38 Comlink

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20+ chapter ahead. ----------------------------------------------

The next day was marked only by the new comlink Dzik had given me. It was a stylish black bracelet, made of a material that resembled plastic, only softer.

- BC-90, - the technician nodded to me. - Coverage zone - 1500 km. Has the ability to encrypt frequencies and "see" the encrypted ones. One of the best comlinks on the market, perfect price-performance ratio. And it just looks good.

- Thank you," I put the bracelet on my arm. It adjusted to the size of my hand.

- You're welcome," he shrugged. - No big deal.

- Hey, Zik, that projector you gave me yesterday, can it encrypt the recording? A password, or something.

- You can set a password, but you can't encrypt it. It's cheap.

- Yeah? Hmm, I still don't know how to do that.

- How can u don't know it, kid," he said, reaching over to his desk. - Can't figure out the holoprojector menu, but you collect droids. Here," he pointed to the exact same device I had.

Yeah. I'm a real jerk, aren't I? I did not pay attention to one of the icons, which is specifically for this.

- It's a shame," I said slowly. - Can't figure it out.

- Come on, it happens. - After explaining everything to me, Dzik threw the device back on his desk. - A reasonable person often doesn't see the obvious things.

- You know," I said, glancing at the projector, "why don't you tell me how to use the comlink?

I spent the day with Pron on pins and needles. The first half I was excited, the second half I was nervous. I didn't think there was anything to be nervous about, but there wasn't. Suddenly, he had a case, and we have no connection - to warn me will not work. And call him back from the new comlink also ... well... kind of show my impatience. Ashamed or not ashamed, scared or not scared, I don't know. By seven o'clock, I was exhausted. I went over the second text in my head ten times, the one that was encrypted. I mean, it was encrypted. That's where I couldn't get anything wrong.

At ten to seven, I sat on the steps leading up to the Temple gate, bored. The excitement was gone, burned out, I guess. Pron's number was jammed into my comlink, and if anything, I'd just call back. It might not be today, but I think the meeting would happen one way or another. It's probably even better if I have a couple of days to buy a new holoprojector with encryption, think about the letter....

- If it isn't little Rayne. - It sounded above me, and I had to be so thoughtful and miss the moment when they approached me. - You're a big boy. If it wasn't for your obvious resemblance to your father, I wouldn't have recognized you.

- Hello, Uncle Pron," I jumped to my feet and, not knowing what to say, said: - "Glad you could make it.

- What else could it be? - he grinned. - I thought we had a deal.

Pron hasn't changed a bit, I see. Though he hasn't changed much lately. Three years is nothing to me, but to a grown man it is. Like before, he reminded me a lot of Stallone, the way I remembered him before I came here - older, but still awake. Of course, they weren't exactly alike, but there was something about Prona.

- Still, there's no telling what could have happened," I shook my head. - You didn't have to come.

- Oh, come on, I'm here. You'd better tell me how you're doing. And let's at least take a walk around the yard. Don't just stand there. There's not much room to sit down," he said, looking around at the stone patch halfway across the soccer field.

- It's all right here. I expected worse when I came here. But it's even interesting, I guess. Not always, but often.

- Can you move things with your mind yet? - Pron asked, smiling.

- Yeah," I pouted. - I can pull rocks as fast as I can. I'm also learning to be a pilot. When..." "When... - I began, and involuntarily glanced round, "when I get back, I'll buy a ship. I will compete with you.

- Healthy competition is good," he patted my head. - And I'm glad you don't forget your home. You, Dacari, have always come back. Your father, his brothers, at various times have traveled many parsecs across the galaxy, but, one hutt, then they came back.

To which I could only shrug. And after a brief pause, he said:

- The Order does everything to keep us in it. Not even that. Everything here is designed to make the Jedi feel like family. And given that so many have nowhere to go back to...

- You mean most of the orphans are there? - the man wondered.

- No," I shook my head. - No," I shook my head. "It's just that their kin think it's a great honor to be a Jedi. There aren't that many situations like mine, really.

- But there are kids like that," he said in a semi-assertive tone.

- There are," I nodded. - Only... to feel a part of something as big as the Order, not a cog, but a part, it's... It's... it's a payoff.

- And you're a lot more mature than you look.

- You can tell," I jerked my shoulder.

We were quiet.

- By the way," the man spoke again, "I've tried to contact you three times. I always got the same answer, not allowed," he mocked. - I owe too much to your father to give up so easily. I wanted to try a couple more times this year, not as directly as before, though. But it didn't work out that way.

- Three times? - I was surprised. - Do you come here that often?

- Um, four times a year.

- А... - I hovered, - and this year?

- Third time. - Man, how come? Deroche does not catch mice? Surprised, even stopped for a moment. - What's wrong?

- My droid spent a year scanning the holonet for familiar names and ship names. I just stumbled across you now.

- Uh-oh, there it is. That's funny. You see, normally on Coruscant, I'd check in with someone I knew, and you couldn't find my name or the name of my ship on the public network. But this time, he's having a little trouble, so I had to use the official dock.

- So," I said, "I'm lucky that someone else isn't?

- Somehow," he said with a smirk. - But now you'll be able to keep in regular contact with the house. More or less regular," he corrected.

- Yeah, right," I pulled out the holoprojector and handed it to Pron. - Here. Don't let the Force forget... Ugh. See? Talking.

- It's all right," the merchant grinned. - I remember when your father came back from the Temple. Oh, that was a long time ago... he used to pray to the Force for years, with or without occasion. - He flipped the projector around in his hands and then said, "Anything I should tell you in words?

- Yes," I sighed. - Uncle Gaari, try to get a letter to my father without my mother seeing it. And tell him there's a second file she shouldn't see. He can look at it himself and let him do what he wants. But the first time it is better to watch it alone. - And so that Pron realizes the importance of what he has said, he adds: - All alone.

- Oh, wow. Well, if you say so. What if I decide to read it?

- I trust you. - Jedi don't lie, but I'm the Chosen One, I mean, I'm an Expanse. I'm allowed. - But just in case someone sees the holoprojector, the second file is encrypted. Tell my father that the code consists of ten digits, which I had to memorize.

- Is it that important? - he asked me.

- How can I tell you...? Let my father decide.

- All right. I'll do as you say," he said, putting the projector into a small bag hanging on his belt. - When do you have to go back?

- I've got about two hours," I said, estimating the time.

- That's good. Let me tell you what's going on at home while I have time.

- Are my parents all right? How is my cat?

- Your parents are fine, but I don't know what "cat" is.

Don't tell me he's...

- Well... Bane is... My pet," I said cautiously.

- Oh... - he grimaced nervously. - That demon. Yeah. He's fine, too. He's too good. Your father said he would only listen to you, without question. - He sighed heavily and ran a hand over his head. - Oh, baby, I can't wait for you to come back.