Chapter Six: Communications
The Doctor's lessons with 'Mr. Voice,' as he affectionately referred to him, continued forthwith. Together, they spoke of the intricacies of the Force, and how the ability to transcend death was not a myth, but a reality.
The ability to defy oblivion can be achieved, Doctor, Mr. Voice explained, but only for oneself. It was accomplished by a Shaman of the Whills, and it is a state acquired by compassion, not greed.
The Whills? asked the Doctor curiously. What are they?
They are an ancient order, much like the Jedi, said Mr. Voice. But they are much older and much more deeply connected to the Force. One of their Shamans managed to figure out the secret to immortality some time ago. It is the will of the Force that the Jedi also learn of the secret, Doctor, starting with you.
So, who are you? A Jedi? the Doctor quickly extrapolated.
I am a manifestation of the Force, said Mr. Voice quickly. Now, let us continue.
For hours on end, the Doctor and Mr. Voice spoke of the compassion required to cheat death, and how the Sith, in their infinite goal of immortality by way of greed, would never actually achieve it.
So, who can achieve it? asked the Doctor.
Only the absolute most compassionate of beings can achieve immortality, Doctor, said Mr. Voice. It must be a Jedi.
Like me?
Like you, when the time comes.
I don't think I'll be needing it anytime soon, Mr. Voice.
Mr. Voice chuckled at his nickname before speaking again.
While that may be true, Doctor, he said. Even the mightiest of lords must succumb to the effects of time.
Who else? asked the Doctor, trying to break away from the reality of his inevitable death.
Well, who can you think of, Doctor, who would deserve to live forever in your mind?
I don't know. There are so many Jedi deserving of it.
Select one. The teaching, I assume, will spread faster with two masters of immortality as opposed to one. I don't know if the will of the Living Force has teaching the entire Order in mind, but we'll see if it has who you select in mind.
The Doctor wracked his brain for a while as to which Jedi he should select. There was Stass, of course. Eventually, he would teach her, but not, perhaps, now. Maybe after the imminent conflict has abated would he teach her. No, he needed someone who could master quickly. That essentially narrowed it down to the Council. Who among them would be taught about immortality alongside the Doctor? The Doctor thought and thought and thought until he found the answer.
Mace.
Of course. Mace. It had to be him. He had contributed a lot to the Jedi Order. He created his own form of lightsaber combat that only he could use. The Doctor respected him completely for that. Mace had also learned Shatterpoint alongside the Doctor. Why shouldn't he get the chance to learn the secret to immortality with him as well?
From his private quarters, he telepathically nudged Mace Windu, who was a fair distance away from the Doctor, and told him to report to him at once. He said that he had something very important to talk to him about. Mace was, at first, confused, but he nevertheless obliged and made his way to the Doctor's quarters.
While the Doctor waited for Mace, he decided to keep himself occupied. He did this, of course, by solving complex puzzles and playing difficult holoboard games in his head. For some reason, he was thinking of Stass Allie in the back of his mind. He just couldn't shake her from his head. She was a constant, lingering presence, and the Doctor found it nice to think that she had a chance to stay that way for a long time. But, he had to teach Mace first. The Doctor had a feeling that Mace would understand it more quickly anyway.
At last, Mace Windu opened the door to the Doctor's quarters, walked inside, and sat down on a small chair opposite the Doctor. The Doctor kept his meditation pose, even as Mace spoke to him.
"You called, Doctor?" he asked politely.
"Yes," said the Doctor. "Hello, Macey boy. I've got something to show you. I've been taking...some lessons, if you will. And I thought you might want to learn with me."
"Of course, Doctor," said Mace. "What concept are you learning now?"
"The deepest intricacies of the Force," replied the Doctor mysteriously. Mace gave off an impression of confusion, but nevertheless adopted a meditation stance similar to the Doctor's.
Just as they were about to immerse themselves in the depths of the Force, a call came in. The beeping rang throughout the room, and the Doctor instantly lost all of his concentration. Mace did as well as the Doctor's personal holographic projector rose from the floor. The Doctor realized that this call was being made on a secure channel, far from the peering eyes of anyone who would have tried to intercept the communication.
The Doctor let the call come through, and a tiny holographic representation of Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared on the projector. It appeared, from the loud way Obi-Wan began to speak, that he was somewhere where it was heavily raining.
"Doctor!" Obi-Wan loudly said over the storm. "I have successfully made contact with the Prime Minister of Kamino!" The Doctor guessed that Kamino was his missing planet. From the sounds of the storm, it probably should have stayed that way. The Doctor wondered how anyone would want to live through storming like that, as it looked pretty heavy.
"It appears that they are using a bounty hunter known as Jango Fett to create a clone army," Obi-Wan continued. "And I have a very strong feeling that this bounty hunter is the one we are looking for. The one responsible for sending the assassin after Senator Amidala." The Doctor's memories rushed back to him as he remembered the grueling chase through Coruscant. Then, the Doctor had another thought. Mace apparently had the same thought, for he posed a question to Obi-Wan.
"Do you think the cloners are involved in the plot to assassinate the Senator?" he asked.
"I don't think so, Master Windu," answered Obi-Wan. "There appears to be no motive."
"Are you absolutely sure, Obi-Wan?" asked the Doctor. "You shouldn't assume anything if you want to figure out who's really behind all of this."
"Yes, Doctor," said Obi-Wan. "They appear to be very disconnected with galactic affairs. I doubt they even know who Padme Amidala is." Behind Obi-Wan's voice, the Doctor could sense tension, worry, and anxiousness. Something he had learned from the Kaminoan Prime Minister bothered him immensely.
"What other news do you have?" the Doctor questioned gently.
"Prime Minister Lama Su told me that Master Sifo-Dyas placed the order for a clone army at the request of the Senate almost ten years ago," said Obi-Wan.
Sifo-Dyas. Now, there was a name the Doctor had not heard in a very long time. He was killed by an unknown assailant not long after Qui-Gon Jinn was murdered by Darth Maul. The circumstances surrounding Sifo-Dyas's death are mysterious at best. The added news that he had reportedly ordered a clone army that the Jedi hadn't known about at all added fuel to this troublesome fire. The Doctor glanced at Mace, and he sensed that he was feeling the same apprehension.
"I was under the impression he was killed before that," continued Obi-Wan. "Did the Council ever authorize the creation of this clone army?"
"No," Mace immediately answered. "If Master Sifo-Dyas indeed placed the order, he did not have the permission of the Council."
"Apprehend Jango Fett," ordered the Doctor. "Bring him to us, and we'll question him."
"Yes, Doctor," said Obi-Wan. "I will report back when I have him."
With that, Obi-Wan's hologram disappeared as he went off to capture Jango Fett. The Doctor sighed, rubbing his head in thought.
"We are blind," he said slowly, "if we couldn't even see the creation of this army. And it has been in the works for a decade!" Mace sighed as well and lowered his head. He was very troubled from the look on his face.
"Perhaps it is time," Mace replied just as slowly, "that we inform the Senate that our ability to use the Force is nearly diminished."
"We can't do that, Master Windu," said the Doctor. "The only person who probably knows that we are weakened is the Dark Lord of the Sith. If the Senate were to find out about our weakness, the number of adversaries we have will only multiply." To this, Mace nodded with a few traces of worry still left on his face.
"Doctor, I am beginning to fear for the fate of the Jedi," Mace confessed. "You are the one who seems to be the most centered with the Force out of all of us...even if your ways are slightly unorthodox." The Doctor let a small grin play on his face in response to his friend's lighthearted jab at his own expense. Mace smirked back, then continued.
"What do you believe is to become of the Jedi, once all is said and done? What can we do to prevent anything drastic from happening?" he asked. The Doctor rubbed his forehead in thought. He, along with Plo Koon and Saesee Tiin, had tried several more times to sense the future, to at least get a glimpse of what would happen to the Jedi. Still, they had come up with nothing. Not even an inkling of the future. The Doctor made a mental note to ask Mr. Voice about this matter later.
"I don't know," he said finally. "The Dark Side clouds too much of our perception. I fear that we won't be able to see anything coming at this rate. Let's, for now, hope that the war-because it's definitely going to happen-doesn't last too long."
"Do you suppose these 'lessons in the Force' that you have been taking could possibly help in any way?" Mace asked, clearly looking for some way to avoid anything else drastic, other than the impending war.
"I believe so," said the Doctor.
The Doctor was once again meditating and communicating with Mr. Voice. He did not invite Mace back for another lesson. He figured the Korun had a lot on his mind, especially after the revelations about Master Sifo-Dyas that Obi-Wan had brought him a few days previously. The Doctor also got the feeling that the Force did not want him to learn about transcendance, for some odd reason.
Regardless, Mr. Voice continued on with the lessons.
You must achieve clarity and focus, said Mr. Voice. It will help you in your quest for compassion.
What about the war? asked the Doctor. Will that have an effect on my compassion?
All conflict does, in one way or another, answered Mr. Voice. That is why you must have total focus on achieving compassion. The coming war will prove to be the greatest test for the Jedi, I feel. The Force is not giving me any specifics, but the Jedi will be tested in the most extreme way possible.
How so? asked the Doctor.
I'm not sure, answered Mr. Voice. But now is a good time to demonstrate focus, Doctor.
Right you are, Mr. Voice.
You seem insistent on referring to me as 'Mr. Voice,' Doctor, said Mr. Voice with an invisible smirk.
Well, you never did tell me what your real name was, if you even have one, answered the Doctor cheekily. Why don't you tell me?
As I said, Doctor, the answer to that will reveal itself in time, retorted Mr. Voice. For now, I... Mr. Voice stopped, trailing off, as if he were sensing something.
Mr. Voice? asked the Doctor. What is it?
I sense something...awful, answered Mr. Voice. Can't you?
The Doctor sensed it almost immediately after Mr. Voice brought it up. He could sense Anakin Skywalker, but he wasn't on Naboo with Padme. He was on his home planet of Tatooine. Padme was on the planet as well, but not with Anakin. He was alone, and he was holding someone. A dead body.
It was his mother.
The Doctor felt her pain and her suffering, and he could sense that she had died only moments ago. Anakin himself went from mournful to angry in a matter of moments, and the Doctor felt a white-hot sensation surround the young Padawan. Anakin ignited his lightsaber and turned on the tribe of Sand People that had killed his mother. The Doctor tried to call to him, but he wouldn't listen. One by one, Anakin killed them until the Doctor couldn't watch anymore.
Anakin! ANAKIN! Mr. Voice cried. NOOOOO!
The Doctor was screaming inside his head, the pain of what he felt was agonizing. He felt someone call out to him, but he wasn't sure who. They had obviously felt the Doctor's pain, so he closed himself off to anyone else so that they wouldn't have to feel his pain as well. The Doctor was left to deal with the pain alone. He felt the bodies of the Sand People hit the sandy ground of Tatooine, cut down by the wrath of Anakin Skywalker. He saw the children, huddled up in fear of the angered warrior. He heard, perhaps most eerily of all, a mechanical wheezing that inhaled, then exhaled. It was soon gone, but it left him shaken.
The Doctor sat rooted to his chair as his rescuer opened the door. Mace Windu rushed in and sat beside the Doctor, using his Force energy to calm down the Doctor. It worked, and the Doctor sent a ping of thanks to Mace.
"What is it?" he asked, concerned for the Doctor's well-being. Still shaken by the vision and the horrific sights, the Doctor could only manage to speak very minimally, uttering one word at a time.
"Pain," he simply said. "Suffering. And...death. A terrible thing has happened, and young Skywalker is in pain."
Dun-dun-DUUUUUUN! And that is the conclusion of another exciting chapter of Star Wars (Starring the Doctor)! Hope you all enjoyed it. I apologize for the long stretch in-between chapters. I'll be more on it with regards to posting as the end of my school year rolls around in a few days.
If you believe you know who the mysterious Mr. Voice could be, leave your guess in either a review or private message. If you'd like to guess who the Doctor saves in Episode IV, that can also be submitted to me via review or private message.
As far as progress goes, it's been a bit slow for Episode IV. As I continue to delve into that story, I'll be writing more on it. I just need to get into it. Plus, I'll be more free during the summer months to write, so I'll be able to write more in a shorter amount of time because I'll just sit on my computer for hours and just write all day, which is actually what I did when I finished Clone Wars, believe it or not.
Anyway, that about does it for this author's note. Until the next chapter, my friends!
