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* Jedi Temple, three months later *
Discontent in the council grew as Chancellor Valorum deviated from his previous political line. Of course, everyone realised that all the moves were for the good of the Republic, but lately the Chancellor had increasingly resorted to the Jedi. Incorruptible, willing to work under the harshest conditions, they were the perfect executors, if it weren't for one thing. The Jedi Order had never been in the Chancellor's service.
Once again, the twelve masters gathered in the meeting room, ready to kill some more time in discussion. To the secret pleasure of all, events in the political arena of Coruscant had recently been more active than before. However, no visible change had yet been achieved. Politics was one of those topics that could be talked about endlessly, so the meetings had become more lively. However, it had been a long time since the council had reached a consensus - some, like Evan Pielle, liked the chancellor's determination and were not shy about expressing it. Unsurprisingly, he was besmirched more than once by Master Windu:
- But you have missed the main point. The Chancellor, though he was able to retain his power, had further weakened his position - after the Republic failed to deal with a handful of merchants, the authority of the Senate was undermined. In addition, once the reporters got wind of the failure to capture Nuta Gunray... and all it cost was a lot of money and a loss of prestige - Windu was sticking to his point and wouldn't give up his position one bit.
- Perhaps, but what choice did he have? This Sith who had sneaked into the senate had been plotting the overthrow for a long time. If he'd been more careful, he'd be Chancellor by now.
- It's no excuse for the Chancellor to take up a cause he can't finish. He's only embarrassed his Justice Corps - I'm ashamed to say it, but there have been cases of armed traders on Neimodia forcing Justice Corps ships to retreat. It's incomprehensible," said Windu.
- Exactly, my colleague. Exactly! - Evan exclaimed. - That's why he planned this whole thing. The Justice Corps, it was clear as day, could not defend the interests of the Republic even against a group of armed bandits.
- It's a valuable defeat," added Master Yoda, who had been watching the masters argue with pleasure and usually in silence for months.
- That's what I'm telling you," Evan genuinely didn't understand why his interlocutors didn't get the point.
- The Republic has lost a lot, and it's not certain that the Chancellor has the power to get it back," Ki-Adi-Mundi said, turning his gaze to Windu.
- That is what I am telling you. The Chancellor has started a new crisis. And who knows how it will end. Besides, this is the most embarrassing thing the republic has seen in a long time. A handful of traders taking over an entire planet. And mind you, there's no war going on right now," Windu said firmly.
- But we've dealt with that, haven't we? The Trade Federation was used by the Sith for his purposes...
- Yes, but the general public doesn't know that. The Federation has been at odds with the Senate for years, and it ended in mutual slaps. To the average person, there's nothing illogical about it. The Senate raising customs duties, the Federation invading Naboo, the Federation responding with a final argument of administrative sanctions... The law against private armies has never been repealed, and the evidence is clear," said Yarael Poof.
- Tell me straight, they wanted to destroy them..." said Windu with a wince.
Plo Koon entered the conversation:
- I wouldn't be so categorical. The Federation was only destroyed as a single organisation. But the companies that used to be part of the Federation are still in operation. Except for the change of management and the loss of a representative in the Senate. But that's not a matter of principle.
- Yes, it is. Besides, the blockade of Neimodia saw countless cargo ships slip away, simply stolen by their pilots," said Master Poof indignantly.
- And that's another question for the Chancellor," Windu added.
- This will all end with the Senators getting bogged down in debate, corruption, and spoils sharing. If they decide to expand their Apparatus even further, it will inevitably lead to gerrymandering. In the end, the average citizen of the galaxy will hardly notice the changes," Plo Koon added, looking around at the crowd.
- But the Sith is no longer in the Senate, nor should he be," Yoda said, opening his eyes for a second. The other masters had forgotten about him, and some thought the oldest had dozed off.
- And that's what matters to us. But the Chancellor is increasingly seeking the Order's help," Windu grumbled unhappily.
- The Order might refuse the Chancellor," Poof said.
- Absolutely not! - Evan said indignantly. - Who can the Chancellor rely on but us? If we refuse him, we will only aggravate Finis Valorum's already precarious position! And what happens if he's defeated?
- With Sith missing in action, maybe a new chancellor will be chosen. Younger and more energetic.
- And then everything would go back to normal. The projects will be closed, and the Senate will be bogged down in discussion again," Evan countered, "finally someone decisive, but the swamp of greedy and corrupt senators who don't care about the people is dragging them down and preventing them from doing anything.
- Senators are always willing to forget about the common good, defending mostly the interests of their sponsors. Or, as Sith put it: "The Senate is full of greedy, bickering delegates. They don't care about the public good," Poof quoted Senator Palpatine's words, "Finis has weight in the Senate because of the events that have taken place. But only in the Senate. And he's going to have to work hard to gain the trust of enough senators.
- Please, Master Poof, the senate has been over this more than once or twice. Not even ten or a hundred times, there are two and a half thousand senators, a microcosm under the dome of the senate building. Even if someone can bribe or sway ten, fifty, one hundred, two hundred senators to his side - no one can establish relations with the majority. It's a mob, and any herd needs a shepherd. Otherwise there's trouble," Evan said hotly. Master Piell was an energetic man, so no one was surprised that he supported the chancellor. But vigour alone was not enough to make a big deal of it, everyone realised, including Evan Piell.
- Are you sure the chancellor is up to the job? Since the Ruusan Reform, the Senate has been mired in lies and corruption, corrupt senators who have weakened the Republic from within. And how do you think they will feel about Valorum, who seems to have opened his eyes and stopped being a courtroom ornament, and will surely attempt to strip them of the ephemeral power they have? - Windu's whole appearance radiated scepticism.
- Don't be too hasty, Master Windu. The Chancellor may be aggressive at first sight, but he is first and foremost a politician. Many of the failures of recent years have been engineered by Sith, don't forget that, and don't underestimate the Chancellor. Valorum had the support of nearly three hundred senators who liked his decisiveness.
- All right, Hutt's with them, what's the word from the Senate floor?
- You mean the vote to approve the new programme? - Poof clarified.
- Exactly, Master.
- Just a moment, - Poof stood up and walked towards the direction where the communication terminal was. There he fiddled around for a while and in a minute came back, carrying several datapads. He handed them to the most active disputants - Wind, Evan, and Plo Koon. A moment later, Master Piell exclaimed triumphantly:
- I told you so, didn't I?
- What are you so happy about, Master Pielle?
- The Chancellor is increasing his power! That's what Valorum should be doing. Oh, what a good boy.
- That's a bit of a mouthful, isn't it? The Chancellor just made a few speeches and pushed through a development plan for the Justice Corps.
- "Development plan." Ha, have you seen this plan? It's not the senate anymore, so there's still hope for them. The plan includes replacing old ships, personnel changes, nearly doubling the size of the corps, and quality training for new recruits.
- I just hope it doesn't end up like it always does, Master Evan.
- Maybe it will. But it's a start. After the disgrace that the entire senate had received on Neimodia, they had no other choice but to raise a small army. - Evan wouldn't give up.
- Well, it was expected and even logical. "The Neimodian Shame" went down in the annals of history as the peak of the Republic's powerlessness. The Senate had to react, or someone would still get their vote....
*Planet Belkadan, Dalombian Sector, Ruv-Si-Vosk'eda Spaceport.
Remember when Luke Skywalker said Tatooine was at the very back... outskirts of the galaxy? That was flirtatious. The planet Belkadan is really at the very back of the galaxy. If you looked at the galaxy from the outside, it would seem that it was kept from going into galactic space by some miracle - at the edge of the spiral arm, the last planet, then a couple of dwarf stars and that was it, finita, no more galaxy. The Dalombian sector was, to put it mildly, a "Vasyuki village" by the standards of the galaxy. But that's what the planet is known for - on the galaxy projection it stands out from the rest of the mass because it's "extreme north", that is, it's located at the very top.
- Ani, go and see what's wrong with that bloody hyperdrive! - Julian was getting annoyed.
We landed at the Ruv-Si-Vosk'eda spaceport, which translated from the local... meant something. I have no desire to translate, and Sitripio isn't here with me, and the pilots have nicknamed this port Ruvie.
I obediently went to the hyperdrive. Without my skilled and, let's face it, cheating assistance, the hyperdrive wouldn't have survived a month. The smaller the class, the more stressed the metals are. And the hyperdrive was built on metals and fields - inside are conductors for gamma radiation. Then there are several kilometres of twisted wire made of complex alloys, conducting energy from the fusion reactor and forming a special field that causes fluctuations in space and time. It was on these fields, similar to the magnetic fields around a live wire, that the hyperdrive worked. There was also a quantum field generator, but this field served as a kind of barrier, preventing the ship from being thrown back into normal space.
I unscrewed the screws on the cover of the hyperdrive by force and pulled the multi-tonne machine out of the slot. Yes, this thing was monstrously heavy - kilometres of wire, hull-shield, power delivery system and all... Inside again I could feel the problems in the conductor metal. The wire was receiving monstrous voltage from the fusion reactor during the jump, so its composition was rapidly deteriorating - in terms of power it looked like changes in the currents flowing inside the wire, but the metals themselves were changing - from the inevitable heating and from the currents of such power. I had to straighten and clean it - in half an hour the hyperdrive was not exactly new, but rejuvenated. The alloy structure was restored, the distortions were corrected, and the multi-tonne behemoth, as tall as me, floated back into the slot.
- Hey, Ju, it's ready. Ju?
- Yeah, right away. Let's go to the customer," Julian got up from his seat and walked out of the control room.
He'd matured a bit lately, stopped smiling when he could, and looked more like a serious man. A little more.
The planet was a smuggler's paradise - the Republic's authority here was very tentative, and its location "out in the middle of nowhere", away from hyperspace routes, made it ideal. The cops didn't come here, or unless they were in a hurry. Then, yeah, they might drop in for a visit. The Justice Corps had received a shipment of heavily modified Marauders, semi-military corvettes with good sensors that were hard to hide from. A hundred and fifty ships on the scale of the galaxy was a drop in the ocean, but they had already become a smuggler's tale, so people in our profession felt uncomfortable.
Lately, I've grown less and less fond of being a smuggler. After handing over the goods to the customer and returning to our Barloz, I locked myself in my quarters and, taking a datapad in my hands, I searched for the information that was on my mind at the moment. What kind of education do you think Darth Vader had? А? I'll tell you a secret. None. Actually, in the Jedi Temple, primary training in all school disciplines goes from the age of four to thirteen, and then - to the padawans. To learn, to swing a saber, to do good. Of course, some people continue to increase their erudition, but not by much. Strange, but I have not seen any education system in the galaxy, neither in the films, nor, so to speak, on the ground. Luke Skywalker was a Tatooine farmer's son, and ended up easily becoming a pilot, I - similarly learnt nothing. In fact, it seems that the mental education of the young was, to put it mildly, underdeveloped. I had heard of academies, and other universities and schools, but for some reason the Forsusers, who were convinced that force would justify everything, were in no hurry to develop.
It had been only three and a half months since I'd gone smuggling, and my lack of systematic education was already taking its toll - my lack of understanding of events was stressing me out more than anything else. The news from Coruscant was more interesting than anything else - whatever about Sidious - the Chancellor wasn't frightened by some petty sectarian, but by the fact that he was in a real mood for a vote of no confidence. I understood that, as well as the fact that the state now reminded me of Russia of the 2000s - that the army was fucked up, the State Duma was steeped in corruption, and "on the ground" there was a hell of a lot going on, I understood that. And took measures, but, as always, everything, in my opinion, will end with the Corps of Justice being renamed somehow to portray a storm of activity, saying a lot of loud words about how to organise the galaxy, opening some "Skolkovo", and preventively stealing everything that lies badly. However, maybe we will manage to change something, but not much - it takes decades of hard work to turn from the ruinous path. Or revolution, which we in the so-called "canon" arranged by the unforgettable Sith. But the former is more preferable - Sith fell into the "Trotsky's trap" - thirsting for power, while not providing more adequate political programme than "as I want, so it will be" or "let's overpower everyone, and then we'll think how to arrange the galaxy". At least, I don't remember anything like a political idea or programme or course in the films. However, the amount of bureaucracy and corruption hardly decreased with the arrival of the galactic empire - the smuggler Han OWLs was still successfully smuggling contraband, Jabba the Hutt didn't think about dying, and he wouldn't complain about life, if it weren't for one lady in an armoured bra....
Julian and I had already made a decent fortune for smugglers - thanks to my giftedness we managed to avoid dodgy deals and save on repairs, and the high class hyperdrive and unassuming look of the whole ship did its job - we were hired by the same clients more than once. After a few well-executed smuggling assignments, we'd made a good name for ourselves, so a month ago we were contacted by criminal organisations. Of course, they didn't take me seriously, but Julian had made a good name for himself. I was more than happy with that. As a gift to myself, I found a suitable crystal for my lightsaber-not cheap, but acceptable, especially since the legal channels for selling such crystals were probably monitored by the Jedi.
But assembling the new sword was left for later - there was no time now, and besides work I had enough worries. And one of them I was going to solve right now, searching the holonet for information on educational institutions. As Grandpa Lenin said... yes, you understand - Padme at fourteen had already graduated from some educational institution and managed to become a queen, and I'm not even scratching my head at ten... or rather almost eleven - there is a reason to think about it. Though, by the way, there was a little bit of competition besides jealousy - it was unpleasant, you know, for a man from the lowest ranks to yield to a girl of noble blood - there was already a gap between us, there was no need to increase it. Though I had hinted to her about all sorts of things, but to yield... never!
And that meant one thing - it was time to finally find a school. Unlike the usual "me-from-the-film" behaviour, I was even a little afraid of being left in the dark and had an unpleasant feeling when some well-known information was news to me - there was still a feeling that I hadn't squeezed the slave out of me.
The holonet offered the widest range of choices, just like the internet. "For your money, any whim," I read between the lines about all sorts of gadgets in training at the next academy.
As far as I understood, the point was that the further away from the central worlds, the less prestigious the education. The only exceptions were the academies on planets inhabited by insectoid insectoid races. For the most part, they were more technically advanced - insectoid ships were valued much higher, as they were superior in quality and technical characteristics. Droids too, computers, and all other machinery. The Droidekas were the creation of the insectoid race - unlike ordinary droids, they could not only move quickly by riding, but they also had a deflector, which was unthinkable for a droid with such a small size. Their low prevalence in the galaxy can only be explained by the exorbitant price of their equipment, which caused it to be labelled a "toy for the rich".
The first place by cost and prestige of education was shared by five academies, founded at the beginning of the Republic era and existing for more than a dozen millennia - the Higher Technical Academy of the Republic, located on Coruscant, the Law Academy of the Republic, the Financial and Legal Academy of the Moonlist, the Academy of Shipbuilding on the planet Rendili and the Alderaan Royal Academy. Specialisation, as it is easy to understand from the names either in technology or politics - these two areas promise the greatest profits and are the most demanding on the qualifications of the employee. The requirements were interesting - the age of the candidate did not play any role - at admission the intellectual capabilities of the applicant were evaluated, and after that the verdict was made - whether he should be a student or not.
As far as I understood from the explanations, all doors in the republic were open for a graduate of one of these universities. They are lying, of course, neophytes will not be allowed in just like that. However, I'm not after a warm place - there are more interesting things to do.
It's logical that being left to myself I don't get any pleasure from dragging around the galaxy as a smuggler - anyway it's better to move forward, not to hang on one step of the social ladder - to turn from a silent statistician watching the development of events around into an active participant, you should not sit in place and wait for a chance to change something, but work and work. Then, as one person said, the profits will come.
The last university was chosen as the forthcoming one - it was both prestigious and a quality place of education, and they accepted everyone who could pay and was suitable in terms of intelligence. I did not consider myself a fool, of course. Standing up and tossing the datapad back on the bed, I walked out of the cabin and headed for Julian. Ju was in the control room, so I sat down in my seat and stared at him silently until he got tired of it.
- What do you want, Ani?
- Well, Ju, here's the thing. I'm leaving.
- What? You're leaving how? Where? Julian was genuinely surprised.
- I mean, I'm going out of business. It's time for me to stop smuggling and repairing things, and it's been dangerous lately - the law officers have gone completely mad....
- Wait, are you serious?
- I'm dead serious. Besides, I've got something equally important to do.
Ju sighed heavily at this and, with the look of a man tired of everything, said:
- I guessed it would be like this sooner or later....
- Why would that be?
- You don't look like a homeless boy, I'm sorry, you're not cut out for this job. Where else am I going to find such a flight mechanic?
- You'll find one, I'm not the only one. - I tried to cheer up my friend as much as I could.
- I understand, but it'll be harder without you.
- Just don't get into anything, and it'll get easier. I've modernised your ship so much, I can make a lot of money from it.
- I see. The sensors alone are worth it. Well, if you don't change your mind.
- No, Ju. I won't.
- All right. - Julian bit his lip nervously, and I took advantage of his hesitation to ask:
- "Then, if it's not too much trouble, could you take me to Alderaan?
- What are you doing there?
- There's an academy there. I want to study.
- Study? Yeah..." Julian seemed surprised that I was willing to study, rather than drive all over the galaxy.
Julian was taking me to Alderaan, and considering that our home was here on the ship, there was no packing - we'd be leaving in two hours, just groceries to pick up. But Ju took care of that - I'm not a culinary expert.
After entering hyperspace, all we have to do is wait. It's a good time for meditation - the journey to Alderaan will take at least three days - after all, in the very backwoods of the galaxy I had to quit the smuggler's trade.
It's a good time for meditation and leisurely study of the material. Just in time to prepare myself for admission. If I'm lucky, of course.
Erdva came into my cabin as usual, but when he saw that I was meditating, he went on without saying anything. He knows I'm not likely to answer him in my condition. In the time we've been working together, I've gotten to know Julian, Erdva, and our old Barloz, along with the new hyperdrives.
To study on Alderaan, you need money and a head on your shoulders. Both are available, and more... dormitory is provided, there is even a possibility of employment in the state apparatus of the Republic, if I can study diligently. Meditation is a wonderful state for thinking and, of course, for manipulating power. Once, a year ago, on Tatooine, only in meditation I could manipulate metals with the help of force on the same level, which I don't even notice now - hands in pockets, tired look after a long flight, if I wanted - I lifted a multi-ton hyperdrive, concentrated - there it is in the palm of my hand - it's a simple matter to fix it. I'm growing, though. The flight mechanic has enough work, so I didn't complain about the lack of practice - to work with wiring, to clean and resolder something here and there - and so on day after day.
After I got used to it, I noticed that all this happened without the crutches I had used before - without visualisation or vision of force - I could feel the force when I needed it and without any unnecessary, transitional forms. The will was its main guide - or rather the force fulfilled my will, if it was expressed correctly - with the help of appealing to the force. More precisely - the will was directed not at the object or subject of manipulation, but at the force itself, with a given desired action. As a result, everything I wanted from the force happened. You wanted the hyperdrive to go up in the air? Please, it did. Concentrate on its contents? There, voila, it's all there. I don't know if it's all Jedi or me. I guess all of them. Yoda once said that the difference between a rock and a starship is only in perception - no difference in power. Really, on its scale, a stone or a starship is a grain of sand in the sea. Just to wish that the starship would rise into the air with the help of force is not enough - one should believe oneself, feel that there is no difference, then only one can achieve success.
The method has been tried, and after several experiments it was found to be correct.
* Naboo, Tid.
The work of the staff of the royal palace of Naboo did not stop at night - even before dawn the cooks were working, so that the queen and the officials would have a fresh hot breakfast on the table after waking up, the technicians in the hangars did not sleep - in case in the morning it would be necessary to take some of the officials to the neighbouring city. The halls and corridors of the huge building were cleaned at night by droids and servants, while the palace guards kept their usual round-the-clock vigil to make sure nothing unforeseen happened.
Padme Amidala, Queen of Naboo, woke up.
She had had to sit with the make-up artists since morning while they worked on her face - ceremonial make-up was to be worn at all times. After enduring the hated procedure, the young queen went out for breakfast accompanied by her guards. She was beginning to wonder what had happened to Anakin, but there was no one to ask such questions - no one but Anakin knew where he was or when, if ever, he would send word.
There was so much to do lately that there was no time to think about other things, and if it hadn't been for Shmi, Padme would have forgotten about the boy. But no, Shmi had had a few heart-to-heart talks with Ronar Kim, a Jedi sent by the council.
Padme hadn't told anyone, but she was very pleased that he was the one sent - Ronar was the son of a senator from Naboo, Vidar Kim, who had been deposed by Palpatine. What was remarkable to the Queen was that Ronar's father had been killed by an assassin, and Vidar Kim's successor was Palpatine, who was known to be a fan of using political assassinations for his own ends. Strange as it may seem, Ronar was a friend of the Naberri family and had never sought to unquestioningly fulfil the Jedi's duty to inform the council of everything they could and everything they could not. Padme had come to appreciate Master Yoda's cleverness - the old schemer had managed to find a Jedi who would suit both the council and the Nabuans, and who would not look like a black sheep under the queen among the Nabuan nobility. Also, Amidala had no doubt that Yoda had guessed that Ronar was, to put it mildly, in no mood to do anything for the council other than the direct order to "protect the queen". Ronar took the fact that the boy was hiding from the Order with a truly Jedi mindset, even praising his resourcefulness - not everyone would want to sacrifice their freedom to the Order, especially since Anakin's midichlorian levels made it difficult to escape the prospect of graduating and leaving the Order.
After a few heart-to-heart talks, Ronar convinced Shmi that the boy had done what he wanted to do and his actions were justified. With difficulty, but Shmi agreed that Anakin had reasons for doing so.
During her time in the palace, Shmi had managed to get along surprisingly well with Padme, making her always there for her. She stood out from her doppelgänger servants, but no one had ever thought of reassigning her to another position - she and the queen had become friends in her short time at the palace, strange as it was.
When Padme came to Shmi's room in the evening, without make-up, she found her fiercely rummaging through her things. Dresses, skirts, trousers, other clothes were strewn on the bed.
- Padme? - Shmi noticed the queen entering and turned to her, holding a traditional Nabuan style suit.
- 'Shmi, what's the mess? - The girl wondered.
- Ah, this...do you think this will fit? - Shmi held the blouse up against her, pinning it at the waist. Padme looked at her doubtfully, but Shmi, understanding in her own way, discarded this one and picked up the next one, also laying it on, -And this one?
- This one's fine.
- "Normal?" - Shmi Skywalker frowned and reached in further.
- Shmi! What's with the holiday? Why are you dressed up?
- Oh, Ed finally asked me out. It took me a week of hinting before he decided to--
- "Ed?" Isn't he the one who's always tinkering with ships?
- That's the one from Tida Machine Works. - Shmi nodded.
- 'Yeah...
- What?
- Oh, no, nothing. It's just... it's weird that he took so long. I'm tired of watching you making eyes at him, and he's just looking at you in love and not seeing anything....
- What can you do, men can be surprisingly blind..." Shmi smiled, twirling in front of the mirror.
Padme sat down on the bed, moving her clothes and looked at her maid of honour, who was now far away from her daily routine.
- Well, how much do I look?
- Shmi... how old are you?
- Thirty-one. Why?
- Well, you look about twenty-eight. No more. You're in the middle of your youth. - Naberri smiled. Shmi looked questioningly at Padme - she had a slightly worse opinion of herself. Skywalker did look young, considering that on Naboo she had taken care of her appearance, and Naboo's temperate climate had done its job. Her skin was smooth, her eyes cheerful, her figure "the one."
- Don't exaggerate. I mean, don't understate it. Thirty is well deserved.
- No, I don't think so. Come on, you look great in that! - Naberri said with a smile, and Shmi grabbed her clothes and started to change. Like a well-mannered girl Padme immediately turned away. It didn't take long for Skywalker to get there. In a minute she was wearing trousers and a blouse with traditional Nabooan patterns.
- Where did he invite you to, anyway? - Padme asked, looking Skywalker over.
- To the theatre. You have a cultured people here, I'll give you that..." Shmi smiled, looking at herself in the mirror.
- Yes, they are. - Padme agreed, and left Shmi's room first, wishing her good luck at the meeting. Judging by the time - it was evening - Padme thought it best not to look for Shmi until tomorrow night. She warned the chief among her servants, who pretended to be herself, while "Padme's maid" went to see Shmi Skywalker....