The Odysseia

[Sylvar]

Again, Sylvar nodded. Momentarily she thought about the various "basic" lessons taught to her by Master Baas. It had really never occurred to her before, but it was odd that some of the most basic powers taught to learners and padawans were, relatively speaking, very invasive. Particularly considering they were generally taught to children. It was an uncomfortable line of thought where that realization led her briefly, but she would have to ponder this another time.

"Since you have some familiarity and experience with Telekinesis and Force Sight, or Force Sense, whichever it is you're doing, I think that would be a good place to start. Telekinesis is something of the foundation of many of the physical Force powers. And Force Sense or Sight are similarly the foundation for many of the mental powers."

Her ears began their manic swiveling again as she thought about something else. A big part of the early life of a learner and padawan was… learning. And she had no books or tomes of Jedi history for him to read. And of course there was the mainstay of the Jedi life; meditation. How does one teach meditation?

Sylvar had come to the Jedi already knowing how to meditate which she'd been taught by Kharr. And she had been very young when he taught her. But teaching meditation to a kit is far different than teaching meditation to an adult. Trying to teach an adult how to meditate the same way one introduces and schools a kit in the habit would be both insulting and ineffective, she thought.

"Another thing I want you to think about, and perhaps even work on," she said, some of the uncertainty in her voice. "Is meditation. Meditation is one of the key elements of becoming a Jedi and truly coming to know yourself, the Force, and your place in it."

Sylvar reached an old hand up to her face and held her chin thoughtfully. After a moment, she began stroking her whiskers in thought.

"Again, I'm not sure the best way to teach you meditation. It is another unique process for each individual, and the way I was taught to meditate when I was just a kit wouldn't be very effective. At its core, the goal of meditation is three-fold; calming the mind, introspection, and connecting to the Force. I cannot tell you how to do that, only offer suggestions how you might go about figuring out how best to find your way, or what has worked for me or those I've studied with."

Eventually something came to her mind, and she looked over at Jefardi with a light of certainty in her eyes.

"But let me give you something to consider. Repeat this with me…"

When she spoke, her voice was solemn and had a gravity to it suitable for the words she was delivering. After each statement, she pauses, waiting for Jefardi to repeat them after her.

"Emotion, yet peace...
...Ignorance, yet knowledge...
...Passion, yet serenity…
...Chaos, yet harmony…
...Death, yet the Force…
...Freedom in the Force."

[Jefardi Owwaullis]

Apparently Meditation was a big thing, which made some kind of sense to Jefardi. The times he had, had the best results with telekinesis, was when he was close to, or in a meditative state. From his experience with it, it was the opposite of any kind of Mental ability, as it required the person to do it alone, or at least he had done it alone, so it COULD be done without someone entering his mind.

After a bit of thought, Sylvar gave Jefardi something to repeat after her, a kind of mantra.

"Emotion, yet peace...
...Ignorance, yet knowledge...
...Passion, yet serenity...
...Chaos, yet harmony...
...Death, yet the Force...
...Freedom in the Force"

Now the question to him, was what did these mean? Emotion seemed to cause the opposite of peace, with emotions like anger and fear causing war. Ignorance was the opposite of knowledge, Chaos and harmony were opposites.

This didn't make sense to Jefardi, his eyebrows furrowed as he thought.

Does death yet the Force mean that the Force comes after death? Would that imply that Freedom can only be found IN death? That can't be true, else the Jedi wouldn't have such a good reputation that they have, because that would make them some form of death cult.

As he thought further his eyes started to unfocused slightly.

Peace and Serenity are more or less the same thing, to the extent that they are used to define each other. Same as emotion and Passion, although passion can be used to describe levels of emotion. Chaos can be caused by ignorance, yet so can knowledge cause chaos. What in the voids is this suppose to be? I know its not meant to be taken at face value, no no no, it has some deeper meaning, the question is, what is the deeper meaning? At face value it would seem to mean that there is some form of...whats the word? Balance? No not quite that..... that both opposites have to exist...or something along those lines?

Jefardi leaned forwards in the chair, until his chin was resting in his hands, the elbows propped up on his knees.

This is probably something meant to contemplated during meditation...does that mean I should be meditating right now? Or perhaps I should stay here and ponder it now? His focus on the matter, the meaning of the mantra was starting to drift.

After more than a few minutes of pondering, his eyes refocused as he looked at Sylvar and asked "What exactly is this...mantra?"

[Sylvar]

Despite her earlier disappointment at what Jefardi's existing skill might mean for the challenge of teaching, and her more recent penitent feelings over her misstep with the Mind Trick, Sylvar was excited by the effect the Code had on her padawan. Both on his face and in his Force signature she could see his contemplation of the deceptively simple words.

"It is… a version of the Jedi Code," she said in answer to his question, though she selected her words carefully.

While Sylvar's statement true, the Code she gave was by no means the most common one nor would many Jedi accept it without a raised eyebrow considering the last line, which was an adaptation of the conclusion of the Sith Code. She had pondered over including that last line in her instruction of her padawan. On the one hand, it was the Code she lived by now. But on the other hand, the negative connotations of adopting something from "the enemy" generally required considerable explanation and an appreciation for the more scholarly side of Force study and a dedication to the idea of balance. The political squabbles of the "teams" of Force users could at times be very annoying to learning.

Eventually, Sylvar decided that was a conversation for a later day. She'd already thrown enough new and apparently troubling things at this being who was still mostly a stranger. At some point she would broach the topic with Jefardi as they progressed and explain her dedication to this rendition of the Code… but not today.

"It is a lesser-used version of the original. Like all religions and philosophies and their prayers, there are a number of versions of the Jedi Code. The original is shorter and simpler. In my opinion, this makes it more widely applicable, perplexing, worth consideration, and engaging than more common versions."

She watched his face a little while longer as the eddies of his earlier consideration and concentration still swirled in his Force signature.

"I see it has already started you down the right path for meditation. While it's not required that you meditate on the Code, it is usually the starting focal point for most learners and padawans. Trying to figure out what it means — objectively, subjectively, literally and figuratively — is a good way to begin your meditations, connect to the Force, and get an idea of your place in it."

Creakily, she rose from where she'd been sitting on the couch, and fetched the cup from the floor so that it could be returned to the table next to the plant. When she turned to Jefardi, she had a retiring look on her old features.

"At this point, meditation would be a good way to spend our time. You've seen and heard a lot of new things and should ponder on them. And I have a number of things which require my own meditations. Shall we meet each other for breakfast in the next cycle? We can discuss any discoveries or considerations, and discuss where we should go from here."

[Jefardi Owwaullis]

The mantra Sylvar had just taught him had apparently been the Jedi Code...as far as Jefardi could tell, a condense version of all their beliefs. The odd thing was, it seemed as if she was edging around something, something that perhaps was not fully truthful.

Probably she was just grossly simplifying it to the point that I could understand it, or its a translation that lost some in its translation, hence why its the lesser used version....some preference of wording? he thought as she rose from the couch she was sitting at.

Returning the cup to the table, and not using any of her abilities which was a little puzzling, she suggested they go do separate meditation. Or was telling him that she wanted some kind of private time.

Checking his wrist chrono, he realized it had been nearly eight hours since they had started talking. Time had flown when he had attempted to do several of the things they had discussed.

"Of course, I shall see you in the morning!" And with that, he did a slight awkward bow (since Sylvar had bowed previously, he figured it was a type of thing done with this...Order he now belonged to), and left, closing the door behind him as he walked the 20 to 30 feet towards his room before veering towards the flight deck. He might as well check where they were at.

Entering the flight deck, it was just as he left it. The Odyessia was on target, and had no variance in its flight pattern that the computer couldn't correct. Satisfied, he went to his room.

It was curious in all the time that he had been discussing with Sylvar, Jefardi hadn't heard a peep from Ajjiaka. She could just be asleep? That could be it....regardless, lets see... checking his wrist mounted chrono, it was approximately 18:30, I'll grab dinner in an hour and a half and check on Ajjiaka then

Opening his door, entering and closing it, he looked around it. It was the first time he had been inside of it in nearly half a month now. The automated cleaning system kept it fairly clean, so there was no layer of dust in his quarters. Sprawling on the couch, he started to go over the events of the day.

I returned to Nar Shaddaa...bought food.....found someone, Sylvar who was willing to charter a trip to Coruscant, and paid for it rather well. Then I found it was a Jedi who is more than willing, honoured even, to take me on as her apprentice, or padawan as the Jedi call it. In fact she was looking for one. I had my mind probed for all intents and purposes, and was opened up to the crazyness that is the Force apparently. This has been one frakked up, but effective day.

Jefardi's thoughts raced as to what was going to happen. Before he could do anything, especially this meditation thing that Sylvar had recommend that he do, something he had limited experience with, he had to first calm his swirling thoughts. That was easier said then done.

Going into a rather comfortable position, he started to breathe in and out slowly, trying to tune everything out, focusing slowly on breathing in synch with him consciously thinking to breathe at a steady pace. It was the start of how he emptied his mind.

Soon enough, the only sound that he could hear, was his own breathing and the hum of the engines of the ship, the noise, unfocused thoughts in his head quieted. Time started to lose meaning slightly as he stopped relying on external methods of telling time, such as his wrist chrono.

For a while he just enjoyed the quietness of his new mindset.

[Sylvar]

Sylvar noted Jefardi's slight lack of certainty upon hearing her response to his question about the Code. But he didn't press the matter and she had decided now wasn't the time to elaborate. She bid him farewell when he agreed to meet her in the morning for breakfast and inclined her head in acknowledgement of his bow.

Once alone in her quarters, Sylvar turned her attention towards her meagre collection of belongings. She began thinking about the various topics she'd brought up to herself as needing thought. Her responsibility as a trainer of a padawan. What was the appropriate path for training someone of his age and his lack of familiarity with the Force. The appropriateness of the Jedi Order regularly using mind-probing techniques on children even in training and defensive situations. When and how to explain her unorthodox version of the Jedi Code and why she saw it valuable…

Sylvar was sure about none of this and as she brought up each thought in her mind, she tried to identify the emotions they triggered. Beyond all others, there was uncertainty, and an uncertainty rooted largely in fear of her lack of experience and what that might do to Jefardi and the galaxy. She tried to hold onto these clear emotions and pluck them apart from their cause in her mind so that she could meditate on them.

After gathering up a few items, the old Cathar settled on a clear patch of the floor and took a few moments to arrange herself in a cross-legged sitting position. Beside her were six neatly arranged glass vials of sand, each one a different color.

Sylvar leaned over what was to be the "canvas" of blank floor in front of her—and ignoring the twinge in her back when she did so—and spread her hands wide over it. She closed her eyes most of the way and began drifting into that mental place where she connected with the Force best. As her breathing slowed, she began reciting the code, though whether she was speaking it aloud, hearing it in her head, or feeling it through that other etherial sense a connection with the Force imparted no one would know.

::Emotion… yet peace::

By her side, the vial containing the blue sand slowly began to hover from its resting place and floated out over the floor before her. With her half-thought telekinesis, the stopper was slowly pulled by the unseen hand of the Force and the contents were poured out onto a patch of the floor on her right and out of reach. Once emptied, the vial was stoppered and returned to the other four.

::Ignorance… yet knowledge.::

This time it was the yellow vial which emptied itself on the floor in front of Sylvar, but to the left and out of reach, level with the blue. As before, the Force-emptied bottle returned to the others.

::Passion… yet serenity.::

The orange sand this time. It was deposited closer to Sylvar but on the right as had been the blue.

::Chaos… yet harmony.::

A dark and almost iridescent green sand pile was created through slow Force telekinesis close to Sylvar, but on the left hand side, opposing the orange.

::Death… yet the Force.::

A vial containing what looked to be gray sand floated out in front of Sylvar. When it began to pour itself, it did so slowly and the gray sand divided itself into two distinct sides, one black and one white, at the farthest point away from the telekinetic meditator, but central to her.

::Freedom in the Force.::

This last line of the mantra saw no sand vial move. The last remaining vessel—containing a bright red sand—sat motionless beside her as though forgotten.

Though she had been getting into her meditative state while this was happening, it was only when Sylvar sat, straight-backed and eyes mostly closed, that her true meditations began. As she began allowing her mind to drift back to the thoughts she had organized before while she was organizing her sand supplies, she reached out with her senses in the Force, recalling those emotions she had felt and analyzing them and their causes.

While Sylvar was still and wrapped up in the activities of her mind, her connection to the Force, and reaching out that the Force might offer her a vision, her five piles of sand began moving. At first, it just looked like the sand was rolling down the edges of its respective mounds, but the longer her meditations continued, the more the movement of the sand was akin to a rolling, flowing dynamic, as though swept by unseen currents in the still room.

The scene progressed in this manner for untold minutes and then hours. For all her age and the bodily complaints associated with that, Sylvar sat unmoving. Her sand danced and flowed and was swept along in intricate patterns as her mind moved and turned with the consideration of her curiosities and uncertainties.

[Jefardi Owwaullis]

After a few minutes, a handful, no more than perhaps ten, Jefardi got to Meditating,as Sylvar had asked him to, now that his mind was quiet, focused.

The question is, what precisely was I suppose to meditate ON? It was a valid question, given that Sylvar hadn't told him anything in particular to meditate on. Perhaps the Jedi Code mantra she had told me earlier?

Shifting in his seat slightly, he resettled himself into a slightly more comfortable position.

Emotion, yet peace,
Ignorance, yet knowledge,
Passion, yet serenity,
Chaos, yet harmony,
Death, yet the Force
Freedom in the Force.

Now the question is what precisely does that mean. Well, lets see what each of the individual components are of the mantra. Emotion is mental states, such as anger, fear, happiness, joy. Peace is calm, but can also mean a lack of violence or silence. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge, to be lacking in education...to be unaware of things, with a slight negative connotation to it. Knowledge is having a understanding of things, to be learnt in information. Passion is feeling a emotion strongly, a measure of emotion. Serenity is a more specific subset of peace, its a oneness of the self.

Chaos is discord, unorganized, random events that oppose stability. Harmony is many different elements working in a synchronized method. Death...is well...death, the end of life, although it can be seen as a form of rebirth. The Force is an oddity in its own right, but in the closest objective terms, its a form of...energy that some have access to more so than others, such as myself. Freedom is lack of being held back...being able to do whatever you want.

Jefardi continued to ponder this the code.

[Jefardi Owwaullis]

The first line, 'Emotion, yet peace'...emotion usually causes the opposite of peace, conflict, to happen. This would imply that there is a direct correlation between the two...possibly one causing the other? No that can't be it. The 'yet' would imply that they are two entirely different states of mind or Being. I wonder...

Ignorance, yet knowledge...Ignorance is quite literally the lack of knowledge, dissimilar state than knowledge. Is this suppose to say that both can exist at the same time?

That would make some form of sense...

Emotion can exist at the same time as peace, Ignorance can exist alongside knowledge, Strong emotion co-existing alongside controlled emotion. Chaos and harmony, two clear polar opposites, existing side by side.

Jefardi smiled, thinking he had cracked the mantra. It stayed on his face for a few moments before bending into a frown.

But the second part of the fifth and sixth lines are repeated. Using the established logic, that would mean the Force is a opposite state of being then the first part of the line. Except that the last line, the sixth line, is different from all the others.... its not a yet statement, but more of a...direct statement for lack of better words. I'm getting ahead of myself, I need to look at the fifth line before the sixth.

'Death, yet the Force'...that would imply that life IS the Force. Being alive that is the opposite of death.'

Pondering for a minutes longer, Jefardi's internal chrono amalgamated that it was roughly time for dinner for him. Coming out of his...'meditation' as it was called, he checked his wrist mounted chrono....it wasn't at dinner time, it was nearly 23:20.

Walking rather fastly into the galley, he made himself a quick meal, cleaned it up and went to sleep.

[Jefardi Owwaullis]

Waking up, Jefardi knew that he had a fairly dreamless sleep. It was something that had started to happen recently to him, usually his nights were filled with dreams, even if never remembered them, he knew that he had them. This time around, however, he didn't even have them. It was a first in recent history...at least half a month, maybe a tad longer since this had last occurred.

Getting up, he checked the wall chrono, it read 8:50. Not too early, so people should still be getting food

Heading into the refresher unit, he took a quick sanistream wash, Jefardi brushed his teeth, put on a change of clothes and grabbed his datapad before slowly meandering out of his room.

Going into the galley, he set his datapad down on the counter surface, and started up the process of warming up some frozen breakfast packs from the Conservator. As it warmed up, he picked up his datapad and walked over to the bridge to check the heading. Seeing that it was all well, he finally turned on his datapad.

The Versafunction88 datapad was done booting up by the time he had returned to the galley to check on his breakfast sandwich, one of the food objects he had picked up on Nar Shaddaa. Turning over the package, as he double checked when it was suppose to be pulled out of the heating unit, he noticed it was called a 'Hungry Hutt breakfast sandwich'. On second thought...this doesn't sound that appetizing.... At that moment the heating unit beeped, signifying that it was done warming up the sandwich. Its already warmed up, I might as well give it a shot.

Sitting down at the lounge with his sandwich, a glass of water he had pulled from the faucet, and his datapad tucked underneath his right arm, Jefardi made himself comfortable. Taking a tentative bite from the sandwich, and verifying that it didn't seem to kill him outright, he focused his attention on to the datapad. Resting it on his knees, as he only had one free hand, the other occupied by the sandwich, he started to look through newsfeeds. Specifically he was looking for news about the Jedi, his mind already going on autopilot, not quite processing that he was no longer just looking for the Jedi, given that he was one now.

After a time, with the sandwich mostly consumed, he started to search for Lorrd, to see if there was any updates on them. In the ten or so months he had been in the Republic he had seen shockingly few details about it, given his understanding of the situation.

Finishing up his sandwich, he checked his wrist chrono. It was 9:47, and no sign of either Ajjiaka or Sylvar. Thats odd, I would of thought I would at least see one of them. Getting up from his seat, he head a crinkling noise from where he had been sitting. Looking down, it was a note from Ajjiaka, more or less saying she had already eaten, a good half an hour before Jefardi had even woken up.

That just left Sylvar. Could she of gotten up even earlier then either Ajjiaka or himself? It was possible...or she could still be asleep or meditating or something along those lines. Maybe he should check on her at some point?

Putting away the tableware he had used, and draining his glass, started to walk towards Sylvar's room, while absent mindlessly flipping through his datapad, approaching her door, he stopped and knocked.

[Sylvar]

Emotion… peace… ignorance… knowledge… passion… serenity… chaos… harmony… Death… the Force… Freedom… the Force… emotion… peace… ignorance… knowledge… passion… serenity… chaos…

In her current state, Sylvar was insensate to just about everything. Her senses had merged in the depth of her meditations to the point they were all one in some sort of dreamscape where sight had flavor, sound had color, touch had smell, knowledge had weight, and the Force had texture. In these levels of meditation her mind wandered, she lost track of time altogether, and often found her immediate surroundings rearranged once she "awoke."

The "waking" process was something of a difficult one when the old Cathar got deeply involved with her meditations. When left to occur "naturally," she usually resurfaced from her meditations when she had resolved whatever task she had come to her meditation with. Basically, she "awoke" when she was done. But other times the "waking" wasn't natural and was spurred on by something else. Those times, like this time, it was a jarring experience.

When the knock came to her door, Sylvar did not at first notice on all levels. Only the outer edges of her consciousness registered the noise of the knocking, and the feel of another Force signature nearby. When the knock came again however, it began to draw her out. The second knock was like someone tapping on a deadened limb that was just starting to come awake. She felt it far more than she heard it.

It was the third knock that really jerked Sylvar out of the trance-like state she was in because it was by then her senses differentiated themselves fully and she finally heard the knocking. The result was that the sand she had been moving around still with what could be called autopilot telekinesis stopped abruptly. The result on the sand painting she'd been inadvertently creating seemed to have a flick mark in it.

Looking at the incomplete circular design almost in a daze, Sylvar tried to get her bearings. She eventually started looking around blearily, finding herself initially in an unfamiliar place. But shortly memory returned to her and better understanding came with it.

Then the knocking came again. That was when Sylvar realized she was still sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"I'm coming," she answered after a moment. It took her some time to get to her feet, as much as her old joints protested. When she had made it, she stiffly ambled over to the door. She keyed the door control to see Jefardi — newly washed and in new clothes — at the door. Judging from his appearance, she judged she had meditated far longer than she had planned or anticipated.

"Captain. I take it I am late for breakfast?"

[Jefardi Owwaullis]

After several knocks, Jefardi heard a response from her, and ceased his knocking. All the while, he was still holding onto his datapad, now looking for this new game to download for it, something that was being raved as one of the best games on the holonet, 'agitated s'kytri', if he recalled correctly.

Just finding the game, Jefardi had barely hit download, before the door slid open to side, revealing Sylvar, in the same clothing as the night before there, causing him to reflexively raise an eyebrow. It was an interesting thing, usually the same clothing would dictate that she would not of gone to sleep, or would of fallen asleep in those clothes. Yet, the clothes didn't look any more wrinkled or dirtied then they had when he had last seen her. The same could be said of the Being, as she looked fairly well rested, with no serious circles underneath her eyes, as the many humanoid species seemed to have when they lacked sleep.

She asked if she was late for breakfast, which, while there was no set breakfast, she was most absurdly was, at this point it would be closer to brunch. Sylvar had also called him captain...something that was still weird for him. To Jefardi, captain was a rank in the military, or some kind of actual professional captain, not someone who just happened to own a ship.

"Yes, you are, well, rather you just didn't show up, so I was just checking on you...if you want I can make you some food?"

[Sylvar]

"My apologies," Sylvar said, bowing slightly. "It seems my meditations lasted far longer than I anticipated. Give me a moment to freshen up and I'll be out in a moment."

Without closing her door, Sylvar returned to collect her small pack and took it with her to the fresher unit. After a few moments, she emerged dressed in a new tunic and cloak-like thing and with a more brushed appearance.

As she passed through the suite, she made a point of avoiding the partial sand painting on the floor. It was incomplete and she would have to work on it—via resuming her meditations—again later. Sylvar joined Jefardi and went with him to the galley.

[Jefardi Owwaullis]

Sylvar apologized and went to clean up for the day leaving the door open, Jefardi glanced inside and say some kind of...sand...drawing? It involved sand, and it seemed to have some form of pattern.

Odd, I wonder what in the voids that is...and why someone would carry that much sand with them...okay maybe its not THAT much sand, but it does seem like quite a bit of sand.

His attention was drawn to his datapad, after it made a noise indicating that it had finished download to its memory, 'agitated s'kytri'. It would be rude to start playing it while he waited, mostly because he would probably not want to stop playing it after he started. Closing out of the play window, Jefardi started to go back through newsfeeds for a few minutes until Sylvar emerged from the room, this time with a fresh set of clothes.

Moving to the galley, he went over to the Conservator, and asked "What would you like to eat?"

[Sylvar]

Sylvar considered the captain's offer. What did she want to eat? She had been so long in situations where there was little choice that she sometimes forgot there were options. Talking a seat at the table she asked curiously,

"I'm not sure. What would you recommend?"

As though on cue, her stomach rumbled. She had meditated through what would have been dinner time and then was late to breakfast. The last time she'd eaten had been almost an entire cycle ago.

[Jefardi Owwaullis]

It was almost comical, the sound of a stomach rumbling after mentioning food. Well, at least it was comical to Jefardi. It may not of been so comical to Sylvar.

"I'd recommend what I had, a breakfast sandwich and a glass of Muja juice." He had, had the breakfast sandwich earlier in the day, not more than an hour and a half ago, he had been a tad on the lazy side, and decided to just go with plain water, else he would have had exactly what he was recommending.

Opening the Conservator, Jefardi, pulled out the materials needed to make said recommendations.

[Sylvar]

Breakfast was a simple affair of a packaged breakfast sandwich and the captain's recommendation of muja juice. They made smalltalk while Sylvar ate and the Cathar learned a little about the ship. Eventually, she returned her plate to the dish receptical, made some tea for herself, and invited the captain to sit oposite her in some of the galley's lounge chairs.

The old Jedi held the mug for some time before bothering to sip it, looking contemplatively over at her padawan.

"So tell me Captain, how did your meditations go? Did you come to any conclusions or discoveries?"

[Jefardi Owwaullis]

After making some breakfast for the Cathar, Jefardi joined her at the table. A few minutes of silence was broken later by her asking him how his meditations went.

The fact she asked if he had made any conclusions would imply that he was suppose to be focusing on something specific.

Did I miss what I was suppose to be meditating on?...no...she must be referring to the mantra, the 'Jedi Code'. I was suppose to come up with a conclusion on that contradicting mantra?

After a moment, Jefardi responded, in a rather slow tone, as he struggled with what to say; "I meditated about the 'Jedi Code'...I found issues with it. Far as I was able to tell, ....each verse implied that two opposites could exist, at least the first four lines, but the fifth line, using the same logic, would imply that the Force is the very opposite of death..that being life. "

Pausing for a moment, as his tone started to sound slightly less uncertain; "However...the sixth line is not the same as the others, 'Freedom in the Force'....now using the logic of the Force being the opposite of death, that being life or being alive, Freedom in the Force would imply that there is Freedom in life...which...doesn't make much sense, at least to me."

Regarding Sylvar quizzically, he asked; "Why is the last line different than all others?"

[Sylvar]

Sylvar nodded as Jefardi began describing his experience meditating on the Jedi Code. His trouble about the seemingly oxymoronic nature of the simple original code was not unexpected; it gave many, including the old Cathar, considerable difficulty in understanding.

When her padawan asked after the difference of the last line, however, she realized she should have expected that oddity to cause problems. Even a kit of only a couple years could play the "One of these things is not like the other" game, so of course an adult would zero in on the difference. With a calming sigh—this had been one topic she'd meditated on—Sylvar began her explanation in a measured, level voice.

"The Force is something which connects all living things to and throughout the galaxy. It is by its nature, everything and a part of everything, so it envelops all aspects of life. Emotion, peace, ignorance, knowledge, life and death… It is finding the balance among the conflicting extremes that is challenge.

"With the line involving death and the Force— You are right, the flow of the Code puts 'the Force' as synonymous with life. That's because it is. The death of the physical body does not end the Force energy of a living thing, that energy merely rejoins the great flow of the Force from which new life will eventually spring."

For a moment, Sylvar remembered the stories of her master.

"I have never seen it myself, but my Master told me stories of how some Jedi masters would join the Force in a very literal sense. When they died, their bodies faded and disappeared, only to be seen again, usually guiding their padawans or those close to them as Force spirits at times of great need."

Sylvar had been gazing off at nothingness while relating this detail in something of a wistful look of hopeful longing. She had not ever seen her master as a Force spirit, either in dream, vision, or in her waking life. She hoped at some point she would see him again, and even Crado, her fallen mate, before she too went to join the Force as dissipated energy.

"We never truly die," she said, refocusing. "Our life energy just rejoins the Force, and at some point will again inhabit another living thing. As the scientists say, energy is never created nor destroyed, simply changed. The same is true of the Force."

She smiled contentedly. Though this was certainly more of the religion-like area of the Jedi teachings—and was thereby more frequently given to different opinion and contention—it was something that brought her much comfort, particularly in her older age. Eventually however, Sylvar moved on to the topic of the odd sixth line of the Code she had instructed him to learn.

"The last line is not original to that particular version of the Code, which is why it doesn't follow the pattern set by the previous lines. However, that rendition is the one I have studied and followed most of my life so it was the one I taught to you. There are other renditions of the Jedi Code, and other codes related to the Force. I don't know all of them, but I can teach you of the others I am aware of if you would like the variety."

[Jefardi Owwaullis]

Jefardi listened to Sylvar go on about the reason the last line was different from the others. Mainly it had to do with the fact, that she personally thought it was something that she lived by.

There was also the fact, that she had told him, that effectively death can be over come by powerful Jedi. That was a mind blowing concept, being able to overcome death, only because he had the special ability to use 'the Force'. It was something to think about during meditations, something that Jefardi got the feeling he would be doing a lot of now.

Also to save for later meditations, was the fact that the Force was literally life itself....wait...Jefardi's eyebrows knitted together as a thought crossed his mind. If the Force was literally being alive, did that mean one could never truly die?

Realizing that he hadn't said anything after a few minutes, he ask Sylvar something else that had been in his mind.

"Does each Jedi have their own personal mantra? Is it something that the Jedi Order encourages?"

[Sylvar]

Sylvar sat drinking her tea quietly as her padawan mulled over the concepts she'd introduced. It was clear from his expression—not to mention the swirling of his Force signature—that he was deep in thought. When he eventually asked his question, she was slightly surprised, having expected him to press her on the details of life in the Force.

"Yes and no, but mostly no," she said in response. "There are a number of accepted Codes and some are more commonly used than others, or vary depending on the group. But individuals do often find versions they prefer or particular lines or sections of codes they focus on. So in a way there is a level of personalization in how followers of the Force interact with the Codes, and that is to be expected, but I don't know of anyone coming up with their own code."

She paused for a moment, thinking.

"I assume the different versions of the codes come from the minds of Force scholars and reflect their study and discoveries. So perhaps the different renditions of the codes were at one point someone's personal mantra, but I have never known a Force scholar of such a level."

[Jefardi Owwaullis]

So both, but mostly of the no variant. Which would make the fact that Sylvar has one all the more unusual. Then again, she had mentioned she had been somewhat apart from the Jedi Order for some time.

When he has asked the question about different mantras, his mind had been going through the fact that life meant The Force. A very...odd concept. One of the implications..no, that wasn't right, it was more of a guess in Jefardi's head that this could be done, which was slightly supported by what he had seen Sylvar do with the plant, was that the Force can create life.

A half a minute later, Jefardi asked, "With the Force...can you create life?" Realizing that it was a slightly abrupt change of topic, he added hastily, "Its something that I've been wondering since I saw the plant you got a second time. You used the Force to aid the plant you bought as far I could figure...could the Force be used to a greater degree?"

[Sylvar]

Sylvar cocked her head, thinking a moment before answering.

"Again, yes and no, but mostly no. Like any energy, the Force cannot be created nor destroyed, so you cannot actually create life out of nothing. You can draw on the Force around you or in you or in another to enhance other life, or even an inanimate object, but it has to come from somewhere."

She sat back with a scowl on her face, thinking of the plant and other life-augmenting powers she either knew or had heard about.

"What I did was called 'Plant Surge.' Some people use it as an offensive or defensive tactic when in a combat setting with a lot of plant life. But it's most ready application is what you saw me doing, helping dying plants return to liveliness. The Agricultural Corps uses it a great deal and it came in handy many times for my people," she said, remembering back on some of those lean years during the rebuilding of Cathar.

"But the most extreme examples of seemingly 'creating life' with the Force would be some of the healing powers and Force Alchemy. The healing powers are what you'd imagine and they 'create life' in much the same way as a skilled physician might. But again, it does not come out of no where. The healer must pull in the ambient energy of the Force if they are in a Force-rich area, or sacrifice a part of themselves to fuel the resuscitation of the other."

Now her tone changed and she took on a sterner look.

"Force Alchemy is something else. It still operates under the same principle of no creation or destruction of Force energy, but it is the closest thing to actually creating life. I have never seen it done and only heard tell of it, but there have been powerful Sith masters who have created whole new species using Force Alchemy. But their creations are usually the result of intense death and suffering and deeply unbalanced in their very nature, making them extremely dangerous."

[Jefardi Owwaullis]

Jefardi thought about what Sylvar had just said. He had been right in his guess about the plant and its miraculous recovery from a near dead organism to a fairly vibrant looking one.

Plant Surger, Force Alchemy..these were things that Jefardi had never heard of before. It was starting to dawn on him, how very little he knew of the Jedi. In fact, he still didn't know what exactly Sylvar was going to teach. Or how she was going to teach him. Or even how the whole apprenticeship...thing worked.

A few minutes after Sylvar last spoke, he asked; "How exactly...does the Jedi training work?" He shifted a bit uncomfortably in his seat as he asked that he had been curious about since last night, the words rushing out of him, "What all...does it entail? Are there ceremonies? What exactly do I call you, Sylvar or do you have a title? How do lightsabers work?"

He paused for to breathe as well as for a response.

[Sylvar]

For the first time, Sylvar laughed outright. After he'd started hesitantly, Jefardi's questions had begun to snowball; she could almost see his curiosity gaining speed.

"Ha! Just like a curious kit!" She allowed her laughter to die down to a chuckle.

"Now... where to start, where to start. As far as what you call me, there is no set rule. Traditionally the teacher is referred to formally as 'Master' and the student as 'Padawan.' Not everyone is so formal, however, so you may call me Sylvar if you like. Having never had a padawan before, I can't really say what I'll call you, though my inclination is to continue calling you 'Captain' or perhaps call you by your name rather than 'my padawan.' Do you have a preference?"

[Jefardi Owwaullis]

Given Jefardi's uncomfortableness with the title of captain, it was a fairly easy choice. It had always bugged him when Sylvar had called him 'captain'.

"I'd prefer padawan...captain has this odd taste to my mouth. Captain makes me sound as if I do this personal transportation job as my main source of income."

[Sylvar]

Sylvar nodded at padawan's response, though his wording made her wonder what exactly was his main source of income, if not captaining a ship. But she had a list of other questions from him to answer.

"Very simply put, a lightsabre uses a pair of crystals to focus a stream of energy into a coherent beam. There is usually a pair of adjustments allowing the wielder to set the blade length and power, as well as the housing, some basic insulation, and relatively simple triggering mechanisms.

"The core mechanics of the lightsabre are very simple for so elegant and sought-after a weapon, but their simplicity allows for extensive personalization. Since each lightsabre is hand-made, there is untold variety and a Jedi can design the blades to fit their needs."

At this point, however, she waved dismissively.

"Building a lightsabre is part of the Jedi training, but it is not the first thing which comes with training. There are some things you must do before building your lightsabre."

Sylvar rose and refreshed her tea. When she sat back down, she played with the steam rising up from her mug.

"Usually, there is quite a bit of pomp and circumstance regarding Jedi training. However, without contact with the Jedi order, we will not likely attend to those ceremonies. Unless you'd like to braid your hair and we can get your friend together for what I remember of the official selection ceremony," she said finally with a grin. The old Cathar quickly returned to seriousness however.

"Ceremonies aside, there is a good deal of formality regarding the passage into knighthood. There are five pillars or challenges a learner must meet in order to achieve knighthood; the trials of skill, courage, flesh, spirit, and insight. However, there is no specific roadmap or checklist as to what makes up each pillar.

"Traditionally, the trials go in a certain order and are officiated by more than just the padawan's master. Often-times some of them are arranged much in the way a test is administered. Unless I can convene with a few other Jedi, however, it is far more likely that ours will be an 'in the field' style of training and your tests will most likely be unexpected, but easily recognized when they occur."

Sylvar paused to drink her cooled tea. As she sipped, one of her ears flicked off to one side suddenly and stayed there until she looked up and back at Jefardi.

"It occurs to me that I no longer need to go Coruscant nor Dantooine, as I have found what I was looking for. Perhaps where we go next should be determined either by your needs or the potential for training experiences."

This time the other ear tracked off to the side, while the earlier one focused on her padawan.

"You said you were motivated to become a Jedi in an effort to help the race which helped yours. In what way do you hope to help them?"