This is Revan explaining to ushowhe was introduced and taughtto understand the Jedi Code. It is written in much the same style as the previous two stories- Revan as an adult talking to us about his childhood. Those paragraphs that have been separated by double spacing from the rest is Revanreflecting onhis own thoughts as an adult.
The Jedi Code
Truth be told, much of what a young apprentice learns in their first couple of years is not all that different from what regular children learn at school. Vrook was an excellent teacher, with his tuition skills I rapidly learned how to read, write and count. To a regular person, all these things may sound very basic for a Jedi to be learning, but the most common misconception people have about Jedi is that they are born with the ability to use these basic life skills. This is preposterous and is perhaps an indictment on the way Jedi present themselves to the common folk- as people who can do no wrong, this too is absurd, Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma are walking testaments to the fallibility of Jedi. Well, maybe not 'walking' where Exar Kun is concerned, considering he's dead.
As I learned these skills I was introduced to the Jedi Code- a passage of words that signifies their beliefs. To many Jedi who feel they are losing their way it is a great comfort, such simple words for some reason have a strong effect on them, I still don't understand why even to this day. Still, it seems to work for them.
Vrook was not willing to just go ahead and tell me the code, he said I had to use my own initiative to find out the code, whether that meant asking someone, or looking in the data records that were available from the many computer terminals that could be found throughout the Jedi temple. Any method I could use so long as I used some form of skill, people skills, computer skills, whichever. I decided I'd prefer to talk to another Jedi, seeing as this place was full of them and I'd probably run into one of them before a computer.
Sure enough I found one, or several, within moments of leaving Vrook in the Jedi Library. I spotted a young man, probably still an apprentice, in pale yellow robes, quite unusual I thought so I decided to ask him.
"Excuse me?" I asked.
"Can I help you young apprentice?"
"My name is Revan, I've been told by my master to seek out someone or something that can tell me the Jedi code."
"Ah you seek the code, you must be very new to all this. My name is Nemo, Revan, nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too Nemo, do you know the code?"
He gave a small laugh, "No time for small talk eh, Revan? It is the first thing about the Jedi that we learn, memorize and understand. Of course I know it, but knowing it is one thing, understanding what it all means and why we Jedi think this way is what really counts, if you can truly understand that, then your future as a good Jedi is assured."
"Ok." I mumbled.
"This is the code, remember it well; 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."
I nodded, not much of it made sense then, all I could tell was that the 'no' words were the opposite of the 'is' words. I think he sensed my puzzlement.
"Do you have a data pad? Your master should have given you one at the start of your training; I can transfer the code into your data pad so that you can look back on it if you ever forget it at these early stages."
I did indeed have one and handed it to him; he brought out his own data pad and connected the two devices, each not much bigger than his hand. A few blips and beeps later and I had the Jedi code.
"That's it," he said passing me back the pad "No doubt your master awaits your return young Revan, don't keep him waiting, he will want to discuss these words and their meanings to you."
"Thank you Nemo."
"No problem Revan, good luck in your studies."
I walked away, quite pleased with myself.
I kept repeating the code in my head as I walked back to meet Vrook. It was quite easy really, though maybe I was just gifted with a good memory as well as force sensitivity.
"Have you returned with knowledge of the code, Revan?" he asked.
"Yes, master."
"Good, let us take a couple of seats and a table and discuss the code, as there is more to it than just knowing the words."
We took a table in a quiet corner of the large room.
"Now, Revan, can you tell me the first line of the code?"
"There is no emotion, there is peace."
"Good, this line is one of the two most important lines to remember if you are not to be tempted to the dark side. Emotions, even positive ones, are preyed upon by the dark side of the force. The negative ones, like anger, hate and jealousy may seem like everyday emotions to non-Jedi but they are an entirely different thing for us. The dark side and light sides exist within all of us; and to Jedi it is like having two different personalities within us. When we stave off emotion, the dark personality remains dormant because it is emotion that energises the dark side; it needs emotion to remain active."
"Are you saying that there is a dark side within the masters?" I asked nervously, the idea of the masters having a dark side within them scared the heck out of me back then.
"Yes, Revan, even the masters have a dark side, look at Ulic Qel-Droma, he was actually once taken over by his dark personality, before he was redeemed by his brother Cay. The thing that separates the masters from the rest of us is that they have their emotions completely under control and the likelihood of their emotions getting fired up within them is next to none. But there is always a chance, and that is something that we as Jedi must never forget."
"What about positive emotions though, what harm can they do?"
"Positive emotions, things like love and happiness, can in the short term be a positive thing, yes. But in the long term they can cause even greater damage to a Jedi than even the negative emotions. Take love for instance, many would say love is a wonderful thing and perhaps it is, but for us it is different. Loving a person will blind you to all other concerns; you will care more for that one individual person than anything else in the galaxy. We in the order have seen it before, when a Jedi who has fallen in love with another is presented with a choice to choose between their loved one and the greater good, it has always been the greater good that is sacrificed. And what happens when the one you love dies? Or loses their feelings towards you? Your love will be unfulfilled and that will lead to despair, despair leads to anger and hate, and that awakens the dark side within that person. Love is as dangerous to a Jedi as hate and both should be watched with equal vigilance. The lesson to be learned from happiness is that happiness will breed complacency and lethargy, the dark side makes work for idle thumbs, remember that."
"Is that why I can't see my parents anymore?" I asked.
Vrook seemed pleased that I had caught onto his explanation and how, even in these early stages of teaching, the code already applied to me.
"Yes, Revan, that is exactly why you must never see your parents again, if you were to keep in contact with them you would instinctively prioritise their well being over others, even if others are in greater danger than your parents."
"I think I understand," I said.
"Good. You're a fast learner as you have already shown."
I find it interesting looking back on the words of the Jedi code and analysing them in my own way, free from the indoctrinating techniques of the Jedi. 'There is no emotion, there is peace', I realise now that there is simply no way that this part of the code can possibly remain constant and true. It is a phrase based on an idealistic view, being applied in a non-idealistic galaxy. Circumstances change, they always do, for me, for apprentices and for the masters as well. Saying there is no emotion is all very well and good, but from my experience, someone or something will always come along that will ignite the kindling of our more base instincts, it is inevitable. You would have to cut yourself off from the entire galaxy to avoid it, and the Jedi do not do that.
"Can you tell me the next line of the code, Revan?"
"There is no ignorance, there is knowledge."
"Good. This is a very important lesson for you to learn if you are to become better as a Jedi and a person. Ignorant people, who are presented with a scenario, whether it is physical, mental, spiritual, or political or anything, often jump to conclusions and more often than not it will be the wrong one. The greatest problem with an ignorant person is that most of the time they don't know they are ignorant, they believe themselves to be right because they have not been told otherwise. That's the other problem with an ignorant person; once they have drawn their conclusions, based on what they have initially heard, they are very unwilling to listen or read into the other side of the story or argument, to get the whole story and then re-evaluate their conclusions."
"How do we fit in?" I asked.
"It is up to us as Jedi to enlighten them of their ignorance, but in order to accomplish that we must ourselves be knowledgeable. That is why only fully fledged Jedi are allowed to go out into the galaxy and solve disputes; they have acquired enough knowledge, through study and experience, to judge a situation without bias and provide help where they can. Many Jedi who go to solve disputes have their own apprentices with them so that they too can also learn from the experience."
"Will I go out with you to places to solve problems?"
"Yes, you will, but not for a long time yet, you are still young and unable to defend yourself from people who refuse to see reason. Also, and as insulting as this may be to you, you are ignorant, you lack the necessary knowledge for accurate judgement."
"Hey, I'm not ignorant!" I said defiantly, even as I said it I knew I had just proven Vrook's point about ignorant people.
"You see, Revan?" he said with a knowing smile, "You don't know that you are ignorant. But don't you worry about that, you are still young and therefore it will be easier for you to cast aside your ignorance and become educated. That is why we take apprentices at a young age- they are more prepared to learn new things than adults, who will already be set in their ways. A Jedi must forever be searching for knowledge and understanding, even the masters. There is an unlimited amount of things that we can, no, must learn in the galaxy. This is something you must take to heart Revan, you must always be learning. I suppose in some ways it's impossible for you to stop learning, but what we promote here in the Jedi is pro-active learning. You should also never restrict what you learn to yourself, if you find out something that you know to be true, you should share it with your fellow Jedi so that they may learn too. Do you understand?"
"Yes master."
Indeed I did, even to this day this is the one part of the Jedi code that I keep close to me, though I don't quite mince my words like the Jedi do, where they would use the word 'ignorant' I prefer to use the word 'dense' or 'brainless', you know, words that still mean the same but are more insulting to the recipient, and why not use words like that? If I were to insult someone, they would have to be genuinely stupid to try something with me.
Insulting people aside, it is very, very true that knowledge is power. It is this, the second of the Jedi principals, which makes them such formidable opponents, both in conversation and in battle. When master Vrook told me to take that lesson to heart, I did. Ha! And how! Every day since then I did what I could to find out about everything, a colossal task in itself and one I still have not completed, nor do I anticipate I ever shall. But that won't stop me from trying. The great thing about knowing as much as I, is that you can use it against people, play them into your hands and use them to your advantage, or crush their spirits… Or if you're really smart and ruthless enough, do both.
"The next line is, Revan?"
"There is no passion, there is serenity."
"Very good, young one, I see you are good at remembering things. Passion and emotion are similar in nature but applicable in different ways. Passion is more related to the things that you do, the activities and beliefs you hold, emotion is more connected with your interpersonal skills and how you feel about yourself. The effect of both passion and emotion are much the same, if you become embroiled in something you have passion for, your mental vision can become clouded by it. Take your Jedi training for example, you may find that you really enjoy practising using your Light sabre, when you get it of course. But you might enjoy it too much and become obsessive- passionate- about using it, and in doing so you would almost completely abandon your search for knowledge and maintaining a strong connection to the force through meditation. That is when passion becomes dangerous- causing you to abandon something important for another thing, simply because you enjoy it more. Do you know what I'm saying, Revan?"
"Yes I do, master."
No passion? How can you not have passion for something? The meaning of that first line contradicts the objective of the second one. Jedi search for knowledge and it is no secret that they seek it with a certain air of determination, so surely that is indicative of their passion for something. They teach the wrong things, the Jedi do. It goes the same for emotions as well, like being in love. A wise old man once told me that love does not condemn you to the dark side; in fact, love will save you from the dark side. What the Jedi should have been teaching their pupils is how to control your passions whilst being in love, not to avoid love all together. I can tell you that as many Jedi have been saved from the dark side by the love of another, as they have been sent down the dark path. Again, look at Ulic Qel-Droma, he was saved by the love of his brother Cay, and yet despite this clear evidence in front of them, the Jedi council will not modify their teachings, because they are so arrogant and self-righteous that they refuse to see fault within their own teachings, within themselves. No wonder Jedi fall to the dark side so frequently, when taught these faulty commandments.
"The next line, Revan?" asked Vrook.
"There is no chaos, there is harmony."
"Very good, do you think you know what that means?" he was turning the tables on me, to see if I could provide an explanation of my own.
"Umm… does it mean that this is what a Jedi tries to achieve in the long term? Where there is chaos in the galaxy we go to bring harmony to it?"
"A good answer, lad, but not the whole explanation, yes, where chaos starts up in the galaxy, whatever that chaos might be we Jedi will be called upon to settle things down. But it also applies to us and our minds, we must never let a situation get on top of us, we must never panic, always be calm and collected. If people see Jedi panic, they too will panic, if they see us composed they too will compose themselves. Panic leads to rash decisions and instead of curing a problem we would only serve to enflame it. This line also links with the first and third lines, emotions and passions only serve to fuel chaos in the mind. Harmony is the objective for all of us, working in harmony with one another means working together on equal terms for a common goal, that is what is needed in the galaxy; harmony. It is a difficult thing to achieve in something as large as a galaxy, but we won't ever stop trying for it. Because if we did, the hope that all the factions in the galaxy could work together in harmony will be lost, and the only thing that can ever take the place of hope is despair. If that were to ever happen, the dark side would always prevail."
"I understand master." I spoke without giving him a chance to ask me if I understood.
Noble as it may be, striving for harmony in the galaxy, it is a never ending crusade, because no matter how many times you avert a crisis, or whatever the problem may be, there will always be someone else out there who revels in chaos and stirs things up a little. There has to be someone, given the population of the entire galaxy, it's impossible not to find at least one person who is simply bad to the bone. Harmony will never completely exist in the galaxy; that is the sad truth of all this. But Vrook was right you know; only despair would take the place of hope, if hope were lost to us. Even after all that has happened, do I still feel hope? I think I do.
Huh, most of my brethren would tell me such a feeling is unbecoming of someone like me. What do they know? Not as much as me I can tell you, if they did know more it would be they who speak to you now, not I.
"And what, Revan, is the final line of our code?"
"There is no death, there is the force."
"Excellent, Revan. Tell me, what do you know of death?"
"It comes to all of us eventually, some sooner than others. It's unpredictable and cannot be foreseen."
"Ok, and what do you think happens to you after death?"
"I don't know, my parents told me that we come back somewhere as someone else, someone new."
"There has been no evidence to suggest such a thing happens, though physically and biologically it might be possible. But we know that, spiritually, this is not the case. It has been documented in the past that Jedi who have died, have returned to the world of the living as spectres with one purpose or another, effectively becoming immortal. So far every documented Jedi who returned and fulfilled whatever purpose they had, returned to the afterlife, never to return. But it is proof that our minds carry on into the afterlife, and that death is not in fact the end of all things. That is why there is no death, there is the force."
Suddenly death did not seem so scary to me, it was reassuring that everything that I could learn in the future was not going to go to complete waste.
What do I think of death now? It's no scarier now than it was back then. For all the things I know there is still that uncertainty of what will happen after death. I want to learn how to become immortal as those few Jedi did. I don't want to just become one with the force and leave no physical trace behind, despite the fact that my mind and memories will be intact with me. Death is all I have to look forward to now really… now there's a thought, and not a pleasant one. I shall have to reflect on this.
That was one of the pivotal lessons that all apprentices learn in the order, and one of the milestones we all have to tread, not much of a milestone, I know, but still it is a crucial part of the training, the rest of that day I spent with Vrook learning about the history of the order. Thousands of years of history.