Having confirmed that his lightsaber was still tucked discreetly beneath his armpit, Amir quietly withdrew his left hand and shifted into a new seated position.
Through meditation, he focused his mind, gradually suppressing the lingering effects of the hallucinogenic gas.
"These pirates must deal in spice regularly. That hallucinogenic variant must've been processed right in their base. Hondo probably just took it straight from there."
"He sells me out to the Empire, steals my ship, yet leaves me a lightsaber? Is he not afraid I'll escape and come back for him? Or did he think I'd die in battle, at least with a bit of dignity?"
The Empire hadn't even properly searched him. Amir glanced down—his wrist display was still strapped on, though his backpack was gone.
He continued gathering his strength as he waited for someone to show up. It wasn't long before the door to his cell slid open.
A dark-skinned man stood at the threshold, flanked by a towering combat droid.
"Amir, we finally meet," said Gideon.
"Hello, Colonel," Amir replied flatly, his tone mocking the man's rank.
Normally, such a slight would've enraged Gideon. But not this time.
"I'm Gideon. I believe we have much to discuss. There's no need for hostility—you were once a military academy student, after all."
"Once," Amir emphasized.
"Everything we do is for the Empire's stability. Only through order can lasting peace be achieved. Wasn't that your reason for joining the army in the first place?"
Amir recalled his academy interview—the one where he'd said he wanted to bring peace to the galaxy by serving in the military.
"I left the academy because its ideals contradicted that purpose."
"You were young then. You hadn't seen enough." Gideon remained calm and patient.
"Come with me. I'll show you what I've been working on… and how important you are to the fate of this galaxy."
A nearby officer stepped in and helped Amir to his feet.
Amir wasn't physically impaired—just slightly disoriented—but he pretended to be weaker than he was, letting the agent support him.
Gideon led the way, as if bringing Amir somewhere significant.
"This is just a cruiser. Most of our research is carried out at a dedicated facility. But the most important experiment? I made sure it was brought here."
"The Emperor assigned me to this project. Most people think I was demoted—but I knew the truth. This experiment could change the entire galaxy. For nearly ten years, I continued the work, even though, without you, it felt like wasted time. But I knew there was a chance—just one sliver—and that was enough."
"Finally, I found your file. That's when I brought back the 'retired' Borris Ascot."
Amir lifted his head slightly, staring at the back of Gideon's skull.
Though Borris was just a kindly old man he'd met a few times, Amir had always sensed something genuine in him. It was Borris who sent him to the academy… and who stood by him aboard the prison ship.
So when Gideon said he'd "retrieved" Borris, Amir immediately realized it must have been during that prison transfer.
"But the old man wouldn't talk," Gideon continued.
"Luckily, I found one of his students—someone who truly understood the greatness of our experiment. He told me you were alive. And he brought a way to find you."
As Gideon spoke, the confusion that had clouded Amir's mind began to clear. Though he was captured, a strange calm settled in.
Better the danger you know than the danger you don't.
Now the only question was how to escape. Gideon would undoubtedly try to persuade him to join this so-called experiment. What exactly it entailed—Amir would have to wait and see.
But it likely wasn't anything good.
For now, Amir's best move was to play along—to keep Gideon talking.
Eventually, when persuasion failed, Gideon would resort to force. Amir just didn't know how long he could stall.
"We know now—you enrolled in the Imperial Academy. It must've been Borris who convinced you. He succeeded. We scoured Coruscant's underworld for your trail—but found nothing."
"Someone else helped cover your tracks. Borris couldn't have done it alone. There had to be someone else. But that doesn't matter now—you've returned to where you belong."
Amir suddenly thought of Senil. Back before he left for the academy, Senil had asked him, offhandedly, why he was going.
Amir hadn't lied—he told him about Borris. Afterward, Senil even found Borris a small job, something to help the old man survive.
"Here we are."
Gideon stopped and opened a large door.
Inside was a vast laboratory—a sharp contrast to the narrow corridor. Dozens of people in white lab coats—scientists, or perhaps doctors—busied themselves with various tasks.
In that moment, everyone's attention was on Gideon. No one noticed the tiny robot that had silently slipped from Amir's wrist and skittered across the floor.
"Look around, Amir," Gideon said proudly.
"The best biologists in the galaxy are all here. The most advanced instruments. Unlimited funding. Every Imperial officer is ordered to support our work. The only thing missing… was you."
"But now you're here."
Amir responded with a polite, emotionless smile.
To Gideon, he must've looked like a child raised in Coruscant's gutters—someone corrupted by years of indulgence, with a bit of piloting talent and not much else.
He had no idea Amir was trained in the Force. No clue what he'd endured. He thought he could lure Amir with power and credits.
"What do you want me to do?" Amir finally asked.
Gideon's eyes twitched with barely concealed satisfaction. He was clearly enjoying this—manipulating others like pawns.
"You're a bright one. Something remarkable happened to your body… Sixteen years ago, wasn't it?"
"What?"
Amir played his role well—his shock was half acted, half real. The words did shake him a little.
"Yes, child. You were born under our watch. We're family."
Gideon paused, as if reminiscing.
"You were always special. We need that uniqueness. I want you to return—to rejoin your family."
"You want to turn me into a lab rat?"
Amir's gaze drifted to the far side of the lab, where a young girl was strapped to a table. One of the "great scientists" was plunging a needle into her vein, draining her blood.
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🌌 Star Wars: Relics of the Past
📢 The Force Calls! 📢
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