Training with Yoda was incredibly exhausting. No, Yoda explained things the same way they were written in the technique description — how to focus, what to do, what the result should be. Except he spoke in inversion. The problem was the practice. In my case, Yoda decided to try a somewhat different approach. No, the standard "there is only action, not attempts" remained unchanged. It's just that this time he started giving me the use of the Force in everyday life as practice. Younglings usually develop the Force through specific training exercises. Padawans, knights, and masters use it in daily tasks. And even then, not always. Before, I thought of using the Force as training. Now, I wasn't training so much as living through Force application.
In the cafeteria, I'd pick a portion and levitate it over to myself. Or to my room. I'd carry my lightsaber in front of me with levitation, or there was this particular perversion: one time Yoda asked me to hold my laundry with the Force after washing it. Younglings wash their own clothes — you could, of course, entrust that to service droids. But in the Temple, they look askance at such picky people. You wash it yourself, dry it yourself, and put it on. As homework, Yoda asked me to wash my clothes and then hold them in the Force until they dried. By the end of that torture session, all the other guys in my group were looking at me like I was insane. Though it did help, according to Yoda. The Force needs more than just training.
Yes, I had mastered a lot compared to my peers. I could do far more than all of them combined. But the main problem for a padawan who's just stepped out into an incredibly vast world — is applying the Force. Outside of training, in the real world, where there are no attempts, only action. Many padawans get lost, not understanding what to do, not really knowing when and, most importantly, why to use the Force. That's what Yoda was burning out of me — making sure I saw nothing wrong with using the Force for almost everything, and therefore everywhere. Of course, this could lead to another problem. The evolution of a Jedi into a subtype that "won't lift a finger without the Force." But that depends entirely on the student. Or rather, on the teacher...
In simple terms — no other way — Yoda forced the Clan's physical education supervisor to literally exhaust me with training that was all about doing things "without the Force." This way, I wasn't just learning the Force, but also keeping my body in shape, not letting the seditious thought take root that "I have the Force and it can do anything." Knight Roan had already explained the fallacy of that statement to me. Yes, the Force is indeed almost omnipotent, but if you yourself are worthless, no Force will help you. You could say they were training me specifically, and with a clear conscience. I even figured something out. The Order has something like a subsidy for talented students. I have about fourteen thousand plus midi-chlorians. My potential almost puts me on par with Yoda and with Anakin, whom even Plagueis doesn't know about yet, if only because they haven't started "that experiment." In the long run — if I get a proper education — I'll be a strong member of the High Council. Of course, the Council can evaluate "promising" individuals in different ways. For example, how did they evaluate Anakin? They limited his potential because they were afraid of him. How did that manifest, and was I spending too much time in a cloud of henbane weed, after which they even named "the living embodiment of sedative for Luke Skywalker's slightly cracked roof" in one of the Star Wars fanfics?
No, it's all true. With such incredible Force potential, it really is logical to follow the path of Force mastery. What distinguishes such Jedi? The Consular class and, in ninety-nine percent of cases, green lightsabers, along with an emphasis on Force application. An example? Master Yoda — he can carry things much more through Force power than through Ataru raised to a divine level. He absorbed and returned lightning, easily deflected telekinesis, threw Palpatine back with the Force, extinguished Ventress's two lightsabers with a single technique. The films and series don't even show half his possible abilities in theory. And what kind of lightsaber did Anakin use to tear through everyone? What did he use more often? Swordsmanship...
Anakin was... Will be, most likely, a Jedi Guardian. That path emphasizes swordsmanship. Yes, Consulars can also do swordsmanship. Yoda is a perfect example. But the training advantage comes from what the Jedi actually uses. The High Council did this to Anakin because they were afraid his recklessness would blow his top, and if they trained him specifically as a Consular, he would send them all to a premature Force merger with all that Force power. Well, they turned out to be right, except Anakin did it — not in the Consular style, but in the Guardian style. In addition, they themselves were the cause of what happened to them. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to fix everything by the time Anakin appears.
As for me? Oh, it's simple. I'm calm and level-headed by nature — that's what a Jedi should be. So they took me on in an enhanced mode, developing exactly the talents that could make me an incredibly dangerous opponent. The Force... Telekinesis, sensory perception, healing, body enhancement, precognition. I have to admit, I partly remind myself of Anakin. Yes, I love Force techniques. But at the same time, I feel an incredible thrill from the lightsaber. The hum, the swings. Many consider me more of a Force user than a swordsman, but what do they know? Force abilities, theoretically, can be found in every second fantasy story. Whether in fanfics or in original authors' books. But lightsabers... The dream of any normal kid back in the day. Every universe has its own special weapon. And the lightsaber is rightfully one of the most famous in the world. Like Valyrian steel in Game of Thrones, or swords forged by elves or dwarves in The Lord of the Rings, whose weapons either cut through everything, summon an army of the dead, or point at orcs. It's part of the brand, recognizable even by people far removed from the universe. So I didn't neglect swordsmanship, becoming faster, stronger, and more dangerous. Precognition — that's what helped me defeat everyone in my clan and even take on older peers.
But the Force is the Force... Swordsmanship is swordsmanship. What else did they teach us? An advanced course in diplomacy, fundamentals of tactics and strategy. They also took us to a fighter simulator — and this, I could call a real simulator. It was a replica of a cockpit, based on the explanations, of a "Wild Star." Why that one? Well, the cockpit of that fighter was "the simplest" once you master it, you can learn to fly any fighter at all. Many would ask, where, exactly, is the "Ether Sprite," known as the Delta-7, and the Eta-2 "Actis"? The answer is simple. They haven't even been drawn yet. These two types of Jedi starfighters, as they were called in their time, weren't even planned for production yet. There wasn't even a project. The Jedi used Z-95s and relatively old Aureks, though they were simply modernized by the Temple's order, and FT-8 "Sentinels" were also around. Basically — anything that flew, even if that flying box was a child of the time when Revan was a youngling, could be successfully modernized and flown. As long as it flew.
The simulator flights didn't impress the male half of our group — including me — at all. Periodically, "rationalization proposals from Drallig and Gol" would come up — to steal a "Headhunter" or a "Wild Star" and fly like real Jedi. They were mostly shut down by my own adult mind and Feemor's mild slowness. The girls looked at all the boys who, to varying degrees, were gleefully destroying enemies on the simulator and doing things that even Chkalov with his flight under the bridge would watch like they were insane. And they weren't far from the truth. There are no completely mentally healthy sentients. Only those who haven't been examined enough. But the most excitement came from duels. In the clan, rivalry played a significant role, as it turned out. Our clan gathered so-called "unique" individuals in some area. That is, everyone had their own specialization. For me, it was the Force; Drallig — swordsmanship; Feemor was a pure theorist and philosopher. In general — in our clan, everyone had their own purpose, which made us stand out among other clans, where they took people based on specific predispositions to Force techniques or personality.
Therefore, rivalry in our clan wouldn't have been so intense. Everyone would understand that it's foolish to expect a typical future Force master to push out a "typical future swordsmanship master" like Drallig in fencing. If not for one thing... An adult mind wasn't interfering with the development of me, and all my groupmates. Whoever says what they will, but the reincarnation of an adult who is also familiar with the source material — that's a huge cheat. If only because he can understand what to do and what not to do. My cheat was that I understood what I needed to do to achieve an acceptable level of becoming a Jedi. The Force and swordsmanship — that's who survives in the future. The one who develops both aspects. The rest, to me, were irrelevant.
So I wasn't playing the classic "school nerd" who focused on a specific discipline or disciplines, ignoring, say, physical education. Instead, I was someone who didn't forget about everything. Or at least tried — because no matter how hard I tried, you just can't physically develop everything evenly. I would definitely stand out in the Force, or rather, in the skill of using it...
"In short," after the simulator training, emotions were, as always, spilling over from Drallig. I, besides my soul-searching, was also thinking about what kind of pilot I would become. An interesting fact: a Force-sensitive doesn't necessarily have to like space, but any Force-sensitive is always a good pilot. Though not in my case, strictly speaking — I liked swordsmanship, the Force, and flying. I devoted much less time to other things like diplomacy, tactics, manners, the art of interrogation. There was also "survival," where they told us and showed us how to use gadgets and spacesuits. "Did you hear? Flyingstar, you definitely heard!" Drallig poked me with his finger.
"Heard what?" I can't hear anything but you, shouting like a squadron of TIE fighters.
"You don't know? The Bear Clan flew — from our age group."
"Flew where?" I asked. "Did they already get to fly real fighters?"
"No!" Feemor shook his head. "I would have known."
"Rela, well, at least tell them," Drallig turned to her.
"The Bear Clan, from our age group, was on Ilum," Maru, the Togruta, reported. "Shola told me, and Tay told her."
"Ilum," I snorted, recalling all the interesting things about that planet. What can be said about this place? It's where they take younglings to search for kyber crystals. It's cold there... No, that's not right. VERY COLD. What does such a lesson consist of? Simple — they send us to a planet where we freeze a little and go into the caves to find suitable crystals. More precisely — a crystal that is suitable only for you.
Lightsaber crystals are incredibly valuable. They become lifelong companions for a Jedi, only rarely replaced. For example, if a Jedi becomes a Sith, they will definitely replace their blue, green, or yellow blade with a red one. Or if a Jedi unexpectedly comes across a much more valuable crystal on their path. For instance — a regular crystal on Ilum: Mephit◆Reference: one of the most popular crystals for lightsabers, mined on the planet Ossus in the Adega system, as well as on Ilum. Does not possess powerful properties, but is frequently found on the black market and among private collectors. ◆Features: concentrates energy well. ◆Application: used to create a standard lightsaber without any advantages. 🟦🟩Color range: Blue, Green. That's what almost all Jedis put into their lightsaber. Some unique individuals manage to find Pontite◆Reference: the rarest crystal of the Adegan family, mined on the planet Ossus in the Adega system. ◆Features: well "cools" temperament and allows maintaining composure. ◆Application: ideally suited for Jedi Consulars. 🟦🟩⬜Color range: Blue, Green, White., of course. Not that they choose the crystal — the crystal itself resonates with the Jedi's aura. Pontite is much more powerful than Mephit and is considered a "more elite crystal." But all of this pales in comparison to other possible crystals that have appeared in legends one way or another. For example: what about getting a Hurrikane crystal◆Reference: crystals from the planet Hurricane. Hurrikane crystals were admired for their exceptional beauty. ◆Features: exceptional penetrating power and exceptional lightsaber blade strength. 🟦🟪Color range: from dark blue to purple. — the same one Windu had? Or using a krayt dragon pearl as a crystal for a lightsaber, extracted directly from the eponymous creature on the planet where everyone flies: from poor smugglers to princesses and queens of entire planets — Tatooine.
True, getting the crystal is only half the trouble. On Ilum, the main problem is solved. Crystals don't suit everyone unconditionally. And the caves of Ilum help younglings find exactly "their crystals." But if you accidentally run into a krayt dragon, then send it to "reflect on its behavior" in its next reincarnation, it's far from certain that the extracted pearls will suit you. Because here we have that damn Ollivander principle — the wizard doesn't choose the wand. Otherwise, krayt dragons would be hunted not by Tuskens, but by Sith and Jedi. That's what held many Jedi back. After all, who knows what led you to the little dragon? The Will of the Force that will give you a new crystal, or you just found it yourself.
"What can I say?" I asked. "Hurray? After building our lightsabers, they'll start teaching us real lightsaber forms, and not just Shii-Cho."
"Yes!" Drallig exclaimed so loudly my ears rang. "I'm going to kick your ass!"
"Cool it, hothead," I tried to calm him down. "No one's going to let you spar with a live lightsaber — not with me, not with anyone else — right away."
"I'll use a training one," Drallig grinned. "I don't care which one I beat you with, Flyingstar. I set that goal back then, and I'll defeat you."
"Ugh," I sighed heavily. "You won't leave me alone even when we become knights, will you?"
"I don't forgive those who humiliate me," Drallig replied.
"Vua uav, va," Gol's hand landed on my shoulder; literally he said: "Drallig is sick, accept it."
"What?" Drallig turned to the furry one. "Say that to my face, if you're a man! Next swordsmanship lesson — we swap. I'll beat you, Gol, and Feemor will fight Light."
"ANYTHING BUT THAT!" Feemor shouted, drawing the attention of several knights and padawans walking down the corridor. Though they understood we were just kids and didn't pay us much attention.
Feemor didn't like fighting me for one simple reason. Cin had enough reflexes to react to my attacks. Gol had enough endurance to withstand my attacks — sometimes I had to hit him about five times for him to admit defeat. But Feemor had neither reflexes nor endurance. Against me, he simply didn't hold up — not even that, he wasn't even in the running. So they usually pitted me against Cin, or asked an older youngling. Not to mention the girls — Vers avoided me because I'd given her a pretty good beating once. That day hadn't been one of my best; it was pouring rain, and I was overwhelmed with melancholy about Tustr. Drallig had picked a fight with an older youngling from our clan and got pounded quickly. And Vers — to be more precise, Versaria Echz — ran into trouble because I'd blurted out that it was my mother's birthday that day. I expected some snide joke from Drallig then, but he was an orphan who'd lost his parents at age three, so he tactfully stayed silent. Versaria, however, someone had pulled her tongue. One thing led to another, she stood opposite me, and I... Slightly misjudged. Since then, I've been matched up one hundred percent against only Cin, or against older younglings whom I could, now and then, send to think about their mistakes — thanks to precognition.
"I need to deal with Gol," Cin said meaningfully.
"But I can't and don't want to fight Light," Feemor continued the argument. "He has absolutely no restraint. He probably thinks everyone should be like him!"
"Your problem is that you don't devote enough attention to training," Maru, the Togruta, cut in. "That wouldn't have happened on my home planet. And you," she lifted her nose, "Don't train enough, that's why you're bad."
"Repeat that in political science class," I took Feemor's side. "Remember the peculiarity of our clan — everyone is good at one thing?"
"Repeat that in front of a mirror, Light," said Rela. "You're good at many things." Then something clicked in her head, and she looked away. We were already nine or ten years old. So the funnest time for future Jedi was about to begin. The hormone storm. During this period, all young, healthy Jedi get up to all sorts of things. They get married, leave the Order, fall to the Dark Side, impose order, wipe out entire pirate crews and clans. In short, they entertain themselves as best they can. Although there's an unspoken rule in the Order — can't self-organize and suppress the call of the flesh? Fine, just suppress it without romance. That is, use representatives of the oldest profession. Incidentally, the cruelest thing is to get a teacher of the opposite sex who you could do that with. Complicated from all sides.
Male teachers sometimes find it hard to understand the logic of menstruation, which happens regularly to most women of the galaxy's races. In addition, newly developed girls might fall in love with their mentors. That's also common practice. And not all men can resist beautiful girls and women, from a physical perspective. There's no age restriction as such. The same goes for the reverse — when a male padawan starts burning, under the influence of hormones, for his female master. Interesting... Can my mind suppress that? After all, I've already gone through the hormone surge, so theoretically, I can suppress myself. Not become a complete impotent, but at least not throw myself at every woman, or at least not look at them like Anakin looked at Padmé in the second film. That's the look of a perverted maniac with a year's dose of testosterone and Viagra, suffering from acute spermatoxicosis and permanent erection. A nightmare...
"Flyingstar," I was pulled out of my thoughts again. "The lesson has started."
Yes, while the break had run its course and ended, I was indulging in thoughts about the upcoming "fun times," because younglings with combat sabers officially participate in the annual tournament, where they can even meet their future teacher.
"Sorry, teacher," I apologized.
"So," Leyla nodded. "Now let's talk about one of the most common methods of diplomacy." To be honest, diplomatic techniques themselves bored me.
Yes, I'm more than pacifistic. But that doesn't mean I'm a born diplomat. Finding common ground, reconciling one with another. It didn't really attract me, despite my personality. I'm more about "oh wow, I got into SW! The Force, swordsmanship, pew-pew-pew!" So I only half-listened to this lesson, noting some general points for myself.
"Teacher," about halfway through the lesson, Drallig, who also didn't particularly like diplomacy, took the bull by the horns. "Is it true that we'll be going to Ilum soon?"
Leyla looked at us strangely, then at Drallig who had asked the question.
"That's right," the woman smiled. "Next week, it's your Clan that's flying to Ilum to find your kyber crystal."
"Awesome!" Drallig exclaimed. Well, who would doubt that it's awesome. Building a lightsaber puts us on the level of all the older younglings. That's who they recruit padawans from.
"Perhaps," Leyla nodded. "I remember the excitement I felt when I myself went for my crystal." The woman half-closed her eyes, apparently recalling "the good old days" when the grass was greener and life more interesting. "Well then, since you've found out — your assignment will be to prepare for the flight. I was planning to tell you about this a week before the departure, but it seems someone couldn't wait." She swept us with a strange look.
"Teacher," Versaria perked up. "The Bear Clan told us. They flew a few days ago."
"Is that so?" Leyla asked. "Certainly, I'll have things to discuss with Roan." So that psycho also supervises a clan? "Until then... By the way, Versaria," she turned to Vers. "Learn to keep others' secrets. Nobody likes tattletales."
And you, I see, are a teacher sent from heaven. Scolding a child in front of everyone instead of asking them to "stay after class." Still, the goal was achieved — Vers was affected, and she lowered her head, mumbling something.
"That's all, you're free. Children, prepare thoroughly for the flight to Ilum," Leyla smiled.
So... First, I'll check on the planet itself, then head to the warehouse and ask about warm clothes in my size and frost-resistant food containers, then to the cafeteria about the food itself for the specific day... Yes, problems just keep piling up.