Chapter 48

The blue beast no longer attacks my doppelganger. The doppelganger's power and adaptability have caused the blue beast to be wary. My doppelganger moves worldwide, adapting and improving at such great speed. It feels amazing. I'm watching my doppelganger's beautiful movement, if they are not gliding through the air they are hopping from hill to hill using efficient force push and pull. A little force power here and then letting the momentum take its course, an application of force speed here and I watch as any attack passes by without touching my doppelganger.

Despite how great my doppelgangers are they don't behave the same way as the intangible floating phantoms of Darth Vectivus. I feel ashamed, no that's not the right emotion. I feel frustrated but it's mixed with disappointment. I understand that just like precognition and psycometry schools of force powers I am not suited for the rare create force wraith. I am putting a lot of effort into understanding the ability and with my new way of boasting my understanding of the force I'm sure I will be able to do it but I wonder if I should do it.

If it weren't for Vectivu's death I wouldn't even try, I would have pooled my efforts into something that I would get much more results. However, I can't deny the results. Without trying to acquire the phantom ability I wouldn't have tied the minds of many doppelgangers together and have each one use force enlightenment. What else was I missing out on just because I wasn't entuned to it?

In my hands is my old lightsaber. It has been many, many years since I used this. My fear of the blade has held me back, just one slice cutting through armour, flesh and bone without resistance upsets me. All of that effort in skill and body could be destroyed by one slice. With my long life, my fear of a debilitating wound has increased my fear of lightsabers as time went by. The Jedi would say that I am susceptible to the dark side because of the emotion of fear, but everyone is, it's part of existence but even so, the lightsaber is a weapon I hate because it takes everything away from you with one mistake.

I like fist fighting because as long as you temper your body you can recover from many mistakes, even blaster fire can be blocked with good armour. I look at the weapon and the orange blade extends from the hilt. I think it's time to conquer my fears, And there is a perfect teacher who can help me, Yoda.

I leave planet X with my doppelgangers and travel to Coruscant. As I travel I search my feelings and analyze my fear. My fear isn't of death but there is something about it that I don't like, it's the fear of loss. Fear of loss is connected to my potential. I fear that I will be weaker because of a small mistake. I fear that I won't be all I can be, all I choose to be.

Ahhhh, it's not fear of loss but fear of my freedom being taken. This blade can damage me and I won't be able to do the things I want, my freedom will be cut. Is this why I'm willing to destroy governments, pirates and anyone who stands in my way without a drop of hesitation? It's not that I'm inclined to the dark side but I won't compromise over my freedom.

Should I meditate on my fear? I don't want to, it feels like a waste of time. My mind is strong and anytime I have a logical problem I use reason to solve it. Logic has never let me down and I haven't mediated since I was a child.

I'm dropped off at Coruscant and my droids look after my ship. I walk into the Jedi temple as a cleaner. No one bats an eye at me. It's strange how people see without seeing. The younglings, padawans, Jedis and masters see that I'm here to clean but don't question why a temple with cleaning droids needs a human. The help of servants is always unseen.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

I move through the temple easily, not much has changed. It's been hundreds of years since I've been here and a thousand years since I was a student here but not much has changed. There are still the same statues of old dead masters littering the temple. The familiar maintenance droids are still coming and going through their secret hallways that I used as a kid to gain access to the temple. There were a lot of memories here, this was where I started my empire of wealth and droids.

I knock on a door knowing that Yoda is behind it. There is a slight pause as I feel the force subtly wash over me and then the answer.

"Come in, you may"

I open the door while pretending to polish the door frame.

"Come visit me, you have" said Yoda "Mysterious your actions are" Yoda pointed at my slightly dirty jumpsuit.

The illusion warps and disappears leaving a clean three-piece suit. Yoda's old eyebrows raise like the amused old creature he is.

"You know how private I am, I don't want anyone to know I was here" I answer.

"This old man, what can do for you" spoke Yoda in his broken way.

I show Yoda my lightsaber from when I was a child.

The surprised look on his face tickles my bones as he realises that I might have been a Jedi.

"Yours, this is?"

"Mine, it is."

Holding it in his clawed hands, yoda uses the blade. A powerful orange light emitted from the hilt.

"Orange, your colour is. Fits you well, it does" Yoda twists the hilt in his hand causing the blade to swing in the air leaving after images "Balance and creativity does the orange blade mean, both the light and dark I sense"

I smiled at Yoda, I wasn't sure if he was just cold reading me and saying things he already knew but I wasn't here to be praised.

"I'm looking to master it," I said

"Not the force, I think not," said Yoda as he looked deep into the blade

"I am the best when using force abilities, my control and altering are second to none and I keep getting better with each new day" I honestly say "I want to conquer my fears of the lightsaber"

"Much arrogance you have" replied Yoda.

"Is it arrogance when it's true" I give Yoda a taste of my power by pulling a ribbon of water from Yoda's cup. I'm not transmuting the liquid to form the water but using amazing telekinesis to control and pull the liquid.

Of course, Yoda can tell the difference but he doesn't back down, "Arrogance leads to anger, anger leads to fear, fear leads to the dark side"

I huff at his reply "Everything leads to the dark side. The dark side is part of the force and everything has the force. Light and dark are like different runs on a tree, you go far enough back on the branch and you will connect. The trick is to absorb what strengthens you and throw away what weakens you"

Yoda looks at me with sad eyes, I can feel the disappointment rolling off his mind, he was hoping that I would come to be a Jedi after he found out that I was connected to them "Sound like the Sith you do" Yoda says.

"How would you know what the Sith sound like, they were before your time" This was a little mean for me to say but it was true, I doubt anyone could say that to Yoda with a straight face.

"People have said that before to try and shut my views down but I don't teach my ways, I only say find your way, even if it's the dark side. It is better to be violent if there is violence in your heart than putting on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence" I brush a piece of non-existent flint from my suit. "In short, be true to your self"

I've known Yoda for a long time and I can tell that he is not convinced by what I'm saying but it doesn't matter, I'm not here to convince him that my way is better, it probably isn't, it just fits me well.

"I'm not here for debating, I'm here to get proper training with the lightsaber from the best and discreetly"

"Too old you are, too much fear in your heart" answers Yoda.

"Too much fear for a youngling maybe but not for me. I think I've proven control over my emotions and abilities in the force. Besides, I'm not asking for training in the Jedi way." Yoda wasn't convinced so I made a deal.

"How about some cash or resources, I'm sure the Jedi need something that I can offer," I said

At this, Yoda had a smile on his face. I could feel the amusement slipping his mind and forming that terrible Yoda chuckle.

Yoda shuffled along until he was at my legs and then gestured down with his claw, instead of bowing down I picked him up. Again he looked surprised but the chuckling in his mind was getting louder.

"Instructor you will be" cackled Yoda.