I sailed the Nightmare toward the Yavin system and deactivated the ship's large sails as we neared Yavin 4. Rooda looked at me in worry.
"I really hope that the Rebel Alliance has successfully been calmed down, if they were upset."
"So do I," I looked ahead as we passed through to the planet's atmosphere.
Rooda looked down to her waist.
"Oh, and this is yours," she took off the belt that I donated to her and she strapped it around my waist. "I made my own while I was alone on Ikana. It only took some cloth and rope." She pat her waist where her crimson lightsabers were fastened onto her makeshift belt.
"Thank you," I grin as I pulled out my lightsabers, my darksaber, and Sot-Kolok's lightwhip I kept after his death. I fastened them back on my belt back where they belong.
I took control of the ship as it flew down to the jungle's pyramid, where the hangar entrance is, and the hangar door opened, and I landed the Nightmare on the hangar's floor. I got up and opened the ship's doors, Rooda and I walked out and into the hangar, Mon Mothma pleading to me.
"Hurry. The council chamber is in chaos. Rakine has managed to pacify the many rebels but some of them are sill angered by your temporary leave to Ikana."
I nod and run down the hall toward the council chamber. As we're slowly reaching the council chamber, I already hear violent shouting and fighting in the room. I reach the doorway and peek inside, to see the large rounded room was a wreck. Chairs and tables flipped, thrown, or broken. Men yelling at each other and at Rakine. Blaster bolts being fired and creating black burn marks on the ceiling and flat walls of the council chamber. I take a step in and clear my throat, Rooda staying around the corner to hide from the violence. The many faces in the chamber then turn to me and one of them shouts "Traitor!" and fires a blaster bolt at me. I quickly jerk my head to the left and the bolt hits the wall in the hallway. Another rebel shouts violently at us, and as I watch them act ferociously toward me. In an attempt to shut them all up and keep them in place, I scream in a sudden, unholy rage.
"STOP!" I take a step back out of the room and raise a hand up, with the Force, stopping the rebels in their tracks. Everyone stops moving but Rakine, Mon Mothma, and Rulus Knil-Wean stand in the way of the rebels, stopping them from trying to attack me. Rooda comes from behind the wall and comes into the room, standing by my side.
"Now listen, rebels. All of you. I know I left Yavin to give my friend here the communicator which you have given me. She was all alone on a desert planet with nobody with her to keep her company. And as I came back to her to give her said communicator, she came to me." I turned to Rooda and put my hand on her shoulder, her head turned to me. "She was saddened, and she didn't want me to leave her again, she wanted me to stay with her. And who could blame her?"
I sighed.
"I have had a strong connection with her for some time now. We've been best friends in the past, and now, we've-" I looked at her with a smile, took my hand off her shoulder to hold her hand, then turned back to face the still outraged rebels, "-we have just taken our relationship to another level."
Rakine grins and mouths "I knew they would figure it out soon," to himself.
"Now I have always wanted to stay with her. But I had to come back to accept the task of going to Kommaden to take care of the Inquisitor, Sot-Kolok, who threatened to liberate the system."
Rulus glances at me and Rooda with a grin, noticing Rooda and my feelings for each other.
"I came back to her on Ikana and she didn't want us to be separated again, and neither did I. So I offered to stay with her for an extended amount of time, to catch up on our relationship. So she wouldn't be alone and afraid"
I glare at the rebels who tried to attack me, try seem to be calming down by the oration I continued to deliver to them.
"And now you try to attack me, you think I betrayed the Rebel Alliance."
I scoffed and shook my head.
"How ridiculous."
They all stand still, only staring at me, lowering their weapons.
"You swear your loyalty to the Rebel Alliance?"
I nodded.
"I have never left or betrayed the Rebel Alliance, so you have no need to attack me. I am always a loyal rebel and Sith Lord. I only wanted to spend some time with my dearest Rooda." I looked to her, still holding her hand, and I listened to the rebels murmur and whisper. "I hope that the Rebel Alliance can still trust me, despite my attempt to leave temporarily." Rakine steps toward us, still keeping an eye on the other rebels.
"I understand perfectly," he nodded. "But the other rebels wouldn't listen to me. I'm glad you came here to talk some sense into them." The rebel that fired at me dropped his blaster and clasped his hands together, pleading.
"I'm so sorry, Lord Ven. Please don't kill us for misunderstanding."
I chuckled.
"Now why would I do that? I'm a Sith Lord, yes, but I'm not stooping low as to kill my fellow rebels," I glanced at everyone in the room.
"But Vader," another rebel spoke up, "he's another Sith Lord yeah?"
I nodded.
"While Vader and I are both Sith Lords, he is an Imperial. He is the real evil we've been trying to stop. As for me, the Sith and the Jedi are just names. Two different cultures of warriors, both with the knowledge of the Force and training in lightsaber combat. They are both very similar, but also very different. For Instance, the Sith rely on their power and their strength-"
"And they are emotionally opposite to the Jedi," Rakine added. "The Jedi are not allowed to love or be connected to any other person. The Sith however, are allowed to feel such emotion. That's why you're still in love with Rooda."
I looked at the ground with a nervous chuckle.
"Is that really a part of it?"
"Heck yeah. That explains also why the Sith have a stronger connection to their apprentices. Darth Sidious treats his apprentice Darth Vader much like a son."
"What about you, Rakine?"
"I walk the Grey Path, the middle ground, I am neither Jedi nor Sith. I can do as I please." He gave me a slightly cocky smirk.
"Oh, Rakine," Rooda shook her head with a chuckle. "Even when you wear the helmet of a Rebel Captain, you're still as cocky as when we met you on Zant."
He grinned.
"Why are you wearing that helmet?" She looked at him curiously. "Where's Karus?"
"To make a long story short," Rakine started, "he's dead. I took his place as Rebel Captain now."
Rooda stared both in confusion utter surprise.
"Karus is dead?"
"He was torn apart by an Inquisitor, the same one Ven mentioned fighting on Kommaden."
"Oh," Rooda sighed and looked sadly at the crowd. "It's such a shame when a rebel falls."
"Especially one of our dearest friends." Mon Mothma sulked. "But the Rebel Alliance will remain strong."
"Karus would want us to continue fighting against the Empire," Rakine put a hand on Rooda's shoulder. "Everything will be okay. We will all get through this togeter and we will bring peace to the galaxy."
"Ahem to that Captain!" A rebel pilot stood up and threw his arms in the air. All the other pilots got up and whooped excitedly. Mon Mothma managed a small smile but remained serious.
"We need to keep an eye on that nefarious Empire. We might not be able to take out the space station they're building. It's much too risky and dangerous. And the Star Destroyer cannot possibly be infiltrated without anyone being noticed." She thought silently. "The Empire might still be trying to liberate systems, and that's where we need a plan." She turned on a large hologram of the galaxy, the Empire and it's expansions marked in red." The Empire has taken control of the Deep Core, the center of the whole galaxy. They still intend to move the galactic north and west, where the Kommaden system lies."
"We practically saved Kommadem." A Rebel stood up.
"No." Rulus Knil-Wean stood up. "We got my system to system join in on the Rebellion, providing weapons and defense for the Rebel Alliance. But we still need to help them defend the galactic northwest. The Empire knows that the mission to liberate my planet was a failure, so they plan to fully invade it and take the system itself. We still have a chance to stop ten and defend the planet. Kommaden will be a significant victory for us. Defending it stops the Empire from expanding westward, keeping them out of Wild Space, where all the unknown territories exist in the galactic west."
"We need to go back, do we?" I looked at the holographic galaxy.
"I'm afraid so," Mon Mothma frowned. "Captain Rakine?"
"Yes, Mon Mothma?"
"Assemble the rebel fighters for attack. I have a plan. The Empire will arrive in TIE ships, and you and your pilots must help defend Kommaden by preventing them from reaching the planet's surface."
"Yes. And what about Lord Venison and Rooda?"
"She should stay here," I looked at her with worry. "I don't want to risk losing you."
Rooda sighed.
"Okay," she picked up a chair, thrown onto the floor and set it on its legs, then she sat down on it silently. She leaned forward and rest her head on her hands and stared at the floor below her.
"Captain Rakine," Mon Mothma continued, "sneak Lord Venison and the rebel troops onto the planet surface to defend the planet from the ground. I have a feeling that there will be a strong force to battle. The Empire wouldn't give up so easily."
Rakine nodded and looked at all the Rebel pilots as they put their helmets on.
"Battle time, boys. Are you ready for a war?"
The rebel pilots cheered battle cries and started to walk out of the council chamber. I watched as the rebels cleared out of the room. I turned behind me to see Rakine, Mon Mothma, and Rulus Knil-Wean standing in the center of the empty, but wrecked chamber. Rooda still sat on a chair near the center of the room.
"Rooda," I walked back over to her, "I'll be back, and hopefully we can go back home to Ikana." I smiled as I rubbed the back of her soft head as se looked up at me.
"Just be careful." She lifted her head up to me and gave me a small kiss.
"Beautiful," Mon Mothma smiled as she watched me and Rooda.
"Young love is so touching," Rulus nodded.
"I predicted those two would get together from the start," Rakine shrugged and walked out of the council chamber, buckling the straps of his helmet, holding it to his head as he left the room.
Rooda pulls her face from me and I stood up straight, holding her hand.
"I will be back," I smiled to her. "I promise." I let go of Rooda's hand and turned to the door, walking out of the council chamber after Rakine, leaving the three of them alone in the room.
I could hear Rulus and Mon start talking about the battle and how they pray for it to be a success. Rooda sighs as I turn the corner to the hallway and toward the hangar, where the rebel pilots gear up and start their rebel ships for the space battle. Rakine turns to me and he chuckles.
"So, Ven, are to ready for battle?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," I chuckle and pat the lightsabers on my belt. "Rooda gave me my belt back. Remember when I let her take it after she made we black outfit?"
"I know," Rakine nodded. "I want you to meet one of the rebel pilots." He turned to a group of rebel pilots whistled. "Knuks! Front and center."
In the group of pilots, one of them stepped out and walked over to us. He was a thin, bald-faced young man walked over. The pilot looked more like a young adult when he got closer. He was shorter than Rakine and he had short black hair, with a large white streak. The boy had an intense feeling of fear in his eyes. He was not ready for the battle.
"Lord Venison," he nodded.
"This is Knuks Depirts. This kid is one of the Rebel Alliance's best pilots. He's been flying ships since he could walk, so he says." He pats his shoulder and chuckled. "You ready for the big battle, boy?"
The young pilot slightly nodded, but I could sense his fear, and I'm sure Rakine could too. We knew this young one was afraid. He didn't know if he was going to live or die.
"Is this really one of the Rebel Alliance's pilots?" I asked Rakine. "This kid doesn't seem ready for such action like a battle in space."
"I'm only a little nervous, but I'm ready." Knuks tightened the helmet on his head. "I'm ready to help bring honor to the Rebel Starfighter Corps."
"Starfighter Corps?" I looked to Rakine.
"It's what all the pilots of the Alliance represent. The Starfighter Corps it the army of the Rebel Alliance, we all fight in all the starfighters in the military hangar. From A-Wings to X-Wings, Y-Wings," he began to joke, "and any other Wings you can think of."
"Is this really what the Captain has to do? Lead the armies of the Rebel Alliance? This is a pretty big job for you, Rakine."
Knuks chuckled.
"All right then," I notice behind Rakine as pilots start to climb into the ships and strap into the pilot seats, putting on headphones as they started the ships. I point over Rakine's shoulder and he turns around to see them getting ready. Two large ship fill up with Rebel troops, the ones who would aid me on the planet surface.
"Right. Time to go." He ran toward a ship and Force jumped up into the pilot's seat, starting it up. He put on a big pair of headphones and flew the ship out of the hangar. Knuks ran towards another ship, started it, and followed Rakine and the rest of the Starfighter Corps out of the hangar doors and into the air.
I walked toward my Nightmare and I opened its doors, sat in the pilot's seat, and flew it out behind the Starfighter Corps. A holographic image of Rakine appeared on a circular portion of the desk in the pilot's area.
"All rebel pilots, that ship following us contains Lord Venison. As we reach Kommaden, protect him and the rebel ground troops at all costs. We need to get them onto the planet surface to fight the battle there."
The ships start pulling back slowly and pulling to the sides. I slowly make my way to the center of the Corps with the large ships containing the troops, and they circle my ship as if to protect my ship from any attacks. My ship and the troops were well protected in one of the teams of ships, the Red Squadron of the Corps, as the rest of the fleet flew ahead of us.
"And may the Force be with us all," Rakine's holographic image faded.
The ships all flew through the atmosphere and toward the Kommaden system, where a great battle awaits us all.