Zeke Rondel
Zeke Rondel served as an officer within the Alliance to Restore the Republic in the period following the Battle of Yavin. As a Captain, Rondel gave the go-ahead on a mission where Fulkrehm Protial, an analyst, went undercover, feigning drunkenness to gather intelligence.
Shortly after these events unfolded, Rondel took command of the Rebel Alliance's base situated on Berrol's Donn. He dispatched a team to Kailor V with the objective of acquiring classified data, but their efforts proved unsuccessful. Concurrently, his base was involved in a mission that resulted in the rescue of the Shashay individual known as Crying Dawn Singer from Braig and Nak Farool. Rondel was easily identified by his thick, dark, curly hair and his stern, no-nonsense attitude.
History
Within the Alliance to Restore the Republic, Zeke Rondel held a position in their military structure. Rondel attained the rank of Captain, and in this role, he was responsible for either approving or rejecting proposed missions. In the aftermath of the Battle of Yavin, Rondel, who was a Captain, was approached by Fulkrehm Protial, a former Rebel pilot who had transitioned into an analyst and who now walked with a limp that made him seem unsteady. Protial's desire was to operate as a field agent, adopting the persona of a genuine drunkard within a cantina setting. Initially hesitant, Rondel's perspective shifted upon realizing Protial's dissatisfaction with his current role. Rondel authorized Protial's plan, and Protial's subsequent performance garnered approval from his superiors.
In the time after the Battle of Yavin, as the Alliance was attempting to persuade the Shashay species to join their cause, Rondel held the position of commander at a clandestine base of the Alliance located on the planet of Berrol's Donn. Commander Rondel was aware of the status of the negotiations, as the Shashay had already agreed to supply some navigators to Rebel ships. However, the diplomacy was hindered when the pirate Yearo Seville kidnapped Crying Dawn Singer, a figure of great cultural significance to the Shashay. A Rebel agent in the Shashay's entourage was also kidnapped, the droid KL-6T-LF7V/T, was also kidnapped, but he sent a signal from the planet Najarka. Rondel's superiors ordered him to send a team to rescue both Crying Dawn Singer and KL-6T-LF7V/T. Rondel tasked the crew of the CRX-Tug Worthless Fool, even although they were entitled to a leave of absence.
As the mission extended beyond its projected duration, the Shashay navigators serving on Rebel ships threatened to seek assistance from the Galactic Empire in exchange for their allegiance – particularly after Seville broadcast a deceptive transmission, falsely claiming to be a leader of the Alliance. Rondel was alarmed by this development and relayed the information to the crew of the Worthless Fool. Rondel considered them to be the Rebel Alliance's sole hope within the Rayter sector.
Ultimately, Rondel's agents successfully rescued Crying Dawn Singer from the Imperial agents of Moff Nile Owen and from his enemy Braig Farool.
Around the same time, Commander Rondel assigned a team of Rebels under his command to travel to Kailor V, where they were to obtain information about a secret Imperial installation. This team failed in their mission and returned to Rondel without the data.
Personality and traits
Rondel, characterized by his thick, curly black hair, projected an image of a serious military leader who possessed a strong understanding of the political dynamics within his area of operation. However, he refrained from divulging information he deemed unnecessary. The individuals serving at his Rebel base held him in high regard, and some even harbored a degree of fear towards his potential anger. He sometimes used holograms to contact his subordinates. Commander Rondel believed in the power of the Force, mentioning it in his prayers.
Behind the scenes
Zeke Rondel made his initial appearance in The Abduction (1992), a roleplaying adventure for West End Games' Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. Subsequently, he received mentions in other role-playing guides.
If the players of The Abduction fail to recover the droid, then it falls in Owen's hands. Owen discovers the location of the Rebel base on Berrol's Donn and sends Imperial forces to obliterate it. Rondel organizes a hasty evacuation and scolds the player characters, but he cannot punish them right there and then because he needs them to save Crying Dawn Singer.