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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 2267935" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 220: Of DestinyIt took a surprisingly short amount of time to bring the...the holocron up to speed on the current events and Jyren’s past activities. It...she...whatever, seemed to catch onto things quickly enough that repeating or explaining again wasn’t required. Sure, he skimmed over things, but he knew he was working in a time limit. The Empress would be confronting Ket in a matter of minutes...    But at the same time, it was enthralling to be speaking with his mother...even if it wasn’t really her. It was damn close enough. He had quickly found that she was very much like himself in the way she spoke and the general attitude that the ‘recording’ displayed. Still amazed at how real the holo seemed to be, Jyren sighed and answered the question that had been presented to him, “Its not that I haven’t tried my best! But I’ve had nothing to go on except some old texts I found. And even those got lost...I just did what I felt was right. Probably not the best Jedi, but I tried to at least do the right thing.”    His mother’s image flickered slightly as it did every few minutes, “It is not an easy path to walk, Jyren, but doing the right thing is the core to it.”    “It can’t just be that simple,” he grumbled under his breath slightly, “The majority of the galaxy works on that principle.”    “No, it isn’t that simple, but it’s the start,” she said with a soft nod, “The Jedi teachings and ways evolved much in thousands of years. There is no one true path to being a Jedi. This holocron contains knowledge of a time that is long gone...its teachings are a kind that I never experienced in my own training. However, I feel that what you will find contained within here will provide you a much more accurate guide along the path.”    Jyren was silent for a moment, wondering if he should actually speak the thought that had come to mind. Would it hurt her? Could she be hurt? Surely it would be disappointing for a mother to hear after their long conversation up to this point...but would it be the same for this holocron? Why that worried him didn’t really make anymore sense.    So, very quietly, he said, “I don’t know if that path is for me. I’ve...told myself all my life I should. I wave around this...your lightsaber pretending to be a Jedi like I’ve done for the last however many years. But its never been more than a game in the end...and...and I don’t want to keep fighting.”    “No one wants to keep fighting,” the response was very quick, but not so much that it felt wrong or odd, “No one can tell you what path to follow. I can’t do that either. I can guide you, teach you, and help you...but the choice has to be yours, Jyren. It is not wrong to chose a new path. Look inward and think very carefully on it.”    He nodded. That made sense. It was the first time he’d even admitted to himself that he might not be on the right path. But he...he didn’t know. He would have to take time for that and not make some rash decision. But Jyren found himself shaking his head, “I don’t have any other choice...I...I need these skills. Especially here and...and especially now. I just wish I didn’t have to sit around all the time. I wish I could actually do something for once instead of always reacting.”    Again, the holo flickered, but this time Jyren had the feeling it was due to a change in its information, “Jyren. The Force works in ways that we cannot always understand. Sometimes all we can do is react to the situation presented to us. Life is little beyond how we react to it. Some beings convince themselves that they are in control, but they are at the mercy of the Force as much as the rest of us. That does not meant, however, that we do not have a choice. The Alraxians have had a very interesting concept of the Force that shaped the Jedi who found this place...and myself. They believe that the Force is what it is...and that our own individual choices make us dark or light or in between. But the Force itself is neither.”    “It makes sense,” Jyren shrugged.    The image nodded, “Yes, it does...but it is still a single point of view on something that even the greatest Jedi Masters have only barely been able to comprehend. Perhaps the Alraxians are right...but what if they aren’t? A great deal depends on the answer to that question.”    “You know you’re changing the subject on me?” Jyren asked with a slight grin tugging at his face.    His mother’s image smiled, “You would be amazed to know how well this holocron contains my personality...even my tendency to ramble on and on endlessly.”    Jyren couldn’t help a short laugh and shook his head, “I won’t complain. Not about that, at least...but if I complain about anything else that’s happened because of following Shadow out to this crazy place, you’re just going to have to live with it.”    There was a pause. This was odd, because usually the holo was very quick to respond. Before he could ask what it was, she spoke again, “Have you put any thought into why you are here?”    The question surprised him, so he stuttered slightly, “Ah...um...not really...I mean, I just...just followed Shadow here because I didn’t want her running off on her own and...other reasons...”    Another pause. Then, after obviously taking in the information, the holo said, “Everything you have told me and the Jendari have given to me tells me that you have done some very important things in this Empire. You have already strongly affected the people of these worlds...and I expect much more is about to change in the coming days.”    Jyren managed a nod. She was right. He had changed things...but so had Shadow. And things would continue to change. But that was the way of things! It was how the universe worked. Things changed. So, quietly and almost hesitantly, he mumbled, “Change happens...it would have happened anyway...”    “How can you be so sure of that?” the holo snapped back quickly and, almost, harshly, “In everything you have told me about yourself, you have minimized everything you have done to the work of others. You have managed to turn your own achievements into failures in your mind, and you seem to be incapable of any kind of confidence in your own actions. You have done the things to get you here. And now that you’re here and changing an entire culture...you put it on someone else as if you’re ashamed of it.”    He stared blankly at the image of his mother. She actually looked angry! And she sounded it, too! And...and...a small part of him could admit she was right. A very small part, and it wasn’t speaking up. When he was silent for a considerable amount of time, the image asked one simple question of him, “Have you ever thought it was the will of the Force that brought you here? That it is your destiny to do these things?”    There was no chance to answer. Instead, there was a knock on the door just before it irised open. The Redstar stuck her head in, and, completely ignoring the holocron and the holo image floating above it, looked straight to Jyren and said quickly, “Come! Its time.”    He knew what that meant. The entire Empire knew what that meant. Jyren nodded, looked to the image of his mother and she simply nodded, obviously knowing what was meant also. So, he didn’t feel bad finding the switch and turning it off. Jyren then put the item back in the pack and ran off to catch up with the Redstar in the main cabin. Everyone in the Empire was going to see this. But only a handful already knew what was going to happen.</blockquote>

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