Coruscant... I was returning to this planet again. Coming out of hyperspace, we immediately contacted the control tower. As soon as ordinary sentients received the codes confirming that the ship belonged to a Jedi, they immediately organized a corridor to the Temple for us without any questions. Though, I suspect, reluctantly. After all — many inhabitants of the Republic see Jedi as arrogant dogs. And they aren't far from the truth... The Jedi of the Republic's twilight are themselves too removed from the concerns of sentients. They fly around the Galaxy, take children, sometimes resolve conflicts. Successfully, or not... The Sith acted much more cunningly, which is how they managed to defeat the Jedi. Will I be able to correct the consequences of such a victory?
Actually, I've already decided everything for myself. Both the Jedi and their Republic must learn a couple of valuable lessons. But to later stand on the ashes of burned organizations and say: 'I told you so! I told you! Now we'll do it my way' I myself need to survive the upcoming meat grinders. Because if I don't survive, I'm not worth a damn. Like all my convictions, everything will suddenly become worthless and not be worth a single credit. So for now, thoughts about what the new order will be like should be pushed far away. Because the order will be 'someday later,' but I need to survive right now. I got two new swords and I'm going to switch to a new style.
And that takes time, nerves... but nothing. I'm used to training. I just need to find those I need. We approached the Temple in broad daylight. I carefully guided the ship into the hangar's maw, keeping in mind the number of the pad where I was supposed to land. There it was... A group of technicians was already standing at my pad, ready to service the descending ship. The ramp opened and released me and my mentor from the ship...
"Quickly tell them what to do with your ship, and let's go. We need to train," she informed me. "I might arrange something with some Jar'Kai adept and look for training methods for you."
I looked at the technicians.
"You don't have to strain yourselves," one of the technicians said, looking at a datapad. "Flew to Tatooine? A desert planet on the backwater," he smirked. "Give us three days and your bird will be ready for new achievements. By the way, we got new missiles in, more powerful than yours, though they fit your silos. Should we install them?"
"Three days?" Kuro asked. "But..."
"You might not know," the technician retorted, "but particles of sand and dust get inside the ship one way or another. It's better for us to clean everything here, inspect it, refuel it, and prepare it, than for some speck of dust to damage something on you."
"It's best not to argue with technicians, Master..."
"Right," the man nodded. "This guy gets it. Don't worry, Master Jedi! We'll do everything top-notch!"
"Go ahead," I nodded. "And install the missiles."
My mentor gave me a slightly angry look, then turned to the technician, who had already sparked his creative process, pulling a key from his pocket.
"Let's get to work, boys, while it's still day."
"Let's go..."
Leaving the hangar, we headed for the training halls.
"This is why I don't have a personal ship," the Jedi woman informed me. "Anyone who knows more about tech than you can shut you down. I hate technicians."
"Hatred leads to the dark side, Master," I noted reasonably.
"As does weakness," An'ya Kuro replied. "You've already been on the Dark Side. So I'll trust your judgment. But... since we've got three days, maybe it's for the best. You'll be able to train with your swords much longer. And it's not just about Jar'Kai. You can see for yourself how different your swords are from your old one. So you need to not only learn the two-sword fencing style but also get used to using your swords in combat with your usual style. Speaking of which, I noticed — your bracers are a cool thing, sure. But haven't you loaded them up a bit too much? No cloak is going to hide your swords on your arms like that. Wouldn't it be simpler to move the sword mounts a little higher? Place the magnets for attaching the swords a bit above the elbow bend, just below the armpits. That would free up the construction around the wrists. You're pulling the swords out with the Force anyway, and given your telekinesis, which lets you disengage the magnet and draw the swords in time — there won't be a noticeable difference in speed."
"Hmm," I thought, looking at my hands. "It really does protrude, even with the cloak."
"Well, of course, if you're planning to become a Defender — the kind you can't feed with standard rations, just let you slap a couple of bands on a sword — then you can ignore this observation."
"No, it's an interesting observation, Master, thank you. Speaking of which, I have a question for you."
"And what do you want to ask?" We were already walking through the corridors of the lower levels; a little more and we'd reach the training hall.
"You know, you possess a unique Force technique. Teleportation..." She stopped abruptly. "What's the matter?"
"You want to learn this technique?" she asked sharply. "Unfortunately for you, you simply don't have the time. You see, it took me almost eight years to master this technique myself. And I managed without a mentor's help. Practice shows that successfully mastering Teleportation requires, at a minimum, about five years under my guidance. And most importantly — this Technique does not forgive mistakes. Not at all, in any form. If you were many times weaker, I would bring your level up to Knight proficiency. But you already surpass some Knights. I have no desire to waste my time on you. Lord Lorm was my friend. You are his student, but nothing more. For me, the goal is to serve the Order as I see fit. Dealing with you interferes with that."
"Thank you for your honest answer," I said. "You don't hold any particular fondness for me."
"Because I see no point in it. You and Lorm, many others... You form Force Bonds with each other, become full-fledged friends and comrades. But all of this, in my opinion, only gets in the way. And you are a perfect example. As soon as you lost someone valuable, you fell immediately. A Jedi should have no attachments. So after Sernpidal, if you don't fail the Trials, we'll part ways. Let's go," she nodded ahead.
Well. Maximally harsh and pragmatic. She's a dark woman, not in skin color... But in character — darker than dark. How has she not fallen with that attitude? Then again, probably like Mace Windu. They cling to the fact that the Light doesn't just warm, but can also kill. The door to one of the halls opened, revealing an almost empty room. Sword racks stood against the far wall; the hall was lit exclusively by lamp light. Training droids lay deactivated. And in the center of the hall, on his knees, a man meditated. Before him lay two swords... He was dressed in almost the same clothes as me, a white cloak with a hood, black trousers.
"Master Jonal," An'ya Kuro said. "I've brought the one I spoke of."
"Light Flyingstar," the man rose. The swords migrated to his belt. "An'ya Kuro mentioned that... hmm, due to circumstances, you've decided to tweak your fencing style a bit. Jar'Kai. You're perfectly suited for it."
"Master," I gave a slight bow to show respect for the man.
"When are you leaving, An'ya Kuro?" Jonal asked my mentor.
"In three days. Though I wanted to today... Hutt-spawn technicians..."
"The place you're going to is too dangerous to arrive unprepared. We've received reliable data that a Dathomirian witch is behind the disappearance of civilians. We don't know her goal yet, just footage where the ground attacked police officers, preceded by a green flash. I recognized their magic without difficulty. She's likely strong..."
"A Dathomirian witch," I said, literally feeling a chill.
"You've encountered one of them before," Jonal said. "A certain Shilazh, who worked with Teyron Jarps. I don't know the witch's identity, but whoever it is — you should prepare well. It's even good that the technicians will be checking your starship for three days."
"But other sentients," I noted.
"And while you fly a whole week to Sernpidal — sentients will die anyway. Such is our life. But you know what, Light. If someone who can become strong doesn't use every moment of their life to grow stronger, then far more sentients may die than are currently suffering from the witch's actions. You have a chance... Hmm. I suspect you know why An'ya Kuro brought you to this particular hall. I am a Master of Jar'Kai, I fought with it when you were still in diapers. I can drill the basics into you... But three days... That's too little, even with your talent and persistence," Jonal brought his hand to his chin. "So — take the swords from the racks. We'll drill the style into you through combat."
And why am I surprised? They all do this... No, when you're a youngling, you memorize katas and such. But no katas will help you in battle. I trained in Lorm Decer's sanctuary, so my arrival in "civilization" was bloody, I'd say. I had experience surviving in an aggressive environment, and I had no problem turning sentients into kebabs, reasoning that if not them, then me. Of course, I would have preferred to study Jar'Kai in a calm setting... But who would give me that? The Force? The Council? Destiny? No, you have to learn something in battle. It's better to learn the basics before the actual battle. Then experience becomes my teacher... I recalled a couple of stances from adepts of two-handed fencing and pulled the training swords into my palms. Icy-white blades ignited, and I stood in a fairly familiar stance. Both hands were positioned in front of my body, swords pointing upward.
"I won't ask if you're ready to die," Jonal said. The door to the room slammed shut, and I was immediately thrown back by a powerful telekinetic push.
What? I was dragged across the floor... Tumbling, I tried to get up... Jonal had disappeared? Oh, Hutt! I instantly raised both blades in front of me and blocked his attack. Or rather, I thought I blocked it, but the strikes were splitting, and my arms simply flew to the side, along with the swords. The blow came to my chest from top to bottom. Even though my clothes were made of fairly dense fabric, I noted that this fact wouldn't have saved me. He would have just cut me into three pieces if he'd used combat swords.
"Ah," I used Force amplification and immediately attacked the Master with my swords in an X pattern; he blocked the strike.
"Well, try it..."
My attack continued; the deflected swords clashed with his defense again, which was calm to some degree, like an ocean in a dead calm. I delivered strikes of varying speed and power, showing off my attacking skills, mainly using the Ataru and Shii-Cho styles, or rather the philosophy of those styles for dealing damage. Jonal blocked them with a kind of laziness. Finally, I repeated his top-to-bottom attack with both swords.
"Mistake," he concluded when I tried to push through his defense. I was thrown back. Telekinesis? No, he just kicked me. "To become a true master of the style, you have to know its weaknesses. When you know your weakness, you can fix it or, say, cover it with something else," he assumed a stance. His right hand, with the sword, was above his forehead, and his left was at chest level. The swords pointed in different directions. "You can use the weakness-seeking technique, can't you? You're not predisposed to it, but you learned it on your own, right?" the Master asked. "Use it now."
"What?" I asked after a few seconds. Usually, I could see vulnerable points on an enemy's body. They could move across the body depending on the enemy's movements and position, but if I struck them, I could defeat the enemy. That technique didn't work on my mentor because she could guess and teleport right in the middle of a fight, though she didn't like doing that — it required too much concentration.
"I know my weaknesses, so I was able to negate them to the point where your current level isn't enough to overcome me. I am a Master of Jar'Kai," Master Jonal repeated. "And I know the weaknesses of my style far better than most. And you need to know these weaknesses. Weakness number one. Most, if not all, Force-sensitives, when manipulating the Force, prefer to perform an action with their palm, a movement, to focus better on the target of the influence. We direct our hands to use telekinesis. You direct your hand to use pyrokinesis... And so it is even with Force persuasion. However, when using two swords, it's very unusual to direct an open palm the way everyone is used to," the man returned to a normal stance and raised his right hand. He held the sword with the Force... I was lifted off the ground by telekinesis; it wasn't an attack, just a demonstration. He gently set me down. "Even though we don't shout the names of techniques like in cheap animated shows — and there is anime in the galaxy, by the way... I think there's anime even in the Warhammer universe. — How do you cover such a weakness?"
"Learn to use techniques without unnecessary movements," I answered simply. Like magic in Harry Potter. There are verbal spells and their non-verbal versions. If you learn to use telekinesis without waving your hand, then no one will guess when I get the idea to throw someone into lava during a battle over a volcano, for example.
"And that's the only way," Jonal nodded. "Although, you could attach a third arm to yourself, but I haven't seen anyone that insane yet. Weakness number two... You're too focused on the blades themselves. That's a classic beginner's weakness. Now there are two swords, and you're fixated exclusively on them. Tell me honestly, Light," Jonal addressed me. "Would you have been able to avoid the kick I landed on you in the clinch if you were fighting with one sword? Even if I was moving at my full speed?"
"I would have," I answered simply. "Or I would have been ready for the blow."
"Correct," Master Jonal agreed. "But during the fight with two swords, that didn't happen. And while the first weakness is mitigated by training with the Force, the second is only mitigated by experience. And the third is the most important weakness of the style, or rather, the tactic. Because Jar'Kai is just a tactic."
"A tactic? Jar'Kai was invented by the Yovshin swordsmen," I recalled the history.
"Correct," the man confirmed with a nod. "But all of it is just a tactic. The true style comes from Niman. The sixth form of fencing, which incorporates all the previous ones, so to speak. What is the peculiarity and weakness of the two-sword fencing tactic? It's simple — it directly depends on your basic style with one sword."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning, let's say your basic style is Ataru. Master Yoda did give you his Holocron, didn't he?" he asked me. "Don't look at me like that. I am a Master of the High Council and I am also the leader of all Jedi Shadows, the direct superior of your mentor, among others. Our specialization is finding Force artifacts, operational reconnaissance of terrain, and — elimination. And we must be prepared to eliminate absolutely any Force-sensitive. Do you know what that means?"
"You've collected data on all Force-sensitives, organizations, lone wolves and... Jedi?"
"Correct," Master Jonal confirmed. "This isn't a particular secret; anyone who knows about the Shadows can guess that we have a couple dozen megabytes of data on them. And we have it on you. Your strengths, your weaknesses, possible desires, analyses, and so on. Master Yoda has a weakness for talented Force-sensitives like you, and he likes to mentor them. Either as a full mentor, as was the case with Master Dooku, or just by giving advice, as with you. Let's get back to Ataru. Your Ataru style will heavily influence your use of two swords. This makes Jar'Kai unique, because you weave Ataru into the style; someone else makes their Jar'Kai based on Makashi, and so on. But at the same time, this gives the specific weaknesses of that style to your Jar'Kai. For instance, with Ataru, it's a preference for movement and acrobatics. How do we handle this?"
"Can't we combine it? Elements of Soresu and Ataru..."
"A full combination of one of the best offenses and the best defense, even in Jar'Kai, has never been achieved by anyone," the Master answered. "That's not just for masters of fencing. I would be ready to call such a Jedi a God of Sword. Because Soresu and Ataru, Soresu and Shien/Djem So, Soresu and Makashi. All forms except Soresu are created for offense, more or less. They have their own defensive movements, but it's not Soresu, where every movement is subordinated to defense. Offense and defense are two fundamentally different concepts. And combining them... No, we, adepts and masters of the two-handed style, can use elements of Soresu. For example, one sword for defense, the other for attack. Or we can use our two favorite maneuvers: 'Rising Whirlwind' and 'Double Strike'... But to fully combine what is focused on offense with what is focused on defense... No, that's a completely new style. In the millennia of Jar'Kai's existence, no one has managed it. Not to say the resulting style would be perfect, but the very fact of such a combination, and someone who could use the new style at the highest level... I don't think he'd have many rivals, at least initially. Later they'd figure out how to defeat him... But for some time, he would enter the archives solely as 'The Greatest Swordsman of His Time' and so on..."
There it was... Why Master Lorm and I set out to find the medallion. The goal was to test that medallion, a Force artifact, and summon Tulak Hord. I was puzzled, as was Lorm Decer himself, by the desire to gain knowledge about the fencing of the Great Sith, the Lord of Hatred. And not just him... Summoning a Force Ghost, according to Darth Arrogant's information, isn't like using a Holocron, into which, during creation, they can put some surprises like: activation under certain conditions or revealing a technique under a specific condition, no... A Force Ghost is summoned with all its knowledge and, most importantly, is more or less subservient to the summoner. At least, if you follow the instructions... And now I have a clue... Perhaps a full combination of Ataru and Soresu using one sword will never be possible, but what if you use two swords? Could it work? Could Tulak Hord at least give me the answer? Or will I have to figure everything out on my own?
"So, I see you're thinking about something," Jonal broke the silence. "Which is wrong, given the chosen training method," he pointed his swords at me again. "It's best if you learn everything in battle. You'll memorize the katas from the data An'ya Kuro collects. Although what katas are there for a tactic? Just adapt Ataru... or Soresu? Which will you prefer?"
He closed the distance between us. I ducked, letting the sword pass over my head. With his second sword, he aimed to slash diagonally upward, right at my face. He has no brakes at all! A training sword can burn out an eye! I dived to the side, avoiding the strike, and turning, amplifying myself with the Force, I struck him in the side with both swords.
"Last mistake," Master Jonal said. "Attacking with both swords at the same point is a sign of a foolish Jar'Kai adept!" He blocked both my swords with just one of his. Hutt! He's physically quite strong; his figure, judging by his form-fitting clothes, shows decently developed arms, plus the physical amplification from the technique. So he blocks my strikes with one hand, and the other... Shiak? I jumped over him, avoiding the Shiak right to my gut. A back attack in the air from his right hand... The blow landed, but he blocked it. Landing. Jonal turned to face me... Another attack from his right hand, this time I delivered a powerful blow to his chest, and with my left hand... a blow to his legs. He managed to block both strikes.
"There, a fairly decent 'Double Strike.' Slashing attacks to different parts of the body," the man said. "Even a beginner like you could grasp that logic. That's wonderful... Well then. Let's continue. All you have left is to overlay your Ataru even more onto the two-sword tactic... And for that, I'll show you the next maneuver, 'Rising Whirlwind,'" he said.
In the next second, my eyes genuinely saw double. Of course, my abilities allowed me to outpace Jedi of Knight level in speed. And my reflexes matched... but here was a full-fledged Master. He turned into a real whirlwind of two swords, constantly spinning his body with the Force and striking at different points. White flashes struck like lightning, without pause. The first couple of times, I confidently blocked the strikes, but he didn't even stop after the blocks, only increasing the pace, which made me start jumping around him and weaving, dodging the Master's blows. Eventually, I even switched to grappling, trying to escape from under the strikes, his attack was so fast. But he instantly closed the distance to me and continued his attack...
"Ay!" at one point, the blade hit me right on the cheek. I wasn't proficient enough with Crucitorn for that; then the second hit my wrist; the first hit my stomach with a Shiak; the second hit my leg... I fell on my rear, nursing the spots that had been caught in the barrage.
"An unpleasant maneuver, isn't it," Jonal's voice came. "A true deadly whirlwind. Only two countermeasures: disrupt the attack with the Force, using telekinesis, or have far better and faster reflexes than the attacker, and impose your own pace on him. But who would let you do the first? And it's not certain there's a Jedi now who can impose their pace on me when I'm using Jar'Kai. Yoda, Dooku, perhaps," he nodded. "For the rest, the chances of survival are slim."
He twirled the blades in his hands.
"Many call Jar'Kai a style based on Niman. But still, I prefer to call it a 'tactic.' It's the tactic of 'how to use two swords at once.' And every tactic has its signature maneuvers. 'Double Strike' and 'Rising Whirlwind' are the two foundational maneuvers of Jar'Kai. Naturally, everyone brings something of their own to these maneuvers. And I expect the same from you. Ataru is still preferable here; moreover, Ataru adepts use two swords in their training," true. I recalled a couple of such training sessions. "I have enough time. And our training," he assumed the pose again, "is just beginning. Now try to repeat the 'Rising Whirlwind.' At the same time, remember the philosophy of Ataru... Interesting," a strange note slipped into his voice. "What you'll come up with... And if you'll come up with anything at all."
I activated the lightsaber blades again. After Jonal's last attack, I had dropped them. Now, standing in a ready stance, I thought about attacking him... Recall Ataru? Use two swords? Well then... Why not. Especially since I feel like I'm starting to understand where the crux of it is... Here goes... I launched into the air and attacked the Master Jedi. I know... or I think I know. My mind grasped all the points Jonal made, and now I was trying to apply attacks with two swords based on his notes. But there was another problem. So far, only my mind understood this. My mind, but not my body. It would take a long time before I could force my body to fight using the Jar'Kai tactic. I had to think a lot and understand a lot about this 'tactic' to use it fully in battle.
Overlay Ataru, huh? I took it literally, almost forgetting about defense. Like a rabbit, I jumped around the Master, spinning slashing strikes to different points on his body. The icy swords vanished; instead, there were only flashes. Jonal fought at a 'slightly higher level than me.' He clearly wasn't using all his abilities, but at the same time, he was stronger than me, so to speak, so that I would raise my own level during the battle... His defense couldn't be broken so easily, but what if... I blinked. Not permitted? Possibly, but the moment I opened my eyes, a wave of telekinesis radiated from me, pushing the Master back slightly. He predicted it, so he was able to negate the Force Push.
"Good job," the man praised sparingly. "You used telekinesis without unnecessary movements. But you're not trained in that; practice it more often. You tensed up too much," Jonal said.
"That's nothing," I replied. I felt something strange in my chest again. Like something resembling a flow... No... Excitement? Jonal is much stronger than me, more experienced. But it seemed to stop bothering me. I distinctly felt myself smile, and a pleasant languor of Force amplification spread through my muscles. I literally felt the desire to win... The same as back then. When I fell... Yes! But stop. This desire... This pleasure. I get it in battle... This is a sign of falling, when a Force-sensitive starts reveling uncontrollably in battle. But it feels so good, it gives such a spiritual uplift and possibilities for the body. They definitely expand. A lot depends on the emotions themselves, right? So what to do? If I let myself go, I'll become that fallen one again, and maybe even Jonal will kill me. No... I have to revel in the battle, but try to keep myself under control. It's not the Force manipulating my emotions and leading me. It's me who decides how to act. "I think I'm starting to understand. Let's continue, Master."
* * *
And for the next two days, we continued training in the Jar'Kai tactic. I got a lot of food for thought. The new style, the hints at combining Soresu and Ataru, and the 'reveling in battle,' though the latter is clearly Arrogant's influence — he did merge into my body and try to take it over. But in the end, I managed to destroy him. In the evening, before departure, I decided to meditate in the Hall of a Thousand Fountains. It's my favorite spot in the Temple... After the bed in my own room. Sitting there, meditating, I can both continue my self-analysis and just relax, considering I've had a 'massive overdose' of self-analysis lately, a serious one. It's time to focus on training. And the answers on how to proceed will come with experience. After all, I was isolated from society, so judging by what laws it should live, let alone pushing it somewhere... In principle, I could, but first, learn something at least.
"Grand Master," I interrupted my meditation. I was sitting on the edge of one of the fountains, meditating to the soft murmur of the water.
"You have mastered Force perception well to notice me," Master Yoda's voice came. The short being sat down beside me.
"It's not Force perception, Grand Master. It's just that your cane scraped the stone too loudly," I opened my eyes and looked at the Jedi.
"Did it?"
"From thirty paces before you sat down here," I explained.
"Mmmmm," the Jedi hummed.
"You want to talk to me," I looked at the Grand Master. "About what?"
"Must I find reasons to talk to other Jedi, hmm? Light? I remember you as a very small child who arrived at the Temple about eleven years ago. You seemed a calm, kind, and sweet child."
"All children seem that way," I shook my head, "until you find out what they're thinking."
"And children grow into adults, like trees," Yoda nodded toward the park, "which start from a small seed; children grow the same way and later put out leaves. The older they get, the wiser and smarter they become."
"I understand what you're saying," I said after about thirty seconds. "How have I changed since then? After all, time is the best property that changes sentients."
"Correctly you reason."
"I am interesting to you because I have great potential, Grand Master. It's hard not to notice that you try to guide everyone with above-average potential."
"For I have taught Jedi for eight hundred years," the Grand Master said. "The stronger a Jedi in potential, the more dangerous he can be. You cannot imagine how terrible it is when a Jedi falls. But when a strong Jedi falls into the embrace of Darkness — harm can be done not only to the Force and other Jedi, but to the entire Galaxy. You knew history better than anyone in your group, I recall."
"You're worried about me. That's flattering," I answered calmly.
"No. I am happy for you, Light. Your path, whatever it may be — a fine Jedi you will become," Yoda said. I looked into his eyes... They radiated understanding... He looked at me in a fatherly way, as if he understood what conclusions I had reached. Or is it just my imagination? Am I just thinking that Yoda understood what I might, and for now, want to lead the Republic and the Jedi to... No. That's just an illusion.
"Only time will tell, Grand Master. The past is forgotten, the future is hidden, and the present is a gift, as you said... When the future opens up and becomes the present — only then will we understand what kind of Jedi I will become."
Yoda's lips seemed to curl into a smile.
"The trends don't disappoint me yet, Light. And that is good. The trials have forged you and tempered you for future accomplishments. I look forward to speaking with you after the Knight Trials, when you become a Knight, I hope."
"Thank you, Grand Master," I said, rising from the edge of the ledge. I should play some game on the computer and then go to sleep. "For everything that was, that is, and that will be. I don't know where my Jedi path will lead me, or what kind of Jedi I will become... But your wisdom, whatever it may be, is valuable. And if you say you'll want to keep talking with me — that warms my soul."
"May the Force be with you, Light," the Grand Master wished me. "Hmm... I must meditate, a good place you chose. Until tomorrow."
"Goodbye, Grand Master," I said, heading toward my room. For the first time actually hoping that I would, for once, sleep — but first, yes, play something to distract my soul.