Lilla could not supress the smile that forced its way onto her lips. She was not, as a rule, judgemental. At least, not on matters of opinion. Should a Jedi marry or not? That was a grey area in her mind and although she had a view, she did not have even the faintest of notions that anyone or everyone should fall in with her beliefs. But murder? That was not a subject of opinion but fact. If it was lawful, it would not be called murder, after all. Now – the fact that each planet had its own moral code and constructed its law in accordance with these – that was an interesting (although fruitless) debate. But 99.9% of murders on all planets were uncontentious.
“I had no intention of judging,” she responded honestly. “I simply shared my perception of your words. I don’t torture at all – I see no reason that could justify it. And I take a life as a last resort. Again, not shared in a judgemental way, merely a reflection of the facts of the matter.”
“I am not foolish enough to assume all Sith are the same, any more than all Jedi are alike. But some generalities are valid – and often it is better to be cautious and wait to be proven wrong. A wampa may be tame, but if I came across one in an ice cave on Hoth, my inclination would to be defensive – not wait for it to eat me before deciding it was hostile.”
“So I guess it all hinges on our definitions of necessary.” Lilla was, by nature, someone who loved to debate the philosophy of the Jedi, and it seemed even a Sith was not immune to her desire to discuss.
She nodded as he recited the Jedi Code. It was common to take the words literally and present them as a lie. It was also, she believed, quite understandable.
“On the face of it, I would agree, the Jedi Code is full of oxymorons. Which is part of its beauty and also its flaw. The flaw comes from the fact that it lends itself to interpretation. Sadly, many people see it the way they wish. We all see the galaxy not as it is – but as we are. We place our own beliefs, perceptions and prejudices on anything and everything we encounter. The Jedi Code is not invulnerable to this. And remember, the Code is written solely for Jedi to follow – not the entire galaxy. It is essential for us to discharge our duties as servants of the light and protectors of the weak.”
“So, what is its strength? That it encourages thought and reflection. It is not a simple rule-book, to be followed blindly. It is to be understood, meditated on – and ultimately the Force is trusted to guide us – as we are trusted to follow it. Let there be truth between your heart and the Force.”
“So, to begin with, a Jedi is taught to accept emotions – they are an essential part of life. But they must not make our decisions for us, or even guide us. A Jedi must be at peace when they make an intervention. It is why attachments are, as a rule, discouraged. Attachments, by definition, involve strong emotions. It is infinitely harder to ignore them and make the right decision.”
“And let us not forget that a Jedi yielding to passion is typically the first step down the path to the dark side.”
“And, of course, conflict exists in the galaxy. But to balance it, a Jedi should remain at peace – it is part of our role, is it not, to bring about balance?”
“And I suspect you already know how I shall continue. A Jedi should never approach a state of affairs from a position of ignorance. For this will lead to a bad decision. That is not to say a Jedi will always know all of the facts. But they should plan for success – and plan for success first. Then, they plan for failure. If a situation arises a Jedi has not fully researched, then they will have a fall-back position. Some suggest that a Jedi that is not willing to follow a path of knowledge will instead track a short-cut to the dark side.”
“And yes, many see knowledge as power, and that is wrong. But as I say, a Jedi does not deny the existence of conflict – any more than we refute the existence of ignorance. The Code is inward looking, not outward facing. It is not a blueprint Jedi wish to impose on the galaxy but a code of conduct we should abide by.”
“So, for a Jedi, there is no need for passion to provide a drive to do things. We operate out of a sense of service, of duty. Not blindly following a Code, but understanding it, making a conscious decision to embrace it or not, and then putting it into practice. Easy should not be conflated with right. The easy path walked tends to lead to the dark side, isn’t that true?”
Lilla remained calm throughout, her voice serene and focused, as if addressing a layperson, wishing to understand more about the Jedi. If the Sith meant to antagonise her through his challenge, she did not react that way – rather she saw it as an opportunity to enlighten. But her tone suggested she was not here to argue her case, merely offer it as an alternative way of seeing things. She had no expectation the Sith Lord would suddenly change his mind and become a Jedi as the result of anything she said.
“And to cover your next observation, there is chaos all around us – as I have mentioned, it is our role to bring about balance, harmony. And we do this in part through serenity.”
She smiled broadly now. “And for a Jedi, there is no death, not in the usual sense. When I die, I shall become one with the Force. So, in that sense, I will never die. But the fact is, I shall die – only the date is unknown. It may be tomorrow, it may be in a minute’s time. But it will happen and I am ready for it. Therefore, I do not fear it.”
“Are we a cult? If we accept the usual definition – a group defined by its religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs, or its common interest in a particular goal – then yes, I’d say we are. The term cult is an objective one, yet is so often used subjectively – invariably negatively. Brainwashed? No. Selfless individuals that believe in what the Jedi Code believes.“
“And I am careful to not include all that call themselves Jedi in that definition. I do not mean that as a disparaging remark, but – in theory at least – to call yourself a Jedi means to follow the Code. And with your heart. And oddly, there is nothing in the Code about the Sith or even the dark-side, but I digress.”
“So, a true Jedi does not decide what is right or wrong. We are not politicians, we are not law-makers. We serve – in my case the Republic Remnant. I serve democracy. I do not impose my beliefs on others, but am willing to train Younglings and Padawans, if the path of a Jedi is right for them. And a true Jedi abhors violence. It will always be a tool of last resort…always.”
“And I concur, the Jedi as a galactic whole are beset by problems. Some say the way to resolve them is to unify. Which is a grand notion but flawed – given each Order wants to unite under their specific interpretation of the Code.”
“And even if you go back in time, the Jedi were troubled. The genocide of the Vahla for instance – a terrible, terrible act. One that can never be truly atoned for.”
“If I could redress sins of Jedi past, I would. But pragmatism says I can’t. So, what to do? I do what the famous saying dictates. ‘Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.’ I cannot change the past. I can change my future actions and influence others. Hopefully that is the best use of the wisdom at my disposal.”
“And I appreciate you listening as I have rambled somewhat. Maybe you’d call my views on the Code passionate?” She offered a wry smile. “Maybe it is a search for wisdom, and that suggests it is about serenity. But I would be interested on your take on what I have said.”
[member="Darth Tacitus"]