A Crash Course in Learning
"No, Rowook. The force is not like the herbs and spices of your Bantha Rump Stew." The Ithorian Aiveer Ova explained for the third time that day as he and his adoptive father, Rowook, a renowned Wookiee war hero and part-time scoundrel, sat in the middle of their campsite in the Western Dune Sea.
"Oh yeah?" Rowook barked in Shyriiwook, "The herbs and spices in my stew bind the flavors together like the force binds the universe together." The old Wookiee persisted stubbornly.
Aiveer rolled his grey eyes and waved his hand to dismiss the comment,
"Whatever," he muttered to himself as he stirred the pot of simmering stew with a wooden spoon. He then scooped some up and raised it to his mouth to take a sip of the warm liquid.
"Fine. Like the herbs and spices in the stew bind the ingredients and flavors together." Aiveer conceded as he dunked the spoon back into the still simmering pot.
He looked up to catch Rowook grinning victoriously at him.
"Right. So the force is what binds the galaxy together," he raised a hand to cut off Rowook's remark that he knew would come, "Yes, like the herbs and spices in the stew," Rowook nodded with a smile and Aiveer continued.
"Every being in the galaxy is bound together by the force. Without it, none of us or anything would exist. It's just impossible for anyone or anything to live without it." Aiveer explained.
Rowook, while listening to Aiveer, killed the heat on the portable stove he'd taken with them for their camping retreat. He then pulled out two porcelain bowls out of the large rucksack that he leaned the small of his back on while he was sitting down on the cooling sand, then poured equal amounts of stew into each bowl and handed one over to Aiveer as he placed one down in front of himself.
"Ah, thanks." Aiveer said, stopping in mid-sentence when the bowl was handed to him. Rowook tore a chunk of sour dough bread out of the loaf he had packed and handed a piece over to Aiveer, who accepted it with a smile.
"So as I was saying, without the force no life could exist, and because each and every person in the universe is bound with the force, everyone has a natural affinity to it."
Rowook cocked a thick eyebrow at his adopted son.
"You mean everyone can tap into its power?" he asked curiously as Aiveer shook his head vigorously.
"No, no, no. Not what I meant at all, what I should have said was that although everyone has an affinity to the force because they are bound by it, it does not mean that everyone can hear it's voice like you and I."
Rowook deeply nodded once as he took a bite out of the stew-drenched bread and began to chew.
"So you're saying that only those attuned to the force can hear its voice then?" "Exactly. Yes, because both you and I have a strong affinity to the force we can hear it in different points and in different aspects of our lives, for example," Aiveer began by gesturing to Rowook with a four fingered hand, "You hear the force at its peak when we're in grave danger, and it shows itself through your determination to survive and continue. How else would you have been able to tear down that blast door with nothing but your hands?" his son asked half-jokingly.
Rowook smiled. "I get your point. But what was your point in taking me out here in the middle of the desert?" Rowook asked Aiveer, who had turned to gaze out at the blood red-orange sky as the twin suns dipped down behind the rigid mountain range seven kilometers to the south.
Aiveer thought a moment before answering.
"I don't know, Rowook. But I have a feeling that it's because I always feel a strong connection to the force out here. Tatooine has been our home for almost a decade now and throughout my time here, and travelling from system to system, learning more about myself and the force with each journey, I just feel at peace here." Aiveer answered as he turned to look at Rowook, "It's like my connection to the force is strongest here on Tatooine... home, rather than on any other planet in the galaxy so far. Perhaps it's just wishful thinking or an illusion of the mind, but I think it's worth trying to strengthen your connection to the force here where I feel strongest, it may work for you here and now with the sight of the beautiful sunset in the distance."
Rowook nodded in understanding of his son's incredibly wise words for someone no older than twenty one years old, though it did sadden him that Aiveer had not been able to lead a normal life. The galaxy needed its heroes and Rowook knew deep within his heart, within the smoldering core of his soul, that Aiveer had been deemed one of those heroes from the moment he was born.
"If you think it's worth a shot then who am I to argue with a Jedi?" Rowook asked half-jokingly, though he could see a flash of embarrassment and modesty cross Aiveer's eyes.
"I'm no Jedi. As I've explained before, I'll do what I can to teach you what I know, although I have a feeling you'll need to be passed on to Roly for further training at his estate on Naboo."
Rowook grinned. Roly had been a close family friend for almost three centuries and had been a mentor for a younger Rowook, often guiding him through the twisting caverns of his home village. Roly was a Zabrak Jedi Master who had lived well past the usual age for a member of his species, and with the aid of the force he looked no older than forty and had the agility of an athletic teenager on stims and adrenals. He was also one of Aiveer's mentors in the ways of the force and Rowook had utter faith in the Zabrak to be able to teach him all that he knew about the force and how to unlock its potential.
Rowook folded his arms and exhaled loudly causing Aiveer to cast him a sidelong glance.
"Are you ready to begin your training, Rowook?" Aiveer asked slowly, almost reluctantly, as if he was afraid of something.
"Yes, I am." Rowook replied as he picked up on his son's unease, "Is there something wrong, Aiveer? You seem troubled." he pried gently.
The Ithorian sagged his shoulders and exhaled through both mouths blowing a small dust cloud of sand into the still evening air.
"Not wrong per se," Aiveer began and then faltered for a moment but Rowook gave him time to continue.
"It's just that for the most part of your life you have been a soldier, a scout and many other things," Aiveer continued, "You have been tainted by the horrors of battle and you have lost so much over the years and it has left a scar in you, Rowook. In your heart as well as your mind." Aiveer said gently, trying not to upset his adoptive father.
Rowook was far from angry or upset, he had witnessed first hand the horrors the force could inflict when in the wrong hands and he understood his son's unease about training such a scarred person in the ways of the force.
"And what do I do about these scars?" Rowook asked mildly.
Aiveer shrugged in reply and leaned his head in one of his long fingered hands as he contemplated an answer for his elder.
"Such scars are hard to heal Rowook. You're what, three hundred years old?" Aiveer asked only half rhetorically aloud.
"Three hundred, yes." Rowook provided helpfully.
"It's a long time to carry such emotional and mental scars and hope to wield the force safely. Over the past decade you have lost your wife and your entire family, besides Firlee and I. It's just a hell of a lot to take for one person, even a wookiee." Aiveer responded.
"But there has to be a way to cleanse the wounds that refuse to heal." Rowook replied cryptically with a small smile.
Aiveer raised his head from his hand and looked at Rowook square in the eyes. "There may be a way, Rowook. But it will require you to be able to reach inwards with the force into the very core of your being. And considering you can't even reach out with the force yet, at least not unless you're super angry or really need a blast door torn down, it's kind of a hopeless suggestion." Aiveer said as a hint of frustration deepened his melodic voice.
"Calm down, Aiveer. Even if this cleansing technique does not work out I will not allow myself to become another Nigof Ove." Rowook replied calmly.
The mentioning of their old tormentor's name caused Aiveer's frustrations to melt away and turn into a burning fire of anger that he quickly suppressed with his superior emotional controls.
Nigof Ove had once been a close friend to both Rowook and Aiveer for many years, especially on the lead up to the Galactic Civil War. Once the war erupted and engulfed much of the galaxy, Nigof figured that he'd rather be on the winning side and pledged allegiance to the Empire's service. Soon power corrupted him and as he was exposed to more and more of the horrors the Empire committed to maintain control of the galaxy, he became twisted, corrupted and a fearsome agent of the Empire as well as a powerful, and very personal, nemesis to both Rowook and Aiveer. He met his end during the Battle of Endor when Aiveer ran him through with his shimmering violet bladed lightsaber, ending the insane agent's life once and for all. However the old wounds Nigof inflicted were still open and tender in both of their minds.
Aiveer shook his head slowly and spoke quietly.
"I know, Rowook. I did not mean that you would, and I'm not saying that you need to cleanse yourself to start your training as a Jedi. It's just that the things you rely on for strength, like anger and strong, powerful, malevolent emotions, they are not the way of the Jedi." Aiveer paused for a moment before continuing, "I think it will be a difficult path for you to follow."
Rowook nodded slowly and began to ponder, his mind trailing off slightly, but he shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked back at Aiveer.
"I'm just suggesting that it may be better for you to cleanse yourself before following the path of the Jedi, or even just following the will of the force in general, because both you and I know that when the force and powerful emotions mix, bad things can, and often will, happen." Aiveer said, clearly referring to Nigof. "You must understand that I don't want you caught up in this whole confrontation with the dark side when you are still just learning on how to open up to the force."
Rowook smiled slightly.
"Much like you did when you were younger, relying on your anger and hatred to get the job done." Rowook said.
It was not a question and Aiveer couldn't have agreed more with him.
"Yes, exactly. And that too left its scars on me. But I, unlike you at the moment, was able to cleanse and heal them." Aiveer responded calmly.
By now the suns had dipped down behind the jagged mountain range to the south and the sky was now a dark red and purple with the first gleaming lights in the sky indicating stars. Rowook gazed out and at the natural beauty of the scene and took in a deep breath savoring the dry, sandy air and exhaled slowly and did the same thing until he was in a trance-like state.
Aiveer watched as Rowook conducted his own meditations. A small grin rode across his mouths as he too mirrored the Wookiee's actions. He reached out with his mind and projected words, a voice, in the Wookiee's mind.
"Well done, Rowook," Aiveer's voice said in Rowook's head.
To Aiveer's mild surprise Rowook did not even flinch but instead tried to talk back. But he was not able to since he did not have the skill to do so just yet.
"Remain calm, Rowook. Just listen to my voice and I shall guide you into a larger world," Aiveer said as he too began to open himself up to the force. He felt it like a cool breeze on a hot day washing through him.
"Imagine the desert we sit in at the moment," Aiveer said through the force, "We see sand and rocks, the jagged mountains, the last rays of light from the setting suns, and we see the smoldering balls of distant gasses that are the stars in the sky, but we see no life," Aiveer said. "Strip away the different layers of nothingness and soon we begin to see and feel things differently."
As the Ithorian instructed he too peeled back the layers of sand, rock and dirt to reveal a different picture. He could see animals burrowing through the sand and dirt meters below the surface, tiny, microscopic streams of moisture seeping through the gaps in the sand particles, and he knew that Rowook felt it too when he felt a burst of excitement from his companion which represented itself when Aiveer heard Rowook jump distantly as the faint buzzing of a native fly hovering past the wookiee's ear, it sounded like the engines of an X-wing roaring to life as it buzzed past. To Aiveer's surprise, Rowook maintained his composure for the most part.
He allowed Rowook to continue expanding his awareness of the force for a while longer while he himself drifted back into full consciousness.
By now it was dark and the sky was filled with an ocean of stars so bright they almost blocked out the moons themselves. Aiveer hardly noticed when Rowook stirred from his trance and turned to look at him with a small smile spreading across his furry features.
"That really was something," Rowook declared as he ran a large paw through the fur on his head.
"It truly is, Rowook."
Aiveer smiled at the Wookiee and nodded slowly, then looked up, mesmerized by the beauty of the cool, desert night. He then glanced back at Rowook who had crawled into his sleeping bag and lay with his hands behind his large head to gaze up at the stars as well.
"You have taken your first steps into a larger world," Aiveer said slowly.
A growing sense of pride filled him. He had been able to instruct someone in the ways of the force, perhaps he would be fitting to call himself a Jedi...at some later date.
"Now that you have taken these steps there is no turning back. There are two paths to the force, there is the long stone pavement that has many twists and turns at many points in its route, and then there is the motorized walkway on which all you have to do is stand and wait," Aiveer explained.
He knew Rowook was listening. The wookiee always listened even when things did not concern him.
"The long stone path may be long and tiring, but at the end there is a reward. You shall find eternal peace with the force." the Ithorian said, gesturing with his right hand at nothing in particular, "But on the other hand there is the motorized walkway which is all good and dandy at first but you soon begin to realize that although it may be a shorter trip, the destinations are not the same. Down this path you will only find ruin and suffering."
Rowook rumbled softly as he agreed to Aiveer's statement.
"Like Nigof." Rowook said, and again, Aiveer knew it was not a question.
"Indeed."
Aiveer heard Rowook turn to look at him with a faint calm in his blue eyes that glistened in the star light.
"Aiveer, you said that the scars I have suffered over the years could have an effect on the outcome of my training, and I thought you said you were reluctant to teach me on how to open up to the force with these scars still showing." Rowook said slowly, "What made you guide me in my meditation?"
For the first time that night Aiveer was truly confused and had no answer. The two sat in silence for a long five minutes before Aiveer answered.
"It was a risk I was willing to take, and more importantly, it was a risk you were willing to take, Rowook. I cannot decide your destiny, only you can do that."
Aiveer paused once more.
"I've spent my entire life with you playing the role of a father to me. And during that time I have seen the decisions you make on a daily basis. From my mental calculations you'll make a pretty good Jedi if you do not allow the past to come back and haunt you." Aiveer warned with a smile.
"Thanks, Aiveer. I appreciate it." Rowook replied with a smile.
Satisfied with Aiveer's response he rolled over in his sleeping bag and shut his eyes to go to sleep.
Aiveer stayed up late into the night contemplating all he and Rowook had gone through over the years in the service of the Alliance and how he himself had managed to progress far into his studies in the use of the force.
A breeze whistled over the sand dune behind them causing Aiveer to shiver slightly. He crawled over to his sleeping bag and climbed in and drifted off into a deep sleep thinking,
Yeah, I think Rowook will turn out just fine.