Return to the Navy

Jack Nebulax set down his personal Theta-class T-2c shuttle in the hangar bay of the mSSD Atrus. It had been a while since he had been in this hangar bay. He had been off raising his new son, Jason Nebulax, with his wife, Alexia Far'shadow.

"It's been a long time," Jack said to his astromech droid, R2-X7, as he took in the welcoming sight of the familiar hangar bay. Dressed in his Imperial uniform, Jack hoped he would be welcomed back into Nazgul Squadron and, more important, the Vast Empire.

But before extending the boarding ramp, Jack decided to reflect on what had happened between now and when he had left.

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As Jack got onboard his Theta-class shuttle, he looked around the hangar bay for one last time. He was leaving the Vast Empire to be with his wife, Alexia, who was pregnant. Around the bottom of the boarding ramp were his friends - Shazam and the rest of Nazgul, along with some other Navy personnel. Jack felt like he was abandoning them. But he was married now, and was expecting to be a father.

Knowing that Alexia would be waiting onboard with many of their belongings, including R2-X7, Jack gave one last salute to them all before walking up the boarding ramp and closing it behind him. With a new life ahead of him, Jack knew it would be hard to get used to not being a TIE pilot for a while. But he had promised himself and his friends that he would be back, someday.

Jack entered the cockpit, where his modified FA-4 pilot droid began raising the landing gear and engaging the repulsorlifts. Looking down at his friends one last time, Jack said a silent good-bye before the shuttle exited the hangar bay and entered space.

"Theta-class shuttle Auroran Glory, you are cleared to enter hyperspace," came the voice across the comlink.

"Acknowledged," Jack replied as the FA-4 unit began to power up the hyperdrive.

At one moment, Jack was staring at the mSSD Atrus, and the next moment he was staring at hyperspace. Jack then exited the cockpit and went to sit with Alexia. "We're heading home," Jack said to his wife.

"I'm so glad," she replied. Normally, Jack would think she was being sarcastic, but apparently being pregnant changed that. "Jack, thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Ever since I met you, I wanted to spend my life with you. But Jack, I really don't think you should return to the Navy. I talked to Shazam once. I told him that I thought that you would eventually get killed in a battle or something. You know we both don't want that. Please, leave the Navy for good," Alexia said.

"I... I can't..." Jack said.

"Jack, you're going to be a father. I don't want to have to tell our son that you died while fighting pirates or something."

"Alexia, we've been through this before. I love you, and I love our unborn son. But my first duty is to the Vast Empire... to Nazgul... to the galaxy..."

"What about me?" Alexia asked, starting to cry.

"Alexia, I'm doing this to protect you. When I fight pirates, I do it so that the pirates can't harm you or our baby one day. My first duty as a pilot is to the VE, but my only duty as a husband and a father-to-be is to you and our son," Jack explained. "Listen, I'll take a longer leave. Right now, we don't have to worry about the Vast Empire. When we're ready, we'll return to it, but not until that day comes. Okay?"

"Okay," Alexia said. Then they kissed, and for a moment, they were alone in the galaxy.

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By the time they reached Aurora Prime, any evidence of the conversation had disappeared. Jack and Alexia were joking around and laughing, and the FA-4 pilot droid, which had apparently overheard the conversation, received a memory wipe that erased the conversation but nothing else from its memory.

Back in the cockpit with Alexia next to him, Jack looked at the massive Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Nebulax's Fist. From what he heard, his father and stepmother were still in command of the warship. Therefore, he was very happy when his father's face appeared on the screen in the cockpit.

"Unidentified shuttle, you are-" Zaxdis Nebulax then realized he was talking to his son and daughter-in-law. "Jack! Alexia! So good to see you again! So, I understand you're married now. Congratulations to the both of you."

"Thanks, Dad," Jack said.

"Yes, thank you very much," Alexia said, before looking over and smiling at Jack.

"So, Dad, permission to land in the forward hangar bay?" Jack asked.

"Permission granted, um&" Zaxdis said, trying to have his son tell him his rank without asking.

"Warrant Officer Second Class," Jack said.

"Permission granted, Warrant Officer Second Class Nebulax." Zaxdis then showed a smile before saying, "Once you arrive, stop by the bridge so I can see you both in person, okay?"

"Sure thing," Jack replied as the screen went black.

Alexia then asked, "Uh, Jack, does he know that I'm, well, you know&"

"No, he doesn't know," Jack said.

"Great," Alexia said. "A family reunion is the perfect place for your father to find out he's going to be a grandfather soon."

Jack smiled and laughed as the shuttle continued for the forward hangar bay in the bottom of the Star Destroyer, where Jack started out as a TIE pilot. Jack found a good spot to rest the shuttle down, and once landed, Jack immediately let down the boarding ramp. Some people had gathered around the base of the ramp, wondering whose shuttle it was. Many were pilots from Jack's old ADF squadron.

Before Jack walked down the ramp, he made sure his Imperial uniform looked as good as possible. With Alexia telling him three times that he looked fine, they descended the ramp together.

People began whispering, "That's Jack Nebulax!" but those whispers weren't soft enough for the entire crowd - and practically every one else in the hangar bay - to hear that the son of the commander of the ADF had returned. Once Jack was down the ramp, everyone came forward and started shaking his hand and saying how long it's been.

And at the end of the crowd stood Jack's brother and sister, Jake and Kyda, respectively. Jack came up and hugged them both. Jake, who apparently had become quite a comic, said, "I hope you don't mind that I don't want an autograph, big brother."

Jack just had to laugh. Taking Alexia by the hand again, the four relatives headed off for the bridge to see Zaxdis and Sonitha Nebulax. Jack and Alexia's vacation on Aurora Prime had finally begun.

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Revenge is what holds this galaxy together. Without it, the universe would be a boring place.

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Warrant Officer 2nd Class Jack Nebulax, Nazgul Squadron, Imperial Navy, Vast Empire.
FM/WO2 Jack Nebulax/Nazgul 11 (3-3)/Wing 1/mSSD Atrus/Defensive Fleet/VEN/VE (=A=) (=*SA*=) [SV] [VC:G]
Rep|Int/Rep Jack Nebulax/Rep: 4/Reporters-Interviewers/VE/VET
Jack Nebulax: King of the Reply
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Admiral Jack Nebulax, third-in-command of the Auroran Defense Fleet (ADF) and leader of Nemesis Wing (Wing I)