Kalet, a sanctuary on the planet Tython. The most protected and zealously guarded place in all of the Je'daii domain. A Temple of Knowledge and the first among equals. The temple itself consisted of four monumental rectangular buildings, linked by corridors, each set atop a truncated pyramid.
And hanging directly above the temple was the largest of the Tho Yor. By comparison, even Hadiya's fortress would be smaller than this behemoth. And it flies, too. Mmm… best not to let that slip to Hadiya—she's the type to lift her own house into the sky just to rub it in everyone else's face.
But back to the "Sanctuary." Kalet was, in essence, both the heart and the mind of Tython: the first member of the Order's Council and his advisers sat here. Full sessions of the Council were convened here when the situation demanded it, though usually they made do with remote communications. Which, by the way, is probably where the Jedi got the habit of sitting in a circle as holograms.
After landing a little off to the side on the designated pads—because, yeah, the skies here were watched like you wouldn't believe—the first thing I saw through the opening airlock was…
"Sh-a-a-a-ade!!!" A whirlwind slammed into me, knocking me onto my back.
"Ves…" I whispered, dropping my hand onto the crown of the Cathar rubbing her cheek against mine. "Is it those days for you?"
Payback came instantly—in the form of a punch to the gut. Or rather, she tried, but…
"Ow! Sh-sh-sh—what is that on you?!" the Cathar shook her fist, blazing with righteous fury. "And вообще, what kind of clothes are you wearing?"
"Hadiya gave it to me. I improved it. A special suit designed for active combat operations," I said—and taking her hand, I used a light impulse of the Force to remove the pain.
My next move was to take off my mask and, hugging Ves, pull her close.
"How I've missed you, kitty…"
"Mhm," she started to thaw and hugged me back. I adjusted her head and lightly kissed her on the lips.
And that's how we sat on the floor… right up until an unfamiliar temple student вмешался.
"Ahem. Sorry to interrupt, but…" a Selkath began. Breaking the kiss, Vessira glanced at him—and the poor guy went pale.
"Ves, come on. Be nicer. There's already one skirt-wearing maniac in my life. Two would be too much."
"Hadiya doesn't wear skirts."
"Fine. Pants, then."
"That's better."
"You wanted something, kid?"
"Uh… you've been summoned."
"By whom?"
"The Temple Master."
"Kriff…"
"To the Council chamber," the messenger finished me off.
"Argh ranhnhark!"
***
As much as it hurt to leave friends—let alone squeeze my любимая kitty—I had to go before the Temple Master. Just great: hadn't even had time to land, and I was already being called onto the carpet. What the hell did they want from me?
Vessira, walking beside me and growling at everyone in sight, was asking herself the same question.
"Ves, don't growl. You're not a tiger. You're a kitty."
"Mhm."
"Better tell me—how are you all doing here?"
"Well… normal. In Wur Tepe, once we more or less completed the standard проходящая program, we were sent off in all four directions. The Masters there are like that—busy. Only Gris was enjoying himself; as soon as we arrived, he basically registered in the workshops. You know how he loves digging around in метал.
"That he does," I smirked.
"Basically, we were waiting for him. Then we waited him out and moved on. Or rather—flew. By coincidence, a new ship was leaving Wur Tepe's hangars, so they gave us a lift. When we got to Kalet, they did the usual: a tour, explanations… everything like always."
"You already got Scout rank?"
"Yes."
"So I'm the last one?"
"Looks like it. By the way, you can't even imagine how much is collected in the temple archives."
"I can't," I nodded.
"And there's also a whole underground complex the temple is built on top of!"
"And you went wandering down there."
"Of course! Shade, this place itself—as a historical site—is immensely interesting, and I'm not even going to start on what's down there, deeper."
"You'll tell me?"
"Well, look…"
As we walked, I listened to Vessira talk about local life and how valuable this place was in every sense—strategically, as a temple of knowledge, and as a relic built on the ruins of an ancient civilization: the Kwa. When she mentioned that Kalet's data vaults contained literally everything the Tythonian people had gathered over ten thousand years, I froze. Just trying to imagine that volume of information made me feel sick. A real… Eldorado.
Moving through the Sanctuary's corridors, listening to Ves, I also looked around. High ceilings, painted walls, halls full of both paper and digital media. In principle… it was a nice place, and the atmosphere… inspired and positive. Pleasant, even. Sadly there was nothing to compare it to, but the fact that unimaginable amounts of data were collected here could be felt in the gut.
Climbing to the fourth tier of the first building, I left Ves behind and knocked on the door leading to the Je'daii Order Council chamber. The three-meter doors opened, and a round hall appeared before me: chairs arranged in a circle, with the Temple Masters sitting in them as holograms. And every last one of them was staring at me.
"Oh," was all I had, seeing that scene. "Either this is very good, or very bad…"
"Members of the Council… May the Force be with you," I said, stepping into the hall and giving a slight bow. Hm… really everyone. Even Tsikuna. But unlike the others, she was sitting there smiling—and even gave me a friendly nod.
"May the Force be with you, Shade Aero," croaked the Council head—Temple Master of Kalet—Tutoraminos Toor, a Krevaak.
"May I know the reason for such an urgent summons?"
"Of course," Tutoraminos nodded—and told me. Better he hadn't.
As it turned out, they were very, very offended at me. Like, absolutely kriffing furious. Not all of them, of course—but most. The moment word of my arrival reached the right ears, my decidedly unmodest person was hauled in. And it was all because of Hadiya. My little vixen had been drinking the Council's blood by the liter when they tried to вмешаться in Shikaakwa's internal affairs. And it all started because of my message about the would-be alchemists.
So the Council conducted an investigation, found the corpses of the failed assassins, and those led them to Hadiya. They looked at Hadiya herself. Freaked out. Looked at Shikaakwa from a new angle. Freaked out even harder. And now they were, very quietly but very crudely, commenting on the whole situation.
The Council didn't like how quickly Hadiya was gathering power around herself. If it kept going, another year or two and she'd become Shikaakwa's de facto ruler. Add another year on top of that, and she wouldn't be far from officially becoming queen. But the policy Hadiya pursued ran counter to what the Order preached. Hadiya didn't revere the Force. At all. More than that, she didn't recognize the Order's authority on Shikaakwa. The planet had only one ruler—her—and any monks should stay out of the planet's private affairs.
An attempt to explain her ошибочность ended with her, in her usual style, sending the envoys to go take a long walk off a short pier. Were there violations? No violations. And Shikaakwa's internal affairs were none of the Je'daii Council's business. And then there was me—her husband, apparently—who kriff knows where disappears and shows up where he shouldn't. And I even take part in local разборки on my own initiative, while even Force-gifted members of Clan Ryo had stepped away from the old roots and didn't interfere.
In short, they came down on me hard. Since I was supposedly Hadiya's husband, they issued an ultimatum: rein in the girl who was clawing her way to power. And right there I realized I'd stepped into a minefield, but… Irbis—again. May the Force save you from any misfortune and protect your children and your family!
So I started trying to wriggle out of it.
"Let me уточнить: what exactly is wrong with Hadiya being a sole ruler?"
"The girl is too willful and doesn't respect the Order's authority."
"Maybe. But who wouldn't take offense when outsiders climb into their patch?"
"That's not the point, Shade."
"You're mistaken, Master Tutoraminos. That is precisely the point: I am her husband. She'll listen to me. And if so, wouldn't it be simpler to help her instead and gain a permanent ally, rather than constantly having to restrain several clans?"
"I agree with him," Tsikuna jumped in at once. "Dealing with one ruler is much easier than constantly pacifying clans in their conflicts."
"But unlike the clans, Hadiya has every chance of starting an interplanetary war."
"But she won't do that!" I hurried to answer. "Not unless she's provoked… And besides, there's me—meaning, influence over her."
And the argument started. I twisted, turned, squirmed like an eel on a frying pan, and used every bit of experience from dealing with Hadiya and Irbis to drag the situation at least into a neutral line. Because for obvious reasons I wasn't going to stop Hadiya; it would be easier to tell the Council to go kriff itself. But at the same time, starting a конфликт isn't desirable. The Council considers itself the top authority and, formally, the Je'daii are "the power" in the system. Yeah. For Hadiya, that isn't even funny. And who would know better than me that she won't back down… and won't уступить. So a compromise was needed.
Luckily, Tsikuna actively backed me, as did the Temple Masters of Mahara Kesh and Stav Kesh, so we managed—barely—to draw a line: we wouldn't help Hadiya, but we wouldn't hinder her either… Moreover, we wouldn't interfere in internal affairs at all. But I would keep a close eye on her, and being her husband was now practically my job. The assumption was that if… ahem, things got tight, I would be expected to fulfill my direct task: eliminate the threat. True, as I'd said earlier, the "enemy" was defined in advance before any conflict even began. Especially on the eve of approaching events… when everyone might already turn against me. So I agreed with a clear conscience and a sincere heart: "My task will be carried out." And I didn't lie in a single letter. My task really would be carried out.
That could be counted as a kind of victory. But once the main reason for summoning me was settled, they moved to the next topic—still about me. The Council members were concerned about my abilities and behavior. Loudest of all was the Temple Master of Akar Kesh, singing about my incompetence like a nightingale. You could tell by their eyes this had already been raised and my hide had been discussed before, but now something had to be done with it.
"Enzer, please," Tsikuna stopped Talid in mid-rant. "We all know what's going on. But now let's listen to Shade."
"You approve of such an approach, Tsikuna?" the Temple Master of Mahara Kesh asked, eyebrow raised.
"I see no contradiction with the Code," she countered. "And the fact that Shade comprehends the Force by other methods may prove very useful. Shade?" Their gazes converged on me.
"Well… as practice in Wur Tepe showed, my viewpoint—and my practice of interacting with the Force—differs sharply from what is generally accepted. In particular, methods refined over years and based on turning to one side of the Force or the other won't work in my case. Since childhood, I didn't split the Force into sides. In my understanding, they're two sides of the same coin, and that coin is the Je'daii. So I tried to maintain balance not only through meditation, but also through using the Force—taking in both light and darkness evenly."
"That is a very dangerous and poorly considered decision, apprentice. Many Je'daii went mad trying to use both aspects at the same time," the Temple Master of Padawan Kesh noted.
"Yes. But unlike them, I've practiced this technique since birth. The body adapts gradually, and there's no shock that would happen to an already-trained Force-gifted. Yes, I admit the negative influence primarily hits the psyche. I was aggressive. Nervous. I constantly needed to vent energy; something was always itching. I didn't even notice when I solved this problem through rather harsh training in Ciguun Kesh. I simply didn't have the time or the strength to cause excessive trouble."
"Tsikuna?" Everyone turned to the Temple Master of Ciguun Kesh.
"The situation was under control. I closely monitored Shade's condition," the Sith said without even twitching an eyebrow.
"Tsikuna, that's unacceptable. The apprentice was in danger. What if he hadn't held and still broke?"
"Then we would have had no choice but to exile him to one of the moons."
Yeah… if friends, Mom, the girls—anyone at all—heard that, they'd already be tearing the place apart.
"Tsikuna…"
"Let me finish," she raised her palm. "If Aala couldn't set her own son on the path accepted by all, then nobody could. In any case, that's in the past. Now, before us stands an adept in perfect balance, wielding both sides at once."
"Is that so?" Eyes turned to Enzer Da'Kotome.
"Yes. During external immersion in the Force, the main issue was to disrupt that balance. Wanderer Shade Aero cannot independently immerse himself into a specific aspect, and if he can, it comes with difficulty."
"Master Enzer, allow me to add that already at this stage Aero is, in principle, unable to immerse into a specific aspect," the Temple Master of Wur Tepe cut in. "Rakhnar, one of my masters overseeing Aero's development, provided a clear understanding of Shade's abilities. The Force directed by Rakhnar transformed and became, as Shade puts it, Unifying. I believe attempting to immerse him into a specific aspect will most likely lead to his death, so despite a number of… peculiarities, I support Tsikuna."
"Mmm…"
I stood there, just… soaking it in, feeling like furniture. Doesn't it bother them to discuss me while I'm right here?
"Tutar'Grim, you're mistaken. Precisely because Shade is unable to immerse into a specific aspect, I insist on his retraining. As you correctly noted, if the balance is disrupted, he will either die or lose his mind. And I'm more than sure that sooner or later it will happen. You, of all people, know the Force's influence on an adept—especially near a Source."
"I must disagree," Tsikuna вмешалась. "In my view, Shade is doing прекрасно. Both in controlling both aspects and in using them. Yes, not without flaws, but Shade adapts specific techniques to himself. Not all of them, but still, he does it well. But if we try to retrain him into traditional technique, he will have to rebuild again. Let me emphasize, Enzer: an already formed организм will have to change completely. And that brings us back to the first problem—mental pressure on the psyche. Or death."
"You propose leaving it as it is?"
"Yes. More than that, I propose repeating the experiment."
"What?" the Temple Master of Wur Tepe asked quietly. Yes, Master, same question here. "What?!"
"Let me remind you, Masters, of the Je'daii Code: 'There is no ignorance—there is knowledge. There is no fear—there is power. I am the heart of the Force. I am the guiding fire of Light. I am the mystery of Darkness. In balance with chaos and harmony, immortal in the Force.' In my opinion, Shade Aero has reached an ideal balance in the Force, in which neither side exerts negative influence upon him. Moreover, immersion into an aspect is what constantly stops us—because of its danger. But Shade can go far deeper and return. Think what possibilities that opens, what secrets we could uncover! Let's be honest: we will never reach it ourselves—only by relearning, and that is risky. So—let's try repeating the result with an entire group?"
"Uh…" I quietly short-circuited. The Masters weren't doing any better. So much for Order "intrigue." Turns out the Master wasn't that simple!
"Tsikuna…" the Krevaak spoke, working his tentacles. "What you say is unquestionably worth attention, but we simply have no master to properly teach such a group. We have no experience either. In Shade's training, the most dangerous mistakes were made; it's a miracle he survived, but he is one of a kind. I do not think the others will cope, and we have no one who could properly control it."
"You're mistaken. Here he is," she nodded at me.
"Ik!"
"Aero is still too young," the Temple Master of Stav Kesh objected.
"I'm not talking about now. We already have one adept wielding the Unifying Force. And he will be able to teach others. Shade, what do you think?" She looked at me. "Would you like to train a group of younglings in the temple of balance?"
"No way," I rasped, swallowing a lump. "Forgive me, but I'm not a monk to spend years contemplating the babble of a stream and the flow of the Force from a Source over there."
"So you're not against training a group?" She leaned forward, folding her hands.
"Master Tsikuna…" the Krevaak didn't let me answer. "You had something like this in mind from the start, didn't you?"
"No. I only want to see the result. Shade, I told you прямо that I'm interested. Very interested in what you'll become. Especially since it was impossible to dissuade you."
"Yeeah…" I looked up at the ceiling, trying to remember. Tsikuna… you Sith… Just think how smoothly she played it.
"Masters, so where have we arrived?" the Temple Master of Bodhi asked, drawing the line.
"I propose we leave things as they are, see what happens, and if the experience is successful, build on it," Tsikuna voiced—and her face was so smug it hurt. Yeah… Sith were never kind. Truth.
"Hmm…"
A second hand rose, from the Temple Master of Bodhi. Then, to my surprise, Enzer Da'Kotome sided with Tsikuna. Did not expect that. And then the rest followed.
"Unanimous. Shade, from this moment, by the will of the Force and by your striving, you take into your hands the cognition of the Unifying Force. Be careful on this path, for no one has yet walked it from beginning to end."
"Understood… Master…" I bowed slightly, swallowing the lump that had risen in my throat.
"All necessary records will appear once you reach the rank of Master. For now—are you ready to take the exam?"
"Yes."
"Then we begin."
The exam itself was nothing complicated. I had to clearly, one by one, show what I'd learned during the journey, and also explain a bit of theory—so I passed it easily. The other thing was that they started grilling me about where I wanted to go, what kind of master I wanted to become, and so on. The question that kept popping up was why I was keeping away from the Temple of Meditation, since that was the very place to comprehend the Unifying Force in its true manifestation.
My спасение was the thread leading to Mother. I clearly stated I would be a hunter. The Masters weren't happy and didn't concede easily. They played the heaviest card I couldn't beat: Hadiya. Since I had to keep an eye on her and not run around the system, it followed that I couldn't be a hunter anymore. So in that regard they got me, yeah.
But which temple I'd prioritize was never voiced. In theory, my straight road was to Stav Kesh, but I have Mother, who is, in fact, at the level of a Temple Master. They even offered her leadership of Stav Kesh, but she refused. So she could train me to fight just fine.
The other temples were more or less equal, except the Temple of Meditation—that one was at the end of the list. But thank the Force, I managed to talk my way out and give no specifics.
I left the Council hall closer to evening—tired, drained, and a little stunned.
"Shade!" Ves rushed to me. Looks like the Cathar had been sitting by the doors this whole time.
"Ves…"
"What's wrong with you? Are you okay? They didn't approve your status?" Vessira pressed me, burning with worry. Unable to help myself, I smiled and, cupping her cheek, rubbed it with my thumb through the glove. The gloves are soft and pleasant to the touch. I've checked from the outside myself.
"Nothing like that… Turns out I'm a lab mouse."
"Huh?"
"Come on, kitty. I'll tell you everything," I sighed, turning toward the corridor. Ves fell in beside me, and I began recounting what happened at the session. "All right, I'll start with the good news. I did become a Scout. Hooray," I weakly and theatrically waggled my hands, imitating joy. "But not a hunter, heh. Next: my viewpoint was accepted. Officially accepted—and maybe it'll enter the Order's Code alongside the existing doctrines."
"Oh… congratulations."
"Yeah, but they'll keep an eye on me. At least for a while. Not stalking—just that I'll need to appear regularly to show I'm fine. And if things continue this way, I might very well be handed a group of younglings with orders to teach."
"Wow!"
"Otherwise, if I crack—and that's also possible—I'll be sent to one of Tython's moons."
"…"
"And you know how, while the Force inside me was finding harmony, it pressed on my psyche?" Ves nodded. "Tsikuna knew, but kept quiet, deciding to watch. But she also ran me into the ground because of it. And I didn't mind. Mom probably knew too, but she kept quiet as well. Now I understand her worry about me. She wasn't worried I'd get into trouble—she was worried I'd simply go insane. But everything's fine, and knock on wood," I tapped my head, "I'm probably sane. Even though I've been at two Force Sources, went through extreme stress several times, and once let Force Lightning pass through me… In short, I want to believe I'm fine!"
"You're fine," Vessira said immediately, perking her ears and pressing to my side.
"Heh. They also asked me—within my abilities—to keep an eye on Hadiya."
"Huh?"
"She worries the Council. Willful, brazen, uncontrollable. You can't set conditions for her, you can't dictate rules—she recognizes only one will: her own."
"And yours."
"And mine," I nodded. "But sh-sh-sh."
"Hee. What else was there?"
"Well… there was also…"
And so, talking about the session, we walked: an empty corridor, burning lights, and the pleasant company of my beloved kitty at my side.
***
A few days later. The Curator's mess hall.
"So!" Zeng declared, conducting in time with his speech using a filled glass of a strong Kalimar alcoholic drink—bitter-sweet in taste, but this stuff hits hard. "The day has come when we are no longer students. Now we are free, friends."
"Freedom is a relative concept," Feng said instructively.
"Freedom—and the opportunity to choose your own path!" the twin added solemnly. "Congratulations to everyone on finishing training!"
"Gru-u-u-u!"
"Hooray!"
Joining the general surge, I downed my glass. A light, pleasant, slightly sweet drink with low strength. I don't like strong alcohol.
"So. What are everyone's plans?" I glanced at my friends.
"Aur ri rga-a-a."
"You're clear enough—back to your parents and your girl on Ska-Gora," I nodded. "And you?" I looked at the twins.
"Home too. They're waiting for us," Zeng smiled. "And I've long planned to marry one particular girl," he said, putting an arm around Ramira's waist and pulling her close. I noticed how Vessira brightened—and, at the same time, felt a little jealous—after glancing at me.
In general, wedding ceremonies in the Tython system differed from what I remembered from my past world. I vaguely recalled that there was an exchange of rings or something like that. Here, there were several rites, depending on the planet. On Shikaakwa, a wedding involved being accepted into a clan, receiving a clan tattoo, and a whole set of complications. On Tython it was much simpler: two people made a vow before the Force at a special altar that exists in every temple, one might take the other's фамилия—my father took my mother's—and… that was it. Like, really it. After that, differences began depending on whether the couple wanted a celebration, wanted to gather people, or would limit themselves to each other's company. There weren't even any special outfits; once I saw photos of what my parents wore to their wedding, I stopped caring. Mom in combat gear with not-fully-washed bloodstains. Dad in shorts, a tank top, and slippers. Pretty much everything you need to know about a Tython wedding.
On Kalimar, weddings were more traditional: the couple exchanged special wedding bracelets, both dressed up, and it was customary to hold at least a small ceremony with guests and a banquet. I remember Irbis and I once spotted one like that completely by accident.
"…so you'll all be invited," Zeng drew the line. "And then, when we more or less settle down, we can go look for adventures."
"Or problems for your ass," Ramira added with indignation. "We're planning to assemble a research group. In the future the Order will provide us with a ship for these purposes. Something like that."
"Ur-g arue err," Gris assessed the seriousness of the plans.
"Rami, do you even have anyone waiting for you at home?"
"Shade…" Vessira gave me an admonishing look.
"What? She's never talked about home."
"Because I don't have one," the zabrak girl grew sad. "I got lucky—when my Force sensitivity was noticed, a passing Je'daii picked me up off the street. I don't have parents."
"Sorry…"
"Forget it. Ves, what about you—where are you going now?" All eyes shifted to the quiet Cathar.
"What do you mean, 'where'?" the kitty flared up, ears perked. "Of course I'm going after Shade! He absolutely cannot be left alone."
The group chuckled quietly, and Gris outright laughed indecently.
"Uh… that's a bad idea."
"In what wa-a-a-ay?" She actually recoiled.
"Yeah, Shade. Why are you brushing Ves off?" Zeng protested.
"I'm not brushing her off, I'm taking care of her," I countered under Ves's reproachful look. "I just need to solve a few problems."
"Oh-ho," Feng perked up and exchanged a look with his brother.
"Aeur reigr."
"Yes, Gris. It's related to Mother."
"Then all the more you can't be left alone!" Ves slid closer and looked into my eyes—so kindly.
"Vessira's right. If there are problems, say it—we'll help. Besides, you and your mother were вроде going to the Star-Seekers. Find anything?" Feng changed the subject.
"Yeah, yeah—what about those… hypergates?" Zeng chimed in.
"Oh, guys, there's such a story there that it's better not to get involved. Trust me."
"Aur grai."
"In short, it's family разборки between Mother, Father, and Dalien. There's simply no reason for you to get into it—and you too, Ves. There's just nothing interesting there…"
My answer clearly didn't satisfy anyone, but at least they didn't keep pressing. Правда…
I look at Ves
…I'm still in for an interrogation with prejudice and, on top of that, a fight I'll still have to win.
***
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