First of the New

The rise of the Empire made Yoda realize that his cherished traditions, traditions he had kept intact for almost a millenium were no longer applicable. The Jedi did not adapt as the Sith had. And Palpatine was right - "Your arrogance blinds you, Master Yoda.". The Jedi did become too arrogant in their righteousness. They kept a strong net of principles that guided their actions and philosophies and kept them from falling. But the net itself was not perfect.

Yoda and Obi-Wan took it upon themselves to raise the Chosen One's children, hoping that their strength in the Force would be enough to defeat the two Sith ruling the galaxy. But as Corran Horn once noted during his short stint at the Jedi Academy, they were forging a lightsaber. They wanted to make Luke into a Force Warrior, in the tradition of the Old Jedi Order, a sword of Light to banish the Darkness.

But Luke was, as Obi-Wan's spirit told him - "Not the Last of the Jedi, but the First of the New". He succeeded - both in his mission to destroy the Sith, and in the real philosophy of the Jedi. He trusted his feelings - he did not listen to Yoda or Obi-Wan - and he learnt the hard truth about his Father. He also saw through the Mask. He saw the good that was the core of Anakin Skywalker. And it was he who fought the Dark Side in himself and made his father realize that good that he saw in him. He gave his father the strength to fulfill his destiny - to bring balance to the Force.

Luke's New Jedi Order did not have the knowledge of the Old. It was born to infancy in the Force, and must learn its ways by trial and error. The New Order adapts. And Luke Skywalker, Ben Skywalker, and Jacen Solo carry its torch into the new era.

Luke carries the Dark Side within him. And he is not afraid to use the more potent forms of the Force - namely Force Lightning a la Emperor Palpatine - when the greatest need arose - as in the last book of the New Jedi Order series, The Unifying Force, when both his nephew and niece were in the jaws of death courtest of the Yuuzhan Vong. And we can expect a similar Force display in the last book of the Swarm War trilogy by Troy Denning.

Luke may not have as high a midi-chlorian count as Anakin, but it is greater than Yoda's. Luke carries with him uncertainty. He is afraid. And treads the path between the two halves of the Force - in Balance. It is as Obi-Wan told Anakin - "Only the Sith deal in absolutes."

So till my next post ya, its bye from Ganz.

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