"There is no emotion, there is peace. // Let the mind be calm, not driven by emotion.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. // Do not follow ignorance—follow truth.
There is no passion, there is serenity. // Do not indulge desire—keep the intent tranquil.
There is no chaos, there is harmony. // Do not fall into chaos—be in harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force. // There is no ending—only the Force."
Inside the troop compartment of the Kom'rk-class starfighter, Max Vizsla repeated the Jedi Code over and over, forcing himself into a Force-meditation state.
Because just moments ago, while Max was speaking with Almec, that persistent whisper of the dark side started tempting him again:
("Talk? Why talk?! Do you even need to?! Just use mind control—turn him into your puppet. Isn't that better?!")
("I don't know any mind trick.")
("The dark side's power is beyond what you can imagine—if you want to seize his mind badly enough, if you truly want it, the dark side will make it happen! Come on. Try it. Just try it, and you'll know~")
Max Vizsla stood up, using the motion of gazing toward Mandalore as cover while he fought down the restless urge inside him.
Bad. He realized it clearly—he'd genuinely been tempted just now, and he'd nearly acted on it.
That wouldn't do.
He was about to meet the Jedi Council. If the "dark-side stench" clung too strongly to him, and some trigger-happy "MF Jedi" really decided to run him through with a lightsaber "for the good of the galaxy," then there was no way Aayla, as pretty as she was, could stop it. 2
After escorting Almec back to his residence, Max didn't return to the Republic Five Hundred Building. Instead, he had the Kom'rk pilot take the starfighter up to Coruscant's geosynchronous orbit.
He needed somewhere quiet and secure to meditate—and urgently dump points into his Light Side meter.
Galactic Standard Calendar Year 4, November 13, 06:30. The Kom'rk delivered Max Vizsla back to the top-floor ultra-luxury suite in the Republic Five Hundred Building.
"Good morning, Lord Vizsla." Max's dedicated service manager came to greet him. "Today's itinerary begins with a tour of the Jedi Temple at 09:00. Would you like to catch a little more sleep? There's time—I can wake you when it's time."
"Sure." Max nodded.
Clap, clap. The Twi'lek woman lightly brought her hands together.
"Ah—no, no." Max waved quickly mid-nod. "Don't. I'll do it myself."
Even though the morning's schedule wasn't a meeting or negotiation—just sightseeing and learning as a visitor—it was still an official event. Showing up looking drained would reflect badly on Bespin.
The Twi'lek woman lifted a hand slightly, signaling the waiting Twi'lek girls to pause, then smiled and explained gently, "My lord, bathing and massage can ease fatigue and help you sleep. Let us do it—rest assured, this time it's only a bath and massage." 5
"Then… fine. Only a bath and massage, yeah."
"As you command." The Twi'lek woman crossed her arms, lowered her gaze, and several Twi'lek girls surged forward, surrounding Max Vizsla and guiding him toward the bath.
…
"Ah—hey?"
"You got up on your own." // "We're just following your command." // "Detox and… easing the body, mmm… helps you sleep, mm…" // …
Listening to the soft, surround-sound cooing all around him, Max simply closed his eyes.
Fine. Post-release clarity helped him focus on the Light Side of the Force.
And besides—letting certain false signals leak out wasn't a bad thing either. It could encourage the enemy lurking in the shadows to misjudge him. That was what Max told himself.
"…Target is energetic; likely possesses strong desire and ambition. When faced with indulgence, willpower appears weak—may be drawn in via a honey trap…" Behind the surveillance monitor, someone wrote frantically.
…
"Lord Vizsla~" A gentle female voice woke him from his feigned doze.
"Mmm…" Max rubbed his eyes. "Time?"
"Almost. It's 08:10. Master Aayla Secura of the Jedi Temple has arrived and is waiting in the reception room."
"Huh?" Max rolled out of bed. "When did that happen?"
"Three minutes ago. The moment Master Secura arrived, I came to inform you."
"Have Master Aayla Secura wait fifteen minutes. I'll be right there."
"Yes. I'll relay it at once." The Twi'lek woman bowed and withdrew.
"Chris," Max called into the comm. "Full armor. Bring your lightsaber—no blasters. Whistling Birds, flamethrower, back-mounted missiles—everything that counts as armor attachments, bring all of it. Assemble in the suite's reception room in ten minutes." 6
"Boss, the attachment on my right forearm bracer is a micro-blaster. Should I remove it?" Christopher Rhen asked over comms.
"Don't remove it. Keep it mounted."
"Yes, Boss. I'm on my way."
After removing the holster for his WESTAR-35 blaster pistol and checking every piece of his kit again, Christopher Rhen stepped out of the room. He hadn't taken his armor off at all last night.
…
"Uh…" In the reception room, Aayla Secura looked a little stunned. "Lord Vizsla… you're planning to visit the Jedi Temple fully armed?"
"Ah—no, no." Max waved his hands repeatedly. "The Jedi Temple is a temple of peace. As guests, how could we possibly go in fully armed and stain that atmosphere of peace?"
"Armor is our Mandalorian custom. Full armor is our highest etiquette—it represents our utmost respect for the Jedi Temple. Look—aside from our armor, we didn't bring a single rifle or pistol. Oh, and we did bring lightsabers—lightsabers are ceremonial objects, not weapons, right? Wouldn't you agree?"
"Th—" Aayla Secura hesitated, as if she wanted to say more. After a moment of silence, she looked directly into Max's eyes and said with quiet seriousness, "Lord Vizsla, I swore I would protect the safety of your visit to the Jedi Temple with my life. Please—trust me. And trust the Jedi Temple."
"Ms. Secura, I do trust you. Truly."
"Mmm… huff…" After taking a deep breath, Aayla Secura turned and extended her hand. "Lord Vizsla. Mr. Rhen. This way."
"Please."
…
08:50. The T-6 shuttle carrying Max and the others landed on the Jedi Temple's landing pad. 4
Hiss—the hatch opened, and Max was the first to step down the ramp.
This time, there were even more familiar faces in the welcoming party.
…
PS: Today I received a lot of monthly votes, and I'm honestly a bit overwhelmed. I update slowly, so I feel awkward asking for votes—but seeing so many come in still makes me genuinely happy!
Thank you again to all the Jedi Masters/Sith Lords for the enthusiastic support—thanks, everyone!
This is the Way. May the Force be with us all!
-
-
-
🛡 Star Wars: The Rise of Mandalore
📢 For Mandalore! 📢
Star Wars: The Rise of Mandalore is now available with 100+ chapters ahead on Patreon! 🛡🔥
Witness the resurgence of Mandalorian power long before public release.
🛑 Also available on Patreon:
Cyberpunk: The Relentless (500+)
Dragon King of Ice and Fire (200+)
Cyberpunk: Lucy Adopted Me and I Got a System
My Cyberpunk 2077 Simulator
My Girlfriend's a Cyberpsycho—Who Knew?
Game of Thrones: Secrets Beneath the Dreadfort
The Rebirth of Harry Potter
Star Wars: Relics of the Past
R18: Reincarnated in Her World
🔗 www.patreon.com/c/MrMagnus👤 SrMagnus🐦 https://x.com/SrMagnusBook
⚠️ The novel with the most Power Stones rises first!