Finding the Force

[Jaster Awaud]

Location: Conglomerate Prime, Wild Lands

The Wild Lands of Conglomerate Prime was peaceful for the most part, if you avoided the killer Droizers, and kept an eye out for the potholes where the ruins were weakest. The ancient ruins and the killer droids made the planets true surface quite sparse of people, and that what Tydus liked. He sat atop what he assumed to be a balcony from an ancient housing complex. This planet once belonged to the powerful race of Kwa, it was amazing to still see the lights of the buildings still work, even after hundreds of thousands of years.

The landscape of this planet was amazing, the history, the ancient ruins, the feeling he had when he roamed the so called Wild Lands. He felt more at peace here than secluded in his space ship, or alone in his office. It's actually one of the few reasons he ever visited the planets surface. This planet was his home for a short while, where he trained using his Force Powers, it had too many memories. But it was one of the only places he could be free, be who he was meant to be without the worries of the Galaxy. This was one of the rare moments Tydus wasn't wearing his armor, or mask, or robe. He was free here. The neutral grey energy of the force emitted from his body as he meditates, while his mind wondered deeply. His mind would attune to the smallest details around him, while his thought lingered with memories of his past. The one who taught him all he knew, his master, was a non-force user, and yet knew more then any force user he meet. He followed his teachings, even after he was abandoned.

He looked over the ruins of a city square, a meeting place for the planets warriors who served their isolationist country. Warriors who carried weapons, but never used them, isn't that the way the world should work.

"The Force is a tool, a tool with which to learn, to learn I must gain knowledge, to gain knowledge I must understand, to understand I must seek the truth, the truth is power."

Tydus closed his eyes as he finished the chant. It was no code, it was no creed, it was the truth. It made no sense to him when his master first told him these words. They were a mystery in themselfs, and his master never made things easy. Then he studied, gained Knowlage, questioned everything, and his Master was never short of answers. Tydus smiled, but it was time to meditate.

 

[Jaster Awaud]

Tydus emptied his mind, let the Force flow through his body, the energy was strong, almost impossible to ignore if you opened your mind to the winds of time. The Kwa were a species that were very sinsitive to the energy of the force, they picked this planet because it had a connection to the force like no other in the Region. They used the force in their daily life's, to build their society, not take down others. This was a world of peace and quite for over a hundred thousand years, then darkness consumed them.

The dark side of the force was strong where he was, the death of millions in the city center could be heard echoing through the force. He could see, even with his eyes closed and his mind empty, he could see. He saw the Kwa as they fled the Droizers onslaught, the warrior fighting with swords and the force, yet it wasn't enough. The droids overpowered the soldier, killing them with the weapons their masters created. The darkness consumed him, surrounded his ever side, the cloud of darkness was looming as he hear a child's voice. The language was not known to him, but the child was scared. Tydus looked with his minds eyes as to where the child could be, and then he saw him. Surrounded by darknes as if a shadowed figure was leaning over the child's shoulder, it closed in on the child. Tydus reached out to the child, so only see the red eyes of a small blue child, glare back at him. Then the shadowed figured hugged the child and vanished before Tydus.

He opened his eyes, he had a vision of what darkness creates, hatred, fear, and the want for more. It consumes the soul, making you nothing but a shell of your former self, and letting the force use you as a tool, and not it. He sat and contemplated what he had just seen, the force was a strong and powerful tool to have, but some saw it as a well that could be pumped full of water, and when it became full, they wanted more. If it overflowed, they still wanted more.

A Droizers patrol was approaching, he'd have to move to avoid getting into a fight.

 

[Jaster Awaud]

He arrived to the coast of one of the continents, it was just as peaceful as the city, not disturbed by outside intervention for hundreds of years. He stood over the ocean, the planet was quite again, he was alone, again.

He remembered the days his master first took him to this planets surface, nearly 7 years ago. The troops had cleared the fist Mega City, making it livable for the Conglomerate employees. He was brought to the planet with Masters Daughter, also being Force User she was more bright eyed then Tydus. She loved her like a sister, he'd have to see if she was still alive. Knowing her she would still be using her Force powers to heal those who needed it, she took to the Jedi Healers words like glue. She would make the world a much better person then him. He knew the world for what it was, a chaotic place where bodies where thrown to the meat grinder for the ideals of the few.

The topic was starting to turn dark, and he wasn't here for that, he needed to balance out his emotions. True strength is found in knowledge and balance, Power is in the truth. "There is no passion, nor peace, only Truth" He whispered under his breath. He wasn't taught these words, but they gave him strength, the force entered him, fired up his soul, and vibrated away. He closed his eyes, another vision. He slowed his breath, opening his mind to the force, all of it.

 

[Jaster Awaud]

Before him stood a man in a grey hood. Darkness covered his face, he had no smile, or frown, just the shadowed face staring at his feet. Suddenly two lights appear behind the man, one white, the other crimson red. Then a man wearing a Jedi Robe and another with a Sith Lords Cloak appeared from the lights behind the man. Tydus tried to move to protect the man, but his feet wouldn't move. Tried yelling but only a dusty grown would escape. The Sith ignited his Red blade, the Jedi his Blue one, they were moving as one another. Lifting their blades above one another, reading to strike the man in grey. Tydus turned his eyes to avoid the slaughter, then a voice echoed in his mind, "Watch."

Tydus turned back without realizing it, the man had two blades protecting himself from the two force users. Deflecting their attacks and with a slanted blade, the Jedi's and Sith's blades slide to his side. Pulling the lightsabers to his side, the Grey man pulled back and shoved the blades into their stomachs. They froze in their positions and held their positions. The Grey man pulled the blades out of his opponents and turned to face Tydus, his opponents fell to the floor with a thud.

In one look the man said something to Tydus, and it echoed through his head as the vision ended.

He opened his eyes and whispered, "The truth guides us, Makes us stronger."

 

[Jaster Awaud]

He stood there as the force flooded him again, it had abandoned him while in the vision. He didn't feel alone though, he felt more filled then he did once before. His soul lifted as he repeated the words his vision spoke to him, "The truth guides us, Makes us stronger."

He never liked showing he was a force user, people changed when they learn your a force user. Those others who were also force users were the worst, trying to change you into their disciple and slowly molding you into what they believed to be better then you were. Tydus believed he was already as good as he could be, he didn't need to improve. He knew he needed training, that's why he took Master Awaud as his teacher, he was a wise man, a man with a wider view of the galaxy then most the Grand-masters of other temples. He was part Mad Man, part Genius, but he served with a million masters and was a master himself. He saw the light side, the dark side, even the grey, and always kept tracking along, keeping to the way of neutrality. He was a man too look up to, too bad the man was now lost somewhere with another obsession of the galaxy.

He looked at the ocean again, but his attainment to the force was increasing he could feel the presence of the incoming Conglomerate Patrol. They needed to secure the ocean for up and coming buyers, they flew low so they would see him. He needed to move. As Tydus turned to take cover from the patrol, a ship appeared at full speed and passed the position by, the sound followed it as it was traveling faster then sound.

 

[Jaster Awaud]

The next place he went to was the barracks of the ancient race warriors. It was under ground, and the man noticed a group of droids heading his way, he would take cover in here for now. The building was still in working order, even the ancient doors worked as he walked up and touched the key pad. Sliding open revealed a ready room, where the soldiers would get their weapons ready, he sat on a metallic bench. He took a deep breath, he'd be here for a while.

As he took a breath he saw the man still standing over him again, like before he couldn't stand. The mans face was still in shadow, face still as strait as a stone statue. After a second the man moved his arm, pointing to the left of Tydus. He looked and saw she shadowy figure of a Kwa, but in armor that he didn't recognize. The Kwa was speaking to another in the same language as the child before. This time though it was in a lower tone, deeper like an adult male. His mind was interrupted as the laughter of a child entered his head, the Kwa turned and bent over then a child flew into his arms and the Male Kwa picked up the child with a smiled as what looked like a Female Kwa entered his view. They kissed one another and talked in the strange language yet again. Then an alarm erupted from the back of his mind, the male put the child down and throw his helmet on, and took off. He stopped for a second to look back as the female and child, nodding once he took off out the door. The female nodded at the door and turned to the child. They vanished into dust before him and another voice, same as before echoed again.

He was now looking at the door, ancient and rusted over. He looked at the door, whispering, "With my power I shall aid those in need." That last vision took a lot out of him, touching a little too close to home. The droids probably left by then, he should get up to the surface.

 

[Jaster Awaud]

These visions were getting stronger, he needed a place to meditate with a strong connection to the Force. It would allow him to contain the force and center his focus to see threw the mess that was clouding his connection. The force was telling him something, but the light side and the dark side were trying to cloud his focus. That was the way of the two sides, one compassion, the other greed, he knew these emotions too well. His own attraction to hatred toward the sith that killed his parents, it followed him till the day he meet his master. He then built a compassion of the Healer Guilds, using his powers to help those in pain, but he could turn his back to the pain he felt. It was a part of him now, and he would have to carry it with him forever. He remembered the first time he used Force Concealment, it was a way to hide from his trainers when he wanted to be alone. He would recall the memory of his parents and how much he missed them, feeling alone in the world after their deaths. Once he gained control of it however, he trained daily for years, till he was able to do it without thinking it. He felt this way when he was starting to be shunned by the Jedi as he would heal sith trooper, as is the way of the Healer Guild. That was the day he realized that even the Jedi, the peak of emotional containment, felt fear, disdain, and disgust.

He had hatred in his heart, but that never stopped him from helping those in need. As he walked down the abandoned street a voice whispered to him, in his heart. He echoed as it exited his body, "Justice is the way of life, for Without it there is no balance, Without balance, There is nothing."

He felt like the force was getting stronger, he was getting closer to a place that was strong with the force.

 

[Jaster Awaud]

It was time he arrived to the Building he was chasing after, the building that had the closest connection to the Force. The building was built into the side of a small hill as it stuck into the sky, built like a Rwa building, it had a pyramid like shape to it. The metal was still shinning as it was just recently build, even after all these years it didnt look degraded or rusted like the rest of the building that surrounded it. There was no sign of Droizer or Conglomerate forces around either. It felt more empty then before, that made Tydus feel more at peace as well, and he was able to concentrate even more.

He walked into the temple like building, as soon as he entered though, he felt all his weight just disappear. All his concern or worries, compassion, feelings.... It all just vanished, he was able to think more clearly then he had in.... In all his life. He looked around, faces of the previous Rwa looked at one another, with their cold stone eyes, and even though he never knew these people, he felt more connected to them then to himself. He fell to his knees, this was a little to much for him, and that was when he spoke up, "Whats happening to me?"

A voice answered him, gravely and monotone it spoke, "This is what it feels to feel nothing." Then Tydus gained his emotion again, but this time the vivid memories of his parents flooded his mind, the looks the jedi gave him as he helped the Sith troopers, the anger and greed he felt. He began to cry, slamming his fist into the ground, he couldnt think, let alone act, the emotions controlled him. "This is what it feels like to feel everything."

Tydus went back to normal, still crying though, as the memories were still fresh in his mind he looked up to the statues, "What do you want from me?"

Then the voice answered him again, this time it came from behind him, "They are long dead, brother, and the question is more what you want from me?" Tydus turned to see the man wearing the Grey Robe, hands crossed his front and head still covered in shadow.

 

[Jaster Awaud]

Tydus looked at the man, this time he could move, his body wasn't trying to use all its might to keep the vision clear. There was a balance in the room, dark and light were evenly displaced, not one over powered another. This he could feel within the force, he could think without straining, walk without feeling the weight of his cybernetic limbs. The power this building allowed him to tap into was tempting, but he was here for answers. He made that decision the second he got the first vision.

The voice spoke again, "You have question, to which I have answers, ask them now or leave me be."

Tydus looked at the grey figure, this was an unknown power to which he didn't know he had access to, he had a million questions. Then the voice of his master pierced his clouded mind, "Organize your thought, make a dedicated line of though, and plan out your questions, that is the ability of a true scientist and genius." The voice was that of his master, it was a saying he often used when Tydus would bombard him with question of this and that, most were already answered or had nothing to do with the topic. His master was patient, answered everything, then at the end of every lesson, he'd say those words.

Tydus smirked at the idea of his master speaking that way to him now, like he was still a child. He looked at the grey figure, "How am I able to see you so clearly now?"

The grey man now smiled, liking the question and nodded slowly, "This is an ancient star temple, the Kwa used it to enter deep meditation and where they buried their strongest force users, their energy now keeps this place strong connection to the force, any other questions?"

 

[Jaster Awaud]

Tydus again organized his questions, he received and answer that was acceptable. Now he needed to make a question from that answer that would calm his mind. He couldn't let go of the dark side of the force in the room, why was it so present here? The answer was clear though, dead people resided here, some may not have had a wonderful or peaceful ending to their life. The Kwa were a peaceful race, or at least that's what the history books said, but not everyone was so naturally good. The dark side tempted everyone, only with alternate means were people able to resist it, they needed a meaning greater then greed.

He looked at the man, he knew what his question would be, "What is this feeling within this temple, the balance of dark and light, I've never felt this power before?"

The grey man nodded again, this time bringing his hands above his shoulders and looking at Tydus. This revealed the lower part of his face, but not his eyes. The man was of tan completion, and grey stubble on his chin and jaw line, as he spoke, his teeth were as white as snow. He spoke, "This is the power of the Grey Knighs, or what others would call the Grey Jedi, it's a power that uses both light and dark sides of the force in complete balance, that is the power you feel now, the power you have always carried in your heart.

Tydus lifted his cybernetic hand, The power he always had.

 

[Jaster Awaud]

Tydus couldn't turn away from such a though, he'd never heard of a Grey Jedi before. The healers at the guild once talked about dark Jedi, Jedi who were brought back to the light side of the force, or those who were corrupted by the temptation of the dark side of the force. But a Jedi who had complete balance with bothe the light and dark side of the force, that was never mentioned by the Healers or any Jedi he meet. He whispered again to himself, yet still out loud, "The way or the Sith, the Jedi, Seperate they are nothing, Combined, they are Truth."

The man in grey looked at Tydus, lowering his arms he asked Tydus a question of his own, "You speak the Code of the Grey Knights, who taught you these words?"

Tydus looked at the man, how could a vision ask a question, was this ghost sentient, able to have conjure up its own thoughts. Tydus looked at the man, and then answered him, "How.... A voice has been echoing inside me, vibrating through my body and exiting through my voice, I thought that it was you talking to me?"

The voice still stone looking at him sighed, putting his hands on his hood pulling it back, "It seems there's another force at work this time around," The mans face was revealed, and Tydus was surprised to see what he did, taking a step back in surprise. "You weren't suppose to learn the code for quite some time, another force is at work here, you must travel to Suarbi 7, look for the notes of the Jensaarai, you will learn more of the force there, this is where we must end our conversation." And with that, the man disappeared, turning into dust in the wind he was carried off by the force.

Tydus was still in shock, for what he had just seen was himself, but older. The same features and same look, but with old grey hair in place of his slick black. Was the force playing tricks on him? And why did he have to travel to Suabi 7, that would be the edge of Alliance Space. What in the Galaxy was going on?