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***
* 18:00 *
The evening began with Toshi pulling me away from a very important task - taking apart a heavy blaster into its components. It was a shame, but it couldn't be helped. When she found me lost among the tall racks of boxes of weapons and charges, she was horrified:
- Hennia, you... you're not ready?
- What makes you think that? - I put aside the detail. - What, is it time already?
Toshi was even more beautiful - she owed that to a small chain of a red metal unknown to me, emphasising the colour of her scarlet lips. lips pressed together in displeasure.
- You, dammit... - Tosi switched to the Togrutian language out of emotion. - When are you going to be a little more responsible? By the way, you don't just get called into the boss's office!
- I understand, I understand... - I smiled as peacefully as possible. - It makes no difference to me. Really, I don't care. I just want to get to work as soon as possible. So you can make me a messiah, I don't care.
- Toshi's eyes widened in surprise, "It's too early for you to become a messiah, but you can complete your training. You have the skills of strength, you've been trained to swing a sword, so we'll see....
- All right, all right... what's wrong?
- What? - The Togruta was surprised. - You're still asking me that? You should be clean, dressed, shoes... - I looked at my clothes. Except for a couple of small oil stains, there was nothing on them. I admit, I'm not much of a fashionista.
- I'm dressed, clothed, and almost clean, and I'm ready to go to Korriban to see the Sith! - I declared. - Much less Master Lex. Shall we?
- Hurry up," Toshi said, her lips tightening again and stopping raising her voice, then she changed her anger into mercy, and giggled thinly: "It suits you. It's not too pompous.
I don't understand these women! She just told me off for not wearing a dress uniform, and then she compliments me on it. Women are a mystery!
We arrived at the office of the Master of the Jedi Order just in time. Toshi walked briskly, so that I had to keep up. The teacher was getting more and more "nauseous" during the trek, but I was calm, collected, friendly, and all the way I was thinking about how to increase the rate of fire of my single-barreled infantry blaster. While we were each thinking about our own things, we got there. Tosi knocked on the door, though it was unnecessary - the Master had definitely sensed us coming. The door opened and we were greeted by a businesslike, collected Master, who was holding some white sheets of data in his hands. The holoprojector screen was burning next to him, and he pretended to be distracted from studying the document, though I didn't scan his emotions, maybe he was really reading it.
- There you are at last," the Master said, relieved, "I think it's pointless to ask how you're doing, so let's get down to business. Anakin," the Master said my real name, which I was starting to get used to. Toshi raised her head in surprise, and the Master continued: - You came to the Order already having quite a lot of practice for a youngling. The only thing that prevented me from enrolling you in the Order was your lack of combat skills, now, as I see it, you are at the level of an average knight. Close to a master in some respects, but not all. In any case, your training is over, and from tomorrow you will be a Jedi Knight.
Toshi glared and it was at that moment that the Master switched to her:
- Knight Toshi Dan, according to the Order's statutes, since your skills are high enough, you have completed your padawan training, you have not violated the Order's rules and have served as a knight for twenty years, I present you to the next rank, - the Master said in a military manner. - As of tomorrow, you will be a Jedi Master. Anakin will not attend the ceremony, because he should not shine in the Order and he will leave us sooner or later, but your initiation ceremony will be tomorrow at ten in the morning. Don't be late and... don't wear make-up," the Master looked at the embarrassed Toshi. - I hope you will serve the Order well. There is no question of becoming a member of one of the Order's councils, but don't worry, if you can prove yourself, it will happen sooner or later. But do not strive for it, other masters will not appreciate excessive zeal, and even more hasty decisions ... - said the master with a sigh.
- Yes! - Toshi straightened her back. I was indifferently going through the components of the blaster in my mind. I had to give up the neuranium coating, as it will greatly reduce the life of the barrel, durastal is also useless, Beskar will be poorly cooled - the material is too poor in heat transfer. So I'll have to experiment if I ever get round to it. But Erdva's been asking for hull armouring for a while now, so I'll do it... someday.
Toshi was fountaining with emotion, but she was holding it back. I can certainly understand what's in her heart, I've been talking to her and no one else for a year. The Master looked at the teacher, then at me, scratched his earlobe, wondering why we had taken the promotion so differently, and decided not to burden himself with unnecessary worries, just sending her away.
As soon as the door closed behind us, the teacher pounced on me for the second time that day and huddled close, letting out a cry of joy in the style of "hurrah" but in Togrutian. I didn't disturb the teacher, especially since I didn't mind the fact that a pretty woman, who had a lifelong dream come true, was clinging to me. Only a master is higher than a master, but she'd better not swing there, at least not yet. When she noticed that we were standing outside Lex's office, hugging, she immediately pulled away from me, glancing back at the door, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
- I'm sorry.
- It's okay, I understand... - I smiled, - do you want another hug, but in a more intimate setting?
She flushed even more at my suggestion, which betrayed her level of embarrassment. A Jedi who practised a style like Juyo could not be an emotionless monk, so Toshi often showed a variety of emotions.
- I'd prefer not to break the rules of the order....
- This is no longer a violation. In case you haven't noticed, you're no longer my teacher," I switched to the first name, which was accepted without the slightest problem, since we were quite close.
- Well, then I'll think about it..." Toshi shot her eyes at me, which confused me. And after that I finally realised to do the first very important thing of the day:
- Shall we go out for a drink? I'll make a reservation at the restaurant...
- Oh, I have a date? In that case, why not celebrate. But no alcohol... well, maybe a little..." Toshi was embarrassed. I didn't like alcoholic drinks either, so I decided that it was time to do business.
And my business was very important: money.
You could say that I wanted to fluff up my tail in front of the girl, but it's nature's way - a man needs to show off. I had to do something about it and I thought about it, really thought about it. How do you find money right here? I wondered. I couldn't sell the information, so that left me with some work for the Order. The Jedi were not poor, and thanks to an ability that allowed them to intuitively and forcefully assess stock market trends and warned the Order's financiers against dodgy deals, the Order was virtually unlimited in funds. Only the Jedi were restricted, because an overly luxurious life can spoil any rational being who degrades himself by having everything he desires. And wants more and more. If he was to look for money, it would have to be from Lex, because only the banking clans had more money than the Jedi, but they were far away and didn't share it, and Lex was ten metres away, in his office. I furtively checked to see if anyone was watching us, and without even a shadow of attention, I stood up and gave the Togruta a quick peck on the lips, then said, "I'm glad you agreed:
- I'm glad you agreed. I'll pick you up at eight o'clock tonight.
- Good... - Toshi blushed a little, then smiled and said some mean swear word and left. Apparently, she realised that I didn't need her company yet. It was two hours to X hour. Now, the question is, where will I get the money to go to Coruscant? Coruscant is the most expensive planet in the galaxy and, according to my calculations, the evening could take up to fifty thousand credits, if not more! All the more reason we needed a place where we wouldn't be seen by completely unnecessary eyes.
I turned around and headed back to Magister Lex. I had an item that could help the Order while making life much easier for the Jedi - a sword that none of the existing sensors could see. Nor will it, until my time. You can't spread the word about the presence of such swords, they will search everyone with special care, but as a sabotage weapon - it is indispensable.
The door slid open as I approached. I switched off Jedi mode and switched on Merchant mode. The Master was still sitting at his desk, doing something on his terminal. He didn't look up at me right away.
- Did you want something?
- Yes, Master. Actually, to get to the point. I can provide services to the Order in the creation of some... items.
- Yes, yes... - the magister absent-mindedly rubbed his earlobe, then looked at me interestedly, - do you have any suggestions?
- Sure. Yes, - I took my sword from my belt and handed it to the magister, - for example, I can create such swords. For the safety of technology - a limited edition.
- Really? And how does your sword differ from the usual one, except for unreadability? - raised an eyebrow Magister. This is my finest hour!
- Undetectable by any sensors, not visible in the force, equipped with two crystals - training and combat, audio sensor, video sensor, removable listening devices, also undetectable by any means of search. A gyroscopic position sensor and a memory card that records all sword movements during combat so that mistakes can be analysed later, a voice communication device, and an emergency signal system. This is not counting the logs that record the time of activation and deactivation of the sword, in case it is necessary to restore the course of events in... in case of committing a crime using the sword....
The Magister listened, and his jaw, still on the removable listening devices began to creep downwards. Towards the end, I concluded:
- I can't guarantee the same on your materials, but I think I can make a sword invisible for sensors and sensorics of the enemy, with microphones and removable listening devices. At most, I can integrate a comlink into it.
- Wow... - Master shook his head. - How? How can it all fit in a sword? And why?
- I'll start with the last one. A sword is not only a device for chopping off the enemy's head, but also a tool to be carried with you all the time, that's why it should contain what a decent person who is engaged in a dangerous profession, especially connected with politics, should always carry with him - microphones to collect information, a wiretap for the same purposes, a comlink for communication and a means to send a distress signal. All this can be put into one device, combined with a sword. This becomes especially valuable due to the fact that a Jedi can carry the sword anywhere, and the sword will be protected from scanning by a shielding layer of neuranium. I've been through a few scans before when I flew to the KMC, all successfully. Although their security systems were barely better than the Senate's, it's still a machine-building corporation, not a vomitorium on Tatooine....
- I see, I see," Lex said. - So you're saying the sword is undetectable by sensors?
- That's right. It's undetectable.
- Come back to me with that question tomorrow.
- I'm sorry, but can we talk about my work now? - I asked, feeling that I should strike while the iron is hot.
- Of course you can," Lex sighed. - What exactly do you need?
- I'll order the parts for the swords, the crystals are custom-made, but I think you know what kind of crystals your colleagues use....
- Yes, I do. Anything else?
- Yes. I need money," I said defiantly. - I'm a Jedi, of course, and I wouldn't take money to help the Order... if I needed it," I said. - But I see no reason why I shouldn't sell a dozen swords to the Order.
- A dozen? - The Magister was surprised, - did you say a dozen?
- I could, of course, make several thousand, but that would make hand searches more popular. Even I can't make a sword intangible, and not all races have natural ways to hide weapons on or in their bodies... - I smiled.
- Ahem... - the magister once again became so embarrassed that I even felt it. I'm definitely saying something wrong!
- I meant that making a sword is usually a time-consuming process..." Lex hesitated.
- Not for me," I revealed one of my trump cards, "I can create a sword in a minute. And that's if you take your time.
Judging by his emotions, the magister swore, but he said aloud:
- I'll keep it in mind. So, what and most importantly how much do you want for the series? And what parameters? And how long will the work take?
I thought, calculating the details of the operation to create artefacts.
- The work will take from one to three days, parameters, type, size of the blade, depend on personal preferences and materials provided to me. I'll need some not too expensive components, which I'll order from the technicians.
- Can you make one just like it? - Lex nodded at my sword.
- Not exactly like it, no, some of the components are too tiny. But I can create similar ones with reduced capabilities. At least I can guarantee their invisibility, because I have enough neuranium and other metals with me. - I said, after a moment's thought, "You can name your own price. I don't believe you would abuse my trust, especially since I can offer exclusive items of my own making to the market to make money, so..." I hinted thickly that if he was cheap, I would sell my crafts to someone else. And he wouldn't be a Jedi Master, either.
- Okay," Lex thought, "I'll give you the materials. I'll give you the money. Should I give it to you now or after I hand over my swords?
- Better now," I was glad, "I invited Tosi to take a little rest for the evening....
- It's almost seven o'clock... - the magister raised an eyebrow. - Anyway, it's your business. Don't mind my senile lectures," he smirked at his thoughts.
On the one hand, I had already presented my swords, and even put my sword on the magister's table, but on the other hand, I had not set a price. So in the Master's mind there was bargaining - on the one hand unwillingness to pay more than the required price, on the other hand fear of being cheap. I didn't interfere with the Master's thinking about the situation. For about a minute there was a tense silence between us, after which he finally decided something and took one of the credit cards out of the table, inserted it into the terminal together with another credit card from another drawer of the table and transferred money to the empty card, as far as I understood.
- Right there, a hundred times what the regular five swords cost, an advance for half the job. The other half after the swords are turned in. I hope you're happy with the amount of the deal," he said grudgingly.
I took the credit card from his hands and bowed.
- In that case, I'll get right to work. You can keep this sword as a guarantee of our deal. If anything goes wrong, you'll have a working model," I said, thinking. Lex looked up, but he was still thoughtful. The amount of the deal was not insignificant-the swords cost about a thousand credits, so it was a million-dollar deal. It wasn't much by the Order's standards, but it wasn't in the budget. The financiers would compensate, of course, but....
The deal went through and I left the office with the card in my pocket. Together with the money I had saved and earned on skins, it was a very decent sum. I stopped thinking about work, promising myself to come back to it tomorrow, and immediately rushed to my ship. Running inside, I clicked Erdva, who rode out to me.
- Erdva, urgently look in the holonet for a decent restaurant that would be a place to sit, have a cultural rest and most importantly - away from the Jedi temple. Preferably far away from the political and military centres of the planet, so that we do not meet the Jedi there....
- Will do, captain. There are several suitable options. Family restaurants, for example.
- No, no, no children! For tonight, that is, nights out, preferably decent. Don't worry about money.
- Near the temple, then. There are restaurants on the rest of the planet, of course, but the nearest galaxy-city centre with such establishments is a couple of thousand kilometres away," said the droid. - So it'll take you at least a couple of hours to get there.
- Oh, yeah, right..." I remembered the scale of the city. - What's available?
- A restaurant not far from the opera house, in a relatively cultured place.
Erdva showed the holoprojectors images of this restaurant. It was located on the upper floors of a particularly high-rise building.
- Is it possible to spend the night there? I don't feel like going back to the Order under the influence, and even with my teacher....
- There's a hotel nearby. It's also expensive, opera guests and artists often stay there...
- That'll do. Book a table at the restaurant, preferably somewhere in the corner, for nine o'clock, and a hotel room for tonight.
- A room? Rooms? Number of beds?
I wondered. Oh, I've been there:
- One, preferably more. It's time to grow up, Erdva.
- You say that as if I wasn't the one listening to your oohs and ahhs all night..." the droid said in a cheerful tone. - Okay, I've already booked it. I've transferred the money for the reservation. Anything else?
- No, we have our own transport. Oh, I need clothes! - I took a look at what I was wearing. I could wear work clothes with gun oil stains to the magistrate's reception, but not for a date.
- I can order clothes, but they'll take a while to arrive.
- Shit, I'm running out of time..." I glanced at the comlink clock. It was ten to seven...
And I had to make the fastest run to the shop in my history, because I had a powerful high-altitude speeder, and I flew it at full speed out of the hangar, going on Erdv's hints to the nearest place where I could dress decently. The temple was not far from the Senate building, so I didn't have to look long - in five minutes I was already there and ran inside. There are two saleswomen inside - a Twi'leek and a human.
- Did you want something? - they asked me in a daze as soon as I got close to them.
- Clothes. I have a date in an hour, quickly, no, instantly!
The girls immediately jumped up and started dressing me in decent clothes in the latest fashion. The fitting took another ten minutes before a loose black suit was found that looked like something indeterminately Japanese and a mixture of it and alien. It looked like two large ribbons of silky material, obviously natural, and bases of similar material, so sort of both informal and not informal enough. I had something like that during the Clone Wars, only much worse, with a leather black waistcoat and a balaclava-like base of a dirty brown colour. The current version seemed much more preferable, because of the fabric and quality, as well as the lack of excessive flounciness, which did not hide the rather developed muscles and slender figure under the clothes. Any Jedi could take care of looking decent, if he possessed the rudiments of medical skills... I simply took the boots to match the colour of the rest and, having paid, ran out, looking at my watch. It took me less than an hour to get back to the hangar, run into my ship, change my clothes, check my transport, and grab the sword I had in my pockets.
I got to Tosi just in time - she didn't keep me waiting long and opened the door as soon as I knocked. This time the girl was wearing make-up and was quite beautiful. After looking her over, from montral to bare feet, I was satisfied. She looked at me and smiled:
- So, you dressed up for a party, but as to the master for promotion - "and so it will do"????
- The Master is not a red-haired maiden, he will tolerate it... - I answered. - Well, shall we go?
And we went to rest. The restaurant, of course, was decent, though I, being hungry, didn't notice a particularly cool flavour of the dishes. The same could be said about Tosi - she didn't observe any etiquette and just leaned back in her chair after eating heartily. Erdva took a seat in a secluded nook, so that no one could see us except the barman, who didn't annoy us with unnecessary attention.
- Are you going to go back to your place now? - Toshi asked at once. - Or maybe you'll settle into the Order first?
- I don't see the point of that," I shrugged. - I just need to go back anyway. I have prospects there, and things to do that can't be left to chance, and here I only have a place in the war with the Sith... - I said sadly.
- I understand. Worse peace is better than war, right?
- Exactly, - at that moment the waiter brought a bottle of wine, and having poured it into glasses, left the bottle on the table, and left, silently and without looking at us. Tosi and I raised our glasses, but I made the toast:
- To peace in the galaxy.
Tosi seconded it and we drained the first glasses. I took a bite of cheese and continued to develop the idea:
- After all, I have no chance of becoming something big here. The thing is, the Sith stand against any of my ideas and if I stand out, I'll have to play against them. In any case, I'm on the same side of the barricades under Master Lex, forced to work for the Order. And that's relative freedom, especially since the Order stopped looking for me, as far as I know, after I faked my own death. And there weren't even any thorough checks - "Missing recruit, and missing. Strong could have been a Jedi, too bad, move on."
Toshi whistled:
- What, just picked up and left like that? With your midichlorian level?
- Imagine that. There's no war, so there's not much to worry about - they've grown lazy and ingrown into their places. Of course, it will cost them dearly when they need to use their power, but they haven't had the chance yet...
- Yes, and Sith with them, - Tosi raised the second glass, and then, without a toast, we drank.
The bottle was rapidly emptying. The topic of conversation wagged like a hare running away from a hunter, and the more we drank, the more the hare wandered. From discussing the physics of hyperspace to our favourite cloth, and from personal love topics to matters of high politics.
When a bottle of what I estimated to be about a litre and a half had been settled by us, Tosi rose. We were not drunk, but a little tipsy - in such a mood the world was perceived much more positively, and I wanted to talk to my neighbour more and more.
- I think we should go," said Tosi. - I have to be at the ceremony tomorrow morning at ten, and now..." She looked for her watch. I looked at my comlink. It was midnight.
- Midnight, Tosi.
- Here. I don't want to be late for the ceremony of my appointment as Jedi Master... come on, let's go....
I left the money with the droid and took the girl under my arm and followed her to our speeder.
Fortunately, Tosi was adequate enough to think about returning to the Order, while I had already thought it through and said:
- Tosi... if the two of us show up, and even like this, I don't think you'll be stroked on the montral....
- И? - she asked.
- Maybe we'll stay in a hotel? And in the morning we'll go back to the temple.....
Toshi, being under chauffeured, blushed slightly, but nodded in agreement. The hotel was close, literally two minutes away. Taking the reserved room, we went up to the room. As we approached the door, Tosi's playful mood increased.
But when she saw the room with only one, but big bed, she got worried, though she didn't express it outwardly.
- Hm... - she looked round the room, - it's not bad... and the bed is big.....
- I'm tired of the forest. And the temple beds," I admitted. - Don't you like it?
In response, she turned towards me with determined intentions, but I was quicker to kiss her. I wasn't going to change anything this time - I liked Tosi and I didn't see the point in changing anything. Her clothes came off easily, and then we fell on the bed and she undressed me.
I just started kissing Toshi, quickly moving from caresses to sex, which was well received... I don't remember our last time, but this time I will remember forever - Togrutas were not like humans and felt caresses very keenly, so that even a kiss can make a girl aroused, let alone sex.
*♪ Morning ♪
It wasn't the ringing of the alarm clock that woke me up, but the unpleasant sounds in the room. When I opened my eyes, I looked around - the blanket was lying on the floor somewhere, while I was lying on the bed in the hotel room... my clothes were on the floor, along with the blanket. From the bathroom there were sounds too disgusting - someone was sick.
- Tosi? - I called out. An attempt to get up ended with a pain in my back, which appeared to be scratched. It was - there were traces of blood on the bed. Throwing some strength at the scratches to make them heal faster, I stood up and finally walked around the room, looking at the time. It was nine o'clock in the morning. It felt good to get four hours of sleep!
Toshi, after a more than stormy night should have felt fine.
- I'm fine," came from the bathroom. Five minutes later she appeared, pale-faced and naked. Quite pretty, I must say, especially the thin white streaks of pigmentation on her breasts, near her nipples....
- What's wrong?
- Yeah, don't mind me. Probably ate something too exotic last night... or incompatible with wine.
I shrugged my shoulders and went to take a shower. Tosi, judging by the water droplets, was already out of there.
Without haste, but with complete mutual satisfaction, we packed up and set off in the direction of the Temple. Hopefully the Magister would allow me to attend the ceremony.