Chapter 19: The Dark Side of the Milky Way

19. The Dark Veil of the Galaxy

*I certainly know better than to provoke him,* Tang Xiao thought to himself, a bead of cold sweat sliding down his temple. The galaxy was so vast; why did he have to run into this man, who could arguably be described as the most powerful and darkest individual in the entire galaxy right now?

The reason he had signaled Vant to accept the commission just now was that he understood he absolutely could not refuse that man.

And that dream!! Could it be that the dream wasn't about Anakin Skywalker, but because of this man—Hego Damask II?! It had to be! The eyes in the dream were filled with darkness, whereas at this time, Anakin Skywalker was still a very kind young boy; he shouldn't have been that dark.

Yes... yes... it was him!

Hego Damask II... who was also, Darth Plagueis!!

It was his power calling, but the problem was, it seemed he didn't even know this himself?

Could it be... resonance?

"Didn't you have business to attend to in Mos Espa?" Vant asked Tang Xiao after the Muun had left.

"Forget it. Since this mission has a time limit, we should set off as soon as possible. We'll go to Mos Espa later," Tang Xiao said, shaking his head. "Moreover, since this commission was proposed by this person, it looks like I have no choice but to make this trip."

Although he desperately wanted to go and meet the "Chosen One" Anakin Skywalker right now, since Hego Damask II had appeared before his eyes, he didn't dare go there anymore. He had to take care of the matter at hand first.

Returning to the *Lance* spacecraft, Kunto and Spad were performing final checks in the cabin. Truda had refurbished their ship well; fuel, water, and food were all fully stocked. However, Tang Xiao was still somewhat absent-minded, staring blankly out the window.

Vant walked over and patted Tang Xiao on the shoulder. "Do you know that man?"

"You mean that Muun? Judging by his appearance, he should be from the InterGalactic Banking Clan (IGBC). Damask Holdings might be a subsidiary; in any case, we absolutely cannot afford to offend such an existence," Kunto interjected while working nearby. "The InterGalactic Banking Clan's industries are spread throughout the galaxy. No one dares to oppose them; otherwise, their collection agent fleets would arrive immediately and seize everything on your planet!"

*It would be even worse than that,* Tang Xiao sighed. "In short, whatever he says goes. Consider us unlucky."

Indeed, Hego Damask II, also known as Darth Plagueis, was a Sith Lord!

The Sith were the remnants of the Sith Empire that had waged an epochal war against the Galactic Republic thousands of years ago. Like the Jedi Knights, they were Force-sensitives capable of using the power of the Force.

However, the Jedi Knights used the Light Side of the Force. They restrained their desires, held fast to their convictions, and used the power of the Force to do what they believed was right.

In contrast, the Sith Lords used the Dark Side of the Force. They indulged their desires, acted on impulse and self-interest, and cared nothing for whether they brought pain and disaster to others.

Although the Galactic Republic ultimately emerged victorious in that war and the Sith Empire was destroyed, the Sith Lords still existed. Their shadow always lingered in the dark side of the Galactic Republic, waiting for an opportunity to strike, ready at any moment to seize a chance to overthrow the entire Republic.

And Tang Xiao knew that they eventually succeeded, just over ten years later!

Therefore, the tone he had set for his Fourth Civilization was war! He had to strive to secure a place for himself in the war that would erupt in the next decade or so to overthrow the entire Galactic Republic!

Based on the current state of the Fourth Civilization and its mothership, one could say its future was infinitely bright; if given a hundred years of development, it could even directly challenge the authority of the Galactic Republic. But the time he had now was only ten-odd years!

It was absolutely impossible to develop the Fourth Civilization to a level sufficient to wage an interstellar war within ten years. Thus, after Tang Xiao recognized who Hego was, he changed his mind.

By accepting Hego's commission, he wouldn't dare go to Anakin Skywalker's side, but... it seemed another path had opened up before him.

The Fourth Civilization could not complete its war preparations within ten years, but the InterGalactic Banking Clan could! And Hego Damask II was one of the core figures within the IGBC! If he could obtain the help of this massive economic entity that spanned the entire galaxy, the Fourth Civilization's preparation speed would be much faster.

Until ten years later, when he would welcome the arrival of that great war!

Except for the price...

He would have to face the bottomless dark veil behind Hego Damask II—the Sith Lords!

Full of conflicting thoughts, Tang Xiao looked out the viewport, calculating how to use this commission to build a relationship with Hego, and most importantly, whether he could afford to become entangled with such a terrifying existence. Or should he finish this job and disappear immediately?

As the *Lance*, a YT-1000 light freighter, ascended, breaking through Tatooine's atmosphere and heading toward outer space, Vant activated the hyperdrive after they cleared the gravity well. The ship entered hyperspace and vanished from space in the blink of an eye.

...

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Endor system, in the hyperspace lane of the Mordel Sector, a Z-10 Explorer-class light ship was cruising through hyperspace.

"Mr. Qui-Gon Jinn, we will be exiting the hyperspace lane shortly," the pilot said, turning back to the two figures standing behind him, both clad in wide, coarse robes with hoods covering the upper halves of their faces.

"Do you feel it, Obi-Wan Kenobi? An imbalance in the Force," one of them said, looking back.

"I can feel it, Master," the other replied, pulling back his hood to reveal a young face. He had short brown hair, but a single thin, long braid hung from his right temple—a hairstyle common among many Jedi Padawans.

"There are some residual fluctuations here; I feel we have come to the right place. But regardless of what it is, or whether it is still here, we must remain vigilant. Since this disturbance in the Force is powerful enough for Master Yoda to sense, it must be significant," Qui-Gon Jinn said.

"I understand, Master. What should we do then?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Feel the guidance of the Force, rather than interfering with it. All things in the universe follow their own laws; to force a change will only make those laws more chaotic."

"So, you actually disapprove of this expedition?"

"I never said that," Qui-Gon Jinn smiled.

The view outside the viewport suddenly darkened as the ship exited hyperspace and returned to the darkness of space. A pale blue gas giant appeared before them, with several moons orbiting it in different paths.

Beeping alarms sounded from the console. The co-pilot pressed several buttons, and a hologram of the entire star system appeared on the screen, with several objects marked in red.

"Sir, there are artificial facilities here." The co-pilot zoomed in on the image, revealing three sector-shaped mining stations in the orbit of the gas giant, with over a dozen transport ships constantly shuttling back and forth to extract resources.

Qui-Gon Jinn frowned. "Why would there be mining in such a remote area of the Endor system? There are no stable or safe hyperspace lanes here; mining here would be more trouble than it's worth."

"Perhaps those Neimoidians from the Trade Federation have thought of another way to make money. Those foul merchants are never deterred by anything," Obi-Wan Kenobi said with a pout.

"Do not let your emotions dictate your judgment, Obi-Wan. That is your greatest weakness."

"I understand, Master."