Nem Bees was an Ortolan Jedi Knight active during the Clone Wars. During the war, Nem Bees traveled to his homeworld of Orto to prevent the neutral planet's secession to the Confederacy. Intelligence reports indicated that a high ranking government planned to overthrow the Ortolan government. Orto was located in the Sluis Sector near the Rimma Trade Route, which grew increasingly unstable as the war progressed and Separatist activity in the area began to increase. The only thing that prevented the entire sector from seceding from the Republic was the efforts of Eriadu, which remained loyal to the Republic. However, any loss to the Separatists would severely compromise Eriadu's efforts in maintaining the increasingly fragile stability of the region. Nem Bees was dispatched in order to prevent this by locating the traitor within the government.

At the suggestion of Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, Nem Bees assumed the identity of an Ortolan named Ydde, whom Master Ki had known decades before on his homeworld of Cerea. On Orto, Nem Bees stayed with Ydde's extended family as he searched for the traitor. Unfortunately, Nem Bees did not act quick enough. Shortly after Nem Bees arrived, Belo Tusus, the Finance Minister, announced his support for the Separatists and seized control of the government. All spaceports were locked down and the only traffic allowed was an Separatist invasion fleet. As battle droids swarmed the capital, Nem Bees maintained his cover as Ydde, keeping his identity as a Jedi a secret, for it certainly would have meant certain death.

However, Nem Bees did not remain dormant. As Belo Tusus worked to organize his new government, Nem Bees ensured the process did not go smoothly. Striking from the shadows, Nem Bees carried out multiple acts of sabotage destroying droid detachments and shuttle guidance systems. These setbacks drew out an increasing sense of paranoia in Belo Tusus. The self-imposed leader began to suspect all those around him, including those among his staff and the Neimoidian representatives from the Trade Federation. Nem Bees contact was a Twi'lek servant to Belo Tusus who provided Nem Bees with the information he needed to carry out his acts of sabotage.