With every passing minute, the rising tension in the Force grew more palpable. The lack of time was felt physically. It was difficult to force myself to stop and catch my breath for even a few minutes. Yet rest was essential; otherwise, we would exhaust ourselves before the trial even began.
Everyone strove to maximize their abilities in the remaining time. Now, even the smallest detail that increased our chances of survival could be the deciding factor.
Lana spent entire days locked in her room, meditating, trying to push the boundaries of her abilities. In our situation, every extra meter of scanning range she could cover was incredibly precious. She emerged only for our joint training sessions, where we tried to reach a point where we wouldn't just help each other in a fight, but at least avoid getting in each other's way. Usually, this boiled down to each of us picking one opponent and trying to lead them as far as possible from the group to engage in a one-on-one duel.
Kamma, meanwhile, rushed like a madman between the archives and the technical bays. It was he who scoured for any available information on wilderness survival and assembled small beacons to help us find one another. Granted, these devices would have a short range, but we concluded that the area of our trial, be it a city, a patch of wilderness, or wherever they dropped us, would be limited. Otherwise, the acolytes would scatter and simply get lost on the planet, which would contradict the core purpose of the trial. So, we agreed to move toward the center of the location and find each other there.
As for me, I focused on honing what I already knew. I was designated the primary combat unit of our group, and if it came to it, I would have to take on multiple opponents. In such a scenario, only precognition would allow for victory against equal foes. I spent hours sparring with droids under the dome to further engrain my existing skills. There was neither time nor strength left to learn anything new.
My gratitude to the Grand Inquisitor for choosing to teach me the Form II of lightsaber combat was now truly boundless. I cannot imagine how else I could have successfully evaded the strikes of multiple enemies. Only the fluidity and high mobility of Makashi allowed me to circle the enemy without exposing myself to their blades.
But we weren't the only ones preparing intensely. Perhaps others had information as well, or perhaps everyone simply felt the disturbances in the Force. The number of people training increased significantly; even those who usually preferred not to leave their rooms began to appear periodically in the halls and sessions. The Archive, which previously enjoyed practically zero popularity, now consistently hosted one or two acolytes carefully reading from the monitors. Everyone tried to avoid crossing paths with other acolytes. All felt the coming explosion that would change everything.
And the Director's actions only added to the general nervousness. Five days before the appointed date, all classes were abruptly canceled without explanation. The red robes of the Priestesses, who had followed our every step like grim shadows on the periphery of our vision, vanished. It seemed we had more freedom, no one was watching us, we could do as we pleased, but such liberty only frightened us, making us expect a trap around every corner.
The final chord was the opening of access to the upper floor, where the hangar was located. For some, the pressure was too much...
At night, according to the chronometer, there was a deafening screech followed by the sounds of a brief skirmish. I was training in one of the halls at the time and heard it clearly, but didn't give it much thought. In the morning, a rumor swept through the base: several students had tried to seize a ship by force to escape. They had caused quite a stir, but by dawn, their mutilated bodies were displayed to the rest of us, along with a recording of their brief struggle against stormtroopers in black-and-red armor.
After that, the tension shifted into a near-panicky fear. This must be how people feel in bomb shelters—no connection to the outside world and total uncertainty. All we could do was speculate about what awaited us. The acolytes did just that, passing along rumors, each more terrifying than the last. Some said we were to be sacrificed to the Emperor so he could restore his strength after a Jedi assassination attempt. Others claimed we were being prepared for a fight against Jedi who had been captured specifically to test our skills.
Against the backdrop of general fear verging on panic, the three of us found it slightly easier, but the collective anxiety still affected us. For the last couple of days, when we decided to catch our breath and recover, we discussed how accurate our information was and what to do if we were wrong.
But as is the nature of all things, this too came to an end. Now, dozens of pairs of eyes watched the entrance doors of the main training hall intently. A minute later, they slid open, and we saw our Director in person for the first time. A tall figure shrouded in a cloak towered over us like a mountain, at least two and a half meters high. The head was of an unnatural, elongated shape, the skull too narrow for a human. The black eye-sockets of his mask seemed to drain the warmth from the room. From beneath the cloak, unnaturally long white fingers, reminiscent of spider legs, would occasionally peek out.
I don't know about the others, but I clearly felt a blast of cold air. The Director stood before us and seemed to look directly into my soul. Judging by the way others flinched, I wasn't the only one with that impression. His raspy voice, distorted by the mask, carried the same contemptuous, mocking tone.
"Congratulations to all who have lived to this moment. I admit, you have surprised me; I thought fewer than half would survive these six months." A mechanical laugh from beneath the mask chilled us to the bone. "I believe you have earned a reward. Today, you will be released from the base for a stroll in the fresh air. Wonderful weather, beautiful flora and fauna. I am certain each of you will have a good rest. Perhaps some of you won't even want to return, and will stay forever on that paradise island."
He spoke of pleasant things, the kind that should make you relax and anticipate a vacation, but a sticky fear crawled over my body. There was something in his tone, his posture, his aura that made everyone pull their heads into their shoulders.
"Please follow these lovely ladies; they will escort you to the upper floors. I look forward to seeing everyone who returns, my dear talents."
The Colchian Priestesses, appearing once again as if from thin air, ensured no one strayed from the group. We marched as if under guard, and why "as if"? That was exactly what it was. We were being guarded by a massive scarlet beast, ready to swallow any acolyte who made a mistake. No one had ever seen what the Priestesses were capable of, yet everyone feared them. Previously, I had sensed them on the periphery, like a large snake slithering in the distance, dangerous only if you did something wrong. But now... my heightened sensitivity screamed that these beings were not to be provoked.
We made the entire journey in deathly silence; it felt as if even our breathing had become quieter or ceased altogether. But our journey did not end peacefully.
As soon as we reached the hangar with the ships, one of the acolytes broke ranks and sprinted toward the nearest starship. No one tried to stop him. The black voids of the Priestesses' eyes simply watched as the small figure ran up the ramp and disappeared inside. A minute later, we saw only a rapidly shrinking dot in the sky. I noticed several other students tense up. Such success was bound to spark certain thoughts.
A muffled explosion tore me away from watching the teenagers. The spot where the student's ship had been a second ago erupted in a bright flash. A piece of glowing metal fell like a stone, and in the Force, the death of a gifted sentient was vividly felt.
"We do not advise anyone else to repeat his actions," a polyphonic whisper paralyzed each of us. "Such an act is equivalent to betraying the Emperor, which carries an inevitable punishment."
At the mention of the Emperor, timid half-smiles appeared on most faces. I wondered why. Yes, the Lord is great and wise, but that is no reason to rejoice at the mere mention of him. Apparently, I wasn't the only one thinking this, as a few other acolytes remained perfectly calm.
"Everyone, board and take your places. Anyone who attempts to leave the hangar will be considered a traitor."
The long, tedious loading process began. Before us stood a large cargo ship of an unknown type. Elongated, it closely resembled a stylized image of a rocket laid horizontally from my old world. A small entrance allowed only one person at a time, creating a short queue as not everyone immediately understood where to go.
"It can't be..." Kamma's muffled whisper caught my attention. "A stealth ship. They were used during the Clone Wars. I barely found a mention of it and never expected to see one in person. Incredible."
"Is it that remarkable?"
"You have no idea. There are stealth ships that simply vanish from sensors, that's rare, but familiar. But this... It disappears completely, do you understand? Completely. Neither sensors nor cameras can detect it."
"You're right, that is indeed an amazing little ship."
"Oh, you boys, always about your ships," Lana chimed in. "Why don't you discuss blasters and lightsabers in your spare time too?"
"Wonderful idea, Lana. Set, did you know that the DLT-19 blaster was commissioned for the Imperial infantry..."
"Lana!? Why did you wake the demon? He won't shut up until he finishes the lecture."
"How was I supposed to know?!" Two large green eyes full of bewilderment stared at me. "Who knew he could talk about that topic too?"
"You should socialize with the group more often, dear. Now think before you ask him questions. You'd have been better off asking him about makeup; he definitely wouldn't have anything to say about that."
"You insult my breadth of knowledge. Did you know that in the Queen of Naboo's daily ritual, no less than an hour and a half is allocated for cosmetic procedures..."
"Shut up, you walking encyclopedia!" Two loud outcries merged into one.
"Alas, you have no thirst for the new or for uncovering the hidden secrets of this world." His face took on all the sorrow a sentient being is capable of. However, it immediately returned to its normal state. "Oh, it's our turn."
We were loaded inside. A short walk through a narrow corridor ended in a spacious hangar. Long... well, they looked most like benches... lined the walls. There was more than enough room for each group to take their place in the spacious hangar at a sufficient distance from one another.
Kamma paced slowly along the walls, occasionally kicking the plating according to some logic known only to him. But he wasn't the only one acting strangely. Some were rocking back and forth, hugging their knees. Sibar, who everyone agreed had gone mad, was methodically banging his head against the wall. Tifa, surrounded by a crowd of loyal sycophants hanging on her every word, was speaking quietly while casting glances at the First.
Their relationship was strange. They weren't together, and it wasn't even certain they were allies. How did Kamma say she negotiated? Unlikely, but she hadn't been bothered all this time. Only now did I notice that although they weren't technically together, both groups were close to each other, and no one questioned it. It was all very odd; I suspect they have some kind of agreement. I'm sure our encyclopedia knows something about it. I'll have to ask him later.
"Everyone, listen to me!" the First stood in the center of the hall, surrounded by his retinue. "I believe everyone here primarily wants to save their own skin. Based on how trials were conducted before, a hunt will be conducted for the rest until only one remains—the best. It is no secret that my group will be the winner regardless. I offer anyone who wants to join me a chance to live a little longer. Until the hunt for the others is over, we will not touch you."
He's lying. Something inside me answered unequivocally. He is lying in the most blatant manner. Most likely, those who join will be disposed of immediately if things are as Kamma described. Nevertheless, a few students, after some hesitation, crossed over to his half of the hangar.
"The rest of you, you have made your choice! Do not dare expect mercy."
The "best of us" reclined lazily on a bench and was apparently already asleep. What did he have to fear? His loyal curs would protect him from any danger.
"What an idiot. Can I just curse him right now?"
"Calm down, Lana, we're sticking to the plan. If we start a fight right now, we have little chance of surviving, even if you neutralize the First."
"I know, I know," the girl jerked her head in annoyance, brushing a red strand from her forehead. "He's just so infuriating. Arrogant bastard."
"Control yourself. This is not the time or place to give in to emotions."
"I know, I know..."
"Quiet!"
Suddenly, my ears caught a faint hissing. It sounded as if air was very slowly leaking out of a balloon.
"What is it, Set?"
"Quiet."
I tried to pinpoint the source of the sound. My eyes scanned the wall until they caught on a small black void. "There, at the top!"
Where a metal plate had been, there was now a small black hole. If you weren't looking for it, you'd hardly notice. Faint greenish mist swirled out of it in curling wisps.
"Force, it's gas!"
I must have said it louder than I intended. A terrible panic began. Some huddled in the center, not knowing what to do. The First's group tried to create a Force shield. Someone tried to climb as high as possible to cover the hole. I started to lunge forward to close it too, but a hand held me back.
"Stop, don't do it. Think about it: the room is hermetic, there's nowhere to hide, nowhere to stash gas masks. I've already checked the whole place. There's no place to hide an antidote, a mask, or anything else. We can't block the gas with the Force."
"So what do you suggest, just relax and wait?!"
"Exactly. I don't think they herded us into a gas chamber to kill us. It's a sedative, look for yourself."
And indeed, one of the acolytes who had been trying to climb and close the hole was now simply lying on the floor, motionless. But his evenly rising chest made it clear he was alive.
"I'm telling you again, relax and try to get some sleep. No one knows when we'll have another chance to rest properly."
"Kamma..." Judging by the glint in the redhead's eyes, she wanted to do something spiteful. "Can I at least throw a curse at one of the First's lackeys? I really don't like them."
"Hutt take you, do what you want. They're too busy maintaining the shield right now to do anything to you. Set, let's go breathe in some of this gunk..."
A sweet, pungent smell touched my nose. My head became leaden; the world around me began to blur into indistinct spots, then started to spin. The floor and ceiling swirled and merged into a single vortex. My eyelids turned to lead, and my eyes closed.
******
Something wet fell and trickled down my face. Then again, and again, until my whole body was soaking under the rain. My throat felt like a desert. Opening my mouth, I greedily caught the life-saving moisture falling from the sky. If anyone were to find me right now, I would be a rather helpless sight.
Sensitivity slowly returned. I felt the ache in my numb arms; my eyes felt as if they were filled with sand. Wait... why "as if"? I could clearly feel sand trickling between my fingers. Through the wool in my ears, I could hear the sound of waves very close by.
The Force flowed through me, restoring, warming, carrying away the painful sensations. Finally, I managed to sit up and survey the world around me.
I was lying on a narrow strip of sandy shore. Barely ten meters away, a thick forest of unknown plants began. The shore would have truly been a paradise, as the Director described, if everything around weren't steeped in Darkness.
The sand trickling through my fingers had a reddish hue, like thick, crystallized blood running across my palms. Black, gnarled trees, looking as if they had been scorched by fire, reached many meters into the air.
The Dark Side permeated this place. On the shore, it wasn't quite as terrifying, but in the center of the island, there was clearly something so dark that I had never encountered anything like it. Reaching out with the Force, I felt it... A clump of gloom beckoned; I could feel it waiting for me to take it for myself. It promised power that no one else could give me. I only had to give it my life...
Shaking off the hallucination, I yanked my hand away from the hilt of my lightsaber. To hell with those experiments.
Only then did I hear a faint beeping coming from beside me. On the bracer that had long since become a part of me, a red panel blinked invitingly, as if wanting to be pressed. Let's try it; it's unlikely to make the situation any worse.
A hologram of our Director unfolded before me.
"Oh, congratulations, you've woken up and haven't been eaten yet. That's just wonderful. And now, the trial conditions. You need to kill one acolyte, or survive until fewer than half of you are left. You might ask, 'Great Director, how do I defend myself or survive?' I answer: there's a backpack near you with enough food for a couple of days, and your lightsaber is on your belt. Oh, one more thing, if you try to swim off the island, Imperial forces will destroy you."
"However, there is another way to leave the island. I think you can already feel it. In the center of the forest lies an ancient Sith temple. There is a certain item there that our Emperor requires, and he graciously allows you to present him with this gift. Oh, and since this place is far from ordinary, many fun and kind friends await you here. Who will eat whom first—them you, or you them... we shall soon find out. Welcome to the trial. Or as our venerable Grand Inquisitor called it: 'Die or Perish.' By the way, the acolyte judged the best will undergo training for a month under the guidance of the finest of the Inquisitors. Good luck surviving, dead man."
The recording cut off. Great, just brilliant. If I understood correctly, it was "karking" wonderful. Besides the acolytes, I had to worry about the local fauna, and possibly flora, maybe about Imperial stormtroopers, and as the Force suggested, the weather. The light rain that had woken me was rapidly developing into a storm.
"Sith!" Now I had to find shelter too. Irritation filled me so much that I had to vent my rage on two nearby trees. Only when they were turned to dust did I feel a bit better.
Where is that karking backpack?! Ah, there, buried under debris. Now, what do we have here? A couple of survival rations, something like a hammock, a weather-tracking device, and some other trifles. How is that possible, absolutely nothing useful?!
Stop, control yourself. This place is having a bad effect on me. If I'm already on the verge of snapping here, what will happen as I move further in... Fine, first, I need to check my stashes.
Though I already knew they were in place. Either we weren't searched, or they figured it would be a bonus for the clever ones. A thin but very strong rope was coiled around my waist in a tight layer—there were at least ten meters of it, likely more. I'd wound as much as I could. A flat blade, sharpened to a razor edge, slid from my sleeve after I discarded the flesh-colored adhesive and the edge-guard. It would be very stupid to accidentally nick my own vein or artery.
And now for the most unpleasant part. Sticking a finger into my mouth, I hooked a thread tied around my tooth. Suppressing my gag reflex, I managed to pull out a small device. The beacon that was supposed to help us find each other.
Well then, into the unknown. There's nothing left for me to do here. I hope this island isn't too large and we can find each other quickly enough.
******
"Everything has been carried out as you ordered, Grand Inquisitor. The criminals have been transferred to the designated sector. In total, they were issued seventy-five light blasters, five rifles, thirty-four..."
"Spare me the details. I know all this perfectly well; it was I who suggested the idea to the Lord. If not for your timely report, Mentor, I would not have known that the Director was so abusing his position by leaking information to the students."
"But why can we not simply report this to the Emperor? He would execute the Director, and that would be the end of it."
"It's not that simple. No one is irreplaceable, but there are those who are difficult to replace. And our tall friend is one of them. The Emperor is unlikely to want to change a specialist who has already shown worthy results. One must admit, his pupils were quite good... for their age."
"But are you certain it was worth increasing the difficulty of the trial? The acolytes will already have a hard time. We prepared them well, of course. But we are sending not just a rabble, these are quite capable mercenaries."
"Mentor, you are not considering the specifics of the location. The Dark Side is very strong there; it will drive ordinary sentients mad, and those acolytes who conquer it will become much stronger."
"But..."
"Enough. In any case, all that remains for us is to wait. All the pieces are set; the game has begun."
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