Yunling

We parted from Chuu-tal and his padawan almost as soon as we arrived at the temple. I was handed over to an elderly, statuesque woman, who escorted me to my new place of residence. And this place turned out to be just a cot and a locker in a large room where, besides me, there were twenty other kids. At least that's how many beds there were in the bedroom. However, I counted only fifteen children. I was the sixteenth. Hopefully, this is all temporary. When I get older, they'll give me a separate room. If not... I don't even know. With such a size, why be SO tight-fisted? Come on, nonsense. He opened the cabinet and examined the contents. He sighed. Two sets of clothes, a pair of boots, some kind of sneakers and a void. He took out the crystal container and tossed the empty backpack onto the top shelf. I have nothing to do, so at least I'll meditate. As well as I can. By the way, I had already learned to feel the force, even on the ship, but meditation itself was not given to me. I don't know how it happened in my home world, but the Jedi meditation was... Uh-uh... Calming the Force. How can I explain this? To begin with, I felt the Force in the form of a mist. Transparent. A kind of whitish haze that is present everywhere. This haze not only enveloped everything, it was also felt inside everything. And this haze-fog was in constant motion. It wasn't that the Force was moving back and forth like a hurricane, but that it was moving. And the stronger your emotions, the faster this fog was moving. Of course, I mean the part of the Force that is inside the Jedi, and the part that he controls. Meditation also helped the Jedi slow down the movement of the Force within themselves, which affects the "fog" that you control. I strongly suspect that the speed... let there be a movement of Force that affects not the control itself, but what you can do about it. That is, if we take the game analog of my world, then a Force push is a neutral force, and the speed of the "fog" movement is absolutely not important for its creation. But for Treatment, it is important that the Force is at rest as much as possible. But it's true, the thoughts of an amateur. By the way, "my" Force, the one that is in me, is a little different in color from the surrounding. A little bit lighter. Perhaps this is the nonsense of a beginner, but if not, then Light and Dark are not an allegory. Which means... a lot of things, but for me personally, this means that for techniques, not only the speed of movement of the Force is important, but also its color. And, by the way, yes, thinking about all this, it gets scary. My next pathetic attempt to slow down the flow of Power in myself was interrupted in a rather rude way. I was patted on the shoulder. So, my meditation was interrupted and, it seems, they won't let me continue, so I decided to open my eyes. Ohfuckyou. From what I saw, I really almost shit myself. Judging by the upturned triangular head and sandy-colored skin, I saw this individual when I entered the room. But his mother is like that - from the back. Now I was watching him closely to me. A lipless, fanged mouth located where all normal people like me have a nose. And in place of the cheeks, below the mouth, the eyes were moving, growing on two stalks. We finished this horror theater small... Tentacles, probably... growing out of the chin. “Hello”, this something raised a three-fingered palm. “My name is Jiro Jiss. I'm from the planet Ongri," he said in a thin voice. "What's your name?" “Rain Dakari. From the planet Pzob.” “What are you doing?” I didn't answer right away. More precisely, he didn't answer the way he wanted to at first. “I'm meditating.” “Wow! Can you meditate? And I've been here for two weeks now, and no one has taught me this.” “It took us three weeks to get here. So I asked to be taught something. It was boring.” “Ah... It's clear. But they don't teach you anything here,” He said it sadly. “They just make you run, jump, and squze...” “Push-ups?” I interrupted him. “Yes, they say we're weak," Jiro nodded. “They also tell stories about the Repablic all the time.” “The Republic?” “Yes," another nod. "What have you got there?" He nodded at the crystal container. “A gift from my father before I left," I opened the lid. “Wow! And what is it?” Funny guy. Despite his appearance. “Crystals.” I didn't mention what they were for. Let him think it's pretty trinkets. And, in this regard, I immediately added it. "They're beautiful, aren't they?" “Yes," the child confirmed, mesmerized. “What are they for?” asked a boy with greenish skin who came up to us. If it wasn't for that, I would have considered him human. "What?" I asked him again, trying to deflect his question. “Well..." he hesitated, "what are they for?" That is, the question was quite conscious. Okay. “What do you mean?” “Uh... well... Oh, well.” It's a gift from Dad. “Ah, I see.” To which I chuckled to myself. That's how, word by word, I got to know all the inhabitants of the room. No one was ashamed to come up and look at the beautiful stones. Of the sixteen children who lived in the room, ten, including me, were of the human race. But the rest were a collection of hodgepodge. The guy who came up to me first is an Ongrian... Well, or something like that. The one with the greenish skin, a Zabrak, two Twi'leks, and something... in short, something. His face is completely covered with white hair, green palms with claws and a snake body instead of legs. As I later found out, Greenskin was a Myrialan, popeye Jiro was an Ongri, and the parody of Nag was a Thisspias. Although the name of these races meant nothing to me. The next morning, it turned out that the role of alarm clocks for kids like us is played by mentors. “Wake up, Younglings," the human Jedi clapped his hands. “Lift. Great things are waiting for you.” This blond-haired, forty-year-old-looking Jedi, as it turned out later, was Rudy Spack, and he was the supervisor of the Youngling group I joined. “Come on. You're the future Jedi. Can't you handle a little thing like drowsiness?” The first thing I did when I was more or less awake was to overcome my irritation. In the end, such an awakening is better than "company, wake up." But if you think about it, I joined the army again. And there is no headquarters here where you can spend your entire service life. Yes, and this fucking period has "slightly" increased. As Giro said, there was a workout ahead of us, which we went running to. We got up, got dressed, lined up in the hallway and ran. That hallway, by the way, was big enough to accommodate two groups of running kids. We proved that by overtaking one such group. However, they only lined up and didn't even have time to accelerate properly. By the way, they were spinogrits about the same age as us. The exercise itself took place in a gym, which I could call quite ordinary, but this love of the Jedi for everything is made of stone.... It seemed as if a lot of futuristic simulators had been installed in the reception hall of some palace, and sparring spots had been set up between the columns. But I saw lightsabers for the first time. And even if they were educational and even in the wrong hands, they still looked cool. After charging, we were all sent to a communal shower, a large room with many enclosed cubicles. Then there was breakfast, which made me feel sad. The porridge they fed us... Let's just say that I once again remembered the Russian army. No, seriously, I felt like a conscript again, who ate grandma's pies yesterday, and today I got acquainted with the harsh reality. And if someone tells me that you can't scare anyone who has gone through our army, then I'll punch him in the eye. After breakfast, we were taken to a classroom where, imagine, there wasn't a single chair. Alone... Uh-uh... very thick mats. I love these Jedi. What's next, will we be sent to work? We went into the classroom with two more groups of kids - girls and boys. And after we sat down, we waited for the mentor for ten minutes, because the Jedi who brought us here hurried away. Well, okay, but the mess that I did cram into myself for breakfast managed to make it. During this time, two more groups of kids managed to join us. As a result, I counted as many as seventy-eight rodents of both sexes and different races. In one fucking place. The mentor who came to teach us turned out to be a man. A very old man. His name was Eilan Radau, a tall, handsome grandfather who had not bent over the years. Standing in front of us and looking around the room, he said: “Today, Younglings, we will talk with you about the First Chancellor who took office in the year 25018 before the Great Resynchronization.” Chavos? What kind of resynchronization? “For people from remote planets where the Ruusan reform is still being counted, I will explain that four years ago the Republican Bureau of Measures and Standards introduced a new time measure, so now the Republic is in its fourth year of the Great Resynchronization.” Cool. That is, I took off from my planet in nineteen sixty-nine, and landed on Coruscant in the fourth. I've been in a time machine, yeah. While I was thinking about the size of the FAFAG, the old man began his story. And do you know what I'll tell you? Propaganda! But propaganda is talented. It is told with a twinkle and is fascinating enough to interest children of four or five years old. But personally, I don't believe that the newly elected senators would put anyone above themselves in unison and without debate. And to hear this Radau, the First Chancellor was a knight without fear or reproach. But, I repeat, he talked fascinatingly, it's just a pity, about matters too far away. But this lecture gave me something I really needed. I mean the dates. I remember for sure that the Republic, the Old one, existed for about twenty-five thousand years, but I don't remember the exact date. It is quite possible, and for sure it is, that after the number twenty-five, there is something else besides zeros. In any case, I live in the last millennium of the Old Republic, and this is at least some kind of clarification. There is a chance that I got into peacetime. After the history lesson, we were directed where you would think - to the gym. Where we did physical education for two more hours. It is clear that they were taught not to speak it, but to read and write. We're still kids, in case anyone's forgotten. After that, we were sent to lunch, which was better than breakfast, but not much. In any case, there was already solid food. After lunch... Yes, yes, the gym. Then there was a theology lesson, where we were very conditionally told what the bright side of the Force is and how bad the dark side is. But at first I even tried to understand, but alas: four years is not the age when they will tell you something serious. A banal, albeit interestingly stated, brainwashing was carried out. I didn't even want to sleep. And finally, dinner. That's what I thought at first. But, alas, after him, this disgusting, a thousand times cursed gym was waiting for us again. After which, even super-active creatures, such as children, nodded off. Of course, it wasn't the easiest day. I barely got to the shower, almost fell asleep there, somehow got to my bunk, where I passed out, remembering all the Jedi of the Galaxy. But at the beginning of the day, I also wanted to meditate. Heh, naive. Well, it doesn't matter. I don't know about the other races, but humans are the kind of animals that get used to everything. As long as the training wasn't designed for that. “Get up, Younglings, get up. It would be a crime to lie in bed on this beautiful morning.” I wonder when I'll start hating our handler. And what the fuck kind of morning is he talking about? More precisely, how he determined that it was beautiful. I haven't seen a single window in the last day. As far as I'm concerned, day and night are one hell of a lot. If there aren't days off here yet, then I'm going to go crazy. Exercise is her thing, breakfast is her fucking class... Fuck it, I'm sick of it. I will learn to sleep with my eyes open. Fedka Zhbot, whom everyone in our platoon, and not only, called a Cheapskate, mastered this useful skill, so why am I worse? It's even better to combine sleep with meditation... Damn, that sounds crazy. Today, in the first lesson, they continued to tell us about the Great First Chancellor, and I, wincing, tried to put aside the aching pain in my muscles, while filtering the mentor's words. The problem is that I just didn't know anything about those days, and it was difficult for me to understand where statistics end and propaganda begins. I doubted that a Jedi could lie, but it was easy for him to sincerely believe in a fake. Twenty-five thousand years, now go find out where the truth is and where the lie is. But I'm screwed with meditation. Just because I couldn't do anything with my eyes open. And I was afraid to close them, because I almost slept without it. Today's lecture, despite the mentor's efforts, made everyone sleepy. Still, four-year-olds didn't care about the laws passed at the dawn of the Republic. In general, this day was not much different from the previous one. The same lectures, the same food, the same gym, in which they didn't teach us anything, but only drove us. They didn't even explain what kind of exercise they needed. And since I don't need to turn on my brain in the gym, this is the time I chose to train in meditation. Well, what about it? It doesn't take much to do that. Calmness, concentration and absence of thoughts. However, the last point is only desirable. Roughly speaking, it is necessary to detach oneself from the environment, and physical exercises seem to have been created specifically for this purpose. You run stupidly, jump stupidly, stretch stupidly.... Brains are not needed. Of course, I didn't succeed the first time. And from the second one. And even from the tenth. But after a month, I could feel my Strength while running. This strange fog. However, after a month, I still had enough strength left to sit with the crystals before going to bed and feel how this fog sticks to them. Crystals have generally proved to be quite useful in meditation. In any case, it was by focusing on them that I entered a trance the fastest. One day I sat up all night like that, and if you think that meditation helped me to be cheerful in the morning, then you are mistaken. It's a good thing the curator decided that I just got up before everyone else. Maybe it wouldn't have happened, but somehow I didn't want to check. If I had known what the penalties were, I would have considered admitting that I hadn't slept all night and had to improvise. They even praised me for getting up earlier than everyone else, noting, however, that sleep is also an important part of the daily routine. During the first month of my stay at the Temple, the beds in our room were completely filled. Three of them were occupied by human cubs, and one by a baby tagruta. I remember that race. Of course, who doesn't remember Ahsoka Tano? Actually, this cub of the planet Shili, named Palat Gani, was a pretty funny guy. To begin with, he wasn't wearing shoes. When I asked him, "How is that?" he replied that they, the Togruts, hear the spirits of the earth worse in shoes. After such an answer, I decided not to get to him, otherwise you never know, suddenly these spirits of the earth will tell him to bite my throat in a dream. I'm exaggerating, of course, but it's generally difficult to communicate with the obkurish. Nevertheless, the spirits must have whispered something to him, because after my question, I noticed that he was hanging around all the time, and after a few days he finally lost his fear, following me around. I don't know, maybe it's because I was the first one to talk to him. He even ran next to me in the gym. And all this despite the fact that the guy was generally very sociable and joined our children's team very quickly. And do you know what he replied when I asked him directly, "What kind of woodpecker"? Well, check it out - the sensible ones should stick together, and I'm always apart. It turns out that he is trying to connect me and society. As it can, but nevertheless. In general, you'll agree, it's a pretty mature answer for a four-year-old toddler. But I didn't even realize it right away. Once I get into the environment of my physical peers, I secretly hold them all as my equal. Plus another world - who knows what kind of children other races have. There's the Giro Jiss, who's ongry, what a smart ass. For his age. But still, I would like to note that the majority of kids do not stand out in any such way. “Rain, why are we going to the gym?” This clingy person asked me. By the way, yes. At the moment, we had joined up with other groups of small-time bullies and were heading, apparently, to the gym. They were supposed to be in the classroom for another lecture. “I don't know," I replied to the brown-skinned man. “Why are you always asking me? Out, go ask Jiro.” “Well... You're older... so I thought..." the guy hesitated. “Pal," I sighed, "what makes you think I'm older?" “Well” “Jiro was born two months before me, so ask him similar questions from now on.” “Don't be angry, Rain...” He lowered his head. You've seen it! That's what I was talking about. A small-time backbiter puts pressure on pity. And how did you feel, huh? I may be a cynic, but I don't have an iron heart-I may not like children, but... pancake. Fucking kids. If they sit on your neck, you can take it off. “I'm not angry, Pal. But I really don't know anything. Most likely, they just changed the schedule.” I changed my tone, to which the guy immediately smiled. And what, I ask? It's like I told him the secret of the universe. We went to the gym with a total of a hundred kids, but already there we were divided into groups, assigned a mentor to each of us. After that, they were taken to numerous venues for fights, where they were seated right on the floor. It's good that at least they're not made of stone here. “Well, Younglings," the mentor standing in front of us began. “Starting today, you will have to start learning how to fight without weapons. In about a year, you will be able to pick up a lightsaber training, and my goal is that by that time you have an idea of what combat is in general and know how to control your body sufficiently to use a lightsaber. Even if it's educational. And I will start your training with a short lecture.” “To begin with, there are seven forms of lightsaber combat. And each of the forms has a hand-to-hand counterpart. These analogues are not as good as the Martial Art of echani or, for example, Teras-kasi, but they are also undoubtedly useful. Although in many ways it all depends on the skill. Starting today, you will be taught the Shii-Cho style of hand-to-hand combat. A form-matching lightsaber fight. And although the hand-to-hand analogue of this Form began to be developed after the creation of the Makasha, the second Form, it fully conveys the philosophy of its fencing brother. Directness, determination, sharpness. The Shii-Cho is the oldest Form, developed by the ancient Jedi specifically for lightsabers, and is very well suited for fighting several weaker opponents. But because of its simplicity and ease of mastering, it is remembered and used to this day. And some have reached such heights that masters of later Forms are afraid to face them in a duel. So, younglings, I strongly advise you not to disparage the Form of Determination, as it is also called.” That's how it's been since then. Instead of just running and jumping, we were also trained in hand-to-hand combat. However, they taught me - that's too strong a word. What can four-year-olds learn? But here are the basics, yes, they were drilled in. As well as many other things. About reaction training, developing the right reflexes, and so on, and so on, everything is clear. So almost every movement was explained to us from a philosophical point of view. Or something like that. Something like: "A direct hit is the essence of determination, the quintessence of power and honesty. The answer to your insecurity." And I'm fine, but how many of the kids have understood what "quintessence" is? Oh well. You can call it my grumbling. Now the mentors are hammering words into us, which will then grow into understanding. At first, children are forced to memorize some gibberish, the understanding of which will come later, but most importantly, like: "So that's what the mentors meant! That's how it is! And I kept thinking. I understand. Now I understand!" It goes without saying that this is not something that will be remembered, it will clog into the subcortex. Over time, and lectures... How should I put it... they became more complicated. Most of all, I did not like lectures on the legislation of the Republic. I knew I needed it, but the mentor who taught us the laws was so boring.... However, I found out a couple of interesting facts. How do you like the statement that the Republic, while officially condemning the slave trade, does not have a single law prohibiting it? She is supposedly against the slave trade, but the Republic has no legal grounds to ban it. And a Jedi who steals a slave will not be a liberator, but a thief. Just a thief. But it's always been that way. If you set out to whitewash the Republic... Hmm, it still won't work. Well okay. In general, if someone says that the Republic cannot fix this moment, since it does not have troops and a navy, let them remember that this state of affairs has always existed, even in those times when it was especially strong. The more I listened to such lectures, the more I realized how rotten the Republic was. Take spice, for example. It's a drug, in case anyone didn't know. Check out the joke - on the one hand, the Republic recognizes that it is a drug, and even fights against its spread, and on the other, it has the right to make and officially sell it to persons who have received a license for it. It's like a drug, like an earthly morphine. Awesome, right? As I understand it, you paid a dime to the Senate, and you're a pharmacologist, and you're a criminal if you don't pay.And that's just what I know. Back on Earth, I heard that the Republic was led to this by the Sith. Like, they've been sapping her from the inside for a thousand years. Maybe, I'm not arguing. But if that's the case, I can only applaud them. In a thousand years, they have done what their predecessors could not do in twenty-four. I reallyhope that I got somewhere in the middle of this thousand years. But I didn't have long to hope. After that lecture, we were sent to the gym, where we practiced falls and rolls once again. By the way, I finally figured out what Shii-Cho's hand-to-hand combat is like. In karate. One-on-one with what I saw on TV in my world. I wonder if the first Form itself is similar to Japanese kendo? “Stop. The next pair," said the mentor. “You and you, in a circle.” Now we were sitting in a circle, in the center of which couples were constantly being called up, who practiced throws under the supervision of an adult Jedi. Who commented and corrected them at the same time. I was one of the first to visit there, and now I was just relaxing, listening attentively to my mentor's explanations. I could meditate, but then I'll skip the actual study. But this, as I suspect, will be very useful to me in the future. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement at the entrance to the gym. There was always someone coming in and out, and I was sitting there so I couldn't help noticing these people. More precisely, reasonable ones. Or creatures? Spit. Now a reasonable one has entered the hall, whose race I remembered from watching the animated series, which, as you remember, I did not watch all and in fits and starts. I don't remember the name of the race, but it seems that this is the kind of Jedi who brought Ahsoka Tano to the Order. What's his name again? “Master Plo Kun!” I heard an exclamation from behind me. And when I turned around, I saw a little togruta waving thirty meters away from us. Precisely! That's exactly his name.... Damn.