Chapter 26: V.1-C.26│Jedi Order II│
Coruscant.
The Code of the Jedi, and respectively by extension apart of every member was passed on throughout the entirety of their existence.
'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.'
Or the code usually practiced by the younglings trained by the Jedi.
'Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force.'
Strangely enough this code above is a much better alternative version of the Jedi's code, but the one mainly used is not this one. This code was usually recited by Jedi younglings during their Initiate Trials.
'It is quite unfortunate that it is not used more often, as I consider it a much more complete version of the Jedi code, or at least it is better than the one currently used.' Anakin thinks as he is being transported back to Coruscant along with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.
Qui-Gon had requested a transport back to Coruscant to Padme as they were ready to leave, with everything that had been accomplished it was time for Anakin's training to begin.
"Anakin, as you know, you are to have two Masters to teach you instead of one. Considering this a plan was devised so as to make sure you have time to train under each of us, myself and then Master Windu." Qui-Gon says walking towards Anakin who is currently within his own thoughts.
"Yes, Master. Are you to tell me my training schedule, or has that not been decided yet." Anakin said in a questioning tone.
Anakin had to change his way of addressing Qui-Gon, as he did accept him as his new master. He would be, hopefully learning a lot from Qui-Gon as he was trained by the infamous duelist expert Dooku who was in turn trained by Yoda.
Qui-Gon replies. "The details are still yet to be worked out between myself and Master Windu but I am sure we can come to a swift conclusion."
"Is your hand alright? Do you like your replacement?" Anakin gestures towards Qui-Gon's now mechanical hand.
"Well yes. Before I forget, I would like to thank you for your ability to make me a new hand. It feels quite good where I have no discomfort at all." Qui-Gon says whilst smiling.
"I am glad to be of help." Anakin then thinks. 'I did this as a sorry for not being able to fully save you from the encounter with Maul, but hey! It must be better then nothing at all. I did especially craft that new hand for you.'
"I see you are quite skilled in the areas concerning technology, in fact all I have seen from you were your various talents in many areas. I wonder what else you could tell me about your abilities?" Qui-Gon questions trying to see what else Anakin is capable of.
"Well, for the longest time I could sense I have some innate connection to the mind, my mind in particular. I have great control over my memories, my thoughts and emotions. I can also sense the emotions and thoughts of others quite easily as well."
"It has been quite useful to me." Anakin continues.
"Yes, yes. I have been informed of this rather special ability you have been born with. Most who are Force-sensitive have some type of talent in regards to the Force and other things." Qui-Gon explains.
"Yours could very well be Force abilities related to the mind." Qui-Gon states.
"It is not just my mind, I also have great control of and understanding of technology. As I am sure you have noticed." Anakin leaves out. 'I also have a special talent related to anything to the body, particularly reinforced by the dark magicks working on me, but I dont think I want to inform anyone of this. At least for now.'
"Yes, your affinity for technology is certainly interesting but I am unsure as to what Force abilities there are to that." Qui-Gon continues. "Enough of that, I think you will need to come to terms with and focus on the basics of your training."
"First, I think I will start with a lesson in history and he basics of the Jedi way."
The training of students of the Jedi Order changed and evolved over its many millennia of existence. Throughout its history though, the idea of a Master and an Apprentice was consistent; though at times more than one apprentice could be taken by a single Master.
Training was harsh and difficult, consisting of nearly two decades of tutelage before an apprentice became a full-fledged Knight.
That is why Anakin's case was pretty unique as a student usually would have no more then one master but the current Jedi had to take into account the potential of Anakin and future of him even if they dont all fully believe to be the chosen one.
At least not yet as they have yet to know the full capabilities and talents of the boy other then the preliminary test done when he was on Coruscant.
Following the end supposed extinction of the Sith and the passage of the Ruusan Reformation, the Jedi Order completely reformed its academy under the leadership of Grand Master Fae Coven and the Council of First Knowledge.
Closing many of the ancient praxeums of the early order in favor of a more centralized academy on Coruscant, those that remained open were overseen by a Council of Masters as opposed to a single administrator.
The formation of the Acquisition Division was a necessity with the newly implemented age restriction: all Initiates in the Order were restricted to infants and very young children. In order to help, the Galactic Republic passed a law requiring all member worlds to check for Force-sensitivity upon delivering each child.
The Council also took the time to codify a formal battery of five tests of Knighthood, in addition to restricting apprenticeship to one Master and one apprentice.
As the academy flourished, so did the Order. Initiates were placed in clans and learned together for over a decade along a strict, structured regimen of academics and combat. The Jedi Academy on Coruscant structured an Initiate's day and the lessons progressed in difficulty as a student moved through the academy system.
Lessons were taught by Jedi Masters and unranked Jedi from the Education Corps, and designed to give the Initiates the skills they would need in the field.
What Qui-Gon was going to teach Anakin at least what he could officially teach him now that he could not back on Naboo was the basics of the basics when it comes to their training. 'He is a intelligent boy, in fact he may very well be a genius so it shouldn't be too hard for him to advance quickly.' Qui-Gon thought.
"The Jedi Order and by extension the Jedi take on very strict vows, Anakin. These vows or mantras and chants are words the Jedi live by, of course I disagree a lot of the time with how it is done but that is just the way things are."
[]
Jedi and their Code, their need and desire reinforced through indoctrination to follow the Code is partially why they had become complacent in their seats of power.
Even if there are lessons to be learnt, their inability to evolve for the better cripples them and cripples those around them. At the forefront being the Galactic Republic that had become corrupt but many who are in the know would say it was the fault of the Jedi.
No, the Jedi only enabled those with less than clean backgrounds to prosper. In on itself the Republic was failing but that didn't mean some intervention could have saved it.
Through some in depth analysis on the Jedi code and the way they follow it Anakin had come up with why they follow it and how.
When it came to the dark side, or more specifically anything to do with negative emotions which were completely natural to most living sentient creatures above a certain sapience level would have, the Jedi would shun it.
Jedi were taught to accept the inherent dark side within themselves and conquer it, and not let it conquer them. Fear of loss, anger, hate, jealousy, greed, and aggression, all of the dark side had to be stripped from its influence over a Jedi through patience and training.
Even when it came to emotions such as love it was enforced that no such feelings be present.
While the Jedi Code forbade possession and attachments, the Jedi were encouraged and trained to love in terms of compassion. Attachment was the inability to accept change as the fundamental characteristic of life; to accept death as the natural part of life; the inability to let go.
Feeding into fear of loss and greed, leading to jealousy, attachment was selfish, a shadow of greed and thus a path of the dark side of the Force. Therefore, attachment was forbidden for a Jedi, who had to train themselves to let go of everything they were afraid to lose; to renounce all attachments.
Thus, they could be compassionate and loving and caring, but not be possessive and grabbing and holding on to things, trying to keep them frozen in time, accepting the transitional nature of life.
This allowed them to love the totality of life unconditionally without selectively choosing individual life-forms to become selfishly attached to.
At one point Qui-Gon had been told something ridiculous, which he held back from telling Anakin but Qui-Gon projected his thoughts as such from that memory that Anakin could perceive it clear as day.
"Falling in love, that's what the Jedi Code forbids. Getting laid? Not so much. Not if it's casual, like me and Selbie." Rael Averross defends casual sexual relationships to Qui-Gon Jinn.
And it is true that the Jedi do not like romantic relationships of any kind, strictly forbidding it. What most Jedi seem to not understand is that sexual relations are not forbidden as long as romantic feelings do not develop.
Members of the Jedi Order considered each other their family and sometimes were truly related by blood. Jedi Masters developed strong, trusting and loving bonds with their apprentices whom they raised, being like a parent to them.
However, they were not supposed to form attachment - for the greater good, they had to be able to let go of them, to not to lose a thousand lives just to save one.
The Jedi considered romantic feelings natural and as such, they did not prohibited them, but for a Jedi Knight it was essential to make the right choice for the Order and not neglect their Jedi duties in the favor of their beloved, even if that would mean the end of the relationship
Jedi Knight Rael Averross believed that the Jedi code permitted casual sexual relationships as long as the Jedi did not form attachments. Averross had such a relationship with Selbie, an innkeeper on Pijal, when he served as Lord Regent of that planet.
The Jedi were encouraged to rely on their instincts over their mind, which is truly weird considering alot of a beings instincts are tied to a lot of emotions. An example being fear, where fear can help a person decide and react to something that is dangerous, hazardous or can cause harm.
Evolutionary reasons are behind things like this.
They held their emotions valuable but were also warned to be mindful of them, for they could cloud their judgment. A Jedi had to maintain a serene, quiet mind in order to stand on the light side instead of the dark, thus they were able to keep the Force within them in balance.
The Jedi knew that the universe is far from static, and the way of the Force is that all living eventually must die.
They had a strong faith in the Force and found comfort in knowing that upon dying, they, just like all things that ever lived, will be transformed into the Cosmic Force, the wellspring from which the Living Force emanated, becoming one with it.
Therefore, they saw death as the natural part of life; despite they were saddened by it, they were advised to remember, one day they will all pass on, and rejoice and celebrate those around them who passed away and become one with the Force, instead of grieving and missing them.
The fear of losing the living to inevitable death was attachment, the shadow of greed.
While it is certainly true, Anakin couldn't help but also disagree with this statement when clearly there are beings that are already immortal such they do not die due to the passage of time.
An example of this would be the special Force-Wielder race. Another example of immortality is the Jedi Force technique that allows for the ghost, or spirit of a Force-sensitive that had died to live on without a body.
Truly there are many instances of things like this, but it is true that sometimes you can not save everyone. 'Sometimes it is what it is.'