Coruscant... I returned to this planet again. Exiting hyperspace, we immediately contacted the dispatcher. As soon as ordinary sentient beings received codes confirming that the ship belonged to a Jedi, we were immediately given a corridor to the Temple without further questions. Although, I suspect, with a heavy heart. After all, many of the Republic's inhabitants see Jedi as arrogant dogs. And they are not far from the truth... After all, the Jedi of the Republic's sunset are too detached from the aspirations of sentient beings. They fly around the Galaxy, select children, sometimes resolve conflicts. Successfully or unsuccessfully... The Sith acted much more cunningly, which is why they were able to defeat the Jedi. Will I be able to correct the consequences of such a victory?
In fact, I have already decided everything for myself. Both the Jedi and their Republic must learn a couple of valuable lessons. But in order to then stand on the ashes of burnt-out organizations and say: "I told you so! I told you! Now we will do as I say" – I myself must survive the coming meat grinder. Because if I don't survive, then I'm worth nothing. Like all my beliefs, everything will sharply devalue and will not be worth a credit. Therefore, for now, thoughts about what the new order will be – should be pushed far away. After all, the order will be "someday later," and I need to survive right now. I received two new swords and intend to switch to a new style.
And this takes time, nerves... but it's nothing. I'm used to training. All that's left is to find those I need. We flew up to the Temple in broad daylight. I carefully guided the ship into the maw of the hangar, keeping in mind the platform number where I was supposed to land. Here it is... A group of technicians is already standing at my platform, ready to service the descending ship. The ramp opened and released me and my mentor from the ship...
"Quickly tell them what to do with your ship, and let's go. We need to train," she said. "I might arrange with some Jar'Kai adept and look for training methods for you."
I looked at the technicians.
"You don't need to strain yourselves," said one of the technicians, looking at his datapad. "Have you flown to Tatooine? A desert planet in the backwaters," he chuckled. "Give us three days and your bird will be ready for new accomplishments. By the way, we just received new missiles, more powerful than yours, although they fit your shafts. Shall we install them?"
"Three days?" asked Kuro. "But..."
"You might not know," the technician objected, "but sand and dust particles, one way or another, get inside the ship. It's better for us to clean everything here, inspect it, refuel it, and prepare it, than for some speck of dust to damage something."
"It's better not to argue with technicians, Teacher..."
"There," the man nodded, "this guy gets it. Don't worry, Master Jedi! We'll do our best!"
"Do it," I nodded. "And install the missiles."
The mentor just looked at me slightly angrily, and then at the technician, who had already started the creative process, taking a wrench from his pocket.
"Let's work, guys, while it's still daytime."
"Let's go..."
Leaving the hangar, we headed for the training halls.
"That's why I don't have a personal ship," the Jedi woman told me. "Anyone who understands technology better than you can shut you up. I hate technicians."
"Hatred leads to the dark side, mentor," I reasonably remarked.
"As does weakness," Kuro replied. "You've already been to the Dark Side. So I'll trust your judgment. But... since we have three days, maybe it's for the best. You can train with your swords for much longer. And it's not just about Jar'Kai. You see for yourself how different your swords are from your old one. So you need to not only learn the two-sword fencing style but also get used to using your swords in combat, in the usual style. By the way, I noticed – your bracers, of course, are a cool thing. But haven't you hung too much on them? No cloak will hide your swords on your arms like that. Isn't it easier to move the sword attachments a little higher? Place the magnets for attaching the swords a little higher than the elbow bend, below the armpits. This will unload the structure at the wrists themselves. You pull out your swords with the Force anyway, and considering your telekinesis, which you manage to turn off the magnet and pull out the swords – the time difference will not be noticeable."
"Hmm," I thought, looking at my hands. "It really sticks out, even with a cloak."
"Well, of course, if you intend to become a Defender, who isn't fed with standard rations, just give them a couple of bands to lower the sword, then you can forget about this remark."
"No, that's an interesting remark, mentor, thank you. By the way, I have a question for you."
"And what do you want to ask?" we were already walking through the corridors of the lower levels, and soon we would reach the training hall.
"You know, you possess a unique Force technique. Teleportation..." she stopped abruptly. "What's wrong?"
"Do you want to learn this technique?" she asked sharply. "Unfortunately for you, you simply don't have time for it. You see, I myself mastered this technique for almost eight years. And I managed without the help of a mentor. Practice shows that for successful mastery of Teleportation, it takes, at least, under my guidance – about five years. And most importantly – this Technique does not forgive mistakes. Not at all. If you were many times weaker, I would bring your level up to the abilities of a Knight. But you already surpass some Knights. I have no desire to waste my time on you. Lorm was my friend. You are his student, but no more than that. For me, the goal is to serve the Order as I see fit. Messing with you hinders me."
"Thank you for the honest answer," I said, "you don't feel any particular affection for me."
"Because I see no point in it. You and Lorm, many others... establish Force bonds between yourselves, become full friends and comrades. But all this, in my opinion, only hinders. And you are the perfect example of this. As soon as you lost someone valuable, you immediately fell. A Jedi should have no attachments. So after Sernpidal, if you don't fail the Trials, we will part ways. Let's go," she nodded forward.
Well. Extremely harsh and pragmatic. She is a black woman, of course, not by skin color... But by character – blacker than black. And how has she not fallen with such an attitude? However, most likely, like with Windu. They cling to the fact that the Light not only warms but can also kill. The door to one of the halls opened, and I saw an almost empty room. Racks of swords stood against the far wall, the hall was lit solely by the light of the lamps. Training droids lay deactivated. And in the center of the hall, a man meditated on his knees. Two swords lay before him... He was dressed in almost the same clothes as I was, a white cloak with a hood, black pants.
"Master Jonnal," Kuro said. "I've brought the one I told you about."
"Light Flaingstar," the man stood up. The swords moved to his belt. "Kuro mentioned that... hmm, according to circumstances, you decided to slightly adjust your fencing style. Jar'Kai. You are perfectly suited for it."
"Master," I indicated respect for the man with a slight bow.
"When are you leaving, Kuro?" Jonnal asked the mentor.
"In three days. Although I wanted to today... Hutt technicians..."
"Where you are going, it's too dangerous to appear unprepared. We received reliable data that a Dathomirian witch is behind the disappearance of civilians. We don't know her goal yet, there were only кадры where the earth attacked the police, and before that, it was dotted with a green flash. I easily recognized their magic. She is likely strong..."
"Dathomirian witch," I said, practically feeling a chill.
"You met one of them," Jonnal said. "A certain Shillazh, who worked with Teyron Jarps. I don't know the witch's identity, but whoever it is – you should prepare well. It's even good that the technicians will be checking your starship for three days."
"But other Sentients," I noted.
"And while you fly for a whole week to Sernpidal – other Sentients will also die. Such is our life. But you know what, Light. If one who can become strong does not use every moment of his life to become stronger, then far more Sentients may die than are now suffering from the witch's actions. You have a chance... Hmm. I suspect you know why Kuro brought you to this hall. I am a Master of Jar'Kai, I fought with it when you were still in diapers. I can instill the basics in you... But three days... It's too little, even with your talent and perseverance," Jonnal brought his hand to his chin. "Therefore – take the swords from the racks. We will instill the style in you through battle."
And what am I surprised about? They all do this... No, while you are a youngling, you learn katas and so on. But no katas will help you in battle. I trained in Lorm Decer's sanctuary, so my arrival in "civilization" was bloody, I would say. I had experience surviving in an aggressive environment, and I easily turned Sentients into kebabs, thinking that if not them, then me. Of course, I would have preferred to learn Jar'Kai in a calm environment... But who will give it to me? The Force? The Council? Fate? No, I will have to learn something in battle. The basics, of course, are best learned before the battle. And then experience will be my teacher... I recalled a couple of stances for adepts of two-handed fencing and pulled training swords into my palms. The icy white blades flashed, and I took a fairly familiar stance. Both hands were positioned in front of my body, with swords pointing upwards.
"I won't ask: are you ready to die," Jonnal said, the door to the room slammed shut, and I was immediately thrown back by a powerful telekinetic blow.
What? I was dragged across the floor... Doing a somersault, I tried to get up... Jonnal disappeared? Damn it! I immediately put both blades in front of me and blocked his attack. Or rather, I thought I blocked it, but the blows were shattering, and my hands simply flew to the side, along with the swords. The blow landed on my chest from top to bottom. Although my clothes are made of quite dense fabric, I noted to myself that this fact would not have saved me. He would have simply cut me into three parts if he had used combat swords.
"Ah," I used a buff and immediately attacked the master crosswise with my swords, and he blocked the blow.
"Well, try..."
My attack continued, the parried swords clashed with his defense again, in a way calm, like the ocean in calm. I delivered blows of different speeds and strengths, showing my attack skills, using mainly the Ataru and Shii-Cho style, or rather the philosophy of these styles for dealing damage. Jonnal parried them with some laziness. Finally, I repeated his top-down attack with both swords.
"In vain," he summarized when I tried to push through his defense. I was thrown back. Telekinesis? No, he just kicked me. "To become a true master of the style, you need to know its weaknesses. When you know your weakness, you can correct it or, say, cover it with something," he took a stance. His right hand, with the sword, was above his forehead, and his left was at chest level. At the same time, the swords pointed in different directions. "You can use the vulnerability-finding technique, can't you? You are not predisposed to it, but you learned it on your own, right?" asked the master. "Apply it now."
"How?" I asked, after a few seconds. Usually, I could see vulnerable points on the enemy's body. They could move around the body, depending on his movements and position, but if I hit them, I could defeat the enemy. This technique didn't work on my mentor because she could guess to teleport right in the middle of a fight, although she didn't like it, it required too much concentration.
"I know my weaknesses, so I was able to neutralize them to such an extent that your current level is not enough to defeat me. I am a Master of Jar'Kai," Master Jonnal repeated. "And I know the weaknesses of my style far better than many. And you should know about these weaknesses. Weakness number one. Most, if not all, Gifted, when manipulating the Force, prefer to perform an action with their palm, a movement, to better focus on the target of influence. We direct our hands to use telekinesis. You direct your hand to use pyrokinesis... And so even with Force suggestion. However, when using two swords – it is very unusual to direct an open palm, as everyone is used to," the man returned to his usual stance and raised his right hand. He held the sword with the Force... I was lifted off the ground by telekinesis, although it was not an attack, but just a demonstration. He gently lowered me. "Although we don't shout the names of techniques like in cheap animated shows," and in the Galaxy, by the way, there is anime... I think there is anime even in the Warhammer Universe. "How to overcome such a weakness?"
"Learn to use techniques without special movements," I answered simply. Like magic in Harry Potter. There are verbal spells, and there are their non-verbal versions. If you learn to use telekinesis without waving your hand, then no one will guess – when the thought comes to my mind to throw someone into lava, during a battle over a volcano, for example.
"And that's the only way," Jonnal nodded. "However, you can attach a third hand to yourself, but I haven't seen such crazy people yet. Weakness number two... You are too focused on the blades themselves. This is a classic weakness of a beginner. There are now two swords, and you are focused exclusively on them. Tell me honestly, Light," Jonnal addressed me. "Could you avoid my leg strike in a clinch when fighting with one sword? Even if I moved at my full speed?"
"I would avoid it," I answered simply. "Or I would be ready for the blow."
"Correct," Master Jonnal agreed. "But during the fight with two swords, this did not happen. And if the first weakness is neutralized by Force training, then the second is only by experience. And the third is the most important weakness of the style, or rather, the tactic. After all, Jar'Kai is just a tactic."
"Tactic? Jar'Kai was invented by Yovshin swordsmen," I recalled the history.
"Correct," the man confirmed, nodding. "But all this is just a tactic. The true style comes from Niman. The Sixth Form of fencing, which includes, as it were, all the previous ones. What is the peculiarity and weakness of the two-sword fencing tactic? It's simple – it directly depends on your main style with one sword."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning, for example, your main style is Ataru. Master Yoda gave you his Holocron, didn't he?" he asked me. "Don't look like that. I am a Master of the High Council, and I am also the leader of all Jedi Shadows, the direct superior, including your mentor. Our specialization is the search for Force artifacts, reconnaissance of the area, and elimination. And we must be ready to eliminate absolutely any Gifted. Do you know what that means?"
"You collected data on all Gifted, organizations, loners, and... Jedi?"
"Correct," Master Jonnal confirmed. "This is not a special secret, anyone who knows about the Shadows can guess that we have a couple of dozen megabytes of data on them. And on you, too. Your strengths, your weaknesses, possible desires, analyses, and so on. Master Yoda has a weakness for talented Gifted like you, and likes to mentor them. As a mentor, as was the case with Master Dooku, and simply by giving advice, as with you. Let's return to Ataru. Your Ataru style will greatly influence your use of two swords. This is how Jar'Kai becomes unique, as you weave Ataru into the style, someone else makes their Jar'Kai based on Makashi, and so on. But at the same time – this gives specific weaknesses of that style to your Jar'Kai. For example – Ataru's preference for movement and acrobatics. How to proceed here?"
"Can't they be combined? Elements of Soresu and Ataru..."
"A full combination of one of the best attacks and the best defense, even in Jar'Kai, no one has been able to achieve," the Master replied. "This is the lot not just of fencing masters. I will be ready to call such a Jedi the God of the Sword. Because Soresu and Ataru, Soresu and Shien/Jem'So, Soresu and Makashi. All forms, except Soresu, are created for plus or minus attack. They have their defensive movements, but it's not Soresu, where every movement is subordinated to defense. Attack and defense are two fundamentally different terms. And combining them... No, we, adepts and masters of the two-handed style, can use elements of Soresu. For example, one sword for defense, the second for attack. Or we can use our two favorite moves: 'Rising Whirlwind' and 'Double Strike'... But to fully combine what is focused on attack with what is focused on defense... No, this is a completely new style. In the millennia of Jar'Kai's existence, no one has been able to do this. It's not to say that the resulting style will be perfect, but the very fact of such a combination and the one who can use the new style at the highest level... I don't think he will have many rivals, at least at first. Then they will figure out how to defeat him... But for some time, he will be included in the archives solely as 'The Greatest Swordsman of his time' and so on..."
Here it is... This is why my mentor Lorm and I were so concerned with finding the medallion. The goal was to test this medallion, a Force artifact, and summon Tulak Hord. I was puzzled, as was Lorm Decer himself – by the desire to gain knowledge about the fencing of the Great Sith, the Lord of Hate. And not only him... Summoning a Force Ghost, according to Darth Arrogant's information, is not using a Holocron, which, upon creation, can contain surprises such as: activation under certain conditions or opening a technique under a specific condition, no... A Force Ghost is summoned with all his knowledge and, most importantly, is more or less subordinate to the summoner. At least, if you follow the instructions... And now I have a hint... Perhaps it will never be possible to fully combine Ataru and Soresu using one sword, but what if two swords are used? Can it be achieved? Will Tulak Hord be able to at least suggest an answer? Or will I have to figure everything out on my own?
"So, I see you're thinking about something," Jonnal broke the silence. "What's wrong with the chosen training method?" he pointed his swords at me again. "It's best if you learn everything in battle. You'll learn the katas and from the data that Kuro collects. Although what katas for tactics? Just adapt Ataru... or Soresu? What will you prefer?"
He closed the distance between us. I ducked, letting the sword pass over my head. With the second sword, he wanted to slash from bottom to top, right at my face. Does he have no brakes at all! With a training sword, you can burn out an eye! I lunged to the side, avoiding the blow and turning, strengthening myself with the Force, I struck him on the side with both swords.
"Last mistake," Master Jonnal said. "Attacking the same point with two swords at once is a sign of a Jar'Kai adept's stupidity!" he blocked both my swords with one of his. Damn! He is physically quite strong, or rather, judging by his figure, and his tight-fitting clothes, he has well-developed arms, plus physical enhancement from the technique. As a result, he blocks my blows with one hand, and with the other... Shiak? I jumped over him, avoiding the Shiak straight to the stomach. An attack from behind in the air from the right hand... The blow was delivered, but he blocked it. Landing. Jonnal turned to me... Again an attack from the right hand, this time I delivered a powerful blow to his chest, and with my left hand... a blow to the legs. He managed to block both blows.
"Here, a quite decent 'Double Strike'. Slashing attacks to different parts of the body," the man said. "Even a beginner like you could understand this logic. That's great... Well. Let's continue. All you have to do is further incorporate your Ataru into the two-sword tactic... And for this, I will show you the next maneuver, 'Rising Whirlwind'," he said.
The next second, my eyes literally blurred. Of course, my abilities allowed me to outpace Jedi Knights in speed. And my reflexes matched... but here was a whole master. He turned into a real whirlwind of two swords, constantly rotating his body with the Force and striking at different points. White flashes struck like lightning, without respite. The first couple of times I confidently blocked the blows, but he didn't even stop after the blocks, but only increased the tempo, which is why I started jumping around him and weaving, dodging the Master's blows. In the end, I even switched to a cat hook, trying to get out from under the blows, so fast was his attack. But he instantly closed the distance to me and immediately continued the attack...
"Ow!" at one point the blade hit me right on the cheek. I didn't wield the Crucitorn that well, then the second hit my wrist, the first hit my stomach with a Shiak, the second hit my leg... I fell on my backside, rubbing the places that had taken a beating with resentment.
"An unpleasant maneuver, isn't it," Jonnal's voice drifted over.
"A true deadly vortex. Only two countermeasures: deflect the attack with the Force, using telekinesis, or possess reflexes far superior and faster than the attacker's and impose your tempo on them. But who will let you do the first? And it's not a given that there's a Jedi capable of imposing their tempo on me when I'm using Jar'Kai. Yoda, Dooku, perhaps," he nodded.
"The rest have little chance of survival."
He twirled the blades in his hands.
"Jar'Kai is often called a style based on Niman. But still, I prefer to call it 'tactics.' It's tactics: 'how to use two swords at once.' And every tactic has its signature maneuvers. 'Double Strike,' and 'Rising Vortex' are two fundamental maneuvers of Jar'Kai. Naturally, everyone brings something of their own to this maneuver. And I expect the same from you. Ataru, however, is more preferred here, and Adepts of Ataru use two swords during training," it was true.
I recalled a couple of such training sessions.
"I have enough time. And our training," he assumed a stance again, "is just beginning. Now, try to repeat 'Rising Vortex.' While doing so, remember the philosophy of Ataru... Interesting," a strange note slipped into his voice.
"What will you achieve... And will you achieve anything at all?"
I reactivated the lightsabers again. After Jonnal's last attack, I had dropped them. Now, assuming a ready stance, I thought about attacking him... Recall Ataru? Use two swords? Well... Why not. Especially since it seems to me that I'm starting to understand what the whole point is... Let's go... I soared into the air and attacked the Jedi Master. I know... or think I know. With my mind, I understood all the remarks Jonnal made, and now I was trying to apply two-sword attacks based on his notes. But there was still another problem. For now, only my mind understood this. The mind, but not the body. It will take a long time before I can make my body fight using Jar'Kai tactics. I must comprehend and understand much about this "tactic" to use it fully in battle.
Apply Ataru, right? I took it literally, almost forgetting about defense. Like a rabbit, I jumped around the Master, twisting slashing blows at various points of his body. The icy swords disappeared, replaced by mere flashes. Jonnal fought at a "slightly higher level than me." He clearly wasn't using all his abilities, but at the same time, he was stronger than me, so to speak, so that I would improve my level during the battle... His defense couldn't be broken so easily, but what if... I blinked. Not allowed? Perhaps, but as soon as I opened my eyes, a wave of telekinesis spread from me, which slightly pushed the Master back; he had predicted it, so he managed to neutralize the Force Push.
"Well done," the man praised sparingly.
"You used telekinesis without unnecessary movements. But you are not trained in this, practice it more often. You tensed up too much," Jonnal said.
"This is nothing," I replied, feeling something strange in my chest again. Like a flow... No... Excitement? Jonnal is much stronger than me, more experienced. But it seemed to stop bothering me. I clearly felt myself smile, and a pleasant warmth spread through my muscles, a feeling of enhancement. I literally felt the desire to win... The same as it was then. When I fell... Yes! But wait. This desire... This pleasure. I get it in battle... This is a sign of falling, when a Force-Sensitive begins to revel in battle uncontrollably. But it's so pleasant, it gives such a spiritual uplift, and the body's capabilities, they definitely expand. After all, a lot depends on emotions themselves, right? So what should I do? If I let myself go, I'll become that fallen one again, maybe even Jonnal will kill me. No... I must revel in battle, but try to keep myself under control. It's not the Force that controls my emotions and leads me. It's I who determines how to act.
"I think I'm starting to understand. Let's continue, Master."
***
And for the next two days, we continued training in Jar'Kai tactics. I received a lot of food for thought. There was a new style, and outlines for combining Soresu and Ataru, and "reveling in battle," although the latter is clearly an influence of Arrogant; he did possess my body and tried to take it over. But in the end, I managed to destroy him. In the evening, before departure, I decided to meditate in the Hall of a Thousand Fountains. It's my favorite location in the Temple... After my bed in my own room. There, sitting and meditating, I can either continue introspection or simply relax, considering that I've had an "overdose" of introspection lately, and a serious one at that. It's time to pay attention to training. And the answers on how to be will come with experience. After all, I was isolated from society, and to judge by what laws it should live, let alone push it somewhere... In principle, it's possible, but first, learn at least something.
"Great Master," I was distracted from meditation. I was sitting on the edge of one of the fountains, meditating to the soft murmur of water.
"You've mastered sensing the Force well, that you could notice me," Yoda's voice reached me, the little one sat down next to me.
"It's not sensing the Force, Great Master. You just hit the stone too loudly with your cane," I opened my eyes and looked at the Jedi.
"Yes?"
"Thirty steps before you sat here," I explained.
"Mmmmm," the Jedi grunted.
"You want to talk to me," I looked at the Grand Master.
"About what?"
"Must I find reasons to talk to other Jedi, hmm? Light? I remember you as a very small child who arrived at the Temple about eleven years ago. You seemed like a calm, kind, and sweet child."
"All children seem that way," I shook my head, "until you find out what they're thinking."
"And they grow into adult children, like trees," Yoda nodded towards the park, "that grew from a small seed, children grow like that too and then sprout leaves. The older they get, the wiser and smarter they become."
"I understand what you're talking about," I said after about thirty seconds.
"How have I changed since then? After all, time is the best property that changes sentient beings."
"You reason correctly."
"You are interested in me because I have great potential, Great Master. It's hard not to notice that you try to lend a hand to everyone who has above-average potential."
"Because I have been teaching Jedi for eight hundred years," the Great Master said.
"The stronger a Jedi is in potential, the more dangerous they can be. You cannot imagine how terrible it is when a Jedi falls. But when a strong Jedi falls into the embrace of Darkness, not only the Force and other Jedi, but also the Galaxy can be harmed. I remember, you knew history better than anyone in the group."
"You worry about me. That's flattering," I replied calmly.
"No. I am glad for you, Light. Your path, whatever it may be, you will become a wonderful Jedi," Yoda said.
I looked into his eyes... They radiated understanding... He looked fatherly and seemed to understand what conclusions I had reached. Or is it just my imagination? I just think Yoda understood what I might, and for now, want to lead the Republic and the Jedi to... No. It's just a mirage.
"Only time will tell, Great Master. The past is forgotten, the future is closed, and the present is a gift, as you said... When the future opens and becomes the present, only then will we understand what kind of Jedi I will become."
Yoda's lips seemed to curve into a smile.
"The tendencies do not displease me yet, Light. And that is good. The trials have forged and tempered you for future accomplishments. I will gladly talk with you after the Trials for Knighthood; I hope you will become a Knight then."
"Thank you, Great Master," I stood up from the edge.
I should play some game on the computer and go to bed.
"For all that was, that is, and that will be. I don't know where my Jedi path will lead me, nor what kind of Jedi I will become... But your wisdom, whatever it may be, is valuable. And if you say you will continue to want to talk to me, it warms my soul."
"And may the Force be with you, Light," the Great Master wished me.
"Hmm... I should meditate; you've chosen a good spot. Until tomorrow."
"Goodbye, Great Master," I headed to my room.
For the first time, even hoping that I would, for once, sleep, but first, yes, play something to distract my soul.