Chapter 13

The near perpetual ground fog of Dagobah gave way to an opening at the base of the tree big enough to allow me to enter. I stepped down and into the cave-like interior. As the darkness closed in around me, my vision swam in front of me for a moment. I closed my eyes to help focus my mind. When I opened them, I found myself on a wide open grassy plain. A strong wind blew from every direction and blew the knee-high grass into ripples of never ending motion. Jags of lightning flew through the clouds as thunder from far off clapped loudly . . . a hint of the storm to come.

I felt a presence then and looked out across the field to see an image of myself standing there looking straight at me. It said to me: "Choose the form and weapon of your death!" An image came to mind of my fictional warrior idol from my previous life on Earth. I found myself in a white karate gi with a black belt around my waist with the symbols of Wind, Wood, Fire and Earth. Around my head was a red strip of cloth.

The shadow image changed form and wore a black karate gi, black belt and blue headband. He looked at me with undisguised contempt. I approached the dark me, and came to within a few feet of myself. The dark image of me took a stance as a sword appeared in its hand and my Muramasa blade appeared in mine. The image said: "I like your taste in burial clothes."

He attacked first as I defended and then counterattacked. It soon became obvious that we were evenly matched. As our blades locked together one more time, he looked me in the eye and said: "There can be only one. You must know that by now. I say it shall be me. I have enjoyed our little tussle, brother, goodbye."

He spun his blade around his head and chopped down with all his might. Knowing that there would be no blocking that attack, I cut up from below. The power of our strikes caused both our swords to fly from our hands. He backflipped to gain space and focused his energy. In awe at the power I felt him gather, I stood there as he floated above the ground and then flew towards me saying: "Sen pu ken!"

Suddenly I found myself being pummeled from every direction as the dark me flew around in circles kicking and punching. The pain was intense as I felt myself being slammed to the ground. I looked up and saw that he had recovered his sword and was about to finish me. "You are beaten! It is useless to resist!" His sword swung down at my face as I reached up and caught the blade between my palms and held it.

A blue nimbus appeared and started to flow through my hands and into the blade. The shadow me tried to wrench his sword from my grasp but I held on too tightly. The blade shattered in my hands. Kipping to my feet, I turned around and effortlessly blocked each punch and kick he threw against me. I finally understood what this doppelganger represented. This was my own Dark Side, the side consumed with anger, fear, and aggression. When I was close enough, I caught both his hands and pulled him to me in a tight embrace. I said: "I forgive you, it's all right now. Join me brother. I need you as much as you need me. Rest now. Forever sleep, earned it you have."

The shadow me was wracked by sobs as I soothed its tortured spirit. It became the shadow I knew it to be and was absorbed into my body. When next I opened my eyes, I was still in the tree-cave but it had stopped resonating with dark energy. I emerged from the cave, none the worse for wear, but suddenly reminded of the Dark Side that every person carries with them. The choice was clear to me. Either embrace my own Dark Side and let it become part of me so that I could better overcome it, or deny its existence and let it haunt me for the rest of my days.

I chose the light that day and have never regretted it.

Chapter 14

Yoda looked on from where he sat and said: "Chosen wisely you have." We went back to his house, had dinner and went our respective ways for the night. The next morning, Yoda sat with me as we both meditated.

As I emerged from my meditation, a half remembered comment from Yoda to my Grandfather came to mind. Yoda emerged from his meditation shortly after I did and said: "Many questions you have. Answer them now I will."

I said: "You seemed upset by my Grandfather's words. What was that about?" Yoda sighed and said: "For countless generations the Jedi were the guardians of peace in the Republic. In the distant past of the Jedi Order, it was decided that to ensure complete objectivity to the Jedi Code, no one, Padawan, Knight, or Master would be allowed to take a mate though there have been exceptions from time to time. Master Ki Adi Mundi had several wives only because his species produced more females than males and so to prevent his species from eventually dying out, he was allowed to take the normal number of mates as mandated by his peoples' laws, but ordinarily, Jedi were to remain unmarried."

I said: "How did you keep the Jedi Order from dying out if you didn't allow its members to marry and have children?" Yoda said: "Excellent question that is Padawan. To answer, random chance the Order relied on. The most extensive database in creation did the Jedi Temple have at the time. When a child was born anywhere in the Republic, it was given a midichlorian test as well as the usual battery of tests to determine health. When a child was born with a high enough midichlorian count, a senior Knight or Jedi Master would go and collect the child from its parents."

I couldn't hide my shock and said: "With all due respect Master Yoda that is beyond cruel and unusual, in fact, its borderline sadistic." Yoda lowered his face a moment and then looking back to me said: "Many were the voices in the Order and the Republic that would agree with you my Padawan but that was how it was done. More often as not, the parents would be honored that their child could train to be a Jedi and allowed the Jedi to take it into the Order. Sometimes not, in which case we would just discreetly watch after the child from a distance and hope it would not fall to the Dark Side of the Force."

A thought occurred to me as I said: "Wouldn't it have been better to allow Knights and Masters to marry inside the Order? I'm not advocating a breeding program or anything like that just the seemingly random teaming of powerful Jedi until such time as they decided to marry and have children? In this way, you could have Force-strong children without having to tear them away from their parents."

Yoda said: "Perfect clarity does hindsight grant." It became clear to me then what my Grandfather must have done. He went to Earth, maybe looking for Force sensitive people, met my Grandmother, fell in love, and chose to stay on Earth and raise a family. Completely against the established protocol of the Jedi Order.

I thought it over and said: "Now what happens Master? Maybe I inherited my Grandfather's willfulness. I don't agree with what the old Order did. If in my travels, I meet the woman who would have me . . ." Yoda said: "You must do what you feel is right of course Ronin."