Consequences

Chapter 45 - Aftermath

Back here again, hopefully this time not to hear bad tidings. I glance around the familiar halls of Jedi Temple as we make our way to the Council chambers once more to deliver our report. Sooner than I'm ready for, we're standing in front of the Council.

"When I chased after the bounty hunter who attempted to assassinate the Senator," Obi-Wan reports, "I encountered Dooku and Maul. They took me to Serenno. Sidious was already there. Anakin arrived not long later, and we fought the three Sith Lords. We killed Sidious and Maul and defeated Dooku." Of course, he doesn't mention the part about Anakin's Fall. We all silently agreed never to mention that to anyone, except perhaps Padme when she gets the full story.

Yoda nods his head thoughtfully. "Felt the disturbance in the Force, we did."

"Dooku has agreed to provide the information about the Separatists," Obi-Wan adds.

"Speak to him, we shall," decides Yoda.

Silence falls over the room for several long moments and they seem to be conversing silently.

"Taken off leave you will be," Yoda finally declares.

"Perhaps with this newest development, we will be able to bring a quick end to the war," Windu remarks hopefully.

"We should," I agree. More like, we will. There's no way we couldn't. The Separatists don't want to fight, as I learned when I met Lux. They want to bring an end to the war. Now that Sidious is gone, there's no one to push them. Maybe the talks that should have been held ages ago will finally happen now. And maybe... maybe I'll be able to see Lux again.

***

"Something else you wish to discuss, hmm?" asks Yoda from where he sits across from me in his private chamber.

I nod in confirmation. I really need to talk to him about this, although I'm not sure if he's going to listen to me anyway. At the very least it might get him thinking because if something doesn't change, Jedi will continue to Fall, whether the Sith are around or not. Besides, I owe it to Anakin to at least try to get the Jedi to change the rules about attachments. Otherwise, regardless of Sidious' death, when the twins are born, it will raise a serious problem.

"When I was in the future, I came to a realization that the Jedi are not right about everything." When I think about it now, I can't help but wonder if this isn't part of the reason the Force allowed the Jedi to be destroyed. They were practically beyond repair," I begin.

"What mean you by not right about everything?" inquires Yoda, his ears twitching in curiosity.

I take a deep breath, hoping the speech that I've rehearsed over and over in my mind over the past month is actually going to come out the way I intend it to. "There is no Light Side or a Dark Side – there is only the Force. The intention behind the use of the Force is what should matter, not the emotions that are being used. The only way for anyone to be able to achieve proper control of the Force is if they are use all of it, not just use one side. Most of the Jedi fear and shun the Dark Side, which can often lead to them Falling – something that wouldn't be a problem if they were taught how to use the Force as it is, not just the Light Side. If the Order doesn't make changes and become balanced, we'll end up right back where we were before Sidious was killed."

The Force needs to be brought into balance sooner rather than later, and considering the other timeline that I saw, I really don't want to know what will happen if the Jedi don't make any changes.

Yoda nods thoughtfully. "To use the Dark Side without giving in, much control this takes."

I nod. "But it's something we need to change before something can happen again. I think the prophecy of the Chosen One was misinterpreted by both the Jedi and the Sith. Bringing balance to the Force does not only mean destroying the Sith – it means that the Dark and Light Sides need to be used equally. I think that's why the Force brought Anakin to us when it did. He was so different from all of us. He was made to change us; not us to change him."