Naturally, I couldn't hack the criminal organization's base system with the help of a reconnaissance droid. These smart guys acted cunningly, routing data from reconnaissance droids to a separate server, where a special program protected it from hacking, purging any suspicious data and preventing it from reaching the main computer. Cleverly designed, it eliminates almost any sabotage. And I would have been detected if the spy program, which was directed at the main computer through the server, hadn't deleted itself upon detecting a defense line it couldn't overcome. It was easier with the program that connected me to the reconnaissance droid's sensors. With its help, I obtained an approximate base schematic, and I also downloaded part of the schematic from the droid's memory.
But what to do if you can't hack the base through a reconnaissance droid, so to speak, indirectly? Then I'll have to hack manually, with direct infiltration. There's no other choice; the bot grows relatively spontaneously, preferring damp places – like swamps… But here's the catch – the nearest ones are occupied by "Black Sun." And I have no desire to search for others. The planet is huge, and I didn't take a speeder because for a long stay it would simply rust, and I care about my equipment. Therefore, the choice was clear – to sneak into the "Black Sun" base, upload "updated software" to them, and gain almost unlimited access to their systems and, of course, the bot. The fact that "Black Sun" won't know won't hurt them.
After all, I won't be taking all the growth; one sentient being needs much less than hundreds.
"Alright," I opened the base schematic on the computer. "Let's see." The base itself had three important structures. The first and second related to droids. On the first, located on the third floor, was the main server, the main computer, and a generator that received power from a wind power station and a solar power station. It was the generator that supplied energy for all the base's needs. The second sector comprised the first and second floors. Droids were stored there. They were represented by three types – scouts, which monitored the surroundings every day. Combat droids, represented by the beloved B1s. And droids that serviced the bot farm. Hmm… Apparently, the B1 data was custom-made to operate on a planet with a higher oxygen content in the air, because visually they were slightly larger than the usual ones I had seen in holophotos. If only I could know the specifications, purely out of interest.
Also, the security systems at the base included turrets and even a light form of planetary defense in the form of missile silos. Everything, of course, was controlled by droids or the main computer. This is all that was in the droid's memory. The plan, as usual, sounds simple. Infiltrate the base, reach the main computer terminal, upload the controller program, and enjoy. Simultaneously, I can download all the information "Black Sun" has… As they say: steal quietly and leave – you've found it. And again – it sounds simple, but the implementation might be more complex… But nothing ventured, nothing gained. Focusing, I began to study the base schematic, as well as the patrols encountered by my spy. He reached the first floor and connected to the server terminal, then went to recharge. So I can easily pass the first floor. The schematics for the second and, even more so, the third floor are unavailable to me… However, I'll figure it out on site. The main difficulty is that this base is built according to machine logic. The lights are off, the usual lights, not all droids need them. Windows, as I've already noted, are only in the bot seedling section.
On the first floor, I noted three patrols encountered. But one must always assume that there are more patrols. And the higher I go, the harder it will be, because the second and third floors have the most important structures. On the second floor, apparently, are the storage for B1 droids and farm worker droids. And on the third, the main computer itself. A standard patrol – three B1 series droids… That is, suppose there are five patrol teams on the first floor, meaning at least fifteen droids. I'm calculating. Plus, we shouldn't forget the scouts, who can also run into me, or I into them. Scouts themselves use remote communication with the main server; they only return to the base for recharging. Farm droids pose no threat, except for the general one – all droids on the base are connected. If one is detected, all will be detected. If all are detected, there's a high probability that a signal will be sent to the station orbiting the planet. And then a detachment will arrive here, my incognito will end, and, most likely, I will have to either kill them all… Or simply get out of here. The latter is more likely, because slaughtering members of the Syndicate might make its bosses suspicious. And going against an entire army alone… In principle, it's possible, but "Black Sun" is not an organization that can be cleaned out by simply destroying everyone in it who can hold a weapon.
And they will fight, after realizing who I am, clearly not using concepts of open combat. Of course – I am an assassin-Shadow, and my main prerogative is assassination, which is best done from "invis," as they say. But it's one thing to do it myself, and another thing to defend against it, and constantly at that. No… Without a strong organization behind me: an army, intelligence and counter-intelligence, as well as financial structures – such an organization as "Black Sun" cannot be overthrown. I will have to put up with the existence of all the Republic's vices until my own hands are untied to do what is right in my understanding of the word. Regarding geographical features. The base stood by a swamp, where the bot grew. The swamp itself was mostly surrounded by a glass sphere, which was the "farm." It doesn't interest me for now. The main thing is to eliminate dangers to myself in the form of its guardians.
"Let's see," I brought up an image of the base from the outside. There was only one entrance; the others were literally blocked by fences, force fields, and automatic turrets. The central entrance was also protected, but the gates opened periodically. The infiltration plan… Hmm… Two automatic turrets are aimed at the entrance. If they detect me, I'll be attacked immediately. And then an alarm throughout the base… On the other hand… I can do this – hit the turrets with ionization, which will shut them down. Droids can't understand what caused the current discharge. For them, it could be a short circuit or a direct attack, but an attack would be noticeable, and I would hit with ionization, standing, say, behind a solid fence. Only – the ionization wave has a limited radius of action. I won't be able to hit the five droids standing at the entrance to the building itself. Yes, B1s are easy targets for Jedi. But I don't need to fight; I need to infiltrate stealthily. "What should I do? I need to distract them… Hmm," then a lightning strike sounded in the distance. "Of course. Combat droids don't leave the base, but reconnaissance droids, which can… 'Suffer during a mission.'"
Fires on Drongar, especially forest fires, after lightning strikes trees, considering the increased oxygen content – is a common occurrence. And I, coincidentally, possess pyrokinesis. Which means I can hit a reconnaissance droid with it and set part of the forest on fire. Thus – the system will definitely see the unit's incapacitation. If my assumption is correct, the patrol B1s from the yard will go to check what's happening with their "colleague." And if they come out from inside the building, and those in the yard stay put? Maybe then destroy those who go to check on the scout? No, stop, the main thing is not to overdo it. Otherwise, one destruction, a second destruction, a third… And I'll be detected… The main thing here is to act carefully and rely on "machine logic," which will calculate the number of steps to the scout destroyed by fire and think that the droids from the yard will reach the scout faster than those from inside. All that's left is to think about what to do with the cameras that are also at the entrance… Although what to do, what to do? A stupid question. I'll hit them with ionization, disable them. Let's say the turrets malfunctioned, why wouldn't the cameras? But – won't the computer request help from the station with this approach? Are there repair droids here? There should definitely be, but will they have the specifications, and won't they need additional forces from the station to fix everything?
Although… Even if it requests help from the station – I'll have time, before they arrive, to infiltrate and do my job. After all – if they send sentient beings, I'll have another advantage; I possess Force suggestion. I can handle a group of three or four sentient beings. Let's fix the thought, or rather, the plan…
First, I'll wait for another reconnaissance wave from the base. I'll provoke a fire in the nearby forest, simultaneously destroying the reconnaissance droid with pyrokinesis. I'll wait for the B1 patrol droids from the yard to come out after it. It would seem – droids don't care about their own. One more, one less… But no, I downloaded a copy of the scout's program… Trying to follow the philosophy: if you want to defeat your opponent, think like your opponent. The program was written to collect destroyed droids and, especially, to search for surviving memory modules. B1s are definitely programmed the same way. Missing the patrol, I'll stand by the wall and activate ionization. The first wave will disable the turrets, and I'll do the second, changing position and standing close to the turrets… No, stop, I opened the data downloaded from the reconnaissance droid again. It's not necessary to disable the cameras; they are a bit old here. Using data transfer from my datapad, I can substitute their image. Yes, this will be smarter than disabling the equipment.
Entering inside will be simple. I have a hacker program. Two minutes, and I'm inside. Inside, I need to go straight, down the corridor, at the end of which is the elevator to the second and third floors. The most important thing is that I can get into the elevator and activate it directly to the third floor… They might have a minimal check that first sends those who want to go to the third floor to the second, to be inspected by B1s… Most likely, if they're not fools, they have such a check. Hack the elevator? Is it feasible? I think so. I'll just need to connect the datapad to the elevator terminal, and I'll easily go to the third floor. Well, on the third floor – I'll do the same trick with the main computer. Do I have a plan? Yes. Now I just need not to mess up…
It was a real blast, actually. After all, there's more oxygen in the air here than on a standard planet, so the combustion here was something else. I need to be more careful with pyrokinesis on this planet, or I'll end up burning myself. And I don't want to become like Anakin. I'm too handsome, and my "delicate spiritual organization" won't survive being burnt. How will I attract beautiful women then? Character, of course, matters, but appearance is also important. I checked my datapad, connected to my old acquaintance… A signal of alarm went through the network – a droid was damaged. According to the base's internal regulations – memory blocks, or whatever is left of them, must be retrieved. Why was this done? To understand – why did the droid fail. Due to a natural phenomenon? Or perhaps someone deliberately destroyed it? Of course, considering what I hit the droid with, they will assume it was destroyed by a natural phenomenon. It hit the whole forest, I made sure and synchronized with the lightning strike. How long will it take for the B1s to arrive after it?
I decided to move a little to the side, hiding behind burning trees. The Force helped me avoid the detrimental effects of the forest fire. Considering the distance from here to the base and the speed of the B1s – about ten minutes here. And about the same back… And my calculations did not fail me. When I approached the fence surrounding the base, I noticed that the droids from the yard had disappeared. Excellent, now – I activated the camera search on the datapad to upload the hacker program to the cameras. Finding them in the application – I started the upload, and as soon as it was completed, I hit the automated turrets with ionization. The fact that the automated weapons stopped scanning the surroundings showed that the technology worked. I peeked out from behind the fence… So, what do we have here? The technology worked, the cameras stubbornly see that everything is "normal" … As soon as I approached the door to the base, it opened. I immediately pressed myself against the wall.
"What's wrong with the turrets?" a B1 said.
"It's probably a software glitch," came his partner's voice.
Three B1s appeared outside, who didn't even look around and approached the turrets. Phew, I got in just in time. While they were examining the turrets, I entered inside, into the dark corridor. A Force impulse, and the base door was closed.
"Hey, who closed the door?" came from outside.
"Not me."
"Not me."
Good thing they're a bit slow. In the corridor, I immediately stood behind one of the columns, which hid me from droids that might be at the end of the corridor. Apparently, they managed to spot me, despite my speed, as two droids immediately went to check the entrance, while one remained by the elevator. Hmm… The elevator was open, and inside it stood a strange barrel, which was in direct sight… Then… I directed the Force to my right eye. The world transformed, and I placed a point on the barrel… A moment later, I swapped places with it, immediately directing the Force to the elevator button, closing the door and pressing the third floor. My right eye pierced with pain… Although not as much as during my first uses of the Heavenly Palm. I had trained, and even managed to stay conscious. But it's better for me not to use this technique for the next couple of hours. Approaching the elevator console, I realized I was right. You can't just go to the third floor; first, you'll be sent to the second, where you'll be searched. Fortunately, this blockage was relatively easy for my device to bypass. I didn't even need VV's help to hack some things. Therefore, the elevator immediately headed to the third floor… As soon as the door opened, I saw another B1 standing behind the console.
"Who are you?" he aimed his blaster at me.
"An inspector," I replied, stepping out of the elevator.
"Investigator... Alright... Stop, there's no such entry in the database," he said, wanting to shoot, but I hit him with ionization. The main computer is very close, I'm about to take control. I walked up to another door, behind which was the room with the main computer, and opened it. It had no additional security measures. Apparently, the "Black Sun" couldn't even imagine that there was a possibility for an enemy to get this far without raising an alarm and thus calling the guards from the station. The room, unlike the others, was bright, mainly due to the windows that overlooked the base's inner courtyard and the greenhouses with bota. It felt like it was used by a sentient being, not droids... Although, there's a good chance the station chief might live here. Approaching the desk with the main computer, I connected to its terminal and began downloading the necessary software.
"Allow me to perform an upgrade for you," I chuckled, watching the program break into the "Black Sun" system. Once the system was hacked, I was able to download the criminal syndicate's data concerning this base. Mostly, there were records of who was buying bota throughout the galaxy. And even which Senators they bribed so that the criminal syndicate could trade such a resource, and neither the Judicial Forces nor the Jedi had any idea about it. "Well, I'll be. A Senator responsible for combating organized crime," I chuckled. "Nelson Kitar," if I remember correctly, a man who advocates for the fight against organized crime in the Republic. A Senator from the Yego system. That's very close... It's darkest under the lamp, isn't it? The data also spoke of the Vigo, that the Vigo here... Anzati... And that's already dangerous. Natural telepaths and Force users. Anzati fed on so-called "soup"... Which was nothing more than the brain of a sentient being. Their cheeks hid tendrils, which they inserted into the victim's nostrils, broke through to the brain, and thus fed.
Telepathy allowed them to drive the victim insane, causing the victim themselves to want to become food for a dangerous predator. However, they didn't shy away from attacking and overpowering their target with superior physical strength. All in all, these creatures are extremely dangerous. Even for Jedi. I need to be careful. The Anzati's name was Jarko Itari. I wish I could learn more, but here there was only a name and mentions of racial affiliation, and that was for the droids. Her appearance was also described. Before me stood a woman with hair as dark as pitch. She was slender and beautiful, I would say - alluring, with a languid gaze. Droids don't care, but many sentient beings would find her beautiful.
She was dressed in "minimalist," erotic clothing. Such a style can indicate that she likes to show herself off. Well... The controller program is loaded, and I can use it to add myself to the system's exceptions. Now I can walk around the entire base calmly. I should send repair droids to fix everything I managed to break. And then proceed to study the properties of bota in practice.
***
How should a Jedi take bota? In fact, I found the answers quite quickly. There were several. First, one could prepare the bota drug, which was made right here. It was distributed in ampoules and stored frozen. However, the ampoules are quite fragile. And sentient beings preferred to see that they were being given a plant, not an unknown liquid in an ampoule. Therefore, secondly, one could take the plant itself, if it left Drongar, then frozen in carbonite. From the plant itself, an extract could be prepared, which was taken internally. The bota drug used for treatment was administered by injection. The extract, however, is a liquid that is drunk. Between giving myself injections or drinking juice obtained by lightly heat-treating the plant, I decided to follow the second method.
The first dose of this extract was accompanied by dizziness, followed by a feeling of euphoria and omnipotence. Every cell in my body was literally overflowing with strength. In my mind, a starry understanding shone that I could do anything and no one was my master anymore. However, I had been hit on the head more than once for being overconfident, so during meditation, I actively thought that "omnipotence" always ends quickly. Taking the bota extract increased my already strong connection to the Force, and also accelerated my progress in mastering some techniques. In general, I would even classify bota as a narcotic substance. Its use created a feeling of lightness and, as I noted before, incredible power for the gifted.
Meanwhile, I need to be careful with the Vigo here. Jarko Itari, given her racial affiliation, might well use bota for herself. It's best to avoid meeting her altogether. By the way, Anzati are a rather unique race; I'm surprised that in the canonical conflict between the Separatists and the Republic, Drongar didn't seem to have them... It's quite possible she had retired by then, or died. Whatever the predator, it can be killed... However, she is a real threat right now. Yes, I can borrow bota from the "Black Sun" base... But let's not forget about Jarko's existence... And finally, after I had trained and played with the techniques after consuming bota, I decided to test the power of the medallion. As I had decided, it's better to test it on someone who won't immediately try to kill me for disturbing their peace... The chosen target was Jedi Lorm Decer... The master had quite a character; he killed and threatened death. But that was to other sentient beings; for me, he was a mentor with whom we had gone through a lot. He wouldn't try to fry me with the Force Lightning for disturbing him, would he? Besides, he should know about Lily's existence. I want to see my mentor's face when he finds out about the result of his fling with Dizzy. His holocron certainly won't convey the full spectrum of emotions.
But the reflection of consciousness, "summoned partly from the brink in the form of a Force ghost" - will give quite a few...