At least my part of the plan started to be executed flawlessly, for once and for a change.
I activated invisibility and flew towards the residence.
As I was used to, they couldn't have technology to detect ships with stygium coating.
She is not Set Harth, although, judging by her resources, she is more powerful than him.
But Set was a life-waster, someone who lived for himself for so many years.
And at the same time, he had some special idea that he could solve any problem personally, by himself, in direct combat.
But there are almost no such problems left in the Galaxy that could be solved that way.
Even now, I, a Jedi, a sentient being of incredible abilities, have to resort to the help of other sentient beings.
Because no matter how incredible my abilities are, through the army, perhaps I will pass, but I will be exhausted.
And then even someone like Jarko Itari will kill me.
No.
Armies are needed to destroy other armies.
Well, and I will directly confront the main problem.
However, one should not forget about the skills of fighting large groups.
But also not try to turn yourself into a one-man army.
It's not a fact that it will work out anyway.
I made a turn, flying around Jarko's residence.
It was a building in the style of a European, Gothic palace.
No, even.
A castle.
Six towers rose, forming a hexagon.
And a seventh stood in the center, it was lower than all the others, but I was not mistaken.
Most likely, Jarko is in the central building.
Either it's the genre convention, or intuition, or the Call of the Force.
But I need to get there.
But to penetrate the shield means to reveal myself.
This shield protected completely from energy weapons.
In general, the shield could also protect from kinetic weapons, but such shields are more expensive.
Large-scale shields can be of two types: energy, which excludes laser or blaster shots, or corpuscular, protecting from classic projectiles.
Dreadnoughts, for example, and my ship, are protected by both types of shields.
Shields can also be supplied separately.
But even together, shields can have many nuances.
For example, deflector shields, which protect an area from energy damage, can allow objects to pass through them.
But here a remark should be made.
A shield can have both versions - energy and corpuscular.
And ideally, it should protect from classic projectile shots and laser and blaster shots.
But why would it let a droid or a sentient being inside?
Because shields are mainly designed to contain something flying at high speed - a shot, for example, but due to my slower movement, I can easily penetrate the shield and get inside.
There are, however, versions that even protect against sentient beings.
In general, from everything.
But such units are strictly controlled.
Even "Black Sun" with its connections and influence cannot buy them.
Incredibly expensive, or rather absurdly expensive, I would say, the cost is no less than a full-fledged corvette.
Well, and like everything expensive in our times, it may not have high functional significance.
So.
I can't get inside the shield with the ship.
Which means I'll have to infiltrate the "old-fashioned way."
By the way, the army can overload the shield, or pass through it.
But as soon as they pass, the bandits entrenched on the walls will open fire.
The only way now is to start an artillery barrage, break through the shield, and then open fire on the castle itself.
Or.
I'll disable the shield myself.
Fortunately, finding the shield generator is usually not a problem.
Just go to the place where the energy is emitted.
You can hack the computer and easily find this area.
Or find the power station and cause a blackout of the entire base, along with the shield.
Although no, if they are not fools, then the shield has a backup power source.
It's better to find the shield generator and destroy it.
So, I'll probably start with that.
This, however, will give me away immediately.
But it will distract a large number of bandits to the Judicial Forces, who will surely take advantage of the situation.
Circling Jarko's residence, I directed the ship down, towards the ground.
One of the caves was just opening to the outside.
Most likely, it didn't lead under the castle, or its passage was blocked.
I downloaded an old geological map that was here before Jarko arrived.
Judging by the map, it's a suitable cave.
From it, there was a passage leading to the basement.
But it might have been blocked.
Although, judging by the map, it passes very close, parallel to another cave.
And I can burn through the rock with a lightsaber.
Or infiltrate by climbing the wall, although there's a chance I'll be detected quickly, there are too many subordinates of this slutty anzati.
Therefore, infiltration through the caves is a priority.
If it doesn't work, well.
I'll say the experiment is obviously unsuccessful and I'll go in through the surface.
Another problem in this case is that the shield may give notifications of penetration through it.
Sabotage protection, so to speak.
Jumping onto the rocky surface of the planet, I sighed.
So far, the infiltration is successful.
A wave spread from me, scanning the surroundings.
Clear.
Parallel.
Force Cloak.
The space around me should have slightly distorted, as if wrapping me in a cloak.
For an ordinary sentient being, it is extremely difficult to notice me, even for a trained soldier.
Jarko, in theory, being gifted, can sense me.
Here everything depends on her personal skills.
Which, I hope, are not that strong.
However, man proposes, and the Force disposes, however much I would like the opposite.
Moving towards the cave, I carefully studied the surroundings.
So.
The cave has some significance for Jarko.
Four sentient guards, as it were, hint at it.
"I'm so bored," one of the guards complained.
As I got closer, I could hear their speech.
"It's a shame I'm not on the west wall right now, it's more fun there."
"What's fun about it?" the second chuckled.
"These bastards won't break through the shield in any way."
"And what if they do?" the third asked.
"And we're just wasting our time here."
"Lieutenant Lutseg doesn't usually do stupid things, stop it," the fourth replied sternly.
"Or have you forgotten?
We do everything in the name of the goddess Jarko.
The Lieutenant was informed by the Judicial Forces that more Jedi have arrived.
These dogs can resort to any trick to achieve their goal," he said.
He was the only alien, or rather a Zabrak.
"Well, of course, the Jedi took your younger brother when he was only a year old, Gorm," a man replied to him.
"Correct," Gorm confirmed.
"They came to my house, hit my mother and me with their magic, took him, and left.
These bastards.
Right?" he suddenly paid attention to the comlink.
"On the line, Lieutenant Lutseg.
Everything is calm," I hid behind a boulder lying nearby.
"Continue observation.
Where is Rohim?" he asked.
"Did he check that strange sound?" he looked in my direction.
As a precaution, I jumped out not directly in front of the cave, but hidden behind an elevation.
Theoretically, they could have heard the sound of the ship, stygium coating is not perfect.
However, VV should have taken the ship further away and landed, maintaining invisibility.
"I'm here, Commander Gorm," a man appeared.
He walked past the boulder, receiving a weak suggestion from me, and in addition, with Cloaking, he didn't notice me anyway.
"Checked.
You worried for nothing.
Probably some wildlife.
Like the kralits."
"They live in caves and can't stand the light," Gorm gritted out.
"Alright, our shift is soon, guys.
We'll stand guard, and then others will come to stand in our place."
"I wish it were sooner," Rohim sighed. "I'd love to see how those losers try to break through the shields. What are they even hoping for? We have Nelson Kitar's daughter. The Goddess will speak to him and he'll order the Judicial Corps to stand down. Just like those bastard Jedi."
"I don't know," Gorm sighed. "But nothing's happening... What the hell? The commlink is glitching," he looked at his hand. The electronics had just been destroyed. "Is this the effect of EMP weapons? Or..."
He didn't get to finish. I appeared from behind a boulder and slammed the present individuals with telekinesis. Considering my talent and mastery of telekinesis, the sentient beings were thrown against a "natural wall" that enclosed the cave. After hitting the rock, three out of five immediately parted with their lives. Perhaps I overdid it. It seemed these bastards were delivering something to the castle itself through this cave. Otherwise, it would have been collapsed long ago. Look, rails are visible. I deliberately applied less force to Gorm, so he even remained conscious... He looked at me, dazed. I threw their weapons far away, then picked them up with telekinesis and pulled them to me.
"This is quite a show," I chuckled, looking into blue eyes. So familiar. A Zabrak, blue eyes, and fair skin... And this face. "Don't you think so, Master Lorm?" We're far enough away, so Plo and Tivokka's medallions won't feel it, and my Force Cloak hid its effect too.
"That's for sure," he grunted. "I barely remember him, but he looks a lot like me. And not all are as lucky as you, born on the planet of the Great Master's friend, to be given another five years of normal life."
"That's the law of my planet. Even those aspiring to be Jedi must receive primary education. Besides, we are long-lived, so we have a slightly different ratio with the age of other sentient beings."
"I agree with that, you were still a child even as a teenager..."
"Shut up."
"It happens, it stings the eyes, my young apprentice. But about him, I'd ask you not to kill him."
"I wasn't planning to," Gorm had already recovered from being stunned and was glaring at me with anger. The relief guards would arrive soon. I would definitely cross paths with them on the way. "I'll just knock you out, but first, you'll tell me – does this cave lead to your mistress's residence itself..."
"As if, you damn Jedi," he spat at me, but I stopped the saliva with telekinesis and then returned it to his face.
"Why would you do that?" I asked him. "You shouldn't do that, or you might get hurt. And here come the replacements," I looked towards the cave exit. "Sleep for now," I touched his forehead with a finger and channeled the Force. Considering the newcomers, it would be foolish to interrogate him now. Five guards emerged from the cave, all armed and wearing the same clothes as those I had just knocked out. Pants, a jacket with reinforced inserts.
"What the h..." one of them started, noticing the state of his comrades, but he didn't get to finish. They were pinned to the ground. The commander was the one who almost swore. A tall human male with black hair.
"Hey, Jackhog," came from one of their comlinks, "did you reach it? What happened to Gorm and his group? Their commlink isn't responding."
I approached the man and drew my lightsaber. Crouching before him, I showed it to him.
"You know what this is, don't you," I addressed Jackhog. "Just say everything is fine, and Gorm's group's commlink malfunctioned, and everything will be alright."
"Go to hell, Jedi!" he said maliciously. "I won't betray my mistress!" He struggled to get up. "I'll kill you..."
"What a problem with these fanatics," I sighed sadly, pulling out a narcotic. "And it won't be easy to suggest it to you. Alright, then," I injected the narcotic into his vein and used suggestion. The man, as they say, went limp.
"Everything is fine, Lutseg," he said, his voice slightly slow. "Gorm's commlink malfunctioned." His other comrades couldn't say a word. In the end, I affected their jaws with the Force, forcing their mouths shut. "They'll arrive soon."
"Good, Jackhog, keep watch, remember the importance of this path."
"We remember," Jackhog said. The connection ended. Excellent.
"Now you'll have to answer every question from Lutseg, saying everything is normal," I ordered.
"Yes."
His comrades radiated hatred, but that's fixable. Lifting them into the air, I slammed them all except Jackhog against the ground. Great, knocked these ones out too. Good thing they didn't install a camera here.
"So, will you tell me why this path is important?" I asked Jackhog.
"We deliver new slaves to the mistress through it," the man replied, under the influence of the drug and suggestion. "Officially, slavery is forbidden on Pakuuni. The sector senator is part of the relevant Republic Committee," yes, indeed, "if slaves were delivered here openly," he was about to pass out, "there would be suspicions. And the mistress doesn't need them..."
"I see, so this cave wasn't collapsed," I grinned. "Well," I didn't knock him out. The Force suggestion on his mind will last long enough. After that, I'll get past Lutseg and find the shield generator. I'll arrange a... much fairer duel for all of us. These pirates have really gotten out of hand. In a normal country, the state has a monopoly on violence. Bandits are anti-social elements. Some groups in the country can control them themselves, but they invariably destroy the small ones. Here the situation is dire! A powerful criminal organization is not just uncontrolled by intelligence, or anyone from the Republic. It's almost a lobbyist for some Senators... No, it *is*. The galaxy is in a natural mess, everything is very bad. However... If things weren't bad, Palpatine wouldn't have accomplished half of it... We have a complex... Firstly, a delayed-action mine, laid by the post-Ruusan Jedi and the chancellors of that time. Secondly, the Bainites, who also participated in undermining the Republic. As a result, the Black Sun now doesn't even fear challenging the Judicial Corps, which is, in fact, the executive branch of power! A fantastical, I'd say, situation where bandits don't just not run. They might not always run from the police, what can you expect from the police? They clearly aren't afraid of army units. This is already clinical. But I am here, at this moment, precisely to put an end to this. Of course, killing one Vigo won't solve the problem, but even so, it's already good.
Moving through the cave, which was lit, I looked around carefully. Simple cameras stood along the walls, which seemed to be breaking down and having their images replaced. My datapad does have pretty good software. And here's the checkpoint, sentient beings are on duty there. This creature hasn't just gathered a gang. It's a full-fledged army, with several Dreadnoughts. Amazing... All that's left is to swear. When will things get better for us, according to the plan? After Palpatine's fall? During the New Republic? What in the new canon, forgive the Force, what in the Legends – it's all the same. Absurdity, madness, and sometimes stupidity. Maybe I should just forget it? Although, wait... Now is not the time to think about it. There were five sentient beings at the checkpoint. I pulled myself to the cave ceiling... Destroy them? Although why... They didn't notice me and won't hinder me in any way. The only thing needed is to find the deflector generator. For this, I can catch some soldier along the way. Deciding to just pass this outpost, I jumped past it. No one was watching the entrance to the residence, apparently not considering it necessary. The doors separating the cave area and the residence opened without any frills. Passes weren't even required, although I took them from Gorm and Jackhog, the obvious commanders. Apparently, they'll be needed somewhere. Peeking out of the open door, I looked around. There was no one in the corridor, although I clearly felt the presence of sentient beings in the perpendicular one. Cameras hung to the right and left... Nothing unusual. Tapping the buttons on my datapad, I activated the hack for these... Wait... These were more advanced versions of the cameras. That is, she clearly saved money on the cave, but not on the first corridor? Interesting... In that case, I need to calculate the viewing angle and the timings of the lens rotation. But first, I need to figure out where to go: right or left? I need someone to explain to me where the deflector generator is hidden. Although I can find it, just run an energy scan, or hack the residence's computer. But the bandits might notice the scan, and hacking is also a risky thing, considering that Jarko has some smart hacker.
Listening to my senses, I decided to head right. Calculating the camera timings on the right side of the corridor, I moved in a zigzag pattern, avoiding the gaze of the camera lenses. As I crossed into another corridor, I noticed a huge, wide door. Judging by the auras, that's where the guards I felt earlier were. Perhaps I've found new languages. Only... what are those strange auras next to them? Some weak ones... Calculating the cameras there too, I entered the room... Which turned out to be a huge prison. A grate, through which voltage was running, divided the room into two parts. Inside the prison were many people. Women, children, men. So that's what those auras were. Prisoners.
"Let us out!" came from behind the grate. Children and women were crying, some men were touching the bars, they were getting shocked and jumped back with screams. "Damn freaks," one of them said.
"Shut up," one of the guards said. "How do you not understand! When Mistress conducts your initiation, your life will become easier and better!"
"Such stupid sentient beings," the second chimed in. "Well, Mistress knows what to do with them."
And what should I do here? The Jedi part of me, and my personality, told me to free the sentient beings. This creature, Jarko Itari, wants to make slaves out of those present. But rationality said otherwise... It insisted that these sentient beings would give me away... Although... they might start a commotion, and besides, does their liberation necessarily mean my infiltration of the base? Maybe one of them is handy. Deciding, I sent one of the guards telekinetically into the grate. Hitting the high-voltage area, he screamed from the shock, and then passed out...
"What the h..." the second didn't get to finish, telekinesis pinned him to the cold floor. I can't knock him out yet.
"Good day, esteemed ones," I appeared before the prisoners.
"Who is..." a man with a prominent build approached the grate, at least he was three heads taller than me, broad-shouldered, with his torso bare. "Who are you?"
"Well, I'm a Jedi Knight," I admitted.
"Jedi Knight?" a woman asked. "You've come to free us."
"Well, dear lady," I looked at her, "it partly depends on you too. At the moment, the Judicial Corps is conducting an operation to destroy Jarko Itari's gang. What do you understand by freedom?"
"What?" one of the men asked. "Freedom? I want to grab a damn blaster and shoot all these fucking bastards!" - what a hothead.
"Me too," came from the side. The cameras had been prudently disabled by me through ionization. It might pass as a regular glitch in the system, so repairmen will come here soon. "Me too!"
Indeed, there are many enthusiasts... About five hundred sentient beings here. Of them, certainly two hundred are men capable of holding weapons.
"Wonderful, I swear by the Force," I grinned. "But children and women can't fight bandits."
"We can't?" exclaimed one woman. She was completely naked, with bruises. "Give me a blaster and I'll shoot them all in the groin! Every single one!"
"Maybe you should get dressed first?" I shrugged. "Well, alright, I am a Jedi and I must let you out. Alas, I cannot provide you with weapons," I pressed the switch with the Force, cutting off the electricity running through the grates, and then broke them open with telekinesis. "But, I believe, this Rodian man can be your guide to the armory."
"Go to a Hutt, you bastard!" he roared, trying to get up.
"Why would I go to such unattractive sentient beings?" I asked. I pulled the man to me. "You fanatics, you can't get enough drugs," a combination of "drug plus suggestion" and the man was ready to lead all the freed people to heaven or hell. And judging by his gaze, he clearly saw the road to both places. But I limited him to the armory. And he also roughly oriented me where the shield generator was... The prisoners' revolt will distract the guards. The shelling from outside has already distracted significant forces... Destroying the deflector generator will help the forces outside penetrate inside... I grinned... The ring is closing, Jarko Itari. You won't escape...
Jarko lazily looked at the hologram projector. Her huge room, where she lay on a sofa that Hutts loved to buy, was filled with various servants... Their thoughts, their feelings... adoration, passion, sincere love for their mistress and goddess – warmed her. She reached out and stroked the warm chest of one of the slaves. Simultaneously, one of her tendrils penetrated her brain and gently pulled the soup. The girl let out a moan full of perverse pleasure. The only thing that clouded her mood was the destruction of the fleet and the station. It was all that bastard Jedi who was with Drongar. He not only discovered the bot but also led her around by the nose... Alas, she couldn't find out the identity of this Jedi, even with her connections. What she knew for sure was that it was the same knight who attacked Seth Hart, the surviving Sith, on the planet Roiss-VIII. So she had a rough idea of what he was capable of... And she knew that in a direct one-on-one fight, she was no match for him. However, she didn't need to fight him one-on-one...
The Judicial Corps and the Jedi Order had sent a whole army for her. And she intended to rough it up a bit, and then escape from Pakuuni and hide in her other bases. The fact that she would fight back against these enemies would slightly raise her reputation among the Vigo, which had collapsed due to the incident on Drongar... Only... what game was Graves playing? This bastard was the only "Black Sun" employee in this territory who was never personally loyal to her. The Admiral rejected her offer... To sleep with her, during intercourse, she would hook sentient beings onto herself... This was irritating. Graves was playing his own game, although she guessed that this bastard was aiming for her place and was playing on the side of the Jedi and the Judicial Corps only to destroy her with his own hands.
She turned her attention back to the hologram projector. They were shelling her shield from all barrels, but couldn't break through it. And if they had marched through it, with soldiers, they would have immediately come under the hurricane fire of her sentient beings. They didn't have enough soldiers for an assault, so they were trying to reduce her base's shield to a minimum.
"Mistress," suddenly one of her slaves bowed before her.
"What is it?" she asked.
"A report was received: the prisoners have revolted and seized weapons!" What was he talking about?! Her future slaves? How?
"What happened?" she asked dryly.
"It seems one of the guards wanted to personally torment the prisoners," she didn't forbid such things, in principle. With the level of medicine, even the most downtrodden could be made into a wonderful sentient being. And subordinates need to be stimulated. She couldn't, in principle, sleep with everyone, or try everyone's soup. "They attacked him, then killed the second, but before that, they extorted information about where the armory was. Now they've reached the weapons!"
"HUTT!" she furiously twisted the neck of the reporting slave with the Force. "How inconvenient... But... extorting information from my subordinate?" Even those with whom she had no direct connection fell under the influence of her telepathy. It was very difficult to extort anything from her subordinate. Although not impossible. "Who is the leader?" she asked.
"A certain Got Corden, he was recently captured during the boarding of our ships. You ordered..."
"I remember," she said through clenched teeth. "Suppress this rebellion," she clenched her fists. "Nella," she called to the slave lying at her feet. Her new creation was unique. Nella was an elite of elites, graduated from Alderaan University with one of the most elite specialties. She was in the top 10 best students. A modest and quiet girl, whose head was filled with nonsense about handsome princes... She corrupted her, almost without using the Anzati tendrils, only recently starting to consume her soup. "Did you call your father?" Immediately after the defeat she would inflict on the invading army, he was supposed to stall her case in the Senate and order the Jedi and the Judicial Corps to calm down.
"Yes, Mistress," the girl said, bowing her head, "but the connection has been jammed lately."
"Hutt," she exclaimed. These bastards decided to completely cut her off from the outside world. Although... she clasped her hands together... For now, the situation was on her side. They couldn't break the shield, and the rebellion would be suppressed. They could hold these forces here for another couple of days... For some time, she would hold them here, and then leave the base and contact the Senator. More precisely, let this girl Nella contact her father... She also needed to find out what happened to Graves... This bastard wasn't in a hurry to give her information about the Jedi group. Moreover, he even gave her slightly altered figures. She would have to have a serious talk with him. Yes, Graves was in the "Black Sun," yes – formally her subordinate. But not personally loyal to her... Could it be that he intended to have the Jedi eliminate her with her own hands? A very real situation. How long has Graves been working for the Syndicate? Thirteen years, after certain events, in which he finally lost faith in the justice of the Judicial Corps. But Graves was always an ambitious fellow, so... If this bastard betrayed her, she would kill him in the most painful way possible. Suddenly the building shook as if from a powerful explosion. "What the hell is happening?!" she snarled, glaring menacingly at the slave.
"The shield generator has been destroyed!" the slave replied.
"What?" she asked in surprise. "HOW?! How, by the Hutt and your mother, bantha poodoo, can it be destroyed? The rebellious prisoners?"
"No," her slave replied. "The generator was simply destroyed. We stopped the rebels on the lower floors. And the generator..."
The generator was located on the fifth floor. The rebels wouldn't have had time to get there.
"Mistress! They are storming! The Judicial Corps forces have opened fire on the base. We won't hold out for long!" the building began to shake from shell impacts. The Republic wasn't going to spare her. However... the ships that landed on the planet haven't joined the shelling yet, judging by the hologram projector.
"Activate the Planetary Defense Complexes! The shield is gone, now we can fight back!" she ordered. "I won't surrender so easily... And yet... Who is this smart one among us... The deflector generator didn't go haywire, did it? It's relatively new... Could it be..." The prisoners' revolt couldn't have happened just like that. Her people were too cautious. But if a sabotage group infiltrated here... But how? Through the slave delivery cave? Due to Republic laws, she couldn't deliver slaves to the residence too openly. Perhaps the Judicial Corps hasn't been working as it should for a long time. But there are these bastard Jedi, who would only hinder her! But a sabotage group is professional enough to infiltrate the base unnoticed. This bastard Graves didn't warn her about it... Then, a figure in tattered white clothing appeared before her. The Jedi was hooded. Exactly! It's him! He's probably from the Shadows, the most dangerous of the Jedi. A Shadow trained for liquidation can infiltrate almost anywhere for its target. If not a group, then him. He's using the rebellion and the assault on her residence as a diversion. And he could relatively quietly, without arousing suspicion until a certain time, infiltrate her base! Bastard... He probably thinks that since he's a knight, he'll easily defeat her! But fine, she'll prove him wrong...