Some time later.
Somewhere.
“…Tython… It’s just a fantastic planet, unique in the entire galaxy.
It’s as beautiful as it is terrifying.
Everything in this world is filled with the Force — even the stones underfoot have a slight background.
Tython’s flora and fauna are astonishing in their diversity, because here you can encounter creatures that physically couldn’t have appeared naturally.
And the higher the background, the more unusual the fauna.
So many beasts run across these lands, bred by the Force itself.
And these beasts aren’t necessarily toothy and fanged; they could be harmless cute little animals.
Very, very fast little animals, able to spot a predator in time and immediately leg it.
Despite the fact that your humble servant spent most of his life in the desert, it occupied only a very small part of the planet.
Mostly the planet was covered in forests, thicker in some places, sparser in others.
There were mountains and volcanoes, among which even one of the temples was located.
There were also mysterious points of Force.
Like small springs, they emerged from the ground or water, gathering in the air like mist or thick clouds descending to the earth.
Je’daii used them to strengthen their connection with the Force, but it was very dangerous.
Near these sources, it was very easy to lose balance and fall into the Force forever.
Legends tell of many Je’daii who went into meditation near light energy and never woke up.
Near dark sources, Je’daii were struck by real madness, with a full set of mental disorders.
Moreover, their affliction showed even in appearance; such xen could easily become walking corpses, literally living dead.
The Force sustains life in such a body but causes immeasurable pain.
Great prospects for immortality, right?
Keep that in mind if you decide to visit one of these sources.
But that’s the lyrical part.
Tython itself is beautiful, yes… Sometimes.
On rare… exceptional occasions, you can even forget where you are.
To the rustle of wind, pleasant bird song, babbling brook… It starts to seem like the planet itself is communicating with you, like Mother Nature.
But this delusion passes quickly enough, because as soon as you relax outside the safe zone, some critter will inevitably crawl out of the nearest bushes that finds you very, very tasty.
And you’ll have to explain to it how wrong that conclusion is.
Then its friends will come, and then they’ll be explaining things to you.
When you think it can’t get any worse, Tython will tell you straight — It can!
And form a real Force Storm right over your head.
Just because you didn’t keep an eye on it.
Now you think: that’s it, the limit, next stop the grave — and you’d be partly right, because a Force lightning bolt will definitely hit you!
And even if you survive, even if you can get away from the beasts, even if you find shelter, that doesn’t mean Tython has decided to have mercy on you.
No.
Because such caves are often already occupied by other inhabitants.
Most often, some plants.
Carnivorous plants that will be very glad to see you.
And they’ll greet dear guests with open petals, on the ends of which will be cute white teeth, and in the center a poisonous spike will appear, resistant to the Force, containing a nerve-paralytic poison!
And then…” “Shade, shut up,” Ramira groaned, lying on the floor.
“Hehehe, I can’t, hahahaha,” I laughed genuinely, continuing my monologue, “and only then will you understand…” “Shade…” “Oh, I can’t, guys, sorry, but I’m hysterical, hahahaha…” “We can see,” Zeng muttered, wrapping his brother’s shoulder with a bandage.
“Ur ar-r-rg gra-a-a.” “Yes, Gris.
Who could have known it would turn out like this?” Ves sighed, glancing at the passage.
Right there, a real Force Storm was raging.
In all my time on Tython, I’d only witnessed such a strong storm a couple of times, but this was the first time I was at the epicenter.
The wind was nearly tearing trees out by their roots, lightning struck like a ship was hanging on orbit firing, and the cherry on top was a continuous downpour.
“Hee-hee-hee, welcome… hahaha, to Tython.
The most, hee-hee-hee, fucking ‘phenomenal’ planet in the galaxy!
Stunning nature, beautiful views, amazing expanses, and most importantly — a Force-saturated atmosphere!” I raised my right index finger importantly toward the ceiling.
“Pfft-hahaha… Oh, I can’t.
Everything here awaits you and will be glad to see you, especially, hee-hee-hee, if you fly here with friends.” “You should work as a guide,” Feng snorted.
“Yeah.
On Tython,” Zeng nodded.
“He-he-he-ee…
Oooh.
Nah, screw that, guys.
I didn’t sign up for this sh— kh-kh, guano,” I try to restrain myself.
After all, cursing in the presence of lovely ladies…
I haven’t sunk that low yet.
Or is this the aftermath of the abuse I suffered at the Akar Kesh temple?
Yeah, it’s all their fault, definitely!
“Shade, why are you so bent out of shape?” Ramira glanced at me sideways, adjusting the flower leaf under her head.
The flower that had been torn out by the roots, the very one that met us in this cave and mistook us for dinner.
“Ooh…” trying to pull myself together, I look at Ramira.
“Alright, alright, I’m more or less, he-he…
calm now.
No, but think about it yourselves—nothing foreshadowed this!
I fell for that beauty myself, relaxed for a moment.” “A mistake,” Ves joined me, sitting down.
“That was our mistake.” “Gra-a-a-ak!” “Even an idiot gets that,” I snort.
“Damn…
Guys…
I’m in shock.
I’m just in shock.
First, the raptor ambush.
Then fire tigers crawled out of nowhere—how they didn’t burn down the forest, I have no idea.
Before we could deal with them, hydras came crawling out of the river.
For fuck’s sake,” I pressed my whole hand to my face, “where did we screw up so badly to stumble into this?
Pterodactyls showed up for the noise and racket, nearly dragged Ramira away.” I glance at the scratched-up girl.
“We fought them off!
But in the process, we raised a Force Storm.
While we were hiding, I got hit by lightning,” I glance at the lightning brand scarring my left arm.
“Almost died, managed to put up a barrier at the limit of my strength, and even then it grazed me—thanks to Gris for catching me,” I send a grateful look at the Wookiee, who waves it off.
“We made it to the cave, and then, dammit, we landed in shit!” I lightly punch the plant beneath me.
“What’s next?
An earthquake?
A saarlac worm?
I…
Damn, I’m just in shock.
I don’t even want to swear.
And I was complaining about the Silence Desert just a few taked ago, and it turns out—that’s a kiddie park compared to this,” I point toward the cave entrance.
“Easy, Shade, it’s okay,” Ves hugged me.
“We’re intact and mostly fine, and that’s the main thing.
As for problems…
stuff happens, the main thing is we got out.” “Yeah, Ves, you’re right.
But the very fact of…
this…
lawlessness pisses me off!” I gesture actively with one hand, trying to express the thought.
My left arm still burned unpleasantly and obeyed poorly, but thanks to Ramira, I was recovering pretty quickly.
How much light energy she pushed through me—I can’t even imagine—but it got me seriously wired.
“And the worst part is that I fell for it and let you down.
It was my idea to set up camp there.
In the end, we almost all bought it there…” “Shade, nobody blames you,” Ves pressed her cheek against me.
“Everyone makes mistakes, things happen.” “I just needed to vent and decompress a little,” I calm down under her waves of warmth and tranquility in the Force.
“You were that scared?” Ramira turned around.
“For you.” “Oh, so the lightning didn’t impress you?” Feng smiled.
“Not really.
If it had hit one of you—then yes, I’d be impressed and scared properly.” “You’re still a fool,” Ves sighed.
“If you hadn’t managed to defend yourself, what would I have done?” “Hey!
That was an accident, actually.
And besides, I know perfectly well how bad it would be for you if I passed into the Force.
So maybe I’m not afraid of death, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about your feelings.
Especially yours,” I nudge Ves with my elbow.
“That alone makes me think twice before doing anything.” “Well, that’s something,” Vessira smiled.
“So, what’s next—where’s the continuation about Tython?” Zeng drew my attention.
“What do you mean?
I’ve already vented, that’s it.” “What dooo you mean?” the Zabrak perked up.
“What’s the problem?” “I was just thinking about starting to record,” I raised an eyebrow.
“You know, for future generations.
A manual on how NOT to do things.” “Hmm…” “Are you serious?” Ramira gave her boyfriend a skeptical look.
“There’s already half a library of those manuals without you.” “Well…
Why not?
There’ll be one more.
Maybe someone’ll find it useful—we’ve got nothing else to do anyway.
And for now,” a nod toward the cave exit, “until the storm ends, we’re not sticking our noses out of here.” “I suggest making a fire and lying low,” I get up.
“I’ll take first watch.” “Where do you think you’re going?!” Ves protested, pushing me back down.
“You just got hit like a starship, now lie down!” “Mom is definitely a bad influence on you,” I grumble in mock outrage, wincing from the pain in my arm.
“Something you don’t like?” she frowned, standing up and looking down at me, hands on her hips.
“No, on the contrary, it’s very good!” “That’s right.
I’ll take the watch.” “This is how women take charge of us guys,” I share with Zeng in a half-whisper “secret,” loud enough for everyone in the cave to hear.
“Yes, yes, that’s us—before you know it, you’ll be my slave,” Ves winked at me.
“Uh…” “Get some rest, ‘my slave,'” she smiled and, pecking me on the lips, headed toward the exit.
“R-r-rg aru-r ar-r-r.” “Keep your envy to yourself, Gris.
This is my treasure!” I cut him off, nevertheless lying down on the “flower” while the Wookiee laid out a small stack of dry kindling he was carrying.
With my pyromancy, starting a good fire from this little pile was nothing.
The Force solves everything!
“And are we eating today?” Ramira asked about the most relevant topic, her stomach growling.
So, changing the subject, we settled in the cave for two days.
Two days the storm gradually subsided, and only when it completely disappeared did we continue our journey to the settlement.
Now wiser, understanding that we couldn’t relax here for a moment, we managed to avoid the biggest problems.
Since I could hide myself in the Force, I went ahead as a scout and, through the telepathy linking me with Ves, gave the team corrections about problems if any arose.
Ves herself, being connected to me, took the lead of this very team, while Zeng and Feng acted as frontline defenders.
Ramira was the weakest link on her own, and Gris had to play the role of pack mule.
In principle, with his physical parameters, he could carry all our things without even straining much.
Now we stopped for breaks either in trees or in caves, clearing them of former inhabitants beforehand, if there were any.
And oh, miracle!
We managed to reach the settlement without stepping into another mess.
At first glance, it was a small town of about a hundred houses.
Round houses with dome-shaped roofs, standing at different heights relative to each other, surrounded by an invisible Force barrier that shielded the settlement from Tython’s fauna.
Unlike my friends, I was born and raised in one of these towns.
Everyone else was from elsewhere.
Gris came from Ska-Gor, same as Ramira, the twins from Kalimar.
Ves was born in a colony on Malterra, the second planet in our system.
That was quite a planet too—periodic natural disasters there were considered everyday normal.
But back to the settlement.
They greeted us normally, like any other travelers.
They provided us with rooms for a small fee, with the option to restock food supplies.
There was also a livestock farm, including riding animals.
That’s where I had to work hard, bargaining for the team to get several raptors as cheaply as possible, calculating two people per raptor.
Gris was a special case—he’d get a personal one, just like one of the twins.
I thanked Irbis again for the negotiation lessons.
When you’re facing another Je’daii, you can only come to an agreement with words, without any use of the Force.
Once we haggled, we could relax and head off for a well-deserved rest.
It turns out that a warm shower, food on the table, and a sense of safety are worth a lot.
I discovered a new truth for myself.
Although, for the first few hours, we physically couldn’t switch off and were constantly on guard.
Gris would twitch at sharp sounds every now and then.
The locals understood—after all, this was our first journey like this, plus Ramira told them what kind of mess we’d managed to get into.
That’s when the situation changed a bit.
On one hand, the settlement’s head, as a senior member of the Order, praised us for handling it; on the other, he scolded us, because the Force Storm had reached even here.
And causing anomalies like that, which could occur spontaneously and without us, was the last thing a Je’daii should do.
Well, in the evening, when everything settled down and Ves and I were finally alone, we were able to release the accumulated stress.
No sooner had the room door closed than she attacked me with a passionate kiss, which we only broke off after a minute, biting my lip in the process.
Waving my hand, I close the door and click the lock, while my other hand holds the imp who’d jumped up and wrapped her legs around me.
My consciousness is again covered in the sweet haze of her emotions.
Passion, desire, love—everything merged together.
I didn’t even have time to react before I found myself without my shirt, under the Cathar pulling off her own outerwear.
Oh no, I’ve never let her take the initiative, and I’m not about to start now!
Grabbing her left hand, interlocking our fingers, I flip us over and end up on top.
Pleasant impressions are marred by the aching pain in my left arm, which is also cramping.
Ves sees the slight change in me, and she couldn’t miss the tremor in the hand pinning her palm to the bed.
“It’s okay…
Just a little discomfort,” I whisper in her ear and, nibbling it gently, move lower to those so-tempting lips.
“Oh…
Shade…” Vessira breathed, looking into my eyes.
No Force influence, no words—only one desire, and I hear not only her emotions but also the echo of her thoughts…
Just as she hears mine.
“Someone’s almost on fire…” I think to myself with a hint of playfulness.
“Not almost…
Already burning…” comes the answer in the same tone, and Ves herself pulls her gentle hands toward my belt.
I’d like to relax and immerse myself completely in her emotions, but the periodic burning in my arm ruined the picture.
But even with it, in the first half of that night, we definitely weren’t sleeping.
Because, despite all her outward resilience, Vessira was just as shaken as I was.
Just the sight of my about-to-collapse body knocked her off balance.
And then later…
Feeling with my back how worried they were for me, sensing the fear directed at me on my skin…
I got goosebumps myself from realizing how much Vessira had been thrown off.
And the rest of the guys were scared too.
Stroking the Cathar lying on my chest, I stared at the ceiling and tried to figure myself out—what was going on around me and what to expect from tomorrow.
What happened to me the other day could easily have sent me into the Force—I wouldn’t have even had time to squeak if I hadn’t known the “Tutaminis” technique.
And the fact that the lightning struck me specifically wasn’t for nothing.
Fool…
I’d been actively using the Force, knowing that during Storms you shouldn’t use it so much.
On the other hand, if I hadn’t used it, someone else would have been the target.
And I’m the only one on the team who knows advanced techniques like “Tutaminis.” And despite all my jokes and carefree attitude toward death, I not only didn’t want to die—I wasn’t planning to.
Now I have something to fight for and live for, and, more importantly, I have the very opportunity to live this life.
Carefully shifting the head of my sweet darling—who amusingly twitched her nose in displeasure—I sit up.
Ah…
Clenching and unclenching my hand, I wince in displeasure.
Yeah…
dispersing that much power in one go…
That’s harsh.
Too harsh.
But now I have a solid tattoo running all the way to my shoulder and covering my whole arm from the very fingertips.
I can, heh, show it off now—but to whom?
My friends don’t care, and I already have a girlfriend.
Better not tell Mom about this at all.
Clenching and unclenching my fingers again, I get used to the sensations anew.
When your nerve endings burn so fast you can’t even feel them, and then someone regrows them from scratch, while you’re still alive…
Let’s just say, I got rocked—and that was after the hit, when everyone understood the main danger to life had passed.
And then they added more on top, when Ramira started pushing light energy through me on an industrial scale—a nightmare, I haven’t felt that bad in a long time.
And how do Sith even achieve their power?
Are they masochists or something?
They live by the rule “survival of the fittest” and constantly beat each other up, whether you’re a brother, an apprentice, or a father.
And their training is brutal, turning apprentices into cripples and invalids.
At least, that’s what I think, based on what I remember from the canon.
Though…
so much time has passed that I’m not even sure I remember it correctly anymore.
So many years behind me, I’ve already accepted that this world is now my home.
But along with that, I still have the knowledge of that other history.
The history that’s supposed to be in the future.
I wonder, can I influence it here and now?
Heh, that would be fun.
Glancing at the snoring Ves next to me, I switch my focus to her.
What’s the point of changing it?
Maybe I’ll change it through my indirect actions, but right now, my beloved girl is lying beside me.
I have friends, a home, a family…
What reason do I have to fuss about the canon?
Because I’m a transmigrator?
Yeah, some transmigrator—I don’t recognize the world through canon events, but by actually being present.
The question is, why should I suffer and worry when I can just live?
Smiling at my thoughts, I clench my “tattooed” fist.
Yeah…
I have everything I want.
Or almost everything.
I just need to become a bit stronger to be able to protect it all.
Lying back down in bed, I wrap my arms around my sweet little cat-girl and, burying my face in her hair, close my eyes.
Sleep peacefully, my sweet miracle—no one will dare to hurt you.
I promise.
* * * We left the settlement a few days later, riding raptors.
As agreed, they gave us four animals.
I rode with Ves, Zeng with Ramira, Gris and Feng on their own raptors.
Though instead of passengers, they were more loaded down, which didn’t make it any easier for their animals.
“Well now.
Where to?” Ramira asked matter-of-factly once we’d distanced ourselves from the settlement.
“Hold on a second,” I reach into the bag tied to the saddle and pull out a map.
“Hmm…” “I suggest going left—there’s something like a trail leading to ‘Kral’s Crossing,’ and from there we’ll get to Bodhi,” Ves suggested, looking over my shoulder.
“A good option,” I nod.
“Though, as far as I know, packs of pterodactyls have settled in at ‘Kral’s Crossing.’ Think we’ll make it?” “Cast an illusion in advance—and why not?” “Ar-r gri-ar ru-ur.” “Gris, what’s with your obsession with trophies?
We’re not going to attack them.
Especially if there are too many.” “R-rag gr-u ar-r,” the Wookiee shrugged.
“‘Just suggested,’ he says…
No, Gris, we’ll get into a fight only if we have to.” Riding closer, Zeng looked at the map.
“What if we go around?
There seems to be a passage here,” using the Force, he lifted a stick from the ground and poked it at the map.
“That’s one of the Loki of the Force,” I shake my head.
“What kind of place?” Ramira asked, interested, peeking from behind Zeng’s back.
“‘Wandering Lights.’ A light source.” “But I don’t see any other passages on the map, unless it’s by air,” Ves chimed in.
“Or we could go all the way around, but then we’d be better off just heading to another temple.” “Ariu-rgrhhh.” “Yeah, Gris, we’re definitely not taking that detour, so we have two paths.
And one is worse than the other,” I sigh.
“What do you think?” “What’s there to think about?
Both are fine with me,” Feng shrugged, and Zeng actively backed up his brother.
“We’ve crawled into a rancor’s lair with the teacher, gone down into ancient crypts—one thing we’ve learned is, what difference does it make which hellhole we go into?” “A bi-ig one,” I answer syllable by syllable, studying the map.
“Grua-ar ri-ru-ug-ur.” “Gris is for the source,” I look at the twins, “they don’t care.
Ramira?” “Um…
I’ve already ridden pterodactyls, so I’m for the source too,” she drew the line.
“Ves?” “Where you go, I go.
Doesn’t matter at all.” “Then we’re going to the source.” So, having decided among ourselves which problems were preferable, we turned right and raced through the forests.
The raptors ran surprisingly easily through these impassable lands.
Jumping over obstacles, pushing off rocks, ducking under and over fallen trees.
One after another, we ran toward the rest stop we’d chosen on the map.
This time, instead of stealth, I used my Force sight to the fullest.
No, I’d used it before, but now I cranked it all the way, completely concentrating on the world around me and handing the reins of the lizard over to Ves.
It so happens that Je’daii can see the world through the Force, and that’s no secret to anyone.
But the “field of view” is limited by their connection to the Force, their degree of immersion in it, and their ability to process huge amounts of information at once.
The field could be expanded by directing the gaze in one direction, like a flashlight beam in darkness—that’s how Miraluka navigate ships, actually.
But still, you see what the gaze falls on, and only with targeted concentration can you look behind an object.
I could also scan either the entire space or part of it.
But the wave didn’t care about obstacles—it traveled through the Force itself, and the higher its concentration in the environment, the farther the wave went.
Because of this, on Tython, my waves traveled much farther than on, say, Shikaakwa or any other planet.
Thanks to this, like a radar, I gathered all operational information.
The downside was overload.
At first, I physically couldn’t do this—my brain would just leak out of my ears from the amount of incoming information, and I’d get knocked out.
But with training, especially the tasks Irbis threw at me, I managed to train myself, and now the worst I face is a nosebleed and headaches.
No, if I push further and try to jump above my head, I could not only lose consciousness but also kick the bucket from overexertion—but I haven’t lost my mind enough yet to sign my own death warrant.
The Force Source itself served as a distant beacon for me, so I wasn’t afraid of getting lost.
And the closer we got to it, the more clearly I felt the light Force gushing like a fountain.
And after just one taked, we were already near it.
Spending the night at the edge of the source, we moved on with the first rays of the sun.
We had to dismount from the raptors and calm them with hypnosis, because the animals were smarter than their riders and didn’t want to go into such a dangerous place.
“Well, guys?” Taking the raptor by the reins, I look back at my companions.
“Are we going?” I got some half-hearted nods in response.
Ramira had already regretted coming here.
And all because from somewhere back there emanated calm and tranquility.
Someone else’s (!) calm and tranquility.
“Remember, we have a clear task.
We go forward, don’t stop, and no matter what happens, no matter what enters your head, remember the goal.
We need to get to the other side.” The group nodded seriously, and I stepped forward first.
Next to me was Ves.
Behind us, Zeng and Ramira, then Feng, and last was Gris.
The place we’d arrived at looked like a wide and long clearing, covered in a light mist.
And in that mist, I started to see small white wandering lights.
Without being distracted by strange but interesting phenomena that begged to be examined up close from all angles, I walk forward.
Tranquility and calm finally settle into my soul.
The worries I entered with wash away instantly, as if they’d never existed.
It feels so good…
And at the same time, terrible.
A strange pulling sensation, slight dizziness, and nausea.
Somehow, my reaction is different from the rest of the guys.
From their emotions, I can tell how good they feel.
No, to a certain extent, I feel good too.
Like stepping into a warm spring—but why this painful feeling?
As if someone is pouring balm on my soul, then tearing off a piece, injecting anesthetic—and so on in a loop.
Glancing at Ves, I see her smiling.
Yeah…
Judging by her emotions, it turns out very pleasant to be here.
Apparently, the difference in teachings produces a different effect.
The dark and light sides are so rooted in me that even the source can’t easily separate them, and it’s taking its toll on me.
Ooh…
Something just sharply jabbed my heart.
And then it was gone…
No, there’s definitely something in this.
Maybe I should linger?
Just a little.
Look around, get used to it, maybe I’ll learn something new about myself.
And besides, we’re not in a hurry anywh— No, we are in a hurry!
We’re hurrying to the temple.
Yes.
“Shade, look,” Ves tugged at me and pointed at the approaching lights.
Flying closer, they seemed to examine us.
One of them even stopped right in front of Ves, making her stop.
“Oh…” Reaching out her hand, she touched the light.
And judging by her emotions, the Cathar really liked the new sensations.
Stopping to wait for her, I notice that the others have frozen too.
Everyone’s standing, looking around, enjoying this beautiful picture.
And it was something to see.
In the light mist, the lights sparkled like stars, drawing the eye, and in my soul, warmth joined the tranquility.
Wiping my tearing eyes, I shake my head slightly, trying to subdue the headache and the fog clouding my thoughts.
Returning my gaze to my friends, I look at these inspired faces.
Something’s not right here…
Oh!
And a light flew up to me too.
I didn’t touch it—it seemed like touching it would only make things worse—so I examine it cautiously.
Something about it still bothers me.
My brain diligently tries to latch onto some suspicious detail, but it keeps slipping away.
My heart was tingling, my breath kept catching, and a bead of sweat rolled down my temple.
Clenching my fists, I take a deep breath and, gripping the Force tearing apart inside me with an iron fist, I open my eyes.
Big mistake.
My movements helped me, even made breathing easier somehow, but my eyes were clearly deceiving me.
I shook my head a couple of times, trying to shake off the illusion, but no.
It didn’t disappear.
Instead of a light, there was a child standing before me.
A little pretty girl, maybe six years old, resembling a Cathar, but her coloring…
It was like my facial pigments.
Exactly the same.
A light jacket, shorts, boots, my gray eyes—though with vertical cat pupils.
Sharp long ears, even longer than I’m used to seeing on ordinary Cathars, dark hair tied in a ponytail like mine.
Logically, I should be in shock right now, but there was nothing but silence and peace in my soul.
I had squeezed my own emotions and the Force so tightly under control that I only felt a slight, superficial tenderness toward this child.
Who just stood and looked at me.
“Shade,” I hear Ves’s voice.
Involuntarily tearing my gaze away, I look at the Cathar, whose eyes are closed in a blissful smile.
“So…” wiping my nose bridge, I try to gather my thoughts.
“So…
Come on, Shade.
Pull yourself together.
You wanted something.
You needed to do something.
Uh…” I glance at the child.
“Hey, Ves, do you see her too?
Or am I completely losing my mind?” “Huh?” Vessira looked at me, then at the little girl.
“Oh, wow, what a cute little girl.
And where are you from?” “Something’s definitely not right here…” I note, watching Ves sit right down on the ground and try to talk to this silent child.
Looking at the guys, I see they’re not planning to go anywhere anymore.
Wait.
Go!
Exactly!
But where?
Hmm…
Looking around, I try to understand.
We were supposedly going somewhere.
Where?
I can’t figure it out.
Damn, what’s wrong with me?!
An attempt to deliberately enter meditation and see what’s inside me ended with me quietly and peacefully freaking out at what I saw.
Only because I gripped my essence with an iron grip, not letting it tear apart, could I barely think.
The light side was tearing the dark component out of me, trying with all its might, but couldn’t.
Two parts of one whole were firmly fused inside me, and even if I wanted to separate them, it wouldn’t be so easy.
The shock I experienced from what I saw helped turn the gears in my head and reassess the situation.
Returning to the real world, I look at the girl with a more conscious gaze.
She blinked a couple of times, and then someone seemed to call out to her.
Turning around, she ran off toward a blurry but very familiar silhouette, on whose belt hung recognizable lightsabers.
Picking up the child, the silhouette walked away and eventually dissolved into the mist.
“Alright, dammit,” I shake myself.
“I’ve had enough of these visions—time to get serious.” Bringing my hands together, palm to palm, I try to summon Force lightning, and though not immediately, I manage it.
Making sure the current is running between my fingers, I grab my own thigh and, clenching my eyes shut, knowing what awaits me, I discharge.
“censored oh censored, motherfucker, censored, ah-h-h-h-sssh,” I quickly rub the burn spot.
The hellish pain, which made me lose my balance and fall to the ground like a cut tree, instantly sobered me up and restored my sanity.
Right, we’re at a Locus of the Force, we need to get to the other side, the task is clear!
Got it, I remember, let’s work!
Jumping up and assessing the situation, I clap my hands to get attention.
“Everyone get up right now, you devils—no one called a ‘rest stop’!” “Huh?” Ves looked at me sluggishly.
“Shade, why are you shouting…
It’s so nice here…
Sit down.” “Oh…
You’ll remember this,” I wince and, squatting down beside her, put my hand on her shoulder.
A jolt of Force lightning, a short scream, and Ves also comes to her senses.
“Wh-what was that?!” “Shock therapy.
We need to snap the others out of it, NOW!” I barked, and the last part worked as intended.
Still not fully recovered, Ves jumped up and ran to Gris.
I took care of the twins.
“Hey!
We’re not stopping here!” I yell, zapping Feng.
“A-a-ah!
What the—?!” “Snap out of it, damn it!
We’re leaving the source, not staying for a picnic!” So, in a few minutes, having shocked everyone, we managed to get them conscious and moving.
Only on the way out of the clearing did the rest of our group shake off the daze.
And just in time—the Force Storm was starting to brew again.
After somehow bringing the squad back to their senses, we moved on.
The team deliberately tried to get angry, attempting to somehow neutralize the pressure, but it didn’t last long.
At some point, I started catching myself thinking I was being foolish — this Well was an amazing opportunity to power myself up!
And most importantly, it was quiet, calm, and safe here.
Ves was doing well here too.
Sure, my head hurt, but where was perfect?
But shaking myself off and gritting my teeth, I latched onto the thought of the task like a tick onto its victim, clenching the shackles inside myself even tighter.
Turning the thought of the goal over and over in my head, I walked ahead.
A couple of times, I shocked myself with lightning when the mantra about the task didn’t help.
The others followed my example, but Ramira was the first to drop out among us.
She just passed out, sinking into a Force sleep.
A special technique that lets us recover strength quickly.
Not very useful, but effective.
Hoisting her onto the raptor, we moved on.
As we went, I had other visions.
I heard Vessira’s laughter, saw her talking with some Twi’lek girl; in another vision, I was next to Mother myself; in a third, I saw that same girl’s training.
I also saw destroyed homes where the owners were restoring order, as if I were strolling down the street.
But what I remembered most was when blurry silhouettes watched me go, as if seeing me off.
And right then, the world seemed to dim.
The vision was so strong, so vivid and saturated with emotion, that I couldn’t hold on and fell to the ground, sweating and gasping heavily, and no self-control helped anymore.
The blow was so powerful that I needed support from the others, just to recover.
Mother had told me how she saw Father off, and I could feel the whole spectrum of her emotions.
And now… they were here… with them, they were seeing me off.
The Well took advantage of the breach that had formed.
The shackles binding the dark and light sides inside me began to crumble.
My head didn’t just hurt anymore — it was splitting, and my heart felt like it was tearing in two… “Shade, what’s wrong with you?” Vessira came up fearfully, sitting down beside me and holding me up.
Leaning on my sword like a staff, I looked at the Cathar.
Apparently, my pain had transferred to her through our bond too.
“Just a little dizzy.
It’s fine, Ves, just let me catch my breath.” Closing my eyes, I sank back into myself.
The Force is one… Light and dark, two sides of one indivisible whole.
Breathe in, breathe out… Come on, Shade, pull yourself together.
“Let’s keep going,” I said, getting to my feet with Vessira’s help.
Turning back, I didn’t see any silhouettes anymore.
About ten minutes later, Gris dropped out.
From this, I concluded that the Light Side’s influence was strongest on those who found it easier to work with it.
If I was right, Ves should be next to go down.
But I couldn’t confirm the theory.
Tying ourselves together with ropes so we wouldn’t lose anyone if they collapsed, we finally made it out of the Well’s direct influence.
The things I saw while passing through… just brutal.
Against that backdrop, the masters of the Temple of Equilibrium had still treated me humanely.
But now I understood why they needed that.
When the pressure eased and I could finally breathe with relief, a break was called, during which our sleeping comrades came to.
An unprecedented lightness filled my chest — like a rope that had never snapped but was creaking under tension had finally been laid on the ground.
I had no strength at all, and I started feeling sick — not just in my head, but in my stomach too.
“Ugh… My head…” Ves groaned.
“It feels like I was pumped full of something, and now I’m going through withdrawal without a dose…” “Had experience?” Feng asked.
“No, but I’ve seen examples.” “I see.” “Ra-a-ami-i-i,” Zeng was nudging his love.
“M-m-m-m…” “Wake up.
Wake up before we get eaten!” “Huh?” Ramira blinked sleepily.
Then it dawned on her, and the process kicked into gear.
“Eaten?!” “Quiet, calm down.
Ugh…” Zeng winced from the pain — both in his head and overall.
“Rami, I need your help.
Especially Shade.” “What happened?” “Force lightning.” “Again?!” “No, this time he did it himself.
Don’t you remember?
We just came out of the Light Side of the Force point.” Ramira turned around, looked at the mist visible in the distance, listened to the feeling, and then it seemed to dawn on her.
No questions followed.
The girl immediately snapped to attention and rushed over to me, working to put my carcass in order.
Well yeah, I’d shocked myself way more often than the others.
Gotta, dammit, maintain course — it would’ve been hilarious if we’d started walking in circles in there.
I was lying down myself, barely showing signs of life.
I had to make an effort just to stay conscious.
Funny, actually — I was passing out now, while the others had passed out in the Well.
Say what you will, but I definitely didn’t pass out there.
Heh, hard to sleep when you’re being torn apart.
“Shade, can you hear me?” Someone lifted my head.
“I can’t hear you.
You’re not here.
I’m a little cloud.
Hee-hee-hee…” Oh Force, what was I saying?
Rami, just finish me off… “Um… Alright, lie down, rest, you’ll feel better soon.” Since we were practically glowing from the Light Side of the Force’s influence anyway, they rubbed me with ointments, bandaged me up, and gave me a few shots.
Even now, pain served as medicine, sobering the mind and helping me return to my original state.
When she was done with me, Rami switched to Gris.
For further procedures, we needed to wait until the excess wore off from me.
She handled the others the same way.
“Ves, how are you?” Ramira looked at the Cathar — quiet and somewhat subdued.
“Strange.
I can feel something inside me breaking,” she pressed her palm to her chest.
“That’s… from the imbalance,” I chimed in, turning my head.
“It’s nothing.
A little meditation, and everything will return to normal.” “No…” She shook her head and looked at me.
“Shade, it’s not that.
I… I don’t know what I saw.
Where did you go?” She sat down closer and laid my head on her lap.
“Ves, where would I go away from you?” I stirred weakly, taking her hand.
“You can sense me yourself — we’ve formed a bond from all that constant telepathy.” “I know.
That’s why I don’t understand.
A…” She started to say something else, then fell silent.
“Well, what is it?” “I… No, nothing,” she turned away.
“Later.
When you’re up.” Strange.
Why was she feeling so embarrassed that she was even hiding her face from me?
“Ve-e-es?
What’s wrong?” “It’s nothing…” “Really?” “There’s something else.
That girl.
You already understood who she looked like, didn’t you?” “Yeah.” “And what do you think?” “What’s there to think?
If that’s how it turns out, I’ll be happy, that’s all.” “Really?” “Ves, I’m going to hit you for doubting me like that,” I tried to tug her ear but missed and got her cheek instead.
Yeah… The ground was starting to spin too.
Could it stop before I missed my stop?
“Hey!” “Sorry.
I’m not feeling so great.” “It’s okay, it’s okay.
Just lie still.” “Mm-hmm.” Sighing, I remembered the silhouette of the person the child had run to.
Even though the silhouette was blurred, I couldn’t fail to recognize sketches of my own armor.
Sigh… Scary to think what trials lay ahead.
“Aur-r-r gharrr?” Gris cheerfully announced his readiness to move, surveying our little group with a fatherly gaze.
“Kind of, but I’d like a nap,” Zeng replied weakly, rubbing his temples.
“I mean, sure, Feng and I once stupidly inhaled some intoxicating herb in the catacombs, but even that didn’t mess us up this bad.” “Shade won’t be able to go far on his own,” Ramira cut in.
“His whole system has gone haywire.” “Load him onto the raptor?” Feng suggested.
“Works.
Shade?” “Just let me die…” “You’ll live.” “Despots…” “Yeah.
Alright.
Zeng, give me a hand.
We’ll load him up and move out.
Everyone agree?” A ragged chorus of nods was the answer.
So they hoisted me onto the raptor, strapped me in, and Ves sat behind me to hold me steady.
To my surprise, the riding raptors handled passing through the point of power much better than we did, apparently not experiencing any discomfort — aside from a touch of phlegmatic behavior.
The next day, when I was more or less back on my feet, we had more adventures, albeit small ones.
A pack of wild raptors considered us their prey, but this time we were ready and managed to deal with the predators almost without using the Force, except to enhance ourselves.
Then came a short journey to the Bodhi temple itself.
The temple of arts was built in the shape of a plus sign, with four yellow buildings with red roofs at its ends.
Looking at the structure, I got the impression that each building was made from several smaller houses put together.
In the center, on a wide and spacious square, stood a giant fountain with a breathtaking statue.
Two Force-sensitive beings — a man and a woman — stood next to each other and, with their hands extended palms-up, held a single sphere of the Force, recreated in the Yin-Yang style.
And there was a special atmosphere inside.
Somewhere, music was playing; somewhere else, a group of students were discussing a painting they’d brought outside; somewhere, a group of wanderers were using the Force to unload heavy monolith stones from which future masterpieces would be created.
The very spirit permeating this place was special, unique.
I’d already learned that temples varied, and each had its own atmosphere.
At Qigong Kesh, it was a bit playful, lively, and generally quite emotional.
Some students there cried from joy, others groaned from pain, and others just had fun.
At Akar Kesh, everything was gray and… if not dreary, then calm.
Minimal emotions, everything at peace — the temple itself seemed like an old monk who had gone into deep meditation and was in no hurry to return.
Here, the atmosphere wasn’t turbulent or bright — it was simply luminous, saturated with a kind of creative energy that made you want to apply it somewhere or let it out.
A girl understood me.
A rather pretty Mirialan with green skin and the tattoos characteristic of her race on both her face and hands.
Dressed in a simple sleeveless shirt, she sat on the edge of the fountain and quietly sang of those who had become one with the Force.
The song seemed sad — after all, it was about the dead — but at the same time, it carried warmth and serenity, stirring up in your memories those warm and precious moments of life.
“Shade?” … “Shade!” Someone pushed my shoulder.
“Huh, what?” I turned to Ves.
“Sorry, I spaced out.” “And no wonder,” a new voice chimed in.
I’d been so locked in that I’d completely forgotten to watch my surroundings.
Turning around, we saw a Selkath in a robe standing next to us, his hands clasped together and hidden in his sleeves.
“Here, within these walls, we touch the very strings of the soul.
Welcome to Bodhi, the temple of arts, young wanderers.
I am Master Laniron,” the master bowed courteously.
“Shade Aero,” I bowed in return.
“Zeng Bazex.” “And Feng Bazex,” the twins bowed.
“Gra-u-rr-a.” “Vessira Rova.” “Ramira Urana.” “Glad to see new wanderers visiting us,” the Selkath said with complete sincerity.
He wasn’t even trying to hide his feelings — which for a Je’daii was unheard of.
“Forgive me, Master, you said that here you touch the strings of the soul.
Is that a Force technique?” Ramira leaned forward.
“What?
No, no, not at all.
It’s far more prosaic and simple.
Yes, we study the Force through art.
But the main feature of this place is that the Force merely complements one form of art or another.
Take music, for example.
By putting meaning and emotion into words and melody, we reinforce and amplify them with the Force, achieving something greater.
The Force is like a special set of paints or instruments that can harmoniously fit into absolutely any creation.” “That sounds interesting,” Feng said, looking at the girl by the fountain, who had stopped singing and was studying our group with interest.
“You have no idea how interesting.
And regarding your question, young lady,” the Selkath turned to Ramira, “there is a saying: ‘Music is a reflection of the soul.’ It’s like a mirror that reflects what’s inside you.
And if you have a wound, it can heal it — or at least ease it.
And mind you, even the Force can’t do that.” “A pity not everyone understands that,” I finished for the master, and at his surprised look, I explained: “I noticed the temple is a bit short on people.” “Yes… Most young Je’daii are more interested in the Qigong Kesh and Akar Kesh temples.” “Well, you can blow off steam there,” I shrugged.
“You don’t have to blow it off — you can channel it into a creative direction,” the Master corrected me.
“But we’ve been chatting too long; you must be wanting to rest.” “No, Master, we just need to drop our things off somewhere,” Ves answered immediately.
“Oh!
Then please follow me.
I’ll show you the available rooms — take whichever you like.
Then I’ll give you a short tour of the temple.” “Argu-r-r-a?” “Not at all, you’re not distracting me from my work.
My students are in a creative frenzy right now, and they won’t be coming out of it anytime soon.
That’s actually why I decided to take a walk.” So, after settling the raptors in their assigned stalls, the master led us through the temple.
Of the four buildings, two were set aside for living quarters, while the other two were work halls.
Walking through corridors with high ceilings, I marveled at the differences between the temple of arts and the temple of equilibrium.
Here, entire pictures were carved directly into the walls; at corners and intersections stood statues or plants I’d never seen even in a botanical guide.
And the rooms!
We were each given private quarters, but here they looked much more presentable.
Walls with good soundproofing in case someone decided to make music, a big bed that could fit three people, a couch, a table, an armchair, two wardrobes, plus two nightstands.
The table had writing supplies, one wardrobe held instruments, and there was even that meditation cushion I hated.
But the best part — everyone had a refrigerator!
Yes, a small one.
But a personal one!
My own!
And a special heating device like a microwave.
Isn’t that beautiful?
I’d been here maybe two hours, and I already loved this place.
After we’d stowed our things, the tour continued.
Master Laniron was a true fanatic of his craft, and also loved to talk.
Peeking into training halls, the master explained the instruments in detail, clarified the subtleties of interacting with the Force, and eagerly answered all the questions that came up.
But when we ran out of questions, he still had answers left!
Not that we minded.
No.
Somehow it turned out that Master Laniron was telling us exactly what we needed, in a way that interested us.
You could immediately tell he was an experienced master who knew what to dump on newcomers and what could wait.
During the tour, we watched students at work and were simultaneously offered to try our hand at things.
So today I tried being a sculptor and a clay-thrower, and the next day I attempted to be a painter.
Emphasis on “attempted,” because my scribbles were just atrocious.
I also tried being an architect.
Just for fun.
I drew better — a ruler helps — but the design itself was deemed not only strange but also unworkable.
Then came an attempt to turn us into writers.
That was where we lost Gris, as the Wookiee flatly refused to leave the circle of pen-and-paper maniacs.
As for me, I realized just how terrifying writers, poets, and other paper-stainers were!
You talk to them for five minutes, and you immediately feel like such an idiot — nightmare fuel.
And they were all crazy.
Definitely crazy, I swear by the Force!
The point of all this wandering was for us to find something we enjoyed.
So to speak, see, hear, touch, and get interested.
So Ves latched onto music.
In her paws was a stringed thingamajig resembling a guitar, using a claw instead of a pick.
She sat there, strumming away, beaming with happiness.
And with her unusual, slightly raspy — or rather, purring — voice, her songs had a special charm.
Ramira, oddly enough, got interested in sculpture work.
It was pretty surreal to watch a tiny figure with a huge hammer and chisel in her hands chipping away at granite.
She already knew how to draw and loved it, so making a sketch of a figurine wasn’t much trouble.
And that was it for us.
Zeng, Feng, and I turned out to be unsuited to art.
No matter what we touched, it didn’t move us, and it kept slipping through our fingers.
Of course, Master Laniron, who had taken our group under his wing, was a bit disappointed by this, but he was gladdened by our delight and curiosity, as we kept pestering him anyway.
It was interesting to learn how the Force affected paintings, and then how it affected beings!
So the lack of activities didn’t stop us from walking around and enjoying others’ work!
And besides — I might be a crappy artist, but since we were staying here, I decided to take a few drawing lessons.
I was still gnawed by shame when Irbis had redrawn my own sketches for me.
But overall, I liked Bodhi.
I guess you could compare it to a resort where you go to rest your soul.
Most of the students and masters alike dropped their emotional barriers here, and you could easily forget where you were.
Like you weren’t on Tython, but somewhere in another world, where everything was quiet, calm, and just lovely.
And compared to Shikaakwa, this was an otherworldly paradise, where people were reasonable and, instead of bickering with each other, just created — simply because they enjoyed it themselves, without chasing fame or recognition.
The proceeds from selling their works were more than enough to live on, and after graduation, creators like them would be in high demand on Kalimar.
Especially since there were so few of them in general, and competition wasn’t even a concept here.
So we got stuck in Bodhi for a good two takedas.
Just because we were resting.
Just because we could.
And nothing foreshadowed trouble, but alas — apparently I wanted too much from life.
And if we didn’t go looking for adventures, they found us themselves.
It all helps promote the story.