Yunling

"Are you interested, kid?" My father asked, looking at me. I still didn't go to see the crystals, and after my father's words about the cave, I just stood there, staring at him. And when he asked about the interest, he nodded very quickly. To which he laughed good-naturedly:

"Don't nod so fast, baby, or your head will fly off. So be it, I'll take you there. I'm going to go that way one of these days to get ore, why not make a little detour for the sake of my boy," At the last words, Dad started hugging me like I was a stuffed animal. However, for the sake of this, I am ready to endure these bullying without words.

We went to the cave, or rather to get the ore that my father uses in alloys, a day later. Mom walked around with such a face, as if we were going to war, and in response, I showed with all the methods available to me how I was looking forward to this trip. As a result, my mother remained silent. And by the end, she was no longer upset, but annoyed.

However, when they put me in the car and strapped me in, a thought flashed through my head — or maybe it was him, but the thought flashed only once and very quickly. After all, this was a cave of crystals! Damn, to get into this world and not look at such a cave? Yes, it can be done later, but curiosity is gnawing at the moment. What if I'm a forsyuser myself and I smell my crystal there? At least, that's how I think the Jedi find them. I can't say for sure, but there seems to be something going on in my head. If I'm right.... No, I don't want to be a Jedi, and neither do I want to be a Sith, and I'm doing well on this planet, but I'm a force user, a gifted One... or whatever they're called here... in general, I want to pull objects with the power of thought. It's such a small thing, I hope I can learn on my own. I don't even need great power, it's enough that I'll be different from others. And how can you turn around with this force?... Here on the Pzob, I mean. One problem is that one of the Jedi, Obi-wan, I think, said that there are billions of living beings in the Galaxy, but there are only a few thousand Jedi. The chance of me being force-sensitive is one in several billion. Pretty bleak odds, you'll agree. Even if the Jedi find only a small fraction of such children, still, one in several million is not a very good chance, if you are optimistic. For the first hour of the trip, Dad, without stopping, told the cases from his life, how he mined this or that crystal. It was interrupted only when we passed the serpentine, and a picturesque valley stretched out on our right.

"The Talar Valley," my father said. "That's where the crystal cave is located, but we'll look there on the way back. First, we'll collect cortosis ores. Metal is fragile, but in some places it is very necessary. But if we turn west at the nearest fork, we can get to the lommite deposits. Durasteel and transparent steel are made from it. It's not as expensive an ore as cortosis, but it's also awesome. Pzob is generally rich in all kinds of ores. One day, our family will save enough money to be able to start mining all of this. First, what's cheaper, so that they don't get crushed right away, and then, as we turn around, the most expensive. Like the same cortosis. And when we become big people by the standards of the Galaxy, we'll take care of the nearest asteroid belt," my father dreamed, while I was blown away. "My father, your grandfather, also found phryquite and tydirium deposits there. And that, kid, is just a lot of money."

Dad gives it to me. Yes, he has Napoleonic plans, as I see it. And I don't even mind at all-he only has one heir. And even if I get a couple of brothers, it doesn't matter, I'll still be the eldest.... Hell, no. It's a real problem. That's two bullies on my head.

And the heir to all this, baby, will be you. So look at me, not philony. Diligently learn everything that you will be taught. When you turn thirteen, we will send you to the University of Alderaan. The pleasure is not cheap, but it's worth it. Although I personally would have sent you to Coruscant, but the trouble is, Mom was against it. You see, there are too many criminals, seduction and perverts.... Okay, though, I agree with her on that. But they teach technical sciences better there.

And my father, as I see it, doesn't really need an interlocutor. Look how he broke up. However, no matter what he says, I'm all for it. I'll see the world and gain knowledge.

We reached the place only half an hour after that conversation. My father spent an hour digging in the ground, choosing cobblestones, and then another forty minutes driving to the cave, and finally, here it is — the purpose of my visit!

The Talar crystal cave wasn't that big. I imagined her... Well, maybe more. There were actually four caves connected by branches. And if you want to, you won't get lost. But it's beautiful. The walls of the cave were dotted with multicolored, already transparent crystals, and this was in an unprocessed form. And when my father turned on the second lamp.... In short, it looked really amazing. But I didn't feel any call. I spent an hour wandering around there, and at least that. I wonder if the Jedi cave is as small as that? Although, of course, not what I mean. She would have been robbed thousands of years ago.

Overall, it turned out to be a fun trip. Informative, interesting, and frustrating. I can't even begin to say how much my chances of becoming a force user have decreased. And two months later, I turned four years old.

Yeah.... It turned out to be a glorious holiday. However, due to my young age, it's more likely not from me, but from my parents. They invited twenty-two people to my fourth birthday party... that is, intelligent ones, including several Zabraks and Twi'leks. That's apart from their children. It was on that day that I saw my father's youngest brother for the first time. And his children, by the way. Two boys of six years old. And it turns out that I was the youngest among the Dakari children. Even Rama's youngest son, who was also four years old, celebrated his birthday six months ago.

By the way, gifts were given not only to me, but also to my parents. And yes, they were given. I mean, there was a tradition of birthday gifts in this Galaxy. Maybe not everywhere, I don't know, but I've been here. Right now, the last donor is coming up to me, who turned out to be Galil, my father's youngest brother. He was holding a plastic box about fifty centimeters in his hands, and he squatted down in front of me.

"Well, The nephew," he said, smiling broadly, "it's my turn. "Look what I have."

With these words, the uncle opened the box. And when I looked into it, I realized that even a cynical loser like me can still be touched. There was an animal in the box that looked like a kitten. But instead of fur, his body was covered with small scales. Curled up in a ball, the animal slept, ignoring the noise and hubbub in the courtyard of the house where the holiday was celebrated.

"It's a Khasi gratt," Galil said. "Pick it up and bring it to your face. You should be the first person he sees when he wakes up."

Taking the kitten in his arms, he brought it to his face, but Galil then moved a little to the side. Gratt, disturbed by the movement of his body, began to wake up, blinking and wrinkling his muzzle. And when he blinked, the first thing he saw were my eyes. And so, believe it or not, but after that, I felt like a soft paw was touching my brain. Not something ephemeral called the mind or consciousness, but specifically the brain under the skull. Nothing unpleasant, just unusual. It lasted for about a minute, after which the animal made something similar to a meow, but only similar. Rather, he even meowed and purred at the same time.

"Well," Galil came up, "now you won't have a more reliable friend than this Gratt. He will not betray, will not leave, will always support and share his joy. Take care of him and remember that these animals are very smart. I've written your parents care instructions, so ask them more often how best to take care of him.

Against the background of the various toys that were given to me here, this gift clearly stood out. As I later found out, gratt was not something amazing and rare, their kittens were quite easy to tame. A rare drug was a drug that tied gratt's cubs to their master on a mental level. But I found out later, and now I was looking at the kitten curled up in my arms, who decided to continue his sleep, and I was touched. Never in my second life have I seen such sweetness. I was especially touched by the way he tried to get comfortable in my arms. The gratt was small, but my hands of a four-year-old child were not very big either.

"And also, baby," my uncle added, "don't stray too far from him in the next month. Nothing like that, but it will be unpleasant for the kitten."

Oh, in my opinion, Uncle, there's something you're not telling me. Maybe the binding might get lost or something? I may not have known about the drug at the time, but what happened, plus the many fantasy books I read back in my home world, allowed me to draw a very definite conclusion. Oh well. In principle, it's not difficult for me.

In general, the holiday was undoubtedly a success. And I certainly remember it. If only because I had to sit for two hours surrounded by kids who, if they had their way, would have torn the kitten apart. And the next day, after the guests had gone home, my father boasted about a brand-new crystal given by one of the guests.

I gave my gift the nickname Bane, and for the next two months I carried it everywhere with me. Even though my uncle was talking about a month, I decided to be safe. My father called me to the workshop more and more often when he was busy with orders. We even went down to the Talar cave with him once more. Where I felt nothing again. And a couple of months later, two Jedi knocked on our door. I was in his workshop with my father at that moment, and when my pale mother came in, I felt very clearly her fear and hopelessness, turning into longing.

"The Jedi," was all she said in response to her father's worried look. And for once, I've watched a man turn pale before my eyes.

And also these emotions.... I was very scared then. Canon is canon, but when people whose love you feel every day are so scared of two Jedi, it means something. It's better for you not to know how many things I managed to invent for myself then.

Work, of course, stopped. I was picked up by my mother and carried to my room, and my father apparently went to meet the Jedi. Mom didn't stay with me either. A few words that everything is fine and I have to sit in my room, a kiss on the cheek, and now I'm alone. I had enough patience for about thirty minutes, which I tried to kill with the help of Bane, but I couldn't relax. So, after telling him my mother's words, I quietly slipped out of the room. The parents were in the living room with the Jedi, and they had no intention of muffling their voices.

"... The politics of the Order," I heard an unfamiliar voice say. "Approved by the Republic, by the way. Either he becomes a Jedi, or he is cut off from the Force. By the way, I didn't notice any negative emotions in my voice. But they've been admonishing their parents for half an hour.

"After that, he turns into an emotional cripple," the father replied. "With a good chance of going crazy."

"That's why no one likes to do it. Understand that neither the Order nor the Republic can afford to ignore the gifted. Statistics show that only two out of ten such people do not plunge into darkness. The power will wake up in him sooner or later, I can already feel it, and then he will have a lot of temptations, slowly but surely plunging him into the abyss of Darkness. I'm not talking about accidents. What will you do when he gets angry and uses his instincts to vent his rage on others? You're adults, you should understand that children sometimes just don't understand when they're being mean. Are you ready to take responsibility for the death and injury of local children? Wielding Power is a difficult task and a great responsibility. I'm not talking specifically about your son right now, but if there's at least one child out of a hundred... out of a thousand of those whom we will miss, he will fall into the Darkness and gain enough strength, he can bring untold troubles. And we can't let that happen.

"If your beloved Republic had not reduced its army and navy, you would not have to be so afraid of the appearance of new dark lords."

"The Order is outside politics. It's their decision, and we're doing our best."

It seems that my father is losing ground. Well... from what I've heard, they almost tell him in plain text that if I'm not given to the Order, uncles from the Republic will come to them and drag me by force to a place where my access to power will be blocked. Or maybe not from the Republic. I mean, they'll come straight from the order.

On the one hand, they can be understood. There is no navy, there is no army. One dark lord can gather a lot of power, and then start a war of annihilation. On the other hand... It kind of smells rotten. It is easier for the Republic to search for and take away their children's parents than to maintain a fleet, the money for which can be put in their own pocket. So, by and large, parents have no choice. Either they take me to the Order, or an incomprehensible ritual with incomprehensible, but, judging by my father's words, unpleasant consequences.

The next ten minutes showed that the conversation, in principle, goes in a circle. Both the parents and the Jedi have the same arguments, said in different words. So after listening to the Jedi talk for the third time about how dangerous it is to leave a gifted child unattended, I went to my room. Looks like it's time to pack up.

The guests left only two hours later, after which my parents tried in every possible way to show me that everything was fine. Except even Bane didn't believe them. He ran after me and meowed sadly from time to time. The animal feels that everything is not good. My parents informed me that I was going to the center of the Galaxy only in the morning, and the faded faces and circles under my eyes said that they had not had an easy night.

"Can I take Bane with me?" I asked my father when he dumped the news on me.

"I doubt it, kid. You'll probably have to leave it at home," He replied with a sad smile. "But don't worry, we'll take care of this highwayman", He stroked my head. And mom, sobbing, ran away towards the kitchen.

If it were an ordinary child in my place, he would probably be crying by now. Even I was terribly uneasy. And what was going on in the parents' soul right now.... Actually, I felt very well what was on their minds.