Chapter 15

Arakai stood back and sighed while admiring his work. After nearly three months he had finally finished the repairs on the BTL-B Y-wing starfighter. He had salvaged it after the battle, finding that it just needed a few new parts in some of its crucial systems, and planned to fly it to Cato Neimoidia where he hoped to meet with Nute Gunray and enlist with the Separatist Alliance. During this time he had thought long and hard about his decision to join up, carefully weighing the pros and cons, risks and rewards, and yet still his heart was set on freeing the galaxy from the Senate and avenging the death of his wife.

"Come on, Chip, we got a big day tomorrow," he said. A series of beeps followed as a black and green R2 unit descended from atop the fighter.

"Yes, that's right. Now we're leaving in the morning so I need you to plot a hyperspace course for me ok?"

The droid made a sarcastic whistle sound before rolling past Arakai towards the stairs.

"Because the ship doesn't have a nav-computer, that's why!"

Sometimes the droid's attitude could be annoying but Arakai didn't mind so much. He enjoyed having something to keep him company. He had rescued it from under a fallen support beam a couple months earlier and, after finding its previous owners had been killed, took it in as his own.

He covered the ship with a tarp, hiding it from potential thieves, and went up to the living room of his new apartment, relaxing on what was left of the sofa. Everything he owned now had been scavenged from the ruins of the city. Even the building he now lived in was only half standing. The rest of it had collapsed on being hit with a bomb. He opened the holonet and skimmed through the latest news. Every day more and more bodies of those people who had gone missing were found and reported as dead. Building after building, structure after structure were torn down and rebuilt from their foundations. Meanwhile the rest of the galaxy was too busy ripping itself apart to send any help to desperate Aldreraanians.

He flipped off the holoprojector and his thoughts turned to supplies. He needed weapons if he was going to fight, but the ones he used to have were either destroyed or stolen by looters. He also needed food, a medpac, and a fresh set of clothes. He hadn't bathed or changed in weeks due to lack of clean water. Just getting those few things would almost be harder than fixing the ship. He picked up a small glass frame. Inside was a picture of his family on Alikai's first birthday. He gently squeezed it and put it in his pocket before setting out to find those items needed for war.

"Chip, I need you to stay here and watch the ship while I go shopping. If anything happens, contact me."

Chip made a worried sounding whir as if to say "be careful".

"I'll be alright, just stay with the ship."

It wasn't an easy task. He spent the whole day searching and bartering, sometimes even having to steal various parts and supplies. Afterward, he returned to his home with everything in hand and prepared for one last night's rest before departing the ruins of the once beautiful planet.

The following morning he and Chip packed the supplies into the Y-wing and took off, never once looking back as Alderaan receded into the distance. Chip finished plotting a course for Cato Neimoidia and signaled the hyperdrive was ready. Arakai hesitated for a few seconds, looking at his picture one more time he hoped he could honor Amee's memory, and then, with great conviction, he pushed the lever down, launching the starfighter into hyperspace.

The Y-wing's military grade hyperdrive was much more powerful than those of other ships Arakai had been on and it accomplished the trip in mere minutes. On arriving at Cato Neimoidia, he dropped out of hyperspace and activated the sublight drive, igniting the two ion fission engines in the back and propelling the ship into the atmosphere. The lack of a separatist blockade perplexed him. This is their capital, is it not? Wouldn't they want to have protection against a potential invasion? He flew around the planet's skies for what felt like hours before finally catching eye of what he thought was the viceroy's palace. He flew in quickly but smoothly, expertly piloting the craft for a soft landing just outside the palace entrance.

"Stay here while I check this out," he said before exiting the cockpit. Two Neimoidian guards clad in bronze armor cautiously approached, blaster rifles in hand.

"Who are you?" one called out, "And what are you doing here?

"I'm looking for Nute Gunray, Viceroy of the Trade Fedration," Arakai stated calmly.

"You won't find Gunray here," the guard explained, "Don't you know Neimoidia and all of our purse worlds ally with the Republic?"

What? Arakai's mind began to race. Since when did the Neimoidian's align with the Republic? No, no, this can't be happening!

"You had better explain who you are and what you are doing here before I arrest you for treason and trespassing," the guard continued.

Come on! Think, Arakai, think!

"Treason! What are you talking about treason? Can't you see I'm with the Republic too? Does this look like a Separatist starfighter to you?"

"A starfighter can easily be commandeered by a bounty hunter or a separatist. Now, I'll ask you one last time, who are you?"

"My name is Arakai Remes. I'm with the Galactic Police. I received word that Gunray was hiding out on your planet and came to place him under arrest." I really hope there's such a thing as the Galactic Police.

"Ah, my apologies, officer," the Neimoidian backed down, "Come, allow us to escort you to our voice in the Senate, Lott Dod."

"Thank you," Arakai breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Way to close. I really need to work out these things ahead of time. "And who, might I ask, are you?"

"I am Captain Gap Nox of the Neimoidian Gunnery Battalion. This is my lieutenant, Fame Drimal."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." No it really wasn't, though.

"Please, the pleasure is ours," Nox replied, then, turning to Drimal, he said, "Notify the senator we have a guest."

"Yes sir," Drimal answered and then returned to his post.

Nox brought Arakai up to the top of the palace where Lott Dod awaited their arrival. He was seated behind a desk in his office reading a data pad when Arakai and Nox entered. Arakai tried to catch a glimpse of what Dod was reading but couldn't see it before Dod put the pad away.

"Ah, Officer Remes," the senator stood up, "Welcome to Cato Neimoidia." He looked to Nox and commanded, "Leave us." Nox nodded left the room, standing just outside the door. He began walking toward Arakai, "I must say, your presence is most disturbing."

"How so?" Arakai continued to act the part, unsure of what would come next.

"You say you're here in search of Viceroy Gunray, correct?" Dod asked, leaving Arakai's question unanswered.

"Yes," Arakai could tell he was not in control of the conversation.

"See, this is most troublesome to me because the Viceroy is a war criminal on the galactic scale," Dod continued, "That would make his apprehension a military matter, not one for the local police force."

Arakai realized this had now become an interrogation. "I said I was with the Galactic Police, did I not? We handle galactic matters, not local ones." He crossed his fingers hoping his bluff would work.

"Yes, this would seem reasonable," Dod's voice became threatening, "If there were a Galactic Police Force!"

Crap!

"Also," Dod continued, "I searched for you among various local polices and couldn't find you among any of them. You, as you say you are at least, don't exist. So, Officer Remes, who are you really? And why do you come to Cato Neimoidia in search of Nute Gunray?"

Arakai had to turn this around. If his true intentions were discovered he could be jailed for life. There had to be something he could say, some card he could play that could flip the tables in his favor. But nothing came to him. He stood in absolute silence, defeated.

"You are either a separatist or a bounty hunter," Dod gave a sinister smile, "Which is it? If you answer correctly, you just might see tomorrow."

"Are you threatening my life?" Arakai tried to gain leverage, "I wouldn't want the Senate to find out one of its members commited-"

"Separatist or bounty hunter?" Dod repeated, raising a blaster pistol to Arakai's head.

This was his chance. He grabbed the pistol and pushed it up while jamming his knee into the senator's stomach. Dod let go of the weapon and fell to the floor. Arakai pointed the blaster at Dod's head but still said nothing. Nox, as well as several other Neimoidian guards, rushed into the room, training their rifles on Arakai.

"I suggest you drop that," Dod said, holding his stomach, "This won't end well for you otherwise, bounty hunter."

"Bounty hunter?" Arakai was surprised, "I'm no bounty hunter."

Dod slowly stood up. "Then are you a separatist?"

Arakai didn't respond, he just lowered the gun and put his hands up.

"Guards, arrest this traitor at once," Dod commanded.

"I'm not a separatist!" Arakai shouted.

"Please, no need for yelling. Now do explain."

At this point there was nothing he could do but tell the truth. Maybe if I cooperate I won't get that bad of a sentence. I haven't really done anything wrong yet, have I?

Arakai let out a sigh, "I'm not technically a separatist…yet," he started, "I had hoped to find Gunray here to discuss enlisting with the Separatist Alliance. I know now I was mistaken. I'm ready to cooperate and receive the full penalty of Galactic Law for my actions."

Dod's smile returned. "That won't be necessary," he said, "And please, we prefer the term Confederacy of Independent Systems."

Arakai's eyes widened. "What?" he asked, "You are with the separatists?"

Dod said nothing to Arakai but turned to Nox instead. "Process him."

Nox grabbed Arakai by the arms and dragged him out of the office while Dod returned to his desk. He took out a holo-communicator and activated it. After a few moments a projection of General Grievous appeared.

"What is it?" he asked.

"We have a new player," Dod answered, "He seems skilled in hand to hand combat and knows how to operate a blaster. I'm sending him to you for further evaluation."

"I don't care for your petty guards," Grievous stated angrily.

"This man is no "petty guard"," Dod corrected, "He's of great interest to me and could prove useful on the battlefield. I suggest you don't take this matter lightly."

With that, Dod closed the communication and returned to his work.