We did get a reprimand for skipping, and we were sent to meditate for six hours straight. For fun, we agreed to try to connect. And the shock was— it worked! I'm sitting there, meditating, thinking about Ves, when I start hearing her voice. To my surprise, it wasn't Basic, but most likely her native tongue. And what's most surprising, I understood it. More or less the same happened from my side, only…
"Shade, I don't understand. I can clearly hear Togruti, but rougher words keep slipping into it. And strangely, I feel those words a lot heavier. What language is that?" Well. That's a twist. So my mind can't decide which language is native to me? Interesting…
"It's a language of one people. It's dead, because no one speaks it here. No one at all."
"Then how do you know it?"
"That's the problem—I have no idea. I shouldn't know it, but… it's with me."
"Strange… very strange."
"You can say that. The Force must be joking. Listen—did I understand right that you're speaking Catharese?"
"Yes. I read about this kind of communication. In it, each person speaks only their native language. But the strange part is that you're speaking two different languages at once, which shouldn't be possible."
"Let's… drop that topic?"
"Okay. What do you want to ask?"
"Why does it have to be a question?"
"Shade, I've gotten to know you too well. And besides, I can clearly feel your emotions," I froze, "oh, and I didn't realize you hide your feelings that strongly." A rush of emotions and thoughts knocks my concentration off, and I slip out of the trance. Turning to Ves sitting three meters away, I raise an eyebrow questioningly. "But now I know I wasn't wrong," and then something in me clicked.
"You… wait. You set up our lateness on purpose so they'd send us to meditate. Right?" She smiled. "How do you have so much cunning in you?!"
"Well, I'm a ki-i-tty. And cats are hi-i-ighly cunning," she drawled with an audacious grin.
"Fair. But where did you get telepathy? Even I can't do that, and Mom tried to teach me."
"Dad taught me," she shrugged. "He's a Trailblazer, overseeing the security of the colony I'm from. And you hide your feelings very well, Shade. Deep in your heart. Good or bad. If I touched something I shouldn't have—please forgive me. I just wanted to see them. You even hid them in bed…" she whispered. "But you read mine like a book."
"Heh. So what did you see?"
"Kindness. Care. The desire to hug. To protect," she blushed and looked away, "and you aren't afraid of death. Not at all. Like someone sentenced to die, who's already accepted it," her gaze turned thoughtful, like she was seeing me from a new angle. "And there's a lot of anger and hurt in you. But what it's aimed at, I couldn't make out." She tilted her head, as if asking. I inhale deeply and answer on the exhale.
"Death… I have a special relationship with it, let's say. Believe me, dying isn't scary. Living is scary. I… know what I'm talking about," I darken, looking at the floor.
"Sorry."
"It's fine. You did the right thing trying to see what I hide. You can—and should—see what reigns in my soul."
"Anger?" she nodded.
"I'm angry at the world, Ves."
"Mmm?"
"It has no mercy. The weak become food for the strong, or they become stronger themselves. But often it doesn't give them that chance. That feeling when you want to live, when you want to be free, when you want to see your child's eyes. But you understand you won't have it. You've got only a few takedus left, and you'll die. Death pain torments you, and you wait for the day of death not as an end, but as release from pain. And besides, you know the saying: you can't breathe your fill before death?" She shook her head. "Now you do. It means that in a short span you'll try to do everything at once, but in the end nothing will work out. But you'll still try. In my case… you'll try to give someone joy—a moment in which they'll be truly happy. Then they'll understand life has bright colors, understand there's good in the world… even if there isn't much…" I pull myself up short and look into Ves's tense eyes.
"You… you're dying?!" Ves whispered in horror.
"What? No! Not at all," I shake myself hard, looking into her truly worried green eyes. "It's just… I know that feeling. I know it perfectly. I had an experience… and moreover, it's like I lived that person's life. Saw the world through his eyes in those last moments. And I'll probably never be able to get rid of it. But I'm fine. Honestly. I just understood and rethought a lot, that's all."
"Really, you're fine?"
"Yes, Ves. It's… my little secret. Even Mom doesn't know."
"I understand," Ves nodded seriously.
"And otherwise everything's fine." After studying me a moment, she believed it. Sitting for a bit, turning thoughts over in her head—flaring with all kinds of emotions—she got up, walked over, sat beside me, and wrapped my arm.
"Listen, Shade… sorry I got crafty here. I was just a little scared. Not many people decide to tie their fate to Cathar, and you… you addressed me so many times like… like something precious, as if I was already yours. You showed attention—even if strange. And every time in passing!" On those last words she raised her voice, and I felt a tiny bit ashamed. Just a tiny bit. "Shade, you really won't leave me?"
"What do you mean?" I didn't understand, snapping over. The gears in my head jammed hard trying to build a chain.
"In two takedus we leave the temple. For two years we'll be in the field with personal Masters. I already found the one I want to share my life with, and I even saw his feelings, but… I still worry whether he wants it. I understand how stupid it sounds. And looks. But I can't help it. It's just… hard for me to believe."
"Don't worry," with my free hand I brush her bangs away from her eyes. Two green eyes lock onto mine. "Now…" leaning closer, I lick her lips, "we'll always be in touch," I whisper into her ear, allowing myself to scratch behind that ear. She smiled, and after a moment I add, "so I'll always know who to call when I need to satisfy my carnal desires."
"BAM!"
"IDIOT!!!" Ves exploded, landing a fat punch into my side, then unleashing an entire storm—now into my shoulder. "You… you… ill-mannered, rude, insolent, shameless—"
"Phe-he-he-he," I grab her waist and flop on top. "Okay, okay—can't even joke anymore."
"You can't!" Oh, how ruffled… and angry. The sheer adoration radiating off her made me stretch into a stupid grin.
"Gotta joke like that more often—you look so funny… and hey, maybe I really should get myself another kitty?" I shouldn't, shouldn't pull the tiger's tail, but I can't help it.
"Oh, is that so? Then I'll—!"
***
At the same time, outside the door
"…So you're saying they want to give him to Master Irbis?"
"Yes. What do you think?"
"I don't understand why him, specifically. He follows the Code like a law," the Togruta shook her head. "And he's not even a fighter. My son will be a hunter, like me—what will Irbis teach him? How to talk a victim's ears off before cutting their head off?"
"You're exaggerating. I think it's not such a bad idea."
"Why?"
"Shade is very hot-headed. And Irbis is the opposite—calm like a monk. I think he'll be able to cool him down a little."
"Maybe you're right," the Togruta mused.
Meanwhile, the two longtime friends stopped at the entrance to one of the meditation rooms. From behind the door came loud noise—furniture thudding, a girl's yells, and someone's laughter.
"What the—"
At that moment the door opened, and a disheveled Togruta half-blood flew out. Burning eyes, tousled hair, a crumpled shirt…
"Mom?!" he blurted, seeing the woman in front of him. But then, as if sensing something, he sharply moved aside, pulling both the Togruta and her friend with him. A moment later, a specialized meditation chair flew out of the door. "Hello, Master!" he rattled off at high speed, and then in the same breath, "Mom, you asked—I'm introducing you. This is Vessira, my girlfriend. That's it, I have to go, we'll talk later!" He was already shouting those last words while running.
Then a Cathar half-blood appeared in the doorway—ruffled, very, very angry. Paying no attention at all to the Temple Master or her guest, the girl tore off after the laughing boy.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" she screamed down the corridor.
When the teenagers vanished around the corner, the temple's mistress was the first to recover.
"So—any more questions about why Irbis, specifically?" the Sith asked her friend. The Togruta at that moment just stood there smiling. "Aala?"
"Well. It's not just the Force, Force, Force," the Togruta said. "I was even starting to worry about him. I thought I'd have to вмешаться—step in, find someone. But no, it wasn't needed." She turned to the Sith. "What were you saying?"
"I'm saying you owe me now."
"Nooo. Consider that I've cleared one of your two debts."
"And your conscience still hasn't woken up," Master Tsikuna sighed. "So what do I have to do for you to clear the second?"
"Don't worry. I'll definitely come up with something," the Togruta assured her. "So—will you introduce me to your invisible man? As far as I know, he regularly complains to you about Shade."
"If only it were just him… and anyway, it's still a question of who should be complaining about whom. Since enrollment, he and your son have been playing a game: who finds whom, and then they take apart the opponent's mistakes together. You can't even imagine how irritating it is when you're walking down a corridor and right under your nose a blurred shadow jumps out of nowhere and immediately vanishes. I'm amazed at how they learned to distract other people's gaze or hide themselves in the Force. Good thing they can't actually become true invisibles!"
"Khah, khah… pha-ha-ha…"
You think it's funny, but I get complaints regularly."
"Then why don't you rein them in? You're the Temple Master!"
"Yeah, you'd have to find them first," Tsikuna muttered. "And even if you do—scold yours, don't scold, it's all the same. But let Bagi learn—he hasn't met any worthy opponents within these walls yet, he's gotten too relaxed. He'll be teaching others later, so let him. Besides, I haven't seen him like that in a long time."
"And the other instructors?"
"Eh… come on. We'll discuss everything over a cup of soya. Maybe by then they'll cool down."