Over all this time, I had achieved a lot. Soresu, the Force, the necessary skills for survival, the ability to pilot starships, and, standing apart, diplomacy — whose techniques I had also studied. Though I hadn't exactly broken my back over it, understanding perfectly well where the Force would throw me — primarily, I'd end up somewhere in the Mid Rim or the Outer Rim, where I'd have to fight. And even if I did have to take part in negotiations, I'd be, at best, running errands for an experienced Jedi Diplomat. I'd thought about survival separately. The Jedi equivalent of a grappling hook bothered me a little. The gadget itself wasn't built into anything and was simply pulled from a pocket. And while I could still understand a special breathing apparatus for underwater, the grappling hook practically begged me to attach it to a wrist comm.
But to attach something to a wrist comm, you have to have a wrist comm. I decided to base the design on the typical bracer for assassins from the famous game Assassin's Creed. Over the course of the game series, the Hidden Blade and the bracer had changed, accumulating modifications. For my specific case, I didn't plan to mount a Hidden Blade. I simply didn't need one — after all, I had a lightsaber, and if I couldn't reach it in time... well, still, don't underestimate me. In hand-to-hand combat, my style differed a little from my fencing style. Here you could say that in a fistfight I preferred "Ataru's mobility." During unarmed combat, I almost never stood still, mostly dodging and landing blows to the side and back after leaping over the opponent.
But then a multitude of questions arose about how to combine the design of the classic Jedi grappling hook — the one Obi-Wan used during "Attack of the Clones" in his fight with Jango Fett, when the latter kindly offered Obi-Wan a swim on Kamino — with a bracer. It wasn't enough just to make a bracer that you put on your arm. More precisely, I had mastered Force Forging while assembling and reassembling my lightsaber hundreds of times; the procedure had become mandatory for my morning meditation. Though it would be foolish to claim it was simple. Force Forging allows you to change the shape of material saturated with the Force.
And it turned out to be a fairly difficult science. I'd pored over hundreds of pages of literature on the subject, studied the composition of alloys, searched the warehouse, experimented. At a certain stage, I realized that a bracer made purely of metal wouldn't work. Bracers are made on a fabric base, and metal can be used as an additional inlay, as well as a means of attaching the grappling hook. I also had to worry about getting the right material for the fabric base. I threw the bracer blanks I'd already made purely from metal into the scrap pile. In the end... I managed to work out that I needed a light metal from which to make the mount for the bracer. I'm making the bracer for my left arm... Attaching an adjustment for arm circumference...
First things first: I got a sufficient amount of Bronzium. My lightsaber itself was made from it, and I'd taken my lightsaber apart so many times that forging Bronzium gave me no trouble. The grappling hook's attachment mechanism itself should be assembled separately from the fabric, and then I'd see exactly how it should be fastened. And that's when I cursed my predispositions three times over. Even with the Force, I was moving very slowly. I'd studied dozens of similar devices from Mandalorian armor that, for some godforsaken reason, were in the Temple's warehouse. But even so — creating the mount gave me a real case of the screaming shits.
When I'd created the first prototype, I was as happy as a sentient who'd been caught short and... "made it in time." But that wasn't all — the mount was made for the bracer, but I still had to check how everything would work. I set the activation to the Force. Mandalorian weapons integrated into armor are usually activated by specific movements of the user. I made it much simpler for myself: the hook activates by my will, which I communicate to a hidden button in the mechanism itself. That way, an unprepared sentient definitely wouldn't be able to use my contraption. Although who'd even need it? Cin, who asked what I was doing, just waved his hand, saying only that he'd take some of the Mandalorian armor that was lying around in huge quantities in the warehouse.
Well, fine. If he liked using what others had used before him — be my guest. As for my own personal equipment, I preferred to figure it out myself and personally go over every part to avoid any mishaps... There was also, by the way, my ship, the technical documentation for which had been sent to me not so long ago. And by now I'd memorized absolutely everything I needed to know about my ship. Yes, on the whole, I didn't miss the rest of my youngling days at all. I could feel that my life would soon change drastically, precisely because I would have a teacher, a Jedi Knight. Based on my Force potential, I could assume they'd give me a Jedi Consular. That category includes everyone who focuses on the Force. Healers, diplomats, seers... Even archaeologists who study the mysteries of the Force among ancient ruins.
Adjusting my bracer, feeling the mechanism one more time, I looked up. The Hall of a Thousand Fountains was a wonderful place for meditation and calming the mind. The water in the fountains murmured pleasantly, relaxing everyone present. Directly above me, in a disassembled state, lay my lightsaber. The hilt components, made of yellowish Bronzium, gleamed in the rays of Coruscant Prime.
"Meditating?" a familiar voice sounded nearby. "I see you like taking care of your lightsaber."
A few moments, and the saber was reassembled into its familiar cylinder. The Jedi standing not far away greeted Grand Master Yoda, who had interrupted my meditation. Though I was almost done anyway. I activated the lightsaber, checking its functionality after yet another assembly. A green blade of light appeared from the cylinder. As always, perfect. Pressing the button, I extinguished the blade.
"Grand Master Yoda," I inclined my head slightly, rising from my usual spot by the fountain and returning the saber to my belt.
"Making significant progress, I see, you are," he nodded toward my left arm, where the bracer was worn. "An interesting and unique device."
"There won't always be solid ground underfoot," I nodded, raising my hand to eye level and pointing to the side. A second of focus, and the hook shot toward the nearest wall.
"Sensible, that is," Yoda praised me.
"All thanks to your guidance, Master," I bowed slightly to Yoda. "Perhaps in the future I'll use the Force to ignite my lightsaber without any extra buttons."
"A good assumption, that is. Your level it will show, but rush you must not, or lose you might. Do you know the meaning of 'do or do not'?"
"There is no try," I nodded. "Meaning you have to do everything right the first time."
"Not entirely correct, that is," Yoda shook his head. "When you do, sure of your abilities you must be. From training, confidence in strength grows. That is why we train. Even I have much to learn from you younglings. Just as it is fitting for you to heed the advice of wise Jedi and take it into account."
"I am perfectly aware of that, Master..."
"Serious is your answer?" Yoda interrupted me, looking into my eyes. "Heard I have of your successes in Soresu. Though we all advised you quite otherwise."
"Why the attention, Master?" I asked Yoda. "I remember the beginning of learning a new style. Back then, even the service droids didn't hesitate to voice an opinion."
"And would you have liked that?"
"I think I would have taken up drinking..."
"A joke you think this is, hm?" Yoda asked seriously. "Your potential to master all forms — trained Knights clearly see it. Intuition it is. In you, everything for Ataru exists. Ataru was made for you. Talents should always be developed, understand I do, your desire to master Soresu. But trust me — mastering Ataru, you could almost forget the other forms."
"Nevertheless, I myself do not consider Ataru a form worthy of my attention just yet," I shook my head. "Ataru's offense is one of the best, I won't argue that. But what about defense? Will I always be able to dodge in time?"
"The Force is given to you for that," Yoda pronounced. "Excellent results you have shown in sensory techniques. A great duelist you would become, devoting yourself to Ataru alone. I would teach you myself, the way of the blade."
"It's too late now," Yoda would teach me fencing! Stay calm, it's rude to tear out your beautiful black hair in front of a Grand Master. "Besides, I've clearly explained why I need Soresu. Now that I have defense, I'll focus on Ataru."
"Too late for you," Yoda pointed his cane at me. "Had you started mastering it at once, much stronger you would be. As it is — you will have to master it during your apprenticeship with a Knight. Knowing him — time for that you will not have."
"Him?" I asked Yoda. "You found me a teacher."
"A teacher finds his own student," Yoda shook his head. "After the Tournament, I will introduce you to him. But his agreement he has given to take you as a Padawan. A Jedi Archaeologist he is, who has studied many Jedi and Sith burial sites. Strong in the Force he is. He will help you master many Force techniques and deepen the ones you already have."
An archaeologist? Jedi who dedicate themselves to archaeology fly around the Galaxy, seeking out temples, burial sites — everything connected to the Force. The reality is that even in our time, when over twenty-some thousand years of the Jedi's existence have passed — there's still plenty to discover about the Force. Many eras are unstudied, many planets unexplored.
"Time to study your talent you will not have. To the Outer Rim you will fly, and from excavations he has already been distracted. This Lorm does not like," Yoda finished. "But see your talent buried in the ground I cannot."
Yoda came right up to me, rummaged in the folds of his robes, and pulled out a cube that shimmered with blue light.
"What's this?"
"A holocron," Yoda nodded. "Knowledge of Ataru I have given you in it. The least I can do for you. I sense that you will greatly influence the Jedi. I just don't know when... Not now, not soon. But your thoughts will lead to something new and change the Galaxy in the future. Strong you must be. A holocron will not replace a teacher. When you return to the Temple, I will give you attention."
"Thank you..."
"Listen you should to those who have lived far more life than you, Light," Yoda said, walking around me.
"I listen to you and..."
"Not enough you listen. You can and should have your own point of view on your surroundings. But too young you are to judge much. For almost nine hundred years I have trained Jedi. Many of your teachers have been through much... Through which you have yet to go. You will understand — your talent is not where you are trying to find it. Understand you will — just hope it is not too late. Not in defense your strength lies..."
Yeah, sure, yeah, sure... What do you know? Soresu helps with defense like nothing else. Right now, standing still, I can deflect shots from five training droids at once with my eyes closed. Jedi don't see this world the way I see it. Throughout the series and films — it was Soresu that was the most effective form. It allowed Obi-Wan to survive the battles of the Clone Wars, to defeat Grievous and Anakin. Yes, Anakin defeated Dooku, while Kenobi got his ass kicked by him. But afterwards, it was Kenobi who won, largely thanks to his perfect defense. And where was Qui-Gon's Ataru? Maul ran him straight through. It's not about talents and predispositions. You still have to live long enough to reach Yoda's level, who laid almost everyone out with Ataru. It's about effectiveness and survivability. Precognition, Force Sense, plus the movements of Soresu. If you combine all that, you get perfect defense. Yes, Ataru's attack is also quite strong... Actually, there are only three purely offensive forms. Juyo, also known as Vaapad... I think it's the most philosophical form of all. I mean — every form has its own philosophy. The desire to "resolve a dispute peacefully" of Shii-Cho, the elegant and precise movements of Makashi, the "center of the storm" of Soresu, where the Jedi is at the epicenter of battle, the "hurricane of blades" of Ataru — that's what I privately called the core of the style, when its adept moves from side to side, around the opponent, and attacks him, the "suppression" of Shien/Djem So — pure brute force, "barbaric," as some aristocrats might say, but it was the one that crushed Dooku's elegance back in the day... Niman, which combines all the moves of the previous forms. And Juyo... More precisely — Vaapad, which Mace Windu invented.
There was still plenty of time before his invention, but I was already thinking about it. And I came to the conclusion that if I invented Vaapad myself — it would be different from Windu's Vaapad. Windu himself taught several Jedi this form, but that was the wrong decision. He shouldn't teach them the form — they should create their own variation of Vaapad based on his groundwork.
"Isn't it you who always taught us to protect, Grand Master Yoda? What is the duty of a Jedi? Isn't it to protect the citizens of the Galaxy?"
"Every form protects in its own way," Yoda said.
"So the means don't matter," I concluded. "If they serve a great purpose — then even Force Lightning, if used for protection, would be worth it."
"Dangerous conversations you are having," Yoda pointed his cane at me. "All the requirements for performing that technique you do not know. I will speak with your future teacher. The Dark Side's technique this is. Hope you never touch that side," Yoda sighed heavily. Ha, I'd love to see what could make me fall, with my so-called pacifism. After all these years, I think I've eliminated any possibility of falling to the Dark Side of the Force... I'd always liked Jedi; I just needed to follow the plan. "For the Tournament you should prepare."
"But don't I already have a teacher?" I asked Yoda. "Why do I need a dueling tournament? What's the point if it's all already clear?"
"Your conclusions you should test," Yoda threw out, finally leaving, leaving me by the fountain.
"And for that, I should calm my mind in meditation," I tucked the holocron into my robe pocket. Jedi... Could they have definitely not heard our conversation? No, I don't sense any auras.
I sank into meditation, disassembling my lightsaber once more. Strange...
"Amusing boy," a whisper came from somewhere behind me.
"Who's there?" I asked, assembling the saber and igniting the blade... Wait, what kind of reaction is that? This is the Jedi Temple, and no particular incidents happen right here.
All I saw was a flutter of black hair. A strange female Jedi left the hall. Well, whatever... And why am I amusing?
* * *
"Grand Master Yoda," greeted the Grand Master a tall Zabrak male in Jedi robes.
Adjusting his cloak, he sat down before the Grand Master on a soft ottoman in a meditation pose. Lorm Decer looked at the old Master. Although, was such a concept even applicable to Yoda? This "old man" was the strongest duelist in the Order, possessed incredible knowledge of the Force, even if he played the part of an old man.
"Knight Lorm," Yoda nodded. "Summoned you I have, to talk."
"Regarding my new Padawan, I presume?" Lorm asked Yoda. "I've studied his record, and I'm somewhat dissatisfied with whom you're sending me. Isn't he too soft and pliable? Despite the 'harmless profession' —" Lorm emphasized the phrase, " I deal with some dark artifacts on excavations. That's no joke."
"Sufficient knowledge of the Force you possess," Yoda pronounced. "His talents you must unlock."
"It's not his sphere of talents that worries me — the Masters eat their rations for a reason," Lorm snorted. "It's his character that worries me. Light Flyingstar is kind, even overly so, and naive."
"Only what you have read you see. Meanwhile — live conversation is a far more effective method," Yoda sighed.
"Better tell me straight: why do you think I should train him?" Archaeology, despite its seeming ease, is a fairly difficult science. "Do you want me to teach him only Force Techniques, or break his character?"
"Break his character — no one in this Temple can do that," Yoda snorted. "Only experience will transform it — which he can gain by traveling with you. But yes — want you to teach him the Force I do. A Master of the Force the Council wishes to obtain. Potential, Light has."
"Hmph," Lorm snorted. "I don't see his potential."
"Have faith in him you must. Many things, he will teach you too. I remember you. Neither Dooku nor anyone else did you yield to. But into knowledge you plunged, forgetting everything else..."
"Forgetting? The only valuable thing left in our Galaxy is knowledge. I don't understand the Order's attempts to play politics at all when we've already lost from the start, Grand Master Yoda. I simply accepted the truth. There's no point in political games; there's only point in understanding the Force."
"Exactly this I was speaking of, yes," Yoda nodded. "Help you, your student should."
"If you say so," Lorm gritted out, rising from his seat. "Why do I need an extra sixty kilograms of sentient? And yes..." he stopped at the exit of the meditation room. "My ship has finally fallen apart down to the last bolt. I need a new one, and the warehouse has either fighters or Consular-class ships that are too big."
"His own ship Light has..."
That can't be! Someone in the Temple was allowed to own something? Lorm thought the Outer Rim had taught him not to be surprised anymore.
"What?" he spun around sharply to Yoda.
"A mercenary tried to kidnap Light — belonging to some Dark Cult, apparently. This ship King Alaric gifted as compensation. On Tustra it awaits its master..."
"Grand Master Yoda?" Lorm called to him.
"Knight Lorm?"
"Where do I sign? I agree to take him as a student and teach him everything I know!"
"I knew you would agree," even if for such a mercenary reason, unworthy of a true Jedi.
Lorm would have been expelled from the Order for his not-quite-"Jedi character," but he was and remained an excellent archaeologist, one of the best in the Jedi Order itself. And it was precisely this character — slightly hardened — that Light needed. Yoda had planned it all out. Light Flyingstar indeed, by potential, had every chance of becoming a second Dooku. Only if his beloved student was more about fencing, then Light was something of a universal Jedi. A Guardian who could do many things, with a focus on the Force and... the lightsaber. The strange thing was that even classic Guardians had a bias toward something; Light's skills seemed "even." The Force helped him with incredible talent, and fencing with incredible persistence. In the end, sad as it was to admit, among the younglings and some Padawans, Light was the best in Soresu and the Force. He just needed a slight change in character, and Lorm was the best choice. And Lorm knew many Force techniques that Light needed to learn and study. The side effects of traveling through ancient Sith and Jedi Temples — and not just those two Orders. Some techniques, Yoda himself was hearing about for the first time. Plus, Lorm had a cynical and pragmatic character, which Light objectively lacked. Break him in the Sith style? But they weren't Sith, they were Jedi!
They didn't break; they re-educated. And Lorm was perfect for it, with his, in part, "military" manners and cynicism... Light possessed incredible resistance to suggestion, which he had demonstrated during the learning process. He definitely wouldn't absorb Lorm's cynicism, but he would take everything best from his teacher... Yoda rubbed his hands together. The combination wasn't bad, and the result would be a strong Master on the Council... Yoda felt clearly that from the moment Light appeared in the Temple, it was as if thousands of timelines, growing around one — thick and massive, like a centuries-old tree from Kashyyyk — that led to something singular, which Yoda could not make out, had broken off. But in return, something new had definitely appeared.
"Is that so?" asked the Zabrak, arching a non-existent eyebrow.
"Correct," Yoda nodded, answering his question. "And tell yourself you may it is for the ship, but after teaching young Light, you will understand what we wished to convey."
"He'd better understand..." The Knight spun around sharply, his cloak flaring up, and left the room.