"Long time no see, my friend. Ready to welcome us?" We came out of hyperspace and set a course for the planet," Master Yoda greeted the hologram that appeared, taking the shape of his friend, King Alaric.
The hum of the engines signaled the movement of the starship carrying the Republic's diplomatic mission.
"The Winds will be glad to see you on Tustra, old friend," the hologram smiled warmly. "My garden has been enriched with interesting species since your last visit. Would you do them the honor of seeing them, Grand Master?"
Even in hologram form, King Alaric towered over the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Yoda. Yoda… Many, if not everyone in this Galaxy, know him. Some personally, some only by rumor. Many who see Yoda are bewildered. How can this be? Jedi are able to fight, if not armies, then large squads. There are many myths about their power in this Galaxy. And all these Jedi are ruled by such a… creature? Green-skinned, wrinkled, but above all — small. Yoda did not give the impression of the Grand Master of the Order. Moreover, there were more… imposing Jedi in the Order, who were thought of as Grand Masters.
Enemies who fought Yoda over his incredibly long life also didn't consider him a dangerous opponent. As it turned out for them — in vain. If you look at fencing or the Force — Yoda is the most dangerous of the Jedi. A long lifespan allowed him to master much of what a Jedi should know and be able to do. And not just master it, but bring everything to perfection. That's why he led the Order not only by right of wisdom, but also by right of the strongest. However, Jedi rarely evaluated sentients solely by strength. That's the prerogative of the Sith — to evaluate a sentient by their power. The Jedi valued actions…
Though power also matters. Yoda would like to believe it's to a much lesser extent… And right now they should be training precisely powerful and strong Jedi. Because strange things have been happening lately. The Jedi have begun to weaken. The Dark Side has unexpectedly grown stronger, clouding their vision. Recent events in the Galaxy have alarmed the Order's High Council. However, they decided to conceal from the Senate the information about the weakening connection to the Force. They cannot allow them, the Senators, to find out about this. Therefore, the Order needs to become more active. It would need to be… The Sith have not been exterminated, they are clearly up to something. The Order felt it, although outwardly they told no one.
Against this backdrop, the news that a boy of extraordinary power in the Force had appeared on Tustra gladdened Yoda. They could use any help right now. And the fact that he's from the Sephi… They are long-lived and can certainly improve their skills for quite a long time. That means little Light can definitely grow into a strong and powerful Jedi who will become a mighty pillar for their Order and help them maintain peace in the Galaxy. Generally, a standard recruiter from the Order would have been sent for Light, but it so happened that Yoda needed to visit Tustra. The Grand Master himself never refused to visit this beautiful planet. Alaric governed his nation excellently, making Tustra one of the strongest in the sector. And that strength manifested not only in the army, but also in the economy. It also coincided with the appointment of the new senator from this sector — Navi, Alaric's nephew. How quickly time flies; he remembered Navi only as a child, and now he's a grown man, and a Senator at that. But, personally to Yoda, the most important thing now was to collect Light. The boy was born into a fairly wealthy family, not like the one his previous student — Dooku — was born into, who was born into a Count's family and became an excellent knight. No… But Light's family is excellent. So difficulties might arise, although Alaric promised to avoid them. And if his friend promises something…
"Don't take offense, my friend, I didn't come only for the garden," Yoda said seriously. "Though I won't refuse your hospitality."
"I know, the Winds see it, many know you've come for this boy," Alaric reported seriously. "Truth be told, knowing the essence of your connection with the Force, I can say the boy will be powerful. Although he is astonishing. Possessing such talents, he hasn't become arrogant, despite his successes."
"Successes?" Yoda raised a non-existent eyebrow.
"Indeed," Alaric confirmed. "To the local children, the boy is like a god descended from the heavens. Lifts rocks, moves faster than everyone. Yet he remains quite quiet and modest."
That's bad… Self-taught people are dangerous because they aren't able to understand in time what is bad and what is good. But it also means the boy has a sufficient connection to the Force, which isn't surprising given such a count of midi-chlorians.
"I will have to speak with him upon arrival. The system is important in early training, not self-study. The path of a Jedi who learned without a teacher's supervision is dangerous, yes…"
"Do you want me to order him to stop?" Alaric asked him.
"That is futile, I have already arrived," Yoda waved it off. "You will take me to the boy, Alaric, when we are free."
"Definitely," his friend nodded.
The ship entered Tustra's atmosphere, revealing a view of a beautiful city.
"Wow," one of the inspectors from the Senate sighed, looking at the green, park-like areas. The planet's capital was a beautiful city; unlike many planets, in many regions — in the capital and large cities on Tustra — there were almost no industrial enterprises, which created excellent living conditions and didn't pollute the air.
"Alaric is wise," Yoda nodded. "A beautiful city welcomes us."
The hum of the embassy ship's engines slowly died down as they landed in the main hangar. Even despite the arrival of the "High Envoys," life in the hangar was bustling without them. Technicians scurried back and forth. Astro-droids traveled throughout the hangar. Ships belonging to the King were receiving necessary maintenance. In general, the hangar was quite extensive and held around twenty ships. Among them you could find a couple of fighters used by the Sephi Space Forces. Also in the hangar were several Royal-class ships, whose interior furnishings cost several budgets of some outer colonies.
Alaric loved ships less than his magnificent garden. But he did love them, so the entire ship fleet was maintained properly.
"Master Yoda, may the Winds favor you," a tall Sephi approached their group of three Senate workers and Yoda himself. Behind him, one could see a collapsible staff. And on his belt was a regular blaster. "And also the esteemed envoys of the Republic. I am Kori Rolis, Captain of His Majesty Alaric's Guard. I have arrived to escort you to His Majesty's welcoming audience."
The Republic diplomats also introduced themselves to the Guard Captain. Although no one doubted that the Guards knew the identities of the arrivals. Etiquette had to be observed.
"Good," Yoda, leaning on his cane, moved forward, followed by three envoys from the Republic Senate.
This delegation was to confirm funding for some programs from Alaric and Tustra. Normally this would be arranged through the Senator, but the Senator had recently died at the age of three hundred and seventy. The new Sephi Senator hadn't been appointed yet. So the commission had come here.
"Afterwards we will show you your quarters, Master, as well as the quarters of your companions," Kori's gaze swept over Yoda's companions. "I hope your stay on Tustra will bring you and the esteemed envoys of the Republic many positive emotions."
"Captain," one of the envoys spoke up, "may I ask you a question?"
"I am listening attentively," he replied, not slowing his pace, though it was quite slow. The group moved at Yoda's speed, who walked using his cane.
"Has His Majesty already decided who will be the new Senator from the Sector?" asked Deyr, a tall man from the Senate commission. Although many assumed and guessed that Navi would become the new Senator, it was necessary to dispel doubts.
The three envoys had arrived with Yoda. Deyr Gek — a tall, black-haired man dressed in expensive clothes. He was the head of the diplomatic mission from the Senate and was to finalize contracts. His assistant was a beautiful secretary from the Twi'lek race: Vaila. However, Yoda suspected that the role of secretary wasn't all there was to it. The blue-skinned Twi'lek woman was clearly used to relieve her boss's stress. Deyr was also accompanied by another man, his subordinate: Meyk Lim. In contrast to his boss, he was short and fair-haired. Deyr had a rather harsh character, earning a reputation as an efficient worker.
"The election of the new Senator from the Sector has already taken place, esteemed Ambassador. The Great Winds determined the victory of His Highness Navi, His Majesty's nephew. Would you like to speak with His Highness?" asked Kori.
"After greeting His Majesty, if you have the time, please escort me to him," Deyr replied.
"There will be no need for that, esteemed Ambassador Deyr," Kori shook his head. "His Highness will certainly be in the Throne Hall."
They entered a fairly wide corridor. Yoda had been in this sunlit room before. If pleasant light streamed in from the windows, then on the opposite wall were paintings. Not holo-images, but paintings executed on canvas. The Sephi had always valued such things, giving them a certain air of elitism. The paintings depicted all the famous events in Sephi history. Here was the first leader of the Sephi people, King Laiti, who led his race to the Stars. Images of famous Sephi Kings with ribbons of awards, in expensive robes, and with their signature whirlwind hairstyles. And at the very end, right by the doors leading to the next room, was an image of a rather large Sephi, around whom small tornadoes swirled.
"This is not a historical figure," Kori explained to the diplomats. The corridor was quite long, housing at least fifty paintings. "It is more of a mythical one."
"Mythical?" Deyr asked, puzzled.
"Indeed," Kori nodded. "The painting depicts the God of Wind." He had the classic Sephi appearance, except his height was clearly greater than that of the others in the previous paintings. And his eyes were white, without pupils. "In our legends, the God of Wind saved our race many times, first by destroying the mountain that blocked the rivers' path to the waters, then by directing those rivers into our lands, creating powerful currents. The God of Wind, in whom we believe — is the force that brings us freedom, brings peace and order."
"Hmm," Meyk said thoughtfully, and suddenly asked Yoda. "Is your Force capable of commanding the winds?"
"Hm?" Yoda looked at Meyk questioningly. "The Force is capable of many things, many things remain a mystery to me… and I suspect they will remain. I do not possess a technique that rules the wind."
"Do not equate our God with the Jedi," Kori said sharply. "We do not believe he was a powerful Jedi or any of the Gifted. We consider him the God of Winds, not the Force. These are different concepts."
"I agree with you, Captain Kori. That was inappropriate, Ambassador Meyk," he shot a look at Meyk.
Meyk shifted his gaze to his boss, hiccupped nervously, and, bowing slightly, apologized.
"Forgive me, Captain Kori. I am still learning," he said, as if in justification.
Generally, he should have studied all the nuances of the Sephi before the visit, but it seemed someone had poorly prepared their homework. At least, from the look in Deyr's eyes, an experienced diplomat, Yoda understood that he and Meyk would return to this conversation later. And Deyr's subordinate was unlikely to enjoy that conversation much. The doors at the end of the corridor were made of black wood. The Sephi were quite conservative. Part of the palace was, in some people's opinion, rather old. Despite having all the amenities of civilization, the Palace of Kings was built in a classical style. This created a peculiar aura of mystery. And so the doors of black wood, creaking slightly, swung open, letting the guests inside.
His friend's retinue consisted of several Ministers who oversaw all aspects of Sephi society… He hadn't changed since their last meeting. The aging of Sephi slows down, if not stops altogether, like with the Fay, after a certain age. Alaric looked like a human male of about seventy, although he was well over two hundred. Tall, slender, with white hair braided into famous whirlwinds. He sat on the throne in rich clothing. The Throne Hall was built in dark tones. Although, basically, it was quite bright. All thanks to Itte, the only star in the Tustra system, whose light streamed through the windows.
Alaric's ministers were Sephi of various ages, dressed completely differently. Some, like the Minister of Defense, Kavi, whom Yoda remembered well, preferred simpler, looser clothing. But Tsivi, the Minister of Society, who oversaw healthcare, education, and family matters — was dressed in an expensive, crimson dress. One thing was constant. All the ministers stood, proudly thrusting out their chests. The Light of the Sephi, the best of the best. Alaric had always been excellent at understanding sentients. Rare were the cases when he couldn't figure out a sentient's nature.
The ministers stood to Alaric's right. And to his left stood a rather young Sephi, rather inclined to be overweight. Some semblance of family resemblance could be seen between him and Alaric himself. Was this Navi? The boy had grown into a fine Sephi.
"Your Majesty," Deyr bowed slightly, thereby greeting Alaric. "May your reign be long and wise."
"Good afternoon, Deyr," Alaric nodded slightly, smiling at the diplomat. "I am pleased to receive guests from the Republic, and we will gladly allocate the best apartments in the palace for you. I can guess why you have arrived."
"We have arrived on behalf of the Republic, more precisely, on behalf of the Trade Commission, to obtain confirmation regarding certain contracts. Alas, Senator Yovi died before the negotiations were complete, although he did convey your preliminary agreement," Deyr reported.
"I believe we will come to an agreement," Alaric smiled. "These agreements are beneficial to everyone. And you will probably also deign to speak with my dear nephew. Allow me to introduce: His Highness Navi Sefitres, the new Senator from our Sector." Navi stepped forward, nodding to Deyr.
"Pleasure to meet you, Your Highness Navi," Deyr nodded importantly. "I am sure we will find something to discuss."
"I am also confident, Ambassador Deyr," Navi nodded importantly.
"I also advise you to speak with my Minister of Finance and Trade," a portly Sephi stepped forward from the row of ministers. "Shori Tol."
Of course, everyone knew all the necessary personages. But such is etiquette and custom. Even if you know a sentient from the HoloNet, it doesn't mean you can just talk to them. First, introduce yourself and wait for the sentient to introduce themselves. The Sephi had been conservatives for as long as Yoda had known them. Only with their family and close friends could they set aside the "officialdom."
"But that will be later. Right now, please proceed to your apartments, esteemed envoys. You must be tired from the journey, even if it was short. Tonight we will hold a reception, Ambassador Deyr, in honor of your arrival. You would do the esteemed Sephi an honor if you attend," Alaric addressed the ambassador.
"We will certainly attend, Your Majesty. We will be delighted to make the acquaintance of the best of the best of your Great People," Deyr nodded.
"Glad to hear it. Escort our guests to their rooms," Alaric waved his hand.
Tall and stately maids appeared from one corner of the Throne Hall. And while Deyr still restrained himself, keeping a serious expression, merely glancing at the beautiful maids — many had heard about how they came to be — his subordinate Meyk, seemed to be doing something entirely different in his thoughts with these beautiful women. And this could have led to an undesirable delay, if not for the secretary Vaila, unobtrusively adjusting her white dress, accidentally stepping on Meyk's foot. Meyk grimaced, but, to give him credit, as soon as he saw his teacher's look, he let out a breath and followed Deyr. It seems someone is going to get a scolding today.
* * *
"They say the Republic people are arriving today," said Rivi, lying on the grass. "Light, are you listening?"
" Mm-hmm," I pulled myself away from my thoughts about who had arrived with the Republic people.
"Really?" Rivi's dark-eyed gaze bored into me, making me feel uncomfortable. "Light! You clearly weren't listening to me! They want to take you away, because a Jedi arrived with them!"
"I know that," I sighed heavily, "but what can I do? I'm gifted, which means I have to undergo training."
The Galaxy is definitely against me living a peaceful life. A light breeze ruffled the hair of the girl who had become my closest friend. Clearly, she didn't want me to fly off to Coruscant, but who would ask her? My mother also certainly didn't want me to become a Jedi. She too had a Jedi friend back in her day. Only he died, and not a natural death. But everyone understood that it was unlikely anyone would ask for my opinion, or that of my family. After all, a Gifted one without systematic training is dangerous. That's what Uncle Gadji told me, and I, in principle, agree. So, all I had to do was remember what organizations of the Gifted existed in the vastness of the GFFA. And there were quite a few besides the Jedi and Sith. The Matukai, known for developing the physical features of their bodies. The Zeison Sha, who developed telekinesis and survival skills. And that's just a small part.
There are a great many diverse organizations even now. The Jedi don't purge them because, in principle, they don't interfere, don't seek power, and so on. There might be some minor skirmishes, but not global purges. However, Palpatine, after his victory, supposedly started precisely a purge of all remaining organizations besides the Jedi.
"And will I fly with you? I'd like to see Coruscant…"
"You won't like it there," I remarked. "Coruscant is a huge and noisy ecumenopolis. That planet is definitely not for you."
And I have no idea how, after clean and quiet Tustra — I will adapt to Coruscant. One thing is seeing it on a screen, and another is seeing it in full scale.
"Ecu… What?" asked Rivi. "What is Ecu… something?"
"Ecumenopolis — in other words: the whole planet is one big city. A single city that occupies an entire planet. That's exactly what the Capital of the Galactic Republic is," I explained. "What, you weren't listening to Teacher Erlu?"
"I was listening," Rivi sighed. "But I somehow wasn't hearing…"
"I see," I sighed heavily.
"Hey," a man's voice called out.
We were within the Royal Palace, in one of the green courtyards where children were allowed to go. Guards had been bustling about the palace recently. Was it all related to the envoys?
"Are you Light?" he asked us when we stood up and noticed the man.
"Yes, sir guard," I bowed slightly.
"His Majesty wants you to come to the Royal Garden," said the guard. "One of our guests wants to talk to you."
"To the Royal Garden?" I asked him.
"I'll take you. As for you," he cast a glance at Rivi. "You're not coming."
And how did he just guess that Rivi had opened her mouth to ask to go with me? Though it's obvious.
"But I'm going anyway!" Rivi put her hands on her hips, puffing out her cheeks.
"You'll go… approximately when you learn manners and etiquette," the soldier waved her off. "Come with me, Light."
The man waved his hand and moved toward the exit from the courtyard. Winding through corridors, we were supposed to reach the Royal Garden, thankfully I remembered its approximate location. "Were supposed to," if not for one thing. Behind me, I heard a strange noise, eerily reminiscent of a shot. Something light flew past me and met the guard's back. The man grunted and fell to the stone floor.
"Your route is slightly changing, boy," reported a cold voice behind me, sending shivers down my spine. "You won't go with him, but you will go with me. Now slowly and without any tricks — turn to face me."
"I…"
"As a warning, I can tell you this: my employer ordered me to deliver you to him, but he didn't specify what condition you should arrive in. So I'll repeat one more time — if you don't want me to break all your worthless arms and legs, slowly turn around and come here."
I turned around, trying to see the killer and kidnapper. He was dressed in ordinary guard clothing, except that he belonged to the human race. At least, his earlobes were slightly off. He was impersonating a guard? For how long? And why hadn't he been exposed? And why hadn't he paralyzed me? Most likely because he would have had to carry me. And a guard walking with a child doesn't arouse suspicion compared to a guard carrying that child, or some strange sack. The man looked ordinary. His coarse face was unmemorable. No scars or distinguishing marks. Cold, blue eyes, tensely scanning the surroundings. And his black hair was braided in the manner of Sephi hairstyles… And he… just killed a sentient? Glancing briefly at the lying corpse, I felt my breakfast trying to come back up. And I couldn't suppress the urge…
"Tch," the man chuckled. "Well, what a weakling you are. But the master needs a strong Gifted one. They paid well for you, boy, and if I understood correctly, after a couple of months of life with my employer — you'd kill your own mother without much regret."
What do I do? Leave the palace with this mercenary? But where will he take me? I'm considering the option of resisting, but I need to figure out exactly how. I have a few Force abilities in my arsenal. I could try to get close and force a melee fight... No! That's stupid. No matter how much I train — I'm up against a fully grown, established adult male. And I have the body of a five-year-old... Plus, it's terrifying. So I need to use the Force for a ranged attack... Think, what did Uncle Gadji say? He told me telekinesis is a pretty dangerous technique. But how do I apply it? Maybe throw this man back? And then what? Run... Yes, I don't have to fight him, I just need to distract him and run. As far away as possible. And find a protector.
I know the palace, I assume he does too. Given our position — the guard post is quite far from here. But closer is King Alaric's Royal Garden. And there'll be an unpleasant surprise for this criminal there. Master Yoda — if anyone, he'll definitely knock this man out. Decided...
"All right...," I said, moving toward the smiling man.
One of the Dark Siders, possibly Plagueis himself, has taken an interest in me. But I won't give up so easily. I've read a lot about the Star Wars universe and have a rough idea of what training on the Dark Side of the Force entails. A choice... I've made yet another choice.