*Chapter 33: Things Are Heating Up*

At this point, Ventus was starting to wonder if there was something off with Qunto and his crew.

“Qi Jian,” Ventus asked, “did anyone else see that battle?”

“Besides the two Jedi, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, there’s probably one other guy,” Qi Jian replied. “His name’s Kenneth, one of the three armed thugs we nabbed back on Ryloth. He’s the most educated of the bunch—studied a few years on Corellia. He’s been teaching our people some Basic in the Galactic Standard language. His classroom had a clear view of the dogfight.”

A cold smirk tugged at Ventus’s lips. He leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other, but didn’t say a word.

“What, you’re still worried about Qunto?” Munte chimed in. “If that guy’s not a complete idiot, he’d have figured out after meeting Hego that we’re all tied to the same bantha here.”

“It’s not Qunto I’m worried about,” Ventus said with a chilling chuckle. “Even if he spills to Hego about us secretly saving Semid, he knows he’s a dead man either way. The more you know, the faster you go, right?”

“So, it’s the others then. Like this Kenneth guy,” Munte said.

“Keep an eye on them. Watch their moves. If we’re gonna use them, we need to be sure they’re loyal. And if push comes to shove…” Ventus made a quick slicing motion across his throat.

Munte shook his head. “I say we think long-term. We need to build ties with the local powers in this galaxy. What we saw out there was just the tip of the iceberg, but it’s clear this universe has some serious firepower. Qunto’s a cowardly smuggler who knows the underworld like the back of his hand—exactly the kind of guy we need. Instead of jumping to executions, let’s give them a chance. Watch their behavior first.”

“Fine,” Ventus said, nodding. “Qunto’s your responsibility then. But stick close for now—no long runs. We can’t risk a repeat of last time. I’ve activated an elite pilot named Judith. She’ll start training to fly the Aurore-class freighter immediately. For now, she’ll handle the defenses around the mothership. But you need to be ready to jump in at a moment’s notice.”

“Got it,” Munte said with a nod.

“Oh, and take those 100,000 credits,” Ventus added. “Head to Tatooine and figure out the best way to spend them. You know what I mean.”

“Leave it to me,” Munte said with a grin, flashing a thumbs-up. “And hey, boss, you don’t have to micromanage everything. How else are we supposed to earn our pay?” He gave a toothy smile, waved, and strolled out of the command center.

Ventus rubbed his temples and let out a self-deprecating chuckle. Yeah, trust your people and let them do their jobs. Here he was, in charge, but if he kept trying to handle research, personnel, combat, diplomacy, and smuggling himself, he’d burn out. That’s the classic mistake new leaders make—thinking they’re the only ones who can get it right.

But the truth was, there were plenty of people who could do it better. They just needed the chance.

With that thought, he pulled up the personnel list and switched to the “Legendary Figures” tab. His eyes lingered on that name. But after a long pause, he didn’t select it.

He shook his head with a wry smile and muttered to himself, “Not yet. Just a little longer.”

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Meanwhile, a Z-10 Explorer-class ship entered the atmosphere of Coruscant, the glittering capital of the Galactic Republic. After passing through the defense fleet’s scans, it headed straight for the Jedi Temple.

“You okay, Obi-Wan?” Qui-Gon Jinn asked, glancing back at his apprentice, who was staring out the viewport, lost in thought.

“I… I’m thinking about that group in the Endor system, Master,” Obi-Wan Kenobi said with a nod. “The ones calling themselves the Fourth Group Corporation.”

“Oh? What about them?”

“They say they’re a company, but their actions don’t add up,” Obi-Wan said. “Their fighters might be low-grade, but their pilots? They’re clearly well-trained. Think about it—even massive organizations like the Trade Federation or the InterGalactic Banking Clan don’t have that kind of systematic pilot training. Except maybe…”

“A regular army,” Qui-Gon finished, nodding. “You’re paying attention, Obi-Wan. That’s exactly what worries me. Let’s report back. The galaxy’s getting messier by the day, and I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

The ship docked at the Jedi Temple’s landing platform. The two Jedi made their way to one of the temple’s towering spires, where they stood before the twelve-member Jedi High Council to deliver their findings.

“A disciplined interstellar colonization group, hmm,” Master Yoda said, nodding slowly. “Other discoveries, have you?”

“We couldn’t pinpoint the source of the Force disturbance,” Qui-Gon replied.

“Fading, this feeling is. Maturing, this thing is,” Yoda said, turning to a tall, bald man with dark skin and an imposing presence. “Your thoughts, Master Windu?”

Mace Windu, a member of the Jedi High Council second only to Yoda, carried an air of quiet authority. He nodded to Qui-Gon, his deep voice steady and commanding. “Did you notice anything unusual about this colonization group?”

“They call themselves the Fourth Group Corporation,” Qui-Gon said. “They have an enormous ship—radar showed it’s several kilometers tall, larger than any known vessel in the galaxy. But it’s purely civilian, with minimal weaponry and weak defenses overall.”

“No self-defense, yet colonizing a remote world like Endor. Hmm…” Yoda mused, then fell silent, shaking his head.

“We don’t have the resources to focus on a backwater system like Endor right now,” Windu said. “The galaxy’s unstable. The conflict on Nier just ended, and now Malastare and the Corporate Alliance are at each other’s throats, ready to escalate. If this Fourth Group is using civilian ships and equipment, they’re not an immediate concern.” He turned to Qui-Gon. “My recommendation is to let the Republic’s Department of Commerce investigate—if they’re a legitimate business. You’ve done enough here, Qui-Gon. Let the Senate handle the rest. Well done. May the Force be with you.”

“May the Force be with you,” Qui-Gon said, bowing before leaving the chamber.

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*[Bonus Chapter Image: Master Windu]*

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