Reclining in an armchair and scratching behind the ear of Vessira, who was sitting on my lap and cuddling up against me, I slowly turned my thoughts over. Ves… my adorable little long-eared treasure. She didn't need any rites at all, or anyone's approval—she didn't need a wedding in the first place. She already considered us a family, and she eyed the sabers with much greater interest. But as for those toys—I definitely won't give them to her unless there's a real need. It's not that I don't trust her; I just don't want to watch that cuteness deliberately driving herself into not the most pleasant sensations again and again.
Vessira understood that too and didn't insist, keeping herself busy with her own affairs. She honed her skills, studied new ones, and prepared for future family life. She was thinking about where to drop anchor—having a place of your own is something you want—so sometimes she loaded that thought onto me as well. The truth is, I didn't know either, if I'm being completely honest. We only have two options. Either Tython, or Shikaakwa. It just so happened I ended up bound to Tython, and it doesn't make sense to move away from it—especially if I take up training students in the Unifying Force, which… probably not? Kriff, I'm not even sure.
On the other hand, there's Shikaakwa. And on it—Hadiya. The girl has the same problem I do: she's tied to her planet and can't just pack up and move. Before, I didn't consider it a problem, because I viewed her fortress as a decent home. Yeah, with drawbacks, but still. And now, when I pulled a technique from the holocron that could help me shield myself from other people's emotions, I solved half my personal problems connected to Shikaakwa right away. But what's the point if I don't need to go there?
"What's bothering you?" Ves purred softly, squirming on my lap.
"Just thinking heavy thoughts."
"Hm?"
"It turns out it's either Hadiya and Shikaakwa, or Tython and the Order. I like studying the Force, and I'm very much for developing the Unifying Force path. About students—I don't know. I'm leaning toward it being too early, but in the future—why not? If only so the kids don't step on my rakes. And Hadiya…"
Hesitating, trying to find the right wording, I heard Ves ask:
"And Hadiya?"
"Rulers always have very little free time. Really very little. So little that sometimes they simply don't have a personal life. Hadiya strives for the crown, but hopes for competent advisers—yet even they can't be left unsupervised. You blink, and those overly clever 'advisers' will pull you off the throne. And the more power you have, the more headaches you get. That applies to our beloved Je'daii Council too. There's no desire to carry that burden."
"Just like your mother."
"Exactly."
"Shade, don't overthink it. I know you too well—you already made your choice even if you don't realize it," she rubbed her cheek against my chest. "You're not going to climb into the Order's Council, and you're not going to build a tenth temple. Students might happen—but definitely not you."
"Heh." Hugging that affectionate, purring treasure, I couldn't resist licking her nose. "You're right, kitty."
She lifted her muzzle, ran the back of her clawed hand along my neck, then my cheek, and, laying her palm against that same cheek, leaned in for a kiss.
Bzzzzzzzz!
"May you all be kriffed," I breathed, cutting a glance at the comlink. Ves only smirked and, not abandoning the idea, gave me a quick peck on the lips. Pressing the answer button with the Force without taking my eyes off that unbearably cute face, I asked loudly, "Who is it now?"
"Hm… Was I distracting you from something?" a familiar voice observed, as a question.
"Master Tsikuna?"
"Hi, Shade."
"And good health to you. What do I owe this to?"
"Are you very busy?"
"Uh…" I looked at Ves. "Right now, or in general?"
"In general."
"Well… kind of, yes. No one but me is going to dig into the holocron. Especially after Saros's warning."
"Mmm…"
"What is it?"
"I wanted to ask you to make a report regarding your training."
"What?"
"Here's the situation. It so happened I've been keeping an eye on you since the moment I learned about your peculiarity regarding the Unifying Force. And now, by decision of the Council assembly, I've been tasked with gathering all the data into one whole. So I need to know how Aala taught you—but I can learn that from her. What I need from you is what you felt during that training. Same goes for the period when you were in my temple, with Irbis, and on independent pilgrimage. The report must include your notes, observations, recommendations—in general, everything you consider necessary for teaching others gifted in the Unifying Force."
"Short version, Master."
"Short version: I need a written research work by you, based on your personal experience of the safe—emphasis, Shade, safe—raising of children with a Unifying Force alignment. Judging by how badly you were getting twisted, I can conclude gross mistakes were made, and I hope you can point them out."
"I understand. But, Master, you realize I won't write that in even one taked."
"Yes. I'm only passing on what's been placed on my poor head—at least nobody set deadlines."
"Are there any at all?"
"Well… you can write it in a year, right?"
"Mmm…"
"Fine. Two. If the information is backed by additional experiments, you'll have a favor from me."
"Master… first, I'm not your lab rat, even if all I'm missing is a number," I protested—and on the other end someone stifled a laugh. "And second, you still haven't paid off your debts to my mother!" Now the laughter turned into snorting.
"Hkhak did you find out?"
"Mom told me. And by the way, assigning Irbis to watch me was a very smart move."
…
"No, he didn't tell me. I just used my status and pulled information on how it all was. And given your personal interest in me… in short, let's call it even. You covered me when I was getting crushed, but you were also studying me. Yes, it's unpleasant, but we'll drop it. But I won't allow experiments on myself now, so don't even think about it."
As I spoke, Vessira's face kept stretching longer and longer, and on the other end they stopped making any sounds at all.
…
"Master?"
"Shade, please… don't tell Aala, all right?"
"Of course I won't. What, am I completely stupid?" I looked at Ves's expression. "Hm. Let's skip that. Anyway, you owe me."
Did it seem like someone on the other end started swearing? Nah—static.
"So what do you want?"
"Simple: you warn me about Council decisions that concern me or my family. All of my family."
"Shade…"
"And then I'll consider adding additional experiments to the autobiography."
"A-a-all right, blackmailer. Deal."
"Splendid! It was good talking to you."
"Wait! Don't disconnect."
"Yes?"
"Tell me, how far did you get with your developments? I saw Aala with new blades…"
"Oh! That's a special development—we're making those individually for specific persons for now. They're too dangerous. The Masters and I agreed that all items of that kind will be created only with my approval. As the developer, at least until production starts."
"Hm…"
"And also for safety reasons. If you give such a toy to an unprepared Je'daii, it'll quickly drive them insane. Very… dangerous weapon. We need to come up with some kind of safety lock, or at least standardization. I can swing mine and not fear losing my mind. But if you really want it, fly to us—we'll take a look at you and make it right away."
"Haggling again?"
"No. It's just that such a weapon has to be made for a specific Force-user, and ideally by their own hands. I don't doubt your talents, Master, and I don't doubt your sound judgment not to play with dangerous things. I just want to convey the seriousness."
"I understand. Well, I'll drop in sometime."
"Please do. We'll be glad."
"And, Shade."
"Yes?"
"I'm very glad you endured that trial."
"Heh."
"No, really—I'm glad. All right, I have to go. Give Vessira my regards when you see her."
"Definitely."
The connection cut off, and I looked into Ves's eyes.
"She says hi."
"Yeah."
"So, where were we?" I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.
"Shade, wait. Did Tsikuna really experiment on you? Back then. Is that why you came back so broken?"
"Uh… no. She was just knocking the fire out of me so I wouldn't start doing stupid things. Don't forget—standard training is contraindicated for me, especially prolonged training that breaks balance. And I basically spent three years doing nothing but grinding my not-yet-strengthened body down. But on the other side, because Tsikuna loaded me beyond measure—and did it deliberately, knowing it would only make me worse—I was… genuinely miserable, though I didn't notice it myself. You know, it's like something hurts all the time, for years, and you get used to it and accept it as normal. But once I got to Irbis, I started calming down—because he didn't load me with techniques; instead he kind of… pacified me, or something."
"So she deliberately assigned him to you?"
"Yeah. I once decided to check the chain of 'coincidences' in my life, and I checked. Compared the facts. Tsikuna was afraid I'd go off the rails—and not without reason, and not without her involvement. So she assigned someone who could bring me back to sanity if needed. You wouldn't guess it from Irbis, but he's very strong. If I truly snapped, he could first brake me with Force suggestion and then put my head back in place. Hypothetically. So even there she laid straw for me, and for that—thanks. And the fact that during training she sometimes purposefully ran certain… experiments—that's the smaller price."
"Got it."
"So. Can we continue now?"
"Mrrr." Smiling, she slid closer and kissed me passionately, cupping my cheeks with her soft hands. There's one thing Ves really knows how to do—it's touch. Using a Force technique, she would fleetingly and very delicately play with the nerve endings at the points where her hands met skin. Light-side technique—and for me to master it I'd have to work at it, but Great Force, it feels so good… And her emotions… and movements… All right, I'm in he—
Knock-knock-knock.
—aven. Kriff.
"Grr. I'm definitely going dark side right now," I growled, pulling away. "WHO?"
"Shade, am I interrupting?" Dalien opened the door. "Oh!"
"You are. Very much. What do you want?"
"I managed to figure out the hypergate hyperspace navigation system and assemble a kind of booster for hyperspace travel on a starship. I need you and Vessira to test it."
"And why do you need us?"
"You operated the hypergates! And I built this thing on their basis."
Throwing my head back, I shut my eyes and silently swore to myself. Force… grant me peace. Just for an hour.
"Mrrr," Ves gave me a comforting nudge.
"Ah, Ves, only you understand me."
"And hear you."
"And hear me. Fine, let's go. The sooner we start, the sooner we finish."
***
But it wasn't only experiments. Despite the separation, either I or Ves—or both of us together—kept in touch with ours by comms, and specifically with Hadiya.
"Hi, sunshine," I saluted her with a mug of juice.
"Hadiya," Vessira nodded, leaning against the back of the chair beside me.
"Hi, Shade. Vessira."
"So how are you? Tell us. How are things on Shikaakwa?" I asked, while Ves took my glass away.
"Same as always. Cutting, robbing, killing…"
"Kha-kha-kha," Ves coughed, while I covered my face with a hand.
"Hadi…"
"I'm joking. That hasn't happened in a long time. By the way, did you hear the latest news?"
"From where, Hadi? I don't stick my nose out of the lab, and besides—you're my news."
"So here's the thing: can you imagine, civilians have started moving under my wing en masse."
"Hm?" My brow shot up.
"Because I'm cleaning out small-time lawless types and guaranteeing a certain safety from outside encroachment, migration to Shikaakwa has begun."
"People want stability and calm. You can provide both, so there's nothing surprising in that," I shook my head.
"I'm worried the clans will come to me with demands."
"Why do you care?"
"Now I do. I'm not ready to go further; I need to strengthen what already exists. On the other hand, the process is already underway, and Shikaakwa is facing big changes… even if I do nothing."
"Understood."
"By my plan—five or six years and I'll be able to suppress the particularly outraged. Without blood, even."
"You're an optimist," Ves snorted.
"He is," she nodded at me. "I'm a realist. How about you two? How are you doing?"
"Well… I'm surviving. Vessira's helping."
"Mm-hm," Ves nodded.
"Surviving?"
"Every day is a discovery," Ves explained. "They won't even let him sleep properly. No, can you imagine, Hadi, we go to bed and all kinds of science maniacs break in on us. They sit on stimulants around the clock, day and night, doing something, no shame at all."
"And good. Why should I be the only one suffering while you two are there together?"
"You could at least sympathize!" Ves protested.
"I do sympathize," Hadiya nodded seriously.
"Just don't ask her who exactly she's sympathizing with," I whispered to Vessira.
"Hey! I can hear everything."
"I know," I said, winking.
Those sessions were a real outlet among scientists who, frankly, had nothing to talk about. And I don't mean Hadiya. Irbis, the twins, or anyone at all I was on good old terms with. I even called Uval once—an old teacher asking how I was doing. Never expected that, but I admit, it was nice. I asked him to apologize to the other instructors on my behalf for how many nerves I'd eaten. Now it was his turn to be surprised, but we talked well. Heh… maybe drop by someday?
***
After messing around with another one of Dalien's experiments, I didn't hurry back either to my main work or to my room. Unresolved questions tormented my thoughts—questions that needed answers. Leaving everyone behind and stepping out into the outer section, I stood at the railing and looked down. So much time had passed, and I still hadn't told anyone what was at the very bottom. But… are there really more hypergates down there? Or did I imagine it? I needed to sort it out and know for sure.
Besides, now I understood how I'd managed to get through to them. The last vision was the Bendu symbol, which the future Republic would use—and that symbol lodged in my head and refused to leave until the moment I fell down, straight through the veil of Chaos. Considering the Kwa used such a password, and the dark side of the Force was the result of some device meant to drive off intruders, then most likely there really is a gate down there. But… it needs checking. Preferably now.
"Shade?"
"What is it, Ves?" I asked without pulling away from my thoughts or taking my eyes off the abyss.
"I heard your worry. You want to go down again?"
"Yes."
"And why?" the Cathar turned to me.
"Down there is something that needs to be settled once and for all."
"Hm?"
"I think last time I managed to reach the very bottom."
"How?!"
"Let's just say I had a vision from the future with the Bendu symbol that saved me. Without it, I'm afraid I would have stayed there," I glanced at the Cathar. "And the Bendu symbol, as we know, serves as a password and pass for Kwa security systems."
"Hypergates?" She looked down.
"I think so. But I want to know for sure."
"I'm coming with you."
"Hold it," I tugged her back a little. "I want to go down there, but I'm still thinking."
"Why?"
"Because it's simply beyond my competence. I won't be able to do anything with what I find, even if I'm right. We need a full expedition."
"As in, people you don't mind?"
"People willing to go down there."
"Pff. Pick anyone. Everyone here is like that!" the Cathar gestured broadly. Yeah, in Enil Kesh you could walk up to anyone, and with the new information they'd be ready to jump down.
"I know, Ves, but… ah, fine, let's go to Dalien. Let his head be the one that hurts."
Dalien was not happy to see me back in the lab. It so happened you can only drag me into labs by force—I came voluntarily only with problems, or to pester the scientists with my wants and why-questions. But when he learned the reason, his attitude changed instantly. First Dalien had to be revived—the poor man actually fainted. Then he had to be given sedatives, because if he had the Force he would have started running on the ceiling from excitement. But once the first urge to climb into the abyss right now, personally, passed, we moved to a constructive discussion.
After sitting and thinking what to do, we concluded we needed to go upstairs to Tsiuan-Yan. Because it wasn't our competence. Dalien had spent most of his life for the sake of the first hypergates, and now they lay under a collapse. If I was right, and under Enil Kesh there were more hypergates—industrial ones—then they had to be guarded like the apple of the eye. And besides, since the first ones had already been active and the benefits they can yield were demonstrated, the Order not only wouldn't object—most likely it would be very much in favor.
With those thoughts we showed up at the Temple Master. We didn't have to revive a second body; it jumped over the first and second stages straight into action. I even slightly regretted whether it was worth stirring this up. But after thinking again and looking at the Masters running around, Dalien and his team, I admitted—it was worth it.
And I don't know whether it was for better or worse, but I didn't have to go down personally. Nobody let me—neither Dalien nor Tsiuan-Yan. Vessira let out a relieved breath. What's wrong with them? I already went down and came back, I could do it again—experience, as they say, we have.
The only place they let me was the command post, where recordings from the expedition team's cameras were displayed on monitors. A squad of twenty xeno-mugs, prepared over one taked and thoroughly briefed, was sent down. At first everything went well: data came in, people felt relatively fine, discounting the light negative influence of the Force source. Light indeed—all members of the expedition obsessively kept spinning the Bendu symbol in their heads and periodically checked it on their datapads. And it worked: those who regularly descend into the chasm for meditation confirmed the Force's influence was many times easier than before.
But the deeper the group went, the worse the transmission became—right up until the cameras started shutting off one by one. At some point we lost contact completely and simply waited.
In case of problems, the expedition members had clear instructions: return. But an hour of silence passed, then a second, third. We genuinely began to worry the group was finished—but no. At some point, the pressure of the dark side that absolutely everyone living in the Temple of Enil Kesh felt simply disappeared.
And then, the next day, one member of the expedition came back up. As it turned out, the Wall of Chaos negatively affects electronics, and some equipment was ruined. The group itself, however, had no trouble reaching the bottom, finding the hall I'd mentioned, and even disabling the device generating the Wall of Chaos.
Unfortunately, it wasn't completely without problems. Three members of the expedition tripped Force traps left by the original owners. Two died on the spot. One went completely and irreversibly insane, losing his "self" in the Force. Outwardly it looked horrifying—the Talid was alive and unharmed, but inside… the best words for it are: a living corpse.
Otherwise, things went more or less well. A second team descended after the first, with full equipment. Meanwhile, right at the temple they began installing special cargo cranes, and they sent down, on flying rancors, materials to build a special platform.
The first reports came in—and with them, the differences from what it had been before. Because what they found now, strangely enough, on closer examination had little in common with the previous discovery. And to make sure, we decided to go down personally and see everything on site.
I went down with Ves, Dalien, and Tsiuan-Yan as part of the fifth group, when everything was more or less prepared. There was no trace left of the old pressure, nor of that "waterfall." It was also far easier to breathe down there now, and there was no black mist in the air. The only thing left was a certain "aftertaste," similar to what I felt in the Old City.
And reaching the discovery itself, we began to examine it up close. The first thing we noticed was the lack of power sources. As in—none at all. No sockets where you could plug in a dark-matter battery, no cables; there was no electronics here at all. More than that, the gate arch, on closer look, had a completely different architecture. Yes, it was triangular, a-a-and… that was all that linked it to the hypergates from the Old City.
The control console wasn't even worth mentioning—it was simply different. And our attempt to interact with the device threw us into final confusion…
"Dalien… I have bad news for you," I said, taking my hand off the control panel and turning to the scientist.
"Hm?"
"This is NOT a hypergate."
"What do you mean?"
"Literally. The controls are completely different, not like in the hypergates. I can't even turn on power for lighting. But it exists. I mean, the device is functional, connected, it responds in the Force, but as for how to start it—I have no idea."
"Uh…" one of our world's geniuses produced a highly intellectual answer.
Further investigation only confirmed my words. The device itself was both power source and mechanism, and had a potential that's hard even to imagine. And if you compare this thing to the hypergates, it's like a pneumatic pistol next to a military sidearm.
So I loaded Dalien even more for long years ahead, and everything he'd developed before was kind of kriffed due to the new discovery. The name of the found device was located and deciphered right on the floor after they cleaned it near the gate. The thing was called: the Infinity Gate.
***
Leaving Dalien and Tsiuan-Yan, blissed out, to deal with their new toy, I returned upstairs. My task was done, my conscience was calm, and now I needed to get rid of the holocron and Tsikuna with her manuals, because, kriff, there was no peace—she kept reminding me from time to time. I wonder, could "Sith" become an insult? Hmm…
Since there was no point dragging it out, I decided not to screw around leaving notes in a notebook, and instead make my own holocron—especially since the manuals were provided faster than I could finish asking. Constructively, a holocron is a crystalline data-carrier (yes-yes, like a kyber crystal) thoroughly saturated with the Force, processed the right way, packed into a protective shell, and supplemented with some author details, like a recorded personality matrix. By the way, that's one of my favorite tricks. You rub the holocron, it opens—and a translucent silhouette of its creator appears with, "What would you like?" But as much as it's a favorite trick, it's not universal. I've got several holocrons in my collection already, including the Kwa holocron, and there's no "genie" in any of them. (Praise the Force!)
After sitting and turning a kyber crystal in my fingers, I put the future holocron's parts into a pouch, and slipped the stone into my breast pocket. Let it soak up the Force properly—it'll be easier to work. And while the blank for the future data storage "marinates," I returned to the Kwa holocron.
Another attempt to find something—now specifically about the Infinity Gate—didn't succeed. If there was at least something about the hypergates, then it had no idea what the Infinity Gate even was.
The most interesting thing was that despite its vast knowledge, the stone didn't know everything we needed. For instance, it had no answer to where the Kwa went. Or why they went anywhere. Was it war, or some plague? Unclear. It also hadn't heard about the Tho Yor, nor about starships in general.
But it did contain a lot of other things, and none of it was clear to us. For example—history lessons. That was how I learned that in the time of the Kwa, the galaxy was inhabited and divided among such peoples as the Gree, the Celestials, the Sharu, the Columi, the Taung, and even humans. Never expected to see humans on that list, but the fact remains.
The Gree are a race of gray cephalopod beings from the planet of the same name. Looking at their photos, for some reason the association is with scavengers… or some kind of techno-maniacs, because the amount of prosthetics, implants, and other metal is truly huge.
They fly starships and have their own unique technologies, including for moving between systems. They also have a unique power source the Kwa honestly tried to copy, but whether they succeeded is unknown. As for culture—xenophobes and sociopaths; they don't really like guests. And the Kwa have very strained relations with them. While the Kwa are good guys and pursue an open-door policy, freely enlightening younger races (at least, that's what's written), the Gree dislike it, which caused conflicts. Not war—more like little "nips," because there can't be war between such giants. Both sides could tear planets apart—and the Celestials were hanging around too.
Those fellows were the biggest toad in the swamp and, unlike the first two, could build not just planets but star systems. Literally. Took a star, dragged it where they wanted, hung planets around it—and done. Their politics, though, were a little savage. In two words: there are the Celestials, and there is everyone else. Because of this, nobody liked them. And the Celestials also had a "greater good," for which they were hated even more. Imagine someone comes to you and, with the words "for the greater good" (meaning for themselves), takes your planet. Literally tows it into their system. Nice, right? And the sharpest part is you can't object because they're stronger. Formally, the Celestials gathered all peoples under themselves and kind of enslaved them… but in practice, the "enslaved" have such teeth that it's simply unprofitable to wage war on them. Yes, in a conflict the Celestials would win, no question, but there's no point.
Because of the Celestials, a whole race by the name "Sharu" abandoned space exploration, locked itself on its homeworld, moved entire cities underground, and degraded into a Stone Age state. All just to avoid drawing the Celestials' attention.
Those same Celestials loved to play with hyperspace, which is why in addition to natural anomalies, there were artificial ones. That's where vague suspicions crept in about our system and its location. I won't even mention the number of habitable planets.
But back to the ancient peoples. There were also the Columi—short bipedal reptiles with an insanely large head. Due to low gravity on their homeworld, the Columi are weak and unable to move on most planets without additional devices. For a time they were faithful allies of the Kwa, which isn't surprising—both races are reptilian. And while the Kwa used hypergates, the Columi flew through them on ships and provided their services to the Kwa themselves. Looking at the little tadpoles' flying octahedrons, I drew an analogy with the Tho Yor. In principle—it's similar. You could say the Tho Yor is a joint development of the two peoples. Everything would be great, but the Columi's activity angered the Celestials and they were thrown into the Stone Age.
Another race were the Taung. These beings, very similar to amphibians but not actually amphibians, have a bloody history—bloody, but vivid and memorable. It began with them being expelled from their homeworld. Expelled by humans, but not without Celestial help. The Taung are warriors by nature and won't tolerate slavery, while humans were listed as Celestial slaves. That's where it all started. Their new home became the planet Roon; the Gree and Columi quickly took in their fellow sufferers and helped them relocate. The Taung weren't going to surrender; they gathered strength and seized a couple more planets, and then, with Columi help, went to beat the Celestials. And it must be said, they even managed something. The Celestials, a little stunned by the audacity and taking a couple of slaps, crushed both. The Columi never recovered, but the Taung did. Despite losing a couple of planets, they got back on their feet fast and demanded a rematch. The second campaign gave a more tangible result; that time, ending the conflict quickly didn't work for the Celestials. The Taung, not being fools, flew around the galaxy and recruited all volunteers who were sick of the Celestials, trained them, and fought with them. And since this time there were no specific centers, the whole crowd spread in a thin layer across the galaxy, biting at everything everywhere all at once. The outcome, however, was still predictable: the movement was broken, all planets were destroyed, leaving only one—Roon—even though none of the planets formally took part, shifting blame onto renegades. Like, "It's a mix of different peoples fighting you, not us!" And back to the Stone Age again. But the Taung wouldn't be Taung if they calmed down. They rose again, and one Mandalore made a knight's move and discovered a new planet, naming it after himself. On that planet a new movement later assembled for another campaign against the Celestials. And they did assemble it, taking the proud name of a new race—more precisely, an ideology: the mando'ade. And this time everyone got pulled into the mess—Gree, Kwa, and some human races too. The Celestials looked at that and decided to cool things down rather than fight everyone at once. But there was a fight, yes. Short, but vivid—each side measuring the caliber of its main barrel against the other.
After that came an era of peace and prosperity, where the fattened bourgeois were brought down, and the younger "conquered" races sighed in relief. The Kwa tried to bring the Columi back onto the stage and continued enlightening young peoples. Among them were the Iktotchi, the Rakata, humans, the Killiks (though the Celestials worked with those more), and many others. Looking through the images, my gaze caught on the Rakata—tall bipedal beings with oval, elongated heads. Eyes like they're on stalks, pointing in different directions. They reminded me of the monsters from my vision, but only reminded me. In the records they looked quite peaceful and civilized, respectful toward the Kwa. But… I don't get it. Something about them bothers me, but what? Hmm…
While I was decoding things, they hauled the Kwa holocron from Kaleth to me. Like: "You're studying that thing, here's another one." I wanted to beat the couriers to death with that holocron on the spot—one is too many for me, and now they brought another. Luckily or not, the second holocron wasn't going to respond in the Force at all. It felt like the personality inside was asleep—and simply didn't want to wake up, regardless of any attempts to interact. One good thing: it's functional. So, putting the holocron back into the couriers' hands, I sent them to… Kaleth.
Returning to studying the holocron, I thought about the fact that, in space, there is someone to fight… at least, there should be. And the vision didn't come from nothing, so I went to bother members of the Order Council. The Council got bothered, took it in, and began devising a plan to repel a possible threat from outside… which looked very comical. Before, the Order had zealously claimed there was nobody beyond the system, and now, in light of new data, it started playing a different tune. The Star-Seekers, by the way, learning about the activity outside, cooled down on returning "home" and started looking at the gate as an emergency exit in case of major trouble. Funny—I didn't know it was so easy to persuade fanatics!
Hadiya, using the new data about a probable external enemy, immediately rubbed her hands together, sent me an air kiss, and, cackling a little wickedly, went to tidy herself up and strengthen her position. No, it was always obvious that it's much easier to unite against someone than to unite just because, but the girl took that proverb to its absolute. A plan she had stretched over years was carried out in just one year.
That she-devil… and a genius. She did everything subtly and truly came close to becoming Queen of Shikaakwa. The clans didn't dare contradict her. Like: "You slander me, but I, between other things, care about your lives! It was I who financed my husband's project so we'd have an emergency exit for everyone. It was I who tried to gather strength to repel an attack from outside. And it was I who finally established a normal economy on Shikaakwa. And what did you do?" So, in the eyes of ordinary citizens, my demoness—with lekku instead of horns—earned a phenomenal level of authority, and the clans had no choice but to recognize her primacy and grant her the title "Kral," meaning "Lord of the Nine Houses." There was such a figure in Shikaakwa's history, long ago, back at the dawn, it happened once. But Hadiya prefers a simpler address—Queen of Shikaakwa. And a coronation should happen soon, to which I was invited in a mandatory manner. So, temporarily suspending work and taking Vessira with me, we slipped away from everyone and went to Shikaakwa.
***
"Yes… Hadiya knows how to run ceremonies," the thought flashed when I saw what the lady had prepared for the ceremony. The whole city was decorated, fireworks flew in the sky, two squadrons staged an aerial parade, and along the city's central street she rode—Queen of Shikaakwa. The xenos stood on both sides behind a barrier and shouted congratulations in delight. To my surprise, the people were sincerely congratulating their queen. Since I first appeared here, if not the planet, then the city certainly had time to change again. Hadiya really had restored order here and changed this rotten world that made me sick into something better.
Along the ceremonial route from start to stage, I followed behind Hadiya like a shadow on her right side. Despite all my attempts to slip away, the girl was adamant—since I'm her future husband, I'm obligated to be by her side. And besides, she'll be in full view, and I'm kind of a bodyguard—what if someone tries to kill her? Though after the mess with Clan Ryo, there hadn't been a single attempt.
So I couldn't slip away and could only think with envy of Ves, who was lying on a couch, crunching chips, watching all of this from the side. During the ceremony Hadiya kept her face serious, without even a hint of a smile, occasionally nodding at the people. Inside, though, she was having more fun than anyone. Because she'd pulled it off.
The ride ended at the main square, where the coronation ceremony was to take place. Standing beside the guards and the first aide, I watched Hadiya's back as she climbed the steps of the enormous stage. The Twi'lek had listened to my advice and made herself a spear, which added color to her look.
On the stage already stood nine clan members, one of whom was Hadiya's father, and two more were formal representatives of clans that were now defunct and long dead. Why those were there, I have no idea—tradition, I guess. There lay a ready crown—partly gilded, but overall silver—set with scarlet triangular stones, perfectly matching the pigments.
"My girl," I commented to the guys beside me with a bit of tenderness as the clan members began swearing loyalty to her. All of them. Even her own father. They did that because, formally, Hadiya leaves her own clan and becomes above everyone.
After the oath, Hadiya's father placed the crown on her head, and the girl turned to the hushed crowd—and then the crowd exploded into joyful cheers. Raising a palm to calm the people, she stepped to the prepared microphone.
"Today is a momentous day for all of Shikaakwa," she began, surveying the quieted spectators. "I strove to make my home better, safer, to unite it under one beginning, and I achieved it. We achieved it. There were many obstacles on our path, many tried to kill me, many wished us ill, but they failed. I stand here now, and I promise that from this day forward, Shikaakwa will be a planet with a достойный standard of living! And no one will dare stand in our way, neither an internal nor an external enemy. Together we can overcome any obstacles!" The crowd roared, but Hadiya didn't intend to stop and raised her hand again. When the noise subsided, she continued. "You all know what I've done for Shikaakwa. What I've done for you. But none of you knows that there is someone to whom we owe this—and even I…"
"Uh?" A bad feeling hit.
"…I will be honest. Once, I didn't believe this planet could be fixed. But one… Je'daii made me believe. I know very well how you feel about them, but it was one of them who made me believe in my own strength. And he showed that this world can still be repaired. Shade, please…" She extended a hand toward me.
Quietly gulping and calming the goosebumps running from that many eyes, I climbed to her.
"…You all know the 'Demon of Shikaakwa.' He became a legend, the one who walks behind me as a shadow, who appears in the most critical moments. More than once he saved me, saved all of us, and it is he who inspired me to new achievements. He never asked for rewards, never demanded anything—he simply did what he considered right. That is a true Je'daii. A selfless, pure warrior of the Force who won't pass by your trouble and will seek justice!"
"Mother Dark and Father Light… Hadiya, come to your senses!"
"Many try to smear the Je'daii, saying they're bad, but that isn't true. Because there are those like him—Shade Aero. I promised him that the day would come when he would be received as the husband of the Queen of Shikaakwa. Shade, you know… I always keep my promises, and today—that day has come. I, the Queen of Shikaakwa, agree to be your only…"
"Not only," I muttered, looking away, arms folded across my chest.
"…once and forever! And no one will dare doubt you or oppose you any longer, for this is my will and my law!"
The crowd erupted into fresh applause and congratulations for the newly minted queen. All I could do was let out a mournful sigh and look at the happy Twi'lek.
"And why?" I asked, switching off the microphone with the Force.
"Well, first, I promised," she took my hand and smiled slightly.
"And second?"
"And second, you're not the only one who knows how to mock me in public."
"Ves is wicked, you're vindictive… who did I get involved with?" I shook my head. "Though, you know…" I looked at the girl differently, already imagining how to ruin the moment. Hadiya understood it from my intonation alone and, without changing her expression, conveyed all her pleading with her eyes: "DON'T!!!" Taking pity, I snorted and put an arm around the she-devil.
Thus the coronation of the Queen of Shikaakwa took place. Later Vessira tried to tease me, but seeing my "kind" expression, changed her mind and switched to congratulating Hadiya. Irbis applauded the girl standing. In one swing, she significantly whitened the Order's image in the public eye, and already now my former teacher received a new instruction: congratulate Hadiya on behalf of the Order and actively build bridges with such an ally. To me, in private, he passed that the Council members sent me their gratitude for my beneficial influence on Hadiya. Better have given a second ship, cheapskates—Mom flies the first one.
On the festive wave and due to the announcements about marriage, we had to speed up plans a little and propose that the ladies also hold the ceremony at the same time. I'd thought it would happen after leaving Tython, but since things went this way, why not now?
***
A bit later. Tython.
"Hm… Hadiya, sunshine, don't you think this is overkill?" Holding the girl close, I watched as a crane unloaded containers from a cargo ship and loaded them onto an atmospheric hauler. It was decided to hold the wedding ceremony on Tython. First, it's quieter here than on Shikaakwa; second, Shikaakwa might not survive a second Hadiya-made holiday in a row. Besides—we haven't shaken up the locals in a while; let them enjoy it.
"I don't know anything. I just brought a little bit of inventory for the future wedding ceremony."
"A little?" I gave the Twi'lek a look.
"Yep!"
"Hadiya…"
"Shade, everything has to be at the best level! There's furniture, clothing… including for you and Vessira," she began listing, setting a hand aside and, not without pleasure, looking at the ring on her ring finger. "Treats for the banquet, musical instruments, filming equipment…"
"In short, you brought everything," I sighed. "As usual. By the way, you didn't have to bring suits—we have ours with Ves."
"What ones?"
"You know mine—you designed it yourself," I nodded back to where the gear was stacked. Well, not wearing the same outfit all the time, right? For variety I was in a vest, trousers, and boots.
"Approved. Good outfit—universal," the Twi'lek nodded. "And what about you?" She looked at Ves beside her.
"We made something similar for me, but more feminine. Black tones, crimson patterns to match the pigments," she ran her palm along her arm, "anyway, you'll like it."
"Show me later."
"Mhm."
"All right, ladies, I'm going to leave you for a moment…"
"Whe-e-e-ere?" Hadiya protested. And Ves immediately grabbed my hand.
"I need to finish something so nobody tugs at me during vacation. It's unlikely, sure, but just in case I'll throw something on top. I deliberately held back some info from the holocron."
"Ah," Hadiya smirked knowingly. "All right. Go. I allow it!" I was released, and she lifted her nose importantly. I physically couldn't miss the moment and immediately flicked that very nose.
"Be more modest, sunshine. More modest."
"Oh, whatever."
Kissing both of them in turn, I left their company. Some things really did need finishing, and I had to load the particularly restless ones so hard they wouldn't even be able to think about me. Because a honeymoon—well, a taked—was on the horizon, and nobody is allowed to ruin it. While flying to Shikaakwa and back, I got so many calls—horror. And I already have a whole set of my own developments, including Forcesabers, some Force techniques, new forms of metal processing, and other small things.
So, having prepared in a back room a bomb that would, hopefully, occupy the scholars enough, I returned to the girls. We had to decide the place, the date, and a few other details. The location was chosen quickly—Bodhi Temple fit perfectly, and after contacting the Masters there and getting their approval, we moved on to the next stage: time. That was more interesting. Since we'd planned something like this in advance, some of the invited would arrive soon, and some were already here. So we set the date for seven days later.
But the problem that came up was the surname. Yes, Hadiya left her clan and took the title of Kral, but her surname remained the same, and that could be called advertising. Like: see, our native achieved that much success. Changing the surname would be akin to betrayal. I tried several times to understand those complications, but the only answer I reached was: "This is Shikaakwa." And here we had a small conflict. I wasn't going to change my surname, because I am Aero, period. Hadiya sulked not for long—right up until she decided to rename her entire former clan to my surname. Yeah, she found a "solution." Hadiya's father… in short, at that moment he was a little shocked. I even feared I'd have to revive him, but no—the man is iron, he's endured worse quirks from his daughter. I don't know what Hadiya told him, but the man really renamed an entire clan. A feeling (and his face) says I'm going to have phenomenal relations with my father-in-law. One of them. And I still have to talk to the second one, whom I've never even seen. Or heard. Yeah…
So as not to waste time, I brought out the nerd-cache, warned everyone, and together with the girls, Hadiya's father, Irbis, and Dalien (who tore himself from research with tears in his eyes), I flew to Bodhi Temple. And there we began preparing the future ceremony. Or rather, Hadiya, Ves, and some locals prepared it, while I mostly hovered in the kitchen. No, Irbis, I'm not hiding here—I'm verifying the preliminary list of dishes! Oh, you came to verify the list too? Fine, let's go over it again together.
At some point Dalien joined us, and the number of "verifiers" became three. When I asked why, I learned Mom had arrived. No, guys, we're not going there—we've only gone through the main dishes, and there are also desserts, drinks, appetizers… Yes-yes, I completely agree with you, Irbis, we absolutely need to check product quality. And we'll definitely review the declarations, yes.
Unfortunately, my calm ended the moment Ves's parents and her family arrived. Honestly, when I saw her relatives, I almost kicked the bucket. I hadn't asked details before, just whether everything was okay back home and so on. Ves herself didn't like talking about home much, so as not to stir her soul—she only mentioned she had many brothers and sisters. But I never could have imagined she had five sisters and eight brothers, one father with no less than four wives—one of whom is human. And all of that flew here.
"Shade, this is my family," Ves introduced me, embarrassed and blushing.
"Hello…"
"Arr'Han'Rok!" a tall Cathar introduced himself with a growl—half a head taller than me, twice as wide, with an enormous thick mane, covered in scars, yet with a kind gaze. Interesting combination…
"Shade. Glad to meet you."
Keeping composure and not showing signs of surprise and mild confusion was uncomfortably difficult. After Father, Ves's birth mother introduced herself.
"Verona," a stately woman with light wrinkles on her face nodded.
"Forgive me, Verona… I'll lose respect for myself if I don't ask, but… how did a woman of your nature end up in this company?"
"I grew up among them, that's all," she shrugged.
"Mmm, understood."
After Verona the other women introduced themselves, and after them Vessira's brothers and sisters, from oldest to youngest.
Everyone looked sort of dressed up, but calling it "formal wear" wouldn't make my tongue turn. Someone had a leather jacket, someone just a jacket, someone in a sleeveless vest or a light coat. The head of the family was in a stylish plated armor with short sleeves. The funniest part was that, against that background, nobody stood out at all. Dresses? Suits? Never heard of them. The only one who stood out among everyone was my mother. She wore something like a dress… on the bottom. With a wide slit at the hip. And on top—a midriff top with an exposed stomach. Yeah.
When the introductions were done, Arr'Han struck the next blow. Vessira's father turned out to be a very talkative Cathar, and he simply couldn't resist giving me a couple of pieces of advice about multiple wives. Like: you need to keep them in a tight grip so they don't get loose, and regularly show who's in charge so they love you. And he gave a couple more tips. Then he wished me many children. But… looking at that brood, I seriously started thinking about how not to acquire a phobia.
My suffering ended with Hadiya's father arriving. Quickly shifting all attention to him, I grabbed Ves and retreated. Yes, I'm evil, and in general—there was no need to torment my nerves with that "famous surname coming from time immemorial."
And it got truly good when the guys arrived. Great Force, how glad I was to see them—who even knows. The twins had gained more scars, and Gris came this time not alone, but with his lady. Hm… I'd seen female Wookiees before, of course, but it was the first time I could actually talk to one like this. Usually they either sit at home or try not to be seen. What that's about, I didn't understand, but apparently it's culture. The meeting gave unusual impressions: the voice is thinner, she herself is tall, and as clothing—a chest wrap and a cloak hanging down to the floor.
Ramira changed too. I couldn't help noticing that the Zabrak's stomach had rounded a bit, and a spark of life had settled inside, which I congratulated them on. They held their wedding in the best traditions of Tython—without witnesses, with only a single oath before the Force. Jealous. Now I'm looking at the cameras and thinking more and more about the dubiousness of our event. But alas… no choice. Though after what happened on Shikaakwa, our ceremony could be called "modest and family." Gris only patted my shoulder sympathetically, for which he immediately got smacked by his lady. Turns out among the Wookiees a wedding is equivalent to a phenomenal party, and the girl fully supported Hadiya's quirk and even expressed a desire to help. And that's when I got scared…
In the hustle and preparation for the big day, time passed completely unnoticed. At some point I just realized I was standing on the square of Bodhi Temple, right by the statue, looking at my girls under running cameras and gathered spectators. Kriff… why are there so many of you?
"Shade?" Ves looked me in the eyes.
"Yes, just… a little nervous. I don't like this kind of attention. Makes me want to pull a mask on my face."
"I understand," Ves nodded faintly.
"Ladies…" I paused, trying to recall the text I'd come up with earlier, but it treacherously ran out of my head. "Mmm…" Force, what shame. This will be the worst day of my life. All right, calm down, Shade. You've been on the edge so many times—can you really not survive your own wedding? "Girls. Beloved. I… want to thank you. For your support, and faith in me. I admit, it's still a mystery to me how you can even tolerate my person. I'm prickly. Very prickly. And I never strove to get into relationships. I knew who I would be, knew I would become a hunter and constantly travel around the system, and what normal girl would tolerate her husband's long absences? Especially knowing he constantly walks from one fight to another, and any next mission could be his last? But you… I can't describe it—apparently the Force itself helped us come together, and I'm very grateful for it. Grateful to you, girls. And the Force will be my witness, for I swear to love and protect you."
That's it. The client—me—is ready, wrap it up. Vessira didn't even try to hide her amusement, radiating emotions, while Hadiya looked faintly offended. Well, yeah—we wrote the text with her. PR is everything. But I think what came out now is also not bad.
Taking over from me, Hadiya delivered a much longer speech, including renaming the clan, loyalty, love, new achievements, and overcoming hardship together. And she sealed her words with a kiss, passing the turn to Vessira. Ves, to my (and everyone else's, especially after Hadiya's line) surprise, limited herself to four words.
"I'll be with you always…" she whispered, and kissed me too.
"You know, I liked Vessira's speech more," Feng's voice was very loud in the silence that formed. "Uh, Hadi, I was joking, don't look at me like that, please. And—may the Force be with you!"
The other Force-gifted spectators picked up the words, and the awkwardness was smoothed over. And the feast began. Because Irbis and Dalien had spent seven straight days doing nothing but inspecting the kitchen, and to prevent questions they added a lot of new and tasty things. More than that, some dishes I didn't even know could exist at all. Some of the temple's cooks approached it creatively, so we got to try truly unique things… and in a couple of cases—not very edible ones. But it looked pretty, yes.
Music played in the background of the feast; some of those celebrating decided to test each other in friendly sparring. Ves's brothers challenged me to a training duel three times. I fought without using the Force—since they aren't gifted—but even so I handled them easily. Then Father stepped in for the young ones; with him it wasn't so simple—he's Je'daii—but I rolled him too. After that they left me in peace and let me enjoy the celebration, while others continued sparring. I noted that Irbis's lessons hadn't been wasted—he'd learned something, judging by how he fought Arr'Han.
And in the evening, a pleasant night awaited me with two girls—my wives now. Yes, not everything went smoothly. Hadiya was shy and hesitant, while Ves was… indifferent. Completely. But a light touch of the Force and some tenderness reconciled the Twi'lek to reality. As practice showed, Ves wasn't wrong to be self-conscious about her nature, so when she ran out of steam, I could calm down already with Hadiya.
So in the morning, satisfied and happy, I could safely say:
"Now for sure. I'm in he—"
Bzzzzzzzz.
"—aven. Kriff. Are you kidding me?" I muttered quietly so as not to wake the girls. Pulling the comlink with the Force, I brought it to my ear. "Whoever you are, dead man, you won't die quickly."
"Sorry, Shade, I know you're very busy," Dalien's voice came through, "but we have serious problems."
"What happened now?!"
"One of the Masters, actively using your saber, broke."
"Dalien," I said, freeing myself from the girls and sitting up. "Say that again."
"One of the Masters practicing with your saber fell to the dark side, almost started a massacre, and now he's wandering somewhere on Tython, generating a Force storm."
"Oh, for kriff's sake…" I whispered, pressing a free hand to my face and rubbing the bridge of my nose.
"I warned Aala. She's already getting ready."
"Wait. You warned Aala? She's not even a member of the Order anymore."
"Right. And that's the second detail. The operation isn't official."
"Why?"
"Irbis will explain everything. He'll be waiting for you at the landing pad."
"Understood. I'm coming," I said and cut the comlink, exhaling.
"Mmm… Shade?" Vessira woke up, probably sensing the disturbance in me. "What is it?"
"Same as always. Nothing new. Another problem. Sleep, miracle—I need to fly somewhere with Mom right now," Ves froze for a second, then processed what I'd said and woke up fully. "It's fine, sweetheart. Just a problem in the lab, needs personal presence. I'll try to finish quickly and get back to you. Then we'll go отдых and let the whole world wait. Agreed?"
"Mhm. Be careful."
Kissing her on the lips, I assured her:
"Don't pity me, dear. Pity those who violated safety procedures—because I'm going to punish!"
"Heh… I'll pity them later. Maybe."
"Oooh, someone's wicked," I scratched behind her ear, and with another sigh, got up. Time to get ready. The question is: who was I lecturing for hours so they wouldn't abuse things? On the spot, I'm going to strangle the bastard…
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: patreon.com/Granulan