"You're right, Amir. You're still so confident." Senir finally sat down, making him look much taller.
"Do you really need to act like this? At least not in front of me," Amir said casually.
"No, no, I'm not acting. This is the real me," Senir said sincerely.
"I don't believe you for a second," Amir sneered. "What's the mission?"
"The mission just happens to require a spaceship..." Senir whispered.
"You old fox. I knew you weren't being nice." Amir looked at the pale-skinned squid in front of him, growing increasingly angry. He pushed the box forward and said, "If you keep beating around the bush, I'm leaving."
"No beating around the bush. Kolos hasn't been as peaceful lately. Many people have been secretly controlled by Imperial agents and will be transported to an Imperial prison in two days. We've obtained their route. You need to infiltrate the prison ship and rescue one of them." Senir's eyes showed no sign of panic or fear toward the Empire. "Frenis's ship is custom-made and isn't listed in the Empire's or the former Republic's records. It's a ghost ship that can approach the prison ship undetected."
"I underestimated you. You're openly provoking the Empire without a hint of tension." Amir shifted his gaze to the table and began to think. Senir didn't interrupt; he just waited quietly.
"The man in the trench coat left behind information that some Rebel personnel in Coruscant went missing recently. Combined with Senir's knowledge of the man in the trench coat and BD-4, the person we rescued is likely connected to the Rebels. Senir is probably involved with the Rebels as well, but he didn't reveal his identity or take the recorder from BD-4. That makes me think he's not a Rebel."
"Why is he so confident in me? Doesn't he worry I'll report him to the Empire?"
Amir spoke up. "Aren't you afraid I'll betray you? After all, I'm a former Imperial soldier, even if I haven't graduated yet."
"You know you won't. The fact that you didn't hand over BD-4 is proof. Otherwise, I wouldn't dare come find you."
"That's not certain. Maybe I'll hand BD-4 over to the Empire right now."
"Hehe, this mission might be dangerous, but you'll definitely be interested. There's a prisoner on the prison ship—the very person you've been searching for."
"He was captured by the Empire? Why?" Amir's eyebrows furrowed. "Isn't he one of the Empire's own?"
"Apparently, he refused to cooperate with the Empire's operations and pretended to be insane. You know how it is. The Empire only kept him locked up because of what's in his head." Senir sighed at this point, too.
"Hm, send me the information about the person you want to rescue. I'll take the job. I must meet that person." Amir suddenly stopped hesitating. "Why didn't you just say that directly? You've been beating around the bush for so long, wasting time."
"Heh heh, who knows why you want to see him?" Senir smiled without responding, then pulled out a chip and handed it to Amir.
"What are you still doing here? Staying for dinner?" Amir took the chip and began shooing him away.
"I've seen the thing on your waist—a Jedi weapon. During the war, they appeared in my hometown."
Senir said, looking at Amir's lightsaber.
"At the time, I was a warrior and witnessed their power. The Jedi Knights were like a sharp sword, piercing the enemy's heart during war. They were invincible."
"Just like you, Amir. Hmm... Give me that lightsaber. I can sell it for ten thousand credit points." Senir, lost in thought, suddenly revealed a sly smile.
"Get out!" Amir stood up to send him away.
"I'll be waiting for your good news."
Amir stared at the spaceship in front of him in shock.
"This is amazing! Thank you, Frenis!" Amir exclaimed.
"It's much bigger than it looked on the screen. Our warehouse won't be able to fit it!" Jax exclaimed as he rode his newly purchased motorcycle.
Lango arrived and stood by silently. Veronica didn't say anything either, but she stood close enough that Amir could see the admiration in her eyes.
This spaceship was built based on the YT-2400 model. During the war, Frenis allegedly kidnapped several Corellian engineers, acquired materials, and spent years constructing and assembling the ship to achieve its current form.
The spaceship retained the original features of the YT freighter: a disc-shaped central cargo hold on the port side, an escape pod, and a boarding hatch at the bottom. The cargo hold had been converted into rooms for sleeping, workshops, storage areas, and a large hall. On the starboard side, a cylindrical cockpit was supported by two arms, and at the rear of the cockpit was the main escape pod, which could accommodate six people.
Its silver-white, smooth lines shimmered with a soft glow, exceptionally dazzling. Frenis had maintained it meticulously.
"Come on, let's go inside and take a look." Amir lowered the hatch, and the others followed one after another.
Having seen the ship's blueprints that Senir had given them, they headed straight for the areas that interested them.
Amir took a quick look at the layout. Frenis intended to use this place as a shelter, and it was fully furnished. The hall, bedrooms, and bathrooms were well designed. Compared to a spaceship, it resembled a house more than anything else.
"This is a cargo ship? It's practically a fortress! It has four deflection shield generators, two heavy laser cannons, and two shockwave launchers." Veronica collapsed in the gunnery compartment and refused to move.
"I've reserved this room, Amir. Don't give it to anyone else!" Jax had already picked out a converted bedroom.
Lango walked into the warehouse without saying a word.
Amir sat in the cockpit, familiarizing himself with the operating system. In front of him was a transparent window with three pilot seats in the front and three more in the back. There were five control sticks and over a hundred buttons in total. While the basic operating systems of spaceships are largely similar, each ship has its own unique design. This one was merely a modified version of an existing prototype.
Amir had mastered the operating system during his military training. Since he had been flying the spacecraft with Sain from an early age, he quickly got the hang of the basic controls after a brief review.
He had already informed the others about the mission, emphasizing that it was a solo operation, which earned him a few disapproving glances. Lango offered to accompany him, but Amir refused.
"When have you ever been the one to suffer? You should be worried about the Empire," Veronica said.
Jax was so engrossed in the ship's bed that he couldn't tear himself away. He had packed his belongings and was waiting for Amir to return from the mission so he could move onto the ship.
After activating optical stealth, the ghost ship took off from Senir's private port and landed at the designated location in Coruscant's Third Port.
The four returned home, and Coruscant fell into night.
But Amir couldn't sleep. With his eyes closed, he recalled the last time he saw that person.
"If you want to know the secret, join the military. Someone will find you."