To Have a Gift (A Star Wars Fanfic)

Chapter 5

No one was brave enough to object when Arrai said she was going back to her room. She'd gotten patched up and taken herself out of the freaky death-trance. Anakin had decided to accompany her. He'd promised her a story, and she was gonna get one.

"Alright," she agreed to listening to him. "I wanna know everything."

And he told her. "Well, first, we don't use the Dark Side. And I'm sure you already knew that. We're not neutral either. We try to remain completely light. Sometimes, I think that's our problem. No one can eternally stay in the exact same mindset for their entire lives. Sometimes I think it'd be good for a slight change here or there, you know?"

She nodded. "Your mindset depends on your connection with the Force. How you think, how you process, it all comes down to what you're firmly planted in. If, like a Dark Jedi, you are almost always in a Neutral State, you are going to have that perfect mix of good and evil in you. You have a strong enough will to do right, yet you're not afraid to do whatever it takes to do the right thing. Doing the wrong things for the right reasons can make it right. That's our motto."

Anakin took a turn reciting the old Jedi proverb. "There is no emotion, there is peace. I don't agree with it, though." He sighed. "Just like the Sith can use pain and rage to fuel their power, can't a Jedi use love and happiness to fuel their's?" He paused and thought for a moment. "They say that love always leads to jealousy. That's not true. Sure, it can sometimes. But always? Is it really that bad to be attached to someone?"

"Ani, it's impossible not to feel any emotion, Jedi, Sith, Dark Jedi, or anything else. You're going to feel pain. And there is going to be something that you love. It really just comes down to how you act on these feelings. Those actions will define you." She looked over at him. "There used to be love within the Jedi Order. Then many felt way too much, and drifted to the Dark Side. So now it's banned."

He glanced at her with a questioning look. "Can a Dark Jedi love someone? Get married? Have kids?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. She didn't know how to answer that. She searched for the correct words. "Are we allowed to? Yes. Do we often have the ability to? No. When I'm a perfect Neutral state, it is impossible to feel anything."

"Why? If that were true, shouldn't all Darks speak with monotoned voices and have no facial expression?" He laughed a bit. The idea was funny.

"When I was in there, just now, you noticed my trance. I know you did." He nodded. "That's being in a perfect state of neutrality."

"So," he continued. "If you're not Neutral at the current moment, then what are you?"

"I am Neutral. Just not perfectly." She realized how dumb that sounded. "This way, I can basically hover between Light and Dark instead of being firmly planted between. Does that make sense?"

He shook his head.

Arrai rolled her eyes. "Okay. Think if it like this: in a perfect Neutral state I am neither Light not Dark. This will put me in a trance where I feel nothing. It's like pushing yourself out of your own mind. In a regular Neutral state, I am in line with both sides, being perfectly Light and Dark at the same time. Does that make sense?"

He nodded. "Sorta. So which state is more powerful?"

"Why do you wanna know?"

"Just curious."

"The perfect Neutral state. It's when you can call upon the Force to summon unbelievable power. Some say it temporarily makes you one with it."

"Then why not stay in the perfect straw all the time?"

"1. Because I don't need to. 2. It's not easy to get in and out of. 3. While in it, you get overwhelmed with visions of the past, present, and many different futures. And that's something only Seers wants."

"Seers? They still exist?"

"Yep."

They had arrived at Arrai's room. "Well," she said. "You should probably get back to your master. Call me when you need me."

"Good night," He said. "Little sis."

"Really? Is that about my height or the age I appear?"

"Both. And the act that I'm three minutes older than you."

She glared at him. "Over and out, Padawan Skywalker."

"Over and out, Dark Padawan Skywalker."

Since they were playing the formal game, they gave a slight bow before Arrai went into her room.

Anakin walked off rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Master Kenobi had just returned from his meeting with the Council. He hit the comm and started speaking to his padawan. "Anakin, are you there?"

"I'm here, master." Came a voice from the other end.

"Good. Meet me at the library in five minutes."

"Be right there, master."

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

"What the plan?" Anakin asked.

"You are going to escort the senator to Naboo. Then you will remain there until we consider it safe for her return. Your sister and I will be investigating here."

The padawan nodded. Then Obi-Wan shooed him of to go pack and get some rest before the next day.