Saber Forum

Before I start: I've long been fascinated with the "gray" Jedi.  I may not be in-line with canon, but I wanted to lay out the "rules" as it were that I am using to write what follows.
First, I am looking at the force as a natural phenomenon, not unlike gravity, something we see the effects of and can even manipulate and use to some extent, but not really definable or visible in any real way.
Second, I am writing about characters that view Jedi and Sith as, well, idolaters.  They see both as groups that have personified and deified what is essentially a natural phenomenon. 
Third, I am writing in a time after Order 66 was implemented and before Return of the Jedi.  Beyond that...  ?  Yeah.  I don't have the extensive knowledge of the Star Wars universe I really need to do a really good fanfic, so please forgive continuity errors that might crop up.   I will endeavor to make all people and places totally unrelated to anything that has appeared in canon.
So, with that ... enjoy!

*************

As soon as we broke through the door and charged into the warehouse, we knew we were in trouble.  The sense of the dark twisting through the space was ... sickening.  It dimmed the harmony and blunted the clear melody that sang through us.  That alone was bad.  But then the blades began to appear.

One.  Two.  Three.  Four...  FIVE!?!

I looked over an Arnor.  A glance, nothing more.  Like me, her hands were white-knuckled on her saber hilt.  The ... sith?  What were they?  I shook off the question.  It didn't matter at the moment.  Right now there was only survival or death.  We moved together, back-to-back but spaced far enough that we both had sufficient fighting room.  Our opponents slowly emerged from the shadows, still cloaked. 

"You are foolish to enter, Jedi.  Death awaits you here." croaked the one directly across from Arnor.  "The crystals are ours.  Did you not think we would fight for them?  You will not escape."

Crystals?  What was he talking about?  We were just looking for a way out...

There was another flare in the force, from above.  Melody and Harmony together, singing to me.  Even as I felt it I saw the path and merged my own melody to the newcomers: Counter-point in fugue, working together to reinforce rather than destroy the Melody.  As Master Chillum had taught us - the Jedi were arrogant and mistaken in their mis-guided worship of the force, but at least they heard the music.  The Sith were nothing but chaos and dischord.  We might not agree, but at least with the Jedi we could sing!

Arnor was already moving, vaulting over the ring of Sith (or whoever they were) to reach a better position.  The ring was falling apart as two more Jedi, blue blades already ablaze, landed to my left and front.  My own blade ignited in my hand as I followed Arnor and vaulted out of the circle.  I parried a strike from the sith before me, yellow flashing against red, and joined the duel.

And as always happened in battle, my heart began to sing. 

Song?  Even now, years after beginning my training with Master Chillum, it still amazed me.  How could something so vile as combat fill me with music?  It had taken me far to long to realize that the music was, in my mind, the force itself.  Master Chillum had fleshed the analogy out for me when I had finally found the courage to ask him about it.  The force was like music.  Music, when properly crafted and employed, is beautiful, a construct of melody, harmony and rhythm that reinforces itself.  Choose the wrong notes, the wrong path, and the harmony breaks down, the melody falters, the rhythm is lost.  But choose the right path, the right notes, and the melody soars, the harmony resonates and the rhythm thrives.  But there is no set right or wrong, specifically.  Two artists may start at the same point and find two totally different pathways, both of which will sing, both of which were "right", but which were in the end totally different from each other.  However, there was right and wrong.  Pick the wrong path, and the result was chaos, pain, confusion and death for the melody.  The trick was learning the principles that defined what was right and wrong.

And so, for years, training had been more like a theological debate as Master Chillum taught us the Source of morality, how to define good and evil, right and wrong, and then finally how to apply that to the use of the force, to what he called the Great Song.

And now, as my blade again engaged evil, my heart sang in harmony with my blade.

The man before me (I could now see that he was in fact a man) had only hate.  His eyes were yellow, the sign of one who embraced the Idol of Evil and sought only the hard rhythm of power.  I could feel the drumbeat hammering through him, his style a hard form of Niman as he rained blows on me.  My own flow faltered slightly, but my mind found the trace of the melody and as it usually went I was suddenly calm, the tune open before me, locked in step with Arnor, the two strangers weaving through our harmony in a complex counterpoint of their own.  My blade flashed through the arcs of Sorensu, my own prefrence for Niman subsumed by the Melody of the fight, and I parried blow after blow, always edgeing, always turning slightly, working my opponent toward...

There!  The melody soared and the drumbeat of my opponent suddenly merged with it.   He was furious, his rage rising, and his blows landed harder and harder until I sensed the moment.  The red blade swept down in a massive blow, all of the power of the darkness behind it, a bid to break my own blade or force me down ... and I simply wasn't there.  With a deft move I spun away, to the side, my own blade sweeping in a graceful double arc around me.  The sith had over-committed, and his attempt at a parry was late, resulting in the first sweep severing his sword arm above his elbow.  The second, fatal blow separated his head from his shoulders immediately afterward.

The fight was not over, however.  One of the Jedi was sorely pressed, with two opponents.  His blade moved furiously but he was losing ground steadily.  I could sense that Arnor was nearing the climax of her own melody, her own pure Sorensu driving her opponent to distraction in much the same way mine had, with a similar crescendo approaching.  My path was now with the counter-point.  I vaulted across the room, landing just behind the pair of sith.  A low sweep caught the blade arm of one just at the end of his own long, sweeping strike, severing his hand and disabling his saber in one stroke.  His companion turned and launched a blow at me, which I caught on my own blade.  My block held but the power of that blow staggered me.  I had not sensed how strongly the chaos flowed through this one!  How had I missed it?  And then I realized why: He was also singing.  His own melody was weaving around our counterpoint, opposing it, creating discord, but also strangely in focus none-the-less.  But as the powerful blow landed and drove me to my knees the melody shifted and his focused discord became pure chaos, just before the Jedi blade swept up, severing the Sith's arm at the elbow, then back down, taking his life.

I watched the saber before me fall from the lifeless hand, and reached out.  I felt the melody climax again as I caught the weapon.  It was important.  I did not know why, but these things tended to reveal themselves.  I tucked the saber away and turned to see a proffered hand.  "Thank you, friend."

I took it, rising.  "No, thank you."  I turned to Arnor standing over her opponent, the end of her duel mirroring my own first fight.  The second Jedi, a young man with the long braid of a padawan, was also standing over his opponent.  He was not, however, uninjured.  The senior Jedi was already moving toward him, withdrawing a medical kit.  "Do you require medical assistance?"

The Jedi reached his padawan, who was also looking at the saber burn on his arm.  "Its not deep, Master, just a graze.  My block was a tad slow, I'm afraid."

"So it was.  Here, apply antiseptic and a dressing.  We don't want it to become infected."  The Jedi turned back.  "I am Master Jokan, this is my padawan Illian.  I do not recognize you, are you part of the new Jedi Order?"

Arnor drifted back to my side, cutting a nervous glance my way, but while the counter-point was fading it was not falling into opposition or chaos, just settling into a peaceful harmony.  "We are not.  Our Master, Chillum, was long the guardian of this planet and has taught us the way of the force, but we are not Jedi."

"We are Gray."

***********

More to come!

I like (and indeed enjoyed) this.  Interesting conceptualization of the Force (one I would never have thought of  ;)).  I like how your interpretation is less esoteric, more naturalism.  In fact, I felt you kept the mysticism of the Force while making it relatable^^  Arguably, the balance between serenity and passion...which is--and correct me if I am wrong--the spirit of Gray Jedi.  I would have to agree that both Jedi and Sith philosophies can be dogmatic (then again, any ideology can  ;)) and feel that Gray Jedi can span the disparities.  Of course, orders are made of individuals, and each person runs the gamut between tolerance, hate, passion, apathy, etc. 
Heh, sorry for that tangent; I am really looking forward to reading more ;D.  Thanks for sharing Karmack^^

Thanks Dutchman!  Hopefully I can bring you more soon, but I just lost a very long (and I thought good) second installment because i took to long to post.  :-(   So I will try to recreate and post again, but I don't have time right now!

Stay tuned!

Like TD said, great job. I really like the idea of music. I play the Violin, so this is something that I can really connect with and understand. Also it's a very unique way of describing the Force. Can't wait for more. I would suggest that you type out your posts like this in a Word or Google Docs document so that it can be saved. Then copy and paste it into the Forum box. Can't wait for more, I'm interested to see where it leads.

Thanks Taegin!  I think you'll like the next couple of installments, especially as you play violin.  Unfortunately, by "battle axe" is the Trombone...  ;-)
Soon! Hopefully today....

OK, installment two - take two ... and ... ACTION.

Well, ok, NOT action, but you get the idea.  :-)  Enjoy!

******************

The deep rumble of the freighter's engines merged with the deep, quiet harmony of the force and I feel myself relaxing and reviving.  I had learned as a very young student that sleep was vital, but of even more importance was the deep refreshing that came from meditation.  Not on the force, but on the Singer who supplied the force with melody, harmony and rhythm.  "The Song of the Universe" Master Chillum had called Him.  "The One who supplied the Song, who was the Song.  He is worthy of worship, and Him alone."

And so for some time I sat still and my heart sang, and I was content.

For a time.

But now the background of the Song and the freighter became a bed on which the sharp counter-point of the Sith weapon played.  It was ... curious.  As I focused on it and sketched it, I realized that the song had changed.  The discord and disharmony were fading, as was the ferocious, overpowering rhythm of Fury.  In its place was emerging a pure, clear harmony, a tone that I had learned years ago to associate with an undisturbed and unharvested crystal.  It was as if the fury and evil of the Sith were simply draining away, leaving the crystal to return to its pure, unspoiled form.

I was fascinated, enraptured by the rapid and total healing.  So focused, in fact, that I didn't notice the Jedi padawan enter the room and sit until he spoke.

"The Sith weapon ... it calls to you?"

I blinked as my eyes opened and snapped into focus on the young man's curious expression.  It wasn't a large move, but one Arnor would have recognized as a shocked reaction none-the-less.  Illian also sensed my surprise, and was unable to control his own blush of embarrassment.  "My apologies, I did not mean to disturb you."

"No apology needed, Illian."  I looked down at the weapon, this time with open eyes, and was again caught up for a moment in the transformation in its song.  "It does indeed sing to me."

"Arnor also mentioned a Song.  I don't understand what you mean.  Do you sing to the Force?"

I felt the smile come unbidden to my face.  "No, Illian, we don't sing to the force.  We listen to it's song and we shape our own melodies to follow it's pattern, much as you do.  We follow it, but also shape it, much as a musician follows and leads within a musical performance."

"So its an analogy, a way of looking at the Force.  But Master said you consider us as idolators, that your philosophy sees us and the Sith as the same, yet you fought them and allied with us.  Why?"

"Because we don't see you and the Sith as the same." I replied, squelching my grin as the confusion blossomed on his face.  "The Sith worship power and embrace Evil.  They see no moral limit outside of what is beneficial to themselves and the increase in their personal power and ambition.  Some of those who follow the Sith way can display some virtues but they are always corrupted and warped by that basic, never-changing drive to achieve maximum power for themselves.  To them, the force is the source of that power.  They make it an idol and turn it into a God because they see it as the ultimate source of power and that is what they want for themselves.  Not so the Jedi.  The Jedi recognize evil and fight against it.  They embrace the good and seek to serve it.  But you are like the Sith in one way - you incorrectly see the force as the source of that good. In fact, you see it as the source of both good and evil, light and dark.  But it is not.  The force is just ... the force.  It is the song that binds the universe.  We all hear it to some extent, but the Master Musician has gifted some of us with the ability to not just hear the music but to understand it, to feel it, to use it and manipulate it and shape it.  Some who are so gifted decide to use their gift for themselves and follow evil, selfish motivations.  The Sith are of this group but hardly alone.  Even some Jedi fall into this trap, as do many so-called "gray Jedi" or simply 'Grays'.  Master Chillum taught both Arnor and I that the Source of Good and Evil is the same as the Source of the Song - the Maker of all.  He determines good and evil, right and wrong.  He has given us the rules of the music as a guide, and we do our best to shape our melodies and harmonies to follow His ideal of what makes beautiful music."

"So, you're singers singing along to the song already laid down?"

I nodded.  "Sort of.  More like a ... stage musician improving over a cord bed."

Illian shook his head.  "You lost me..."

"Better to stay lost, young padawan, than to let this heretic fill your head with nonsense." Master Jokan said from the doorway.  His light tone was gauged to avoid giving offense, but his intent was clear to his padawan.

"Excuse me, Master Karmack.  I have work to do."

I watched him leave, embarrassment again coloring his melody, then turned my attention to Master Jokan, who folded himself into a lotus across from me.  "My apologies.  I was not trying to ... proselytize."

Jothan waved his hand dismissively.  "No apology necessary.  Unlike some of my fellows I do not necessarily disagree with you, but I feel the ... greater structure of the Jedi order provides a safeguard for younglings who may struggle with their association with the Force.  My Master may disagree, but as far as I am concerned you are what you do, and in you and your apprentice I see those who fight for good and against evil.  That is enough for me."

"Thank you.  However, I need to clarify: Arnor is not my apprentice."

"Oh?  You two are so close, I assumed you were training her.  Is she in fact the Master?"

I smiled.  "No.  She is my wife."

I couldn't help it.  I wanted to shock him, and I did.  Jothan's eyes went wide for a moment.  "Wife?  How do you reconcile the emotional attachment?  How do you prevent the strong emotion from overpowering you?  Is it not dangerous to flirt so strongly with the dark side?"

I could feel the glitter in my own eyes as I answered.  "No, I find nothing but good in the harmony and counter-point of our relationship.  Arnor is friend, lover, companion and fellow warrior.  I think the core of your error, however, is in the concept of 'love'.  Love, my Jedi friend, is not an emotion.  It is a choice.  We love each other and that brings us to choose to coil our own song around the song of the other.  It is true that it opens us to the risk of loss, but it also enriches us and strengthens us in ways that are far more rewarding than any risk."

Jothan rocked back a moment, clearly considering and then rejecting my argument before letting a smile onto his own face.  "You are more of a heretic than I thought!  I will need to keep a close eye on Illiium while we're together."

I laughed.  "As you wish.  This, though, I think we can agree is both fascinating and troubling."  I held up the hilt I had taken from the Sith.  "What do you sense?"

I watched Jothan close his eyes and focus, listening to the song for himself.   After a few moments his eyes opened again.  "Amazing...  It feels identical to your personal weapon.  How can that be?"

"What?"  I had lifted my focus from the weapon while we spoke but I realized that even as we spoke the crystal had continued to change.  Its song had now morphed from the clear crystaline chimes it had displayed earlier and was now singing in counterpoint to ... me. 

I lifted the weapon and awe filled me.  The counterpoint was perfect.  I had searched for over two years for my crystal to build my saber, seeking for a crystal with the right harmony, the right balance, the right counter-point and fugue.  When I had found it I had still faced more years of training, learning its quirks and characteristics, its small foibles, the places where the harmony would waver slightly.  Like any instrument, it had its little flaws, but in the end we were one - maestro and instrument.

But this!  I stood and snapped on the blade, and what had been evil, malevolent red was now the same sun-bright yellow of my own hilt!  I shifted the sith blade to my opposite hand and took out my blade, igniting it as well, and felt the counterpoint and harmony of the blades soar.  I wanted to dance, to jump, to fly!

With effort I managed to force my soaring spirit back down a bit and damped both blades.  My eyes met the shocked eyes of the Jedi Master.  "Well.  That was ... interesting."

"The crystal ... imprinted on you.  Completely." 

"Yes.  And if they'll all do that..."  Our eyes met.

"I need to take this to our Council immediately.  Will you come?"

I listened to the harmony for a moment.  Our melodies were still intertwined, a bright path through dark and troubled waters.  "Yes, we will come."

You are correct. I loved this installment as well. Some of the aspects that you added here that were not mentioned in the first one make it all the more interesting to me. I also like how you incorporated current crystal canon into the story. The more I read, the more interested I am to see where this leads. Can't wait for more.

More. Please.  ;D

Again, your prose and narration is enthralling; I feel as if I just started reading only to read the final sentence!  Great writing, Karmack  :)
One point that really rings true IMO was your distinction between Love as attachment vs. enrichment; I have always felt that such purity would negate adverse ramifications.  One of the main failings of the Jedi was to relegate ALL love towards the "attachment" end of the spectrum.  I really like how you addressed this^^ 

TR is right: great job including the crystal canon.  Out of curiosity, why yellow?  Looking forward to your next installment!

Seconded, keep up the good work ;D !

Thanks guys!  The next installment is coming very soon, I just need to decide on a plot-point...

Why yellow?  That's a good question.  There are three reasons.
First, my very first light-saber was when I was a kid.  The Star Wars movies were brand-new, and my mom and dad bought it for me for Christmas.  It was a flash-light with a cone-shaped attachment that held on an inflatable blade made of plastic, very much like a beach ball.

And it was yellow.

So, my first saber was yellow.  It was non-cannon and not a licensed toy (there were no star-wars references, I think it was called a "light sword" or something like that" hence the at that time unknown color.
And I totally loved it.  Until the blade popped, anyway.  I think that happened on, oh, December 28th or so.  ;-) 

Current Ultrasaber blades are FAR more durable!  LOL

Second, when I was a wee bit older I became a fan of a show called "BibleMan".  Bible Man is a cheesy Batman knockoff, a man who fights evil using the power of the Word of God.  But you have to have action, so he had his "Sword of the Spirit".  Which was ...
you guessed it.  A yellow lightsaber!

Strike two.  LOL

Third, as I developed my own character identity for this forum and for writing stories, I always wanted my character to be a sentinel.  Specifically - fights evil and becomes intimately familiar with the force but doesn't just use it to be a super-ninja warrior.  Karmack is primarily a fixer.  He fixes things, or tries to do so.  The force sings through his life, acting as both guide and servant, and he sees it the way you or I might see something like a GPS roadmap on our smartphone.  It gives us directions, but sometimes we have to go off the selected path and then there's a recalculation - but we can always get back on track.  The Song is like that.  Sour notes happen.  We learn to move on and tune up.

Arnor represents my wife in the story.  In RL she is not a fell warrior but she is one of the most steadfast people I know and I love her to death.  Literally, should that need arise.  And, honestly, there is a touch of the subdued love story from the recent movie "Assassin's Creed".  And no, that was NOT foreshadowing!  LOL

As for blade color...  My primary "weapon" in RL is an Aeon V4 with windows that has an Obsidian 4 sound card and the Emerald Driver installed.  I have painted the grooves a very dark gray to give what I call the "reverse" LE look, and it has an Archon pommel, non-lit AV switch (silver) and a covertec wheel installed.  And right now it is a very bright, brilliant ...

sky blue.

Ha!  Surprise!  LOL

In all seriousness, I actually like the light blue color better, but I keep coming back to yellow.  I'll put this one back eventually as well.  :-) 

So, enjoy!  There's more to come.  There's a mystery to solve!

Oh, one other author's note:  This is the first time I've engaged a story writing in first person.  I didn't do it consciously, but I like it.  I hope it continues to flow well.  But if you notice a break in that narrative format, please forgive me.  :-)

Karmack

Heh, Bibleman.  I remember that.  Didn't Willie Aames come out in that?  I vaguely recall...something about that  :P 

I can definitely see the correlation between your character and a Jedi Sentinel.  I always liked the three main "sects" (or ideologies, if you prefer) of Jedi: Consular, Guardian, and Sentinel.  Pity that there wasn't more about that in the movies. 

I like the analogue between your in-story & RL wife (I can relate: my wife is the strongest person that I know as well  ;)).  Besides: I've always felt that the Jedi (or force-users) SHOULD be able to marry. 

I'm REALLY looking forward to your continued writing (I hope that you can continue this for as long as your passion holds  ;D).  Thanks again Karmack^^

Cool, I like the yellow saber, it gives him a distinction from the rest of SW. Can't wait for more. After you finish the story, you should get LucasFilms' approval and get it published. ;D I'd buy it.

QFT and seconded  :D

*blushes* Thanks guys...  :-)

I think I have the next few plot-points resolved.  We'll see, these things tend to take on a life of their own sometimes.  Stay tuned... 

Our ship arrived at its original destination with out incident but travelling incognito and in secret can have its own problems.  In our case, four companions with a fairly large cargo crate that we wished NO ONE to inspect plus a collection of highly illegal weapons meant the judicious use of bribes, some gentle force-aided persuasion, and a careful search for the right freighter captain to take us on the next leg of our journey.

I had put the time to good use.

Jothan secured us access to a flight bay with attached quarters.  It was small and had obviously seen better days but it was close to everything, had its own landing and service bay and had a fully equipped machine shop.  And while the landing bay would be primarily useful for our eventual departure it also provided us with open ground in which to train and spar away from any prying eyes.

I entered the space and shed my outer robe.  Arnor and I had adopted a "uniform" of sorts over the years not greatly different than many of the technical workers and military auxiliaries spread across the galaxy: Sturdy shirt and pants, lots of pockets, good heavy boots and smart-fabric under-shirt and shorts to keep us warm or cool, as needed.  Various tools in belt pouches and cargo pockets.  And in a long holster of sorts made from sturdy leather, my saber, carried inside a sleeve to disguise it from casual observation thanks to the ever-present threat of Order 66 and Empire enforcement.

Or, as was now the case, two holsters...

With practiced ease I withdrew my saber and ignited it, working through a warm-up and kata based largely on Sorensu that took my golden blade through a complicated series of blocks, parries, and sweeping cuts designed more to deflect and divert than to attack.  The goal as always was to move through the form with a continuous, unbroken flow, and my heart sang as the blade danced in my hands.  Since my fifteenth summer I had danced with this blade, and our long association made our song nearly seamless, almost perfect.

Nearly.  Almost.

The form ended, and I halted for a moment, my mind flowing back through the form, noting the slight tremors, the nearly indetectable hesitation at one turn as the blade had for an instant diverted slightly.  The pause to catch my own balance as I missed a note in the song.  As always, it was close, but never perfect.  I was content, but there was always room for more.

I put my old friend away and withdrew the new blade, snapping it to life and again marvelling at the purity of its song.  A few hours of work in the machine shop had easily produced a new outer case matching the other, which had also opened up some room for a more robust power pack.  This blade was now essentially identical to my first hilt.  Heart singing, I returned to the opening position and began the exercise again, sweeping through the same moves, the same blocks and parries and cuts.  In what seemed only seconds I found myself again ending the dance, breathless as the song rose briefly and then settled back into the soft background humming of rest.

My mind reviewed.  I had again struggled with my balance in the same turn that had plagued me since I had first learned the form years before.  Another slight hesitation there...  But the blade had been flawless.  Totally in tune to my movements.  Never straying for a moment.  The perfect instrument.

Again I reached out in the force, examining the crystal within the song.  As always the harmony was breath-taking.  Each time I used it, the harmony deepened, seemed to refine itself more closely to my own song.  It was an aspect I was utterly unfamiliar with.  My crystal had called to me during my apprenticeship.  It had taken me weeks to find it, homing on its clear song, screening the clutter of the other singers responding to my own melody.  I had learned more about listening in the force and reading the songs in those weeks than I had thought possible for a lifetime, but in the end I had built my saber and created an instrument of near perfection, in tune with me and my own song in a way that even Arnor could not match.  It was a nearly symbiotic relationship, but in all the years since the crystal had not changed.  It was not truly alive nor could it learn or adapt.  It simply was what it appeared: An instrument in the hands of a virtuoso.

But this crystal did adapt.  Did learn.  It appeared alive, consciously shaping its song to harmonize perfectly with my melody.   I did not know why it was happening, but Jothan had confirmed that all of the crystals in the crate, literally hundreds of them, would do the same thing.  And the imprinting appeared to be permanent as long as the person imprinted was alive.  Illian's saber had been damaged when he was wounded, the crystal burned out by a power surge.  Illian had therefore used one of the crystals to rebuild his own saber.  When he was done, Jothan had taken the weapon and attempted to encourage it to imprint on himself.  He had failed.  Unlike the weapon I had taken Illian's crystal had remained imprinted on him no matter what Jothan, Arnor or I had done to it.

Apparently the crystals imprinted for life - and reverted to their "default" state if or when their partner died.

Illian had also reported a greater ease of use with his new weapon.  He did not hear the song, but I had observed his practice session.  His crystal sang in complex counterpoint to the padawan, very different than with me, but equally beautiful.  And very much like the fugue between the padawan and his master, also unlike the harmony between Arnor and I but again, very beautiful.

I had one more thing to test today.  I shifted the blade to my left hand and again withdrew my first saber.  I had made one additional modification to both hilts: a simple electromagnetic coupler.  The switch was force-activated.  I turned it on and snapped the hilts together, forming a saber staff.

The blades ignited and I leaped into a new kata, a Djem So format of Sorensu with elements of Niman and Ataru blended in developed for use with a double-bladed saber.  Singing out loud now, I spun and leaped and swept my way around the landing area, abandoning myself to the form, continuing through several cycles and incorporating variations as it repeated, finally ending with a flourish.

I wiped sweat from my eyes and turned to acknowledge the applause coming from the edge of the bay.  "That was impressive."

I bowed to Master Jothan, damping the blades and separating them, returning the hilts to their places on my belt.  "Thank you, Master Jothan.  Perhaps we could spar later, see if I'm as good as I look?"

I felt a grin spread on my face as the Jedi Master smiled and bowed again.  The counter-point intensified, growing tighter, more intimate.  Jothan was more than an ally.  He was becoming a friend.

My grin turned into a genuine smile and I returned the bow.  "Later, then.  For now, breakfast?"

Once again, and amazing job. I really like how you incorporated the training and practice into this one. That is something that I feel SW does not do enough of.

Agreed TR^^

Karmack, your world-building continues to impress, your writing organic and enjoyable.  To me, this FEELS like SW...yet with a new filter that simultaneously pays homage to the original but with the innovation of expansion that is not "more of the same." 

Until your next installment, friends  :D

"You came in that?  I'm impressed."

I suppressed a chuckle at Arnor's dry sarcasm.  The man before us was ... unimpressive.  He wore a clean, tan utility coverall over a dark gray shirt and matching dark gray boots.  The boots gave evidence of hard use and little spit-and-polish.  His belt was covered with pouches and containers for any number of tools and gizmos, and there was a discreet blaster tucked away as well, not obvious but in easy reach.  His face was open with smiling eyes that bespoke easy friendship and honesty.

Suprisingly, I sensed little that contradicted the outward appearance of basically honest man working hard to earn a living in a dangerous and demanding profession.  His song was simple, and I could feel the complex fugue of our mission dancing around it's solid core in a most satisfying way.

That being said, one look at his ship proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was indeed an exceptionally brave man.

On the pad sat a CEC XS light freighter.  State of the art during the Great Galactic War and the following cold war, the freighter was ancient and it looked the part. The hull was battered, showing numerous patches and scars from past scrapes and general hard use.  Paint was scarce as well, and many of the hull patches were simply primed over.  But a closer look revealed ... discrepancies.

For example, the area around the forward torpedo launchers showed evidence of hull repair consistent not with damage repair but with upgrade and replacement.  This area was also painted, but in a scruffy way that was designed to actually hide the careful precision of the repair beneath.  The defensive laser batteries had also been upgraded and sported what appeared to be top-line systems one might find on an X-wing or B-wing fighter.  There were also several small sensor antennae on the hull, revealing a far more robust sensor suite than the battered exterior would imply.

"She may not look like much, ma'am, but she'll get you where you're going."  He grinned at his ship with obvious pride.  "The Lindy hasn't let us down yet."

Arnor, sensing the flow of the force, bit off her snappy reply and looked more closely.  I sensed more than saw her eyes narrow then widen a bit as the same details I had noticed registered. 

"Captain, no offense intended.  We have no doubt in your ship." I said, extending my hand.  "I am Karmack, this is my wife Arnor.  We are traveling companions of Master Jothan."

"Captain Lars, at your service." he said, sweeping into a bow.  "Master Jothan mentioned you both, and the cargo.  We should be on our way soon.  Feel free to board at your leisure, my first mate L'nara will see to any needs you may have."

I felt my own eyebrows rise slightly at that.  "He ... mentioned our cargo?"

Lars' eyes twinkled now with shared, secret knowledge.  "Yes.  He and I go way back, been in more scrapes together than I can count!  He's saved my hide almost as often as I've saved his.  Pure coincidence that I happened to be on planet and bumped into him yesterday in the market.  Well, he wouldn't say it was coincidence, but you take my meaning I'm sure."  His grin was infectious and Arnor and I both smiled at his innocent, conspiratorial tone as he gently needled his absent Jedi friend.  Then his mood darkened a bit.  "Not that it was really good news.  I would never refuse his request, but I can't say I relish going where he wants to go!"

Again, my eyebrows rose.  "Oh?  Where are we headed then?"

"You don't know?"  His eyes shifted left and right, as if looking for someone who might overhear as he leaned in close.  "We're going to one of the most dangerous places in the galaxy a Jedi can go."

"Jedda"

Yes; nice cliffhanger, that.  Also: I like how you've tied a bit of Rogue 1 in  ;)

Until next installment, friends   :D

Thanks Dutchman.  The Jedda connection was totally an homage to Rogue One.  I was thoroughly impressed by that movie.  Its not easy to write a good story that tightly bound to another one.

I was also thankful that they didn't totally destroy Jedda.  Just ... maimed it.

Craters.  What a great place to hide...  *smirk*

More soon, guys.  Maybe tonight.  I have a long shift shadowing a trainee, so depending on how the night goes...

It is often hard for people who write action incredibly to also write good story scenes that are engaging enough to want to read, but yours is truly well thought out. And yes, R1 was great. Easily the best SW movie since ESB (though I like them all for different reasons). Can't wait for more.

The discord as we dropped out of hyperspace was ... jarring.  The thread of the Song was there, bright and clear, but wrapped around it was a chaotic jumble of sound, a cacophony of darkness twisted around and intertwined with the light.

I shuddered at the sound, able only after long, hard seconds to push the chaos back and focus on melody that still rang clear and strong.  I sensed Arnor winning her own struggle to do the same, as well as Master Jothan and Illian.  It was hardest on the padawan, his senses flooded by the darkness without the strong grip on the core of light, the melody of this sacred place.

With the song settled, I opened my eyes and finally looked.

The Scar was just as jarring as the chaos in the force had been.  Where the Temple had once stood, there was a massive, black crater.  The power of the Death Star's super-laser had done more than destroy the site.  It had ripped open the crust, punched through to the planet's mantle and released what amounted to a massive super-volcano.  The eruption had gone on for days, spilling molten rock over the entire area and shrouding much of the planet in ash and gasses.  The resulting drop in temperature had turned the largely desert world into a ball of ice nearly as cold and frozen as Hoth.

Nearly.

I saw Captain Lars' jaw work very slightly at the sight of the Scar and his eyes lingered on the site briefly before flicking down to his instruments.  "Scope is clear.  No Imperials appear to be around."

"Why would they be?  There's nothing here worth watching anymore, right?" Jothan replied, and his own eyes also lingered on the Scar, now receding from view.  He looked down, then over at me, meeting my eyes.  "Rumor is that Master Kenobi died aboard the Death Star.  There is speculation that Princess Leia may have survived with a companion who wielded a light saber, but very little is known of what actually happened after Alderaan was destroyed.  And now these crystals..."  he shook his head.  "There is much more to this story, my friend.  But before we tackle it, I must report in and see if more help can be arranged."

I simply nodded.  The fugue of our pathway was still strong, and even with the chaos of the dark interfering with its beauty the melody was ... intense.  Like I could feel it in my bones, in a way I'd never experienced before. 

Jedda was still a place of focus for the force, despite the Scar.

There was little more discussion as we swept down and around the planet, crossing into the dark of night and following a meandering, evasive course before finally settling into a landing pad that had been all but invisible until we'd been actually landing on it.  Arnor and I donned cold-weather gear and we left the ship.  It was bitterly cold, the wind cutting through us like a knife despite the layers of gear.  Thankfully the trek was short: I followed Master Jothan into a nondescript cave which turned out to be a cleverly camouflaged door.  The heavy portal was opened and we entered, the warmth inside welcome even after a short exposure to the bone-deep chill.

Following our host's lead I dropped my gear in a locker near the door, as did Arnor, and we headed through a short maze of tunnels before emerging into a room.  There were five people sitting around a table as we emerged.  I could feel the power of the Song in the room, though amazingly some of it was hidden.  It was there, but I could only just sense its presence, I could not hear it.  It was disconcerting.  I realized one of the five at the table was purposely keeping me out, hiding the song from me.  I met his eyes: They drilled into me, tapping my own melody and harmony in a way I had not experienced since ... Master Chillum, my own Master.  Dead now at the hand of the Grand Inquisitor and his henchmen.  So, a true Master...

The eyes finally left mine and looked at Jotham.  This was Jotham's master and trainer, his analog to Master Chillum.  The two Jedi exchanged a look and the old Master nodded, leaving Jotham to turn toward us.

"Master, I present Maenowan Karmack and Koawan Arnor, of the Gray." 

I bowed slightly, and the old man acknowledged it.  "Be welcome."

Jothan now turned to us.  "Karmack, Arnor, I present to you Master Uvell and the emergency council."

I couldn't help it, my eyes widened at the name.  Uvell was a Jedi Master, thought killed by the Inquisitors years ago after smuggling out countless Jedi artifacts to some unknown place...  Shocked recognition rolled through me.  The Song!  It was so strong here because of the artifacts!  Yet also veiled and muted and hidden by the chaos of the Scar...  They were here!  The artifacts.  And perhaps other Jedi.

I bowed more deeply.  "Thank you for your hospitality."

Uvell face was a mask, his eyes still penetrating.  "You are Gray.  Why have you come?"

I glanced at Jothan and then down at the crate, now floating between us on its antigrav sled.  "Master Uvell, we are Gray, but like you we fight the Evil of the Darkness.  And these crystals," I indicated the crate next to me, "are a mystery shrouded in that darkness.  Arnor and I did not choose this path, it was chosen for us.  We are in fugue with Jothan and Illian.  The Song is strong here, but the melody indicates darkness ahead.  I believe these crystals were destined for some great purpose.  I wish to insure that their purpose servers the light and not the dark."

The eyes penetrated me for more long seconds before they showed decision.  "Very well."

Uvell sat and gestured to several empty chairs around the table.  "Join us, Karmack.  You are right, these crystals are destined for a great purpose, and it is evil.  Mon Motha gathers her forces even now, led by Master Kenobi and Master Yoda's apprentice, but they will be some time in engaging the enemy.  We must delay them."

Jothan sat and leaned forward on his elbows.  "How, Master?  We are so few."

Uvell nodded.  "Yes.  But you four are all that is needed.  We have discovered where that crate of ... remarkable kyber crystals originated.  You will go there and liberate their fellows."

"Where?" Arnor blurted out before she could control tongue. 

Uvall's face finally softened, and he smiled a sad smile.  "You must go where everything started.  You must go to Naboo."

Excellent Karmack!  The episodic nature of your writing is reminiscent of the serials of yesteryear (goodness I'm old  ;)).  As if reading my mind, after seeing R1, I had wondered if Jedda would suffer an "Endor Holocaust;" your description is quite realistic (exposed magma+air propelling ash and particles into the atmosphere... sorry, vulcanism is a hobby  :P).  I love the "council in exile" detail^^

Oh, I had to smile at the Gray ranks; it serves to really establish the world-building  8)

Until next installment, friends  :)

I guess I didn't reply to this post. I thought I did. Anyways, once again, great job. I love how Jedda went from desert to frozen wastelands. I don't know that much about that kind of thing, but I feel like it is probably correct. Your description of the freezing cold, even through the warm clothes was spot on.

Thanks guys!  On the vulcanism: I have been facinated with them since Mt. St. Helens blew up in 1980.  But far more recently there have been documentaries about the super-volcano in Yellowstone National Park and what might happen if it erupted.  I drew on that and what they show in R1 to build what I felt would be a fairly realistic result of something that catastrophic.  I am glad that it rang true.

Now, on to the next stop!  :)

My meditation was troubled.   Concentration on the Song was nearly impossible.  The cacophony of Jedda continued to haunt me.  And the Song...  It was still now, like a deep river, quiet and peaceful yet full of potential energy.  But there was a sense of the movement ending.  The time of peace was closing: action, frenzy and danger lay ahead, and I could not sense the thread.  Over years of meditation I had learned to sense the thread of the melody, the basic harmony and rhythm of the song as it stretched before me.  The details and specifics were never revealed except as they happened, but the over-arcing theme and pattern were never a mystery.   Until now.  Now, I could not see.  Just final cords, and end to the current movement and ... something fast and hard.   

And dark.

The minor key of the future was all I had.  Darkness, perhaps hardship or sorrow.  But no details.  No thread.  No rhythm.  No harmony.  Nothing but a hint of darkness.

The Lindy dropped from hyperspace, and I instinctively reached out, listening to the songs of the system around me....

... and recoiled in horror.  The Dark rhythm of Evil hammered at me from Naboo, from the planet itself.  The melody and joyful harmony of life which should have suffused the system from such a rich planet was totally subsumed in an overwhemling hammer of acidic rhythm, a beat that demanded every other submit to its meter and pattern.
I tried to reach out, to touch Arnor, to share our light and draw strength from our union, but I could not find her.  There as only dark, hammering beats and I was lost in the pain....

A hand touched my shoulder.  Arnor's light flooded into me and her melody was suddenly there, sweet and clear in my mind and soul.  I grasped it like a man drowning and followed it back to the Song.  As I found my bearings I was able to focus again on the Song and with slow, painful effort screen out the Dark, the Evil, until the hammering was just another nuance in the background and the Song was all.

I let the Song fill me again, rejuvinating me, before finally opening my eyes and meeting Arnor's worried gaze.  "Thank you, my love."

"Are you OK?" a tinge of worry shadowed her gaze.  "I sensed you faltering, distracted, and then when the hammer hit..."

Impulsively I reached out and eveloped her in a fierce hug.  "I am fine now.  You have saved me again, my love."

Arnor hugged back, her grip strong enough to be uncomfortable for a brief moment before she edged back and kissed me.  "Two threads are stronger than one..."

"...and a strand of three is not easily broken."  I finished.  "Thank you."

"Ahem."  Captain Lars cleared his throat from the doorway.  I released my wife and stood, as did she.  "I wasn't ... interrupting anything?"

"No, Captain.  We were just about to join you.  I assume we're nearing Naboo?"

"Yes.  Jothan asked that you come up to the cockpit.  It appears we have a problem."

Lol no kidding?  I lived up in Washington in Tacoma when St. Helens erupted; like you, that was the impetus of my interest in vulcanism  :D  And--again likewise--have read & seen research regarding the hot spot under Yellowstone.  Awesome, just awesome  :)


I like that Arnor and Karmack can reinforce one another's Force (Song) connection.  I've always felt that people of like bent should be able to assist in such endeavors. 
On a technical note: my wife is an accomplished flutist and tried--in vain I'm afraid to admit  :P--to teach me music.  It's pretty much Greek to me.  Having said that, I remember her telling me that minor chords are foreboding and...discordant (?; my paraphrase not hers; if I'm wrong, blame me for having no musical sense whatsoever  ;)).  SO, I like how "...minor key" equates to "Darkness, hardship, and sorrow."  Again: it's details like these that really make for remarkable reading^^

Until next installment, friends  :)

Yes, to all this. Especially the "Technical Note". Very well put. I too liked that, how it is a dark, hammering beat, rather than a beautiful flowing song. It reminds me of the difference between a Violin and a Drum. One is specifically to make something sound amazing, the other to add a depth and wildness to the song. Great job on this one Karmack.

There are definitely emotional overtones to music.  I am a trained musician and one of the things we learned was how music engages our emotions.  Churches use it in worship for this reason.  Its ever-present in movies for the same reason. 

Imagine living life as if you were in a movie and able to actually hear the music that the movie-makers add later.  The foreboding music of the dark hall in a horror movie, or the thrilling, triumphant music as Steve Rogers leads his Howling Commandoes into battle! (Sorry, I'm a Marvel fan.  LOL) 

That's kind of how I'm picturing Karmack and Arnor.  They can "hear" the music, and it helps them anticipate and react to the situation.  They know the bad guy is about to jump out because they hear those foreboding cords.

As for minor being "dark"...  It can be.  But not exclusively.  Listen to some of the music produced by Jewish folks.  It is invariably minor in key, but filled with a wild, exuberant joy as well.  Their Song is balanced.  :-)

More to come.  There's something baaaaad happening on Naboo.  Palpatine's homeworld.  Go figure...  ;-)

Best example ever. (I am too) ;D

The cockpit of the freighter was crowded.  Arnor and Illian remained in the after crew area but with four of us in the space it was tight.  But then, the space around Naboo was crowded as well...

"We've already been hailed and queried.  Its a good thing we picked up a legit consignment on our way in.  Good call on that one, Master Jothan."

I met Jothan's eyes and nodded in agreement.  It had cost us a day, but we had all agreed that it was prudent and fit with our path.  The Song was still muted, but as we closed on Naboo I could begin to pick out its tendrils, even buried in the murk.  But Captain Lars wasn't done yet, so I decided to prompt him.  "Captain, I hear the "but" in your voice."

"But," he said, clearly uncomfortable, "the authorities made it explicitly clear that we are to stick to the assigned flight profile, land, unload, and leave.  There is no room for variance, and they have all of that..." he swept his arm to the orbital space before us, dominated by a Star Destroyer and several light cruiser escorts and TIE fighters, "...to make sure we don't do anything they don't want us to do."  Lars turned and looked up at Jothan.  "I can get you in OK, but you'll be well away from where you wanted to be and there is no way I can get you back out.  You'll be on your own."

Jothan nodded, but his eyes were troubled.  I poked at my own blindness of what was to come, the way I might have probed the space of a missing tooth with my tongue.  But the thread was there.  The fugue remained strong in the here-and-now.  Our path was before us, and it still led to this place.  Jothan's eyes again met mine and I nodded slightly.  "This is the place, whatever may come."

"Agreed."  Jothan rumbled back.  "Jotu, go ahead and land, unload, and head back out.  Carry a report back to Jedda.  If nothing else, the Council must know that we landed successfully."

Lars looked as if he would refuse for a moment, then exhaled and nodded.  "Very well, but you take care of yourself!"

Jothan smiled.  "No, my friend.  The Force takes care of us.  We simply do its bidding."  He cast me another glance, this one full of irony.

I smiled back at him.  "Never fear, Captain.  I will look after him for you.  As the Maker decrees, so it will be, but we will do what we must to defeat the Darkness."

Lars smiled a wane smile and turned back to his controls.  Jotham and I stood behind them, silent, watching the planet grow as we followed the proscribed flight corridor down to the main spaceport. 

The Darkness swallowed us....

Oh I LIKE that TR!  I never even considered that comparison; awesome perspective  ;)

And I make "3".  Marvel fan(s), that is  ;D

And so, the veritable "calm before the storm"

Until next installment, friends  :)

Yes, they are in it now.  I couldn't resist the contrast of the beautiful Naboo with the dark and malevolent forces brewing around and on it... 

More soon.  Thanks for the encouragement guys! 

We moved through the streets, away from the spaceport, and I was still amazed and slightly dazed by the hammering of the Darkness all around me.  Despite the pain, however, I was keeping my senses fully open, straining to follow the thread of the melody and the harmonies that I could still sense.  It was like listening to a concert of fine music in one ear while acid rock blared in the other: Jarring and discordant, but I had to keep one ear on the Song, or we would all be blind.

Arnor, by our agreement, had shielded herself from listening to the deep threads.  Instead, her attention was focused on the hear-and-now and our immediate surroundings.  From what I could see, Jothan and Illian were in a similar arrangement.  Jothan's eyes were slightly opaque as he followed his own threads in the force while Illian's eyes darted here and there, his hand never far from where his lightsaber was concealed.

The contrast with Naboo itself was also hard to reconcile.  Naboo was a beautiful world with epic-scale stone architecture, open piazzas and squared with fountains and flowing water everywhere.  Arches and columns adorned every building and virtually every street was faced by a broad colonnade with cafe's and vendors everywhere.  The people were also open and friendly, even the (still rare) Gungans who intermingled with the predominantly human population.  They were happy and secure since the defeat of the droid army so many years ago, and utterly unaware of the darkness that overshadowed them.

Jothan reached an intersection and stopped, turning toward a recessed doorway.  "This way...." he said, waving toward it.

I was already moving, taking a turn now on point, letting the Jedi master rest a bit as I tightened my own focus.  The door was locked, but the simple electronics were nothing to defeat in the force.  I brushed the mechanism, reading the pathways and mentally shifting a bit of alloy, and the door lock went green and whooshed open for us.  The transition was ... forboding.

We continued on with little change, following the thread of the force down into the bowels of the city.  Where the facades of Naboo were stone and tile with a decidedly low-tech feel, the lower levels were almost exactly opposite.  The corridors we walked now were steel and composite, filled with power conduits, data busses, water and waste management systems, and the myriad of other things needed to make a modern city run.  Jothan and I continued to switch off on point periodically, allowing the other to dial back and rest a bit while the other took over the primary tracking duty.

"I have a bad feeling about this...." I heard Arnor mumble under her breath behind me.  "Karm, Jothan, watch yourselves.  Something isn't right here."

I had to agree.  The tension in the Song was high, the melody stagnant, the harmony dark and forboding.  We were near our goal, I could sense that, but there was something else.  Something...

"Jothan, its a trap!" I barked then.  I wasn't sure what it was that triggered the realization, but I knew it was true.  My saber was in my hand and the blade ignited even as I spoke.  Arnor's blade formed a split-second later, as did Jothan's and Illian's.  I was still moving instinctively, the Song of Battle now rising within me, merging with the Song of the Force, and I grabbed Jothan by the back of his robe, physically pulling him back, and sent a powerful pulse forward through the force, a heavy push against.... 

I had no idea.  I just knew to push and I did, as if my life depended on it.

Three seconds later the two concussion grenades that had been travelling toward us exploded among the troops that had launched them.  The explosions disoriented the squad of Storm Troopers and distracted them for two precious seconds.  When they bounced back up from cover to fire we were already among them.

Yellow and blue flashed in sweeping arcs as we deflected blaster bolts.  In seconds, the troopers went down, several to the ricochets before Jothan and I dispatched the shooters directly before us.  Illian took out one trooper who had emerged late and was drawing a beed on our backs.  Arnor covered Illian and kept her focus further out, which was why she noticed the main threat first.

"Inquisitorius!"

My view snapped up to see no less than six figures in black and gray armor, double-bladed sabers glaring red.  Inquisitorius?  Here?  That would explain the darkness, but no one had seen an inquisitor or heard of one since before the battle of Yavin.  There was no time for speculation, however.  The Song of Battle was rising and the fugue was strong.  Karmack threw himself into the attack, vaulting over the line of Inquisitorius, blocking a strike aimed at him as he passed over head, and landing behind them.  Arnor went left, rolling instead of vaulting, and slashed low as she passed.  Her blade tip connected with an ankle, severing a foot and dropping one of their foes immediately.  The inquisitor shrieked as his own movement brought the severed stump into direct contact with the floor and he immediately toppled over and into a live power conduit.  The surge of power ended his suffering - and killed the lights.

The room went from one of light to a dark abyss lit by the flashing red, blue and yellow blades of our sabers.  With a quick snap I ignited both hilts and joined them, facing staff with staff and was immediately engaged by two of the inquisitorius as the the other three squared off with an opponent.  I settled into a modified Soresu, falling back and drawing my two opponents away from the other three.  These two were closely linked, perhaps a Master and Apprentice or simply mentor and newbie.  Whatever the connection, there was a strong fugue between them, but nothing like the flow of song I sensed in the Sith.  Only the dark rhythm of evil flowed between them, a drumbeat that threatened to overwhelm the Song...

...for a moment.  As I fell back slowly, dodging and parrying their cuts and thrusts, I could feel the mounting frustration.  Despite their training and charter, these Inquisitorius had obviously never faced true Jedi before.  The pair before me had expected to engage opponents jarred and perhaps already injured by their Storm Trooper ambush.  Instead they had run into four well trained and focused Jedi unshaken by injury and ready for battle.  All that remained was to find and exploit an opening...

... and there it was.  In an effort to get through my guard one of the inquisitorius over-extended in his bid to strike my saber hilt.  With a flashing spin I brought my blades around and performed Sun Djem and Cho Mai, severing both his saber hilt ... and his saber hand at the wrist.  A force push threw the disarmed inquisitorius aside and I stepped into his place, using the opening to flower and bring my blades through the second opponent at an unexpected angle.  The cuts passed through his right arm, which had been raised overhead, removing it at the upper arm, but that was incidental as the blade tip of the second pass also took off his head.

Unfortunately the cuts came a split-second to late, and I felt the seering burn of a glancing blow on my left arm from his last up-stroke.  I collapsed with my targets, my world reduced for long seconds to the blinding flood of pain, the red hammer overloading everything and severing me from the Song.  My chest heaved and I collapsed my blades, dropping to the deck and rolling over on my back, struggling to clear my head...

The Inquisitorius that appeared over me grinned a deaths-head grin, his eyes filled with hate as he raised his saber to strike.  I mashed my thumb down on the activation button and my blade sprang back to life, the Shiak strike driving up through his torso and out his back right behind his head.  I watched his eyes go from hate to shock to fear before they simply went ... blank.  He fell backwards off of my blade, his saber falling harmlessly to the floor behind him.

"Karm!" Arnor was there, lifting my head into her lap.  "Are you ok?"

I closed my eyes and initiated a song of healing, feeling the pain ease and my connection to the Song surge back as I suppressed the effects of the injury.  "I'm fine...  Or I will be.  Help me up."

Arnor stood and lifted me up.  Around us was carnage.  Four of the five inquisitorius were dead.  The fifth was unconcious, blood oozing from his wrist despite the cauterizing effects of the saber.  Arnor was undamaged, her opponent missing his head.  Illian was also up....

Jothan.  Jothan was down.  Illian was sitting, cradling his Master's head in his lap, unshed tears in his eyes.  Jothan's eyes were blank, his chest still.  Karmack could see where a saber had cut his thigh and arm in glancing blows, with a killing blow to the chest.  He'd then turned to me...

I suddenly felt far less regret at killing him.  Far less.

I felt the anger surge within me, and for a second I could feel it joining with the darkness, attempting to overwhelm me from within...  Humming, I turned my back on it.  I drew Arnor, now dressing my arm wound with an analgesic and antiseptic soaked bandage, into a fierce hug and sang a quick song of thanksgiving to the Maker, and the darkness receded.  I gave my wife another quick hug and broke away, stepping toward the padawan.

"Illian." 

He looked up at me, eyes bright with unshed tears.  "I know.  We have to go on..."

I nodded.  "The time of sorrow will come, but we must finish the mission."

"What...  What can we do for him here?" the padawan asked.  His eyes were pleading.  "We can't just leave him here for them to find..."

I thought for a moment, then turned back to where the Storm Troopers lay.  Reaching out, I found what I was looking for ... there.  A quick pull in the force and the object was in my hand.

I turned and handed the incendiary grenade to Illian.  "Say your peace and lay this on his chest.  Its the best we can do."

Illian took the grenade.  "Thank you."

Arnor and I turned away.  I felt the song altered, a powerful strand of the fugue that continued to dominate our path now missing, leaving our song weaker and more fragile.  But we were close to the goal.  It was before us now.  We would move ahead, the darkness opening, letting in a ray of light, of hope.

We moved down the corridor as behind us Jothan's Pyre burned, the Jedi Master lighting our way one last time.

EX
CEL
LENT
!!!!!!!!!!!

I began to read (as I do with all installments) with anticipation, each sentence flowing faster, faster, with more urgency, finding myself deliberately slowing to savor the story, only to continue reading at a breakneck pace again...to an abrupt stop.  Lol, "dammit!"

Testament to excellent storytelling, Karm  ;).  I really would like to thank you for sharing^^

Until next installment, friends  :)

I guess I don't need to say anything now. TD said it all right here. ^^^

Lol thanks TR  :D

LOL  thanks guys.

I feel this one might be coming to a close.  Not sure of that, though.  There are two paths open. 
More soon.

I was having trouble concentrating, the thread of the melody shrouded in a red mist of pain.  The wounds on my left arm were minor overall and would heal with proper treatment, but the slash had left a charred gouge in my bicep that went almost to the bone.  Arnor had wrapped it and applied topical medications for pain and infection, but further medicine would hamper my mental acuity, which would be deadly now.  For a brief moment I stewed about the choice: blinded by pain, or blinded by medication for the pain.  Either one potentially deadly....

I shook the wool-gathering thoughts away and concentrated.  Arnor was on point, her saber in her hand.  Illian was behind, watching our rear.  We had cleared the ambush quickly, leaving behind an inferno that consumed Master Jothan as well as our enemies.  I hoped the fire would give us a breathing space while the enemy sorted out what happened and who, if anyone, survived.  The song drew me forward, deeper into the complex, and the pulse was quickening again.  There would be another confrontation. 

I brushed over Illian in the force as he followed.  His melody had flexed and bent briefly as darkness entered his heart.  Anger had flooded him at the death of his Master.  Then his melody had burst forth with song, echoes of the line I had heard from Jothan merging with Illian's own unique melody to strengthen it and add depth, and I had felt his line in the fugue surge and tighten with that of Arnor and myself.  The cord was now three strands, a trio that danced through the dark together instead of two duets that complemented each other but were ultimately separate.

I mentally touched the trio, marveling at it for a brief moment.  It was ... beautiful.

And then I felt it.  The pulse of the trio surged, the harmony and rhythm shifting into the fast-paced mode of combat, intensifying at the sudden burst of hate-driven hammering war drums.  It was like a pleasant chamber orchestra suddenly being put together with a bag-pipe and drum band in full martial glory.

Arnor felt it as well, and her saber ignited just in time to block the falling red hammer-strike.  She somersaulted away in time to avoid the follow-up but had to shift to a blindingly fast Soresu as blaster bolts tracked her from multiple sources.

I waved Illian forward to help her and ignited my own saber.  The song of battle filled me and I grabbed onto it more strongly than I had ever done before.  Pain rippled through my arm and shoulder as I freed my left arm from the sling we'd fashioned and my grip on the Song faltered for a brief instance, then the pain was subsumed and the battle song filled my mind and my heart. 

Our blades clashed and locked in the High Guard/High Parry and I was face-to-face with the Inquisitor.   Here was the source.  The one who darkened this place of light.  "So, we meet at last."

The hate-filled eyes were yellow with the dark side.  He laughed.  "So we do ... Jedi.  You defeated the ambush.  Lord Vader said that even a Jedi Master would be unable to overcome my best Inquisitorius.  Yet here you stand."

I felt his probing with the force, but long years of sparring and practice made the force-blocks and parries as effortless as the blade work.  I augmented my strength and threw him back.   So, this one was monologing.  I needed to keep him talking.  "It was a nice try, though inept.  About what I would expect from an idolator."  I grinned at his slight confusion and used the moment to hit him with a powerful force push, sent without a physical queue, something Master Chillum had spent years teaching me to do.  Most Jedi and Sith used body movement to focus their attention as they used the force.  It gave them a mystical air and I always suspected that the practice continued because at some deep level the human ego just liked it.  Master Chillum had pushed us to eschew it.  Why give someone a visual queue?  The force was invisible.  Keep it that way.

The Inquisitor grunted and managed to deflect the bulk of the push but it startled him.  "I must tell Lord Vader he was wrong.  The Jedi Master did not die..."

I smiled, the song rising in my heart, the strength of it washing the last theads of red pain away.  "Oh, your ambush killed Master Jothan.  But Lord Vader is not all-knowing.  He could not have seen me."  I shifted my blade to my left hand alone, testing the arm one last time with a blade flourish.  The pain was there, but it was blanketed by the force.  I was going to pay later, but for now...   I laughed, humming the Song, and my second blade ignited in my good right hand.  "I am Maenowan Karmack of the Gray.  I am a Child of the Maker.  I sing the Song.  I am the Death of Evil."

He anticipated my attack, but not its power.  I rained blows on the Inquisitor and drove him back, singing the Song.  For a moment it looked as if I were going to finish him.  But not yet.   I still needed him to talk, and the Song was not complete.  Not yet.  The Inquisitor, fear showing, was pushed back, fully defensive, and I took my chance.  I attempted a Shiiak against his shoulder with my left-hand saber.  Not to extended ... just enough ....

The red blade flashed around in last-ditch defensive sweep, neatly cutting my hilt in half and missing my hand by less than a centimeter.  I felt a tug as the saber was destroyed, the blade shattering the crystal that had started this quest.  Later...  I spun away, feigning further injury, tucking my hand into my tunic and folding around it as if to cradle it.  I was careful to roll away from the Inquisitor, give myself room.  I wanted to invite him to boast, not perform a quick killing blow...

"So ... 'Death to Evil' was it?"  I turned and came back to my knees and slowly to my feet.  I adopted a posture of pain and defeat, putting my surviving blade into a middle guard while continuing to cradle my injured left arm and hide my hand from his view.  The Inquisitor laughed.  "Now you will die.  Then your friends.  And I and my apprentices will finish conditioning these smart kyber crystals and ship them to Endor, where they will be used to assemble the new Death Star.  Nothing you can do will stop it.  The Emperor has forseen it.  Vader has forseen it."

A new Death Star?!?!  In Endor?   I felt shock roll through me, the Song faltering for a moment.  I looked past the Inquisitor at the room beyond.  It was full of crates like the one we had intercepted.  Full of kyber crystals.  Enough for even a super-laser like the one that had scarred Jedda and destroyed Alderaan... 

I felt the darkness suddenly lift and the Song was revealed.  Yes.  They staged here, Palpatine's home, and prepped the crystals.  Then shipped the prepped crystals to the construction site, keeping the force-users out of the public eye.  This is where the Inquisitorius had gone, and why they had disappeared.  Palpatine had new job for them, one he felt was more important even than hunting down the remaining Jedi.  "You won't get away with it."

"Oh?  Who will stop us?" The Inquistor said, his blade rising to strike.  He was focused on the killing blow, sure I was crippled and cut off from the force by the pain of my fresh injury.  And in that instance his guard was down, all his energy and attention on the attack and not on defense.

I pulled. 

The Inquisitor's second cervical vertebrae shifted forward nearly 4 centimeters.  It was completely dislocated from the spinal column.  Other than to the ligaments and local musculature, there was little real damage to the neck, but the spinal chord was cut as neatly as if with a knife.

The Inquisitor collapsed, his body suddenly cut off from his brain.  His snarling fury was replaced by surprise, then the light faded from his eyes.

I felt the Song surge.  There was no time to reflect.  I threw myself into the remaining battle.  Illian and Arnor were in full defensive mode, deflecting bolts and picking off the occasional trooper with a ricochet.  I followed the surge of the melody, clear now as the black veil lifted, and attacked the storm troopers directly.  I danced through the arc of their deployment, mowing them down, and felt the Battle Song swell to a crescendo and cadence.

The firing stopped as the last trooper fell to my blade, head rolling away from the lifeless body.

I looked at the vast warehouse again.  People...  "Illian..."

"Master?" the padawan approached, now nursing a wound of his own.   Minor, fortunately. 

"Illian, find a terminal and call up emergency evacuation procedures."  He nodded and sprinted to the side of the bay, where an empty office was located.  I turned to Arnor, felt a brief surge of relief to see her intact, her aqua blade still bright in her hand, still on guard for further attacks. 

"Arnor, reach out.  Do you see the tanks across the way?" 

She nodded, concentrated ... Then her eyes went wide.  "Is that really ... necessary?"

"Yes.  These are destined for a new Death Star.  We must ... remove that threat.  Entirely."

"Master, I have it!" Illian called.  "What is your wish?"

"Sound a general evacuation.  Fuel leak."

************

Captain Lars had just gotten the last of his cargo loaded when the explosion rocked the spaceport.  "What was that?"  His comm suddenly came alive with evacuation orders and emergency clearance to all ships.  "OK, we're out of here!"

I held Illian and Arnor back in the shadows until the ship's ramp began to actually move, and then we sprinted.  A push in the force and we landed, tangled, in the main salon as the ramp closed.

The hole of Lars' blaster was massive only 3 centimeters from my right eye.  "Um...  We're back?"

The blaster lifted a fraction of a second later.  "So you are!  Can I assume the chaos out there is your doing?"

I nodded.  "Yes." 

"OK.  Glad I'm not going to be around to explain it to anyone... "  Lars looked at the three of us.  "Where's Jothan?"

I felt his sorrow swell as he asked the question.  He knew.  Illian answered.  "He ... fell.  He gave his life to save us."

Lars nodded.  "I always figured he'd go out in a heroic blaze of glory."  Lars gathered himself as the ship lifted on emergency thrust, just one of hundreds of ships evacuating the port.  "So, where to?  Back to Jedda?"

I nodded.  "Yes.  We have to share what happened with the council.  I owe my friend that much."

Lars nodded again but said nothing, just turning and going back to the cockpit.  I felt the song cadence again and settle back into a peaceful harmony ... and braced as the pain from the abuse of my arm slammed into me.  With a whimper, I collapsed to my knees, cradling my arm.  "Owie...."

Arnor's arms eveloped me.  "Come, my love.  Lets see what kind of sickbay this bucket of bolts has."  She lifted me up and guided me aft, past Illian who was already sitting in a lotus position, his own eyes opaque ans he contemplated his own future ... and the paths before him.

Wow, once again, an amazing job. My neck started hurting when you pulled on the vertebrae, never thought of using the Force that way before. :D And the last thing that Karmack says sums up that whole part perfectly. "Owie...."

Thanks Taegin.  I'm glad that came across.  :-)

My daughter and I spent some time talking about this subject one night after re-watching episode one.  The line was from Wato(?), the flying dude who owned Anakin.  "Why do you keep waving your hand around like you're some kind of Jedi or something?"  Or something to that effect.

And I noticed that every time a Jedi or Sith uses the force they have a hand-motion.  I understand visually it is so we, the audience, KNOW what they're doing. 

But, really...  Why? 

So I started thinking: What if a force user trained to use the force WITHOUT the crutch of the hand motion?  And I built that into Karmack.  No silly hand-waving for him!

As for the neck break ... yeah.  Why not?  Its just focus...

Not that Karmack likes doing it, mind you.  He'd much rather leave someone disabled or disarmed, but sometimes...  Yeah.

Sometimes.

*sigh*

One more chapter in this story, I think.  Just need to wrap it up...

I have often thought about that as well. Why did they need to use their hands. It is just concentration after all. Luke didn't need to in ROTJ. I think that it is mostly used as a focal point, a way to easily channel the Force rather than concentrating as hard. I also think that it may be a bit of just natural reflexes. Your brain knows that to push on something you have to use your hands or some other body part, and so when Jedi (or Sith) use the Force, it just the Force doing the pushing, but the hands doing the motions. This is something that I have thought about so much actually that I have even used it a little bit in my own character (Taegin Roan), as well as some of my superhero characters. I like that you also brought in the "visual queue" thing, because that is another major aspect of why Taegin doesn't do it. Looking forward to the final chapter.

Hey Teagan, totally off topic: which if your sabers do you like the best? 

Just curious.  :-)

I seem to keep coming back to my Aeon V4...

Precisely.  I remember wondering why Luke used gestures while Force choking the gamorean guard in RotJ when Vader hardly ever did (choking Admiral Ozzel, telekinetically pulling/throwing part of the stanchion at Luke in the bowels of Bespin City to name a few).  I always thought that the gestures were superfluous; the Force was controlled/manipulated via the mind.

TR, I would love to read about your own character^^  Perhaps afterwards  ;)

I really feel that most writers are victims of their own creative limitations when it comes to Force powers.  Take telekinesis: Jedi/With use it for Push/Pull powers?  Yet nothing like Karm utilized; EXCELLENTLY done IMO.  

Heh, sorry for that tangent; I've thought often on this subject in my basement at home.

Karm, you are an enjoyable writer; I hope this isn't your last story that you share  ;)

Until next installment, friends  :)

I find that my Dark Apprentice is the most comfortable and enjoyable to use. However, I can't deny the fact that Emerald is amazing, and the Initiate and Dominix v4 are incredibly comfortable as well. But overall, I'd say my Apprentice is my favorite. I need to wield all of the sabers before I could officially chose a favorite, but right now it is the Apprentice.



Well you might get too. ;)

I am trying to write a story about him, (taking some inspiration from Karmack, [the "song"]), but all I have so far is the Prologue. Someday I will get the rest of it done, but for now, here is some info about him.

http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=24042.msg539122#msg539122

There is a lot that you don't know about him from this sheet, and that is what I am telling in the story. But this is a fairly good intro to who he is.

Oh YES PLEASE!  I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the forum fan-fics  :D. And, like you, I am feeling inspired (it's been years since I wrote about my  character but reading Karm's (and, soon, yours) I'm feeling inspired  ;)

Well, I was planning on saving it till I had a little bit more of it done to start posting, but I may have to just give you a sampler, and post more as I write it. But I will start my own thread for it, rather than steal Karmack's.  ;D You guys are going to actually make me finish this story.  ::)

I'd love to read it TR! 

Heh it's my hope to continue reading BOTH Karm's AND your stories  :)

Thank you!  LOL

I felt the song ripple and opened my eyes.  As I expected, Illian was sitting across from me again.  "Illian."

"Master." the youth replied.  "A question, if I may?"

I nodded.  This had become the pattern on our long voyage back to Jedda.  To maintain his cover, Captain Lars had been compelled to deliver the consignment he'd loaded on Naboo to Corusant.  From there a consignment had led to Sigmund, then from there to Dantoine, and then Kessel, and Jakku, and finally back to the core and Corellia where he'd finally picked up a shipment for Jedda.  As he had explained, the population on Jedda was small and shrinking since the damage done by the Empire.  It was getting harder and harder to find legitimate reasons to go there.  The result was a long time spent bouncing around until the right shipment came along.

The time had not been wasted.  Long healing trances had removed all but a faint pink scar from my left arm and restored all function.  Ilian had also healed from the blaster burn he'd suffered.  Arnor had spent long hours teaching him Soresu, a form he had neglected in favor of Ataru once he'd mastered the basics of Shii Cho.  And every evening he'd come about this time and asked questions, leading to long discussions of the force and the teachings Arnor and I followed and the contrasts between them and the Jedi Code.  Illian was bright and intelligent and the Song was strong within him, but in deference to my friend Jothan I tried very hard not to proselytize...

Well.  I tried....

As Illian settled I expected more of the same.  But the young padawan surprised me.  His eyes focused on the gauntlet on my right hand and forearm.  "Master Karmack, what happened to your arm?"

I followed his gaze and then laughed.  "I forget sometimes..."  I reached over and touched the seal, breaking the connection between the upper ring of the gauntlet and the control ring implanted within my arm and slid the device off.  Inside my hand was pail but generally looked normal.  I held it up.  "Many years ago, when I was still a young knight, I was involved in a fight that left my arm damaged and the nerves virtually destroyed.  The healing trance was able to save my hand and restore some function, but fine motor control was lost."  I moved my hand clumsily for him. "Over the years additional treatments and attempts at healing, via medical means as well as the force, have made small improvements but the damage was to extensive for even force-assisted healing to correct.  So a cybernetics engineer made this gauntlet for me.  There is an interface just at the point where the nerves are healthy that sends impulses to the glove, which then assists my natural hand."  I slid the gauntlet back on and reset the connection, then demonstrated the fine motor control now available to me.  "I keep working on the nerves, but for now this provides me with full function."

Illian nodded. "Thank you for explaining.  I've ... been curious."  I watched as he fidgeted and looked down at his hands, which he hastily folded in his lap.

"You've been curious about many things, Illian.  Ask your real question." 

I met his eyes as he looked back up at me.   "I ... um, I want to go with you.  You and Arnor.  I want to be a Jedi, but I want to be a Jedi like you."

I was not surprised.  Arnor and I had been wondering when he would ask.  Thankfully before we reached Jedda.  But there was one thing I needed to know.   Or more correctly, I needed to know that he knew: "Why?"

Illian's eyes remained steady as he replied to my question. "When I asked you, the other day, if it ... bothered you.  Killing.  Your explanation of morality ... it was so much more than anything Master Jothan or Master Uvell ever taught me...  For them, it was about keeping myself in line, following rules, staying on the Light side, avoiding the temptation of the Dark side.  There was no love, no grace, no forgiveness.  But I see now that we need those things.  I see the love you have for all, even as you confront and destroy evil.  The grace that made you risk failure to let as many of the innocent workers in that warehouse evacuate before you blew it up.  As much as I loved Master Jothan..."  He sighed.  "Your view and beliefs are right.  The Jedi are not."

I held his eyes for a long moment.  "We are still Jedi, Illian.  We serve the Light.  We just understand who the Light really is.  Do you understand?"

Illian hesitated, then slowly nodded.  "I think so.  Imperfectly."

"Well said, Illian.  As we all understand imperfectly."  I sat back and relaxed.  "We will be at Jedda in two more days.  I will speak with Master Uvell.  For myself, I have no objection.  But be warned!  You will be Arnor's padawan, not mine!  And she is a much harder task master than I am!"

Oh, I like the inclusion of the cybernetics^^  I always considered Bacta to be a nano-med treatment but figured the cybernetics would be the answer for amputations.  But I REALLY like the supplementation of Force healing (which I--admittedly--tend to overlook  :P) with the cybernetics.  Also, good use of the "travel downtime:" Force trances and exposition(s) concerning the tenets of Gray Jedi ideology  ;)

Until next installment, friends  :)

I liked how this one specifically was more story oriented, rather than action. I like action, but to me, story is way more important than action. Great job once again.

Thanks guys.  I've always liked the character development as well.

Though there's an element to stalling here.  I have to admit, I have to make a choice about the next plot point and I am torn...
Getting close to digital decision making.  (flipping a coin)

More soon!

Well I vote...that your story continues for a LONG time  ;)

Interesting story and concept of the force.  It makes me wonder to what extent Karmack preference for a ‘Song’ in the force is just that, his preference, that is he seems to look down on the sith ‘music’ at least…but is what he considers to be “a construct of melody, harmony and rhythm that reinforces itself” unique to him, that is would other Gray Jedi find his ‘song’ in the force just as repellent as he finds the Siths? Is Karmack making an ‘idol’ of his own Song ? Just a thought!

Intriguing thoughts, LSG^^  Myself: I interpret Karm's Song as a benevolent function of nature, one that would corroborate with Gray Jedi ideology (and even go so far as representative of the Order at large).  As I said earlier, I don't think of the Force as being esoteric but rather a more natural phenomenon... BUT I do believe that Karm's Song is representative of his interpretation of Gray doctrine: Life is important (bah, just not put so blandly as I just did  :P).
However, who's to say that the Sith don't have their own melody or Song?  Again: interesting thoughts  :)

Intriguing.  :-)  These are definitely concepts I will have to think about.

In the context of this world-view, the ideas of Melody, Harmony and Rhythm working together in balance are reflections of the Gray philosophy that the force must be in balance.   But its not a rejection of Good vs Evil.  Karmack and others of his order still see themselves fighting for Good.  They just don't look to the force as a definition of what is good or evil.  I drew on my own musical training in part because I remember having long debates about what kinds of music are "good" and what kinds are "bad".  The conclusion I came to is that there are many different forms of music, some I like, some I don't, but in order to be "good" music it has to have a functional balance between the three basic elements.  If ANY one element gets inflated to the exclusion of the other two, that music is not good music.  So the view of the force.  While Karmack would generally agree with the Jedi on their ideas of what is right and what is wrong regarding Good vs Evil, they would find themselves VERY far apart on what is right vs wrong on how to live their lives, because the Jedi take one aspect - lets say, Melody - and they magnify it while trying to eradicate another element - lest say, Rhythm - from the expression of the force. 

From the canon, we know that Jedi eschew virtually all strong emotion.  The Sith seem to be the opposite, embracing emotions, particularly negative emotions like anger and hate.

The Gray would say that emotions are part of life.  Good or Evil can come from them.  Feel, but don't let feelings be the ruler of your decision-making.  Intellect is the moderator, the control on emotion.  Correct action comes when the other two are in balance.

Now, does Karmack "worship" the Song?  No.  He worships the Singer of the Song.  And that's really the difference.  But that's another discussion...  :-)

I could feel Illian's nerves buzzing from across the room.  I met Arnor's eyes and she nodded slightly, then leaned over to whisper in her new apprentice' ear.

I didn't know the words, but the content was clear:  calm yourself!  And with an effort, the buzzing dimmed, though it did not entirely disappear.

I could not fault him on that.  I was also more than a bit nervous.   The cluster of strangers in the room was not an aid to my calm.  Especially not with the high number of concealed weapons among them.

I stepped forward and bowed to the table where the Jedi council were again seated.  "Master Jedi, we have returned.  I am sorrowful to report that Master Jothan fell during the course of our mission.  He died with great honor and sacrificed himself for our survival at a critical juncture.  His loss will be felt by all of us who owned him as a friend."

Master Uvell's eyes were unreadable, but the spike of emotion was clear in the force, and quickly suppressed.  Others around the table were not as quick to defeat their feelings, even though the news was hardly a surprise.  Why else would Master Jothan not be the one reporting? 

Uvell waited a few heartbeats to allow his comrades to collect themselves before speaking.  "Thank you for your consideration, Master Karmack.  What of the mission?"

"We found a processing center for these specialized crystals on Naboo, Master Uvell.  The Emperor had what I believe to be the last of his Inquisitorious there, using their force abilities to align the crystals, which were then being pieced into a larger construct.  That larger construct appeared to be the activation element of a super laser as big as or bigger than the one used by the Death Star.  Further, during a duel, one of the Inquisitorious bragged that the crystals would power a new Death Star's main weapon.  He gave the location of this new terror's construction as 'Endor'.  On the return trip we managed to find an Endor system in the Modell Sector on the Outer Rim.  I believe this to be the system the Inquisitor was referring to."

At the name "Endor" I noticed the attention of several of the strangers spike.  One of them stepped forward.  "Endor, you say?  The planet itself, or perhaps the Sanctuary Moon?"

I turned my attention to the new speaker.  "Perhaps, I honestly do not know, Master...?"

Uvell made the introduction.  "Jankor Vek, of Bothawui.  He is here on the behest of Koth Melan and is working to acquire intelligence for the Rebel Alliance.  He and I will be leading a team to ... inquire further on this matter."

I glanced back at Jankor.  The Bothan was clearly unhappy about Master Uvell's frankness.  "I understand."  I glanced at Illian and Arnor  "We wish you ... success, Master Uvell."

Uvell snorted in bitter laughter.  "Not likely.  You are to attuned to the force, Maenowan Karmack.  That is why you will not be accompanying us."  Uvell turned to Illian.  "Join them, Illian.  Learn the ways of the force.  Master Karmack and I do not agree on the particulars, but he will guide you to serve the Light, whatever he calls it himself."  Uvell smiled.  "You will go far, Illian.  Jothan would be proud."

I felt Illian's emotions spike and the tears were evident in his eyes, if unshed. "Thank you, Master Uvell."

Uvell rose and bowed.  "Go, now.  We have much to do, and I believe your 'song' is calling you elsewhere."

I returned his bow.  Indeed, the Song was rising, calling us away.  "May the force be with you, Master Uvell."

"And with you."

***

Uvell left us with one other parting gift: A CEC XS light freighter sat in the bay, waiting for us.  It wasn't as highly modified as Captain Lars' ship, but it was in good condition and had a working hyper drive.
And in the hold rode a familiar crate.

We left ahead of them and headed in a different direction.  They were bound for the Rim and Endor.  I could hear little of their song, but enough to know it was tragic.  Ours, however led elsewhere, and it was time to go.

The Jedi would tend to themselves for a bit.  We were Gray, and the Song beckoned...

* The End *

(for now)

Excellent Karm!  I have but one critique: MORE PLEASE  ;D

I'm hooked^^

Yes indeed. Very well done.


I like what you said here. You defined your thoughts well. The highlighted passage in particular. That, I believe was what caused to Jedi to fall. They completely ruled out emotion, thinking that following emotions was the way of the Sith. And while yes, following your emotions can lead to destruction, it doesn't always. I feel like you need to take emotions into consideration before making a decision, but don't act on impulse. While I feel like the Jedi were more right than the Sith, they were not perfect, and they definitely needed help. They needed to understand that emotions can make you strong. But you have to utilize them correctly. You must act, never react. Make calculated decisions, not just hop right in and hope everything goes your way, because it most likely wont. Again, very well written, as was the entire story. Thank you for sharing it.

There will be a new story soon.  I already know where I'm going.  :-)

Did not Dave Filoni say no Grey Jedi there are?  Presumptuous you are perhaps?

Hmm.....

Karmack is a force user, who generally follows a philosophy that is different than the "Orthodox" Jedi.  Specifically, his Order teaches that the force is just another part of nature, a source of power that some beings are capable of accessing due to specific biological reasons.  What those reasons are cannot be easily quantified, but they do exist.

Where a Jedi (and a Sith, for that matter) would look to the force almost as a god (similar to deism...) Karmack views God as separate from the force, and its Creator.  But this would only be one form of "gray".

Now, whether Grays ever get into the canon?  I guess Dave Filoni would have more to say about that than I...  :-) 

I think he did, but I think what Karmack is getting at with his "gray", is that they are not light, and they are not dark. They are "the ones in the middle."

Good clarification, thanks.  It is a very interesting concept, when I think of Gray Jedi I tended to think of Kreia from KOTOR 2, or perhaps  Luke at the end of the EU Novel Crucible where he acknowledges the necessity for chaos and order in life (and to an extent his willingness to use violence in a measured way e.g. Lumiya..).  You present a not dissimilar, but still unique way of looking at what a Gray Jedi is and think which is really interesting, and couched  in a good story too.  Thanks for putting it out there.

Exactly TR; regardless of metaphysics, social mores, and laws, human emotions are so important in life.  They need not take primacy (as is the way of the Sith) but neither should emotions be suppressed or relegated as a gateway to the Dark Side.  Balance is necessary; I'm reminded of the Middle Path in Buddhism whereupon it leads to freedom and serenity. 

Perhaps so Oak but, what the hell, it's fan fiction  ;).  On a more serious note: I believe that what Karm (and TR) have done is enrich SW Lore.  Personally I couldn't care less if what I am reading is or isn't canon; a damn good story is its own reward.  And the beautiful thing about this is: I choose to accept these stories within the SW universe because I feel they belong  :D

But to each their own  ;)

"Violence in a measured way."  Excellent way to put it LSG^^

Just messing with you, if Lucas can sell out for 4 billion what is really set in stone anymore?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYdmWsKX_Eo

LSG, Oak, Dutchman, thank you all for your comments.  :-)  Its fun to discuss these things.  In honesty, my own version of "Gray" Jedi is largely a result of my attempt to reconcile my own Christian worldview with the concept of the force.  What would a Christian force user look like philosophically?  Many of the SW "force" concepts are based on deistic concepts and the force is often treated as a 'god', even if it is not named as such in the SW material. 

So I began by separating God from the force.  :-)  When you reduce the force to just another aspect of nature, something that is sensed by all to some extent and does in fact connect and bind us all together, a metaphysical aspect to nature that is outside the boundary of science (for now) but not really super-natural.  Kind of like gravity in our real world - we see its effects but we can't really quantify it or really understand how it works. 

And in that context, I created Karmack and his order.  They're more like Templars than Jedi, in that sense, only without (I hope!) the negative overtones that the Knights Templar acquired in their secular dealings.  Maybe more like the Hospitalars.  :-)  They protect the innocent, confront and remove evil whenever possible, and generally do the same sorts of things Jedi have done traditionally, but not with the same restrictive rules.  Maybe a good analogy would be that Jedi are Catholic Priests, and my Gray order are Baptist ministers.  :-) 

Ok, maybe not.  LOL

Anyway, I'm glad everyone enjoyed the story.  And Oak1971, go on pulling people's chains!  Its ... stimulating.  :-)

Look for another story thread soon!

Karmack

The whole thing is interesting, especially with Disney's take on it yet to be seen. Now before anybody corrects me, I know full well that Lucas film still exists, so please don't bother beating that dead horse. We all know who forked over the 4 billion, and it was not the tooth fairy.

I think this is why I enjoyed it so much. You got rid of the idea that the Force is god, and make the "Maker" God. Without trying to break forum rules, I agree with this. Your worldview is similar, if not almost the same as my own. This is what I was eluding to in when I said this. vvv


A very well thought out story, and very entertaining to read. Looking forward to more in the future (as well as my own ;)).

BOOKMARK REPLY! I'm on post #33

I'm thoroughly enjoying the story so far :D

I especially like the idea of paralleling the Force to music (though perhaps as a musician primarily I'm a bit biased in favor of this description).

I'm so glad to have finally been able to start reading through the Forumverse stories. Hopefully I can find the time to get through more soon. I'm looking forward to seeing what they find on Naboo.

Thank you Lady Revan!  I haven't seen this thread up top in the comments for a while!   I am also a musician, and that aspect of these stories came about from a comment my daughter made one evening while watching TV.  It was, I quote: "Don't go in there!  Can't you hear the music?!?"

It was amazingly hilarious, but it got me thinking: What if you COULD hear the music?  How would that effect your actions and perceptions?  If you got a foreboding, menacing musical undercurrent when you shook that smiling man's hand...  Or as you stepped out of the house and into the street. 

So ... I wrote force users that can hear the music!  Or that's how it started anyway.  Karmack is actually a singer.  He can also add to the music and change it.  Very rare, even among his Order.

Anyway, enjoy!  Its nice to see these older stories still hold up!  :-)

Bookmarking!!!! Don’t mind me


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I just finished reading this for the first time. WOW!! that was the best SW story I have read in a long time, I love how the greys associated the force with a "song" and I really liked the analogy where you guys compared it to Cap and the Howling Commandos.

If I could only say one thing about this it would be: I NEED MORE!!

LOL    You're in luck!  ;-)

I take it that there, in fact, is more?

The next "Karmack" story is "Hide and Seek".

OOOH! that will be fun to read!

You're not the only one to love the "song" aspect of it. I too am a musician, so this really resonated with me (pun intended? You decide). So glad some other people have no found these stories.

OMG THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!!! T^T I can’t see what the future has in store for Karmak, Arnor, and Illian.

I’m on the bus now, so I think I’m going to wait until I get home to read more, but I’m certainly looking forward to the next story in the installment!