In the storage room, Jaro was meditating. He knew he had a very strange master, even without his special training. Ominous rumors circulated about the Shadows. And honestly, Light Flyingstar partially lived up to them. And partially didn't. The Sephi seemed like a rather cynical Jedi, with his own understanding of every issue; he deliberately masked it, either afraid the Order would expose him, or preparing for something. Light's training was, to put it mildly, strange, but effective. The master pushed him to his limits, sometimes in rather cruel ways. But it was he who was behind all the changes Jaro was beginning to notice in himself.
Tapal had become more composed, calmer, and more cautious. The training on the hellish planet, which, by his own admission, his master had also undergone, had hardened him. Of course, he hadn't become a master or anything like that... But he had become stronger. However, along with strength, the master tried to instill responsibility... Although he sometimes didn't demonstrate it himself, at first glance. Later it would turn out that the master planned his own behavior in advance, and also predicted Jaro's own reactions and worked out responses to those reactions. Therefore, Light Flyingstar could play the fool, or a cruel killer, or an honest and decent Jedi — but it was a role, not his true self. Light's true character was always hidden, but Jaro had managed to form a hypothesis about it.
His master: calm and pragmatic, even cunning, who wouldn't hesitate to use any chance for victory. And Jaro began to understand why he had become that way when his master's theory assignments started touching on politics and wars in the galaxy. It turned out his master had attended two educational institutions, earning two higher education degrees. All by the age of twenty-one! Hence his character... Hence his actions... That's what Jaro thought. Light was a Jedi who effectively carried out his missions, even if sometimes by unorthodox methods. But what he had just done... Blowing up the complex on Koboh's moon, literally complicating both his own mission and Master Tal's mission, didn't fit the image of an effective Jedi Shadow.
Finishing his meditation, Jaro sighed and returned to the real world. After training with his master, the Lasat had come to love immersing himself in the Force, feeling it... Including within his body. So during meditations, a half-drowse would wash over him. Opening his eyes, he flinched... Sitting on a crate of missiles in the hangar, legs dangling, was his master. Having removed his hood, the Sephi was staring at him with those purple eyes.
"M-Master! You startled me," Jaro said.
"Ho, is that so," his master replied thoughtfully. "But you should be more vigilant. Even during meditation, you mustn't lose awareness; a Jedi is easy to catch off guard then."
"Forgive me..."
"It's nothing... For now, nothing," the Sephi replied. "Your vigilance will be honed. The main thing is that you don't die in the process. I'll help you with your sensory skills; you still have a lot of room to grow there."
"Th-Thank you..." Jaro managed.
"You're welcome," his master shrugged. "I am your master, after all. I'm supposed to help you. And answer your questions."
Jaro thought for a couple of seconds, then gathered his courage... He had to, because his master liked to punish with assignments. For example, once Jaro made a mistake on a tactical problem his master had from the Anaxis Academy. His master spent about forty minutes explaining where he was wrong, and then gave him a strictly opposite problem. Some of those assignments were brain-melting. Still, he had to admit that his master never gave him anything he couldn't handle.
"Umm... I wanted to ask... About what happened on Koboh's moon."
"And what happened on Koboh's moon?" his master asked him.
"Mmmm... We blew up the reactor on the planetoid... As a result, the planetoid will probably completely disintegrate."
"Yes, we blew it up," Light agreed.
"Why did we do that? We made things harder for the Trade Federation and Master Tal, didn't we? And our job was to help them find the way to Tanalorr."
"Yes, from the standpoint of the mission's essence—we failed, because that was a High Republic facility. And there could have been a beacon, a compass left there that could have pointed the way to Tanalorr," the mentor agreed. "However, we destroyed that facility. Why do you think?"
"Hardly just to spite Master Tal," Jaro replied, putting a hand to his chin. "I don't think you hold her in high regard as a Jedi. But you wouldn't stoop to petty grudges."
"The Force," Light's mentor chuckled. "Of course not. Master Tal... She's good in her place. Theoretical analysis and archiving. Alas, in the field, she's a more than mediocre Jedi... if 'mediocre' even suits her. She's even overly good."
"But aren't Jedi supposed to be good?" Jaro asked. "And you, by the way, don't really seem like a good Jedi."
"Mmm?" the mentor looked at him with an interested expression.
"I just remembered your mission on Corellia. With Renak Albin... I remember him from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. He was overly proud and arrogant..."
"Oh, so you're hinting that I was too harsh with Renak? Maybe you'll also mention that I killed him in front of Sheila, who was in love with him, and his own aunt, right?"
"Yes, that was cruel," Jaro agreed.
"Hm... And wasn't it cruel of Renak to kill those two poor souls the Green Jedi sent to him? Among the bandits he'd gathered, there were survivors, and I questioned them. According to the bandits—Renak disarmed both Jedi and then killed them. And before that, he killed his own mentor... in the back. And that's not counting how many he killed trying to get to the holocron shard. Or do you think the holocron keeper managed to take control of him? Not playing at full strength? No... There was no power over him but his own. He consciously yielded to the Sith's whispers, fell to the dark side, and then ran off to inflict 'good' and 'justice' as he understood those words. You could say the information about how exactly he killed the Green Jedi master and padawan came in after I eliminated Renak Albin. But does that circumstance somehow justify him? Both the master and the padawan had families on Corellia. Grond Fizh, the mentor and guardian knight, had just become a father to a daughter. And his padawan was planning to go on a picnic with friends on his day off. What about them? I told you—one man's cruelty is another man's justice."
"Does that mean every dark sider should be eliminated?"
"A complicated question," the mentor replied. "An incredibly complicated question. Many dark-sided individuals, Jedi and Sith, have found their redemption. But you know what I've concluded, working as a Shadow all this time? I became a knight at your age, Jaro. You still have a long way to go before I consider you ready for the trials. But that's not the point. Usually, when you face a dark sider, you can tell right away if they're worthy of redemption or not. What's the difference? Hesitation... Dark siders who have fully given themselves to 'the power of the Dark Side of the Force' never stop, never think. They'd kill even their own children if it benefited them. Those who find redemption are usually obvious right away. You know, I gave Renak a chance. His aunt, Lara Leniko, and Sheila tried to bring him back. But it was useless. If the people closest to him couldn't convince him, who could? No one. In his drive to 'restructure the Order,' again as usual through blood and power, he would have killed dozens, if not hundreds or thousands, without ever turning back. So, seeing no effect, I dealt with him. Yes, it was cruel. But necessary."
"I understand, Master," Jaro said. So the mentor acknowledged the possibility of a dark-sided individual being redeemed? Jaro had thought Light Flyingstar was categorical on this point. Dark sider—kill him. "And how many have you brought back to the light side?"
"Not a single one," the mentor replied. "Most of those I've encountered were wallowing in their power. They couldn't stop anymore; they wanted everything, and more of it. So I had to kill them. When I think about it... I only showed real mercy once. But that wasn't even a dark sider. I'm sure he's living happily now, somewhere in the Outer Rim."
"I understand," Jaro replied. "But what about the facility?"
"You led the topic away from it yourself, and now you want to come back?" the knight wondered. "Very well, I'll answer. Tanalorr is an extremely valuable planet, and the Trade Federation is our enemy."
"Enemy? Ours? Whose? The Republic's, the Jedi Order's, or specifically ours?" Jaro was surprised.
"Everyone's," Light Flyingstar replied. "Remember what I told you about a strong state and a monopoly on violence? Well, the Trade Federation has a fleet that doesn't answer to the Republic. Every entity with its own military forces has its own goal. And it's only a matter of time before it decides the central authority is hindering that goal. That's why I consider the Trade Federation our enemy. It will challenge everyone... sooner or later. Most likely in an alliance with other corporations. That's why I don't want Tanalorr to fall into their hands. And for that, we need to work."
"I see..." When he thought about it, from a state governance perspective, his mentor was right. Jaro had seen many times in history textbooks how local warlords with their own armies literally tore a state apart. And from the tearing apart of a state, schemers and those very warlords benefit. Ordinary people get nothing good from such instability. They only suffer. That's why his mentor did this. He didn't want to strengthen a corporation that was already powerful, had its own fleet, and a virtually independent financial system. "But the Trade Federation would actually fight against the Republic."
"That's how the world works," the mentor noted philosophically. "And I'm not talking about some abstract planet. No. I'm talking about our universe as a whole. There will always be someone who wants to challenge you. The Trade Federation... from my perspective, and yours too—the Trade Federation is a strong, wealthy, and thriving structure. You could live and develop. I assure you, it's not an organization that can only grow through war and brutal conflict. However... That's how it seems to us. That there are benefits, laws that support them, and their Senator is in the Senate to lobby for their interests. But to them, it might seem... No, it will seem in the future that they can grab much more. Far more than they have now."
"Where could they get more?" Jaro grumbled.
"Exactly, my student... Where could they? They can hide behind speeches about acting in the name of freedom and justice, but it's all just window dressing... I foresee conflicts with this structure and others. Many megacorporations have felt their strength. At some point, suddenly, everyone will realize they can take what they want not just with financial power, but with the power of weapons. And the main regulator, which the Republic should be—will not be able to rein them in. It will only be able to get into a war with them... And, considering it lacks a proper army, that war will be difficult."
"But the Republic has the Jedi! The Judicial Forces..."
"It seems I've told you many times and given you the relevant problems, Jaro," the mentor said. "What army? The Judicial Forces? The Justicars are a parody of an army. They are often weak even compared to the individual armies of some sectors. For instance, I come from the planet Tustra, Sumitra Sector. King Sephi—Alaric Sefitres commands our sector's armed forces. And you know—they're stronger than the Judicial Forces concentrated there. What stops King Alaric from starting some campaign against someone? Inborn wisdom. But how many other rulers are there like His Majesty?" the mentor asked Jaro. "How many others have a fleet that could directly attack local Judicial Forces and emerge victorious? And the Jedi... There aren't many of us; you can't send us to every war. And there are plenty of wars and conflicts all across the Galaxy. This is caused by our weakness, the weakness of the entire Republic. What are we going to do about it?"
"Maybe..." Jaro said thoughtfully. "If we report this to the Senate..."
"And you think the Senate doesn't know?" the mentor grinned. "It knows, but it doesn't care. Most Senators are fine as it is... No matter what wars happen, until really serious upheavals, most Senators won't bat an eye. They might shout from the podium, call for something... But if calls for order are all you have—you'll lose. Let me give you a simple example. Suppose a planetary ruler with control over all branches of government—essentially a dictator—calls every year for a minimum wage, say, a hundred credits. Fine. But year after year, officials sabotage his orders. Either ignore them or steal the money; in short, the call is a shot in the dark. Meanwhile, state media constantly shouts about how strong and great this ruler is. Is this ruler truly strong if wages haven't risen to the level he set, despite all his 'calls'? Year after year, for decades. He doesn't even jail the officials who blatantly sabotaged his orders, even though he has the right."
"Does the financial situation allow for wage increases?" Jaro asked.
"That's a really good question," the mentor nodded. "But let's say it does. All the media are running triumphant reports about a budget surplus. And the budget is indeed in surplus. So the money is there. The ruler's call is there too. But no one carries it out, and the ruler does nothing to punish the negligent executors. How long before he becomes a joke?"
"Depends on the society."
"Yes," the mentor agreed. "That's pretty much what the Senate looks like. Did you know Kuat possesses incredible capital ships that in every respect violate the Ruusan Reformation? And what happened? Did the Senate call Kuat to order? It didn't even think about it. So what's the price of a ruling elite that doesn't act, only shouts? And if action is required, they proceed haphazardly? And us Jedi? The Keepers of Peace, but we can't truly keep the peace. Because at any moment, any megacorporation could decide it can get much more, much faster, by force of arms. And what then? There are too few of us Jedi. For every planet in the Galaxy where blood could be spilled, due to the ambition of such a megacorporation, we'd be lucky to send even a dozen Jedi. And you have to consider that war isn't always a head-on clash. You and your opponent. Often, between you and your main enemy, there could be a couple thousand soldiers, maybe tens of thousands... And you haven't factored in that the fight could be in open space. The Trade Federation alone has many ships, huge ones, that can be used as warships or converted. Building a dreadnought takes one to two months, depending on the shipyards. Converting a ship is several times faster. So what would you do in that case? Do all Jedi possess even your abilities to counter sentients? Let's say you can charge the barricades and cut down, in the best case, up to a thousand soldiers. But that's you, trained by me. How many Jedi can do what you can? I told you, everyone has their own spectrum of abilities. A Jedi farmer who grows various flora isn't going to run off and chop up soldiers on the front lines, is he? How many would he kill? How long would he survive?"
"Not many," Jaro finally grasped the scale of the problems. If everything was as his mentor said, the Republic was in deep... trouble. Or very close to it. "But we can start acting..."
"Oh... And how?" the mentor tilted his head.
"Tell the High Council... the Senate..."
"Wow, listen to you," the Sephi nodded. "Can you predict what they'll say in response? Will they agree with you? Senators live in the elite quarter on Coruscant, enjoy all the luxuries of a lavish life, feasting in pleasure. Why would they listen to us now? Some reforms... What might they lead to? Some rich uncles and aunties who feed them for 'right decisions'—" the mentor emphasized the last phrase, "might not like these reforms. And if their special breadwinners don't like them, why adopt them? The same goes for our Order. The status quo is profitable."
"So we need someone who will force them to make the right decisions..."
"Oh, so you're hinting at a dictatorship. That carries its own risks too," the mentor noted. "Even greater ones than you might think. Dictators often go mad with power, especially those with no limits."
"But we have various Kingdoms within the Republic..."
"Kingdoms bound by the traditions of their peoples, or laws. Dictators, absolute monarchs—often have no limits. But okay, the first five or six years you're a genuinely good dictator. You make the right decisions, improve life, but over time—you'll decide that only your decisions are right. You'll unlearn how to listen to criticism. And you'll start fighting those who 'criticize' you. That's the path of absolutely any dictator. Exceptions, if they exist, are statistically insignificant... No, sentients must negotiate and discuss the problem. But for a solution not to remain a stupid scribble in the Senate meeting protocol, but to be a real solution—you need the strength to turn that scribble into reality. Only when we can turn words into actions are we strong. And to force the rusting regime of the Republic to change, to get everyone moving—a shake-up, a motivation, is needed... Otherwise, my young Padawan, nothing will happen. Nothing happens for no reason."
"And you believe the Trade Federation will be that shake-up?"
"It, or something else—the 'who' doesn't matter. We all must become better. The Republic, the Jedi Order... And for that, it's not enough for just a few sentients to see the problem. There are too few of us... A demand is needed. And that demand will be created... However, so our opponents aren't too strong—we don't want to lose—we need to weaken them."
"You've already marked the Trade Federation as an opponent. Do you know something?" Jaro asked.
"Hmmm," the mentor said thoughtfully. "I'll give you information on a sentient named Iaco Stark. Study him. And think about everything I've just told you. By the way, Jaro. Still want to report me to the Order?"
"I never wanted that from the start, Master," the Lasat said. "I just... wanted explanations. You never do anything for no reason."
"And are you satisfied with my explanations?"
"I don't know yet... But my feelings tell me... you're right... I still need to think about it, though."
"Is that so... Well, I won't interfere," the mentor waved a hand before leaving the warehouse.
* * *
We only reached the first system where Ki'zhara could be a day later. The conversation with Jaro turned out to be interesting. I was noticing more and more that the kid had changed, and for the better. Though it was complicating some of my actions. Doing business with smart sentients wasn't easy. But it also made me proud. We exited hyperspace in Wild Space, not far from a planet covered in greenery.
"Scans show no evidence of advanced technology on the planet," Celeste noted. "Except... a strange signal is emanating... from... I can't decode it. This planet has a strange magnetic field that's somehow altering the signal."
"And this signal couldn't be coming from the magnetic field itself?" Jaro asked. "Or is it something else?"
"It seems... No," Celeste said. "It's an emergency beacon... However, due to the magnetic field distorting its signal, we can't identify which point on this planet the signal originates from. However, judging by the chemical analysis of the atmosphere—it's habitable. You can breathe there..."
"So it really is an emergency beacon," I concluded. "But without exact coordinates, we'll have to search for it a long time. Could we pinpoint its location if we get closer, at least enter the atmosphere?"
"Is that necessary?" Jaro asked. "Do we have exact confirmation that it's Ki'zhara?"
"No," I shook my head. "But she jumped in this direction. A hypothetical vector points to two other systems. We don't know if Ki'zhara is here. But we can't ignore the signal, because we were told her hyperdrive system and apparently her normal engines were damaged. What if she made an emergency landing here? We'll check this planet; if she's not here," I started a scan of the entire system, which had four planets. Only one was habitable. And it was the one we were heading for. "It's unlikely she landed anywhere else... Well, we'll have to check everything in this system. But we'll start with this planet. Forward," I took the helm and guided the ship down to the planet.
We entered the atmosphere relatively without problems...
"The magnetic field is still distorting the signal," Celeste noted. "Wait, what's this?" she asked. "The magnetic field... It's blocking our communication systems! All of them! Including the emergency beacon. Only if someone else appears in the system or on the planet will we be found!"
"Well, we're here," I snorted. "Alright then. Interesting little planet. Let's land and try to find the emergency signal we detected? Any idea where it is?"
"It's... roughly in this square," Celeste replied, bringing it up on the screen in front of me.
"A hundred by a hundred kilometers? Are you kidding me?"
"I'm not joking. I can't be more precise. This planet's magnetic field... It's abnormal!"
"Oh, great," Jaro marveled.
"Yeah," I chuckled. "Great. Let's land," I spotted a good place to land. It was on a hill covered in green grass. The temperature was about twenty degrees Celsius. A pleasant planet, if not for the magnetic field. "BB," I called the droid. "Minimize power consumption. Put the ship in stealth mode." In that state, the Star Trek could last a couple of months, maybe even a year. "We'll go explore this planet. HK," I addressed the droid, "you stay here—guard the ship. Celeste and Jaro are coming with me."
I stepped onto the ordinary ground and watched as the ship literally vanished from sight.
"I'll never get used to that," Celeste said. "By the way, how will he detect us and return the ship to normal state?"
"As I said—he brings it out to normal state once a week, or if he notices me after a certain time of my absence. You can also knock on the hull. BB is linked to the ship, and if you tap out a certain message on the hull, he'll make it visible again. Now let's go. I'm curious... What are those strange auras about two kilometers from us? They're clearly... fighting?"
"You're right," Celeste said. "I feel it too."
"We could have taken the speeder," Jaro noted.
"We could have, but it's too conspicuous. For initial reconnaissance, transport is extremely noisy. And if Ki'zhara is on the planet, it'll cause problems. So let's check it out this way. Don't kill anyone from the fighting groups. We have a lot to find out..."