Star Wars New Order - Volume 1 Chapter 10 Balance

Five years, it has been five years since Vaner succeeded in building his lightsaber. After successfully building it Vaner started his padawan training following his master Jedi master Ki-Adi-Mundi like his shadow.

During these five years, Vaner learned a lot and his first learning was how to use his lightsaber. His lightsaber was different from any other and all the training he had received until now wasn’t adapted to his lightsaber making him almost hurt himself with his own lightsaber.

Following this mistake, Vaner started to search how to use this type of lightsaber to its maximum potential without putting himself in danger. Sadly, the Jedi archives didn’ have much knowledge on the use of this lightsaber which he found weird as it was once often used but the few books mentioning it only talk about its use with the second form.

Vaner decided to ask Jocasta Nu who served as the chief librarian why was there so little information, from her he learned that it wasn’t that they had few bits of knowledge but that his rank wasn’t enough in the order to see these information.

This revelation made Vaner understand a lot of things and most importantly why he hadn’t found any knowledge about the Shan family besides the fact that one of them name Satele Shan was at one point the Grand Master of the order. It wasn’t that there was no information, but they were hidden.

This problem was solved thanks to his master who went through the information compiled for him a book on how to use cross-guard lightsaber and the little information he had found about their use with the third form.

Vaner started to train and he soon succeeded using the lightsaber however he knew that he could still progress as he reached the point where he could use it as a normal one, but he didn’t use the cross-guard part. He understood that using it would be hard as it was short and really to his body, but he had the plan to find it some use beside the one Makashi user found in it protecting the hand.

Besides learning how to use his own lightsaber Vaner also start learning the third form in-depth, as for Jar’kai he did found someone able to teach him but before learning it he needed to be able to do as well with his left hand as he did with right such as the requirement of Jedi master Cin Drallig who while not being the strongest Jar’kai user was one of the most knowledgeable battle masters which would help as Vaner used an unorthodox lightsaber.

During these five years, Vaner also accomplished some mission for the order with his master and that lead him to wonder where the Jedi were working for balance as they seem to be involved into much, from murder to robbery which was the most common mission which to him had nothing to do with keeping the balance in the force and only few mission had really a huge impact in the galaxy.

The number of mission Vaner and his master accomplished were few as his master taught him in coruscant and more importantly use the fact of having an apprentice to go back to his homeworld as quite a few Jedi did as teach a padawan was a mission in itself and the master could train him where and how he liked as long as he succeeded.

So Vaner spent most of his time on Cerea, Cerea was the homeworld of most Cerean like his master. It was a planet in the Mid Rim where the inhabitants were really close to nature and where pollution and technology were frowns upon.

Vaner came to love Cerea as it reminded him of Earth, while Earth was clearly polluted these forests, mountains and ocean couldn’t but make him remember his past life which he could look at now totally calm without being affected by it.

After coming to Cerea Vaner understood why his master was somewhat different from the other Jedi and would often tease him about Raskta. Ki-Adi-Mundi was in fact married and not once but five, his master had five wives which shocked him as it was known to everyone that love was prohibited in the order as it was a form of attachment.

His master explained to him it was because of his race characteristic that he was allowed to marry as Cerean had a birth ratio of 1 male for 20 females. However, while this fact was the truth the only reason this exception was allowed was that Ki-Adi-Mundi was strong if he was weak and not even a Jedi master the council wouldn’t even think of this problem.

Vaner understood that what was taught by the council was the rule that followers need to follow but these rules weren’t as strict as they seemed once you were the one making them and controlling that other followed them.

His time on Cerea was peaceful and he became closer to his master as he became close to his family seeing them as his own as he had none until know living in the temple.

Vaner and his master had come back to Coruscant for a few days when an unexpected council meeting was held at the request of the Jedi Master. While his master was going to attend the meeting Vaner decide to go train.

While Vaner was training the council, the meeting had started.

“He was trained in the Jedi arts; my only conclusion can be that it was a Sith Lord” said the Jedi master standing in the center with his padawan next to him

“A Sith Lord?!?” questioned Master Windu

“Impossible! The Sith have been extinct for a millennium” followed Ki-Adi-Mundi

A short debate about the objective of this supposed Sith lord was done before the discussion reached his end and the padawan start to walk toward the exit after a short bow to the council. However, his master didn’t move.

“Master Qui-Gon more to say have you?” asked Yoda

“With your permission, my Master. I have encountered a vergence in the Force.” Said Qui-Gon Jinn

“A vergence, you say” repeated Yoda

“Located around a person?” inquired Mace Windu

“A boy His cells have the highest concentration of midi-chlorians I have seen in a life form, way higher than even Master Mundi padawan. It is possible he was conceived by the midi-chlorians” explain Qui-Gon Jinn

“You’re referring to the prophecy of the one who will bring balance to the Force you believe it’s this boy??” asked master Windu thoughtful

This discussion soon became as long as the precedent before the council concluded that the boy was to be brought to them so they can test him. This decision cause the end of the council.

Vaner had returned to his and his master quarter waiting for his master to come back. Ki-Adi-Mundi soon returned however it could clearly be seen on his face that something important and troubling had happened.

“Master what happened for you to be this shaken” ask Vaner. Looking at his padawan Mundi was trouble with what to say before deciding to have his padawan opinion as master Yoda said “Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is” causing Mundi to laugh at his thought.

“Sit Vaner what I’m going to say here must not leave this room.” Said Mundi before starting to explain what happened during the council about the sith but omitting everything else as there was no need to say more.

“You see it is totally absurd to say that this man was a Sith” concluded Ki-Adi-Mundi

Hearing his master Vaner was petrified for a short time which Mundi attributed to the fact Sith were mentioned but that was the case Vaner just realized that the story he knew had started and that the clone wars was coming if he remembered well he was left with only ten years, ten years to become at least a Jedi knight to hope to become a Jedi general, this was the first step of his plan he had start to build.

“I don’t understand why it would be impossible for him to be a Sith” said Vaner after unfreezing

“What are you saying the Sith are extinct for years now” retorted his master, hearing his master answer Vaner knew he had to do this step by step.

“Master we agree that currently the Force is relatively stable and balance” said Vaner

“Exactly you said it yourself the Force is stable and balance, so it is impossible for him to be a sith”

“Master this is here my conclusion is different from yours, we were taught that if the sith were to dominate the galaxy then the Force would be corrupted by the Dark side and that we Jedi were the protector of the balance. Now you’re saying that the Sith were extinct for years if this the case then Force should have tilted toward the Light side of the force while Jedi maintain the balance, they are not balanced but clearly on the light side. This means that for the Force to be balanced the dark side needs to be as strong as the light side, so I think that the sith are as powerful in the galaxy as we are.” Explain Vaner.

Hearing his disciple view on the Force made Ki-Adi-Mundi dumbfound as this was the very core of the Jedi teaching however the point of view was totally different. Jedi believed themselves to be balanced in the force and thinking about its Mundi found that his padawan was right the Jedi weren’t balanced at all their very own existence should affect the force however nothing was seen until now.

“I think we will need another meeting tomorrow; I will explain your point of view and if your right then we are in danger the Jedi nowadays aren’t ready to fight Sith.” Concluded Ki-Adi-Mundi in a sigh as he seemed to have aged from the point of view of his apprentice.