"...As if on a knife's edge, through the path of the Force you wander. Balancing on the brink, you'll find meaning in the Force. Light and Dark call you, they walk like ghosts, but you won't give up, you are Je'Daii..." I sang in the morning. Leaving the cabin in shorts and a sleeveless shirt, barefoot, I strolled through the ship to the kitchen. "...Always remember who you are. Remember the Force, forget the pride. It is not your friend and not your enemy. Not a master, not a servant. It is part of you..."
Looking into the kitchen, I saw a small crowd. Dis, despite the early hour, was sitting at the table and, reading another science-popular article on the latest weaponry, eating a ration pack. An expensive ration pack, by the way; you can't even find them everywhere. Consider it a full-fledged tasty breakfast, lunch, or dinner, with fresh vegetables that, by the way, are frozen in carbonite. Such a "dry ration" can be stored for a veeeeery long time, preserving its original appearance.
On the other side, right opposite the Mandalorian, sat Talia. The girl looked, to put it mildly, stunned, and was weakly picking at her breakfast. Zero, hanging under the ceiling, was boring into Dis with his sensor, and one of the ship's pilots was digging in the refrigerator.
"Morning everyone," interrupting the singing, I greeted the people and, humming to myself now, took a breakfast out of the refrigerator with the Force, right past the technician. He melancholically followed the package floating through the air, then returned to choosing treats for himself. They're used to it, what else can I say?
"Shade, why are you so happy?" Dis looked up from his reading.
"Just in a good mood."
"Should I ruin it for you?" stopping mid-step, I looked at Dis.
"Alright. Get the hell out of my sight!"
"Ha-ha-ha-ha..."
"I have gaps in my life less often than a Hutt has sex, so don't you go ruining my mood too," I grumbled, sitting at the table, and at the same time felt Talia puff with indignation.
"Yes, but you can ruin mine," the girl grumbled.
"Sun, did something happen?" I inquired with mock concern.
"You happened! I couldn't sleep because of you!" the girl puffed with righteous anger.
"Because of me?! How?" laughing, I folded my hands over my heart and rounded my eyes.
"Just like that! Especially from your last gesture. It's not fair! Unjust! And generally, I'm the one who should act like that, not you!"
"Did I miss something?" Dis showed interest.
"Well he..." Talia exclaimed, "...he... he..." she repeated more and more quietly, until she puffed out her cheeks and fell silent.
"Heh-heh-heh, know who you're playing with, dear. I'm a much more dangerous beast than you think," ceasing the acting, I winked and, opening the ration pack, pulled the utensils to me with the Force.
"Tch," Talia turned away, propping up her cheek, although inside she wasn't so much offended as upset because of the defeat in a small battle. But she wasn't upset for long; a minute later the girl was estimating how she would take her revenge, for: "How can it be that someone beat a woman at her own game?! Not going to happen!" her eyes shouted.
"Sweetheart, you'd better get in touch with your friend so we don't fall on his head like a meteorite," sighing, I switched the conversation to a business channel.
"Are we flying already?"
"We're flying out today," I nodded. "As soon as I finish the business."
"What are the plans for the day?" Dis asked businesslike. "Where are we going?"
"Nowhere, working 'from home.' So you can calmly deal with your armor."
"If only there were spare parts," Dis looked up at the ceiling.
"Parts are in the warehouse. By the way, you can furnish one of the cabins as a workshop."
"And a 3D printer, can I?"
"You can, but a small one."
"And for metal?"
"And for metal."
"Heh-heh-heh-heh..."
"I'll stuff you into the research complex," I grumbled, watching the Mandalorian liven up.
"What for?!"
"For all the sins, both the ones you've already committed and the ones you haven't managed to commit yet. And besides, you'll simply be of more use there."
"Despot."
"Actually, I was thinking about advanced weaponry, Basilisks and similar new combat machines," I tapped my spoon against the dishes with mock thoughtfulness and looked at the ceiling. "And maybe not just those; walkers are a very promising thing." A small pause, and...
"Hic."
"Dis, you've disappointed me. I expected something else."
"W-wait, are you seriously thinking of stuffing me into dealing with Basilisks?"
"Just thinking about it for now. Only a blind man wouldn't have noticed your interest in guns and mechanisms. But if not..."
"I agree!"
"Splendid. Then it's in your own interest to drag several specialists from Mandalore and Concord Dawn. Can you?"
"That will be difficult... everything has long been established there," the Mandalorian reached his hand to the back of his head.
"But not impossible?"
"You certainly know how to set a task."
"Always happy to help. Actually, I want to move the entire military industry of Mandalore and Concord Dawn to Tatooine. That will allow you to unhinderedly create any masterpieces, without paying attention to the Republic's laws."
"I'll definitely use that argument," Dis smirked. "But I still can't promise anything."
"I understand. Talia, do you want to tell me something?" I switched to the girl drilling me with her gaze.
"No."
"Then eat, dear, eat, or it'll almost be cold."
I think I said that in vain. Hiding a smile, Dis covered his face with his hand, while Talia's eyelid twitched.
"Who do I work for..."
"Hey! Those are my words!" the girl protested.
"Too late."
"Everyone offends me," Talia puffed out her cheeks mock-poutily.
So, having raised the mood of those present, I completed the meal with a sense of duty fulfilled and retired to the neighboring meeting room. Once there, Zero dialed the contacts I had found yesterday... or was it the day before? Ah, not the point, anyway, he dialed the contacts of the recruitment firms I'd found.
I decided to start with the heavy artillery right away. So, first in line were professional headhunters.
"Hello, Shade Aero," the hologram of an unknown race representative sitting at the table nodded. Whether insectoid or mammal—f*ck knows these aliens. Chitinous legs, a furry elongated face with gray bead-eyes.
"Tran'g Fok'un," I greeted the alien.
"I've familiarized myself with your request, and we are ready to take on the work. Only please clarify once more, who exactly are you looking for?"
"I need those who can create, and ideally head, a construction and industrial firm on Tatooine. The focus is on the internal economy, not export, although that too. Plus I need someone who will take on the research and development complex, which has already begun to be erected."
"Hm... and what kind of specialists do you need?"
"Not the best of the best, but reliable. Those who can stay for a long term."
"Some problems might arise with that," the alien thoughtfully tapped on the table. "We mostly track experienced, set-in-their-ways specialists, but those don't stay for long... No, in principle, we can already offer you several options."
"I'm listening."
"So, one minute please," the alien's chitinous "fingers" raced over the tablet, and here a personal file is added to my hologram. Seeing a typical elven mug, with pointed ears and an elongated tattooed face, I smirked to myself. Who isn't in this world... "Larivan Balnaron, Sephi, ninety-two years old, engaged in setting up production lines and creating a firm's brand. Worked for an average of five years; that time was enough for him. After closing one contract, he immediately moves to the next. Currently he is completing another contract. We could compete with other firms."
Listening to the Force and looking through the file again, I twitched my cheek slightly.
"Next."
"Nar Shangar. Neimoidian. Forty-five years old, started work at Bactoid, then moved to Corporate Sector Industrial Plants. Currently he is thinking about leaving, as the company is going through not the best days."
"Next."
"Tan Hao. Kel Dor, forty-two years old. Holds a responsible position in CS-TKD. Intends to resign."
"Why?"
"The board of directors is reorienting the company subordinate to him, without considering his opinion."
"High self-esteem?"
"That too. But primarily it's the fact that he spent twenty years building this firm."
"Yes... quite hurtful."
"Several firms offered him to come to them, but he refused. Intends to open his own, but that's not certain."
"Make a proposal from us. Only emphasize that there will be no board of directors, but there will be his firm and me—as his direct boss. I need a result, and how it's achieved—doesn't matter. Clear?"
"Yes."
"Who else is there?"
"Churraka Tark. Wookiee. One hundred and ten years old, works in a branch of the TransFordCast company, on Kashyyyk. Researcher. Oversees an entire scientific complex."
"And why is he intending to leave?"
"That's just it, he isn't. But it can be arranged if a worthy payment is offered. For example, if the Wookiee is provided with greater opportunities or some benefits. Churraka loves his world, and might well move to someone who will help the furry ones to a greater extent."
"Hm... set that variant aside for now. Is there more?"
"Essentially, that's all."
"Good. Then let me know as soon as there's news."
"Certainly."
The link broke, and I addressed Zero:
"Give me the next ones."
"Accepted."
So, about five hours of my precious time went into the void. Calling all sorts of offices, I got through to Alderaan, Nal Hutta, and Coruscant among others. Well, why not? You never know where a suitable specialist will be found. After placing the advertisements, I gave the command to take off. Let's see what kind of acquaintance Talia has.
***
Coruscant... I don't want to fly here as much as possible.
"Chief?" Talia noticed my sour mug.
"Coruscant. If it were up to me, my feet wouldn't be here. So many people—it's terrifying," I jerked my head slightly.
"Why so?"
"I hate crowds."
"You didn't say anything like that on other planets."
"Because there aren't such crowds on other planets!"
"Well yeah... Coruscant is the capital of the galaxy after all."
"With a population of over a trillion souls."
"What's it to you?"
"The planet is rotten. The planet is densely populated. I feel all of it, and I experience discomfort."
"Because of your gift?"
"Yes."
"But then how do other Force-sensitives live there?"
"The Jedi have long since gone blind and deaf from this cacophony," I grumbled discontentedly, glancing at the monitors.
"I see."
Descending and flying over the city, I looked through the windows at the opening view. No... you definitely can't get used to this. Yes, it's beautiful; clean, neat structures stretch kilometers upward, connected to other buildings by bridges or sort of cableways, setting a monstrously majestic tone. Those who built them, who designed them, clearly didn't earn their keep for nothing.
Especially striking were the entire alleys located on the roofs or side balconies. I'm sure the view from there to the sky is simply phenomenal, especially at night. And... that's it. That's where my good impressions end and the bad ones begin. The overall stuffiness, the emotional background, the cacophony, the irritation... all this colored the quite beautiful view into a gray unpleasant mass from which I wanted to run.
I wonder, purely hypothetically, what would happen to the planet if it ended up in a hyperspace anomaly? When all the paths are cut off, what kind of hell would begin in this world? Probably a local branch of Warhammer. And yet such a thing, though unlikely, is real. There are living examples of such a thing.
"I'll be in my room," turning around, I left the bridge. Enough of these views for me.
Returning to the cabin, I changed into my formal uniform. On the ship I usually walk around in my usual clothes, specifically—barefoot, in shorts and a vest.
"No, Mom. This time you're staying on the ship," I said into the void, passing the pedestal with the mask. "The Judicial Department works closely with the Jedi; there's a high probability of running into one of them there. So it'll be better if you stay here."
My answer was the illusion of my mother sitting on the nightstand and shrugging her shoulders. Smiling, I noted to myself that she's getting stronger every day. The day isn't far off when a poltergeist will be wandering the ship, heh-heh-heh. Amusing, even.
About five minutes later Zero beeped about the arrival, and a minute later the touch of the ship on the landing platform could be felt.
Descending the ramp, I surveyed the pad. A whole row of landing pads going around a main upward-reaching building with a dome-shaped roof.
"Lead the way," I glanced at Talia.
Shrugging her shoulders, the girl indicated one of the entrances with her eyes and headed straight for it. At the entrance, under droid control, was a checkpoint. A wide scanning arch, many blue police droids, two rooms with glass facing each other, in which droids also sat. Judging by the sensations, the nearest living beings, not counting Talia, would be in the hall ahead.
Talia passed the checkpoint without problems, but as for me... well, I am me. The system beeped and a pair of anthropomorphic police droids with large round eyes and Republic symbolism on their foreheads blocked my path.
"Sir, please lay out all metal objects," the tin can demanded.
"Can't you just inspect me? The clothes have metal," I tapped my chest, demonstrating the presence of protective plates.
"Please place all metal items in the container," the machine repeated.
"Droids," rolling my eyes, I took off my cloak and placed it in the box. Here, the machines noticed my swords.
"Please provide identification."
"Um..." hesitating, I reached into my pocket. "Here," I held out the card.
"Civilian persons are prohibited from carrying weapons. You are under arrest!" the droid said, and barrels were pointed at me.
"F*ck! Where did you see weapons, you stupid cans?"
"By the laws of the Republic, according to point 3.1.1.1.B.22. of the Republican Judicial Department from the Ruusan Reformation, a permit is required for lightsabers..." the iron servant of law and order began to preach. Listening to all this, my eye involuntarily twitched.
"Wait-wait," I raised my hands conciliatingly, stopping the droid, and received a stunner in the chest.
"F*ck's sake! This is cosplay, you bastards!!!" blocking the shot with Tutaminis, I threw the weapon aside. "Here!" I showed the swords. "See?! No buttons. These are not lightsabers!"
Taking the swords, the droid inspected them carefully, then held them back out.
"My apologies."
"Can I go?"
"Denied. You must remove all metal objects and pay a fine."
"Wh... what?! What fine???"
"For insulting law enforcement officers."
"..."
So I was delayed at the checkpoint for a full hour and a half. At the checkpoint, f*ck's sake!!! This is mind-boggling. And if at first Talia laughed and teased me, after half an hour the girl began to worry seriously. The droids picked on literally everything. It was clear that someone was remotely connected to the machines, someone living, because otherwise Talia would have shut those scrap heaps up long ago.
But no, everything was dismal. Any spoken word or gesture was used against me. Damn, what can we talk about when they tried to confiscate Zero?! The poor droid had a special coating, which is why simple scanners couldn't scan him. But when the machine was checked, accusations of terrorism showered down on me. Allegedly, I was trying to smuggle a bomb into the Judicial Department. No, formally they are right; I completely forgot that my little guy has two grams of beryll, an explosive substance. Damn, with the strength of the construction, a firecracker would explode louder than Zero, but who cares?
And this is where the real trash started. For those bastards locked me in a cozy five-by-five meter interrogation cell and sent an inspection group to my ship. Dis, good man, didn't let anyone in, for how does it work? De jure the ship belongs to another state and is considered sovereign territory. Because of this, you can't just take and inspect it, which the Mandalorian used, standing in the passage and unobtrusively stroking an assault rifle. Official permission is needed, which still has to be obtained, but thank the Force, phew-phew, bureaucracy for once pleased me.
"Talia, be so kind as to call your acquaintance, as it seems to me I'll soon become the main criminal of the entire Republic," I sighed tiredly, rubbing the bridge of my nose.
"Already did. He should be here any moment," my legal support answered, nervously fingering her fingers.
The funniest thing was that the whole time I only saw droids. Not a single living alien; the local staff seemed to avoid me. Attempts to summon organics led to nothing; it felt as if someone had specifically staged this whole performance.
But here diversity appeared. Feeling the approach of a pair of organics, I felt a modicum of relief. The door opened and a middle-aged human man appeared in the passage. Green uniform, shoulder straps, about fifty years old himself. Gray hair, a well-groomed also gray short beard, gray eyes, a sharp nose. It was noteworthy that one eye glowed with a sensor, and the neck had implants peeking out from under the skin.
"Talia?"
"Uncle Yuri!" the Twi'lek rejoiced at the man's appearance. "I'm so glad to see you!"
"Likewise, dear," his gaze moved to me. "Um..."
Well, yeah. Sitting in my underwear, with a bored look and a murderous aura.
"Shade Aero," rising, I introduced myself.
"Yuri Ford. I've heard of you, Shade, and I apologize for such... treatment."
"Is everyone met like this here?"
"Only you," the man smirked.
"A personal reception?"
"The very one. Come, I'll explain everything in the office."
Nodding, I followed him. A younger officer was waiting for us in the corridor, who returned my things to me. Judging by his face and nervous tic, I think I realized who had been holding me here. Right. Well, you'll get what's coming, you bastards; the world is small, and I'm not only long-lived but have a good memory.
Adjusting my swords, I fell in behind Yuri. The man led us through the corridors of the Judicial Department. Judging by the decor, the Judicial Department had seen better times, or it wasn't put on display. At least, I didn't see anything special here; moreover, some walls could use a repaint. Though, there was no open dilapidation either; you could say the building was maintained in a minimally acceptable state.
Finding ourselves in the waiting hall where all visitors pass, I saw quite a motley crowd. On one bench sat such interesting representatives as a common smuggler and some petty official. I identified the first by his face, pilot's clothes, and emotions. The representative of the Rodian race did not like this place at all, but apparently the guy had nowhere to go. The official didn't like this company or the queue, which is why the man was speaking without a stutter to his subordinates.
Directly opposite them sat three diverse aliens from roughly the same social layer. Judging by the clothes, the guys had ten thousand a month in Republic credits, if not more. Hm... looking at it like that, there basically weren't any here who earned less.
Feeling the approach of a Force-user, I looked at the passage in advance. And exactly so, a Jedi. The man flew past without paying any attention to me. Proceeding further, we found ourselves in the service premises where just anyone wouldn't be allowed. Presenting a pass, Yuri led us to his office without problems. And only when the door closed behind me did he speak:
"Yes, Shade. You certainly know how to make enemies," the man said with a modicum of fun, going to the coffee maker. A cozy office, by the way. Spacious, with a large expensive work desk, an ergonomic chair on wheels for the master, and simpler chairs for guests.
"I wouldn't say that; usually I don't have many enemies," sitting in the chair, I turned to the master of the office. "Usually."
"Usually?"
"Ahem... they run out quickly," Talia answered, hiding a smile.
"Right. Talia, I understand correctly that this is the very one," a short glance at me, "Togruta half-breed you work for?"
"Exactly!"
"And how is it?"
"Oh, Uncle Yuri, you won't believe it. He's such a despot, such a despot—it's a nightmare. He exhausts poor me, doesn't let me sleep, loads me with work—a nightmare!"
"You forgot to add about the threats, slave chains, and sadistic tendencies," propping up my cheek with my hand, I looked at the cheered-up Talia. Taking revenge, are you? Well, you watch it...
"What a nightmare..." the man gasped mock-dramatically and placed two cups with something pleasant-smelling in front of us. Hm... and this is already something new. And for Talia he also took out a pack of something sweet. "Well, it's very good that you came to me; we'll sort this out now. Respected sir, why are we tyrannizing the girl?"
"So she doesn't relax and doesn't confuse the boundaries. Right, Sun?" At my jab, Talia only shot a look to the side, in the spirit of: "oh, well, whatever."
"Alright. Seriously, how did it happen that someone took a dislike to you? And someone authorized, at that."
"To answer your question, I'd like to know who exactly is so offended by me."
"Even so? Then we have a problem. Because you've made someone very angry, respected Shade. So they've picked on you. Someone who definitely knows about your talents," the man waved his hand vaguely. "So I'm the one who wants to ask you, who did you manage to cross?"
"To be honest, I have no idea," I placed my hand on my heart. "I've certainly stepped on many people's toes, but not to that extent. And besides, I'm not wanted."
"That's just it, respected sir. That's just it... Alright, why did you fly here?"
Taking the mug from the table, I took a sip and looked at Talia. Why are you blinking your eyes? Your acquaintance, you lead. By the way, not a bad drink, slightly tart, with a light sweetness. I actually remembered the real tea from my first life, although by the smell it's some kind of kissel... made of raw grass. And it's green, a bit thick. Right.
"Uncle Yuri, as you know, I've been working for Shade recently. I have to deal with all sorts of things: documents within the company, external contracts, and registering new ones when creating a new firm... in short, everything. But all our activity boils down to the fact that we help the suffering..."
Oh, how interestingly she twisted that. The man's eyes practically crawled up his forehead.
"It's not charity, but close to it. Through Shade's efforts, Tatooine is now turning into a full-fledged civilized world. Tatooine! A planet that was twice abandoned to a slow death. And this became possible because the planet is not considered part of the Republic and, as a consequence, no one has the right to tell the master what to do and how to live."
"And what does it have to do with me?"
"The fact that that world is in unfavorable regions and is subject to encroachments from outside. We need troops that can move between worlds. For this reason we've started creating a PMC, and to give them freedom of action, I've pulled out thiiiiiiiiis contract," unfolding the tablet, the Twi'lek slowly, with one finger, pushed the datapad toward Yuri.
"Hm... Clever," the man nodded. "And what's the problem?"
"We'd like to bypass everyone, and quickly. And besides, in view of the new circumstances," Talia looked at me, "it seems to me for some reason that they'll try to thoroughly confuse Mr. Aero in this bureaucracy."
"Alright. You'll have the contract. Anything else?"
Now Talia looked at me. Alright then.
"Yes. Yuri, tell me, do you have no problems in your position?"
"Why?" the man arched an eyebrow.
"You answer."
"We all have some problems or other. Someone has a hole in their pocket, someone has sanctions, and someone has corrupt management."
"And that suits you?" with that, I moved my fingers once, using a light suggestion for compliance.
"No. But there's nothing I can do about it either."
"Why?"
"I'm too 'honest'," the man snorted. "If I somehow get there, everyone understands perfectly how much sh*t will surface. Well, I'll become criminal and traitor number one in a moment. In principle, they'd be happy to remove me, but my authority, experience, and that very principledness hold me firmly in place. When someone is being sold out," Yuri smirked, "they usually come to me."
"I see. And what do you do?"
"Various things."
"But you're a manager?"
"Something like that. Our building is divided into four main sectors; I lead the eastern one, or more precisely—all our activities."
"I don't understand," I shook my head.
"The western wing is judicial. The northern—military, and the southern—for work with civilians. My task is to make sure all this works. Но often I have to do a bit of everything. A little war there, a trial there, a psychopathic murderer caught here, and there's no responsible person. In short, Shade, for the sake of your own sanity, don't try to get into this, believe my experience."
"I believe you... and I want to look at the idiot who joined all these structures into one."
"Well, that's... please," Yuri nodded behind my back. Turning around, I saw a portrait of some man. The inscription under the portrait read: "Tarsus Valorum."
"Right. So, what am I leading to?" I returned to Yuri. "Would you like to change your job?"
"In what sense?"
"In the literal sense. I have an excellent vacant manager position. The work is difficult, nervous, but nonetheless, I think you'll be in your place there."
"What makes you think that?" the man frowned.
"The fact that here you are a small cog and a pawn that can be easily thrown away if they want. I, on the other hand, propose to lead a chain of organizations. We are not part of the Republic; we have no one to tell us how to live. And you see the entire government in front of you, in my person. I am building that world, building it as I see it myself. Without the filth you have to live in and see every day. More money, less nerves, and most importantly—a cause to your liking. M?"
Yuri did not answer. Despite the light suggestion, the man was thinking deeply, experiencing mixed emotions in his soul.
"And you aren't mistaken with such a proposal?"
"Not at all."
"Drugs, slave trade, racketeering?"
"Absent as a given. The only thing, I let the slave trade pass me by, but I don't allow it on my land. I don't need that kind of happiness."
"I'll think about your proposal. Returning to the request, transfer to this account..."
Having fulfilled all the man's requirements, Talia and I remained waiting in the office, while the master himself ran for the signatures. The contract was drawn up in advance; only the seals needed to be put on. The document itself states that "In the event of the occurrence of events stipulated in the 'RUtOrRef' agreement, from year 1 post Ruusan Reformation, we undertake to fulfill them, namely: to come to the aid at the request of authorized legally elected bodies (the Chancellor), to ensure territorial and constitutional integrity in compliance with the laws of the Republic."
Yes, it sounds beautiful and pretentious, but only until we take into account how many millions I transferred to an anonymous account. And the fine print, naturally, where would we be without it.
"Chief, may I ask?" Talia pulled me from my thoughts. Turning, I looked at the girl. "What's next? We'll sign the contract now, what's our next step?"
"Depends on what your acquaintance chooses. Ideally, we should return to Tatooine and put the office in order. It seems they've almost finished it."
"And not ideally?"
"We need to open academies. Police and military. And if they can help us with the military, we'll have to look for and recruit the police ourselves. Although... to hell with it, I'll contact whoever's needed remotely. Zero! Ah, f*ck," I cursed, reaching for the notebook. The droid had to be sent to the ship. "And besides, I need to contact the clans on Concord Dawn. Convene a council and coordinate further actions. Plus I need to show up on Mandalore... in short, Talia, don't ask me what we do next."
"Ha-ha-ha-ha, al-right," covering her mouth with her palm, the girl laughed.
Half an hour later Yuri returned. The man had put all the seals on and handed us the finished package.
"Alright. On that note, we'll go," checking the documents, I closed the tablet and rose from the chair.
"Wait," Yuri stopped us.
"Yes?"
"Your proposal... what exactly will I have to do?"
"I will put the powers of the manager of the HIT company at your disposal. You will oversee the subsidiaries, with all that follows. In principle, everything that exists now, but in a larger volume. And naturally, only I will be above you."
Tapping his fingers on the table, Yuri looked at Talia.
"I'll agree, but only on one condition."
"I'm listening."
"I want my family to settle on the territory, and the children to receive an education at the company's expense."
"That's not a problem; we have a practice of sending students to educational institutions at our expense. Among them are Naboo energy universities, and Coruscant, and Alderaan, and Kuat... in short, we do everything in our power."
"In that case, I agree."
"That's wonderful!"
"One more thing, Shade. Can I take several of my subordinates with me?"
"Certainly."
"Then that's all from me. In the near future I will resign and warn you."
"I'll be waiting."
"Come. I'll see you out."
Leaving the office, we went back exactly the same way to the spaceport. About halfway there, I felt unpleasant vibrations in the Force. Turning around, I saw none other than Reynar himself standing on the side, next to a pair of Jedi, and watching us leave.
"So that's where it comes from."
Meeting Reynar's gaze, I slowed down. The man had everything he thought of me written on his face, and I basically did too. And yet this is the first time he's seeing me in person, heh.
Talia noticed our exchange of looks. Only when we moved away did the girl inquire:
"Chief, what was that?"
"I suspect that was the one who arranged the check for me."
"What check?"
"For the dark side of the Force."
"I don't understand."
"Do you think they just hassled me at the checkpoint for no reason? A normal Sith would have snapped long ago."
"And what would have happened if you'd flared up?"
"Then this whole gang would have tried to wrap me up. As it is, they suspect me of who knows what, but they remain Jedi after all."
Listening to us, Yuri showed interest:
"So, it's the Jedi you haven't found a common language with?"
"Yes and no. I don't recognize their sect; they, in turn, try to prove to me that I'm the wrong Force-user and a Sith altogether. Psychos, what can you expect from them," I shrugged.
"Shade, that's by no means a question that can be approached so lightheartedly. If you are accused of something... seriously accused, it won't be that easy to protect you."
"Yuri, calm down. I lived in their temple for several months, if not half a year, and during that time they haven't charged me with anything. Yes, we have different views, yes, we cross paths sometimes, but we don't have a conflict. Just small disagreements with individual temple members, nothing more. Although I'll remember the last stunt and will definitely remind someone later."
So, having left the Judicial Department without problems, we stopped at the checkpoint, where we decided to part.
"Alright. Thanks for everything, Yuri. Glad to have met you."
"Likewise."
"Goodbye, Uncle Yuri!"
"Bye, Talia."
On returning to the ship, I felt some kind of catch, but on inspecting the vessel found nothing. Everything was in order, but my gut persistently whispered about some unnoticeable but important detail. Not having found the cause of concern, I gave the command to take off. Now our path lay to Tatooine, where my presence was required. For once, things were more or less settled and I could personally deal with the security service. Only, as usual, everything went quite differently than I wanted.
Our company was sitting in the lounge. I was meditating, Zero was boring into Dis with his sensor, and Talia was asking the Mandalorian about mind tricks. The first pilot, together with the technician, were sitting here too, playing pazaak, and against the background of all this, quiet Mandalorian heavy music was playing.
But suddenly I felt a threat. Reacting faster than the danger, I fixed all the organics to their chairs with the Force, and not in vain. The ship jolted sharply, so much so that all objects flew up and immediately fell to the floor. Then more—it felt as if we were inside a carousel, inside which we were constantly pressed against the wall.
"What's happening?!" Talia exclaimed, clinging to her chair, and as if hearing her cry, the second pilot's voice rang out from the speakers:
"Attention crew, we have a total systems failure. Take your seats and strap in. Tarsus, Hen, restart the reactor immediately!"
Evaluating the situation and how the people were being battered, I growled at the pilot and engineer who tried to get up:
"Where to?! To the cockpit, both of you! That's an order!"
No one dared to argue. Not without help from my side, the guys got into the corridor leading to the cockpit, while I rushed in the opposite direction. The light flickered somewhere, burned out somewhere. A smell of burning came from the corridor, and the door leading from the living to the cargo module of the ship jammed altogether, which is why it had to be forced open with the Force. Breaking through to the Reactor, I manually restarted the machine.
With the power off, the semblance of gravity disappeared too, which is why I was pressed first against one wall, then to the ceiling, then to the floor... so that's how socks in a washing machine feel? Well, now I know.
Jerking the lever with the Force, I returned the power and now I was pressed at least to only one side—the ceiling. Following this, the ship began to level out, and gravity returned to normal. Now another problem could be felt in all its glory—vibration. A familiar trembling of the hull, by which you can tell we're entering a planet's atmosphere. Cursing, I raced back.
Returning to the lounge, I took a seat.
"Chief, what's happening?"
"We're landing."
Not five minutes passed before the shaking slowed down and the machine leveled out. A warning came from the pilots that they were coming in for an emergency landing, and almost immediately the machine made a quite soft belly landing. And truly soft. A slight jolt and a short trembling marked the landing.
"Not a bad landing," Dis chuckled. "I've seen worse."
"I don't doubt it. Dis, get to the entrance and wait for me there with your weapons. Talia, sit here for now, alright?" the girl nodded.
Unstrapping, I went to the cockpit, where the pilots together with the technician were quickly putting things in order.
"What happened?"
"A cyberattack was made on the ship. Someone infected us with a virus," the engineer reported immediately.
"Not a day without adventures," I rubbed the bridge of my nose tiredly. But now it was clear what the Force had been warning me about.
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: patreon.com/Granulan