AN: To those interested I've recently set an account on a website to try and put my foot into the door of making writing a career, a link can be found on my facebook page since Fanfiction won't let me put the name of the website here. Hopefully if it goes well I can start writing more for both fanfictions and the original works I have planned.
Shadow of the Force
Chapter 7
-Harry-
"Alright, follow me." He told Luke and Obi-Wan "I'll show you to an area you can rest while we make the journey."
"I'm surprised to see Grievous possessing lightsabers," Obi-Wan said carefully as they moved to the officer's lounge "especially ones that I know he didn't have before."
"All the offices have sabers." Oola spoke up, snorting in derision as she pulled out a small dagger sized saber and activated it, showing the black smoky blade, before shutting it back off "I personally use this and a light whip."
"That requires prodigious control over the force." The old man's eyes were searching, probing for answers.
"If you want to ask something then come out and say it old timer." He said, not appreciating the way the old Jedi was acting, "And if you even think of using the force on my crew I will blast you out the airlock."
"How many of your officers can use the Force?" Luke asked curious excitement coursing through his friend and bubbling out in an infectious air.
"Myself, Oola, Galen, and Maris." He listed off "None of the others showed any real aptitude for the force when we checked even if the other officers carry lightsabers."
"Those are Jedi Weapons." Obi-Wan said, clearly unhappy about the situation of non-Jedi carrying the sabers.
"They're weapons." Galen said coldly, his second in command walking with them "The Jedi have no monopoly on death so far as I know."
"Is this how you knew to trust me when we first met?" Luke asked, redirecting the conversation to safer waters "And where did you learn how to use it anyway?"
"Good deduction Luke," he told his friend with a smile "and I'm self-taught, Oola trained under me, Maris' master was one of the surviving Jedi who was killed a few years ago, and Galen…" he trailed off, not sure how to say the situation without making the old man even more suspicious.
"We don't know who trained me." Galen sighed "Harry found me, Juno, and Proxy near the wreckage of my old ship. It had been blasted by something and while Juno and I remembered some things, like each other, most of our memories were gone. Even still though my muscles retained and I was quickly able to pick up the force again."
"I assume you follow the code of the Jedi." The Old man said in a stern voice, sounding irritatingly like an infuriating old Headmaster.
"What's the Jedi Code?" Luke asked, looking lost even as the once farm boy was clearly noting the divides forming in the group.
"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." Maris rattled of dispassionately from next to Galen. Obi-Wan seemed comforted by hearing the old code the man had lived by, Luke seemed wary.
"That sounds…" Luke struggled to find the right word to describe the way of the Jedi.
"It's ridiculous." He snorted, ignoring the old man's upset glare "The code we follow, is that." He pointed to a plaque above the door to the officer's lounge.
"Peace is a lie, there is only Passion." Luke read off "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."
"That is the Sith Code." Obi-Wan said, the man reaching for his lightsaber.
"It used to be." He nodded in calm agreement, unfazed by the man moving to draw a weapon "The Sith of this day and age are obsessed with power through Hatred and Anger, they do not follow this code. We on the other hand recognize the merits of this code. We embrace our emotions, embrace life. We find a cause, whether it be one we struggle against together or fight to overcome alone, and we work to become strong enough to make our goals reality."
"You must not listen to him Luke," Obi-Wan cautioned, "emotions are dangerous. Sadness can lead to anger, anger to hate, hate to suffering, and suffering in the end leads to the dark side."
"We are living beings old timer," he told the man who was raised to be loyal to a brain washing cult "we can't force away our emotions, our feelings, that just makes them fight with even greater ferocity to come out. Peace is important but one can have emotions and be at peace. Ignorance? To some there is the saying Ignorance is Bliss but Knowledge is Power. No one can know everything, ignorance in something isn't a weakness but a chance to learn from another and grow closer to them, strengthening your bonds with your fellow man."
They entered the lounge, Galen, Marris, and Oola sitting a short way away as he spoke to Luke and Obi-Wan, one listening with rapt attention while the other one seemed unable to turn away "Serenity is a wonderful feeling, a wonderful state of being, but without passion life lacks meaning. Passion is what drives us onward, what gives us the motivation and strength to carry on. Harmony is necessary for life but so is Chaos if one's life must not only stay in balance but not stagnate. And Death, death isn't something to be feared, but simply something that comes for all one day. I live my life so that when I die, I can die with a smile on my face and my heart full of the love of those around me."
"But…but the Sith, they give into their emotions and look what they've done to the galaxy!" Obi-Wan was grasping for straws, his world view likely being shaken from the years of guilt and pain at the loss of the order along with his own words now.
"Peace is a lie Obi-Wan," he said softly "you can't force Peace, it has to be chosen and there will always be those who seek war. And as I said, being at peace is important but Passion is what lets us advance as a society and as people. Tell me Obi-Wan, were you overjoyed when you were selected to join the Jedi order?"
"I…I was happy, yes." The old man said cautiously, having not connected what he was saying.
"Did you work hard, eager to earn your place in that order?"
"Of course I did." Obi-Wan said, somewhat affronted.
"And in the end, when your hard work made you a Jedi Knight, did you feel liberated?"
"I can never forget the feeling." The old Jedi admitted "Why are you asking me these things?"
"Your passion for the Jedi Order," he held up a finger "because of that passion you strived to gain strength in the Jedi arts." He raised a second finger "That gave you power over the force and over yourself." A third finger "upon your victory of becoming a Jedi Knight you felt liberated, felt free thanks to the force." His last two fingers went up "The five tenets of my code. Passion, Strength, Power, Victory, and the Force Itself." Obi-Wan's eyes went out of focus, the man lost in his own thoughts as he struggled to counter the arguments that had just been laid out.
"We have some quarters through that door." Galen told the pair, nodded to a door behind Luke and Obi-Wan "you can rest there and in the morning, we'll begin."
"Wait begin?" Luke asked quickly, even as Obi-Wan walked robotically to the quarters to think over what had been said "Begin what?"
"Your training in how to use the force of course." Maris grinned.
-Omake-
-Sirius-
Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you," the drunken voice of one Sirius black resounded through the attic of Number Twelve Grimmuald place, rain pouring down outside the window while a bottle of Firewhisky sloshed in his hand "Happy Birthday dear Harry," tears started pouring down the man's face "Happy Birthday to you." Throwing his head back, the Lord of the House of Black took a big draught from the bottle, coughing harshly as the liquid burned his throat, wisps of fire coming from his mouth thanks to the drink.
"Happy birthday kid." Moving to take another swig from the bottle he paused when he caught his reflection in the glass, when he saw the broken man looking back at him. His eyes were red and puffy, bloodshot veins almost permanent on him now, framed by long hair that hung around a sallow face.
Ever since Harry had walked through the veil he had let himself go, estranged himself from the Potter family in general. He had never agreed with the focusing on Marcus, on favoring one child over another. It had reminded him too much of what his parents had done when he was a kid, focusing on Regulus or his cousins more than him as he didn't suit their ideals. It had caused a major fight between him and James when he had made the comparison to try and get them to pay more attention to Harry.
"Marcus needs the training and attention!" James had insisted "Dumbledore says You-Know-Who isn't really gone and that Marcus' power comes from love. We need to make sure Marcus is as loved as possible."
"Love." Sirius spat, remembering those words, before giving a yell and throwing the bottle at the wall in anger, shards of glass flying upon impact "They spoiled Marcus worse than a Malfoy." He had tried pointing out that they didn't have to stop loving Marcus, or treat him any less, but to actually give Harry attention.
"And look where we are now." He gave a drunken chuckle at that, having learned from the potters and Dumbledore about Voldemort's announcement to Marcus about how Harry had been the true boy-who-lived. "They should have paid more attention." He snickered, finding the situation morbidly amusing in his drunken state. He had known about Harry's intelligence and power, of the great things Harry was able to do. He had made sure that several books were put in Harry's path, including the ritual book that gave Harry his 'technomancy'. The one thing he hadn't expected was Harry's plan with the veil.
"The one time I'm as blind as James," he cried "is when he needed me most." He had asked Lily where Harry was that night because he had something special to tell his godson. Now that Harry was graduated and of age, therefore no longer fully dependent on his parents, he had decided to offer Harry a better life. He had gone to Gringotts and had Harry officially declared the heir Black. With Harry graduated James couldn't do anything to make Harry's life harder and Sirius had been looking forward to telling Harry what he had done, something that only Harry could reverse by telling Gringotts within a week of the decision that he didn't want the position or if he himself revoked it as the Lord Black.
"Stay safe Harry," he pleaded to the world, knowing his godson was still alive somewhere thanks to the family magic having not removed him from the position as Heir Black "I beg you," he pleaded to whatever higher power there might be "keep him safe. Let him be happy." That night, through the fog of Firewhisky, his dreams were filled with Harry surrounded by those who cared for him, a family that his beloved godson had made on his own and who would always stand by him.