The ship emerged from hyperspace. The planet we were flying to this time once belonged to the Eternal Empire of Zakuul. This Empire in the Unknown Regions was formed by one of the greatest Sith in the history of the Gifted. It is there that the Master suspects the presence of the medallion. Vitiate, who wanted to drink all life in the Galaxy, couldn't help but pay attention to the Force Ghosts. The Sith medallion, an artifact that helps summon them. The fact is that the Sith ritual that summons them is very demanding and tedious. You need not only to summon a Force Ghost but also to tame its energy. Which is not easy at all... And that's why such an artifact was created. We were interested in it for obtaining information from Tulak Hord's Ghost...
"What is it?" the Master asked, entering the cockpit. He looked rested, clearly slept well and showered.
"We've exited hyperspace. But still, where are we flying?" I asked the teacher. "To Zakuul?"
"Zakuul? Oh no, we won't go there yet," the man shook his head. "Information about the artifact that interested the Emperor said that one of his subordinates took it at one time. He supposedly wanted to use it to strengthen himself and overthrow the Emperor."
"Vitiate?" I asked skeptically. "Try to overthrow Vitiate?"
"Sith," the Master replied concisely. "The self-preservation instinct has been turned off since the beginning of training for almost everyone. He didn't succeed. Apparently, he messed up the summoning ritual. Who he tried to summon, I don't know. On the planet where the medallion was originally located, I could only get information about its probable new location."
"And where was it originally? Purely out of curiosity."
"Lehon," the Master answered briefly, making me almost choke.
"Rakata Prime?"
"Rakata," the Master grinned wryly. "An ancient race of the Gifted who developed an incredible inclination for the knowledge of the Dark Side of the Force. Those who once built the Star Forge. During Revan's time and a couple of decades after his existence — it was literally a paradise for Sith of all kinds. Various artifacts, knowledge. Alas, now only the climate is attractive there. I found only mentions of many things, and everything else was plundered."
"Yeah, the more I learn, the less I like this self-imposed mission. A medallion made by the Rakata, stolen by an underling of Emperor Vitiate, who tried to perform a ritual and summon Force Ghosts to gain power comparable to the 'Dragon of Zakuul'🔹Zildrog (Eng. Zildrog) is an ancient sentient superweapon created on Iokath in the Manderon period (the era of the Galactic Republic, which lasted from 7000 BBY to 5000 BBY). It had two forms: a giant supercomputer with three heads that could change their colors when their facial expressions changed, and a frigate called "Gravestone." 🔸Ability: draining and transferring the energy of living beings, leading to mass extermination. ."
"Chin up, apprentice!" the Master grinned. "You and I are not extras in another space simulator battle of starfighters. We are strong, aren't we?"
"Yeah," I nodded grimly, the Imperial March, stylized as a funeral orchestra, constantly playing in my mind.
"Calm your thoughts, apprentice. I don't like what's coming through the Force Bonds... Uh, wait. Should the scanner show this?" he asked me.
I turned my attention to the scanners. What the hell? Two ships were flying behind my starship, rapidly approaching us.
"It's a Z-95 🔸Manufacturer: Incom Corporation 🔹Creator: Seti Ashgad (human, designer from the Hyperdrive Development Department, later a senator of the Galactic Republic from Freesia).🔸Characteristics: length — 12 m, speed — 85 megalights, atmospheric speed — 1150 km/h, hyperdrive — class 2/3, armament (modification possible) — 2 laser cannons, 2 launchers, crew — 1 person.," I brought up information about the approaching fighters. "What are they doing?"
"They're attacking!" Lorm exclaimed. Indeed, two products of the Incom Corporation caught us in a pincer and attacked with turbolaser fire.
"Shields to combat mode," I immediately rushed to turn them on.
My ship had two types of defense. The first was passive, when the shields operated at low power. It was designed to withstand the first attack. The second was active, specifically for combat. The energy bursts did not damage my ship's hull, as the shields first withstood the blow, and then even switched to active, combat, mode. The shield generator here was "the very latest." Father spared no expense and used the latest innovations not only for the VV-7...
The fighters quickly flew past the cockpit and clearly prepared to turn for a second pass. Negotiations? To hell with them! They attacked us, so we'll destroy them. Activating the weapon system, I opened fire. The turbolasers are located on both sides of my ship on the wings. Several green flashes cut through the darkness of space, destroying one of the fighters and damaging the other. Firing along the ship's course is a very convenient thing. I don't need the help of gunners on board; all systems are routed for firing along the course... And if I need to shoot backward, there are also stern guns, which the VV-7 can control... It's a pity we didn't get to do that now. But it doesn't matter... I pressed the trigger... The second salvo turned the last fighter into atoms...
"Phew," I slumped into the pilot's seat. "That was slightly unexpected. However... Brave people they were, they wanted to destroy us. Clearly destroy us," I turned my gaze to the Master.
"Yes," Lorm sighed, sitting in the adjacent chair. "They came precisely for us. I recognized the symbol on the wings of the fighters. The Syndicate 'Crimson Kraken'..."
"You managed to see the wings?" I asked the Master. "And why did we offend them so much? And how did they know we were here?"
"It's very simple. The Crimson Kraken is a criminal syndicate that deals in drugs, slaves, and quietly sells artifacts of the Gifted to private collectors. This is their territory; somewhere here should be their intermediary station, which scans space. At one time, I encountered them and... I dismembered some of their guys and then deflowered the Syndicate leader's daughter on one of the planets," the man smiled slightly... A Master, such a Master. "Such a hot blonde... Mmm... But I'm getting sidetracked. In short, they've held a grudge against me for about three years now. And they didn't recognize me; they just wanted to destroy a ship that dared to trespass on their lands. This is a restricted zone."
"But the law doesn't apply to us," I said.
"True," the Master nodded. "And you get it. However, they disagree with that statement. We destroyed their standard patrol, so we'll definitely have trouble now..."
"And why couldn't you have said this earlier?" I asked the Master. "Or should I consider everything a training exercise again?"
"Well, fifty-fifty. I think: if you know everything in advance, it's boring. So I... Forgot. But don't worry. I've already been to Drizm, that's what this planet is called," he nodded at the planet's sphere. "Moderate climate, three continents. The residence of the Sith we need is on one of the islands."
"Just tell me which one," I asked, discovering about a thousand different islands in the planet's ocean.
"The one closest to the central continent," he pointed to the map, "there. Fly to it."
"And what were you doing here?" I asked. "Since you were here, why didn't you take the medallion?"
"Well... I had to evacuate the planet urgently last time," the Zabrak scratched the back of his head guiltily. "Alas and woe. About five hundred Kraken bandits don't lend themselves to archaeological research. And the presence of a couple of Mandalorians among them, although useless because they rejected their path, but by no means untrained, did not suggest their quick elimination. Therefore, I had to 'run like hell.' But now everything is fine."
"Yeah, yeah. The Red Kraken's base sends two fighters to intercept us, which are destroyed... What will they do next?" I asked.
"They'll send a stronger squadron to search for the insolent ones. But they didn't consider one fact. The Sith's residence is shielded from radar and scanners. And by a happy coincidence, I changed the password to access the landing pad."
"Everything sounds beautiful, Master, except for one thing..."
"And what is it?" Lorm Decer asked.
"That you fled the planet, and they stayed, right?" the Master nodded. "And that means they could have left Planetary Defense Systems here."
"What makes you think there's a Planetary Defense System here?" the Master asked me.
"Because, if my scanner is to be believed, and I tend to believe a military-grade scanner — they're aiming a Planetary Defense System cannon at us!" I said, jerking the ship's controls to the left, dodging the shot. It fires rarely, but if it hits, no shields will save us!
"Hutt's eggs!" Lorm exclaimed. "They've gotten bold! I ordered them not to touch anything!"
"Do you think they would have listened to you?" I asked the Master, dodging a new shot. My ship is small, maneuverable, plus Jedi reflexes and rare shots.
"You can't dodge for long! We need to land somewhere!" Lorm exclaimed.
"You don't say!" I replied with the most skeptical voice possible.
"Yes! I'm not wasting so much time to leave here again!"
"I get it!" I turned the ship and began to descend. The forest around the residence gradually thinned until we flew out onto a rocky beach. Rocks separated it from the rest of the island.
"Let's land here," the Master ordered, pointing to the golden sand where the waves were rolling, and I landed the ship not far from the water.
The ramp opened access to the outside, and we slipped out of the ship with lightsabers in hand. We were ready for anything... The sound of the surf could be heard. A light breeze gently blew our clothes. And the smell was quite fresh, marine.
"VV-7, guard the ship," I ordered. "Put it on maximum readiness and activate stealth mode."
"And you couldn't have done this before?" the Master asked, watching as the ship "almost disappeared from perception." It's not completely covered with stygium. To hide the ship, it uses a so-called "stygium projection field." That is, the ship uses crystals that spread a field around it, making it invisible.
"And before, did anyone tell me that we would fly to Wild Space, to a planet that was once part of the Eternal Empire of Zakuul, belonging to one of the most brutal Sith Emperors in history. To a planet that is in a sector under the jurisdiction of a gang of bandits, pirates, murderers, and smugglers?" I asked the teacher sarcastically.
"Alright, alright, I get it. My bad," Lorm Decer admitted. "VV-7, protect the ship."
"Shut up, horned beast, I only follow my master's orders," the droid beeped, closing the ramp, which finally made the ship invisible.
"An impudent bagel..."
"Don't even think about eating it, Master. I like this droid..."
"Pervert," the Master stated. "Better find yourself a girl... Alright, my young apprentice. Today we will have a new lesson."
"I hope it's not a lesson on 'finding the daughter of a criminal syndicate leader to deflower her'?" I asked him.
"He only has one daughter of suitable age... Three years ago. Now, however, his younger sister is seventeen. If you want, I'll keep her for you..."
"No, thank you! It's enough that they're looking for you; I don't fancy being wanted by a criminal Syndicate!"
"A pity, the daughters are beautiful... Well, alright. Less skepticism about your Master, young apprentice! Today your lesson will be in confronting the cruelest, most terrible living inhabitants of our Galaxy... Sentient beings. What sentient beings are capable of in combat — no creature, no matter how cruel, can match."
"You were on Lehon. Surely there weren't a couple of rancors for your hide?"
"I'll tell you more — I've been to Dathomir too. And one crazy witch, I think her name is Talzin, unleashed three on me at once..."
"Did you try to get her into bed too?" I couldn't resist the joke.
"No, of course not, she's as ugly as a human woman who hasn't washed for a month, during her menstrual cycle, and has just quit smoking!" Lorm retorted. "I was young, foolish, and naive. My first research concerned the disappeared race of the Zeffo. And I was on Dathomir, precisely at one of their temples. I tried to get into it... But then I realized that the Zeffo weren't particularly developed," yeah, and in one game, the whole plot is built around them. However, among all their artifacts, there are only puzzles in tombs, and keys that opened the door to a vault where one Master hid a holocron with the names of gifted children in the Galaxy. The Jedi have several such Holocrons. "In any case, it's not important now. What's important is something else. My lesson. There are many bandits and bad sentient beings on the island. Therefore... Remember the most important phrase! Murder is the least effective way to achieve any goal. We will kill them..."
"It's not a phrase, but a complete contradiction," I remarked. "Don't you think so? And what's the point of the lesson?" we approached a huge rock that needed to be climbed. The rock is large, made of gray stone.
"It's simple. Murder itself can not only solve a problem but also create a new one. Someone might come to avenge the deceased sentient being. A deceased sentient being, even the most worthless and insignificant, could have changed history in a completely unexpected place if they had survived. But we will kill him, kill him for our selfish goals. That's why I always say that murder is the least effective method of achieving a goal..."
"And at the same time, you threatened several sentient beings with death," I noted.
"That was aggressive negotiation tactics! And anyway — don't ruin my chance to say pompous phrases!" Using grappling hooks on my gauntlet, and Lorm simply taking his from his belt, we climbed up... "So..."
We walked towards the forest. Huge trees could have blocked the view of any sentient being, but not us. Two Jedi perfectly sensed twenty sentient beings who clearly wanted to make unplanned holes in us...
"Are we going to wait until you make children?" Lorm asked sharply. "Or have you decided to surrender?"
"Not a chance!" a male voice echoed from above.
I looked up. On a rather large, thick branch of an ancient tree, covered with moss on all sides, stood a man in specific armor and a helmet. A Mandalorian...
"Look who we have here," the Mandalorian said. "Lorm Decer himself. A Jedi Knight, who rashly climbed into our territory a couple of years ago. Back for more? And you brought a pup," he glanced at me — "I'd say, but I can't see his eyes because of the helmet."
"Hars Licht," Lorm smiled. "Long time no see."
"And we'll never see each other again, you bantha poodoo," the man said. "Bastard, did you have the audacity to climb here again after all you've done?!"
"Master, are we going to chat with him for long?" I asked Lorm.
"Until we're done chatting," Lorm replied, barely parting his lips. "What do you think we're doing? This is an important ritual before battle — exchanging pompous phrases. Absorb it and understand."
"The boy is right," the Mandalorian remarked, "I'm tired of chatting. Kill them! But torture them first!"
And how does he imagine that? Bandits, no matter how much they train, simply have no chance against us. Two lightsabers immediately activated. I took the Soresu stance. It's better not to risk it with sentient beings. You can play with animals using Ataru, but with multiple opponents — it's better to approach systematically, defending with Soresu, which is what I did, deflecting a hail of blaster fire heading our way. I deflected it haphazardly; after all, Lorm promised to teach me the elements of the fifth form, Shien, when I manage to deflect a shot precisely at the shooter, but after mastering Ataru, because he's afraid of confusing my current progress in learning a second fencing style. But Lorm was demonstrating Shien... A dull sound was heard, a blaster bolt hit the sentient being's body, and he was thrown down from the branch... Suddenly, the Master sharply darted towards the nearest living opponent. Closing in on him, he dismembered him, and then, pulling his comrade closer — repeated the same procedure.
"Well, come on, apprentice. What are you standing there for? Waiting for their charges to run out?" the Master asked. "If you're afraid to expose yourself with Ataru," he destroyed three opponents at once, "then pull them with telekinesis and kill them in close combat."
Kill... Just like that... Maybe someone will say, in the heat of battle. But I am Gifted and will perfectly sense the death of a sentient being... Which, by the way, hits the brain. The teacher, of course, told me about the basics of the technique that allows you to abstract yourself from the ringing sensation of death. But basics and practice are two different things... No... Stop! What am I thinking! The path I have chosen — I cannot walk without getting dirty. It was in my first life that I thought of intentional murder as savagery. This is a completely different world... So, choosing a target, I pulled him towards me and pierced the man with a precise Shiak to the heart... For seconds, I watched his gaze glaze over, with a wave of my hand, I threw him away from me and again took the Soresu stance, deflecting a few shots. Yes... Not the time for reflection. Combat, that's what's important. These guys might also have goals, ambitions, dreams. But my goals are much more global than those of an ordinary bandit... Using the Force, I jumped high, deflecting shots right in the air. Jumping directly in front of the man, I cut off his head, deflecting two shots at once, one of which even ricocheted perfectly into a mercenary.
Pulling the second with the Force, I pierced him again with a Shiak... The ranks of our opponents were rapidly thinning. I recorded seven sentient beings to my credit, and the Master himself was now, at some wild pace, deflecting shots from three bandits dressed in Mandalorian armor, including those from his old acquaintance. They were shooting with almost ordinary blasters, but they used cover wisely, periodically changing positions, which made it impossible for the Master to reach them... I need to help him. Raising my left hand, I fired a grappling hook. Against Force pulling — a Mandalorian can try to escape using a jetpack, and at the same time, he'll open fire on me; it's not a fact that I'll be able to implement this plan without getting shot in the stomach. The line pulled my body, which I had infused with the Force. The Mandalorian woman, who was shooting at my Master, stood with her back to me and only felt me at the last moment. The woman turned around... I prayed to all the Gods and the Force that her armor was not made of Beskar. Otherwise, my plan would have failed. But in the end... Why would a backwater Mandalorian bandit have Beskar armor? I delivered a powerful chopping blow to the stomach... The lightsaber cut the woman in two.
"Iza!" exclaimed the second Mandalorian, seeing the woman's death.
"Distraction is harmful," the mentor, seizing the moment, quickly closed in on the mercenary and severed his head.
Besides Hars, the squad leader, there were four more ordinary sentient beings left, who in their final moments preferred to observe rather than try to kill us.
"How naive it was to think that this gutter scum could handle us," the mentor adjusted his cloak. "We haven't even broken a sweat, and we've already destroyed most of your squad, Hars."
"You think that will stop me, Decer? You, bantha poodoo, after all you've done to my niece—you won't leave here alive! I don't care if the pup escapes, but you will definitely die today!"
"How cute," the mentor grinned. "I just showed your little niece what awaits her in adult life. And she wasn't exactly against it."
"Vile xenomorph, horned creature," Hars cursed. "I will kill you at any cost."
"I'm forced to disappoint you, Hars, you won't be able to do it."
Mda, the mentor, as always, exceeded my expectations. Attacked a criminal Syndicate led by escaped Mandos. Dishonored the Syndicate leader's daughter… Killed a bunch of people. Obtained information, although there was too little of it, didn't get the Sith artifact… But simply took off. There's no place to erect a monument to him… Not a Jedi, but a damn thing. Walks where he wants, fucks who he wants, kills left and right… Doesn't care about the Council or anything at all… "Gathering knowledge in the name of the Order's power"… How so…
"RAAAAAARH!" a roar suddenly sounded from the east… We were coming from the south. But what's there in the east? I saw some strange structures.
"Mentor?" I asked Lorm. "What is that?"
"It's..."
And suddenly one of the ancient, monumental trees was uprooted and thrown at the tree where I was standing, next to the mandalorian's corpse. I jumped down, avoiding the trunk of the huge tree, and saw who had done it.
"What the hell is this?" I couldn't help but exclaim.
Before us appeared a monster with a stone face. At least, that's how I imagine it. A stone face, inscribed with some symbols. Looking closer, I discerned ancient Sith writing. The mentor had been giving me "archaeological literacy lessons" between raids in the jungle. The monster's body was covered in fur, which created an association with a mammoth. Its paws had razor-sharp claws…
"RAAAAAAAARH!" the monster lunged forward, and at me. Why me?
I jumped into the air, swinging my lightsaber, and when its face was in front of me, I sharply lowered the sword… The sword struck sparks, colliding with the ugly mask, leaving a groove, but no wound… What the hell! It can't be! Landing on the mask, I didn't wait for the speed the monster had gained to push me off. Using the Force, I jumped down, landing next to the mentor.
"It's a gornum," Hars introduced, he flew up using the thrust of his jetpack. "It was created by the local ruler, using your Force. It will bury you, Jedi."
A devil, a derivative of Sith alchemy. Dangerous stuff.
"Mentor?!" I addressed Lorm.
"There was mention in the records, but I thought it was dead, most likely it fell into hibernation, and these smart guys woke it up… But it can take a lightsaber hit. Don't worry, student, I'm a master of improvisation tactics, so we..."
"Mentor, do you have a plan?!" I asked, looking at the gornum turning its face towards us.
"I think… I think… We need to… RUN!" he exclaimed, deactivating his lightsaber, and bolted. The mercenaries and Hars also decided to flee.
"And this, you call a plan?" I asked, catching up to the mentor.
"Don't be sarcastic, think about running!" Of course, one must think! This creature is incredibly fast for its size. "Retreat is also part of tactics!"
"I just don't understand why with you I always run into some terrible creatures that are always, damn it, resistant to either the Force or lightsabers!"
"Such is the way," the mentor shouted.
"What?"
"Such is OUR way," he corrected himself. "When you become a Knight, you'll make plans. You can even live in a brothel."
"Don't confuse me with yourself!" we jumped onto the trees, leaping across large branches. The gornum let out another roar, the clearing was left behind us, as this creature trampled everything. A scream of horror rang out… Some bandit couldn't keep up the decent pace and was killed. "And anyway, how will I become a Knight if I'm constantly getting into trouble?!"
"At the very least, you'll become a Knight of Getting Into Trouble," Lorm replied, shoving me aside.
"Very funny…" jumping down, I let the gornum's carcass pass over me… It, jumping over me, turned around… The huge, ten-meter creature stared at me, baring its teeth furiously… There are many of them, several rows, razor-sharp. Suddenly the creature darted aside, Lorm put his telekinesis into it, as they say, "with all his might." However, it didn't cause any damage to the product of the mad genius, rather it angered it. Therefore, we decided to flee again. "Well, exactly!" I remembered. "I have a grappling hook, I can get away from it quickly!"
"Bastard, you only think about yourself! You want me to be lunch for this monster?! Egoist! All men are the same…"
We stopped to catch our breath. Hars was nowhere to be seen, and his companions had already managed to die.
"Maybe call the VV-7?" I asked, after catching my breath, standing on a thick tree branch. "Ship's cannons will definitely be able to pierce its hide," it turned out to be thick and resistant to a lightsaber not only from the front. Lorm personally checked this, throwing his sword telekinetically.
"I have a better idea," Lorm nodded in the northern direction.
I looked closely and saw a pyramid. A classic pyramid, clearly resembling a Sith pyramid, built of yellow stone. It was surrounded by a powerful wall, on which I clearly saw fortifications and even artillery. But the biggest thing was a huge anti-aircraft gun that was firing at us. It stood behind the wall, but even so, I could see its huge barrel pointing at the sky…
"They haven't noticed us yet," the mentor grabbed me and dived into a bush with me. "Look, the wall is quite strong, there are many enemies in the pyramid. We'll lure the gornum to it, it will distract them, and we'll sneak into the place we need using the chaos."
"I like your idea, mentor. For the first time in all my training with you," as it was said in a series of cult games, "hide in plain sight."
We will be able to pass into their sanctuary unnoticed. And the gornum didn't let us down. With a wild roar, it burst out of the forest onto the vast plain surrounding the residence. The mentor and I aimed both our hands at it, striking with telekinesis with all our might. The creature flew towards the wall and… They got scared and opened fire on it. Couldn't have come up with anything better. The gornum successfully forgot about the Force that sent it forward and, letting out another roar, darted towards the wall, easily knocking it down. They didn't have time to raise the shield… We, using the Force enhancement, entered from the other side and climbed onto the wall. Finally, I saw the inner courtyard of the residence… The bandits were frantically rushing towards the gornum that had broken through. The surrounding area was a not-so-well-kept garden.
"There it is," Lorm pointed his hand at the open windows. "That's how we'll get inside."
It wasn't difficult to use the man-made chaos named after the gornum. Jedi, focused on stealth infiltration, plus sentient beings who didn't pay much attention to us. As a result, we managed to get inside relatively quickly and immediately headed for the central hall, where, logically, the artifact storage should be, or the main person at this base, who could be interrogated. The residence's decor was rich, with various statues everywhere and strange paintings hanging. All this sharply contrasted with the wires lying along the sides of the corridors.
We walked through the corridors until we hit a closed door.
"What next?" I asked the mentor. "Break through by force?"
The door was steel, modern, which slightly disrupted the ancient ambiance.
"No," Decer shook his head. "Listen! They're talking about a medallion. Something important? Someone is still looking for it, maybe Jedi Shadows will be needed, because an Gifted is looking for it."
Now this is serious. Any Gifted, with proper training, can cause problems. But they don't know about us, we used Force cloaking to the maximum, hiding ourselves as much as possible. If we had used it earlier, we could have passed by the ambush squad. But then Lorm saw no need for it – he said we'd crush the bandits and have fewer problems. And now…
"I wish I knew more," the mentor scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"We'll find out, look," I pointed my hand at the grate. Among the yellow stone from which the residence was built – the steel ventilation grate stood out.
"Well done," the mentor smiled.
Climbing up was not difficult. I carefully, telekinetically, removed it, and Lorm jumped in. Then I, still holding it telekinetically, without even aiming my hand, jumped into the ventilation passage myself, putting the grate back in place. Fortunately, they skimped a bit on the equipment, and it turned out to be removable. Walking along the rather narrow ventilation duct, we listened to the conversation that was in the very center of the residence.
"...I don't care about your circumstances," a female voice was heard. "You promised to deliver the medallion to me. And now you're saying your courier stole it."
We approached another grate, which offered a view of the room. It was impressive, more like a throne room than a room. In the center was a chair resembling a throne. And the hall was also filled with tables, on which a multitude of artifacts were placed. Lorm's breath caught. Not all of them were Force artifacts, but some of them radiated power. I even caught a glimpse of a couple of lightsabers, destroyed Holocrons, ritual daggers.
"Do you understand that my employer could be VERY UNHAPPY," said the pale, bald woman, dressed in scarlet clothes that fit her athletic figure quite tightly. She had two daggers on her belt. And the Force emanating from her was practically radiating power. She isn't even hiding…
"This is..." Lorm sighed.
"Did you recognize this witch?" I whispered to the mentor. "I don't like her," a strange vision flashed in my head – a girl falling to the ground and the woman's terrible laughter with a triumphant cry.
"Witch? No, I've never seen her before," the mentor replied. "I'm talking about someone else. Look."
I looked closely at whom he pointed to. Not far from the bandit talking to the Witch stood a formidable warrior in shining Mandalorian armor… Made of beskar! He was tall, about two meters.
"Teyron Jarps," the mentor introduced the man to me. "This is big trouble, he's a legend of the Outer Rim, even the Core Worlds have heard of him. A dangerous individual. Once, our people sent two Knights to pacify him. No one heard anything more about the Knights, but he's alive and well. He's almost called the hope for the revival of Mandalore, as rumors attribute him plus or minus five Jedi in total."
The man was in impressive Mandalorian armor. On his belt hung a pair of powerful blasters and… Even a projectile weapon! I easily recognized the pistol, a regular one. Plus a blaster rifle, on his back – a rocket pack, and even a beskar spear, resembling the one Din Djarin received, and even armbands with rockets! He is not Gifted, but even so, I feel his power. This is not the level of training of a Gifted, this is the feeling I developed fighting predators. The feeling of a strong enemy, even not Gifted. A beast, a predator…
"Is he with the Crimson Kraken?" I asked, looking warily at the Mandalorian.
"If only. The Crimson Kraken is a Syndicate with a strict hierarchy, created by escaped Mandos. All from the Crimson Kraken have a corresponding patch over their heart, and he doesn't. He most likely arrived with the Witch."
"With all due respect, Lady Shilazh," the base leader stammered. "I can't do anything. Joyran vanished into thin air. We honestly sent him to you, to Eriadu, with the medallion. But he stole it."
"Then you need to check your personnel better!" the Witch roared. "If my boss gets angry—you'll be in trouble."
"Me? In trouble?" the base leader asked her. "I don't care who your boss is, but if you threaten the Crimson Kraken…"
"Will the Crimson Kraken be ready for what my boss can do to them?" the woman asked slyly. "One word from him, and a squad of Jedi will show up and destroy you all."
"Oh, so Dathomirian Witches are now working for the Jedi?" the man asked.
"No, my master is far more dangerous than any Jedi you can know, if only because at his word, the Jedi will arrive faster than they decide to fly here themselves! Therefore…"
"Lady Shilazh," her superior stopped her. "Let's act like reasonable beings! I'll return the money, the responsibility to the Leader is nothing. The Crimson Kraken values its reputation. A reasonable exchange… I'll also give you information about Joyran. And you – help us with the gornum and the two Jedi who recently appeared."
"Jedi?" Teyron Jarps voiced.
"A teacher and a student," the base leader explained, adjusting his red hair. "An old acquaintance: Lorm Decer, Knight-Archaeologist," a dull noise was heard, apparently the gornum was still rampaging, "and his student-Sephi," damn it. Our holophoto appeared. When did they manage that?
"Why do you think the gornum didn't kill them?" Teyron asked. He didn't take off his helmet.
"I know Decer. That rat will survive even in the epicenter of Base Delta Zero…"
"Rat," Decer flared up slightly. "And yet I spared him."
"Alright. I can't promise anything about the Jedi. But I believe the gornum is the biggest problem at the moment," the building shook again.
"Boss!" one of the bandits ran in. "The gornum is banging against the building! We tried everything! Even the anti-aircraft gun didn't stop it. It managed to destroy it!"
"Hutt!" the man exclaimed. "In short, you heard the problem…"
"Of course," the woman turned and started to leave. Teyron moved behind her like a shadow.
"Let's go," Lorm said sharply.
"Interrogate your acquaintance?" I asked the mentor.
"No," Lorm shook his head. "We won't reveal ourselves. Better to wait for them to deal with the gornum and eavesdrop. Believe me, Teyron, a Witch, plus some trained Mandos – that's not something you should face."
Part of the base looked destroyed. Scattered bodies… At least a hundred, maybe two hundred corpses! Wrecked equipment. Damn, this gornum is a real monster! And… It lost quickly to the Witch. She aimed her hand at some of the survivors, and something like a green stream rushed from them towards Shilazh. Sharply raising both hands, she aimed them at the gornum, reciting a strange spell. The earth itself parted, and the gornum began to be rapidly swallowed by the earth, burying it under ever larger layers of soil, until finally, the ten-meter creature was buried.
"Will it not break free?" the base leader asked cautiously.
"It will die within five minutes," Lady Shilazh replied. "The earth has already begun to enter its respiratory tract. An aerobic creature cannot survive this. And now," we were sitting in the bushes, unnoticed by the enemy. "We will talk about Joyran. Everything you know about him, spill it!"
"But what about the Jedi?" the base leader asked sharply.
"Are you sure the Jedi can cause you problems right now?" Teyron asked, aiming his pistol at the Crimson Kraken officer. "I can kill you all right now."
"Hars!" the officer exclaimed. "Kill them," well, this Hars Licht survived the gornum attack…
"Look for fools, boss," Hars shook his head. "This is Teyron Jarps, whoever he's working for, I don't want to deal with him!"
"A wise choice, you'll live a long life," the witch's voice was heard. "So, my dear, handsome Dorlan," she addressed the Kraken officer. "Either you fulfill your part of the deal, or—the gornum will seem like a lesser problem to you, as well as the Jedi, who have already flown off the planet, most likely, or died under its paws…"
"Chandrila!" one of Dorlan's subordinates exclaimed. "He's from Chandrila and could have definitely flown there. He has a sister there!"
"Excellent," the woman smiled, sharply closing the distance and kissing Dorlan. Before his eyes, he transformed from a rather young, red-haired man into a gray-haired old man.
"For… For what?!" he asked, coughing, as the woman, licking her lips, moved towards the man who had answered her.
"I don't like being tried to be deceived," the Witch smiled brazenly, approaching the man, she kissed him too. "Here are twenty years," she said. "Be glad you're so lucky."
"OH YOU FUCKING WHORE!" Dorlan shouted. "I..."
He didn't finish speaking, Teyron shot him in the head.
"There's nothing more for us to do here," Lorm informed us. "We'll fly to Chandrila."
We waited another twenty minutes, while the bandits more or less dragged the bodies of their friends elsewhere, and calmly left through the forest, returning to the ship… Plunging into bed in my cabin, after setting the course for Chandrila, I immediately fell asleep… The Crimson Kraken, however, sent a couple of ships to the planet, even one Consular and a bunch of fighters, but we just slipped past them, using invisibility, which had to be removed before the hyperspace jump… But they didn't even have time to squeak before we disappeared into hyperspace, heading for Chandrila…