Jaro continued his training, as did I, starting to "work out my new style." On Celeste… But we quickly gave up on that idea. The problem was that the resulting style turned out to be too ferocious and fast. If we'd used our main blades — Celeste wouldn't have been able to walk in a couple of weeks because I'd have simply cut off her legs… The Lasat, meanwhile, spent all his time training in the designated zones. He'd constructed a staff, by the way. Even though the advantage of such a weapon is overrated, it impressed my Padawan. Specifically, what impressed him was how he'd been knocked into the mud by a staff on Veynae.
We spent almost two years training and learning. Of course, I didn't only train; my relationship with Celeste jumped to a new level. And considering that Jaro constantly went to other zones far from the base, we could entertain ourselves as much as we wanted. Also, missions from the Order interfered with our schedule. They were rare, but when someone like me gets called, you shouldn't refuse. Because only I can handle them. I was mostly called for eliminations or artifact retrieval, though the latter was less frequent. But then, after two years, I decided I'd trained my Padawan enough. Honestly, the Order treats me rather leniently because of my abilities. My long absences to who-knows-where, though they fit the behavior of a Shadow, are excessive.
"Honored Council," I bowed slightly when I was summoned. I appeared before the Council members in my usual outfit, with short-cropped, dark hair. A couple of moments after the transmission began, Celeste entered and also greeted those present. Honestly, all my missions over the last two years had been assigned by the Council of First Knowledge or through the Shadow forums. For the High Council to summon me… something else shitty must be happening.
"Where is your Padawan?" Even Piell asked instead of a greeting.
"And a good day to you too," I nodded to Master Piell. "Jaro is currently finishing his training. I was sending a report to the Council. I believed my Padawan should not only study Jedi philosophy and techniques, but also apply them in practice."
"Assignments are sufficient for that," Jocasta Nu noted.
"Yes," I agreed, "but assignments are, more or less, relatively monotonous. The boy needs variety, not only to learn Force techniques and philosophy, but also to develop basic resourcefulness. But you didn't call me about that, did you? I'm surprised the High Council has summoned me for the first time in so long. Has something strange happened?"
"Correct," Yoda confirmed. "Your instincts do not deceive you, Knight Light. Something strange has happened. A Republic expedition has gone missing. It was sent by the Senate to study the Koboh Nebula." A map of the Galaxy appeared before me.
"The Koboh Nebula? First I've heard of it. Is it in the Outer Rim?"
"Correct," Dooku confirmed. "The Senate sent the expedition following the trail of an earlier one."
"Meaning," Celeste entered the conversation, "there was another expedition concerning the Koboh Nebula sometime before? But it was…"
"A failure," Piell interrupted. "The Secret Jedi Archives contain a history connected to this nebula, suggesting it hides a planet rich in the Force… Tanalorr. The Jedi even planned to establish an enclave there. There was a Jedi named Dagan Gera. He found this planet and offered it to the Order. But then a conflict broke out with the Nihil. They were a fairly well-known and powerful anarchist group. They managed to attack Tanalorr… In the midst of the war, the Order had no time for that planet, and afterward, it was completely forgotten. However, not long ago, the Republic remembered it. The Senate Committee for Deep Space Exploration believes the planet holds colossal resources. Its exploration is being sponsored by the Trade Federation."
"The sum and the expedition must have been incredible," I noted.
"Yes," Master Elsa Kress agreed. "Incredible resources."
"Does this Tanalorr really possess even half the resources that were gathered for its exploration?" Celeste asked.
"It's not that simple," I cut my woman off. "Such explorations aren't just about finding resources. Often, they're conducted to test certain technologies. Financial gain is a factor, but in the process, something uniquely new could be invented and tested. Something as yet unknown. Some theory could be proven. The Trade Federation clearly wants something beyond just finances. There must be something else."
"In this, you are right," Yaddle agreed with me. A blueprint of some equipment appeared before us. Visually, it resembled a cylinder. "This cylinder is called a 'Nebula Beacon'… In theory, it can help a hyperdrive chart a course through nebulae. As everyone present knows, traveling through such places in the Galaxy is extremely dangerous. However, this device automatically calculates the correct jump trajectory, or series of jumps. It was built based on devices found by our archaeologists. Unfortunately, the ones we found were broken. And this device was the only one — an experimental prototype."
"Was?" I latched onto the word.
"Yes, was," Piell nodded. A female figure appeared before us. "This person is known as Ki'zhara Deyraksa, a Dathomirian Witch."
"And when will they all stop appearing?" I grumbled.
"Mmm?" Yoda looked at me questioningly.
"Nothing, please continue."
"Thank you for the permission," Piell snorted. "I've been waiting for the great Jedi Knight, Light Flyingstar, to deign to let me continue."
Was that sarcasm, or did I imagine it?
"Ki'zhara," Piell continued, "is the one who stole this device from the expedition that had already arrived on the planet Koboh."
"You're serious?" I asked skeptically. "An expedition financed by one of the wealthiest organizations in the Galaxy… one that even has its own representation in the Senate — gets robbed that easily by a single Force-wielder? Didn't you send a Jedi with the expedition?"
"We did, but Master Tal and her Padawan were unsuccessful," Yarael Poof noted. She failed again? The image of the Nurian woman floated before my eyes. Seriously, can she stop messing up? "So we need someone who can track down Ki'zhara and retrieve the stolen device."
"And the ones who paid for the expedition — haven't they already hired everyone available for the job?"
"They have," Piell agreed. "But that doesn't nullify your mission. For confronting and tracking a Force-wielder, we need a Shadow. To tell the truth, Knight Light, even though you're a rather unorthodox Shadow," I chuckled, "that doesn't change the fact that you're effective."
"I'll take that as a compliment," I said with a bow. "But even my unorthodoxy means nothing without initial information. Where was this woman last seen?"
"On the planet Koboh." Her coordinates were sent to me. "The expedition is still working there. I'm sure this will help you in your investigation," Dooku noted.
"She might either be hiding on Koboh, or have left it long ago… Judging by the information I just received, this planet is located near a hyperspace anomaly. That very nebula… What if this Ki'zhara has already used the device? If she succeeded," I stroked my chin, "finding her would be nearly impossible unless we get a second such device."
"Our intelligence is constantly searching for her trail." Dooku flinched. Something had come through on his datapad. "Ahem… Honored Council, Light, Celeste," he said after studying the information. "New… incredible information has arrived. It turns out that on the planet Koboh, the Trade Federation has discovered a complex built during the exploration of this anomaly and the 'era of Tanalorr's discovery.' And they've just begun its investigation. It contains many… strange technologies. In theory, there might be more copies of the beacon there."
"So what should I do? Pursue Ki'zhara, or investigate the complex for now?" Judging by the travel time, it would take me about three days to reach the planet Koboh.
"You must follow both trails," Yoda said thoughtfully.
"In that case, I'll start with the complex. Along the way, I'll familiarize myself with any information about Tanalorr that might be there."
"We'll send you everything that's currently known," Even Piell replied. "And we'll keep you updated."
"Thank you," I bowed slightly. "May the Force be with you, Masters."
"And with you — may the Force be with you," Yaddle said.
* * *
The new mission bothered me. For starters, the so-called Nihil weren't found in the memory of a Star Wars expert — that is, myself. Meanwhile, the Nihil marauders were a very well-known faction on a galactic scale. Which meant the events connected to them should be attributed to the so-called "new canon." At least, I didn't remember any work from the Legends that touched on these characters. But… I knew nothing about Tanalorr, Koboh, or the Nihil. Yes, a certain period of Republic history was called the "High Republic Era," occurring roughly after the destruction of Kaan's Brotherhood of Darkness and the Sith's own retreat into the shadows. But that name didn't seem to appear in Legends… I realized that the universe I'd landed in was a synthesis of Legends and New Canon. After all, the concept of a multiverse could have reached Star Wars too…
When the communication session ended, I called Jaro and told him to get ready and prepare for the mission, and also gave him the material on it to read. Celeste was coming with me too. The fact that the expedition was financed by the Trade Federation made me nervous. I trusted that organization very little and considered it a Sith proxy. Considering they'd already, practically, taken part in Plagueis's and Sidious's schemes. The same brewing conflict over bacta. Even now, as I'd noted before, you could see the preconditions for the future slaughter. It seemed like, with my knowledge, I could intervene and prevent it. But I was in no hurry, believing that this conflict would help me start promoting my ideas.
Reforms cannot arise in a vacuum. Everything must have its preconditions. And the best precondition for restructuring any organization is a public flogging of that organization. Although I didn't have high hopes, because as the "main motherfucker of the entire Galaxy and expert on windows — specifically on jumping out of them" said: "We are keepers of the peace, not soldiers." The problem is that a soldier's duties can very well include keeping the peace… Goodness must come with fists, one way or another. If goodness has no fists, evil won't be afraid to start a war. I was afraid to act actively before events like the Stark War, the Yinchorri incident, or even the Clone Wars, because the Sith could easily see me as a threat, and while they weren't distracted by some intrigue, they could seriously interfere.
Within three hours of packing, we were ready for departure. NK cooked us all a wonderful lunch, which we had in hyperspace. During all this time spent on that planet, Jaro Tapal had only grown taller. Going through hellish trials and various lessons I'd call "Spartan training," where I repeatedly threw him in the mud, taught him things, trained him — Jaro had become, in my opinion, a worthy Padawan. I'd almost managed to suppress his arrogance and pride, and also develop the traits I wanted to see in him. He was a calm, level-headed Lasat, who could sometimes seem overly silent… There were downsides too. Staying in dangerous forests had hardened him and made him… a bit paranoid. He was too tense, even sitting at the table eating the excellent steak NK had prepared. Though, maybe that was for the best. After finishing the meal, I called Celeste, NK, and Jaro to the holoprojector.
"Alright," I began, after getting the attention of everyone present. "Our target is here," I pointed to the spot. "This is a mountain range on the planet Koboh, where the Trade Federation expedition's camp is currently located. It found a complex that apparently belonged to the Republic… about two hundred years ago. And in this complex, there's likely information about the planet Tanalorr, hidden behind the anomaly of the Koboh Nebula. Such nebulae usually conceal enormous resources… Both planets with minerals and, say, asteroids, gas giants where mining can be done. The problem is that traveling through such anomalies is incredibly dangerous. The path through them is hard to calculate, and in some cases, completely impossible. These are journeys that can make you very rich… Or very dead.
"Master, we're not going to jump through that nebula, are we?" Jaro asked. Through the Force bond I'd formed with my student, I could feel tension and anxiety. Over so many years of training, he'd learned to take my words quite seriously. So his concerns were well-founded.
"No, of course not," I shook my head. "Until we have a device — the beacon — that's suicide, and I'll never go for it. And we have two leads to find that beacon. The first lead is the complex the Republic abandoned on Koboh, which we're heading to now. The second lead is Ki'zhara, the Dathomirian witch who stole the device from the expedition. We'll follow both, because I'm not sure the device will be found in the complex on Koboh. But we'll start with the complex." I projected its schematic, obtained from a satellite analysis. It contained countless varied buildings. But one of them was clearly administrative. Although a couple of other buildings could fit that description too. "We're going to land here," I pointed to one of the upper floors of the complex. "We'll investigate it. But first, we'll try to gain access to the main computer and activate it. Even though I'm afraid that might trigger the security system, I'm confident BB can crack it and deactivate it. Master Tal and her Padawan — Bent Eyrin — along with the Trade Federation, will be advancing from the lower floors of the complex. If we have to split up, we work in pairs. NK and Celeste," the woman nodded when I looked at her. "And me with Jaro. BB should stay with me."
"These complexes are very huge," Tapal noted. "And they've probably been unmaintained for a long time, so there could easily be various problems inside."
"Remember — the obstacle in the path becomes the path itself. Whatever you encounter, you have to try to overcome it. Brute force, cleverness, doesn't matter," I answered the Padawan. "After we've explored everything we can in this complex, we can deal with Kijarra, though I think the trail's dead. She's almost certainly already fled Koboh. Maybe we can track her jump vector. But if she jumped toward the populated part of the Galaxy, we're out of luck. She's perfectly aware of who might be sent to track her. And in that case, she'll try to disappear. Though I'm sure the Order will initiate efforts to find her, as will Viceroy Hask of the Trade Federation. So they'll find her, sooner or later. We'll either join the search... Or the interrogation. Since everything's clear," I looked around at those present, "in that case — begin preparations."
Jaro immediately headed for the elevator, probably going to the warehouse. HK went to the kitchen, and BB went to the cockpit. Celeste stayed behind.
"I can feel you're worried," my woman observed. "I'm sure Jaro can feel it too. You did manage to form a teacher-student bond with him."
I sighed.
"I'm not particularly fond of this mission," I said, moving closer to Celeste. "A strange planet, the High Republic... And the project's funding by the Trade Federation... It's all strange. They're sure this planet, Tanalorr, has colossal resources... Or they're looking for something in the Koboh Nebula? Either way — it's the Outer Rim, the nebula is difficult to navigate, and you can only get there with a special device. I'm sure the Federation needs this planet and this anomaly for more than just resources."
"Hmm... You think they'll use it as a military resource?"
"As a base — Tanalorr, hidden inside the Koboh anomaly — is a perfect place for defense. Strategically, such a point could cause problems, especially if they build some kind of shipyards there. Attacking such an object is a hopeless endeavor, and if they fortify it, the Judicial Forces would hardly be able to handle that problem... And that is precisely the problem, Celeste. The Trade Federation is gaining influence. We already lack a state monopoly on violence, and the Trade Federation is currently the most powerful structure in the Galaxy. Their acquisition of a strategic planet like Tanalorr could put us in an awkward position in the future."
"Us? So you're sure the Trade Federation will attack the Republic? Or we'll attack it?"
"There's no limit to a sentient's greed," I observed philosophically. "A sentient will always want more. For different sentients, this desire manifests differently. For the ruler of this federation, it manifests as a desire to earn as much money as possible. What he has now isn't enough for him. He needs more money and power. Of course, the stronger the action, the stronger the reaction. And to counteract the Trade Federation's action, I'm sure counteraction is being prepared in Senate circles and elsewhere. Including military. To nip the military threat in the bud — the Trade Federation's forces are looking for a way to strengthen themselves. And a planet like Tanalorr, a bit remote from trade routes but hidden by a dangerous anomaly, moreover having special conditions for travel within it — could become a valuable resource. One that, should war break out with the Trade Federation, we would be storming for a very long time and with great bloodshed. That's why... We need to prevent the Trade Federation expedition from possibly reaching Tanalorr through the Koboh planet's anomaly."
"And how will you do that? Surely you won't give them a damaged beacon? There are living sentients in the expedition, Light," she looked me in the eyes and touched my cheek with her right hand. A soft, warm palm warmed me. "You don't want to send them to certain death, do you?"
"That would be rational," I noted. In the spirit of Scourge, or Marr. "But I don't want to kill so many either. I killed many in the Mantle of the Sith near the planet Ruun, but they were my enemies. And many in this expedition may never become such. So we sabotage the search for the beacon... Or... We find it, but hide it from the Trade Federation, perhaps sharing the secret with the High Council. I'm sure some of its members share my concerns about this megacorporation."
"Then what should we do, Light?"
"Obviously — we land on the upper levels of the complex and look for information. Carefully search for any hint of any similar device. We copy the information, destroy the data carrier in the complex. Then we'll also clean up Kijarra. Agreed?"
"Yes," Celeste agreed.
"Don't frown, it doesn't suit you," I smirked. "Everything will be fine."
Koboh turned out to be a welcoming planet with a pleasant climate. We appeared in orbit, and one Lucrehulk-class from the Trade Federation was already hanging there. The traders immediately requested access codes from us, since we turned out to be "unscheduled."
"Good day," the image of a Neimoidian appeared. "I am Zet Zorenei, commander of the Trade Federation forces on this mission. You are, I presume, the Jedi who will investigate the theft of the nebula beacon, yes?"
The Neimoidian was a very ordinary-looking male of their species. Except he was dressed more in field gear, and the transmission was coming from the planet's surface.
"Yes," I agreed. "I also decided to help you study the High Republic complex you recently discovered. We'll start from the upper floors," the ship entered the planet's atmosphere. "We need to find the unique device, after all. And the best way to understand what we're dealing with is to thoroughly study all available materials. I also want you to send me all current results regarding the search for the thief. You are conducting a search, aren't you?"
"Yes," the Neimoidian agreed. "Your participation in our expedition, I foresee, will bring profit. All available information from the Trade Federation will be provided to you. Regarding any additional information from your Order — you should contact Master Tal. She's currently in the complex, along with some of our specialists."
"Thank you," I nodded to the Neimoidian. He seemed reasonable. "Pleasure to meet you. I'll join, as I said, from above. See you, esteemed Zet."
We flew up to the complex structure. By all logic, this was likely where the command post was located. The wall here was quite thin, so by using our lightsabers, we were able to cut through it. A landing platform was visible nearby.
"BB, land the ship and join us. We'll need your hacking skills," I surveyed the huge room.
"This isn't the command center," Celeste noted, astonished.
"Then what is it?" I asked.
In the center of the room stood a massive cylinder filled with liquid.
"Is that a person?" Jaro approached the cylinder. "Master, I see a person in here. He's floating in the liquid."
I walked over to him. I could feel the Force from him. A Force-sensitive? What a surprise. Scanning the room again, I found a control panel with a lightsaber of rather unusual construction lying on it. Twirling the hilt in my hand, I ignited the blade. A yellow blade illuminated the room...
"This structure is about three hundred years old," I noted, "but it's held up well. And this is a bacta chamber. Who's floating in it?" Pressing a few keys, I started the chamber opening process. A man fell out of it. Pale and tall, with white hair and blue eyes, and only one arm. He was bare to the waist. "Who are you?" I asked him. "A Jedi?"