"Let me kill him, master!" exclaimed the obviously younger of this pair... of idiots. Honestly, I already almost knew how they could have come to this.
Training in the Order is classic. And then — a collision with the surrounding reality. And here there are several paths for a Padawan and future Jedi. Either you adapt, in your own way, or you fall, or you leave the Order. Although there's a fourth option — to die. What wonderful prospects in the Galaxy Far, Far Away, though! You can immediately feel that this civilization is a couple of centuries ahead of ours... The question is, in which direction...
"Just don't underestimate him, my student..."
"How strange," I said aloud. "You remind me of clowns. I mean, it makes me want to laugh."
"When I gut you, Jedi, you won't be laughing!" the 'student' exclaimed.
And where did they get crimson swords? In the sense that creating synthetic crystals isn't that easy. Especially for idiots. And on top of that, they're chasing a krayt dragon to get a pearl from it.
"You're also Jedi, albeit fallen," I noted.
"We are Sith!"
If my left hand weren't occupied with grenades, I would probably have slapped my forehead. But here, they might not detonate. Of course, they're not impact-activated. You have to activate them first by pressing a button, but I was still wary. Because the facepalm I was about to give myself had to be pretty strong. And was I really the same when I fell? Or different? I'll have to ask Lorm's projection... Although no, he made it before his death, and why do I need to know that? The main thing now is to somehow deal with these two.
"Fine," I sighed heavily. "I'm tired."
Waving my left hand, I sent the grenades, enhanced with a dose of telekinesis, toward their speeders. The grenades, caught by the Force, fell exactly on the speeders, exploding a couple of seconds later.
"How self-sacrificing," the 'student' laughed. "He decided to make sure we wouldn't pursue your group."
Their level is proven by the fact that they didn't even manage to stop me. The so-called 'teacher,' Maiko, seemed to only follow the grenades with his eyes. Doubts vanished. They're just padawans, like me. Only, no one brought them back from 'that side,' and no one taught them on 'that side.' So they remained like beasts that attack everyone and think they know something. What a strong delusion. After all, the Dark Side of the Force, dependent on emotions, greatly clouds a Sider's mind. He can completely lose himself, reveling in his superiority over others. But what's the result? He'll only be a nobody. Real Sith know how to 'control' such misfortunes. These ones don't, at all.
"Bastard, you'll pay for this," the 'master' flared up. "Prove your skills, student. Kill the Jedi."
The student lunged at me, closing the distance between us, and swung his sword, holding it in both hands. I preferred to block the first attack using a sliding block, nearly slitting the student's throat. He barely managed to jump back.
"Oh... Dangerous."
But from you, there's zero danger. Apparently, he's an adherent of the fifth form, Djem So. I could use Soresu against him; after all, my mastery of this form allows me to drain a Djem So adherent. But that would take a lot of time. No matter what kind of Sider he is, I need to exhaust him with defense first. Additionally, I looked at the second one, and the second might join in, seeing that his student's efficiency is zero point zero. So, since they turned out to be idiots and decided to attack one at a time, that only works in my favor. Because I can calmly get rid of first one, then the other, without much effort. But for that, I need to start with the first... So, again assuming an Ataru stance, this time I didn't let the student attack. A jump; I leaped over the enemy, performing a somersault in the air... He tried to slash me when I was in the air, but couldn't do anything, since I simply blocked his attack. Landing behind his back, I immediately attacked, even though he was already starting to turn around.
The blow was blocked, but I didn't intend to retreat. I struck at his legs next, then dodged his aggressive attack, changed position by jumping to the side, and thrust at his head. The enemy ducked, letting the strike pass over him, and was about to cleave my torso. But I jumped up, twisting in the air. As soon as I landed, I jumped over him again...
"AHHH! HAD ENOUGH!" he exclaimed, turning to me, but I moved away from him in the same second. He delivered a diagonal blow from top to bottom; however, accelerating, I dropped to my knees and slid past his body. A strike from bottom to top... Damn, I wanted to split him in two, but I only cut off his arm.
I predicted the trajectory a bit wrong.
"Ha? AAAAH!" he exclaimed, looking at the stump of his arm with the sword. "Bitch! Hutt's carrion! May the Hutts have you in every hole!"
"You have a short memory, 'Sith,'" I chuckled. "You wanted to kill me. But by killing me, how will you get the Hutts to 'have me in every hole'?"
"I'll kill you! KILL!" he pulled the sword with his other hand and ignited the blade again.
"Stop!" his master exclaimed. "You have disappointed me, Student. But we'll discuss your defeat later. Right now," he aimed his blade at me, "we need to avenge your loss."
This one will definitely be stronger... Makashi? Not a very pleasant system, especially if he knows how to use it. A capable adept of Makashi can easily defeat an adept of Ataru, Soresu, and maybe even give a not-so-smart or skilled adept of Djem So a beating. After all, the essence of this form is swordsmanship itself. Created by fencers and for fencers. My current style, and I prefer Ataru, though I weave in elements of Soresu with counterattacks and blocks, was more like created by drunk acrobats fleeing from an enraged krayt dragon. It has basic elements and its own philosophy. But the essence of Ataru is almost complete improvisation. The combat system is insane, because you constantly change location and position... But that's what has started to attract me to it lately.
"No matter how many of you are here," I sighed. "You are no match for me."
I glanced at the student and, raising my hand, flung him back with telekinesis, and in the next moment, attacked the teacher. I preferred to maneuver less around him; still, this Maiko turned out to be a much more skilled warrior than his would-be student. But despite that, I was still actively pressing him. His sword traced beautiful figures, but I noticed that my almost endless Ataru attacks were wearing down his stamina. After finishing another blade lock, I pointed my hand at him. Seeing the example of the unfortunate student before his eyes, he decided to play it safe, thinking I was about to use a technique, but instead, I swept his legs with a kick. He didn't fall onto the sand, managing to jump back. Meanwhile, his student attacked from behind... Well, attacked? He didn't succeed. In the end, I brought my left hand behind my back and used pyrokinesis. The student didn't have time to react; not every Knight can react to such moves. The enemy was thrown back, his clothes catching fire. While the student fought the flames, I concentrated on the master.
And so they would have lost to me in the next couple of minutes, if I hadn't sensed a strange rumble.
"What the..." the teacher managed to say.
While he was distracted, I tried to kill him by executing a Shiak to the chest, but he dodged and I missed, lurching forward. Turning quickly, I delivered a powerful blow intended to decapitate my enemy, and he managed to block it.
"Bastard. Just stop!" he exclaimed as we closed in. "Don't you hear?"
"While the enemy is distracted, it's the best moment to attack," I informed. "What does it matter what's rumbling..."
"RAAAAAWWWR!" a roar came from the left. I think I even understand... what's 'rumbling.' I literally felt vibrations. Vibrations, explosions, and an incredible roar. Literally blowing away a dune, another enemy appeared on our battlefield. And it was many times more terrifying than everyone I had dealt with before. Throwing the 'would-be Sith' away with telekinesis, I looked closer... The rumors weren't lying: this beast truly had incredible height and great length. Dark-skinned... And its jaw contained so many razor-sharp blades that it made me uneasy.
The krayt dragon's body swayed; a grenade from a grenade launcher had clearly hit it. It wasn't Bombur who fired, but someone from another squad.
"Bring it down! Bring it down!" the sentients were shouting.
The krayt dragon roared and, surprisingly fast for its size, attacked another opponent, literally devouring him. Hutt! It interrupted my fight! However, I came for it first and foremost, so I'd have to change my attack target. I ran toward the beast. And it clearly noticed me. Laser bolts constantly drilled into its body, but they were like pellets to an elephant. Will a grappling hook pierce it? That depends on where you hit. However, conveniently for me, it opened its mouth in another roar, which I used by firing into its palate. Using enhancement, I jumped, gradually shortening the cable. This way I also pulled myself upward. The dragon, which seemed to treat all other hits with indifference, clearly didn't like the unnatural grappling hook. Not that it was terribly uncomfortable, but judging by its movements, the foreign object didn't add to its joy. I had made the hook from fairly strong metal, so it managed to penetrate the inner side of its body, which wasn't covered in thick hide.
Either way, it could have ended badly. The krayt dragon wanted to close its jaws, destroying the cable.
"You're quicker than the others," I retracted the hook, having already gained enough speed and the necessary height. But... the plan was to avoid the attack and drop down on it from above, piercing its head with a lightsaber and thus killing it... But how do I get to the top of it? And will the saber reach the brain? Hutt! Why did I only think about how to land at the right point after I launched myself? My hook won't pierce its thick hide; after all, the alloy I made it from is no beskar! And I wouldn't even bet on that. Look, Hori lost his spear, which he had on his back, somewhere; he probably tried to skewer the dragon with it but failed. So what to do? Right... I'm an adept of Ataru now, for a while now. With the help of the Force, I can help myself maneuver in the right direction.
Which I did, simply accelerating my fall this way. I ended up right on its head and, without stopping my rotation, delivered a powerful, cutting strike... But the lightsaber carved a groove, sparked, and nothing...
"What the hell?" I exclaimed, standing on its head. "What do you mean? I haven't read about this!" In the Jedi archives, it was mentioned that some specimens, in principle, could even withstand a lightsaber strike, but those were unique relics... But now they've degenerated, plus the hunters.
Huh? A missile coming at me? Oh crap, the others are fighting too. They only looked away for a brief moment, watching my attack. No joke: a sentient, using a cable and grappling hook, wielding a lightsaber, had jumped onto the krayt dragon's head. And it seemed like he was about to kill it! Without much thought, I jumped down. And now, finally, I could count those present. Besides my fully alive but partially wounded and exhausted group, there were Tuskens here, five individuals. And around forty sentients of varying degrees, I suspect, of scumminess. Mercenaries and pirates. Plus two Dark Siders...
"It looks like your attack didn't succeed," a female voice came from nearby. Vanda?
"I see you're all okay... Although he's still alive..."
"Your enemies are also still alive," she nodded toward the pair of Siders.
"Any plan?"
"Ask Jacob, on the network, he..." I didn't hear the rest; the dragon let out an incredible roar, unlike anything I'd heard from it before. He was still being showered with fire from all sides, but he lived and lunged at the sentients like a mad dog, biting, tearing, and crushing with fury. Vanda used her pack and flew up to her comrades, continuing to pour on heavy fire.
Even the lightsaber couldn't take its hide, but I had managed to hook its palate earlier... Clear as this Hutt's day, its internal body parts are less protected than the external ones... And the only way to reach them is through its mouth, which means I have to attack from the front. Making my decision, I turned left, still using Force acceleration, and ran toward its mouth, preparing a technique on the way. The Dark ones had completely lost their minds, just pounding on it with their lightsabers... Well, what about tactics? You can't always win with brute force. Even the 'student,' who held his sword in his left hand and laughed loudly, was hitting the dragon, while the dragon was being showered with fire, and the prehistoric animal itself was reducing the numbers of pirates and mercenaries of the Galaxy Far, Far Away. I didn't make it in time... Another roar created streams of air that threw the would-be Sith aside, along with everyone around it... And I watched in horror as its tail, also lashing left and right, hit Vanda. The woman was hurled to the ground, plowed a couple of dozen meters, and lay still...
"ROOOOAR!" the dragon roared. The tail was coming down right on me... My eye caught the teacher, Maiko, I think. An idea... Using the grappling hook, I shot into the 'master's' body. Hitting the sentient, I pulled the cable back. He never understood what happened. His body ended up next to mine... I had to help myself with the Force, though. At the same time, I took advantage of the hesitation and got the hell out of there. Although the shockwave still caught me and slammed me to the ground. But that's better than being smeared by the tail of the huge monster...
"NOOO! MASTER!" forgetting everything, his would-be student attacked me. I dodged a simple overhead swing and, spinning around, ended up to his right. At the same time, very close to his left, the dragon lunged at me, mouth open. Thus, this clown was between me and the dragon. The Force itself commanded me to fatally please him with this circumstance.
"At least look around you," waving my hand, I threw the Dark Sider into the dragon's mouth. The beast closed its jaws, grinding the idiot into mush...
Tail again? I need to change location... It's already kicked up the sand to incredible heights. Turning around, I ran... No, not like that. I applied a tactical maneuver of the 'change position to find a better opportunity' class. Hm? So the dragon has been affected by the constant shots and hits from 'Ground-Monster' class missiles. It became much slower and seemed to start breathing heavily. Or is it because it ate the Dark Sider? Well, what about it? They're Dark Siders! Have you seen Palpatine after abusing the Dark? If I were in the dragon's place, I wouldn't eat that, even if there was a threat of extinction.
"Hey, Jedi!" Jacob's voice came through. "Can you heal her?"
I looked in his direction. I tried to run based on my team's location. We're a team, right? Plus, Mandalorians are much better cover than any rabble. Jacob was holding Vanda in his arms and seemed not to care at all that Hori and Bombur were giving it their all out there... Is that right? He's the commander. Help for the wounded should be provided after the battle.
"I'm weak in healing," I didn't lie. My talent has helped me master many Force techniques. But healing requires filigree control of the Force with thorough knowledge of the patient's body structure. I'm more about destruction. "I can only patch myself up, probably. But her... I can't help," she wasn't dead; I could hear Vanda's breathing even through the battle. Why? Because of the enhancement, all my senses had reached a qualitatively new level. Although there were problems, like the dragon's roar. It made me uncomfortable... She needs proper help. The only way to do that is to end the battle sooner. Then my gaze caught on a rock behind the dragon, and a new plan formed in my head. Another one, fitting the category: either you do it, or you die. But the stakes are high... I'm already feeling exhaustion. Constantly using Force Techniques is quite difficult. "Lure the dragon to me," I told Jacob. "To the spot where I'm standing now. In," I closed my eyes, "about two minutes."
"At this rate, it's not certain we'll last a minute!"
"If we play it safe and keep fighting like this, we'll all die!" I hammered home. "I can't fly around it forever! I also have a limit to my stamina," I sighed heavily. "Nevertheless, I'm your trump card. I have enough skill and reflexes to wound it badly. The wound will be incredibly serious. And you'll finish it off. Use everything you have. Come on."
"Alright, Jedi. But if we die..."
"Then you'll rise and kill me, Mando?" I asked mockingly. "I'm not afraid of death; I've forgotten how."
He didn't answer, just took Vanda and flew up. Jacob put her in a safe place, and then I, standing quietly off to the side, watched the dragon change direction. Sluggishly, but still managing to lash its tail and slice through mercenaries. Only three Mandalorians and ten pirate mercenaries were left alive. Two Tuskens were firing at the krayt dragon from a distance, but it didn't make much difference... Finally, it turned to face me... And I wasn't just standing there calmly — I was preparing. My right hand was wreathed in flames. With pyrokinesis, I can throw small fireballs, but they're only good for quick fights and not against everyone. Setting clothes on fire, maybe... though even idiots manage to survive that. The dragon roared and charged at me.
"This is for last time," I said, firing a cable under its body, catching a rock, and skidding across the sand. "Take this!" The fireball I'd been charging for a good ten seconds came out about two meters in diameter and flew straight into its mouth. Freed from the "burden" of the technique, I drew my lightsaber in my right hand, ignited it, and carved a trench across its belly. Maybe the belly was less protected. Sliding underneath it, I spotted my ship hovering nearby, along with all the remaining sentients. "Now! Fire!"
At my command, they fired. All at once. And BB started hosing down the krayt dragon with everything the ship had. Behind me, several explosions rang out, merging into one big one. The smoke didn't clear for a good forty seconds, so I helped it along with my Force technique... The dragon's body crashed onto the sand. I felt its aura go dark. It's dead… The Star Trek landed right next to the carcass, and Jacob quickly orientated himself, already carrying Vanda over there. I sighed and sat down on the sand, not even caring that it might dirty my white suit. The dragon's carcass lay there showing no signs of life, except its left hind leg was twitching.
"Ah… Ha-ha-ha," I laughed, an unprecedented relaxation spreading through my body. The Force techniques stopped their work and my muscles began to relax. But what pleased me most was the adrenaline — it was what created that feeling, that wonderful feeling. I'd blocked it out during the battle, and now it even seemed like a shame. Because it was simply beautiful, that feeling, as if the very energy inside you was spiraling into a tight vortex. Definitely, something had changed in me after absorbing Arrogant. Absorbing the spirit of a Sith isn't something you can just do. Did it affect me? Because analyzing my fights — first with An'ya Kuro, and now with the krayt dragon — I realized I was starting to enjoy this excited state, with the adrenaline.
"Pleasant feeling," Hori's voice came from behind. "What a beast we took down."
"That it is," I nodded.
"And look how they're staring at you," he nodded toward the survivors. Some looked terrified, some astonished. I couldn't say anything about the emotions of the surviving Tuskens. "You made a huge contribution to defeating this beast. By the way, many who tried to kill it the same way you did are now feeding the desert. They lacked the speed and reflexes."
"The Force itself can enhance a Gifted's physical parameters."
"I know," Hori sighed sadly, sitting down beside me. "I envy you."
"You envy me?" I asked caustically. "Don't. A Gifted is like a pregnant sentient — just on a galactic scale. Mood swings, losses, worldview — everything is connected to the Force, and the Force is connected to all of it. The Dark Side of the Force and the Light — they can directly influence our actions. And which side we're on depends on our character… And it's clear why the darkness is dangerous. It can only destroy and pervert, and if it creates something, that something is repulsive to most. Radical light won't bring anything good either… What would you prefer? To have a metaphysical Force influence your way of thinking, depending on what emotions — or lack thereof — you're accustomed to using, all while being a warrior? Or to completely control your actions, thoughts, and deeds, regardless of everything?"
"There are debatable points in that," Hori replied. "But there are positives too. Besides, you Jedi are under the Senate's control…"
"I hear bitter sarcasm in your voice, Hori," I said.
"Jedi were once Knights of justice… Now you're just Knights of the Senate," the man replied. "Think about it, Padawan. I'm telling you this because you yourself seem like a decent sentient."
"Because of my stupidity, people dear to me died…"
"Because of mine, a city was destroyed, along with my entire family," Hori said, suddenly cold. "My little sister was the same age as you. She was a beauty — half the city chased after her. But she died… just like my mother died, my nephews, my uncle — who replaced my father, who died three years after I was born. They all died… All of them. But you know — does it really matter? Mourning the dead. What did they tell you in your Order? The dead are dead — let them go and move on. Coming back to the Jedi, I'd advise you to leave this Order. You're a decent sentient, but does this Order suit you? Young Padawans want to be like the Jedi of old, from their golden age. Think about it… if anything — our group will be open to you…"
Yeah, open? And what awaits me? A company of four mercenaries running around the Outer Rim of the Galaxy? If I'm going to leave the Order, it should be for something greater than the Jedi themselves. And right now, I don't even have a goal… Then all the survivors except the wounded came up to us. I ordered BB to allow only Vanda to help with medical aid. The rest had to either accept their fate… or rely on luck.
"How are we splitting this?" asked a bald man in tattered clothes.
"Isn't it obvious?" Jacob asked, walking up to us. "About seventy percent of this carcass belongs to our group. This," he nodded toward my starship, "is a ship belonging to a member of our team. And the fatal blow was essentially delivered by him."
With the insides roasted…
"Aren't you being a bit…" one bandit started, but immediately got a blaster shot to the forehead. A second later, Hori holstered his blaster.
An unhappy murmur rose…
"No, we're not," Hori replied. "Besides, we have a Jedi on our side, as well as three Mandalorians. Don't tempt fate…"
A Tusken said something in their language.
"He doesn't know what 'a Jedi' is?" Hori said, then answered him. "I told him a Jedi is someone capable of wiping out his entire tribe single-handedly… They agree to our terms."
"I need the…"
"I remember," Jacob waved him off. "The pearl and the hide. Let me think about how best to butcher this animal's carcass, whose hide held up against a lightsaber strike."
"Blow it up?" Bombur asked.
"I'll blow you up," Jacob shook his head, "if I hear one more word about explosions today."
"Why the questions?" Hori asked. "There's special vibro-equipment that works on a specific frequency. Besides, the belly is much less protected. Just before it fell, I saw the trench the lightsaber left. And it was a genuine wound."
"Great," one of the mercenaries said. "Now we just need to figure out how to flip it over…"
"Weight is a convention," I said calmly. "There is no weight. Weight is only in my head." The world seemed to narrow, blur. Everyone around froze. Only me and the krayt dragon remained… And the Force. Something strange was felt inside its carcass. It responded specifically to me, as if resonating with me.
"Is he alright?" someone asked.
"Don't interfere," Jacob's voice cut him off.
I stared at the dragon's carcass.
"Weight is a convention. There is no weight — there is only the Force."
The dragon's carcass began to slowly lift off Tatooine's sands. Come on… Now. Carefully flipping it onto its back, I immediately tried to lower it just as carefully. Slowly, so as not to kick up sand…
"Ha!" I sighed heavily. "This is already… really bad."
"A useful ability," Jacob's voice came. "Looks like we just got an answer to the question of how to flip it over… Shall we start butchering?"