Hey, guys... I wasn't planning on making this chapter, but I realized recently one theory about the Force (I'm a geek as we all are) that shed light on the..., well, Dark Side. Or more importantly, how the Force is more than the Light Side and the Dark Side... The Sith Warrior realizes this, who is under the name of Lord Zumdolf (my Sith Warrior avatar in Old Republic)
Rating: Rated K+ for some mentioning of female sensuality, though very mild.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, Disney does... But I do own the 'Force Code', so there.
Spoilers: I don't think this much of spoiler if you read my Summary, but, yes, it is mentioned that Jaesa Willsaam becomes the Sith Warrior's apprentice.
Peace is a Lie, there is only Passion
Through Passion, I gain Strength
Through Strength, I gain Power
Through Power, I gain Victory
Through Victory, my Chains are Broken
The Force..., shall Free me
There is no Ignorance, there is Knowledge
There is no Passion, there is Serenity
There is no Emotion, there is Peace
There is no Chaos, there is Harmony
There is no Death, there is the Force
Master Zumdolf was a Zabrak and the Emperor's Wrath, who resided in his main bedroom, right across from his crew quarters.
He gazed into a Sith holocron that carried the information about a Sith who did something most Sith would never do. He befriended aliens, conquered the Jedi and Sith, and most importantly, studied the ways of the Light and Dark Side of the Force.
His name was Revan.
The Sith were trying to erase all traces of his affiliation within the Sith Order because most Sith, especially Darth Malgus, saw the man as a traitor... He wasn't. He embraced both the Light Side and Dark Side of the Force. That was something to admire. It showed he had no bias or dogma between the two, unlike how every Jedi and Sith he has seen.
From all the holocrons he has ever been permitted to read told history about the Sith, how their breakaway from the Jedi was meant to be seen as a glorious 'breaking of their chains'. Sith historians told everything about the Sith except that there were Light-Sided Sith in the past as well...; another censorship of Dark-Sided Force-users trying to sway as many of their acolytes to their Side.
However, Revanites embraced both the Dark and Light Side. It was like taking the best of both worlds and adding peace through balance, something Jedi have failed to do for so long.
"When will the Jedi learn that there is some Darkness with their ways...? And when will my Order understand that there is some Light in what they can do. It's not all destruction."
Zumdolf took a habit of speaking to himself as he placed the holocron he was carrying with the others, some dealing in the history of Light-Sided Sith since the days of Ajunta Pall, the very first Sith Lord. Many of them he got from Dromund Kaas, at the Revanite Camp, stationed a few klicks outside Kaas City. Of course, they didn't give it up willingly. His wife, Vette, had some pickpocketing skills. She took the holocrons for herself, never knowing that she eventually (and willingly) surrender them to her Sith husband.
He pressed a button in the Fury-class starfighter, summoning a particular person. His Light-Sided apprentice.
"Jaesa Willsaam. Will you meet me in my quarters, straightaway?"
From the static sounded a very familiar voice. "Yes, Master."
In a few seconds, she was already in the room, disguising her Light-Side affinity with morbid clothing that many Sith wore, even a little skimpy that went with many female Sith's passion for the emotion of lust. It didn't sicken the Emperor's Wrath. All he cared about was that she, and him, were masqueraded as Dark-Siders; disguised to work undercover.
"You summoned me, Master." Jaesa bowed, but he held a hand up to excuse the formality.
"Jaesa, have you ever wondered about embracing the Dark Side?"
"What?" Her voice nearly cracked.
He stood up. "Jedi believe in Balance of the Force..., do they not?"
"Yes, Master." Zumdolf didn't chastise her for saying 'Master' again. The conversation was more important.
"In that case, you believe in Balance in the Force."
Jaesa almost snorted, "What Jedi wouldn't?"
"Sith believe in Balance of the Force as well." Zumdolf started.
"Master, if I may. The Light Side interpretation of bringing Balance to the Force is showing peaceful hands in which they will eventually be met by other peaceful hands. The Dark Side interpretation is to destroy all those who think differently than oneself. It's a way of selfishness while the other is of selflessness."
Zumdolf smiled at how knowledgeable she was, thinking as he recently came to think. In time, she may be wiser than him. "Very good Jaesa, but there is an error there."
Jaesa felt a little aback. "What misinterpretation have I made?" She questioned sullenly.
Zumdolf turned around and decided to approach a different route. "Jaesa, are you ever lonely...?"
"Master, you're not suggesting- Er, are you-"
He felt embarrassed at the hidden misunderstanding. "No, no, no... I mean, you can't go back to the Jedi and you can't become a true Sith here? Have you ever felt like we walk a lonely path?"
"Oh... Now that you mention it, maybe it is that Void I have been feeling deep inside of me... Yes... But..., you were right, the Jedi are corrupt... They hide and pretend... But being undercover on the opposite side..." She hesitated. "The Sith are even more corrupt."
"The Sith aren't afraid to release their inner evil. The Jedi mask theirs. What I'm going to start to teach is something so very novel, that very few Force-users have ever embraced... Are you ready for this lesson?"
Jaesa nodded fervently. "Education on the Ways of the Force is the goal of every Jedi Master."
"And Sith Master... I am Sith, not Jedi, Jaesa."
"Oh!" Jaesa felt mortified. "Sorry, Master."
"It's in the past now. Don't worry about it..." Zumdolf bowed his head with her. "The point I'm about to make is learning to..., to use both the Light and Dark Side."
Jaesa had her mouth open for she didn't know how to answer that hard request. "This is a point where I'm going to have to say 'no', Master... When I joined you, we promised to bring Light to the Sith Empire, not eventually joining the Dark Side"
Zumdolf smiled at what she was overlooking. "See... You just used some of the Dark Side. You've been thinking of enforcing the 'Light Side' into the mind of our allies, as a way to bring 'peace'." He shook his head. "It cannot be done like that."
Jaesa just stared at him like he was a magician who just performed an inscrutable magic trick. "You're right... I've been thinking like a Sith, and I didn't even know it..."
"You haven't, my apprentice." Zumdolf calmed her addled mind. "You just been thinking in the Sith way on our goal, not your daily life... You're filled with the Light Side of the Force, Jaesa. Never forget that." Zumdolf started circling around her at a pacing speed. "But you don't understand the true nature of the Force as I see it. As every Jedi and Sith should see it..." He paused again. "First, recite the Jedi Code and after every sentence, explain how it applies to moral understanding."
Jaesa took a huff of air before reciting something as familiar as the back of her hand. "There is no Emotion, there is Peace. A Jedi must fast from emotions since they can spark selfishness. There is no Ignorance, there is Knowledge. A Jedi must not stop at learning new ideals but rather challenge what they already know as truth. There is no Passion, there is Serenity. A Jedi must focus on aiding others to bring peace, not their own selfish desires. There is no Chaos, there is Harmony. A Jedi must fight for peace, not war, at all costs, and therefore cannot form romantic relations that may conflict with their inner peace. There is no Death, there is only the Force. Nothing ever comes to an end, for the Force always finds a way to continue Life."
Zumdolf clapped his hands in congratulations. "Excellent... Perfect interpretation. On the spot."
Jaesa nearly bulged her eyes out in surprise. "You're a Sith, but a part of the Light Side... How can you follow the mantra we make?"
The Sith Master suddenly looked grim. "I don't." He simply stated. "I only follow certain lines of that Tythonian chant... But before I get to which lines I follow, do the same, except this time, recite the Sith Code."
Jaesa, once again, took a deep breath and spoke in a lower-toned voice. "Peace is a Lie, there is only Passion. Peace can never come for there is always ambition. Through Passion, I gain Strength. One's ambition fuels their ability to complete their goals. Through Strength, I gain Power. One's ability feeds their reputation and stamina to complete their goals. Through Power, I gain Victory. One's reputation and stamina brings success and achievement of their goals. Through Victory, my Chains are Broken. Assets that held one down are gone if they achieve these ends. The Force shall Free me... The ends justify the means."
Zumdolf wasn't as complimentary as he was before, mainly for her biased view of the Sith Way. He didn't blame her for it since she was raised as a Jedi. Instead, he decided to continue with explaining how he saw the Force..., and how to combine the two Codes into his own inventive mantra... But that will come in just a second.
"Good, but you're suggesting the Sith Code only produces selfishness."
"It does, doesn't it?" Jaesa looked more confused as ever...
Zumdolf sighed (again), "Most Sith see it that way as well. However, since I became a Light-Leaning Sith, I formed a different interpretation..., when 'Passion' can be the 'Desire to help Others; to be Selfless.' That passion can make one strong. The Force can free a person of their evils by embracing that Passion."
Jaesa now understood what he meant. "So you're saying not everything is black-and-white. There are greys."
"Exactly." He pointed a finger out in enthusiasm. "By embracing both the Jedi and Sith Code, you gain balance over your Light and Dark Side."
Jaesa looked down. "Oh..., yeah... You make it sound so easy... But the Sith and Jedi Code can't interact with each other since they both are usually interpreted to have opposite objectives."
The Zabrak nodded. "True, but here is where that impossible can be done. To omit and add new lines into one code..." He grabbed a piece of paper to write his new mantra. This time, about the Force in general, not segregating Light and Dark.
And, so, Zumdolf began writing the new-and-improved Force Code, making it sound a lot like the Jedi Code, but with some different lines admitted or omitted to it.
There is no Peace, there is Passion
There is no Ignorance, there is Knowledge
There is no Answers, there is Questions
There is no Death, there is Life
There is no Separates, there is Combinations
There is no Good or Evil, there is Evil and Good
The Force shall set us Free.
Zumdolf set the writing utensil down as he admired his work, with Jaesa staring just as amazed (if not, more) as he was.
"That, my apprentice, is the true Code for all those who believe in the Force... After all, the Force resides in all beings. Everyone should see this as truth."
Jaesa cherished the writing he made, but still didn't understand his interpretation. So she questioned the perplexity in case she got the meaning of the Way wrong again. "Master, can you explain this new Code?"
She didn't need to ask. Zumdolf already had his answer. "You can't ask me... You must interpret it your own way..."
Jaesa looked glum at the vagueness she received. In a way, it was like being robbed of knowing what the meaning of life was...
"Oh... Okay... As you wish, Master."
Zumdolf patted her shoulders as a friend, more than just a master...
"But, even if I do not explain it, it's still truth... One day, the rest of the galaxy will realize what they've missed. All they have to do is read between the lines."
Awkwardly enough, I've never poured my heart any more than in this story. It had the least amount of descriptions and pretty short length in comparison to other works... But it's easily one of my bests, if not, the best. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. If you love the mystery of the Force as much as I do, share this story with friends and REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!
-ItsATrap101