Royss-VIII… I remembered nothing special from the canon about this planet. No legends, nor, forgive me, Force, the new Disney canon. Perhaps some information about it surfaced, but it was too vague. An agrarian world, with above-average resources, but nothing remarkable. The planet was ruled by an "elected monarch," who was chosen from among the planet's aristocracy. Currently, Raish Raik was the ruler. And among the aristocratic Houses was House Hart… Set Hart's House… I kept thinking about how the Jedi could have missed the real Set Hart, but, in fact, there was nothing surprising. Everything was exactly as I had described at the briefing.
Set Hart arrived on the planet Royss-VIII about nine hundred years ago. The Ruusan Reformation had just ended, and the Order was not concerned with searching for all the fallen, one way or another. And Set Hart, having obtained Darth Andeddu's holocron, decided to live life to the fullest. The first thing he did was legalize himself. Apparently, due to natural pride, perhaps due to stupidity, or something else—he did not change his name, nor his surname. It was then that he first commissioned a clone and transferred his consciousness… And then, most likely, the Jedi came for him, stumbling upon a familiar name, but they couldn't prove anything. In fact—they found someone who had become an aristocrat of the planet, not fitting the age, and also "non-Force-sensitive," according to analyses, plus not fitting the age, even though he resembled the original Set Hart. He was considered an "illegitimate" child and left alone.
Well, Set, having received a new life, began to live for his own pleasure, changing bodies over nine hundred years. Seven hundred years ago, he founded a company to cover up his hobby, which he pursued during his second life. Set loved collecting knowledge of Force-sensitives. At least, that's what was written in internet articles, saying he amassed many different Sith artifacts, holocrons, knowledge… However, he always tried to act secretly. Perhaps there were strange disappearances of Shadows and Archaeologists, orchestrated by him.
But he, apparently, did not like to deliberately draw attention to himself and had no intention of doing so. There is something else… The reason why he crawled out of his hole so much. He literally began to cut down Jedi in statistical numbers. And again—Shadows and Archaeologists suffered for everyone. I already understood that his connection in the Order was most likely Jonal Ezar. I will deal with the latter when I finish with Hart. I had no doubt about my victory… Because doubt is not the best advisor in combat, and besides—the metaphysics of the DDG universe depends too much on the absence of doubt… Free your mind from conventions, from doubts, and then, pure and unclouded, you will be able to defeat the enemy.
Most likely—the reason Set Hart emerged into the light was the knowledge of the fifth level of the Matukai. According to Sheydjen, it was destroyed by his master, Theodore Loy, so that it would not fall into enemy hands. The old man used the Force to, roughly speaking, blow himself up, hoping to take Hart with him. It didn't work, but he gave us a chance to win. I was sincerely grateful to Theodore himself… And in general, I was sad about his death. That old man was honest, to the best of his ability, and quite experienced. He taught me a lot. Especially recently, I understood much of what I had been taught by the Matukai, due to the fight with Set Hart.
Yes, the peculiarity of the Matukai is martial arts. Strengthening the body, improving physical characteristics, reaction, reflexes. Fighting Set and then analyzing our duel during meditation, I had literal epiphanies regarding many moments. My sensory perception helped a lot, with which I observed exactly how Set manipulated the Force. From this stemmed part of my confidence in victory. I literally made a qualitative leap… And after our squad split up and I was the first to head to the rendezvous point, I trained like hell. I deliberately calculated the route so as to arrive exactly on time. Instead of a three-day flight to the planet, I spent a whole week training in a warehouse.
As I was accustomed to—I trained like a madman, at a pace only I understood. Finally, the signal came that we were exiting hyperspace… The reception in honor of the heir's presentation will take place in five hours. There was time to prepare; I had droids that would film and transmit the broadcast to the HoloNet. No one would pass by such a broadcast; it would be too loud. Of course, I don't have a huge number of subscribers, but the news of a lightsaber duel between a Sith and a Jedi will quickly spread across all the internets, and I am sure that within a minute, everyone who can and cannot will flock there.
All that remained was to prepare on the planet itself. Using stygium coating, I avoided detection by the planet's systems. If my ship is detected by customs, Set will immediately understand, and perhaps even escape. No, this time he doesn't expect an attack, surely considering it his holiday. His day… Therefore, today is the best moment for an attack… Strike the enemy when he does not expect you. Do not seek glory in a fair duel. Try to disrupt the enemy's plans with maximum efficiency. That's how I understood the work of a Shadow. And although I intended to engage Set in a fair duel, all of this was to destroy his plans with maximum efficiency.
If the entire galaxy sees him, if the Jedi realize that Set Hart, a dark Jedi, practically a Sith—is alive, a hunt will begin for him throughout the galaxy… He could have continued to live in his hole, never leaving. He would have fucked whores and morally decayed to the end, until his spirit transfer method failed. But… He decided to end his "wonderful" life. Therefore, I was not particularly in doubt that Set was "relatively" neutral. Neutrals do not cut down everyone indiscriminately. And although he did not cut down everyone indiscriminately, there were already enough victims to give him his due.
Royss-VIII turned out to be a planet with a mild climate. The buildings here were built in good old European style, with a mix of modern technologies. I needed to get to Rahoko-City, a special place where the mansions of the nobility and aristocracy stood. I landed on an elevation not far from this location. The ramp lowered, giving me access to the street. I got out and looked around…
"Damn," I sighed, looking at the landscape, "beautiful."
The view was good. In the lowlands lay Rahoko-City, where the rich and aristocrats lived. Naturally—this part of the planet was well-maintained and beautiful, blooming, I would say. Five droids flew around me, which were supposed to film the entire event. Plus journalists, who "should cover the life of the aristocracy." Well, that will be from the planet's side… Birds chirped, a pleasant breeze blew… The planet was truly a paradise. I'm even a little envious. His woman is clearly a sex bomb, a planet with a good climate, a rich mansion, probably full of ships of all kinds and many ways of entertainment… Maybe there's even an aquadisco. Although I don't know what that is, it sounds interesting… Maybe even pretentious. In short, Set Hart embodied what I sometimes thought about. To hell with the galaxy, save money, thankfully I know how, and live for my own pleasure.
And although lately I just understood that it sounds disgusting, even to think about it… I have been given incredible abilities, I know a lot, I have learned a lot, only to imitate some pathetic hedonist? Nevertheless, such thoughts occasionally surfaced. Then I simply asked—what is all this for? Reincarnation? Talent? My persistent training? My sacrifices? For me to gather a harem of whores, buy a mansion somewhere far away, save up credits, and leave? But there is no answer to all the previous questions. All my sacrifices, everything I sacrificed and everything I received—all of it will lose its meaning.
I saw it, I understood it, I realized it… I also knew that I could and wanted to build something, at least try. And Set and I are a little alike. He also received incredible features and opportunities. Only he gave up, and I… I haven't yet. I pulled up my hood and used the concealment technique… I haven't given up and I'm moving forward. Set gave up… And it would have been better if he had remained an unknown aristocrat. But there is no more time. I brought my left hand with the datapad to my eyes and opened the timer on it.
"There's almost no time left, we'll start soon."
I disassembled and cleaned my lightsabers today. I also partially finished my work on the "Jedi armor" project. It involved using the remaining scales of the krayt dragon, which I helped to defeat on Tatooine, and beskar to obtain light chest armor. And also loincloths. Using Force forging, I recently managed to make a breastplate. And then, working with a needle, my brain, the Force—I incorporated it, literally into my suit, or rather—sewed it into the suit. This was facilitated by the fact that during the fight, Set hit me a couple of times, and I had to re-sew my "assassin suit," which was also my clothing when I survived the loss of my mentor. I licked my lips… I don't remember when I developed such a habit… Maybe it's even a sign of abnormality… I would be surprised if I could be considered relatively normal after all the shocks. However, it doesn't matter… It hasn't mattered for a long time… Set Hart is waiting for me. Or rather, he's not waiting, but who's asking him? He killed many Jedi and Matukai… He disrupted my plans to study the properties of that medallion. He disrupted my plans for my journey through the galaxy. It's time to repay him for everything… For the lives of all those sentient beings he managed to take in the name of his egoism. After all, I am a Jedi Knight. And no matter how it ends today, I will, one way or another, achieve justice over him…
The plan was slightly insane, but quite realistic. The aristocracy was gathering for a perfectly ordinary, social gathering. Set Hart was going through a procedure he had done so many times. Presenting himself to the galaxy, or rather, to a certain circle of people. I could even see mockery… Mockery of all of us: Jedi, Sith, the Galaxy. While we were playing at thrones, sacrificing lives, proving our rightness, our ideals, this monster simply did whatever he wanted… Or maybe I'm just jealous of him? I can't stop myself anymore, no matter what happens, I will go forward. Pride? Or maybe my naivety played a role again. I didn't know a more precise answer. I only knew that I would do exactly what I planned, here on Royss-VIII. What comes next, after him. I have no specific plan, only the understanding that I must do something. Try to make everything better. The galaxy… The Order… Maybe I'm still a naive and foolish person. Maybe… But now is not the time to answer these questions. Sighing, I moved towards the gates of the mansion, sending a signal to my allies and receiving a response from them. On the go, I brought my left hand with the datapad to my eyes and checked the operability of all the plan's nodes. Logun Irean's Rodian ships were entering the planet's atmosphere, judging by the signal. The Mandalorians were also on approach. Simultaneously, I sent a signal to BB-7 about the start of the operation.
"Are you invited, citizen?" asked a worker at the entrance, dressed in blue uniform.
"Yes," I used the Force on him, and the man let me in without further questions. The main part of the reception was currently taking place inside a huge hall. The mansion itself was a five-story building, built in a modernist style, with the latest technology. Judging by the sensations of sentient beings—the reception was taking place in the southern part of the mansion, to my left was a path leading to it. To the right was another section of the mansion, which would be the target of fire… I took out several laser targeting balls and, closing my eyes, concentrated, mentally dividing the building into two sections. The one to the left was my target: sentient beings were there, and a barely perceptible, even for a Force-sensitive like me, dark aura. But it was slightly different from what I saw on the planet Tsay. As if it were a little weaker. In the right section—I found almost no signs of sentient life. That's the target for the ship's cannons, with a wave of my hand, I threw the targeting balls onto the roofs of the section. "Just don't hit me. I'll be in the southern part of the building, where Set Hart is, and the other sentient beings."
The servants who served Set were subjected to Force Suggestion, so they didn't interfere much, and I calmly walked towards the hall. Droids followed me, filming the operation and broadcasting it to the HoloNet. Approaching the main door leading inside, I waited for it to be opened. Inside, everything was also… Modern. A huge hall greeted me, filled with aristocracy. In the center was a rather significant stage. There was no one on it, but I immediately spotted Set Hart… He was enjoying the attention of the attendees. Now he looked exactly like someone who could be found in art if you searched Google for "Set Hart" in the Milky Way internet. Now he was a teenager, about fifteen to seventeen years old, with white hair falling to his shoulders and golden eyes. He was dressed in white clothing with gold accents.
Several beautiful women, clearly of aristocratic origin, were around him. A fat man was also nearby, in whom I recognized the elected monarch of this planet. Well then... Let's start the Quadrille, as they say... I pulled a lightsaber into my right hand, activated it, and sent it flying at Seth, controlling it with telekinesis in such a way as not to leave even a scratch on the innocent. The aristocrats were not standing right next to him... Seth reacted at the last moment, drawing his lightsaber... The crimson blade deflected the green one flying at him. My lightsaber, obeying my will, returned to my hand. Glances crossed on me, the aristocrats and guests standing next to me recoiled to the side. The quarrelsome man with broad shoulders pulled the planet's king aside.
"You..." Seth Hart said. "How did you find me?"
"And good day to you, Seth Hart... What number are you now?" I deactivated the blade. "I see life is in full swing here."
"WHO ARE YOU?!" came the king's unpleasant voice. "How dare you come here and disrupt the reception?!"
"Forgive me, Your Majesty," I bowed dramatically. "But I have no business with anyone but a certain Seth Hart."
"Are you a Jedi?" came from the direction of the guard Raish Reyka.
"Correct," I confirmed. "Seth Hart is a Sith. In other words, a dark-sided Force-sensitive who has committed many crimes against the Republic. Therefore, Seth, I think you know what will happen next."
"You came here in vain, boy," Seth exclaimed angrily. "I thought you had learned your lesson."
"What can I do, I'm not very bright," I sighed.
"Then I'll explain it in such a way that you'll only understand when you merge with the Force!" Suddenly the building shook. An explosion sounded in the north. "What's happening?!"
"Ah, my friends have arrived..."
"General Lorin!" the king's guard accepted the call via holocomm. A soldier appeared before him. "Two IR-3°F ships, corvettes by classification, have entered the planet's atmosphere. They have begun shelling citizen Seth Hart's mansion! We await your orders!"
"Raise the fighters! Raise the army!" the king shrieked. "Protect me! Destroy the invaders!"
"Stand down!" the general commanded with a sharp gesture. I looked at the blond man with curiosity.
"What? General... You..."
"If Seth Hart is a Sith, a dark-sided Force-sensitive accused by a Jedi, then protecting him now is not the best idea, Your Majesty. These are your allies, aren't they?" he looked at me. I nodded.
"They only opened fire on the part of Seth Hart's mansion where we are not located," I explained. "There will be no threat to any object on the planet."
"Then," the man said. "Everyone step aside. Do not leave the mansion until the bombardment stops."
Well, there are adequate rational beings here. Or was my plan a bit inadequate? After all, if Logun's canon misses the target even slightly, the strike will hit here. This cannot be allowed... However, Irian informed me that if something like this happened, his pride as a mercenary would be shamed. The contract states that unnecessary casualties must be avoided.
"You came here in vain, Jedi. Do you think you can just show up and declare me a Sith?! Ruin my plans? I will kill you."
"I anticipate any outcome," I replied to Seth, "including my own death. Therefore, I've covered my bases. Look," I pointed my hand at five droids hovering above us. "Now the entire Galaxy, including the Jedi Order, is watching us. They see perfectly who you are and know who you are. It doesn't matter if I lose or win. If I die or survive. Your plans are fatally ruined. Your fate is sealed, Seth Hart. It's time to answer for your crimes."
"Bastard! Die by the Hutt!"
The man pointed his left hand at me, and immediately a Force Lightning shot out of it, which I met with Tutaminis's absorption. He is not Palpatine or Vitiate, so his Lightning was not scary to me. After absorbing it, I noticed that Seth was heading towards one of the exits. Everyone shied away from him as if he were a leper. Using a grapple, I attached myself to the ceiling and, with the help of the Force, appeared before him.
"If you are so almighty," I activated my lightsaber again, taking an Ataru stance. "Why are you running away?"
"You will answer for everything you have done, Jedi!" Seth realized that a duel was unavoidable. And how much bravado there was, in the end, he decided to run away himself. It's laughable. He activated his lightsaber. Another moment, and we were face to face.
The crimson and green blades clashed. From the very beginning of the fight, Seth decided to use an aggressive tactic, as did I. Neither of us planned to sit on defense. And if Seth unleashed on me what I would call a synthesis of Soresu and Makashi, that is, the second and fifth forms, then against Seth I used the Ataru style. The lightsabers quickly turned into mere flashes of light. I maneuvered, jumping around him. He tried to catch me in mid-air, but I knew about the weaknesses of Ataru no less than he did, so he couldn't use a counter-attack... Or rather, he didn't have time.
The first battle taught me a lot, and afterwards, I rethought it myself, so Seth could no longer defeat me so easily. In addition, he recently transferred his consciousness into a clone's body. And although the Andeddu method seems almost perfect, he couldn't overcome the temporary weakness after the transfer. However, this duel was more unique than any I had participated in before. Although I lacked skill, I compensated for it with the fact that Seth was in a clone's body, as well as my recent development. Seth himself compensated for his weakness with experience. And neither of us had an initial advantage in this fight. Because of this, we were evenly matched, and I couldn't predict the outcome of the battle. Because a couple of times I almost died from precise and powerful blows from the enemy. Seth himself almost lost his head in the first minute of the fight.
"I see you've learned a lot, boy... Learned a lot, but not everything."
"And it's impossible to learn everything," I grinned. "You are the perfect example. How old are you, Seth? A thousand? And in all these years, you haven't learned to apply the method so that you don't have problems with your body."
"Ha, even with such a problem, you are no match for me, boy."
"Oh, are you sure about that?" I grinned. "Then answer me this question: why am I still alive if I'm no match for you?" The vibrations from the destroyed section of the building reached us. "And actually, you are either sparing me, Seth, or I just guessed the right moment to attack, and I've also become stronger, better than I was on planet Cai."
"Pfft... Nonsense, and I'll prove it to you."
"Then let's do it, Seth. Let's finish Dun Moch and end this once and for all."
"You will regret your words, Jedi!"