Chapter IV
Davis looked over the small pieces that lay before him. They made no sense. Whoever this Ideji was, he had to be very old, or a very talented thief. A chirp from the door reminded him of the present situation. "Come in, please," he said. Gavis entered casually and sat down. "Troublesome events, Colonel. I did not realize I'd been gone so long," Ideji said, sighing heavily. "What was your last memory?" Davis asked. "The Clone War had just begun. I was trying to make a rendezvous on Berchest," the man answered. "Really? How did you come to be out here in deep space?" the colonel said, rubbing his chin. "I had obtained a bounty on my head for being a mercenary. I thought I could hide out here for a while. With the war going on and all I reasoned no one would come looking for me," Gavis answered back. "And you were wrong, obviously," Davis replied. "Right, I was ambushed; couldn't tell who. I survived for two months off my supplies. The hyperdrive was so ancient that it was beyond repair. I was then accidentally frozen in carbonite while repairing the damage," Gavis said.
"How did you come to be injured and unconscious where we found you then?" Davis asked. "An asteroid must have hit my ship and finished it off," he answered. "The chamber we you were in looked nothing like a carbon-freezing area," Davis said, sipping his hot beverage. "Colonel, may we return to the present situation? The Rebel Alliance is obviously in dire times. May I offer my services?" Gavis said, leaning back. "The Republic did not trust mercenaries, nor do I. For now I'd be happy to take you to the nearest base and let them decide what to do about you," Davis replied. "Very well then, colonel. Until then, I'd be glad to get accompanied with your crew. Good day," Ideji said as he stood. "Before you go, could you tell me more about these parts and your ship?" he asked. Gavis smiled. "Mercenaries do not trust the Republic, nor do I," he answered, leaving the colonel to ponder this stranger.
"Gavis, good to see you walking about," Howard said as he looked at the man. "Howard. I would be very pleased to meet the rest of this crew; that is unless they're as unfriendly as Colonel 'Stern' there," Gavis laughed, shaking the young navigator's hand. "No there's no one like him. I'm sure they'd love to meet you," Howard said. "Something troubling you?" Ideji asked him. "It's just, your personality is a lot like mine. Why is Davis so hard on all of us? If it weren't for..." Howard said, but then stopped. "Go on," the other said. "We should talk more in private. Come in to my humble quarters," he answered, opening a door behind him. Once inside Gavis closed it. "Now continue," he said, gesturing with his hand. "If weren't for his orders and demands we would have gotten those plans on Despayre. He's just so obstinate!" Howard said, somewhat frustrated. "Plans?" Gavis asked. "Oh, sorry classified info. You'd have to talk to the big man himself," Howard replied. "So what are your thoughts on how to get these... plans?" the other asked. "New leadership; the way Davis bosses us around all the time it's no wonder we failed," he answered.
"Do other members of the crew feel the same way?" Gavis said waving his hand as if to mean go on. "I'm sure they do. However no one's voiced their opinion to Davis himself," was the reply. "What of those who favor Davis' side or way of doing things?" Ideji said to the now nervous navigator. "I only know one. That's my friend Major Cracken; I just don't understand how he can't see all the hurt that Davis has caused," Howard said angrily. "I am just a mercenary, however I do want to help the Alliance in any way possible. I will speak to him soon enough and discover other viewpoints from Lieutenant Felth," Gavis answered, "Don't worry, you will not be mentioned in these discussions." Howard nodded to the man as the door opened. "Thank you, your information will prove most useful," Gavis said, leaving Howard to think.