41-43

Chapter 41: Crisis Looms 

40. Crisis Looms 

Trent strolled over to Yuri and said, “So, you’re heading to the northwest district of Mos Eisley? Heard it’s pretty rough out there.” 

“That’s exactly my kind of place,” Yuri chuckled, but then shifted gears. “Still, how about lending me that T-850 assigned to you?” 

“You and Vitaly have two T-850s already, and that’s not enough? Didn’t you just say you love it there?” Trent grinned. 

“I love it, but I love staying alive more. Gotta be alive to make deals, you know.” Yuri clapped Trent’s shoulder. “So, as agreed, we’ll meet up in 24 standard hours.” 

Trent shook his head and headed into a Mos Eisley cantina with Quinto and Felasi. He told Quinto this trip was about sniffing out some business and letting everyone unwind. They’d just pulled off a big deal, pocketing 10,000 credits, after all. 

At the cantina, Trent quickly spotted the Twi’lek woman he’d hooked up with last time. One thing led to another, and after a few drinks, they were all over each other—him suave and charming, her flirty and teasing. Before long, they were tangled up in a shadowy corner of the bar. 

Seeing Trent distracted and his droid bodyguard gone with Yuri, Quinto’s face turned serious. He downed his blue Spotchka, the unique shrimp-like tang from Sorgan’s krill filling his mouth. But his favorite drink couldn’t hold his attention now. 

“So? What about the thing from before?” Felasi sipped her drink, eyes locked on Quinto. 

“Are you out of your mind? Plotting something with Kenneth? Don’t you get how easily this could get us killed? Nobody in the Fourth Group is a pushover—I told you about that job we ran with them!” Quinto hissed. 

“So what? They’re still a bunch of losers who couldn’t even handle three bounty hunters’ junky ships and had to beg a Jedi for help,” Felasi scoffed. 

“That doesn’t mean we go to ‘Iron Tooth’ Kuken! Don’t you know who he is? He’s tied to Black Sun! How else do you think the Hutts let him cruise around Tatooine with a Hammerhead-class cruiser?” Quinto’s fists clenched, his voice low and tense. 

Felasi glanced at Trent’s corner. The Twi’lek woman was now in his lap, the two of them lost in their fun, oblivious to everything else. 

She snorted. “What’s the plan then? Just let them steal our ship and hold us like hostages on Endor? I didn’t leave Corellia with you for this kind of life!” 

“Listen, Ventus’s been good to us. Food, shelter, no worrying about tomorrow— isn’t that enough? If we go to ‘Iron Tooth’ Kuken now… you think he’ll treat us any better?” Quinto growled. 

Felasi frowned, thinking hard, but doubled down stubbornly. “It’s too late. I already sent the message.” 

“What? When?” Quinto’s eyes went wide. 

“Kenneth told me the guy at the second table by the door works for Kuken. Three knocks on their table, and it’s done. So earlier, I…” Felasi’s voice faltered, like she realized she’d messed up. 

“You kriffing idiot! Run! We can’t let them catch us!” Quinto grabbed her hand, ready to bolt for the exit. 

But as he stood, a heavy force shoved him back into his seat. He turned, heart sinking—over a dozen mean-looking thugs had surrounded them. 

Quinto’s eyes darted to Trent’s table, but it was empty. Trent had slipped away. 

Meanwhile, in a hotel room behind the cantina, Trent was tangled up with the Twi’lek woman, who moved like a seductive serpent. He muttered under his breath, “‘Iron Tooth’ Kuken? A Hammerhead-class cruiser? Kriff!” 

The T Twi’lek woman slithered closer, her head-tails brushing his back as she purred, “Darling, that dice game you taught me? I lost again… I’m out of clothes to take off. What now?” 

Trent’s sleazy grin returned. He pulled her close, whispering, “Let’s play truth or dare. I ask, you answer. Ever heard of ‘Iron Tooth’ Kuken?” 

Her eyes flashed with fear. “Why bring him up? That’s scary stuff…” 

“Just tell me, and I’ll give you a big reward. Like, really big,” Trent teased, breathing in her ear. 

She licked her lips, reluctant. “I know a girl who’s tight with one of Kuken’s navigators. Want me to call her over? We could both—” 

“Haha, no way! Double rewards are all yours today!” Trent laughed, scooping her up and heading for the back room. 

But his other hand slipped into his pocket, sending the eavesdropped recording to Ventus. 

Back on Dawn, no one sensed the storm coming. Work hummed along smoothly. After settling Professor Chi Jianjun, the master engineer, into his “mansion,” Ventus crashed in his City Hall room. 

He’d barely hit the bed when a scream pierced the night: “Help!” 

It was faint, but his Force sensitivity snapped him awake. 

An enemy? A beast breaking in? 

Ventus leapt up, not bothering with a shirt, and vaulted from the second-floor window, sprinting toward the sound. 

Halfway there, he saw a figure in nothing but underwear, clutching clothes, running toward him. It was Chi Jianjun, looking like a mess—his combed-over hair now a wild, bald crown with long strands flapping. 

Spotting Ventus, Chi Jianjun ran to him like he’d seen a savior. “Monsters! There’s monsters!” 

“Whoa, hold up! What kind of monsters?” Ventus grabbed his shoulders, trying to calm him down. 

Chapter 42: Karma, Huh? 

41. Karma, Huh? 

“Monster! There’s a monster!! Right on my bed!” Chi Jianjun was so freaked out he could barely get his words straight. “Eight legs! Glowing green! Teeth longer than my arm! And it’s got two extra mouths on its neck!” 

“What?!” Ventus was furious. “What are the marines doing?! How did a monster get into Professor Chi’s room? This is a joke!” He didn’t even consider other possibilities after hearing Chi’s description. 

He immediately patched through to Graham’s comms, unleashing a tirade. “What are you people doing?! A monster got into Professor Chi’s room! We’ll deal with you later! Right now, lock down that area, surround it with marines, and take that thing out! Then do a full security sweep to make sure the whole colony’s safe!” 

“Uh… Administrator, let me expl—” 

“I don’t want excuses! Do it now!” Ventus snapped. 

“That hide—wasn’t it you who told us to put it there?” Graham, pushed to his limit, shouted back, not caring about Ventus’s ego. 

“What? A hide?” Ventus froze. Then it hit him. When he’d been sprucing up the “mansion,” he’d told them to hunt a beast and put its pelt on the bed. 

But maybe it was his Earth-born mindset—when he thought “beast,” he pictured a tiger, a leopard, maybe a black bear. A wolf at worst. 

Who could’ve imagined this… 

Moments later, Ventus stood speechless, staring at the hairless, green-glowing hide at his feet. It had four claws, a flattened head and neck, and besides the main mouth, two more on either side of its neck. A nightmare straight out of a holovid. 

“Okay, seriously,” Ventus said, rubbing his forehead. “I told you to hunt a beast. Why’d you bring back something that makes your sanity drop to zero just looking at it?” 

“Report, Administrator!” said the Dawn City marine captain, standing ramrod straight. “This is a fearsome beast! Lives in deep water. Just a few days ago, it tried to attack our sealed pig farm. Our brave warriors took it down with a shock blaster!” 

Shock blaster? Ventus was sweating, eyeing the still-twitching hide. He waved the captain off, then plastered on a grin and turned to Chi Jianjun. “Professor Chi, we just wanted to get you something natural for your mattress. Way better than synthetic leather, right? But if it’s not your thing, no problem! We’ll swap it out for a cotton quilt right away. It’s no trouble—our warriors are happy to change your bedding in the middle of the night.” 

“It’s really just a hide?” Chi Jianjun stood far away, still too spooked to get close. 

“Totally a hide!” Ventus gave the thing’s head a kick for emphasis. 

“Get it out! Take it away! I don’t want it! I’d rather sleep on a quilt!” Chi Jianjun was adamant. 

“Alright, alright, I’ll handle it.” Ventus sweet-talked Chi back to bed, then yawned, stretching as he trudged back to his own dorm. 

But he’d barely gotten two hours of sleep when a blood-curdling scream echoed from Chi’s villa. “Help! HELP!!!” 

Ventus was instantly on edge. He shot out of bed, racing toward the villa. This time, he didn’t call Graham to send in the troops—he’d check it out himself first. 

Sure enough, there was Chi Jianjun, clutching his clothes and blankets, running toward him screaming, “Help! There’s… there’s another monster!!” 

“Another one? There shouldn’t be!” Ventus scratched his head. 

“There is! Right outside my window!” Chi pointed at the villa, practically unhinged. 

“Window… wait a sec…” Ventus’s stomach dropped. He turned toward the villa, and sure enough, there was a harsh quack-quack sound, followed by flapping wings. A massive black bird took off, soaring toward the forest. 

“So… that’s the bird nest I told them to put outside the window? ‘Birds and flowers, birds and flowers,’” Ventus muttered, a bead of sweat rolling down his face. “Next time, it’ll probably be a carnivorous plant…” 

“Huh? What’s that about birds and flowers?” Chi, still rattled, hadn’t caught what he said. 

“Oh, nothing! I’ll have the team check your room thoroughly. No issues this time, I promise!” Ventus thumped his chest. 

“You have them take their time checking,” Chi said suddenly. “By the way, where do you sleep at night?” 

“Me? Oh, I just rough it in the city hall dorms,” Ventus replied, not quite following. 

Without another word, Chi clutched his blanket and bolted toward Ventus’s dorm. 

“Hey, Professor Chi, what’re you doing? Your villa’s over there!” Ventus ran after him, grabbing his arm. 

“Don’t stop me! Let me rough it too!” Chi struggled. 

“But Professor, that villa’s a mansion we built just for you…” Ventus was losing his grip. 

“Mansion, my foot! Let me go! I, Chi Jianjun, at 67 years old, am ready to die in your room if it comes to it!” Chi somehow found the strength to march forward, step by stubborn step. 

Not wanting to hurt the old man, Ventus couldn’t hold him back. The two ended up tangled all the way back to Ventus’s room. 

Chi didn’t hesitate, pointing at the couch. “You’re the boss, you take the bed. I’ll take the sofa.” He tossed his blanket down and was out like a light. 

Ventus sighed, rubbing his forehead. It was late, and he couldn’t exactly kick the old professor out, so he climbed into bed. 

… 

In the dead of night, Dawn City was fast asleep. Aside from the marines patrolling the streets, no one stirred. 

Ventus lay awake, staring at the ceiling. On the sofa, Chi’s snores were loud enough to shake the room. Ventus glanced at the water glass on his nightstand, rippling with every snore, and muttered, “Karma, huh…” 

By noon the next day, Ventus finally dragged himself out of bed, rubbing his panda eyes. Chi was already up, leisurely practicing Tai Chi in the courtyard. 

Ventus shuffled over, but before he could speak, Chi cut him off. “Don’t say it. I’m staying here from now on. That mansion? Whoever wants it can have it.” 

“But—” 

“I told you, I’m just here to retire.” 

“Still—” 

“Look, I’m an old geezer. Why keep stressing me out?” 

“Listen—” 

“I know, you’re gonna talk about disasters. Our civilization got so advanced, but it still got wrecked by endless calamities. Void demons, purification protocols, higher-dimensional beings—who’d mess with those? I say we shouldn’t poke that kind of trouble. A nice farming colony’s fine. You ever seen a farming colony planting crops with a starship? So, I’m retiring.” 

You’re quick when you’re arguing… Ventus rubbed his temples, at a loss. Then he had an idea. He signaled a T-850 to roll over a computer, set it in front of Chi, and played footage from a week ago—a brutal dogfight with three bounty hunters. 

Chi kept up his Tai Chi, but his eyes were drawn to the screen. His movements slowed, his face darkened, and finally, he stopped. He stood in front of the computer, grim. 

After a long silence, he glared at Ventus. “You’re our leader? The Administrator?” 

“That’s me,” Ventus nodded. 

“Some leader! Go be a murderer instead—you’ve got a knack for it.” Chi stormed back to the room, slammed the door, and locked it. 

Chapter 43: The Devil Professor 

Ventus shook his head, realizing this guy wasn’t going to be useful anytime soon. He turned and left, hopping on a transport ship back to the mothership. 

As soon as he stepped onto the bridge, he spotted Dr. Guan Yan and a gaggle of research department experts waiting eagerly. They were practically buzzing with anticipation for the arrival of a master-level expert. 

“Administrator, where’s the master? We’ve got some issues with the scramjet modal propulsion that need sorting out…” one expert piped up. 

“Hold on, hold on! We’ve got problems with the superconducting laser carrier that could use the master’s help too!” another chimed in. 

The experts started talking over each other, their voices a chaotic jumble. 

Ventus frowned, cutting through the noise. “You’re all PhDs and postdocs, right? Can’t you handle these problems yourselves?” 

Dr. Feng Yongwang gave a wry smile. “It’s not that we can’t, but this tech is way ahead of our time. Sure, we’ve got all the data laid out, but cracking these puzzles takes time—time we might not have.” 

“The mothership’s database has all the tech data, doesn’t it? It’s like an open-book exam. That’s still not enough?” Ventus pressed. 

Dr. Qu Xuewen adjusted his glasses and explained, “Think of it this way: even a single starfighter isn’t just about the ship itself. It’s a mash-up of materials, electronics, engines, energy systems, aerodynamics, ergonomics, computer systems—you name it. All those pieces come together to make a starfighter.” 

“And each of those pieces? They branch out into their own web of problems. It’s like a tree—above ground, it’s already a tangled mess of branches. Dig into the roots, and it’s a whole other level of complexity. So, even with an open-book exam, digesting all this knowledge isn’t just about finding one answer.” 

Ventus nodded, finally getting it. “So, you need someone like Professor Chi, who’s spent a lifetime in aerospace tech, to guide you through the chaos?” 

“Exactly,” Guan Yan said. “We need someone to point us in the right direction through this mess of data. Some things you can’t just look up in a manual—it takes years of experience to develop the intuition for it.” 

“Intuition?” Ventus raised an eyebrow. 

“Yup, intuition,” she replied. “The kind of gut feeling you get in research, spotting patterns in an ocean of data that are barely there.” 

Ventus sighed. “Well, Professor Chi… let’s just say he’s not up to the task right now due to health issues. You’ll have to push through this yourselves—think of it as a chance to level up. In the meantime, I’ll see what kind of support I can pull from the Galactic Republic.” 

Guan Yan and Feng Yongwang exchanged glances, their disappointment plain as day, but they nodded. They knew Ventus wanted a master expert just as badly as they did. 

“Let’s get back to work,” Qu Xuewen said smoothly, sensing the mood souring. He and the others headed back to the lab. 

Ventus could see the research team’s morale visibly tanking. He couldn’t let it slide. Catching up to them, he said, “Didn’t you mention the Gemini missile was ready for a test launch? Can I come check out the results?” 

Feng Yongwang perked up at the mention of his specialty. “Oh, yeah, it’s ready. The Gemini missile is basically good to go for deployment, but we need some tweaks to make it compatible with the Blade-class starfighters. The Phantom starfighter’s a heavy beast—almost three times the size of a Blade. If you want to see the test, I’ll set it up right now.” 

So, Ventus followed them to the mothership’s lab. But the moment they walked in, they saw someone completely unexpected. 

Professor Chi Jianjun? 

There he was, flipping through a stack of documents at lightning speed. When he noticed Ventus and the others, he didn’t wait for them to speak. “I’ve been thinkin’,” he said bluntly. “This mess ain’t all your fault. You got hit by interstellar pirates, and this universe has got that blasted Galactic Republic breathin’ down your neck. So, I figure I can do somethin’ to help.” 

Ventus’s eyes lit up, a grin spreading across his face. “That’s fantastic, Professor Chi! I—” 

Chi raised a hand, cutting him off. “I’m 67 years old. I’ll give you five years of my time. After that, I’m done—retired. No one’s talkin’ me out of it. I gotta save some time for my wife, spend it with her proper.” 

“Your wife? I’ll arrange to have her woken up right away. Whatever she needs—” 

“She’s gone,” Chi said, waving off the topic like it was a pesky fly. He turned to Feng Yongwang. “I looked at your research logs. You’ve got a solid foundation, but you’re too rigid. You’re just followin’ the data like it’s a recipe. That ain’t how it works! The Phantom starfighter’s built on a tech system totally different from our Fourth Civilization’s. You can’t just slap our logic onto someone else’s puzzle.” 

Feng Yongwang and the others snapped to attention, their excitement palpable. “Yes, sir!” Feng said. “That’s exactly the biggest hurdle we’re facing. Please, Professor, guide us!” 

“Guide you? What’s with you lot? We’re doin’ research, not teachin’ a class! You gotta shift your mindset—completely different way of thinkin’!” Chi jabbed a finger at his temple, his voice booming. “You’ve been takin’ detours this whole time! The answers are right in front of you, and you still don’t get it! This last failure? You’re partly to blame. Pay attention!” 

The team shrank under his tirade, faces red, not daring to say a word. 

Ventus finally understood why they called him the Devil Professor. The man didn’t hold back, no matter who you were! 

Seeing the team cowed into silence, Chi sighed and waved a hand. “Alright, let’s get to it. Check these parameters. Their tech system’s different, but one thing’s key: their physical laws are the same as ours. Start from there, and here’s how you should approach it. Who’s the mechanical engineering guy?” 

“That’s me,” Feng Yongwang said, raising his head. “I’m a PhD in mechanical engineering.” 

“PhD? That’ll do, I guess. Look at this set of equations—you couldn’t make heads or tails of ‘em before, right? It’s just a matter of direction. Now check out this set I wrote…” Chi dashed to a board and scribbled a string of symbols that, to Ventus, might as well have been ancient Sith runes. 

Feng Yongwang’s eyes widened, a lightbulb going off. “I get it! We can’t just plug their equations into our system’s formulas. We need to translate their formulas into our rules!” 

“Quit interruptin’! Keep watchin’!” Chi barked. “I’m not just givin’ you answers—I’m teachin’ you the method. You’re gonna take over for me one day, so learn it right!” 

Feng Yongwang and the others leaned in, scribbling notes furiously, completely forgetting Ventus was even there. But Ventus didn’t mind. He looked at the bustling research team with a satisfied smile. 

Then, out of nowhere, the mothership’s mainframe pinged a message through the chip implanted in his brain. As he read it, the smile vanished, his expression turning ice-cold.