As dawn broke, training began at Stav Kesh. Yes... The regime here was definitely, if not army-like, then about that. At least, if Qigong Kesh reminded me of a fantasy magic academy, this place was more like a training school for soldiers. It was a good thing I hadn't got here in the first place - I'd have been kicked out in the first hour without being asked my name. The same night out was immediately followed by a reprimand. Really... Looking at my crow-counting face, Shaalin only shook his head.
In general, the masters here were quite harsh and, though I had already cooled down, we managed to get verbally caught up in some places. Not over skill, no. Their skills I recognised, but their attitude towards their students....
«It's not an immersion in power, it's a disgrace! - The master shook his hand, looking at Ves's attempts to dodge the shots of the Darrow Sphere. It was an interesting sphere, by the way, reminiscent of the ball from the film that Luke had trained on. Just like his prototype, heh.
The Darrow Sphere itself, a unique and one-of-a-kind item. This ball is a device about the size of a human head. Seemingly both solid and shimmering, smooth and jutting with many protrusions, the thing shimmered, buzzed, and pulsed. In general, it looked like something incomprehensible, unknown, weird... Well, or, if to say "right", it looked ambiguous and contradictory, to confuse students in various ways. And, basically, she was good at it!
Whirling in the air, the orb would strike the student painfully, shooting flashes of fire that could be compared to a light laser. The only thing was that this thing was powered by the Force. When working with it, students were instructed to concentrate, allow the Force to flow through them, and thus, having sensed the sphere's movements and intentions, to deflect the attacks. The task could be made more difficult, and often was, by using Force techniques that deprived sight, hearing, and smell. In such a case, one is left to rely on the Force alone.
Wes wasn't very good at that. She had always relied on her senses, but now they couldn't help, so the katara got a painful jab from the sphere and sarcastic comments from her mentor. It was pissing me off already...
«But I'm trying! - Vessira was indignant, dodging the sphere.
«You're not a Padawan to try anymore. You should be able to. And right now you're not learning, you're just honing your skills," he retorted. - Stop spinning around like a drunken bantha. Pull yourself together!
«Mm-hmm.
Another shot, but...
«Shh, shh, shh, shh...," the katara hissed, rubbing her thigh.
«Yeah, it's been a long time since I've seen such disappointment. How'd you get to the wanderer?
«R-r-r-r-r..." the katara was already boiling quietly.
"Wes, cool down," I send a light telepathic pulse. - "Try to abstract yourself, there will always be someone in the way, try to ignore those stimuli. Your job is to find and hit the sphere. Abstract yourself, let the Force flowing around you through you, feel the fluctuations and the danger. Don't listen to anyone. Only yourself and the Force within..."
Katara nodded faintly and with a twitch of her ear, lip tucked, she froze with her sword drawn. The sphere flew in circles, picking the place of the next strike, accompanied by the master's muttering. And here, a new attack. Weight on an exhalation shifts his waist, leaving the shot and the flat side of the blade in the manner of a baseball bat hits the sphere.
«Well, that's different, and you were worried, - I clap the master on the back. With a scary face, he only cast a displeased look at me. They didn't try to say anything to me, as I snorted at any poke, like a hedgehog bristling with needles.
I turn and walk to the katara. The Force technique fades, and she finally opens her eyes, trying to blink. - It's okay, Ves.
«You're next, Aero," the master voiced in a commanding tone.
«Okay.
Covering my eyes, I allow the Force technique to be applied to me. Yeah, it's definitely not a good idea to fight in this state. I can't see anything, everything is blurred, and the sounds are strange and seem to be coming from the wrong place. I shiver, and I increase the frequency of the fluctuations in the Force. Oh! Here comes the balloon back, aiming at a new target.
I smirked, watching it carefully as it moved. Over the years, I've become so adept at using my "echo sounder" that following the balloon didn't cause any problems at all. Moreover, after scattering the first shot with the Tutaminis technique, I grabbed the ball and twirled it on my finger like a baseball. However, the sphere itself did not want to spin, and therefore immediately tried to fly away, but again I was caught and deactivated.
«It's a fun toy. Is there anything else like it? - I rubbed my eyes with my sleeve, then squinted at the master. Shit... It's so bright, I can't believe it.
«There's no such thing. Okay... - the master rubbed his chin. - Go with Maal to the shooting range, he'll show you how to shoot. Vessira, stand!
«Yeah.
«Call me if you need me," I wink at the katara.
At the firing range, several weapons were placed in front of me. A couple of laser pistols, one rifle, a casing automatic and a pistol. And that was it. Hadiya, who had been shadowing me, watching, holding back at my request from making any comments, now couldn't stand it and, snorting, asked me to wait a bit. Back on the ship, the girl in the company of "loaders", dragged to the firing range a few of their own samples of weapons.
«Flower, sunshine, my darling, you tell me, why do you need an anti-ship missile launcher on a cargo ship? - I took the big, fancy tube in my hands and looked at Hadiya suspiciously.
«What if you're going to run away? I have to stop you somehow," she winked.
«You can hit cruisers with that shit.
«Yeah. That's what it's designed for. Heavy anti-ship missile launcher. You could just call it a slipper.
«Fucking slipper. Yeah. All right, let's drop it, - I put the pipe aside. - What do you want with a heavy machine gun? - I raise with the Force something remotely resembling a familiar to me from my previous life DShK.
«You never know, it might come in handy! I've got four of them on my ship.
«It's an effective weapon, by the way. We have them on our approaches to protect us from pendulas and other animals," Maal intervened. Zabrak looked at the toys with interest. And when I looked at him, he explained: "There's no need to disturb the Force for nothing, when we can do it like this. Excuse me, Mistress Hadiya, but what is this sample?
«Why?
«I see differences from the model we're using.
«That's not surprising. It's a new model, I brought it to your armourers for review and handed over four pieces.
«I see.
«Maal!
«М? - The zabrak turned to me.
«Shall we shoot?
«Eh, but we won't shoot with this one, - he looked at the rocket launcher.
«Of course not, there's no place. But we'll shoot with this thing once? - I raise the plasmogun with the Force. It's an elongated, bulky device, connected by cable to a special battery, firing plasma beams. Normally it serves as a ship's or at least a stationary gun in a turret, but here I could see its stationary analogue, which is not even on sale. Such a thing would be perfect for shooting off tanks. By the way, I wonder if this thing is the prototype of future hand blasters. Too bad I don't know anything about guns.
«Erm... Well... I think it's possible... I just need to put additional plates on it, and reinforce them with the Force," Maal hesitated. It was obvious that he didn't want to risk it, but he really wanted to. Very much.
Nodding, we began to prepare for the firing. While me and Maal and a couple of assistants were fortifying the range, Hadiya and her subordinates were preparing the weapons. When everything was ready, the actual firing began. With pistols. Maal tried to explain to me how to use the guns, but.....
«Get out of here before I rip your head off and twist your horns," Hadiya said, glaring menacingly at Je'Daya. She came over to me and took the gun in her hands, showing me how to hold it properly. - Shade, look. You hold your hand like this, with the pad of your index finger exactly in the middle of the trigger, so that the gun doesn't jerk to the side when fired. Firearms, unlike laser weapons, have recoil, so you need to shoot with both weapons to understand it. Aim for this thing here, it's called a front sight... Or a scope.
«Hadiya, don't take me for an idiot.
«Don't interfere, I'm in the taste, - the devil waved away, and began to sing about weapons, their advantages, disadvantages, types of ammunition, safety, how to care for and monitor, the features of this or that type of weapons. What more can I say? Hadiya definitely knows her way around a gun. It would be strange if the girl who builds and supplies them didn't realise that.
It wasn't until after this lecture was over that the shooting began. Putting my arm out, I take a couple of shots with the shell gun. There are hits, but I can't call them fair, because I was shooting with the support of the Force.
«Well done. Just put your hand like this," I was immediately corrected.
«That's not it. I'll try it without the Force," I shook my head and, disconnected from my inner source, pulled the trigger a couple of times. Shots fired, no hits. Yeah.
«Come on, one more time," Hadiya encourages me, coming around to my back and standing on her toes. Cuddling up to me, she followed the position of my arm and the aiming of the scope.
More shots. Then more. I ended up shooting about two dozen magazines, half of them with the Force, the other half without. Then there were the laser pistols. With them, without recoil, I could hit well even without the Force. Not in the centre, but at least on target. Then there were rifles. followed by automatic rifles. Alas, there were no energy rifles, only cartridge cases, but I would have shot them.
Maal looked at it through tears, so, taking pity on the Zabrak, Hadiya gave him big toys too. Even her pistols looked more solid than what the zabrak had pulled out.
When my turn came to the machine gun, I couldn't help myself. Taking the thing in my hands and strengthening my body with the Force, with a shout of "WAAAAAAAGH!!!", I, in the manner of Krysis, emptied the entire magazine into the target, in a standing position. It was awesome.
«And you're telling me something else about my shenanigans? - Hadiya raised her eyebrow indignantly, holding the next container of ammunition with both hands.
«I did, I do, and I will continue to say! By the way, it was a great shot," I raised the smoking barrel to the top.
Having connected not without the help of the Force the next bk, with full childish delight, I release the next line into the target, which is an empty hull of a decommissioned fighter. And then again. And then another.
Having heated the barrel to red, I put the weapon aside, letting it cool down and take the plasmogun in my hands.
«Boo-gee-gee-gee-gee-gee-gee-gee-gee-gee-gee-gee-gee.
«'Mistress Hadiya, I think this was a bad idea,' one of her subordinates shared his thoughts with her.
«It's okay.
«FOR THE EMPEROR!!! MWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!
Shot. Second. Three. I was no longer sending charges at the target, but beams of plasma into the armoured wall. The flashes, the rumble of explosions, the trembling of the weapon in my hands, it all stirred the blood and spurred me on to keep firing. On the tenth shot, the battery beeped and I raised the red and smoking barrel to the sky to look at the work of my hands. The range survived, but of the five armour plates only the last two survived. Or rather, the penultimate one had melted and you could see the last one in it, but overall it could still be considered working.
«Shade, you maniac! - Hadiya said, covering her mouth in surprise.
Yeah, when you're called a maniac by someone like her, that's something to think about.
«It's okay, I just got a little carried away.
«A little?! - Hadiya glanced at the armour plates. Maal just kept quiet and came to his senses.
«Exactly. Listen, do you have one of these things?
«No, several, but it didn't go into production. Neither did the J'Daii. They didn't like it. It's too dangerous, it can explode if it's damaged in any way. You can't carry it in your hands, it's bulky, and you can't use it as a stationary weapon, there are cheaper and more effective analogues. The same rocket launcher will be no worse against vehicles, and a machine gun against infantry, - she nodded at the KKL-32, also called by me DShK.
«What's going on?! - burst into the range Temple Master. Funny picture, by the way. Maal has a rocket launcher, which he decided to put away, sitting on the batteries from plasmogon Hadiya, and I with this very plasmogon.
«Firing drill? - I tilt my head guiltily.
«Oh. That's it. My office. And you, Miss Hadiya, I'd like you to come with us, too.
So, following the master, we had to explain what the fuck we'd done. I got a slap on the wrist. Maal too, but more. Hadiya didn't dare get a smackdown, she didn't even give us a reason, she just paid for the repairs to the training ground. Master Shaalin got a smack for leaving his apprentice unsupervised, even with such a weapon. I laughed to myself when Hadiya was politely asked to put her toys back on the ship, out of harm's way.
And when everything was settled, the shooting continued with the usual pistols and rifles. In the evening, when our company got together, I got another drumbeat, but from my friends. When the guys got to know what I had shot with today, they immediately caught fire. The whole company had to persuade Master Shaalin to give me his permission to shoot again, and then together with him to go to the Master of the Temple. The issue was resolved when Hadiya paid in advance for targets and armour plates for the range.
Here I began to resent, how is it so, a girl pays for such a bunch of guys, where in the end is our honour?! The twins didn't hear me, and Gris guiltily spread his paws. Well, yes, I want to shoot. Hadiya herself didn't even listen to me about it, saying:
«You already do not take anything from me, at least now do not refuse! Or I'll take offence. And anyway, it's a drop in the ocean, not an expense.
I had nothing to say to that, because she could really take offence. And the next day the shooting happened again. Then again. When I had more or less learnt to own and look after the weapon, the usual training returned. I was shown hand-to-hand combat techniques, non-lethal techniques, and acrobatic tricks.
When I ran up the wall, I felt like I was Naruto for a moment, for god's sake. And when I climbed to the ceiling, I believed it. Of course, the Force didn't override the laws of gravity, but it could be manipulated. So, for example, you could run up to the wall, stick a dagger, pull yourself up sharply, stick the next one, and so on up to the top. If the room is small, then with the help of inertia I really managed to run on the ceiling, and still fight. Seconds, but for Je'Daiya, seconds are a real chunk of time, because battles are fought at completely different speeds.
Here I also met some real opponents who were able to make me sweat and even chase me around. So, in the temple of martial arts we hung out for almost five taekedes, during which we were taught techniques, but to hone them on their own.
I noticed that I was getting a lot of spectators for my hand-to-hand combat training. Mostly padawans, but some of the older ones stopped by as well. It's not every day you see someone my age fighting on equal footing with Master Stav Kesh. In sparring, there was no outnumbering as such, with both me and my opponent on the floor. Shaalin was getting by on experience and techniques that I just didn't know. I was riding on anticipation. I just felt the next blow and responded to it in advance, but that didn't always help me.
I caught myself thinking that I was fighting back like an inveterate kung-fu master, combining my hands and feet while defying the laws of physics. Fist punch with a turn, jump up and kick three times, jump up again and, during a 360 turn, kick down on the target. The target itself also does not stand still and sometimes gives out such a thing that my thoughts with brains fly out of my head and, if it were not for the strengthening of the Force, it was not a figure of speech at all.
Because of this, the local masters let me down for my liberties and behaviour. After the first training session, I showed what I was worth and was recognised as one of my own. Well, I mean, a future Stav Kesha master, like my mother, so I was treated not as an apprentice, but as one of equals.
Hadiya in my company cooled down and did not show obvious aggression, but cynicism and black humour still continued to ooze out of her like poison from a flower. But at least she found more or less common language with Ves, and from hot enmity the girls switched to cold. Hadiya didn't give up trying to squeeze me, that's what she was all about. Can neither back down nor give up, and gets very angry when she can't get her way. More than once I've heard her called a "spoilt girl", but... But she's getting everything herself, moreover, her father is gradually handing her more and more responsibility. While it's a business, she doesn't run the clan itself, but it's only a matter of time. So her "I want" and "mine" are well deserved by labour and effort. Another thing is that I myself fall under these two points, but that's details.
Thankfully, at least I'm not considered as a thing and my opinion is considered. But her constant insinuations... I guess you could compare it to a cat.
* looking at katara *
Pffh... Yeah. Like a cat that sees sour cream and goes for it and goes for it and goes for it and goes for it, and you slap it, but it still goes for it because it wants it so badly, because it's so tasty and can I have a piece, please? And so to me, she climbs, and climbs, and climbs, and climbs, and doesn't want to share with anyone, so Ves beats her with a slipper, and I can only stoically roll my eyes and stay away. Both of them. I, of course, believe in my abilities as a parliamentarian, but sometimes I want to shoot myself....
I didn't see the point in doing anything or trying to interfere at all. I intervened once, and the result was satisfactory. I'm afraid I'll only make things worse. I found two soul mates... How did I come to this?
Oh, never mind. While the girls were sorting things out between themselves, I spent my evenings studying the Stargazer papers provided by Hadiya. Yeah, all normal trainees would have picked them up and walked around trying to reconcile them, but I've been sitting behind the waste paper. There's definitely something wrong with me.
But I learnt a lot of interesting things, as well as how I should behave if I decide to make contact with the Stargazers. They are a sect, but they have some common sense and can be negotiated, but it all comes down to this mysterious and incomprehensible thing hidden in the Old City. Then again, should we go there? It's a Force point, and there's some pretty nasty monsters on Tython. Maybe we should just fuck it. Tell Mum or Cicuna and let the higher-ups worry?
I sigh sadly as I consider the idea. I'd better not tell her, because not only would I be forbidden to go, but I'd attract attention. I don't want to be accused of following in my father's footsteps. Although I don't see anything wrong with that, just because I don't know what road he followed! And even if they don't accuse me, there'll be questions I'd really like to avoid. At least not to look like an idiot in my mother's eyes. No, I'll be an idiot in her eyes anyway, even if I go, but at least I won't be the last one, and if I find something, maybe they'll forgive me. Mm-hmm. I'll have to think about it. Oh, man, I want to do this and I want to do that.
Knock, knock, knock!
«It's open.
«My lady asked me to tell you that the ship is ready for departure, Mr Shade," one of Hadiya's subordinates told me.
«Thank you. You may go.
Putting the papers away, I took my bag and went to ours. Today we were leaving Stav Kesh, but not on foot, and not even riding Raptors, but on a starship. Long live Civilisation!
Gathering of friends, farewell to local masters - everything passed quickly and unnoticeably. Unlike the same Bodhi, we didn't make any new acquaintances here. The masters looked at me as passers-by, and the disciples simply shunned us, considering us to be from a high circle, or otherwise "blatant". It was Hadiya's presence, or something else. Or was it the place itself, that even though we'd been here so long, we hadn't settled in? Probably all at once. So we loaded up on the ship and headed for Mahara Kesh, the temple of healing. If we were going to go into the heat, we had to be able to heal ourselves properly, or we wouldn't even have made it to Stav Kesh if Ramira hadn't been there.
The ship we flew on was proudly called the Feromon, and it was a transport ship. I mean, the thing had a big hold, a good reactor with engines, a thick hull, and lots of guns. The Feromon was used to transport weapons or other expensive goods. Hadiya did it in an original way, stuffing part of the hold with hardware, the other with all sorts of stuff necessary for comfortable life, plus crates of weapons for "close" acquaintance. And that's just the hold, but there were three decks in all. The first - with a cabin and living compartments, the second - technical, and the third - the hold.
The ship looked like a praying mantis. A thick belly, an elongated breast and a muzzle, under which was attached a turret with a local BFG. The pulsed laser battery, powered directly from the reactor, could make a real scribe in the front and lower hemisphere. In addition, small turrets for eliminating MLA were attached to it on the belly, and missile launching pits stood on top. It was also possible to open the cargo airlock and ingenuously turn the ship into a bomber. But once again, this is just a military transport, a ship that is not so much to fight as to carry valuable cargo. It's a fascinating product of dusky genius.
So we flew quite comfortably. One bad thing was that Ves had taken over Hadiya's game and sat on my lap, looking arrogantly at the twi'lek. Hadiya looked and looked at that and made a move - invited everyone to the table. And then, without giving Wes a second thought, she was the first to take the seat next to me, and even tried to destroy my self-importance by spoon-feeding me. Such an embarrassment...
* looking at my friends having fun *
...I might not survive it, so I sat both girls next to each other and crawled over to the other side, to Ramira. She didn't mind. But when she asked Zeng's permission with her eyes, and then teased both Wes and Hadiya with her attempt to flirt with me... Yeah, I've never seen such solidarity in my life. Rami was even afraid for a second that she was a little bit sick right here and now, so she quickly moved away from me back to Zeng, who was sitting on her left side.
«I rubbed the bridge of my nose in distress. I wonder, in Earth terms, how old are we? Mm-mm... No, I can't count. Well, whatever.
«Tell me you don't like something," Feng winked.
«I won't say a word.
«Gra-e-r rue ar-eg," they gave me advice on how I should go about it. Both Hadiya and Wes immediately turned crimson, while I quietly quacked.
«Gris, I'll cut your hair for saying that!
Wookiee only laughed at my outburst.
«Aur rge eir-r-eg.
«WHAT?! - Hadiya jumped up. - You want me to do it with HER?! Come here, smartass," she snatched up her favourite mode and went for the wookiee. Miniature girl, going for the wookiee. And by the way, he was really scared and jumped up from the table and started to stagger away.
«Arg-ur rea-r-r-e eru rgie-r," he put out his palms and tried to calm the flaming twi'lek. But judging by Hadiya's eyes, she was about to snip him herself.
«Please note that Ves herself hasn't said a word," Feng remarked.
«...
«...
«...
Strange, I thought the reactor was quieter, but it was so loud... I looked at the Zabrak and mentally buried him. But Hadiya wasn't in a hurry to shoot anything at him. Only turned to Vessira in surprise. The katara herself moved into my arms.
«Hey!
«Why? - she clapped her eyes.
«Why are you so calm?
«I'm calm, and I don't care about others," I was hugged, licked, and rubbed on the cheek. - Let them think what they want.
Seeing the change in Hadiya's feelings bursting out of her was priceless. First she was surprised, then she reconsidered something, then she glared at Ves and then she quietly boiled over.
Alas, the idyll was interrupted by the pilot's voice from the speakers.- Mahar Kesh Temple is five minutes away.
«Hmmm... Let's go pack, shall we?
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