Upon returning to the room I saw Mum and Dalien chatting quietly, going over the past and sipping something non-alcoholic. Also no longer observed in the room were the bodyguards... or assistants, I don't know what they are to Dalien.
After quickly explaining to my mother that I had to fly to Chicago, we began to coordinate our actions. First of all, we put all this activity around Old Town on hold. Secondly, we decided that we had to finish our primary tasks. I have the pilgrimage, and now Hadiya, my mother has her own tasks to complete. Dalien was given new inputs, with which he was to revise the old plan in the meantime and provide a new one by the time we returned, from which we would dance. And until we've sorted out what we've got, no more action!
Before I left the ship, I asked Dalien for some of the hypergate data. I'll study it at my leisure when I get a chance.
* looking in a book *
Oh, man. That's not gonna happen anytime soon. I'm like that hamster who grabs everything he can get his hands on, but instead of material values, I'm grabbing intellectual values. It's a good thing that the book is not paper but electronic, otherwise I would have to carry a whole library with me. And so - you carry only a small tablet, a couple of holocrones, plus a flash drive for backups, beauty!
When I was done with the data, I was the first to leave the obscenely fanatical Stargazer society and headed first for Knox and then, from there, on a cargo ship to Chicago. Settling comfortably on the ship, I return to my self-control training. Being able to survive depressurisation or lethal levels of radiation exposure is very expensive. If I didn't have to modify the technique to suit myself, it would be great....
Along with training in self-control, the control of the Force developed in parallel. Microcontrol, to be exact. For this purpose, Je'Dayu is given a sandbag. Your task is to control each grain of sand and make it move chaotically, and the more grains of sand you control at a time, the better. This technique at first literally makes your brain leak out of your ears as you have to parallelise your consciousness. At this stage I can control up to half of the bag, and not without the help of intuition and the Force itself, when Irbis can manage all the sand with ease and without strain.
It was a clear confirmation of the difference in our levels. Yes, I was stronger than him in brute strength, but he was more skilful, and he set the bar for my training by his example. Eh... I wonder how he's doing?
Having caught on to that thought, I decided not to delay and, having interrupted the training, went to the communication centre.
«Good morning, - I nod to the operator who was sitting there. - Can I use the equipment? I want to send a request to an old friend.
«Not in front of me.
«Of course.
I could understand the operator. The practice of taking additional passengers may have justified itself, but if such a passenger was a plant from competitors, he could easily leak data on the current location of the ship for its further interception. As they say - only business, nothing personal.
Sitting down in the second chair, I dialed the teacher's ID. I hope he hasn't changed it...
«Are you really Je'Dayi? - A guy sitting next to me suddenly asked. He was a normal guy, about my age with fiery red hair and a bored look in his eyes. I was used to the fact that ordinary people had a slight dislike for the Je'Daiyas and didn't always want to make contact. When the ship found out who they were taking on board, contact with me was also minimised. And the fact that the guy decided to talk was really unexpected.
«Yeah. Why? - The terminal flashed the symbol of sending a request, and I turned fully to the interlocutor.
«I don't want to offend you, but can I ask you a few... questions?
«Sure. Don't be shy.
«Thank you. I've only encountered the J'Daii a couple of times myself, face to face, but more often than not, I've heard things about them. And I've heard that all J'Daii are arrogant. That because of your connection to the Force, you're all stuck up and looking down on the others..." The boy spoke more and more quietly, and finally stopped talking. I grinned and intercepted the speech:
«It's true. A lot of people do look down on you. But many doesn't mean all.
«Then why don't you leave your quarters?
«What's the point? Your mates shun me, and I have other things to do.
«I thought you didn't like being among us.
«Listen, what's your name?
«Hard.
«I'm Shade, Hard. How about we call each other?
«Okay," the boy said, relaxing.
«Hard, the main thing you need to understand about the J'Daiyans is that they're just like you. They make mistakes, they can love and hate, and they have vices just like you. The only difference between us is that we have the Force and you don't. That's neither good nor bad, it's just a fact.
«But it's not fair! Why do some people have it and others don't?
«Hard, the Force doesn't mean anything special like you think it does. Everything has a good side and a bad side. And having the Force comes with its own set of limitations.
«Such as?
«First and foremost, the Force is your greatest ally and your greatest enemy. It can help you, but it can also kill you. From the inside. The light side puts you to sleep. The dark side corrupts you. It's like two presses that keep pushing against each other, and you're in between. And if you get weak, you lose yourself. Yes, you have a lot of power in your hands, it's true. But that power is primarily a danger to yourself. We spend our lives learning the Force and self-control, if only to keep our heads up. Some Je'Daii are so afraid of this power that they voluntarily give it up. It's a very painful procedure, but it's a way to relieve them of the burden of responsibility they were born with.
«Wow.
«When did you get so smart? - I heard the familiar voice of a Nogri.
«Irbis..." I turn around and look at the smirking teacher. - How long have you been connected?
«Just now. You're lucky I'm on the ship.
«You still hitchhiking? - I tilt my head to my shoulder.
«No, I got a ship this time.
«And why didn't I have it with me?" I sigh.
«So you wouldn't relax!
We sit, looking at each other, but we can't stand it, we start smiling.
«Hello, Irbis.
«Shade. - I see Hard get up out of his chair.
«I'll stand outside the door.
Nodding gratefully, I turn back to Irbis.
«How's it going in there?
«The same. Travelling, acting as a witness, signing treaties... Pretty much the same. But on my own ship and in the company of a new apprentice!
«О!
«Yes, yes, Shade. And you have no idea how excited I am. I'm just relaxing around him. Unlike you, he's a calm, quiet, diligent kid who listens and, most importantly, obeys his elders. You know, after messing with you, I think that even if they gave me a baby flint lizard, I'd make a Je'Daiya out of him too.
«Well, thank you.
«You're welcome," the mentor bowed jokingly. - Where are you now?
«I'm on one of the transports, flying to Chikaga.
«Hadiya?
«That's the one.
«What about the pilgrimage?
«Well, with everything that's happened, I don't really have time for it.
«You don't change..." the Master shook his head with a sigh.
«But, I'm going to finish it right after Chikagu.
«How many temples are left? Four?
«Two.
«HOW?!
«Let's just say we didn't stay long. Also, instead of running round Tython, we used the starship.
«Shade.
«Why?
«I realise you don't care about a lot of things. But at least make it look like you're upholding tradition!
«I'll think about it.
So, Irbis and I chatted for about half an hour. We reminisced about the past, discussed the present, thought about the future. Irbis did call up a new student and showed him to me on camera. After watching and chatting a little with the latter, I could only sigh and rub the bridge of my nose. And that's because the man doesn't realise where he's gone. Calm, restrained, he tried to fit the ideal image of Je'Daya that was embedded in that word. There was no question about where it was put, either; you could tell from one face: monks were evil.
Asked Irbis if he looked as 'poised' as his apprentice had since graduating from Akar Kesh. When he answered in the affirmative, he made a note to stay away from the Talids.
That was the end of the conversation, but it continued with Hard. After answering a few more questions, I left the boy on duty and went to my room to continue learning about the Great fucking Force. But who would have thought this would be just the beginning? I don't know in what way or place, but Hard found in me not only a listener, but also a wise mentor to consult with. And every day he came to me either to speak, or to ask for some advice, or just to chat, distracting me from my work. At first it was fun, then it became annoying, and when the rest of the crew started to arrive, I began to swear quietly.
No, I could have sent people away, but then my reputation would suffer, and I'd shown myself to be on the bright side. But I honestly tried to explain that meditation is a huge painstaking and very important work. Alas, the non-power-gifted cannot understand this. In his eyes, you sit on your arse and suffer shit and there is nothing you can do about it. Eh... Life is pain.
So when the ship came to Chicago, I was as happy as the first time I came here. Freedom! Freedom, proper fresh food - and an abundance of even bigger arseholes to stab. Especially when they try to count you at the first shop just because you're a "travelling idiot". But here I couldn't help myself and, having lifted the peddler by the scruff of the neck, I asked him nicely: "Which one of us is a sucker?". After an affirmative answer that it was definitely not me, they gave me something similar to shawarma and even gave me change. Eh... They don't understand here in a good way. The first time.
So, having breakfast, I walked along the street, looking around, and something less and less I liked what I saw. There were too many guards, both my own and others'. There was tension in the air, and the armed representatives of the different clans were not looking at each other with amorous eyes.
On the other hand, I didn't hear any shouting in the streets, I didn't see any thieves, everything was much calmer than before. There were no ordinary street kids, which is a real nonsense. But the changes were not only physical, but also emotional. Walking between ordinary citizens and listening to their emotions, I was lost and wondered whether I had come to the right place. Did the people really become... kinder? There was no anger in their gazes, no open hostility, no open shunning of clan fighters. The defenders themselves did not go on the rampage either, and looked more like real militia that cared not only about the clan's power, but also about the order on the clan's land.
I even wiped my eyes when I saw how one of the patrols got involved in a brawl of drunken company and tried to resolve the conflict peacefully. I couldn't say it worked, but the guys were trying, and the swords and knives were more of a decorative and stimulating attribute. I even helped them a little by scaring the drunkards with the Force, so that they would be more cooperative and not try to show their strength to the clansmen.
But before I could get far away, the same patrol recognised me as Hadiya's (future) husband and, catching up, politely offered his services. And how could such an important person be so unprotected? Not even a formal one. After looking at the guys and making sure that they didn't give a damn about me, but really cared about the honour of the Mistress, I gave the go-ahead. Five minutes later I was provided with an aerocar.
Hadiya's palace, to which I was taken, was more like a small pyramidal fortress with towers on top and a very large stock of various surprises for intruders of all kinds - flying, crawling, running. In the centre of the fortress, right on top of it, was a heavy laser launcher, plus a few more in the city, so even if a cruiser was brought in here, it would be too much for it. A mere glance at all this splendour was enough to appreciate the girl's approach to her own safety, and remembering the situation in the city, he was forced to recognise the measures as relevant.
When the car flew into the hangar, I was surprised by two rows of soldiers lined up in the corridor. And at the end, right at the entrance, stood a happy Hadiya. Or rather, I see her as happy, as she's so phoned in, but outwardly she's ice-cold calm and stern looking.
«Welcome back, Shade. I'm glad you got here so quickly," Hadiya nodded discreetly as I approached.
«Hello, Sunshine. You should have put down a red rug," I sighed, and then, ignoring everything, I put my arm around her waist and turned her around to follow her to the door. The confusion, fuelled by surprise and incomprehension behind me, was a great reward. The soldiers themselves, taking note of Mistress's fleeting gesture, began to disperse, leaving us alone.
«Shade, I've told you many times to be more restrained around your subordinates," Hadiya hissed, glaring at me angrily, but not trying to break free.
«Well, I am restrained, what's wrong with that? If you want, I don't have to be restrained," and I smacked her forehead, which was at the level of my nose.
«Okay, I believe it's better if it's just the way it is," the twee'lechka snickered, interpreting my words in her own way.
«Well? Who dares to insult my future Queen?
«Your present one," I was hugged. - This is Chickagoo's future Queen.
«Whatever you say.
«And the offence. I'm dealing with it.
«Maybe I can help you track it down.
«I don't think so. Shade, just give me cover, and I'll handle the rest.
«Whatever you say, Sunshine, you know best. But let me ask you, when's the meeting?
«Nine days from now.
«Are you going anywhere before it?
«No, like you said, I've been sitting here, keeping my head down. And I'm not confident enough to play with J'Day.
- How do you know J'Dayi's a performer?
«Performers. There's more than one, I can't tell you exactly how many. I got it from the security footage.
«So how'd you fight back?
«The first time, the assassins didn't expect my guards A, who wear isolation suits, and B, to react so quickly, and I was able to get away. In the second case - the attack was already on my fortress, but one of the attackers was trapped with poison gas. After that, everything was calm.
«Can I see the body?
«Of course, it's here.
«Is there a morgue in the fortress? - I even stopped.
«More like a lab with a cadaver section.
«I don't think there was one two years ago.
«Nor was there much else," Hadiya nodded. - 'My home is my fortress that I'm working on.
«Heh. I see.
«Shade, I'm sorry please..." she bit her lip and flushed with guilt. - ...but I really need to run right now. A lot of things have changed around here, so I'm going to call a guide for you now," she lifted the handle on which the wrist communicator was attached and pressed a few keys.
«It's okay, I understand.
«I promise we'll talk tonight. And... Thank you so much," she hugged me harder, nuzzling her face into my neck.
«Nonsense, how can I leave my client, especially in her hour of need? - I stroked her head and, taking advantage of the fact that Twi'lek leks are very sensitive, gently stroked her left lekk with the Force.
«Oh-oh-oh!" Hadiya breathed out in a shaky voice, and was startled awake. - Shade!!!
«I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. - I kissed her frowning nose.
«Okay, that's it! You stay here, they're coming for you now, and I... I have to go. Yes.
And twisting out of the embrace, turning round rather abruptly, Hadiya walked down the corridor. I didn't have to wait long, it wasn't a minute before someone came running out the back.
«Oh! What familiar faces," I grinned, looking at one of Hadiya's cronies, whom I myself had at one time weeded out of the general contingent.
«Hello, Mr Aero," the zabrak sincerely paid his respects with a slight bow. - And where is Mistress Hadiya?
«'She went on business, you were summoned for me.
«О!
«Show me to the lab.
«Then we'll go to the lifts, they're on the third floor.
Following the Zabrak, I began to ask him about the changes that had taken place in my absence. For example, while the corridors used to be empty, they were empty now, except for the occasional patrol. It turns out that Hadiya had divided the fortress into segments rather rigidly, and people work right where they live. Instead of one living module, several small ones on each floor. The warehouses have gone downstairs, the soldiers have been pulled down to the ground floor, the command centre has moved into the heart of the fortress, as have Hadiya's personal quarters. Instead of the usual sliding doors, there were now heavy bunker bolts.
And that was just the beginning. Listening to the whole list of changes, I got the impression that this place was preparing not just for war, but for nuclear war, here's the serious part. After that I reevaluated Hadiya's paranoia and wondered what she was driving. Thought it was an armoured car, but no. Hadiya either flies a personal cruiser when escorted, or rides a wheeled tank. I even asked her if it was a tank. The zabrak admitted that they had dubbed the machine so, because, although the technique is classified as "personal armoured vehicle", but it rides on eight wheels and weighs twenty-five tonnes. There is no big cannon, instead it has a powerful engine, repulsors, accelerators and a lot of armour.
So when we got to the lab, I had some very exciting questions for Hadiya, which I'll be sure to ask. Tonight. In the meantime, the lab.
After explaining to the locals why I'd come, I was provided with... what was left of the corpse. It turns out that the nastiness in which the failed killer got into, had not only poisonous, but also corrosive effect, so that even with all my desire I could not identify the face.
«Did you get an ID?
«No, sir. We ran it through the DNA database, but nothing.
«What about the Je'Daii?
«They said they would conduct their own investigation.
«All right, then I'll ask the question another way. Did you find anything?
«Yes, we were able to identify the group this man is from. It's Antaris. A group that specialises in eliminating the competition for a modest fee. They're convenient and extremely honest with their clients, which is why they're still around, and they're also very meticulous about getting the job done.
«Where did you recognise it from?
«Equipment and gear, - I was shown a half-eaten face mask.
«Good... - I took the mask and examined it. In theory, it should have covered the whole face, leaving only slits for the eyes. I wish I could read the past of an object... - How did the killer act?
«By force.
«That's not what I mean. Throwing objects, punching lightning bolts, swinging swords, how did he work?
«Lightning bolts, armed with a laser rifle and a gun made by us, also threw objects and... I think he could freeze. At least we've got footage of him putting his hand to a door, freezing it in seconds and shattering it with a light poke.
«Cryokinesis..." I pull thoughtfully, considering the technique. It's not rare, but it's complicated. I've never been able to adapt it for myself. - Did you trace the weapon?
«We tried. Clear. But, interestingly, we recovered a poison implant from beneath the skin," I was shown a capsule. - We believe it's poison, in case the subject is captured.
Taking the tiny, pill-like ampoule, with a dark green liquid in which floated white particles that smelled of the Force, I examined it closely.
«We tried to analyse it, but the equipment malfunctioned, and to take a sample requires opening the ampoule. Mistress Hadiya forbade it until you arrived.
«She was right," I glance at the selkat with a frown. - It's not poison. It's an alchemical compound created with the Force. You can't make this stuff on your knees, you need a serious laboratory, a mastery of the Force, and the proper knowledge.
«Does that mean we can cut it open?
«Don't even think about it! - I hid the ampoule in my fist. - I'll do it myself. Is there anything else?
«No, sir.
«Good. Dismissed.
Leaving the lab and closing the door behind me, I examine the vial of alchemical substance once more.
«Sir, do you know what this is? - The zabrak inquired.
«No. Not even close.
«Then what are you going to do with it? - I looked at the guide. - Excuse me.
«Where's the communications centre?
«This way.
Climbing two more levels up, I was led to the main sensor centre. Kicking everyone out of the room and dialling the ID, I wait for a response. After about five minutes, the screen came up and my mum's face appeared.
«Hi Shade!
«Hi Mum. What are you so happy about?
«Just learnt a few new secrets, nothing big.
«Yeah. Anyway, Mum, it's business.
«What is it now?
«I found a dead Force-user with an implant containing an ampoule filled with a green alchemical solution. A serious solution, I'd say it's some kind of Force concentrate. Do you know what it is? - while showing off the vial.
«Er, yes," she was confused and, looking away from the camera, rubbed her chin thoughtfully. - It's a stimulant.
«Stimulant?
«Ten years ago or so, we had a 'genius'," she grimaced, "who came up with the idea of increasing the sensitivity to force by alchemical means. He actually got results, the stuff increased sensitivity by leaps and bounds.
«Let me guess. The side effect was a fall to the dark side? - I chuckle.
«No. The side effect was insanity. I don't know what exactly happened, I wasn't involved in that fight because I was dealing with you. I only know from Cicuna's words that those who took the solution thought they were gods and did sarlacc-like things.
«Were they killed?
«No, I didn't have to. The body can't handle the strain and as far as I know, it's tearing from the inside out.
«Would you say it's a last resort when there's nothing left to lose?
«Basically, yes.
«Brilliant. What's been done with all this work?
«Nothing, archived them and put them in the library for the future, it's an interesting subject.
«...
«Shade, what's going on in there?
«Well, you see, Hadiya managed to poison the assassin, and he's got this stuff in him. Now, the question is, where did it come from?
«You're telling me there's an alchemy lab somewhere in Chicago? - Mum frowned.
«'That's the most logical explanation,' I shrugged.
«I'll let Cicuna know. Let the Council have a headache.
«Then tell them that the dead man belongs to a group called Antaris, and that Hadiya is actively digging for them.
«I will. I will.
«That'll be all.
«Oh, Shade..." I got a reproachful look on my face.
«What?
«You'd better get out of there fast, I don't want to answer the council's questions about what my son forgot on his pilgrimage to Chikaga.
«As soon as I can," I smirk. - See you later, Mum.
«May the Force be with you.
The screen went out and the room was silent. I stood there for a moment, staring into the emptiness, and took out the ampoule. I'd better shove this thing somewhere more secure than my pocket. Turning around and leaving the long distance room, I meet the eyes of the waiting Zabrak.
«Sir?
«Let's go to the guards and check the cameras.
«Yes, sir.
With the tapes in hand, I locked myself in my room watching TV. What do we see? Three attackers, one host, two assistants. They're all dressed alike, they shoot the guards good, they break down the doors good. It's clearly a team effort. What else? They don't even think about secrecy here, so the task is straightforward - to eliminate by any means necessary. During the fight, one of the "students" rushed forward and fell into a trap. Feeling the death of his colleague, the remaining couple did not break down the doors, but preferred to leave.Time after time, scrolling through the footage, I watched the movements, the way they used the Force, the way they used weapons. What confused me was how brazenly they acted. Where's the cover? Where's the insurance? What if Hadiya escaped like last time?
Requested the cameras from the outside walls, so I checked them too. And for good reason, there really was insurance. Four inconspicuous lorries were parked in very good places, in case someone decided to leave the fortress through the roof. Remembering the rocket launchers Hadiya had bragged to me about, I thought for some reason that the enemy must have something like that too.
«I rubbed the bridge of my nose, pausing the recording. I reached for the snack basket and was surprised to find it empty.
As I went to the kitchen to replenish the supplies and brew some grub, Hadiya entered the room. She swung the door open sharply and walked inside, closing it just as sharply.
«Is there a problem? - I stuck my head out of the kitchen.
«Ouch!" The twee'lech jumped up and grabbed her gun.
«Shh, if you kill me, who's going to guard you?
«Shade..." she exhales with relief and puts her gun away, walking over to me.
«What's up?
«Oh, just a little stressed out.
«Can you at least tell me in general terms what's going on?
«I'll tell you," she grabbed a few crisps from my basket and popped them in her mouth. - Hrum-hrum-hrum-hrum.
Following her and putting the basket on the bedside table, I sit down next to Hadiya, who collapses on the bed.
«So?
«Well, it all started relatively recently," she looked up at me with her hands under her head and her legs tucked up. - You already know that my father is slowly shifting the burden of responsibility for the clan onto my shoulders. And though he's the actual leader, I'm the one who's running the clan at the moment. Already. And as you know, I have no intention of stopping there. Now we're at odds with the Ryo clan, and I'm basically taking over. I have more men, more influence, their territories are already patrolled by my fighters. I could do this at any moment," she snapped her fingers, "and the Ryo clan would cease to exist. But I don't want unnecessary bloodshed, so I offered them to swear an oath to me. What's more, everyone will stay where they are, I won't even touch their structure, why interfere with a working mechanism?
«But they didn't like it.
«That's putting it mildly," Hadiya nodded and reached for the basket, fingering it with her fingers in a way that suggested, "Give it to me. With a chuckle, I pulled the basket closer to her with the Force. - Hrum-hrum-hrum-hrum-hrum-hrum. Anyway, they're muddying the waters now, trying to get all the clans against me in general. Hrum-hrum-hrum. They don't dare to do anything, not even talk. They're afraid of me, but if they can get their act together, it'll be war. But! Ryo's clan comes second to mine. Hrum-hrum. And if he joins me, the others won't even dare to cross me, because the Ryo clan will be the second clan I've absorbed. Please note, not without your help. Hrum-hrum-hrum-hrum-hrum.
«What's that got to do with me?
«Who beheaded the Shi clan?
«Oh, right.
«In the end, I'm the one who took the biggest bite. Now I can digest the whole clan.
«And they're gonna go along with that? - I raised an eyebrow sceptically.
«Where would they go? The head of the clan was killed in an accidental landspeeder crash, and his eldest son tried to avenge his dead father for some far-fetched reason, for which he ended up paying with his life. Now the youngest sits there, and he's very much in favour of submitting to me. Hrum, hrum, hrum, hrum, hrum, hrum.
«Yeah. Politics? No politics. A gun to the head is more reliable," I sigh.
«A good word and a gun can achieve much more than just a good word," Hadiya winked. - And as for the killers, well, I sent them a message. Either they'll stop and I'll forget our differences, or I'll burn their whole organisation to the ground. What they decide, you and I will know soon enough.
«You know, I have a feeling they'll go nuclear for you.
«You flatter me, Shade," she pushed the basket aside and shook off her hands. - But a cruiser can hit you, yes, that's why I don't even walk around the city without air cover.
«You're paranoid.
«A living paranoid! - She held up a finger and grabbed me by my waistcoat and pulled me to her. Humming, I lie down next to her and immediately have a leg thrown over me in a masterly manner.
«A living paranoid who uses a tank on wheels as his personal transport and a SWAT team to top it off.
«Yeah, yeah, yeah.
«I'm fucking with you. You should give your people chips so you can kill them if you need to.
«Hmm.
«I'm kidding!
«But it's a good idea.
«Hadiya, that's too much, your own people will stake you.
«Okay. I'll trust you with my safety, all right.
«...
«How's the body? Did you find anything interesting?
«Sort of. If I told you you were in trouble, would you be surprised?
«They've always been there, it's nothing new," she shrugged.
«No, this time they're big, even for me.
«А?
Looking at me, she stood up and rested her elbow on my chest, leaning her cheek on the brush.
«So?- Firstly, you were being herded. If you tried to run away, you'd be run over.
«That's nothing new. That's what the fortress is for.
«Secondly, the gifted who attacked you were definitely not J'Daii. They're probably exiles, but they haven't reached the end of their training, as evidenced by their Force skills. Otherwise, they'd have got you.
«That's not news," the twi'lek said condescendingly.
«But they'd been on Chikaga a long time; they were a well-coordinated team. They knew what they were doing, but where they went wrong was with your paranoia.
«Now you're scolding me.
«I'm not berating, I'm wondering. That's what made them back off. If it wasn't for that, they would have come to you and beheaded you.
«Is that it?
«No. Did they tell you about the "poison" they found in the body?
«Yes, and?
«It's not poison, it's a last chance alchemical solution. When it enters the bloodstream, it increases your sensitivity to the Force by a factor of two for a short period of time. You'll die in the end, but you'll have a very good last gasp. And neither your poison nor the bulkheads will save you. You're just lucky that genius didn't break the ampoule!
«Well... He obviously didn't have time for that," Hadiya tried to laugh. And though she didn't show it, I could clearly feel her emotions getting the better of her.
«Do you get it now?
«Yeah. Shade. Can you handle it?
«In theory, yes. Great power is an argument, but knowing how to use it is just as important. And they don't. At least from what I've seen.
«So it's okay," she leaned down and rested her head on my chest as my heart sank into my heels.
«You amaze me..." the thought came out of my mouth.
«With what?
«Your faith in me. You can't do that, can you?
«I can. I can. I can do anything," she rubbed her cheek and pressed harder.
«Whatever you say.
«Shade, what's your problem? You know, the ones you didn't want to talk about over the comms.
«Huh? Oh, bollocks. It's just that our system's either gonna be eaten by something, along with all the inhabitants, or it's gonna be sucked up by a black hole, all of it. And me and my mum are thinking about how we can do neither.
«(O_O)
«That's the short of it.
Morgue-morgue.
«But not necessarily," I reach for my crisps and take a bite and continue, "It's just that my mother and I, we can't bloody well let Dalien Brock get killed on Tython. So we're going to help him activate the hypergate and basically go against the entire Order and its prohibitions. And if things go wrong, we're going to be enemy number one. And if it goes wrong at all, a black hole will form instead of Tython.
«Shade.
«М?
«Tell me you're kidding me... please.
«Alas, Sunshine. We have two conflicting prophecies, the first one fucked up, the second one fucked up. And we're in the middle. If we do nothing, it's option two. If we do something, maybe-- Just maybe-- it's option number one.
«How?! How did you get involved in this??? - I got grabbed by the waistcoat.
«Don't ask. In fact, that's why I wanted to ask for your help. We need to smuggle a team of soldiers and scientists, plus equipment, to Tython. Dalien's got the equipment, Mum can help on Tython, but we don't know how to get there on the sly.
«Load you all on a ship, send you off as cargo, what are you thinking?!
«That's right! You've got contracts with Tyton.
«That's right! And I'll give you the men. Hadiya's on top of me.
«No, I've got fighters.
«Soldiers, Shade. Professional soldiers. I don't think the Stargazers will have characters skilled enough. And I'll have better guns than the fanatics.
«Heh... Thanks, but I don't think you shouldn't interfere any more than necessary. After all, this is... a very dangerous venture.
«So? I'll raze Tython to the ground if they dare come between us! - she blurted out with burning eyes.
«I'm sure you would, but let's not get too excited, shall we? Task one is to deal with you here. Task two is to come up with a stealthy infiltration plan. Dalien's already working on it, we should get him some new intel. Task three is to come up with an exit plan in case things go wrong.
«Mm-hmm.
«I think you're going to drop a nuke in there right now," I gently pull you down and hold you against my chest, stroking your head.
«I got one.
«Where from?!
«Just in case.
«Great power, who did I mess with... - I throw my head back and cover my eyes.
«The future queen of Chickagoo.
«Yeah.
«Shade.
«М?
«Can you pick up where we left off? Well, there... in the corridor.
Smiling, I lower my hand from her head to the lekku, slightly influenced by the Force. I felt Hadiya shudder, her breath catching and goosebumps running up and down her skin. She clutched her hands to the waistcoat on her chest and held still, savouring the sensation.
I watched and listened to that slightly shrunken, tense and trembling lump and couldn't believe who she was outside this room. Well, what if we tried a little harder to shake up the other Hadiya?Intercepting her, I lay her down on the bed, and I get on top of her. Apparently having realised something like that, Hadiya wrinkled her nose a little.
«I don't want to. Let me be weak. Next to you.
«Whatever you say...
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