To my surprise, only Mom was waiting for me in the Temple Master’s office.
“Hey, Mom, something happened?” “No.
Come in, sit down,” she pointed to the chair opposite her, the second guest chair.
“Then what?” “This whole story has been bothering me,” she folded her hands, resting her chin on her thumbs and pressing her index fingers to her nose.
“Heh, same here.” “That’s not what I mean,” she winced.
“Visions are rarely wrong… Actually, they’re never wrong — it’s just that if they’re bad, they manage to prevent them.
And Dalien… I remember him.
Yes, he was peculiar, unsociable, but at the same time, I can’t call him a madman willing to blow up an entire system for his goal.
Despite his dislike of society and, especially, the Je’daii, he was a good person.” “Mom, what are you getting at?” “Since you’re directly involved in this whole story, I want you to go down below.” “What?” My eyebrows shot up.
“Before we leave here, I want you to try to look into the future.
Your own future, what awaits you specifically.
It’s much easier than seeing someone else’s.” “And you?” “I’ll go with you.” “As backup?” “As an accomplice,” she took her hands away from her face and smiled wryly.
“Mom, do we have to?
I went through a Force nexus once, and it made me feel terrible afterward…” “What can you do, Shade.
Je’daii don’t visit them for nothing.
It’s much easier to glimpse the future near them, and the closer you get to the source, the clearer the…” “…hallucinations,” I finished grimly, and Mom started to smile, a hint of amusement in her emotions.
“Yeah, yeah, I know.
When are we going?” “Now.” “Now?!” “Yes, why?” “Well… I wanted to rest.
A little.” “You’ll have time.
Depending on what we see there, we’ll prepare accordingly.
I want us to have some time to spare.” “Ugh… I’ll go get ready.” “No need.
Just bring your blades.
We’re not planning to stay there longer than necessary, and we won’t be going very deep.” “Yes, Mom.” “I’ll be waiting for you at the exit.” With that, the conversation ended.
When I returned to my room, I witnessed a most amusing scene: Ves and Hadiya were sitting on my bed opposite each other, chatting amiably, while polishing off my own snack bars!
Hadiya was eating them elegantly, skewered on her little knife, while Ves… well, she’s Ves.
“Oh!
Back already?” Hadiya exclaimed.
“Ladies… Do you have any shame?” “What’s that?” Hadiya asked.
“Nope,” Ves shook her head.
“Crunch-crunch.” “I see how it is.” “Hey, where are you going?” Vessira tensed as I attached the blades to my belt.
“To hell.” “Where?” “Down, Ves, down.” “What do you mean?!” she leaned forward.
“Mom and I are going down to the gorge now.
Hadiya, if you leave before I get back,” I approached the surprised Twi’lek and hugged her.
“Take care of yourself.
Remember, for every clever face, there’s an even cleverer one.” “I’ll remember,” Hadiya nodded, rubbing her cheek against my stomach.
“You be careful too.” “What could possibly happen to me?” “Plenty could happen,” Ves disagreed, glancing at my tattooed hand with her eyes.
“Alright, alright.
You’ve convinced me.” “Maybe I could…” “No, Ves.
Mom and I will go alone.
You two definitely have nothing to do down there,” I flicked the Cathar on the nose.
“I don’t get it.
Why are you so cheerful?” “He’s always like this when things heat up,” Ves answered.
“It’s a common trait with his teacher.” “Yeah, yeah.
All right, girls.
Take care.” Saying goodbye to the ladies, I closed the door behind me and, humming one of my favorite local tunes under my breath, headed for the exit.
Mom, as promised, was waiting for me at the main entrance, with two jetpacks.
“You haven’t forgotten how to use one, have you?” She tossed me the first one.
“I hope not,” I caught the device, slung it over my shoulders, and strapped it on.
Before I entered Qigong Kesh, she gave me a couple of lessons in case I ever needed to fly.
Well… it came in handy.
Besides, getting out of that hole any other way would take a very, very long time — the walls there are really smooth.
So, standing at the edge of the platform and the bridge leading to the trail from here, we looked down.
“And still, this is a bad idea,” I disagreed.
“Since when has that ever stopped you?” “True.
On three?” “Don’t fall behind,” she patted me on the shoulder and stepped into the abyss.
“Sometimes parents set very, very bad examples,” I snort, watching my mother walk away.
Ehhhhh…
Squeezing my eyes shut in annoyance, I calm my heart and, shifting to an optimistic note, take a step.
Well, here goes…
Correcting my fall, I fall in behind my mother, and after flying about half a kilometer, we land on a wide, smooth ledge, clearly artificial in origin.
From here, by the way, a kind of trail of ledges was visible running along the wall, ledges you could jump between.
Je’daii.
Shuddering from an unpleasant chill and irritation that came from who-knows-where, I went first.
Jumping from one ledge to another, occasionally glancing down, keeping my composure was…
problematic.
Especially since the lower we descended, the stronger the irritation became.
To try and shift my focus, I started humming quietly.
“…The path of the Force I tread, and in it I find peace.
No, don’t shed bitter tears, for I remain beside you, and though you cannot see me, know — the Force is within you.
The path of the Force I tread, through darkness and light…” “What are you singing?” Mom asked when we stood side by side.
“Heard it at the Temple of Bodhi once.
Liked it.
I hum it sometimes.
Why?” “No, just wondering.
Nervous?” “Angry.
For no reason.
Pisses me off that I can’t keep myself together.” “You wouldn’t know it,” she nudged me with her elbow.
Seeing her smile, I couldn’t help but start smiling myself.
Really, I need to take it easier.
Inhale-exhale.
Damn, I should have asked Hadiya to bring a couple of joints to smoke.
Then I’d definitely be as calm as a snake.
“Just good self-control.” “Whatever you say.
But if things get really tough, tell me immediately, got it?” “Got it.” Continuing the descent, we reached what looked like either a platform or a tunnel, hard to tell.
The walls widened considerably, and it was hard to make anything out through the swirling light smoke.
I wasn’t just grumbling anymore; I felt like getting angry and taking it out on someone.
The only thing saving me was my train of thought and the clearly defined objective.
Inside me, a pulling sensation began to grow, one I recognized from the last source.
Like someone was trying to tear a piece off of me, but resisting it now was much easier.
Besides, my mind stayed sober…
Compared to the last trip.
“Let’s move forward,” I hear my mother’s voice.
“Why is she giving orders?!
How dare she?
After all, I’ll soon finish my path as a wanderer and become…” Wait, stop.
Away with those thoughts.
Think about work.
I need to try to catch a meditation and see visions.
Think about the hypergates, think about the hypergates…
Come on, Shade.
It’s not helping much; my chest is burning, and that pisses me off even more.
Suddenly, a thought struck me: to direct this same anger into holding the energy inside me.
And it helped.
I didn’t become kinder, but my well-being definitely improved.
Continuing along the path, we came to a genuine miniature storm of the Force.
Well, its peak, anyway.
Somewhere down there, a localized apocalypse was happening.
“Whoa…” “You’re telling me.” “Have you been here before?” “Descended three times.
But never got past a certain point.” “Weakling.” “Let’s see how far you get,” she shot back.
And there was something off in her words…
But no.
Seemed logical enough.
Descending further, we tried not only to avoid using the Force but to hide it entirely, so as not to invite a Force lightning strike on our heads.
Descending one more level to a new path, we continued along it.
I couldn’t see the end, but that didn’t matter.
I needed to concentrate.
“Mom, have we gone far enough?” I turn back, but…
she’s gone.
“Aaargh…
Well, this is just great.
Is there anything else you want to throw at me?” I glance at the storm brewing overhead.
Striking the stone in anger, pulverizing it, I shove my hands in my pockets.
Wait.
What the—?
Feeling something in my pocket that shouldn’t be there, I pull out a small medallion.
It was a one-penny coin, with a hole through it and a string threaded through.
“What the—” I was about to say, but instead I remembered where I’d seen it.
On Hadiya.
She wears it like a talisman.
It’s the first penny she ever earned.
The first, but far from the last.
Smiling at the corners of my mouth at the gesture of care, I wrap the string around my hand.
Alas, despite the warm thoughts, the anger didn’t fade; on the contrary, it tinted them black.
I wanted to say something like, “How dare she shove that junk on me?!,” but no.
I won’t allow myself to say that.
Strange feelings.
My emotions say one thing, my reason another.
And reason is prevailing for now.
All set to the background of two scooters pulling a rope inside me in opposite directions.
“Well, at least I’m perked up,” I smirk.
“Okay, Mom is either ahead or behind.
If she somehow got ahead, I’ll catch up.
If not, I’ll go back.” Making that decision, I move on.
After a couple more flights, the floor suddenly dropped away beneath me.
Cursing in a mix of three different languages, I slid down the wall and, spotting a ledge, pushed off my side and landed squarely on a new outcrop.
Shivering, I pull myself together again, preventing the dark side from tearing a piece off me.
Hmm…
What if I look down there?
There was something strange.
It glowed with a white light like a waterfall and, flowing downward, spread out like a small lake.
Though by now, my brain was really starting to fray.
I could no longer stop the flow of negative thoughts, but I was having fun.
I was amused by myself, by what I was thinking, and by the realization of how stupid it all was.
The balance in my soul left a grain of sanity, preventing me from fully sinking into the surrounding darkness.
Jumping down further, I approach the anomaly and, dropping to one knee, examine it.
Even though it glowed, it didn’t dispel the darkness, but seemed to radiate it?
Like steam rising from boiling water.
A rustle behind me distracted me from observing the strange anomaly.
Reflex acted faster than thought; I drew my sword, spun sharply, and readied for a fight.
But there was nothing and no one.
Well, there was, but far away in the distance.
Lowering my sword to the ground without sheathing it, I move toward another strangeness.
Ahead, something seemed to be burning.
But before I could reach it, I tripped over something.
Looking down, I see an unfamiliar man with a deep diagonal sword wound.
Strange.
For some reason, he seems so familiar, even though I know for sure I’ve never seen him before in my life…
This individual was clutching a black sphere of unknown purpose in his hand, lying right in the middle of the “corridor.” A strange corridor, if my memory serves me right; I’ve seen ones like this in historical photographs.
Stepping around the body, I move on, only to stumble upon another person.
Unlike the previous one, this one was run through with a laser sword.
Unusual armor, definitely not from around here, a tattoo on the face.
If I’m not mistaken, that symbol reads as “Zez.” But who is this?
And what are they doing here?
Stepping around yet another body, I walk on, but what I see makes a lump form in my throat.
Weight…
Cut in half, she lay at the entrance to the settlement, right in front of the burning houses.
Clenching my teeth until they ached and suppressing the surge, I step around her.
It only got worse from there.
Recognizing the layout of one of the villages where my friends and I had once bought raptors, I had to exert all my strength to maintain control.
Dismembered, mutilated bodies, burning houses, the very air saturated with the pain of others, the kind felt only in the throes of death.
“I don’t understand, where am I?
Where did I end up?
Am I dead already, or not yet?” I tried to fill my head with anything to suppress the emotions threatening to burst.
Somewhere out there, laser swords flashed, the screams of the dying and the roars of monsters devouring the defeated alive rang out.
Tall beings clad in armor, with eyes protruding in different directions from their heads.
The climax came when I saw Hadiya.
With her chest torn open, she lay beside an overturned vehicle, surrounded by fighters I recognized.
And one of those monsters was leaning right over her.
“Rrrgh…” Clenching my blade, I feel the Force itself respond to my now very real fury.
And just as I raised my hand, I saw her amulet on my wrist.
“It’s a vision…
It’s just a vision.” That thought managed to sober me.
But only the Force knows how much it cost me not to lower my sword.
Taking a couple of steps back, I close my eyes and turn away.
The rope in my chest was stretched to the limit; it seemed like another moment and it would snap.
But…
there was no pain.
A veil of rage clouded everything.
“Keep yourself together, Shade…
Don’t give in to the visions.
You know perfectly well how easily they can consume you…” I tell myself, but it doesn’t help.
Anger shackles my thoughts, the pain of loss presses on my heart, and the Force demands release, straining to break free.
“No…
I won’t give in.
I won’t let despair consume me.” But, despite my thoughts, something inside seemed to break.
Unable to bear it, I fall to one knee, leaning on my sword like a staff.
My hands are trembling, tears stream down my cheeks, and the sword is about to start melting from the unintended Force I’m channeling into it.
“Daddy…” That voice.
Jerking, I start a swing but manage to stop my hand.
Before me stood a small Cathar half-breed.
The same one I saw in the light source.
The blade stopped mere millimeters from her head.
Her appearance…
Her emotions…
Like a tiny ray of light, they broke through the thickening clouds.
The girl looked into my eyes and cried.
Ignoring the weapon, she took a step toward me and hugged me.
As tightly as she could…
“Take care of yourself…
And come back soon…” Despite everything, the girl was afraid.
Afraid for me, and it felt like she was saying goodbye.
“I’ll be waiting…” And there was certainty in her, too.
In me, in my strength.
The kind of certainty I myself would never be capable of.
Closing my eyes, I hug her back, and somehow it really does get easier.
But at some point, the feeling of touch disappears, the noises fade too.
Opening my eyes, I notice I’m standing completely alone in the darkness.
“Okay…
I’ve had enough for today.” Getting up and turning back, I walked away.
The thought that the worst was behind me warmed my soul like nothing else.
Right up until I saw Clones coming toward me.
An army of clones, stretching endlessly both to the left and right.
I physically couldn’t fail to recognize the white armor, even though I hadn’t seen it in a while.
But…
What are they doing here?!
It was all so unexpected that surprise managed to overcome all other feelings.
Speeding up, I walk away and, closing my eyes, try to hold myself together.
I could hear the hum of a lightsaber, some garbled shouts, the roar of explosions, and someone’s wheezing laughter…
And the symbol of the Republic surfaced in my mind.
In my rush to get the hell out of there, I completely forgot about one particular spot.
On the next step, I slip and, cursing everyone and everything, fall somewhere.
Strangely enough, I didn’t end up swimming.
Furthermore, I passed through a barrier as if it weren’t there and, tucking myself in, landed carefully on the floor.
Strange.
For some reason, I started to feel a bit better, and breathing became easier.
It felt like a slight breeze had swept through my head.
Getting up, I look around.
Up there — something; down here — a floor and a passage.
I don’t get it…
Am I at the bottom?!
Shaking my head, I reassess what I’ve seen.
For some reason, the Republic symbol was firmly lodged in my head, no doubt because of the clones.
Accepting these oddities, I try to take them as a given.
It helps; at least my brain stopped leaking in the attempt to process it all.
Sheathing my sword, I walk on and, to my surprise, come out at the entrance to a temple.
A real temple, judging by the slope of the walls and their appearance — it’s a copy of the one in the Old City.
I wonder…
Did I somehow get transported to the Old City?
It shouldn’t be possible…
More than likely, my brain is still glitching.
Walking further down the corridor, I freeze mid-step.
The echo-sounder reading in the Force fluctuated; I wasn’t getting the response I was seeing in front of me.
Something was wrong…
After standing still for a moment, I realized what it was.
There was another passage right next to me, but an illusion of a wall stood in its place.
Whereas where I was heading, there was something dangerous — my gut whispered it.
Turning aside, I trust the Force and, to my own surprise, pass through the barrier.
Here was another corridor, well-lit by unusual wall torches and leading somewhere deeper.
Following it forward, I emerge into a huge, spacious hall.
In its center stood a massive triangular arch, stretching from ceiling to floor.
Directly opposite it, across from me, was a very wide passage, big enough for a BelAZ truck.
Right under the ceiling, slightly behind the arch’s apex, a ball of light burned with a blue flame, illuminating the entire vast hall.
It felt like I was an ant that had wandered into a human house.
Walking further, I stumble upon some kind of control panel, maybe?
In the center stood a black, polished-to-a-shine sphere a meter in diameter.
And around it, in a ring, were panels with many green crystals and gold levers.
Next to two glowing green indentations shaped like a right three-clawed hand with claws, just a bit higher, set into the wall, was something vaguely resembling a stone TV screen with a half-closed eye.
“No…
If I were dead, I’d be hallucinating anything but this,” I smirk grimly, looking over the hall again.
Holding my palm up to the button meant for a three-clawed hand, as if for a small dinosaur, I compare the sizes.
Well…
A bit bigger than mine.
Not wanting to tempt fate any further, let alone try to interact with unfamiliar equipment, I leave the ancient ruins alone and head back.
I’ve had enough adventure for one day; time to go home.
Turning on my jetpack, I start ascending.
Against my fears, I flew out fine and, furthermore, the pressure of the dark side of the Force, though present, felt somehow…
weaker, maybe?
Or had I just burned out?
I’m not surprised by anything anymore; the main thing is to get out of here.
Only when I flew out to the surface, where night had already fallen, did I exhale with relief and realize I’d left my mother down there.
Damn…
Oh well.
She’d been there before.
I hope she’s smart enough to realize I’m not a complete idiot and would head for the exit if things went wrong.
Note to self: before going into the middle of nowhere, always, always set a rendezvous point in case we get separated.
“Oh…” Taking off the pack and dropping it on the ground, I sit down on it.
Only now did I realize how fast my heart was beating, how my hands were shaking…
Like a weight had been lifted from my soul, leaving emptiness in its place.
And it immediately felt so light.
“Heh…
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha,” putting my palms to my face, I laugh quietly.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have visited one of Tython’s main attractions.
Next visit tomorrow at seven hundred hours,” I continue muttering to myself.
“Attention!
The agency is not responsible if you die, lose your sanity, or just go crazy there.
Also, our firm offers no refunds.
Heh-heh-heh, well done, Shade, you’ve got schizophrenia…
Ohhh…” Wincing, I rub my temples.
My head started to ache, and reflexively using Force sight only made the pain worse.
“Okay…
Where did I see aspirin?” Sitting there, chuckling a bit, I come back to my senses.
When I more or less snapped out of it and managed to pull myself together, I grabbed my pack and trudged toward the temple entrance.
Strange, why are the guards looking at me like that?
They seem to be running around…
“Shade!” I hear my mother’s voice.
And a moment later, she herself appears from around the corner.
“Mo—” I started, but she crossed the distance between us like a whirlwind and locked me in a hug.
“m.” “Shade, how are you?
Are you okay?
Tell me, do you remember your name?” “Uh…
Yes.
I remember.
My name is Shade, you’re Aala Aero, my mother, and I can even tell you the year.” “Shade,” she hugged me again…
Still not recovered from visiting the gorge, it was hard for me to get back to normal, but even so, I felt her unprecedented relief wash over me.
“Mom, tell me, what’s going on?” “You…
You don’t remember?” “Remember what?” “How we went down into the gorge?” “I remember, of course!
We went down, I was singing songs.
Then the energy of the Gorge started pressing on us.
And then you disappeared somewhere…” “Come on.
We need to check you out,” she practically dragged me away, taking my arm.
Dragging me to the Temple Master’s office, we waited for a few more masters, and then they started checking me.
Starting with simple question-and-answer tests, as well as a Force check.
I had to repeat the same test I did at the Akar Kesh temple.
Only when I demonstrated the “black sun” did everyone relax.
Especially my mother.
“Will someone finally explain to me what the hell is going on?!” my patience snapped.
“Shade, tell me.
What do you remember?
When you went down?” “I remember everything!” “Did you go to the very bottom?” the Temple Master, Quan-Yang, interjected animatedly, with a hint of impatience.
“I don’t know where I went; I didn’t understand myself.
At first, we walked normally, but the lower we went, the stronger the Force pressure became.
Then, at some point, I lost sight of Aala and decided to look for her.
Didn’t find her, went a bit lower, she wasn’t there either, so I flew back,” I condensed my story to a minimum, omitting everything else.
“I…” Aala began, and swallowed a lump in her throat.
“Shade, you and I descended past the safe limit.
I haven’t gone that deep myself, but when I saw you walking so freely, I thought something, I thought…
Anyway, I passed out at some point.
And when I came to, I figured you’d come back here.
But you weren’t here.
I was about to go after you to the very bottom, but you came back on your own.” “Wow.
Quite a walk…” “Shade, did you see anything down there?
Visions, or something unusual?” “Anything in particular?” I snort.
“Tell me what you saw.” “Strange visions.
Death.
War…
And I also saw a strange waterfall.
What was that?” Strange, why did everyone flinch back from me like that?
“That is…
the Wall of Chaos, Shade.
It drives anyone who approaches it insane, and no one has ever managed to get past it.
The fact that you saw it and returned…
The Force itself guided you; I have no other answer,” Quan-Yang looked at my mother.
“The main thing is that you’re back.” “Did you at least not raise a racket?” “No.” “Thank the Force,” I exhale and drop the second newly formed stone from my heart.
I’m afraid Weight would have definitely strangled me after something like this.
And Hadiya would have buried me.
“Come on, Shade, I’ll walk you to your room.” “Mm-hmm.
By the way, Ma, did Hadiya already leave?” “Yes, this morning.” “What do you mean, this morning?!” I even jumped.
“You’ve been gone about a day.
You were gone a bit longer,” Quan-Yang explained.
“Well, damn.” “That’s it.
I’m never setting foot near a Force source again!” Leaving the office with my mother and walking through the half-empty corridor, she spoke to me softly: “Did you see anything else?” “I did.
Death, Mom.
Everyone.
Creatures with eyes sticking out from their heads devouring the dead,” She put her arm around me.
“I don’t really know what I saw.
And, frankly, I don’t want to see any more…” “Shade, are you sure you’re alright?” “Let’s just say, I had an anchor,” I smirk, glancing at the amulet on my wrist.
“‘And more than one,'” I finish mentally, remembering the girl.
“Anything related to our…
business?
Was there?” “No, Mom.
If there was, I didn’t understand it.” “Pity.” “Let it be.
At least now I can definitely call myself a Je’daii.
I’ve been on both sides, and I’m still mostly intact.” “Don’t joke like that, Shade,” she shook her head.
“It’s not funny.
Especially for you.” “Can’t help but joke; the backlash, heh-heh-heh, is coming.” “Yeah, well.
Okay, we’re here.
Get some rest, son.” “Mm-hmm.” “And Shade.” “M?” “I’m proud of you.” Smirking, I go into my room and, closing the door, lean my back against it.
“Okay.
Phew.
Calm, just calm.
Inhale-exhale.
We’re alive.” Sending out a Force wave without turning on the light, I open the bathroom door.
Uniform in the laundry; luckily, they know about washing machines here, even if they are…
extravagant.
But the main thing is they get things clean.
And a warm, relaxing shower is just fantastic.
Unable to resist, I cracked a couple of jokes to myself about the Sith and Jedi and how I felt about their dogmas.
Freaking crazies, both of them.
I can’t even imagine how you can constantly live in permanent anger and pain?
The Jedi aren’t any better; their ideal is a biological robot.
Speaking of which, clones fit that perfectly, heh-heh, they’re the ones future Jedi should aspire to be like.
I wonder, if I drew “Jedi are morons, Sith are assholes” somewhere around here, what would future generations think?
Damn, no, I’m definitely not in my right mind if I’m seriously thinking about this crap.
Getting out of the shower, I crawl to the bed.
Strange, why is my bed buzzing with emotions?
Has the furniture come to life?
Feeling the blanket, I realize someone is simply lying in it.
“Masha-Masha, this isn’t your bed, go sleep in your own,” I laugh, flopping down next to her, and immediately slap my palm to my face.
What a nightmare…
Where’s a psychiatrist here?
“Mmm, Shade…” someone moaned sleepily by my ear, threw the blanket over me, then draped a leg and arms over me, happily settled their head on my shoulder, and Ves started purring.
“Cats are an anti-stress remedy, and their purring is beneficial,” I thought to myself as I drifted off to sleep.
I’ve had enough for today.
It all helps promote the story.