We flew past Ryloth without lingering in the system. What a shame... Many would dream of being there. Why? The answer lies in the Twi'leks, whom many consider extremely attractive. They are not, of course, like the Asari from Mass Effect. The equivalent of Asari here are the Zeltrons. But still... Twi'leks actively traded their female kin left and right; it was a sector of their economy. However, it wasn't just their own kind who traded girls from their own tribe. They, of late, had moved away from that. Mostly, Twi'lek females were captured by other slavers. The Zygerrians, for example... However, the latter captured everyone they could get their hands on. In cartoons, they seemed evil, but nothing more. But now, living in the DLG and reading about them—my attitude towards them was leaning towards: bring a couple of ISD cruisers into orbit and conduct a "base-delta-zero."
However, these are not Jedi thoughts... Although I didn't rule out that I would carry out cruel actions... Very cruel. Hypocritically, but walking my own path, I clearly understood that I wouldn't get through without getting my hands dirty. On the contrary—I would drink it all in up to my very crown. And I would accept the consequences of my future actions. Jumping into Wild Space, system S-19, which the Matukais called the Tsai Kingdom System, I fell into some strange state. A... crappy feeling. The Star Path rushed forward, into hyperspace... With every moment, we approached the Tsai system. And with every moment, my inner anxiety grew.
Could this premonition signify that they are waiting for us?
"Is everything alright with you, Light?" asked Theodore, sitting in the co-pilot's seat of my ship. I preferred to distract myself by checking the ship's cloaking system, but I couldn't hide my anxiety.
"I have a crappy premonition," I said, looking at the man. "Something is going to happen. Something not very good."
"Ha," scoffed Shayjen, who stood behind his mentor, "are you afraid of something? You're a Jedi Knight. And you're not afraid of anything."
I looked directly into the Matukai's eyes, channeling a bit of the Force into my own. It's a simple trick to create something resembling a terrifying aura. In some of my mentor's notes, which he left me, I found a mention of a special ability—showing intentions. Sentient beings with sufficient skill can "pressure" their enemies, showing them that it's better not to mess with them, even without significant Force pressure. And it's more of a psychological trick, tied to words, actions, body language, than to the use of the Force. The Force can only slightly... "add to the atmosphere." A useful ability to deter unwanted attention from some "overly bold" sentient beings... And non-sentient ones too; the latter, animals, obey instincts and perfectly sense danger, threat, and moments when it's better not to mess with what they've just encountered.
The famous video where an ordinary man drives away a gorilla, seemingly twice his size, simply by showing he's not afraid of it. A similar trick works with dogs. And it was this element of "ability" that I applied to Shayjen, looking him in the eyes without blinking, slightly flavoring my "unfriendly gaze" with the Force. The Matukai's apprentice averted his gaze.
"Only corpses are not afraid," I replied coldly. "Fear is something that can help in combat. You shouldn't succumb to it completely, but you shouldn't forget about it either."
"Light is right, Shayjen," Theodore sighed. "Fear, or rather, the understanding that difficult events await us. How heavy are your feelings, Light?"
"If you think about it," I closed my eyes, "I last felt something similar when I encountered Tyron Jarps and the Dathomirian Witch on one planet. My first mentor and I encountered them. My mentor did not survive."
"Tyron Jarps?" asked the elder Matukai.
"Do you know him?"
"Naturally," Theodore nodded. "He was widely known even among my Order. Many considered his skills outstanding. However—he disappeared about two years ago."
"That's right," I nodded. "I killed him."
"You killed Tyron?!"
"Shayjen," Theodore exclaimed sternly.
"Yes. On a prison planet that once belonged to the Zakuul Empire, back when Vitiate was alive," I looked at Theodore, "what's wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong," the elder Matukai sighed. "It's just that Tyron is the reason Shayjen became my apprentice. I recall mentioning that Shayjen is the son of a successful warlord. And that's true," he looked at his apprentice.
"And Tyron Jarps is the reason I became an orphan of a successful warlord. He was my target."
"News of his death spread long ago..."
"But we were always hanging around the backwaters of the galaxy and didn't hear," Theodore sighed.
"And now you won't be able to get revenge," I looked at Shayjen.
"Hmph, revenge interested me only to the extent that, in the end, the old man wasn't worthy of my revenge; he planned my life from birth and, I bet, until death. He even found me a wife when I was eight months old. Revenge is just an excuse to get away from my 'homeland'," the younger Matukai snorted. "The fact that you killed Tyron doesn't move me."
"And that, precisely, explains why we didn't hear," Theodore said. "Although I wish you would treat the one who gave birth to you with respect."
"I'll decide who to treat with respect myself," Shayjen said, turning away, and Theodore just sighed heavily. Meanwhile, a signal arrived that we had reached our coordinates.
I returned to the ship's controls and, pulling the lever, brought it out of hyperspace.
"VV, black alert," I said, pressing the corresponding key. In a moment, the ship should have disappeared from all galactic sensors and even become visually undetectable. This was done so that we could ambush our enemy, not the other way around. However, even understanding this—my premonitions didn't ease, but rather weighed me down. But I tried my best to dispel the fog of bad premonition from my mind. One must be afraid, but not succumb to fear. Therefore, gripping the steering wheel, I steered my ship towards planet Tsai. It was yellowish-dirty, according to the data that had managed to reach our sensors—traces of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear charges, were detected on the planet. It seems the Matukais had quite a party at the end of their lives. Around the planet, in its orbit, there was plenty of debris, remnants of ships that couldn't fully decompose in space, hence they were in asteroid fields around the planet and in orbit.
"The Matukais had thirty-seven clans," Theodore said sadly. "In the last generation, there were about one hundred and seven heirs who simultaneously claimed their rights to the throne of the Tsai Kingdom. And after the death of Tsai San, the last King of the Kingdom created by the Matukais—they clashed in war. Each of them could command at least ten thousand warriors, and the strongest had armies of a million sentient beings."
"Wow, what a game of thrones they had," I whistled. "What game?! That must have been a real massacre, a slaughter of everyone by everyone."
"It was," the man replied. "Only a handful of Matukais flew to the known galaxy after the war began, wanting to return to their roots: to travel and engage in self-development. The rest got bogged down in politics and wars. But we are not a nation to do such things. We are those who paved the path of self-development. Alas, those Matukais who remained to fight for the Jade Throne of Tsai—forgot about this," the man said sadly. "And everything they created, developed, achieved—burned in the crucible of a war that no one needed. It burned in the flames of ambition."
"I would applaud," I said, not diverting my attention from piloting the ship, "your poetic skills. It's a pity my hands are occupied."
"Your participation is enough, Light," the man said. "Whatever the outcome, either I or Shayjen—we will translate and pay for all your... services."
"I emphasize again, Theodore," we entered the planet's atmosphere. Deserts of sand with sparse vegetation—that's what greeted us. "I'm participating not only for profit. You haven't bought me much."
If asked directly what it was like—I would answer: like Korriban. That's how I remembered this planet during the Star Wars games. However, unlike the Sith planet, this one was literally trampled into this state by wars. We flew over huge craters, from which something vile literally radiated... Most likely—the instantaneous death of a huge number of sentient beings. I had long learned to shield my mind from these sensations. Sensations of death...
"It looks like a nuclear strike," I said. The craters were perfect, regular shapes. Such are formed during an instantaneous release of colossal energy in all directions. Nuclear weapons... The galaxy had long abandoned them, mainly because planets were preferred for capturing resources, tax-paying populations, slaves, servants, and so on. But nuclear bombardment, that is—a nuclear strike—did not contribute to this. Needless contamination of the atmosphere with not the most pleasant... consequences, which can cause mutations in various sentient beings. Nevertheless—the Matukais destroyed cities, at the end of their state's existence, with nuclear strikes. "How many sentient beings died in them, even shielding myself from all this, after so many thousands of years, I can feel the echoes of their death."
"Yes," Theodore sighed, "a sad sight. Sith... Jedi... They fled from the Galactic Wars that you were waging. And they still started the same one, mainly because of the Auridium Law, which prohibited expansion beyond the Tsai system. Perhaps, if the state had developed other star systems, the forces of those who destroyed it—would have been directed towards creation, not destruction."
"It's an eternal dilemma," I said. "If priorities are set incorrectly—a state can devour itself. But, on the other hand, how should priorities be set? After all, it seems: wherever you turn, it's a dead end, respected Theodore. There are always pros and cons... You never know which choice is initially wrong. Because, sometimes, by making a choice to avoid a terrible fate—we come to it."
"And what is the answer?" Shayjen asked me. "To choose a path, but know that you might fail, or not choose, because you know that you might fail?"
"Your mentor knows the answer perfectly," I smiled as we approached the city that Theodore had recently marked on the holomap. It was the capital that survived the war, even though it was stormed by one of the pretenders to the throne, where he fought another pretender. "Choose... Choose and go to the end, decide what is truth for you and go. Because—we don't have time to dwell on whether it's right or not. Only you must be ready to choose and accept all... the consequences of your choice."
"Worthy words, Light," the man said. "Remember them, my apprentice. A Matukai—chooses a path, not thinking his whole life about whether it's right or not. Because it's better—to die trying than to live doing nothing. You are so proud of being a Matukai."
The city was located at the foot of a huge mountain; a similar staircase led up to it, where buildings stood, clearly resembling a huge palace. A palace that seemed to be built into the mountain itself.
"The King's Library is located under the mountain," Theodore informed us.
I deactivated the cloaking mode because the ship needed to land, and for that, it was necessary to scan the area. If our enemy is here, and my premonition, as it were, said that we are in danger, meaning he has arrived, then he has surely disembarked. And he couldn't scan the area. We flew over a vast territory in cloaking mode... Unless, if he notices us now visually, the entire element of surprise will be lost. But what can be done? It's foolish not to risk it now; we need to land on a good spot.
"The scanner registers a landing pad in the superstructure next to the palace," I said. "We can land there. It seems to be a peculiar hangar section where ships could land."
"We'll land there," Theodore said.
"The radiation level in the capital... is normal," I said. "It's mostly elevated in other regions. Hmm... What? I've detected fluctuations similar to... that we are not alone on this planet. Two hundred kilometers to the east, there is some unidentified ship. And it just contacted someone... I can't establish its location."
"Have we been detected?" Shayjen asked.
"It's too early to say... In addition... Two hundred kilometers to the east—we were still in cloaking mode, although it could have tracked us when I just launched the scanner."
"Why the hell did you use it at all?" Shayjen asked.
"Land on a mountain, blind?" I asked. "Look," I pointed to the pad where the "Star Path" was now landing. The pad was quite small; a tiny hole led to it, you could say my ship barely fit. "Even with the Force, landing here would be incredibly difficult, if at all possible! In addition—without scanning, we wouldn't know that we can exit without suits that would block radiation, and we wouldn't know that we are not alone on this planet. Pull yourself together, sooner or later—we would have been detected. Even if the ship we detected is unrecognizable, we would definitely have met its owner. So—don't get agitated, and get to work, Shayjen. The elevator is there," I pointed to the elevator that led to the first floor. Shayjen grumbled something angrily in a strange language and shuffled towards the exit.
"You're quite strict with him," Theodore said.
"You treat him like a grandson," I noted, "but that's too much. I know from experience, Theodore, people like him, or me, need proper discipline. Otherwise, you get something incomprehensible, not a worthy sentient being."
"You underestimate yourself," Theodore said, heading for the exit.
"I'll have a psychoanalysis at the Order after this mission is completed," I sighed. "It's good to know—whether I've lost my marbles or not. VV," I addressed the droid, "listen to me carefully. If any sentient being other than Shayjen or Theodore tries to infiltrate the ship—immediately take it off the planet. You have enough fuel and authority."
"But, master, what about you?" asked VV.
"This order is in case you, connected to my datapad—detect the fading of my vital signs. That is—my death," I perfectly understand what's at stake. My life... My attempt to do something in this world... To win, or to suffer defeat. Be that as it may, even considering that I fear this Sith Lord, I could not have acted otherwise. I have already experienced so much and I didn't want to retreat at all. Enough... I've retreated enough for a lifetime!—In my captain's cabin, there is an infochip with data. You can only give it to two sentient beings. Either to Yan Dooku or to Yoda. Or better, to both. If you detect my death and no other information is received within five standard days—immediately head to Coruscant," VV has enough authority to control my ship to do this—and give them everything.
What was on the infochip? Literally everything I knew about the DLG. Future events, technological development, though I didn't remember the super details. As well as—upcoming crises, the role Palpatine played in them, Damask, information about the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, Abeloth, the Family, and so on. And the predicted future of some Jedi, as well as the reasons for their actions. Of course, I was being cautious and perfectly remembered that I could go into a coma, hibernation, when my vital signs might be perceived by the droid as death. Quite possible... So I specified "five days" in the order.
"But in any case—take the ship out if you notice someone who doesn't match the biometric parameters," I ordered the droid.
"It will be done, master," as an entity with a rather advanced personal manifest, VV could even simulate something resembling an emotional tone in its sounds. I stroked the surfaces of its "head" and headed for the elevator. The pipe calls, so to speak...
Walking down the corridor of the palace's hangar section, I carefully examined almost every meter. Everything here was preserved, though I had seen much older buildings in good condition. The corridor was lined with steel, or rather, one of its variations. On our way to the center of the structure were hangars... Real hangars, mostly empty... However, in the last one, right where our corridor intersected with a large hall, judging by the automatic doors that had previously separated from the corridor hangars, there was an ancient ship. And it was well-preserved.
"Let's examine it," Theodore suggested.
"Hmm..." we entered the hangar. Indeed, right in the center was a ship that resembled a fighter.
It was single-seater, shaped like the tip of a sharply honed knife. The stern split into two sections, each equipped with a laser cannon and a torpedo bay for five proton, most likely, torpedoes. The latter was not loaded. But what truly surprised me was that it had a hyperdrive, as I understood. The ship was about fifteen meters long.
"How long has it been here?" Shayjen asked.
"The Tsai Kingdom fell about seven thousand years ago," Theodore said.
"So this ship has been here for seven thousand years?" I asked in surprise. "How is that even possible? It's almost like new!"
"Hmm," Theodore placed his hand on his chin. "It's probably related to the fact that hangars in the Tsai Kingdom were made for long-term storage of ships. Due to the adopted doctrine, the Matukais of the Kingdom rarely left the system. But ships were needed, so they were put... 'in long-term storage.' This specimen was apparently intended for long-range reconnaissance."
"Or escape," I said, "let's get into its navicomputer and see what it's been through." In perspective—the reactor installed in the ship—should not have discharged. Fuel can remain in the reactor for a long time, even in an inactive state. I found a button near the cockpit responsible for opening it. Using the Force, I opened the cockpit, from which an unpleasant smell immediately poured out. "Ugh, damn," I winced and used the Force to pull out its source. The skeleton of a sentient being, many bones were already missing. But judging by everything, he was poisoned with something before death; the smell was too unpleasant.
"This place needs disinfection," Shayjen coughed. The smell quickly reached us. Apparently—the cabin is airtight.
"He died from poison," Theodore said, bending over the remains of the bones. "Judging by everything—he was poisoned, and he tried to fly away in the fighter, but the poison turned out to be too strong, and as a result—he couldn't even start the reactor in the fighter and begin flight preparations. Besides," he looked up, "the hangar doors are closed. Which means—no one intended to let him out. Shall we disinfect?" Theodore clapped his inner pockets and pulled out a spray can. "Here, this substance completely annihilates all conceivable and inconceivable living organisms inside the cabin that could have appeared in his body during decay after death. As for the poison—we need to figure out what he was poisoned with; it might be that in gaseous form—the poison is not dangerous."
"That's impossible to figure out," I objected. "We need at least internal organs, preferably blood. But all of that has long since disappeared."
"Then let's spray a standard neutralizer in the cabin, and whatever happens, happens. Besides—we can find a helmet with an air filter. An extra ship won't hurt... So... Shayjen, move your legs and spray both these substances in the cabin."
"Why me?" Matukai protested.
"Because Light has mastered the Matukai techniques far worse than you, and some accident with his poisoning could occur," Theodore said. "And you, my apprentice, are quite capable of dealing with the consequences. This sentient being was a Matukai, once, perhaps even better than you. But after so much time, so as not to be killed right in the fighter's cabin—it has weakened."
"Alright, mentor," Shayjen agreed with his reasoning and jumped inside, starting the spraying.
"There's a hyperdrive on the ship," I noted. "Although, apparently, it's of a very weak class. Do you want to take it?" I asked the man.
"Yes, it will come in handy..."
"Do you want to give it to your apprentice?"
The man moved away from the skeleton and looked me in the eyes.
"Are there any problems with that?"
"No," I shook my head. "I don't need this wreck. I have a ship hundreds of times better, faster, and more powerful. It will require work," I pointed to the fighter with my hand. "I have the means, but I don't need it. So—take it."
"Thank you," Theodore nodded briefly.
"But first, we need to make sure he's normal," Shaijen jumped down, and I climbed into the cockpit. What can I say about the cockpit of a seven-thousand-year-old fighter? It was covered in dust. The smell of two mixtures of substances that Shaijen had sprayed stung my nose. I examined the control panel and looked for anything resembling a "Reactor Start" button... Damn, everything here is in Matukai hieroglyphs... However, I still found the button. The indicators immediately lit up, and information appeared on the display. But what was surprising was that a form appeared before me, similar to a language selection. I could choose either Matukai or Galactic Common. Smiling at such foresight, I chose Common on the touch-sensitive display, as it turned out to be. And at least the information displayed by the onboard computer switched to a comprehensible environment. I selected "Pre-flight Check" from the menu and tapped it. Immediately, the roar of the warming engine was heard, and a three-dimensional model of the ship appeared on the display.
"Integrity and airtightness - not compromised."
"Engines are normal."
"Hyperdrive is normal."
"Fuel level - eighty percent."
I should check how long it will take to fly to Ryloth from here.
"How is it?" Theodore's loud voice was heard.
"Everything is in order here," I said, "except that..." I pressed a button and turned off the ship, then jumped down. "I checked how long it would take from the current location to Ryloth. Approximately five days in hyperspace."
"Are you serious? We took half a day to get here on your ship! From Ryloth!" Shaijen exclaimed too loudly.
"According to modern classification," I thought, "I think it's an eighth, maybe tenth class hyperdrive."
"The most important thing is that it exists," Theodore nodded with satisfaction. "And there, ordering a new one and installing it won't be a problem, I'm sure. It's yours, my student, you'll fly it."
"Really?" Shaijen asked in surprise.
"As true as can be," the man nodded. "My old bones don't even deserve this old junk. And it will be a useful aid for you when you get the tattoo."
"Th-thank you, mentor," the younger Matukai said in shock.
"Well, alright," I sighed, "I hacked the computer. The navicomputer is clean as a baby's tear, they haven't flown beyond this system on it. And as for ship ownership, I deleted the previous owner's codes, you can set your own."
The software there was six thousand years older than the current Republic. So hacking the system at all wasn't a problem; my datapad did it almost in a live broadcast. And then, carrying out other actions turned out to be simple.
"And remember – we are here to get to the Royal Library. So, don't play around," I looked at Shaijen, who had already jumped into the cockpit, "for too long."
***
Before leaving, we opened the hangar doors. We didn't intend to stay here at all. We got to the library after about twenty minutes of wandering. And the anxious feeling... it was growing. And Theodore, the old Matukai, walked more and more tensely, as if preparing for something. He doesn't have as sharp sensory perception outside of combat as I do. I even foresaw Mia's death. But he also feels it... He feels the anxiety. And that's unsettling. Yes, Theodore isn't much stronger than me; what can I say, with weapons, I can quite defeat him, one-on-one, using all my abilities to the fullest, and if he does the same, victory might still be mine. But that's if we judge by raw abilities and skills. In reality, Theodore is many times more experienced than me and has only defeated me through experience, wit, and understanding of combat. It's not enough to wield weapons like mine and even have such a set of abilities. The most important thing is experience. And Theodore has a ton of it. But I have almost none. Yes, I fought. Yes, for life and death. But he has done it for a much longer time than I have. The library resembled a huge gallery, only instead of paintings, it was packed to the brim with scrolls. The room was not lined with steel and looked more like a cave. In the library hall, there were dilapidated couches, clearly for meditation. But what attracted the most attention was a huge scroll lying against the wall opposite the exit. The library was lit by dim lamps and light filtering through the windows near the ceiling. In general, as it turned out, the palace was powered by "solar batteries," and the system's star stably gave light to the planet.
It was about two meters wide, and its ends, which were supposed to help unfold the page with inscriptions, were made of a green material that I could identify as jade.
"Is this it?! The fifth-level scroll?" Shaijen asked.
Theodore froze in shock, and I suddenly felt as if the room had grown cold, and I was being squeezed. It can't be! I quickly turned left, rushed to Shaijen, jumped over him, and activated my lightsaber on the run, immediately striking a dark corner with it... The scarlet blade flared instantly and reflected my attack.
"Well, well," a cheerful voice was heard, "your sensory perception is well-developed... Boy."
I jumped back and looked closely. It's him... That feeling of cold, premonition of disaster... Fear for my life. Everything was connected to him. And this feeling, created by only one sentient being, whom I had glimpsed, when I dealt with Shillaž last time. The Overlord... Sith... Yellow eyes stared at me, the Dark Side of the Force, which I had already visited once - literally crushing me.
"However, you have strange allies, Shadow."
Shaijen and Theodore only now understood what was happening and stood on either side of me, preparing their glaives for battle.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time, Matukai. To be honest, I even thought I'd have to go back and catch one of you. But my slave, the Force, itself brought those who needed me to their master. I was counting only on Shadow, and I got two Matukai who know the language of this Kingdom."
I tried to make out his face, but couldn't. Only yellow eyes, a sure sign of a Force-sensitive on the Dark Side, or that you have enough credits to install such lenses, were visible. Except for white hair, the man had a luxurious beard.
"You were counting on me? Who are you? And why were you 'counting on me'?" I asked.
"Boy, you have a unique, interesting ship, a stygium coating, don't you?" he pointed his sword at me. "I've already been attacked like this, so I've allocated a lot of resources to find the technology to detect such ships and integrate it into my ship's sensors."
"But such a technology is a breakthrough in scanning..."
"Do you think I'm an idiot to give such knowledge to anyone?" he asked me. "However, enough talk. I need a Matukai to decipher the knowledge here. As for you... you are needed by another sentient being. You cannot be killed, Light Flaingstar," he knows my name? Did I call someone my name? Maybe it's Jorus K'Baot? No, I would have recognized his aura immediately. Even after falling to the Dark Side, the aura can be very similar, just like a Sith turning to the Light Side of the Force. It's someone else... The very enemy, the Sith Overlord, who, it seems, has connections in the Jedi Order? But who could have passed on information about me? A traitor who leaked Shadows to him... "Although, that's his problem. Perhaps I'll offer you the following. One of the Matukai dies, maybe by my sword, or maybe he commits suicide. You," he pointed at me again, "voluntarily surrender with the second Matukai."
"Why don't you go to a rancor's ass!" Shaijen exclaimed. "I'll kill you, damn it!"
"Shaijen! Stop, don't attack alone!" Theodore said, but it was too late, the enemy pointed his hand at the young Matukai. Blue lightning struck from the man's fingers and threw the blond back. He screamed in pain, flying about five meters. A moment later, lightning was directed towards us. We acted quickly.
I channeled the Force through my lightsaber and blocked, deflecting the Force Lightning. And Theodore, seeing that I could block the Lightning, and also that the Sith Overlord decided to try to break through my block, ran around and attacked from the side. At the same moment, I decided to counterattack, and launched my second sword at the Overlord with telekinesis. The man let go of his scarlet blade and at the same moment directed it telekinetically at Theodore, deflecting the elder Matukai's attack, and then his scarlet blade shifted and reflected my sword, directly at Theodore. What incredible telekinetic accuracy! I barely managed to deactivate my second lightsaber so as not to kill the Matukai. He stopped shooting lightning and spread his arms to the sides.
"This fight promises to be difficult," Theodore said, bending slightly.
"Agreed," I returned the second sword to my left hand and took a hybrid stance. My left hand held the sword in a Soresu stance, and my right hand held the sword so that the lightsaber blade pointed upwards.
A moment later, we lunged forward, attacking the Sith, and he wasn't going to stand still either. What happened next was impossible to describe in words. He was a monster. I examined the hilt of his sword and thought that he was a Makashi adherent, so I could break through his defense with a barrage of attacks from all sides using the "Rising Vortex" technique... But he deflected it, simply and effortlessly. He moved faster than me! He was called the fastest in his generation. And although I knew that pride was inappropriate here, he did it with such ease. After deflecting all my attacks, more in the Soresu style, he disrupted my spin, as the technique consisted of constant spinning strikes. But even so, using my speed, I could only notice a brief moment when I barely touched his clothes.
"You are a talented boy," a moment later, and I could no longer sustain the attack, "but this is not enough." The next thing that happened was a fast Shiak, aimed directly at my head. It was so fast that my foresight failed me; only my body, either from an adrenaline rush or from basic instincts, reflexes, managed to get out of the line of attack. The sword only slightly singed my left cheek and completely pierced my hood. I aimed my left hand backward and used my grappling hook device to escape the attack. The opponent began to pursue me, but was immediately attacked by Theodore, who attacked him from the side. The Sith blocked the glaive attack with a sliding block, Theodore succumbed to inertia. Hutt... He must be protected, otherwise, the Sith will attack Theodore now. Certain death... But the Matukai twisted, escaped the line of attack at the last moment, which should have beheaded him. And I closed in on the Sith and attacked him at two different points: the head and legs. With the sword in my right hand, he blocked the attack on the legs, and with his free left hand, he caught my attack on the head. Shit...
I jumped up and twisted my body, trying to kick him in the chest. The man released my hand and stepped back. At this moment, Theodore tried to deliver a kind of "dragon's tail" with his glaive, striking at the legs, but the Sith reacted to this attack as well, jumping up and letting the blow pass under him. I returned my body to its normal position and immediately used pyrokinesis. The man absorbed it with Tutaminis.
"RAAA!" Theodore attacked with a cry and began to spin his glaive, it strongly resembled a whirlwind of blades in my execution, but... The Sith's speed and reflexes were enough to deflect every single blow. Meanwhile, I used my grappling hook to latch onto the ceiling and jumped over the fighters, finding myself behind the Sith and immediately attacked him with pyrokinesis.
"This is useless," he said, absorbing my attack with Tutaminis without even turning around. Spitting, I closed in on him, using a double strike. He suddenly turned, deflected my attack, and then, dodging Theodore, who was attacking him from behind, almost reduced our number by one. He would have performed a Sai Tok, cutting the man in half at the waist, but Shaijen intervened, attacking from the side, and the man did a backflip, jumping over me. Shaijen's blow only kicked up a little dust but did not decide the outcome of the battle.
"Ha, that was not bad, I'm surprised you have such teamwork, but it's not enough. You simply lack abilities, plus, you are still not a perfect team and interfere with each other a little," the Sith Overlord said.
"Bastard," I said, "who are you? What's your name?!"
"My name is not important, boy, just remember – you will die today. He, of course, has his plans for you, but I've always been indifferent to them."
"Who is he?" I asked him.
"Remember: that's a stupid question. I didn't tell you my name, why would I tell you another name?" the man asked. "Let's first decide how you want to die. In battle? Or on your knees?"
In response, all three of us attacked him, but it changed nothing at all. In addition, Shaijen was too weak, and Theodore and I were trying more to protect him than to attack the Sith Overlord, which the latter took advantage of, catching Theodore with a Force Lightning strike and throwing the old Matukai away. However, the old man recovered faster than Shaijen.
"Decided!" as our team tried to catch their breath after the failed attempt to win. I was counting my wounds and using Crucitorn after being hit by Force Lightning. The Overlord suddenly decided something. I grinned maliciously. I had been using all my abilities from the very beginning. Telekinesis, foresight, enhancement. We attacked together... And all I could do was leave a barely visible scratch on his cheek! While he managed to almost decapitate me twice, hit me with Force Lightning, almost cut off both my arms and one of my legs. And that's just me. Shaijen's glaive was cut through the shaft. And Theodore lost his left arm and was spinning the glaive only with the strength of his right and telekinesis. "I will bury the extras alive. There is something fascinating in this death!"
He pointed his left hand at us. Telekinesis? I returned my swords to their scabbards and directed both hands towards the wave... The next second, both telekinetic waves collided, another moment, and the scrolls in the entire library were swept up, and the three of us were thrown back.
"You don't have to move to bury," he said, attacking us immediately. I drew my lightsaber and tried to deflect the attack. And even the second one... Theodore intervened in our fight. He was about five meters from the Sith, but Theodore acted cleverly; he threw his glaive, causing the Sith to jump back from me in surprise. I closed in on him and tried to cut him in half. And this attack was the most successful I had made since leaving that scratch on his cheek. Then it was a weak, barely noticeable touch. This time, I cut part of his clothing, and a button fell down. My lightsaber точно grazed his body, I felt it, however - not deep enough... "AH YOU BASTARD!" a loud cry was heard. The next thing I remember are blue lightning bolts that threw me to the back of the cave. "DIE, HUTT SPAWN!" lightning struck the cave vaults and began to destroy them, chipping off considerable chunks.
The large scroll flew out from behind my back and fell into Theodore's hands. But I didn't have time to react to this action; after the lightning, the Sith used telekinesis and used the stones as projectiles. I had no chance to dodge; one of the chunks blocked my view of the library... And another was flying directly at me. It was large, there was a wall behind me, and on the left and right, chunks were also falling. I'll be crushed... Is this the end?! No! I can't give up, I have to fight! But I didn't try to destroy the incoming boulder, instead, I plunged my lightsaber up to the hilt into the floor, crouched down, and tried to use telekinesis to slow down the makeshift coffin lid... Will it work, or not? If I can somehow melt the rock to hide myself, I'll have a chance... And if not... Then I'll just be crushed. But I have to try. I decided long ago that I would go to the end...
"VV," I rasped, "take... Take the ship into space. No... Fly to Coruscant," the droid caught my transmission, "take cover... I'll be back... Probably..."
***
"Minus one," the Sith announced. "So, who's next?"
Theodore and Shaijen stood against a real monster. He had suppressed all three of them, but now that Light was crushed, or trying to avoid such a fate, they had no chance. Theodore clutched the scroll with the creator's legacy.
"I can let you live, but only if you help me master the techniques recorded on it," the Overlord grinned.
"Do you think we want to live?" Theodore asked sharply. "Do you understand our goals so stereotypically, Sith?" Rage burned in the old Matukai's chest.
"And what if not?" he asked. "It's instinct. All living beings, one way or another, want to live. Even that boy. I feel how he is now trying to fight the boulder that is crushing him, a whole mountain, with all his might he is trying to survive. You know, I've lived longer than you, old man. And this is the fundamental law of life – survival. This technique you hold in your hands is a true treasure not because your mythical Tsai Lin created it, but because it helps you survive. History, legacy, dreams, love, and desires – all of that is a lie. Survival – that's the main meaning. So, Matukai, after all you've seen – will you betray your ideals to get a chance to leave me alive?"
"You judge everyone by yourself, Sith," Theodore hissed. "It's easier for me to die than to surrender." The barely discernible lips of the Sith twisted into a grin.
"Shaijen! This is my last order to you as your mentor. TAKE THE SCROLL AND RUN. Report to the Pathfinders what happened here."
"Mmm?" the Sith shifted his gaze to the younger Matukai.
"Mentor, but..."
"You don't have time to worry about me!"
Theodore threw the scroll to Shaijen, pulled the glaive into his only hand, and immediately rushed into attack. Straightforward and stupid, the Sith Overlord deflected the man's attack, throwing him back with telekinesis, and appeared before Shaijen, who was running for the exit with the scroll.
"Give it back, it's not yours," the Sith knocked the scroll out of Shaijen's hands and was about to kill him, but the lightsaber was stopped by Theodore's glaive. "And you still want to fight."
"Shaijen," Theodore said, breathing heavily, "run to... To the ship. Yours... I'll hold him off."
"But..."
"Don't argue, just once in your life," the veins on the old Matukai's body bulged. "I didn't want to... use this Technique, but..." his eyes filled with blood, and his skin turned red, "it seems I'll have to put everything on the line!"
"Wow," the Sith jumped back. The Force in the Matukai's body went berserk. "Tyrant's Technique? I've read about it. In a brief moment, release all the body's resources. Reflexes, muscles. Literally everything that was, is, and will be. However, the price for this is death," he grinned, "what an incredible technique. Well, this will be interesting. Attack, old man, I'll gladly show you how vast the abyss is..."
Theodore attacked him, while Shaijen, sobbing, ran towards the exit.
"It's interesting, old man," the Sith said, blocking the attack with his glaive, "how many seconds will you last? The last Matukai who used this technique against me lasted twenty seconds and almost killed me. But he was one of those Pathfinders of yours. And you are clearly weaker than him."
Theodore didn't listen to him. He understood that the fifteen seconds allotted to him were too little, so he attacked. From different angles, with all his might... And it didn't help... The Sith blocked, dodged, and counterattacked. Theodore's reflexes were sufficient, but... He was too injured before, so on the thirteenth second, the Sith pierced him through with his lightsaber.
"Rest in peace, old man. Your student will serve me, or someone else," Theodore fell on his stomach.
Is this all? Even putting everything on the line, he couldn't defeat this creature... How... Unfair... Life flashed before his eyes. Victories, defeats... Moments of bitterness and joy... Finally... He saw... A boy with golden hair... The way he saw him the first time. Cheerful, restless, and always not listening to his mentor. But so persistent... Talented... Clever... This creature will go after him now. It will torture him, force his beloved, eternal student to reveal secrets... Secrets that will help him gain strength close to immortality! Would Theodore's teacher want that? For him to surrender now, even after using the Tyrant's Technique? No... The shadow of his mentor... A silhouette appeared before him... No... He taught him not to give up, no matter how painful it was. Theodore reached out his hand forward and grabbed the Sith by the shin.
"Still alive?" he asked lazily. "I thought I wouldn't finish you off, let you breathe more... What?!"
"In the name of the Galaxy! The Order of the Matukai, our legacy, and my student – I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO LIVE!" Theodore shouted, gathering his last strength for the final technique. Black symbols like snakes crawled across his body.
"This is... No, you will destroy your soul, your mind..." the Sith's eyes widened.
"Tyrant's Sacrifice."
In the library, where the Sith and Matukai were, an explosion sounded, shaking the entire room. Thousands of scrolls fell to the floor, many were immediately destroyed by the force of the explosion. The dust dissipated...
"Bastard!" the Sith shouted, looking at a handful of ashes. His clothes were torn, he felt several internal injuries, and his beard was singed by the explosion. He couldn't completely negate the explosion with Tutaminis. "He destroyed his soul, using it as fuel for the explosion! He also destroyed the fifth-level scroll of his Order! How dare you, you son of a bitch!" The Sith deactivated his lightsaber and spat blood. Stones began to fall from above... The explosion shook the already damaged room of the Royal Library. How painful... He had never been hit by this technique before. Did he play too much? Definitely... But what could he do, that's his character. When you live a long time, dealing with enemies just becomes boring. He played too much and overplayed his hand... "My body, Hutt spawn. I will find your student," he promised, rushing towards the exit. "I will find and kill him!"
He ran out of the library as the room began to collapse from above. It wasn't completely buried, but it formed a kind of gorge, completely burying everything... All the legacy that the Matukai had gathered for centuries. The Sith rushed outside...
"Master," came from the comlink. His droid contacted him. "Two ships have launched from the planet. The first one, the one with the stygium coating, left about three minutes ago. And the second one, just now, has already left the atmosphere."
"The second one? Where did they get a second one?!"
"According to classification, it belonged to the Matukai army of this planet. An interstellar fighter of the 'Stiletto' class. They had hyperdrives installed..."
The Sith cursed foully. The bastards had ruined his plans. But two of them were definitely dead. One had blown himself up, and the other was buried alive. His favorite spectacle was burying sentient beings alive. Too bad he couldn't personally witness the torment.
"Connect me, k'ha, to the contact from the Jedi Order. I need to inform him that his plans will have to be adjusted."
"It will be done, master," came the droid's voice.
"And announce a reward for information on the location of the Stiletto! I want to lynch the apprentice of that creature!"