“Left, two, left, two, pull yourself up!
Arms wider, put that foot farther…” “Shade,” Vessira — or Ves, as she’d allowed us to call her — drawled in agony.
“Please stop, it’s bad enough without you.” “Besides, it’s because of you that we’re paying for it now,” Zeng chimed in.
“And what about me?
I didn’t do anything!
It’s not like I broke the workbench.” “Yeah, you finished it off.” “Hey!” “More precisely, you dropped someone on it,” Lina interjected.
“Gra-a-a-a” “There!
Even Gris agrees with us.” “Oh, come o-o-on, guys.
It’s not that bad.” “We’re walking through a silent desert at night in minus ten degrees to find some hidden sphere,” Lina droned monotonously.
“HOW could it be worse?” “We could be walking during the day,” Ramira shrugged.
“In plus forty.
I don’t know about you, but I still haven’t learned to use the Force to create a layer between my skin and the atmosphere to keep my body at a comfortable temperature.” “That’s true.
I’ll have to shake down Master Uval on that topic,” I nod.
“Shade, don’t.
He’s already ready to kill you as it is, don’t push him further.” “Na-a-ah, it’s mutual love between us.” “Fhfhf…” Ves choked.
“R-r-r-ra-a.” “Where from?
Well, Master Uval is an old acquaintance of my mother’s.
I suspect they studied together — I don’t know for sure.
But he often came to see me and…
if you could call it that, kept an eye on me when I was homeschooled as a master from Qigong Kesh, where Mom was planning to send me and basically had me enrolled.
But!
Our relationship was doomed from the start.” “Can you elaborate?” “My Force was…
unstable at first.
I was always a bit emotional, and that bothered him.
I have to admit — not without reason.
He once hinted to my mother that I should be sent to Bogan, for which she slapped him.
We’ve disliked each other ever since.
I honestly tried to cause trouble, and I did, to the best of my ability, while he stoically endured my antics and tried to find a way to rein me in.
Nothing serious, just petty stuff, but the fact that I had the nerve to openly hit one of the first Qigong Kesh instructors in the face with a plate of…
I didn’t get to finish.
Suddenly, the ground heaved, and something began emerging right beneath us.
Everyone jumped back, and when we turned around, there was a massive Flint Lizard before us.
Nearly three meters tall, a wide beast with tough, spiky, spark-scattering scales and violet eyes.
Six muscular legs and two rows of sharp crystalline teeth.
“I think I’d rather walk during the day…” Lina exhaled.
Spotting the Wookiee as the largest, the creature, despite its size, lunged straight at him.
Zeng and Feng reacted first.
Grabbing the lizard’s tail with the Force, they pulled it toward themselves with considerable effort.
This was accompanied by a wild roar from the creature.
Lina was next.
Leaping onto the creature’s head, she drew her stilettos — a gift from her father — and plunged them straight into the monster’s eyes.
But instead of blood, dust and sand sprayed from the wound.
The lizard roared even louder.
Flinging the girl off its snout, it tried to grab her, but a kick from Vessira knocked the monster’s maw away from the falling Miraluka.
Drawing my own blades — a gift from my mother — I drove them into the monster’s belly on the run.
From the other side, the Wookiee’s axe bit into the lizard.
A wild roar, and a shockwave radiated from the creature, scattering us all.
I only had time to throw up a Force barrier.
Coming to my senses, I got up and saw an electrified Wookiee.
The shock, fueled by adrenaline, erupted into wild laughter.
Meanwhile, tracking by sound, the creature headed straight for me.
“Suuura!” I shouted, dodging to the side.
The creature followed me.
It could hear and smell me clearly.
A dodge — its jaws snapped shut a meter from my arm.
A leap — another snap of teeth right in front of me.
Landing and rolling.
Where I’d landed, tons of sand rose from the enraged creature.
Another lunge at me, but this time a powerful shockwave hit the lizard square in the side.
I turned toward the source and immediately started choking.
“Don’t you dare!” shouted an angry Ves.
Her fur was just as electrified as the Wookiee’s.
What was going on with her hair was indescribable.
“Don’t even think about it.” “S-snort…” “No!” “Pfft-ha-ha-ha…” I couldn’t hold it in, and I paid for it immediately.
The recovering lizard lunged at me again, but this time the twins intercepted it.
Striking it in the face with the Force simultaneously, they disoriented the lizard.
The Wookiee finished it off.
Grabbing his axe, he split the lizard’s skull.
“Well…” Zeng said, wiping sweat from his brow.
“…
that’s how it goes,” Feng finished.
“Don’t celebrate too soon,” Ramira said, pointing at seven more rising sand mounds.
“RUN!!!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, sheathed my swords, and took off first.
The others oriented quickly, and soon we were hightailing it together from a group of angry reptiles.
“Whose idea was it to walk through a silent desert at night?” Feng exclaimed.
“Gris!” the fluffy Miraluka ratted him out.
“A gru-u-u!” “You need to study Tython’s fauna!
He didn’t know,” I yelled back.
“For the record, Flint Lizards don’t care what time it is,” Ramira commented.
“Enough talk, move your asses!” Ves snapped.
“Ar-ru gra ar-gra-aru.” “We barely took down one, and you want to kill seven more?” “Ugra-a ar argra-a.” “If you’re so smart, go fight them yourself, and we’ll watch.” The Wookiee glanced back, then sped up.
“Kar-ru-ra a-ru-u.” “What?
Changed your mind?
That’s what I thought!” “Guys!” I called out, pointing at a group of fighters flying toward us.
Reaching us, the three fighters opened fire on the lizards without slowing down, shredding three and scaring off the rest.
We finally stopped and collapsed onto the sand.
Soon the aircraft landed, and someone approached us…
“Master Gar-o-o-os,” I drawled without a hint of mockery, happy to see him.
Never thought I’d be glad to see this sneaky, annoying pedant.
“What have you done?!” he exclaimed immediately.
“Well…
we were carrying out your assignment,” I answered for everyone.
“Tell me honestly — are you idiots?” “Huh?” “Your target is ten kilometers from here, on the safe grounds of the temple.” We looked in the direction he was pointing.
Whoops…
“But fine, you’re bad with geography.
Answer me this…
WHY the hell did you set out at NIGHT???” “Well…” “WHOSE idea was it?” He swept our group with a threatening glare.
Everyone sat with their heads down, not daring to meet his eyes.
“You’re lucky these were just Flint Lizards.
Who’s the ‘genius’ who came up with this ‘brilliant’ idea?” Yeah…
the sarcasm and causticity in the master’s voice were overflowing.
Glancing at my comrades, I sighed: “Mine,” I answered, getting up from the sand and brushing off my pants.
The others immediately raised their heads, especially the Wookiee, whose eyes clearly said: “What?!” “Of course.
Who else could have come up with that,” he stated.
“And fine, him — but why did you go along?” he turned to the others.
“Ramira.
You’re a smart girl, you didn’t even need to go with them.
Your punishment was already lifted — why did you go?” “Well, they’re friends.
And…
classmates.
I wanted to help.
In case someone got hurt.” “Yeah, with these guys, anything could happen,” Master nodded.
“Gu-r-r-ra ar-r ra-r.” “Gris?
What are you talking about?” Master frowned.
“Nothing, he’s just a stupid fur rug who doesn’t know when to shut up,” I cut in, pinning the Wookiee with a glare.
Yeah…
staring down a Wookiee — good joke, but it actually worked.
“Hm?” Now Master looked at me.
“Master Gris, I’m the fool who dragged the whole group into the desert at night.
And led them the wrong way.
I admit my fault, I’m ready to accept punishment.” After these words, silence fell.
No one said anything, and I looked expectantly at the master, while he looked at me.
Eh…
if I hadn’t messed up at the temple, we wouldn’t even be here…
and Gris…
everyone makes mistakes.
Besides, I was technically the group leader…
was.
And the final decision was mine.
And the most frustrating part — I knew perfectly well about these creatures, but I also knew our target was on safe ground, which is why I agreed to move out at night.
I never expected we’d accidentally wander into wild territory, so…
no matter how you look at it, it’s my screw-up.
“Well, what am I supposed to do with you?” “Understand them and let them go, and give me a reprimand,” I shrugged.
“And you won’t even argue?” he was surprised.
“Well, it’s deserved.” “You’re not hopeless.
Well then, everyone into the hold,” he pointed at his ship.
The tired group of students got up and headed toward the vehicle.
“And you,” his gaze returned to me, “will continue carrying out the assignment.
The safe zone is over there.” He pointed a direction.
“Can you get there yourself?” “Uh-huh.” “Questions?” “No questions.” “Excellent!
What are we standing around for?” “Eh-heh…” I sighed heavily, adjusted my swords, and headed toward the temple.
It was going to be a long night.
* * * I only returned to my room two days later.
To find that damn Kyber crystal that had been deliberately thrown out into the sands, I had to keep my Force vision expanded to the maximum the whole time.
The silent desert absorbed not just sound, but the Force itself, so I had to strain twice as hard.
Why, given that, can the Je’daii navigate it perfectly?
Because they use Force vision, which is a different thing.
I use waves for vision.
And considering that sand absorbs those waves perfectly, I had to scan everything within a twenty-meter radius, or more simply — check almost the entire territory, and I passed the spot where I found the stone three times without finding it.
There was naturally nowhere to eat, but thank the Force — Je’daii are much more resilient in that regard — and I had water with me.
(Yeah, going into the desert without water — you’d have to be completely out of your mind.) The crystal itself was a completely white, unpolished little stone.
Master Garos, seeing my diligence, let me keep it as a trophy — he must have taken pity on my suffering…
and gave me some advice on how to use it.
It turns out that such crystals on Tython aren’t rare at all, and they’re actively used in any equipment or devices.
Kyber crystals perfectly focus the Force, and they’re used to create ship reactors, weapons, medical equipment, and much more.
They’re also used for direct Force use.
Clothing with a Kyber crystal significantly strengthens the wearer’s connection to the Force.
What’s also interesting is that the crystals are intelligent.
At least that’s what they say.
It turns out that if you meditate over a single crystal for a long time, channeling only your own energy, the stone will only obey you.
Well, that’s what they say, but that doesn’t stop people from sticking these stones wherever they can.
For instance, some clever folks made themselves special blasters.
Others made gloves capable of receiving or reflecting enormous Force pressure.
Like ball lightning, for example.
To stop it, a Je’daii has to exert himself.
But if he’s wearing those gloves, the Kyber crystal does everything for its owner, dissipating the lightning’s energy.
You just need a small impulse, and that’s it.
Also, the being’s personal nature affects it here.
Depending on what emotions the owner experiences, as well as their personal qualities, the crystal can change color.
For example, if you’ve fallen to the dark side, whether you want it or not, the crystal will turn red.
But only if you have a bond with it.
If it’s yours, so to speak.
So I could say I was somewhat lucky.
I got an untouched crystal.
On the other hand, it’s also a prize for the winner.
Under ideal conditions, the punishment we went through is considered a test for senior groups, and people generally didn’t think I had enough persistence to actually find it.
Taking a quick glance at myself in the mirror before heading to the shower, I had to admit I barely looked like my former self.
Sweaty black hair, myself so dirty that in places my characteristic ‘predatory,’ ‘sharpened’ pigment patterns were invisible.
My clothes weren’t any better either — my vest was torn, same with my sleeveless undershirt, and I won’t even mention my pants — they were only good for rags.
One good thing — my boots were intact.
If I’d lost or damaged them, Mom would have been very upset.
You can’t find those just anywhere — boots with joints at the ankle bend that don’t hinder mobility during acrobatic stunts.
And that don’t fall off during them.
Alright, enough staring at myself, time for a shower and sleep.
Arriving in class the next day, I was quietly stunned.
The guys were sitting there sour-faced, and they were glancing at me…
well…
I don’t even know.
I’d call that look hunted, or guilty…
to the second degree.
The special touch was the emotions, which gave me goosebumps.
Not a very pleasant feeling.
“What’s with you guys?!” My surprise couldn’t have been more genuine.
I really didn’t understand what was up — I got myself into this mess, I dug myself out.
Did something happen while I was gone?
“You’re not mad?” Lina was surprised.
“About what?” “Well…
we left you there, and you…
took the fall…
for everyone,” Ramira mumbled, surrounded by the twins.
The guys had been keeping a protective eye on the little girl lately.
“It’s not like you had anything to do with it,” I shrugged.
“If I hadn’t made that scene then, everything would have been fine.
I should apologize to you for dragging you into this in the first place.
And I’ll need to check on the techs too — that really was awkward.” “But you stood up for us!” Feng howled.
“Rias was hassling us, calling us weaklings, telling us what to do.
Then you showed up…
with that kick, sending him into the workbench.
And then the wreckage.
And anyway…” “What’s he got against us?” I cut off the Zabrak.
“We…
uh…
Tythonians are free people.
We decide what, how, and when to do ourselves.
And besides, I can’t stand it when these important types think they’re better than everyone else.
If you’re strong — good for you.
But if you push others around, someone will push you around, because that’s how it works.
It always has been, it always will be.
We claimed that workbench first, and just because he’s almost a graduate doesn’t give him the right to boss us around.” “That’s why we’re apologizing,” Ves chimed in.
“You’re always standing up for us, helping us, and you take the heat, while we…” “Just drop it,” I waved dismissively and turned toward my desk.
Reaching it, I dropped into the chair.
“In the end, we’re friends.
I know I can count on you if something happens, and that’s all I need.” I smiled and looked at the guys.
Mom was right — my circle appeared on its own; I just had to wait a little.
Ramira was actually crying — she suddenly jumped up, ran over, and hugged me.
“Alright, that’s enough, everyone’s staring at us!” I exclaimed, pointing at the snickering group.
“No-o-oh.
Let everyone know how shy you are,” Ves sang, settling right on my desk.
Her pose was so provocative that my self-control waved goodbye.
Plump chest, slender figure, and flirty eyes — this cat was working it one hundred percent.
And it’s been two years now that I’ve been feeling the hormones hitting my head.
Besides, I can’t deny that this little kitty was really quite cute.
“Oh!” Ramira exclaimed, accidentally bumping into the consequences of my reaction.
“What’s…” “Alright, ENOUGH!” I barked, slamming the table and knocking Ramira off.
Even Ves jumped in surprise.
“PFFT-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha…” the guys laughed, while Ves leaned in, licked my cheek, and walked to her desk, leaving me in quiet stupor.
So…
what was THAT just now?!
* * * “…
and I’m telling you, cutting that creature is useless.
It has no blood.
You have to chop it!” “But something does pour out!” “Yeah, sand and dust.” “But it can’t pour out forever.” “And you’re sure?” “What are you arguing about, boys?” Ramira said, hooking each of them around the neck and hanging between them.
“About the Flint Lizard,” I answered calmly, then added: “Guys, you’re both wrong.” “What?!” “Ouyr-r-r-ri gr-a-o.” “After a hammer blow to the head, no one’s going to be feeling great!” “Ga-r-r-r u-u-i-r.” “Or an axe.
Or a rock.
Or any heavy object.
And if that object also has spikes, then…” “In short, guys, if we meet another creature like that, we hit it with the heaviest thing we can find right on the forehead.
Questions?” The twins shook their heads.
“Excellent!” “Y-ieo-ey-oi.” “I won’t argue, trophies are sacred, but who’s going to carry them?” “R-r-ri ar-rg u-u-r.” “Pfft-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha…” “Even ten!
As long as he can carry them.” “This one can carry them,” Ves stated.
The Wookiee himself was grinning from ear to ear.
“Alright, guys, I’m off.
I still have to work off my time with Master Garos.” “What for this time?” Lina asked mischievously.
“‘Inappropriate behavior in the presence of superiors,'” I quoted with air quotes.
“Same as usual.” “Alright, see you.” “Later, Li.” “Gra-i-i-i.” “Bye, Gris,” I got hugged.
“Zeng, Feng, Ramira,” I gave the trio of Zabraks a slight bow.
“Take care, Shade,” they bowed slightly in return.
What’s interesting is that each species had its own greeting and farewell.
For Zabraks, it was a slight bow; for Wookiees, a handshake, or if you were a close person…
being, a hug.
For Miraluka, a strange hand gesture that I’d turned into a ‘high five.’ But that was only with Li; with others, you had to follow ‘tradition.’ As for Ves…
“Good luck,” she whispered, licked my cheek, then turned and, swaying her hips, led the others away.
And that little tail of hers was giving her away.
Side to side, in sharp jerks, one, two, three.
Heh.
In general, every parting or meeting with her had turned into a little game called “Lick Shade.” Every other day, I tried to make a note to myself to finally look up what this action meant, because I’d never believe it was just a ‘gesture of friendship.’ But every time I either forgot or was just too la-a-azy to go somewhere and ask.
Especially after punishments.
Or extra classes.
Or everything at once.
And she, when I asked, just batted her eyes and kept quiet.
I tried to find out from our group, but some shrugged, some kept quiet, and some got suspiciously red.
Eh…
alright, what did Master come up with today?
Every Takeda brings something new.
“Master Garos?” I called out the Zabrak.
Wait…
why is he so pleased?
“Ah, Shade.
Master Tsikuna was looking for you,” he said without looking up from his Force exercises, this…
this…
JERK!
“What?!” “She’s in the next room.
Also, your punishment will be with her — good luck, my best student!” And the look on his face, that look…
give me a brick!
Or at least a lemon.
A whole one.
“Master Garos!
Do you have a conscience?” “What about it?” “Instead of sympathizing with your favorite student, you’re mocking him!” “You’re my favorite?” “You bet!
You love assigning me punishments so much.
Especially with you.
And besides, you called me the best yourself!” “Best?
Maybe.
From the bottom.” “Now that’s just mean,” I grumbled.
“And that’s GOOD!” he raised a finger.
“What about the punishments?
And…” “What else am I supposed to do when others complain about you?” he cut me off.
“No, just think about it…” He pulled out a sheet from his jacket and read: “‘Broke a workbench’…” “That wasn’t me!
It broke ON me…” “‘Cursed during meditation’…” “I was expressing my opinion colorfully.” “‘Broke off a Devaronian wanderer’s horns’…” “Note, without using the Force!” “‘Drove Master Runa to a psychotic break,'” he paused here.
“HOW?!
Just HOW did you do that???
He’s a Talid!
And a monk at that!
They have racial psychic stability honed by countless spiritual meditations — HOW did you throw him off balance?!” He shook a stack of papers in front of my nose.
“What’s with him — he was lecturing me that I was an abomination of the dark side of the Force.
I just proved him wrong!” “You showed just how RIGHT he was!
And I completely agree with him.
Even more, he’s started drinking occasionally with Master Uval, whom I won’t even mention.
But what kills me most is…” He glanced at the sheet.
“‘Asked questions in an unauthorized place at an unauthorized time.’ How am I supposed to interpret that?!” “Well, what am I supposed to do if the masters scatter whenever they see me?” “They scatter because you harass them.
They don’t even want to take you for punishments anymore, just so they don’t have to see you.
But no, you’d find them underground.
The only one who gladly takes you is Master Drags.” “But I’m curious!” I protested.
“Where, where do you get so much energy?
Even Aala was more restrained than you…” He seemed to remember something.
“Though almost every guy in the area ran from her too, but she scared them off.
You, on the other hand…
latch on like a parasite and won’t rest until you’ve sucked out the information you need!” “Don’t exaggerate.
I admit I’m persistent, but not to that extent!” “Tell that to Master Runa,” he snorted.
“Uh…
okay.
I’ll definitely tell him when I see him.” “NO!
Don’t you dare!
And stay away from him.” “But you said…” “That’s it!
Enough.
Go.
I’ve been talking to you too long.” Before I could get a word in, I found myself outside the door.
Well.
That was awkward.
No matter, no matter — he’ll cool off a bit, I’ll come back with something tasty, apologize, and we’ll definitely make up.
Probably.
Maybe.
It all helps promote the story.