We reached the spaceport under escort. About fifty people were monitoring the Jedi, and my comrades would occasionally look at me. Like: "Why do you need to bother with these scoundrels?!" At the spaceport, a cruiser of some kind was waiting for us. Though... by my standards, it's a cruiser or a frigate; for the locals, this vessel is listed as a "light transport." Well, how everything has changed.
To the eye, the ship resembles a bird with "wings" raised upward. An elongated cabin, a rounded belly, and a rectangular back. Inside, the ship had a cockpit, a corridor leading to it, a lounge to which a ramp led, and four doors led from this lounge. One to storage, and three living cabins.
At Dooku's request, the Mandalorians accompanying me remained outside, though they very much wanted to be present at least as "translators." But my word was final; after all, these are my personal dealings. Even so, the guys didn't go far and, quickly talking to "friends," began to wait near the ship in case of a fight. Well, what Mandalorian would miss a chance to fight? Especially with a Jedi? So they didn't even have to persuade anyone; all fifty stayed.
Settling in the lounge on a sofa and placing a translation droid nearby, a dialogue began between us:
"Dooku. Qui-Gon. I feel a high degree of tension within you. May I know the reason?"
Thanks to the mask, I didn't have to hide a smile. This pair sat as if on needles, twitching at my every move, and the emotions, m-m-m... a fairy tale.
"Um... The matter is your appearance, Shade."
"What's wrong with it?" Faking surprise wasn't necessary; I truly consider my appearance mega cool.
"You look like a Sith."
"Who?" I tilted my head. I don't recall our Sith, heh, wearing anything like this.
"Well, a Sith. You don't know who that is?" Qui-Gon repeated and raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Do I, in your opinion, look like a Sith?!" Raising the mask, I showed my face, but in such a way that the camera in the ceiling wouldn't see. For now, my mug is only mine and isn't listed anywhere; let it stay that way.
"Um... Yes."
"Boy, have you even seen real Sith?" I said indignantly, returning the mask to my face. "They have bright red skin, there are growths here," I ran my fingers over an invisible beard, "and they also have red eyes," and recalling Tsikuna I added: "And also a specific character."
"…"
Ha-ha-ha-ha... how delightful. The Mandalorians were more restrained in their emotions than these "Jedi."
"Qui-Gon means a Sith as an adept of the Dark Side," Dooku gave an explanation. "And also, real Sith, well, as a race, have long been extinct."
"Really? Pity. But still, I don't understand something. What do Sith and adepts of the Dark Side have to do with each other?"
Ooh, what a range of feelings. If Dooku had held up well until this moment, now even he couldn't keep his face. Apparently, I just broke them, both of them.
"You are surely joking?"
"I'm absolutely cracking up."
"Only to myself."
"Hmm..."
"Who are you?!" burst from Qui-Gon.
"Decent people introduce themselves first."
"But we did!"
"Remind me?"
"I am Qui-Gon Jinn, a Jedi Knight. This is a Master and member of the Jedi Council..."
"Wait, wait," I interrupted the boy, raising a palm. "First, explain to me, who are these 'Jedi'?"
Ooh. The second shot, and judging by everything, it was the killing blow. They sat there, stunned, both with blue screens in their eyes. Pausing, I decided to give a small explanation:
"The Mandalorians told me about you, but they have an extremely one-sided view of your lot... more accurately—through a rifle scope."
"K-hem. Jedi are adepts who use the Light Side of the Force for good," Dooku emerged from "meditation." "We are the guardians of peace and order in the Galactic Republic. And often, we protect it from the encroachments of Sith and Dark Jedi, who are adherents of the Dark Side of the Force and seek to destroy or seize it."
"Wonderful... So, you want to say that there are two sides in the world now? One light, the other dark?" I looked at those faces skeptically. "Sith and Jedi?" Stopping the mocking, I asked truly vital questions. Where, I ask, are mine?!
"Now, only Jedi. The Sith were killed a thousand years ago, and it was even more surprising to see their uniform."
"Well. Is there a third option? Well, the Unifying Force... No?"
"The Unifying Force is nonsense..."
"Wanna bet it's not?"
"...there are no adepts of such a direction of the Force in the world," Qui-Gon answered heatedly, receiving a reproachful look from Dooku. "Is that not so?"
"There are also Gray Jedi, my former apprentice. They combine the Light and Dark Sides of the Force, balancing on the edge. But... judging by everything, you, Shade, mean someone else."
"Yes. Those who use both sides of the Force not separately, but simultaneously."
"Followers of the Unifying Force," Dooku nodded. "I have heard legends about them. If they ever existed, they went extinct at the dawn of the Republic's formation."
"…"
"Legends of them are kept in our archives, for it seems that it was not without their help that the Republic was born then."
"Can I have more details, please?"
"Forgive me, Shade, but details are best asked of historians. I only know that the Terrans were legendary warriors and Force adepts who eventually went extinct."
"Terrans?"
"Followers of Terra. She was an adept of the Unifying Force, and this name came from her."
"Well, well..." I was quietly stunned by what I heard. "What happened there without me?! Hell... where is the nearest library???"
"Currently, however, there is such a concept as a 'Gray Jedi.' But there are few of them."
"Wait, Dooku. You first said 'if they ever were,' but if they participated in the formation of the Republic, there should be records."
"There should be, but I heard this story as a youngling and think it's just fiction."
"Well. We've come to this..." Closing my eyes, I put a hand to my mask. "O-ho-ho-ho-ho... what are you doing to me."
"Forgive me?"
"Fine. I see a chasm of misunderstanding lies between us, and to narrow it, and so you don't think I'm crazy, I will try to clarify something." I drew a line and looked over the Jedi.
Reaching for my sword, I saw how this pair tensed up. Slowly removing it from my belt, I showed the weapon on an open palm.
"Do you know what this is?"
"A Force Sword. A Sith weapon," Dooku nodded. "Because of it, we flew here."
"And do you know where this weapon has its origins? In what time?"
"From the times of the Je'daii Order schism. Sometimes, such swords can be found in the burial vaults of ancient Sith."
"And do you know how it works?"
"Yes."
"Then you should know that any device working on the Force has a corresponding background." Raising the sword into the air, I passed it to Dooku. "Tell me, Jedi. What do you feel?"
Dooku took the sword confidently, though caution seeped through his emotions. As he examined it, the man's face gradually lengthened.
"I do not understand. I have held a Sith holocron. I know how a dark artifact should respond. But this sword... I do not understand."
"Master, may I?"
Dooku passed the weapon to Qui-Gon, and now the boy was examining it.
"I... I feel power, Master. This weapon, it is endowed with will. I feel... dissatisfaction. But it is neither dark nor light. It is... on the edge? How to understand this?" Their gazes shifted to me.
"It's simple. This is not the weapon you flew for. This is a Je'daii Force Sword, and it works not on Dark or Light Force energy, but on its Unifying manifestation. Such a sword was used by those you called 'Terrans'."
"A Terran... sword?" Qui-Gon exclaimed in amazement. "Where did you get it???"
"It is my weapon, boy."
"So it means..."
"No, I am not a 'Terran.' I am a Je'daii."
That's it. The third and final shot made, the clients are ready, they can be carried away.
"I decided it was easier to show once than to try to explain. Until recently, I lay in a freeze, until a group of mercenaries found and woke me. Though... it's more accurate to say—revived me. I would hardly have woken up on my own; I was, heh, sleeping very soundly."
Silenced, I looked at the pair of Jedi. Hm...
"Apparently, I should have been a bit softer," I sighed.
"No, not at all..." Dooku recovered, while Qui-Gon was just gasping for air. "It's just... it's striking!"
"Depends how you look at it. I would have preferred to stay home," I gave a joyless chuckle and drew the weapon back to me. "Well, or not wake up, for that matter. Because... with every piece of news, I like this time less and less."
"M-m-m..." Dooku hung.
"And you were there during the order's schism?" Qui-Gon blurted out.
"No, I didn't see it. Но I would very much like to know what happened and why the order split."
"I am afraid I cannot answer those questions," Dooku shook his head. "As I said—I know history too poorly, and even then, from legends told to me by my master. But you will be able to find answers in the order. Master Shade... may I address you as such?"
"Of course."
"I must immediately inform the Jedi Council of this. Such an event... it cannot be ignored! And I dare hope that you will not be against it if you are invited to visit the order?"
"Is that an invitation, or..."
"An invitation. I have seen that you are not considered a Sith, and formally the order has no complaints against you. But... nonetheless... I think you understand everything yourself."
"Do you have a library?"
"Certainly."
"Will I be allowed to use it?"
"Only under supervision."
"Then why are we still here?!" I said indignantly.
"Um... thank you, Master Shade." Bowing, Dooku rose from the sofa. "But if you'll allow me, I... may I seize your weapons?"
Sizing this pair up with a look, listening to the Force, I realized I might not even need the swords to flatten them. And Dooku didn't seem to be trying to deceive me in any way.
"Under your responsibility." Unbuckling the swords, I handed them to Dooku.
"Thank you again; it is an honor for me. I assure you, as Count of Serenno, nothing will happen to them. And... don't take me wrong; I just need to report to the Council that this is not what we are looking for and there are no complaints against you. I am afraid if I provide information without proof, I won't be understood..." The Count became bashful, amusing me greatly.
"Heh, fine. I dare hope that the weapons will be untouched."
"I leave you with my former apprentice. Qui-Gon? Qui-Gon!"
"Eh?"
"Don't disgrace me!"
"Yes, Master."
"He-he-he, it seems your former apprentice hasn't emerged from 'meditation' yet," I laughed, looking at that face. Dooku just shook his head and flared with a bit of shame for his former student.
Count Dooku... Retreating to the cockpit, the Count immediately contacted the Jedi Temple.
"Greetings, Master," Dooku bowed as soon as his interlocutor appeared on the hologram.
"Happy to hear you, Dooku. Hm... I see agitation on your face. Has something happened?"
"You could say so. Master, we managed to find Force Swords, but... in the hands of their owner. A group of Mandalorian mercenaries found not only ancient artifacts but their original master."
"You found a Sith, did you?" the interlocutor frowned.
"No, Master. It is not a Sith at all." Dooku shook his head. "Right now, my apprentice is talking with the last representative of the ancient Je'daii Order. A real one. And I... I confess, I am at a loss!"
"Hm..."
"It is striking. He is felt in the Force as a sensitive, but completely differently. Even as we approached the city, Qui-Gon and I felt ripples in the Force. I feared the worst, but it passed."
"Are you sure of what you saw?"
"I am sure, Master, and I have proof. Since he understood how strange it was, he gave me one of his swords, asking to examine it. This weapon... it is unique." With this, the count demonstrated the mentioned weapon. "It is definitely endowed with the Force, but I have never held anything like it in my life. The Je'daii said it is the Unifying Force. And he himself is felt in the Force... not like the others. I don't understand how it's even possible, but he is here—before me."
"Hm..."
"Master, is anyone capable of managing both the Light and Dark Sides simultaneously? I thought the legends you told me about the Terrans were fiction... until this moment."
"Legends birth truth, Dooku. There were those times, and there were adepts who wielded the Unifying Force. Great power they possessed; forgotten secrets of the Force they knew. Could one of them be among us? A debatable question that is. Describe the guest to me."
"In clothing, he looks like a Sith, but knows nothing of them, or of the Jedi. He carries two black-and-white Force Swords. No matter how I examined them, I didn't understand how they work, or even how they turn on; one thing I can say for sure—they contain both dark and light sides of the Force. Regarding manners: he is polite and courteous, actively engages. He is very secretive. Upon the request to hand over the weapons—he gave them without any problems, taking a promise of safety. He very much wants to know what he missed while asleep... I also noticed, during our meeting, that he is very good at hiding in the Force. When we saw him, we mistakenly took him for a Sith and prepared for a fight. He understood this and, to prevent a clash, showed himself in the Force in his true form. Also, despite having recently woken up, he has managed to get along quite well with the Mandalorian mercenaries."
"Hm..."
"Now I have lost him in the Force again."
"Caution our guest shows. Be careful, Dooku, for danger he may represent. Not every sensitive has the strength to maintain the technique for so many years."
"Of course, Master."
"To Coruscant invite him; examine him we must."
"Leaving immediately."
As soon as the connection was cut, the count followed back. The "guest from the past" was found in the same place he had been, but there was a void in the Force there. Shade himself was talking through a translator with Qui-Gon, who was listening to ancient stories with interest.
At Dooku's appearance, Shade paused and looked at the Jedi.
"As I said earlier, I am permitted to invite you to Coruscant."
"I am not against it, but I need to warn the others."
"Certainly. We are in no hurry, so you can calmly gather your things..."
Shade Aero... Leaving Concord Dawn turned out to be harder than I thought. Warren and Des, frankly speaking, were not happy with such a turn of events, but I promised we would see each other again. I truly like these guys, and losing contacts with sensible(!) people in a new world is clearly not the best idea.
Moreover, I left my mother's mask and swords with Warren for safekeeping. (Yeah, bringing Dark Force Swords to the Jedi Temple... I haven't slept my brains away yet). I didn't decide to carry them with me constantly; I'd lose them yet, having neither ship nor home. And thus—I both honored the Mandalorian and found a reliable place for storage. Warren himself vowed to preserve the memory of my mother and that the offer to join his squad was, is, and will be open to me.
Des, however, treated my departure with suspicion. Like: "Did those vile Jedi pressure me?" Well, they are really disliked here. Quieting the heated boy, I had to wrap things up quickly because some protectors began to tap their fingers cautiously on their prepared rocket launchers. Having boarded the ship, we immediately set off.
"Master Shade. May I know why you wear such clothing?" Dooku showed interest.
"What of it?"
"As I said earlier, this style matches the style of adepts of the Dark Side, which causes a false impression of you."
"I know nothing about that. This is my style, and my fiancée invented it. If someone has bad associations because of it—that's not my problem."
"Well... you are the one who will suffer from it first."
"I think you'll specifically remember me faster than I'll change my style," I smirked.
"Um..."
"Dooku, you called yourself Count of Serenno. That is..."
"My title on the planet Serenno," the man nodded.
"Will you tell me more?"
We spent time together in shared sittings. Dooku and Qui-Gon told me about themselves, about the Order, and they showed and told me about the new weapon—the lightsaber. When I first saw this thing, to confess, I was even somewhat lost.
When I took it in my hand, my one thought was: "How do I not dent this thing?" Seriously. The Count's sword physically couldn't be compared to my monolithic piece of steel. You can crack nuts with a Force Sword, drown it in mud, and it won't care. That won't pass with a laser sword; the weapon is fragile (compared to mine) and requires special care, and even a non-sensitive can use it, though the latter would cut something off himself sooner.
So in assembly quality, my device won by a landslide. When it came to effectiveness, a more active dispute broke out. Unlike a Force Sword, a lightsaber didn't require concentration—meaning you fully focus on the fight, not on how to keep your weapon from turning off. In my view, this was not a plus but a minus, because in someone else's hands a Force Sword won't work effectively, while a lightsaber can be turned on by anyone. With practice, you get used to the use and no longer notice how you turn the weapon on; it connects, as it were, to your aura and becomes literally a part of you. You don't even need a mental command; it is enough for the weapon to hear the master's will, and it will immediately turn on.
And also, a Force Sword, unlike a lightsaber, cannot be turned off using an EMP. How I laughed when I heard about that... The fun continued when we turned on two swords and crossed them. In this regard, the difference turned out to be insignificant; the swords worked as they should. True, I could "strengthen" my blade with the Force, thereby increasing its power, and where, in theory, a lightsaber will cut metal for three seconds, mine will cut it in one. This is, of course, only theory that remains to be tested, but still.
What was also interesting—I couldn't cut through the Jedi's sword. At least "just like that." These lunatics meditate over a crystal for years, saturating it with the Light Side of the Force, so the weapon can effectively resist my Force blade. Instead of the Dark Side, an elementary battery is used, along with technical genius, hence the destructive potential of the sword, but again—truncated compared to the original.
So in the end, in my view, the Force Sword turned out better. With the caveat that the Unifying Force is needed for it to work. The order stays away from the Rakatan Force Swords that passed to the Sith; it generally hasn't had much luck with Force-based technologies. (Why am I not surprised?) As Dooku and Qui-Gon shared with me, they consider this wrong and generally a big omission. (Yeah, except you won't make a thing on Light energy).
"Guys... honestly... don't go there with your control," I commented, sizing both up.
"Why?"
"You are soaked through with the Light Side of the Force, and for mechanisms—ideally, you need the Dark component. At least as a catalyst. That's how alchemy was built, that's how Force generators were made, and that's how ships were built... You won't be able to do anything with the pure Light Side of the Force."
"Do you think so?"
"I know it. What works well with it is freezing and slowing things down. Personally tested! Phew... thirty thousand years... p-ha-ha-ha, lay frozen... he-he-he, preserved in ideal condition, ready for he-he-ha-ha-ha... consumption..."
Dooku and Qui-Gon appreciated the joke and supported it: "That's why everyone in the order is so sluggish."
"Shade, why can't one go deep into an aspect of the Force? The Light Side, it is safe," Qui-Gon inquired after laughing.
"Strange that you ask..."
"We believe that with deep immersion, one can get lost," Dooku added, correcting his apprentice.
"You believe correctly, but that is far from everything. I will try to explain the reason using my sword as an example." Reaching out, I asked for the weapon back. Receiving one of the swords, I activated it and pointed to its blade. "Look. The dark side of energy—it signifies movement. For the most part destructive, chaotic, dangerous. But with proper handling, this energy is capable of serving good purposes, for without it, I would never have woken up. Many Je'daii, including my father, never woke up when using the hibernation trance. I was saved from that fate specifically by the dark component of the Unifying Force. As you know, the light side symbolizes peace. In my sword, it holds back the destructive potential of the dark. So it is in life. If you reject the light, the darkness will swallow you and destroy you from within. If you reject the dark, you can very easily fall asleep one day and not wake up. Or go crazy. Both sides of the Force exert pressure on their followers, so both go crazy. How it affects the dark ones, there's no need to explain; you know that without me. That is why the Je'daii maintained balance. The Force is dangerous primarily for ourselves."
"And how does it affect the light ones?" Qui-Gon asked.
"In different ways," I shrugged. "In some cases—it is indifference, and toward both those around you and yourself. In others—you begin to derive pleasure from immersion in the light aspect, and it becomes a kind of drug in which you will eventually drown. Also, I had the experience of seeing a real biological droid. One Talid, who once got lost in the Light Side and returned from it, lost all emotions once and for all, and then spent a very long time returning them, specifically at the expense of the dark side."
"Grisly..."
"Yes. It also affects the criticality of thinking. I would even say—very seriously."
"For example?"
"You know of a problem, but you won't solve it because it's not your profile and you don't care. Just completely don't care; it's not your duty, so why bother? Or even better—a Light Side adept will be forbidden from both love and having any attachments, and generally deprived of anchors, because without them the process will go even faster and the sensitive really won't give a damn about anyone. And the simplest example—pragmatism. If a sacrifice is justified, it will be carried out."
"Um..." The Jedi exchanged glances.
"What? Don't tell me I've hit a nerve somewhere..." Both Jedi became bashful. "Great Force... you're maniacs..." I recoiled.
"Why maniacs?"
"Because I personally cannot look emotionlessly at children being slaughtered, I'll at least get angry."
"Hey!" Qui-Gon said indignantly.
"But ideally, that's how it should be for a Light Side adept. Not even because he is so bad, but because the Force will leave such a mark on him."
"Master Shade, wait please, but we are the defenders of the Republic! And we have stood on guard for its peace and prosperity for thousands of years now," Qui-Gon flared up, jumping from his seat and receiving a displeased look from his master.
"M-m-m... For now, I'll leave that without comment."
"Why?"
"I haven't seen this Republic and, consequently, your influence. Also, I don't know the state of the world. Also, perhaps I am wrong, and you have learned to somehow mitigate the negative consequences; I'll be glad if so. But judging by what I see..." I looked over the Jedi. "You don't look like light adepts. Not one, nor the other, no offense."
"Why?"
"There are too many emotions in you." I "opened the truth" to the Jedi. And if Dooku at least tried to hide his feelings, Qui-Gon had everything written on his face. "And that is good."
So we flew, maintaining a calm, comfortable atmosphere. I carefully pretended not to notice the nervousness of this pair; they carefully pretended that they see people like me every day... In short, an idyll.
***
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