18 - In which some words are said
Meeting him in the flesh almost forty years later was a welcome relief to the barrage of confusing shocks. You can trust Yoda. He is wise, good and compassionate. He got me calmed down, on my feet and then gently verbally smacked round so that I was in a state to do whatever it was I am here for. Because there are no accidents, coincidences or mishaps in his view. It is the Force. Minor planetary crisis? Space Jesus found? Son of Space Jesus needing training to kill mad bad dad? Office worker from another universe? It is all the Force. You learn, you understand and then, you deal.
So of course I told him everything. Skywalkers, Palpatines, Clones, Wars, Siths and the Empire. Well, as much as my frazzled brain could remember. Yoda patiently took me through it all, processed it and then said no to giving Sheev a thorough sabrering. Also, that if so bad a job they did, why don't you show us how? Train a better Anakin. Go on. Dare ya.
So the little green man from outer space supported me in taking on Anakin as my apprentice. Padawan. Whatever. Over the years he has dropped hints, some subtle, some, not, that I too, am a Jedi. Now that I have accepted that he wants me to prove it. How? What have I learned? What do I know?
I pick up my spoon and start my breakfast. It's porridge. Nutritious, balanced. If you put sugar and milk with it then it tastes like sugary milk.
"Well?" says Yoda when I am halfway through.
"Even a Jedi needs breakfast. So that is what I am doing." I say and spoon another bit of porridge into my mouth.
"Hmm. What next?"
"I need advice from the librarians on access to some older texts. To speak with Battlemaster Drallig about form one. Master Windu may still want some advice and I will most likely bump into Hera at some point."
"Hmm. So, nothing urgent then. Very well. Attend me you shall at the Tower Room. When finished you are." says Yoda. He then rises and walks off.
Of course. To prove I am a Jedi I should be able to find my way round the Temple. I finish breakfast. Wash my plate and spoon and return it. Then I walk over to the table of kids.
"Excuse me. If you are finished I need some Jedi for a mission and I need volunteers." I say.
Six young beings look excited at this raising their hands.
"Excellent. I am in need of guidance. Can you lead me to the Tower Room please." I say.
-----
I may of remarked on how there are a lot of telepaths in this building. When one of the children tells a passer by what they are doing the news that Master Dee-Jay is going to face Master Yoda, a rumour quickly starts. When we reach the Tower Room there are many Jedi present in viewing balconies. There is a certain anticipation in the air. Also present are three immense pillars holding massive stone discs in place. It is a gigantic Towers of Hanoi set. In the middle of the room stands Yoda.
"Dee-Jay. To be lead by younglings, need you?" says Yoda.
"I seem to of forgotten the way, who best to lead me from my folly and banish pride into the bargain?" I say. Yeah, I can mystic too. Is this going to be a Zen off?
"Hmm. True that is. Now Dee-Jay. This room, it's purpose describe shall you." says Yoda.
Well, looks kind of obvious. We're also telekinetics and these are big, heavy rocks. I crouch down and regard my escorts.
"I seem to have forgotten what we do here? Perhaps one of you can tell everyone present and remind me?" I say.
The children laugh, look among themselves and then one, a Rodian speaks up.
"This is the Tower Room. Here we can practice lifting the rings, moving them from spire to spire." says the child.
"Precisely. Forgotten had you Dee-Jay? Very embarrassing." says Yoda to the general laughter of the crowd. "Very good Drecka. Now, Dee-Jay. Can you lift any of these."
I shake my head.
"No Master Yoda. I cannot." I say. To emphasise, I walk to the nearest disc, place my hands across what is almost a flat wall and heave. Predictably, nothing happens to more general amusement. After some theatrical grunting and heaving I walk back to the kids.
"Is there a better way?" I ask.
They look at each other as if expecting a trick question.
"Use the Force?" says one eventually. I smile and nod.
"Use the Force. Use the Force. Use the Force." chorus the others.
I close my eyes. See the disc in your mind. Feel it. Now, rise.
The smallest disc, a 'mere' two metres across rises off it's spire. Feeling more is required I cause another to lift, then another, shifting the massive discs to make room as more are lifted. There is a strain, a pressure as I concentrate on the objects. There is also the sense of standing besides a vast reservoir of power, something I can draw from if needed. Eventually they are all suspended within the chamber.
"However my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is!" I say as I open my eyes.
"Just so Master Dee-Jay. Now, back the way found them place you shall."
Great. Before enlightenment chop wood, pour water. After enlightenment... One by one I return the discs.
"Hmm. I wonder, who are you?" says Yoda.
"Dee-Jay. Jedi Master." I reply.
I try to ignore the whisper at the back of my mind.
'I can be so much more than an ally.'
-----
"Test them all! Test them all!"
After I see to the Library and Master Drallig I go outside to where the crowds are. I descend the steps and approach a protester, a large red insectoid.
"Excuse me. What are you protesting?" I ask the being.
"Test them all! What? Are you really a Jedi?" it says.
I look at the Jedi Temple and the steps I have come down. Are the brown and cream robes not a clue either?
"Why yes, I am. However I am only recently back to Coruscant and are a little behind on events." I say, noticing a small semi-circle of beings no longer chanting but staring at me.
A human breaks the silence.
"The leaked bioscans." he says.
"There are people able to be Jedi in the Senate!" says a dinosauroid. Then others chime in.
"They obviously were not tested."
"Something should be done!"
"There needs to be more transparency."
"Yeah."
"Compulsory testing for government officials."
"Test them all!"
They resume the chant.
"Wait. Who was revealed as being a potential Jedi?" I ask.
The insectoid turns to me.
"We don't know. All we know is that part of the results were leaked. No names, no position. It's a giant cover up." it says.
"Yeah. You Jedi should get off your butt's. Line up the Senate and test them." says a Devilman.
"Test them all."
"Test them all."
"Do you have a copy of the test results?" I ask.
The insectoid looks at me for a moment, it's features largely unreadable but I pick up it's disbelief.
"Typical Jedi." it mutters as it pulls out a reader, selects a page and pushes it in front of my face. Human male, massive M count. Seen it before.
"May I?" I say and take the pad for closer inspection. Not that I am an expert or anything, but I scan it looking for anything that ties these test results to a clinic in Theed and more importantly, Shayla. I feel a knot of fear as my vision sweeps over the document.
'Afraid love? That's not very Jedi like. Hmm, whoever did this has been clever. Have they been clever enough? Palpatine is a smart man. Maybe he just needs a clue, a hint, a whisper.'
Don't you dare!
'Is that anger? Getting possessive over your plaything? Marvellous. We both know how this ends...'
I hand the pad back to the insectoid and thank it. I then walk off in a daze through the chanting crowds. This isn't a movie, a book or a game. The moment I walked into that medcentre I was signing the death warrant of whoever would help me. Would it have been different if I had never seen them again, never given them a second thought like any NPC with a question mark hovering above their head? Does it matter that Shayla is a living, breathing woman? Does it matter that I know her, her laugh, her smile? Does it matter that I am falling in love with her? Because the Dark Side is right. I do know how this ends.
In fire.
I kneel where I am standing. A space forms around me as I concentrate. The correct thing to do is, wait. Jedi. I am a defender and protector of civilisation. A guardian of peace and justice. We protect, guide and advise. What we don't do is rule. Decisions are to be made by the people. In this case, one person. Very well. I rise and look towards the Temple. At the top I see a short, green figure. It nods.
Yeah, yeah, grandmaster goblin. I got it. Always being tested.
-----
Two days later I am in front of a door in Theed at night. The door opens, silhouetted against the light is Shayla.
"I knew you wouldn't be able to wait. What is it?" her tone abruptly changing as she reads my face.
"We need to talk." I say.
"Oh. Come in then." she says.
I walk in and sit down. Shayla sits down opposite me.
"They have ordered you to no longer see me." she says.
"No. After you left I received, a message. They threatened to reveal you to my more mortal enemies. Your life is in danger. This is what my being in love with you means. So.." I say, Shayla cuts me off before I can continue.
"You're in love with me?" she says, rising and walking over to me. Wrong take home message from that, but still.
"Yes, I am. I shouldn't..." I am cut off with a finger to my lips.
"For all that you are a Jedi you can be very silly sometimes." she says, wrapping herself about me and kissing me. "I am not afraid. Not of anything. Not with you. Incidentally, you are staying here tonight."
At least I think that's what she said. Wasn't in a state to really be paying attention.
-----
Another five days sees me outside Layferra Campus on Corellia. Planet, city and engineering site all present. A good sign. Predictably, I find Anakin in the workshop, smeared with grime.
"Dee-Jay! You're back. I've got this new project for a new type of racer engine. It'll be wizard!" Anakin says accompanied by chirps from R2.
"Excellent. New type of engine. That does sound interesting." I say.
"Sure is. How was Coruscant?" says Anakin.
"Oh, I learned a few things. I have some new books for our lessons." I say.
"Really?" says Anakin, the academic side of things is of little interest to him.
"Really. We're not just about lightsabres and TK you know." I say.
"I guess so." says Anakin with a sigh, "But that's tomorrow right? I've got this engine to build today."
"Sure, tomorrow Speed Racer. We're still going for the run though." I say.
"Okay, I'll get these intermixers in then I'll be ready." says Anakin diving back to the machinery.
The next few days sees me back into the whole training routine. Also some reading. The texts are difficult, archaic and not always in the same language. I could really use Shayla's help, but am equally happy that I don't. So I press on. Stuff man was not meant to know. Like a name. A creepy name. Who do I blame for the surprise Cthulhus in my Star Wars? Now all I need to do is wait. Not long, if my life is any judge.
'Your little minx is quite brave.' comes the voice as I sit in the park meditating one day.
"We'll talk about that later. You've been rather rude, what with not introducing yourself and all. So Abby, may I call you that? Let's have a little chat."