Chapter 16: Destination: Tatooine

16. Destination: Tatooine

After arranging his current work and ensuring that Clement (in charge of administration), Qi Jian (in charge of military affairs), and Graham (the village chief of Dawn City) could proceed with the upcoming colonization plans, Tang Xiao went directly to the mothership hangar to find Vant.

Vant was still in the hangar tending to the YT-1000 freighter that was now his property. Seeing Tang Xiao approach, he jumped down from a ladder. "Boss, I think I've pretty much mastered this ship, and my Galactic Standard is almost up to par. I was just about to bid you farewell and head out to explore this universe. If there's anything you need me to do, just say the word."

"Take Quinto and the others with you, and head to Tatooine. The situation there is complicated, making it a good place to fish in troubled waters, but we are strangers there and need someone to lead the way. Quinto will be your guide; he happens to have a shipment to deliver there," Tang Xiao said.

"No problem, Boss," Vant said with a thumbs-up. "Anything else?"

"Also, I have one request," Tang Xiao said suddenly. "I will be going with you this time. I have some business to attend to on Tatooine."

He knew that the place from his dreams was Tatooine.

Tatooine... for *Star Wars*, this place meant too much.

Countless legends had left their mark here: Jabba the Hutt, the Chosen One Anakin Skywalker, the strongest Sith Darth Vader, and the absolute protagonist Luke Skywalker...

So, who was the one calling to him in his dream? Looking at the timeline, the only possible candidate among these legends was the Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker. But at this point in time, Anakin Skywalker should still be a child, right? So, was the one calling him Anakin Skywalker, or the omnipotent Force itself?

He had to go to Tatooine; perhaps the answers lay there. Besides, there was no harm in looking for Anakin Skywalker now; after all, he would be the protagonist in the future Clone Wars.

Upon hearing that Tang Xiao was going, Vant's expression changed, and he quickly tried to stop him. "You can't do that, Administrator! You are the leader of our thousands of people. How can you go out there? We don't understand the situation in this universe yet. If we encounter danger, our entire colony will be left leaderless!"

"First, I think I already know a bit about the situation in this galaxy. Second, I have a reason that necessitates my going—to be precise, I am going to find someone, someone who will be crucial in that future war," Tang Xiao said. "While our operations are still small, I want to see what I can do. I can't just sit at home waiting to die."

"If you're looking for someone, I can go find them for you. And why do you assume it's a death wish?" Vant frowned.

"How can I explain his appearance, personality, future trajectory, and even the events he might encounter to you? Furthermore, the war that will break out in ten years is not something a single star system's strength can resist. Unfortunately, the system we are in will be one of the main battlefields," Tang Xiao answered seriously.

"How do you know about future events?"

Tang Xiao smiled slightly. "That's why I can be your Administrator."

Vant was a free-spirited man. He smiled and said, "Alright then, since you've decided, I'll take you along. Just remember to keep a low profile. We are just an ordinary smuggling crew; there are thousands of teams like us coming and going from planets every day."

"No problem."

Tang Xiao's expression, however, remained very solemn as he nodded slowly.

He understood very well that his greatest leverage in this world was his knowledge of the *Star Wars* plot.

Therefore, he could not possibly recount the entire plot of *Star Wars* to anyone. On one hand, the information was too vast, and on the other, it was his greatest secret—and his very means of survival.

Fortunately, with the existence of the Force, he could attribute his knowledge to the Force's perceptions.

...

Outer Rim, Acanis Sector, Tatooine System.

Like the Endor system where Dawn Star was located, the Tatooine system was also a binary system, with two stars, Tatoo I and Tatoo II, orbiting each other. Beyond these two stars, seven planets orbited the system.

However, among these seven planets, only the one closest to the stars possessed a relatively stable geological environment. This planet had a diameter of 10,465 kilometers, a rotation period of 23 standard hours, and an orbital period of 302 standard days. Because it was so close to the stars, the planet had become almost entirely desertified under the scorching heat of the two suns.

This planet was Tatooine.

Because this system sat at the intersection of the Trillus Trade Route and the Corellian Run, it was a very important transportation hub even in the remote Outer Rim. However, because the planet was located in the Outer Rim and within Hutt Space, the Galactic Republic had no jurisdiction here.

Precisely because of this, Tatooine had become a lawless planet where criminals and pirates were seen everywhere.

After three hyperspace jumps along the Trillus Trade Route, a YT-1000 light freighter manufactured by Corellian Engineering Corporation appeared on the outskirts of Tatooine.

Vant sat in the pilot's seat, skillfully pressing various buttons to stabilize the ship after exiting hyperspace. He turned back to Dubrak Quinto, who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat, and said, "Alright, over to you."

Quinto looked somewhat disgruntledly at the pilot's seat that originally belonged to him, then sighed resignedly. He turned on the comms and called out, "Mos Eisley Port, this is the YT-1000, Cheap..."

"Change the name to the *Gunfighter*," Tang Xiao said from the back.

"I like that name," Vant chuckled.

"Fine... Mos Eisley Port, this is the YT-1000 *Gunfighter*. I need supplies and need to unload cargo. If anyone has a docking bay, give us a shout," Quinto called out.

Static crackled through the comms, followed by several responding voices. The coordinates for seven or eight docking bays were uploaded to the ship's computer.

Quinto glanced at Tang Xiao and said, "Tatooine is a completely free planet. There is no official government; everything is private. Remember that once we get here, because if you run into trouble, no one will step up for you—except yourself."

He selected a bay on the computer. "Alright, let's go to Truda's place. He runs with Jabba and is quite familiar with me. It's safe."

The ship entered the atmosphere, skimming over endless yellow sands and wastelands, before descending near the outskirts of a dilapidated-looking city.

Most of the buildings in this city looked like domed brick kilns. Aside from a few high towers, it was hard to find anything taller than three stories, and there were many tattered tents.

Yet, the people inside were bustling and the place was quite prosperous.

The ship, now renamed the *Gunfighter*, landed in a crudely leveled clearing, and a Nikto man walked out. The scales on his face had become incredibly coarse, and some lizard-like bony protrusions were worn or broken—for a Nikto, this was a sign of old age.

He banged a wrench against a metal doorframe and shouted, "Get moving, boys! Fill this ship's fuel tanks and bring some drinking water!"

Several engineering droids that had been curled up on the ground playing dead suddenly jumped up. Some grabbed hoses, others grabbed wrenches, busily working around the ship with practiced efficiency.

Quinto walked over and patted the Nikto on the shoulder. "Long time no see, Truda. How have you been?"

"Whether I'm doing well isn't important. What about you, kid? Where have you been these past few days?" Truda said. "Jabba's people are looking for you. This job of yours took a long time."

"Ah..." Quinto cast a subtle glance back at Tang Xiao, cleared his throat, and said, "Uh, cough! My ship had some... well, malfunctions. See? I'm back."

Truda looked behind him. Tang Xiao, Vant, T-850, and the Rodian crew member, Spad, were standing there. Tang Xiao and the others had already changed into ragged civilian clothes; aside from their relatively clean faces, they looked no different from any other explorers.

[Easter Egg Chapter Attachment 1: Engineering Droids]

Some people keep telling me stupid things like "the protagonist should stay at home." Scenario one: the Republic outside has occupied the entire galaxy. Scenario two: a war breaks out in ten years. So, do you want the protagonist to stay cooped up at home trying to develop at the speed of a single star system against the entire galaxy, or do you want him to tell everyone the plot he knows and let them go out in his stead?

From now on, anyone who tries to argue with me using this logic will be treated as a troublemaker and permanently banned. Goodbye.

(End of Chapter)