"Let me kill him, Master!" exclaimed the clearly younger one in this pair of... idiots. Honestly, I almost knew how they could have gotten to this point.
Training in the Order is classic. And after that, confrontation with the surrounding reality. And here, there are several paths for a Padawan and a future Jedi. Either you adapt, in your own way, or you fall, or you leave the Order. However, there is a fourth option – to die. What wonderful prospects in the DGG, however! You can immediately feel that this civilization has surpassed ours by a couple of centuries... Although the question here is, in which direction...
"Just don't underestimate him, my apprentice..."
"How strange," I said aloud. "You remind me of clowns. In the sense that it makes me want to laugh."
"When I gut you, Jedi, you won't be laughing!" the "apprentice" exclaimed.
And where did they even get those crimson swords? In the sense that synthetic crystals are not that easy to create. Especially for idiots. And they're chasing a krayt dragon to get a pearl from it.
"You are also Jedi, albeit fallen ones," I remarked.
"We are Sith!"
If my left hand weren't occupied with grenades, I probably would have put my hand to my forehead. But here, they wouldn't detonate. Of course, they are not impact-type. You have to activate them first by pressing a button, but I was still worried. After all, the facepalm I was about to give myself would have to be quite strong. And was I really like that when I fell? Or different? I'll have to ask the projection of Lorrm... Although no, he made it before his death, and why do I need to know that? The main thing now is to somehow deal with these two.
"Alright," I sighed heavily. "I'm tired."
With a wave of my left hand, I sent the grenades, doused with a portion of telekinesis, towards their speeders. The grenades, caught by the Force, landed precisely on the speeders and exploded a few seconds later.
"How selfless," the "apprentice" laughed. "You decided to make sure we wouldn't pursue your group."
Their level proves the fact that they didn't even have time to hinder me. The so-called "teacher," Maiko, seemed to only watch the grenades with his gaze. Doubts vanished. These are just Padawans, like me. Only from "that side" no one brought them back and on "that side" no one trained them. So they remained beasts that attack everyone and think they know something. What a strong delusion. After all, the Dark Side of the Force, dependent on emotions, greatly clouds the mind of the Gifted. He can completely forget himself, reveling in his superiority over others. But what's the result? He will only be a nobody. True Sith know how to "control" such misfortunes. These ones, however, do not, not at all.
"Bastard, you'll pay for this," the "mentor" flared up. "Prove your skills, apprentice. Kill the Jedi."
The apprentice lunged at me, closing the distance between us, and swung his sword, holding it with both hands. I chose to block the first attack, using a sliding block, and almost slit the apprentice's throat. He barely managed to jump back.
"Oh... Dangerous."
But there's no danger from you. Apparently, he's a follower of the fifth form, Djem So. I could use Soresu against him, after all, my mastery of this form allows me to wear down a Djem So follower with it. But it would take a lot of time. No matter how Gifted he is, I need to wear him down with defense first, and besides, I looked at the second one, and the second one might join in, seeing that his apprentice's efficiency is zero point zero. So, since they turned out to be idiots and decided to attack one by one, what can I say – it's even better for me. Because I can calmly get rid of one first, and then the second, without much effort. But for that, I need to start with the first one... So, taking the Ataru stance again, this time I didn't let the apprentice attack. A jump, I jumped over the opponent, doing a somersault in the air... He tried to trip me when I was in the air, but he couldn't do anything, because I simply blocked his attack. Landing behind his back, I immediately attacked, although he had already started to turn around.
The blow was blocked, but I didn't intend to retreat, delivering the next attack to his legs, then, dodging his aggressive attack, I changed position, moving aside with a jump, and struck him in the head. The opponent bent down, letting the blow pass over him, and was about to take off my torso. But I jumped, twisting in the air. As soon as I landed, I jumped over him again...
"AHHH! YOU GOT ME!" he exclaimed, turning to me, but I moved away from him at the same instant. He struck diagonally, from top to bottom, but accelerating, I fell to my knees and slid past his body. A blow from bottom to top... Damn, I wanted to cut him in half, but I only managed to sever his arm.
I predicted the trajectory a little incorrectly.
"Huh? AAAAA!" he exclaimed, looking at the severed arm with the sword. "Bitch! Hutt's carrion! May the Hutts fuck you in all holes!"
"You have a short memory, 'Sith'," I grinned. "You wanted to kill me. But how, by killing me, will you achieve that the Hutts 'fuck you in all holes'?"
"I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!" he pulled the sword with his second hand and activated the blade again.
"Wait!" his master exclaimed. "You have disappointed me, Apprentice. But we will discuss your defeat later. For now," he pointed his blade at me. "We must avenge your loss."
This one will definitely be stronger... Makashi? Not a very pleasant system, especially if he knows how to use it. A skilled Makashi adept can easily defeat an adept of Ataru, or Soresu, and perhaps even give a beating to a not-so-smart and skilled adept of Djem So. After all, the essence of this form is fencing itself. Created by fencers and for fencers. My current style, although I prefer Ataru, while weaving in elements of Soresu with counter-attacks and blocks, rather created drunken acrobats fleeing from an enraged Krayt Dragon. It has basic elements, as does its philosophy. But the essence of Ataru is almost complete improvisation. The combat system is insane, as you constantly change location and position... But that's why it has started to attract me lately.
"No matter how many of you there are," I sighed. "You are no match for me."
I glanced at the apprentice and, raising my hand, threw him back with telekinesis, and the next moment – attacked the master. I preferred to maneuver less around him, as this Maiko turned out to be a much more skilled warrior than his half-apprentice, but despite that, I was still actively pushing him. His sword traced beautiful figures, but I noticed that my almost endless Ataru attacks were exhausting him. After finishing another clash of swords, I directed my hand at him. Seeing the example of his unfortunate apprentice before his eyes, he decided to play it safe, thinking I was going to use a technique, but instead – he performed a leg sweep. He didn't fall into the sand, he managed to jump back, at which point his apprentice attacked from behind... Well, attacked? He didn't succeed. In the end, I brought my left arm behind my back and used pyrokinesis. The apprentice didn't have time to react; not every Knight can react to such attacks. The enemy was thrown back, his clothes caught fire. While the apprentice was fighting the flames, I concentrated on the master.
And so they would have lost to me in the next couple of minutes if I hadn't felt a strange rumble.
"What the..." the master managed to say.
While he was distracted, I tried to kill him, delivering a Shiak to the chest, but he dodged, and I missed, moving forward. Quickly turning around, I delivered a powerful blow, intended to decapitate my enemy, and he managed to block it.
"Bastard. Just stop it!" he exclaimed as we got close. "Can't you hear?"
"When the opponent is distracted, it's the best moment to attack," I informed him. "What difference does it make what's rumbling there..."
"RAAAAAAAAAR!" a roar came from the left. It seems I even understand... what's "rumbling" there. I could literally feel the vibrations. Vibrations, explosions, and an incredible roar. Literally demolishing a dune, another enemy appeared on our battlefield. And it was many times more terrifying than anything I had dealt with before. Throwing back the "half-Sith" with telekinesis, I looked closer... The rumors weren't lying: this creature truly had incredible height and great length. Dark-skinned... And its jaw contained so many razor-sharp blades that I felt uneasy.
The krayt dragon's body swayed; it had clearly been hit by a grenade from a grenade launcher. It wasn't Bombur who fired, but someone from another squad.
"Take him down! Take him down!" the Sentient shouted.
The krayt dragon roared and, surprisingly quickly for its size, attacked another opponent, literally devouring him. A Hutt! He interrupted my fight! However, I came for him first, which means I'll have to change my target. I ran towards the creature. And it clearly noticed me. Laser bolts kept screwing into its body, but it was like a flea on an elephant. Will a grappling hook pierce it? That depends on where it hits. However, it obligingly opened its mouth in another roar, which I used, shooting into its palate. Applying enhancement, I jumped, gradually shortening the cable. Thus, I also pulled myself up. The dragon, which seemed to be unaffected by all other hits, clearly didn't like the unnatural grappling hook. Not that it was completely uncomfortable, but judging by its movements, the foreign object didn't add to its joy. I made the hook from quite strong metal, so it managed to pierce the inner side of its body, which wasn't covered by thick skin.
In any case, everything could have ended tragically; the Krayt dragon wanted to close its jaws, destroying the cable.
"You're faster than the others," I pulled the hook back, having already gained enough speed and height. But... the plan was to evade the attack and fall on it from above, piercing its head with my lightsaber and thus killing it... But how do I get on top of it? And will the sword reach the brain? Damn! Why did I only think about how to land at the right point after I took off? My hook won't pierce its thick skin; after all, the alloy I made it from isn't beskar! And I wouldn't bet on it either. Look, Hori lost his spear, which he had on his back, somewhere; he probably tried to skewer the dragon with it, but it didn't work. And what to do? Exactly... I'm an Ataru adept, since recently. With the help of the Force, I can help myself maneuver in the right direction a little.
Which I did, simply accelerating my fall. I ended up right on its head and, without breaking rotation, delivered a powerful, chopping blow... But the lightsaber made a groove, sparked, and nothing...
"What the hell?" I exclaimed, standing on its head. "What do you mean? I haven't read about this!" The Jedi archives mentioned that some individuals could, in principle, withstand a lightsaber blow, but these were unique relics... Now they have degenerated, plus hunters.
Hmm? Is a rocket flying at me? Damn, the others are fighting too. They were only distracted for a brief moment, watching my attack. It's a joke: a Sentient, using a cable and a grappling hook, swinging a lightsaber – jumped on the Krayt dragon's head. And seemed to be going to kill it! Without thinking too much, I jumped down. And now, finally, I could count the present. Besides my group, completely alive but partially wounded and exhausted, there were five Tuskens present. And about forty Sentient of varying degrees, I suspect, of villainy. Mercenaries and pirates. Plus two Dark Gifted...
"It seems your attack failed," a female voice sounded nearby. Vanda?
"I see you're all right... Although he's still alive..."
"Your enemies are also still alive," she nodded towards the couple of Gifted.
"Is there a plan?"
"Ask Jacob, on the network, he..." I didn't hear the rest; the dragon let out an incredible roar, the likes of which I hadn't heard from it before. They continued to shower it with fire from all sides, but it lived and lunged at the Sentient like a rabid dog, biting, tearing, and crushing with fury. Vanda used her jetpack and flew to her comrades, continuing to deliver a barrage of fire.
Even the lightsaber didn't penetrate its hide, but I managed to hook its palate earlier... It's clear as day to this Hutt that its internal parts are less protected than its external ones... And the only way to get to them is through its mouth, which means I have to attack from the front. Having made a decision, I turned left, still using Force acceleration, and ran towards its mouth, preparing a technique on the go. The Dark Ones have gone completely mad, just hitting it with their lightsabers... Yeah, what about tactics? You can't always win with brute force alone. Even the "apprentice" was hitting the dragon, holding the sword in his left hand and laughing heartily, while the dragon was showered with fire, and the prehistoric animal itself was reducing the number of DGG pirates and mercenaries. I didn't make it in time... Another roar created air currents that threw the half-Sith aside, as well as everyone around it... And I watched in horror as its tail, also lashing out right and left, hit Vanda. The woman was thrown to the ground, plowed a few dozen meters, and froze...
"ROOOOAR!" the dragon roared. The tail was descending directly onto me... My gaze caught on the master, Maiko, it seemed. An idea... Using the grappling hook, I shot at the "mentor's" body, hitting the Sentient, I pulled the cable back. He never understood what happened. His body ended up next to mine... I had to help myself with the Force, though. At the same time, I took advantage of the pause and got away. Although the shockwave still hit me and threw me to the ground. But it's better than being crushed by the tail of a huge monster...
"NOOOO! MASTER!" forgetting everything, his half-apprentice attacked me. I dodged a simple downward swing and, twisting, ended up to his right. At the same time, very close to him, to his left, the dragon lunged at me, opening its mouth. Thus, this clown was between me and the dragon. The Force itself told me to make him mortally happy about this circumstance.
"Look around you," I said, waving my hand, and threw the Dark One into the dragon's mouth. The monster closed its jaws, grinding the idiot into a pulp...
The tail again? I should change location... It's already kicked up so much sand here. Turning around, I ran... No, not like that. I applied a tactical maneuver of the "change position to find a more advantageous opportunity" class. Hmm? The constant shots and missile hits from "Earth to Monster" class must have affected the dragon. It became much slower and, it seemed, even started breathing heavily. Or is it because it ate a Dark Gifted? Well, what about it? Dark Ones! Have you seen Palpatine after abusing the Dark Side? I wouldn't eat something like that if I were the dragon, even if there was a threat of species extinction.
"Hey, Jedi!" Jacob's voice sounded. "Can you heal her?"
I looked in his direction. After all, I tried to run based on my team's location. We are a team, right? Besides, Mandos provide better cover than any rabble. Jacob was holding Vanda in his arms, and it seemed he didn't care at all that Hori and Bombur were giving their all there... Is that right? He's the commander. You should provide aid to the wounded after the battle.
"I'm weak in healing," I didn't lie. My talent helped me master many Force techniques. But healing requires precise control of the Force with a thorough knowledge of the patient's anatomy. I'm more of a destroyer. "I can only patch myself up, probably. And her... I can't help," she's not dead, I could hear Vanda's breathing even through the fight. Why? My senses have reached a qualitatively new level due to enhancement. Although there were problems, like the dragon's roar. It was unpleasant for me... She needs proper help. The only way to do that is to finish the fight early. Here, my gaze caught on a rock behind the dragon, and a new plan formed in my head. Another one that falls into the category: either you do it, or you die. But the stakes are high... I already feel exhausted. Constantly using Force Techniques is quite difficult. "Lure the dragon to me," I told Jacob. "To the place where I am now. In about," I closed my eyes, "two minutes."
"At this rate, we might not last a minute!"
"If we drag our feet and continue fighting like this, we'll all die!" I stated. "I can't fly around it indefinitely! I have a limit to my endurance too," I sighed heavily. "Nevertheless, I am your trump card. I have enough skills and reflexes to injure it unpleasantly. The wound will be incredibly serious. And you will finish it off. Use everything you have. Come on."
"Alright, Jedi. But if we die..."
"Then you'll rise again and kill me, Mando?" I asked mockingly. "I don't fear death; I've forgotten how to."
He didn't answer, just took Vanda and took off. Jacob placed her in a safe place, and then, standing calmly aside, I watched as the dragon changed its direction. Weakly, but still managing to lash out with its tail and tear at mercenaries. Only three Mandos and ten pirate mercenaries remained alive. Two Tuskens fired at the krayt dragon from a distance, but it made no difference... Finally, it turned to me... And I wasn't just standing calmly, but preparing. My right hand was engulfed in flames. With telekinesis, I can throw small fireballs, but they are only suitable for quick combat and not for everything. Burning clothes, perhaps... although even idiots manage to survive. The dragon roared and lunged at me.
"This is for last time," I sent the cable under its body, hooking onto a rock, and slid across the sand. "Take this!" The fireball, which I had been preparing for a good ten seconds, turned out to be about two meters in diameter and flew into its mouth. Freeing myself from the "burden" of the technique, I drew my lightsaber in my right hand and, launching it, made a groove along its belly. Perhaps the belly is less protected. Sliding under it, I noticed my ship hovering nearby, as well as all the remaining Sentient. "Now! Fire!" author's note - if you want to roughly imagine what trick the protagonist pulled off - here's https://youtu.be/5fonk4Cnnrk?t=39
On command, they fired. All at once. And the VV started showering the krayt dragon from the ship with everything it had. Several explosions sounded behind me, merging into one large one. The smoke didn't dissipate for a good forty seconds, so I helped it with my Force technique... The dragon's body crashed onto the sand. I felt its aura extinguish. It's dead... The "Star Trek" landed precisely next to the carcass, and Jacob quickly oriented himself and was already carrying Vanda there. I, with a sigh, sat down on the sand, not even caring that it might stain my white suit. The dragon's carcass lay there and showed no signs of life, except that its hind left leg twitched.
"Ah... Ha-ha-ha," I laughed, an unprecedented relaxation spreading through my body. The Force techniques ceased to act, and my muscles began to relax. But most of all, I was pleased by the adrenaline; it was creating such a feeling, a wonderful feeling. I abstracted myself from it during the battle, and now it seems to me that it was in vain. Because it's simply wonderful, it feels like the energy itself within you is twisting into a tight vortex. Definitely, something has changed in me after absorbing Arrogant. Absorbing the spirit of a Sith is not possible just like that. Did it affect me? Because analyzing my battles with Kuro, and then with the Krayt Dragon, I realized that I'm starting to like this excited state, with adrenaline.
"A pleasant feeling," Hori's voice sounded from behind. "What a beast we took down."
"That's true," I nodded.
"And look how they're looking at you," he nodded towards the survivors. Some looked with horror, some with surprise. I can't say anything about the emotions of the surviving Tuskens. "You made a huge contribution to the victory over this beast. By the way, many who tried to kill it the same way you did are now feeding the desert. They lacked speed and reflexes."
"The Force itself can enhance the physical parameters of the Gifted."
"I know," Hori sighed sadly, sitting down next to me. "I'm envious."
"Jealous?" I asked, my voice sharp. "Don't be. Being Force-sensitive is like being pregnant and sentient. Mood swings, losses, worldview – it's all tied to the Force, and the Force is tied to it. The Dark Side and the Light Side can directly influence our actions. And which side you lean towards depends on your character… And if darkness is understandable in its danger, it can only destroy and pervert, and if it creates anything, it's something most people find repulsive. Radical light won't bring anything good either… What would you prefer? To have the metaphysical Force influence your way of thinking, depending on what emotions, or lack thereof, you're accustomed to using, while being a warrior? Or to have complete control over your actions, thoughts, and deeds, regardless of everything?"
"There are debatable points to that," Hori replied. "But there are positive ones too. Besides, you Jedi are under the Senate's control…"
"I hear a biting sarcasm in your voice, Hori," I said.
"The Jedi were once Knights of justice… Now you're just Knights of the Senate," the man replied. "Think about it, Padawan. I'm telling you this because you, in yourself, seem like a decent sentient being."
"Because of my stupidity, people dear to me died…"
"Because of mine, a city was destroyed, along with my entire family," Hori said, his voice suddenly cold. "My little sister was as old as you are. She was beautiful, half the city chased after her. But she died… just as my mother died, my nephews, my uncle who replaced my father who died three years after I was born. They all died… All of them. But you know – does it really matter? To grieve over the dead. What did they tell you in your Order? The dead are dead, let them go and live on. Returning to the Jedi, I would advise you to leave this Order. You're a decent sentient being, but does this Order suit you? Young Padawans want to be like the Jedi of old, during their dawn. Think about it… If anything, our group will be open to you…"
Yes, open? And what awaits me? A company of four mercenaries running around the fringes of the galaxy? If I'm going to leave the Order, it should be for something greater than the Jedi themselves. And for now, I haven't even decided on a goal… Just then, all the survivors, except for the wounded, approached us. I ordered BB to allow only Vanda to provide assistance. The rest had to either accept their fate… or rely on luck.
"How will we divide it?" asked the bald man in torn clothes.
"Isn't it obvious?" Jacob asked, approaching us. "Seventy percent of this carcass belongs to our group. This," he nodded towards my starship, "is the ship of one of our team members. And he actually delivered the fatal blow."
With the insides fried…
"Aren't you a bit too…" one of the bandits started, but immediately received a blaster shot to the forehead. A second later, Hori holstered his blaster.
A disgruntled murmur was heard…
"Not too much," Hori replied. "However, we have a Jedi on our side, as well as three Mandalorians. Don't tempt fate…"
Something was heard from the Tusken in their language.
"He doesn't know 'what a Jedi is'?" Hori said, then replied to him. "I told him that a Jedi is someone who can shred his entire tribe single-handedly… They agree to our terms."
"I need…"
"I remember," Jacob waved his hand, "the pearl and the hide. Let me think about how best to butcher the carcass of an animal whose hide withstood a Lightsaber strike."
"Explode it?" Bombur asked.
"I'll explode you," Jacob shook his head, "if I hear the word 'explode' one more time today."
"Why the questions?" Hori asked. "There's special vibro-equipment that works on a specific frequency. Besides, its belly is much less protected. Moments before it fell, I saw the gash left by the Lightsaber. And it was indeed a wound."
"Excellent," one of the mercenaries said. "Now we just need to figure out how to flip it over…"
"Weight is a convention," I said calmly. "There is no weight. Weight is only in my head." The world seemed to shrink, blur. Those around me froze. Only I and the Krayt Dragon remained… And the Force. Something strange was felt inside its carcass. It resonated with me, as if echoing me.
"Is he alright?" someone asked.
"Don't interfere," Jacob's voice interrupted him.
I stared at the dragon's carcass.
"Weight is a convention. There is no weight, only the Force."
The dragon's carcass slowly began to lift off the sands of Tatooine. Come on… Carefully flipping it onto its back, I immediately tried to lower it just as slowly. Slowly, so as not to kick up sand…
"Ha!" I sighed heavily. "This is getting really… bad."
"A useful ability," Jacob's voice was heard. "It seems we just got an answer to the question: how to flip it over… Shall we start butchering?"