Chapter 3

(3,655 BBY - 8 years old)

"No, no, no. The Galactic Constitution was written twenty-one thousand, four hundred and thirteen years ago by a member of House Organa. Weren't you listening to Master Khen-jo yesterday?"

"Not really, Z'myra," I answered my best friend, still in awe of the transformation she had made from a dirty, scrawny, underfed ball of nervous fear to this smart, confident Jedi initiate who sat before me. Had it really only been two years?

"I don't know how you can pay attention in class. Master Khen-jo is so boring. He goes on and on about treaties and House so-'n-so did this and the Great and Powerful Galactic Republic achieved such-'n-such during the war with the evil whatchamacallits and it all took place millions of years ago and is super essential to your very existence that you remember every little detail."

Z'myra covered her mouth, trying to hold back laughter.

"Will you two be quiet?" Tes'lee said in a perfect imitation of Master Bri'lafa, our green hued, twi'lek Force instructor. Z'myra and I burst into laughter. Tes'lee huffed in indignation and turned her back on us.

"Come on," I said to Z'myra, still laughing, "or we'll be late to class."

I sat next to Z'myra on the floor in the center of the large meditation room and stared at the small flat rock sitting on the floor before me. I glanced around to see Z'myra and the rest of our clan completely focused on their own rock, each with a look of intense concentration on their face. I watched Z'myra out of the corner of my eye and was surprised when I saw her shoulders relax and her lips curve up in that confident grin of hers. The rock in front of her wobbled slightly then lifted smoothly off the ground and slowly made its way to the center of the room where it gently landed on the small circular pedestal. She caught my eye, smiled encouragingly, and mouthed, "You can do it!" Then she quietly stood and left the room.

Tes'lee was the next to succeed and X'ri soon after. Then Kendara and Grif both quietly exited the room. I looked up at the table in the center of the room to see the five stones perfectly stacked in the exact center of the pedestal. My frustration grew as I glared at the immobile stone sitting on the floor in front of me.

"For Light's sake, just move!" I growled at the stone, and to my surprise it flew away from me. "No!" I cried out, leaping to my feet to try to stop the stone before it slammed into the pile of stones, but I wasn't quick enough. All six rocks crashed to the floor.

I cringed when I heard the door open behind me. I slowly turned, resigned to whatever punishment I knew I would receive. To my surprise it wasn't one of the Masters standing in the doorway, it was Z'myra. She smiled sympathetically and then wordlessly crossed the room and picked up the stones. Five of them she stacked on the table and then handed the last one to me.

"Do it right this time."

I laughed helplessly and shrugged, "I'll try."

"No," her tone serious, "Don't try, just do."

I sat back down and placed the small stone before me, but no matter how hard I concentrated the stone refused to move. "I can't do this, Z'myra. It doesn't work when I'm not angry."

Z'myra sat in front of me, the small stone between us, and said, "Using the Force out of anger only leads to destruction. Before," she paused, struggling for words. "Before I came here all I ever saw was darkness and hate and the Force was only used to bring pain and destruction. They were evil and broken. You are my sister now and I won't let you become like them."

I was scared and confused. I didn't want to be evil or hurt people. Z'myra wiped the tears from her eyes and I think it was then, because of what she said that I began to understand the Jedi Code.

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 had repeated those words every day for over four years without knowing what they meant. My teachers tried to tell me over and over that I had to learn to control my emotions, but I never really understood why. For some reason, Z'myra, though she was, like me, only eight years old, she had an innate understanding of the Force, how it worked and the differences between the light side and dark side.

"The Force is all around us, inside of us. You see it the same as me," Z'myra tried to explain. "I think the Force wants to be used just as water wants to flow. You are trying to move the rock and the rock does not want to move. Instead move the Force." She held out her tiny white hand, palm up, and gently lifted it. The rock, in response, lifted as well. "I am not moving the rock; I am moving the Force that is inside the rock and all around the rock." She lowered the rock until it was once again sitting on the floor before me. "Now you do it. You don't need to get angry, you don't need to command it, just use your will and guide the Force."

I closed my eyes and let all my frustration and fear dissolve until all I could feel was the Force. I smiled. I could feel the rock. I could even see it, though my eyes were still closed. I gathered my will and lifted the rock and guided it towards the center of the room.

"Mariatu," she whispered. I opened my eyes and saw the joyous expression on Z'myra's face. "You did it."

I looked up and saw the small stones, all six of them neatly stacked on the pedestal.