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Chapter 20

The Jedi Council had been willing to give him a ship of theirs when the Queen brought up the subject.

Suffice to say, Anakin looked at the T-6, and Luke could just see the hundreds of ideas passing in his mind about what he would do with it.

"Woah..." was all that Anakin said.

Luke smiled. "It's our ship, Anakin."

"Can... Can we go inside?" Anakin inquired, looking at him with hope.

"Soon," Luke rubbed his hair.

"Regarded highly by the Naboo, you are, Luke Skywalker." The Grandmaster's voice echoed. Both Skywalkers turned to the doors.

Even after seven years or so, Luke knew better than to ever disrespect Yoda. The only time he'd underestimated Yoda, Luke felt like a fool for it afterward, even though he didn't know it at the time. The green troll had risen to the rank of Grandmaster with many years of experience, deeply attuned to the Force.

Palpatine's followers had a field day when it came to painting the Jedi in a negative light. Even though Mothma and Leia were assembling the military, many were still suspicious of the Jedi-viewing them as tyrants. It was within their right, Luke knew, but their thirst for expectations that the tyrannical Jedi would come back to bite them would have been a disaster.

The Grandmaster and the Emperor fought at the end of the Clone Wars. Luke had admitted being in awe when he'd watched that recording, but Yoda's Grandmaster status mattered most when it came to propaganda.

The Jedi Council members flanked Yoda. It was obvious what many thought about him. Although many felt him a heretic, Master Windu's view of him surprisingly lightened up. Luke had the feeling that he would be a hard ass if Han was to be the one who would have worded it, but the Jedi Master respected him for saving as many Nabooians as possible and recovering the bodies that he could on the day of the disaster on the fields of Naboo.

What he felt from Tiin, Rancisis, and Mundi was different. While the latter remained impassive so much that Luke had to check twice to ensure he wasn't mistaken, he believed that the Jedi should have full jurisdiction over him and his decisions. That denying direct access to the Jedi Order was a sign of being a disgrace. Rancisis merely stared at him, unimpressed. Tiin was the most frustrated, his eyes narrowed.

While Luke also disapproved of battle, he knew first-hand that the galaxy was full of fighting. He agreed that one should study the Force. But his views contrasted with other things. Diplomacy just wasn't always the answer. That was becoming more and more true in this day and age, and hopefully, the Jedi saw it that way. Moreover, Luke had witnessed it himself.

Luke answered calmly, "So I am."

"We don't recall us giving you permission to train a Youngling, especially someone who could be emotionally compromised and corrupt." Tiin said tightly.

Anakin shrunk slightly, knowing that they were referring to him.

Luke's right twitched. Part of him was tempted to give his sister's response "I don't recall asking" but he held his tongue. Leia didn't care about such things at times, nor did she allow anyone to push over her. Luke didn't either, but he was beginning to remember how the Jedi's dogmatism system in this era led to their own destruction in the first place.

Luke couldn't help but wonder. If this was how they treated his father, only as a nine-year-old boy - a little boy - how did they treat him as an adult that led him to make a deal with the devil? Yes, his father had many flaws even now, but he wasn't unsalvageable. Constructive criticism and proper consultation could have led to Vader being avoided in the first place.

"Understood," the time traveling Skywalker nodded.

"You're pushing it. For all we can know, you could be implementing a Force Mask of your own," Tiin stated flatly. "An unknown would need unanimous agreement to train and even so would be monitored considerably."

"He's powerful," Luke pointed out. "I am not inclined to ignore his potential." He gazed between Yoda and Windu. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but do you have an age restriction for Younglings?" he asked knowingly.

"Yes," Windu admitted, nodding. "All Force Users are immediately under Jedi's jurisdiction." Not entirely true, though not necessarily a lie either. While the Jedi tried to subdue those who may lead the galaxy into darkness, it could be argued that following the Dark Side was not a crime. That would never be the case, even in Luke's time, because very few common people understood the Force. "It is intolerable."

"Two points, Grandmaster Zym joined the Jedi Order when he was fifteen," he pointed out, "and who's to say I didn't find him like this already?" Luke queried rhetorically. "I have merely taught him how to control his emotions which I saw was threatening to tear him apart. It's not extreme. Meditation and calming the mind benefits common people with disorders."

"Fearful, he is," Yoda pointed at the boy with his small staff. "Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." His voice dropped an octave, and he stared down, having witnessed multiple Jedi succumb, no doubt.

And it was in that moment that Luke recalled the flaw in Master Yoda, and the flaw in his later mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

It was always his impression that they were attempting to scare him with the worst-case scenario to convince him not to go. One could argue they did not want Luke to repeat their mistakes. Unintentionally, to many who followed the Force to a more extreme version, the Jedi became agents of evil by fighting in the Clone Wars. Luke was spoiling for a fight on Cloud City. That attitude was corrosive to the Jedi philosophy. By simply engaging in the fight, you become an agent of evil. You enter into acts of destruction. Kenobi and, more so, Yoda were trying to guide Luke away from fiery combativeness.

But the truth was, that Luke's attachments were a strength, while Ben and Yoda had decided they couldn't be anything but a weakness. Yoda's teachings about attachments failed countless students, his father among them. The Jedi should have never repressed emotions, for it turned people like his father into an emotional mess with no idea how to handle difficult situations. It was only Luke's pure attachment to Anakin that brought him back.

"Master Yoda..." The Force rippled following those words.

Master Windu's head snapped to him. Adi Gallia looked between Yoda and Luke, interested to hear, her eyes glittering. Billaba didn't seem to be impressed, her lips breaking into a frown.

Eyes to eyes, former Pupil and Master stared at one another. Truth be told, Luke cared about Yoda. He had given him the means to learn and approve. Luke's failure to defeat Vader was no doubt the evidence they'd needed to prove themselves that they were right and Luke should have stayed on Dagobah, that the failure to defeat Vader amounted to some kind of moral failure or mistake on Luke's part.

And now, he disagreed even more.

Certainly, Luke went and attempted to save his friends against the advice of his teachers. Yet, while the outcome wasn't what he wanted and he wasn't able to prevent any of the terrible events from occurring - his friends were tortured, Han was placed in Carbonite, and Leia only barely escaped with Lando's help and ended up needing to rescue Luke - all those events had already occurred without him and he certainly didn't make the situation any worse. Yoda said that if Luke went to Cloud City, everything his friends fought for would be lost; now on reflection, he found this assessment in particular to be inaccurate. Additionally, he discovered critical information that ended up due to his actions and ultimately led to his success and the Rebellion's success by extension.

A question came down to him alas. Something he hadn't thought about for years. How differently would events have turned out had Luke NOT known Vader was his father?

Would Luke have reacted with anger and fear? Giving into negative emotions? Having the power to kill the monster who "slain" his father? Of course, while Luke understood where Yoda was coming from, Luke wouldn't pretend that his leadership was without imperfections. Yoda blissfully remained above politics for nine hundred years and allowed the Jedi Order to degrade into darkness. He was wise and had moments of truth, but he was also hypocritical and flawed sometimes.

Luke couldn't just ignore that.

"All dictators prey on fear. They do everything they can to cultivate xenophobia. The fear of other nationalities or ethnic groups is essential to them. The demonizing of the other is the root of tyranny. The formula is not difficult. First, demonize your scapegoat of choice. Then present yourself as the savior. The formula has worked countless times throughout history. Stoke fear into anger, and anger into hate. And capitalize on that hate to gain power and glory. Fear is the center, isn't it? It's that primal reaction to something we view as a threat to our security, our status, or our ego. The fear of losing something we hold dear can lead to anger toward a dissenter we view as unjust. It's all too deceptively simple to slide from anger into the murky waters of hate—that same for those we blame for our misfortunes, regardless of their real cooperation. And hate hate is corrosive. It doesn't fade away on its own. It bottles up, poisoning everything from personal relationships to societal discussions. You internalize hate and it starts to consume you, leading to a personal path of suffering and, often, lashing out, which extends that suffering to those around you."

Luke's words came out with great intensity, but his tone remained calm. Now, reactions varied. Billaba and Koon stiffened slightly. Tiin scowled. Mundi remained indifferent. And Rancisis's scowl grew wider. Koth's eyes went wide for a moment. Piell frowned. Yaddle's eyes locked onto Yoda's back. Poof was intrigued to see how this proceeded.

Lastly, Anakin stared up at his hero. From his perspective, he didn't know who Yoda was, or who all of these people were meant to be... but he felt the importance of stature surrounding the Grandmaster. While Yoda was small, his tiny stature didn't mean that the rest didn't answer him. He recalled when one tall and muscular slave had assumed Gardulla couldn't hurt them, but that had been disproved with a whip and suffering conditions that changed that tone. Speaking of which, was there ever a Hutt Jedi? He would have to ask Luke later...

Everyone present stared at them. The scene couldn't be described as tense. No lightsabers would be pulled out. No battle would insist. But a verbal conversation awaited. For all anyone knew, Luke had just affirmed his verbal rival's point and that should have been the end of it.

"But let's peel back another layer. Could your belief oversimplify a serpentine psychosomatic process?"

"Is there a point to this?" Windu asked.

Luke looked at the Korun. "The reason I'm saying this is to make a point. Fear doesn't always lead down this dark path. Sometimes it can be a synergistic for growth, fueling the desire to overcome obstacles or motivating change. People conquer their fears, channeling the energy into something constructive rather than destructive."

He turned back to Yoda. "And anger? It's not evil. It's an emotional response that can provoke action against injustices, like slavery. It's when anger is allowed to fester, unobserved and unexamined, that it inches toward becoming hate.

So, are you speaking some profound truth, Master? Absolutely. These emotions can generate a chain reaction that ends in suffering. But unlike the Sith who deal in absolutes, we should consider the nuances. Fear and anger can be part of healthy, normal emotional experiences as long as they are comprehended, controlled, managed, and targeted toward positive accomplishments.

Context matters. Introversion matters. Your warning stands as a stark reminder of the destructive path unchecked emotions can lead us down, but let's not forget the power of self-acknowledgment and our ability to select a different path—one that leads not to suffering, but to something better.

Could it be said that the Younglings you instructed didn't have their fears, a moment of lapse to give into anger, and while some fell victim to those emotions, that many of them ascended? Could it be said that your Master of the Order didn't have moments of irritation and frustration? Could it be said that your philosophy is flawed because it rebukes humanity? Could it be said even now that the Naboo wasn't angry and hateful but they were still determined to come here and liberate their world from suffering? What about in the wider galaxy? Where Anakin come from? Believe it or not, Master, Anakin suffered. He'd suffered indignities. The only light in his life is his mother, and your Code demands that he lets her go-as if that would solve the problem."

Half-consciously, Luke covered both of Anakin's ears, receiving a wondering look from the boy and the Jedi alike. Thankfully, Anakin didn't push him away, knowing that Luke didn't want him to hear this part. "Anakin suffered, having to witness his mother be taken away and followed with immediate sexual assault if not viewing it outright. That would be something that would always remain with him. So I ask you, Master of the Order-" he directed his next statement to Windu again, "if you witness your Padawan suffer, be so, how would you feel?" A subtle manipulation Luke didn't like to use.

All Jedi within were shocked in silence. What shocked them even more was that his points did have merit. Windu and Billaba looked at one another in contemplation. Notably, there was the closest to protective anger at the implication from the older Master. A sign that he'd never severed his attachment to her.

Koon and Yaddle lowered their heads in sympathy and shame. Gallia stared away with a prolonged sigh. Koth's shoulders slumped. Even Piell looked at the former slave with momentary sadness. Yoda's ears wrinkled, but his face remained steady. Tiin, Rancisis, and Mundi were the only ones who remained unmoved.

Luke removed his hands from the boy's ears and smiled warmly. Anakin smiled back. "This is why I wish to train him as a student if you're unwilling to do it. I can understand his struggles and can handle them with as much."

"That you don't lead him astray, how can we be sure?" Yaddle asked knowingly, regaining her words first.

"Monitor me," Luke offered to the small green Jedi. "I would even allow you to do monthly observations with him if you so wish."

A collective "Hmmm..." spread around the room.

"The life of the Jedi is not the quick and easy path. Yes, it would be easy to leave Anakin on Tatooine and not allow him to be trained-" he noticed Anakin's eyes flaring up with hurt, but Luke instantly ensured him, "I mean so in Jedi's terms, little one, not mine." The boy nodded, eyes brightening again as Luke looked back, "-but if his potential is as dangerous as you have implied, do you think that a dark Force Adept wouldn't find him? At the risk of being hypocritical, can it be argued that you fear his potential?"

"Fear is different from caution," Koon pointed out with a sigh.

"Master, excuse my sarcasm, but our definition of caution may be different. You can still train him and be cautious of him." Luke stated simply. "For example, Anakin, helpless and confused, could be misguided to follow the path of the Dark Side."

"Why should we not train him within the Jedi Order?" Tiin asked skeptically. "So you can poison him against us-perhaps? Is that why you're so persistent for his training?"

Luke gave him a sharp glare. "I might not agree with the Jedi's philosophies and cultures entirely, but I do believe that your Order in concept is necessary for not just the Republic or the Core, but the wider galaxy. Anything that I teach him would be approached with him overcoming his negativism and the feelings that being in slavery brought, not just in the Force or lightsaber." The glare faded. "I find it premature at best to assume of my teachings. And there's also the Sith."

Tiin's eyes sharpened at that. "Ah, yes, Master Gallia informed us about this Darth Sidious. The Trade Federation will be questioned about this mysterious... figure. That is irrelevant to this. For example, he is too old."

"Too old for the Jedi Order, never too old for personal improvement and training," Luke replied. "Do you think Sidious wouldn't have noticed him? That the Sith would just let him slip by with no plans to teach him? The Sith don't care about the age-they would merely take him in and train him to be a Jedi killer, and there would be no hope when he reaches his full potential because you want to abide by outdated codes and protocols."

Outrage pulsed through the Force. Those "outdated" codes and protocols were the type that the Jedi had lived with for the past millennials. But none could argue his overall point, blunt as he may have been.

"It's simple, Masters, I will train Anakin," Luke declared, "even if I have to do so here on Naboo with the backing of the government." He didn't like making threats, but he knew he would have to go far to accomplish much.

"Necessary, that will not be," Yoda finally concurred, "take him as your Padawan Learner with the consent of the Order, you may."

"But, Master Yoda!" Mundi exclaimed in protest.

The small green Jedi held up his hand, silencing any further argument.

"The Will of the Force, this is."

Luke nodded. He decided to press. "What are you going to do about Sidious?"

"A Darth Sidious does exist," Adi Gallia mentioned with a nod to Luke. He may have won her favor. With her, probably some on the Council. The more that thought about reformations, the better.

"An autopsy report on Aurra Sing's corpse shows severe scarring, indicating that greater darkness had been inflicted on her soul," Master Windu added.

"I am willing to help you in tracking down the Sith."

This was it! How hadn't the idea come to him earlier? This way, he could move against Sidious subtly over the next ten years while potentially setting the option for the Jedi to grow stronger. What better way than to perhaps build an influence? Maybe, with time favoring him, he could counter at least Sidious making the Jedi's credibility burn in his defeat.

Windu sighed unhappily. Luke felt his heart drop somewhat, even before the words came out.

"I'm sorry, Skywalker, but the Council does not believe this Sidious qualify as a "Sith". Merely a member of an organization that wishes to be of the same name. To put it simply, the Sith were wiped out at Ruusan..."

Wait, what? The words rendered Luke speechless on the spot. This couldn't be happening!

Luke's hands flexed.

No!

No!

No!

He breathed in, feeling emotions he hadn't felt for years. Somehow, with his voice a strained calm, he responded. "I understand your unwillingness, but you're making a mistake in assuming that the Sith in this era will fight publicly. Doing so would sabotage their methodology. The explanation is simple. They sensed my presence and acted accordingly, removing the planned Sith Resurgence from the face of the planet."

It wasn't entirely true that the Jedi Order was Luke's only option.

It would be unreasonable if he had failed to convince the Jedi Order to allow him to remain as an ally, but he did have a few contingency plans. One of them would just lead to further division between him and the Jedi Order, possibly undermining the trust that he'd so carefully ingratiated between him and the Jedi who he had interacted with already, which was an outcome he would rather avoid.

Tiin glared. "It sounds to me you want to reconstitute the Jedi into warriors."

"In a ideal galaxy, I would wish for anything but. Staunch pacifism does not work in the galaxy. I just can't understand why you don't believe the Sith have returned. The Jedi made this mistake multiple times such as in the Mandalorian Wars."

Master Mundi's eyes darkened. "The galaxy is rife with renegades who believe themselves to be the next superpower, but they've all failed. The Hutts or Jedi destroyed most of them."

"The Sith won't stop until they control the Republic. I'm telling you, they are evacuating into the shadows to recover from my presence."

"That's an arrogant statement, Master Skywalker," Piell replied with a frown. "The Sith are gone. The Army of Light destroyed them when Lords Kaan and Hoth fell. The Golden Age stands. The Ruusan Reformation remains."

Luke wanted to argue more. What would it take for them to believe that the Sith were taking advantage of all of this? With Maul still being under Sidious's efforts, the Sith were planning.

"Very well..." he relented. There was no point in arguing. The Jedi didn't want to accept this Golden Age coming to an end.

Less than an hour later, Luke, Anakin, Shmi, and the still-unfinished Threepio departed Naboo.

Anakin looked at him from the copilot seat. "You're scared of the Sith?"

"No," Luke said.

"You're lying... I can just feel it," Anakin said before he cringed away.

Luke sighed. He should have seen that coming. "You're a smart child, Anakin, it's just unfortunate the Jedi do not wish to open their eyes."

"Because they don't care," Anakin added in a pointed tone.

"I wouldn't say that."

"I wanted to be a Jedi once. But they want me to leave behind mom." Anakin grumbled. "I never want to be a Jedi again."

"Anakin, make no mistake, they're good people."

"Some of them are mean."

"They live in a time of peace, Anakin." Unfortunately, that was not an excuse to complacency.

Even to the child, that excuse wasn't standing, but Anakin dropped the matter.

With the emotions surrounding him, Luke knew this would take a lot of work.

"Well, where are we going next?" Anakin inquired, obviously eager to explore the galaxy.

Luke's expression was light with a roguish smirk. It would be anything but coincidental that his journey would begin the same way Anakin did. No, they wouldn't be the traditional Jedi, but they would be Jedi in their own right.

After all, Anakin must unlearn what he had learned...

Luke asked, already knowing the answer, "Tell me, Anakin, have you ever heard of Dagobah?"

Author's note: I received some complaints about the Jedi Council's depiction, but it's important to note that they are realistically extremists in everything. If you're a traditionalist of your religion, imagine if you argue with someone like an atheist, will you want them to follow much of your religion's beliefs but not the core foundations? That's going to be a problem going forward because many Jedi are not fond of embracing their emotions. It's something the Prequel Jedi are indoctrinated into believing is evil. Lastly, Luke has very different ideologies and takes on the Dark Side than the Prequel Jedi. Newsflash, if anyone of Luke's Order was taken back in time, in my opinion, there would be a personality clash with some of the members. But nowhere Luke would ever say the Sith are better than the Jedi.

If I wrote this from the rest of the Jedi's perspective, it would take too long, and I already had to write twenty chapters surrounding Naboo because I realized new things would happen with all ripple effects. Now, we move away from Naboo and I carry on to explore what's going to happen to the rest of the characters and Anakin's training precisely. Also, as for the Sith's actions? The Dark Side is freaking out right now and making more drastic things happen. In my opinion, if the Light has the voice, so would the Dark. After all, the amount of stories I have seen with a Sith time traveling and the Jedi freaking out is omnipresent. Sometimes, the other way around isn't bad. Lol

May the Force be with you all always.