To my surprise, only my mother was waiting for me in the Temple Master's office.
«Yes, Mum, is something wrong?
«No. Come in, sit down," she pointed across from me to the second guest chair.
«Then what is it?
«This whole story is bugging me," she folded her arms and rested her thumbs on her chin, her index fingers on her nose.
«Heh, it's the same for me.
«Not in that way," she grimaced. - Visions are rarely wrong... Well, they're never wrong, it's just that if they're bad, they're prevented in time. And then there's Dalien... I remember him. Yes, he was peculiar, unsociable, but at the same time I can't call him a madman, capable of blowing up an entire system for the sake of his goal. Despite his dislike of society and especially the J'Dayas, he was a good man.
«Mum, where are you going with this?
«Since you're directly involved in this whole thing, I want you to go downstairs.
«What? My eyebrows went up.
«Before we get out of here, I want you to try and see into the future. Your future, what's in store for you. It's a lot easier than seeing someone else's.
«What about you?
«I'm coming with you.
«For backup?
«For complicity," she pulled her hands away from her face and grinned wickedly.
«Ma, why don't you? I went through a power point once, and I felt so bad afterwards....
«What can you do, Shade? The J'Daii go to them for a reason. It's much easier to see into the future, and the closer you get to the source, the more vivid the...
«...glitches," I said glumly after her, and my mother smiled, amusement creeping into her emotions. - Yeah, yeah, I know that. When are we going?
«Now.- Now?!
«Yeah, why?
«I wanted to rest. Just a bit.
«You'll be fine. Depending on what we see, we'll prepare for it. I want us to have time to spare.
«I'm gonna go pack.
«No need. Just bring your swords. We're not going to stay up there any longer than we have to, and we're not going down deep.
«Yes, Mum.
«I'll wait for you at the exit.
That was the end of that conversation. When I came back to my room, I could observe the most interesting picture: Wes and Hadiya are sitting on my bed opposite each other and chatting nicely, disposing of my own bars! And Hadiya is eating them elegantly with a knife, while Wes... Well, that's Wes.
«Oh! Back already? - Hadiya exclaimed.
«Girls... Do you have a conscience?
«What's that? - Hadiya.
«Nah," Wes shook her head. - 'Hrum-hrum.
«You're all clear.
«Hey, where are you going? - Vessira looked up as I clipped my blades to my belt.
«Hell.
«Where to?
«Down, Wes, down.
«What do you mean?! - she stepped forward.
«Mother and I are about to descend into the gorge. Hadiya, if you leave before I get back," I walk over to the surprised twi'lek and give her a hug. - Take care of yourself. Remember, for every sly face, there's a sly face.
«I'll remember," Hadiya nodded, her face rubbing against my stomach. - You be careful, too.
«What's the matter with me?
«Yes, you will," Wes disagreed, pointing at her tattooed arm.
«Okay, okay. I'm convinced.
«Maybe--
«No, Wes. My mother and I are on our own. I'm not sure you guys should be in there," I slap the catarrh's nose.
«I don't get it. Why are you so cheerful?
«He's always like that when he smells something fried," Wes said. - She and the teacher have that in common.
«Yeah, yeah. All right, girls, have a nice day.
Saying goodbye to the ladies, I shut the door behind me and, humming one of my favourite tunes I found here, headed for the exit. Mum was waiting for me at the main entrance, just like she said, with two jetpacks.
«Have you learnt how to use them yet? - she tossed me the first one.
«'I hope not,' I catch the device, sling it over my shoulders and zip myself up. She'd given me a couple of lessons before I got into Qigong Kesh in case I had to fly. Well... It came in handy. Especially since it's going to take us a long time to get out of that hole otherwise, because the walls are so smooth.
So, coming to the edge of the platform and the bridge leading to the trail from here, we looked down.
«And it's still a bad idea," I disagreed.
«When has that ever stopped you?
«Also true. On the count of three?
«Keep up," I was clapped on the shoulder and stepped into the abyss.
«Sometimes parents set very, very bad examples," I hum, looking after my mother. Ehhhhhhh... I clenched my eyes unhappily, calmed my heart and, switching to an optimistic note, took a step. Well, here we go...
Having corrected the fall, I join my mother and, having flown about half a kilometre, we land on a wide, smooth ledge of evidently artificial origin. From here, by the way, we could see a path of ledges along the wall that we could jump on. Je'Dayu.
I went first, shivering at the unpleasant chill and the irritation that came from nowhere. Jumping from one ledge to the next, and occasionally glancing down, keeping my composure was... problematic. The lower we went, the more irritated we became. To change my focus, I began to hum softly.
«... Through the path of the Force I wander, and in it I shall find peace. No, do not weep bitter tears, for I remain beside you, and though you may not see me, know that the Force is within you. I walk the path of the Force, through darkness and light.
«What are you singing? - Mum asked me when we got close to each other.
«I heard it once at the Bodhi temple. I liked it. I sing it sometimes. Why?
«No, it's nothing. Nervous?
«Angry. No reason. I'm just pissed off that I can't control myself.
«You don't look it," she elbowed me. When I looked at her smile, I started to smile too. Really, you should be simpler. Breathe in and out. Shit, I should have asked Hadiya to bring me a couple of joints to smoke. Then I'd be calm as a boa constrictor.
«Just good self-control.
«Whatever you say. But if things get tough, just tell me, okay?
«Got it.
As we continued our descent, we came to some sort of platform or tunnel, I don't know. The walls were expanding very much, and because of the light smoke it was difficult to make out anything. I wasn't just grumbling, I wanted to get angry and take it out on someone. The only thing that saved me was my train of thought and the task at hand.
Inside, however, a tugging feeling, familiar to me from a past source, began to grow. As if they were trying to tear off a piece of me, but now it was much easier to resist it. And my mind remains sober... Compared to the last trip.
«Let's go," I hear my mother's voice. Why is she giving orders?! How dare she? After all, I'm about to finish my wanderer's journey and become a--
Well, stop. Let's put those thoughts away. Let's think about work. We need to try to catch the meditation and see the visions. Thinking about hypergates, thinking about hypergates. Come on, Shade. Something's not really helping, my chest is burning, and it's pissing me off even more.
Suddenly the thought crossed my mind to channel that same anger into keeping the energy inside me. And it helped, I didn't feel kinder, but I felt better.
Following the path further, we came to a real miniature storm of power. Or rather, the top of it, and somewhere down there, a local armageddon was going on.
«Oh.
«Tell me about it.
«Have you been here before?
«I've been down three times. But I never got past a certain point.
«Weak.
«Let's see how far you get," she said. And there was something wrong in those words... But no. Everything seemed to make sense.
As we descended further down, we tried not only not to use the Force, but also to hide it, so as not to attract a lightning strike from the Force. As we descended down another tier to a new path, we followed it further. I couldn't see the end, but it didn't matter. I need to concentrate.
«Mum, have we gone far enough? - I turn back, but... she's gone. - Aargh... Oh great, can you give me something else? - I squint at the storm overhead.
Hitting the rock angrily, causing it to shatter, I shove my hands in my pockets. Whoa. What the hell? Fumbling in my pocket for something that shouldn't be there, I pulled out a small medallion. It was a one-penny coin, with a hole in it and a string through it.
"Which one," I wanted to say, but instead I remembered where I'd seen it. Hadiya's. She wears it like a talisman. It's the first pen she's ever earned. Her first, but it won't be her last. I smiled at the thoughtfulness of it and wrapped the string around my hand.
Alas, despite the warm thoughts, the anger didn't go away; on the contrary, it coloured them black. I wanted to say something along the lines of, "How dare she shove that crap at me?" but I didn't. I won't let myself say it. It feels weird. Emotions say one thing, reason says another. And so far, it's the mind that's prevailing. And in the background, two scooters pulling the rope in my face in different directions.
"Cheered up," I grin. - "Right, Mum's either ahead or behind. If she's somehow ahead, I'll catch up with her. If not, I'll go backwards" - having made that decision, I move on.
After a couple more spans, the floor beneath my feet suddenly went downwards. Cussing in three different languages, I slid down the wall and, spotting a ledge, pushed off my side and landed precisely on the new ledge. Shivering, I pick myself up again, not letting the dark side take a bite out of me.
Hmmm... And looking down there, below, there was something incomprehensible. It was glowing with white light like a waterfall and, going downwards, it spilled out like a small lake. Really, here my brains were starting to leak. I could no longer stop the negative thoughts, but I was having fun. I was having fun with myself, with what I was thinking and with the realisation of how stupid it was. The balance in my soul left a sane grain and kept me from completely sinking into the surrounding darkness.
Jumping even lower, I walked over to the anomaly and knelt down to examine the phenomenon. Though it was glowing, it didn't dispel the darkness, but rather seemed to exude it? Like the evaporation of water when it boils.
I was distracted from watching the strange anomaly by a rustle behind me. Reflex worked faster than my brain, snatching up my sword, turning sharply and preparing to fight. But there is nothing and no one. Or rather, there is, but somewhere out there in the distance. Lowering my sword to the ground, but not putting it away, I go for a new oddity. Up ahead it was as if something was burning. But no sooner do I get there than I trip over something. Looking down, I see an unfamiliar man with a deep diagonal sword wound. It's strange. For some reason he seems so familiar to me, though I'm definitely seeing him for the first time in my life.....
This individual was clutching a black sphere of unknown purpose in his hand, and was lying right in the middle of the "corridor". A strange corridor, if my memory serves me correctly, I've seen such corridors in historical photographs.
Bypassing the body, I walk further as I come across another person. But unlike the previous one, this one was stabbed through with a laser sword. Unusual armour, definitely not for our land, tattooed on his face. If I'm not mistaken, the symbol reads "Zesh." But who is this? And what's he doing here?
I walked round another body and went on, but what I saw made a lump rise up in my throat. Weight... Cut in half, she lay at the entrance to the settlement, right in front of the burning houses.
Gritting my teeth against the pain and suppressing the attack, I walked round. It only got worse from here. Recognising the outline of a street in one of the villages where my friends and I had once bought raptors, I had to do my best to keep control of myself. Shattered, mangled bodies, burning houses, the very air was soaked with the kind of alien pain only experienced in the agony of death.
"I don't know where I am. Where am I? Where am I? Am I already dead, or not yet?" - I tried to put something in my head to suppress the emotions rushing through me. Somewhere out there, laser swords were flashing, the screams of the dying and the roars of the monsters that were eating the vanquished alive. Tall, clad in armour, with eyes sticking out in different directions on their heads.
The climax came when I saw Hadiya. With her chest torn open, she lay beside an overturned car, surrounded by fighters I knew. And one of those monsters was leaning over her.
«R-r-r-r-r..." I clenched my blade, feeling the Force itself responding to my already real rage. And just as I raised my hand, I saw her amulet on my arm.
"They're visions... They're just visions."
That thought was sobering. But how hard it was for me not to lower my sword, only the Force knows. Taking a couple of steps back, I cover my eyes and turn away. The rope in my chest was stretched to the limit, and it felt like it was going to snap. But... There was no pain. A veil of rage was covering everything.
"Get a hold of yourself Shade... You can't give in to the visions. You know very well how easily they can consume you..." - I tell myself, but it doesn't help. The anger is choking my thoughts, the pain of loss is weighing on my heart, and the Force is demanding an outlet and tearing itself out. - "No... I won't give up. I won't let despair consume me."
But in spite of my thoughts, something inside felt like it was breaking. I fell to my knee, leaning on my sword as if it were a cane. My hands are shaking, tears are streaming down my cheeks, and the sword is about to melt from the unintentional Force put into it.
«Dad.
That voice. I jerked and took a swing, but managed to stop my hand. Standing before me was a small half-blood katara. The same one I saw in the light source. The blade stopped dangerously close to her head.
Her sight... Her emotions... Like a tiny ray of light, they broke through the thickening clouds. The girl looked into my eyes and cried. Ignoring the weapon, she took a step towards me and hugged me. As hard as she could...
«Take care of yourself... And come back soon....
Despite everything, the girl was afraid. She was afraid for me, and it was as if she was saying goodbye.
«I'll be waiting.
And there was confidence in her. In me, in my strength. The kind of confidence I'd never be capable of. Covering my eyes, I put my arms around her, and somehow it really does get easier. But at some point, the feeling of touch fades, and the noises fade. When I open my eyes, I realise I'm standing all alone in the darkness.
"Okay... I'm done for the day."
Getting up and turning back around, I walk away. The thought that the worst was over warmed my soul just so much. That is, until I saw the Clones coming to meet me. An army of Clones, with no end in sight to either left or right. It was physically impossible for me not to recognise the white armour, even though I'd forgotten about it. But... What are they doing here?!
It was all so unexpected that surprise overcame all other senses. I quickened my step and walked away, covering my eyes and trying to keep myself in control. I heard the hum of a lightsaber, some unintelligible shouts, the rumble of explosions, and someone's hoarse laughter... And the symbol of the Republic came to mind.
In the rush to get out of here, I completely forgot about one special place. In another step I stumble and, sending profanities at everyone, I fall somewhere.
Oddly enough, I didn't go swimming. Moreover, I went through the obstacle as if it didn't exist and, having grouped myself, I landed neatly on the floor. That's weird. For some reason, I began to let go, and breathing became easier. It was like a little wind had gone through my head. I get up and look around. There's something upstairs, a floor and a passage below. I don't get it... Am I at the bottom!
Shaking my head, I rethink what I've seen. For some reason, the symbol of the Republic is firmly planted in my head, no other reason than because of the clones. Accepting these oddities, I try to take them for granted. It helps, at least the roof stopped leaking in an attempt to digest it all.
I put my sword back in its scabbard and walk on, and to my surprise I come to the entrance to the temple. A very real temple, judging by the slope of the walls and their appearance, it's a copy of the one in the Old City. I wonder... Did I get transported to the Old City somehow? I don't think so... It's probably still glitching.
Walking further down the corridor, I stop half-stepping. The echo sounder's reflection in the Force was fluctuating, and I was getting a different response than what I saw in front of me. Something was wrong... After standing for a moment, I realised what it was. There was another passage next to me, but in its place was an illusion of a wall. There was something dangerous where I was going, my gut whispered. I turned to the side, trusting the Force, and to my own surprise, I passed through the barrier. There was another corridor, already well lit by unusual wall lights and leading somewhere deep.
I followed it forward and came out into a huge, spacious hall. In its centre stood a huge triangular arch, stretching from the ceiling to the floor. Directly opposite it, on the opposite side from me, there was a wide passage, which could fit even a belazov. Right under the ceiling, just beyond the archway that started in the ceiling, a ball of light was burning blue, illuminating the whole immense hall. I felt as if I were an ant who had entered a man's house. Walking further forward, I came across some sort of control panel or something? In the centre stood a black, polished to a shine black ball with a diameter of a metre. And around it in a ring stood panels with many green crystals and golden levers. Next to two illuminated green recesses in the shape of a right three-fingered palm with claws, just above it, in the wall stood something remotely resembling a stone TV screen with a half-closed eye.
"No... If I were dead, I'd see anything but that," I smirked unhappily, looking around the room once more.
Hovering my palm over the button for the three-toed paw, as if it were for a small dinosaur, I compare sizes. Well... A little bigger than mine.
Without tempting fate further, much less trying to interact with unfamiliar equipment, I leave the ancient ruins alone and walk back. I've had enough adventures, it's time to go home.
Switching on the jetpack, I start climbing. Contrary to my fears, I flew out normally and, moreover, the pressure of the dark side of the Force was there, but it was somehow... Weaker? Or was it just me burning out? I'm not surprised at anything anymore, the main thing is to get out of here.
It was only when I got to the surface, where night had already fallen, that I exhaled with relief and realised that I'd forgotten my mother downstairs. Shit... Okay. She was already down there. Hopefully, she'll realise I'm not a complete fool and rush to the exit in case of trouble. A note for the future: before we go into the fucks, always, always set a rendezvous point in case we get lost.
«Oh... - I took off my satchel and threw it on the ground and sat on top of it.
Only now I realised how fast my heart was beating, how my hands were trembling... As if a stone had fallen from my soul, and an emptiness had formed in its place. And it felt so light at once.
«Hehe... Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha," I put my palms to my face and laugh quietly. - Ladies and gentlemen, we have been to one of Tython's attractions. The next visit is tomorrow, at seven zero zero," I keep muttering to myself under my nose. - Attention! The agency is not responsible if you die there, lose your mind or simply go mad. And also, our firm does not carry out refunds. Hehehehehe, all Shade, congratulations, you have a schizo... Ohhhh....
Frowning, I rubbed my temples. My head was starting to hurt, and the reflexive use of Force vision only made the pain worse.
«So... Where have I seen aspirin?
After sitting up and giggling a bit, I come to my senses. When I was able to pull myself together, I picked up my satchel and walked to the temple entrance. Strange, why are the guards looking at me like that? They're running around.
«Shade! - I hear my mother's voice. And then she herself appears from around the corner.
«Ma... - I started, but she whirled across the distance between us and bound us in a hug. - Ma.
«Shade, how are you? Are you okay? Tell me, do you remember your name?
«Um, yeah. Yeah. I do. My name is Shade, you are Aala Aero my mother, I can name years more.
«Shade," she hugged me once more... Still reeling from my visit to the gorge, it was hard for me to get back to normal, but even so, her unprecedented relief reached me.
«Mum, tell me, what's going on?
«You... You don't remember?
«Remember what?
«Going down the gorge?
«Of course I remember! We went down, and I was singing songs. Then the energy of the Gorge started to weigh on us. And then you disappeared.
«Come on. I need to check on you," I was dragged almost under my arm.
After dragging me to the office of the Temple Master, we waited for a few more masters and they began to check me. Starting with basic answers to questions, as well as a test for the Force. I had to repeat the same test that Akar Kesh had done in the temple. It wasn't until I showed the black sun that people were relieved. Especially the mother.
«What the hell is going on here?! - My patience was wearing thin.
«Shade, tell me. What do you remember? When I came downstairs.
«I remember everything!
«You went down to the bottom? - Temple Master Quan-Yang excitedly and with a touch of impatience.
«I don't know where I went down, I didn't realise it myself. At first we were walking normally, but the lower we descended, the more the pressure of the Force took its toll. Then, at some point, I lost sight of Aala and decided to look for her. I didn't find her, I went a little lower, and there was no sign of her, so I flew back," I cut my story down to the bare minimum, leaving out everything else.
«I..." Aala started, and swallowed a lump. - Shade, you and I have gone further down than is acceptable. I've never been down that far myself, but when I saw you walking freely, I thought something, I thought... Anyway, at some point I lost consciousness. And when I came round, I thought you'd come back here. But you weren't. I was about to follow you downstairs, but you came back.
«Yeah. That was a walk.
«Shade, did you see anything out there? Visions or anything unusual?
«What do you want? - I'm snickering.
«Tell me, what did you see?
«Unexplainable visions. Death. War... I also saw a strange waterfall. What's that?
I wonder why people are so scared of me.
«It's the Wall of Chaos, Shade. It drives anyone who goes near it crazy, and no one's ever made it past it. The fact that you saw it and came back... The Force itself guided you, I have no other answer," Quan-Yang looked at my mother.
«The main thing is that you came back.
«At least you didn't make a fuss?
«No.
«Thank the Force," I exhaled and dropped the second freshly formed stone from my heart. I'm afraid Wes would have strangled me after that. Hadiya would have buried me.
«Come on, Shade, I'll walk you to your room.
«Mm-hmm. By the way, Ma, did Hadiya leave yet?
«Yeah, this morning.
«What morning?! - I jumped up and down.
«You've been gone for about twenty-four hours. You a little longer,'' Quan-Yang explained.
«Yeah.
"That's it. I'm not going to the Force Springs again."
Leaving the office with her mother and wandering down the half-empty Corridor, she turned to me quietly:
«Did you see anything else?
«I have. Death, Mum. All of them. Creatures with their eyes poking out of their heads were devouring the dead," I was hugged. - I didn't realise what I'd seen. And I don't think I want to see any more.
«Shade, are you sure you're okay?
«Let's just say I had an anchor," I smirked, glancing at the amulet on my wrist. - "And more than one," I said mentally, remembering the girl.
«Was there anything in our... business? Was there?
«No, Mum. And if there was, I didn't get it.
«It's a pity.
«It's a shame. At least now I can call myself a J'Dye. I've been on both sides, and I'm fine. Pretty much myself.
«Don't joke about that, Shade," she jerked her head. - It's not funny. Especially not to you.
«I can't help but make jokes, I'm, hehehehehehe, a kickback is coming to me.
«Yeah. All right, here we go. Get some rest, son.
«Mm-hmm.
«And Shade.
«М?
«I'm proud of you.
Smirking, I make my way to my room and lean my back against it, closing the door.
«Okay. Phooey. Calm, just calm. Breathe in, breathe out. Here we go.
With a wave of power, I open the bathroom door without switching on the light. I put the uniform in the wash, luckily they know about washing machines here, even though they are... extravagant. But the main thing is that they do the washing. And the warm, relaxing shower is great.
I couldn't help but make a couple of jokes to myself about the Sith and the Jedi and what I was spinning their dogmas on. Fucking lunatics, one or the other. I can't even imagine how one can live in constant anger and pain all the time? The Jedi are no better, their ideal is a biorobot. By the way, the clones are perfect for them in that respect, just hee hee, the ones that future Jedi should look up to. I wonder, if I put "Jedi suck, Sith are assholes" somewhere on here, what would future generations think?
Shit, no, I'm definitely not in my right mind to be seriously thinking about such shit. I get out of the shower and crawl to the bed. Strange, why does my bed give off an emoji vibe? Did the furniture come to life? Feeling the blanket, I realise that there is just someone lying in it.
«Masha-masha, this is not your bed, go to your bed, - I laugh, falling down next to you and put my hand to my face. What a nightmare... Where's the psychiatrist?
«M-m-m-m, Shade... - they moaned sleepily over my ear and threw a blanket over me, then threw my leg and arms over my head, my head was happily placed on my shoulder, and Wes started to purr.
"Cats, it's anti-stress, and in general their purring - useful," - I think to myself, sinking into sleep. I'm done for the day.
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