Chapter 24

(55th! Just 5 novels in our way of becoming Top 50. Let's do this!)

(Edit: Sorry to those who have already read this chapter. Inkstone did not post the finished version. My bad lol)

With the finalized version of the Zaku II and the factory being nearly finished, Jial had to show off his new product in order to generate customers. And there was only one place he could go to do that. 

Vespaara

There was the Grand Arena where the Hunters of the Outer Rim was held. These were battles where teams of 5 of various creatures would battle one another for credit, prizes, and glory. Everyone from Republic officials to the Hutts would come to watch these battles, hoping to recruit exceptional figures to their side. 

'Which makes it the perfect place to bring this guy,' Jial was watching the twins have another round of sparring with the droid.

He made sure that they only used regular swords so that the droid was not destroyed. He also programmed the droid not to activate the heating function of its axe so that it was a far fight. Because of these limitations, the twins were able to have a suitable opponent to train with when Boxe or the others were busy.

"Enough," Jial called out, causing the Zaku II and 2 girls to stop fighting. "You two can head back to your rooms to meditate. We may be going on a trip later."

"A trip? Finally!" Nott drank some of the water set aside for them. "It's been so boring just looking at the same thing every day for the past couple months." 

Hash tried to swipe her in the back of her head but the younger sister was able to dodge it. Nott turned around and stuck her tongue out at Hash before running away with the older twin right on her tail. 

Jial walked up to the main room where everyone was sitting around, save for Suxon who was overseeing the building site. He sat down in his head seat, instantly gathering their attention. 

"I'm planning on bringing the twins and the Zaku II to Vespaara to go show off the design and let them get in some more combat experience," Jial announced

Zilvarth and Sidon nodded when they heard him while Boxe's eyes began to sparkle.

"That's good. Will get plenty of attention there," Zilvarth commented, aware of how popular that place was. He had even participated a few times when he was younger to gain more experience. He had also seen just how many people were there and knew that if the Zaku II performed well enough, they would get a large number of customers. 

"So when are we going?" Boxe asked, already mentally packing her bags

"Me and the girls are leaving in the morning. You are staying here," Jial emphasized, instantly killing Boxe's energy. "I am already leaving and taking the Phantom. We can't afford to lose any more of our strength here."

"Bu-Bu-But you need a team of 5 to compete!" the Mandalorian protested, not willing to be the only one left behind

"We can just bring in any random person with us. As long as I'm there, I'm confident that I can handle any situation that comes up," Jial shrugged his shoulders. He was confident that as long as the Sith Lord and his apprentice did not show up, he could beat anyone there.

Yes, Jial knew about the current Sith Lord and his apprentice. Thanks to the Telos Holocron, Jial also knew about the Sith's current plan using the Rule of Two that Darth Bane had established. Unfortunately, the current Sith Lord did not add to the Holocron much. He simply added when he got an apprentice, his thoughts on his progress, and the few times that the Republic and Jedi had almost found out about his existence. But Jial was in the dark when it came to his current skills or location. 

"Unfortunately, I have to agree with my brat on this," Zilvarth voiced his objections. "The Grand Arena is dangerous. That random person you are assigned could be working for the other team or have even been bribed by someone betting on the fights."

Zilvarth had seen both situations happen far too many times in the arena. That was a place where people bet their entire livelihoods so it was always best to remain on guard. Even if Jial was confident in protecting himself and the girls, if the droid was destroyed before they got a chance to show it, the trip would be a waste. 

"We have too few members of high command though. Will you guys be able to manage with just the three of you?" Jial voiced his worries. He didn't mind bringing Boxe but he couldn't just leave Wyne undefended. 

"Boss, you are underestimating us far too much as well as overestimating our enemies," Zilvarth denied Jial's worries. "When it comes to Lok, even without you 4, I can safely say that we are currently top 3 on the planet. With the 3 of us here and the Psian Jakals on standby, we don't have much to worry about."

Jial thought about it and agreed. When it came to Lok, they were truly a superpower since they could already be called a medium, almost large, sized faction compared to other criminal or mercenary organizations. 

"Fine. Then I guess we will be bringing Boxe with us. How long do you think we should stay there?" Jial decided to defer to Zilvarth's judgment. He was the oldest and most experienced out of all of them

"I'd give it a year. We have enough supplies here to last us 3, plus we can always recall you if we need you. But in order to properly promote the Zaku II, it would take quite a few competitions to show that it is not only powerful but also built to last."

This was the main issue with many battle droids. Even if they were powerful, most broke down fairly quickly. They would need to show off how much different the Zaku II was from other models and why individuals needed to purchase it. 

"Sounds fine with me if you believe you guys can handle it. Boxe, go pack your supplies. Guess you're coming with us."

--- Unknown Asteroid near Ryloth ---

The Sith Lord that Jial was worried about was also going through plans of his own. The Sith had just knocked the lightsaber blade out of his apprentice's hand, leaving the Twi'lek breathing heavily on the ground. 

"Too weak, my apprentice. Far too weak to call yourself Sith," the Dark Lord berated his apprentice. "If not for there being too few options, I would have chosen another and left you as a slave."

The Sith Lord had been in an especially bad mood since Jial had awakened to the Force. When he was going to investigate, he came across 3 Jedi and had to kill them all. Unfortunately, he did not have time to destroy the bodies so the Republic and Jedi found all 3 of them. Ever since then, he had been hiding out, waiting for the situation to calm down in fear that he may ruin the Sith's Grand Plan. 

Hearing this, the Twi'lek stopped worrying about the pain in his wrist as he knelt down on the ground. 

"Please, Master! Just give me one more chance! I will show you that you did not choose incorrectly!" the teen begged

"Tsk. A Sith does not beg," he scolded once again. "But I shall give you a chance to prove your worth. Go to Vespaara. Become the champion there. Only then, can you return to my side."

"Yes, Master! I will not let you down," the Twi'lek swore. The teen stood up and turned around, the fearful expression turning into one of hatred as he looked away from his master. 

'One day, I will drive my blade through that throat of yours. And then we will see who is worthy of being Sith.'

--- Lok ---

Jial stood on Lok, feeling annoyed as he watched the ship with Boxe, Sidon, the twins, and the Zaku II take off into the air. 

Just as he was boarding the ship, he was notified with a prompt from the System. 

[Reminder to Host. Host is not allowed to leave the system. Failure to stay inside of the system will result in a violent and painful death.]

So as much as Jial wanted to participate in the battles and show off the Zaku II himself, he had no choice but to stay behind on Lok, letting Sidon take his place. 

'I fucking hate this system!'