We stayed on the planet Koboh, where I continued training Jaro. Several abandoned complexes were found on the planet — not just from the High Republic, but from the Jedi Order. They intended to establish enclaves on Koboh and Tanalorr. In the end, because of the Nihil, they didn't establish them on either planet. But they left traces of their presence, which I used in training Jaro Tapal… Though it might have seemed the training was too simple. Jaro has already learned a lot; I think he'll soon need to take the trials for the rank of Knight, and I'll need to get the title of "Jedi Master." A master is someone who has trained one Padawan to the Knight level and "achieved a deep understanding of the Force.".. It sounds arrogant, but compared to other Jedi, I have grasped a great deal.
My motivator was the fact that I know what kind of hell awaits the Galaxy… Basically, something has always been shaking it up, one way or another. The name of the universe kind of hints at it… That's why I built that reputation as a "training maniac," and drilled myself, paying attention to almost nothing else… Even though it led to some unpleasant situations. Because mastering cool techniques isn't enough; you also need to know how to apply them at the right time… Practice and theory aren't the same thing. That's why I got my ass kicked sometimes… And even now, it's too early for me to relax; who knows what the Galaxy will throw at me? For instance, that completely unexpected and unplanned adventure in Wild Space, searching for the strange device that leads to a unique planet.
Not everything should rely on my knowledge of the history of this universe. That knowledge can give me advice. But I can't rely on it alone. During my stay on Koboh, I watched the Trade Federation expedition pack up. Though they left spy droids to watch me. In the end — I have enough strength and ability to jump into the anomaly. There's just one problem… Koboh turned out to have aggressive fauna… Which didn't appreciate the arrival of strange mechanical contraptions on its territory, so after the last Trade Federation ship left orbit, I started leading the fauna toward the droids.
I didn't destroy them directly. That would have been suspicious. But pretending you found a dangerous animal, about two meters tall, out in the steppe… Well, droids tend to break down from ionization anyway. Who knows why a droid suddenly stopped functioning? Maybe it was defective… So I was having fun with the trackers, while Celeste, along with N.C., helped Jaro through his trials. Or rather — Jaro stoically powered through them, the challenges they created for the Padawan… When I finally noted that no spy droids remained… And there were modifications that had orders to attach to my ship's hull and could, while drilled in, hold on even in hyperspace, I decided to jump to Tanalorr.
After refueling the ship to the brim, stocking the hold with provisions, and checking the beacon's functionality, I announced this decision to Celeste and Jaro.
"Aren't you afraid this will be a one-way ticket?" Celeste asked me when I explained the mission's purpose. We discussed the plan in the room behind the cockpit. The holoprojector was there too.
"The Force tells me we'll avoid everything dangerous and reach our goal."
"I always thought you were more of a materialist…" she noted. "Besides, we have the beacon… But is it definitely working?"
"I studied it," Jaro remarked. He had a slightly better talent for technology than I did. I could only repair things. Including some serious breakdowns. Jaro had deeper skills. "It was made for a hyperdrive, as assumed… It creates something like a shield around the ship to neutralize the effects of material objects in hyperspace."
"Correction: there are no material objects in hyperspace, bag of meat. Only ships that jump into it."
"I know that," Jaro said. "And I'm not a dumb bag of meat! I'm just stating the facts. While studying the High Republic complexes, I came across a strange substance, a material. I gave you a report on it."
"I read it… The substance is unique… To a certain extent."
"Yes," Celeste agreed. "Too bad it's not that durable. I thought at first we could use it for making lightsaber handles, for instance. But it turned out to be not resistant to high temperatures. Flammable."
"I think we should run tests on using it as fuel," Jaro noted. "It burns well. But that's not what we're talking about now. This substance forms stable, relatively hard structures. At low temperatures, it can harden even more. I'm sure that in open space, it would harden to the point where a ship colliding with it would be completely destroyed. The beacon… It seems to create a shield and set a course for the coordinates… Different ones each time. There's a microcomputer built in that performs calculations… Most likely…"
"You're trying to say," I interrupted the Padawan, "that the area around Tanalorr is laced with this substance like… pillars?" Jaro nodded. "And the computer calculates to avoid them, but it also has the property of creating a shield on the ship so that a collision with the substance, hardened in space, wouldn't be fatal."
"Yes, Master."
"Incredible!" Celeste said loudly. "So this substance, native to the Koboh Nebula… Can build obstacles in hyperspace? How is that possible?"
"Exclamation: whoa."
"The Koboh Void itself creates several unpleasant anomalies," I noted. "Near it, hyperspace communication weakens. Loss of ship control is quite possible. The beacon most likely protects against the anomaly… Now I understand why not everyone returned from there. Strange pillars of solid matter around the planet, upon exiting hyperspace, and possibly in hyperspace itself… No, nonsense… That's impossible… But coming out of hyperspace, from lightspeed, you might not have time to react to an unexpected obstacle and crash right into it at full force… Plus… Strange radiation that probably breaks the ship's controllability… Good thing we interfered with the Trade Federation this time… If they gained power in the Koboh Void, they could have created a unique base… What about shipyards? Those pillars you mentioned probably wouldn't stop them from building shipyards… An ideal place to mass-produce warships. The enemy wouldn't reach them… Or they would, but with such a cost in resources… And would they win?" I sighed. "Besides, Tanalorr will be useful to us. No matter what happens in the future, it could become an excellent refuge for the Jedi. I foresee great upheavals that could lead to the Order being significantly weakened, or even destroyed. In that situation… An enclave on Tanalorr is an extremely necessary thing…"
"But… Wasn't Tanalorr attacked by the Nihil?" Celeste asked me. "Think… They managed to get there…"
"Since the Order and the Nihil left there — no one else has reached that planet, so their method was lost, just like Dagan Gera's. But now we have the chance to jump there and study the planet… Maybe there are resource deposits… The reports said the planet is saturated with the Force more than enough… Set up a training ground there…"
"All you ever think about is training," Celeste snorted.
"Yes, training. We all need to become stronger…"
"Contemptuously: stupid meat bags. Compared to droids, you're worthless. I don't need to train to burn holes through things."
"Yeah," I grinned. "Then next time, don't ask for a software update." I'd been loading updated targeting programs for him. The N.C.'s AI analyzed them and improved them for itself. A dangerous AI, with the potential for some kind of development. Though — it can't bypass the restriction that I'm its master, no matter how hard it tries.
"Apology: sorry, master. Oh, how I hate that word."
"Maybe I'll forgive you," I promised. "But for now, let's get back to Tanalorr. While you were all training, I was getting rid of — well, not entirely me — the Trade Federation spies. They clearly understood that I intend to jump to Tanalorr. If the Supreme Council is just waiting for a report… the Traders understand that I'm not planning to send them one…"
"Light, the Supreme Council is waiting for the chance to officially assign you a new mission. Have you read it?"
"Yeah, Ryloth," I replied. "Dengo Hutt, slave trading, and dealing in dangerous animals. I was surprised they sent me on something like that. For a while… until they explained that Sheygen was involved. And I've had very close contact with him. I remember we once went to beat up another Dark Force user… It even feels like that was a long time ago, almost in a past life, so much has happened… Anyway… I contacted Master Tholme, who was sent on this assignment. They haven't arrived yet. We have time to check everything I've planned."
"So first Tanalorr, then Ryloth," Celeste said.
"Yes," I agreed. "So get ready for departure…"
"Everything's ready, Master," Tapal said.
"In that case," I smiled. "Let's go… First, let's shake the rats off our tail."
Stepping into the cockpit, I started all the ship's systems, making it visible. We lifted off from Koboh's surface and headed into space. After exiting the atmosphere, I noticed a ship drifting not far from where the Shattered Moon once was — now just meteorites — at the very edge of the meteorite field. A Trade Federation Munificent-class frigate was hanging near one of the meteorites, with all its systems powered down as much as possible…
"I think they want confirmation that I've gone to Tanalorr, then they'll bring the fleet here and capture us."
"Would the Trade Federation go that far?" Jaro asked.
"The Trade Federation is rich, and they've lost a lot of resources in this expedition," Celeste noted. "Viceroy Hask might do anything… It's not enough for him to just blame Zet Zoreneia for the failure. It's a real snake pit at the top, and I'm sure Hask has his own political opponents within the Federation's leadership. He needs to pass off at least something as a victory. The Order isn't strong enough right now to persuade anyone from a position of strength."
"I doubt they'll play it exactly the way you described," I replied. "At least not right now. But they could cause certain problems, so… Let's use my special maneuver. Power to the hyperdrives… And the cloaking system." The active scanners on the Federation ship could detect the energy that precedes a hyperspace jump. We'll let them detect the outgoing energy, then abruptly activate the cloaking mode. The Traders will think we jumped and leave the system. Before jumping, they might even try to calculate the vector… But there's a chance the Trader ship won't leave so easily. Meaning… They might stay on watch here, rather than jumping after us and waiting for other daredevils to jump into the Void. In that case — we'll have to destroy them. From cloak, that would be easy. One accurate missile launch straight into the engines, and the Munificent would be blown up. However, the loss of contact could attract other ships here… Hmm… Perhaps… If they don't leave after my maneuver, I'll just return to Tanalorr a bit later, when they get tired of keeping their ship here.
Activating the necessary systems, I performed the maneuver. By now, the Munificent's crew should have seen that I jumped into hyperspace, and judging by the direction, not into the Koboh Void itself. Flying further away from my location, I positioned myself near an asteroid field. The Munificent activated… Literally two minutes later, it flew further away from the field.
"So what will they do?" Jaro asked.
"We'll see now," I promised.
The ship stopped at a certain point, then transitioned into hyperspace.
"Did they leave?" Celeste asked.
"They left, but cunningly," I noted. "Look closely; they dumped some trash and… spy droids with it. Looks like some information about my ship got through to them. Clever…"
"So Tanalorr isn't happening for us," Jaro said sadly.
"Not at all," I shook my head. "These droids' sensors are nothing compared to a ship's. They'd need to fly much closer to identify us accurately and notice that we never left and are making a jump into the Void. They plan to have the droids cover the entire area with their sensors. But they can't fly directly up to the nebula because it has destabilizing properties… But we can, because our beacon generates a protective field that the droids won't detect, since they don't have the technology embodied in the beacon."
"I see," Celeste said, hugging me. "If that's really the case, we just need to deactivate the cloak right next to the Void. Then they won't detect us with sensors. But what about the visual scanners? Their cameras might spot us…"
"Same as with the other sensors. Since the signal will be right next to the nebula, they'll perceive it as an effect of the anomaly, not our ship. We'll jump fast enough that they won't have time to record anything." I steered the Star Trek toward the nebula. The ship shook for just a couple of seconds. A force field appeared around us, and everything returned to normal. "N.C., did the beacon's computer output jump coordinates?" I asked when we were almost right up against the anomaly. The yellow cloud, floating in the middle of space and stretching, it seemed, to infinity, captivated the eye. N.C. answered affirmatively. "Going to lightspeed," I said, deactivating the cloak and immediately engaging the hyperdrive. We vanished from the Koboh system instantly.
The droids left by the Traders didn't have time to react. We found ourselves in the middle of the all-too-familiar hyperspace tunnel.
"And once we figure out Tanalorr's coordinates, we could travel there from other points…"
"Don't talk nonsense, big guy," Celeste remarked. "You'll pass for smart," she looked at Jaro. "Tanalorr is located in the middle of an extremely problematic anomaly. Traveling through such conditions is only possible from specific points. It's not for nothing that this anomaly is called the 'Koboh Anomaly.' And yes, if what you said were possible, the Jedi Order would have controlled Tanalorr long ago. Why do you think we need a beacon that calculates coordinates? It calculates the entry point into hyperspace and the exit point near Tanalorr."
"So that's it," Jaro said thoughtfully. "And, by the way… Weren't we told that this beacon is a prototype created by the Trade Federation based on a previously seen beacon… And that Ki'zhara damaged the previously seen beacon and took this one we have. If it's a prototype, where's the proof that it works… What if…"
"Too late, we've already jumped using it… But," I lounged calmly in the pilot's seat. "I didn't feel through the Force that we wouldn't succeed. Usually, my premonitions tell me if something's wrong… So relax, Jaro. We'll visit this planet, see what scrambled Dagan Gera's brain, and return, then fly to Ryloth."
N.C. reported that we were almost at the exit point… An instant, and the hyperspace corridor vanished, revealing a breathtaking view.
"Can I open my eyes yet?" the Lasat asked. I could sense anxiety from him. Meanwhile, Celeste and I remained calm… I had long since noticed that my rebirth and training as a Jedi had made me… somewhat indifferent to death. Although I clung desperately to life in many situations, I didn't have any particular reverence for the concept of death… Simply put, I wasn't especially afraid of it… Like some Jedi, especially those who face death as part of their job. Jaro hadn't acquired that trait yet, even though he'd faced death and risked his life more than once… But I think he'll get used to it.
"Just open them already," Celeste replied. "Wow… I've seen a lot, but this view is, in a way, captivating."
Surrounded by bizarre, pinkish clouds hung a small, bluish planetary sphere. The star was hidden by the nebula of clouds, though that didn't stop its light from reaching the planet.
"So this is Tanalorr?" Celeste asked, her fingers working the computer keys. "According to the sensors, deposits of several valuable ores have been detected… Including frikite! And not only that. Cortosis, agrocite, zersium… The scanner shows the presence of several extremely rare ores on this planet."
"Yeah, now I understand why the Trade Federation was interested. It wasn't just the initial defensive value," I said. "I haven't seen such a concentration of strategic resources on any planet in the Galaxy. And I've flown around the Galaxy quite a bit. Hmm… Interesting. Tanalorr's star is too close to the planet itself. At that distance, the planet should be a lifeless desert… Apparently, the cloud that covers it… Contains the star's destructive light." I nodded toward the star, or rather, where it was located. The clouds around the planet really did envelop it, as if protecting it. "Alright, let's see what's down there on the surface."
I steered the ship toward the planet. Its atmosphere turned out to be breathable. Finding a spot, I landed. The ship set down near one of the caves. The air here was incredibly fresh…
"You feel it, don't you?" Celeste asked. "This planet… It's filled with the Force."
I looked around… The water flowing in a small pool seemed unbelievably clean… Scooping up some water, I placed it in a test tube. Even though it looked clean, it was better to analyze it. Meanwhile, Jaro plucked some plants, also for analysis.
"Planets saturated with the Force are extremely useful," I noted. "Especially for meditation and training. And at the same time, they harbor danger, especially if rational beings develop too much activity on the planet. Right now, I sense a balance here… A peculiar balance. However, the appearance of too many sentients, especially Force-sensitive ones, could distort the Force on this planet, leading to all sorts of consequences…"
"So all those ores our sensors detected, Master… And everything we can find here…"
"Isn't lost; in the end, extraction can be automated," I said. "But the most important thing about this planet is its Force… It can be used for Jedi training. The principle is very simple. Due to the planet's Force influence, a person's affinity with the Force can increase. Bota from the planet Drongar has a similar effect. I've been there once. Other known sources: the Valley of the Jedi, Ossus, Tython, the Crystal Caves of Ilum, the Valley of the Dark Lords on Korriban… Those are just the most famous…"
"The Valley of the Jedi?" Jaro asked in surprise. "It exists? I heard it was created a thousand years ago; there was a story among the younglings that you could become a master instantly if you trained there."
"Bullshit," I snorted. "You don't become a master instantly from training. Being just an incredibly strong Jedi isn't enough to be a master. Yes, a certain level of strength and ability is necessary to get that title and an invitation to the Council… But the most important thing is experience, actions. I've told you many times already, Jaro, being strong alone isn't enough."
"Yes, but it's easy for you to say," he objected.
"Explain."
"You're a strong Jedi. You possess incredible techniques. And you can do things that most Jedi clearly cannot."
"And what does my reasoning have to do with my power?" I asked. "Suppose, purely in combat, I could defeat a master; does that make me a master?" In reality, even Jocasta Nu, who wasn't a combat specialist — I'm sure I could beat her. Yes, she fences well, uses the Force competently, but in terms of pure combat, I'm far better than her. "Only Sith determine leadership solely by who is stronger. We don't necessarily have to do that. In my opinion, that's what makes us… winners. Those who put only their personal strength at the forefront might win a duel, but you know… There are many other forms of confrontation where we've won not just through strength. That's why the Jedi exist, and the Sith — if they exist at all… Even if they gain the upper hand, it won't be for long. By carving your path to power with a sword, relying only on your personal strength, you might soon discover that there's no one left around you except your enemies. And can you defeat them? If they attack one by one — probably. But if they all attack at once? These are interesting questions, aren't they?"
"Yes," Jaro agreed.
"So drop the nonsense about being able to become a master somewhere just by meditating for a bit, big guy," Celeste said. "Remember what we were taught. Humility and patience. Not everything should be tolerated, and not everything should be endured… But if you discard all of it — nothing awaits you but a fall. But the Valley of the Jedi," she looked at me. "I've also come across mentions of it in information sources, in the Archives, that it exists, but where is it?"
"On Ruusan," I didn't hide the information. "The site of the seventh battle. And the place where Kaan used the thought bomb. A forbidden Sith ritual, an act of their madness and desire for destruction… Though even among them, this ritual is considered an act of last resort."
"I've heard of this ritual, even in my past life," Celeste recalled. "And Muur, I think, knew exactly how it was created..."
"Many Sith Lords knew, but its actual application — in all their multi-millennia history — was recorded only once. At Ruusan. It turned the place where it was used into a powerful source of the Force... And at the same time, an incredibly dangerous source of the Force..." the reason I went to Drongar for my training was precisely because I considered Ruusan far more dangerous, since the thought bomb is still there. "The souls of the Gifted caught in its blast are doomed to eternal torment. And at the same time... It radiates enormous power... Those souls have transformed the entire area into a vast source of the Force that can be used for training. Using... the energy of all those unfortunate souls imprisoned there now."
"Horrible," Jaro commented. "They've been trapped there for, what, a thousand years."
"Agreed... But how did you learn about this?"
"Observation: stupid, leathery sacks."
"I didn't know, I only made an assumption about what the so-called 'Valley of the Jedi' really is... Well, the Force tells me I'm right. Someday I'll have to go to Ruusan and free the Gifted trapped there from that horror... However," I looked at Jaro, who was already about to suggest we add it to our schedule. "We need to understand that you can't just approach it like that. We need to learn more; ideally, inform the Council. Yes, not all of them are great warriors, but this requires a true master of the Force. And war doesn't make you one."