"It's all shit," Revan's Force Ghost spat, "sitting" on a rock and watching my training, "it's all screwed up. So much that I, Styris, and many others showed the Galaxy, taught so much! And what did it all lead to? To peace? To development? To balance? And what was I hoping for…"
A light breeze ruffled my clothes. A drop of sweat trickled down my cheek from exertion. Revan's training was of two types. The first was that he taught me new Force Techniques. The second was to improve my current skills. Besides, he repeatedly told stories in the evenings about the war with everyone… Mandalorians, Jedi, Sith. He spoke about when to use certain tactical maneuvers. He reasoned a lot about who a warring army leader is.
"Question: should I continue, Master?" NK chimed in.
"Continue," I croaked. Revan didn't bother with trifles. His training bore little resemblance to the term "training." It was more like a manual: how to kill a Jedi Knight. He made me maneuver among the huge ruins of a once-destroyed temple on a planet well-known to many, while simultaneously holding five to six boulders with telekinesis. A sniper rifle shot rang out, the bolt quickly flew the twenty meters separating us and should have pierced my head. I jumped aside. Now two more shots would follow… One was aimed at my landing spot, as I had jumped from the ruins of a column that towered above the ground. Already in the air, I changed my body's position, so as soon as I touched the ground, I immediately jumped back, doing a somersault. The huge boulders I was holding with the Force should have remained in the shape of a five-pointed star at an equal distance from my body. That is, they moved all together, maintaining their shape. Revan usually monitored its correctness. Oh no… Another blaster bolt was approaching me. He fired three shots instead of two! And he perfectly predicted my behavior. After all, NK's analysis block is simply incredible. My hands were occupied, I used them as guides for directing the Force and holding the boulders. The blaster bolt pierced my chest and would have killed me for sure, but I used tutaminis at the last moment, absorbing the shot. However, the kinetic energy of the shot remained. "Ugh!" I was thrown back and dragged a couple of meters. The energy demanded an outlet, and I made the decision immediately. More shots from NK were heard. In an instant, I used the energy as an enhancement with the Force, nourishing my muscles and thus improving my speed, evading NK's attack. A grenade? No, several at once… Damn, I won't have time to get away.
And there's a wall behind me. He deliberately cornered me here and bombarded me with grenades. Damn, this is unpleasant! I need to protect myself somehow, otherwise my own droid will kill me. I looked at the piece of wall… Celestial Palm. A moment, and I swapped places with it. The wall shielded me from the grenade explosions, albeit not completely, as the explosions turned it into fragments that flew towards me. A moment, and I stopped them with telekinesis, mainly protecting myself.
"Praise: Master navigates excellently in such a situation."
"However, enough," Revan said. "Order him to stop."
"NK," I looked at the droid. "Stop. That's enough for today," I sighed and lowered the stones to the ground. Carefully, so as not to make excessive noise. For excessive noise, Revan himself once struck me with an emerald-hued Force Lightning. It didn't kill me, but it caused maximum unpleasant sensations. After Revan's appearance in my life, training began again. First of all, Revan asked for details about everything that had happened to the galaxy after the war with Vitiate and the final death of the Sith Emperor. I first described the history to him. Then I told him about the present. And I shared with him knowledge about the future that awaited us all. The latter greatly touched the Jedi, and for the last couple of months, he has been lamenting that we have screwed everything up. Where were we after his summoning? On Lehon. It is also known as Rakata Prime.
Rakata… Many things began with them. Who are they? Essentially, the ancient precursors of the Sith. They are also known as the "builders." The Rakata were discovered by another ancient race – the Kwa.
Rakatan
Kwa
Lehon
The Kwa themselves were subordinates, or rather slaves, of the Celestials. The most ancient race of super-powerful beings who operated the Force at a perfect level. The notorious Father, Son, and Daughter… As well as Abeloth, also known as the Mother. The Kwa taught the Rakata the Force, glorified them, but the Rakata, either due to their predatory nature or for some other reason, began to mass-join the Dark Side of the Force, not maintaining balance, as was fashionable then. This resulted in their society becoming expansionist. An Empire… The meaning of any Empire is an enemy. That's what my government management professor believed. Empires always need an enemy. Internal or external – it doesn't matter. The Infinite Empire of Rakata, thirty-six thousand years ago, became all those they did not enslave as an enemy. The Rakata invaded the Galaxy and began to subjugate nation after nation. Among other things, they turned against the Kwa and against the Celestials. And the latter did not simply destroy them. The Rakata continued to thrive even after the wars with them. What were the Rakata famous for? Their technologies based on the Dark Side of the Force. The Infinity Gates, built by the Kwa, allowing instantaneous travel from one corner of the Galaxy to another – inspired them. The greatest creation of the Rakata is the "Star Forge."
This giant factory, when powered by the Force, was capable of producing warships at a rapid pace. It was with the Star Forge that the names of Revan, Malak, and the entire plot of the Knights of the Old Republic game were associated. On Lehon, formerly Rakata Prime, there was a special device that broke the navigation computers of all non-Rakata ships that entered the beacon's range. Therefore, having been here for half a year, I have seen many shipwrecks. This beacon was deactivated by Revan in his time, the Star Forge was destroyed by the Republic fleet. And what about the Rakata? By Revan's time, they were already a degraded race. At a certain point in time, the Rakata encountered the Je'daii, who at that time lived on Tython.
It was then that the war began, which became the beginning of the end of the Empire. The Je'daii did not destroy them immediately, of course. But they seriously battered them, destroying the leader of the Rakatan invasion. It is from the Rakata, by the way, that lightsabers actually originated, although then they were power swords that worked on the fighter's Force. And one of the Rakatan subordinates, named Zesh, defected to the enemy. There were interesting permutations, in fact. One way or another, the Rakata took a beating from their enemies. Within the Empire itself, a civil war began. By that time, the native race was suffering from a terrible disease – the Rakatan plague.
The disease was fatal, but worse for those who survived. The Rakata's bodies mutated to cure the disease. But such a mutation cut the individual off from the Force. Gradually, the entire race ceased to be sensitive to the Force… And what happened in the end? The Rakata created many interesting things, including the first hyperdrives, one of the first that worked precisely on the Force. However, they lost the Force. Revolutions erupted on all subjugated planets. The Empire completely disintegrated. The Rakata themselves – some migrated to the Tion Cluster, some remained here on Lehon, where they divided into two peoples. Barbarians, whom I had already managed to cut down considerably. For the most part, by this time, they were not even sentient beings, but pack predators. They came from the so-called "Black Rakatan" tribe. Revan encountered them when he was on his path of redemption. During this time, they completely turned into amphibious, predatory animals that hunted in groups of five to six individuals. There were also descendants. These were those who wanted to "reject" the dark path of the Rakata. These were the local good guys, in contrast to the dark Rakata. I haven't seen any descendants in the six months I've been here. And I didn't have time.
Revan initially adapted to the new reality. Although the only thing he couldn't accept was the fate that befell the Galaxy after all that they had done. Yes, essentially nothing had changed. Those who came after him and his contemporaries had their own Sith Lords, their own tyrants, there were galactic-scale wars… And more importantly – there would be more. This threw him off balance a bit. But in terms of training, which he conducted with me, everything was different. Revan turned out to be a charismatic, but at the same time tough and demanding mentor. When assigning tasks, he didn't even consider the outcome where I would fail these tasks. And at the same time – his charisma and speeches, which he gave before training – were motivating. He called this the "commander's aura." A worthy commander must be able to rally his forces even for a hopeless battle in a couple of sentences.
This is what he did. After the first training session, where he taught me Force lightning, or rather, improved my existing one, I was ready to curse everything. He caught three rancors with telekinesis and gave the order: not a single rancor should come closer than five meters to me. I could only defend myself with Force lightning. He drew a circle on the ground around me, ten meters in diameter, placed me in the center, and provoked the rancors. And honestly, in two weeks, I made much more progress in mastering lightning than in all the time before. This is roughly how the rest of his training sessions went, during which the first part was the task itself, the second part was the condition of execution, and the third part was the implementation. Revan also explained why I needed to do this and that, what exactly we were improving, and where it would be useful. In the evenings, he dedicated time to philosophy. He reasoned about the nature of the Force, its striving for balance. For example, we argued heatedly about whether balance was possible at all. In the end, all those who strove for balance too often fell to the Dark Side and became not noble Je'daii with neutrality, but Sith. I told him about my speculations regarding neutrality and that the Force is just energy. One should deny the very fact of any sides and use it exclusively as energy.
Naturally, my theory raised questions for Revan. After all, he had seen purely dark and purely light Force techniques so many times. Nevertheless, our evening conversations were instructive. He also did not neglect topics of combat. Both in space and on land. And he himself gladly studied the technical characteristics of various ships from me. Overall, I liked Revan. Yes, uncompromising and cruel in training… But I asked for it myself. I want to gain power and abilities… Why do I need all this? It so happened that I am gifted. And the best way to prove my right, even among the Jedi, is the Force. The ability to handle it. Power and abilities that will not only elevate me to the highest ranks in the Order, but will help in the realization of my projects concerning the galaxy. I am not an angel or a perfect deity. And not even the chosen hero, that became clear to me almost immediately. Reality showed that my talent and my abilities, whatever they may be, will not save me from mistakes. So nothing will be perfect… There will be something striving for perfection to the maximum. And this is what I want to implement. I have in my memory the future that we can get.
My task is to change something, to correct something… To make the future at least a little better. And for me to succeed – I need to learn. To pump up, so to speak. This is what I was doing with my signature fanaticism. And I felt myself becoming stronger… Not even stronger, more precisely. The techniques became better, I was definitely capable of more. And yet – I never stopped, continuing my training and education.
"Your progress is impressive," he noted. "The reason is probably your extreme motivation."
We returned to my ship, which was parked not far from the training area. Around us were ruins, dotted with various fauna, represented by a wide spectrum of animals. From the most harmless herbivores to dangerous monsters like rancors, which Revan loved to use in training.
"It's hard to live otherwise, having seen what my laziness can lead to," I noted. "Emperor Palpatine, the Shards of the Empire, but what is most terrifying for me is the invasion of extra-galactic invaders."
"It seems you will also have to live in difficult times," Revan agreed. "But, relying on your knowledge, you could have gone far away and not shown yourself. But you didn't, which does you credit."
"I used to think about running away," I said sadly, taking a sip from my flask, "but then I thought: is escape really a way out? So many victims, real hell, fire throughout the galaxy."
"So, your conscience has awakened. Well… What are you going to do to prevent these troubles? Do you have a plan?"
"Yes," I said, "I think we can allow Palpatine to come to power, let everything that this Sith has planned be realized, except for the last part. We will destroy him as I envisioned, and then create our own Republic on the ruins of the Empire, our own country, which will absorb the remnants of Palpatine's…"
"Nonsense," Revan replied concisely. "Don't you see? To win, to save as many sentient beings as possible – you need to turn history around at a certain moment. A bifurcation point, as I would call it. At this point, a real vacuum of opportunities will form, in which you can realize your plans. You consider Palpatine's death at the hands of Anakin Skywalker to be such a point. I don't dispute that it's a bifurcation point, by pressing on which you can build a strong state, with due skill, but there is a much earlier option that you told me about, Light. If you press on it, you can realize your plans much earlier and get a much stronger state. Memory of the future will help you build this country not just before the invasion, but much earlier. Thus, you will strengthen it, make it strong and worthy. And all threats can be ground down by this country. This is what you called Order Sixty-Six, when your Jedi comrades fall at the hands of those whom they would call their loyal fighters. A sad fate… Do you agree with it?"
"The Order also needs restructuring, mentor," I disagreed. "And such an event will help."
"Oh yes," he noted sarcastically, "it will help a lot. Especially the activities of Sate Pestage, the Vizier of the Empire, who after Order 66 did quite a number on your Order. Do you really think this is a reasonable option? Jedi with a tarnished reputation. The death of a ruler does not mean that the people will suddenly forget everything he did, labeling it as 'lies'. Sentient beings rarely forget anything. And not everyone, if your information is to be believed, will decide that you are right, just because you killed Sidious. And he won't die, according to your own words."
"And what will we get, mentor, if we try to resist Palpatine's coup?"
"At best, someone from the poles of power: either you, the Jedi, or the Sith-Sidious – will escape and organize your own faction. Then it's up to who holds power. But you will have a unique opportunity to preserve not just the Order, but also to reform it under the guise of having missed the Sith, that's one. Two – you will be able to preserve the power resource and at least some part of the army. The worst that can happen is a civil war within the Republic and a Parade of Sovereignties from the richest sectors and clusters."
"Yes, a civil war… With many factions. Not the CIS and the Republic, not even the Empire and the Rebels. I can't even imagine who in theory could demand independence in those realities! The Tion Cluster? The Hapans? Or maybe the Mandalorians? The Bothans? Kuat? Yes, many, in fact!"
"True, but you will have time to sort it out. Such confusion will allow both the Order and your subordinates to swallow any reformation. And then you can begin the conquest of the seceded ones. Accumulate strength and attack those who are weaker, and then gnaw at those who are stronger. And in the end, you will be able to restore the state, reform it, and begin to create a real force that will fight the Vong and other troubles. Why don't you consider something like this? Are you afraid? Of Palpatine? Or maybe you just want to act in the timeline you know, as you call it? Nonsense, Light. Quirks of perception, cowardice, and idiocy, forgive me. A unique opportunity, much earlier, that can bring benefit."
"But it can also lead to casualties…"
"Everything leads to casualties," Revan said sharply. "Any change is paid for by the lives of those who change it. This is impossible in politics or war. You seem to understand this, but you're still being foolish. What distinguishes a winner from a loser? Why did the winner win, and the loser lose? Abilities? Skills? Or perhaps better convictions? In battle, the winner truly possesses better skills. But in politics, the one who steadfastly follows something wins. In reality, you are simply a coward."
"So what should I do? Go and eliminate Palpatine now?"
"No," Revan shrugged, "you need to act then. You've told me a lot over these six months. And specifically, you have two bifurcation points where you can change everything. Palpatine's death at Endor is your favorite. And the second – an early one – an attempted coup on Coruscant during the execution of Order 66. The winner always acts. And you must seize the moment, considering what a gift you are being given. All that remains for you is to decide on a new vision for the Galaxy and the Order, so that you don't hesitate, but start acting immediately. Democracy, in your opinion, is the best way out, isn't it?"
"Yes, even after everything – I still believe that sentient beings should talk and negotiate."
"And I don't condemn," Revan noted, "why are you looking like that? Yes, I was the Emperor of a whole Empire, but at the same time, I don't condemn you for your views. And indeed, democracy in itself is not a bad system, just like autocracy. The essence is not in the form of government, but in how you will wield power. Whom will you entrust it to locally? How will your state function? Do you have a plan? How to integrate the Jedi into your country?"
"There are generally three branches of government," I activated my datapad and displayed a diagram. "Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. For now, I propose to entrust the legislative branch to the Senate. The Senate will still consist of representatives of the sectors, who will be elected by the inhabitants of the sectors. Elected, not appointed."
"Oh, yes, I remember you told me about Navi, the nephew of the King of your planet. And that he appointed Navi as Senator. Shitty practice. However, monarchs like that. It's a manifestation of their power. Are you going to change the regimes on these planets? Including your homeland? Sephi probably won't be happy about that."
"No, they won't be happy. That's why I intend to make the Senatorial position elective for everyone. It's better not to touch the other parts of the power of the sector aristocrats. Let them rule on their planets, but obey the directives of the Republic."
"So, you are still going to bring everyone to a certain standard," Revan sneered.
"Yes, but it won't be that harsh or impossible to fulfill. Roughly speaking, eighty percent of races and political entities in the galaxy will be able to implement the Republic's policies without problems. Next is the Executive branch. It will be represented by Ministries, each of which will be headed by Ministers appointed by a separate authority, the Chancellor of the Republic."
"Oh, how so," Revan said.
"Yes, the Senate, after convening, holds elections for the Chancellor, who is elected once every ten years. The Ministers of the Executive branch are appointed by the Chancellor and undergo approval by the Judicial branch. Which is entrusted to the Jedi Order. Every law and minister of the government will have to be checked by competent Jedi, after which they will issue their verdict. The Judicial branch can request revision of the law. Moreover, in each Ministry, one of the Deputy Ministers is a Jedi."
"Interesting," Revan chuckled.
"That's not all. The Jedi completely control two ministries: defense and internal affairs. That is…"
"The army and the police," Revan answered for me. "I remember, during the Ruusan Reformation, the Jedi withdrew from political affairs. And now you want to bring them back into such politics, and even weave them in so deeply."
"Correct. This is my reformation of the Order. We ourselves should not just be the Senate's lapdogs, but influence its decisions. Laws about the Jedi should not come from the logic of the Force, but from common sense. Since we are Guardians of Peace, then give us the tools to preserve it! Give us an army, give us police, give us power over the courts and the opportunity to influence certain poles of politics, so that we can ensure this peace!"
"It sounds promising. Then, all the more, you need not to become a hero of the Rebellion against Palpatine, but to act precisely at the end of the Clone Wars, as you called them? With due skill, you will succeed."
"Do you think so?"
"And you should think so," Revan began to disappear. "Stop being a coward. Do what you must, with maximum effort. And then your efforts will be rewarded. That's how life is arranged," he dissolved completely. Apparently, the charge for today had run out. And Revan was certainly right about something. But… will I have enough strength to implement all this when he suggested? A good question… To which, alas, I will not know the answer until I try.