Chapter 49

I thought for a while but accepted the deal. I would learn in secret with Yoda the forms and styles of lightsabers and in return, I would teach skills I find useful. According to Yoda, I wasn't allowed to teach philosophy because of my dark side influence. I could teach about the force in its truest sense but because I had dark side experiences Yoda thought better of it, he didn't want the younglings to be confused.

I could certainly teach about history and law as I was constantly updating myself with different laws and regulations to take advantage but my heart wasn't into it. I learned the law to take benefits from it, I don't want to teach it.

Instead, I might put some pistol martial arts into my lesson plan. However, I don't want to be called master. Masters are recorded in the Jedi database. Instead, I will be a teacher and using my illusions my image won't be recorded in the Jedi's history.

My first lesson had the younglings lined up and ready to learn. The teaching method of the Jedi hadn't changed and the kids in front of me had just spent years learning the basics of law and diplomacy. Now they were ready to be taught life skills.

Each youngling was two years away from having a master teach them and promote them to padawan. I could see their lightsabers hanging from their hip. It always shocked me that children this young would hold a killing weapon like this. I looked over their minds and found confusion that I was teaching life skills.

The kids had a pretty good constitution boosted by the force. Perhaps they changed the age requirements and allowed the youngling to practice force reinforcement. They called me teacher instead of master with only a couple forgetting and stumbling on the word master before they corrected themself.

I start with the cold hard truth about money. Money is god, people want it, and they will sell out their families and friends for it and are willing to do horrible things to obtain it. Many little hands raised to the air, the children didn't understand.

I explained that as padawans and Jedi, you will be sent on all kinds of missions to stabilise the galaxy and while the Jedi are great at persuading governments and individuals some people will only respond to cold hard cash. A Jedi can deflect energy bolts and use their lightsaber to tear through defences but sometimes the quieter approach will get you better results, and that's where money comes in.

Jedi younglings are smarter and more disciplined than the average child but they are still kids and not full of real-life experience. I will continue the money lesson later.

Instead, I teach about projectile weaponry. Each kid has a pistol loaded with stunning ammo. If they are stupid or unlucky enough they won't kill them selfs with a bad shot. What I didn't expect were the little monsters to finger rattle the pistol and expel the ammo clip, all one hundred shots. The dummies they shoot at are tossed around and ripped apart. The deadly younglings have found a way to make a stunning weapon into a killing one.

I skip the rifles because if they can rip the dummies apart with stunning ammo from a one-hundred-shot capacity then they might kill them selfs with a weapon that carries three hundred shots.

I will wait a while to teach them about weapons like blasters until they are more disciplined with lightsabers. I move on to basic circuits like door locks. One of the kids asks the question "What is this useful for". I had to explain that if you want to get to places where you are not meant to be then be quiet and bypass a door's locks.

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The same child tells me that a lightsaber can bypass any door. I tell the class that lightsabers are noisy and even if you stab the lock it doesn't necessarily mean the door will open. The whole purpose of picking locks and understanding circuits is so you go unnoticed so you can investigate.

I can feel that the child doesn't understand, his stubbornness only has eyes for the overwhelming power of the lightsaber. And so, I take his lightsaber and give a little demonstration. The class is quiet and I paint the picture of boarding a ship that's holding hostages. Each turn in the ship might bring them face to face with the terrorists. And while they will have no trouble in dealing with the crew, once the terrorist knows you're on board they might just kill the hostages and flee from the ship or fill the rooms with poison. If you are quiet and blend in, use your ability to avoid detection you might be able to get to the hostages before the terrorists even know you are there, but... and that's where I turn on the lightsaber with a long humming noise. I explained if you make too much noise and show your ability too soon then they might counter you.

It's all about making choices that give you a better chance to succeed, the more you know then the greater choices you have. The kids don't understand and why would they, they have yet to go on missions as a padawan. I will arm them now with useful things so they can excel.

The final thing I say and is totally optional is for them to get a simple droid to help with their studies or chores. The more free time they have, the more time they can spend doing the things they like. I dismiss the class.

Visiting Yoda, he looks like a smug cat, his amusement is rippling off his mind "Your first lesson, how was it"

"Kids will be kids, it's not like I've never taught before, I know what kids are like" I answer.

Yoda looks interested in what I just said: "Younglings taught before you have?"

It is obvious to me that Yoda thinks I've taught the Jedi before but I haven't

"Of course, but not every force-sensitive being becomes a Jedi. I snap them up and teach the younglings how to inspire growth in plants or become great healers, they go on to make a lot of money for themselves and me. It's profitable"

Yoda looks disappointed, he was hoping to gain more information but he shakes his head "Teach today, what did you?"

I shrug "The power of money, a little bit of pistol usage, the usefulness of basic circuit study and for homework, to get a simple droid"

"Droid?"

"Never underestimate a droid" I answer "They are super useful creations"

I draw out my hilt "When do we start" I say

"Much time and effort, this will take" said Yoda

"So many fail because they don't get started" My blade extends and the room is filled with the soft humming of my weapon.

What follows are shots from the lightsaber training drone and me trying to deflect them. I'm not bad at it but at times I don't even try to stop the bolts of energy with my lightsaber but hold the blast of energy in mid-air. My type of combat is to win and use whatever I have at hand, my force powers are a large part of that but isn't useful when I'm trying to learn lightsaber combat.

Yoda goes to hit me with his cane but a brief spark of lightning deflects the stick "Difficult to train younglings but more difficult to train powerful force users"

Yoda changes his training to a more hands-on approach, he starts to use his lightsaber. The first form of lightsaber is called Shii-Cho. It's a simple form that uses fast strikes. Every Jedi uses this form in one way or another. The form in my hands looks clumsy but Yoda is a master in all the forms and he makes the form look fluid and yet, highly randomized and unpredictable.

Lessons with Yoda don't last long as he is a very important Jedi master with his padawan to teach but he has shown me the way. I remember when I was a youngling and the masters thought I was a waste, no one taught me the proper forms, it was my fault but a master's teaching truly makes the difference.

I leave the temple and return to my ship where my doppelganger is practising. One of them is hovering off the ground using a mix of force push and pull with a taste of telekinesis. Unfortunately, I don't think the doppelganger can help me with lightsaber training, they could help me learn the forms faster but it's the fear I'm here to conquer. I go to my room to practice.