"You've left this planet," said the voice in my head that belonged to that entity. "Finally..."
"Don't say that as if you expected my departure for twenty years," I replied mentally, struggling to concentrate on what we were doing in the hangar. And what we were doing was examining the corpse of the Shirman that Jaro had killed. Their race couldn't be detected in the Force, like ysalamiri. And I wanted to understand — why these lizard-like beings had that peculiarity... Although I won't be able to understand much. We have another corpse that will be dissected back at the Order. "I wasn't interested in you until you appeared before me yourself... Though the fact that everything on this planet wasn't so simple did nag at me a bit. But I couldn't even imagine that someone like you would choose it as your final resting place."
"As I said before — I don't want to and can't continue the life of my species. I've long since accepted that... Communication through the 'Force bond' is difficult," she suddenly said. "It's much harder than the ability to speak through a sentient's mouth. But all I need is for no one else to disturb me while I peacefully accept my fate. And you left an alien on my planet."
"That's the first time I've heard reproach in your words..."
"I know who the Shadows are among the Jedi, and I can say for certain that you belong to them... But you didn't kill the Dathomirian, thereby putting this planet at risk... After all, she could stimulate the development of this planet and draw attention to it. It is, after all, rich in frikite deposits."
"She was unarmed..."
"For every gifted being, the Force itself is a weapon," she interrupted me. "And you spared her."
"I doubt she'll be capable of much," I replied nonetheless. "Her ship is destroyed, I confiscated all possible information carriers, destroyed her datapad... She might have saved something, but she's unlikely to push the planet's progress very far forward. Besides — it has a unique magnetic field that rules out many communication methods. And I rule out Force communication because she's not strong enough for that... But still, if she does manage to establish contact with someone outside — don't forget that she has many powerful enemies. Far more powerful than she is," I recalled Mighella, and then tried to convey a brief overview of her abilities to the entity. "Compared to them, Ki'zhara is a foolish child. But still... You can help protect the planet. Keep an eye on her — it's in your interest that Ki'zhara doesn't succeed. You have enough strength to contain her..."
"You're shifting a problem onto me that you couldn't solve yourself," the entity's voice replied. "You do love to deceive..."
"I never deceive. I might omit things, but I don't deceive. At least I don't deceive those I don't consider enemies, and you're not one of them... I promised Ki'zhara and the whelps that were with her their lives. I kept my word."
"To the detriment of my wishes..."
"Did I make any agreement with you before? You were afraid of me when I appeared on the planet and did your utmost to conceal your presence... You're a master at that... Though you could have contacted me and formed an alliance before I went to Lator the Deposed." A pity that the Emperor was deposed by his own family. Larana, once she learned everything — namely that the Emperor was waiting for the slightly insane-with-power Grond to arrange a horrifying death for Lator's own sister and niece, in order to gain a casus belli — allied with her brother. And after all the countries signed the peace agreement, as well as the agreement with this entity — the Emperor was killed by his own children. As I was told before departure — a fire started, although Lator didn't die from the fire, but from sword strikes to the heart, delivered from behind... Apparently, that crystal inserted into his eye allowed him to understand the essence of absolutely any attack he saw and react... Though the reaction depends on the body's physical capabilities, but Lator was gifted and an excellent swordsman. However, he couldn't react to an attack he didn't see, and in that respect he was a completely ordinary, albeit trained, person. A sad fate, but deserved. Personally, I don't doubt for a second that if anyone even threatens my sister back on Tustra and I consider that threat serious — the one threatening won't live long. But he — thought like a politician to the very end and ended up killed by his own children. At least they were the only ones with enough power to pull off such a plan. "But you were afraid of me, even though you had no reason to be..."
"You are a cruel sentient... I felt it then and I feel it now..."
"Empathy is hardly the most common talent, but it deceived you. I am only cruel to those I consider enemies. Even though races similar to yours were often considered enemies, I still wouldn't be in a hurry to kill you; I'd try to understand what to expect from you, since you're a completely new figure."
"You never tried to understand before," she replied. "You just killed everyone your Order pointed you at."
"It seems you've looked much deeper than I assumed," I said through gritted teeth. My mental defenses are quite strong... But now some strange, cosmic eldritch horror, resembling a worm with claws all along its body, had just shat all over them. "A pity that while watching episodes of my life, you never put yourself in my shoes and saw things from my perspective, not yours. You saw, for instance — how Karnur died, but you probably didn't understand why that was so important to me at the time. The same goes for later episodes — you saw manifestations of my cruelty in battle... But you'll never understand why I fight the way I do. What I'm fighting for... And what I saw in many of my enemies... Fall, ambition, pride, lust for destruction, and in many of them — not a hint of remorse, even when they knowingly committed the most unpleasant things... An illusion, a quirk of perception... You see only the cruelty, but not the reason for it... I'm not asking you to paint me as a fairy-tale prince with light and justice shining behind him. I'm only asking you to understand: nothing is divided into black and white. At least not for the most part."
"Not divided?" the voice asked sharply. "And what do you say about Gulo Esva? A warlord-dictator who destroyed my people — is that a white act of good, or a gray 'ambiguous' one?"
"You're just quibbling over words," I noted. "I said: 'for the most part, the world isn't divided into black and white'... There are many judgments on the same question; different sentients will answer differently. As for the sad fate of your race — I see evil here. Of course, Gulo Esva, if I talk to him, will 'try to find justifications for his actions,' but for now I see him as a cruel man... If I meet him, I'll ask him about your race."
"I'd like to see you come up with justifications for your concept after talking to that scum," the voice said. "I'll keep an eye on Ki'zhara. In return, you will promise not to mention this planet as valuable in your reports."
"That's good," I nodded. "But answer one more question. Where did these Shirmans come from on the planet?"
"You're interested in them because they're completely insensitive to the Force and can't be detected by your senses? Their ship crashed on the planet about five years ago... I've never seen technology like that before. And I've seen a lot of the Galaxy after Gulo Esva's actions... They were..." Strange ship wreckage appeared before me. It seemed to be made of... Meat... Strange matter that resembled meat. And I'd seen a similar ship before... It's their ship... The Yuuzhan Vong's... The Far Outsiders. Definitely one of the advance ships. "There were many Shirmans among them... And several strange humanoids who, as soon as they crashed, started fighting among themselves. One of them, a female, by the way, escaped in an unknown direction on a surviving fighter ship. They were the same as the Shirmans... Undetectable by the Force. I could only notice them through the eyes of my slaves. And also because I have other, special means of detecting life. I couldn't figure everything out... But I did understand that the female of their strange race was named Naina... She managed to kill two males — not in direct combat — and mortally wound a third, then flew off on a strange, seemingly living ship. I destroyed their ship afterward because the strange organism inside tried to take control of me too."
Vong-class Frigate
So the Vong started appearing in the Galaxy much earlier than I thought. At least some of their ships. Does that mean Nom Anor is also skulking around somewhere? But is it worth starting a hunt for him now? I have almost no resources, and Nom, as a spy — was a significant figure and could have already gathered some resources... I should, for now, focus on the upcoming problems, pushing Nom to the side a bit... Once I have the resources and capabilities, I can pay attention to those creatures. Until then, I should just remember their presence, but try not to run into them.
"Thank you for your participation... I suppose I should investigate these strange aliens that can't be sensed in the Force... But that's my problem now. Goodbye to you and a peaceful life..."
"You eliminated that possibility for me yourself," the voice said. "Hypocrite... Though I don't wish you harm," the organism finally replied. I shouldn't wish harm... I stopped sensing her presence and could finally concentrate on the Shirman... Or rather — it's more appropriate to call it a "hazrak." A lizard-like slave of the Yuuzhan Vong.
"BB," I called the droid over the comlink, "move the ship into hyperspace. We're heading to Koboh."
"What are we going to do with the beacon?" Celeste asked. "Where will we hide it?"
"On my ship, obviously," I said. "I have a stash made with stygium. Even the most advanced scanner won't detect it." I walked over to it — it was right there in the hangar. "And considering some additional alloys — even a gifted being will have trouble finding it."
I placed my hand and waited for the biometric scan to complete. The spot was a bit off to the side from the missiles, blocked by crates that I shifted slightly. The stash was built into the bulkhead so that no one could spot it just by looking. Plus, a biometric scanner was working here...
"A smuggler's dream," Celeste commented.
"So," came Jaro's voice from the other side. "A three-chambered heart. Physiologically and anatomically, it matches a lizard."
"Just many times bigger than a lizard..." I walked up to the corpse. Another one lay right next to it. Actually, he was alive at first, but managed to break his own neck. I don't know how he managed it, but it looked unpleasant. "Sharp claws and teeth, by the way." Hazraks should have been detectable in the Force. At least in the original Star Wars, they were. Which means... This could be some unique variant of these hazraks. The entity on the planet clearly showed me three Yuuzhan Vong who were on the ship, along with the hazraks. The female Vong killed two men, clearly officers, and flew off, leaving the hazraks on this planet... But... Did these hazraks arrive here detectable in the Force, or not? It's possible this is an experimental specimen... But there are more questions — who was that female Vong? Where did she fly off to and why did she kill her own? Questions with no answers for now... Although what concerns me most are the hazraks on this planet that can't be sensed in the Force. Apparently, when command is lost, they should attack everyone, even their own, but they organized into a sort of tribe in the swamps. On the other hand — Lator also told me that the local people can't stand them, because the hazraks don't just attack caravans, they practice outright cannibalism. And now the countries will definitely concern themselves with wiping them out. I could go destroy them myself, but that would take precious time. Better let them handle the hazraks themselves — fortunately, the entity claimed there aren't that many individuals. About thirty...
Now we were returning to the known part of space, where the sentients overseeing the mission were waiting for us. We emerged in the Koboh system and immediately ran into a sizable Trade Federation fleet. Three Lucrehulk-class ships were detected in orbit, along with about fifteen dreadnoughts. Also detected were Munificent-class frigates belonging to the Banking Clan. Well, why not sell them for good money, especially to such a respected organization? The performance we put on for them before departure had clearly scared them badly. Right in front of the Koboh anomaly, another Lucrehulk hung in space. It held itself a bit farther from the anomaly, as if afraid of falling into it.
Munificent-class frigate from the Clone Wars era.
As soon as we appeared, we were immediately hailed.
"Ah, it's you," Zet Zorenei's face appeared. "What news, Light Flyingstar?"
"Greetings, Zet. As I can see, something has changed here in my absence..."
"Yeah," the man expressed. "Three brave souls, three standard hours later, in three ships decided to try their luck and jumped into the anomaly. Still no word. But the worst thing happened about twenty minutes after you left for hyperspace along Ki'zhara's vector. The reactor at the base located on the Shattered Moon of Koboh went critical. As a result — the base was destroyed, and the moon itself became a bit more shattered." I looked at the lifeless rocks in space. They were clearly visible... "We examined every pebble, but alas... After what happened — nothing could have survived."
"The High Republic built for the ages," I noted. "They should have built for the millennia."
"I'm not in the mood for jokes, Knight," Zet said coldly. "The expedition is practically a failure. And that concerns you too..."
"Excuse me," I interrupted him. "But it seems to me, Zet, that you're even trying to blame me for all this. The reactor on the moon was in your area of responsibility. You were supposed to land specialists there as soon as the complex was discovered."
"Oh, no, no," he raised his hands in an apologetic gesture. "I'm just on edge because of what happened. You weren't here, and I'll be demoted after this expedition failure. My career is at stake!"
"My reputation in the Order is too," I replied. "All I managed to get was Ki'zhara's head," I displayed the "object" the witch had given me. "She made an attempt, landing on one of the planets, to integrate the beacon with the hyperdrive... But it was damaged..."
"Hutt," Zet expressed. "Don't tell me..."
"She tried to take off from the planet, but because her technical skills left much to be desired — she failed. The ship exploded. She jumped out at the last moment and managed to take cover... Then tried to escape; I caught up and killed her, but I suppose that's little comfort for you..."
"The fact that that whore got what she deserved smooths things over to some extent," Zorenei folded his hands on his chest. "But it makes things worse that you didn't get the beacon in time."
"When I brought my ship into the atmosphere of that practically lifeless planet, I could only register the explosion... Then I finished off Ki'zhara. That's how it is."
"I'll present Ki'zhara's head to the leadership, if you don't mind," the Neimoidian said. "But that's little consolation for Viceroy Hask."
"What about Dagan Gera?" I asked.
"He refused to help not just us, but the Jedi Order as well. And your High Council wouldn't agree to torture. They took him away... To one of your prisons for the Gifted, supposedly. That's what Master Tal told me, at least. She, by the way, wants to talk to you too..."
"Alright," I nodded. "But let me land first. Will you send me the vector?"
"Consider it done," the Neimoidian said. And indeed, I received a vector leading me to one of the hangars of the central Lucrehulk. I forwarded it to BB and ordered him to take the ship there. About ten minutes later, I was riding the elevator up to the ship's bridge. Master Tal, along with her Padawan — looked exhausted. Seeing Ki'zhara's head, which I handed to Zet, the Mon Calamari Bent Eyrin seemed about to throw up. What can you do? She's not used to this sort of thing... No, it's one thing to kill in the heat of battle... I'm sure she wouldn't even flinch if she'd killed Ki'zhara herself in the heat of battle. It's quite another to see it in a calm state. Tal, for her part, reacted indifferently to the head being handed to Zet.
There weren't any droids scurrying around the bridge, by the way. Outside the Clone Wars, Trade Federation ship crews could also consist of sentients... Though mixed arrangements were most common.
"As always, aesthetic," Zet said, looking into Ki'zhara's open eyes. "Well, Ki'zhara... As you can see, I won after all..."
It probably looked a bit abnormal... The Neimoidian was talking to a "severed head" as if to a living sentient.
"Ahem," I said. The crew didn't even pay attention to Zet's outburst. Apparently, he often pulled stunts like this. He stirred slightly...
"Was it absolutely necessary to cut off her head?" Tal asked. "She could have made us a new beacon. And now, as I hear, you've failed, Knight Light."
"I'll tell you this — I failed and that's that... Why grumble about it? We've all had our less-than-pleasant days."
"You're known as one of the best swordsmen in the Order..."
"I'm known?" I asked Tal. "I thought the nature of my work didn't imply being well-known."
"You just don't pay much attention to rumors..."
"You should pay less attention to them too, Master Tal," I said, looking into the Nurian woman's eyes. "And practice more." She flinched. "What do we do now?"
"What do we do?" Zet repeated. "Work without a beacon will completely die. Flying to Tanalorr without the device is suicide, something only the gifted could attempt. You could fly there, but the Trade Federation is no longer interested in that. You can probably guess why..."
"There aren't that many gifted beings," Celeste noted. "And even you don't have enough resources to have them on every ship."
"Correct," Zet agreed. "Exactly so, Knight Celeste… I haven't mistaken your name, have I?" Celeste answered with a smile. "If we had a beacon, we'd attempt to replicate the technology. Alas, without one, such a journey is something only a Jedi could afford. Or a Sith… Or a Dathomirian witch, for that matter… In short — we've lost those capabilities. According to our data, there could have been deposits of many useful ores there. And now reaching them is nearly impossible unless you're gifted with the Force. Hmm… Will you be flying to Tanalorr?"
"We will do what the Supreme Council orders us," Master Tal answered for everyone. "For now, they consider Jedi development of Tanalorr a project of low priority."
"So it's being postponed?" I asked the woman.
"Yes," she nodded. "While you were in Wild Space, I contacted the Supreme Council. Of all the Masters, only Count Dooku spoke in favor of attempting to develop the planet. The other masters stated outright that the Order currently has no need to spend resources on such research."
They created an entire research mission on Drongar… But they don't want to go to Tanalorr? Everyone except Dooku? I'd like to hear Grand Master Yoda's reasons. Because "we don't want to waste resources" while it sounds idiotic, in the spirit of the Jedi's recent years, it's still not quite the worst of it. Still, there might be some truth in that answer… I'd like to find out the ratio, though. The thing is, Drongar only has a unique atmosphere… It doesn't even come close to what should be around Tanalorr. It's not the atmosphere, but the space around the planet itself that's completely unique. And even for the Jedi during their expedition — it's not realistic to put a capable Force-sensitive on every ship who could properly chart a course…
"I understand completely," I said. Still, this strange saga with Tanalorr can't end with nothing. I'll definitely use the beacon and try to jump into the anomaly. "And yes… Perhaps I'll try to jump to Tanalorr, guided by my feelings in the Force."
"That's very dangerous," Master Tal noted. "That anomaly could kill you." She looked toward the viewport on the captain's bridge, where the anomaly was visible.
"They say alcohol can too, but one way or another — you're forgetting, Master… You can't let fear and caution get the better of you. We're Jedi… That doesn't mean we aren't afraid, but we don't let fear overpower us… Otherwise, we're doomed to defeat. Besides…" I turned toward the exit. "I'm confident in the success of my undertaking. I'll prepare. And I'll make the journey…" I really do want to know what's behind the veil of that anomaly. If before I was afraid of almost everything, now I, who knows Star Wars — this Tanalorr draws me in… This wasn't in the legends, and forgive me, Force, in the new canon either (remember — the MC didn't live to see the second part of Jedi Survivor). So that means… Something unique awaits me there. And I wanted to see it. "Speaking of research. On the planet where Ki'zhara was hiding, I managed to find a species unique in every sense… Unfortunately, there weren't many of them. Most likely, they're descendants of some advanced race, or rather, descendants of colonists from that race… They crashed on that planet and nearly went extinct, sadly… But they're unique because…" I sent the rest of the phrase to Master Tal's datapad. The Nurian woman's eyes widened…
"Incredible…"
"My thoughts exactly. Unfortunately, they're extremely aggressive… Their tribe was subjugated by Ki'zhara and they attacked us… I have a couple of corpses."
"You weren't able to bring a living specimen?" the master asked.
"I did everything I could, plus — I didn't know only one tribe remained of their species. The planet's specific, no matter how you look at it… So, should I hand over the bodies?"
"Absolutely," the master replied. "And I must report your discovery to the Council."
I just shrugged. Palming off those unique hazraks on her was a good idea… Why did I do that? What don't I know about hazraks? Their uniqueness lay in their mutation, which was probably bestowed upon them by the shapers on the crashed ship. But I also know that in the main timeline, hazraks that are sensitive to the Force will appear, and the Vong will never find that lost tribe. I have no use for the lizard corpses right now. Let the Order dig into them…