The morning was restless. Once again, I intended to leave Coruscant with my mentor. We were headed for Sernpidal. The Star Trek was ready for departure — cleaned, refueled, loaded with weapons. The hangar never stopped working, not even at this early hour.
"I see," Kuro nodded at me, "you took my advice."
"I still haven't decided on my Knight specialization, mentor," I answered the woman. "But you were right — I overloaded my bracers. So yes," I pulled one of the swords into my hand and spun the hilt before my eyes. "I repositioned the scabbards a little."
"So I actually taught you something after all," the woman licked her lips. "Ready?"
"Without training this time?" I asked in surprise. Kuro loved to abruptly start a training session in the morning, to keep me "ready." For the last couple of weeks I've been sleeping with one eye open, and I've even started training myself to passively scan the area around me with my senses in the middle of sleep.
"Haven't you had enough training with Master Jonal Ezar?" my mentor asked innocently. "You should be flattered. The Master himself saw a worthy Jedi in you. Otherwise he wouldn't have even started those sparring sessions with you. He's the strongest Jedi Shadow in the last five hundred years, or so they say. And he clearly taught you a lot."
"What can you learn in three days, mentor?" I asked the woman. "He didn't teach me — he made me think," I returned the hilt with the blade to its scabbard. "Now I'll teach myself. After all, I already know everything — I just need to rework what I know into Jar'Kai."
"Interesting conclusions," my mentor nodded. "Well, time to fly."
We walked up the ramp. The interior was polished to a shine. BB-7 greeted me cheerfully.
"Hello to you too, little metal ball," Kuro waved her hand at the droid, to which it beeped something like: "I wasn't greeting you, I was greeting the master! Tourists, I swear..."
Going through the elevator into the familiar cockpit, I started the starship. The ramp retracted, the hatch sealed. The ship's systems came online. BB-7 linked up to the computer.
"Destination Sernpidal, BB," I said. "Alright," I opened the map. "First, we'll head for the Hydian Way," I highlighted it on the map. "It wasn't named after Hydia, by any chance?" I asked.
"Hydia... Hmm... I remember something."
"In history lessons, mentor, we covered the ancient times. There was a story about a Twi'lek woman, her name was, I think, Hadiya. Quite an odious lady, may the earth lie like a dagger in her heart..."
"Is that so," the Dark Woman said thoughtfully. "I don't remember that from history."
"Well, it's ancient history — I think it goes back to the Je'daii era," I said. By the way, I read something interesting about this lady once, something from the fanfiction category — I just don't remember what. But if you think about it... the Je'daii themselves are also an interesting topic. Though the Unifying Force as a concept... well, how should I put it — questionable. After all, a sentient either restrains themselves or lets go. Finding balance, in my opinion, is incredibly difficult, and maybe not even possible.
"Just don't dig too deep into the Je'daii themselves," my mentor asked. "Many Jedi fell trying to become like them."
Naturally, in my opinion, if you teach children only one type of Force, the Light Side, then the Dark Side becomes an unknown, interesting thing. Forbidden fruit is sweet. Everyone wants to try what's behind the wall. But most of all, such sentients are captivated by the idea that if they succeed — they'll become strong Gifted who will twist the Council into a pretzel... and... that's what leads them not to balance in the form of the Unifying Force, but to falling to the Dark Side. I, for instance, also fell — though my emotional state contributed to that. And I also turned two Dark Siders into mincemeat with the help of a little dragon... And honestly, during the battle, even before the dragon, I could feel my opponents — they had fallen but hadn't fully stabilized. Meaning they hadn't gone through Sith training. And to some extent, I even felt sorry for them... But mostly, I just felt disgusted being near them.
"So, moving along the Hydian Way," I said, "we'll reach the planet Botajef. Then we'll turn onto the Salin Corridor and follow it to Salin. And from the planet Salin, we'll switch to the Veragi Trade Route and reach Sernpidal. BB, calculate the number of jumps," I ordered the droid. "And calculate the time to arrival at Sernpidal."
"Estimated arrival time is approximately six days and fourteen hours, master," the droid beeped.
"Hutt," my mentor exclaimed. "The Outer Rim! By the time we get there, that witch will have sacrificed a huge number of sentients for her rituals. Although... I suspect she'll act more carefully. And there's a small hope she might even rein herself in a little."
"Why's that?" I asked Kuro.
"Because the Council sent the Jedi Guardian Jord Gyr and his Padawan there. Jord, of course, is a bit of a brute — more capable of cutting down gangs than investigating Dark Siders — but he'll get there in at least three or four days. Two Jedi should make the Witch hold back a little..."
Hutt... I should think about upgrading the hyperdrive. Right now I have a class two engine... I need to install something several times faster. I've saved up enough credits in my account to head to Sienar and request an upgrade for the bird. I'll take care of that right after passing the Knight Trials. Yeah... because the current travel time is unacceptable — I should at least get a class one, because at this speed I might even be late for Order 66. Brrr. I'm sure the Jedi, for a certain sum, can bypass those hyperdrive class restrictions for civilian vessels. Meanwhile, the autopilot took us out of Coruscant's atmosphere, and after setting the coordinates for the Hydian Way, I sent the ship into Hyperspace.
"Well now, spend your time usefully," Kuro turned to me from the co-pilot seat. "Go and train Jar'Kai. I'll watch you. While we're flying, you have enough time to practice. I have a vague premonition that soon your training will be replaced by practice."
"But you only trust your hands and eyes, not premonitions, mentor," I noted. She told me that once.
"Idiot," Kuro stated in a calm tone. "This isn't a Force premonition — it's female intuition. Would a woman not trust her intuition? It's easier to find a man who won't react to Twi'lek dancers than a woman who won't trust her intuition."
"Got it," I said, getting up from the pilot's seat. "BB, warn me when I need to drop the ship out of hyperspace."
In the cargo bay, moving away from the ammunition stacked near the launch tubes, I took out my two lightsabers and, sinking into the Force, began recalling all the Ataru movements I'd grown accustomed to lately, as well as thinking about what exactly I could adapt for Jar'Kai tactics. The lightsabers activated, green blades springing from the hilts. Still immersed in the Force, I started executing attacks, mostly in the air. I needed to properly calculate every strike, adjust to the weight of the hilts. That's what I worked on. Right now, the most important thing was getting used to both my swords. Gradually I began to increase the pace. Reinforcement spread through my body like a pleasant languor... The blades whirled around me like lightning, turning into barely perceptible green flashes. Though that's just my perception — I suspect many are perfectly capable of withstanding even my peak speed. But that's for now... I have to keep training to become even stronger and even faster. My very physique tells me I'm a speed-type fighter.
Toward the end of the training, I also thought to try manipulating the Force during movements without pointing my hand at the objects of influence. I used several empty crates in the cargo bay as objects. "The point isn't that someone is too weak and someone else is strong and talented," I recalled Master Jonal's explanation on this matter, "the point is persistence in training. If you want to learn to use techniques without hand gestures, all you have to do is repeat the training. Again, and again, and again, and again... Many see such repetition as madness. But that's exactly how this skill works. When you can direct the Force without waving your hand, you become incredibly dangerous on your own. What does it take? You do everything you need to — just don't slow down."
Next time I should start training by practicing kata while using Force techniques at the same time. The more I repeat this, the faster I'll adapt, and I'll be able to surprise absolutely any opponent unpleasantly.
* * *
Sernpidal... I dedicated all my time until arrival to training. I'm already used to working like a galley slave. It's all for my future. Whatever plan I adopt, in the end — I'll still have to fight. The name of the universe in the culture of the planet I came from kind of hints at that. And it's not like I'm particularly against it — quite the opposite. Lately, I've started to enjoy battles. Not that I've become a battle maniac, but sometimes a little fight is fine, right? Just a little... Sernpidal greeted us with warm summer weather. Once they found out who was on board, the spaceport let us through without much delay. The starship landed in a special hangar where, after locking the ship and leaving BB as a guard — the droid connected to the ship's systems — my mentor and I immediately headed to the local police department, where they were supposed to be waiting for us.
The city, which shared its name with the planet, was quite technologically advanced. Speeders darted back and forth, though without many skyscrapers. This planet was one of the economic and industrial centers of the Outer Rim. If I remember correctly, this is where Chewbacca died — the Wookiee and copilot of the Millennium Falcon. The Yuuzhan Vong dropped an entire moon, Dobido, that orbited the planet onto it. But that's if you believe the Legends — the New Canon... Actually, better not to think about it at all, or you might fall. If this version of the universe follows the New Canon, then most of its participants could be safely ground into mincemeat. But if it's the Legends? Then we'll grind the Vong into mincemeat. As they say: when in Rome, do as the Romans do. They came and suddenly decided everyone here was living wrong. Invaders with that kind of opinion should always be reduced to zero.
The planet seemed too peaceful for the Outer Rim. Why? Because it's an important trade hub. And where there's money, Senators lobbied by corporations consider it necessary to emphasize security. On any other planet in the Outer Rim, they genuinely wouldn't care. But here — no. Because these are credits that can be funneled into luxury resorts, beautiful women and men, and much more. If the Republic was once prosperous, now we have nothing but degradation. There are sentients who think and say the right words. But do they have the ability to actually do anything? No, they don't. The police station was located right in the center of Sernpidal City, the planetary capital — at least that's where the case of the "Sernpidal Maniac" was being handled. As usual, law enforcement initially didn't think they were dealing with a serial killer. Linking several corpses isn't always easy. According to the information sent to us, here it happened after the third body. Now twelve victims are known.
The Witch prefers young, healthy, and strong sentients. The bodies look like dried fruit, which immediately makes a geek like me think of a vampire... or a succubus. Take your pick. And for me, as a Gifted, the term "Drain" comes to mind... The Sith used many forms of similar techniques. Life Drain, Force Drain. Why these conclusions? Well — a Dark Gifted is at work, plus traces of exhaustion and dystrophy. Most likely, they were draining life itself.
The station building was large, painted gray, about five stories tall. This was the central headquarters — there were many more precincts throughout the city.
"What's your business?" they asked us at the checkpoint. The hall was filled with sentients and droids. A huge space was occupied by the security checkpoint, where gray protocol droids kept track of arriving visitors.
"We're Jedi," Kuro said, sending our data to the droid via datapad. "We have an appointment with Senior Investigator Tsurko Lod," the Force gave me the name and surname. "I am the Dark Woman, and this is my Padawan — Light Flyingstar."
"Verification. Your clearances are correct. Senior Investigator for Special Cases Tsurko Lod is currently interrogating a suspect. The cells are on the basement level. You need prisoner from cell B-23 — he's currently in interrogation room seven."
A floating droid appeared before us.
"This platform will escort you, Jedi," the protocol droid reported. "We wish you a pleasant visit to the Central Police Station of Sernpidal City. Follow your guide."
The checkpoint barriers opened, and we walked forward behind the small droid. There were fewer sentients past the checkpoint — almost all were planetary law enforcement workers. Various droids also moved about. Our guide led us to an elevator, which we entered. Descending to the basement floor, I saw exactly what I expected. This floor was below ground level, had no windows, with light provided by icy-white artificial lamps. The droid led us further until we reached the interrogation rooms. The interrogation room was a simple space with a table and two chairs. Inside sat a stocky man with black hair showing hints of gray and gray, seemingly emotionless eyes. He was barely taller than me, and his clothes were standard — gray with three bronze stripes on the epaulets.
"You're the Jedi," the man said calmly. His voice was quiet and insinuating. I noticed the second person sitting in the interrogation room. He was, more or less, my age — young, with light hair and brown eyes. But he looked disheveled, rumpled, dressed in a prisoner's uniform.
"The Dark Woman and my Padawan — Light Flyingstar," Kuro nodded at him.
"I see. You know my name," he said calmly. "And this... this scum of society, Pol Klair," he nodded. "A dealer of various filth. Slippery as they come. Had dealings with many smugglers."
"We have a different matter, Investigator Tsurko..."
"The matter may be different — the case is the same," the man waved, getting up from his chair. "This individual was the last person seen with all the victims of the maniac that has settled on our planet and that a second pair of Jedi is already interested in."
"Your maniac is a Gifted," I said. The man looked me straight in the eye, squinting oddly, but I held his gaze. "That kind is usually handled by Jedi."
"No one argues with that," he shook his head. "But the first ones arrived and have just been patrolling the city for days, doing nothing. Our operatives caught Pol."
"And how's the interrogation going?" Kuro asked.
"Pol," the man addressed him. "Anything to say?"
"I HAVE SEEN THE GODDESS! I SERVE HER! SHE SPOKE TO ME!"
"What do you say, Jedi?"
"Hmm," I said thoughtfully. "If you talk to God — that's prayer. But if God talks to you — that's schizophrenia."
"An excellent conclusion," the investigator smiled at the corners of his mouth. "And about the case?"
"Well," there was a hint of laughter in Kuro's voice, "this is more like brainwashing with the Force. That Witch really did a number on his mind. Or maybe the drug dealer himself used his own product..."
"No," Tsurko shook his head. "Pol is a cunning piece of filth who even hooked the Senator's son from our sector on drugs. But he never used himself. That pair of Jedi told me the Witch used the Force on his mind," Tsurko nodded. "I asked: couldn't you Jedi try to reverse the effect, enter his mind yourselves and extract information about our enemy?"
"I suspect Jord said something like, Jedi don't do that," came from my mentor's side. She sat down across from Pol, and the madman began staring at her curiously.
"Word for word, that's what happened..."
"Interfering with an already destabilized mind is a prelude to that sentient becoming a vegetable. It's unethical from the perspective of Jedi doctrine," I explained to Tsurko.
"But what do we do if Pol is our only lead? You see, we caught him, but the corpses kept appearing. He might be the only one who can help us protect Republic citizens. So is his life and his mind worth all those that creature might still kill?"
"No," my mentor stated unequivocally. "I'll extract everything we need for the investigation from him."
"Is that so?" asked the investigator. "Strange. Knight Jord..."
"Knight Jord belongs to the Guardian Corps. I am a Shadow. The Shadow's motto is 'The end justifies the means,'" Kuro said. "The mind and life of this wretch aren't worth the lives of those the Witch might still destroy. One sentient's life will never balance the lives of dozens."
"That's an interesting topic for conversation," the man noted.
"After the mission, I can debate it with you," Kuro replied.
Then something unexpected happened. Pol tried to lunge at my mentor...
"You're a good sacrifice for the Goddess!" he screamed. I reacted quickly, not even aiming my hand at him.
The man was hurled sideways and slammed back-first into the wall.
"KHA!" he coughed up blood.
"That was stupid and a little naive. You're either brave or a fool," I said, holding him off the ground.
"He's an idiot... Or, as you said, a schizophrenic," Tsurko observed. "And I like you far more than that other Jedi's Padawan. In terms of personality, of course. Are Shadows' Padawans as much more effective than Guardians' Padawans as Shadows are more effective than Guardians?" Tsurko asked thoughtfully.
"That depends on what you mean by 'effectiveness,' investigator," Kuro stood up from the table. "Hold him, Light. He might struggle. Consider it training. And yes... Investigator Tsurko, turn off the cameras in the interrogation room. And delete the recordings..."
"An unwritten rule of our department: cameras aren't turned on when dealing with drug dealers. We don't tolerate that scum here ever since the Sector Senator's son OD'd on Spice. The Senator hired Ailon mercenaries then — they drowned a couple of local smuggling rings in blood. And we got some motivational authority from above. Now with people like him," Tsurko nodded at Pol, whom I was still holding above the floor, "conversations are short. We beat everything they know out of them, then pile on the harshest charges and dispose of them."
"Good then," Kuro grinned maliciously, aiming her hand at him. "I'm a Jedi Shadow, and my conversations with people like him are also short," her voice became deeper and more commanding. "Now you'll show me everything you know!" she demanded.
At first nothing happened, but then Pol suddenly went into convulsions, veins bulging on his head. I felt a wave of Force emanating from Kuro's figure. It literally flooded Pol's head. It lasted about twenty seconds, then Pol suddenly went limp. I released my telekinesis, and the man dropped like a sack to the floor.
"He's dead, mentor," I said.
"That creature is cunning," Kuro laughed. "She set a failsafe — if anyone tried to crack his mind, the Force would shut down the respiratory centers in his nervous system. Not all Dathomirians can do that. And what's worse, when I blocked the effect, the failsafe tried to trigger on my body. Maybe she won't be strong in direct combat, but Dathomirians can be a nuisance indirectly — truly, witches."
"Did you learn anything, mentor?"
"Yes," Kuro nodded. "She's at an abandoned power station on the western edge of the city."
"That's not just a power station — it's a whole complex," Tsurko noted. "It belonged to Outer Rim Energy Systems. But not long ago that company went bankrupt. The Trade Federation bought up its assets, and that complex was nationalized by our government, which plans to build a national energy service complex there. It was on the news. It's several huge buildings, currently abandoned since the government work is only planned for next year. Searching for the Witch there..."
"There will be four of us," my mentor interrupted. "Rest assured, Tsurko, we'll find the problem and eliminate it effectively. Gifted easily find other Gifted if they know where to look. And yes, Light. The Witch who appeared here isn't just another Dathomirian whore who doesn't know her place. She's an old acquaintance of yours — Shilazh."
I flinched at the last remark. Shilazh? She's here? Then the drained sentients were used to feed Arrogant's medallion! Truly, the Galaxy is small. I can not only destroy her but also reclaim the artifact that started it all!
"Is that so," I said, pressing my hands to my cheeks. "I was already interested in our mission, teacher, but now — my interest has increased tenfold."
"Do you know her?" the investigator asked.
"Yes," I nodded. "We crossed paths once. Seriously crossed paths. I have a debt to her, with interest. And a debt, as they say, must be repaid."
"Then I'll only wish that your Force be with you and help you repay that debt, Jedi. Do you need my help?"
"Lock down the area," Kuro said.
"Locking down an area that size would require an army," the man reported. "Our special operations forces aren't enough. But I'll talk to a general I know from planetary defense. He'll help."
"Then let's begin. We'll call Jord only," Kuro said. "And let's get started... on repaying debts."