"INITIATING PROTOCOL 'DESTRUCTION.' ANALYZING TARGETS. HIGH PROBABILITY THAT JEDI HAVE ARRIVED. DEPLOYING MAXIMUM DEFENSE. ERROR. INSUFFICIENT POWER RESOURCE. ELIMINATE AT ANY COST, REGARDLESS OF LOSSES," a mechanical voice announced.
"Apprentice," the instructor stood to my left, his lightsaber raised and aimed at the robots flooding the corridor. "Calm yourself. Emotions won't help you now."
"Yes," I said dryly. "They won't help…"
And still, this is our fault. Yet again… I wasn't fast enough to reach her. Strong enough to realize we were being watched. They kidnapped Mila right out of my ship! Yes… I haven't known Mila long. But the bond that formed between us… This is one of those 'love at first sight' things, isn't it? I want her to be okay. For her to be safe… Emotions… Calm down, Light. Calm down…
"You're in our way!" I roared, trying to steady my emotions. "You shouldn't have done that!" Taking an Ataru stance, I lunged at the enemies.
"HUTT! Apprentice! You're not controlling your emotions…"
The instructor ran after me. And the droids opened fire… They shot faster than any robots I'd seen before, and it was pretty inconvenient. They really made things a bit better back then, especially considering this is a Zakuul complex. But I wasn't planning on deflecting shots… Pushing my body to the limit, I was beside the droids in an instant, a single swing… Three droids were cut in half at the waist. A ten-degree turn and a swing of my free hand. A Force Wave swept several more away… A shot from the right? I spun in place, angling my lightsaber to meet the blast. The bolt hit the blade and ricocheted into another target, carving across the corridor before striking one of the droids. They opened fire again, but I didn't stay put — I charged into the attack. Ataru isn't suited for enclosed spaces? Only when you're fencing with some Sith. Right now, the walls, the floor, even the ceiling — all of it was a surface for me. Using the Force, my body performed incredible acrobatics, and through the Force I achieved incredible speed. A leap toward another cluster of droids, a swing of the lightsaber. I cut one in half, impaled a second, and used a Force Push to knock down a third. A blaster bolt flew past me… An instant later, it bounced back into the one who fired it; the master had started using his favored Shien.
He was standing further back, in a pursuing stance, but I didn't wait for him — I rushed forward.
"Hutt, will you just stop, Apprentice!" the master shouted.
But I wasn't listening, guided by the sensation pointing me toward Mila. I jumped, and in midair I decapitated a droid, kicked another in the face, knocking the blaster from its manipulators, flipped in the air, and the second became a pile of scrap. The air filled with the smell of burnt metal, but I didn't stop, giving myself over more and more to the battle… Finally, I sensed the end of the corridor. It was glowing in the distance… The corridor was intersected at a right angle by many other corridors, from which new enemies kept pouring out… About a hundred meters to the exit. I surged forward, cutting down droids that were spilling out and firing at me from all sides. Using telekinesis, I pulled four toward me and dispatched them immediately; the next passage… They opened fire? I tore a steel panel from the wall, used it as a shield, closed in on the shooters, and eliminated them too… Fifty meters behind me… Another twenty-five meters…
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" I used pyrokinesis. A full-sized fireball, heated to a red glow, flew into the droids. The ball exploded, and even the fire suppression system kicked in, dousing the area with water.
"Juummm," a tank rumbled to a halt right at the entrance, blocking the passage.
"What?" I gasped. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAY!"
"You get out of the way!" the instructor's voice roared behind me. There was a sharp crack, and the smell of ozone filled the air. The tank, which had barely trained its weapon on us, was hurled aside by a powerful emerald Force Lightning. "You idiot! I said 'FOCUS ON HER,' not run headlong into Zakuul's security droids! Tired of living?!"
"I was doing perfectly fine, Master. Your lectures are unnecessary…"
"What in the hutt's name are you talking about — lectures? This is a full thrashing! Is this what I taught you? Is this the kind of person I wanted to teach Force Lightning to — someone who'd lose his mind over some girl?!"
"Mila is not 'some girl'!" I exclaimed, my voice echoing down the corridor.
"I don't give a damn! Use your head! Will it do Mila any good if you forget everything and catch a fatal wound here?" The instructor's voice took on a threatening edge. "This isn't cutting down mercenaries, apprentice. This is the Zakuul Prison Complex. Even Gifted ones were held here! Witches, Jedi, Sith! And there's no record of anyone ever escaping Gizelum until the Republic Commandos raised hell here! If no one escaped from here before a spec-ops team showed up, then why are you acting like you've got a few legions with tanks and artillery orbiting in space?! Calm down. Pull yourself together. I want to save Mila Karnur almost as much as you do. Don't reject my help — accept it!"
We emerged into a fairly enormous room. Apparently, the Master's Force Lightning had fried the circuits in the tank's computer and even damaged the operator droid. The regular droids, though, were still alive, slightly damaged. Now I could get a better look at them. They were a scaled-down version of the Empire's commando droids. They seemed slightly smaller in height and width, armed with blasters. Their paint had rusted, though I was pretty sure they'd been yellow. And the guards' eyes glowed crimson. The Master behind me released a wave… An ionization wave. It spread outward from his body, a good thirty meters in every direction, taking our enemies offline.
"Good," the instructor nodded, looking at the fallen droids that hadn't even managed to fire at us when we ran out of the corridor. "Now listen to me carefully. I'm trusting you with my back. Cover me from behind. I'll cut us a path to the main hall, where Mila should be, along with Shilazh."
"But how do you know that, Master?"
"While you were screwing around, I was studying the complex's schematics," Lorm noted. "I have an aurodium rule, my young apprentice: I never screw around before a battle! Male urges get in the way of clear thinking in combat."
"I understand," I muttered, "but Mila…"
"We'll find your Mila. Focus on your bond with her and let me know if they change location…"
"No," I shook my head. "They've stopped. They're frozen. Can't tell what they're doing. Mila is very surprised."
"Then let's go. And remember! Don't try to use your emotions again! She's only been kidnapped, she's still alive, but you were already on the very edge!"
* * *
The enormous main control hall of the Gizelum complex was filled with numerous control consoles. Though, to adequately manage the complex, administrative access to the main computer would have sufficed — which the newly arrived Joyran Karnur had. His plan had failed… He had died several thousand years ago, but had managed to bind his spirit to the medallion he'd worked on for nearly forty years. He never managed to put the brat Vitiate in his place… And he died on Korriban, defending one of his goddamn offspring. But fate and the Force had given him a unique opportunity… The medallion was found in his residence, and one of the finders, Joyran Karnur, turned out to be an ideal candidate for possession. Of course, later he would find another; off the top of his head, he knew of others, like Jedi, into whom he could transfer. Though he was no specialist in this field and looked down with arrogance on those who tried to cheat death that way.
His theory was this: to feed and sustain his life by consuming Force Ghosts… Summoning a single Ghost was incredibly draining. And you still had to defeat it and devour it… But he'd come up with an idea. Using Force Forging, he embedded the very summoning pattern for a Ghost into the Medallion he'd crafted. The resulting Medallion was astonishing. You only needed to charge it, and you could summon a Ghost. The more Force you invested, the more powerful the summoned Ghost would be. Naturally, you could also summon a more specific personality — you just needed a small piece of something the deceased had been in contact with… But the plan was ruined. Now, however, he had managed to resurrect himself in Joyran. But the body of a non-Gifted was weak, very weak.
He used only the Force of his own Ghost — his own essence, essentially. Ideally, transferring into a Jedi would solve the problems… So worthless was he that he'd even had to enter this vile alliance with Shilazh and the Mandalorian. He could clearly see their goal… They wanted the fruits of his labor. They wanted to possess them, but deception — that was the way of a true Sith. And he, Darth Arrogant, had been one from birth until death. His possession of Joyran had changed the young man… He seemed older; streaks of gray appeared in his hair. And his eyes had lost their golden hue… They'd gained a red tint, so unusual for Arrogant, who was accustomed to his own native color of molten gold.
"You've arrived," he turned, stepping away from the console and addressing the mercenary and the witch. "And you haven't come alone."
"Here's the girl, as promised," the Mandalorian threw the young woman directly onto the cold steel floor.
"Ugh… So you did let me go, you bitch!" the girl growled, looking at the armored man with fury in her eyes.
"You should have cut out her tongue," Joyran-Arrogant said. "Too much filth pours out of it."
"You promised to show me how the medallion works," Shilazh reminded him. "Why do we even need her?"
"Oh, everything in its time," Joyran approached the girl. "First, we should wait for our guests."
"Joy… ran?!" the girl asked, looking at Karnur. Though he had changed the clothes of that pathetic worm for something more practical — with armor inserts — she still recognized the one who had once been her brother. Joyran's face hadn't changed, except his eyes burned crimson. "You're alive, little brother!"
"Your brother is dead," Arrogant replied coldly. "He became a victim of my ritual. A weakling." He raised his hand, and the girl was lifted into the air, beginning to choke.
The girl's eyes, clad in a technician's suit, began to tear up from the strain. An invisible grip constricted her throat. Suddenly, the medallion vibrated. Shilazh focused and saw a trickle of Force flowing directly from Mila Karnur's body. So that was it. Darth Arrogant, in Joyran's body, was absorbing the girl's Force, her very life, converting it into energy to power the Medallion… They had found him by chance, beating the "Teacher-Apprentice" duo by literally a couple of hours, and had formed an alliance with him. Under the terms of the alliance, they were to provide Arrogant with a Gifted individual; in exchange, he would show them how the Medallion worked and point out a couple of Sith caches from the Zakuul Empire. But they were all planning to betray each other — that was obvious. She knew Arrogant's story from the Dark Lord himself. And after he absorbed enough Force, he would be able to summon a ghost. Though he wouldn't do that right now… Light Flyingstar… He clearly wanted to transfer into that boy's body, to take it for himself. This Sephi possessed an incredible affinity for the Force — stronger only than Yaddle and Yoda, according to Plagueis. And a Muun, if he ever said anything, rarely lied to Shilazh directly. Because she was very hard to deceive…
She understood everything… The theory of how the Medallion worked, the ritual's schematic. Or she thought she understood. In any case, she certainly wasn't going to destroy the artifact. It was time for her next move. She placed her hands on her daggers… In an instant, she plunged them into Joyran, who was absorbed in torturing and draining the life from his own sister. Or rather, his body… But. The daggers only sliced through air; the man ducked and aimed his hand at her. Shilazh felt herself being hurled backward. He was strong… Even in a body not his own, such power was anomalous. She was slammed into the steel wall; she thought she even heard the crack of her own ribs.
"Gh…"
"I knew from the very beginning that you would betray me, Witch!" A crimson blade flared in the room. Teyron Jarps's blaster shots found their mark, but left not a scratch on her. "Pathetic worm. What does it matter that your armor is made of beskar? Do you think you can kill me, mercenary?" With his other hand, he hurled Teyron aside. "You're both idiots, just like your worthless Master. Oh, I can feel him clearly… GHA!" He unexpectedly spat blood. "Hutt and his three sons! This body won't last long. Where is that boy? I need him!"
Unexpectedly for Joyran himself, Shilazh managed to transmute the metal with her magic and send it flying straight at his head. Even while pinned to the wall…
"Pathetic gizka! Don't you understand yet?!" he laughed. "In all these millennia, you've degenerated." He deflected the attack with telekinesis. "So much so that you can't even touch my brow."
He turned back to Teyron, who had his weapon aimed at him.
"Your name will be erased from history, Mandalorian. Along with millions of your worthless ancestors, who vanished leaving nothing behind!"
"To hell with legacy!" Teyron's voice rang out. "A warrior seeks not recognition, but a battle where he can die with honor!" A loud crack rang out. Joyran — or rather, Arrogant — was so consumed with the pleasure of the fight, and so fixated on dreaming of a new body while expending Force to sustain the old one, that he didn't react in time. The shot pierced his abdomen, literally tearing it apart.
"Ki… netic… Bastard… KHA!" he coughed blood, spread his arms, and collapsed to the floor. Darth Arrogant's lightsaber clattered across the floor.
"Phew," Teyron Jarps exhaled. "Yet again I'm reminded that the Gifted are dangerous creatures."
"You, bantha poodoo!" Shilazh growled, running to the corpse of the never-revived Sith. "You could have damaged the medallion!"
She examined his neck and literally tore off the coveted artifact, covered in Sith language symbols. Even Shilazh herself couldn't read what he'd inscribed on it right now. Only Plagueis himself could pull that off. But that didn't matter. The main thing was that the artifact worked — she'd understood that immediately, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Relax, I wasn't using a shotgun," he said. Of course. Arrogant had thrown Teyron a good forty meters. At that range, a shotgun would have been useless. He'd fired a rifle. Which was why his stomach was so torn open. "I even had time to aim while he was going on and on about his own grandiosity. An arrogant Gifted is a dead Gifted. You people never learn."
"Joyran," came the whimpering voice of the weakened girl. Shilazh looked at her… Yes, she couldn't touch Flyingstar yet. But her strength was enough to charge the Medallion. She stood up and walked toward Mila.
The girl rose sharply and jerkily, holding Darth Arrogant's lightsaber in both hands.
"Put the toy down," the witch laughed. "You might hurt yourself."
"Don't come closer! Or else…"
She pressed the activation button, igniting the crimson blade, and started swinging it around.
"Such a great Sith you've found," Teyron spat. "Any scavenger can fire up his weapon now."
"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Shilazh laughed merrily. "Wow. You managed to turn it on. But what now? You've had no specialized training, and you can't wield a blade. Those Jedi who came with you can fight using that sword. Hell, they could probably beat us. But you…"
"I just need to," Mila smirked, "hold out until they get here… OW!" She dropped the blade, grabbing her arm. Teyron had shot her in the hand.
"Well, that's that. Cut the theatrics," he grunted.
Shilazh merely smirked and clamped the girl in cuffs so she wouldn't thrash around anymore.
"It's time for me to test the Medallion. Plagueis demands results." She would slit his belly open when she was strong enough. "And he'll get them… Jarps? What do you think you're doing?" she asked the mercenary, who had walked over to the console.
"If you can split up your opponents, don't hesitate," Teyron's chuckle came, his hands flying across the keyboard. "Ha-ha. Interesting capabilities this base has."
* * *
We cut our way through droids, but there was no fewer of them. This time, things were a bit slower, but also more efficient. The instructor was both shield and sword at once. He deflected shots, punished droids. I finished off any that could still cause him trouble… Halls, corridors. The complex seemed endless, but I was getting closer to Mila with every moment. Her emotions were filled with surprise, terror, hope, and pain… I tried to block it out, as the instructor advised, but I couldn't, and I was in too much of a hurry… Suddenly — the droids stopped.
"Easy," Lorm's voice came. "Apprentice. Just stay calm. We need to…"
But then I felt a sudden surge of pain from Mila, and I broke into a sprint again.
"Damn it, stop!" Lorm roared, but then something else strange happened. We were literally separated. An energy shield sprang up between me and Lorm. "What the…"
"Instructor!" I tried to cut through the shield with my lightsaber, but it bounced off. "I… I have to go ahead. Pain was still coming from Mila."
"No! Stop! Wait until we deal with this," Lorm Decer replied. "You can't handle them alone. Not them."
"But I can't wait!" I shouted. Interestingly, we could still communicate through the shield. It didn't block sound. "I have to save her. Don't worry about me, Instructor!"
Lorm spun around. Droids were clearly approaching him from the other side…
"Hutt, where's the console… Right! BB-7! BB-7," he raised his hand with a communicator. "Patch in and deactivate this hutt-damned shield! How should I know where it's located! Just do it! Find where we are! Fast…"
"I'm sorry, Instructor, but I can't." I turned and ran.
He could handle himself, I was sure — he had enough skill. But Mila didn't. I had to protect her. I'd started my life anew, and I still had so much to do. And I wanted her to be by my side through all of it. She was and would be… It couldn't be any other way. I ran as I'd never run before, burning Force to strengthen my muscles. And finally — light appeared at the end. I burst into a massive hall, not crowded with consoles, but it was definitely the control hall. Before me lay the body of a man, fallen onto his back… I recognized Joyran Karnur immediately. Dead… The next second, I had to duck to avoid a blow. I was attacked from the side, aiming for my head — the Mandalorian, Teyron Jarps.
"Good reflexes," the man said. Was that a spear? I'd seen something like it before. In the Mandalorian series, the main character had something similar. I assumed the Sorsu stance and deflected two strikes from Teyron, then immediately counterattacked. You couldn't armor your entire body in beskar. There were weak points where you could land precise thrusts, and I did just that, trying to impale him. Unsuccessfully.
He launched into the air using a jetpack and opened fire on me with a blaster. I rolled, dodging the shots. Interestingly, he wasn't aiming for my head, but at my limbs.
"WHERE IS MILA?! LET HER GO!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the hall.
"So you came for the girl?" Teyron asked. "Not for 'protecting the galaxy'? Not for peace, oh keeper of peace?" There was a mocking tone in the Mandalorian's voice.
"Your beauty is right over there."
Because of the fight with the Mandalorian, I hadn't had time to get a proper look around. On the opposite side stood Shilazh, holding Mila, who was on her knees, by the hair.
"Let her go?" Shilazh laughed. "Why? Or do you, boy, not understand the situation you're in? You see, for the Medallion that you and your instructor were so frantically chasing to work — it needs to be fueled with Force. And for that, either hours of meditation, or a sacrifice. Do you understand now? I intend to test it…"
"On me?" I asked.
"No-o-o," she shook her head. "Someone wants to meet you. And I wouldn't want to kill you. But what would you say if I killed your sweetheart instead?"
"We're offering you two choices," Teyron Jarps's voice came from behind me. "Either way, you're coming with us. But the ritual requires a sacrifice. Either your girl — as I understand it, you love her. Or your dear instructor. Which do you prefer, boy? Think about it."
I looked toward the corridor I'd run from. That was where the instructor was still somewhere. Or Mila… I looked at her… This had happened again because of me. When I try to think clearly, I can sometimes succeed. But when I give in to my emotions — everything goes wrong. What to do? What to do…
"Don't listen to them, Light! They're deceiving you! They killed Joyran, they'll kill me and the instructor! Fight!" Mila's voice reached me.
"Joyran was taken over by the Medallion's creator," came from Shilazh, pleasure clear in her voice. "His body didn't belong to him. But here, there is a choice. I will either use the Medallion to consume this girl's life," she pulled the girl back by the hair, "or your instructor's. Who is more precious to you? But we both know the answer. I can clearly feel the bond between you. My master is merciful; he will allow you to take her with you. Just throw away your lightsaber, Jedi…"
There was no choice. I didn't want either the instructor's sacrifice or Mila's. I tossed my saber aside, overly demonstratively.
"Finally!" the Force ghost cried out and rushed into Light's body. He seemed to merge with it. "Now it's time for revenge!" Sephi opened his eyes... Eyes of molten gold. "And I'll start with you!" He pulled Arrogant's lightsaber to him, ignited it, and attacked Shilazh. She barely managed to dodge, only recognizing the Makashi style.
But Arrogant in Light's body didn't stop and kept attacking.
"Child's play!" he shouted, launching Force Lightning at Shilazh's body.
She wasn't prepared for that, and the crimson Force Lightning threw her back, giving her an unforgettable experience...
* * *
So this is the darkness... I sat literally in darkness, which was strange, because I could orient myself perfectly within it... Vague images of the battle my body was fighting arose in my mind.
"Not what you expected to see," a voice came from behind. I turned and looked at the one behind me. I was looking at myself. Violet eyes, black hair, the same Jedi clothing. "To answer your question, which undoubtedly popped into your skull. I am you. And not the dark side, though that's here too."
"I actually have a lot of questions," I said, drawing my lightsaber and assuming the Soresu stance. "Who you are is the first one."
"As I already said. I am you," the clone remarked. "You don't understand, do you?" he asked me. "I'm not your dark side, but you can't call me light either. And you know why? It's all because of you, Leonid Ivanov. You didn't want to change... And at the same time — you did change. But those who wield the Force have always been far more unusual than most sentients. And so what's the result? A kind and naive idiot in the peaceful world, building utopian plans as if you can achieve everything without giving anything in return, and calculating, cold, and cynical when killing is required. In effect: two different personalities, don't you think?" he asked, squatting down in front of me, seemingly ignoring my ignited lightsaber. "I'm the reflection of the second. That second part of you that walks the edge, carving people up for organs. There's a third one too... He was... At the helm since Mila's death, but where he is now — I don't know. Our body was taken over by an ancient Sith, by the way. Looks like he's fighting the third one right now."
"Mila..." my heart, it seemed, responded with pain.
"Yes... No matter what we were, one thing bound us: we all loved her the same way," the clone sighed. "Though I loved her differently than you did, just as the Dark one loved her differently than we did. But the fact remains. That drew the final line between us. And the fact that a Sith flew in here without resistance shattered us into pieces, and now we're talking here... In our consciousness, while that bastard fights Shilazh and Teyron."
* * *
Shilazh was clutching her stomach and staring in horror at Light Flyingstar, or rather at Darth Arrogant. At this rate, that bastard would kill them soon. Having gained access to incredible power, Arrogant attacked them ferociously and mercilessly...
"What a bastard! This is my body now!" he suddenly cried out.
What was happening? Who was sharing the body with him?
"How dare you?" the Sith grabbed his head. "No! Don't!"
"He's... Fighting, as if," Shilazh replied. "He's fighting the padawan's personality in his mind."
"Then we have a chance," Teyron noted. "He can't do both..."
* * *
"YOU UNDERESTIMATE MY POWER, MANDALORIAN!" Arrogant practically shouted. "KNEEL BEFORE THE DRAGON OF ZAKUUL!" he aimed his hand at the pair.
"You're no dragon!" the right side of Arrogant's face smiled strangely. "You're just a parasite that took the body of someone stronger than you. A parasite and a failure! You'll answer to me for what you did to her! Get out of here, spawn! Let me kill them all!"
A clap sounded, yet again. The Force seemed to explode, and the Sith ghost flew out of Light's body.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Light laughed. His eyes remained golden, bearing witness to the fall. "FREEDOM! Finally! I shoved that worthless thing back and now I can kill everyone, and I'll start... With you... Or no," he turned his gaze to the ghost. "I should start with you, Darth Arrogant. I truly haven't heard of such a Sith. Seems like you died in some dump. I don't know the technique... Though. A true Sith bends the Force to his will, doesn't he?" Darkness spread from Light's hand. "And if I want to destroy you, I will!" The ghost seemed to be caught by the darkness and pulled toward the padawan's body. "I'll take you, but only your power. I don't need your personality! How is this done? Doesn't matter."
A stream of Force struck the Padawan. The ghost finally dissipated...
"Now you... A red blade. Interesting..." Light said thoughtfully. "Very interesting..."
Shilazh stepped back... Incredible power. This boy was talented, but until now his talent had been held back by his character, his self-delusion... his innate kindness and naivety. Plagueis would definitely want to break him, but forge a loyal servant for himself. Now it was clear why. His power was literally crushing... Before his fall it still shone and even attracted, but now it pressed down. It pressed down on the surroundings so that even a warrior like Teyron seemed to look at Light with caution... Now everything was clear to her. Meanwhile, the Padawan, holding Arrogant's red lightsaber in his hand, had no intention of holding back. Shilazh prepared for battle... And then Light vanished. He instantly closed the distance between them, sliced the magic spear sent at him into pieces, and crossed blades with Teyron's beskar spear...
"OUT OF THE WAY!" Light attacked the Mandalorian with furious frenzy... A second later the Mandalorian flew into the wall, thrown back by telekinesis. Now Shilazh entered the battle, and Shilazh easily recognized the Ataru form. Sidious, Plagueis's apprentice, had practiced it. She had seen him use it in battle a couple of times. The same fencing forms were used differently by Sith and Jedi. The Jedi forms were slightly passive, more aimed at disarming and capturing. Sith could use anything to kill. The Ataru Shilazh had seen Sidious use was aimed at killing. Furious, deadly, and agile... It was the same with Light. Almost... Still, he wasn't a Sith. He was a fallen Gifted, not trained by a Sith. What was different? His Force was like a beast... Furious, angry, ruled by instincts. And Shilazh bitterly admitted that, even working together, she and Teyron could do almost nothing to this boy... If they wanted to capture him and deliver him to Plagueis.
Light could only be killed... And she didn't care about Plagueis! Her survival was on the line now. Light spun around her, the crimson blade of his lightsaber deflecting her attacks; even when she abruptly accelerated and decided to kill the insolent brat, she still found herself being pushed back. The crimson lightsaber flashed literally everywhere and showed no intention of sparing her... She was horrified, thinking about what she would become after a few more minutes of such a fight.
* * *
And what do I do? I grabbed my head, trying to control myself.
"Oh, same as always," I heard from my copy. "It's always been like this with you. Whether you were a boy, or a man, or a boy again and a fairly strong Gifted in the Galaxy. Well... Potentially," he added, smiling disgustingly. "Always complaining, whining, naively thinking the world is so simple and everything can be solved by applying some effort to certain points. Was that what you called your plan? Complete crap, to be honest. You never learned the lesson, the most important lesson."
"AND YOU'RE THE SMART ONE, THEN?" I snapped. "A fucking part of me that—"
"Don't shout," my copy cut me off sharply. "I am by no means a part of you! I am you! You created me yourself, just as you created the one who's now having fun with that pair," an image appeared before me, just like a television. The situation in the hall I knew was chaotic. The crimson blade danced, tracing such familiar, yet such aggressive figures. It danced, cutting through Teyron Jarps's armor; it even managed to slice off part of the hood that hid Shilazh's face. "Understand. You had problems. In the peaceful world you're a kind and naive idiot, in battle you turned into me, and the darkness... It's initially in everyone. And if you were an ordinary sentient — you'd most likely be in a psychiatric ward, but you're Gifted. The Force exacerbated the problem, gradually fracturing you into three parts. You are the inherently kind one, he," he nodded at the image and the crimson lightsaber, "is the inherently evil one. And me. Not him, but not you."
"The Unifying Force?"
"You fool, what does that fanfiction nonsense have to do with it. Read too many fanfics? It's not your Force that's fracturing. It's your personality that's fracturing..."
"And what next? You understand..."
.".. that this can't go on," the... Middle one continued for me. "Yes, I understand. Either we'll completely drive the sentient named Light Flyingstar insane, existing as three in one place. Because when he finishes having fun, he'll come back here and try to destroy us. Or..."
.".. we'll decide who's in charge."
"Correct," the copy nodded. "But I see there's no victory here. Unlike in the outside world..."
* * *
This couldn't go on any longer! This was some kind of madness! Shilazh clearly understood that if she kept fighting the monster that had appeared, she would die the most miserable death. Chopped up by a lightsaber... She glanced quickly upward. The hatch through which they had arrived to Darth Arrogant, which he had opened for them, still led outside...
"What now, witch?" Jarps stood beside her. His entire armor was covered in scorch marks. Mandalorian iron didn't provide one hundred percent protection against a lightsaber. Especially considering that the armor wasn't pure beskar, but had minor impurities. According to Jarps, if he had poured all the available pure beskar into the armor, he would have been left without shin guards, at the very least. He'd had to dilute it, though he'd cherished the hope of reworking his armor.
"I have a plan," Shilazh hissed, as the Padawan, grinning joyfully, walked toward them. "Now," she abruptly moved to the side.
"WHAT?" The blow to his back stunned Teyron Jarps. She had damaged his jetpack. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, YOU GODDAMN CARCASS?" he asked, almost impaling her on his spear.
"To win, someone has to stay behind and hold him off," Shilazh jumped to the emergency hatch and used magic to hook herself onto the ceiling. The daggers returned to their rightful places. "I wish you luck in the coming wars, Teyron Jarps. He won't wait."
She climbed into the hatch, got out into the air, and, jumping down from the complex, headed toward her ship. It would have been nice to take the Jedi's "Star Courier," but the cunning Mandalorian had re-registered the ship to himself. To get in, she would need to take his datapad. But she didn't think she would live long enough to do anything with Teyron's datapad. And besides — she had the medallion. She had emerged victorious... It was time to move on to her plan.
* * *
Teyron Jarps, after Shilazh's escape, didn't last long. I watched as the dark one literally toyed with him. Yes — he was experienced. Yes, he was strong. But a Gifted, freed from all principles and restraints, calmly beat the proud Mandalorian, slammed him into the wall, cut off one of his arms, despite the beskar. Teyron Jarps blacked out... But the newly emerged Dark Jedi didn't have time to rejoice, for Lorm Decer appeared.
"Student," my mentor called.
"Teacher," my body turned toward him. I saw, even if not from a first-person perspective, how the zabrak's blue eyes widened in horror, surprise, and disbelief.
"I see," Lorm Decer nodded. "I understand everything."
"And what do you understand, mentor? That you are my enemy? You don't want to join me, do you? Ha-ha. This Galaxy has long needed a thrashing and a good lesson, and I can organize it right now."
"I have no intention of joining you, moreover," my mentor replied. "I will try to bring you back."
"Bring me back? That part died long ago! Died along with her. And even though his feelings were passed on to me," what was this. It seemed some moisture ran through the body, and it wasn't sweat from the battle. It was... tears? "But that doesn't change the fact that you've already lost your student."
"Is that so..."
"And having lost your student, you stand in my way. I will kill you, because you will prevent me from putting all of them in their place in my Galaxy."
"You consider the Galaxy yours," Lorm Decer smiled, drawing his lightsaber. "And you 'killed' my student. I don't give a damn about the Galaxy. But for crushing my student and deciding to replace him in his body — I will have my revenge on you."
"Revenge is not the Jedi way, mentor..."
"Then I am no Jedi," Lorm Decer literally growled. "Am I a Jedi of that Order that exists now? That has forgotten its roots? That wallows in ignorance and stagnation? I've made up my mind for myself. And I made it up thanks to you, Light," I flinched... Light. For the first time in several years of training, he called me by name! "I taught you many things. But you also taught me. So," he stood in the Niman stance. "I will try. I know you're still there, you couldn't just leave. You are far better than you think!"
"Empty hopes, mentor!" the fallen one in my body cried out and rushed into attack.
And this battle was far more difficult for the wielder of the Crimson Blade; Lorm Decer was not some random witch. He was a real, full-fledged Jedi Knight. Even if of that Order he had disavowed. But the skills hadn't changed from that. My mentor's specialty, Niman, showed itself in full glory. The fallen one seemed to be beating against a wall. When he switched to a furious Ataru attack, performing all sorts of pirouettes around my mentor's body, the mentor defended himself, and elements of Soresu, the very style I studied, began to creep into Niman. Then the fallen one decided to defend, waiting for the moment to counterattack. But he hadn't counted on the fact that my mentor's seemingly simple attacks would almost lead him to defeat.
"WHEN WILL YOU JUST DIE?!" he threw the mentor back with telekinesis, but Lorm was ready for that move, performing a somersault in the air and landing on his feet. He didn't show it, but telekinesis was one of my best Techniques.
"Come to your senses, Light! Would Mila have wanted to see you like this? Did she see you like this? Worthless and weak? Didn't you tell me," he closed in on my body and struck at the legs. My body jumped, letting the cyan blade pass beneath it, and immediately stabbed at the mentor's face. He blocked the strike, returning his saber to an upper guard reminiscent of Djem So. "Didn't," a powerful Djem So blow crashed down on my body, which had barely assumed the Soresu stance. The mentor's blade was deflected to the side. "Your beloved woman," an attack from the right. The body ducked. "Want," the mentor kneed me in the nose. The image shook, and I felt phantom pain. "You to be such a worthless piece of garbage?" he aimed his hand at my body. The surroundings abruptly shifted; the next thing I saw was my mentor standing about twenty meters away. He had thrown the body into the wall with telekinesis, slamming it in... Suddenly, darkness flooded my vision.
"What's happening?" I asked, and then a body flew out of the darkness... My body.
"HUUUH! He's so strong! Well, no matter, I'll destroy him!"
"Stop!" I shouted, but he vanished abruptly. "What? Why?"
"And what were you hoping for?" my copy asked, with an ignited green lightsaber. "That he would listen to you?" The image restored. "Understand — you can't finish everything perfectly. You saw that yourself, when killing. Or will you say it was me? You have the right to. But you created me, just as you partly created him. And that means that everything he does in the real world, and I do here — you do too."
"And what should I do?"
"Change. You yourself see what your inadequacy has led to. Mila Karnur, the woman you loved — is dead. Your mentor is forced to fight you, fallen to the Dark Side of the Force. And it wouldn't be so bad if it were a Sith. No. An uncontrolled animal," he wrinkled his nose disgustingly. "And to top it all off, Shilazh escaped! What Order were you going to change? The Jedi Order, whose authority, even now, has galaxy-wide prospects, or the Order of lovers of tickling their own egos? You are worthless, but you can become better."
And how am I supposed to do that... What? — he closed the distance and ran me through the chest with his lightsaber. The pain of the lightsaber strike enveloped me. "What are you doing? Why?"
That was it... The real me was dying, defeated by my own schizophrenia.
"You fool!" my copy's voice came through what seemed like oblivion. "I told you — I am you. Just as you are me. It doesn't happen that one part of you injures yourself. Think a little. Is there pain? And accept me!"
"Pain..." I wheezed, looking at the lightsaber still entering my chest. "There is no pain. Right. It's a logic puzzle, isn't it?" I asked. "I needed to understand a lot. To understand that I can't be such a naive idiot. I can't make the Galaxy and the Order great without making a commensurate sacrifice. I didn't want to pay myself. You can't change anything without sacrificing something. But sacrifice isn't always bad, is it?" I asked. "Sacrifice can also help you evolve. Sentients sacrifice part of their savings to acquire something; it's the same here. I sacrifice myself... My very essence. Just like you," I looked at the smiling copy. "To comprehend something new. That was the answer, lying on the surface. Change. The world changed, the conditions changed... And only I didn't try to become better. Now I'll fix that. I understood how to do it and..."
.".. got rid of vain illusions. What will happen now will make you better. Or worse. But the main thing is that nothing will ever be the same again..."
* * *
With every passing moment, Lorm Decer realized with horror that the chances of Light becoming himself again were fading. After some forty seconds, his body rose again and looked at him with eyes filled with the color of molten gold. With a roar, Lorm rushed into the attack, trying to break through Light's defense. He didn't lose hope... After all, the Light Side of the Force isn't just about renouncing everything; it's faith and hope that everything can still change for the better. He would disarm him, bind him, and try again to bring him back to the Light Side of the Force... And if that didn't work... He would do his duty. For the sake of Light himself and the future of the Galaxy.
Light jumped over Lorm, apparently hoping a change of position would help him. But the situation didn't change. This room was quite enormous. It gave plenty of space for Ataru's maneuvers... But Lorm no longer gave him a chance to maneuver. He went on the offensive and furiously pushed through his defense, until finally something happened that threw him off balance. They had just switched positions again. Light attacked him with his favorite Shiak, aiming for the heart, but Lorm, with a sliding block, sent him to the floor, accompanying it with a teaching kick. Lorm was about to continue his attack, but then something stopped him. He felt a change... The eyes... They weren't golden, but violet. The kind he was used to.
"Finally, teacher," his student said calmly. The Dark Side of the Force no longer emanated from his body. The aura was light... Light on the edge. He had recovered, but he hadn't become the same as Lorm Decer remembered him. Before, Light's aura felt warm and welcoming. Now it was scorching and sharp, like a blade. "It's time to stop this disgrace."
He deactivated his saber.
"I'm glad..." Lorm's eyes, a confirmed cynic, moistened against his will. He had taught him so much... And he had become the one Decer himself had wanted to see him become. Now... "GHA!" An unexpected clap, and pain seized his body. He realized his mistake, but, spitting blood, it was too late. He saw his student's eyes widen in horror... He reached out his hand toward him, but couldn't stretch far enough. Something was pulling him down... Light caught his body, but... He understood. Lorm understood that this was the end. So this was the darkness...
* * *
I'd had enough shocks... More than enough. But Teyron Jarps thought otherwise. I had managed to rethink a lot in the past time... What happened after my merger with the middle one? I stopped being hypocritical; I understood what price I and many others would pay for my ambitions, and what I wanted. I had ended up in a Galaxy Far, Far Away... But not to be the perfect knight who resolves everything without bloodshed. As a joke, I'd already killed quite a few people. I came here to reshape it according to my vision. I know the canon of Legends... Disney. I understand what might happen, I know the reasons for many — not all, certainly — but many events. What should I do? I need to review the list of events I'll participate in, review my plans and goals, but most importantly — now I understood what had been holding me back. The Force does not tolerate fools, and I had been truly foolish.
Teyron Jarps thought otherwise. Before I, barely recovered from absorbing the fallen one and having adopted part of his worldview, could react — a bullet hit my mentor. Right in the back. It was an explosive round; a hit like that to the body was a death sentence.
"YOU BASTARD!" I screamed across the entire hall, holding myself together; I waved my hand, throwing Teyron into the wall, while the kinetic weapon of the Mandalorian, betrayed by his ally, remained where Teyron had been standing.
I ran to my mentor's body and caught it before it fell to the ground...
"Kkh..." he spat blood, soaking my clothes. "Too late, Light. Far too late. You're not a medic and can't save me from a wound like this... Even tons of bacta wouldn't help."
"Mentor..." I felt moisture in my eyes. "I failed you..."
"Kkh... Nonsense. You saved me," he coughed up blood again. "You freed me from unnecessary... Kkh... Illusions. In return, I helped you become the Jedi... KKH, you wanted to be. You became better... Though... You still have a long way ahead, Light. Now I see what you're capable of... Kkh... What you are capable of."
"Mentor... Without you, I—"
"Hutt... Let me die in peace already... My life... KKH! Was full of regrets and grief. I no longer knew... KKH, if I could change anything in it... A long path awaits you, Light Flyingstar... Thank you for walking part of it with me. And... May the Force be with you, always, student."
"And with you, Teacher," I closed his eyes. "And with you..."
I carefully lowered his body to the floor. This was the price of my weakness... My stupidity. I had paid in full to change. Now I understood what I hadn't understood before. The Galaxy and the Jedi... I didn't understand why I couldn't change them, but now I saw. You can't change anything without sacrificing something. That was equivalent exchange. We sacrifice our time, our rest, training, and in return receive power. We sacrifice the lives of other sentients and... also gain something. That was the fundamental truth of life. And for the Galaxy and the Jedi to become better — they too needed to sacrifice something. They needed this lesson, the one I had gone through. Then all of them... They would understand how to live correctly and what must be done. I must see to this, as one who understood. Perhaps my new convictions were wrong... But that was fine. I was tired of standing and watching. I endured and said nothing when I was bullied. Now I would endure, but only to repay... I would help everyone understand this lesson... But first. I looked at the lying and groaning Teyron Jarps. He was missing his right arm; his left hung like a stump and didn't move. The armor was covered in marks from collisions with the lightsaber... I pulled my lightsaber to me... Strange waves came from it, but there was no time to pay attention to that.
"Look at yourself, Teyron Jarps. I've heard you're a legend of the Outer Rim, the hope of Mandalore..."
"Kkh!" the man spat blood; his helmet had long been turned to dust by the fallen me, so he had been fighting without it recently. "Fuck that goddamn planet and all the other idiots from there up the ass. I'm a warrior. I don't need Mandalore, I don't need the Galaxy. It's you Jedi who prefer to play at vain altruism. Though you've rethought a lot just now," he wheezed. "I understand perfectly why we're all created here. We're beasts. Some just mask it better. A beast, honing its skills, becomes a warrior, and a warrior is immortal, even after defeat, it doesn't matter what he fought for. Yes, I was bought, but I always fight for those who bought me with full commitment... I am a Warrior... KKH!"
"Shut up," I cut him off. "You have no idea what you're talking about. A beast cannot become a warrior. Because it's an animal, ruled by instincts. A warrior is someone who can control not only his body and weapon, but also reins himself in. You have only a warrior's skills, Teyron Jarps. I know your future. It's worthless. A man is immortal as long as he is remembered. We remember great Mandalorians: Canderous Ordo, Shae Vizla... But no one will remember you, neither as a warrior nor as a sentient. Your name will burn away, because you left nothing behind... And you will leave nothing..."
"And what will you do, boy? Kkh! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" he laughed.
I pulled his body toward me.
"Well? What will you do? If you're not just another impotent Jedi, but a real man... A real warrior, then you'll kill me."
"I will savor every moment," I promised. "Because I am already completely different... Jedi."
The green blade entered the exposed part of Jarps's face... I watched, having deliberately slowed both the blade's progress and the flow of time. I watched as it entered his skull, burned through it, and entered his brain. The moment seemed to stretch out for almost minutes, but eventually it ended, and the mercenary's body fell at my feet.
"Forgive me, Mila..." I brought the Mandalorian's body to her and to my mentor. Kneeling, I kissed her on the lips. Warmth could still be felt from her side. "I failed you. I failed all of us... But now I see," dropping the tattered Jedi cloak on the floor, I wrapped all three bodies in it, "I see my path more clearly than ever. And I will not stop. Not until all enemies are defeated, all lessons are learned, and my ambitions are realized."
* * *
"You bring sad news," a voice came from the holoprojector. Grand Master Yoda and the full Council had listened to my report. I would not and will not leave the Jedi Order. Never. I may have changed, the Order may not be what I wished it to be. But I will remain a Jedi until the end. To deal with the injustice this Order covers up — I need to understand it better. "Deliver your master's body to Coruscant."
"That is what I intend to do, Masters," I said, bowing slightly.
"You two are idiots," Even Piell said sharply and harshly. "Just two idiots. What was so hard about waiting for Kuro?" he asked, glancing toward the Dark Woman, who was present at the meeting. "The result: a Jedi Knight is dead, a Padawan has lost his master, an innocent is dead, and the Witch stole the Medallion. This is a failure."
"Calm down," came a voice from the man sitting nearby. I could only say he was most likely human. And I only knew his name. Master Jonal, who had joined the Council from the Shadow Corps. He was dressed in thick white robes that concealed his face. Robes that made him look more like a hero from a certain well-known game series, before the part titled "Origins" came out. "They did what they could. A Jedi died. Is this really the time to talk about it and lay blame?"
"Master Jonal is right," Jocasta Nu supported him. "The Council mourns your loss, Padawan," she addressed me. "We will decide on completing your training later, once you arrive on Coruscant."
"Wait," An'ya Kuro broke the silence that might have signaled the end of the transmission. "I can finish training him."
"What?" asked Master Saesee Tiin. "What did you say, Master Kuro?"
The entire Council stared at her.
"I can complete his training. I knew Lorm better than most, and I also know very well what he could have taught Light. I think it would be right to entrust me with finishing his education."
"Agree with this I do," Yoda replied unexpectedly. "Meet on Coruscant you must. End the transmission now it is time for."
The holoprojector went dark, leaving me slightly stunned. My master — his body was right here, and they were already giving me a new teacher. Though — the Dark Woman herself would be teaching me! That was worth something... I glanced at the Mandalorian armor and bared my teeth... This was a useful trophy, a nameless corpse had no use for it anymore, and I could acquire armor components — just not the kind Teyron had. And more than that... I could rebuild my lightsaber if I infused the armor pieces with the Force... But before that... I drew my lightsaber and spun it in front of me.
"What's wrong with you, old friend?" I asked the hilt... "No, at this rate I'll go crazy. Alright. BB-7," we'd been in the Mid Rim for a while now, where I could report to the Council without any communication problems — "plot a course... All roads lead to Coruscant. It's time for us to be there again... We have a lot of work ahead."