It wasn't that I wasn't glad; no, I was very, very glad. The thought that this would happen sooner or later had long been rooted in my head, so I didn't even worry about it. Another matter was that it came out a little unexpectedly—as, in principle, it usually does.
Mom, however, upon learning the news, looked incomparably happier than me.
"Yeeeeeees! I'm finally going to have grandchildren!!!" the Togruta danced, raising her hands to the sky. Seeing her like that was too much even for me, not to mention everyone else.
"Mom, calm down," I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose.
"What do you mean 'calm down,' Shade? First I worried that you didn't have a girlfriend, then that you were constantly disappearing somewhere without giving them attention—I even seriously feared they would leave—and now such magnificent news! Great Force… how happy I am…" Clapping her hands, she looked at the sky again.
"Yeah."
"And you're happy!"
"Yes, yes, me too."
"Shaaaaade?"
"I'm just a little afraid I won't manage. Children are like plasticine; what you mold is what you get. And I'm not very sure I'll manage. I haven't even had students—I drove them all away myself."
"You will!" Mom said in a very familiar tone. I'd heard it somewhere before… right. That was how, I think, Fedya promised Shurik an "accident" on the construction site.
"Mom…"
"Where are you going to go? Even I couldn't refuse a student, though I always fought it with all my strength. But in the end, I had to take one."
"And who was that?"
"You. And it turned out well, didn't it?" Activating her saber, she pointed it at me.
"Yeah, I survived, against all odds," I snorted, activating my own.
"No. You'll have to survive here and now." She switched on her second blade and took a stance.
"Heh… well, we'll see. Try to withstand the onslaught." Gripping my sabers, I moved forward. Environmental control required concentration, and steady, measured movements allowed me to focus on Force sight without being distracted by footsteps. It's like walking down the street in headphones, immersed in music, not even noticing as you take the next step.
But returning to children… yes, it was unexpected, a little scary, but at the same time joyful and calm. There was just an understanding: everything is going as it should, as it must. True, if they are Force-gifted, a double responsibility will fall on my shoulders. If not, I'll breathe a sigh of relief, knowing my child won't lose their mind during training.
And besides, despite the unexpected news, duties cannot be forgotten. So these tidings had almost no effect on current life. At most, a nursery appeared in Hadiya's palace, which was constantly being updated. The girls couldn't reach a golden mean regarding how to decorate or where to put what. Hadiya was a resident of Shikaakwa, and Vessira a hereditary Je'daii, and each had her own… traditional views, which is why the conflict showed no signs of subsiding. Cultural difference in all its glory.
I didn't get involved, but not because I was afraid of getting hit. I just didn't care; I knew that neither of them would do anything stupid—and I could be calm. Moreover, if I were allowed to plan it, it wouldn't be a nursery, it would be… no, I won't call it that. My intervention was limited to forbidding them from separating the children into different rooms. After all, they are brother and sister, and creating different conditions for children is not the best idea.
Another little problem surfaced a few takeds later when the children's gender was determined. Vessira, as we had already guessed, was carrying a girl, while Hadiya had a boy. The question was, what names to give? Mom tried to intervene but was unceremoniously shown the door with the message: "This is our internal matter!" To avoid offending the girls, it was agreed that each would propose her own options, while I would give the approval.
I'll say it right away—the idea wasn't great, because Ves was constantly drawn to the long and convoluted names Cathars carry, while Hadiya was obsessed with pathos: every name was a Great Achiever of something. Or someone significant who left their mark on history.
In the end, after a taked of thought, an agreement was reached. The girl would be named Terrarris, or just Terra, and the boy—Saros. Hadiya managed to find a grand and significant name that I couldn't refuse. Mom wasn't very happy about the latter, but since no one asked her, she quickly reconciled herself to it.
The world shifted a little with the birth of the first child. It turns out that for Twi'leks, the period of fetal growth and subsequent maturation of the child is slightly shorter than for humans. For Cathars, by the way, this period is even shorter. So it happened that first Saros was born, and literally half a taked later, Terra, despite the quite large difference in the time of conception.
Outwardly, Saros was closer to the Twi'leks, with the caveat that he had red skin, white pigments, and gray eyes—mine. The boy inherited pigments from both his mother and me. White stripes on his lekku similar to those of his mother, and on his body and face analogous to mine, with small differences.
Terra also had my gray eyes, but unlike Saros, she copied my pigments exactly. From her mother, she inherited the build, vertical pupils, ears, tail, and fur.
And you know what? I was sincerely glad I had two women. Simply because when one is busy, the second watches the children. When the second is busy, I can look after them. And if I'm busy, we make an exception and launch the heavy artillery: my mother, who was happier about the grandchildren than all of us combined. Yeah.
With the birth of the little ones, friends came to congratulate us and take a look. Rami and Zeng had their own little ones, twins, by the way. And while the ladies gossiped about their own things, we celebrated in a friendly male company. I noticed Irbis and Dalien were missing, though the latter is almost impossible to tear away from research, while the former suddenly had thirty-three urgent matters arise out of thin air. It was a shame, kriff it! Though I can understand him. Irbis had enough of me, and here were two of my offspring who, by the way, are really very much like me, and I'm not talking about appearance.
Neither Saros nor Terra are fussy; they behave surprisingly calmly for children. They study the world around them with interest and much more often laugh or just don't give a damn. I still laugh when I remember Mom trying to get the children's attention, and they didn't care. They just didn't care. They weren't interested in this strange lady, because they had an interesting little toy that Papa gave them, which shows interesting pictures, sounds, smells, and sensations. As you can guess—I gave the little ones my holocron.
Good practice, by the way. Children learn new things very quickly, and spontaneous Force outbursts from emotions, which I once suffered from, were reduced to zero. Thanks to the holocron, both Saros and Terra quickly figured out how to use their talent. On the other hand, they, like me, could ruin themselves with it (as I did in my time), so the children need constant watching, but that's another question.
When the little ones grew up, personal traits began to manifest. Saros, for example, took after his mother in character. If he wanted something but wasn't given it, he didn't whine or cry; he just tried to get it himself, for both himself and his sister. I would simply put his favorite toy, the holocron, in a far corner of the room, and it would immediately be drawn into his little hands as if by a magnet. And thanks to the bond between us, it was quite easy to track the children's state, both in the Force and their mood.
Mom admitted that she had watched over me in the same way for a time, but then for some reason the bond broke. I wonder why?
Besides looking after the children, we didn't forget about pressing matters. Specifically, people were being retrained, warships were being built, fortifications were being erected, and stockpiles of both food and basic everyday items like pens and paper were being prepared. But despite this hustle, life in the system continued as usual, as for the common folk all this meant new orders, large volumes of work, and good pay if it came to overtime. You could say that our home system, which had stagnated a bit, got a second wind.
When the children turned two, I took up their training. Well, sort of. I just started telling them about the Force, explaining its peculiarities. Since the little ones were quite smart (thanks to the holocron), the form of presentation could be more serious rather than, say, a fairytale. The training itself boiled down to the children simply not starting to jump from one side of the Force to the other.
By the way, I noticed an interesting fact. By default, children use the Unifying or neutral Force. They don't divide this energy themselves; it's only later that they are explained the nuances of using one side or the other and what it can lead to. So my Unifying Force theory was a development of a natural process.
The third and fourth years pass unnoticed. The children grow up and show their teeth. Especially Saros. His manner of looking from under his brows, with that fixed, suspicious gaze, amuses me so much. And at any stranger, too. Though inside he's nothing like that—the boy is quite kind, but very strong-willed and tries to be serious, imitating his elders. Especially Hadiya.
Terra, on the contrary, doesn't even try to imitate anyone, staying herself. She is more curious and mischievous, loves to climb somewhere and see what's there. Just recently she was naughty; they were scolding her, trying to explain why she shouldn't do that, and she just looked up with her eyes and said in a thin voice:
"Papa, don't waste strength—I'm stupid, I won't understand anyway."
And how are you supposed to live with that?!
Saros, meanwhile, constantly follows her like a shadow, like an overseer. And with his "I'll protect her!"—oh Force, how cute that is. And Terra actively uses this, constantly egging her brother on for different adventures. Either a raid for candy, or they try to find my holocron, or they drive the guards to a nervous tic with their jokes…
Imagine patrolling a corridor on a perfectly normal day. Nothing seemed to portend anything. And then, out of nowhere, two small children's bodies fall right on your head. They were hunting, the little darlings, kriff it! The men almost had a heart attack right there. It was lucky they managed to react in time and didn't open fire—it ended well… but it could have been different. And the most interesting thing is, the little ones can't be held back. They unscrew bolts with the Force, take closed doors right off their hinges, and crawl into the ventilation.
Great Force… explain to me, why on earth do they need to climb into engineering tunnels? What, I mean, WHAT interesting thing can there be for a child there? Besides multicolored lights and interesting buzzing things and wires. Good thing they have enough sense not to stick their fingers in; I foresaw that too, stuffing into the holocron appropriate impressions of an electric shock—luckily, I have more than enough of those impressions.
The problem was solved when I said, "Play, but with guards." Most often the guard was Grandma, who loved to spoil the little ones. It made me remember myself as a child, when I played with my mother. I even borrowed some games directly from my childhood—for example, "Guess Who" or "Find Me." Both Saros and Terra didn't see the world quite like ordinary Je'daii; they didn't copy my "sonar," of course, but they found voids in the Force or, conversely, lights in an instant—so hiding from them was even harder than it was for my mother to hide from me.
In the process of playing, I noticed a peculiarity: my kids, despite their age, with the right approach to the Unifying Force, don't suffer from that… excessive hyperactivity I had, and the level of mess they create is, let's say, within acceptable limits.
The level itself was defined quite vaguely, as I didn't know what was normal for a Force-user and what wasn't. After my outbursts, Mom would just dismiss any of the little ones' antics with a "Pff, whatever" and didn't pay much attention. After all, there were moments in my youth that I don't remember, but Mom remembers perfectly. For example, when I got high after another training session and had to be tied down to calm me. I'll be damned if I remember that. In another case, I went off the rails and sat over manuals for several days like I was wound up until they knocked me out.
There was also a moment when we were outside and I was insulted. Mom says I didn't understand then that you can't use the Force on members of the Order, and I was in all seriousness going to maim my peers without showing any concern. So I was forcibly switched off again. For this reason, she was afraid to let me go outside alone, but I didn't care; I was completely satisfied with being cut off from society and having home schooling, because I didn't give a damn about that society then.
She kept all this as a family secret, and now she shared it so the mistake wouldn't be repeated. Но mistakes won't happen, because the teaching technology is different. Mom taught me in a traditional style, taught me to submerge when I was eager to unite two elements into one. Now I teach the children as they should be taught and observe no problems in that regard. But even so, they gave me food for thought…
Besides me, Hadiya and Vessira were involved with the children. The girls treated the other child as their own and made no distinction. So Hadiya taught the little ones to be steadfast, brought tutors for reading and writing, and prepared the ground for the children as future successors. While Saros was to replace her as queen, Terra was assigned the role of leading the new teaching after me. You could say that ideal power was at stake. Material power on one side and spiritual on the other—something that isn't seen in modern realities.
Despite Hadiya's statements, Je'daii were avoided. People didn't understand the Force, didn't understand faith in it, and looked at it as something alien. This, in turn, irritated the Je'daii, and they tried their best to maintain a single faith. Yeah… tried. I won't say what Hadiya thought of both them and the Force.
And the children were to fix this in the future. What the Council thinks about this interested no one. After all, this isn't happening on Tython… A funny incident occurred when, while working with my holocron, I spontaneously spoke another language. Vessira looked at me in su-u-uch a way that I got scared for myself. In fact, it was all incredibly simple. Back when converting knowledge from the Kwa holocron, I also copied languages into my head. I didn't master them, but… viewed them, as it were? And then just transferred them. And now, I'm transferring them to my holocron, simply because it's history, and since I'm running them through my head, I involuntarily read the information. So, I accidentally… well, didn't learn, but studied the languages of the Taung, Rakata, Celestials, Gree, and others. Well, what? I saw their texts, didn't I? I did. Many times. And I heard speech from the holocron.
The idea of transferring knowledge obsessed me a bit, because my children learn in a greatly simplified version as well. If I can completely copy the peculiarity of the Kwa stone to my holocron, it'll be an awesome self-tutor! So… where was Dalien's number?
"Dalien, come in. Yes, hi, hi. Wait, don't yell, I'm on business—I need the holocron. Yes, the one I gave you. Yes, now. Wait, what do you have?! You mean, you have a breakthrough? You figured out what I found at the bottom of the chasm? Why am I only finding out now??? All right, tell me!"
So Dalien told me. It turns out that the "Infinity Gate" is also a kind of gate for traveling through space. But unlike the "hypergates," the Infinity Gate has only an entry point. That is, by passing through it, you go one way without the possibility of return. But! The exit point can be absolutely anything. Absolutely. The distance of the jump is determined by the energy limit—the more you put in, the further you can jump.
All this crap is powered by the Force itself. Literally. Right under the Infinity Gate is a massive nexus that they've been digging up all these years. This nexus… this pyramid, in its essence, is a huge Force storage and generator in one bottle. The most interesting thing is that this thing has been active all this time and stored the Force until it was full. When the reserve was filled, the device began to output it outward. That is why the Force background is so high on Tython. That is why there are so many Force sources on it. And that is why spontaneous storms occur there.
True, no one yet understood how all this was even possible, not to mention how it actually worked. After all, even our ships had perfectly ordinary power sources, and the Force acted as an auxiliary tool.
On this ground, there was an increased interest in the Tho Yor, and I was invited to fly and see all this for myself. Well, I had to fly anyway, for the same holocron and to see Tsikuna—she's been calling me for a personal meeting for some reason for a long time—so three reasons appeared at once.
And naturally, as soon as the topic of leaving came up, two small bodies immediately stuck to me with a cry: "We're coming too!" Seeing nothing wrong with that, I took both them and Ves.
Almost nothing had changed on Tython over the past years, except that the Masters at the Mahara Kesh and Bodhi temples had changed. Also, near Enil Kesh, there was a real excavated quarry leading to the Infinity Gate. Well, yeah… they'd been digging hard for six years, after all.
Explaining the safety rules for behavior on Tython to the children, I let them wander around Enil Kesh in Vessira's company with a calm heart and clear conscience, while I headed down to look at the results of their labors.
Overall, almost nothing had changed below. The device remains switched off, but around it is an entire tent camp of science maniacs who are too lazy to run back and forth to the object of research. I even found monks here who went to the lower levels to meditate near the generator. When I went down myself, I understood why. The background there is such that—Mother, give me back—and since the flowing force is neutral, the effects produced are peculiar. I, for example, felt "phenomenal cosmic power" in my hands, but I just snorted at it. Neither power nor might ever interested me, so filtering my thoughts was easy.
On others, with prolonged exposure, the generator had a negative effect, as does any other Force source. This manifested in a light psychological influence that subsided quickly if you stepped further away from the core. The worst thing here is that even if you step away, phantom images, sounds, and sensations will haunt you for a while. Some regular clients have already become paranoid; it constantly seems to them that they are being watched all the time, even when they are in the toilet.
But none of this discouraged people at all; on the contrary, it drew them. I remember saying at one point that this world is insane… well, I'm saying it again. Everyone here is a lunatic; there are just those who have gone further than the rest, that's all. Because I can't call "smart" the Selkath who decided to test the limits of safe time near the generator on his own experience. As you can guess, he is currently on one of the moons.
In the course of things, I asked how the installation could theoretically be controlled. No specifics were given yet, as they are afraid to start the gate itself, but they were able to connect to the control circuits and are currently working with them. In parallel, people started poking at the Tho Yor, because there are reasonable assumptions that they work on exactly the same principle. Somewhere inside the flying sarcophagus is a hidden Force generator that powers this machine.
Finishing with the Gate, I demanded the holocron. But after I got it, things didn't become any clearer. There was no information about the device in it, and an attempt to figure it out on my own almost led to me nearly ruining it. There were so-o-o-o many scre-e-e-eams. So my dreams of self-tutors without my participation faded away. Hkhnyk-hkhnyk, the lazy man's dream burned down.
While in Enil Kesh, Tsikuna visited me. Personally. She looked at the children, showed interest in them, and asked how I was doing. At that point, I manifested suspicion and fenced her off from the little ones with an invisible line. She asked if I wanted to return to Tython. Measuring her with a gaze, I replied, "No thanks, I don't want to."
"A pity. Why?"
"You know, Tsikuna. I will raise my own children as I see fit."
"But they will go on a pilgrimage later, won't they? They have to live here…"
"About the pilgrimage—I don't know, they'll decide for themselves later… but they definitely won't live here."
"What?" the Sith was taken aback. "Who will lead the Unifying Force path then?"
"Me for now, then Terrarris. Но the temple won't be on Tython. On Shikaakwa."
"Shade, couldn't you have discussed this idea with the Council?" Tsikuna frowned.
"Why?"
"Are you mocking me?!"
"No. Well, all right, for your sake, I'll send a letter by mail. Will that be okay?"
"Shade!"
"What? Their opinion doesn't affect anything; I'm not staying here anyway. And my children are unlikely to stay on Tython; more crap happens here than anywhere else."
"But they are Je'daii!"
"Who? My children or the Council?"
"Both."
"So what?" I raised an eyebrow. "They're Je'daii, so what's next? If I had followed the Council's teachings, in the best case I'd be crowing on a moon, and in the worst, I'd have long been burning on a bonfire and walking through the Force. At the same time, I haven't stopped being a Je'daii, though I live on Shikaakwa and fly to Tython as needed."
"Shade, don't forget. It is the Order that is the official authority in the system."
"Am I denying that?"
"No, but I don't like where you're heading."
"Why don't you like it? I'm heading toward only wanting to give my children independence from those I don't trust."
"Why?…"
"You drove my father to his grave!" I even raised my voice in outrage. "You pursued a policy of isolation; moreover, it was only recently, through my efforts, that the version that there is no intelligent life beyond our system collapsed. We were just lucky that this 'intelligent life' didn't pay attention to Tython for all these years. I won't even mention that some Je'daii really consider non-Force-users to be second-rate. Rumors of dislike for Je'daii don't come from nowhere, Tsikuna."
"Mm…"
"No, don't think I'm against the Order. There are good and bad examples everywhere. But! The very thought that a stranger could come into my house and give me horns because I did something not according to the feng-shui of his sensitive soul irritates me."
"Feng… shui?"
"Harmony, Tsikuna."
"Thanks, but you're wrong."
"About what?"
"You're thickening the colors too much; the Order is not so…" But seeing my expression, she broke off.
"Tsikuna, only two hundred years ago, one of the colonies tried to object to the Council members and leave its influence. There are only ruins in that place now. I'll stay silent about what happened even earlier. And after that, you tell me I'm 'thickening the colors'?"
"No, fine. I agree, the Order has quite a few skeletons of its own, but no one is perfect."
"That is exactly why I want autonomy," I raised a finger. "Any more questions?"
"The Council won't approve," she shook her head.
"That's their problem."
"You know, Shade, if looked at in that way, your words that we are in danger can be interpreted quite differently," she suddenly changed her tone to a more snide one.
"Like how?"
"Well… let's say you decided to scare everyone, prepare an army and forces, and change the authority in the system. It looks good, doesn't it?" Folding her arms, she looked me in the eyes snidely.
"Tsikuna…" A growl escaped on its own.
"Let's do this. You think over your decision about where the Unifying Force temple will stand and who will supervise it… and I'll think over whether I should report my thoughts to the Council. Hm?"
I didn't rush an answer. Yeah… I was being held by one spot right now. Not that I was against a fight, but… not now. I actually know that things are about to go to f*ck, and any conflict within the system could seriously backfire.
"F-f-fine," gripping the mask on my belt, I agreed with a growl. "I'll think about your offer."
"Well, splendid. Otherwise it's 'their problem, their problem.' It's your problem, Shade."
"Tsikuna."
"Yes?"
"What game are you playing?"
"I'm just interested in watching," she shrugged and looked at my children playing nearby.
"If you try to play with them as you do with me, I won't care about your status or the Order."
"Is that a threat?"
"A warning. The first and last. And you know, I always keep my word."
"How rude you are. And it was I who covered for you."
"Only because it was profitable for you."
"Well, don't make a complete monster out of me."
"What are you then?"
"A member of the Je'daii Order Council. Don't forget that. I must go. It was a pleasure to see you, Shade."
Turning around, Tsikuna walked toward the dock. Looking after her, I mentally agreed with her. I really did forget that she is a member of that very Council I'd seen on a bolt. And if translating her words literally: "I personally don't approve of your actions, so don't forget yourself and do it this way!" And for now… I really have to do it "this way." But only for now…
***
Upon returning to Shikaakwa, life returned to its usual rhythm. With the caveat that I approached the children's education more thoroughly, trying to strengthen the balance within them and also to learn to keep it under control when influenced by one side; Vessira could help me perfectly with that.
Unfortunately, after the conversation with Tsikuna, my bad mood couldn't be hidden from Ves, Hadiya, or even the children. Being forced into someone else's terms irritated me, but what really pissed me off was the lack of an opportunity to try and resist. Not now. Prophecies have a nasty habit of coming true; I'd managed to see that for myself, and any conflict within the system could lead to irreparable consequences. So I'll have to endure.
And since my dissatisfaction didn't escape my family, I had to tell the girls about this… problem from the Council. And also make it clear why we shouldn't kick back right now. Yes, it didn't add to the mood, but better they know what we're dealing with. My girls are smart; they won't do anything stupid.
I smiled when Hadiya immediately threw out several options for "arranging an accident for an overly clever Temple Master." But no, we refused. Right now we need to think about the external enemy; the internal one can be dealt with later, because otherwise it won't matter.
But we made a note. Now all that remained was to explain why I was so angry to the children…
"Basically, I was cheated. I had an acquaintance I trusted, and she went and cheated me," I "complained" to the little ones sitting on my lap. I didn't even have to act; the offense was real—after all, a lot connected me with Tsikuna.
"Papa, don't wolly, we won't che-at you ev-el!" Terra replied importantly and without a hint of hesitation, hugging me around the neck and rubbing her cheek. Due to her build, general speech was harder for her, but in the Cathar language the little one is off to the races.
"Hm…" Saros was more laconic and, apparently, was already coming up with a revenge plan. He, like his mother, doesn't like to forgive mistakes and especially doesn't forgive offenses. "Pa, Mama has special squads that can find anyone anywhere. Should I call them?"
"Not worth it."
"You'll forgive her?" The boy was even surprised.
"No. In time she will get hers, but right now we have too much to do. Let's play instead?"
"Platki?" (Hide-and-seek) Terra immediately perked up.
"No. Dodgeball."
"O-o-o-oh!" Saros became animated. He really liked knocking out volunteers participating in the game with balls, as well as slipping away from projectiles, which could be paintballs.
After that, adjustments had to be made to the plans. For starters, the construction of the future temple on Shikaakwa was canceled. Now it had to be built on Tython, but construction companies are banned from there. Je'daii on their planet always built everything themselves, as it's cheaper and many times faster. And traditions, too.
Good thing the blueprint didn't have to be redone. When I contacted the Council members about this, they approved the provided blueprint and gave the green light for construction. The place for this also had to be chosen by myself, so soon I'll have to fly to Tython one more time.
I thought abstractly about building the temple at a Unifying Force nexus to drive away any overly clever types, but refused. Then not only strangers but even our own wouldn't be able to approach. The temple itself looked like something monstrous. I didn't follow fashion, and instead of pyramids I made a hexagon. The temple walls had a smooth slope to the ground, and in the center a tower rose, reinforced by six supports. Looking at it like that, I won't have a temple, I'll have some kind of bunker—well, whatever. The architect to whom I voiced my wishes designed everything as it should be, and it can be decorated later. And yes—it was this architect who carried out the remodeling of Hadiya's palace.
There is one main entrance, landing pads on the roof between the supports, windows… there's a problem with them—they don't exist, in principle. But on the other hand, there will be reinforced firing points. I won't describe the half-meter-thick pressure door, nor will I describe the chain of defensive lines inside the complex. What can you do, it was designed by a paranoid—but it's right, in anticipation of the coming storm. The temple was intended for five hundred residents—compared to its colleagues, not very many, almost a drop in the ocean—but I don't need a building that's too large. The main thing is strength, stability, and reliability. Regarding reliability, there was a separate demand: since earthquakes aren't exactly rare on Tython, I demanded seismic stability from the structure. The person assigned by the Council didn't understand this, as the Force barrier solved almost all problems—concerning animals, storms, and even earthquakes. And reinforcement with the Force shouldn't be written off.
I nodded at this, but didn't give up my own. If the building can stand without the Force, then with it it will withstand even greater dangers. But damping through vertical configuration (overall shake-resistant architecture) wasn't the only solution. In the temple's foundation, it was planned to install special hysteresis dampers from Malterra; their practice of fighting shakes with whatever means were at hand had been perfected over centuries.
Completely by accident, I was reminded that it would be nice to name the temple and give it a corresponding symbol, because "Building L-331" is not it. This is where I got stuck, because I wanted something… unique. Something unusual. But old grudges wanted to break free, and looking at the Council members, I really, really wanted to make a joke. So, with my light hand, the new temple bore the name: DarkLight. Well, why not? Dark light. It sounds and is symbolic enough for a temple that unites both light and dark. I even attached a corresponding symbol—a black sphere with white flames emanating in all directions.
Of course, as soon as this information reached the corresponding ears, a howl immediately rose in the spirit of: "WHERE ARE THE TRADITIONS??? What is this abracadabra?" I would have said where, but instead I deciphered the meaning of the words unfamiliar to Tythonians. There was an immediate suggestion to rename it: Ten Dar Kesh, which means: Temple of Darkness and Light, but I insisted on my version. Am I a transmigrator or did I just come for a walk?! Though… more likely, after all, I "came for a walk" already.
But the name seemed insufficient to me, and I decided to finish off the poor souls with my absent talents in versification! So, sitting in the evenings and composing some crap, the following words appeared on my holocron:
"The Great Order of Force-users
The mysteries of the Force did fathom,
Between darkness and light
It held the balance
And so generations succeeded each other
But suddenly discord passed through one
A look at the Force,
A rift, into two warring groups
From the Je'daii Order two heretics were born.
Some in darkness were steeped in spirit
Chaining themselves with sins.
Others went blind in the light of the Force
Forgetting themselves in it, and others.
Forgot their home,
And the old teachings,
Forgot—in the Force there is no first side.
They conduct discussion, misinterpreting the meaning,
And look in one direction, honoring it.
But darkness without light does not exist,
As there is no light without that same darkness.
They are one,
Two sides of one medal
Only in balance with oneself,
In darkness can you be warmed
And by light burned as by darkness,
And if you are one with the Force—you become invincible.
And there is no ignorance, for us there is passion's knowledge
For us there is no fear—there is power,
We are the guiding fire of Light.
We are the mystery of Darkness.
We are the heart of the Force itself.
And in balance with chaos and harmony,
But only Within Us are we Immortal in the Force."
Now I should also name myself. Though… the holocron is already signed by me anyway, so it'll do. And before flying away, I recorded several new techniques on the same holocron so the little ones would have something to do in my absence.
But before I could inspect the site of future construction, I was called onto the carpet. And why am I not surprised? Postponing the time for visiting the construction site, I head to Kaleth. It's a funny feeling: as if only yesterday I walked through this temple like it was someone else's house, feeling neither the ground under my feet nor confidence in myself.
But now everything was different. Confidence and calm had become my companions. There was simply a clear understanding that I could stand up for both myself and my family—and the crowd of cutthroats whom my mother formally leads on Shikaakwa can't be written off. The economy is also in order, and most importantly—ready for conflicts.
It seems last time I entered the Council chamber with an awareness of fresh problems and fear of them. Но now… Opening the doors with the Force, I enter this room at least as their equal.
"I greet the Council members," and I give a slight nod.
"Shade," Tuthoraminos creaked; the rest limited themselves to a nod.
"On what occasion was I invited this time?"
"We are concerned about your methods of upbringing," replied the Master of the Temple of Mahara Kesh.
"And what's wrong with them?"
"We noticed that you have moved away from our teaching and, as a consequence, in your… methods our foundations are absent. When Aala was raising you, we made an allowance, as one Force-user doesn't decide anything. But now, when you will be leading a new current, when you are raising a new generation, it… causes concern. In particular, a rumor has reached us that your students have no concept of the Je'daii teaching…"
"Esteemed Council members," I raise a hand, cutting off the speech. "Before you say anything else, I want to note that Saros and Terra are not just my students; they are my children, and I am raising them exactly as I see fit. No more, no less."
"In that case, we will have to suspend them from teaching the younger generation in the future. The Order's traditions must remain unchanged, regardless of the methods of Force training, Shade," replied the Master of the Temple of Akar Kesh. "And the fact that you and your children possess the Unifying Force is no reason to… take liberties."
"As you wish. But I remind you that I was actually going to leave the Order and you were the ones who stopped me."
"Hkhm-hkhm," Tsikuna cleared her throat, looking at me with a displeased gaze. "Shade, this is a very bad idea, for in that case you will lose our support. And in such a case, the Council will consider decisions without taking your opinion into account. Including in relation to… Hadiya, Aala, and your students."
"Tch… bitch," I click to myself, but I also have teeth. And it's time to show them.
"But I think not," smiling, I look around the room. This must be exactly how Mom looks at her victim—see how the people flinched.
"Why?"
"Because if there is a war with an external enemy, of which I warned everyone, we will not come to help. Let's be honest: without a good economic base and a fleet, Tython is quite weak. And if, as you say, Tsikuna: 'our opinion won't be taken into account,' then what is the point of us intervening? Each will be on their own."
"Aero, this is incitement to mutiny!" growled the Master of the Temple of Stav Kesh.
"No. This is a statement of fact. I am a peace-loving being, esteemed Council members, and I see no reason for the conflict you are now trying to unleash. Moreover, I recognize your authority in the system. Hadiya and I have repeatedly whitened the Je'daii, showing you our loyalty as well. But I won't allow anyone to climb into my life. If my methods constrain you, I will leave the Order and our conflict with you will be settled."
"Shade, don't hurry," cut in the Master of the Temple of Padawan Kesh. "Let's all lower the temperature and discuss our main disagreement once more. Esteemed Council, Aero doesn't like pressure from our side, and he is fully within his rights."
"There is no such right," clicked the Master of the Temple of Stav Kesh. "There is only obedience."
"And if I take your head off now, will it appear?" I fold my arms across my chest.
"What?! Why you…"
"Quiet, please!" Tsiuan-Yan raised his voice. "As Jarros rightly noted, the party guilty for the disagreement is specifically the Council. Don't forget, Masters, that before us is a truly loyal member of the Order who is actually striving to help us as well. As for the accusation… I consider it unfounded and that it should be withdrawn. For despite some transgressions, everything remains within the framework of our laws… though with some departure from accepted traditions."
"I support this," nodded the Master of the Temple of Wur Tepe.
"For," the Master of the Temple of Bodhi raised his hand.
Looking over the people, two more hands rose. Tsikuna also raised her hand, but her gaze boded nothing good for me. Well, let it—we are also toothy.
After that, no one tried to pressure me, and the Master of Stav Kesh didn't even open his mouth, only eyeing me with displeasure. The only thing: Tsikuna tried to push an observer to my children so I wouldn't completely let loose, and I even agreed. To Irbis. Tsikuna wasn't very happy, but realizing that I wouldn't agree to anyone else, she reconciled herself. The Noghri himself, after the notification of the new appointment, was not happy, to put it mildly, and with a cry of "FOR WHAAAAAAAT???" vanished from the holoprojector.
When the meeting ended, I was invited to dinner, where the Masters of Kaleth, Bodhi, and Wur Tepe currently present in the temple were. Before that, I had never sat at the same table with them, and here I even felt like talking. Recalling the topic of the disputes during the day, we discussed it once more. I explained my point of view and why I boil over at an attempt to pressure me. And if someone tries to encroach on my children, I'm ready to tear them apart on the spot. I was heard and even agreed with. I asked what on earth had made this topic arise at all. It turns out the instigator was Tsikuna, and then the Masters of Stav Kesh and Akar Kesh joined in.
Apparently, the girl was fundamentally dissatisfied with my love of freedom and the lack of opportunity to influence my children in any way. Но now it's clear what on earth made the Je'daii start visiting us, but I didn't let a single one even near the little ones.
Irbis, though… he can be let in. Yes, he's a head-twister, but he's our head-twister. Yes, he will report to Tsikuna, but even that not entirely. By the way, when the latest news reached Mom, she didn't hesitate to fly to Tython for a "heart-to-heart" talk with her close friend. I don't know what they agreed on, but the Sith's sour expression warmed my soul for an entire taked.
When the construction project was approved and my presence was no longer required, I headed back to Shikaakwa. The future temple is being built—it'll take at least three years—so I have nothing more particularly to do on Tython.
Everything is calm on Shikaakwa as well, so I can peacefully deal with the children. The little ones were as happy about my return as if they hadn't seen me for half a life. And then, taking them, I went on a small tour around the planet. So to speak, combining business with pleasure: training with an excursion and games. Hadiya, alas, didn't break away, but Ves, on the contrary, joined us.
Irbis visited us only after three takeds; he needed to finish his affairs. But when he visited… I couldn't help myself and poked fun at my old friend, sending him to play with the little ones. The children were just waiting for the command "sick 'em" to test all their schemes on a volunteer lab rat, both old and new.
And after the rest, workdays dragged on again, though I wouldn't call them routine. Training with the little ones, helping Hadiya, independent Force exercises… One thing is good: I managed to shift the army from myself to Mom, and move my free time to more rational needs, in my opinion. And everything would be fine, but… everything comes to an end. Our calm came to an end too…
A loud enough event was the discovery made by Dalien and his team. They managed to start the Infinity Gate. For now only start it and continue studying it in such a state, but soon after this followed the next, more significant event.
On one inconspicuous day, when nothing portended anything, during training with the little ones, I felt ripples in the Force. A chill ran down my back, and the balance within the system that had stood for millennia swung toward the Dark Side. Someone's Force shadow covered Tython; someone was staring closely at my home world.
"Papa?" Saros looked at me with concern when I raised my eyes to the sky. Almost immediately, the comlink beeped. Turning it on with a habitual movement, I hear from the speakers an urgent report that an unidentified ship had entered the system.
"It has begun…"
"Papa, what happened?" Concerned Terra came to me and took my hand.
"Oh, nothing… we finally have long-awaited but unwelcome guests."
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: patreon.com/Granulan