Walking to the nearest alley, I looked around and found no passersby.
Is that possible in a megacity with ancient architecture? It is not night; it is the middle of the day. After wandering for a few more minutes, I found a suitable spot.
Taking position against a wall, I pulled out a thermal detonator and set the fuse delay to minimum. My other hand still gripped the ropes, and the Twi'leks were not even looking in my direction.
I would have to wait for the guests who had followed me, but first I needed to confirm my assumption.
"Since when does the Sith Academy recruit Twi'leks?"
The blue-eyed girl turned her head in shock, but her sister reacted more cautiously. She touched the rope and tightened her grip, bracing to receive blows.
My next question concerned their clothing, but I was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Moments later, dozens of armed humans and Sith emerged from around the corner. Their melee weapons gave me pause — what is this garbage?
"We have business with you."
They all came from one direction and stayed grouped together. That simplified the situation.
"The boss wants to see you."
I examined their clothing and found nothing of interest, while Force barriers were already forming around me and the Twi'leks.
"Fine. Lead me to him. We will discuss what he wants."
I threw the detonator into the center of the crowd and pushed us backward with telekinesis. My actions were too sudden; the first thing they did was stare at the metal sphere at their feet.
Every one of these men was an adept of the dark side of the Force, so they were accustomed to fighting differently. Their entire lives, these Sith had trusted their precognition, and right now they sensed no threat.
In the very last moment, a vague sense of danger appeared — but it was too late. The detonator activated a second later; they had already lost any chance to react.
A ball of superheated plasma incinerated everything within ten meters. Nothing remained of their bodies, and the dark Force within them was incapable of withstanding such an explosion. Chunks of bodies fell at the edges of the blast sphere, and a distinctive crater remained on the ground.
I calmly pushed the slave girls aside and got to my feet. One Sith had lost only his arm, so I quickly aimed my blaster at his head and finished him with a shot, then walked over and examined the result of the explosion.
Even the best armor does not protect against a nuclear blast. Thermal detonators are extremely effective against Force-sensitive enemies. The shell of the grenade contains baradium.
An energy pulse initiates a controlled thermonuclear fusion reaction in the core, releasing thermal energy of colossal magnitude.
The only problem is the cost: an ordinary fragmentation detonator costs nothing, while a thermal detonator is comparable in price to a quality blaster.
The Empire rarely issued this weapon to black or gold soldiers, but the gray-violet elite soldiers received it as a standard expendable munition.
A dozen Force users can kill even a well-trained Sith, but these ones had no combat experience. Imperial army veterans would reflexively throw a thermal detonator away.
My kind and the Jedi rely on Force precognition, but I also possess this ability. Basic precognition operates through the Force — it connects all living things. A Jedi senses danger because the Force reacts to the emotions and mental impulse of the killer.
If blaster bolts were instantaneous, Jedi could not deflect them. One can react to danger, but only when enough time remains.
To kill a Sith or a Jedi, one only needs to mine an area with explosives set for instant detonation, and the demolitions operator presses the remote trigger at the precise moment the enemy is within the kill zone.
A nuclear bomb is preferable; then only the most extraordinarily Force-gifted geniuses have any chance of survival. The Force barrier and Tutaminis both require an enormous amount of Force, and they must be activated in advance.
The rustling behind me very closely resembled the sound of running. Presumably the slaves were attempting to escape — I would have done exactly the same.
While I was examining the corpses, they had already seized the opportunity and vanished into the shadows of the alley. I turned and watched their foolish attempt.
They were channeling the Force, which confirmed my suspicion.
"Channeling the dark side of the Force into the body. The Force movement reveals a standard Force technique taught to Sith Academy students."
In the next instant they rose into the air and grabbed at their throats. Erra hurled them toward me with telekinesis and stepped out of the shadows.
The slaves were lifted, but Kallig had already closed the distance and was holding the ropes that bound their hands.
One of the girls attempted to release Force lightning, but Erra calmly caught and absorbed the electricity. The Twi'leks were being choked again; this time Erra did not let go.
While they thrashed and clutched their throats, she examined my purchase, then touched their undergarments with genuine interest.
"Is this metal? Why? That cannot be comfortable."
Erra ran her hand across the chest piece with interest. The comfort of such an outfit was highly questionable, and a cheap wrap would have suited livestock one intended to discard far better.
"For the aesthetic pleasure of the slave buyer, I assume. Please stop choking the girls — they have already demonstrated that they have been in the academy for less than a year."
One of the Academy's Force techniques involved training countermeasures against telekinesis. Both girls were completely helpless against Erra's actions, which meant they had only recently begun their training.
She released the slaves. They dropped to the ground and gasped furiously. The oxygen deprivation had been unpleasant, and Erra's appearance had shattered their hopes. That drove them deeper into despair.
"My question remains open: why do men prefer a metal version of undergarments? What is so special about it?"
I wanted to provide an answer, but her question was far more complex than I had anticipated.
"Speaking from personal experience, I genuinely like the Twi'leks' outfit, but I cannot explain why."
Our conversation pushed the girl with violet eyes over the edge, and she finally spoke.
"Go shove it up a rancor's ass, my sister and I—"
Erra kicked her in the stomach and pressed her throat down with a metal boot. Without a second thought, I raised a Force barrier and saved the Twi'lek's neck.
The distinctive crack of a shattered Force barrier rang out, but Erra did not continue. She stopped, removed her foot, then stepped back and crossed her arms. I had to nod in gratitude.
I narrowed my eyes and pressed the Twi'leks to the ground with telekinesis. I had no desire to lose my investments, and Kallig had no patience for other people's emotions.
"First: before speaking, you state your name."
The blue-eyed Twi'lek checked on her sister and confirmed she was alive, though she watched Erra warily.
"I'm Vija, and she is Vaja. Are you from the academy? Did you come to rescue us?"
Erra raised an eyebrow and nearly dropped her jaw in disbelief. Rescue? The Sith Academy trains killers and encourages internal competition for resources. It would be a miracle if a Sith instructor spared the lives of apprentices who had managed to embarrass him.
"Now that is what a well-behaved girl should look like!"
Vija received no answer, and so she cautiously assessed the situation. Meanwhile, Vaja had recovered and was preparing a Force lightning strike.
"Lying on the floor in filth? Wearing a whore's outfit? Your expectations are remarkably low."
Erra did not beat her again. She used telekinesis, which caused Vaja's hand to clench. The lightning discharged inside her hand, and her palm was covered in a fairly serious burn.
Her sister closed her eyes and barely restrained herself from acting rashly. Vaja endured the pain, but she was not going to be killed. The Twi'lek stared at Erra with open fury but made no further attempts to resist.
"Second: it is rather foolish to openly attack a stronger Sith. What do these idiots actually teach in the academy?"
Vija obediently nodded, then tried to stand, but the telekinesis had completely blocked their movement. She could only slightly lift her head.
"What do you plan to do with us?"
I finally released the telekinesis and allowed them to stand. Neither sister attempted to resist, and the beating had helped establish communication.
"I can free you, but you must reimburse my expenses of nine hundred and fifty thousand."
Vija nodded — she understood the price of assistance in the Sith Empire — but her sister interrupted again.
"How many thousands of years do we need to work to repay that debt? That option is impossible for us!"
Wealthy nobles typically invest in talented slaves; it earns fierce loyalty from subordinates.
"That is not my problem. But I advise against escaping and returning to the academy. Your instructors do not like the weak, and you have fallen into slavery. The academy is accustomed to disposing of its embarrassments."
Vija recalled some very unpleasant memories. It was logical to expect death — and possibly torture beforehand.
"But we are free Sith! We have the gift of the Force! They should buy us back."
Vaja shook her head furiously; she did not want to return to the status of a slave. They had endured the training for power — now all their effort was wasted.
"The Sith Academy redeems Force-sensitive slaves only once. You have forfeited that privilege."
Vija pressed her hand over Vaja's mouth. Her sister was being far too reckless with her own life. They were currently at the mercy of two Sith! Their owners were showing no particular aggression — so why did she keep provoking them?
"I suppose we will become your slaves? May I offer myself in my sister's place? I am certain I can satisfy any desire you have."
Survival was paramount. One could surrender pride and wait for the right moment to kill one's own master.
Observing the girls' behavior, Erra regained interest in their fate. Both slaves had not yet lost the will to fight, and each sister did so in her own way.
"Your appearance is certainly exceptional, but your professional skills interest me far more. I have no need for slaves to satisfy sexual needs."
Erra looked at me with contempt, suppressing laughter but completely disbelieving my words. I silently hoped she would not undermine my plan to earn the trust of my future subordinates.
Kallig held up two fingers. I could only suppress my irritation. I would have to make two artifacts for her at no charge, and the cost of materials was not something my modest purse could easily afford.
The three million my father had allocated was going entirely as a gift to the female Lord. That bribe was meant to secure me a good officer position in her army.
I had spent only a third of my money on the slaves, but I would need to buy them armor, weapons, forge Sith blades for them, and supply them with proper food.
Purchasing equipment at the front line is expensive, and military alchemists do not earn as much as one would like.
"Is that true?!"
Both girls practically cried out, and I simply nodded at their rhetorical question.
Vija exhaled heavily and bowed with gratitude. Over these days, she had already resigned herself to their fate and had done everything to protect her volatile sister.
Vaja looked at me, then at Erra. She wanted to say something but no longer dared. She was now calm and understood how many mistakes she had made during the conversation — any Sith slaver would already have punished her.
My words allowed the girls to relax. The emotions of despair and fear no longer radiated from them.
"Kreso Nal. Pleased to meet you. I hope we will work well together, but I need to know how you ended up in slavery. The merchant knew of your connection to the Force, but you did not resist, and he sold you as ordinary slaves. That makes no sense."
Vaja stopped her hysteria; learning that they were being offered a job, she relaxed and answered even before her sister.
"We had a dormant gift of the Force; we awakened a year ago. From the very beginning of our training, we were beaten regularly and forced to do menial labor. One of the academy instructors suggested we become his lovers. We refused, and the next day we woke up as slaves."
That explains much. This is precisely why those with money studied at the academy of Sorzus Syn. Too many talented acolytes die in the Sith Academy.
The majority of Sith never attended the Sith Academy at all. The place produced instruments to die for the Empire — and the majority were former slaves.
The Sith ruling elite trained by a different principle: a master of the Force took a small number of apprentices. Influential Sith Lords raised their successors in personal citadels and used family holocrons.
There were special places of power, such as the Valley of the Dark Lords on Korriban or the magic library on Kreysis II. Sith came there for meditations, communion with the dead, and study of special Force techniques — but these were sanctuaries and personal laboratories.
Temples were built as part of tradition. The Sith cannot be called religious. They are interest clubs for sorcerers and alchemists; places to retreat for deep meditation, exchange of experience, and documentation of experimental results.
The Sith Academy was simply an organization that granted slaves the status of a free Sith, but with each passing year this organization grows more popular. My father would like to close this useless place, but too many Sith Lords lobby their interests by directing funds into the academy.
"In order to find a Force-talented student, the planet allocates resources to the academy. The subsequent sale of that student into slavery by an instructor is theft directly from the planetary ruler's pockets. Concealing your Force-user status is a safe form of revenge. The merchant has now told your instructor that he sold you to a brothel. It is a simple method of revenge: you would undergo training, then lose your pride, and spend the rest of your lives regretting that you refused him."
This illustrates the psychological difference between Sith and humans. A human would have resorted to force and then quietly disposed of the bodies. The Sith considered the lesser race obligated to serve his desires; he lost all interest the moment he heard the refusal. He now sincerely believed that two Twi'lek women were beneath his dignity.
"That is not fair! We had no time to learn Force techniques."
This is precisely why the mortality rate in the academy exceeds that of the battlefield.
"What did you do before the academy? Where did you work?"
The girls relaxed further and began talking about their past. As it turned out, on the nearest planet there was a sizeable Twi'lek settlement.
"We were born into a family of labor slaves. We serviced small Imperial spacecraft. We assisted repair crews with the dirty work."
I was once again reminded of just how unfairly formidable Erra's ability to predict the future truly was.
"Combat vessels or civilian?"
The difference in experience is substantial.
"Orbital interceptors. We also performed test flights to verify systems after major overhauls."
The hunt ahead involved Jedi and the local population, which meant we would be using small dropships. The control systems of those ships are fairly similar to orbital fighters.
"Under what circumstances did the Force awaken?"
I needed to verify their talent level, but only the most capable were bought out of slavery. I was certain they had not ended up in the academy by accident.
"While servicing a ship's nuclear reactor, we accidentally triggered an uncontrolled fission reaction. It was terrifying, but at that moment the fighter began speaking to us, and a solution to the problem appeared in my head on its own."
Vija shook her head and added:
"I didn't hear the fighter's voice like my sister, but precise schematics and the working principles of the nuclear reactor appeared in my mind. That's why we were able to solve the problem and avoid the explosion."
I closed my eyes and considered the possibility of taking leave during the war and taking Erra to an Alsakan casino. Mechu-deru — they clearly have a talent for that technique.
"And then you were tested and admitted to the academy?"
The value of these girls exceeded my expenses by an order of magnitude. Military engineers with mechu-deru hold the same status as alchemists.
"Yes, but we would have been better off staying as labor slaves. We thought we were special, and in the end we received daily beatings and became private slaves. The instructors didn't even teach Force techniques — we learned Force lightning and meditation by watching other students."
Even worse than I thought. I hope I will not be forced to interact with Sith who graduated from the Sith Academy.
Ignoring their Force talent would be wasteful, and once they received proper training, they could very well kill me. I needed to give them a compelling offer — motivated subordinates have far less incentive to stab one in the back.
"I happen to need pilots, and my skills are sufficient to complete your training. Stay as my house slaves, and in about twenty years we will discuss your future status."
I did not believe I would be forced to remain outside the Empire for more than twenty years. Upon my return, I would simply grant them more privileges as personal servants of House Nal — after that, it would not much matter whether they were free or not.
Having obtained their freedom, they would find no better employment. Other Sith Lords could not trust Twi'leks who had served a rival for so long.
"What is the catch? You are offering far too generous terms."
Erra could see them walking into the trap and shook her head. She had already extracted her benefit; she also needed to prepare for her assignment to the Alsakan officer corps.
"The risk of death. Tomorrow we leave the Sith Empire and go to war."
The Twi'leks' eyes practically lit up. They had lived their entire lives in the Empire — they were desperately curious to see unfamiliar worlds.
"Will we have to join the army?"
Initially I had intended to gift a pilot to the Sith Lord, but it would be wasteful to give up such subordinates.
"No. Formally, you are my personal bodyguards, so I am the one supplying your equipment and food, and you are obligated to obey only my orders."
I would have to spend a great deal of money. I would need to think it through and find the right warehouse administrator to bribe.