Two taqedas later. Tython
The hull creaked, the floor shook, the ship was passing through the upper atmosphere. Wasting no time, the away team prepared for ejection. The fighters were checking the cargo fasteners and the automatic braking system. Mum was meditating, Dalien was giving instructions, I was waiting for the command to open the ramp.
As soon as the ship stabilised, the pressure equalised and the red light came on, I pressed a button with the Force to open one of the huge hatches in the bottom of the transport ship. Generally, the hold of this ship consisted of cross sections and airlocks pointing downwards, and a crane was bolted to the ceiling to 'pull' the cargo in.
Stepping to the edge, Mum looked first at me, then at Dalien. I stood between her and Wes, waiting for the pilots command. Since the altitude was so high, we used the Force reinforcements to offset the lack of oxygen, the cold and the reduced pressure. The rest of us used sealed airtight suits. You couldn't go into space in one of those, but you could walk around a planet with a dangerous atmosphere.
I look over to Vessira and see her smile, and her emotions are a bit of fear mixed with confidence in me, determination, and fun. Reaching out, I run my fingers through her hair and scratch behind the ear peeking out from underneath, receiving real faith in return instead of confidence.
But the light turns green. Taking the first step forward, I use the Force to help me stabilise myself. I've never jumped from such heights before, though I can't compare it to jumping into a gorge. Here you just fly down, and there you fly into the darkness, which can even kill you.
Despite the work, I couldn't help but enjoy the flight. I went skydiving once in my past life, it was unforgettable. And now I'm going down again, just like that, but without a parachute. Huh, I should be scared, but I'm not.
О! Here comes the Old Town. You can see the ruins very well from up there, and they're giving off the dark side of the Force, too. Having corrected my fall to the agreed place, I abruptly change my position and, grouping myself, land. Mum and Wes fall down next to me, and the rest of them descend on their satchels with a slight delay. Last on the attached accelerators and gravity cushion falls the cargo container.
No commands followed, everything was ten times agreed and practised. Breaking into groups, the guys got to work. Some began to dismantle the container, others on satchels flew to the antenna hidden here.
I, in the company of my mother, went to the entrance of the dilapidated temple, as it was there that the descent to the cave we needed was located. The temple itself was half-underground, and it looked like the architecture of the Taitonians, but it was understandable, because the Kwa buildings were the prototype for our buildings. At least on Tython.
Now, the structure had a pyramidal shape, very familiar to me from my past life. Except I can't remember who used it... Mayu, miao... Right! Maya! Something about this thing reminded me of their pyramids. After climbing up the stairs a little at first, to the top tier, we went inside. Stone crumbles, an abundance of cracks, earth lying somewhere, plants growing somewhere. On the opposite side of the entrance were two sections. A deep square shaft opened up on the left and a wide spiral staircase on the right.
Looking at the ceiling and edges, I recalled the reference we'd made on To Yoram. If you recall the pictures and add a little imagination, it looked as if To Yor could perfectly "dock" the cargo deck to the top of the pyramid. Hmmm... Interesting. Looks like we're climbing over a pier, or 'dock'.
Walking to the edge of the dip, I peer down.
«When I looked at that thing on the diagram, I thought it was going to be a lot shorter.
«I'd warned you. It looks very different in the field.
«Mm-hmm.
A line rumbled outside.
"Weight?"
"It's fine, just a beast," the katara left to watch over mere mortals immediately responded.
«They're chasing fauna," I explained to my mother.
«I don't want to provoke them to gather around us," my mother said, shivering. - Last time, a whole crowd gathered here just to secure the perimeter.
«Hmm...
After a couple of minutes, a couple of fighters caught up with us, carrying gas canisters. Opening the valves, one by one the cylinders were tossed down, and Mother Force and I sealed the passage upstairs, channelling the gas through the caverns. Fighting bloodsuckers in the caves... That's a real head-scratcher. You can't hit them with the Force, they're resistant to it, they're as small as the things you can't hit. How many Je'Daiyans they've eaten in these caves, I can't even count.
So they were dealt with drastically. Just wipe out all the wildlife that was there. A bluish mist began to spread through the caves, pushed by our will backed by the Force to accelerate the effect.
After an hour, we began running regular air through the caves to ventilate the gas out through vents and crevices. When everything was ready, it was time to go down. Mum went first, followed by me and Dalien. We were followed by a column of armed movers, with Wes leading the way.
Sometimes we bumped into dead flocks of bloodworms and walked right over their corpses. As we descended, I felt the dark side pulling more and more. It was sticky, unpleasant, and I wanted to wash it off. But inside there was no discomfort, no pain, no inexplicable anger. Only dislike. For the non-gifted, the effects of the Force were reflected in nervousness and inexplicable fear of the darkness and oppressive atmosphere of these tunnels.
Descending lower down, I was convinced of my mother's skills at leaving traps. Firstly, the traps were only on the lower levels, where there were no animals. Secondly, they were not everywhere, but in specific places so that you could not bypass them. The fact that this nasty thing was very well hidden, I'm not saying at all, even I would not have seen with my echo sounder, because the vision of the Force was blocked by "interference" of the local background.
The traps themselves were just as varied. Somewhere it was a Force barrier, hitting the brains of those who pass it. Somewhere it was a laser beam that detected intruders and immediately alerted the beacon upstairs, which would immediately send a request to the Order. Other nasties opened cylinders of a very similar gas to the one we used to poison mice with. And somewhere it was a simple mechanical fragmentation mine.
There was also a place for a particularly sophisticated audience - Mum had personally stuck a sleeping lightning bolt of power in one of the corridors, powered by the source itself. If that thing had worked, it would have been no worse than a Force Storm. We'd probably survive, but that was just me, Mother, and Wes, but the rest of us would be charcoal.
When we got down to the right level, we hit a wall.
«Um... Dalien? - Mum looked at the smirking guide.
«It's all right. This wall was made by Saros to keep out the curious," he winked at his mother. - Get the charges!
Done and done. They pulled out a special wire, laid the outline of the future passage, and placed a charge in the centre. First the wire flashed, outlining the contour, followed by a directional explosion that knocked out the stone. Having dispersed the dust with the help of the Force, Mum went inside first, followed by me with my sword at the ready. The corridor ahead was empty and dark. It was a corridor, with the walls completely trimmed. And at the edges of it, broken and shattered stone doors lay on the ground. Apparently left over from the pioneers.
«The old town is connected by naturally occurring tunnels. Basically, we just went underground to the next building," Dalien commented, waving his torch along the corridor, while his bodyguard flicked a fluorescent wand into the darkness. Picking up the object, using the Force to send it further down the corridor as far as it would go.
And then I remembered. It was in this corridor that Dalien died in my vision.
«Um... Dalien, listen, are there any secrets in here? - I'm squinting at our guide, just to be on the safe side, sword in hand, for my own peace of mind.
«No. Absolutely not. At least there shouldn't be.
«I shouldn't have added that last one," I sigh, scanning the space and stepping forward first. Everything seems to be all right...
As we walked down the corridor like a spring, I breathed a sigh of relief when we turned the corner. Everyone felt it, even Dalien, because I was tense.
«Is something wrong?
«No, it's just that you were supposed to die in that corridor.
«Э...
«In my vision. You think we just followed you here for no reason?
«Thanks.
«You're welcome. Where to next?
«This way.
As we continued on our way, we came to a ruined staircase that wasn't even an option. There was a rectangular shaft. By pushing off the walls and clinging to the "curbs" marking the floors, my mother and I climbed up three tiers higher, and then with the help of the Force lifted the others.
Now there was another corridor, broken stone doors placed against the wall, and....
«There they were," Dalien breathed out with a kind of awe.
«Hypergate," Mum added with far less joy, looking at the device.It was a small room, just like in the pictures, with a big triangular thing in the middle, with a track on one side and a control panel on the other.
«Okay," Dalien clapped his hands together. - Let's get to work! Talion, set up the computers, Dael, the lights, Han, make sure the air is filtered..." he began to give out instructions.
Walking to the control panel, I examined the device. Just like in my visions... Or was it not a vision after all? We'll have to check it out...
«Worried? - Wes came over.
«You're asking," I hum, and shift my gaze. - But someone's more nervous than I am.
«You know, I don't really want to die foolishly or for someone else's ideals.
«It'll be all right," I put my arm around Katara. - The Force is with us, Wes.
«Mm-hmm.
We stepped aside, so as not to interfere with the professionals doing their work, we just watched. People were setting up equipment, lighting, starting generators of electricity and oxygen, because the air here is far from pleasant.
Looking at my mother, I realised that Wes and I were as calm as two stoned addicts smoking weed on a powder keg. If everyone was fussing, worrying, Dalien with his miracle battery was running around like a child, my mother was about to have a nervous tic, and we... Just sitting, watching, commenting. It was scary to make the decision, it was scary to come here, but now... It's not scary anymore.
I was even scared for a second for my psyche. In fact, in ten minutes I can go into the Force, and everyone who is here with me... If not the whole system. And I don't worry about it. No, I don't care, I'm not indifferent, moreover, I care about others, but at the same time I realise that it won't be any other way - and there's no point in worrying, that's why I came here. Yeah. I guess I've learnt zen.
«Done! - Dalien shouted, standing beside the power generator before shoving his toy into it.
«Let's go," I nod forward, and we jump off the imaginary chair we'd identified the collapsed column as.
As we get closer, I see an empty cell sticking out of the wall. There were eight such cells in total, but only one of them was in use right now, and Dalien was standing near it. Mum was next to him, and the others had pulled up too.
«Friends. This is the moment to which we have been travelling for so long, - Dalien began spiritual and high-mindedly, but....
«Put it in!
...but Mum's nerves are worth more than any speech.
«I hope you weren't wrong in your calculations," I sighed, and took Vessira's hand.
«I do too," I hear a quiet reply from Dalien, and the black sphere slides into the slot and the cell slides into the wall. The local lights came on, making the room too bright. Somewhere something sprinkled and rumbled, the floor shook, and somewhere deep beneath us something rumbled.
But everything calmed down as suddenly as it had started. The system was working properly, there was no explosion. Having switched off our own lights, we moved on to the next phase. After checking the hardware, it was time to activate the hypergate. And that's where we ran into a problem.
«How come you can't switch them on?! - was the mother's cry of anguish.
«Mum, calm down, I put my hand on her shoulder. - Daleen, what's wrong?
«It's all right, Shade, but I didn't realise that the equipment was designed for a Force-gifted person. We've tapped into what we can tap into, but we can't give commands. Just monitor status. One of you needs to tap into the portal with the Force and activate it.
«What about yours? - I'm nodding at the pair of Gifted under the wall.
«They're untrained exiles, they don't have the control you do.
«Are you afraid they'll make a mess of things?
«Yes," Dalien answered bluntly.
«Oh..." Mother and I rubbed the bridge of our nose at the same time. Mum rubbed it, but I just put my hand on the mask.
«It's none of my business," Vessira interjected, "but how were you going to activate the hypergate if Shade and the teacher wouldn't agree to your adventure?
«Somehow," and a glance at the embarrassed gifters.
«Yeah, guys... That would be quite a number. You fought your way here, even got the system up and running, but you just couldn't use it," I shake my head. - S-shee-bee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee.
«Shade, don't mock the man," Vessira stepped in for Dalien. - He's in enough trouble as it is.
«Okay.
«Where are you going? - Mum turned round.
«To the remote. Come on, let's go try to set it up. Dalien, do you have any idea how it's supposed to work?
«Yes. Come on, I'll show you," the fanatic sprang to life and ran to the terminal first. - Look, before you can operate the control panel, you must pass a test.
«A test? - Mum frowned.
«You could say you enter a password.
«М...
«What's the password? - I switched from my mother and looked at Dalien.
«The symbol of Bendu," he showed me a tablet with the symbol of the Republic on it. The same symbol is worn by the To Yors, the same symbol is traced by the Kwa as something religious, and it also appears on all our temples, and in Bodhi there is even a whole wall for it. - This symbol is a kind of key. It is necessary to keep its image in one's mind to overcome the defence. Afterwards, it is not necessary.
«Shade? - Vessira called me worriedly. For a moment, distracted by the katara, I return my gaze to the tablet and the symbol on it.
«Dalien.
«Yes?
«And this symbol... How common was it among the Kwa?
«It was revered by their people as the Force itself, and served as a password to advanced technology, including hypergate.
«...
«Shade, don't scare me, what is it?
«No reason... I just remembered something. Never mind," I shake my head and walk over to the console. - Dalien, what should we expect afterwards?
The scientist clearly and point by point laid out everything he knew about controlling ancient, forgotten technologies running on who knows what. Eh... I haven't felt this feeling for a long time - when you are loaded with important and useful information, but it doesn't get easier. But if the scientific way doesn't work, we'll do it the old-fashioned way!
Putting my palm on the control panel, I synchronised in the Force with the device without any problems, bypassing the protection system. The system itself was like a machine that literally twisted my brain. It was the local source of the dark side of the Force. I wonder if it's the same shit in the gorge. I'll have to check it out.
I shook myself out of it and went back to work. I've taken on the role of the plant operator. Vessira was in charge of power distribution, while Mum was responsible for the integrity of the transition structure.
In the Force, this shit was like a phone with contact numbers in it. And you'd go between those contacts and select the one you wanted, but they were all switched off. All but one. When I saw it, hope settled in my heart, and for a moment I lost control, but I regained it.
Swallowing a lump and directing the transition, I pulled the yellow lever towards me, starting the process. The floor beneath my feet rumbled, a new layer of dust crumbled from the ceiling, and in the triangular arch there was a blue flare that stretched across the entire triangle.
«Transition is stable, no abnormalities," Mum reported.
«The energy is in order, the operating time of the transition is forty-seven minutes, then, judging by the data, the second transition will be switched off.
«Drone! Now! - Dalien turned round, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Talion quickly placed a box with a handle in front of the portal. Mechanical grippers came out of the box, a head rose up, and caterpillars came out of the bottom.
"Valli, is that you!" - flashed the thought, at the sight of this marvel.
Following the programme, the drone drove into the portal and, after submerging about halfway through, flashed a brief white flash.
Making sure everything was working as it should, I let go of the controls and stepped around the portal to stand next to Dalien.
«What's the drone programmed to do?
«To travel ten metres, look around, and return to the starting point," the aging man replied, sweating nervously, shaking his hands, and even stuttering.
Turning to the portal, I stared into the blue surface. My heart was beating steady, my thoughts flowed calmly, and the balance of the Force helped me keep my composure, but no, no, a disturbing thought slipped through.
Wes, who was standing next to me, simply took my hand. The seconds stretched like an eternity, all of us staring at the arch of the hyperspace portal. The portal itself smelled of the Unified Force, but not too strong. Although, on the other hand, if it was actively used, it could easily produce a weak source.
But the wait was interrupted, and a drone rolled out to us. Safe and sound, it reached exactly where it had been placed and folded back up.
Dalien was the first to pick up the mechanical scout and pulling it over to the computer, wired it up.
«Atmosphere is normal, temperature within tolerance, oxygen... also normal. We're good to go," he turned to us.
«You're offering us?! - Mum's eyes widened.
«No. Us," Talion disagreed from behind us.
And to our collective amazement, the pair of 'bodyguards' walked calmly through the hypergate.
«I knew you were fanatics, but I didn't think you were that fanatical," I looked at Dalien, and from the look in his eyes, I could tell he'd be happy to go right ahead.
But it was Talion who made the last point in the argument. The Sith nodded at the passageway, his smile brightening as he came back.
«All right, we're good to go.
«Dalien looked at the interested faces of the Xenos, and even Hadiya's fighters didn't mind going to the other side. - We'll split into two groups. One stays here to control the crossing, the other follows me to the other side.
At that moment, my mother and I looked at each other. We both realised that one of us should stay here to control the crossing, and the other would go with Dalien to drag him back if necessary.
«I'll go?
«I'm coming with you!
«I won't even argue with you," I snorted.
«You bet I won't," Wes smiled.
«I don't like it," Mum sighed, but she pressed her lip and looked at the portal. - 'Dalien, if it's working, does that mean Saros activated the other side?
«'Yes, Aala. That's the way it is.
«M... Okay. Go Shade. And if he's there, please tell your father I'm waiting for him here...
«Erm... Ma, I think if I tell him that, he'll do anything not to go.
«Well, I'll go get him myself next time.
«Okay! - and I'll stand next to Dalien.
«Everybody ready?
And seeing the looks on their faces, he went to the portal first. I have to admit, it was both fun and scary at the same time. This stuff was scary, the very thought of touching it was stressful, but it was fun at the same time. And there it was - the transition.
A step forward, as if through some kind of film, and here we are on the other side. No disorientation, nothing. Just a slight resistance. On this side, we were greeted by a hall exactly like the other one. But this one was more intact, and much better preserved. There were almost no cracks, and the light was coming through. There was also a smattering of equipment, from lighting to computers.
I shivered at the chill - it was below freezing in here, after all - as I put on my Force enhancement and squinted at Dalien, who was exhaling steam:
«Where's the welcoming committee?
«I'd like to know," Dalien walked over to the power generator and ran his hand over it. - This shouldn't be happening...
«The equipment is normal, the system is working properly, - Ves reported from the transition control panel.
«Good. Let's go, - Dalien waved his hand and went first to the exit. Directly opposite the gate was a long corridor leading to stone doors. The corridor was blocked on the other side, so we had to go round the other side.
The wind was blowing through the slightly open door and snow was drifting in. I glanced at Dalien and opened the door with the Force.
A bright white light hit the man's eyes, while mine were protected by the visor. Outside, we saw a fairly well-preserved city of Kwa. At least, compared to what was left on Tython, it was in perfect condition. Really... Kwa definitely had a thing for pyramids. Seriously. The whole city was pyramids of varying thicknesses and heights, some with the top cut off, some with half cut off.
The city itself was covered with a thin layer of white-white fluffy blinding snow.
«It's beautiful," Vessira said, enjoying the view, and then shivered at another gust of wind.
«And cold.
«Mm-hmm. It's fine, bearable," she immediately explained, at my thought of either insulating her or sending her back.
«Well, look.
«Shade, can you find the living? - Dalien turned around.
«Yeah, now.
Freezing in place and covering my eyes, I turned the sonar around. Unlike Tython, there wasn't as much Force concentration here, so it was hard to look around. That is, until I sensed a small source of Force and the living lights of intelligent beings clustered in one place.
«Found it! Follow me.
Leaving a few Xenos to watch the crossing and keep in touch, I led the group through the city. Admittedly, walking through this place was both pleasant and unpleasant at the same time. On the one hand, everything was very beautiful, the spirit of antiquity permeated the place and awe of the monumental buildings. But at the same time, it was a dead city, and it was tense. What had to happen for an entire city of such a highly developed civilisation to just die out? Or not extinct, but gone. I couldn't even imagine it.
Dalien had a look on his face that said he was tempted to go into the houses, try to find the library... He reminded me of a kid who'd been in a toy shop. But I gotta hand it to him, he kept his cool. First things first, then everything else.
After walking a few streets, we came to a heavily truncated two-storey pyramid, the roof of which the architects had planned as a balcony.
«Here," I nod at the doors. - I sense a manifestation of the Force and several living objects.
«Shade, is it just me, or are the doors imbued with the Force? - Wes noticed that detail.
«It's not your imagination. The whole ground floor is imbued with the Force, all the doors and windows are sealed with it, you can't just open them.
Knock, knock, knock!" Talion tapped on the door with a stone he'd taken from the ground.
«No movement detected," I reported to Dalien.
«Can you open it?
«I can try. I don't know this technique..." I rubbed my chin thoughtfully and moved closer to the door. I put my hand to it, cover my eyes and sink into the Force, trying to figure out what it is.
«What is it? - Dalien paced impatiently.
«Ш! - Vessira pulled him back, sensing my tension.
And there was a reason for my tension. Someone inside had worked hard to create something like a Stasis Sphere. I've heard of this technique in Mahara Kesh, it's the next stage of Hibernation Trance. This technique is not practised there stupidly because of its complexity and danger. If you make a mistake, you'll kill yourself and everyone inside the sphere. Or you'll just drop your flippers, physically not pulling such a heavy weight. In general, there are a lot of options describing what can go wrong, so the technique is not only "not popular", but also considered extremely dangerous.
And now I could see its visual application. The most interesting thing was that I heard a response in the Force. A kindred response. The one who had applied this technique was definitely a relative of mine. To say I was shocked is a vast understatement. Losing control, I snapped out of my trance and took a step back to keep my balance.
«Shade? - Wes was worried.
«Impossible..." I whisper quietly, examining the doors again with my own eyes. - It's just impossible...
«Shade, you're scaring me.
«Wes, I'm scaring myself. Dalien, who was my father?! - without turning round, I ask the scientist.
«A meditation master. I told you, if anyone could guide a sleeper ship blindly through hyperspace, it would be him. Shade, what is it?
«I-I can't explain it. Wes, do you know what it is? - I put my palm to the door again and look at the katara next to me.
«Something familiar. I can't figure it out...
«It's a Stasis Sphere.
«How?!
«I don't know how, Wes. But there it is.
«It's amazing.
«Exactly.
We've been looking at this marvel of the Force for a while, but it's time to get down to business.
«All right... Everyone stand back.
The people obediently took a few steps back, but Wes, on the contrary, took my palm with her right hand and put her left hand on the door.
«We need to destroy the sphere. I look for a vulnerable point, you hit it.
«Got it.
Immersed in meditation, we got down to business. Time after time, I sent waves through the sphere, trying to find a breach. The gaps were the oxygen holes that would provide air for those in stasis, but finding them was like looking for a needle in a haystack, but, thank the Force, I had a magnet.
Having created a vacuum film on top of the Sphere, I applied the search time after time to find the very point that should now fail and become vulnerable. And sure enough! No sooner had I switched my attention to her than Ves delivered a pinpoint strike. The barrier collapsed and the Force surged in all directions, throwing us away from the door like an explosion.
«Shade! Vessira! - Dalien called out, and I saw several Xenos leaning over me, Dalien among them.
«Oh... Remember kids... Never stick your fingers in the sockets," I muttered, pulling myself up. - It's all right, I'll be right up," I stopped one of the fighters from helping me up.
Shaking myself, I get up from the ground and shake off the snow.
«Wes, are you okay?
«I'm fine. Pfft! - She shook her head, shaking the snow off her fur. - What was that all about?
«'I completely forgot that the stored energy would need to go somewhere,' I sighed. - Come on, the door is open.
By the time we got to the door, Talion had already opened it and was the first to go inside. Here we were greeted by a very well-furnished room. Somewhere there were bunks with Xenos lying on them, somewhere there were dishes, generators, computers. All the holes in the walls had been patched, the four massive columns supporting the ceiling had been reinforced, and the staircase leading to the first floor to the right of the entrance had been repaired.
And in the centre of this splendour, a miraluk sat cross-legged with his hands on his knees. Dark-coloured clothing, white patterns and the white embossed design of a Raptor skull on his shoulder pad. A cloak falling to the floor, a hood covering his head, something like goggles over his eyes, only iron and completely covered. Leather gloves on his hands, steel Force-impregnated lamellar armour visible on his chest, and parallel-stacked swords lying in front of him. The miraluk himself was as alive as if he had just sat down to meditate, except for one thing.
«Saros! - Dalien clung to him. - Saros, wake up, it worked, do you hear?! We've come for you! Master, wake up. It's time to go home. Master!
«Dalien.
«Master, can you hear me?
«Dalien.
«?" the man turned to me, to which I shook my head.
«He won't wake up.
«H-how? He's-" he took off his glove, pulled the hood off the miraluka's head, and touched his forehead. - He's even still warm!
Dalien's touch made his body sway and start to slump, but Dalien didn't let that happen.
«H-how could that be? Master, it can't be. W-we're here. It worked!
For the first time in my memory, Dahlien let go. He wasn't a genius now, but a boy who'd lost his father. It was funny... and Saros was much closer to him than he was to me.
«Yes. It worked," I sighed, sitting down next to the lifeless body. - Hello, father. I never thought I'd see you again. Especially like this.
«Master... How could you do that?
I didn't say anything. I just lowered my head, saying goodbye to my father. Yes, I didn't know him and... I won't lie, I don't feel too bad about losing him, but at the same time I'm still very hurt. As a researcher, he went through so much and he didn't see the results. He didn't see the success of his own labours.
All the more reason not to admire him after what I saw. It's not enough to have stamina, it's not enough to have brute strength, it takes a tremendous knowledge of the Force to do such a thing. And I'm talking about the Stasis Sphere. The fact that he was able to get a ship from one system to another without getting killed and complete the task at hand... It's hard to imagine, but he pulled it off.
Leaving Dalien by his father's side, I went to those who were alive but not about to wake up yet.
«How are you? - Wes asked quietly.
«I'm fine. It's Dalien who could use some help.
«But...
«I didn't know him," I shrugged. - Just heard him. Wes, let's not talk about that, okay? Help me better wake up the people.
Katara nodded, and in four hands, with the help of the Force's gentle influence, we began to lift the members of the expedition. Sluggish movements, groaning voices and occasional mats were the symbol of the awakened. Everyone had a splitting headache, mild disorientation and weakness. Some even required medical attention, as, being ungifted, their bodies were slow to get back into working order after such a shock.
While I was dealing with the people, Dalien had time to regain consciousness and get back to work.
«Shade! - I turned around and looked at the scientist digging into the computer.
«What is it? - I come closer.
«Do you recognise it? - Reaching for the case next to me and opening it, I was shown a neatly stacked and secured holocron of Kwa.
«Hmm... I saw one just like it in Kaleth.
«Judging by the records, the group managed to interact with it.
«How? - I turn my interested gaze from the holocron to the screen.
«I'm speechless. There are new Force techniques, some kind of technology, just historical information...
«I get it, you're ecstatic, - I interrupt the scientist who started to sputter. - Well... So it wasn't all for nothing.
«Yeah.
«Listen, I don't want to rush you, but where are we on time?
«It's all right with time, Saros found whole power supplies here and left notes on their storage. So we're not going to get the charges from here to there, we're going to get them from here to there.
«Huh. I see.
«By the way, Shade, I found something here," he stopped me as he was about to leave.
«М?
With a click on the computer, Dalion switched on the tape with my father.
«Five hundred and twenty-second," the Miraluk said in a tired voice, and behind him was a recognisable ship's cabin. Only skewed and with panels falling off in places. - Today we arrived at the planet. Alas, those fears of damage were not in vain. The ship failed to lock onto the planet's geostationary orbit, necessitating an emergency landing. Only half the crew survived. We've contained the fire and checked the reactor's safety. It's no longer operational, but at least it won't explode. We're doing an inventory now. Oh... This is not how I imagined the arrival, not at all.
The recording ended, and Dalien started another one.
«Recording five hundred and twenty-four. The operation continues, we need to get to the hypergate. Besides, they're our only hope of getting out of here now. If it weren't for the cold weather on the planet, it'd be a good thing. Not critical, of course, but ...
A new click interrupted the recording, including the next one.
«Record five hundred and twenty-six," it was now snowing behind the miraluka's back in the night. - This planet is not as easy as it seems. We almost lost several members of the expedition again today, and all because of the snow, which is full of surprises underneath. There is a chance to come across a representative of the local fauna, as well as an ordinary failure. We have to walk very carefully ...
Click.
«Five hundred and thirty-fifth," the camera hung in the air, and the filmmaker was clearly going somewhere, blowing the snow in front of him with the Force. - We finally reached the abandoned town of Kwa and even managed not to lose anyone. This place... It's amazing. I never thought we'd come across... Something like this," the picture changed, and now the camera was showing a phenomenal view of the open city from a small, gently sloping mountain. - Hopefully, the city can please us inside as much as it does outside.
Click.
«Record five hundred and thirty-eight. We've finished settling in. The good news is the hypergate is fully operational. The system's up and running and, what's more, we've found whole batteries, so there's no power issue. All we can do is wait for them to open on the other side. The bad news is, we're definitely not waiting for them to open. The ship is wrecked and lying out there somewhere, but even if we get back, two of the three storage cells were destroyed on landing. We physically won't have enough food for even a quarter of our estimated time.
Click.
«The record-" Miraluk rubbed his temples tiredly. - er, six hundred and third. We continue to explore the city and its mysteries. The group's spirits are sinking, but we all knew what we were getting into, so let's not despair. I'm sure Dalien will activate the crossing and come after us. By the way, Dalien," the miraluk smirked. - 'There's a surprise for you,' Saros raised the holocron with his hand. - Today they found a holocron of Kwa. I saw the same one in Kaleth's temple, but this one is different. Firstly, it responds in the Force and can be interacted with. And secondly, experimentally it was found out that when interacting with the holocron only through one side of the Force, it begins to pull the second side, because of which I almost went crazy today. But! If you reduce the time of work with the holocron from six, to one hour, the negative consequences become relatively acceptable level. So you've given up the Force for nothing, my apprentice, I'll get all the goodies! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha..." I smiled and glanced at Dalien. He, too, could not contain his infectious mirth.
Click.
«Record six hundred and twelve. The reserves are gradually melting away, the weather has changed to warmer weather, and now instead of snowdrifts we walk on puddles and mud," Miraluk looked away and added sadly: "I love this planet.
Click.
«Record six hundred and thirtieth. The group doesn't know, but I've figured out a way to keep them alive. The Stasis Sphere technique will keep them alive until Dalien approaches. I've no doubt he'll come, we just have to live to see him. But I probably won't see it... As long as there's food, we'll keep working, but then I'll try to put everyone to sleep. I don't know if it'll work, but... there's not much choice.
Click.
«Recording six hundred and fifty-one. I've started recording my own Force work on the holocron to make it easier for the person who will be working with it to handle. Let me remind you that the holocrone works on the Unified Force, moreover, it reproduces it, and it is necessary to handle it with the help of both forms of Force manifestation at the same time. Today we have tried to circumvent this point. Two Je'Daiyas using "Combat Fusion" simultaneously interacted with the holocron with the dark and light side of the Force respectively. The experiment went well at first, but ultimately failed. Both died of cerebral haemorrhage. For those who will be working with him later, remember - I have left instructions for you. Do not repeat our mistakes, and especially do not try to trick the device. It won't end well for you.
Click.
«Entry six hundred and ninety-one. This is... my last entry. I would like to apologise to my Aala. I realise the pain I've caused her, in fact, even here I can feel it. Forgive me, sweetheart, but I couldn't help it. The Force guided me and revealed a piece of the future. And I chose the lesser of two evils. I feel your emotions perfectly, my love, and I know you've had a son. I hope you can find comfort in him and raise him without me. No, I don't. I'm sure you can. After all, I've seen you play with him in the Force. And... I'd really like to see him for real. I'm sure he's very wonderful. Son... If you see this footage, you know you're on the right path, and I'm proud of you. Saros Aero, captain of the USS Oblivion, end of tape.
When the screen went out, I stared at the darkness for a while, digesting what I'd heard, and then I shifted my gaze to Dalien.
«There's a rather long diary of your father's collected here, I'll give you a copy when I have time. I've had a quick look through the entries by tag. There's a lot of interesting stuff in there. Including how it came to this," he nodded at the room. - In more detail.
«I'll be sure to check it out at my leisure.
«How are the survivors?
«They're coming round. Some are delirious, thinking we're hallucinations, some are on their feet.
«Good. As soon as they recover, we'll go get batteries for the transition," I nodded and went back to the people.
Only, reality had other plans. After another ten minutes, we received a report from the sentries left at the hypergate. A messenger came to our side and told us that the other side was shaking periodically, and the last shock was especially strong and we should get out of here right now.
We didn't have to repeat it, the possibility of staying in this cold world forever was not appealing at all. We quickly packed our gear and dragged it to the crossing, while everyone else was running light. Of course, we were VERY sorry to leave, but greed was crushed by the anvil of common sense.
Upon returning home, we saw how the place had changed. Firstly, the ceiling had fallen off somewhere, new cracks had appeared, moreover, my mother had already had to force the columns back into place to keep the vault from collapsing.
«What's going on?
«The mechanism that makes the hypergate active is causing the shaking. We have to get out of here," Mum said quickly as a bead of sweat ran down her temple. - Is Saros with you?
I silently turned my head towards the body. Her lips tightened and she didn't say another word, we just didn't care. After knocking out the hypergate and taking the power source just in case, we distributed the load among the group and ran back. There was no time for conversation or explanations. The jolt was repeated time after time with small jolts.
But somewhere halfway down, the shaking was particularly strong and a collapse was heard in the distance.
«Yeah. There are no more hypergates," Vessira sighed as soon as everything calmed down.
«Good thing it's only a hypergate," I added.
«I suggest we take a moment," Dalien said, wiping the sweat from his forehead and collapsing under the wall. - You Je'Daii may be able to run around like clockwork, but we're mere mortals.
«All right. Take a break.
Announcing a respite, Mum walked over to her father's body laid on the ground. She didn't say anything, just sank down beside him and stared, glowing with emotions ranging from anger and resentment to regret and longing.
I didn't bother to come over or comfort her. There was just a realisation that I would be redundant now. But apparently sensing me, Mum, without turning around said:
«You won't Shade. I knew he wasn't coming back, even though I'd entertained hope. And when the feeling of his presence was gone, I was finally resigned. What was that? - she turned to me.
«A Stasis Force Sphere. Dad created it in one of the houses and--
Alas, I couldn't really tell you. A little jolt interrupted me halfway through. Without a word, the people unanimously expressed their desire to move on to the surface.All along the way, the earth did not want to calm down, continuing to shake a little at a time. And when we were near the surface, we encountered a new problem.
«I can feel the Je'Daiyans," Mum stopped us.
«I do," I listened to the sonar. - A lot of them.
«They must have come on the rumble," Wes added. - What do we do?
«Fight our way out? - I put my hand on the tip of my sword and looked at my mother.
«No..." She shook her head and looked first at us, then at Dalien, then at the Xenos. - Acting peacefully. Dalien, the portal worked, we have evidence and materials. Plus survivors," she nodded at the aforementioned bruised survivors. - The Council will grumble, but they won't dare deny the facts, so the most we'll get is a slap on the wrist for doing something amateurish.
«That's a good one," Vessira snorted.
«Yeah. But not to you.
«Huh?" I looked at my mother in surprise.
«You and Vessira will hide in the ruins, and then a transporter will pick you up. Dalien and I will go to the surface.
«But Mum.
«Shade, they're not stupid up there. They're going to need a clear explanation as to how Daleen and his group got through here, and I'm going to have to take his side. Yeah, I'll probably get expelled for it, but you and Vessira are kind of on Chikaga now, so it won't even affect you. Just hide. Especially since you know how to hide in the Force.
«Yes, Mum.
«Dalien?
«I totally agree with you, Aala. Shall we go?
«Yes.
As I watch the column leave, I turn my gaze to the crumbling rubble from the ceiling.
«Do we wait here? - Wes asked.
«No. It's dangerous. We'll follow them at a distance, then linger in the temple. These caves may have withstood more than one earthquake, but I don't want to take a chance that they'll withstand the next one.
«Mm-hmm.
Hiding me and Vessira in the Force was harder than I thought. Taking the girl's hand, I connect my aura to hers. A little shivering from the unfamiliar sensations, I stretch the concealment of the Force on both of them, and now it's Ves' turn to shiver. The currents of the Unified Force in her aura were not favourable.
Vessira was a little dizzy, her attention was scattered, but her thirst for activity, on the contrary, increased. As critical thinking began to give way to emotion, I was hugged, completely oblivious to the situation.
«I'm sorry, kitty, but it's for the best," I whispered, a small pulse of the Force putting the katara to sleep.
I picked up the girl and walked upstairs with her in my arms. I don't know what was going on up there, I didn't stick my head out, but I could hear bits and pieces of high-pitched phrases even to me. I didn't learn anything new, but the Je'Daii sent were very unhappy with what they'd seen. They were so displeased that they almost threw themselves into a fight, but three things stopped them: there would be a lot of bloodshed, my mother was and still was one of the strongest fighters of the Order, and the others should not be forgotten. Also, along with the accused there were new characters who were officially missing and some of them were even recognised by sight. The last argument was Kwa's holocron, which Dalien held in his hands and fiercely proved that the whole Order was wrong and he and his teacher were right.
Eventually, the showdown came to a natural result. His mother was put in special shackles for Je'Daye, as were the other gifted who were among those rescued. The others were given ordinary handcuffs. After that, the transports were loaded, and the whole crowd departed.
I turned away, took off my mask and rubbed the bridge of my nose tiredly.
«I hope we don't have to go to war with the Order.....
---
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