Gray Jedi Ch. 04

"How so?"

"Well the primary weakness of your Jar'Kai style of combat is that even though you have two blades, each is powered by the strength of only a single arm. This often requires you to use both swords when forced into a blade-lock situation. But I think you might be able to bypass this, giving you a big advantage in the heat of battle."

"How? I'm athletic, but I'm notthatstrong."

"Well, how did Master Drallig use such blinding fast attacks? Was he that fast on his own?"

"No, I suppose not... he used the Force to aid him."

"Exactly. He used the Force to enhance his own muscles, enabling him to accomplish feats beyond what his body could normally produce. I bet you could do the same with your muscles, focusing on strength rather than speed. Let's try it. We'll attack at the same time, but only use one arm in your blade-lock with me, ok?"

Both struck at once, their lightsabers locked in a struggle for power. As expected, Malik overpowered Serra with relative ease, since he was pushing against her with his entire body weight. She refused to give up, though, and within an hour was able to hold her own against him using the Force. She could have sworn she was becoming stronger on her own as well. All in all, both felt tired yet productive by the time they called it a day, joining Yoda back at his home for the evening.

"Sit. Eat. Worked hard you have today."

"Thank you," Serra replied, accepting a bowl of soup from him.

"Master," Malik said quietly. "Do you know what caused Anakin's fall?"

Yoda's face twisted into an expression of inner pain.

"I'm sorry, Master. I don't intend to cause you grief."

"Worry not, Malik. It is natural that you wish to know, and as it so happens, know of these events you two should." Sitting with the two young Jedi, he continued, "Skywalker's fall... caused it was by a dangerous type of fear: the fear of loss. Remember, raised as a slave he was. Loved his mother deeply, the boy did. Then, right before the Clone War began, perished his mother did. At that time, fallen in love Anakin had with a woman. Married they were. Yet Skywalker's grief for his mother did not subside. So overcome with anger after her death was he that nearly fell to the Dark Side then he did.

"Back from the brink he was coaxed by his wife, whom he loved so much. Yet obsessed he became with his inability to prevent his mother's death. Believed he did, as the chosen one, stop people from dying he should be able to. Thus, when recently Skywalker began having nightmares foretelling of his wife's demise in childbirth, desperate to prevent it from happening he was. Counseled him in this I did, though I did not know at the time the full circumstances. But my advice fell on death ears I fear. It was then that Palpatine, Darth Sidious, approached Skywalker. Told him he did of an ability to prevent death, yet that it was only available through the Dark Side of the Force. Sidious then orchestrated the arrest attempt by Master Windu to appear to be an assassination. Convinced that Sidious must live to save his wife, Skywalker turned on Master Windu, pledging himself to the Sith and becoming Darth Vader."

"Wow... how did you come to learn all this?" Serra asked.

"During their duel on Mustafar, searched Vader's feelings Obi-Wan did. Easy it was to uncover his motivations in his enraged emotional state."

"I assume you're telling us of this to illustrate the worst possible scenario for us moving forward?" Malik inquired.

"Indeed, though believe that it will come to that I do not. Far more mature the two of you are than Skywalker ever was."

"I'm glad you think so," Serra said with a warm smile. "I was... afraid that you would disapprove and shun us."

"No, Serra. Never would I shun you. The fall of the Order, given me pause it has. Caused me to consider all the reasons for our failures. Challenge our preconceived notions. Though singular attachment drove Skywalker to the Dark Side, before me sits the most loving and true relationship imaginable. One not fueled by greed, but by trust, compassion, and a desire to do good together. Challenges you will face, but overcome them you can, together."

Malik and Serra smiled at this, eating in silence for a few minutes. Yoda's approval of their relationship meant more to them than either had realized it would. As they finished their meal, Malik decided to once again ask the question burning within his mind.

"Master, how is it you were able to communicate with me on Alderaan? Does it have anything to do with Master Qui-Gon retaining his consciousness after death?"

"Hmm. Indeed it does. Explain it best, I believe he can."

It is a unique and near impossible to master ability,came Qui-Gon's voice.One might say that I have somewhat achieved that which the Sith have sought for their entire existence: eternal life. They desire it so, yet because of their devotion to the Dark Side, they cannot touch this power.

"So you're saying this is a power of the Light Side?" Serra asked.

Not specifically. To retain one's consciousness after death requires ultimate selflessness. One must surrender completely to the will of the Force. It requires compassion, not greed. In short, love in its purest form. When perfected, this would give one the ability not only to communicate with the living, but also to manifest visually. Some would refer to this as a ghost or a spirit.

"Are you able to appear like that?" Malik inquired.

I am not. Allow me to explain. In life, I encountered a group of ethereal beings during my travels. The Priestesses of the Force, they called themselves. They existed in a plane between that of the mortal realm and the Cosmic Force that governs all. They are not among the living, yet they retain enough of their consciousness to interact with the mortal realm. When I first met them, they said that they possessed the secret to eternal life and were searching for a worthy successor to gain their knowledge. They believed me that successor.

I trained with them in secret, a little bit at a time. I told nobody of this, as these concepts were contrary to everything the Order taught of death. At times, Obi-Wan began to worry about me as I went off on extended expeditions alone. As I neared the end of my training, I was called back all of a sudden, as an urgent matter had arisen on Naboo requiring my attention. I am certain you know of the rest, the appearance of the Sith warrior and my failure to subdue him. As my training was incomplete at the time of my death, I cannot appear to you; I can only communicate in this manner. And it took quite some time for me to even be able to accomplish this.

"Master Yoda, for how long have you known of this ability?" Serra asked.

"Not long, a year perhaps. Remember do you my health scare?"

"Of course! I was away on duty but requested permission to come back and work with you on your recovery," Malik replied.

"Worry not, Malik. In good hands I was. In truth, that scare an attempt it was to communicate with Qui-Gon Jinn. When near death I was, contacted me he did. Led me here to Dagobah, and so my training began. Through trials Qui-Gon put me, before directing me to the Priestesses of the Force to complete my training. Grueling though their tests were, deemed worthy I was in the end to retain my consciousness after death."

Master Yoda is their true successor. He managed what I could not. After his death, he will be able not only to communicate with the living, but also to manifest himself as a spirit, if you will.

"Incredible..." Malik marveled. Serra nodded in agreement. "What did you experience in those tests? Master Qui-Gon mentioned that one must commit an act of selflessness. I assume that was part of your training?"

"Yes, but for my knowledge only those details are. Even Master Qui-Gon knows not of what I saw in my trials."

"I understand."

"And speaking of trials, feel ready do you for your trial?"

Malik glanced at Serra, who replied, "Yes, but I think a few more days of training would do us good as well. I mean there's no rush; we've got nothing but time at this point."

"True, quite true," Yoda said in understanding. "Ah, late it has become. Rest you should before your training continues."

*****

Over the course of the next week, Malik and Serra worked tirelessly to grow stronger in the Force and with each other. Soon, Malik's timid hesitation to achieve victory vanished, and he had become quite a dangerous swordsman as a result. Though he still relied on his defensive tactics, the confidence he now displayed was rather intimidating; Yoda remarked that he had a similar look in his eye as Obi-Wan. For Serra, her connection to the Force was growing stronger every day, helping her feel more like a complete Jedi rather than just a warrior. She could now draw on the Force to enhance her body's capabilities at will, almost without a second thought at all. Malik and Yoda were nothing short of impressed at her improvement; she had nowhere to go but up.

Soon, the two began to rub off on each other in combat styles. At Serra's urging, Malik began incorporating more athletic flips and acrobatics into his Soresu, giving him increased mobility and an element of surprise. He reasoned that Obi-Wan himself had done this to great effect throughout his career, even after switching to his signature defensive combat style. Making these changes forced Serra to become more pragmatic in their duels. Her usual relentless offensive became near useless against Malik's defenses, making her dual sabers more of a hindrance than an advantage. But soon she was able to find an effective counter: using the Force not only to enhance her strength and speed, but also to affect the environment around the battlefield. Whether it was a tree root sticking out of the ground or a mess of vines in a tree above, she became ever aware of her surroundings and used those things to her advantage. Though the effect on Malik was minimal, both agreed that it would be of great help to her in a real combat situation.

"Excellent," said Yoda, watching their work. "Ready I believe you to be for your final trial."

Nodding, Malik replied, "Let's do it. You ready for this, Serra?"

"As I'm ever gonna be," she sighed.

The pair followed Yoda through the swampy marsh, unsure of where he was taking them. Still, both knew better than to question him; Yoda knew what he was doing. Soon, they came upon an entanglement of trees and vines leading to a cave ahead of them. To the average observer, this cave appeared quite unassuming, and a casual glance might even cause one to overlook it. But to a Jedi, the feeling was unmistakable.

"I feel... cold," Serra observed.

"Me too..."

"This place," Yoda said quietly, "is strong with the Dark Side of the Force. A domain of evil it is." He turned back to face the couple. "In you must go."

"What's in there?" Serra nervously asked.

"Only what you take with you..."

Taking a deep breath, Serra said, "Let's go."

"Hang on a sec," Malik replied, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Master, what did you mean by the last thing you said? Only what we take with us?"

"Nothing more I will say. The rest you must discover on your own," Yoda answered, sitting down on a nearby tree stump.

Serra turned to Malik. "You're right. That has to mean something. But what?"

"Only what we take with us..." Malik pondered this without end for several minutes before thinking of one potential answer. "What if that means we need to leave our weapons here?"

"Walk in there unarmed? I don't know if that's wise, Malik."

"Serra, we are never unarmed. This is a trial meant to test our connection to the Force; that has to be the key to all this."

Unsheathing her lightsabers from her back, Serra looked at them for several long moments before placing them on the ground near Yoda. Malik then removed his weapon from his boot and did the same. As they turned toward the cave entrance, Yoda smiled to himself. He was quite pleased to see that they had the insight to decipher the meaning of his cryptic clue.

Malik glanced at Serra. "Together?"

"Together," she agreed, gripping his hand tightly.

Collecting their courage, the pair took their first steps into the cave...

*****

Darth Vader marched through the corridors of his Star Destroyer, a bit unsteady on his feet. Mere weeks ago, he had been at the pinnacle of his skills and abilities, one of the most feared Jedi Knights in the galaxy. That, of course, was before he had pledged himself to the teachings of his master, Darth Sidious. At first, he knew he needed his master's power for Padme's sake, until Vader had killed her in his anger.

All this is Obi-Wan's fault,he thought to himself.Because he would not stand by me, the Council never trusted me. Because of him, Padme turned against me. And to top it all off, he crippled me, cut off all my remaining limbs.

Though Vader had planned all along to kill Sidious once he had what he needed to save Padme's life, the events on Mustafar had ruined everything. Not only had he lost his wife, but Obi-Wan had also taken away any ability for Vader to ever match the Emperor's power. He could not betray him if he had wanted to; it would spell instant doom for him. His only purpose now was as the loyal servant to his master. And now his master called to him, needing to discuss an urgent matter with his apprentice. Vader arrived in his communications room and knelt before the holographic projector, an image of the Emperor appearing in front of him.

"What is thy bidding, my Master?"

"Lord Vader. How is the construction of our ultimate solution proceeding?"

"Everything is on schedule, Master. Tarkin's leadership has been nothing short commendable."

"Excellent. I knew he was the right man for this task. Now, another matter we must discuss. As I am sure you know, we have confirmed that several Jedi managed to survive Order 66."

"Yes, Master. They will be hunted down and eliminated. Their betrayal will not go unanswered."

"Of this I have no doubt. I have news for you of our plans to form a squad of Jedi Hunters. There are two individuals here on Coruscant that I believe may be most useful to our efforts. I wish you to return here at once."

"It will be done, Master. I will prepare my shuttle without delay."

As the transmission ended, Vader felt a twinge of excitement that he had not felt since joining Sidious. For the first time, he felt invigorated at the possibilities the future held in forming this team. He would have apprentices once more, and would be able to show them the power of the Dark Side. Yes, perhaps he did still have a purpose in life after all. Entering the hallway, he signaled a nearby officer.

"Prepare my shuttle for immediate departure."

"Yes, Lord Vader."

Within the hour, Vader's transport had departed the Star Destroyer hangar and was headed for Coruscant. As the ship entered hyperspace, Vader felt a strange sense of calm descend upon him. Though the future was uncertain, he knew he would be the one to render justice upon the remaining Jedi.

Soon, my old master... soon...