Resting in the Temple before the next big fight was becoming something of a tradition for me. By 'big fight,' I mean the Order had found a specialized mission for me. It fell within my direct spectrum—finding Force artifacts and dark-siders. As I was informed by the Council of First Knowledge, which I visited the day after setting Jaro on his essay, they were investigating the supply channels and possible connections of Set Harth. Since I was responsible for Seth's death—well, to be precise, I finished him off in battle—the next investigation fell to me. In Set Harth's decrypted data, it was noted that somewhere in the northeast of the Galaxy lived a certain sentient who had been poaching artifacts right from under Harth's nose.
In Seth's data, he was listed as 'The Primordial.' Unfortunately, no one could explain the etymology of the name. Meanwhile, my experience suggested that his designation would help us uncover information about his approximate abilities and capabilities. The Primordial was to be searched for in sectors R6 to R3, S6 to S3, T6 to T5, and U6. That was the search zone outlined for me. Incidentally, my favorite planet, Drongar, where the Jedi now held sway, was located there. Jarko was dead, after all. Destroyed by the Order. And it would have been foolish for the Black Sun to remain on the planet. However—the Primordial wasn't on Drongar, I would have sensed it. Which meant he was somewhere else. And I had a working theory, which I arrived at as soon as I got the assignment.
The first designation, The Primordial, could be connected to the fact that Set Harth, whom I encountered on Tsai Planet and later on Royiss-VIII, was a clone. Yes, Set cloned himself, according to Star Wars lore. But what if that Set was also a clone, separate from the original? That clone became Set Harth, the aristocrat of Royiss. And the original became 'The Primordial.' Incidentally, no one knew about this Primordial, not even the Shadows. And that was already an indicator, hinting at Harth himself. He was a hedonist and an egoist. He wouldn't have exposed himself to open combat. But a clone, which could have turned out defective in a certain way, would. Granted, I had no idea in what specific way he was defective. How a whole branch of 'Set Harths' split off from him was a big question. And what a coincidence, I myself needed to go to the northeast, namely to Veinay, where, according to Revan, there were remnants of Tulak Hord's mask, which he himself had found long ago on Korriban. Could 'The Primordial,' whom I was tasked with finding, also be the current owner of the mask? Yes. If this Primordial was indeed the original Set Harth, on a path diverging from the original, did that mean he could have a whole vault of artifacts and practices of Force-sensitives? Yes. The Set I destroyed on Royiss only suspected where 'The Primordial' might be hiding and was desperately searching for him. However, it might also turn out that this wasn't Set Harth at all. Just one of my theories. One that could be tested on Veinay. Unfortunately, Revan hadn't given an exact address. Meanwhile—it was a very popular resort planet, where the bigwigs of the Corporate Sector flocked. That's where I'd start my investigation. But first... I needed to figure out what the noise was in my common hall. Jaro shouldn't be back from the archives yet, where I'd sent him to 'train his mind.' On the contrary, I could sense the auras of Rela and Celeste...
It seemed those two were making a scene. Stepping out of my room, I saw an argument in progress. Celeste was wrapped in a towel that was wound around her, clearly having just used the shower. She was sitting on my couch, placidly sipping juice with her feet up on the coffee table. Celeste was completely naked except for the towel wrapped around her, which was large enough to cover all her intimate areas. Her signature braid was undone, and jet-black hair fell to her waist. Rela stood opposite, dressed in tight white pants and a matching hooded top. It was obvious to the naked eye whose costume she was parodying. The Twi'lek was radiating emotions of 'shock and disapproval' towards Celeste.
"L... Light, who is that?" asked the green-skinned Twi'lek. Mmm, so she didn't have the braid anymore? She'd become a Knight.
"This is Celeste," I answered calmly. "Hello to you too, Rela. I see you're a Knight now. Congratulations. That Padawan braid is really annoying."
"Umm," the girl was taken aback, "thank you. But... why is this Celeste taking a shower in your room?! Is this the Padawan Drallig was talking about? But your Padawan is a huge Lasat..."
"I can't fault your logic," Celeste said calmly. "If you can explain things so logically and calmly, why did you start screaming the moment you came in?"
"Maybe because you're half-naked in a male Jedi's room?"
"What, would you like to have been in my place?" Celeste smirked. Through the Force Bond, I could feel how much Rela's reaction amused her. It seems still waters run deep in her case. "Oh, I see it. But, surprise—I was the one in that place."
"J... We... We're forbidden from having such... such relationships! Light, you do know the Council could expel you for this!"
"Celeste—stop teasing Rela," I rebuked Morne. "Jedi are forbidden from forming attachments, under the current rules, Rela. But engaging in the sexual act is not, even though many sexual acts can be accompanied by uncontrollable passion and lust, which is unbecoming for a Jedi."
"Excellent juice," Celeste said, smacking her lips. "So sorry, my friend, I beat you to it."
"WHAT?! I'll..."
"I said," I said, raising my voice slightly, "enough!" Both girls looked at me. "Celeste Morne—don't tease her," I looked into her blue eyes. "Rela—nothing has happened between Celeste and me. She lay in stasis for four thousand years. I got her out of there, and she expressed a desire to return to the Order. It just so happened that I was assigned to help her get acclimated."
"But the bond... The Force Bond," Rela stammered, looking from me to Celeste.
"Well, I just saved her from Karness Muur, and the bond formed. That's how it is. Any more questions?"
The girl stared at the floor as I sat down next to Celeste.
"Want some juice?" I asked the Twi'lek. "You're a Jedi Knight now. Sorry I couldn't congratulate you, and we've got nothing to celebrate with."
"Mmm... I, um... I think I'll go for now," the Twi'lek mumbled.
"Rela," I said, meeting the eyes of the blushing girl. She gave me a guilty smile and left the quarters.
"She's got a crush on you," Celeste Morne remarked slyly. I glanced at her.
"Yeah, I know. But I don't want to burden her. I've had enough childhood friends I'm in relationships with," I recalled Rivi's silhouette and flinched in surprise. I had a strange feeling toward her. But what was it connected to? "You, though, showed a different side. Dun Moch? On your own colleagues in the Order? I thought you were above that."
"I just teased her a little," Celeste shrugged. "Though I won't deny that to her sensor, we're much closer than you are to her. And your little lecture about attachments and sexual acts — you gave her food for thought."
"Good. Let her occupy that pretty head of hers with something," I sighed. When I was an ugly geek, I dreamed... oh, I dreamed of a harem, being transported to another world, and a pretty face. Of course, complaining sounds stupid — but now I regret the pretty face. And the thought of a harem makes me shudder. When I think about it, I barely understand women in terms of relationships. Not just sex once or twice, but a real relationship. The only one I ever had true harmony with was Mila Karnur. The rest are a mystery... and a couple of mysteries like that — I'd go crazy. No. I won't abuse what's good, especially since I have plenty to do.
"How pragmatic," Morne noted. I felt a strange, contradictory cocktail from her. Two echoes of different emotions. Desire... And duty? Hmm... Another one on my plate. Still, now is not the time, and certainly not the place, to figure out what Morne feels.
"I don't have time to waste on stupid nonsense," I said sternly, looking the Jedi woman in the eyes.
"You know, this is like those cheap novels you can buy on any street corner on Coruscant. First, the main character pompously says he has no time for stupid nonsense, and then bam... He's already tangled up in some stupid nonsense."
Interesting. When I read about Zayne Carrick's saga, Celeste seemed much stricter, less loose, more... constrained. But now... like she's much freer. Did circumstances affect her that much?
"You're looking at me too strangely."
"I thought you were much stricter. Your file was sent to me from the archives — I don't know how they managed to keep it — but it says: 'strict, fair' and other characteristics that directly hint you're a Jedi. But you're acting much stranger now; it doesn't match your file."
She smiled. Quite sweetly, actually.
"That's pretty strange, isn't it? You're used to looking for a catch in everything and everyone, Light?"
"I won't deny, changes to something that was established intrigue me."
"And what makes you think that file was established?" Celeste asked, tilting her head. "That I'm really like what was described there? In any case — even if I was, I'm different now. You heard me? I can live as long as you, maybe even longer, without aging..."
"Is the realization of your own longevity and eternal youth really that mind-blowing?" I asked the girl.
"You're a Sephi — living about four hundred years is natural for you. Your race, though it resembles humans, lives that long. And you certainly can't understand those whose maximum age is about a hundred. Plus aging. Akara is a hundred percent right, Light. Jedi or not, I'm a woman. And looking at a young face in the mirror, even a hundred years from now, is much nicer than an old woman's face," Celeste Morne said with relish. "For that, I can be grateful to you. You can go ahead and rewrite my file now. I'm not the one I was... four thousand years ago. I'll remain a Jedi. No fire can burn that out of me. But I doubt I'll be the one who lay down in Dreypa's Oubliette. And you're responsible for that."
"I understand," I nodded, making a mental note that uncharacteristic actions could be expected from her. Meaning her file could be set aside for now.
"The more important question for you is: what are you going to do, Light?" Celeste, having finished her juice, stood up. She walked to the full-length mirror, pulled a comb to her with telekinesis, and began combing her hair.
"Do you really want to talk about this now?" I asked in surprise. "Am I not distracting you?"
"I can easily kill a couple of sentients with a kitchen knife while combing my hair. Do you think, with that skill, I can't hear you? What are you doing? You told me you walk a thin line between the dark and light sides, didn't you? As someone you saved... as someone who has a Force Bond with you... Let's just say I can't and won't turn you in to anyone. But at the same time, I want to understand what you're doing. You're not just searching for dark artifacts for no reason, are you? Not just as a Shadow. You... Are you trying to learn from their owners?"
Insightful, smart... Or did I just tell her more than I should have?
"Do you realize how dangerous that is?" Celeste continued. "Each of the Sith is powerful in their own way, and each is capable of killing you. You don't give the impression of a brainless sentient... Though, if my latest guesses are correct..."
She'd feel a lie through the Force bond. Lying to someone you're connected to with a bond like mine is very difficult. We're more like lovers than master and apprentice, judging by the nature of the Force Bond. With the same precision I can feel her feelings and emotions, she can feel mine. So lying, if it works at all, won't last long. That's the downside of a Force Bond... How I hate being backed into a corner by any available means.
"Fine," I folded my arms across my chest. "Let's say you're right. I can indeed summon the former owners of artifacts, regardless of who they are, into the real world. And yes, this feature is incredibly dangerous because the summoned one appears in their 'absolute form' the state when their abilities were, essentially, at their peak."
"How do you do it?" Morne asked, stopping her combing and looking at me, turning her head for the last. "And why do you do it?"
"How? With an artifact. It also has a special failsafe element that sends the summoned one back into the Force if they try to attack the owner. I do it to 'gain the experience of those who lived before'."
"Aren't holocrons enough for you?" she asked.
"Not all holocrons can be found," I replied. "My mentor was an archaeologist. He found artifacts that belonged to the gifted, but not holocrons. And how am I supposed to get data about them? Of course, finding the artifact itself is good news. But, as usual, you always want more. So we managed to find a certain Sith's medallion. His name probably won't mean anything to you — he was secretive and came after your time. Unfortunately, a mercenary from our competitors killed my mentor, and then I managed to get that medallion. And I was able to use it."
"And who did you summon to use Force Lightning?"
"My deceased mentor. He was an outstanding Jedi," I said sadly, closing my eyes. "Much better than me. That's how it is, Celeste Morne. Now you know my secret. I need Tulak Hord because I've heard he's an excellent swordsman. I want to resolve a couple of dilemmas in lightsaber combat..."
"You?" the Jedi woman asked in surprise. "I've seen you fight. Trust me, you can overcome many. Not just in this time, for sure. Or are the standards of fencing completely different now?"
"Hardly," I snorted. "But I, as usual, want more. To find a balance between defense and attack. To combine the incompatible — Soresu and Ataru."
"Yeah, and to learn the laws of the Force to such a level that you can create black holes out of nowhere and toss entire systems around like balls," Celeste laughed. "You're an excellent swordsman, and you understand that combining attack and defense in 'that super-ideal proportion' is an impossible task. There will always be an imbalance. Or do you want to see the Lord of the Rising Dark writhing on the floor with laughter?"
"That would also be a good sight," I noted.
"But it's incredibly dangerous," the girl insisted. "I can see it's stupid to talk you out of it — you've already bought into this idiocy enough. To some extent, persistence is a good quality in a sentient. But... not now. This persistence could bring death to all of us. Summoning someone that powerful? Who else do you want to summon? Ulic Qel-Droma in his Sith incarnation? Or Exar Kun himself?"
"Yeah, and Naga Sadow, Ajunta Pall, Marka Ragnos... Celeste, I only summon those who could help me master some Force practices or combat techniques."
"You need help?!" she asked doubtfully. "Maybe from a psychiatrist. Are you blind? You're already stronger than many in your Order. I can feel and compare perfectly well. Not just in talent, as I saw on Jebble."
"Do you think that just happened? My current level was created, among other things, through training with the medallion and the summoned ones. Or did you forget? I summoned my mentor back, and after him there was another sentient."
"And who?" she asked.
"Whose droid do you think HK-47 was... And how do you think I found out about Jebble and your situation? Just by the will of the Force?"
"Well, you definitely wanted to help me out of the goodness of your heart," Celeste came close to me. "I clearly feel you felt sorry for me. I hope you won't deny that?"
"No, I won't. And finding you was thanks to that medallion and summoning Revan."
"I see," Celeste drawled. "I understand everything."
"And what?" I looked into her blue eyes. "Am I 'dark' now? Someone who should be killed, right?"
"You're a fool now," she declared. "Can't you feel my emotions through the bond? Whatever you are, I can't betray you, even after everything I've learned. It just so happens you're my savior. Plus, Zayne taught me that everyone has their own path and their own responsibility. You have your path. And I will stand by you. Because you're the one he sent, no matter what you say. You've earned my loyalty with your actions. So stop suspecting me, listen to the Force, and do whatever you've planned," she hugged me. "Ahem..."
She got embarrassed when I hugged her back. But the feeling that someone was standing outside the door made me quickly end our embrace. Judging by the aura — it was Jaro. I sat back down on the sofa, and Celeste headed to the second room. Only I could enter mine.
"Master," the Lasat came inside. "I... I think I'm ready."
"Ready?" I asked him. "You think, or are you really ready?" I sat the same way Celeste had when she met Rela.
"Ready," he said confidently. "Though I still don't understand why I need to know all this if you, I'm sure, already know everything about Hord?"
"And you trust me?" I asked him. "Unconditionally?" He looked at me intently. "I can do whatever I want with you. My ability level is enough to kill you with the comb Celeste Morne uses on her hair. I think you can already feel my ability level," he swallowed. "What am I getting at? We've known each other for nothing — it's too early for unconditional trust, my Padawan. You have to trust sentients," I recalled my conversation with Celeste. Yeah... Look at me — I hardly truly trust anyone. Though it's more the remnants of my old personality, which had a hard time connecting with anyone. "But only after overcoming shared difficulties together. When you see how a sentient behaves in one situation or another. When you understand what they're capable of and what they want... And if their desire matches what you want. But even then, you shouldn't lose vigilance... There's only one thing worth believing in — the Force. And I'm not talking about the strength of your muscles," I looked Jaro up and down. "I'm talking about the Force that we, as the gifted, have. We can feel intentions towards us, towards others. The Force you control — you can believe in unconditionally."
"The one I control?" Tapal asked.
"Correct," I agreed. "Not the 'Will of the Force'. I'll try to wean you off that concept quickly, because it carries its own danger. No, you must learn to control your Force. The very one inside you. And you must only trust your own hands, your own eyes... And your own Force. Otherwise, you'll face collapse. Now, go ahead, tell me your essay."
"Tell you?"
"Did you think I wanted to hear how well you can read Basic? I can read it too. No, you need to tell me the information you gathered about Tulak Hord, and I want to hear your conclusions about this sentient. Until you meet these conditions, we'll have to stay here."
* * *
Still, Jaro managed to complete the study, earning a satisfactory mark from me. I was supposed to teach this boy, and I felt a certain pressure. The Jaro from the game stood before me. And I'd like to get roughly that kind of Jedi. He wasn't a super-fighter, of course. But he became a decent Jedi... And I'd also gained an ally, though I had questions about Celeste's motivation to help me. But, as I'd noted before, everything would be decided by actions, not words. And so far, the beauty hadn't given me any reason to doubt myself. We'll see how she behaves in the future.