STAR WARS ~ THE OLD REPUBLIC: BOOK ONE: A STARSHIP NAMED DESIRE
A Trilogy of Betrayal by Vyrazhi, ©2013-14
PROLOGUE: THE JEDI CODE
"What is the Jedi Code?" asked Master Severns, a Miraluka Consular. "If you are to become a Padawan, you must know it by heart. Not only that, but its principles must be embedded within your heart. We Jedi have been ambassadors of peace throughout the galaxy for thousands of years. What do we believe?"
"There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no chaos; there is harmony. There is no death; there is the Force," I replied.
"Very good. Now: What does our Code mean? You can certainly mean these words without reciting them, but never recite these words without meaning them. Explain step by step. What does each line signify?"
I took a deep breath. "First of all, it's not that emotion doesn't exist. Everyone has feelings, and they help to make us who we are. With that said, when we Jedi face a situation, we should think rationally and lay our emotions aside. Too many of our Order have fallen victim to the Dark Side of the Force because they were carried away by how they felt in the heat of the moment." I thought of Juhani, a former Dark Jedi who struck down her Master in her final test. She'd turned back to the Light, but had learned a harsh lesson.
"The same goes for passion," I continued. "The reason that Jedi meditate so often, and seek counsel from wise Masters such as yourself, is to learn how to face and conquer the strong feelings they experience. Anger, hatred, vengeance, and even romantic love are mistakes. They can master us instead of the other way around, and distract us from our duty to the galaxy." Darth Revan and Malak were prime examples of this. Both of them had succumbed to the first three emotions and committed countless atrocities. In the end, Revan had killed Malak, but not before apologizing for leading him down the path of darkness.
"As for ignorance, that's often what causes wars to start: a lack of knowledge. The more we know, the more we're able to understand, but we must apply what we've learned in real life. What good are facts inside your head, if you're not able to use those facts to help yourself or others?" Master Severns nodded. Perhaps we were both thinking of the Jedi Council in the time of the Mandalorian Wars, who knew that the Outer Rim was burning while they waited for the true threat to reveal itself. They had refused to act, but Revan had not. While he led the galaxy into battle, the Council had debated, and their patience cost the Republic millions of lives. The true mistake, I had learned, was Revan's - or so said my Master. However, a flicker of doubt still danced in my mind. How many more would have died had Revan not gone to war?
"What about chaos and death?" asked Master Severns after a moment, jolting me out of my reverie.
"Chaos is all around us in the galaxy. However, if we're wise, we'll look for the connections between things and what unites us, instead of the separations and what divides us. For example, what do Jedi and Sith have in common? They both use the Force, but we use it selflessly and with compassion. Sith concentrate upon themselves, and utilize the Force for evil purposes. Our Orders share more than I like to admit, but hopefully this will keep me from falling into the errors that the Sith do. Harmony occurs not when chaos is eliminated - in fact, such a thing is impossible - but when opposing forces are acknowledged and even reconciled. Darth Nihilus, Darth Sion and Darth Traya were on the brink of destroying the galaxy through exploiting wounds in the Force, but the Exile defeated them. If it hadn't been for Meetra Surik, we wouldn't be here right now. We might not even exist. As for death? We Jedi return to the Force when our lives have ended, and so we don't have to be afraid of it. Being afraid of death causes suffering and pain."
"Indeed," said Master Severns. "Congratulations, Per'dra. Not only have you memorized and understood the Jedi Code, but you have completed your first step toward becoming a Padawan." He smiled gently at me, and I knew that if he would have had eyes, they would have been glowing with pride. As a member of the Miraluka species, he saw not with eyes like mine, but on a higher plane and through the Force. I had asked him several times about his Force sight, but Master Severns said that it was a gift I wasn't ready to receive yet. What did he see? All he'd ever told me was that he could see a vivid aura of Light around me.
