My ship was in a nondescript spaceport. Aldera, the capital of Alderaan, had no such buildings, not even close. Alderaanians are a bit obsessed with creating an ideal, natural environment, so spaceships directly over Aldera itself were rare. They mostly belonged to aristocratic Houses, and even then, only in singular instances, on the grounds of their mansions. So I had to leave the city for the spaceport. It was a separate district, fifty kilometers from Aldera, with public transport running there. It took about ten minutes to get there. We left after noon, boarding the transport.
I looked to see exactly where my ship had been delivered. The Jedi Shadows had brought it a couple of days after my arrival on Alderaan, parked it in a spaceport bay, paid for its maintenance, and left. I needed the Star Trek on Alderaan for one simple reason: in case I suddenly had to haul butt out of there. My ship is many times faster than most ships currently flying through space. Though I was planning to order an upgrade. My ship currently has a class-2 hyperdrive. Not bad, I won't argue, but there's better. I'd really like to find a class-zero-point-something hyperdrive. Here's the thing—the smaller the number, the faster the ship in hyperspace. My class-2 would take a week to reach the galactic rim via known hyperspace routes. A class-1 would cover the same distance in about four days.
Though I should remember that hyperdrive technology is constantly improving. In other words, a "class shift" sometimes happens. What was once considered class 1 might become class 2, and so on. So you have to stay on top of things. And at least keep upgrading the hyperdrive constantly. It's a matter of survival, and survival is one of my top priorities. I've had enough of death... Arriving at the spaceport station, we headed for the section where ships were kept. Security, by the way, gave the three strange sentients a thorough once-over: two Matukai carrying glaives on their backs, and a strange man in a hood. But after confirming we didn't pose a threat and that I was a customer, they quickly let us go.
"Your glaives attract attention," I noted.
"We are Matukai!" Sheygen hissed. "Warriors. Warriors have no reason to hide from anyone. We always face danger head-on!"
"Oh," I chuckled under my hood. "But sometimes, you should act stealthily, without disturbing the enemy's peace. Creeping up quietly, like a snake toward its prey."
"So you'd strike from behind?" Sheygen asked me.
"It's the best place to attack, Sheygen. A strike to the back can, if successful, end the fight quickly."
"That's low and cowardly," Sheygen said arrogantly. We approached the door leading to Hangar 47, Section D. We'd been winding through corridors amidst a crowd of sentients of all races until then.
"Only losers lose and complain about life." I stopped in front of the door, pulled out my terminal card, and swiped it through the reader. "You can use any excuse you want. Say you fought honorably, fought fair. But that won't change the fact that you lost the skirmish, lost the battle. Losing can cost the lives," the hangar doors opened, "of the sentients you love, who are precious to you. You can lose a war, and the sentients who believe in you will suffer too. All because when you could have used every means to destroy your enemy, including a stealth attack, you said you wouldn't do it."
"You can win." We entered the hangar and finally saw it... The Star Trek stood in the center, its ramp lowered. The ship was clean and ready for flight, according to the message on my datapad. Weapons and fuel were loaded. BB-7, letting out a happy binary trill, zipped toward my ship. "But what about your honor? How would you restore that?"
"I'll write a book," I replied. "Where I'll write that my enemy used all the nastiest, most pathetic tricks, Sheygen. He'll be dead by then. His allies will have lost. And who would believe the losers? Mm? Victorious commanders are not judged. And winners have a unique monopoly on writing history. See? I'll just write that I used fair tactics, like the bravest and best of the Jedi Knights. And the sentients will believe it. Because I'll be the one left standing. And I won't have any qualms about it."
"A rather pragmatic view of things," Theodor said with a satisfied tone. "Perhaps—your pragmatism will help us."
"Master! But he..."
"Calm down, Sheygen. Light is right about some things."
The interior of the ship hadn't changed, except...
"Master," BB-7 addressed me. "Diagnostics show three tracking devices hidden inside your ship."
BB had a multitude of various programs installed. Programs for hacking—slicing—surveillance... and detection, including electronic devices. He'd already accessed my ship's terminal, analyzed it, and found all the interference.
"Hmm... Interesting," I said.
"Nothing unusual," Theodor shook his head, apparently also familiar with mechu-deru. "How well do you know Jonal Ezar, Light?"
"I don't really know him," I admitted. "And I suspected he'd plant beacons on my ship. He really doesn't want to lose 'valuable Jedi'..."
"Jonal Ezar doesn't want to sacrifice others?" Theodor snorted. "Good one, I'll remember that."
"Explain?"
"Jonal would never hesitate to sacrifice any sentient to achieve his goal. It doesn't matter how talented or valuable you are to the Jedi—Jonal will sacrifice you if it helps him achieve his goals. The quirk of his character isn't just that he considers the 'non-Jedi' gifted to be enemies to be destroyed. That wreck even killed the woman he had a Force Bond with." I shuddered. That's like me killing Mila Karnur when we had a Force Bond between us. I remembered those feelings, those moments we lived through in those short two weeks. Two weeks, I've known Amella longer. But those were two weeks that Amella had to work very hard to even begin to push aside. "And all that just to kill some rogue Jedi who was shouting about being a new Sith Lord. The usual standard set. And you still consider Master Jonal a noble knight?"
"Hmph," I snorted, turning to Theodor. "I never said that. Though that detail of his biography is interesting."
"Well then. He killed that woman, and her son—his own son—when that gifted boy entered the Order, he deliberately sent him on a mission he knew was doomed. His son died too. All because he believes that you Jedi must renounce everything, and only then will you become true guardians of the Light Side of the Force and order in the Galaxy. So keep one thing in mind: even if we destroy our enemy, Jonal might condemn you for some reason only he knows."
"Victorious commanders are not judged," I said.
"And who said," Theodor walked forward, closer to my ship's cargo bay. He turned half-around. "That we will win? It might happen that we barely escape alive from the Tsai system."
"Is this sentient that dangerous?"
"It doesn't matter," Sheygen cut in. "We'll meet him and overcome him. The three of us can handle it."
"First, BB needs to remove all the beacons the Order planted on my ship. I bet my superiors won't like the fact that I decided to ally with the Matukai and go after someone who's, with a certain probability, practically a Sith Lord." Still, I'm curious who it is. Am I rushing things, trying to act now? On one hand, the chance is unique—I had a strong feeling we could solve the mystery of who this smart and cunning individual is. But on the other hand... I'm genuinely afraid. He wipes out teams of Shadows. And I may be called a unique case, stronger than many Knights. But teams of Shadows consist of three Shadow Knights. And that's concerning. On the other hand—I was confident I could escape if things went wrong. And I've long since gotten used to the idea that my life literally walks a razor's edge. I've been risking it since the start of my Padawanhood... No, much earlier. So I'm used to it... Just used to killing, to being at risk of being killed myself.
I felt no fear when I agreed to this adventure, whatever awaited us on planet Tsai. Only questions remained, which my mind demanded answers to. Fear? Yes, I can be afraid, but if asked directly whether I'd be more afraid than active, the immediate answer is that I'd act more often than be afraid. The beacons weren't soldered in very deep. Plus, they were equipped with a trap—if removed, an immediate signal would be sent to whoever planted them. However, my droid easily dealt with that trap; it's not for nothing that I constantly updated BB and sometimes bought software that wasn't exactly authorized.
"And what will you do with these beacons?" Theodor asked.
"Well, no secret there," I smirked. "BB, please roll out a couple of empty crates from our cargo bay."
"Aaaaah," Theodor blinked. "I see. You want to leave them here, in the crates, to simulate their operation."
"Correct," I agreed, looking at three round discs I was holding in front of me with telekinesis. "If they're destroyed by Ionization or another method, I'm sure the Order will be alerted. And you made an alliance with me, clearly implying that I shouldn't inform my superiors. You're afraid of him. And with good reason."
"Exactly," Theodor agreed. "I took a big risk deciding to contact you, Light. You seemed like a reasonable Jedi to me. I see my intuition wasn't wrong."
"Hmph," Sheygen snorted.
BB rolled out the crates, and I placed the beacons inside.
"Now, BB, leave them in the hangar. I'll pay a certain percentage to make sure the Hangar employees 'don't notice anything'." I contacted the control tower and filed a takeoff request. The hangar doors directly above the ship slid open, flooding the bay with the rays of Alderaan's setting star.
"Task complete, master," BB beeped.
"Then proceed with pre-flight preparations. Test all systems, check fuel levels, weapon stock, enter jump coordinates into the computer. And... as soon as we leave Alderaan's atmosphere, activate yellow alert on the ship." There are three levels. Green, when I'm flying in safe space and nothing threatens the ship. Then all weapons are fully deactivated, and missile launchers are unloaded. In milliseconds, the ship can be switched to yellow mode. When it's ready to open fire and shields are raised. And red mode—which actually activates during fire contact with the enemy; essentially, I conduct any battle in red mode. "We're flying into Wild Space." Truth be told—my ship has another mode, which I privately call "mirror mode." That's when the ship's cloaking system is activated. It's for diversion and covert infiltration. I plan to use it when we arrive in the Tsai system.
We climbed to the second level of my ship, where I sat down at the helm and immediately activated the power system, starting the engine check and closing the ramp.
"Control Tower to Star Trek, your flight vector is ready. Transmitting to your ship. Advise when you are ready for takeoff," a female voice came through.
"Star Trek to Control Tower." I looked at BB, who displayed on the screen that the vector had been received and that the ship was, overall, ready for flight. "Vector received. Ready for flight." I pulled a couple of levers, then pressed the engine start button. The familiar vibration ran through the ship.
"Control Tower to Star Trek. Have a pleasant flight. Come back and visit us—your hangar will be ready anytime."
"Thank you," I simply said, pulling back on the yoke. The ship lifted off. I activated the autopilot and entered the vector values.
"Impressive," Theodor looked forward through the forward viewport. "A rather fast ship. Where did you get it? Did the Order issue it?"
"No." My starship smoothly entered orbit, and immediately missiles loaded into the launch tubes and blasters activated. We hadn't started an attack, though, so three peacefully hanging Alderaan dreadnoughts remained in orbit. "It's a gift, a memento, from a Sith Lord."
"What?" Sheygen said sternly.
"A Sith Lord sent a mercenary after me, when I was a child. Well, I consider that sentient a Sith Lord; someone from the Order later told me it was another fallen Jedi, full of himself and deciding he could kidnap a sentient right from the palace of a planet's King, who was also the ruler of an entire sector. The mercenary had the misfortune... of meeting Master Yoda in that same palace and prematurely died the death of the brave, but foolish." Theodor smiled. "And King Alaric, to make amends for the failures of his Security Service—and no small failure it was, a thug appearing right in the palace while the Security Service was asleep at the wheel—gave me this ship as a gift. That's something the Order can never take away from me, no matter how much asceticism they practice." I stroked the yoke. "Hyperspace jump is ready." I looked at the report. "We need to get to the Corellian Run and then head into Wild Space. We'll jump to Kattada first, then Commenor, Thalasea, Quellor; at the last one we'll transfer to the Hydian Way, jump to Exodin, then to the intersection of the Hydian and the Corellian at Denon. Then Spirama, Osarian, and so on up to Christophsis and Ryloth. Ryloth is the last major, relatively well-known planet we'll visit. Should we stop in to see the Twi'leks?"
"Don't joke like that, Light," Theodor said.
"And what about our debate on sizes? Maybe it would be better if we studied... visual aids, so to speak, in real life."
"Our debate—we can settle it based on our experience. Or do you think yours isn't sufficient?" Theodor goaded me.
"Creator," Sheygen sighed. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"Don't talk nonsense," I said, ignoring Sheygen's question. "I have enough experience!"
"There... Now you speak not like a boy, but like a man!" Theodor said with satisfaction. "But seriously—we don't have time for that, unfortunately. We'll deal with the enemy first, then definitely visit Ryloth. But first, we need Sector S-19, the Tsai system. We have the jump coordinates from Ryloth."
"Then—on our way." I pulled the lever to transition into hyperspace. The stars stretched into points, and the ship slid into a blue corridor.
* * *
The interior of the ship—plain, functional, but comfortable. We'd been in hyperspace for about an hour. A common room, a galley—I sat there, drinking hot, strong caf, staring at the star lines through the small viewport. The roar of the hyperdrive was soft, buzzing monotonously in the background. Sheygen stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed, staring at me with poorly concealed suspicion. Theodor, on the contrary, sat opposite me, calmly drinking his caf. I noted the comfortable silence—one of those moments when everyone is thinking about their own things, but no one feels obligated to break the silence.
"Light," Theodor finally spoke, setting down his cup. "Tell me. Why do the Jedi hunt Shadows?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Hunt? We don't hunt our own."
Theodor smiled. Thinly, knowingly. "I'm not talking about Knight-Shadows. I'm talking about the order. About the Shadows standing apart from the Jedi Council. There are three types of Shadows in the Order, Light. At least three. Those who kill the enemies of the Order directly, under the Council's orders. Those who operate on their own—who are considered 'deep infiltration,' but are still accountable to the Council. And those who are known to the Council only by rumor." He took a sip of caf. "You belong to the last ones—or rather, you're being prepared for them. I can see it. You already think too... freely."
I didn't answer immediately. Taking a sip from my own cup, I set it down. "And why are you interested, Matukai?"
"Because your Master Jonal—he's one of those shadows. But not the kind that kills. The kind that decides who lives and who dies. The kind that creates circumstances." Theodor looked at me intently. "You think you're on a simple hunt. But you've been woven into a web that was spun long before you were born, Light."
The hum of the engines filled the pause.
"I don't believe in predestination," I said quietly.
"Neither do I," Theodor replied. "But the Matukai have been studying the patterns of history for fifteen thousand years. And we have learned that some threads always pull in the same direction." He leaned forward. "You will find your enemy, Light. But before that, you will have to answer the question: who are you really fighting? The one who left the trail? The system that created him? Or the one who controls the shadows behind both of you?"
We stared at each other in silence. Sheygen had tensed, watching our exchange, but said nothing.
Finally, I smiled. "You really know how to create a mood, Theodor. I'll figure out who I'm fighting when I see them. But if you're suggesting I look at the Jedi leadership with suspicion... I've been doing that for a long time."
Theodor clicked his tongue approvingly. "Good. Very good." He took his cup again. "Then let's drink to making the right decisions, Light."
I raised my cup. "To survival."
Traveling with the Matukai had been productive. During the rest periods, when I didn't have to sit in the pilot's seat of my beloved ship to drop us out of hyperspace and then jump back in, I participated in training with the Matukai. They mostly practiced fighting with glaives, and I gained unique experience facing an opponent whose weapon was longer than mine — including learning how to counter such enemies. Also, Sheygen and Theodor loved to have full-contact sparring matches, unarmed. Those fights looked incredibly spectacular from the outside. The hand-and-foot-waving — I could probably compare it to the same animation I'd seen in some anime series. The strikes were beautiful, accentuated. And they really loved to imbue their blows with the Force, channeling it from their own bodies into their opponent's body right at the moment of impact.
And honestly, when it came to weapons, going all out I could give Theodor a serious fight — the old Matukai only beat me through experience and endurance; I simply ran out of breath too fast... for him. But unarmed, with fists, I even had problems with Sheygen. I was simply too focused on weapon fighting and the Force, so in pure sparring against Sheygen I only held my own thanks to my body's natural agility, Force enhancement, and prescience. But against Theodor in hand-and-foot-waving, I couldn't manage it at all.
"The Matukai have three levels in their training," Theodor said instructively. Our whole honest company was in a warehouse. I should probably fence off the part of the warehouse given over to rockets with a wall. Otherwise our training sessions were just too active. "The first level is mastery of the body. We learn what are called kata — movements. This level involves fighting without using the Force, or with minimal use of it. The second level is mastery of the Force. We use the Force as a means of predicting movement in combat, as well as enhancing our natural physical abilities. Based on this, the choice of Matukai techniques aimed at physical enhancement of abilities occurs. And finally, the third level is the unification of the first and second levels."
"So you comprehend the Force separately from movements?" I asked Theodor. "I always thought you did it the other way around. Channeling the Force through movements."
"Hmph. A Jedi misconception," Sheygen snorted.
"Actually, it's not that much of a misconception," Theodor said, looking at his student. "The first two levels are only for those who haven't had prior training as the Gifted. In other words, respected Light — you, having received those kata from the Creator, hmm... since you underwent training in your Order, immediately started at the third level. And I admit — there has been progress. Though small, perhaps because you've only been practicing our methods for two years. But progress will manifest. And... if you help us, should our undertaking succeed, I will give you the guide to the fourth level."
"The fourth?" I asked.
"That's the level that allows you, using the Force, to control nearly every part of your body. You will be able, using the Force, to withstand the most terrible plagues of the galaxy — provided you train for it, of course. However, even that isn't the limit. There is one more level, the final one. The fifth."
"The fifth?"
"It's the same kind of story as your Je'daii," Sheygen explained. "The fifth level, which only the Creator Tsai Lyn and some of her children mastered. A legendary level... According to some data — one who masters the fifth level can even regrow a lost limb."
"What?!" I exclaimed in surprise. "The fifth level can restore a limb?"
"Mastery of the Force and one's body at such a level, respected Light, allows one to perform miracles. This is the level we might achieve if we can find the library of the Forbidden City, the capital of the Tsai System," Theodor said.
"And you'll give me access to those teachings?" I said, looking at Theodor with suspicion.
"I will," the man agreed.
"MASTER..."
"Silence," he cut Sheygen off. "Young Light could provide invaluable help in confronting that Gifted one. Unfortunately, our Matukai allies simply won't arrive in time. We're in a stalemate, Sheygen. If we wait too long, afraid of the confrontation — we risk losing everything. But if the two of us go against him alone — it's not certain we'll prevail. In the current situation," the man crossed his arms over his chest, "we must use every resource we can." He looked me in the eyes. "I swear by my life that I will give you all the knowledge we can find in the Forbidden City library, and I will translate it for you. If the Council of Pathfinding Masters condemns me for it — so be it. Too many have fallen by that creature's hand! And I am willing to accept any consequences for myself, up to and including death, just to kill him."
"Theodor..." I looked at the man in shock.
"That is my word, Light. I've laid all my cards on the table. I will repay you worthily for all your risks, so I'll ask once more: do you agree?"
"I won't make lofty speeches, Theodor." I closed my eyes. "You understand that I'm not entirely that kind of sentient. But I will help you."
"Thank you..." Theodor bowed slightly, "for your honesty."
* * *
A figure wrapped in a black cloak stood on a rise, looking at the old city. Its streets were empty and dirty with dust — apparently the shields that had protected the capital of the proud Matukai, or rather their Tsai Kingdom, had been deactivated long ago.
"Tsai Kingdom," a hollow voice said grimly, "the mythical Kingdom created by Tsai Yan, son of Tsai Lyn. Once it was a refuge for all Matukai, a secret political entity hidden from the rest of the galaxy. However... these idiots destroyed themselves. The Emperor had thirty-seven wives in each generation, selecting a girl from each clan. They lasted only five generations before destroying each other. Ha-ha-ha... Finally — I, I have searched so long for you. And..." the figure's gaze turned to a building situated on a rise in the center of the city, "the Central Library of the Forbidden City — also known as the Imperial Library."
"Master," a protocol droid's voice came from behind him. "A vessel was detected one minute ago, entering the planet's atmosphere."
"Bring up its data on the datapad — who is it?" the man asked, raising his left hand with the datapad to his face. Before his eyes appeared a Star Courier-class vessel. "What... Is that... Ha-ha... What is it doing here? Well," a lightsaber with a curved hilt flew into the man's right hand, and a crimson blade sprang from it, "it doesn't matter. I will accomplish my goal regardless." The greatest value was contained in the library's basement. Scrolls of Matukai techniques that allowed one to regrow limbs and grow organs using the Force. "I wonder what the coming day will bring. Ha-ha..."
The blade deactivated, and the figure shot away from the spot.