"My eighteen years in academia have taught me many things. Miracles are not one of those."
Running out of supplies was no cause to be concerned for Doctor Godera. Yes, his hidden lab on Taris was supposed to be self-sufficient, but that very concept was a contradiction. A lab needed supplies, materials, equipment! Even if he could mill out spare parts to fix his type-76 mycological autoclave receptacle, that meant little if he did not have the semi-refractory essence resonator that could interface with that specific type of receptacle after the last one burned out rather spectacularly.
Which was why he had to take time out of his busy schedule of waiting for his lab equipment to finish its cycle to procure whatever it was he needed to further his research. Whether that was something as simple as a research periodical on applied materials sciences or something as specific as Ortanal-pattern silicate disintegrator, it required him to do that most dangerous of tasks: going outside.
His mother was laughing at him from beyond the grave, he just knew.
Unlike the balmy Balmorran countryside that woman had insisted he spend time in, however, the vistas of Taris were rather inimical to life. There were the massive prowling Nexus, the rakghouls, the massive insects that spat corrosive sludge, the rakghouls, the swamps whose fumes could strip a speeder of its paint in half a minute, and the ever-present rakghouls who wanted nothing more than to rip him limb from limb and eat him.
Or worse, turn him into a rakghoul.
No thank you, Nasan Godera rather liked having free will, thank you very much.
But sometimes, a man had to take risks. So he locked down his lab, set the defenses to active, temporarily deactivated the landmines he had surrounding the only entrance into the cave complex he had transformed into his secret lab, and set off in a high-capacity air speeder for the Tarisian Reconstruction Zone.
It was not a terribly long trip back to civilization. On foot, it would have been a grueling trek, but with the wonders of modern technology, it was almost like he was taking a joyride back home. Except that he needed to avoid a direct route in case anyone was watching him. And because there was a nest of pirates between his lab and the Republic colony.
Not that it was much of a problem. All he had to do was keep his altitude low and plot the familiar zig-zag course that avoided the most aggressive of the pirate bands that inhabited the area.
First were the Howling Kraits. They liked to fire 'warning shots' that tended to arc towards a piloting compartment but were sloppy with their sensor webs. A bit of distance was all it took to stay safe. No great challenge there, but a welcome way to start the trip since it let him get a feel for the controls after a few weeks of not flying.
Next was the Great Nikto Clan. Unlike the Kraits, they were dangerous. Unlike the Kraits, they had access to missiles that could accurately track a speeder flying at high altitudes. Plenty of distance and low-altitude flying were a must. That old procedure still worked like a charm, and he continued on his way, nearing the territory of the third and last pirate gang that stood in his way.
Last were the Bleeding Akk Hounds. They were decently disciplined and dug into the wreck of the Endar Spire. Their territory was more or less solid. Without a far stronger military presence on Taris, it was going to be nigh impossible to remove them from their improvised fortress of a crashed cruiser. More importantly, their weapons were better suited to ground-based targets leaving him reasonably safe…
Doctor Godera froze at the controls for a few seconds as he tried to figure out just what his eyes were seeing. The familiar shape of the crashed cruiser was still there. A fresh new duracrete platform had been erected over the chemical slush of a swamp that dominated that small artificial valley. Turrets were at the expected place, but of a different make and model.
And they were tracking him.
Pushing down hard on the control yoke, Doctor Godera forced his speeder into a steep dive. The altimeter spun down so rapidly it couldn't even properly display the numbers, forcing him to gauge distances by eye before pulling himself out of the suicidal dive a mere dozen meters above the ground.
But the expected barrage of laser bolts did not pursue him. No warning shots were fired, no warnings broadcast, nothing.
It was suspicious.
Highly suspicious.
But if they weren't shooting at him, he was fine with that. He could draft some surveillance when he got back to his hideout. But first, he had to run his little errand. Thankfully, he had almost made it to the colony by the time of his little scare and managed to set down his speeder with poise and grace.
That, and a white-knuckle grip on the steering yoke and a heart rate well above what was healthy for a man his age.
But that was fine. A bit of retail therapy, and he would be right as rain. At least, rain on a world that wasn't Taris.
"Doctor Godera," a barely familiar voice interrupted him as he browsed the mail order catalogue at the post exchange. Looking up from the datapad containing an almost respectable variety of essence resonators he could use to get back to his work improving upon existing ablative armor composites, he saw a middle-aged twi'lek woman he had met a few times before. And even that was just because she was the one in charge of the Republic colony and he was spending a lot of money. "It is good to see you back in civilization."
"Just a brief shopping trip, governor," he said, preempting what would no doubt be yet another attempt to recruit him to her foundering efforts to rebuild a ruined world. The doctor liked Taris the way it was, warts and boils and all, if only because it made it easier to have some peace and quiet. Provided one had the necessary resources to discourage the less friendly elements to come looking for trouble. "I shall return to my primitive hideout before lunch, never fear."
"I suspected as much," she corrected in a tone that was almost gentle but did not get any closer. An assistant droid hovered close to her, while an honor guard of Republic soldiers kept everyone else at a distance, projecting an air of distance between the governor and her constituents. Almost regal as far as symbolism went. "I was wondering if you would care to lend your expertise to the rebuilding of Taris."
"My specializations are in materials science, cybernetics, electronic warfare, and directed energy applications, governor," he repeated the same old talking point he had been using since arriving on Taris. "Not ecological reconstruction or civil engineering."
"I am not asking you to single-handedly rebuild the planet, Doctor Godera," she said. "I already have someone who is working on it. Now, if you would be so kind as to assess the viability of expanding his activities beyond his current scope, I would be most grateful."
Someone else was fixing Taris?
Fixing Taris?
"Say again?" he asked, putting down the datapad. The orders could wait. He could get the supplies later. That there was someone on this planet who claimed he could help undo the damages? And he hadn't heard about it earlier? Something was afoot.
"A certain Mister Janus has set up his operations out of the wreckage of the Endar Spire," she explained. That… that was Hounds territory. And they had been acting differently from before. That merited some investigation. Out of curiosity. Not out of pride. "Your expert eyes might be able to see if his efforts can be scaled up."
"Governor Saresh, I may have earned my doctorate many times over, but even my intellect has its limits," he warned her. But she had gotten his curiosity and his attention. Doctor Godera turned to face her fully. "I can only promise to take a look."
"And that is all I ask." Without so much as a farewell, the governor left. No doubt to delegate more of the actual work of rebuilding Taris to this new miracle worker of hers. Well, it couldn't hurt to pay him a visit.
Perhaps this 'Mister Janus' was someone smart enough to be worth his time.
...
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