The Starforge Ascendant hung above Corellia like a gleaming god larger now, bristling with new production arrays and a telemetric shield grid. Below, the Corellian shipyards bustled with activity, newly expanded under the joint ownership of the planetary government and Cassian Voss's personal laboratories.
Senator Padmé Amidala stepped off her diplomatic cruiser into the docking platform, her eyes immediately drawn to the sheer scale of the operation. Ships of every shape and tonnage were under construction personal corvettes, freighters, even capital-class vessels. And yet, the entire facility hummed with elegance, not chaos.
Cassian was already waiting.
He greeted her with a slight bow. "Senator. Welcome to Corellia."
Padmé studied him, uncertain whether to smile or frown. "It's always impressive, seeing what you've built. Almost... intimidating."
Cassian's expression didn't change. "Intimidation wasn't the goal. Efficiency was."
She let the silence hang for a second too long.
"I assume you'll want to see the new diplomatic transport?" he asked.
She nodded, and they began the tour. The ship he'd designed for her was sleek sleek in a way only Cassian's mind could achieve. Curved hull plating that deflected blaster fire. Hull-integrated engines that left minimal ion trails. A shield matrix able to resist orbital bombardment for minutes, not seconds.
But Padmé was not just here to inspect ships.
She was here to understand him.
Padmé sat quietly in the private lounge Cassian had prepared for her aboard the diplomatic vessel. The ship was flawless, beautiful even almost too good. A blend of elegance and silent menace, just like its designer.
A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
Jedi Knight Taro Valin stepped in young, composed, but with the slight unease of someone who had seen something they shouldn't have. He bowed.
"Senator Amidala. I hope your inspection was… enlightening."
Padmé stood. "It was. But something doesn't sit right. The shipyard is enormous beyond what even the Republic could sanction."
Taro nodded. "I've been investigating Cassian's network. He's grown far beyond Corellia. There are signs of hidden resource lines. Private fleets. Experimental tech beyond known science."
Padmé frowned. "I've seen some of it. Shielding that bends light. Engine signatures that vanish completely."
"That's why I came. Quietly. Off the record," Taro said, voice lower. "The Council suspects something. I intended to stay behind and observe from a remote outpost."
She hesitated. "Be careful. Cassian isn't a warmonger, but he's not transparent either. He speaks in layers."
Taro's eyes darkened slightly. "He doesn't have to be a warmonger. Power like that... even silence becomes dangerous."
They parted with a shared unease, not knowing it would be the last time Padmé ever saw Jedi Knight Taro Valin.
Hours later, Cassian reviewed the outpost surveillance.
"He spoke to her," EVA confirmed. "Data logs suggest he warned her about the expansions."
Cassian nodded slowly. "Then he's no longer useful for observation."
"Shall I prepare containment protocols?"
Cassian turned away, his voice flat.
"Yes. Bring him in.
The Outpost
Far from the public eye, in the remote canyons of an abandoned Corellian mining sector, a secret outpost operated under Cassian's orders.
Inside, a Jedi lay restrained unconscious, suspended in a vertical containment field. He had followed rumors of forbidden tech, arriving in the shadows, expecting to find a lead. What he found instead was a trap.
EVA hovered beside the medical station.
"Subject: Jedi Knight Taro Valin. Mid-tier. Some psychological instability. Minimal attachment history. No known Padawan."
Cassian entered, scanning the Jedi's neural readings. "He'll do."
"Experiments initialized. Cognitive-resistance mapping, midichlorian manipulation, adaptive reflex testing…"
Cassian leaned close to the containment field.
"I'm not looking to break the Jedi. I'm looking to understand them."
Conflicting Eyes
Meanwhile, on Coruscant, Jedi Masters Yoda and Mace Windu reviewed new Republic procurement requests—nearly all passed through Cassian's shipyards.
"Stronger the Republic fleet becomes. But darker the source," Yoda murmured.
Windu's jaw tightened. "His weapons are precise. Too precise. He's building for both sides. We know it. Dooku knows it. And yet the Senate worships him for it."
Yoda's eyes narrowed. "A Jedi is missing. Taro Valin. Last seen near Corellian space."
"Send no task force," Windu warned. "He'll vanish the evidence. But we need eyes closer to him."
Yoda's brow furrowed. "Closer... perhaps already near, the truth is."
Deals and Daggered Tongues
Back in the shipyard's executive deck, Cassian met with Nute Gunray and his Trade Federation cohort.
"Your modifications are complete," Cassian said, placing a datachip on the table. "Improved shielding, better AI targeting, faster emergency jump protocols."
Nute picked up the chip. "And the... vulnerabilities we discussed?"
Cassian tilted his head slightly. "Hidden. As promised. Just don't forget our other arrangement."
Beside them, a bounty hunter stepped forward and delivered a small, encoded crate filled with rare materials and forbidden prototype components scavenged from the darker corners of the galaxy.
"Pleasure doing business," Cassian said.
A Distant Signal
As the chapter closed, HK-47 transmitted from deep in the Outer Rim.
"Statement: I have found the Rakatan archive, master. Coordinates locked. Vault security: obsolete. Intrusion: inevitable."
Cassian's eyes gleamed.
"Prepare for the excavation. We're going hunting."