Chapter 9

The strange being waited while I put out my fire. Grabbing a flashlight from my gear, he led me to a trail. Little more than an animal path really, it went through the trees and around the larger ponds until I found myself standing in front of his home. He walked in and I followed on my hands and knees. Inside was the most efficient use of space I had encountered in many years.

The hut consisted of one large (to its owner) room that held a fire and cooking pot on one end with a bed off to the side under a window, and one room about the size of a small closet just beyond the bed used for storage of a variety of things. The being sat on a stool near his fire and said: "My name is Yoda. Though a wrinkle in the pattern you are, you may be of help yet to the Cosmic Force. Your training will take time. Much to unlearn you have."

The prospect of training in anything was almost enough to sway me, but something held me back. As this crossed my mind, I felt a presence that was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. I needed to find the source of this presence. Yoda saw my hesitation and nodded his head. I crawled out of the door to Yoda's home, stood up and saw an image coalesce in front of me.

A haunting kind of recognition struck me then. I had only seen pictures of him in his prime and I had one fleeting memory from early childhood. This person in front of me was my Grandfather on my mother's side. He was one of the two grandparents I had ever seen in life. I had wished time and again to have met him when I was old enough to value a relationship with him. Now, it appeared as though I would get my chance.

Yoda came to his door and stared at me. Looking to him and then the ghost in front of me I could think of nothing to say. My Grandfather smiled and said: "I'm glad you could make it here my grandson. You are the only one of my descendents to hear the call of the Force. For that, I am grateful. I brought you here to train in the Jedi way, if you want. It is up to you to decide now."

I could only ask: "How is it possible? How can I? I have so many questions now but I don't know where to start." My Grandfather smiled again and said: "Do you remember your history lessons in school that mentioned the officially denied but privately suspected 'alien landing' in Roswell, New Mexico?" I nodded yes. He continued: "That was me. Actually I'm not the first 'alien' to visit Earth. Not by a long shot. I am however one of the few to choose to stay there. My reason, I think you will understand when I tell you."

Yoda grunted in disgust at mention of his reason. He said: "Master Yoda, we have had this discussion many times and still you refuse to accept the truth?" Yoda spoke: "Always willful you were. Both as Padawan and later as Knight. The code specified the course of your life and you chose to ignore it." My Grandfather smiled and shook his head as he said: "Just as dogmatic and stubborn as ever I see. Old friend, I think we should just 'agree to disagree' on this subject and move on."

I said: "Obviously there is something not being said here. How about enabling some help files and filling me in?" My Grandfather spoke again: "Later, Ronin. For now, suffice it to say that I chose to stay on Earth. When I had a family, I knew what I was doing. I also knew that one of my descendents would be strong enough to train as a Jedi. I was glad that it could be you. I felt your potential from the first moment your Mother let me hold you in my arms. Now, you are here. Will you accept training?"

While I was hesitant at first, the whisper in the back of my mind spoke again: "Trust him." I looked to my Grandfather and back to Yoda again. I said: "If you will have me, Master Yoda. I will accept training." Yoda mumbled under his breath: "A wrinkle in the pattern I need not." Looking up at me he said: "Very well. My Padawan I take you as. Prepare yourself youngling. Your training will start tomorrow."

Chapter 10

I awoke the next morning to a pleasant, though unexpected shock. Warbler was standing outside my tent. I got out, stood and stretched as I asked: "How did you get down from your socket, Warbler? You didn't jump did you?" Warbler beeped and whistled. Without knowing how I knew, I got the impression to check the comlink. I did and found it turned off. I had forgotten that I'd turned it off the night before. Thumbing it on, the ship's computer spoke for Warbler as he said: "I wish I could tell you sir. I was just about into my sleep mode when I saw the being you were speaking with earlier. He held his hand out and suddenly I found myself disengaged from the socket and floating through the air!"

I said: "That's interesting. Just as I fell asleep last night, I felt some kind of energy near me. Felt to me like a hand was caressing my brow. In any event, I'm glad you're here. It will be nice to have someone to talk to besides Master Yoda." Warbler said: "Did you just say Master Yoda?" When I nodded yes, Warbler continued: "There are references to a powerful Jedi Master by that name in the last days of the Republic. Records indicate that he dissappeared towards the end of the Clone Wars. His body was never recovered so it was assumed he died."

This tidbit piqued my interest but before I could ask, Yoda's voice came from behind me: "Prepared are you, Padawan?" I turned to face him, gave him a short bow and said: "In the words of my homeworld, bring it on Master."

Bring it he did. I thought myself in great physical shape but after that first day, I suddenly realized just how far I had to go. That night, Yoda only said he was 'evaluating' my abilities and pronounced them as sorely lacking. I knew he was only being honest so I wasn't angry or hurt by his words. It only became the catalyst that I needed to apply myself.

The meditation aspect was actually quite easy for me as that I had become proficient at it back on Earth. As I calmed my mind into the meditative state, Yoda's voice was in my ear as he said: " The Force, think of as an energy fieldall living things create. Surrounds us, binds us and penetrates us. The galaxy, it binds together. When you are calm and at peace, to you the Force will speak."

Time soon ceased to have any meaning to me beyond the light of day and the coming of night. Days became weeks which in turn became months and even years. Early in my stay, I had scouted the Dagobah system and found an airless moon-cave that would hold my ship in a kind of stasis. I knew I would need the ship again someday and I needed it functional. I had unloaded the limited cargo area, and in my free time, what little Master Yoda gave me, I was able to build a comfortable, if spartan, long-term campsite using the native materials at hand.

Warbler built for me, a short range slave circuit relay for the ship which in turn allowed him to auto-pilot the ship remotely into the moon-cave we had found. The moon was similar to the Earth's moon in that one side always faced the planet. This 'beacon call' would be able to reach the moon and reactivate the ship when it was time to leave. After the ship was safely tucked away, my training began in earnest.

Master Yoda explained to me that there were three main areas of Force skills. These were referred to as Control, Sense and Alter. Yoda was quick to point out that there were many other skills and many subtle layers of these skills that I would discover for myself in the fullness of time. Under Master Yoda's tutelage, I was soon able to tap into what he called the 'Living Force'.

At first, the sheer body of knowledge to gain was too much to grasp. Like learning to walk, it started with small steps and more than a few stumbles at first. But soon I started making full steps and then jumps in my understanding. Everyday though, I was learning something new.

I still kept practicing my own martial arts, but as I grew in strength with the Force, my kata came faster, surer and more powerful. Master Yoda observed me and said: "Very few have I met that know the hardest form of martial art called Teras Kasi. Use the Force instinctively does this system . You are one such who uses it though your use is unconscious; let the Force flow and greater shall your skill become."

I also kept up my practice with my Muramasa blade. One day, as I finished my kata and sheathed my blade, he said to me: "Jedi were guardians and protectors. Until the dark times, until the Empire. Too often, soldiers and leaders, we were to be instead of mediators and peace bringers. These too, learn you will. Come."

He took me to his home and directed me to lift up some sections of floor with the Force. I visualized what I wanted done. I looked with my mind's eye and saw a 'hand' of Force energy form. I felt the shape of the panel as I imagined my 'hand' lift it up. At first, I felt the weight of the panel and lost my focus. I went through the same steps as before and lost my focus again.

Yoda said: "Unlearn what you have learned. There is no weight but what you yourself create. Always remember:

There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no death, there is the Force."

Contemplating this for a moment, I created the 'hand' again and this time when the weight was felt, I ignored it. The panel on the floor rose into the air smoothly and without hesitation. Underneath the panel was a recessed area that held two crates similar to those that had been in the X-wing's cargo hold.

Lifting these up and out with the Force, I set them aside and put the floor panel back in place. As with many things, the first time is always the hardest. After that, for me at least, the same task gets easier and easier. My survival supplies were nearly gone by now and I had since started supplementing my diet with the things that Yoda ate. After dinner that night, Yoda had me open the crates. Inside were small spare parts of every size and shape imaginable.

There were also tools attached to the inside of each crate lid that appeared to be for very fine and exacting work. Taking an envelope out of one of the crates, I opened it to see sheets of clear plastic with words and diagrams on them. "Directions." I thought to myself. At the same time this thought occurred to me, Yoda said: "Now, construction you will begin of your lightsaber. The lightsaber is the symbol of the Jedi at the same time as it is the weapon of a Jedi. In time, use it less and less you will as you learn to listen to the Force more."