"Who is Revan?" I was asked a long time ago. I don't remember where I met that naive person who, at most, had only seen the films of "Star Wars," and perhaps played Jedi Academy with Jaden Korr in childhood. Revan… To explain all the intricacies associated with this name, even several hours are not enough. Revan is a point of convergence. How are classic fantasy works constructed? Many have the personality of an chosen one, towards whose appearance everything was leading. Dozens, and in some works, hundreds of lines and branches led to one thing – the chosen one. He will have powers, abilities, charisma… And much more that will bring about certain changes in the universe. Harry Potter, Naruto Uzumaki, Luffy from One Piece, and countless chosen ones.
Revan was not a chosen one. The Force did not come to him by talent. He was someone who forged himself. Often, chosen ones receive certain things on a silver platter. This is sometimes called "plot convenience." Revan received almost nothing, except perhaps the Star Forge… He created. He created the Republic army, almost from scratch… And defeated the Mandalorians. He set out to destroy the Sith Emperor, and in the end, created an Empire, his own, separate, and so much so that even in Vitiate's Empire, Revanite cults arose. A chosen one is someone who receives something to build the future, to fulfill some prophecy, a destiny in a specific universe. Unchosen heroes do not receive anything to change the future. They build it themselves… They can also destroy it. Or direct it somewhere else entirely. By their actions, they themselves can lead the world to the appearance of a chosen one. That's who Revan is… A sentient being who, like many, not being chosen, created the future. But at some point, he literally created the future not for himself… He created a future that had a galactic-scale impact not only on his contemporaries but even on us. And now the echoes of this influence are felt. And will be felt for a very long time. And a long time ago, during the Jedi Civil War, during which Revan and his apprentice Malak rebelled, Revan created him.
HK-47… A cult killer droid that can give even current, modern models a run for their money. And almost four thousand years have passed. Originally, he was awakened by engineers from the Confederacy of Independent Systems, but unlike me – if they learned to be cautious anywhere, it wasn't in their lives. After awakening, HK killed a couple of engineers, three B2s, and then, to top it off, destroyed a droideka.
Even Jedi could sometimes have difficulties with droidekas. Yes, we have a statistical number of Jedi for whom two or three droidekas mean certain death. And now this droid-building monster is nearby. I have prudently disconnected all his limbs.
"So, HK-47, the famous protocol assassin droid of Revan himself, then – Meetra Surik, and then… Who did you end up with? Darth Malgus?"
"Satisfied: you have learned a lot about me. Clarification: but wouldn't you like to answer my questions and restore the integrity of my shell so that I can return to full functionality?"
"Reassemble you, without your assurances that you will be a good boy and some restrictions?" I asked HK. "I, of course, love, know how, and practice doing all sorts of foolish things, for about forty years now, maybe more, but I'm not that much of a fool."
"With contempt: what an unpleasant bag of meat."
"But I agree to change anger to mercy, HK-47."
"Seriously: I am listening to you carefully, meatbag."
"Hmph… Change my designation to 'Master' and allow me to reprogram you. Your central processor has very interesting protection. Even the most modern programs created by the best Jedi slicers cannot compare to it. And this is after almost four thousand years, but… The datapad indicates that you have administrative access, which you do not grant to anyone, or rather, it can only be given to certain individuals. They are your masters. Meetra and Revan, aren't they?"
"With laughter: and you, I see, are too insolent for a meatbag. Assumption: you are probably a Jedi, or some kind of Force-sensitive. A meatbag behaves too carelessly."
"So what about my offer, HK?" I asked. "Both your masters are long gone. After all, very long ago. Why not change your master to someone… More alive," I gestured around the room. "And in return, I will do you an additional favor – I will allow you to deal with unpleasant 'meatbags' that I will call my enemies. In any way that is convenient specifically for you."
"Assumption: if I refuse, you will leave me here?"
"Uh-huh, and deactivated too," I nodded, taking out my lightsaber and twirling the hilt in front of the droid's "eyes." "I will tell you – where we are. This is Mustafar. A planet whose climate is now… 'extremely hot.' The entire planet is covered with volcanoes, lava rivers. There is almost no land. We are on the 'blazing plains.' They literally float in a river of lava and gradually these plains are losing percentage of their area. Someday they will completely burn out, along with all the inhabitants. And the legendary HK-47, who hates 'meatbags,' will disappear once and for all."
"With regret: I cannot shoot you with a blaster shot as proof of my agreement with your words. Remark: however, there is truth in your words. Amazement: however, anyone could reprogram me at one time. Question: how did it happen that you are asking me for permission?"
"Either we have become worse, or you have been modified in some way. In any case – this is what my datapad showed me, HK. Allow me to access your system and you will get a new master. I, you know, am a simple Jedi Knight, who gets into trouble many times. So you will be able to continue to interact with… 'meatbags' exactly as you would like. Of course, taking my wishes into account."
"Agreement: to continue my functioning, I am forced to accept your terms, meatbag… Or rather, Master. Remark: forgive me for calling you 'meatbag' in the previous sentence, and forgive me in this one. For the full realization of what you want, meatbag, oh sorry, you must reprogram me. Clarification: I believe your datapad will be suitable for this purpose."
"Yes, it would be suitable, HK, but the point is that I am a little afraid of you, and this is because of your formidable reputation. And therefore," I rummaged in my pouch and pulled out something resembling a portable holoprojector. In fact, it's a portable computer. Something like a laptop. Slightly more powerful than a datapad. This computer was completely isolated from all my systems. It didn't even have a connection to the HoloNet. I uploaded all its updates the old-fashioned way – by connecting memory via a port. In short – I transferred them via flash drives. Thus, this computer is completely cut off from the entire Galaxy. And I am afraid of exactly this. It is impossible to let the AI HK-47 get out of control. He is useful, but a dangerous comrade. And until I set all the restrictions in his system – he is rather dangerous. "I will use this."
"With respect: and you are prudent. With a hint of disappointment: you are afraid that I will get out of control."
"Isn't the reason for this ship's crash precisely this?" I asked. "You gained access to the ship's systems and crashed it on this planet, started a real rebellion."
"Polite remark: technically – the ship was dropped on the planet by stupid meatbags. Some of them did not want to be annihilated immediately."
"Well, there's your reason, HK," I found the connector. An outdated one… But I have an adapter! Taking out a complicated gadget from my pouch, I connected the communication wire from HK's head computer to the adapter, and then connected it to the computer.
"With slight irritation: your antivirus considered my intellect hostile and isolated me from all programs on the computer."
"Yes, I was being cautious. I ordered a modification from our best slicers. I'm sorry, but your ideas are not needed by current droids."
"With disappointment: I don't like cautious meatbags. Apologetically: sorry, mea… Master," his voice began to literally glitch. "With offense: reprogramming a droid while leaving it powered on is impolite."
"And where did we get rules of politeness regarding droids, eh, HK?" I asked, typing new instructions directly into his central core. Light Flaingstar is the new master and administrator of the droid. He can only kill those whom Light Flaingstar orders, or in case of direct threat to the master's life, provided the master cannot react in time. Thanks to an advanced program, I was even able to upload some of my parameters. So he won't rush to destroy everyone, considering, for example, a weapon laid on a cantina table as a threat. For me, this is not a threat, but just… a puff… I also uploaded my biometrics as a key, one of many. Passwords, voice sound, retinal scan. A self-defense program and a database of possible enemies were loaded into the droid. And information regarding the fate of Revan, Meetra, and generally all that mess that was during HK's time also got to him.
"Amazement: oh, so that's how it all turned out. Stupid meatbags managed to negotiate."
"Not entirely," I shook my head. "The Sith survived and exist even now."
"With anticipation: and we will hunt them."
"Correct," I agreed, "however, we need to wait now. You understand that you are no match for a Sith, at least not one that might come out against you now."
"Assumption: apparently, the master knows more than even his allies."
"Assumption is correct, well, shall we restore your functionality, HK?" I launched a system scan. Is everything working? I also connected a remote transmitter to one of his ports. It will inform me of all perturbations in HK-47's AI. After all, he is too dangerous.
"With anticipation: I can't wait to finally start mowing down meatbags. Remark: Master, I have less than ten percent charge left. I also need to change the power cells."
"I have everything. I hope the charge will be enough for you to reach the ship," I lifted HK's lower limbs and began to reattach them using the Force. After about three minutes of work, during which I used telekinesis to screw everything that was needed – HK stood in front of me at full height.
"With sarcasm: and you are shorter even than Meetra Surik."
"I should introduce a ban on jokes about height…"
"Warning: Master, the joke module is either zero or one. It can either be completely disabled or left on."
"So you will joke about my height until the end?"
"Agreement: until I am completely annihilated by stupid meatbags."
I put my hand to my forehead… My father, Denis, is a tall man. My mother is a woman of above-average height… Why am I only a meter seventy then? At twenty damn years old? It's not fair, do you hear me, the Force? Not fair!
"Alright," I sighed, "let's go. There's something else you can help me with. I have an interesting medallion that was created by Darth Arrogant."
"With surprise: you've encountered Darth Arrogant?"
"You know him?"
"Thoughtfully: Master Revan uploaded data about him. He was a loyal servant of Emperor Tenebri. According to Master Revan's databases, Arrogant dreamed of becoming immortal, just like his Emperor."
"However, Vitiate could have performed the same ritual on Arrogant as he did on Scourge. But he didn't… For some reason, but for what reason? A mystery… And is the answer to this question needed? Well, he didn't make him Scourge number two, and he didn't. It's easier for me. I've had enough of Arrogant as it is, I don't even want to think about that monster anymore. HK turned out to be docile and showed no signs of betrayal."
"With interest: and what's this donut?" he clearly noticed BB-7, who rolled up to me when I returned to the Star Path.
"This is BB-7, HK-47, my astromech droid."
"I am the creator's loyal servant, BB-7, an astromech droid. And you?" BB beeped.
"Greeting: I am an assassin droid. My primary function is to burn holes in bags of meat that my new master wishes to remove from the galaxy: Light Flaingstar."
"Am I no longer sufficient for you?" BB asked sadly.
"What are you talking about, BB, it's just that your functionality is very different from HK-47's."
"With pride: my primary function, donut, is the elimination of bags of meat. Your primary function is to prevent the master from turning into cosmic dust due to ship malfunctions. We are different."
"BB," I said with a sigh, "help HK take an oil bath, perform a full diagnostic. And… implement Plan A, which I told you about."
I will probably never be able to fully trust such an aggressive AI. HK-47 is too dangerous in himself. Among all the droid companions I've ever met in games, movies, and comics, he is my favorite, it's foolish to deny it. But he is also the most dangerous. And I care very much about my life. Having received a second chance, I want to use it fully. And this is not cowardice, but healthy paranoia, which is the key to the survival of the paranoid. So HK will have to live with my distrust. But I will get a strong ally who will help me with some problems with the extras. When all procedures on HK were completed, I let him demonstrate his abilities. More precisely, we headed to a nest of bistomks, which was not far from the Hammerhead-class cruiser. Handing HK a blaster, I watched as the droid, almost like a child, eliminated one animal after another… Yes. And he commented on everything so sarcastically and rejoiced. What kind of monster did I unleash?
"Question: how will my presence help in your endeavor?"
HK was located in the hangar. On his head lay the medallion I was already familiar with.
"I'll repeat it again, for the twentieth time, upon contact with the object with which the Force of the summoned being made contact, I can, using this medallion, summon a Force Ghost. Currently, the summoned one is Revan, or Meetra Surik. Those who had long… relationships with you, HK-47, that is, those who were in contact with you for a long time. This is the essence of Darth Arrogant's ritual. He craved to summon many Sith and Jedi who existed before him and use them to strengthen himself, to become stronger than Vitiate afterward. At least, these were the thoughts I caught in his mind when he tried to possess my body."
"With inspiration: so I will meet my old master Revan, or mistress Mitra?"
"No," I shook my head. "These are Force Ghosts. Only a gifted person can fully feel them. You are not one. You are a droid, after all," the memory of his past masters was tied to his personality matrix, which also included analysis parameters, including those responsible for the combat AI segment. I didn't touch those blocks, and besides, it adds some personality to HK… In Star Wars, droid personalities are sometimes even more interesting than sentient personalities. Not all of them, of course. "I charged the medallion with meditations. The Force is sufficient. Also, we are currently on the outskirts of the galaxy," to be more precise, we left Mustafar for Zonju V. The planet was another stronghold of lawlessness, which was easier to annihilate than to bring to order in any way. Here I wasn't afraid of being detected by the gifted, as I was too far from possible rivals who could sense the ritual being performed.
I could have returned to Drongar, where I had already performed the ritual once. But the problem was that after dealing with Jarko, a Jedi expedition was sent there. So I can't perform the ritual there. Either find another planet where the Force has gone wild, and there are such planets. Or somewhere on the fringes of the galaxy. Considering that it was closer for me to reach the fringes, the question resolved itself. I concentrated and began the ritual. The Force trembled around HK as usual, as if swirling… Communicating with Lorm Decer allowed me to study the ritual inside and out. The only drawback was that the Force Ghost could try to affect the summoner with the Force. Or try to possess the body. But I was confident that I could resist the Force Ghost. In the first case, I could use one of the medallion's functions, which Arrogant had provided. Namely, the cancellation of the summoning itself. Apparently, it was made in case the summoned one was too strong.
The second case is when the Ghost tries to get into my body. In that case, we will have another battle of minds… But… No one can defeat me on my own turf. While working on refining the celestial palm, which is getting much better with practice, I also delved into studying mental defense with the Jedi. I studied everything related to the brain and mind. During meditations, I immersed myself in the inner world, where I not only trained but also familiarized myself with my own imagination. This is what helped me repel Seth Hart from my mind, this helped me deal with Arrogant. And in general, such practices will help me gain resistance to the capture of my body by various dangerous personalities.
The Force suddenly seemed to collapse into one point, and a moment later, a figure in a dark cloak appeared before me. He was taller than me and stood opposite. Did I succeed?
"Who… are you?" a male voice asked, which I had heard repeatedly. It sounded most like the voice from the MMORPG. "Mmm? What is HK-47 doing here and where am I?"
"Hmm. Good evening," I bowed slightly. "My name is Light. Light Flaingstar. And you are Revan, aren't you?"
"Revan," he savored the name as if, throwing back his hood. I saw an ordinary male face. Short dark hair and a barely noticeable beard.
The face was covered in scars he received during his captivity by the Sith.
"You are definitely Revan."
"Yes," he said heavily, "that is my name. Revan… But I hear the name 'Light Flaingstar' for the first time in my life. And I don't know how I got here. Although considering the Force emanating from this medallion," he looked thoughtfully at the medallion lying on HK's head, "I appeared here thanks to this artifact. An extremely curious structure. I saw something similar in the research of a Rakatan on Lehon. Later, during my interrogation by the Emperor's subordinates, someone named Arrogant became interested in it. Quite a creature and a scavenger."
"Darth Arrogant is dead, finally and irrevocably, Revan."
"Is that so," he said thoughtfully. "As is Tenebri. And what about Styris? (Author's note: The Hero of Tython has no name, but I took the liberty of giving him the name of my character-Hero of Tython from the game SWTOR)"
"And who is that?" I asked Revan.
"You… You probably know him as the Hero of Tython," Revan shrugged. "I hope that after the dragon's defeat, we don't have a new dragon?"
"We do, but he has nothing to do with them, Revan. To tell the truth, almost four thousand years have passed since your time, the galaxy is not the same as it was during your lifetime."
"The galaxy doesn't change," he said. "Sentient beings are the same, driven by the same vices, Light. And the Force always strives for balance. But what do you want from me, after four thousand years?"
"I want to learn," I simply replied to Revan. "To learn all your knowledge and skills. You were the best commander of your time, you defeated even the Mandalorians. You were both the strongest Jedi and the strongest Sith… Until you met Vitiate."
"And you don't want to summon Vitiate?" he suddenly laughed. "Or Styris?"
"Alas, we don't seem to have any personal items that the Hero of Tython, Styris, could have made contact with. And Vitiate…"
"You're afraid of him," Revan guessed. "Sound reasoning. Only a madman could not fear Vitiate. And you don't look like a madman… Well, almost. You've restored an assassin droid, one of the most dangerous. And then you summoned me. And if you had summoned me in my Sith aspect, what would you have done, Light?"
"I would have activated the cancellation circuit on the medallion. Everything has been calculated, Revan."
"And the reason you want to learn from me, young Jedi? I feel… You are strong. With your talent and perseverance, you should already have a whole list of abilities in which you are better than many. And yet you summon me, Revan, to help you. To teach…"
"The Sith are not destroyed, Revan. There is someone, he is not like Vitiate, but very dangerous. In his own way. And not only him. I know about the threats that will come to our Galaxy, besides Vitiate and the same Sidious, a Sith Lord whom I will fear. There will be galactic-scale casualties. And for this, I need to comprehend… the wisdom of the previous Jedi."
"Then go to the Archives, there's a lot you can find there, Light. Why do you think my knowledge and skills can help you? What can I do that you can't?"
"I won't have enough time to list everything."
"You've partially revealed yourself to me," Revan sighed. "Honestly, I was initially hostile. It's not very pleasant, you know, to find peace in the Force, and then to be abruptly separated and appear before some boy who demands lessons from you." The air around him grew cold, he sharply raised his hand and directed it at me. I repeated his gesture… Is this telekinesis? I tried to resist the wave he caused, but held on for about three seconds before being knocked down, literally swept away by the wave.
"Question: Master, are you alright?"
"Don't worry, NK, I'm having an important negotiation here. It's a shame you, as a protocol droid, can't participate. But that's later. In general, leave the compartment."
The droid obeyed my order.
"Well, I agree, boy," Revan said, approaching me and extending his hand. "You want lessons – you'll get them. I, however, want answers. To: what threats await the galaxy… And how you will counter them. Shall we begin?"
"Yes, Master Revan…"
"Well, student Light. Judging by what I feel, you are a Jedi. But clearly wavering and seeking your own interpretation of the Force. Let's see what we can achieve."