Cato Neimoidia - Neimoidian Council Chamber
Darkan Gollak, Councillor and interim leader of the Trade Federation, smiled at Dorna Vakara and Nute Gunray who were standing right before them on a hovering platform. The President kept on staring at Gollak, with a questioning look.
"Now why has the leader of the Rebel Alliance come to Cato Neimoidia with the biggest criminal in the Galaxy?" asked the Imperial Councillor, folding his hands on his small desk at his seat. Before Gunray could speak, Vakara sternly spoke out,
"Why is the Councillor of the Colonies, whose capital is Neimoidia, is here on Cato Neimoidia?"
"His majesty, the Emperor, has placed his Grand Moffs in power of the galactic regions. I now remain in power of the Trade Federation, of course, under critical watch by the Empire. I am the Viceroy. I'm sure you both came here with something to talk about, so why don't you spit it out before I send you both to Coruscant." said Darkan Gollak, waving his hand at the two below him. Vakara looked at Nute Gunray, cuing him to explain the reason why they were here, and he gulped again,
"You say that the Emperor has replaced you. How much longer until the entire Federation is put to the grave and our people are enslaved? Like the Wookiees. Like the Sullustans. Like the Duros. Like the Mon Calamari, Quarren, Rodians - you know the rest. I am offering you a place with the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Not just you, Gollak, all of you on this board." said Gunray, looking at the other curious and intrigued Neimoidians.
Darkan Gollak burst into laughter, and Vakara became annoyed.
"You really think our people are on the same level of those other beasts from the Outer Rim?!" chuckled Gollak. Gunray wanted to refute, but the President spoke up again, but with more ferocity,
"You're nothing in the eyes of the Emperor, whether you like it or not. Once the Emperor has complete control of your trade routes that reach into the Outer Rim systems, he will toss you aside like trash in the streets of the Senate District. I came here because I wanted to give you all a chance at a brighter future. You thrived well in the old Republic, don't you remember that?"
"That's the Old Republic!" shouted Gollak, "You must be foolish to think that I'd join your Rebellion to bring back a system that nearly destroyed the Federation."
"Wait a minute, Viceroy." said Vakara, putting her hand on her hip, "If I can remember clearly… then-Chancellor Zaoku brought you into the Inner Council in order to diminish the corruption within the Trade Federation. Now it seems like you've flopped into the pockets of your colleagues."
"People change."
"Exactly. Now is the time to change again. Join the Rebellion." added Vakara.
"If you won't do a thing to help this Rebellion," interjected Gunray, "I'm sure all the former Separatist survivors will. The Quarren have. And I know Poggle the Lesser will." Vakara's eyes shot open, bringing back memories.
Everything became silent as the new Viceroy and Gunray continued to argue. Vakara remembered the day Poggle the Lesser contacted her, about secret plans. Plans for a superweapon that could save the Republic from the invaders of the future. The Archduke's easiest way to reach Zaoku was through Vakara, and those plans were in Vakara's hands. The plans to the Death Star. She could've stopped the destruction of Kangamara, the death of billions, and could prevent so much more.
Vakara snapped out of her daze and noticed her platform lowering, and multiple Neimoidian guards ready to arrest them. They had their blasters and rifles ready, and cuffs as well. Out of instinct, Vakara shot out her arm towards the floor; and her lightsaber slid out of her sleeve into her hand. She ignited the weapon, and a silver blade of power and energy hummed loudly.
Dorna Vakara jumped off the lowering platform, landing behind three guards. She slashed at the back of two, and stabbed the one in the middle through his chest. On the other side of the still-lowering platform, the guards aimed their blasters at Vakara. The President slid under the platform just before it landed, cutting through the shins of two Neimoidians. They fell to the floor and Vakara stood up, ending their lives with a stab in the chest. Gunray gasped and was terrified.
The main door to the chamber opened and four more guards came running at Vakara. The President turned to look at them, Force pushing them hundreds of feet down the corridor. The door slid shut loudly, and Vakara looked up at the Neimoidian leaders. Darkan Gollak was struggling to get up quickly and was pushing the other Neimoidians out of the way. They were trying to reach the door at the end of their balcony, but Vakara used the Force to seal it shut.
The President held out both hands at the balcony and closed her eyes. Her muscles in her arms and hands tightened, and her veins nearly popped. The balcony where the councillors were began to tremble, and its foundation to the wall cracked loudly. Vakara pulled down the entire balcony, and it crumbled down to the floor with a loud crash and rise of dust.
Darkan Gollak was laying on the floor and sat up, fixing the miter atop his head. He coughed from the dust as it began to settle, and looked forward. There, walked Vakara up to him, pointing her lightsaber at the Neimoidian's face. Gollak stuttered with fear,
"Please, please! Don't kill me!" Vakara held up her lightsaber, and slashed down through Gollak's shoulder and down through his chest. The others gasped and shrieked, and stared at Vakara with fear. Gunray was standing near the door, also shocked and frozen with fright from what just happened.
"Get up, all of you." said Vakara sternly. The Neimoidian leaders were trembling as they got up on their shaky feet, "Nute Gunray is the Viceroy of the Trade Federation." Vakara put away her silver lightsaber, and the Viceroy walked up to the group with a small smile,
"It is time to fight the Empire…" the Neimoidian councillors bowed to the floor, and Gunray thought it was for him, and he was about to recognize it.
"We pledge our loyalty to the Alliance to Restore the Republic." said the Neimoidians directed at Vakara. The President looked at Gunray,
"Very well. I heard there is an abandoned fleet of Confederate ships over Raxus, Viceroy. I think that would be the best way to start regarding the defense of your planet."
"What will we do about the rest of the Neimoidian worlds?" asked Gunray.
"When they see how powerful Cato Neimoidia has become, and that you've returned to power, they will rethink their deals with the Empire." there was a sound approaching from the outside, and Vakara looked upwards, and so did the others. It was the sound of ships approaching, and then landing. There was also an explosion, and the building shook slightly. "Stay inside, and if this is the last time we see each other…" stated Vakara, "Don't let me down, or I'll see to it that you share the same fate as Gollak." Vakara walked towards the door, and out the chamber, down the hall towards the front entrance.
She pushed open the heavy front doors of the palace, stepping out to the top of the large staircase, where in the plaza below were some visitors. Her gunship was completely blown up and ablaze, with four Imperial shuttles surrounding the site.
Four squads of six stormtroopers each poured out of the Imperial shuttles, and Vakara stood still, watching them approach the staircase with their blasters ready. President Vakara inhaled, then exhaled calmly. The wind blew her silver hair across her face, but she let it go wild.
"Halt!" shouted a stormtrooper, but instantaneously, Dorna Force jumped high into the sky as fast as lightning. She came back down in the middle of the stormtrooper crowd, driving her lightsaber into the plaza floor, and using the Force to create a powerful wave that knocked over all the stormtroopers.
Vakara got up and so did most of the stormtroopers. They took aim at her, and before they shot, Vakara used the Force to pull one of the troopers to her. She used the trooper as a human shield, and the others tried shooting her, but shot the trooper. She Force-threw the trooper at three of the enemies, knocking them over. The President slid over to the closest troopers, slicing them down with her silver lightsaber. In the process she spun her blade powerfully and swiftly, deflecting shot after shot, sending them back to the troopers.
Vakara stabbed the last stormtrooper, and could hear another ship approaching. She looked over her shoulder, towards the cityscape, and saw a larger Imperial shuttle making its way to her. She was nearly out of breath, and started to worry about her capabilities of facing more enemies single handedly.
The plaza floor trembled and vibrated, and Vakara looked towards the staircase. There was a huge split, running from her feet all the way up the goldish stairs. About ten feet from each side of the split, the stairs sunk inward… it was a secret door. The heavy doors opened fully, and inside was complete darkness. Dorna could hear faint clanking sounds, and peeked to get a better look. She suddenly realized what was coming through the Force, she did not need to see.
Out of the darkness came out battle droids, and Vakara readied her saber. They were B1 class, and there were dozens upon dozens of them. Many of them were rusting and had creaking joints as they clanked around her in formation. They kept pouring out, and then came super battledroids, heavily marching around her. Vakara was in shock, and put away her lightsaber.
As the super battledroids kept pouring out, one tactical droid made its way out as well. Donned in the blue colors of the Separatist Alliance, and flickering photoreceptor eyes.
"Leave the planet, we will cover you." said the monotonic tactical droid. Vakara was impressed, and she nodded. She ran to the closest Imperial shuttle, as the larger carrier landed and was deploying its numerous stormtroopers. The battledroids began firing their old blasters at the stormtroopers, with red lasers crisscrossing from the stormtroopers as well.
"Stop that ship!" shouted a stormtrooper to Vakara's shuttle. But the President was already flying high in the sky, towards space.
Dorna made it out into space, and was readying the navicomputer for her jump to hyperspace. She finished entering the coordinates for Gultana, the gateway system to the Rims, but felt a ripple in the Force. She looked up from her controls, out into space. She let out a little laugh and leaned back in her chair, for what she saw was the craziest thing that could ever happen. Also the most fortunate.
Four Trade Federation Battleships were in their defense position over the planet, engaging in battle with two Imperial Star Destroyers. The first star destroyer was already crippled to the point it couldn't function, and detonated into a fiery and bright explosion. The rest of the Federation blockade bombarded the last star destroyer with thousands of red lasers, tearing the warship apart in seconds.
"We have a chance…" sighed Vakara, feeling relaxed and relieved. "We really have a chance… It isn't over…"