*Chapter 9: I Want a Ship!*

Ventus hurriedly scrolled through the list of legendary figures, only to find most of them locked, their details inaccessible. But a few names were visible, standing out like beacons.

“What’s the deal with these names I can see? Can I wake them up?” Ventus asked.

[Not directly. Per the agreements they made before entering the mothership’s hibernation pods, they swore loyalty to you. But for people of their caliber, such oaths are shaky at best. Before waking them, you can negotiate with them in their semi-sleep state. If they like the terms you offer, they’ll agree to be awakened and serve you.]

“So, the ones whose names I can see are those who might accept my conditions?” Ventus stared at the list, each name ringing with familiarity, his heart tinged with awe—and fear.

These were figures from movies and games, each name carrying a legacy of epic tales and monumental deeds! So, these were the legendary figures! What kind of terrifying beings hid behind the two question-mark tiers above them? {Note 1}

[Correct. Also, if negotiations fail, they’d rather sleep forever than serve you. But if we fully meet their conditions, no negotiation is needed—you can wake them directly. Of course, their demands are usually incredibly steep,] the Mainframe added.

Ventus nodded, his eyes catching on one name that made them light up. If he was to go toe-to-toe with Palpatine, maybe this guy could do it! Sure, any random marine here could probably beat him to a pulp in a fistfight, but this man had the cunning to shake up the Galactic Republic’s political scene.

But… this guy was terrifying. No loyalty, no beliefs, no sense of justice. To him, everything was about power, profit, and ambition.

Everything was a deal.

Yet, only someone like him could stand a chance against Palpatine… and even then, Ventus wasn’t betting on it.

Him it is! When the time’s right, I’ll talk to him, see if he’s willing to step up and help. As for the consequences? Who cares?

Right now, he had one goal: war!

The Clone Wars could erupt anywhere from 10 to 30 years from now. In that time, he had to prepare for battle! Only then could he survive the galaxy-spanning conflict that was coming.

Everything else? He could toss it aside.

Closing the legendary figures’ page, Ventus felt cold sweat soaking his back.

This wasn’t like watching a movie or controlling a game. Against these titans of their worlds, the cards he held were pitifully few.

No wonder the Mainframe waited until he’d “awakened” to unlock access to these people.

Awakened, huh? Ventus leaned back in his chair, raising a hand toward a teacup on the table. Focusing, he watched as the cup began to lift, carried by an invisible force, floating toward him.

His heart leaped—success! Then, clank! The cup crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.

Guess I’ll awaken some janitors instead… Ventus glanced at the spilled tea leaves, then at the bustling crew on the bridge, shaking his head.

This mysterious power had to be the Force, right? That unique, pervasive energy from the Star Wars universe, all-encompassing and limitless.

In this world, those who wielded the light side of the Force were Jedi Knights; those who tapped into the dark side were Sith Lords. Basically, the folks swinging lightsabers in the movies? Those two groups.

The Galactic Republic’s ancient war with the Sith Empire was a clash of the Force’s light and dark sides. In the end, the Jedi, champions of light, won, and the Sith Lords were wiped out, forced to skulk in the shadows.

So, I’m a Force-user now. Ventus felt the power, lifting the teacup shards off the floor one by one, guiding them steadily toward a nearby trash bin.

Then, clatter! They scattered around the bin, missing entirely.

“Administrator,” Qiiji approached, watching the flying cup fragments with genuine admiration. “Congratulations, Administrator, on mastering this mysterious and powerful force.”

“Something up?” Ventus asked.

“Yes. The strategy team just finalized a proposal regarding our current military strength. Please take a look.” Qiiji sent a data packet to Ventus’s screen.

Ventus skimmed the report and numbers on the display. “Give me the bottom line.”

Qiiji nodded. “Our top priority is boosting the mothership’s defenses. Blade fighters alone won’t cut it—they’re basically sealed metal boxes with cannons and engines. We need a stronger starfighter. The mothership’s production lines can churn out fighters directly, saving us the time and resources of building a space dock.”

Ventus motioned for him to go on.

“We propose starting R&D on the Blade II fighter immediately, getting the research team to crack its tech and retool the production lines. Plus, we need to start developing infrared laser weapons to upgrade the Blade II’s armament,” Qiiji said, pulling up a fighter’s specs.

Ventus recognized it instantly—a fighter from Homeworld 2, an upgraded version of the Blade. Sleeker design, better handling, but still weak firepower, armed only with a single six-barrel electromagnetic cannon.

No wonder Qiiji pushed for infrared lasers, a basic laser tech from Stellaris. For now, it was practical.

But after reviewing the data, Ventus shook his head. He knew exactly what kind of enemies he’d face. The Blade II’s marginal boost in firepower was a drop in the bucket.

From his knowledge of Star Wars, the Galactic Republic’s mainstay was the ARC-170 heavy starfighter. Against those, both the Blade and Blade II were like flies begging to be swatted!

He thought for a moment. “I’ll set up a physics research division right away to start on infrared laser weapons.”

“And the Blade II?” Qiiji asked.

“It won’t make enough of a difference. For now, ramp up Blade fighter production to 100 units and prep them for laser weapon retrofits. That’s our goal,” Ventus said.

“But the Blade’s reliability and combat ability are abysmal! In a real fight, we’d lose pilots for nothing!” Qiiji protested.

“And the Blade II would be any better? We need a real fighter! Ideally, one that can fight in atmospheres too. The enemies we’re up against are way tougher than you think!” Ventus cut him off, waving a hand. “We don’t have the time or resources to waste on stopgap measures!”

In truth, he’d already picked the next fighter to develop.

CFA-17!

Wraith Fighter!

From StarCraft!

---

*{Note 1}*: Just a heads-up, this book won’t feature anything too outlandish or immersion-breaking, like Gundams or such.

*[Easter Egg Image 1: CFA-17, Wraith Fighter]*