Those two seemingly lost TIE fighters… could they have been part of a trap? The Traveler had been flying for over eight minutes, nearing the
Those two seemingly lost TIE fighters… could they have been part of a trap?
The Traveler had been flying for over eight minutes, nearing the edge of the unstable space zone. Just a little longer and it could jump into hyperspace.
But then, the worst happened.
Ahead, a massive warship slowly emerged from behind a nearby planet called Ohanen, near Tatooine.
"A cruiser?! What the hell is it doing here?!"
There was no way it was just passing by—Amir didn't believe that for a second. The earlier pursuit had clearly been premeditated.
Those TIE fighters had herded him into a trap. The net had been waiting ahead all along.
Without hesitation, Amir tried to engage the hyperdrive.
Once he got within range of the cruiser, its powerful tractor beams would make escape impossible.
He pushed the lever all the way forward. The ship began to vibrate—but then fell silent. Nothing happened. No hyperspace jump.
The Traveler had failed to jump.
The cruiser advanced rapidly, its hull growing larger in the viewport.
From its underbelly, a swarm of TIE fighters launched, buzzing toward him like angry insects.
"Come on!!" Amir shouted, a terrible feeling rising in his chest.
The TIE fighters were about to surround him.
"Come on!!!" As soon as the system rebooted, Amir pushed the lever again.
The ship shuddered—still no jump.
By now, he could see the glow of the cruiser's tractor beam forming. The TIE fighters had completely surrounded him.
Amir gripped the controls tightly, thumbs hovering over the fire buttons. He was ready to fight his way out.
What he hadn't realized was that he had forgotten to release the hyperdrive lever.
Suddenly, the ship shook violently. After a brief delay, The Traveler burst into a beam of light and disappeared into hyperspace.
Staring at the swirling tunnel ahead, Amir finally exhaled in relief.
But confusion quickly followed.
Was the Empire really after him?
No way. The worst thing he'd done was study the Force under Obi-Wan.
At most, the Empire would send a few Inquisitors to handle a Jedi in hiding. If Obi-Wan's identity had been exposed, maybe Darth Vader would appear. But a full-on cruiser deployment?
Impossible.
A coincidence?
Not a chance. The TIEs had been patrolling above Tatooine and attacked on sight. The cruiser had been positioned precisely where it couldn't be seen from ships launching out of Mos Eisley.
The Empire was clearly targeting someone—or some group—hiding in Mos Eisley.
And whoever they were, they were important enough to warrant a full fleet operation.
Amir shook his head. No point dwelling on it now. The real question was—where was The Traveler headed?
Unstable space seriously affected jump trajectories. A tiny misalignment could cause massive detours over light-years.
Gradually, the ship stopped shaking. Things were stabilizing.
After a short wait—long enough to safely shake any Imperial pursuit—Amir pulled the lever.
The ship dropped out of hyperspace. The swirling blue tunnel vanished, replaced by open starfield.
Amir immediately opened the holographic map to check his position.
Not bad. He was now in a sector between Tatooine and his intended destination.
After a quick recalibration, he plotted a new route and jumped again—vanishing back into hyperspace.
Some time later, that quiet sector of space received another visitor.
A small Imperial cruiser exited hyperspace.
"This is where the last signal was detected," an officer reported. "Due to transmission lag, it could be several hours behind."
At the center of the command deck, a man stared silently at the stars. "Continue scanning," he said quietly.
He turned and walked deeper into the ship.
After passing through a series of corridors, he stopped in front of a detention cell. Straightening the brim of his freshly issued officer's cap, he opened the door.
"Boris Ascot. We've found the person you told us about," he said.
Inside, curled up on the cold, metallic bunk, was an elderly man. No longer disheveled, his beard was shaved, and he wore a standard-issue uniform.
It was the same man Amir had once met aboard the Imperial prison ship—the one who had told him to apply to the Imperial Naval Academy.
"I don't care," the old man muttered.
"Boris—Mr. Boris Ascot. We need your help," the officer said. "You know how monumental this experiment is. If we succeed, we'll hold power over the entire galaxy."
"You have the knowledge and expertise. All we need now is your cooperation."
"I promise—agree to my terms, and all your charges will be cleared. I have the authority to do that now. You know it." He tapped the insignia on his chest.
The old man remained curled up, unmoved, unhearing.
"John Morey—you remember him, don't you? Your prized student. He'll help us find what I'm looking for. He's just… slower. We might lose time—but you'll lose much more."
The old man twitched. Slowly, he raised his head.
"What, changed your mind? The Chief position has always been yours."
"Don't waste your breath, Gideon," the old man replied. "Even if you find him, it won't help. It was all just a coincidence."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this from you," Gideon said with a sneer. "Isn't science about turning coincidence into certainty?"
The old man went silent again, as if shutting out the world.
Gideon scowled and exited the cell.
"Admiral, we've detected hyperspace residue in this sector. The target may have jumped toward the Faruk System."
"Pursue them."
"Sir! That system isn't under Imperial control. If we enter without clearance, we may be fired upon by local forces."
"…I understand," Gideon said after a pause. "Fall back. Return to base."
Amir exited hyperspace once again—and saw a space station floating in the distance.
It had clearly been abandoned for years. The hull was worn and pitted, with signs of corrosion. But oddly enough, the station was still lit.
This was where Harke had arranged to meet him.
As The Traveler approached slowly, it passed through a blue, translucent energy shield.
Once external pressure and oxygen levels were confirmed stable, Amir opened the hatch and stepped outside.
Waiting for him were Harke and Guli'gena. As soon as Amir emerged, Guli'gena rushed over and looked him over head to toe.
"What's the matter? It's only been a few days," Amir said with a smile.
"She's been uneasy since this morning," Harke said. "Kept saying you were in danger. I almost believed her. If you'd shown up a few minutes later, we were going to fly to Tatooine to find you."
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