Before - Legends Holo-Diary of Master Dooku (Diary Challenge 2013), spans age 4 to TPM (Updated 1-13-14

It's just not in him to be humble. Great updates!

 

Jedi_Lover Lol Reminds me of the World of Warcraft achievement called "I Can't Hear You Over the Sound of How Awesome I Am"

Hazel And he pulls at the reins whenever he has to!

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Well I was gonna update at this moment, but the copy that I have with me on my USB drive is not the final piece. Drat! Note to self: Remember to copy final drafts to USB drive before leaving for class!​

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Jedi_Lover Hazel benknobi1 Rainbow Knight Star

Okay here is the update!

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Year Six – Day 23

He's not in the creche nor in the Temple this time. It appears he's on a ship and wearing a parka. Dooku is holding the recorder in his hands and a cold mist escapes his lips as he breathes.

Today was great despite Denton being the one to show us to the crystal caves of Ilum. He's a Padawan now, I think of about two years now. I should be happy for him but I haven't forgotten what he did to me when we were littler. But that doesn't matter right now. What matters is this!

The image shifts as he holds the recorder in one hand and shows a tiny object in the other, between two gloved fingers. It is a yellow crystal and seems to glisten and vibrate slightly.

I got my first lightsaber crystal! Master Yoda says it won't be enough to make my new saber deadly, but it will have an important role in our continued training when we learn to construct lightsabers for the first time. When a Master takes me as his Padawan, I'll be coming back here for a second test and another crystal. This one and the second I will be able to construct my lightsaber into a real one. I'll also be alone too. The test I took today was called The Gathering, a ridiculous name if you asked me. I would call it the Temperance or some such since it tests who you are and your self-control. I learned that I can control my temper and set aside my pride...

“You needed the lesson,” came Denton's voice as he entered the cabin after the others had settled in. He stopped in front of Dooku and looked down at him. The Zabrak was far taller than the human boy, but that was only because he was a couple years older than Dooku. “Still record on that silly thing?”

Hey! Give it back!

The image shifts to Denton's alien face, the tribal tattoos of his Iridonian clan can be clearly seen. Thin, inked lines crisscross a mild pattern across his cheeks, nose and chin with one line going straight down the middle of his brow to his center horn.

It seems you still need to learn self-control and detachment since you seem quite attached to this toy still. How old are you, Yan? Ten now and still playing with toys?

It is not a toy and I will learn, just not with you around! Don't you have something better to do, like maybe help the pilot get the shuttle in the air?

The image abruptly shifts as its yanked out of Denton's grip and back into Dooku's. Denton just rolls his eyes and walks away to check on the other younglings. Dooku scowls into his recorder before shutting it off, his good mood gone.

Year Six – Day 24

Dooku's location has changed again, he's aboard another ship and alone in a barracks like room. There are a lot of double bunks and he's sitting on the top one, holding his yellow lightsaber crystal in hand. He's looking it over with a keen interest, as if trying to commit to memory every aspect of it.

It sings, you know. The crystal. I can hear it's melody. It sounds sweet, like the music Madame Ova Yannu listens to sometimes when she's busy in the gardens. I remember her telling me once that the plants like it and I never really understood how something with no ears could like what it cannot hear. She said they do just not in the same way we do.

He shrugs lightly and continues to examine his crystal.

I guess I am a plant, because I don't hear it's music with my ears, I hear it in the Force. It sings to me, telling me that we are together, we are one. It is warm in the Force even though its cold to the touch. I knew it was my crystal when I saw it. I was drawn to it in the caves, telling me that I had a lot of anger and pride, but I could conquer it if I just trusted the Force. So I did and its song grew louder and more welcoming.

He holds it up to the recorder and turns it so the device got just about every angle of the crystal.

I like it. It feels... I dunno how to describe how it feels. Like a friend, maybe? That I can trust it and it would never fail me.

Master Yoda once spoke how the crystal was the heart and soul of a lightsaber, that our connection to it is what allowed us to make the blade an extension of ourselves. It is why we believe it is our very life. That when a Jedi loses the weapon, he loses a part of himself as if he had lost a limb. He says that is why it is very difficult for Jedi to build a second lightsaber, because it takes time and meditation to find a new crystal in the Ilum caves, one that is willing to reveal itself to the Jedi.

I never understood what he meant by that until now. Before, I thought crystals were just gemstones that focused the energy of the lightsaber into a blade. So when he spoke of them being alive, I didn't believe him. But now I do, now I understand. They are alive in the Force, almost as if they truly are sentient.

Dooku closes his fingers around the small crystal, grinning like a child that has gotten the best present in the whole galaxy on Life Day.

I won't lose mine, ever!

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I don't know if I would want a singing crystal. After a while you probably can't get that tune out of your head. But I guess it is better than a whining crystal.

Nice update.

 

I think Denton needs to learn a lesson to - in not picking on other kids.

I can definitely understand Dooku's excitement over the crystal.

 

Jedi_Lover The downside to being strong in the Living Force. Crystals constantly sing at you! Lol

Hazel Yes, Denton does and one day he will learn that valuable lesson in which Dooku teaches him, but not this day.

@Rainbow Knight Star​

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This next entry ended much, much differently and I felt it was far too OOC for Dooku so rewrote it. Dooku learns, yet another valuable lesson about pride and the Force from, all things... a droid.​

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Year Six – Day 25

He is still on the ship, but in another part that looks like a workshop of some sort. He is alone. He is sitting on the floor beside a table, in his lap is a tray of lightsaber parts and his crystal and he's frowning deeply at them in disappointment.

Everyone already has their training sabers made except me. Mine won't come together like it should. I... I don't understand why. I did exactly as Huyang explained, but then again I should have expected a droid to be incapable of fully grasping what is needed to make one. He may have the blue prints and the programming to say the right words, but I doubt he fully grasps what he's teaching.

He purses his lips and reaches out with a hand, closing his eyes as he does. The parts begin to float up and around each other as he focuses on assembling the weapon. The pieces come together but do not connect. In frustration, he drops the pieces back into the tray.

This is nuts. I can't put this thing together like he told me to.

He pushes the tray aside and climbs to his feet. Dooku strides over to a console with a purpose in his step and climbs into the chair. Sitting on his knees he accesses the computer in search of what he needs before copying it to a holodisk to take back to his place by the table.

A lightsaber blueprint soon oscillates beside him.

Trust the components to be together, he says. Tis the Force that binds them.

He huffs as he studies the hologram and examines each of his parts that he as.

The Force is telling me to assemble it this way, stupid droid.

As he begins putting each piece together by hand, his eyes once more close and he no longer pays attention to the hologram instructing him on how to assemble the weapon. His hands ghost over each piece, seeming to randomly select a piece before he adds it to the weapon. When he's done, he has in his hands a curved hilt lightsaber that looks rather plain at first, but upon closer inspection its aesthetics are elegant and classical, characterizing his subconscious tastes.

He smiles in triumph as his fingers glide gently over the finished weapon.

Finally! I built my lightsaber and not in the way that Huyang said to do it.

“Yes, but does it work, Initiate Dooku?” came the masculine voice of the droid. Dooku looks startled at the sudden intrusion as the machine noisily walked over to the young boy. “You constructed it like one would not touched by the Force. There is truth in what I say even if I may not comprehend its meaning fully.”

The boy glared at the droid.

The Force guided me to build it this way.

“Then let us see if your feelings were well placed, youngling.” He held out a metal hand for the weapon and Dooku refused to hand it over at first. But the infinite patience of the architect droid out-lasted the stubbornness of the boy. Reluctantly, Dooku handed over his weapon and immediately the droid began examining it.

“Hmmm....” he hummed as he turned the weapon over and over, looking at it from different angles. “Yes, a fine blade you have crafted. Graceful like a Jedi, but classical like times of old. You are from Serenno, correct?”

Yes.

“Hmm, yes, that explains much for your choice in parts. Serenno is an ancient colony of Alderaan. Did you know that?” Dooku shook his head and Huyang continued. “It is a civilization that cherishes elegance and culture. Many great composers and thespians have come from your homeworld, as well as great warriors and leaders. But they have a history of being defiant towards authority not of their own and very proud. Did you know a Count of Serenno had almost won the independence of your planet a thousand years ago during the Reformation Years?”

Dooku furrowed his brow, clearly not understanding where the droid was going with his lecture.

“Had the attempt on Chancellor Valorum's life never happened, your people would be outside of the Republic and you would more than likely be growing up in your ancestral home rather than training to be a Jedi. You see when the assassination attempt had been made, the Houses of Serenno were insulted and their pride demanded that they support Valorum despite their desire for independence. You have much pride and independence in you, and these qualities are built in your lightsaber. They are admirable qualities, but they can also be vices and hinder your goals.”

I know that. Master Yoda constantly reminds me every time I am too proud.

Dooku growled his frustration at being lectured by the droid.

“And too proud you are now,” Huyang replies and hands the weapon back to the boy. “Your desire to do things your way cloud your judgment and therefore your ability to hear the Force guiding you. You must trust the Force and set aside your personal desires.”

I did listen. It guided me, told me which piece to assemble next. You're just upset that I didn't do things your way.

“Is that so?” Dooku folded his arms across his chest, clearly confirming that was his belief. Huyang gave a very human sigh and gestured to the boy. “Then let us see which of us is too proud, young one.”

A look of uncertainty flickered in Dooku's gaze as he looked down at the weapon. He hesitated in turning it on before he handed it to the architect droid again after coming to a difficult decision.

Maybe you should?

“I sense doubt in your craftsmanship,” the droid replied and accepted the weapon. He did not turn it on but rather opened it up and revealed to Dooku what he already knew. “And it is good that you had set aside your pride and listened to the Force, for if you had turned it on it would have exploded in your hand. You crossed the wrong wires and a feed-back loop would have been the devastating result.”

I can fix that!

Huyang returned it to it's owner and Dooku did exactly that. The next time he held the completed weapon, he did not hesitate to activate the blade nor wore any expression of doubt. A gold beam of light sliced into the air between them and Dooku looked proud and satisfied that he had finally completed his lightsaber.

“Remember this, young one, pride comes in many ways and can be deadly when nurtured. The Force is your ally, let it guide you.”

I will remember, Professor Huyang.

Seemingly satisfied the droid walked out of the workshop, leaving Dooku alone with the lightsaber. The boy turned to the camera and grinned, but it slowly faded as his thoughts turned to the lesson he just learned.

I hate to admit it, but that droid does seem to know something of the Force. Almost like it knew the Force would tell me that I had crossed the wrong wires and stop me from making a big mistake. I remembered my lesson in the Ilum cave and set aside my pride and listened to the Force's whispers. I'm glad I had.

He looks down at the disengaged weapon, lightly ghosting his fingers across the hilt before igniting it again. Dooku performed a couple Shii-cho katas before wincing when the blade tip brushed against a chair.

Oops. Maybe I should take this to the ship's training room before I break something. Last thing I need is Huyang coming back to lecture me about his workshop not being meant for lightsaber practice.

He laughs a little and disengages his weapon. The curved hilt soon hangs from his belt and he gathers up the recorder.

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Good! Dooku took the lesson well.

 

I'll never understand kindergarten age kids allowed to use lethal weapons. Maybe the Force whispers into their heads, "Don't run with a lit lightsaber!"

Nice update.

 

Jedi_Lover lol and the kids say "But the adults do all the time!"


Tapatalk Signature
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Use the light switch, Luke. Trust your feelings!

 

Jedi_Lover Hazel @Rainbow_Knight_Star

Sorry for the long wait. Dooku did not want to behave. He doesn't like what I've done over in RPF with his character it seems. But I finally managed to get the muse talking again and have a few more entries. I think I'll skim over ages 11-12 so I can start his Padawan years.

This entry is a slightly fun entry, though perhaps not for Dooku. We get to learn a little about Jocasta and their relationship as friends.

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Year Six – Day 321

Dooku is sitting at the foot of his bed, scratching a rash on his arm. There is also a rash on his neck and he's trying not to scratch there as well.

Healer Ioyna says I'm allergic to Kashyyyk vine snapper, that's why I'm scratching these rashes. They itch. I shouldn't be but I can't help it. Master Naki says its my fault for hiding in a thicket of them in the gardens and I suppose it is since I didn't listen to the Force telling me not to. It was the perfect place to hide from the others, especially after I made sure to lead Jocasta on a wild nerf chase!

He catches himself reaching up to his neck and purses his lips. Dooku experiments by sitting on his hands but it only lasts for a few seconds before he has to scratch his arm again. He sighs miserably.

We were playing hide and seek with a couple others from the clan. Lorian and Medea. They are not very good at the game like Jocasta and I are. I'm good at it because I can hear the Force telling me where to go. Jocasta never told anyone how she does it but I was able to coax it out of her a while ago after another game of hide and seek in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. I don't think she's told any of the masters yet though.

He pauses and looks up when Master Naki comes into his room with a small jar no bigger than her palm. Dooku squirms a little when she sits down beside him and starts applying a white cream to his rashes.

Ioyna says not to scratch these and to have this applied every time you feel the urge to. Trust me, Yan, this will make it feel better.

Dooku's expression softens to relief as the cream begins to work.

Better?

Yes, Master.

You will have to remember to stay away from that section of the gardens from now. No more hiding there, alright?

Dooku nods unhappily. Naki finishes applying the salve to his rashes before leaving the jar on the nightstand next to his bed. She makes sure that he's alright one more time before leaving him to his recorder. Once she was gone, Dooku turns his attention back to the device. He is no longer trying to itch the rashes.

What was I saying? Oh yeah! Jocasta's ability to find me when we play hide and seek. She explained it to me once and I don't know what to call it, nor does she. Jo said she can see what happened to an object if she focused on it. I'm not quite sure how that works, but she says it is how she was able to find me quickly. When I asked her to explain, she told me all she had to do was find something I've recently touched and she can see which way I went.

Since then I've been leading her on wild nerf chases whenever we play. I purposely touch things for her to follow and when I do hide, I do my best not to touch anything. She likes it, I think. At least that's the impression I get when she does finally discover where I've hidden myself. I'll have to ask her next time if she doesn't mind me tricking her.

I know I enjoy it. It's not easy trying to deceive someone who can follow you into the past and find where you really are. Jo is smart so it makes it harder to trick her and I like the challenge. It kinda makes it hard to keep secrets from her too. There was this one time, and I didn't know how she did it either, where I had borrowed something from her room. Well, I wasn't exactly borrowing it. Lorian wanted me to take it so he could use it and Jo refused to let him. So he got me to take it since she doesn't mind me in there.

Lorian wouldn't have that kind of trouble with her if he'd just stop teasing her, you know? I think him taking that book from her a few months back finally put her off him. It was the first time I saw her be brought to tears over something and I know Jo is tough, really tough and I guess Lorian's teasing was just too much that day. It took me to get the book back for her and telling my best friend off.

She.. uh... kinda gave me a kiss for it. On the cheek, that is.

Dooku blushes and then coughs as he rubs the back of his head.

Besides that, there really hasn't been much going on worth noting. Well there is this course that I'm interested in taking next semester. It promises a chance to get out of the Temple finally. That hyper-comm I was working on a while back, it didn't work out like I hoped. One of the Jedi Knights monitoring communications discovered the signal and traced it back to me. I had it taken away by him and got an earful about unauthorized communications. But I was able to get a hold of my father at least once before I was discovered.

He was surprised to hear from me. Told me that he thought I was not allowed to speak to my family and I told him it's true. I'm not allowed. I told him I miss home and what has happened to me and... and... He told me he was proud and that I only had a few more years to go before I could come home if I really wanted to and that I should focus on my studies and make him even more proud by becoming a Jedi Knight. I...

He swallows thickly and looks away. After a few moments he regains his composure and looks back at the recorder and changes the subject.

Denton hasn't been around the Temple, thank the Force, so it's been rather peaceful this year. I should be focusing on getting a master's attention now that I'm old enough to be taken on as a Padawan, but I'm confident I'll get one. The Force assures me of it. I've worked on my lightsaber technique and finally got use to the curved hilt I had built mine as. I have a few burns on my legs to show for it. I'm glad that we didn't get to construct a real blade cause I'm certain I would have lobbed off a leg or two by now.

He grins a little and then reaches forward to shut off the recorder.

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It's nice to see these kids behaving like normal kids.

 

Hazel Yeah. I cannot imagine the Jedi younglings practicing lightsaber and Force techniques their entire childhood. If I were a Jedi youngling, I'd most certainly play hide and seek to see if I can hide and seek in the Force

Jedi_Lover

This entry we get a look at some of Dooku's ideals. For a 10 1/2 year old he has quite the opinion.

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Year Seven – Day 30

This is the second time that Dooku has been outside of the Jedi Temple. He is with other younglings being led by a short, male Rodian Jedi Master who is busy explaining the history of the Senate Rotunda. The boy briefly appears in the image as he explains what they're doing there.

When I heard that we could sign up for extracurricular credit for our social science courses, I jumped on the opportunity to get out of the Temple at last. Master Jeedo was offering a course in political science and after some research, I found out he takes his students on a tour of the Senate Rotunda so we can get some experience on actual politics at work. We're suppose to eventually watch the Senate in session but we just got here and the Senate isn't suppose to meet for another hour.

He turns the holo-recorder back around so he can show where they are. They seem to be at a landing terminal of some sort. There are people everywhere, not just politicians. Jeedo is explaining that the Senate Spaceport had seen itself rebuilt countless times over the last four thousand years, each time it's appearance always changed.

Jeedo is leading them into the Rotunda and through the grand hallway that displayed many of the banners and tapestries of the sectors and systems that were represented in the Senate. There were also statues of past Chancellors and immediately one of the younglings notices one that also caught Dooku's interest.

“Why is there a Jedi statue in here?” asked a young girl and Jeedo brings the group over.

“This is Master Ola Reysan,” explained the Rodian. “She was one of very few Jedi before the Reformation to have been elected as Chancellor. Master Reysan would lead the Republic to victory against Lord Remus and bring peace to the galaxy during her twenty years as Chancellor. She is honored not for her victory over the Sith, but for her political triumphs that allowed her to end conflicts before they could begin.”

Why does the Senate elect non-Jedi when it's obvious Jedi are the better choice to lead?

That was Dooku and the holo-recorder's view drops to the floor as Jeedo is heard answering the young boy.

“Because, Initiate Dooku, power corrupts.”

“Obviously,” quipped the boy, sounding displeased with the Jedi Master's answer. “The Senate is full of corruption. But Master Reysan was immune to the temptation, was she not?”

“To a degree,” the Rodian replied a little amused, as if he's been faced with these questions before. “Her discipline as a Jedi helped her resist the temptation to abuse her position of power for most of her career. She was not entirely immune, however.”

“So if our discipline helped her resist,” Dooku pressed on, “with the Force guiding her, then isn't it more logical to have a Jedi as a chancellor than a non-Jedi despite the fact that temptation will still tempt the Jedi?”

“It is that alone as to why we do not lead the Republic, young one,” Jeedo answered and gestured up at Reysan. “Master Reysan was an exceptional Jedi Master who was very attuned to the Force. Her connection allowed her to perceive the consequences of her choices, and the morals and the Code of the Jedi helped guide her along an honorable and peaceful path. The High Council did not approve of her ascension to the Chancellery but could not argue that she was the better choice at the time. She had been tempted and had given in to that temptation which briefly led to immoral decisions made. Had the Sith not returned at the time and the threat of war lingering on the horizon around the end of her political career, her choices would not have been seen as perspicacious foresight by history but rather as her tragic fall to the Darkside.”

There was silence as Jeedo waited for Dooku to try and counter argue with him. After a moment the boy did come up with something. “Maybe it was foresight and she simply made the decisions that no one else would or could? Is that not expected of a leader, Master Jeedo?”

“Yes, it is, but for a Jedi to make such decisions could lead him or her down a dark path in which they could never return from. What then shall we call it when a Jedi becomes a Sith because of the position of office he has undertaken? It is a risk we Jedi cannot take and the offices of the Senate is too great of a temptation toward the Darkside of the Force. Do not look so defeated, Initiate Dooku,” Jeedo tried to appease as he approached and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. “You are not the first to question why we do not lead, nor will you be the last. It is good that you do ask them.”

“Why?”

“So you may know early why it is dangerous.”

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Nice update! He has some good questions. I would think a Jedi leader would not be trusted by other leaders. If I had to negotiate with a Jedi how would I ever know if a Jedi mind trick was used on me if I end up agreeing with the Jedi? How would the people I lead ever know if I wasn't being influenced?

 

Dooku is a very bright boy.

 

Jedi_Lover One would think that wouldn't they? Except the Jedi are trusted every day in negotiations, so I'd imagine being leader of the Republic they could be trusted too.

Hazel And where did those smarts go in his latter years, eh? Lol

A little more on Dooku's developing ideals in this entry. A short post, unfortunately. Next entry will be the foundation of those ideals that eventually gets him into serious trouble in his later years.

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Year Seven – Day 41

He's back in his room in the Temple. There are piles of datastacks on his bed and the floor. He has a datapad in his hand which he's typing into as he sits at the foot of the bed, on the floor with his legs crossed. His hair is rumpled and looks like it is in need of a trimming again. His clothing is also wrinkled, as if he hasn't gotten out of them at all. The holo-recording times the entry in the early hours of the morning which means the boy probably has not been asleep or had gotten up early.

I'm never gonna get this report done in time. Ever since I made my opinions known at the Senate Rotunda, Master Jeedo has been piling homework on top of my classwork. He wants me to write a report on Master Reysan's tenure as Supreme Chancellor and why the Jedi Order does not allow its members to hold a position of office. I think its stupid that we don't. I really did mean what I said when I think the galaxy would be better off if Jedi held political office.

He purses his lips and sets his datapad down before resting his chin in hand and scowls at the recorder.

I don't want to write it but if I don't, he's going to fail me.

His scowl deepens as he becomes lost in thought and looks at the datastacks he's collected. He frowns slightly before reaching up for one and scanning over it's contents briefly.

Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe I should write what I believe in. He's wrong, the Order is wrong. I'm certain of it. I mean for twenty years a Jedi kept peace in the galaxy, it is only with the return of the Sith that she had fallen from grace as a Jedi. As a politician, a leader, she did what was necessary to protect us all. She cannot be faulted for that right?

He picks up his datapad again and hits the delete button on the keypad. The entry ends with him typing furiously into the pad of what exactly he thought about Reysan and Jedi politicians.

 

Dooku you would never get through college with that attitude. The one thing I learned is you can write a highly researched, exceptional term paper about politics, but if your opinion goes counter to your instructor's...you will often get a bad grade. Not always, but often enough.

 

My personal experience with politicians tells me that any Jedi that took up a political office would turn into a Sith.

 

Jedi_Lover Fortunately Jedi instructors are little more fair.

Hazel Which Dooku finds out to be the case with Reysan, though she doesn't turn Sith. She does fall to the Darkside while in office, but--like him in his later years--for good reasons.

This next entry is an essay he's written and gives a bit of insight into his political views (which was a pain for me to write and why it took so long, I'd probably get an F for the bad formatting if I had to submit this, lol) and Lorian drawing Dooku into the beginnings of some mischief again.

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Year Seven – Day 45A

This entry is not a recording, but a submission of a file. It is the essay that Dooku had been working on days before and it seems he had made it an entry for his personal journal. The essay has been graded with high marks despite that it did not conform to the parameters of the assignment. There is also a note that the essay was not counted as part of his overall grade.

The Force and The Republic​

by Yan Dooku​

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The Force is all encompassing, it binds the universe together and creates life and guides those who can feel its influence. It's whisper has guided countless men and women of all races throughout history; to victory against those who would conquer and oppress, to protecting the helpless and the innocent, to restoring and keeping the peace where turmoil broiled. History is made by those who can command the Force, so why are those who are touched by it disallowed to make history anymore?​

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Fear is a powerful emotion and it can influence a person's decisions for better or for worse. It is this emotion that has led to the Jedi Order to becoming nothing more than peacekeepers and negotiators. The Jedi High Council were not afraid of becoming the Sith, but rather it were the politicians who felt the galaxy had suffered enough from Jedi falling to the Darkside. So in order to prevent the Jedi from becoming Sith again, Supreme Chancellor Tarsus Valorum created and pushed for the Reformation Act that would see to the dismantling of the Army of Light and the restructuring of the Jedi Order and making it answerable to the Republic Senate instead of just the Supreme Chancellor (GR 3).​

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“For twenty-four thousand years the Jedi Knights were keepers of the peace and justice” (Farfalla 20). During those twenty-four thousand years we fought the wars that no one else was willing to fight. We banished our own kin for daring to think radically because it would lead us down a dark path, one that the galaxy would not want us to follow. We were purged numerous times by those who hated and feared us, who wanted revenge or to simply get us out of their way of conquest. We bled and died for the galaxy and asked nothing in return and yet when we finally vanquished the Sith once and for all, how does the galaxy repay us for our service?​

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They turn us into a glorified security force that has to be constantly watched just so one of us does not fall to the Darkside and start up another thousand years of darkness and war. The politicians fear that which they cannot comprehend and what they cannot comprehend, they try to destroy or control it. Supreme Chancellor Valorum knew he could not disband the Jedi Order, so he opted to trying to control it, to weaken its influence in the galaxy so that it would not be exposed to the elements that caused the Jedi Exiles to fall to the Darkside and form the Sith Order and therefore restart the cycle again (Valorum 124).​

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Tarsus Valorum is wrong about them. The Jedi Exiles did not fall to the Darkside and found the Sith Order because they were corrupted by power, they fell to the Darkside because they were persecuted by their fellow Jedi for studying forbidden knowledge. They founded the Sith Order out of revenge and to survive after they had been exiled by the Republic to Wild Space. The Jedi are not responsible for the creation of the Sith. The Republic is responsible for them and thousands of years later, men like Valorum choose to ignore that piece of information and accuse us, the Jedi, for causing the last few thousand years of conflict because they believe our power corrupts us. For some fallen Jedi, that is the case but for most who had fallen “it is out of desperation or for the love of the very same establishment that now condemns them” (Cerulian 243).​

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Valorum believed that by reducing the influence of those who can command the Force, that he would be reducing the risk of a devastating war breaking out again. He believed that peace could last longer than a few decades and that the Jedi would not have to lead armies again. Perhaps he is right about the latter, we haven't led an army since the dismantling of the Army of Light, but peace is a lie. There has been no peace in the galaxy since the Reformation Years. Although there has been no war between the Jedi and the Sith for the last nine-hundred years, there have been conflicts between the Jedi and other Force sects or Dark Jedi who choose to break away from the rules and restrictions placed on the Order by the Reformation Act.​

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The Jedi have been involved in over three thousand, six hundred and seventy-four notable conflicts in the last nine-hundred and eight years. Two hundred and fourteen of those have been major wars with various factions, half of which were fought against the Hutt Empire (Russco 430) and six of which were fought against the Mandalorians (Ordo 902). Whereas before the Reformation Act, the only major wars the Jedi Order had to fight in the last four thousand years were the ones started by the Sith, the Mandalorians or the Hutts and they total less than the number the Jedi have had to fight since the Reformation Act.​

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Why is that? Why has the galaxy seen less conflict before the Reformation Act than it does after? It is because the Jedi Order was allowed to hold political and military power within the Republic! Our influence was far and wide and we were able to stop conflicts before they could fester into a full scale war by simply reminding people of the consequences of such a conflict would bring to both themselves and the galaxy should it come to war. No one wanted to fight a Jedi led Republic army, it would have been a forgone conclusion with the Jedi and the Republic coming out as the victors. The only time they had ever lost were when the Sith or Mandalorians became involved and led an army of their own against the Republic (Russco 382).​

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The Jedi were also well respected and revered by many, and we had many allies and friends in the political arena. A simple word to a person of influence could change the outcome of a conflict. The presence of a revered Jedi Master would be enough to make rivals become friends before he even had stepped off the transport. The Jedi Order held much power in the old days before the Reformation Years. We did not have to bring our lightsabers out for some aggressive negotiations as often as we do now. The people of the galaxy did not test the patience and discipline of the Jedi like they do now. “More Jedi have died in these times of peace than they have in all the wars we have fought since the formation of the Sith Order” (Cerulian 250).​

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It should also be noted that whenever a Jedi has been elected Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, there has been a greater sense of peace in the galaxy than there ever has when a non-Jedi leads. Jedi Master Ola Reysan is one such Jedi Chancellor that has led the Republic through twenty years of peace before the Sith returned and disrupted the tranquility. Under her leadership the Republic saw an economic boom stretching from the Core to the Mid Rim and to a few worlds out in the Outer Rim, my homeworld Serenno being among those to benefit from the economic reforms created by her administration. It also saw fewer trade disputes and political unrest during her tenure and the foundations of the anti-slavery laws in the Expansion Region of the Republic (Singh 4390).​

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However Jedi Chancellor Reysan would be condemned by the Jedi High Council for the decisions preceding her resignation from the seat of office. From a certain point of view, a person could argue that she had done exactly what Tarsus Valorum feared would happen, and possibly based his decision on, however, on the other hand, a person could argue that Reysan had done what any leader in her position should have and would have done had they been privy to the same knowledge she had possessed. “Jedi Chancellor Reysan had forsaken her religious views to prepare the Republic and the Jedi for the coming war she had foreseen. Had she not, I can only imagine how the subsequent Mandalorian War and Sith Wars would have turned out with a Republic unprepared for the magnitude of death and destruction.” (Singh 4398).​

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Although in the end she would be seen as a corrupted Jedi by her peers, she would be considered, by history as one of the greatest chancellors the Republic has ever had. Even now, today, we continue to honor her with a statue in the Senate Rotunda, even if the Jedi are reluctant to do the same in our own halls. Reysan, in the end, may have chosen immoral decisions and embraced the darker methods commonly associated with our dark brethren, her intentions were good and she helped save millions of lives. Could she have chosen differently to achieve the same results? Perhaps she could have, but Jedi do not dwell on the “what ifs” and the past. What was done is done and Reysan is an example of a Jedi leader willing to do what is necessary to protect the people of the galaxy, even at a great cost to themselves.​

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Jedi Master Ola Reysan's foresight granted by the Force helped her lead the Republic through twenty years of peace and prosperity and it cannot be argued against that it is such a terrible thing to have as a leader. Without it, where would have the Republic been in those decades and the wars proceeding afterward? We know where exactly the Republic would be without the Force leading it's people, the last thousand years are testament to a lack of the Force in politics and the everyday function of the Republic.​

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Cited Works​

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Cerulian, Master Thame. “The Order of the Dark Lords.” Treatise of the Jedi Order 280 (873): 240-255. Holonet 5-3-909.​

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Farfalla, Master Valenthyne. Masters of the Force. Republic City: Coruscanti Publications, 10. Print.​

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Ordo, Mandalore Chas. Blood, Guts and Glory: The Mando'a Way. Keldabe: Galactic Books, 2374. Print.​

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Galactic Republic. Senate. Committee on Constitutional Reformation. Hearing on the Restructuring of the Jedi Order. 976th Senate, 3rd sess. Coruscant: RPO, 23,989. Print.​

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Russco, Prof. Dunald. History of the Galactic Republic. Republic City: Coruscanti Publications, 890. Print.​

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Valorum, Chancellor Tarsus. “Reforming the Republic: The Autobiography of Tarsus Valorum.” 42. Holonet file.​

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Singh, Dr. Yular. Chancellors of the Republic. Republic City: Coruscanti Publications, 905. Print.​

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Year Seven – Day 45B

The next entry has Dooku sitting at a desk in his room. He looks irritable and bored at the same time. A stack of datacards are to his right and his datapad lays flat in front of him. He's typing lazily at the keys before resting his head on a propped arm.

Master Jeedo praised me on my essay and even gave it high marks, but told me it would not count towards my overall score for the class. He says he will give me a second chance to write the assignment I was given, but it won't receive the full marks it would have gotten if I had done it the first time. It's not fair. I do not agree with him or the ancient Council's decisions to bar us from any office of power within the Republic.

He sighs and pushes away the datapad and scowls a bit.

I'll do his stupid assignment and then one day I'll prove to him and the others that a Jedi can make an excellent politician. At least a Jedi won't succumb to the corruption that plagues the Senate everyday. I mean, what good does greed and wealth do for a Jedi? We wouldn't need it to bribe people after all. We have the Force and would know which avenue to take to get someone on our side. It's that simple, right?

A comlink beeps somewhere behind him and he glances over his shoulder at it before calling it to him. Lorian's voice is heard on the other end.

“Hey, you done with that assignment yet?”

No.

“Aww,” complained the other boy. “When will you?”

Probably never. Why?

“I just got finished with my last class for the day and I was wondering if you wanted to sneak out of the Temple and go exploring. We're old enough now.”

I would but I do have this essay to finish.

The look he gave the comlink suggested that he knew they were not old enough to be outside of the Temple by themselves, but didn't bother pointing that out to his friend.

“Finish it later. I'll meet you at the Auxiliary Maintenance 94 passageway in ten. We can get out that way.”

But...

“Come ooooon, Yan,” pleaded Lorian. “You spend way too much time with your studies. You need a break. So do I.”

Dooku is quiet as he contemplates on going or not.

“Jocasta and Medea are coming. You're not gonna let them show you up are you?”

Alright, I'm coming!

The recorder shows him getting up and searching through his room for his cloak and utility belt. He snatches the curved hilt of his lightsaber from the bed before he's seen hurrying out of the room.

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Nice essay!

 

That was an excellent essay! Dooku is obviously a very intelligent boy who is not afraid to speak his mind.

 

Okay, I'm all caught up now. Excellent updates. Great job on the essay.

Oh now, Dooku is headed for trouble.

Looking forward to the next update.

 

So sorry for not having anything this month. Star Trek Into Darkness kinda um.... held me hostage. I blame Khan. What i'm posting today and tomorrow is just to keep the diary alive.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=​

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Year Seven - Day 46​

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It's a brief entry. Dooku isn't happy.​

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I've been grounded. Knew I shouldn't have listened to Lorian. Frak.​

 

Khan was awesome!

As for Dooku, well... being grounded is a good way to learn boundaries.

 

Hazel Yes, so awesome, he's abducted my muses and they refuse to talk about anything but him. Hmm I wonder who would win in any kind of fight, a Jedi/Sith or Khan?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-​

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Year Seven - Day 47​

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Dooku looks tired and dirty, though dirty as in from having to clean something.​

Too exhausted to add anything tonight. Let me just say, cleaning the lavatories on this level is not worth sneaking out of the Temple. A whole month!

He groans and shuts off the recorder.​

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Hehe!! Poor Dooku.