Na'tuna stepped out into the wasteland that would very soon be their salvation. After days of hiding in the asteroids around the mining colonies, the Imperials had given up and with minimal speed and emissions, their small freighter sneaked out of the system.
And now they were home. Truly home.
Leaving the cramped confines of the B-7 freighter he could stretch himself for the first time so that his back popped. Looking around, the area was as familiar as anything could ever be. The derelict hulls of ships. Most were the old Munificent frigates once used to such great effect by the Intergalactic Banking Clan. As the workhorse of the Confederacy, they conquered star systems all over the galaxy and soon they would get their redemption. But there were a few gems in between them and with a bit of polishing and the parts they brought, they would be good as new.
One of his protocol droids waddled out of the adjacent building. "Master Na'tuna, what a pleasure to have you with us again. How may we be of service?"
"Contact TC-344. We have the items we need. He should send someone to carry them for us."
"Shouldn't we be worried about the Imperials?" Jae An said, looking around nervously.
Na'tuna put an arm around the Sullustan's shoulder.
"This is our kingdom here. It has been almost fifteen years since the last Imperial official even stepped on Braitun. This planet or the entire system is ours. You don't have to worry here. A good friend of mine is running this supposed scrapping business and since it is completely automated there are no other loose ends. The Imperials on Coruscant read the reports we send them and complain a bit about our lacking quotas yet it is never enough to actually come here and look at it."
"What would happen if someone would come here?"
"The scrapyard is working at its usual inefficiency and these Imperials can look at it as long as they want. We are still scrapping ships. Mostly the few Republic ships since we have no use for them. So unless they walk deep into the scrapyard and start to dig there, they won't find anything. And there are contingencies in place in case everything else fails."
Jae An whirled around when he heard droids approaching from behind. His blaster raised, he waited for them to come around the corner. Na'tuna placed a hand on the weapon and gently pushed it down.
"They're our friends."
A moment later a squad of B1 battle droids walked around the corner. The clanking and perfectly synchronous walking stirred up old memories Na'tua thought long forgotten. Some bad but mostly good memories from before the Empire took over.
"We are working with droids?"
"Yes, of course we are. With their help, we will break free of the Empire."
"I don't like it. I thought there were only organics involved. Can we be sure we can trust them?"
"Well, you can never be sure about that with humans. Droids are a completely separate matter. They are programmed to follow orders and not question them. In this case, they and their commander are programmed to follow the orders of the Chairman of Braitun Systems which would be me."
"You are the chairman? You never told me." Jae's faith was wavering, so Na'tuna had to say something quickly.
"If you don't know it, you can't spill it in an interrogation. I have deliberately kept our two groups as separate as possible so in case one was compromised, the other would have time to go into hiding. Standard protocol for a guerilla war, which we are fighting right now."
"I guess that makes sense," Jae said as he watched the droids with suspicion.
Their spindly bodies didn't look strong but two of them lifted each of the heavy boxes with ease. The two remaining droids walked over to where Na'tuna was standing.
"TC-344 welcomes you home, Chairman. It has been a long time since your last visit. He is looking forward to meeting you."
"I'm glad to be back as well. Be careful with these boxes. These hyperdrive actuators are irreplaceable and if even one of them gets damaged, we'll be in trouble. Bring them back to base. I'll follow you soon."
"Roger, Roger," the droid said in its usual flat voice and turned back. The small group of droids headed back the way they had come from.
When they were gone, Jae An spoke up again. "When I was a kid, my parents told me horror stories about what these droids could and would do."
"That was Republic or Imperial propaganda. Unlike in other militaries, droids aren't inherently good or evil. They are not greedy, not cruel, they don't do anything of their own accord. It all depends on their commander."
"But I remember the Clones helping to rebuild my hometown, I have never heard of droids doing that."
"Propaganda again. The Republic had mastered that art. It wouldn't be good if the population saw that the evil Confederacy was right in all their points."
Jae An fell silent as they entered the administrative building and walked up the stairs into the personal quarters of the administrator. The door was open, so they just walked in. The rooms had changed significantly since he had been here the last time. The plain walls and furniture had changed and it almost looked like a home now with decoration and personal items spread all over. They followed the sound of laughter and entered the dining room.
Haro Tona, an old friend from the days of the Clone Wars, sat on the floor and played with three children. Since he was a Rodian as well, he could have well been their father. But he was merely the … adoptive father or momentary caretaker of the Senator's three children.
The mood fell as the children saw the newcomers and one of the girls immediately started crying. The boy, the oldest of the bunch –maybe ten or twelve or even fourteen years old, Natuna didn't care– stood protectively in front of his sisters.
"Haro, how long has it been?" Na'tuna said, his arms wide as he walked towards him, ignoring the rising tensions in the room completely.
When Haro got up from the floor, he didn't return the embrace and instead stepped back, staring at him with deep hatred in his eyes. Something he had never seen on his friend.
"We need to talk. Now, in the other room," Haro commanded and pushed Na'tuna towards the door.
"Take care none of them runs away," Na'tuna said to Jae An who didn't look much happier.
Once the door was closed behind them, Haro pushed him into the wall. "What do you think: kidnapping these poor kids? At least you sent them here so they had a semblance of order and life! You sent them to me in handcuffs! They are no murderers, they haven't done anything wrong! What has become of you? Are you so focused on your goal that you lose all your morals and everything our movement once stood for!"
"Take a breath and spare me with the rest of your complaints, I'm just doing what's necessary so we'll win."
"You have become as bad as the empire, maybe even worse. Kidnapping children! What were you thinking?"
"It was necessary."
"Will it also be necessary to kill them?"
"I am no monster. Only the Senator has to die."
"You probably haven't checked the news lately. The Senator has been freed by the Empire and since then public sympathy has shifted significantly against you. There is something about kidnapping children, most people can't stomach. As normal people should. Even I don't want to be part of this anymore."
"What?" Na'tuna asked, genuinely surprised. "You are not going to betray us now. Not so close to victory, would you?"
"I have been thinking about it and I'm not going to betray you … under one condition."
"You are in no position to demand anything," Na'tuna growled.
Disgustedly, Haro let go of him and walked a few steps down the corridor where he looked out a window.
"I don't want to betray the cause now, not after all we sacrificed. But these kids … they have grown on me. I don't want them to get hurt."
"Oh, no. You haven't gone sentimental now, have you? They are hostages, nothing more. Don't get attached."
"But I have gotten attached and I'm wondering why you haven't. And I swear if you so much as touch them, I will call the Imperials over Kuuniru and tell them everything I know. I'm sure they'd be interested in what I'd have to say."
Na'tuna unholstered his blaster and levelled it at his former friend.
"You know what happens to traitors."
Haro looked a decade older when he turned away from the window and looked at Na'tuna. "Would you kill me?"
"If the cause required it, yes."
"I didn't think I would need this. I thought myself paranoid when I prepared this. I thought –foolishly as I see now– that my old friend Na'tuna wouldn't be the monster shown in the Imperial propaganda. But you are just as bad."
"When you prepared what?"
"Somewhere hidden among the hills of scrap around us is a sender. If this sensor…" He pointed at a thin band around his wrist. "...doesn't recognise my heartbeat or I don't send a signal every few hours, it will send a message to the Star Destroyer above Kuuniru, telling them everything I know about you and this rebellion."
"Do you really want to do this?" Na'tuna growled. Threats never sat well with him.
"The Na'tuna I remembered would have done the same but I see that man is lost. Don't hurt the children and let them go, then I'll destroy the sender again. I don't want to betray the cause but you don't leave me another choice if you hurt them."
"Fine," Na'tuna yelled and put his blaster away. "Have it your way. I was going to let them go eventually anyway."
"You will not take them out of the system. If you do that, I'll send the message as well."
"And how do you want to control that?"
"I will accompany the children everywhere they go and you know what happens if you try to mess with me," he threatened and pointed at the wristband.
"Good, I needed a babysitter anyway. Let's take them to their new home then."
"And you won't handcuff them or tie them up any other way."
"Fine, but you'll run after them if they try to escape."
"Let me go in first and talk to them. They trust me and you … you are haunting them in their nightmares."
Na'tuna sighed and waited as Haro went inside. Now truly all his old companions had turned on him, had abandoned him.
Jae An walked out of the room, with a disturbed look on his face. "These children are frightened."
"Don't you start now too. Just give me a break and shut up."
An awkward silence settled between them. Only faint whispering from the other room and distant machines prevented it from becoming an unbearable pressure. A few minutes later Haro stepped out of the door, glared at Na'tuna and then hurried the kids outside. The boy glared at him and showed his teeth while clinging to the small bag slung over his shoulder.
"What's in the bags?" Na'tuna asked, noticing that each of the children and Haro had one.
"Some food and clothes. Something even the Empire doesn't deny the worst prisoners in their deepest prisons," Haro snapped back and guided the kids downstairs. Na'tuna rolled his eyes and followed.
They walked over barely recognisable paths between the derelict ship. Haro and the kids in the front and Na'tuna behind them, keeping an eye on them –especially on the boy. He would be trouble sooner rather than later.
Walking through this ocean of ships he felt lost. Lost how the Republic had managed to turn the course of the war. The Confederacy had been pushing on all fronts, with some incursions even into the heart of the core, and within days everything was lost. The massive navy was discarded from one day to the next and the new regime lorded over all of them.
But the sight also gave him hope. Hope that there could be a better future for everyone. With old Separatist warships scattered over the galaxy, there was a virtual treasure trove for people like him. Most fleets were probably scrapped by now. But there had to be other scrapyards like this one, so far in the Outer RIm or Wild Space that no one cared to visit. Once they had achieved their objective in this sector and found the base he had read about, he would scour the Outer Rim for more parts and ships. They would have a proper fleet in no time.
Their small group walked through a hidden panel into the hollowed-out remains of a Munificent-class frigate. In contrast to its derelict outside, the corridors were cleared of debris and in no immediate threat of collapse.
"Stop," Na'tuna said and pushed past the kids. In front of them was a junction turning left and right, not allowing them to see the way they walked. There was no indicator the ship had recognised their identity yet.
"TC, it's us."
"I am fully aware of that, Sir," a robotic voice said from just out of sight around the corner.
"Then why didn't you say anything? The corridor looked like the traps are still active," Na'tuna said as he walked around the corner.
TC-344, a tactical droid of the Confederacy, waited for him, surrounded by a squad of commando droids.
"You can never be careful enough. Our plan is nearing its end and I don't want anything to compromise it now."
"Where did you find those?" Na'tuna marvelled and examined the commando droids from up close.
"They were in a mostly destroyed Hardcell freighter in the north of the scrapyard. We managed to salvage twenty-four and with the spare parts they provided, we restored a few of the other previously damaged units."
"Marvellous, I want some of them as my escort."
"As you wish, Chairman. If you would follow me now…"
While TC-344 turned around stiffly, the commando droids seemed to flow along the corridor. As feared clone killers, they would probably excel at killing Imperials as well. What a fight that would be.
They walked down the corridor of the Munificent which served as the entrance to their hideout. Jae An caught up to him and whispered, "I thought TC-344 was a protocol droid."
"Ah, yes. A common misconception for someone growing up on a republic world. The TC-series is indeed used for protocol droids but tactical droids can have exactly the same abbreviation. I assure you a tactical droid is much more useful. He managed all of this," Na'tuna said as they exited the Munificent and found themselves in a massive underground space. Massive metal beams held scraps of metal in place to fool any observation from above. No visual sensors would see anything suspicious and even scans were impeded by the thick metal and just showed some clear spaces below –just like between all the other wrecks.
A few smaller freighters like an old Gozanit-class and several Hardcells stood on the edges of the massive chamber. Like a well-oiled machine hundreds if not thousands of droids walked in between them, preparing for their departure. Some of the more valuable models, like the B2s or Droidekas were loaded into the Hardcells already.
In the centre –the heart of their new fleet and their new nation– was the Leviathan. Three clicks in diameter and one click high, the Lucrehulk Battleship was twice as long as an Imperial Star Destroyer. With hundreds of guns and tens of thousands of droids on board, it was a force to be reckoned with and it wasn't alone.
"Oh, Imperials I wouldn't want to be in your shoes in the coming days," Na'tuna said to no one in particular. All the years of planning would finally come to fruition.
"Haro, take the kids somewhere nice and out of the way. We will see that we activate life support on some of the decks but that might take some time. Such tasks don't exactly have priority."
"I will take them as far from this ship as possible. After all, you won't take them out of the system, right?"
"Do whatever you want, I need to talk to TC first. There are most likely a few executive decisions that he wasn't capable of solving on his own," Na'tuna said and raised an eyebrow in TC's direction.
Without saying anything or giving a hint that he may be offended, TC-344 gestured him to follow and led him and Jae An into the heart of their operation aboard the Leviathan.
When they stepped onto the bridge, a number of memories hammered down on Na'tuna. How many months or years of his life had he spent on her bridge? Fighting through three years of the Clone Wars and pushing the Republic forces back more and more. All until the disastrous Battle of Coruscant. He had barely managed to get her out before the Republic reinforcements swarmed them. Bruised and beaten they limped back to the Outer Rim but by then the war was over. The Confederacy's leadership was dead and the Republic an Empire.
She didn't deserve to go down like this. There was still some fight in her and Captain Setaro and her Challenger would be the first to get a taste.
"So, TC, what's the status?"
"The hyperdrive actuators are being installed as we speak. They have acceptable quality and should enable Munificent two and three to follow us into orbit. Their weapons as well as the Leviathan's are not functional."
"What? At least a quarter of them still worked when I was here last."
"I made the executive decision to repair all weapons aboard the Indomitable."
"So you decided to strip my command ship of all its weapons and put them on yours?"
"A Providence class makes much better use of the weapons. Only a fraction of a Lucrehulk's weapons can fire at the enemy. A Providence class is much more suited for exchanging broadsides. Our fighters will overwhelm the enemy TIE-Fighters in no time and then we can close in with Munificent one and four who have most of their heavy weapons intact."
"No, I want weapons on the Leviathan. Stop everything now and change it back."
"That would mean a significant delay we can not allow at this moment."
"We cannot allow it? I command you to do it and you will follow your orders!" Na'tuna snapped.
"No, I will not. This isn't the Confederacy anymore and you are not my commanding officer anymore," TC said in his infuriatingly emotionless voice.
"Overwrite code Peth Dorn Osk Besh Dorn."
A door behind them hissed open and Na'tuna whirled around, his blaster drawn. Two Magna guards and a squad of commando droids entered the room. In their midst was a whole different class of droid. A Separatist Super Tactical droid.
"You sentients always surprise me. Did you really think you would have complete control over the hundreds of thousands of droid brains gathered around here? Did you really think we would all follow your orders without questioning them?"
"Who are you?" Na'tuna whispered.
"I thought you were cleverer than this. A minor error but in the grand scheme of things not important. I am the droid you have been talking to for years. Although it isn't my real designation, you know me as TC-344."
"But what is he?" Na'tuna asked, pointing at the Tactical Droid that had brought them there.
"It is a puppet to talk to you. It doesn't have its own brain anymore."
"Why didn't you tell me what you really were? We could have done so much more together?"
"A mere tactical droid like this drone there would have been overwhelmed by this task."
A shiver ran down Na'tuna's back at the derisive comment. For the first time, a droid had shown emotions. The Confederacy's ruling council had been intrigued but also worried at the capabilities of the Super Tactical Droids. They had displayed Competence unmatched by living commanders and throughout the war only became more dangerous.
What would a droid like this be able to accomplish with the armada he had provided it with? Since his override codes didn't work anymore, he had effectively lost control of his own rebellion.
"Ah, the fear is setting in and you are beginning to realise."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"So that you could implant these override codes in me as well. No, I needed time to strengthen my position and your long absences gave me the perfect opportunity. The Empire didn't notice our operation since it was so deeply hidden in the scrapyard. And just as you fooled the Empire, I fooled you. Just like the Empire you never bothered to actually look at what your droids were preparing for you. Otherwise, you would have found my command post years ago. But you are as arrogant as ever; the reason the Confederacy failed in the end. If there would have been more of my kind, we wouldn't have the problem of the Empire now."
Na'tuna shook on the inside. He couldn't lose control now. Not so close before his goal. The Confederacy would rise again, under his leadership. He raised the blaster to point at the droid's head. His guards filed out and the Magna Guards stepped protectively in front of their master.
"I wouldn't do that. Your odds of survival are negligible and you won't even be able to take you down with me. After all, who says this is my real body and not another drone."
Na'tuna's legs buckled and slumped against a console. The rebellion –his rebellion– was not his anymore. He didn't resist as one of the Commando Droids disarmed him and Jae An. What good was a mere blaster against a Super Tactical Droid with an armada at its back after all?
"I will allow you to stay in command of the Leviathan. You have been a competent subordinate and I don't intend to waste you. But I will be in overall command. Do you recognise my authority?"
"Yes," he murmured. He might be outplayed right now but he wasn't broken. The end of the Clone Wars hadn't broken him, the occupation of his sector hadn't broken him and this droid wouldn't manage this as well. He was the Chairman of Kuuniru Systems. Droids answered to his command and not the other way around.
"I sense deception in you but that is the way of sentients. I urge you to stay true to your vision. With the intel you provided us with, we can be a real threat to the Empire. Especially now that there are rebellions all over the galaxy. You told my drone a year ago that you were in contact with another rebel cell. I would like to talk to them. Will you provide me with this information willingly?"
"Why would I do that after you effectively kicked me out?" Na'tuna snarled.
"You sentients –and in particular you, Na'tuna– have a weakness. You form attachments to people or ideas. If you don't provide me with the information to contact the rebels, I will kill this Sullustan… " He pointed at Jae An who stood in the corner, scowling at the droid. "... and the Rodian administrator and the Senator's three children."
"Sure, go ahead. They don't mean anything to me." He saw the hurt in Jae An's face. It wasn't completely true. He cared for the young Sullustan but he would have easily sacrificed him if it meant he could keep some kind of leverage over the droid. "But you should know, Haro, the administrator, has threatened to warn the empire of our operation if we harm him or the kids. It will even transmit if he is killed."
"That … is an unfortunate complication. But even if it isn't just a bluff, it only proves my point. If you are really as attached to the idea of the rebirth of the confederacy, it shouldn't matter under whose leadership. You accepted other leaders before as well, so why not me? It is your choice now. Do you really want to see the Confederacy rise again or should your arrogance be the downfall of this rebellion? The Empire would win and every hope of freeing the Outer Rim would be lost."
TC had him outplayed from every angle and was always several steps ahead. It would be petty to let the dream of freedom die because of this. He would submit for now but once they were in orbit and there was no immediate threat of the Empire looming over them, he would get his revenge and take back his fleet and his dream.
Na'tuna handed over his commlink with the relevant codes and phrases to the Commando droid still looming over him.
"Make your ship ready for departure in ten days, Captain," the arrogant droid said.
"What? What about the Senator and me becoming governor of Kuuniru and controlling this sector? We aren't ready for that yet."
"Another of your shortcomings. That plan was doomed from the beginning and I only allowed it because I still needed you and your underground resources. It drew unnecessary attention to our actions and threatened the entire operation for a negligible chance of you staying in office long enough to achieve anything meaningful."
"Wait, we can still do this."
"The Empire freed the Senator and killed most of your supporters in Kuuniru city. That plan failed and I won't waste any more resources on it."
"We still have the children. We can force the Senator to give up his authority with the threat of killing his children."
"And what then? Think further than just the next step. Even if you manage to get appointed, you will be stuck in this system, just waiting for the time the Empire strikes back with enough force that you can't fight them anymore. Our advantage is to stay mobile and not face the Empire where it is strongest. We need to leave this sector as soon as possible and hide. Once we have regrouped and gathered our strength, we can think about attacking the Empire, not a moment earlier."
"Let me try it one more time. The Empire is distracted by the betrayal of the Senator's wife and hampered in their ability because they have to check every single droid or computer system for our software. What do you have to lose? If I fail, I will keep the Imperials off your back for longer. If I succeed, you will have an ally in the war to come."
The droid hesitated for a long moment. "Are you willing to relinquish command over the Leviathan for that minuscule chance?"
"Yes," Na'tuna said without hesitation. It was his only chance to get some authority back over his own rebellion.
"I will not waste many resources on this. You will get one of the Gozanti freighters. I won't waste any of my other ships. Na'tuna, you were a valuable asset to the rebirth of the Confederacy. I will leave you to your preparations now," the droid said and pranced out of the room followed by his escort.
That was fine for Na'tuna. When he had started this rebellion so many years ago, he had much less. He could easily start again. With the senator's children under his control, he still had a chance. Even if not, the more distance he had to this Super Tactical Droid, the better his chances to get real control over the droids again. He was still the Chairman of Kuuniru Systems and had some tricks up his sleeve.
A/N: An extra long chapter today with (hopefully) some unexpected twists. Let me know if you saw it (or parts of it) coming.