14th day of Month 15 ABG
As Outer Rim spaceports go, Kuallue would describe Hercht J. Karrak Spaceport in Bandor, Bandomeer as being below average in most regards. The biggest problem seems to be its lack of space, which is probably due to the smaller stature of the Meerians who make up most of its travelers.
The whole place is just gloomy, with bland permacrete bricks making up most of the walls and soft artificial lights giving it a yellow-orange tint. Departing from the passenger vessel and reaching the wider spaceport took nearly half an hour after landing, and although the customs line was short in size, it made up for it by being long in duration. It took Kuallue another half hour to get through it to the lone officer handling those like himself who are not Bandomeer residents.
"Who are you, and what brings you to Bandomeer?" the officer at the desk asks, while gesturing to Kuallue with both palms up in what he has to assume is a greeting. As a Meerian, he is shorter than the average human with metallic hair and eyes, his being bluish silver.
He sits in some sort of repulsorlift-powered chair, which he seems to raise and lower frequently in order to match the height of whomever he's talking to, and surprisingly, he has a rather pleasant aura in the Force. Kuallue opens a wallet-like pouch attached to the outside of the chamber, and telekinetically, he pulls an identification card out of it. Telepathically, he states his name. That part is simple, but it's the rest of the questions that give him pause.
Claiming to be a Jedi is at the very least deceptive considering that he is not a part of the official Jedi Order, but even in the context of Altisian Jedi, how much can he claim to be that? He hasn't talked to Altis or any other Altisian Jedi since Obroa-skai, now more than a month in the past, and his hunt for the elusive General Grievous isn't sanctioned by them either. This isn't merely a matter of revenge: It's necessary justice, but both Yoda and Altis would be unlikely to see it that way.
He's certainly not enlisted in any part of the military, and he doesn't exactly have any intentions of working with them either. General Keldon is a former Jedi, and she has been rather vocal recently in criticizing the Order. That much is clear, but Kuallue has no idea if she'd be willing to work with him. She was expelled for heresy 16 years ago, and while Kuallue was still part of the Order at the time, he wasn't privy to the matter. Likely she's more unorthodox than he and would believe that he's not much different than the rest of the Jedi.
He decides to convey that he is an Altisian Jedi on Bandomeer for personal matters, and he doesn't offer to elaborate on what either means, even though he knows the question is inevitable. Raising an eyebrow while rubbing his hands together, the Meerian inquires, "Visiting a friend?"
This may be the kind of situation where a mind trick would get him out, and Kuallue is certainly capable of such things, but dominating an individual's mind like that, especially a benign one, is something he tries to avoid. Claiming that it's a family matter would be technically true, but having introduced himself as a Jedi, that may cause confusion and generate additional questions. He explains that he is not visiting a friend, and that he's just mourning the death of his wife and child. It's true, but hopefully doesn't give away anything too important. Plus, Meerians are an understanding type, so the officer certainly wouldn't want to be needlessly pushy around a man in such a state. Indeed, he just writes something down and moves on to asking for a few more documents.
After completing a few, he suddenly looks confused and looks carefully at the datapad before telling Kuallue "I don't see a Weapon Registration Form filled out by you, but you'll need one of those for your lightsaber." Kuallue states that he carries no lightsaber, and he goes on to explain that using such a weapon is in violation of what he believes a Jedi is supposed to be. Murder and dismemberment are rarely justified solutions to problems.
Grievous is the exception to that rule, but he of course does not let the officer know that. The officer tilts his head and looks at Kuallue silently for a few seconds before moving on.
Clearly, he has aroused some suspicions, but hopefully General Keldon can remain blissfully unaware of his presence until the deed is done and Grievous is dead. After a few more minutes, he is able to move on, but the officers' original question is what still rings in the back of his mind: He wonders who he is.
Even after he has exited the spaceport, Kuallue is still asking himself that same question. Many answers cross his mind: Words like Jedi, Altisian Jedi, rogue Jedi, Celegian, widower, avenger… and yet none of it seems quite right. Life was so much simpler when his answer to the question was husband and father.
Now, there is only a profound emptiness.
Finding speeders which can fit a tank that's over three meters high is hardly a simple matter, but Kuallue eventually settles on a rental speeder with a needlessly flamboyant aesthetic because it can convert into being open-topped. That's hardly ideal for taking him deep into Bandomeer's frigid southern hemisphere, but it seems that being exposed to the cold is the only way for him to fit in a speeder.
Figuring some kind of danger will be highly likely, he makes sure to pay for quality rental insurance, and shortly thereafter, he departs the city of Bandor and quickly finds himself in the rocky wilderness. It's a long journey that will probably require him to spend the night in Rinbam, one of the region's larger towns which is conveniently located at almost the exact midpoint between Bandor and Selbar, and it leaves him with plenty of time to ponder. And there is much to ponder indeed.
It's been over a month since that fateful day when Grievous attacked Obroa-skai, and so far as Kuallue knows, this is the first time since then he's been on the same planet as the murderer. It turns out that, especially when one is not a part of the Republic military, Grievous is a difficult adversary to catch.
Obroa-skai was a hit-and-run information raid, and Grievous left the planet within a day. His fleet was seen moving through the Carest system, presumably en route to the Sumitra sector, but that was where Kuallue's trail went cold. The sector is officially neutral, but many of its worlds had their share of Separatists. Kuallue went to Aquaris, but his senses told him that there were no Separatists there, so he then followed rumors to look for Grievous in the Weku Republic of Tierfon. That investigation lasted almost three weeks before he caught word confirming that Grievous was now trapped on Bandomeer.
Begrudgingly, he has to respect General Keldon for finally nailing down such elusive prey. The argument for working with her is obvious enough: As part of a coordinated team, he would be able to aid the Republic's efforts more effectively.
However, it comes with downsides. Had he submitted to Republic authority, it would be more likely than not for him to be placed in a role completely unrelated to the necessary work of hunting Grievous. Given the Senate's corruption, he'd likely be no better than the Coruscant Jedi, making moral compromises and leading an army of slaves to help fill the pockets of some warmongering higher-ups on Coruscant. And then, of course, there's Keldon, the former Jedi who, from what he can tell, is corrupted not by wealth, but by pride and hatred. She would likely not want to work with him.
And maybe, having two separate plans to get to Grievous is better than using a single method. Perhaps he can lie in wait so that once Keldon makes her move and Grievous tries to escape, he'll be in place to stop him. He considers the possibilities, for doing that is certainly better than focusing on the landscape around him.
Bandomeer's wilderness is a boring drive if there ever was one. The plateau is flat and rocky with little vegetation save for sparse grasslands, and civilization is rarely more than small mining towns that occasionally dot the landscape. Traffic is minimal save for larger and slower trucks carrying cargos of foodstuffs from Bandor to the towns further south. There's little of anything to see, and even if there were, the somewhat toxic, smoggy atmosphere would prevent him from seeing far.
He doesn't even want to slip into a meditative state, as all he can feel in the Force is a void left where his family once were. To make things worse, even though the speeder blasts all of its waste heat toward him, and he is wrapped with fabrics to keep warm, the frigid air still blasts across the open top and directly onto the top of his cyanogen tank, keeping him perpetually chilly.
He can sense that many of the lives around him are in a similar state of frustration and depression. Bandomeer is a miserable place; it is no wonder that Grievous is to be found there. Perhaps it was by strategic intention that Grievous chose to hole up in this place, thinking none would have the fortitude to put up with cold and follow him. What does seem out of place, however, is the widespread support of the Separatists that he sees as he surveys the landscape.
It's not particularly surprising that they don't like the Republic, and there's no doubt that some of misery could be avoided had the Senate prevented Core Worlds corporations from taking over the planet. The Jedi, too, failed Bandomeer from what he heard, sending its dropouts in the Agri-Corps to create farms at a pathetically small scale compared to the size of the planet, all while the Council put up with the root cause of Bandomeer's problems.
Yet, the Separatists did little to improve things, for the planet seceded almost two years ago, and yet here they are. The Separatist leaders are as corrupt as the Republic Senate, and the Meerians have General Grievous in their midst. Most signs are written in Meerian, but one large holo-advertisement in Basic reads:
"Give us our home back!
Bandomeer for Meerians
Send the Republic Packing"
One would think it was just paid for by the Separatist leaders, but the populace seems to show similar sentiments. Stickers on the back of speeders, if they aren't supporting the Rinbam Topteer, have messages along the lines of "There's no war here, unless you brought it with you," a saying common to peaceful Separatists and "Begin Anew" a proclamation associated with abolishing the Republic altogether.
Bandomeer may be conquered by the Republic, but especially here in the planet's more rural regions, it's probably best not to tell anyone who he is. That's simple enough when Kuallue himself isn't quite sure how to properly describe himself, but as he pulls over for the night towards a hotel in Rinbam, he realizes that a cover story would be a good thing to have. Not having any connections to the Jedi or the Republic or the Separatists makes sense, so he decides that he'll have the story of being in industry. Maybe an analyst for Vulca Minerals, here to inspect their mines in Liznob Bot.
That's a simple enough identity.
Late the next night, Kuallue's speeder comes up on the besieged town of Selbar, home to his nemesis. As he does, there can be no doubt that he's coming up upon a military area. The vessels that he passes typically have Republic emblems, and even some of the civilian traffic looks to be more rugged vehicles. The tension is palpable, with most of the presences which he senses living in fear. Civilians drive slowly and like to keep their distance from the Republic vehicles, which in turn drive as if they own the place. Perhaps in a sense, they do.
Not far away, Republic artillery bombards the Separatist ray shield, with SPHA-Ts and other powerful tanks putting a constant pressure on the protective cover. It could have enough power to last for months, or enough power to last for a few more hours. Kuallue has no way of knowing. It certainly adds a great deal of tension, knowing that at any moment those blasts could start heading directly toward the city. Perhaps the soldiers just get used to the potential danger.
It's a cold place as well, somehow even more desolate than the regions Kuallue went through before, and with vast tracts of strip mines covering the land. As he follows along roads that encircle the city, he can spot many crashed starfighters, plus occasional blaster scorching on signs or nearby buildings. What's clear is that Selbar is no ordinary town, and it seems as if it were almost built for this purpose. Immediately noticeable is of course the shield generator, preventing simple bombardment, but it also sits atop a man-made cliff, with a deep drop off into large strip mines on its north and east. Even when trying the other sides, he notices few roads going in, dense forest that would make it difficult to move armies, and a wall covering many stretches of the town. Essentially, the Republic has no choice but to send its troopers through a handful of narrow choke points, which they guard from a distance but don't dare to enter, it would seem.
The unguarded places outside the walls and the shield, where the Republic camps and where Kuallue passes through, are sparsely populated with the occasional house in the middle of nowhere for those who really need space. After circling around the city twice, he notices that he is beginning to attract some attention, for the clones are no doubt on the lookout for Separatist spies who linger for too long, and his vehicle isn't exactly generic. As such, he decides to turn away and go west of the city, putting several kilometers between him and Republic lines before finally seeing another place to stay and set up as his base of operations.
Tucked away in the forests is a single-story building with a sign outside it entirely in Meerian, save for one small translation that reads "Hotel 4." It looks to be an older building, with the wooden panels on the second level of its exterior dented and stained. He brakes quickly, pulling off the highway and swerving into the gravel-covered lot, which looks quite full. No doubt the war and the sudden blockade around Selbar have left quite a few in need of a place to stay, and it's entirely possible that the relatively small facility has filled up.
If there's any indication of the hotel's availability, it's not stated in Basic anywhere, and the height of the doorways and windows too seems optimized more for diminutive Meerians than the average human height. After telekinetically opening the door, he has to lean his cyanogen tank backwards to fit into it, carefully balancing the top half using its built-in repulsors.
As he awkwardly progresses through the door, a wrinkled Meerian whose silver hair is shinier than most turns away from a cutting board full of mushrooms, asking, "Can I help you?" as she progresses toward the entrance.
Like all of the other Meerians that Kuallue has met, she doesn't have the velum that humans use to make "k" or "g" sounds, so "can" sounds more like "ten." Thankfully, a subtle bit of telepathy helps Kuallue seamlessly fill in the gaps.
The lobby seems to double as a kitchen and dining room, with shiny durasteel appliances lining one wall of the left and the checkerboard tiles to his right being host to four wooden dining tables. He conveys an affirmative, then inquires as to whether or not the hotel is full. She seems initially taken aback by this telepathic communication, looking up and round as if to make sure there's no one whispering in her ear.
"Ummm… yes," she answers once she has gathered herself, though she still regards him curiously as she picks up a datapad and begins to look up the relevant information. "It has been so busy these days, but we still should have a single bedroom available. Yes, it is. Will that be sufficient? Do you have family traveling with you?"
Immediately, his thoughts go to the idea that he will never again be able to travel with Uyuo or their son. What a tragedy that thought is, for they had so much fun when they first got to see Obroa-skai, and that vacation to Manda, when they saw the Ark of Baron Auletphant… neither will have the chance to visit anything again, not even a dreary place like this. How much better this trip could be, though, if it were together.
The hostess waits politely, clearly a bit confused but not wanting to interrupt his thoughts, but Kuallue eventually snaps back into reality and responds with the fact that is unfortunately traveling alone, so he'll only need a small room.
In the Force, he senses an anxiety ripple from her upon receiving this message, as if she, too, has been dealing with a loss, or at least is worried that such a loss may be coming. No doubt she has friends or family in Selbar, who could very well die there. Likely, whomever she cares for is on the side of the conflict opposite to his own, and especially given that, he makes no effort to inquire further, respecting her privacy as she did his. However, as she leads him to the room, he can't help but to consider the worries of this elderly innkeeper, that his actions to attack Selbar could very well endanger the very people she now thinks about.
He wonders what she would do if she knew why he's here? However, he tries to push aside this line of reasoning, because there is simply too much at stake to be distracted by such things. There is a bigger picture to consider, and Grievous must be stopped.
Those are the thoughts in his mind as he interfaces with an outdated data terminal in the room, using it to look up information on Selbar on the HoloNet databases. Combining the publicly available maps that are dated by a few years with the military bases that he saw firsthand, he begins to set up a clear picture on the situation.
The entrances and exits to the city are few, and they're well-defended by both sides at that, but once he can get into the city, it would seem non-Meerians are a minority but not unheard of, so he'll be able to traverse it relatively freely so long as he doesn't attract suspicion on the way in.
As for entrances, he has a few options:
Sneaking over the wall would be difficult, but perhaps, given proper machinery, he could dig under it. That may require collaboration with General Keldon. There's also the possibility of already existing tunnels into the town, such as to supply water. He'll have to look up more information about those. Maybe he could arrive in a vehicle, circumventing the Republic blockade and posing as a smuggler bringing supplies. Again, potentially costly, but if he brought enough stuff, it could earn him favor with the CIS and give him even more freedom to roam.
He begins to research these possibilities, but the hardware continues to struggle, making it a very tedious process as he must often reset it. After a frustrating hour of study with little results to show for it, he is finally interrupted by a knock on the door.
This time, it would seem based on his telepathic senses that it is not the hotel staff from before, because there are multiple presences, and many of them seem a little bit familiar.