... Knock-knock-knock!
"Vess?" I peeked into the room.
"What is it, Shade?" the Cathar looked up from the manual she'd been given.
"I want to talk."
"About what?"
"Vess, enough. First, you and I are linked. Second, your thoughts and desires give me goosebumps. What's gotten into you—like you slipped your leash?"
"As if you don't know," the Cathar snorted and turned away.
"I know perfectly well." I closed the door, walked up, and hugged the catgirl sitting with her back to me. "That's why I came—to avoid misunderstandings. And to calm you down and cuddle you. Nom." I gently bit her ear—very, very lightly, just with my lips.
"Oh, Shade!" Vessira blushed, jumping up. "All right, all right—just don't bite."
"Well?"
"It's just… Hadiya bothers me. I'm not so much jealous of her over you—I'm confident in you, and what's more, I know that after a night with me you're still not satisfied, and like I said before, some Cathar take several girls…"
"Vess." I looked at her disapprovingly.
"Wait, let me finish. So—this is normal, it's physiology, and there's nothing you can do about it. Even my dad has several wives, so subconsciously I was preparing and waiting for someone else to appear."
"But nobody did."
"No, somebody did. Maybe you look at her differently…" she looked at me, "…at least you try. But she definitely doesn't. And what's more, she has her own plans for you. Say what you want—I will never believe you didn't figure that out."
"I did," I sighed and, sitting farther from the edge of the bed, leaned my back against the wall. "Back when we first met, she tried to show interest. But then everything was complicated, and she didn't have time for it either… but she tried. So I joked, 'Grow up first.'"
"Ahem… she grew up," Vess smiled, pulling her legs under herself and turning fully toward me.
"Something like that. Anyway, I know about her hints. But like I said before, I won't trade you for anyone. And I definitely don't want you to be jealous."
"I'm not jealous."
"Then what is it?"
"She pisses me off!!!" Vess slammed a fist into the bed. "She just pisses me off. She's an arrogant, spoiled bitch who's used to getting her way no matter what!"
"And note—she can get it on her own."
"Yes! But that doesn't change the fact she's a bitch. And the way she told me to get lost… that's… just… the peak of arrogance! Even you have boundaries, and she has none at all! And the way she's so sly and slippery—she can use us in her games and we won't even realize it."
"She won't use us," I smirked.
"How do you know?"
"I just do."
"Still! I can accept another girl. Yes, I won't deny it—not without grinding teeth, I'll have to get used to it—but I understand that and I already accepted it. It's just a fact."
"Oooh, someone really wound herself up."
"Hush!" I got flicked on the nose. "I'm not finished."
"I'm quiet, I'm quiet."
"And that girl—she won't share, she won't accommodate anyone—she'll just take you over and that'll be that! And you, for all your don't-care attitude, clearly like her."
"Without that, I wouldn't have gotten into that story at all," I nodded.
"There! So she can use it—and she will."
"She will." I nodded again. "But within limits. See, Vess—Hadiya won't even dare to think about harming me."
"And how do you know that?"
"Because I'm the only person she trusts more than herself. That day, I could've sold her out. I could've gotten a lot, but I not only didn't sell her out—I stood up for her and helped. And later too. And again. And I never asked anything in return. And I saw the look she gave me. You see, before meeting me, she believed it was all filth and rot around her, because she simply hadn't seen anything else. Then I appeared. And I said outright that not everyone had rotted yet. Of course she didn't believe it, but time passed and it became impossible not to. In the end, there are so many of her secrets in my head she's probably forgotten some herself. Logically, she should kill me for any of them so I won't talk—but that won't happen. Simply because she trusts me."
"Mmm…" Vess really blanked out at that level of honesty, thoughtfully pressing a finger to her lips.
"And when I found her, I saw just a frightened girl on the edge. She no longer believed in good intentions, but I made her believe. And now we have—not a tyrant, but a more or less normal girl… as normal as it gets for Shikaakwa, because that planet is sick in the head all by itself."
"I know. I remember. I've been there," Vess said slowly, enunciating every word.
"So my company reflected strongly on her—and, to my surprise, for the better. Even if I myself got a bit harder around her."
"So you trust her?"
"Her—yes. Everyone around her—not really." I shook my head. "But Hadiya knows what she's doing. She can pick people. She has several trusted ones who really are… well, more or less loyal. When I was still her bodyguard, I pointed those people out, and she pulled them into the right posts. But I repeat—I trust her. And note: you hit her, and she swallowed it. Believe me, Vess—she's ready to erase, concrete over, or send someone to breathe vacuum for far less. So the fact you were forgiven that insolence—even if not without my involvement—says a lot."
"I didn't think about it."
"Yeah, Hadiya is quite the… girl, but she's one of ours. And if it comes down to it, she'll cover us. Even if she curses you out. As for the manner of speech—well, where does she live?"
"Well… yeah."
"Think of Mom—she's sharp too."
"Actually, I only noticed it now," Vessira smiled. "They really do have things in common."
"Exactly. So it's fine. The other issue is that you're jealous."
"I'm not jealous…" She averted her eyes, but under my disapproval she gave in. "Maybe just a little. But!" All the embarrassment washed away like water, and she flared and spun back to me. "That doesn't mean you'll pay for it. So as soon as you find someone else, I won't be against it. Just обязательно talk to me first. And only one!"
"Hic…"
"Good. And that's not up for discussion."
…
"And what is this—girl's already done, and the man still hasn't even once, you know?"
"You're exaggerating…"
"Hush! I said everything." Folding her paws across her chest, she fell backward onto me.
"Ah… you're missing wings," I whispered into her ear, face in her hair.
"Huh?"
"You'd be an angel."
"And what's that?"
"Holy creatures. Pure. The purest in the world—the kind they compare the kindest, most selfless, most saintly people to."
"Nope. I've killed."
"Okay, then you're an avenging angel."
"Hee… Nice save."
"Of course. I had two teachers! Hadiya was number two…"
"There! Tell her that!" Vess stirred and, lowering herself a bit, raised her head to peer into my face.
"Oh, you… kitty." I kissed her nose.
"Yeah. Yooouuurs."
"Mine, mine."
"Continue?" I got licked.
"Alas. I still need to drop by Hadiya."
"You're going to go прямо сейчас and put her in her place?"
"Oh, stop." I flicked her nose; Vess twitched it in displeasure. "No—just so there's fewer incidents tomorrow. And it's also about that request of mine."
"What request?"
"It's about my father. I asked her to find some information."
"Ah."
"All right, I'm going. Good night, kitty." After a goodbye kiss, I reluctantly crawled off the bed. The rooms here, by the way, were very similar to Qigong Kesh, and pleasantly warm—unlike the corridors.
Only, the moment I left Vess's room, I ran into one of the Masters making rounds.
"You there!"
"Oh, all of you can go to hell," I exhaled, turning around. Forgot to check my surroundings again. Might as well run the radar 24/7.
"What are you doing here so late?" a Miraluka approached me.
"Taking girls' virginity—what else?" I grumbled, hands in my pockets. And at the Master choking, I added, "well what else would I be doing in a woman's room?"
"Aero!" the Miraluka hissed.
"Oh! Do we know each other?"
"I saw you at testing."
"Ah, got it."
"You have absolutely no sense of boundaries when it comes to insolence, do you?"
"Why? I do. But speaking of which—even if I were seducing a girl," I nodded at the door, "what difference does it make, if wanderers are allowed to?"
"There's a regime in effect here, idiot!" the Miraluka snapped.
"Keep it down—you'll wake people. Why are you yelling?"
…
"All right, thanks for the warning."
"Where are you going?!"
"To Hadiya. Still need to seduce her."
…
"Don't look at me like that. I can't see your eyes, but I can feel your stare perfectly."
"A-e-r-r-ro…"
"Don't growl like that—you're a Miraluka, not a Cathar, or whoever. I'll go back to my room, but later. I just need to settle a couple things with her. All the best, Master." With a bow, I walked past one of the duty masters, who looked stunned and in no hurry to come to his senses. Yeah… tomorrow there might be small problems, but compared to one active Twi'lek girl they don't even rate.
Hadiya had settled on her ship, so getting to her took some wandering, then going outside, then walking to the ship. Except…
"Uh… Lord Shade?" one of the guards asked uncertainly.
"Yes—what is it?"
"Lady Hadiya went to you."
"Kriff. Missed each other. All right, thanks, guys." I nodded, but just in case I sent out a Force wave to scan the ship. Hadiya really wasn't aboard, so I had to march back the same way, but now to my own room.
Getting to my own apartments, hiding from unnecessary eyes in places, I went inside. Hadiya really was there—sprawled on my bed, one leg crossed over the other, hands folded under her head.
"No, this is actually real arrogance," I shook my head, closing the door.
"And I brought you vork," the Twi'lek girl propped herself up and pointed to the drink on the table, already cooled a bit. "The one you like—with a spoon of shaley and milk."
Walking to the table, I took the drink with a smile. Yeah… Hadiya invented this stuff in a burst of wanting to please me, and in all my wandering I've never seen it anywhere else. I took a sip and smiled wider. That's the one.
"I'm forgiven?"
"Fine."
Pulling a chair to me with the Force, I set it with the back toward Hadiya and sat down backward.
"Shade."
"Hm?" After another sip I looked at the Twi'lek girl, who'd gone hesitant. Right now, in front of me wasn't the Queen of Shikaakwa, but an ordinary girl. Even if she isn't one yet, I never doubted the day would come. Hadiya has the strength, charisma, drive, and talent. That's all her.
"Tell me honestly—do you not like me?"
"Hadiya… that's not it."
"Then what is it?"
"I told you already. I have Vessira. And I really do have feelings for her. Bright and strong—and I'm not going to trade her for anyone."
"But I'm not nothing to you either!"
"M…" I snorted. "Now I understand those who called me a smart fool. Hadiya, you're not nothing. But listen to what I'm going to say. Yes, I like you. I liked you then, I like you now, and considering how you've stretched out…" I couldn't help a quick glance. "I won't lie to myself—you're very beautiful. More than that, I might even have gotten into a relationship with you."
"But then…"
"But I have Vess! I won't give her up and I won't trade her. You understand… these are exactly the ideals that hook you about me. Some of them. And I'm not going to change them."
"So I have no chance at all?"
"I don't think you'd want to share," I snorted.
"Huh?"
"Bottom line. I will NEVER replace Vessira. With anyone. Period."
"Wouldn't two at once be too much for you?" She caught on immediately, frowning and tilting her head.
"I don't care. I'm just telling you how it is. Then you decide for yourself—do you need it or not. I stayed honest with you before, I'm staying honest now. In case you didn't know, Cathar physiology is… special. And Vess is always insecure about it. So for them, several girls for one boy is normal. I don't consider it bad or good. I just don't care."
"Expected," Hadiya snorted into her fist.
"As for you—yes, I like you. Relationship? Maybe. But I won't leave Vess. That's a fact. If everyone is fine with it, I'll simply accept it. If not… well, I told you the truth."
"Mm-hm."
"My advice—don't see her as a rival. Not for me— for yourself. Same with the others too, in my company. Gris, Zeng, Feng, Ramiry… they're very good people. We grew up in the same sphere and we've eaten plenty of salt together. By the way, Feng is свободный," I winked, "and he's no worse than me."
"Oh." Hadiya rolled her eyes. "Shade, don't start, huh? It hurts that you think that about me."
"I don't think that about you. I'm telling you how it is. You'll do the thinking."
"Good that you don't think—those softies are useless to me."
"Trust me, they're not soft," I snorted, remembering our past sins.
"Fine. But I've known you a long time. I'm seeing them for the first time. And besides—do you know how worried I was about you?!"
"I do. I can feel it. And I'm sorry. I really did get swamped. Also sometimes you can't answer, sometimes I'm offline, then вообще…" I waved it off. "But that's in the past."
"Mm-hm."
"Just don't be upset, Hadi. I really won't choose between people. You're a sweet, pretty girl, and I don't mind taking care of you. But that doesn't remove either the responsibility I already have or—especially—my desire to be with Vess."
"I understand, Shade. That's why I like you," the future queen smiled sadly.
"And all those public displays and your behavior—just so you know, she's not jealous of you. Maybe a little."
"Really?" Hadiya's eyes widened.
"You just annoy her with your behavior. She's confident in me—one. Two, I already said she's been winding herself up about…" I waved it off. "Anyway, winding herself up. If you want, you can talk to her yourself. And if you two agree and make peace, I'll be happy."
"Okay, I'll talk to her," Hadiya nodded happily.
"Just not the way you like and умеешь. She won't understand that."
"Shade, who do you think I am?" Before I could answer, she added, "No, don't answer. Rhetorical. Anyway—I heard you and understood you."
We fell silent. I sat there, drilling that quiet face with a very suspicious look.
"For some reason, it feels like we didn't understand each other."
"I understood you!"
"And heard you?"
"And heard you," she nodded.
"Then why does it feel like someone is quietly and shamelessly lying to me?"
"No-o-o, you're imagining it. You trust me, right?"
"Sigh… fine. Now back to business?" Hadiya raised an eyebrow. "You said you found something on the Starwatchers?"
"Huh? Yeah." Hadiya instantly pulled herself together and leaned forward. "So. It's a fanatically minded sect led by Dalien Brock. Do you know who that is?"
"No idea."
"He's a former Jedaii."
"Well now. A colleague of mine, then?"
"Something like that. But… let's say he renounced the use of the Force and left the Order, considering it, if not evil, then something close." Hadiya pulled out her little knife and started twirling it in her fingers by habit.
"And my father was in contact with this?"
"Wait—I'm only starting."
"Sorry."
"Dalien Brock is formally listed in your records as either dead or missing—one nicer than the other—and how much effort it took me to pull that name to the surface is a separate conversation."
"I can imagine…"
"Yes. Now about the Starwatchers themselves. They truly believe that beyond our star system there is other life."
"It's stupid to assume otherwise. The galaxy is huge. And our ancestors came from somewhere, didn't they?"
"That's what they think too. Since our ancestors were brought by the Tho Yors, the Starwatchers consider their true home to be the place the Tho Yors came from in that distant past, and they strive to return there by any means, regardless of methods or possible outcome. I'll stress this, Shade: by ANY means."
"I'm already starting to regret asking you to dig up information on them…" I leaned back a little.
"These are still flowers. Next: the sect's members belong to many different species and both sexes—they're basically everywhere, just hiding, because formally the organization is considered criminal."
"Hearing about criminality from you is worth a lot," I smirked.
"Shade, these people outdid even us. Twenty years ago, they stole an entire Sleeper Ship. And guess who they stole it from?"
"The Jedaii?" Hadiya nodded.
"Yes. But we'll get to it. The sect members worship their leader, Dalien, like… well… like you worship the Force, maybe? I can't put it more precisely. But they believe that while he looks at the stars, the luminaries speak to him and point out the right path. The information sounds insane, but it's accurate—I personally talked to one of them."
"Heh. All for me?"
"All for you," Hadiya smiled, continuing to spin the weapon through her fingers. "Anyway, their belief is strong… if not obsession. And that made it possible to form fanatical loyalty up to forced suicide."
"For example?"
"Assaulting an ancient artifact vault, knowing two-thirds will stay lying there. Good enough?"
"Brutal…"
"By the way—about their branches on Shikaakwa. I was too quick there. On a deeper check, those were just little offices—filters for communicating with the sect. Dust, basically. The sect itself sits very quiet and very deep, with lots and lots of smeared small points all across the system, and instead of a base, they have one old Sleeper Ship rebuilt for those needs."
"They're seriously hidden, huh."
"And what did you expect? They're very careful. At the same time, despite their reputation, they have their own funding sources, which allows them to have places for major gatherings, conduct research, get their hands on advanced equipment, as well as artifacts and weapons. And on Kalimar they're вообще a peaceful organization that, formally, has no violations on record. True, again, official branches there aren't real—just fronts, so…"
"Got it. Mysterious, hidden people."
"Yes. Now about that ship. As soon as I got on their trail, I tried to plant one of my people. I managed, and here's what he dug up: twenty years ago, the sect found some mysterious artifact here on Tython."
"What artifact? Where did they dig it up?"
"I don't know what kind of artifact—it's only accessible to the very top of an already fanatical structure. But it's something very important and extremely valuable. So much so that the whole Order started working only for it. And they found it here, on Tython."
"Uh…" My eyebrows went up, and Hadiya nodded.
"Yes, I was surprised too—especially since Starwatchers are not allowed on Tython, and you yourself told me that even if you fly here, surviving without the Force is very difficult."
"Impossible. Unless you've got a crowd of armed soldiers with tank and air support."
"Exactly—so Jedaii were acting. And they were digging in the Old City. Do you know anything about it?"
"I heard something in passing—like we have ancient ruins of a past civilization, or something."
"They're real ruins of a real ancient civilization, Shade. And the sect found something in them. You see what that means?"
"Smells like fuel…"
"Yes. And then it all went off at a gallop. Almost immediately, a new colony was founded on Sunspot. Huge money was poured into a project nobody understood, but it was very, very important—worked on by a narrow circle of cutting-edge scientists gathered, by the way, from across the whole system."
"Wow!"
"Not long before that, a Sleeper Ship was stolen and properly outfitted. It was led by a certain Saros Aero," she paused.
"My father," I nodded.
"And almost immediately, once it was ready, the ship departed into space, with barely a sixth of its crew aboard. That's not resettlement—it's more like an expedition. They were flying with a concrete goal. Only what goal? I first thought it was a flight, but then I rejected that version. It's an expedition."
"How did you decide that?"
"The documentation survived. I copied all the documents—supplies, orders, transports, everything—and analyzed them. Someone quickly, but piece by piece, assembled the whole puzzle and sent it on its way."
"Mom said he promised to return," I said, thoughtfully running my fingers along the chair back.
"That's exactly what I'm saying. But what they found specifically and what the project was, I never discovered."
"Mmm…"
"But I did find where you can find the answer," she reached for the table where a case lay, opened it, and pulled out a map. "Here."
"What is it?"
"A schematic of the Old City. Their find is marked here. Elevation above sea level, and location."
"Half a kilometer underground?!"
"Yes."
"Now that's some digging…"
"No—if they dug, it wasn't much. There are shafts and tunnels preserved since time immemorial. Also, what I learned is that right after this find… certain influential and wealthy figures immediately overfunded the Starwatchers. According to the documents, it coincides with the events when special goods started moving through Shikaakwa—lots of them."
"Hadiya, it's scary to imagine how much work you did all this time," I glanced at this monster with her elegant figure, graceful legs, and delicate hands with short, neat nails.
"Couldn't exactly come empty-handed," she spread her hands. "And besides—I did it for you."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. And don't worry about your father. I ran him through my channels—he became an exile under some unclear circumstances. Strangely enough, even though he contacted the Starwatchers, he wasn't in the sect. That's what I don't understand—what made him get mixed up in this at all?"
"Very good question," I muttered under my breath, examining the map. "One we will definitely get an answer to. Later."
"Yep. But I'm not done."
"Hm?" I looked up from the map at that very, very pleased face.
"Right now they're preparing something grand. Not literally right now, but in the near future. Their target is this place." She leaned forward, looked into the map, and tapped the marker. "That's where the map came from."
"That's interesting… How serious is it?"
"So serious they're arming like it's war. In the future they want to take this place under control. Ideally, everything should go quietly. But if not, they'll still be there."
"I don't like this," I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "How much time do we have?"
"About two years."
"How much?"
"I'm telling you—they're only just preparing. The news is the freshest. As soon as I got the map, as soon as the lead appeared, I flew to you. Also, like I said, they want to pull it off quietly, without noise or dust. An armed conflict is a last resort, but if they're cornered, they'll bite."
"Got it. Hm… the Old City is not far from Vur Tepe. On the way there, or from there, we could drop in and задержаться a bit."
"I'll warn you in advance—it's very dangerous there."
"What lives there?"
"Mostly bloodsuckers."
"Mother of—" I actually jerked. "How did the Starwatchers not all die there?"
"Somehow." She shrugged. "Probably… not without losses."
Ugh. The presence of bloodsuckers in the ruins complicated things a lot. For context: a bloodsucker is a small, nasty creature that flies silently like a bastard, is hard as hell to hit, is immune to Force suggestion, and to Force manifestations. They fly very fast, in large swarms, inflicting lots of small bleeding wounds. Basically, one of the most disgusting things you can run into on Tython. One good thing: to stumble into them, you have to really try—they're terrified of light and don't live everywhere.
"Wait—how do they live there?"
"There's a Force nexus."
"A Force nexus?" My eyebrows went up. "What kind?"
"I don't know. Just a Force nexus—that's all I know."
"Kriff." I put the map aside and rubbed the bridge of my nose.
"What does that mean?"
"Hm?"
"Kriff. You keep saying that word in another language. And also your 'sun.'"
"Yeah? Didn't notice. Well, the sun is a star. Bright and beautiful." Hadiya smiled. "And 'kriff' is a creature. A very bad creature. You can compare it to a pest; it has mystical origins and usually brings problems."
"Got it. So it's something bad."
"Exactly. And to be honest, right now I'm not even sure the game is worth the candle. Like—why do I need it? Risking myself, on top of that, when I'm already doing fine?"
"So it's not only fine, but also calm?" Hadiya tilted her head. "Your father is, in fact, an apostate and a traitor."
"But Mom always spoke very well of him. And I don't think she'd tie her fate to a psycho. So something's off here…" I tapped the chair back with my nails thoughtfully. "All right, it's late, and we have early training tomorrow. Thanks again, Hadiya. I can't even imagine you'd bring so much." I reevaluated the map and the volume of information Hadiya had not only found but analyzed. And this was, basically, a short extract of key episodes. I didn't even want to think how much got filtered out…
"Then I deserve a kiss?"
"Hadiya!"
"What? I have the right. And you can't hide behind my age anymore! And Vessira too, since she's not against it."
"Pfft. Who did I get involved with?!" I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling.
"Want me to answer?"
"Don't!"
"Well then… can I have my reward?"
"All right." I put the map back into the case and closed it. "Nom?"
"Let it stay with you. It's safer and more reliable."
"Fine."
Getting up from the chair, I leaned down to kiss Hadiya on the forehead—she hadn't specified—but she outplayed me. The moment I came close, she grabbed the back of my head and tried to kiss me on the lips. Completely clumsily, to the maximum extent possible—but very, very earnestly.
"Mmm…" Pulling back, I looked at the satisfied little bitch. "So I'm guessing that was your first time?"
"Mm-hm."
"Well… then I can be proud of myself. All right, Hadiya, now I'm asking you to leave my room."
"You're going to kick me out so late into the cold, gloomy corridor?" she made big eyes.
"Yes! Because it's my room!"
"What if there's an assassin waiting for me out there?"
"Then I'll snap his neck myself."
"Then maybe I'll just sit here on the chair?"
"Hadiya…"
"All right, all right, I'm leaving." She slid off my bed, but didn't hurry to go. "Please—let me stay, I won't interfere, I swear. I don't want to go anywhere."
"Force be with you, stay," I waved it off, pulling a travel cot out of my bag.
"Huh?"
"You take the bed—I'll take this."
"But I thought…"
"You're not getting it!"
"Shade, are you sure your orientation is okay?"
"?!"
"Well, I mean… a beautiful girl wants to lie down next to you, and you…"
"Hadiya…"
"All right, all right, I'm quiet," she immediately hopped away from me like from fire.
I stood there, staring at her, and dumbly understood that the moment I relax even a little, she'll just crawl over to me, shamelessly, like she did two years ago. So, with a sigh, I shoved the cot back into the bag and dropped onto the bed. Hadiya instantly landed beside me and, resting her chin on her chest, stared happily into my eyes.
"Say one word and I'll throw you out."
Blink-blink.
Hm… maybe move to Gris's? He's right next door… Ah, kriff it. My brain is already leaking out of my ears—I'm not going to stress about something else. Relax and enjoy pleasant company. Yeah.