Nek Bwua'tu

Nek Bwua'tu was a male Bothan who served as an officer in the Galactic Alliance Defense Force during and after the Yuuzhan Vong War. He was the commander of the Galactic Alliance Fifth Fleet at the outbreak of the Swarm War, having attained the rank of Fleet Admiral. Known for having defeated the Thrawn Simulator numerous times, Bwua'tu was respected by all in his fleet, even though as of just prior to the outbreak of the Swarm War he had never seen fleet combat as a commanding officer.

During the Swarm War in 36 ABY, Nek Bwua'tu captured and detained Jedi Leia Organa Solo and Saba Sebatyne for running the Blockade of the Utegetu Nebula. During their stay on the Admiral Ackbar, Leia warned Bwua'tu about an impending attack by the Killiks. The two worked together to escape the Ackbar before it was commandeered by Raynar Thul and the Killiks. Bwua'tu redeemed himself, however, by his work during the Battle of Tenupe that helped win the war.

Still serving as the commander of the Fifth Fleet by 40 ABY, Bwua'tu was informed by Jaina Solo and Zekk of a suspected attack on the Hapan Queen Mother, Tenel Ka. When the attack did come, Bwua'tu led the Fifth Fleet against the Corellian forces threatening to overthrow the Hapan Consortium, succeeding in repelling the attackers. Bwua'tu was later given command of the Fourth and Sixth during the Second Galactic Civil War. He led his forces against the Confederation at Kuat, and later at the Battle of Nickel One, defeating the forces of both Natasi Daala and Cha Niathal. After the end of the war, Bwua'tu was offered the position of Chief of State, but declined the offer and recommended Daala.

Rise to Prominence
Born on the planet of Ruweln, Nek Bwua'tu joined the Galactic Alliance military and by the time of 3 ABY, was given the rank of admiral. Bwua'tu's third wife's cousin, Avke Saz'ula, was the gunnery officer of the Avengeance, a Bothan ship bent on fulfilling their ar'krai and wiping out the Yuuzhan Vong. Saz'ula's son, Wurf'al, Bwua'tu's great nephew, was given the role of captain on Bwua'tu's ship.



Bwua'tu carried his flag aboard the Admiral Ackbar, a brand new pirate-hunting variant of the old Victory-class Star Destroyer design that dated back to the Clone Wars. Bwua'tu was lauded by others within the Defense Force for his victories in the Thrawn simulator; the Bothans among his crew took great pride in serving under who they saw as the greatest commander in the Galactic Alliance Fleet.

The Blockade of the Utegetu Nebula
A year after the evacuation of the Qoribu nests, Bwua'tu was tasked with commanding the blockade of the Utegetu Nebula with the Fifth Fleet. The nebula had been the source of dark membrosia and the hiding place for many pirates&mdash;and, of course, the Dark Nest. The entire Fifth Fleet was diverted from its normal patrolling of the Hydian Way for the operation. During the blockade he impounded the Millennium Falcon with Barabel Jedi Master Saba Sebatyne and her apprentice, Leia Organa Solo, onboard. Both Jedi sensed that there was something odd aboard the Ackbar, but Bwua'tu brashly ignored their advice, declaring it to be simply Jedi trickery and sorcery.

Losing the Admiral Ackbar
The Admiral had many busts of himself mounted conspicuously aboard his ship, which were gifts from a shipping conglomerate that had benefited from the Fifth Fleet's patrolling of the Hydian Way. These busts were, in reality, sold by a company which had been allied with the Dark Nest. Full of Gorog larvae, they would eventually explode, sending the assassin bugs all over the ship. Despite ordering a task force of the Fifth Fleet to attack the incoming Killik fleet that was taking advantage of this incident, his ship was overtaken by the Killiks, led by former Jedi-turned-Joiner Alema Rar. Finally following Leia Organa Solo's advice, Bwua'tu and his surviving crew were forced to evacuate the Star Destroyer; the ship thus fell into the hands of UnuThul.

The Swarm War
Aboard Mon Mothma, commanded by Commodore Gavin Darklighter, Bwua'tu again took command of the Fifth Fleet, though he himself doubted he would remain in that capacity for much longer. With many Jedi serving under his command now&mdash;including Luke Skywalker&mdash;and a bare ten-ship advantage over the Killiks, he ordered the fleet to engage the Killik ships with everything they had, thus starting the Swarm War.

While Nek Bwua'tu was removed from command of the Fifth Fleet, he continued to serve as a strategic influence all the way through until the end of the Swarm War. Many of his strategies and tactics proved instrumental in ending the conflict.



In the aftermath of the conflict, Supreme Commander Gilad Pellaeon allowed Bwua'tu to retain command of the Admiral Ackbar. The Bothan admiral continued to feel embarrassment from temporary capture of his flagship, causing him to work towards being more humble of his own abilities. Instead of his own likeness, Nek Bwua'tu installed busts of the deceased Mon Calamari admiral for which his ship was named across the vessel. This served as a reminder to the Admiral of this newfound humility.

The Vow of Krevi
Assigned to command a task force of Star Destroyers, cruisers, and frigates, Admiral Bwua'tu monitored the secret Corellian fleet being assembled in the Kiris asteroid belt. Using Jedi Knights Jaina Solo, Zekk, Lowbacca, and Tesar Sebatyne, Bwua'tu was readily given intelligence on the Corellian fleet. When Jaina and Zekk returned, giving Bwua'tu intelligence pointing a Corellian attack on the Hapan Queen Mother Tenel Ka, Bwua'tu dispatched both to aide the Queen Mother. Bwua'tu was then dispatched to protect the Queen after a failed assassination attempt on her life. Upon arrival the Alliance ships under his command were able to finish off the remaining Corellian forces, securing the system for the Alliance and ensuring that Tenel Ka remained leader of the Hapes Consortium.

Later Bwua'tu would command the combined forces of both the First and Sixth Fleets at the Battle of Kuat where he would assure Jacen Solo that his vow of krevi would keep him loyal to the Galactic Alliance. Bwua'tu was angered when Grand Master Luke Skywalker fled from the Battle of Kuat as well as Jacen Solo's abandonment of the battle in pursuit of the Jedi, but managed to fight the Confederation forces at Kuat to a standstill after a week.

During the Second Battle of Roche, Bwua'tu was able to defeat the combined fleets of Cha Niathal and Natasi Daala along with Confederation forces. At the end of the war he was offered the position of Chief of State, but turned it down, the position instead going to Daala.

By 43.5 ABY, Bwua'tu had achieved the rank of Chief of the Galactic Alliance Naval Forces. During a conspiracy against Daala led by Kuati Senator Treen and Imperial Moff Lecersen, General Merratt Jaxton was recruiting support within the armed forces. Bwua'tu was a considerable problem for them, as it was obvious that he was loyal to the Chief of State. Treen believed this was due to his personal ethics, though other analysis seemed to show that he sided with Daala far more often than simple ethics and support for the government would lead him to. Unknown to the conspirators, it was implied in subtle conversation that Bwua'tu and Daala were having an affair.

Appearances

 * Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen
 * Dark Nest III: The Swarm War
 * Tempest
 * Inferno
 * Invincible
 * Backlash
 * Allies