p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"Chapter 19/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""That was a pretty bold maneuver you tried to pull out there," Commander Nick commented, "But it will take a lot more than that to defeat the Grand Army of the Republic."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Arakai sat silently, grimacing in the face of the clone. He sat at an empty table, hands bound behind his back./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Look," Nick began, turning his chair around but still facing the prisoner, "We know you're not the clankers commanding officer, so this can go one of two ways for you. Since you're not in charge over there you're essentially useless for bargaining. If you want I can make arrangements for you to be sent to a Republic prison on Coruscant. I hear they're not as cozy as an interrogation room though," he gestured the room surrounding them. "However, I happen to have some pull in the justice system. I might be able to get you out of this mess you're in… but you gotta give me something first."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""I ain't giving you anything," Arakai declared, trying to sound intimidating, "And you're 'justice system' is crap anyway so you can take your offer to the trash."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Look, kid-"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Don't call me em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"kid/em."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Look, I'm trying to be nice here," Nick remarked, "But here's the thing, I can only be nice for so long. So either you tell me what I want to know, or you can tell General Fendua. And a little word of warning, the General can be very persuasive."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Then why don't you just shut up and bring the guy in then, huh?" Arakai spat back./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""In due time, but I'm not done with you yet." Nick stood up, "You wanna know why you lost out there? You wanna know how we destroyed your forces so quickly and efficiently? It's because we are superior to you in every way. We think quicker, react faster, aim better, but most importantly, we believe in what we fight for. You may think your droids are loyal to you, but all they need is a quick reprogramming and they're on our side *em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"snap/em* just like that."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Ha! You really think it's that easy?" The words tasted funny in Arakai's mouth, mostly 'cause he knew it was that easy./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Nick smiled, "Let's start with something simple, shall we? How about you tell me your name?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""What's my name to you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""I can keep calling you kid if you want."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Hesitantly, he spoke up, "It's… Arakai."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Alright, we're making progress. So Arakai, where is the seps outpost?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""I'm not answering anything else."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Aww, and we were just starting to get somewhere. Listen, I'm gonna give you to the count of three to tell me exactly where that outpost is or-"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Or what?" Arakai interrupted, "You'll torture me? That's a war crime, you know. You could end up at the same prison as me. We could even be roommates. What do you think of that, xerox?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Nick's smirk instantly turned sour. "And here I thought we could be friendly." He grabbed Arakai by the hair, lifted him out of his chair, and slammed him against the wall, jabbing him in the stomach with his elbow./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Arakai grunted but looked Nick straight in the eye, daring him to strike again./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Don't you ever call me a xerox again, you son of a Hutt." Nick growled, sending spit into Arakai's face./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Not so cozy in your interrogation room now, is it?" Arakai muttered back./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Tell me where you blasted base is right now!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Why don't you get your general to make me?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Oh I will," Nick answered through gritted teeth, "And I'm gonna enjoy every second of watching you try to resisted her questioning." He forced Arakai to the floor and stormed out of the room./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Well that went well/em, Arakai thought. He stood up and walked back to his chair and sat down. A few moments later a young bothan jedi entered the room./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""I take it you're General Fendua?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""I am," the jedi replied as she sat down opposite Arakai. "Tell me, where is your outpost?" she asked calmly, waving her hand in front of Arakai's face./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Arakai shrugged, "Ask your commander. He knows as much as I'm telling you."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Fendua looked confused for a second and then repeated, "You will tell me where your outpost is." Again she waved her hand./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Arakai raised an eyebrow, "Are you not getting this? I already told you I'm not saying a thing. And what's with the hand waving? I thought we were past 'hello'."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Fendua rubbed her chin a moment before speaking up again. "Well this isn't normal…" she said under his breath./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""What isn't normal?" Arakai asked. He really didn't care what wasn't normal as he was too busy dislocating his wrist to escape the binders./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"The bothan closed her eyes, bowed her head, and raised her hand one more time. Arakai could see she was in deep concentration and perceived this was his chance to escape. He felt his wrist pop as he slipped it out of the binders. Then snapping it back into place he did the same with the other hand. The jedi hardly noticed, with every passing second she fell deeper into a sort of trance./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Must be some sort of religious-wizard thing/em, he thought, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Now's my chance/em./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Standing up quickly he threw the binders into the jedi's face, temporarily stunning her. Then he jumped over the table, grabbed the lightsaber attached to her belt, and held it at her throat. Clone troops rushed into the room, blasters at the ready./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Well this is a serious case of déjà vu/em./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Let her go!" Nick shouted./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Me first!" Arakai fired back. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Me first? Seriously?/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Not on your life!" Nick barked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Then I guess you're gonna have to find a new general!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""You really think it's that easy to kill a jedi?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Right now it's as easy as pressing a button so if you want to see her breathing tomorrow you'll get your rear end outa my way!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"For a brief moment there was silence. Arakai could see in uncertainty in Nick's eyes. He could hear Fendua's heaving breathing. There was a thick blanket of tangible fear radiating throughout the whole room./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Nick lowered his rifle and motioned his troops to back off. With his back to the wall, Arakai moved toward the door, keeping his hostage close to his chest in a choke hold. Shell-shocked, clones stepped aside to let him pass. He then walked backwards through the corridors and to the hanger bay, the clones following with rifles lifted./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Prep one of the speeders," he called./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"A clone shook his head, "There is no way we're gonna just let you walk away-"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Do it now!" Arakai yelled./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Fendua nodded to her commander. Knowing he didn't have a choice, he walked over to a BARC speeder and began the preps. A few minutes passed by./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Hurry it up!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"The speeders engines roared to life. "Done," Nick reported, "It's all yours, you lousy piece of sithspit."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Arakai slowly moved over to the speeder, then, pushing Fendua back to the clones, he jumped on and took off as fast as he could. The clones opened fire on him as his figure receded into the distance./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""How could you let him get away!?" Nick practically howled at his general, "I thought jedi were supposed to be more powerful than that!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""I- I don't know. There was something peculiar about him," Fendua replied. "When I was with him I temporarily lost my connection to the force. I can't explain it, but somehow he was able to stop me from using my jedi ability."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Nick looked incredulously at her, "Right, and I feel this is a good time to mention I lost my ability to use a blaster properly."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Commander, I'm being serious," Fendua rebuked the comment, "This man, there's something special about him. Now if you'll excuse me, I must report this matter to the council." With that she left the hanger, dignified as ever./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Garrik, who had witnessed the whole event, spoke up, "Sir, what do we do now?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""We wait," Nick replied, "He'll still tell us where that base is, all we have to do is wait."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""That was a pretty bold maneuver you tried to pull out there," Commander Nick commented, "But it will take a lot more than that to defeat the Grand Army of the Republic."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Arakai sat silently, grimacing in the face of the clone. He sat at an empty table, hands bound behind his back./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Look," Nick began, turning his chair around but still facing the prisoner, "We know you're not the clankers commanding officer, so this can go one of two ways for you. Since you're not in charge over there you're essentially useless for bargaining. If you want I can make arrangements for you to be sent to a Republic prison on Coruscant. I hear they're not as cozy as an interrogation room though," he gestured the room surrounding them. "However, I happen to have some pull in the justice system. I might be able to get you out of this mess you're in… but you gotta give me something first."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""I ain't giving you anything," Arakai declared, trying to sound intimidating, "And you're 'justice system' is crap anyway so you can take your offer to the trash."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Look, kid-"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Don't call me em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"kid/em."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Look, I'm trying to be nice here," Nick remarked, "But here's the thing, I can only be nice for so long. So either you tell me what I want to know, or you can tell General Fendua. And a little word of warning, the General can be very persuasive."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Then why don't you just shut up and bring the guy in then, huh?" Arakai spat back./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""In due time, but I'm not done with you yet." Nick stood up, "You wanna know why you lost out there? You wanna know how we destroyed your forces so quickly and efficiently? It's because we are superior to you in every way. We think quicker, react faster, aim better, but most importantly, we believe in what we fight for. You may think your droids are loyal to you, but all they need is a quick reprogramming and they're on our side *em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"snap/em* just like that."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Ha! You really think it's that easy?" The words tasted funny in Arakai's mouth, mostly 'cause he knew it was that easy./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Nick smiled, "Let's start with something simple, shall we? How about you tell me your name?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""What's my name to you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""I can keep calling you kid if you want."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Hesitantly, he spoke up, "It's… Arakai."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Alright, we're making progress. So Arakai, where is the seps outpost?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""I'm not answering anything else."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Aww, and we were just starting to get somewhere. Listen, I'm gonna give you to the count of three to tell me exactly where that outpost is or-"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Or what?" Arakai interrupted, "You'll torture me? That's a war crime, you know. You could end up at the same prison as me. We could even be roommates. What do you think of that, xerox?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Nick's smirk instantly turned sour. "And here I thought we could be friendly." He grabbed Arakai by the hair, lifted him out of his chair, and slammed him against the wall, jabbing him in the stomach with his elbow./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Arakai grunted but looked Nick straight in the eye, daring him to strike again./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Don't you ever call me a xerox again, you son of a Hutt." Nick growled, sending spit into Arakai's face./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Not so cozy in your interrogation room now, is it?" Arakai muttered back./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Tell me where you blasted base is right now!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Why don't you get your general to make me?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Oh I will," Nick answered through gritted teeth, "And I'm gonna enjoy every second of watching you try to resisted her questioning." He forced Arakai to the floor and stormed out of the room./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Well that went well/em, Arakai thought. He stood up and walked back to his chair and sat down. A few moments later a young bothan jedi entered the room./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""I take it you're General Fendua?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""I am," the jedi replied as she sat down opposite Arakai. "Tell me, where is your outpost?" she asked calmly, waving her hand in front of Arakai's face./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Arakai shrugged, "Ask your commander. He knows as much as I'm telling you."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Fendua looked confused for a second and then repeated, "You will tell me where your outpost is." Again she waved her hand./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Arakai raised an eyebrow, "Are you not getting this? I already told you I'm not saying a thing. And what's with the hand waving? I thought we were past 'hello'."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Fendua rubbed her chin a moment before speaking up again. "Well this isn't normal…" she said under his breath./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""What isn't normal?" Arakai asked. He really didn't care what wasn't normal as he was too busy dislocating his wrist to escape the binders./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"The bothan closed her eyes, bowed her head, and raised her hand one more time. Arakai could see she was in deep concentration and perceived this was his chance to escape. He felt his wrist pop as he slipped it out of the binders. Then snapping it back into place he did the same with the other hand. The jedi hardly noticed, with every passing second she fell deeper into a sort of trance./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Must be some sort of religious-wizard thing/em, he thought, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Now's my chance/em./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Standing up quickly he threw the binders into the jedi's face, temporarily stunning her. Then he jumped over the table, grabbed the lightsaber attached to her belt, and held it at her throat. Clone troops rushed into the room, blasters at the ready./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Well this is a serious case of déjà vu/em./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Let her go!" Nick shouted./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Me first!" Arakai fired back. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Me first? Seriously?/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Not on your life!" Nick barked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Then I guess you're gonna have to find a new general!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""You really think it's that easy to kill a jedi?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Right now it's as easy as pressing a button so if you want to see her breathing tomorrow you'll get your rear end outa my way!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"For a brief moment there was silence. Arakai could see in uncertainty in Nick's eyes. He could hear Fendua's heaving breathing. There was a thick blanket of tangible fear radiating throughout the whole room./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Nick lowered his rifle and motioned his troops to back off. With his back to the wall, Arakai moved toward the door, keeping his hostage close to his chest in a choke hold. Shell-shocked, clones stepped aside to let him pass. He then walked backwards through the corridors and to the hanger bay, the clones following with rifles lifted./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Prep one of the speeders," he called./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"A clone shook his head, "There is no way we're gonna just let you walk away-"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Do it now!" Arakai yelled./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Fendua nodded to her commander. Knowing he didn't have a choice, he walked over to a BARC speeder and began the preps. A few minutes passed by./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Hurry it up!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"The speeders engines roared to life. "Done," Nick reported, "It's all yours, you lousy piece of sithspit."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Arakai slowly moved over to the speeder, then, pushing Fendua back to the clones, he jumped on and took off as fast as he could. The clones opened fire on him as his figure receded into the distance./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""How could you let him get away!?" Nick practically howled at his general, "I thought jedi were supposed to be more powerful than that!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""I- I don't know. There was something peculiar about him," Fendua replied. "When I was with him I temporarily lost my connection to the force. I can't explain it, but somehow he was able to stop me from using my jedi ability."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Nick looked incredulously at her, "Right, and I feel this is a good time to mention I lost my ability to use a blaster properly."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""Commander, I'm being serious," Fendua rebuked the comment, "This man, there's something special about him. Now if you'll excuse me, I must report this matter to the council." With that she left the hanger, dignified as ever./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Garrik, who had witnessed the whole event, spoke up, "Sir, what do we do now?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;""We wait," Nick replied, "He'll still tell us where that base is, all we have to do is wait."/p