Daily life in Tao's capital continued as usual. But recently, a rather important matter has been circulating, reaching the ears of the planet's citizens.
“Have you noticed how security has increased recently?” One of the citizens asked.
“Yes. There are more Imperial troopers than before. I wonder why.” Another of the citizens said.
“I've heard that a prominent scientist has just arrived on the planet.” Another of them commented.
“That scientist? That explains everything.” The first said.
“Why?” The third asked.
“From what they say, he's an expert in both biology and geology. And apparently, he dedicates himself to investigating planets controlled by the Empire to see their impact on planetary ecosystems.”
“Really?”
“Yes, indeed. I've also heard that in many cases their findings have led to a slowdown in resource extraction operations, giving the planet time to recover.”
“And now he’s here?”
“That seems so. But it is said that it is not to the liking of many governors who depend on the exploitation of resources.”
“I just hope none of them get the idea to do anything crazy with him.”
The Ôshan Boss, who was just passing close to them and heard the conversation, shook his head as he walked away.
“If I know our governor, he's probably planning to get rid of him in an original way.” The lesser boss said.
“But boss! Don’t say those things out loud!” One of his henchmen said. “What would happen if the Imperials heard you?”
“I'm not worried about a mere scientist. What worries me is the rumor that a member of the Imperial Senate is also coming to this planet.” The Ôshan Boss said. “I find it incredible. A few years ago, hardly any foreigners came to this planet, and now many people are coming. Who will be next? The emperor?”
Inside a Star Destroyer floating over the planet, Shador Prar was walking in circles on the bridge as he kept grumbling in a low voice, with Admiral Banner and Ochô in front of him.
“You should calm down, Governor Prar,” Ochô said to Shador.
“Calm down?” Prar asked her. “How do you expect me to calm down standing here doing nothing, waiting for that Senate representative who's supposed to come here, while that nosy scientist is snooping around all our operations on the ground?”
“But Governor, isn't it supposed to be a good thing that Professor Zant is here monitoring the state of our planet's ecosystem?” Ochô asked.
“That’s right.” Admiral Banner said, shrugging. “Unfortunately, their findings have caused the exploitation of important resources for the Empire to slow down on many Imperial planets under the pretext of allowing the planet to recover from the damage suffered from Imperial exploitation.”
Banner looked at Ochô with a smile. “The good doctor has the approval and support of the Imperial Senate, but many Imperial governors do not hold him in very high esteem.”
“But in the case this scientist forces us to reduce the pace of our exploitation, the development of the planet might be handicapped,” Prar said as he turned to Ochô. “Remember that part of the resources exploited are used for the planet’s development.”
“That’s right,” Ochô said, lowering her head.
Prar soon gave a loud groan and looked at the admiral. “Does anyone know how long it will take them to arrive?”
“As far as I know, their transport will reach the system in no time,” Banner informed.
“Are all the protocols in place?” Prar asked.
“Of course they are.” Vice Admiral Betrayus, who was in another spot in the room, informed him. “Everything is ready. First they will enter the Star Destroyer for security supervision, and then they will be transported to the planet.”
“Thanks, Vice Admiral,” Prar said as he began to walk in circles again.
Ochô leaned her head to the Admiral. “I am certain that as long as Professor Zant remains on the planet, the governor will not be at peace for a moment.”
“I'm afraid so, Miss Ochô. I'm afraid your behavior toward the Senate representative will not be exemplary if you continue like this.” Admiral Banner said to her.
Prar kept walking in circles for a long while, but the Vice Admiral approached him, leaning to his ear.
“Don’t worry, Governor. I've already prepared everything to solve our problem with that scientist.” Betrayus said in a low voice.
“Are you sure?” Prar asked him. He grinned when the Vice Admiral nodded at his question.
On the planet, a short-sized scientist with white hair, a beard, and wide glasses was taking samples from the ground in the middle of a forested area, while a pair of stormtroopers and a black knight were acting as escorts.
“Hmm, interesting. Very interesting.” The scientist said as he looked at the samples he took.
“Professor, do you really intend to collect all the rocks and plants on this planet?” A stormtrooper asked, visibly annoyed.
“Every scientific exploration has its method. If I were to skip any part, the results would not be conclusive.” The professor said.
He continued observing the ground and plants in the forest until his eyes noted an Imperial structure dedicated to the felling of trees. He shook his head in sorrow at the view before he continued exploring the forest with the Imperial escort close to him.
After a while, they reached the edge of a cliff, from where he could see a large part of the forest.
“This world is truly beautiful.” The professor said while looking at the view. “It's a shame that some people only want to exploit its resources without thinking about the consequences.”
He knelt and began to grab samples from the herb at his feet. “How much we can learn from an ecosystem if we didn't insist on burning all its resources. Really a shame.”
As the scientist was busy, the black knight looked at the stormtroopers for a moment. The three nodded, and the black knight walked up to get behind the scientist, preparing to kick him off the cliff.
Suddenly he heard some noise and turned around. Then a blaster hit him in the chest, killing him and making him fall down the cliff, while two more blaster shots hit the stormtroopers on the sides. Those shots startled the professor, who turned around to see what was happening.
Drasha and Frall approached the professor, blasters in hand.
“Professor Thaddeus Zant, I presume.” The Zabrak asked him.
“Indeed, gentlemen, and who are you?” The professor said as he stood up.
“We are rebels, and we have come to rescue you,” Drasha said to him.
“Rescue me? Why?” The scientist asked.
“I'll explain it to you on the way, quickly!” Drasha said, taking the man’s hand and pulling him.
As the two took the scientist away, one of the stormtroopers on the ground began to move, using his communicator.
The two Yokai took the professor to a pair of speeders that they used to leave the area as fast as they could.
“Yokai 2 to Yokai 1. We secured the package. We're going back to the ship.” Drasha informed through a communicator.
“Yokai 1 to Yokai 2, understood,” Brad replied.
“Seriously, I don't understand why you're kidnapping me, gentlemen,” Zant commented as he rode in Frall’s speeder.
“Kidnapping? No, rescuing you. Do you have any idea how much you are hated throughout the Empire?” Frall said.
“But if my work helps the imperial planets,” Zant replied.
“Planets governed by people who only want to exploit the planet until there is nothing left to take from it, regardless of the lives they have to take.” Frall countered.
“Even though the Senate and the rest of the galaxy like you, those in charge would love to bombard you with a Star Destroyer if they had the chance. Those Imperials would have thrown you off that cliff if it weren't for us.” Drasha explained.
The scientist just gave a loud sigh after hearing them. “People really don't care about the health of the planet.”
“Not everybody. There’s one in our group that wants to save this planet.” Drasha said.
“Oh, good to hear that,” Zant said.
At that precise moment, they heard a loud noise from above, spotting a pair of TIE fighters flying over the area before turning in their direction.
“It looks like they found us!” Frall said as he sped up his speeder.
In the Tengu II, everyone was getting ready to leave the planet the moment Drasha and Frall returned with the professor, just when they received another transmission.
“Yokai 2 to Yokai 1! I hope you’re ready to leave! We have a few TIE fighters following us!” Drasha called through the communicator.
“Yokai 1 to Yokai 2, understood!” Brad said and then looked at Yavis in the cockpit. “You heard her! Get the coordinates ready!”
“Okay, okay, don't rush me! This ship is new, and we need to get used to it! Remember, it's not the Tengu!” Yavis said as he began to put the coordinates in the computer.
“Yes, I know, but we’re in a hurry!” Brad said as he left the cockpit.
Byte, who was also in the cockpit, looked at Brad leave the cockpit before looking at Yavis. “He’s right. By now we should have a good idea of how to operate this ship.”
“You’re not helping, Byte,” Yavis said as he worked with the computer.
Brad ran through the ship’s corridors, encountering Lop and Rahm Kota on his way.
“What’s happening?” Lop asked.
“Drasha and Frall are taking the professor here. Unfortunately, some imperial flyers are following them.” Brad informed them. “Lop, go to the turret and prepare to fire. And you, general, prepare yourself for when the others return.”
“Okay!” Lop said as she ran with Brad through the corridors.
Meanwhile, Drasha and Frall, with Professor Zant on one of the speeders, rushed as fast as they could through the terrain, avoiding the shots of the TIE fighters attacking them.
“I must say, this is very exciting!” The professor said as he held himself to Frall.
“I'm glad to know that at least one of us is having fun!” Frall said sarcastically.
“I’m seeing our ship!” Drasha informed, seeing the Tengu II in the distance.
“Yes, and we still have these flies following us!” Frall exclaimed.
As the two approached the ship and got close enough, the Tengu II’s turrets began to shoot against the TIE fighters, shooting down several of them just as the speeders entered the ship.
Inside the ship, the three got off the speeders and rushed deeper into the ship, where Rahm Kota waited for them.
“Rahm Kota. This is a surprise, indeed.” The professor said as he recognized the old Jedi.
“Not now, professor! We’re in trouble!” Rahm Kota said to him.
In no time, Frall went to one of the remaining turrets to aid Brad and Lop in taking down the Imperial fighters that began to reach the area. At the same time, Drasha entered the cockpit with Yavis and Byte.
“We’re here! Get us outta here!” Drasha said to them.
“Okay, understood! Coordinates ready! Take us off the planet!” Yavis said.
“Roger, roger!” Byte exclaimed, taking the controls of the ship.
In a moment, the Tengu II took off and flew into the sky, being chased by several TIE fighters that were reaching the zone. Despite being under the pressure of enemy fire, the Baudo-class star yacht flew as fast as it could, avoiding the enemy fighters. But despite that, they didn’t notice that one of the TIE fighters fired a projectile that attached itself to a part of their ship.
Despite trying to fly as fast as possible to avoid problems, they ended up crossing paths with a Star Destroyer in space.
“What the?” Vice Admiral asked in confusion when he saw the ship passing in front of the Star Destroyer. “It’s the Rebel Ship!”
“What?!” Prar turned around, seeing the ship pass in front of them. “Are you sure of it?”
“Yes! It's their ship! I recognize it!” The vice admiral said.
Right at that moment, a stormtrooper walked into the bridge.
“Governor, I inform you that-”
“Not now!” Prar interrupted the stormtrooper before looking at Banner. “Order the pursuit of that ship right now!”
The Admiral looked confused at him. “But Governor, the senate representative-”
“I don’t care! I want that ship and the female rebel in it!” Prar exclaimed, referring surely to Lop.
“Understood!” Banner said as he prepared to give the orders, as Ochô looked confused at how things were going right now.
“Sir! The ship is entering Hyperspace!” A member of the crew informed them.
“What?” Prar turned to the ship, seeing how it entered Hyperspace. “Damn it!”
“Sir, we received notification from one of the pilots. They managed to place a tracking device on the ship before they could escape.” One of the engineers informed them.
“Can we track them through Hyperspace?” Prar asked them.
“Yes, sir.” Said the Vice Admiral.
“Let's follow them. Use their coordinates to calculate the hyperspace route. I don't want to lose them!” Prar ordered.
“Yes, sir!” Admiral Banner nodded.
After giving the designated orders, the Star Destroyer entered Hyperspace, leaving the planet behind to chase the rebel ship.
Inside the Tengu II during Hyperspace, Frall was resting on the lounge’s couch.
“Damd, that was pretty close,” Frall said with a loud breath.
“Yeah, we got lucky this time,” Drasha said as she was sitting on the couch. “Security was tighter than expected. I highly doubt it was simply because of the professor.”
“But we still managed it,” Brad said, soon turning to Professor Zant. “Don't worry. When we exit hyperspace, we'll drop you off in a safe place outside of Imperial influence.”
“Well, I still have my doubts about all this. But if what you've said is true, I suppose I should thank you for rescuing me, I think.” Professor Zant said with his hands behind his back.
“Believe me when I say that we are actually the good guys,” Frall said. “The Imperials are the ones who want, among other things, to leave the planets dry.”
“I think we agree on that last point. I've never seen so much looting and exploitation during the Republic era. Not even during the Clone Wars.” The professor said.
“I can imagine it,” Drasha said.
“Excuse me.” He turned around to see Lop approach him with a serious tone. “I suppose you’re Thaddeus Zant, the biologist and geologist I heard about?”
“In the flesh, young lad.” The professor said, adjusting his glasses.
“Oh, well, I wanted to tell you that it's an honor to meet you,” Lop said, rubbing her head.
“Oh, don't worry, miss. I'm not some kind of galactic legend or anything like that.” Professor Zant said with a chuckle.
“But sir, I have heard that you have helped to restore many planets that were being exploited by the Empire by making them reduce their activities on those planets,” Lop said.
“Well, that’s true.” He said. “Many people don't know it, but believe it or not, this galaxy isn't infinite. If we deplete all the natural resources of all the planets without them being able to regenerate, we could cause a disaster on a species level.”
“That’s what you said. There are still planets that somehow have not been colonized.” Frall said.
“That's what you know.” The professor countered. “You also have to keep in mind that we are surrounded by exotic species with cultures from which we could learn, which depend on their local ecosystem.”
“I'll leave it at that. I don't want a biology class at my age.” Frall said, making everyone laugh.
“Well, professor…” Lop began to say. “Now you saw my planet… what’s your opinion on it?”
Professor Zant began to think for a moment. “I must admit that it is one of the most beautiful planets I have ever seen in my life, young lady. But it's a shame that the imperialists are causing so much damage to its biodiversity, under the guise of helping the planet's progress, if I heard correctly.”
Lop looked down with a worried look, with TD-4 trying to reassure her.
“But don't worry. According to the information I've gathered, as soon as the Senate receives my report, the rate of exploitation of the planet should decrease considerably.” The professor said.
Those words made the Lepi extremely happy. But Rahm Kota, who was leaning against the wall, simply looked at them with a worried face, as he knew that neither the professor’s reports could stop the Empire’s infinite greed.
“Argh! No, no, no, no!” Everyone turned their heads when they heard Yavis’ loud voice.
“What now?” Brad asked as he went to the cockpit, followed by Lop out of curiosity.
When they reached the cockpit, they saw Yavis struggling with the computer, and apparently losing as he kept slamming his hands against it.
“Stupid hunk of junk! Obey me!” Yavis exclaimed as he hit the computer.
“Yavis, what’s going on?” Brad asked.
“I don't know. As soon as Yavis saw the coordinate panel, he went crazy.” Byte said.
“It turns out that, in my haste, I placed the hyperspatial coordinates incorrectly,” Yavis explained.
“Are you saying we’re not going to the reunion point?” Brad asked.
“That's right. I tried stopping the ship to readjust the coordinates. But this damn ship isn't responding! And I'm terrified of shutting it down in the middle of hyperspace!” Yavis explained.
“So we're stuck here until we reach the set coordinates, right?” Lop asked.
“It seems that way,” Brad said to her before turning to Yavis. “Where will those coordinates lead us?”
Yavis gave a loud sigh. “You're not going to like it at all.”
In the Star Destroyer’s bridge, Shador Prar was staring at the Hyperspace with Admiral Banner at his side, while Ochô spoke with a stormtrooper there.
“It appears the rebel ship has a much more powerful hyperdrive than ours, sir.” Admiral Banner said.
“I already know that, but it doesn't matter. As long as that tracker keeps transmitting, we'll know where it's headed.” Prar said before looking at Vice Admiral Betrayus. “Make sure you don't lose the signal!”
“Yes, sir,” Betrayus said, staring at the monitors.
After a while, Ochô walked to them. “Governor, I think I should remind you that we forgot something when we started this pursuit.”
“Okay, and according to you, what have we forgotten?” Prar gave a loud sigh.
“Can I give you a hint, Governor?” Said a new voice on the bridge.
Prar and Banner jumped, eyes wide open, and turned their heads around. They saw how another man entered the bridge. A man with brown eyes, tan skin, and black hair in white clothes.
“Senator Organa! This is… quite a… surprise…” Prar rubbed his head as he had trouble keeping talking.
“I can imagine, Governor. It seems what they say about you is quite true. As soon as you get something into your head, you forget everything else.” Senator Organa said.
“No, no, no, it's not exactly like that!” Prar said as he walked to him. “It turns out we have a serious problem with the rebels, and we were planning to take care of it.”
“Even if that means throwing away the entire formal reception? ‘Kidnapping’ a Senator just when he reached the ship?” The Senator said.
“That was an accident! Believe me!” Prar said with his hands raised.
Organa suddenly laughed. “Relax, Governor. I am not as strict as other senators or higher-ranking imperial officers than yours.”
Prar gave a loud groan and began to walk away, shaking his head.
Ochô then turned to Senator Organa.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Senator Bail Organa,” Ochô said, bowing to him. “I am very sorry that the governor's behavior disrupted any plans he had for his visit to my planet.”
“Ochô Yasaburô, isn’t it? It’s an honor too.” Organa said. “I've heard quite a bit about your problems with your family members. I just hope they can be resolved peacefully.”
“As long as my father and Lop fail to see the good that the Empire can bring to our planet, I doubt it,” Ochô said.
“Well, it's certainly a setback. I'd even heard that Professor Thaddeus Zant was on the planet, and I would have liked to speak with him.” Bail Organa said.
“What a coincidence!” Prar exclaimed. “As it happens, the rebels we're chasing have kidnapped the good professor.”
“Seriously? This is unexpected.” Senator Organa said thoughtfully. “But how are we tracking them?”
“Oh, one of our pilots managed to place a tracker on their ship that allows us to follow their movements through hyperspace. And I've ordered them to configure the route following that ship's movements.” Prar explained. “Their hyperdrive may be better than ours, but they won't get away from us.”
“I must say, it's a very ingenious tactic.” Senator Organa said.
“That's right, although I would have taken some very different measures.”
The new voice was calm, precise, and carried just enough weight to make every conversation on the bridge die.
A man with blue skin and red eyes, with a white immaculate uniform, came onto the bridge, hands clasped behind his back. His red eyes moved once across the holographic display showing the residual hyperspace trail, then settled on Governor Prar.
“Admiral Thrawn,” Prar said, the name coming out half-greeting, half-warning. “I wasn’t informed you would be accompanying the Senator.”
“The Emperor prefers that certain senators travel with appropriate protection,” Thrawn answered mildly. “Especially when their destinations involve… industrious governors.” He inclined his head toward Bail. “Senator Organa. I trust the abrupt change in itinerary has not inconvenienced you unduly.”
Bail’s smile was thin but genuine. “I’ve had worse welcomes, Admiral. Though I admit I expected a reception, not a pursuit.”
Thrawn’s gaze returned to the tactical display. “A pursuit through hyperspace based on a single tracker. Bold. And potentially costly.”
Prar’s jaw tightened. “The rebels have the professor and that Jedi Lepi. I will not let them slip away again.”
“Of course.” Thrawn’s voice remained measured. “Yet abandoning a formal planetary inspection, particularly one involving a scientist whose reports carry senatorial weight, creates its own complications. The Empire’s strength lies not only in catching rebels, but in ensuring the systems they claim to protect remain productive and stable. Your Black Knights are an ambitious experiment in that regard. I would hate to see one of their public demonstrations overshadowed by the disappearance of a Senate-backed ecologist… and the Senator who came to meet him.”
Ochô glanced between the two officers, clearly weighing the undercurrents. Banner looked as though he wished he were anywhere else.
Prar forced a smile that did not reach his eyes. “Your concern is noted, Admiral. Rest assured, once we have the rebels, the professor will be returned unharmed, and the Senator’s visit can proceed as planned.”
“I hope so, Governor Prar,” Thrawn said, looking at the hologram. “And do you happen to have any idea where the rebel ship is headed?”
Prar narrowed his eyes and looked at the crew. “And well? We know where they are going?”
“We’re on it, Governor!” One of the operators said on his monitor. After a while, he finished the calculations, but his face turned pale. “Sir… You won't believe it. I'll show it to you.”
Everyone turned to the operator when he said that, and then to the holographic display. Prar and Thrawn looked at each other when they saw the possible arrival coordinates.
“Have they gone mad or what?”
“The Unknown Regions?!”
Frall exclaimed loudly when he and everyone knew where the Tengu II was going through Hyperspace.
“This could end very badly,” Drasha said. “Are you sure there's no way to stop the ship?”
“According to Yavis, not safely,” Brad said.
“Well, we're in quite a mess.” Frall facepalmed, looking down.
“Excuse me, but what are the Unknown Regions?” Lop asked.
“The Unknown Regions comprise approximately one-sixth of the entire galaxy. A part of the galaxy that has not been fully explored.” Rham Kota said.
“And why is going there so bad?” The Lepi asked.
“Miss, the Unknown Regions are like a gigantic minefield.” Professor Zant said to her. “The number of galactic anomalies is enormous. Constant and changing hyperspace anomalies, gravity wells, black holes and wandering magnetospheres, solar storms, supernova remnants and unpredictable electromagnetic flows, routes that shift or collapse without warning… You name it.”
“Practically speaking, if we had to choose between crossing that place or setting up a base in the Galactic Empire's own capital, the latter is more feasible.” Frall pointed.
“Wow, that place is really scary,” Lop said, hugging herself. “And nobody knows what's there?”
“In all the years of our galactic society, the surface of that place has barely been scratched. Of the many expeditions sent there in the past, the few who returned were traumatized.” Professor Zant said.
Now Lop was fully worried about what would happen to them there.
“Don't worry. As soon as we reach the coordinates, Yavis will make the necessary modifications to the ship, and we'll return the way we came.” Brad said. “The less time we spend there, the better for everyone.”
Lop gave a loud, worried sigh, but TD flew close to her to cheer her.
After some time through hyperspace, the Tengu II reached its destination, getting out of hyperspace. And now that the ship has finally stopped, Yavis began to work with the ship’s computers to solve any software problem it might have.
“How long will it take you to reconfigure the ship's computer?” Brad asked after he entered the cockpit.
“That depends. First, I need to find the code that got us into this mess, and then rewrite everything. We're going to be here for a long time. It's a shame we can't land anywhere.” Yavis said as he worked with the computer.
“I wouldn't be so sure about that.” Professor Zant said when he entered the cockpit. Brad turned to him, and he signaled out of the ship in front of them.
Brad looked in that direction, his jaw dropping in surprise. Everyone else began to enter the cockpit, getting surprised to see what they were looking at. Even Yavis and Byte raised their vision to see the same thing.
“What the heck is that thing?” Frall asked.
“Honestly, I have no idea,” Brad said.
Ahead of them, blotting out the starfield like a second, artificial planet, hung a vessel of impossible scale.
It was not a ship in any sense the Empire or the Rebellion would recognize. Seven colossal domes of pale, weathered metal and translucent alloy rose from a vast, lattice-like framework, each dome large enough to swallow a small moon. One sat at the absolute center, slightly larger and more heavily reinforced than the others, its surface etched with faint geometric patterns that caught the distant starlight. Arrayed around it in a perfect hexagonal formation were the remaining six, each connected to the central dome and to its neighbors by thick, ribbed conduits, massive arterial tubes that looked less like docking arms and more like the fossilized roots of some ancient mechanical tree.
The entire structure rotated with glacial slowness, casting long, shifting shadows across its own hull. Faint lights glowed within the translucent sections of the domes, suggesting atmosphere, weather systems, even the dull gleam of oceans or cloud layers far below the outer shells.
Scarring and age marked every surface: impact craters long since sealed, dark streaks of ancient burn residue, and the dull patina of millennia spent drifting through the void. Compared to it, even a Star Destroyer looked like a child’s toy at its side.
“What are we looking for?” Rahm Kota asked.
“I think it's the biggest ship I've ever seen in my life, Master,” Lop said.
“Much more than that. This thing appears to be almost as big as an asteroid!” Frall exclaimed.
“More like they had gathered six or seven asteroids together,” Yavis said.
“If I'm not mistaken, I believe we are looking at a generation ship.” Professor Zant said.
“Do you mean that this is a colonial spaceship?” Drasha said.
“That’s my hypothesis, miss.” The professor said.
“It's the biggest one I've ever seen,” Brad said, looking at the massive ship.
“Absolutely! I've never heard of a generation ship this size. This thing is bigger than any other space station I've ever seen!” Yavis exclaimed.
“And it’s old. Really old.” Drasha said.
“Do you think someone could live there?” Lop asked, and everyone looked at her. “At least we could take a look. Besides, that way we could dock the ship so Yavis can work on it more calmly.”
“Good idea,” Yavis said.
“Very well, try to locate a docking place on that ship,” Brad said.
“That is, if it has any,” Byte said.
The Tengu II flew toward the titanic ship. The closer they got, the bigger the ship itself looked compared to their own. It was like flying around a space station 1000 times larger than normal. After much searching, they managed to find what appeared to be an access point to the ship. Flying carefully, they entered through the opening, arriving at what was clearly a docking area, where they could also see strange, very old-looking but well-maintained ships docked. Just as the ship landed near an access walkway, the entrance was closed with a pair of heavy-duty doors.
“Okay, either someone lives here, or this place runs on autopilot,” Yavis said.
“Let’s get out and see,” Brad said, beginning to walk out of the cockpit. “And be careful. We don't know what we might find here.”
Everyone except the professor got out of the ship, walking down the walkway connected to the Tengu II. At first they were surprised by the size of the hangar, but as soon as they stepped off the gangway, they were greeted by what appeared to be humanoid battle droids with rifles in their hands.
The droids began to emit binary sounds as they positioned themselves in front of the group.
“What did they say?” Drasha asked Yavis.
“I-I have no idea! That binary language doesn't ring a bell at all!” Yavis exclaimed.
“You don’t understand a binary language?” Frall asked, confused.
“It's true, I didn't even understand them...” Byte said to them.
The strange droids made more binary sounds for a moment, until one of them moved forward.
“Attention, identify yourselves.” The droid suddenly asked.
The group looked at each other, completely puzzled. After a moment, Brad stepped forward with one hand raised, but the other on his blaster.
“Excuse the intrusion. My name is Brad, and I'm the leader of this group. We got lost due to a hyperspace coordinate mismatch, and we've come to dock so we can reconfigure our ship to prevent this from happening again.” Brad said to the droids.
“We haven't come here to cause any harm. We'll do what we have to do and leave without causing any trouble. But be aware that we will defend ourselves if you attack us. So please, let's not make this already delicate situation any worse, okay?” Brad explained to them.
The droids kept silent, looking at them.
“Come on, relax! As you can see, this ship is physically fine! I just need to work on its computer!” Yavis said with his hands raised, beginning to walk behind the ship. “This ship has no external problems, so if you want, we just have to stay inside our ship until-”
When Yavis reached the back of the Tengu II, he spotted something attached to the hull, and when he looked closely, he facepalmed with a loud groan.
“Oh, dank farrik, dank farrik, dank farrik!” Yavis cursed.
“What happens?” Lop asked.
Yavis signaled to the part he inspected. “We have a problem here!”
Frall and Drasha rushed to where Yavis was, and looking at the ship’s hull, they spotted the Imperial tracker attached to it. Immediately, Drasha shot at the tracker, destroying it. But this seemed to have startled the droids as they prepared their weapons.
“Hey, what’s happening?” Brad asked, raising a hand to the droids to calm them but looking to his team.
“Boss, they've planted a tracker on us,” Frall said as they walked back to the group.
“A tracker?” Lop asked.
“Yes, most likely while we were fleeing the planet before entering hyperspace,” Drasha said.
“And how bad is that?” Rahm Kota asked.
“I recognized the model. It is a special tracker designed to follow the target even through hyperspace.” Yavis explained.
“You mean the Empire might be following us?” Lop asked.
“Possibly. Our only advantage is that our hyperdrive is faster than that of their Star Destroyers. But I fear that sooner or later we will have them here.” Yavis said.
Brad cursed their luck with a loud groan before looking at the droids.
“Don't worry. As soon as we finish reconfiguring the onboard computer, we'll be out of here faster than a comet.” Brad said, turning around and running to the group. “Yavis! Byte! To the cockpit, now!”
“Understood!”
“Roger, Roger!”
Yavis and Byte rushed inside the ship to work with the computer, while the others followed them inside, and the droids lowered their guard, keeping an eye on the droids.
Despite this, some time later, Professor Zant walked out of the ship and went to the droids.
“I apologize if this request seems strange to you.” Professor Zant said. “You see, I am a licensed biologist and geologist from the Galactic Empire, and I must admit this is my first time on a colonial vessel of this type. I am very interested in learning how the ecosystem of this place functions in such a confined space. If you would allow me to observe and study the ecology of your ship, I would be more than grateful, and I would certainly take care not to disturb the local wildlife.”
The droids looked at themselves for a moment with their binary talking, before looking at the scientist.
“We have been ordered to protect this hangar. If you intend to explore the ship, it will be at your own risk.” One of the droids said.
“Oh, thank you!” The professor said with a happy expression.
“Hey, professor! What are you doing?” Brad asked while he peered out of the ship's entrance, after noticing the professor’s absence in the ship.
“These friendly droids are allowing me to explore this place and its local ecosystem.” Professor Zant said to him.
“Ah, no!” Brad said as he walked to him. “We don't know what we might find here. And besides, the Empire could arrive at any moment. We must be ready to leave as soon as possible!”
“But, Mister, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! What are the chances of finding a spacecraft like this again? As a scientist, it's my duty to learn what life is like on this station.” The professor said.
Brad intended to answer him, but he was beginning to see how stubborn the scientist was going to be in this situation. He gave a loud groan and took his communicator.
“Guys, everyone get ready to leave. While Yavis and Byte reprogram the Tengu II, we're going on an excursion. Prepare your weapons and equipment.” Brad said through the communicator.
“Oh, thanks, mister.” The scientist said to him.
“Very well, we'll go with you and explore this ship. Don't wander too far. As soon as Yavis reports that he's finished reconfiguring the ship, we'll be back here at full speed, no matter what we find here. Is that clear?” Brad explained to Thaddeus.
“I understand perfectly, sir. I won't cause you too much trouble.” Professor Zant said.
“I don't know why, but I'm afraid it's too late for that,” Brad said with a loud groan.
While the rest of the Yokai were meeting with Thaddeus and Brad, none of them were noticing that one of the hangar's cameras was curiously watching them as they left the hangar.
The group accompanied the professor through the service tunnel, alert to what they might encounter. At first, they came across maintenance robots that seemingly had no reason to act aggressively toward the group, but the situation was still very tense.
“I can't believe we have to babysit for a scientist,” Frall said. “With all the problems we had getting him out of Tao.”
“Admit it. You're curious to know what this ship is like inside, too.” Lop said.
“As long as that curiosity doesn't kill me,” Frall commented.
“Okay, stop arguing, shall we?” Drasha asked them.
Lop then leaned toward Rahm Kota. “Master, you feel it?”
“Yes, I feel it.” The old Jedi replied. “I notice a large number of life forms in this place. The question is, what kind of life forms are here?”
“I hope someone speaks our language and can guide us in this place,” Brad said.
They eventually reached the last door of the tunnel, and upon opening it, they were blinded by a brilliant light on the other side, as if they had just emerged from a cave. Once the group's eyes adjusted to the light, they could see around them and were astonished by what they saw.
Instead of finding themselves in an enclosed space, they found themselves inside a gigantic forest, whose trees seemed to be at least a thousand years old. They could hear the sound of the wind rustling the leaves of the trees, and even the sound of a nearby river. It even seemed as if they could hear the sounds of animals in the area.
“This is beautiful!” Lop exclaimed, looking at her surroundings.
“Seriously, are we freaking out or what's going on here?” Frall asked, looking around. “Are we really inside a spaceship?”
“We're still on the ship, but this is ridiculous!” Brad exclaimed. “How’s this possible?”
The professor walked a few steps and placed his hand on the ground, feeling its texture. “The environmental control system at this station is on another level; there is no doubt about it.” He said, looking down. “This place has been designed to maintain this forest in these conditions. Apparently, it's equipped with an artificial sunlight system that activates the plants' photosynthesis, creating a breathable and natural atmosphere. Fascinating.”
“Seriously, as soon as I see this place, I feel like I'm home,” Lop said, placing her hand on one of the trees. “This place is full of life.”
“Yes, that's right. It's something I wasn't expecting here.” Rahm Kota said.
“Come on, let's go! With luck, we might find someone who can tell us about this place.” Thaddeus said excitedly.
“Calm down, professor. It's best not to get distracted in this place.” Brad said.
Suddenly, they heard the sound of plants moving nearby, alerting the group, who drew their weapons.
“What’s that?” Drasha asked.
“I don't know, but we're about to find out,” Frall said.
Suddenly, strange lizards began to appear, darting through the surrounding grass, seemingly with hostile intentions towards the group.
Drasha and Fray immediately shot the lizards, killing them instantly, but more of them kept appearing. Even some of them began to block the way to the corridor.
“This is bad. We can’t stay here; move!” Brad ordered, and everyone began to run while some of them shot at the lizards following them.
The group ran as fast as it could from the lizards as they shot down the few ones that were able to follow them. The retreat was chaotic. The lizards didn't attack in a coordinated wave; instead, they flickered in and out of the dense foliage, snapping at ankles and lunging from the canopy as they chased them. Frall threw a thermal grenade at them, taking down a few of them while momentarily blinding a cluster of the creatures with the explosion. For a second, the group saw them clearly: iridescent scales that shifted colors to match the leaves, making them nearly invisible until they were inches away.
The group kept running from the strange lizards until they were able to escape from the strange creatures. After running for a few minutes, and the Jedi not feeling any danger nearby, the group stopped close to a running river, panting loudly.
“Seriously, what in the world were those things?” Frall asked while catching his breath.
“I never saw creatures like that before,” Drasha said. “And even less so when they can camouflage themselves in that way.”
“Yeah, we were lucky to lose them,” Lop said, looking behind them.
“I have a hypothesis.” Professor Zant said. “It's normal for some animals to be able to acquire environmental camouflage, but this level of camouflage goes beyond what is biologically possible, at least naturally.”
“Are you saying those things were artificially created?” Brad asked.
“Possibly for this biome, yes.” The professor said.
“Come on. The way you're saying it, I'm supposed to think you're implying that someone here created them?” Frall asked.
“And there might be more of them,” Thaddeus said.
Brad then shook his head. “Okay, that's it. We're all going back to the ship and staying there all day. I don't want any more surprises.”
“I understand your concern, Brad, but do you even know where we've been? And what's more, are you sure we won't run into those things again?” The professor said.
Brad gave a loud sigh with a hand on his forehead.
“Besides, why leave if things are about to get more interesting?” Professor Zant said as he began to walk.
“Meaning?” Frall asked.
Thaddeus walked until he stood in front of what looked like a pile of bushes, but when he pulled some of them out, they revealed themselves to be what appeared to be the rusted remains of some kind of metal raft.
“A raft?” Frall raised an eyebrow.
“And if there’s a raft, then there must be some settlement nearby,” Lop suggested.
“A settlement inside a ship. Doesn't that sound extremely strange to you?” Frall asked.
“Well, we’re in a colonial spaceship with its own biosphere. Wherever it came from, it is clear that its inhabitants did not want to live the typical life confined in corridors and maintenance tunnels.” Drasha said.
“If that were the case, I would have noticed something. But all I feel are the animals around me, if you can even call them that.” Rahm Kota said.
“Perhaps because they are a different breed, you might have trouble recognizing them,” Brad said.
“Or maybe they’re like the Azun bounty hunter,” Lop said.
“It wouldn't be surprising. The Azun are from the Unknown Regions, after all.” Drasha said.
“Okay, now that everything is clear... shall we continue?” Professor Zant said, clapping his hands.
Brad sighed loudly, still believing that staying there was a very bad idea.
The group advanced through the lush, pseudo-artificial forest, trying to avoid further encounters with any creatures that might inhabit the place. Including some dragonfly-like monsters that roamed the zone.
After traveling for what seemed like hours, the group arrived at what appeared to be a highly evolved city, but equally adapted to the surrounding environment, with plants and trees growing on some of the buildings.
“Look at that. There really is a city around here.” Frall commented.
“Yeah, but I can’t feel anything there.” Rahm Kota said.
The group entered the city following the professor. As they explored the city, they discovered it was completely deserted. No one lived there. The only things they found were what appeared to be maintenance droids keeping the ghost town spotless.
“This place is starting to give me the creeps,” Lop said, looking around.
“You're absolutely right. If it weren't for how spotless everything is, we could say this place was a ghost town.” Brad said before turning to Rahm Kota. “You don’t feel any other lifeform with the Force?”
The old Jedi shook his head with his eyes closed. “Sorry, but I can’t feel anything that looks remotely human here.”
“Damn, so why are all these machines maintaining this place?” Frall asked.
“Perhaps everything is in automatic mode,” Lop said.
“But for how long?” Drasha asked.
“Uhm, gentlemen?” Professor Zant said, calling their attention.
The group looked at the professor, who was manipulating some kind of monitor, pushing random buttons, until it ended up appearing on what seemed like a circular map.
“What’s this?” Lop asked, seeing the map.
“I believe this is a map of this section of the ship.” Professor Zant said. “Look, this map says we’re here, in this city. And nearby there appears to be access to the central sector.”
“Please, professor. Don’t tell me you want to go there, right?” Brad asked him with his arms crossed.
Thaddeus pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, already studying the glowing map with the intensity of a man who had just discovered a new species.
“Brad, this map indicates that the central sector is not only accessible from here, but that it appears to be the primary hub of the entire vessel. If this truly is a generation ship of this magnitude, the central dome would house the main environmental controls, the power core, and very likely the original command systems. Understanding how this place has sustained itself for… however long it has been adrift… could be one of the most important scientific discoveries of our age.”
Frall groaned. “And it could also be where whatever created those camouflaged lizards keeps the rest of its toys.”
“Or where the people who used to live here went,” Lop said quietly, looking around the empty streets. “Master Kota can’t sense anyone. That has to mean something.”
Rahm Kota kept his eyes half-closed, still reaching out through the Force. “There is life here. A great deal of it. But it feels… filtered. Contained. As if something is deliberately keeping most of it away from this particular dome.”
Drasha checked the charge on her blaster. “That’s not comforting.”
Brad looked from the map to the deserted city, then back toward the direction they had come. He could still feel the weight of the Imperial tracker they had destroyed, and the knowledge that a Star Destroyer was somewhere behind them in the Unknown Regions.
“We don’t have unlimited time,” he said. “Yavis and Byte are still working on the hyperdrive. The second they finish, we leave. No arguments.”
“Then we make the time count,” the professor replied, already walking in the direction the map indicated.
Brad exhaled through his nose, long and slow. “Fine. But we stay together. No wandering off. Frall, take point with me. Drasha, watch our rear. Lop, stay close to the General. Professor… try not to poke anything that looks like it might explode or wake up.”
“I make no promises,” Thaddeus said cheerfully.
They moved through the overgrown streets of the empty city. The architecture was elegant in a way none of them recognized—smooth curves of pale metal mixed with living wood and stone that seemed to have grown into the buildings rather than been placed there. Maintenance droids continued their silent work, ignoring the group as long as they didn’t interfere.
After nearly an hour of careful travel, the forest began to thin. The artificial sunlight grew slightly brighter, and the path under their feet changed from soft earth to a wide, slightly raised walkway of the same weathered alloy they had seen on the outer hull.
Ahead of them, a massive circular structure rose from the ground: a sealed gateway set into what looked like the inner wall of the dome itself. Thick conduits ran into it from every direction, and a series of smaller doors and observation panels surrounded the main entrance.
A single large display panel glowed beside the central gate. Strange symbols scrolled across it in a language none of them could read.
Professor Zant approached it immediately, eyes shining.
“This is it,” he murmured. “The access point to the central sector.”
“Yeah, just like the one we used to get to this crazy place,” Frall said.
Brad began to carefully manipulate the door controls, the metallic gate opening in front of them. As soon as they crossed the threshold, the doors closed automatically.
“I just hope these doors don't lock as we walk through them,” Drasha said.
“In that case, we'll open it with explosives,” Frall said.
“Not so fast. We have no idea how this ship will react if we start blowing things up.” Brad said. “Let's just be careful.”
The group continued moving through the metal corridors until Lop stopped.
“You feel something?” Brad asked.
“Not, but I’m hearing something… clearly we’re not alone,” Lop said. “I have a feeling that some creatures have slipped into these tunnels.”
"To be honest, it would seem strange to me if these places were spotless and satin-cleaned after so much time," Frall said.
“Do you feel something, Kota?” Drasha asked the old Jedi.
“That's true. It seems there's animal life adapted to these tunnels, but... I don't know... there's something here that worries me.” Rahm Kota said.
“And what is it, Master?” Lop asked.
“I don't know... It's something faint but latent. Something very ancient, something very... dark. This feeling next to it makes the Dark Side seem like a day at the beach…” The old Jedi said.
“Don't tell me there's anything worse than a Sith Lord!” Brad exclaimed.
“Who knows? We're in the Unknown Regions. And we don't know where this ship came from.” Drasha said.
“In that case, we should be extremely cautious. It would be bad luck to run into a dark god or something like that in this place.” Brad said.
“If there really is a dark god and I see it, I'm running away and not stopping until I reach Iridonia,” Frall said.
The entire group continued onward. As they walked through the tunnel's extensive corridors, they could see that some of the maintenance tunnel doors appeared damaged, likely by life forms that had entered the area long ago.
The air grew heavier the deeper they went. Condensation dripped from overhead pipes in slow, irregular beats. The artificial lighting flickered in places, casting long, distorted shadows that made every corner look like it was moving.
Rahm Kota raised a hand, stopping the group.
“Something’s closer,” he said quietly. “Not the small ones we left behind. This is heavier. Older.”
Lop’s ears twitched. “I hear scraping. Like claws on metal… a lot of them.”
Brad motioned for silence and signaled Frall and Drasha to take the flanks. Professor Zant, however, had already drifted a few steps ahead, examining a section of wall where the plating had been torn open from the inside. Deep gouges ran along the metal, some still edged with a dark, dried residue.
“Fascinating,” the professor murmured, leaning closer. “These marks weren’t made by tools. The angle and depth suggest a creature with tremendous upper-body strength, possibly—”
A low, resonant growl rolled through the corridor, vibrating the floor under their boots.
Everyone froze.
From the darkness ahead, a pair of pale yellow eyes opened. Then another pair. Then three more.
The first creature stepped into the dim light.
It was massive—easily the size of a bantha, but lower and broader, built for confined spaces. Its body was covered in overlapping plates of iridescent chitin that shifted color to match the dull gray of the corridor walls. Six powerful limbs ended in curved, metallic-looking claws. A ridge of jagged spines ran down its back, and when it opened its mouth, rows of interlocking teeth gleamed wetly. Smaller, leaner versions of the same species skittered along the walls and ceiling around it, their camouflage almost perfect until they moved.
“Back!” Brad shouted. “Weapons free!”
The large predator charged.
Blaster fire filled the corridor in a chaotic storm of red and blue bolts. Several of the smaller creatures dropped, screeching, but the big one shrugged off the first volley, its chitin plates flaring with energy as if they partially absorbed the shots. It slammed into Frall, sending the Zabrak flying into the opposite wall hard enough to crack the plating.
Drasha poured sustained fire into its side while Lop and Brad dragged Frall back to his feet. Rahm Kota’s lightsaber snapped to life with a green snap-hiss, the blade cutting a glowing arc that forced the beast to rear back with a furious roar.
“Split up!” Brad yelled over the noise. “Draw them apart—don’t let them pin us in the open!”
The corridor branched in three directions just behind them. In the chaos of the attack, the group had no choice.
Frall and Drasha peeled left, laying down covering fire. Brad, Lop, and Kota took the center path, the Jedi’s blade flashing as he cut down two of the smaller creatures that tried to flank them. Professor Zant, still closest to the damaged wall section, stumbled backward when one of the lesser beasts lunged at him. He turned and ran down the right-hand corridor without looking back, the smaller creatures hot on his heels.
“Professor!” Brad shouted, but the roar of the large monster drowned him out as it charged again, forcing the main group deeper into the central tunnel.
The big creature was relentless. Every time they thought they had gained distance, it smashed through a bulkhead or climbed along the ceiling to cut them off. Kota’s lightsaber scored deep grooves in its armor, but the beast learned quickly, using the confined space to its advantage and forcing the Jedi to defend more than attack.
Behind them, the sounds of blaster fire from Frall and Drasha’s direction grew more distant and sporadic.
Ahead, Brad could hear the professor’s startled shouts echoing down the branching corridor, growing fainter.
“We’re getting separated!” Lop cried, firing at a creature that dropped from the ceiling.
“I know!” Brad grit his teeth, shoving her ahead of him as Kota held the rear. “Just keep moving—we regroup when we can!”
The large predator slammed into a support pillar, bringing down a cascade of sparks and debris that momentarily blocked the way back. When the dust cleared, the corridor behind them was sealed by twisted metal and the growling silhouette of the beast still trying to force its way through.
Brad, Lop, and Kota were alone in the central tunnel.
Somewhere to the right, the professor’s voice called out once more—cut short by a heavy impact and the skittering of many claws.
Silence fell for a heartbeat, broken only by the distant, echoing roars of the creatures and the soft, ominous hum of the ship’s ancient systems.
Brad stared down the sealed corridor, jaw clenched.
“This,” he muttered, “is exactly why I wanted to stay on the ship.”
“And what do we do now?” Drasha asked.
“There are several tunnels in this area,” Brad said. “Hopefully, they'll all lead to the other side. From there, we'll try to find some clue as to the professor's whereabouts. Hurry!”
At the same time, Thaddeus kept running in front of the small professor through the maintenance tunnels until he suddenly tripped over something on the ground, causing him to fall to the ground.
Seeing his end approaching with those creatures nearby, the professor covered his head, closed his eyes, and awaited the end. But what he heard was the sound of a fight and the noises of fleeing beasts.
The professor began to get up to see what was happening, finding several of the monsters dead. But what surprised him was a figure among the monsters, and he wondered who it was.
But at the same time, in space, the Star Destroyer was finally emerging from Hyperspace, hovering in front of the enormous colonial ship. Shador Prar and Ochô watched the enormous ship that had just appeared in front of them from the command bridge with interest and uncertainty.
While all this was happening, a pair of dark eyes opened in the deepest darkness. An ancient creature began to sense an unfamiliar presence, waiting for its moment.
