Kaleth, a sanctuary on the planet Tython. The most protected and guarded place by all Je'Dayi. The temple of knowledge and the first among equals. The temple was four monumental rectangular structures connected by corridors and standing on truncated pyramids.
And directly above the temple hovered the largest of the Tho Yors. By comparison, even Hadiya's fortress would be smaller than this big guy. And it can fly. Hadiya would have to be careful not to mention that, because she'd be willing to fly her house up into the sky just to spite the rest of us.
But back to the Sanctuary. Calet was the heart and mind of Tython, where the first member of the Order's council and his advisors sat. It was also here that a gathering of all council members was announced if the situation demanded it, but it was usually handled remotely. By the way. That's where the Jedi got their mannerisms from - sitting in a circle in the guise of holograms.
Having landed a little to the side, on the positions allotted for landing, after all, the sky was monitored here - be great, the first thing I saw through the opened airlock, was....
«She-o-o-aid! - a whirlwind came at me, knocking me onto my back.
«Weight..." I whisper, dropping my hand to the top of the katara rubbing against my cheek. - Are you having these days?
Payback came immediately, in the form of a kick to the arse. Or rather, she tried to, but....
«Ouch! Shh, shh, shh, what have you got there?! - she shook her fist at the katara with righteous anger. - What are you wearing anyway?
«Hadiya gave them to me. I had them enhanced. It's a special suit, designed for active combat," she said, taking her by the handle and releasing the pain with a light pulse of the Force.
The next action was to take off the mask and put my arms around Ves and hold her close.
«I missed you so much, kitty....
«Mm-hmm," she started to thaw and hugged back. Fixing her head, I kissed her lightly on the lips.
That's how we sat on the floor... Exactly until a temple student I didn't know intervened.
«Ahem. Sorry to interrupt, but..." the selkat began. Vesira broke the kiss and glared at him, causing him to turn pale.
«Wes, come on. Be kinder, I already have one maniac in a skirt, two would be too much.
«Hadiya doesn't wear skirts.
«Okay, trousers.
«That's better.
«You want something, mate?
«Duck. There's a name for you.
«Who?
«The Master of the Temple.
«Shit.
«To the council chamber, the messenger finished me off.
«Argh ranhnark!
***
As much as I wanted to be with my friends, as much as I wanted to pet my favourite cat, I had to go to the Temple Master's eyes. Wow, you're on the carpet before you get here. And what only from me needed?
The same question was asked by Vessira, who was walking next to me and growling at everyone.
«Wes, don't growl, you're not a tiger, you're a kitty.
«Mm-hmm.
«Tell me, how are you guys doing?
«Well... The usual. In Vur Tepe we learned more or less the standard programme and were sent away. The Masters there are so busy. One Gris was enjoying himself, but once we got there, he stayed in the workshops. You know how he likes to tinker with iron.
«I do," I smirk.
«Basically, we waited for him. Then we waited for him and went on. Or rather, flew. By coincidence, a new ship was leaving Vur Tepe's hangars, so we got a lift. On arrival in Kalet, as usual, we were given a tour, told, in general, everything as usual.
«Have you been promoted to Pathfinder yet?
«I have.
«So I'm the last one, then?
«Sort of. By the way, you have no idea how much you have collected in the archives of the temple.
«No idea, I nod.
«And there is a whole underground complex, over which the temple is built!
«And you wandered there.
«Of course I have. Shade, this place itself, as a historical object is of great interest, and about what is there, in the depths, I am not talking at all.
«You wanna tell me about it?
«Well, look.
As we walked along, I listened to Vessira's story about local life and how valuable this place is, in all aspects. Both as a strategic point, and as a temple of knowledge, and as a relic built on the ruins of an ancient civilisation, a certain Kwa. When she mentioned that Kaleth's data stores contained EVERYTHING the Tythonians had collected over ten thousand years, I was stunned. Just trying to imagine that amount of information made me sick. It was like an Eldorado.
Following the corridors of the Sanctuary, listening to Wes, I also looked around. High ceilings, painted walls, halls full of both paper and digital media. In principle... The place is nice, and the atmosphere here is... spiritual and positive. I'd even say pleasant. Alas, I have nothing to compare it with, but I can feel it in my gut that unimaginable amounts of data have been collected here.
I go up to the fourth tier of the first building, leave Wes behind and knock on the door leading to the council chamber of the Order of Je'Dayi. The three-metre high doors open and I see a rounded hall with chairs arranged in a circle with holograms of Temple Masters sitting in them. And everyone was looking at me.
"Oh," was all I could manage after witnessing this scene. - "Either this is very good or very bad....".- Council members... May the Force be with you," I make my way into the hall and take a slight bow. Hmm... Really everyone. Even Cicuna. But, unlike the others, she's sitting there smiling, and she gave me a friendly nod.
«May the Force be with you, Shade Aero," the head of the council, aka the Master of the Temple of Kaleth, aka Tutoranos Toor, of the Krevaak race, grumbled and nodded.
«May I ask the reason for this urgent summons?
«Of course," Tutoraminos nodded, and said. But it would have been better if I had kept silent.
As it turned out, I was very, very offended. It's like a scribe. Not all of them, of course, but most of them. And as soon as the news of my arrival reached the right people, my not-so-humble person was immediately called to the gallery. All because of Hadiya. My bitch drank litres of blood from the Council when they tried to meddle in the inner workings of Chickagoo. And it all started because of my report on the alchemists.
Well, the council investigated, then came upon the corpses of the failed assassins, and they led to Hadiya. They looked at Hadiya herself. Freaked out. Looked at Chicago from a new angle. More fucked up. And now they were very quietly but unculturally expressing themselves about the whole situation.
The council was not happy with Hadiya's rapid rise to power. After all, if it went on like this, in another year or two she would be the unspoken ruler of Chicago. And if another year goes by, it won't be long before she's the official queen. Hadiya's policies ran counter to those preached by the Order. Hadiya did not honour the Force. Not at all. And what's more, she didn't recognise the Order's authority over Chikaga. The planet had only one ruler, only her, and let the monks stay out of the planet's personal affairs.
The attempt to explain to the girl her wrongness led to the fact that she in her usual manner sent the parliamentarians to the pedestrian erotic. There's a violation, isn't there? No offence. And the internal affairs of the Chicago council are none of Je'Dayi's concern. And then there's me. I'm her husband. Who disappears wherever the hell he goes and shows up where he shouldn't. I'm the one who's taking part in the fighting on his own initiative, while even the gifted members of the Ryo clan have moved away from their roots and stayed out of it.
Anyway, they're really targeting me. Since I was Hadiya's husband, I was given an ultimatum to curb the girl's power hunger. And that's when I realised I'd stepped into a minefield, but... Irbis, one more time. May the Force save you from all harm and keep your children and family safe!
I've started trying to get out of it.
«Let me ask you, what exactly is your problem with Hadiya as sole ruler?
«The girl is too willful and doesn't respect the authority of the Order.
«Perhaps. But who wouldn't be offended if strangers invaded his glade?
«That's not the point, Shade.
«You are mistaken, Master Tutoranos. This is about me being her husband. And she'll listen to me. And if that's the case, wouldn't it be easier to help her, to have one constant ally than to keep several clans at bay?
«I agree with him," Cicuna said. - Dealing with one ruler is much easier than having to deal with clan conflicts.
«But unlike the clans, Hadiya has every chance of starting an interplanetary war.
«But she won't! - I'll jump in with a response. - Unless, of course, she provokes it... And then, there's me, and as a consequence, I have influence over her.
And so the argument began. I was spinning. I twisted. I used all my experience with Hadiya and Irbis to twist the situation at least into a neutral line. Because I'm not going to stop Hadiya for obvious reasons, it's easier for me to send the Council. At the same time, I don't want to start a conflict. The Council thinks it's in charge and technically, Je'Dayi is the authority in the system. Yeah, power to Hadiya, that's not even funny. I know the girl won't back down, and she won't. That's why we need to compromise.
Luckily for me, Tsikuna actively supported me, as well as Masters of the Temple Mahara Kesh and Stav Kesh, so we managed to draw a line to the fact that we do not help Hadiya, but we do not interfere... Moreover, we do not even interfere in internal affairs. That said, I keep a close eye on her, and being her husband is my job now. It is calculated that, if... Ahem, pressed, I will be assigned to fulfil my immediate task - to eliminate the threat. True, as I said earlier, that the notional enemy is identified before the conflict begins. Especially on the threshold of the upcoming events... When everyone can turn against me. So I gave my consent with a clear conscience and a sincere heart - "My task will be accomplished". And I have not lied in a single letter. My task will indeed be fulfilled.
So it can be considered a kind of victory! However, as soon as the primary issue of my challenge was resolved, the topic turned to the next, but still concerning me. The council members were concerned about my abilities and behaviour. Temple Master Akar Kesh sang the loudest of all. I could tell by the look in his eyes that the topic had been brought up before and my skin had been brought up for discussion, but now something had to be done about it.
«Enzer, please," Tsikun stopped Talida from ranting about my incompetence. - We're all aware of what's going on. But let's hear from Shade now, shall we?
«Do you approve of this approach, Tsikuna? - Temple Master Mahara Kesh looked at Shade with a raised eyebrow.
«I don't see it as contradicting the code," she retorted. - Well, the fact that Shade learns the Force by other methods can be very useful. Shade? - Their eyes locked on me.
«Well... As practice in Vur Tepe has shown, my point of view, as well as my practice of interacting with the Force, is strikingly different from the conventional wisdom. In particular, methods honed over the years and based on appealing to one side of the Force or another would not work in my case. I have not divided the Force into sides since childhood. In my mind, they are two sides of the same coin that is Je'Dayi. So I tried to maintain a balance not only through meditation, but also through the application of the Force, absorbing both light and darkness evenly.
«This is a very dangerous and rash decision, disciple. Many Je'Dayi have gone mad trying to use both aspects at the same time," said Temple Master Padawan Kesh.
«Yes. But unlike them, I have been practising this technique since birth. The body gets used to it gradually and there is no shock that would occur in an already trained gifted person. Yes, I recognise that negative influences primarily affect the mental state. I was aggressive. Nervous. I constantly needed to release energy, constantly itching for something. Before I knew it, I had solved this problem through a rather rigorous training in Qigong Kesh. I just didn't have the time or energy to cause problems beyond measure.
«Qikuna? - Everyone turned to see the Master of the Qigong Kesh Temple.
«The situation was under control. I've been keeping a close eye on Shade's condition," Sith didn't even raise an eyebrow.
«'Qikuna, this is unacceptable. The apprentice was in danger. What if he couldn't hold on and broke?
«We would have no choice but to exile him to one of the moons.
Yeah... If my friends, my mum, my girlfriends... Anyone would have heard that, they'd be screaming.
«Cicuna.
«Listen to me," she raised her palm. - If Aala couldn't guide her own son to the accepted path, no one can. Be that as it may, that is the past. Now, before us stands an adept who is in perfect balance and possesses both sides at the same time.
«Is that so? - The eyes are fixed on Enzer Da'Kotome.
«Yes. When conducting an immersion in an outside force, the main problem was to upset that very equilibrium. The wanderer Shade Aero is not capable of immersing himself in one aspect or another, and even if he could, it would be difficult for him to do so.
«Master Enzer, let me add that already at this stage Aero is not capable of immersing himself in a particular aspect," Temple Master Vur Tepe interjected. - Rahnar, one of my masters overseeing Aero's development, has given a clear understanding of Shade's abilities. The power channelled by Rahnar was transforming and becoming, as Shade puts it, One. I believe that attempting to immerse him in a particular aspect would most likely result in his death, so despite a number of... peculiarities, I will support Cicuna.
«Mm-hmm...
Standing there, streamlined, feeling like furniture. I wonder if they feel comfortable discussing me in front of me.
«Tutar'Grim, you are mistaken. It is precisely because Shade is incapable of immersing himself in a particular aspect that I insist he be retrained. For as you correctly point out, if the balance is off, he will either die or lose his mind. And I'm pretty sure that's going to happen sooner or later. You know the effect of the Force on an adept, especially near a source.
«I have to disagree," Cicuna interjected. - In my opinion, Shade is doing just fine. Both controlling both aspects and using them. Shade adapts specific techniques to his own needs. Yeah, not all of them, but he's good at it nonetheless. But if we try to retrain him in traditional techniques, he'll have to adapt again. To emphasise, Enzer, an already formed organism(!) will have to change completely. Which brings us to the first problem - mental pressure on the psyche. Or death.
«Are you suggesting we leave it as it is?
«Yes. In fact, I suggest we repeat the experience.
«What? Temple Master Vur Tepe asked quietly. 'Yes, yes, Master, I have the same question. "Sta?!"
«Let me remind you Master, the code of Je'Dayi: "There is no ignorance - there is knowledge. "There is no fear, there is power. I am the heart of Power. I am the Guiding Fire of Light. I am the mystery of Darkness. In balance with chaos and harmony, Immortal in the Force." Purely in my opinion, Shade Aero has achieved a perfect balance in the Force, with neither side negatively influencing him. Furthermore, you and I are constantly stopped from diving into an aspect of the Force precisely because of its danger. But Shade is capable of going much deeper and coming back. Think of the possibilities, the secrets we can unlock! Let's be honest, we'll never achieve that, we'll just have to retrain, and that's fraught. So, let's try to repeat the result with the whole group, shall we?
«Erm... - I fell out quietly. The masters kept up with me. So much for the intrigue within the Order. And the Master is not so simple!
«Tsikuna..." Krevaak took the floor, moving his tentacles around. - What you say is undoubtedly worthy of attention, but we simply do not have a master to properly train such a group. Nor do we have the experience. Dangerous mistakes were made in training Shade that could have broken him, it's a miracle he survived, but he's so alone. I don't think the others can handle it, and we don't have someone who can oversee this case.
«You're wrong. There he is," they nodded at me.
«Eek!
«Aero's too young," Temple Master Stav Kesh said indignantly.
«I'm not talking about now. We already have one adept with the Unified Power. And he can teach it to others. Shade, what do you think? - she looked at me. - Would you want to train a group of younglings at the Temple of Balance?
«No-no way," I swallowed a lump and wheezed quietly. - Forgive me, but I'm not a monk to spend years contemplating the babbling brook and the flow of Force from the spring there.
«So you don't mind teaching the group, then? - she stepped forward and folded her hands in front of her.
«Master Tsikuna..." Krevaak didn't let me answer. - You had something like this in mind from the beginning, didn't you?
«No. I just want to see the result. Shade, I've told you straight out that I'm interested. I'm very interested in where you're going with this. Especially since there was no way I could dissuade you.
«Yeah," I look up at the ceiling and try to remember. Well Tsikuna... well Sith... To think how she cleverly pulled it all off.
«Masters, where are we? - the Master of the Bodhi Temple has drawn a conclusion.
«I propose to leave it as it is, see what happens, and, if the experience is successful, to build on it, - said Tsikuna, but her face was so-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a satisfied. Well... the Sith have never been kind, that's for sure. I tell you the truth.
«Hmm.
A second hand, from the Master of the Bodhi Temple, rose to one hand. Then, to my surprise, Enzer Da'Kotom agreed with Tsikuna. I didn't expect that. And then the rest of the group joined in.
«Unanimously. Shade, from this moment on, by the will of the Force and by your own striving, you take the knowledge of the One Power into your hands. Be careful on this path, for no one has ever walked it from beginning to end.
«All right... Master..." I bowed slightly, swallowing the lump in my throat.
«All the necessary records will appear as soon as you reach the rank of Master. Now, are you ready to take the exam?
«I am.
«Then let's begin.
The exam itself was not difficult. I had to demonstrate, one by one, what I had learnt on my wanderings. Plus some theory, so I passed the exam with flying colours. The other thing was that they started torturing me about where I wanted to go, what kind of master I wanted to become and so on. Especially relevant was the question of why I stayed away from the temple of meditation, because it was the place to learn the Unified Force in its true manifestation.
The thread leading to the mother became salvation. I made it quite clear that I would be a hunter. The masters were not happy with the news, and they would not give in to me. On the table lay the heaviest card I could not interrupt, in the person of Hadiya. Since I needed to keep an eye on her and not run around the system, I couldn't be a hunter. So in that respect, I'm screwed, yeah.
But what temple I will take in priority, was not voiced. Ideally - I'm straight road to Stav Kesh, but I have a mother, which, so, stands at the level of Master of the Temple. And she was even offered to become the head of Stav Kesh, but my mother refused. So she can teach me how to fight just fine.
The rest of the temples were about equal, except for the Temple of Meditation, which is at the end of the list. But thank the Force, I was able to talk my way out of it and not give any specifics.
I left the Council Hall in the evening. Tired, exhausted, and a little bruised.
«Shade! - Wes came running to me. Apparently the katara had been sitting under the door the whole time.
«Wes.
«What's wrong with you? Are you okay? You didn't get your status? - Vessira hollered at me, flaming with worry. I couldn't help but smile and put my hand on my cheek, rubbing it with my gloved thumb. They're soft and pleasant to the touch, after all. I felt them from the outside myself.
«It's just that... I'm a guinea mouse, it turns out.
«А?
«Come on, kitty. I'll tell you everything, - sighing, I turn to the corridor. Weight nestled next to me and I began to retell what happened at the meeting. - Well, I'll start with the good. I did become a tracker. Hooray," I shake my hands languidly and feigning excitement. - But not a hunter, heh. Next thing you know, my point of view has been accepted. Officially accepted, and perhaps it will be included in the code of the order along with the existing views.
«Oh... Congratulations.
«Yeah, but I'm gonna be watched. At least for the time being. Not in the sense of being watched, but I'll just have to turn up regularly to show I'm OK. And if I keep it up, I may very well be handed a group of younglings to train.
«Whoa!
«Otherwise, if I go crazy, and that's not out of the question either, I'll be sent to one of Tython's moons.
-...
«Also, you know that while the Force within me was finding harmony, pressurising my psyche, right? - The katara nodded. - Cicuna was aware of this, but remained silent, choosing to observe. That said, she began to chase me to the ground just because of that. I don't mind. Mum probably knew too, but she kept quiet too. Now, by the way, I understand her concern for me. She was worried not that I'd get into something, but that I'd go mad. But everything's fine, and ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh," I knocked her on the head, "I'm probably adequate. Even though I've been to two Force sources, I've been under extreme stress several times, I've let a Force Lightning bolt pass through me once... Anyway, I want to believe that I'm fine!
«You're fine," Vessira replied immediately, perking up her ears and nuzzling against my side.
«Heh. I was also asked to keep an eye on Hadiya to the best of my ability.
«А?
«She's troubling the council. Willful, brash, out of control. You can't condition her, you can't dictate rules, she only recognises one will - her own.
«And yours.
«And mine," I nod. - But shh, shh, shh about that.
«Hee. What else happened?
«Well, there was more.
So, talking about what happened at the meeting, we walked on. An empty corridor, lights on, and the company of our favourite kitty.
***
A few days later. Curator's quarters.
«All right! The day has come when we are no longer students. We are now free, friends," Zeng said, conducting a glass of Kalimar, a strong alcoholic beverage that tasted bittersweet, but was a real buzzkill.
«Freedom is a relative concept," Feng said instructively.
«Freedom and the ability to choose your own path! - the twin added solemnly. - Congratulations on graduating!
«Gru-u-u-u-u!
«Hooray!
Supporting the general gust, tipping the contents of my glass into myself. A light, pleasant, slightly sweet drink with a small degree. I don't like strong drinks.
«And so. Who's got plans? - I'm looking at my friends.
«Aur ri rga-a-a-a-a.
«You'll go to your parents and girlfriend on Ska-Gora, - I nod. - And you? - I look at the twins.
«Also home. They're waiting for us there, after all," Zeng smiled. - And also, I've been planning to marry one particular girl for a long time, - Zeng put his arm around Ramira's waist and pulled her close to him. I noticed how happy and a little jealous Vessira was at the same time, glancing at me.
In general, wedding ceremonies in the Tython system were different from those in my past world. I vaguely remembered what and how, only that the ceremony involved exchanging rings or something like that. Here, however, there were several rites, depending on the planet. On Chikaga, the wedding was a clan wedding, with a clan tattoo and a number of other things, but on Tython it was much simpler. Two people made a promise to each other in front of the Force, on a special altar that every temple has, one took the other's last name, my dad took my mother's last name, and... That was it. I mean, that's it. Then the differences began, depending on whether the spouses wanted a celebration or not, whether they wanted to gather people, or whether they would limit themselves to each other's company. There weren't even any outfits, I saw pictures of what my parents wore to the wedding and I just bailed on it. Mum in combat gear, with bloodstains not fully washed off. Dad in shorts, T-shirt and slippers. Basically, that's all you need to know about a wedding on Tyton.
On Kalimar, on the other hand, weddings were more traditional, where the couple exchanged special wedding bands, both dressed up, and where it was customary to have a small but festive ceremony with guests and a banquet. I remember that Irbis and I noticed one quite by accident.
«So you'll all be invited," Zeng concluded. - And then, when we're more or less settled down, we can go looking for adventure.
«Or trouble in the same place," Ramira added with indignation. - We are planning to assemble a research team. In the future, the Order will provide us with a ship for this purpose. Something like that.
«Ur-g arue err," Gris assessed the seriousness of the plans.
«Rami, don't you have anyone waiting for you at home?
«No...," the bastard said sadly. - I was lucky enough to be picked up off the street by a passing Je'Dayi who noticed the Force. I have no parents.
«I see. I'm sorry.
«No, it's okay. Wes, where are you going now? - Our eyes locked on the silent katara.
«What do you mean, "where to?!" - the cat said, her ears perked up. - After Shade, of course! He absolutely must not be left alone.
The people laughed quietly, and Gris laughed indecently.
«Uh, that's a bad idea.
«What do you mean? - she recoiled.
«Yeah, Shade. Why are you blowing Wes off? - Zeng was outraged.- I'm not blowing her off, I'm taking care of her," I parried, under Wes's own reproachful gaze. - It's just that I have some problems to solve.
«Oops," Feng perked up and looked over at his brother.
«Aeur reigr.
«Yes Gris, it has to do with mother.
«Then all the more reason why you can't be left alone! - Wes moved closer, and looked into my eyes in that 'kind' way of hers.
«Yes, Vessira is right, if you have a problem, say it, we'll help you. Besides, you and your mother went to the Stargazers. Did you find anything? - Feng changed the subject.
«Yeah, yeah, what about those, what's-his-name... hypergates? - Zeng chimed in.
«Oh guys, it's a story you don't want to get into, believe me.
«Aur grai.
«Briefly, it's a family feud between mother, father, and Dalien. There's no reason for you to get involved, and neither should you, Wes. There's just nothing interesting there...
My answer didn't satisfy the people, but at least they didn't pester me further. Really.
*♪ Looking at Wes ♪
...I'm still in for a tough interrogation and a fight that I have yet to win.
---
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