The "Black Sun" base on Drongar was immersed in silence. The droids worked peacefully on the base, as if nothing unusual was happening. Except that this time, something had changed in the visits. And today, almost a year and a half after my arrival on Drongar, they were visiting the base for another harvest of bota... But this time, the documents for receiving visitors listed someone more significant than the Rodian Nigzore Amari. This time, the Vigo of "Black Sun" herself was arriving on the planet — the Anzat Jarko Itari. I didn't have an appearance for this sentient, although the biometric model of this person had been uploaded into the droids' memory, so they would know for sure — this was their boss.
During my entire stay on Drongar, I had become much stronger. However, my current strength was not a point of pride. There's always a bigger fish, so I never stopped training, living up to that very nickname they'd given me back at the Temple when I was a Youngling — "Training Maniac." And it lived up to its name, because thanks to diligent training, I had lived much longer than... some of my classmates. I even lived long enough to start thinking about my own views on the Force... My body had become more muscular; I definitely had something to be proud of. I hadn't gotten taller, maybe even a bit shorter... My height was now about a hundred and seventy centimeters... Over all this time, I had to patch up my suit countless times; it had worn out from being in the aggressive environment of Drongar... And regarding the Force... For me, throughout my stay on this planet, through numerous meditations — the Force had become just energy. That's the direction I had developed in. Energy that has no polarity.
And it is the sentient who directs it into one channel or another. When a Jedi or a Sith tries to comprehend the Force using emotions, or the lack of them — it's like they put a filter on the energy itself. And they strain it, separating a part of the Force... I, however, was learning, in accordance with my so-called views, to use energy in its full essence. And my views resembled the classic views of a Jedi, with one exception. I did not entrust myself to the Force itself; I tried to control it. After all — the Force is energy produced by midi-chlorians. Our energy, originating from our blood, if you look at it that way. And since it's our energy, we need to know how to control it.
And not blindly follow its current and will. And to the will of the Force, if necessary, one should listen, but not follow... In other words... My current views resembled the product of a perverse love between Jedi, Sith, and a pinch of Je'daii... My perspective on physical development I gleaned from the teachings of the Matukai. Although Lorm Decer scoffed, still calling my views "similar to the ravings of the Potentium, but much more potent, apparently caused by the constant consumption of bota.".. And it's foolish to hide it, bota did have an euphoric effect. As for my views... For now, they are only an intermediate form, and I still have a lot to clarify for myself. And I'd better get back to the Vigo's visit.
Jarko usually didn't visit the base, according to the local logs, but now the Anzat had decided to fly in. Learning information about the Vigo of "Black Sun," the largest criminal syndicate in the Galaxy, wouldn't hurt. After all — later I could just sell her out to the Order. Eliminating this Vigo, whatever form that might take, could, in the long run, make the Galaxy a little cleaner. I noticed the image that appeared on my computer. The ship with the Rodian and the Anzat had already landed, and both had gone to where the bota seedlings were. The Rodian appeared in a classic mercenary outfit, with two blasters on her belt. And the Anzat... From the very beginning, she literally captured the gaze. It was noticeable that she was behaving as casually as possible...
Hair the color of a raven's wing fell onto her bare shoulders. Jarko's skin was not naturally white; I would say pearlescent. Her eyes... Orange in color, they studied the surroundings with curiosity. But the most important thing was the clothing of the tall beauty... Or rather, its almost complete absence. As for clothes, there was... a scarlet "bikini top" and a light skirt of the same color. She clearly loved to attract looks, because her body was perfect, or close to that definition. On her belt hung a vibro-knife, and on the other side — a blaster. A typical pirate, I swear.
Pryle
(author's note — THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE!)
"Well, well, well," the mentor peered at the holo-video, "damn, what a beauty. Oh, I'd love to play with her!"
"That would be even more disgraceful than dying from a buckshot in the back," I noted. "She's an Anzat. You know how they can kill, right? But I can say right away — a shitty clothing choice for a crime boss. One of the... She looks more like a Queen of Sluts than someone who controls bota supplies to many areas of the Galaxy."
"Don't judge a book by its cover," Lorm said. "She's Gifted. And you know from your own experience that we don't have to dress in pompous armor to be dangerous. You're not in pompous armor, and look what you can do at twenty."
"I'm still nineteen," I shook my head. "But you're right. She doesn't look so much erotic as dangerous. I doubt she could do anything to me in a straight fight."
"Usually, if a sentient can't at least put up a fight against a Jedi in direct combat, they don't become a Vigo. Don't underestimate her," Lorm said seriously. "I shouldn't need to remind you — what your 'headlong' and 'unthinkingly rushed into attack' led to. I'm in this state," he raised his hands, "precisely because of that."
"Yes, and I already apologized..."
"Do you seriously think that apologizing is enough for a dead man who ended up that way because of your stupidity?"
"Do you really want to discuss this now?" I asked him with a sigh.
"Hmmm... No, the previous five times were enough," he shook his head. "But I would recommend you avoid open confrontation with her. Play with her, as you Shadows like to do. Strike from a hidden position, decapitate immediately, and quietly slip away. You're not planning to dramatically jump down in front of her and say: 'well, hello,' to get her attention and that of her half-dozen guards, are you?"
"Do I look like an idiot?" escaped my lips.
"No, on the outside you look like a Sephi, but mentally and intellectually, you sometimes acted not like an idiot, but like a juvenile moron. However — the further you go, the more you correct yourself. The plans got better, you matured and got smarter... But I'd still give you a couple of slaps... That face of yours is too smug."
"I have enough of your Force Lightning training," which Lorm Decer, unlike physical contact, was perfectly capable of using. Though afterwards I have to recharge the medallion "from scratch," because the ghost exists in reality only as long as the medallion "has enough charge." Through experimentation, I found that if Lorm doesn't use the Force, just talking in my ear as his ghostly copy, he lasts about seven hours. If he uses the Force — it all depends on the power of the technique. Essentially — he uses the Force that I pour into the artifact itself. And when it runs out — I have to recharge it. Although this use, combined with bota stimulation, taught me to better sense and control the flows of the Force. This helped my sensory techniques jump in quality, as well as other techniques like pyrokinesis, physical enhancement, telekinesis, ionization... And I also learned to create weak Force Lightning, which so far was only good for — painful sensations and paralysis. But I was able to develop my teleportation to the level of: "I can even use it once in battle," which inspired me greatly.
"Then shut up and continue the analysis..."
"What did I do?" I was indignant at my mentor's words. "You're the one who got distracted by that tramp. I'm only interested in her for the moment: which side to attack her from so she doesn't sense me until the very end."
"Hmm," Lorm said thoughtfully. "If that's true, then you really have gotten better."
Meanwhile, Jorka and Nigzore were talking.
"It seems to me," the Anzat almost sang, "that you're missing the obvious, Nigzore."
"Mistress," the Rodian knelt before the Anzat. "Have I done something wrong? Please tell me! I'll fix everything! Everything, so that you continue to help me!"
"My dear Nigzore," the girls were surrounded by "Black Sun" gangsters, as well as B1 droids. They were in the middle of the bota farm. Jorka took the mercenary by the cheek and forced her to look at her. "You remember, don't you? Only the best are worthy of my help. If you want me to continue... 'helping' you... you have to prove yourself," she smiled erotically. Yeah... The gangsters were practically melting next to her. Is she using the Force when she speaks? "You were supposed to... But you didn't notice," the Anzat clenched her hand into a fist, and Nigzore was lifted into the air, judging by how... Force Choke? "That we... are being robbed," she cooed sweetly. "And why should I help you?"
"Mgh... my... mistress," the Rodian flailed in the air. "I... kgh..."
"Your soup is sweet, and I wouldn't want to give up its monthly consumption," what? "Monthly"? "But you let me down. So you don't deserve to be my soup. Not noticing how the seedlings disappear, not cross-referencing the statistics from the farmer droids... Everyone wants me to spend time with them, but no one, for some reason, wants to work for it," she said sadly, still holding the flailing Rodian in the air above the ground. "And that makes me sad, Nigzore Amari. I picked you up when you were just a girl, raised you and taught you. I showed you paradise... And you showed me your stupidity. I pity you," she said sorrowfully, drawing the vibro-sword from her belt and immediately stabbing Nigzore with it.
"Kkh..." The Rodian fell to the ground as Jorka released her.
"Good thing I'm wearing a red dress," the woman said with disgust, kicking the dead Rodian's head with her foot. "But it's bad that you got your blood on the bota. I should have killed you somewhere else. Clean this up," she walked over to one of the droids, from which I was watching and listening. "And now I'm addressing you, little rat. I know you can see and hear me. I don't know who you are, but I recommend you surrender. You were naive to think I wouldn't detect the discrepancies." The station's scanning system allows for precise control of the plant count. So she analyzed the records... Gradually, over the course of a year and a half, I had introduced some inaccuracies into this system, or rather its report, understating the amount of grass by three or four units to create extract... But she somehow managed to figure out the inconsistencies. How? Was she alerted that the monthly plant count had sharply decreased? When Nigzore appeared at the base, once a month, she checked everything manually and had no questions. Apparently, these "dips" had already alarmed Jorka herself. So she snapped. "As well as your 'gifts in the Main Computer system,'" she even noticed the control program? Either she's a slicer from God, noticing a program that Jedi Shadows use for hacking, or she has one such person among her subordinates. Which, in principle, doesn't change the outcome. But she doesn't know where I am or my identity yet. That makes my situation easier. "But you weren't stealing from a common bandit, but from Jorka Itari, Vigo of 'Black Sun,' responsible for this territory. Let's make a deal, thief. I promise to show mercy if you surrender. If you can bargain for your pathetic life, I might even let you work for me."
At that last part, I almost laughed. Classic trap. Judging by her facial expressions, gaze, and tone of voice — she wants to play the role of a beauty impressed by his skills. Naturally — a thief, if not particularly smart, might think: "cool, she likes me" and surrender. The ending is a bit predictable. She'd eat such a little thief alive...
"Hmm..." I rubbed my chin. "No need to stay here anymore," I typed a command for the B1 droids. "Since my presence here is known, I think I'll get the hell out of here."
"I agree with that," said Lorm. "You've gotten the maximum you could from this planet."
"Yes, the effect of the bota extract has been slowly weakening. I've increased my Force affinity and am satisfied with my progress. Time to focus on other things. But first," I began packing my things using the Force. And before shutting down the computer, I pressed "enter," sending the command to the droids. "Catch a surprise, bitch," I smirked. I had no intention of leaving such a good feeding trough for the syndicate. Essentially, I just ordered all droids to attack Jorka's guard and Jorka herself. And also a signal for the base's self-destruction, but... A call on the datapad? I answered, and Jorka Itari herself appeared in front of me. Whoa... I managed to pull up my hood, hiding my face.
"You're too insolent, thief," she said. "I know where you are right now, and I know what order you gave MY BASE. You're playing too rough, little thief. I'm giving you one last chance..."
"Ha-ha-ha-ha (author's note — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nko6o_EZ2o)," I laughed. "Don't waste your eloquence, Jorka Itari. I know who you are. You're wrong to think that by exposing me and my schemes here, you've managed to outplay me."
"And you think you haven't? The planet is blockaded by my cruisers, 'Black Sun' troops are already on their way to you. You can't escape from here..."
Yes, in a normal situation — panic time. But... I had already called my ship. With its special feature — bring all the SSDs (Super Star Destroyers) that ever existed and both Death Stars. Without technology that detects Stygium coating — you can't do anything to me. The only moment I'll have to deactivate it is when activating the hyperdrives. But with my hyperdrive — the acceleration to FTL will be very fast. So they won't even be able to scratch themselves.
"I heard you, Jarko Itari, but you know nothing about me. That's what will destroy you, if you plan to challenge me. Goodbye, Jarko. And it's better if it never comes... Because if it does — I'll cut off your head and send your body to conquer the stars, ha-ha-ha-ha," I turned off the datapad.
"Looks like you've gone slightly off the rails..."
"Just a little," I shook my head, approaching the Star Trek and activating the timer on the bombs that were in my cave. "Just a little."
"On the other hand — they could erect a monument to you while you're still alive, if you didn't get some kind of phase shift in our Galaxy."
Returning to the ship's controls, I listened to a huge number of colorful epithets from BB, who was glad we were leaving the planet... But first, I needed to "help" "Black Sun."
"Five fighters on the radar, Master. They're approaching fast," BB reported. Yes, I had turned off the cloaking field because I was going to attack the "Black Sun" base.
"Prepare the missiles, BB. Let's put on a fire show for them, according to plan two... Since the first one didn't work out," I kicked in the afterburner, sharply accelerating and setting a course for the "Black Sun" farm.
* * *
"Mistress," Jorka noticed the gangster who had arrived with her at Base-4, which was her main source of income. "A ship is heading towards us from the enemy's hideout."
She looked at Shayk Kl'er, a man recently recruited by her and a talented slicer from the north of the Galaxy. It was his data analysis and mathematical mind that allowed them to trace the leak, and then discover the "gifts" and the theft.
"Were you able to identify our thief?"
"No," Shayk shook his head. "His face — no system on the base has seen it. Even in the droids' biometric memory, he's recorded with a hood on. I've already deleted his data, but... In the records I found — he always appeared in a hood that concealed him. No distinguishing features... He's like..."
"An assassin," Itari said. "Trained, or trying — to act as covertly as possible. And I must admit — he has potential for it and he knows how. What about the ship?"
"It's not there," Shayk replied. "I've studied every available database. This ship, a modified version of the 'Star Courier,' isn't in any Republic database. Not even the Jedi one..."
"That's bad," Jarko grumbled. Tendrils instantly shot out from her cheeks and slid into the nose of the gangster standing before her. She controlled the process perfectly and was able to consume a sentient gradually... Or all at once. This time, to stabilize her condition, she needed to consume the soup immediately. Which she did. The gangster instantly felt an incredible, powerful euphoria right before his death.
"Mistress?" Shayk asked in surprise.
"If my assumptions are correct, we have a very tense future ahead of us, slave," she grumbled. "This bastard could be... a Jedi Shadow!" Her fists clenched. Of all the Jedi, it was the Shadows that caused the most problems in an encounter. They are the hardest to detect and the most skilled at killing. A Guardian can swing a lightsaber all they want, a Consul can use the Force all they want... But a Shadow... A Shadow is someone who can both use the Force and wield a lightsaber with the intent to kill. She had survived many Jedi only because most of them — didn't even think about killing. But of the two Shadows she had encountered — in both cases she was a hair's breadth from death. "And his clothes... Shadows wear, more or less, the same kind of outfit. And this one resembles the one who almost two years ago caused a ruckus on Royiss-VIII... But... His ship is approaching?" she looked at the computer data. "What is he planning... Huh?"
She moved to Shayk and took him by the elbow, heading for the exit. The Anzati's physical strength allowed her to drag the rather plump Shayk along.
"Leave the base, but activate the planetary defense systems first! He's going to attack!"
Against the armament of such a ship — and she had seen the analysis of its weapons from the scans — the base wouldn't last long. That bastard Jedi... Even if he were a Master, she would have her revenge! Finding the Shadow wasn't easy, but even it didn't exist for nothing. Yes... He wouldn't even be able to leave the planet! Meanwhile, the ship opened fire. The automatic system naturally tried to damage the Courier, but the missiles were shot down by heat decoys, and the turrets couldn't penetrate the shield. Meanwhile, the missiles sent by the Courier destroyed the turrets, and then a strike hit the third floor, where the main computer was working. With the first attack, the ship took out the power infrastructure, disrupting the energy supply. The backup generator couldn't fully power this base... The next strike hit the main computer. After leaving the base, Jorka couldn't get into her fighter because one of the missiles had hit it; she watched in fury as the enemy ship smashed and destroyed everything she had spent so long building... By the time the Jedi switched to the farm itself, fighters from her cruisers had arrived.
But what was one pilot, non-Gifted, against a full-fledged Gifted at the helm of a starship? She felt it... That bastard turned out to be very strong, though she had managed to kill even stronger ones in her three hundred years of life. If that bastard survived today, she would have her revenge. And he survived... After dealing with the fighters, he attacked the farm, starting a fire. Bota... Precious bota, which had value for everyone — Gifted and non-Gifted — burned from the turbolaser strikes of the ship.
"Bastard! Son of a bitch, Hutt spawn! I'll cut you to pieces! I give you my word, you'll pay for everything, Jedi! Hey, Shayk! Get me connected to the ships! I want them to launch and send after him every Hutt ship that can shoot! Every one, you hear me? Anything that can go 'pew-pew', launch missiles! Get me that bastard. I don't care what condition he's in!"
And the Star Courier set course upward, clearly intending to leave the planet... Yes, let him try. Fifteen Gozantis and three dreadnoughts. Her fleet would turn him into space dust... Ten minutes later...
"This is Captain Nakhir," she heard the voice of one of the dreadnought captains. "The enemy... He... He disappeared from our sensors, broke through our cordon... And then... Went into hyperspace..."
"Are you joking, Nakhir?!" she exclaimed angrily.
"No, mistress... We screwed up..."
* * *
This Anzati had managed to assemble a truly powerful fleet. And the specialists there were competent; they organized a sensible blockade in orbit around the planet, spreading out on either side of the Black Sun station. I know what I'm talking about — I studied tactics using materials from Anaxis. However, theoretical and practical tactics are two different things, and I didn't have time to observe them now. What do we have after a year and a half on Drongar? I developed my Force affinity, mastered many Force techniques to a higher degree, and even learned to use Lightning. Though it's certainly not the kind that Vitiate or Sidious threw around. But I'm still learning... I also managed to study tactics and later strategy for military operations in the GFFA. Even if only in theory, and all my knowledge in these disciplines, without serious practice, is laughable... And I understand that. You can graduate from any number of General Staff Academies or various military higher education institutions and so on... Without real practice, you're just a 'figurehead officer.' On the other hand, why am I worried? This universe is capable of giving me practice.
After exiting hyperspace, I jumped a couple more times, coming out onto the Perlemian Trade Route, one of the five major ones. The traffic on it is such that it's easy to get lost. Moreover, I have another advantage that will save me from detection — my tinkering with the transponder. Yes, they might have visually seen the Star Courier. But I reconfigured the transponder so that initially they should see a VCX-100 ship. For a while, that will throw them off, and I... can think about what to do with all this. About three months ago, I started sending information about the Black Sun and Jorka Itari to the Order. Because I understood that soon I would have to leave Drongar... Maybe the Council will figure out what we should do with her? I would send a group to capture or eliminate her. Considering what resource she's trading... Oh wait, I didn't say anything about bota... Well... Now it's time to tell the Order everything. Yes, I destroyed one base on Drongar with a strike, but she can build another and restore the business. Not the best outcome, so... I pressed the button, and the data flew to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. All that's left is to wait...