He had been on both sides of the Force, studied numerous techniques, swordsmanship. Revan was a fairly successful commander. And most importantly, his ghost wouldn't have any particular desire to either subdue me or take over my body. But that's if I summon a fully mature Revan, not his Sith version. Then again, who knows exactly how this Artifact will work. I personally have never used it. And, unfortunately, now is not the time to commune with the wisdom of the ancestors. Besides, you need to find something connected to the one you want to summon in the first place. That's how it works… Which in principle doesn't deviate from the canonical capabilities of the Force. Where do I find something connected to Revan? I don't really remember his Holocron anymore, but there's HK-47. Revan created him. And I can remember where HK is located—on Mustafar. The CIS is bound to dig him up, not just them. But HK won't like it if anyone other than Revan himself stumbles upon him.
In principle, I could try to find him. It's just… Do I have enough power to pacify a droid built to liquidate Sentients, a droid that can bury even the Gifted? Although, summoning Revan to learn from him, and having HK join my team, is pretty interesting… But I might end up being the one joining the Force instead. No, better to prepare first. I already got burned once rushing in headlong. It's better to be overly cautious than to end up with a hole in my head. And of course, I can't forget about Tulak Hord, Darth Malgus, Darth Marr, Darth Nox, Arca Jeth, Exar Kun… This Galaxy was home to many powerful Gifted Ones with unique abilities. I need to learn from the best. And I'll have plenty of time for all of that… As they say: "We'll definitely make a bang, and more than once, turn the whole world to rubble… but later."
And Shilazh herself showed me exactly how not to do it. She was trying to assimilate the Force Ghosts. But since her personality wasn't fractured like mine, she couldn't dominate or fully absorb their abilities. Plus, I'm not planning on summoning no-names, but strong personalities. No, I'd rather just communicate with them. I could probably find common ground right away with Revan and Darth Marr. The first is practically a Jedi. And the second, though a Sith, is an ideological statist—he did everything for the country he believed in, rather than just wanting to slice Jedi into ribbons because he's a Sith… Not that he was completely innocent of that, but to a lesser degree. That was the impression he left on me.
* * *
The morning on Sernpidal was rainy. I got to the ship only late the previous night, having rested at the bathhouse beforehand. I had to do it so Kuro wouldn't suspect me. But, as it turned out… Kuro herself wasn't on the ship. Which genuinely surprised me. Usually, when nothing is bothering her, she meditates. And no one would have bothered her now… Could she have been spying on me? No… In that case, I'd already be drifting towards Coruscant limbless. So where is she? Scary, very scary…
"I feel your fear," a voice came from behind me. I turned, my heart skipping a beat. Kuro was standing right behind me. "You need to work on that. Fear stops you from analyzing your surroundings. That's why you didn't notice me."
"I was afraid I'd have to search the whole capital for you, Master," I excused myself, pressing the button to close the ramp. "You know—the prospect of hunting down a Jedi whose main specialization is stealth infiltration all over the capital doesn't really appeal to me."
"And what's strange about that?" the woman blinked. "Or are you the only one allowed to have time off? I was with Senior Inspector Tsurko."
"Don't tell me you were breaking the Code?" I asked with a smirk.
"What did I tell you about your jokes?" the woman asked, a clear threat in her voice. "Keep them in check. The only thing keeping me from sending you to reconstructive surgery right now is the fact that I was Lorm's friend. And don't think you're my equal yet. Maybe in pure swordsmanship, you could do something. But a fight isn't always about waving swords around. Start your ship, Light. It's time for us to head to Coruscant."
I headed for the lift and through it reached the cockpit. BB-7, who was already there, greeted me as cheerfully as ever.
"I don't like that pile of nuts," Kuro grumbled, sitting down in the co-pilot's seat. Even though this ship handles perfectly fine with just one pilot. It's perfect. Fast, maneuverable, and can seriously ruin someone's day. After all, Plagueis didn't skimp on material support for his close servants. Thank you, Dol Agid. Pressing the engine start buttons, I felt the ship gently lift off the ground and soar upward. The spaceport operator guided us into orbit and wished us a safe journey. We just need to exit the planet's gravitational shadow to make the jump. Speaking of which… that's exactly how I understood that I had ended up in Legends. How? In Legends, there was no such nonsense—ships couldn't enter Hyperspace within a planet's atmosphere. Physically, you could try. But factually? Nothing good would come of it. The jump would fail because of the safeties… And if some unique individual figured out how to disable the idiot-proofing, the jump would technically work, but the gravity of the supermassive body would scramble the coordinates, or just pull the ship into itself. Result, in ninety-nine percent of cases—tragic for all inhabitants of the ship. Such rules are usually written in blood, just like traffic laws in my first world.
"BB is an excellent droid," I disagreed, earning an approving trill from the droid.
"You only say that because his personality manifest is keyed just to you," the mentor hissed when we had flown far enough from the planet. "Calculate the route to Coruscant already… Hm? What? Look at the scanners…"
"Three Z-95s?" I asked, noticing the Z-95 Headhunters. "So? That doesn't impress me…"
"They're lining up for an attack…"
Well, shit… She was right. And they aren't even trying to contact us… Fine. Their problem.
"Just don't get in the way, Master," I warned, gripping the controls more firmly. "We're about to take them apart molecule by molecule…"
Coming from the rear? Ha… BB swung the rear cannons around and started firing, messing up their aim. It was too late to engage the cloaking device. They'd already seen us. And jumping into Hyperspace from cloak mode is impossible. The ship rocked from side to side, which kept the enemy from getting a good shot, even though it also stopped BB from lining up a proper target. Finally, one of them got annoyed and just launched a missile. I spun the yoke, and the ship did a complete flip… The missile flew past, but sharply turned around. Damn, homing… But it ran right into my forward guns. And my Jedi perception is far better than any ordinary Sentient's. So two or three salvos, and the missile detonated just short of my ship's nose.
"Power to the reverse," I said calmly, pulling the yoke toward me. BB obeyed, and the ship lurched backward… Kuro muttered something unpleasant as the seat belts dug into her body. All three fighters kept their speed and zipped past my ship. A dangerous maneuver—if any one of them had been directly behind me, there would have been a collision. And that would have had a very unpleasant finale. But that's why I have sensors and a yoke. To position my ship exactly right and execute the correct maneuvers.
"I hate it when you do that," the woman said. "At least give me a warning!"
The enemy fighters were in my sights… And they still hadn't realized what had happened. Without hesitation, I pressed the turbolaser buttons. The fighters' shields went down pretty fast. Two pilots didn't even have time to maneuver, turning into space dust. The last one tried to evade fire, but… useless. I wasn't letting him go. The pursuit ended ten seconds later. Deprived of the tactical initiative of attacking from the rear, the pilot couldn't dodge in time and got caught in my ship's fire. I caught him perfectly on the turn, shredding his ship to pieces…
"What the hell was that?" I asked. "Pirates? Here? So close to such an important hub?"
"Most likely, no," Kuro shook her head. "This looks more like an attempt to eliminate us, not capture us. Do you have anything non-lethal on this ship at all?"
"Non-lethal?" I asked in surprise. "This isn't a pleasure yacht, Master. Though, does it really matter? It could be a little gift from Plagueis. After all, we did defeat him. Shilazh is dead, a major Sith Artifact is lost. The Sith love revenge… Though targeting a Shadow—especially Kuro—is a bit stupid. But who knows with Plagueis? Palpatine might, but it's too early to go poking around them."
"You turned them to space dust. We can't interrogate them now. Fine, we're heading to Coruscant. You have to undergo the Trials."
* * *
"Ready do you believe Light is?" Yoda asked, as we reported to the Council about our successes, this time in person rather than by holo.
"And I believe," Kuro added, "that he can be credited with several Trials, namely: the Trial of Skill, the Trial of Spirit, the Trial of Courage."
"Hm… Hm…" Yoda mused thoughtfully. "Too young he is," he said, sizing me up with a look.
"But does age really matter?" came the voice of Master Dooku, who was looking at me with curiosity. "Only the Master decides if the Padawan is ready for the Trials."
"That decision belongs to the Council," Even Piell interrupted him. "However… the results speak for themselves."
"Agreed," came from Jonal. "He has been through a lot, despite becoming a Padawan quite recently. But he is talented and strong. Though—that may not be enough."
"So be it," Yoda said. "Permission the Council grants you," a silence fell. No one spoke a word against it. "The Trials you shall undergo. Of Body and Insight. In one week, you shall present yourself in the Trials Chambers. Prove your abilities—a Knight you will become."
Well. The question is, it all depends on me. Of course, it's a bit unexpected. And they sent me off to the Trials pretty quickly. But what can I do? I really did work and suffer for all of this. And now I either prove to myself that it wasn't all for nothing… Or I really haven't changed and remain the same weak-willed nobody I was. No worries, no wavering. I'll do what I must, and then come what may!
Coruscant… Majestic and incredible. I remember first seeing it properly in Episode I of the Prequels. And I was blown away back then. It's literally both a planet and a city. It held so many secrets. My imagination literally stalled—speeders flying so high, buildings so tall. Meaning there was so much interesting stuff in there. No movies, games, comics, or books could ever fully do justice to the place. Only visiting it in person… And by a twist of fate, I ended up in this crazy world of Star Wars. Yeah… At first, I was naive and stupid… But then the Force itself, or fate? Doesn't matter… I learned, or I want to believe I learned, one simple truth. I can not just change the fate of the Galaxy, because I know what's coming and why. I can change myself… No, that's not right… Without changing myself, I could never change the Galaxy, no matter how much I want the good guys to win and the bad guys to lose.
Want to change something? Start with yourself… And sure, my path of change was a winding one. Sometimes even I didn't understand my own path… But I've come a long way. Even though I still have much further to go… Now I see where this life is leading me. It's an endless struggle… With myself, the world order, other Sentients… Literally with everything. A path shrouded in impenetrable darkness, despite its own inherent clarity. What goals did I set for myself? What did I want to achieve? What do I want now? So many questions, the answers to which could lead to death—mine and not just mine. But despite everything… Is it worth giving up, running away after all this? After all the sacrifices I made, all those training sessions and decisions? The hardships? No… The path may be dangerous… I chose it myself, fully aware of that danger. Before, I would have just gone with the flow, no… I would have most likely left. As fast as possible… Gotten lost somewhere far, far away.
But then again… Is this who I was supposed to become? Someone who runs at the first sign of difficulty? Someone who gives up on his dream just because he doesn't have enough power, because the path is long, hard, and shrouded in darkness? No… No matter what I encounter on the path… Everything I encounter will become part of that path. And no matter what I think, or what others think… No matter how broken I get, morally, mentally, and physically… I will keep going. Because I must keep going. Because if you just complain about how you know better without actually doing anything… Then nothing will ever come of it… It feels like… I've come to these conclusions about myself so many times. I've reconsidered my decisions, my goals, and my actions so many times… Will it ever end?
Maybe… I'm just that kind of being, I overthink everything. Even though there are things I completely ignore…
"Master," I said without turning around. My eyes were scanning the information on the computer monitor. I was studying military tactics alongside my introspection.
"Hmm," Kuro grunted in surprise. "You noticed me?"
"I'm just applying your advice… When I'm calm and collected, noticing Sentients is much easier."
"And what about those words about poor, little Light being afraid of me?" the Dark Woman asked sarcastically, in her usual manner, stepping closer.
Without turning around, I answered…
"A Jedi shouldn't feel fear; fear clouds the mind. A clouded mind leads to defeat. Everywhere. Diplomacy, war, politics, combat, engineering… Take some commanders, for example. They were so afraid of their enemies that they sometimes refused to fight, even though their army was far superior at the time. Their reputation made them afraid, fear clouded their minds, and a clouded mind led to defeat or loss of initiative…"
"Interesting," An'ya Kuro stated affirmatively from behind me. "But reading about the Great Hyperspace War from the perspective of some Anaxian Academy soldier right before the Jedi Trials. That's something new."
"I just realized I was too focused on my combat aspect," I replied to her remark. "Jedi Knights have to interact with the Judicial Forces. And lots of things can happen in our Galaxy. What if I end up commanding troops? There's always a bunch of idiots you can't get to unless you destroy their mini-army first. And a Knight and a Padawan can't always handle that alone. Even though in the 'The Jedi Path' manual the Grand Master gave me, it was written that 'back-to-back,' the teacher and student can handle whatever comes their way. But I've already seen a 'teacher-student' pair fail…"
"That's because the student was slacking off," Kuro cut in sharply, sitting down on my bed. "Or do you think Lorm died because he was weak? Lorm, who studied the artifacts of previous Jedi and Sith. Powerful Gifted Ones… He studied their knowledge, their techniques. In my opinion, he was on par with the Council Masters. But do you think people like that die because they lack strength? No… The only reason Teyron Jarps could ambush him was you. The only thing Lorm couldn't do was raise and teach. And that played a cruel, unfunny joke on him."
"That's pretty harsh, Master," I shook my head, turning off the article and spinning my chair to face her. Coruscant Prime partially lit my room, which faced west.
"But it's the truth, Light," the woman smiled sadly. "Not the Force or knowledge… Wisdom and understanding. That's what helps a Jedi survive. Cunning, the ability to improvise, understanding how to apply your abilities. What's the point of knowing Pyrokinesis, for example? Or being a good swordsman? The only use for these skills is combat."
"Hard to argue with that, considering both abilities you described are pretty much built for combat."
"In their base form, yes. But every ability can not only be learned, but also improved to suit you… Or you can modify something you can't master for some reason into a form you can grasp…"
"What are you hinting at?"
"It's not a hint," Kuro shook her head. "It's my last lesson for you. You've done well, changed, become better. You understand what's at stake. But here's some more food for thought. Never get fixated on the basics. What was invented is good. That you learned it is great. But what next? So you learn a skill, and that's it? Not quite… Or… You see something beyond your ability, or something you were refused to be taught," she vanished and reappeared by the exit. "For some reason, you can't master one skill or another. But you feel you need it. So you have to work out an alternative. Your mistake up until recently, I dare to hope, was that you perceive skills as a base. You have a certain barrier that says: 'That's enough, I've mastered it.'"
"But that's not true," I objected. "Didn't I improve my Pyrokinesis, or my Telekinesis? Or my swordsmanship?"
"You did," Kuro agreed. "My lesson is aimed at ensuring that one day you don't just stop and say: 'Okay, that's enough. I'm not doing anything more because I've done enough.' So… It's never enough. You decided you would move forward. You gathered courage, a bit of wisdom. But everyone decides that for themselves when they truly become an adult Sentient, Light. And that's not enough, I'll tell you. You acquired skills as you grew up. They are firmly rooted in you. But the point isn't to be able to do something at a certain moment. The point is to never stop improving as you move forward. That's what let Lorm down. He didn't see the stagnation beginning in you. He couldn't spot it. As a result, you weren't ready. But my friend's death helped you," the woman leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath. "It spurred you on. It planted doubt in you. And it also forged the real backbone in you that ultimately kept you from breaking. And here you are now. You're turning sixteen soon. And the Council intends to test you. To test you so you can become a Jedi Knight, a defender of the weak and oppressed. But a Jedi Knight isn't the ultimate dream. Not even the rank of Grand Master of the Order is the ultimate dream. There is no limit, really. So… You thought you had hit yours, and it led to your master's death and… I suspect that girl was also important to you…"
"Yes," I said through clenched teeth, meeting the mentor's eyes. "She was…"
"I won't ask. You clearly don't want to answer. The point of the lesson is for you to not just try to move forward as a person, as a Jedi. But also not to forget about your abilities and skills, which you must develop. Or am I wrong to tell you this?"
"You're right, Master," I nodded. "Though I know roughly what you're talking about. And I came to the same conclusions."
"I want to believe that's true," Kuro pressed her hand to her heart, closing her eyes. "The Trials are tomorrow. First—the Trial of Body. In normal cases, it can even be credited for a fight with a Dark Gifted One. Like Shilazh. But the Council felt that wasn't enough and decided to run you through a fight one more time. We have a remarkable tool for that here," Kuro smirked unpleasantly.
Was it really the device they used to project previously seen Sith Lords for Padawans to fight? Something similar was done by that droid 'Proxy' from The Force Unleashed. There's a special Artifact in the Trials Chambers that recreates any Sentient according to the parameters recorded in the Archives.
"Are you really telling me about the Trial so easily?" I asked. "I smell a catch."
"Right," Kuro smiled. "There is a catch. You won't know who exactly the Council has chosen as your opponent until the Trial itself."
"I'm on the edge of my seat," I licked my lips. "Could it be Exar Kun? Or Revan in his Sith incarnation?"
"You're reaching," Kuro snorted. "Those are opponents for true Masters. And they'd be better suited for the Trials of Skill and Courage; surviving an encounter with them, even if they recreate weaker versions, isn't something just anyone can do. Some give up before the fight even starts."
"That's not me. Whoever they put against me, I don't plan on giving up until my opponent falls."
"We'll see," Kuro smirked nastily. "Your friend Feemor got through all the trials pretty quickly. Though that's probably because of his master, Qui-Gon, who found himself a new Padawan with good potential. We'll see how you do."
"Feemor is a special case," I sighed. Even having passed the Trials, I could only barely call him a Knight. Why? Because Qui-Gon simply trained him to just pass the Trials. Feemor himself told me that Qui-Gon is strong, wise, and knows a lot about the Force. But he's too fixated on uncovering the secrets of the Force. I remember this from the prequels—he was pleasantly surprised by Anakin's innate abilities and clearly wanted to train Skywalker, having sent Obi-Wan to his Trials earlier. He did the same with Feemor. As soon as he noticed Xanatos, Qui-Gon just started pushing my former classmate to pass the Trials. By the skin of his teeth, but he passed. That's what led to the result. Feemor himself wasn't happy with it; he said he wasn't properly trained, that he wasn't a very strong Knight. Though he is smart, since he understands he's not the best Knight, so he took up self-education, became a Jedi Archivist, and trains independently every day. It's not the best situation, but I think something will come of it.
"You're right there," Kuro headed for the door. "Tomorrow. Ten a.m. Coruscant time. Trial Chamber number four. They're on the lower level."
"Wait, Master!" I stopped her just before the door.
"What now?" Kuro turned to me.
"You only told me about the Trial of Body, what about the Trial of Insight? What will that involve…"
"You foolish fool," Kuro shook her head. "The Trial of Insight is called that precisely because you have to figure out its essence yourself. But it will be in the same chamber… May the Force be with you, student. I hope you won't have to come back to me as a Padawan. I think you are ready."
She opened the door and simply left my room. Alright… I turned off the computer and started to undress. Tomorrow really is an important day, the Trials. The remaining ones. So I need to get a good night's sleep and not disgrace myself. A fight with a Sith Lord, as I understand it, and some tricky riddle. Which will probably make my brain boil.
* * *
In the morning, the Jedi Temple was already buzzing. Jedi woke up early and were all hurrying about their business. Younglings scurried through the Temple corridors in their groups, hurrying to breakfast, others already to training. Padawans were recognizable by their distinctive braids; some were conversing with their Masters. I also spotted a couple of Temple Guards patrolling the Temple—around the clock. And naturally, the various Jedi Knights were also going about their business, talking, some clearly about to head off on another mission. The Trials Chambers, several of them, were located on the lower level of the Temple. There were five Trials Chambers in total. The most interesting thing was that in every Chamber, you could run any of the Trials. There was no specific Chamber for just the Trial of Skill or the Trial of Spirit… They were all universal. Why was this done if usually only one Padawan underwent the Trials at a time? Well, that was usually one Padawan at a time. But sometimes there could be several. This was especially practiced during wars, when Jedi Knights were needed everywhere, all the time. Then the Trials could be accelerated, or even changed entirely.
The Turbolift brought me to the lower level of the Temple. The atmosphere here was much gloomier, dark corridors, cool air. I was in my full gear—clothes with my hood pulled up, Bracers, lightsaber holders, the lightsabers themselves. Not far from the Fourth Hall, I found two Jedi. Two Masters: Yan Dooku and Jonal Ezar. Dooku was dressed in classic light-toned Jedi robes. A brown cloak was visible behind his back. Jonal preferred white clothes, like Dooku, but they weren't the classic Jedi tunic, but clothes as close to mine as possible.
"Light Flyingstar," Dooku's voice was high and commanding. "We: Master Yan Dooku," he nodded, "and Master Jonal Ezar," the leader of the Jedi Shadows nodded slightly, "have been appointed by the Council as the overseers of your Trials. You are required to pass the Trials of Body and Insight. If you succeed, you will become a Jedi Knight. If you fail, you will return to your Master for further training," Kuro would definitely kill me if I failed. She took me mostly out of memory of an older friend. And she clearly didn't want me around for long. "Do you understand everything? Any questions, Padawan?"
"No, Master," I shook my head.
"In that case," Ezar took the floor. "Let's begin. We'll start with the Trial of Body. Prepare yourself. The Council believes that you must pass it through a fight with a Gifted One. You don't need to hold back. The Gifted One we recreate is no longer alive. So you need to show everything you know and can do."
"Can you at least tell me who exactly you will project?" I asked.
"And what will you do with this information?" Dooku asked me. "Run from the Trials? Or think of some trick? A Jedi must always be ready for anything. Sometimes you don't even know who your opponent is or how they'll act. But you must be able not only to anticipate an attack but also to respond worthily," Dooku said arrogantly. "We can tell you who your opponent is..."
"But that wouldn't reflect well on you," Jonal continued. "And now," he gestured toward the door, "welcome."
The massive door opened, revealing an empty hall. It was truly enormous, built of simple stone.
"So I just have to go in," I nodded... "What the?" I turned around. Both Magisters had vanished without a trace.
"Your Trial begins here. Don't delay, Padawan!" Dooku's voice came from somewhere far away. I entered the hall and looked around. It wasn't anything unique. Just a hall with a plain stone floor and matching walls. It was dimly lit by lamps shining right from the ceiling... No. Those aren't lamps... They're crystals. Hm? I noticed the center of the hall. Right in the middle, with his back to me, sat a Jedi. A hood was pulled over his head. What is this? The one conducting the Trials? I walked up to the Jedi slowly and unhurriedly. His robes were standard for the Order; it could literally be anyone.
"You took your time getting here, Student," a painfully familiar voice rang out. No way... They... In the next instant, the Jedi stood up sharply, spun around, and closed the distance between us, igniting a lightsaber. I ignited mine and blocked the attack, which, judging by the vector, was meant to turn me into a second Darth Maul on Naboo.
And of course. In the light of the cyan and green blades, I could make out the face of my opponent. The painfully familiar face of a Zabrak. Mentor Lorm Decer. So this is who they chose for my Trial of Body... Swinging my arm, I threw my mentor back.
"You've learned a lot, definitely gotten stronger," the man said, twirling his saber.
"That's not all," I replied, flexing my left arm. My mentor knows exactly what I'm capable of when fencing with one saber. Soresu and Ataru. If they loaded data about him teaching me—which is obvious, since he recognized me—then fighting him with the styles he's used to is just a waste of time... If I want to get through the Trials quickly and effectively, I have to surprise him. In a fast fight, surprise can play a nasty trick. Right... My mentor and I lunged at the same time. We crossed sabers. I executed a classic diagonal strike from low to high, while he mirrored it to block. Lorm Decer uses Shien and is clearly stronger than me. So I immediately broke contact with his saber, thrusting my left hand forward again, using Pyrokinesis. The Change Technique, manifesting as a small fireball, quickly traveled toward Lorm Decer—only about two meters separated us. The man dodged the attack, and there was my chance. I closed the distance again... Calm down... This is just a Trial. You can do this. An instant later, he blocked my attack again... But. A second saber had already appeared in my left hand, and a second later, it pierced him right in the stomach.
"Gha!" Lorm Decer looked at me in surprise. "Not bad. But..." his blade fell, along with his body. "It's not over yet."
"It is over," I disagreed, deactivating my sabers. "I passed the Trial, Mentor. I am stronger than you."
"Oh, you're so sure about that?" the projection of the fallen Jedi grinned. "Remember what excessive self-confidence led to last time? I died in your arms just the same. It's your fault that I can only exist as a pathetic projection in the Trial Hall. Your fault..."
"Such words won't sway me. Yes, it's my fault, I admit it. But what do you want me to do, Teacher?"
"Win," he raised his hand, seeming to reach for my forehead. "Win... against me... as many times as it takes." His palm closed. His index finger pointed to the side. I looked where he was pointing. Standing before me was Jedi Knight Lorm Decer. Alive and well.
"Now this is interesting," I licked my lips. "Very interesting..."