30 pm…

"We were horrified to learn what happened at Beacon." Kali said as she set down her tea cup. "When we heard Nathan was a casualty; our horror only doubled."

"Please; we knew he'd be fine!" Ghira declared.

Kali scoffed. "That isn't the slightest bit true!" Looking at Blake, Kali added: "You should have seen him pacing!"

Blake giggled as she took a sip from her tea. "It's okay. Nathan wrote me a letter that he had smuggled to me via Jason and Ghost. I have it on me right now." With that, she retrieved the letter from her jacket and handed it to her parents, with Kali taking it in her hands.

Kanan and Blake watched, drinking their tea as Kali and Ghira read the letter, watching Ghira's face grow angrier and angrier, until he snarled:

"That bastard!" Slamming a fist on the coffee table, which shook under the force of his strike. "Who does General Ironwood think he is?"

"Someone who thinks he should know better since he's the older person with a military rank." Kanan said. "Him releasing Nathan back into combat is him acknowledging once again that Nathan is right about something. It's Ironwood's ego that's the problem."

"Indeed." Kali said.

"The worst part was Ironwood simply saying: 'he's doing well' every time I'd ask about Nathan's status." Blake said. "I didn't receive a proper update until yesterday, when Jason risked getting punished just to tell everyone."

"And with Ironwood looking like he might never let Nathan leave; we decided to make sure he would." Kanan said. "On the way here, when Blake read the letter, I suggested that we make it a non-negotiable stipulation of any agreement between Sienna and Ironwood that Nathan be returned to combat sooner rather than later."

"An astute idea." Ghira declared. "If Ironwood is indeed as desperate for the support of the White Fang as he claims he is; he will have no choice but to agree to that term, and honour it."

"Exactly why we suggested it." Kanan pointed out. "Ironwood will probably be angry, but he'll have to back down and agree if he wants this alliance."

"I couldn't agree more." Kali said as they finished their tea. Standing up, Kali declared: "With all that said; I'm sure this has been a very long journey, and I know you are both wanting to rest a bit. Let's get you both to your rooms."

Blake and Kanan nodded, finishing their tea before following Kali to their rooms, baggage in hand.

Blake's bedroom…

It was exactly how Blake had left it the last time she had occupied the room.

Or rather; the last time she and Nathan had occupied the room.

Everything was clean, pristine, and in its proper place, which was exactly how she and Nathan had wanted to leave it.

A sad look crossed Blake's face as she sat at her desk, looking around the room, remembering all the time she had spent with Nathan here; be it talking; having a laugh, making love… she could recall all of it in pristine detail.

She cast her eye to a photo she and Nathan had taken the last time they were here, smiling at the sight of it:

It was a picture of her and Nathan at the beach, stood together under the warm sun.

Nathan was dressed in a shirt and skater shorts, whilst Blake was dressed in a white blouse that was worn open, exposing her purple bikini top underneath, alongside a pair of denim booty shorts.

Nathan had an arm around Blake, and was planting a kiss on her temple as she smiled warmly.

Blake sighed sadly as she took the photo from its perch, staring at it for a good while.

She half expected to feel a familiar set of arms wrapping around her waist from behind, and those very same lips pressing against her temple as in the picture.

But nothing happened, and once again, Blake was forced to remember that Nathan was not here right now. He was in Atlas; and both of them were unsure whether or not they would see each other again.

Tears threatened to break through, but Blake held on; thinking:

I need to stay strong. He'll be here soon. I know it.

Setting the photo down, Blake stood up and walked around her room, taking her bag and setting it down on her bed.

Perhaps a shower was in order?

Yes, a shower would do nicely.

Removing her jacket, Blake made to start stripping with there was a knock on her bedroom door. Stepping over to her door, she opened it to find a worried looking Kanan looking back at her. "Kanan, is everything alright?" She asked.

"Has Yang called you?" Kanan asked.

"No. Why?" Blake asked.

"Because she was meant to call me once she was in Haven." Kanan responded. "She should have landed hours ago; and she hasn't called."

With Yang…

All things considered; things could a whole lot worse for Yang in that moment.

For one; she could be completely on her own, with nobody with her to help fight off the seemingly endless stream of Imperial Stormtroopers coming towards them.

Thankfully, she had Ghost there, who was more than willing to shoulder that particular burden.

Turning momentarily to snap off a few shots from Ember Celica, Yang felt a distinct satisfaction at seeing several Stormtroopers go flying from the power of her shots, turning on her heel and running just as Ghost moved to do the same as her.

The forest seemed endless, just trees, trees and more trees as far as Yang could see, but Yang could tell there would be a clearing at some point.

There just had to be.

Spinning around, Yang fired some more shots, until suddenly, pain erupted in her left flank as blasterfire came at her and Ghost from the left. Her aura absorbed the worst of it; but now Yang could tell they would be in trouble.

Ghost made to return fire, which was when suddenly, a figure in all red armour charged in and tackled Ghost to the ground, getting to his feet and brandishing a fearsome looking spear.

Ghost drew his Beskad, and at that, he and the red warrior began to duel.

Leaving Yang as the only one fighting off all the Stormtroopers.

Yang was used to it, though. She had fought off Junior's entire security detail at his club one time before Beacon. Stormtroopers were hardly different. They just had white armour and could barely land a shot to save their life.

Using Ember Celica to propel her forward, Yang landed a thunderous right hook to the first Stormtrooper she attacked, sending them flying back into a tree, which shattered with an almost sickening crack. Blasting a second one with a powerful uppercut, she leapt up with him and spun round, kicking them down into the floor beneath them before closing with a third, dropping them with a firm one-two combo and turning to a fourth and fifth leaping up and kicking both in the face and knocking them both over.

Which was when she heard Ghost crying out in pain.

Whirling around, Yang saw Ghost being pinned to a tree, the red armoured warrior's spear driven straight through his shoulder. "GHOST!" Yang yelled before she felt herself being grabbed from behind. Spinning round, the last thing Yang saw was a rifle butt hurtling towards her face.

Later…

Yang's head ached as soon as she felt herself coming to.

"Oh good, it looks like your little lady friend is awake, Tristan."

Within moments of her coming to, Yang felt herself being roughly dragged to her feet, instantly wiping what little unconsciousness remained away. Now alert, Yang looked to see they were surrounded by Stormtroopers.

All of whom had their weapons pointed at Ghost, who was still pinned to the tree with the red armoured warrior's spear.

Yang got a better look, seeing the spear had gone through Ghost's shoulder. That meant if they could get out of this situation, Ghost could still fight.

"Let her go, Wardlow." Ghost said. "This is between you and me."

Yang's eyes narrowed. Wardlow? Who was Wardlow?

"Ah, I could do that, but my superiors have requested I send any young maidens I see colluding with the enemy to the Baron. I'm sure he'll enjoy such a… pretty specimen."

Yang then felt a hand roughly grope her backside, and felt like she wanted to throw up, beginning to struggle against her captors. Breaking free, she spun round, ready to punch her groper in the face.

Only for more Stormtroopers to come up on either side of him, forcing her to surrender.

"A fighter, eh? The Baron does enjoy it when they try and fight." The red armoured warrior replied.

"If you like the Baron so much; why don't you go suck his dick?" Yang fired back defiantly.

The red armoured warrior chuckled. "Such fire. You'd have made a fantastic soldier for the Empire."

"Wardlow, you have no idea what you're dealing with." Ghost spat. "That girl has people that will make your life a living hell if you hurt her."

"I think not… brother." The red armoured warrior said, turning to face Ghost.

Yang gasped, looking between Ghost and Wardlow, asking: "This bastard's your brother?!"

Ghost could only nod, as Wardlow removed his helmet, revealing a man that looked like an older version of Ghost, save for an ugly scar running through his left eye.

"See the eye never healed." Ghost mused sardonically.

Wardlow responded by smashing Ghost in the face with a backhand. "Neither has our family. We were part of the greatest movement Mandalore had ever known! We could have risen to greatness the likes of which would make our ancestors smile." Shaking his head in disgust, Wardlow growled: "But then you went and refused to bomb that school to kill Duchess Kryze's advisor."

"The bomb would have killed every child in that school with the advisor!" Ghost fired back. "You know it's true."

"Bah!" Wardlow spat. "What's a few dead children when we could have weakened that whore's government even more! But of course… you went and betrayed us. Left me for dead. But now fate has led us here… to this forest. Where I will finally erase the stain your treason has left on the honour of our family!"

Ghost glared daggers at his brother, despite the pain. "At least I didn't swap my Mandalorian armour for a set of Imperial armour." He responded.

Wardlow's eye twitched. "Men! Prepare to fire on the count of three!"

Yang watched as every Stormtrooper in the area prepared to fire on Ghost, who seemed to face his death with a dignified defiance.

"One…" Wardlow called out.

Yang met Ghost's gaze, and the two shared a look.

I'm sorry, Yang… Was all Ghost's eyes said.

"Two!" Wardlow shouted.

Yang's eyes began watering as she realised this was it. Ghost would be killed, and she'd be dragged off somewhere to serve as the Baron's sex slave.

"Three!" Wardlow roared. "Fire at-"

Suddenly, a red portal appeared in front of Ghost, at which someone burst through, drawing a sword and slashing three Stormtroopers in half.

Yang's breath caught in her throat, recognising who it was within moments:

It was clearly a woman; her figure displayed that remarkably well. But what Yang recognised was the V neck black and red wrap style top with a black pleated skirt that had black shorts beneath, with a series of beaded necklaces. She also recognised the red obi sash around their saviour's waist alongside a red tasset wrapped around the waist that carried the sheath of the woman's sword. Attached to it was a long black object that was either fur or feathers, with a red and white bandana material like hanging from behind her. Her forearms bore red armored gauntlets that protrude outwards and black fingerless gloves. She wore black mid-thigh high boots, alongside a fearsome, full-face mask that resembled the face of a Creature of Grimm. The mask had four eye slits, further enhancing the individual's inhuman appearance.

But Yang knew who it was better than anyone. She recognised that outfit because she had seen it in the photo of Team STRQ she carried with her daily.

Their saviour was none other than Yang's mother: Raven Branwen.

With Raven…

Raven had no idea what rotten luck had brought her daughter into the clutches of the Empire, but she would damn herself for eternity if she let Yang stay there.

Spinning Omen into a reverse grip, Raven drove it into a Stormtrooper trying to slip behind her, jerking the katana free with violence and using the momentum to then disembowel a second Stormtrooper.

A third soon found their head rolling in the dirt at Raven's feet as their headless corpse toppled to the floor, and a fourth literally tasted Raven's blade as she drove it through their helmet and in through their mouth.

Tearing the weapon free, Raven once more allowed the momentum of Omen to carry her around, beheading three more troopers, watching the rest of them beginning to lose nerve and retreat.

Leaving only the commanding officer; the man wearing red armour.

However, it wasn't long before a flash of yellow caught Raven's eye, and she watched as Yang drove a right hook hard into the red armoured man's face, sending him crashing through the same tree Yang's comrade was pinned to.

Which had the effect of freeing Yang's comrade, though a spear was still visible being stabbed through his shoulder.

The red armoured warrior stood up, going for his sidearm, but Raven stood ready to dash forward. Her aura would allow her to tank the shots from the pistol, giving her the opening to disarm and slay him.

However, the red armoured man seemed to realise the odds were stacked against him, and so rapidly turned tail and ran for it.

Raven sighed and shook her head in disgust, raising Omen's blade to her forearm and wiping the flat of it against her forearm, cleaning the blood off of it and then sheathing it.

"Mom."

Raven grimaced. She'd longed to be called that one thing for nearly twenty years. Just not with said twenty years of hurt, anger and feelings of abandonment behind it.

Turning around, Raven found herself facing Yang for the first time.

She allowed herself a small smile under her mask upon seeing how Yang really was the perfect blend of herself and her father:

Yang looked just like Raven did at her age, though Yang had golden blonde hair and lilac-coloured eyes. Raven imagined Tai likely had a hard time keeping boys away from Yang as she grew older.

Reaching up for her mask, Raven soon removed it, looking up and staring into the eyes of her daughter. "Hello, Yang."

Yang said nothing, merely closed the distance with Raven, staring her mother full in the face.

"Finally decided to stick around for once, huh?" Yang asked. Her face carried years of hurt, anger and sadness, which she projected onto Raven with a single glare.

Raven forced herself to hold her daughter's gaze, replying: "Your friend needs help." Gesturing to a still wounded Ghost. "Let's get him to my encampment, where he can at least get medical treatment. After that… we can talk."

Yang's gaze left her mother for a moment as she looked to see Ghost struggling to his feet, spear still embedded deep in his shoulder.

Raven watched as Yang met her gaze, and nodded.

"Okay." Yang said. "Help me with him."

Raven nodded and moved to help up Ghost, but not before drawing Omen and opening a portal. "Let's go." Raven said, sheathing Omen.

Atlas Academy Gym, 14:00 pm…

Nathan took a deep breath as he finished a set of weight-boxing.

Setting aside the weights he had been using, Nathan grabbed the water bottle and took a long, hard swig from it.

"Good to see you still breathing, kid."

Nathan perked up and the sudden, familiar voice, and turned around to see none other than Qrow Branwen stood a few feet away. "Qrow fucking Branwen." He said as he closed the distance, grasping Qrow's forearm as the elder Huntsman did the same. "Gods, it's good to see you too. Last I saw you; you were hooked up to all sorts of machines after Baron Maleficus kicked your ass."

Qrow nodded. "Still here, aren't I?" He asked, grabbing his flask and taking a swig. "Want some?" He asked, offering his bottle to Nathan.

"Nah. Saw enough alcohol and what it does to people to know that I never want a single drop. The one time I had some with Ghira Belladonna was enough for me."

"Your loss, kid." Qrow replied as he put the flask away.

"Regardless… just glad to see a familiar face that isn't Jason, Winter, Ghost or Ironbastard." Nathan declared.

Qrow chuckled. "New nickname for James?"

"One of many, nowadays." Nathan responded. "Have you spoken with Jason or Winter about me, then?"

The older man nodded. "Jason, mostly. Me and Winter… there's history there."

"Romantic history or antagonistic history?" Nathan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Latter. Winter's got Jason now." Qrow replied. "And I'm too old for someone like that, anyway."

"Yet Jacques Schnee married Weiss and Winter's mom when she was eighteen and he was thirty-four." Nathan pointed out. "I think you've got a better chance than you think."

Qrow rolled his eyes. "Besides… Jason told me how ready you are. And watching you train just now; I think so, too."

"Oh yeah? It's Ironwood who needs convincing." Nathan spat. "I should have been back in the fight at Vacuo two weeks ago; didn't happen. Should have been back with my friends earlier today; nada." Sitting down on the bench, Nathan said: "I'm starting to think the only way I'm getting out of here is if I fight my way out. Because otherwise… Ironwood is probably going to keep me here."

Qrow nodded. "If it comes to it; I'll help you." He replied. "You're needed in the field. Not gathering dust like some of Ironwood's other supposed 'secret weapons'."

Nathan smiled, just as Qrow fished out his scroll, talking into it for a few short minutes before placing his scroll away, looking down at Nathan with a frown crossing his rugged, aged countenance.

"Sounds like James is finally ready to talk to me." Qrow declared.

"You have a mission?" Nathan inquired.

"Possibly." Qrow said. "But we'll see."

"Mind if I join you?" Nathan asked, standing up. "Been a while since I spoke to Iron-Shit-Stain face to face."

Qrow barked with laughter as he nodded. "Yeah, sure. Keep the nicknames coming, too. Forgot you could be so funny."

"Sure thing." Nathan said as the two started walking. "So; what mission do you think Iron-Limp-Dick has in store for you?"

After snorting at Nathan's latest jab, Qrow shrugged. "Hell if I know." The older Huntsman replied. "Probably something to do with the Imperial campaign in Mistral. Wouldn't surprise me if Raven is involved somehow."

"Who the fuck is Raven?" Nathan asked, at which a look from Qrow silenced him. "Okay, okay, backing off. Just like I wish Iron-Cockfag would back the fuck off."

Qrow's laughter echoed throughout the halls of the academy at that, and the two of them carried on their walk toward the inner sanctum of General James Ironwood.

General Ironwood's office…

"Qrow. Glad you could make it on such short notice." Ironwood called out as Qrow entered the room.

"Glad I could be of help." Qrow responded semi-sarcastically, as Nathan stepped out from behind him.

The moment their eyes met, the jovial mood changed.

Ironwood's eyes narrowed, and a scowl crossed his face as he stared at Nathan. "What are you doing here? You should be training." Ironwood said, his tone inflecting that it was not a suggestion.

"Felt like taking a break." Nathan replied as politely as he could muster. "Won't do me any favours if I get injured again."

Ironwood's scowl deepened, and his eyes bore into Nathan's with all the force of a man wishing he could shoot lasers from his eyes so Nathan would be incinerated.

Nathan almost allowed himself a small smirk, knowing that Ironwood knew that the fiery haired former Jedi was right, which Nathan knew would get right under Ironwood's skin.

"James; you said there was something urgent you needed to see me for." Qrow said, cutting the tension. "What was it?"

Ironwood's eyes switched to Qrow and he nodded, stepping over to the table in the middle of his office and bringing up a map of Mistral. "It has come to my attention that the craft carrying Team JNPR, Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long and Tristan Kast to Haven Academy was shot down somewhere over Shion village. We received a distress call from the pilot roughly an hour ago. Since then, attempts have been made to contact the team; to no avail."

"Did Blake and Kanan's ship make it to Menagerie?" Nathan asked.

"That shouldn't be any of your concern." Ironwood snapped back rudely.

Nathan scowled, but forced himself to hold his tongue as Ironwood resumed talking:

"As such; I need someone to head to Mistral, and search for survivors. I recall Tristan saying the plan was to head to Higanbana to meet with someone; so I suggest you start your search there."

Qrow nodded. "Mind if I bring Nathan along? He'd be a big help."

"Qrow's right." Nathan added, saying: "We cover more ground that way; meaning there's better chance of finding them in case they've had to split up."

"Not a chance." Ironwood said firmly, glaring daggers at Nathan, adding: "You're not ready."

Qrow tensed as he looked to Nathan, who looked ready to explode at that.

Thankfully, Nathan forced himself to merely raise an eyebrow. "Have you been reading any of Winter and Jason's reports lately?" He asked. "They're all saying the same thing: I'm ready."

"Well I don't think so." Ironwood growled. "And until I do, you are to remain here."

"Are you serious right now?" Nathan inquired, a steely calm edge to his voice; a clear sign he was trying not to get angry. "What more do I have to do to convince you that I'm ready?!"

Ironwood didn't move an inch. "Learn to take orders." He said firmly.

"I've been taking your orders for six FUCKING MONTHS!" Nathan finally exploded. "Stop stalling and tell me the fucking truth! Why are you really keeping me here?"

Ironwood simply pressed a button, at which security guards came rushing into the room. "Get him out of here." Ironwood spat angrily, gesturing to Nathan.

The security guards quickly closed on Nathan.

Who suddenly let out a burst of energy that sent every single security guard in the room flying, some landing with sickening cracks on the floor, walls and ceiling.

Nathan waited until the one security guard on the ceiling fell to the floor before meeting Ironwood's stunned, but angry gaze. "I'm ready. Swallow your fucking pride and accept it asshole." Nathan snarled, turning on his heel and storming out of the room.

Qrow returned his gaze to Ironwood, who had a look of pure fury on his face as he slammed a fist onto his desk, releasing an angry shout.

"Walking a tight rope here, James." Qrow said, taking his flask and taking a swig.

"Get out." Ironwood snapped. "You have your orders. Get to Mistral, and find those damn Huntsmen and Huntresses!"

Qrow sighed. "He's getting frustrated, James… You keep holding him back… you're gonna wind up forcing him down a path nobody here should want him travelling."

Ironwood's fists clenched, as he snarled: "Until he follows my orders, he will not be going anywhere. That's how I deal with insubordination. Now get the hell out of my office before I have you arrested."

Qrow shook his head sadly. "You're making a mistake." The aged Huntsman remarked as he turned and left. He prayed Ironwood would see reason soon.

Higanbana, at the same time…

They were safe for now.

That was all Ruby cared about as she, Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha and Ren all stepped into the popular Higanbana inn.

Thunder boomed outside as rain bombarded the ground and the wooden structure above them, the racket sounding more like gravel or stone striking the roof instead of rainwater.

"Should we wait for the others to join us?" Nora asked Ruby.

Ruby grimaced. Every fibre of her being was screaming at her to turn around and head into the forest in search of Yang and Ghost, but she knew they could both take care of themselves.

Right now, she needed to keep the people she had with her safe. "No. We need to head to Haven." Ruby said firmly. "Yang and Ghost will join us as soon as they can."

"But what if the Empire's caught up to them?" Ren pointed out.

Ruby shut her eyes. "I… I don't really want to think about that right now." She said, wiping her eyes as scared tears threatened to break through.

She heard Nora lightly chide Ren for the remark, but ignored it, stepping up to the front desk of the inn, Ruby found a large, heavyset man looking down at her.

"Can I help you?" The man asked, his eyes moving up and down Ruby's body.

Ruby refused to let the man's ogling distract her, saying: "Do you have any rooms for the night? There's five of us; myself, and my friends behind me."

"No need." A new voice said from behind all of them. "Jason already told me you'd all be coming. Though he told me there'd be more of you."

Both Ruby and Jaune turned to see a hooded figure stood behind them and their friends, and both reached for their weapons.

"And who are you?" Jaune asked.

The hooded man reached up and removed his hood, revealing a man who looked to be in his mid to late twenties, with a shaven head from which the slightest hint of blonde hair could be seen, and brown eyes, which bore a heavy weight from years of experience; experience that could only be obtained through fighting a war for years.

Underneath the cloak, Ruby and Jaune could see white armour with blue markings, and two holsters bearing dual pistols, which looked very easy for the man to reach for if a fight broke out.

No such thing happened, as the man replied: "CT seven-five-six-seven. But those that knew me called me Rex. Captain Rex."

"Rex…" Pyrrha said as she stepped forward. "Nathan told us about you; said you were one of the best troopers he ever fought alongside in the Clone Wars."

Rex nodded. "Come on. Let's carry on talking in the room itself."

From there, Ruby and JNPR followed Rex as he led them upstairs into one of the inn's many rooms.

It was a room containing nine beds, some of them packed closely together.

Standing near one was a cloak hanger which for some reason was covered in one gigantic cloak.

Rex soon removed his cloak entirely, revealing his armour underneath.

Ruby gasped as she saw this, remarking: "That looks so cool!"

Rex chuckled. "You must be Ruby Rose." He said. "Jason told me you were a fan of weaponry. So… what do you think about these?" At this, he drew the two pistols from their holsters, setting them down in front of a mesmerised Ruby. "DC-17 Blaster pistols. These two have seen me through some of the hardest fighting in the Clone Wars. Some of which was done alongside your friend Nathan."

Ruby gingerly took one, making sure to keep her finger off of the trigger as she handled it, weighing it in her hand, gripping it with her finger still off of the trigger, before finally handing it to Rex. "So cool."

Rex snorted. "Anyway; since we're all comfortable, mind telling me what happened?"

"We were just above Shion village, coming in to land when we were shot down by Imperial anti-air weapons." Jaune said. "We all got out okay, but were immediately set upon by Imperial Forces. We put up a fight, but were forced to fall back once they brought in heavier weapons, like an AT-ST."

Rex frowned. "Ghost didn't come with you?" He asked.

"He did, but we had to scatter." Ruby answered. "He's somewhere in the forest right now; along with my older sister, Yang."

Nodding, Rex said: "Good thing Jason gave me enough Lien for a multi-night stay." He said. "After that, we make our move onwards toward Haven. With luck; we might not even have to fight our way there." Sitting down, Rex picked up what looked to be his helmet, and began to clean it. "For now, it's best we all get some rest. I can imagine the lot of you are tired from having to run all the way here."

Ruby nodded, and the five of them were soon unpacking their sleepwear.

"Were you the captain that served under Nathan during the Clone Wars?" Jaune suddenly asked.

Rex looked up and met Jaune's gaze. "No. Though as I've said; I worked with Nathan and Jason on several campaigns throughout the Clone Wars." Rex replied. "I was under the command of Jedi General Anakin Skywalker. And his padawan; Nathan's good friend Ahsoka Tano."

"Ahsoka…" Pyrrha said. "Do you know if she survived the Purge?" She asked.

A smirk soon found Rex's battle-worn face. "Why don't you ask her that yourself?" He asked in return, gesturing to that corner of the room where the cloak hanger was.

Only for said cloak hanger to step off of the bed, and remove their hood, revealing a being none of the group sans Rex had ever seen before.

She was a beautiful young woman, roughly about nineteen years of age, dark orange skin, brownish-grey lips, white facial markings, a slender build, and white lekku and montrals with blue stripes.

She was wearing a blue-and-grey dress with a short skirt, blue tights, and grey boots, as well as forearm armour and fingerless gloves.

Ruby, Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha and Ren all looked on in awe as Ahsoka Tano approached them, folding her arms with a playful grin on her face.

"So… how's Nathan been since I last saw him?" Ahsoka asked.

With Jason and Winter, Atlas Academy gym, 15:00 pm…

The closer they got, the more worried Jason felt.

Anger radiated from Nathan with every moment; the type of anger that would send alarm bells ringing in every Jedi Master within the vicinity.

The closer they got, the louder the strikes against what sounded like a heavy bag grew louder, and Jason could only guess that Nathan was substituting the heavy bag for Ironwood; elsewise he'd be holding back like he often did.

Whatever had happened this time, it had turned Nathan's frustration with Ironwood into pure volcanic fury and vitriolic hatred for the man.

Rounding the corner, Jason and Winter were met with a sobering sight:

Nathan relentlessly attacking a heavy back, angry tears streaming down the young man's face as he battered the heavy bag, which looked ready to give at any moment.

Jason and Winter shared a worried glance. The only other time one of them had seen Nathan this angry was when he and Jason had first met after That Argument.

Finally, with a sound that was half furious roar, half sob, Nathan connected with one last hellish right hook that sent the heavy bag snapping off of its hook, and going flying several feet into a nearby mirror, shattering it.

Jason took a deep breath, and called out: "Nathan…?"

Nathan simply turned to face Jason, his hair hiding his face from view; giving Nathan the visage of a wild animal that had just undertaken a bloody rampage. "What do you want?" Nathan asked, his voice dangerously steely-calm, the way it was whenever Nathan was very, VERY angry.

"We… heard what happened with Ironwood." Winter answered. "We… wanted to make sure you were alright."

"And why the fuck would I be alright, Winter?!" Nathan snapped. "I've just been fucking told that just because I 'need to learn to take orders'; I'm not ready." Picking up a medicine ball from nearby, Nathan roared: "When I've been taking Ironwood's fucking orders for six FUCKING MONTHS!" With this, he hurled the ball at another mirror, which shattered violently, creating a dent in the wall behind it as well.

Winter yelped loudly at the sound, jumping back as she stared at Nathan with a new look in her eyes.

Horror gripped Jason as he sensed something awakening within Nathan…

Something far darker than he had ever hoped to see starting to grip Nathan.

Meeting their gazes, Nathan snarled: "Well fuck Ironwood. I'm done waiting. I'm getting out of Atlas one way or another within the week; whether that dickless cockfag Ironwood likes it or not. Even if it means I have to fucking kill him."

With that dark vow, Nathan stormed out of the room, making a point of barging past Jason and Winter on his way out.

Jason watched Nathan leave, the darkness he sensed within Nathan pulsating like a parasite feeding off of Nathan's anger, growing bigger… stronger… harder to resist.

Taking a deep breath and swallowing the fear that was building up within him, Jason looked to Winter. "Talk to Ironwood. I don't care if Ironwood brushes you off; force him to talk to you. He's close to pushing Nathan past the point of no return, and if that happens, he's a dead man walking. Go talk to Ironwood, and tell him he needs to clear Nathan for combat soon. Because if he doesn't… Nathan is going to kill him. And Nathan is not going to make it a pleasant death."

Winter nodded. "Will you talk to him?" Winter asked, gesturing in the direction Nathan had just left in.

Jason looked, meeting Winter's worried gaze, and nodded. "Someone has to." He replied.

Winter nodded. "Be careful, Jason." She pleaded, pulling him into a soft kiss.

Breaking it, Jason stepped away, beginning the terrifying walk to Nathan's room.

Outside Nathan's room…

Jason could hear the crying from several corridors over.

Allowing his fear to become sympathetic, Jason approached Nathan's room, sensing Nathan's thoughts were of one person:

Blake.

For the first time, Jason sensed just how desperately Nathan was pining for his girlfriend. Until now; Nathan had carefully hidden it behind a wall of determination to get back into the fight and help his friends, but now it all made sense.

Ironwood wasn't just depriving Nathan of returning to combat; he was depriving Nathan of seeing Blake again.

That was the driving force behind how furious Nathan had become; his pining for Blake driving him to threaten General Ironwood with death if he continued to be denied from reuniting with Blake.

With this in mind, Jason reached Nathan's quarters, and gently knocked his signature knock on the door.

"Get the fuck away from me." Nathan's voice snapped from within.

"You know I can't do that, Nate." Jason called out with a sigh. "Come on; let me in so we can talk…"

"You and me have nothing to talk about." Nathan said. "Now get the fuck away from me and leave me in peace."

Jason sighed and reached for the door controls, praying Nathan would forgive him for this.

The door soon opened, and Jason saw Nathan sat on his bed, staring at a photo of who Jason could only guess was Blake.

Angry, tearful eyes met Jason's gaze, and Jason sighed apologetically, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him.

"I'm worried about you, Nathan." Jason said. "I've only seen you this angry three times: When you had that go at the Jedi Council and Palpatine when Ahsoka left the Order, the day we reunited for the first time after That Argument, and now… But now I understand why you're so upset; it's because Ironwood isn't denying you a chance to get back in the fight… he's denying you a chance to reunite with our friends… with Blake."

Nathan remained silent, not saying a word to Jason.

"But… that's as maybe. Because right now… I can sense the darkness bubbling inside you, and it's terrifying me. I can sense you're on the precipice of falling to the Dark Side, and it scares me, Nathan."

Nathan didn't say a single word in response.

"Or maybe the reason it's scaring me so much… is because you're already falling." Jason reasoned, his voice bearing no judgement, purely understanding.

Finally, Nathan spoke: "I'm… aware of the fact that I'm feeling the pull towards the Dark Side. Been feeling it over the past few weeks." Sighing, Nathan stood up. "I've been fighting it; believe me when I say I'm fighting it… But I'm not stupid, Jason. I can only fight it for so long. One day… Ironwood will push me over the edge, and it will be too strong for me to fight. One day… I will let the Dark Side take me… And if that happens… Then I want you to kill me, Jason."

Jason's worried look became one of shock at Nathan's request, saying: "Nathan…"

"Stop." Nathan snapped. "I will not let Blake see what the Dark Side forces me to become, Jason. I wasn't asking you. If I fall to the Dark Side… you have to kill me."

Jason took a deep breath, and nodded. "I will." He replied, his voice starting to crack. "But mark my words… If it comes down to it… We'll fight our way out of Atlas together. I swear on our repaired friendship."

Nathan nodded, before stepping forward and hugging Jason as tightly as he could, fresh tears breaking free from him.

Jason felt his own tears start to fall as he tightened his hug on his oldest and dearest friend. In that moment, he swore to himself that he would join Nathan in fighting their way out of Atlas if it came down to it. He had come too far now to ruin his friendship with Nathan again.

I told you it would get worse; and worse it has gotten.

Also; who was expecting two fan favorite Star Wars characters to show up?

Nevermind; onto reviews:

Rider126: Ironwood's reasoning isn't meant to make sense; it's Ironwood's ego influencing his decisions. When Ironwood sees Nathan; he sees a boy training to be a Huntsman and nothing else.

Sharnorasian Empire: Well; it's gotten worse. And unfortunately, Ironwood cannot be removed from duty; as in times of war... he IS the council. Like how Ancient Romans elected an official to lead them through times of crises before the time of the emperors, the same can be said for Atlas with Ironwood.

Spiderdeku25: Give it a few volumes.

That said; thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter. If you all enjoyed it; you all know what to do.

I shall see you next week with Chapters 5-6, which see things seemingly start to improve.

T-Rock14