Before - Legends Descent Into The Dark (EU, Yoda 300 years before TPM)--*Complete* Replies 7/31- Link to EotD posted!

The Jedi Council was a midi-chlorian club. Millennia ago, one earned a position on the Jedi Council through years of service and demonstration of phenomenal control of oneself and the abilities granted by the Force. The Jedi had understood that true power had nothing to do with the gifts naturally given, but with the ability to grow beyond those gifts.

This makes them sound like a fraternity house! I love it. The Jedi are full of themselves as usual.

Eighty-three years later, the bonds of their friendship were severed. It was not the first friend he had lost in the last five hundred years. It would not be the last. When one lives over a thousand years, he comes to expect losing friends.

I have thought this about Yoda before--he has lived so long that he is destined to lose anyone he cares about very quickly (50-90 yrs) unless they are from his own race. It might make him bitter.

Yoda locked eyes with Qui-Lek defiantly. The human?s eyes were watering and Yoda suppressed a giggle at the man?s obvious discomfort. Let them win, sometimes I should, Yoda thought.

Yoda is a master manipulator as usual. "Letting" them win.

?Want her for yourself, you do!? The words were out before he knew what he was saying, and flames licked at the insides of his chest. ?Have her, you can not! Train her, I will!?

Ah--Yoda had an Anakin moment here! He threw a little tantrum in the Council chambers and got jealous. I wish he had been more sympathetic to Anakin.

You continue to make Yoda an interesting character.

 

Hey Souderwan, now I have read all the chapters, you written a great story, it's Yoda but not as we know him, arrogance, youth, uncertainy are in his character, you can see this Yoda is vunerable to the dark side, and the work you did in creating Yoda's species, their history, parties, planet, amazing!!

And I'm guessing it will be the result of what happens to Yoda that will lead to the strict Jedi codes seen in during the PT period.

And Yoda drunk, that was great to see!

ANd that threat, or pull of the dark side, how will it affect Yoda, mmm?

You have really made him a fully rounded character, well done!!

 

Wonderful, authentic dialogue again in this scene Souderwan. I loved the tense interaction between Yoda and Jedi Counsel, and Yoda's snarkiness: "Drunk on kriva juice, I was".

Nice to see the Council call Yoda on his arrogance and lack of responsbility in avoiding leadership. I also enjoyed watching Yoda loose that vaunted cool when challenged about taking Rizza as a padawan. I think I must be going through an anti-Yoda patch, because I'm loving seeing him being all human and character-flaw-y. Not like the god-like being he is presented to be in SW canon. "Ooooh, Master Yoda, I am. Know all, I do. Imparter of wisdom, I am..." blah-blah.

?Want her for yourself, you do!? The words were out before he knew what he was saying, and flames licked at the insides of his chest. ?Have her, you can not! Train her, I will!? Yoda ought to be careful, "the shadow of greed, that is".

Also, I note *cough cough* the parallels you have drawn between Yoda's confrontation with the counsel and Anakin's in RotS. It potentiates the pathos of that latter confrontation.

Congratulations on another fantastic chapter!

 

Great post Sounderwan. It was interesting to see that Yoda did not want to be on the Jedi High Council, even though he is the most experienced Jedi in the Order. Very cool to have Yoda get upset when Jedi Master Redous said he would take Rizza as his apprentice. Overall, it was a great scene, with emotion especially from Yoda. Nice job!

 

Hey everybody! Sorry for the long absence. I've been catching up on stories I promised people I'd read and finishing up the voting for the awards. Thanks to all of you who nominated and voted for FoTS!

Baby_Death_Star: I'm happy to know that you're seeing the parallels. This whole story is an exploration into what makes Yoda tick in the Saga. Why does he behave the way he does? You may remember the following conversation from Fall of The Sith:

This story began right there.

DARTH-DIABLO: Thanks a lot! Hopefully, you're seeing a lot of similarities between this Yoda and some other characters we know.

Arcalian: Yep! Yoda's definitely not the same guy as he is in the PT--and neither is the Jedi Order the same. As a wise man once said, every choice has a consequence. Some consequences are easy to figure out. Others....not so much.

jpauln: I agree that the Council is a lot wiser than Yoda realizes. He still has much to learn.

Anakins_Force: I have thought this about Yoda before--he has lived so long that he is destined to lose anyone he cares about very quickly (50-90 yrs) unless they are from his own race. It might make him bitter. You bring up a very important point here. I won't discuss it in open forum, but I'll just say that it's very important!

Skywalker3248: I'm so happy you stopped in! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! Yes..we're going to see where a lot of the changes come from.

mithrissa: Nice to see the Council call Yoda on his arrogance and lack of responsbility in avoiding leadership. I also enjoyed watching Yoda loose that vaunted cool when challenged about taking Rizza as a padawan. Yoda definitely needs a little chiding every now and again, no? And yes...the Yoda's little outburst is definitely reminiscent of a certain outburst later. Or is Anakin's outburst reminiscient of Yoda's? A little confusing isn't it? LOL!

Darth-Lutgerous: Thanks! I'm really enjoying writing this part of the story. Hopefully, you'll feel rewarded with the rest of the story!

The next post should be up in a few hours, everybody!

 

Hey all. As promised, here is the rest of Chapter 3. Hope you enjoy!

---

?Why do you insist on upsetting them, Yoda??

The gentle trickling sound of water filled the entire chamber. Yoda was perched atop a large bolder that sat near the edge of the artificial pond, wearing only a pair of form fitting black shorts. He pushed himself gracefully off the rock and slid into the water. It came to just below his neck. A broad smile filled his face as he leaned backward into the water and began to float in the fountain.

?Yoda!?

He laughed and began to stroke away from his friend, who frowned at him in exasperation. She stood up from her uncomfortable stone seat and turned to follow Yoda, who was gliding through the water elegantly. As she paced his progress, she pulled her hands behind her back, mimicking Yoda?s gait during instruction and settled into quiet breathing. When he?d traversed the nearly one-hundred meter wide pool, he calmly turned and quietly swam back. Despite her outward calm, the occasional twitch of her long lavender tentacles, which extended from the base of her skull, displayed her annoyance. As Yoda began yet another trip down the pool, she stopped.

?Enough! Yoda, I?ve had enough of this. You shouldn?t even be swimming in the fountain! What if someone sees you??

?Seen me, someone has, Elyana.? Yoda stopped swimming and stood up. He stared at her reprovingly for a long moment and then trudged to the embankment where she stood. He glanced over at her as he dried himself and noticed her right lekku flickering almost continuously. He sighed. ?Sorry I am, if upsets you my swimming does.?

?It?s not your swimming, Yoda! It?s your absolute disregard for anything the Council says! Why must you always fight them??

Yoda regarded her quietly. She was breathing heavily and her hands were trembling slightly.

?[i]Unwise,[/i] you think I am being, my old padawan??

The impact of the words was immediate. Elyana lowered her head and calmed her breathing. Yoda knew she was calling on the Force to help steady herself before she spoke again?exactly as he had taught her when she was only five nearly three decades before. She stood before him, a proud Jedi Master and his staunchest supporter on the Council. He donned his robes and turned to face the pool. A twitch of the Force pulled a small pebble from the calm waters. Another flicker brought a pebble from within the streaming waterfall that poured into the still pond.

?Master Secura!? His voice rebounded off the waterfall. ?Join me.?

With a respectful nod, Elyana walked over to Yoda and stood by his side. She looked down at him expectantly. It was often during moments like this that Yoda had imparted some of his deepest wisdom to her. She smiled. It was also during moments like this that she might expect to find herself lifted by the wings of the Force and dumped unceremoniously into the water. She wasn?t sure which Yoda she was looking at. As a precaution, she decided to use the Force to hold her to ground.

Her sidelong glance caught Yoda?s mischievous grin.

?Another time, perhaps,? he chuckled. ?Know, you should, if wanted you wet I did. Bring the fountain to the mountain, I would.? Elyana?s eyes widened at the thought of the entire contents of the pool being lifted into the air and dumped onto her head. If there was a Jedi who could do such a thing, it would be Yoda. What concerned her even more was the fact that he was also the only Jedi who would consider doing it.

Yoda faced her and opened his palms. Master Secura looked down and saw one pebble nestled in each stubby green hand. The pebbles were completely unremarkable. She regarded them trying to anticipate Yoda?s point.

?I see two pebbles.?

?Their differences, explain.?

?Well...they?re actually quite similar, Master Yoda. Both are about the same size and shape. They were both immersed in water before you snatched them up. They??

?No! Their differences, explain.?

?I only see one difference, really.?

?Hmmm??

?One is rather coarse and the other is smooth.

 

You continue to capture Yoda's younger character. While in some ways he seems quite different, there are definite hints of his later personality. The story with the pebbles seemed like exactly the kind of parable Yoda would proffer.

 

Our "Korun Diplomat" struck me VERY much like a younger Palpatine.

Or perhaps he is not so young.

 

Whew, a lot to catch up on. It's interesting how you intend to contrast this Jedi Council with the one a hundred years later under Yoda.

 

Let him get his handshake in and he?ll be happy. He?s probably given this Order more promise of stability than we?ve had in centuries.

I'm also seeing some undercurrents of evil here. Like someone said, Palpatine-esq to promise stability.

You have his attitude down perfectly--it's reminicsent of OT Yoda when he's with Luke. I see that he's still with Rizza--is something going to happen to her to make him callous about relationships? I can't wait for the next chapter!

 

Another great chapter.
This Dorran character is interesting. More to him than meets the eye i believe. He's also a Korun. Wonder if theres any links to Mace's family?
Looks like things are kicking up a notch!.
Can't wait for the next part.
My hats off to you again. Well done!

 

This is as great as ever, sorry for not reading recently, I've been a tad busy.

 

This story is amazing! Not that I'm in the least bit surprised, authored by Souderwan, centering around Yoda, a story like that couldn't be anything but incredible. The plot is really starting to take shape, I can't wait to see what Yoda does when he returns home. And the suspense of the mysterious voice and the void is great, I can't wait to see what it really is.

On another note, the culture and description of the migru culture was excellent! I feel like I know them just as well, or even better, than any other species in Star Wars (humans excluded, of course). The legends, culture, foods, hobies, clothing, everything just seems so well described and blended. The way you did that was perfect!

Keep up the good work, I can't wait to see where this story goes. I have a question, is Rizza the girl from the ceremony?

 

I too see an evil undertone to the politician?s motives. It would benefit the Sith greatly to put the Jedi under the Senate's control, setting up the events that would eventually lead to the order's downfall.

 

You're doing it again! Taking a completly known universe and putting a new freshness to it. How do you do that??!! I love it! Time for a new POST!!!

 

Great post Sounderwan. You continue to dazzle me with your fascinating writing. You capture the essence of young Yoda with every word and you have truly crafted another amazing story. Even the way you described the politican was interesting. I want to learn more about Yoda's past and I can't wait for the next post. Excellent job!!!

 

I haven't read much fanfic before, but this is a yoda I've never seen before: proud, sexualised, and on his home planet, with certain elements of the usual yoda comedy that seem to work so well because of his simultaneous grandeur and (yes I'll say it) cuteness. As others have said, I'm keen to see him located literally in a world of his own, rather than as the Jedi curiosity we see during the series. I think a bit of the dialogue sounds a little unyodaish (I'm not sure he would say "kidding", but that's just me), but on the whole the descriptive pacing of the piece was really great - starting with an inflated, almost egotistical rendering of Yoda that seems almost how he sees himself at this point, all rippling muscles, followed by the comic interruption. I'll refrain from making the obligatory remarks in yoda's syntax, since covered that ground has already been - sorry.

 

Hey everybody! Sorry I haven't posted lately. Been really busy at work. I'm working on the next chapter and will post it on Wednesday!

Darth_Scroobius: I'm glad you liked the pebble lesson. It's actually Plato's idea, not mine, for the record. He used the concept of conflict (dialectic) to create a smooth surface and the truth. But, I definitely think Yoda can pull a little Plato out every now and again.

Arcalian: He's definitely not that young. He's nearly 70! Reminds you of Palpy, eh? Cool!

aldocassidy: I'm glad you're finding it interesting. This older Jedi Council has a lot in common with the cannon one. But, you're right, there are some significant differences.

Anakins_Force: Undercurrents of evil. I like that. Umm...something happen with Rizza? Very possibily. You never really know what will cause someone to descend into the dark. Think about the difference between descending and falling. Not the same at all.

DARTH-DIABLO: Thanks very much. More to meet the eye? What if I just wrote him in to have somebody around when Yoda get's visited by the voice again?

Cobranaconda: I missed you dude! Glad to have you back. I was worried my writing had taken a nose-dive and I didn't know it.

Lord_Zeron: I'm so happy that you enjoyed the time I devoted to describing the migru culture. I think it was important for the reader to know them as well as I do. If I'm lucky, one day I'll read somebody talking about Yoda and reference my description of his culture without realizing it! Thanks again for the warm words.

jpauln: Are you suggesting that somehow, 300 years before TPM, the Sith are manipulating the Senate? Preposterous!

Ragozy: Yay! Ragozy! Missed you! Don't worry, new post coming up tomorrow. I'm glad you're liking the story.

Darth-Lutgerous: I'm really pleased that I've caught your attention! I'm itching to get into the meat of the story, but things must play out the way the muse demands. The most important thing to me is to keep Yoda authentic, while still being fresh with him. Hopefully, I'm being successful.

Darthlen: Nothing wrong with calling Yoda cute! Regarding some of Yoda's dialogue. When I was a kid, I heard my mom relating a story about my grandfather when she was a little girl. She didn't know I was listening. I don't remember much of the story but I remember that my mother, in relating some things by grandfather had said, used the 'f-word' as something my grandpa said. I thought she was lying. My grandfather would NEVER talk that way. It's just not him. Obviously, that just not true. The way people speak and phrases they use change through the years. Sometimes it's cultural, sometimes its personaly. But I understand your point. This Yoda does not stick to the same patterns that the Yoda of cannon does. That being said, I'm really happy you're enjoying what I've written so far. Hopefully, I can keep you around a little longer!

Take care for now, everybody. See you tomorrow with the next post.

 

Hi there!

I've been busy, so sorry for the delay: here's the updated pdf:

"Descent Into The Dark" by Souderwan .pdf, 38pg, 200KB, 3 chapters completed so far

Souderwan, I LOVED the latest chpater and Dorran Kaine. Every good story rises or falls with the big villain. I missed something ... evil, not imaginary but "able to touch". Not anymore. Are we getting more into this direction?

Can't wait for it!

 

Thanks for reminding me about this fic! Brilliant work so far, keep it up!

 

We both seem to have a good grasp of character, Soudy. You captured Yoda's voice really well, both figuratively and literally -- his distinctive Yoda grammar is pretty accurate here, and I bet you probably had to keep reminding yourself of his voice! I also loved the parable of the pebbles. Parables are usually something you see in Bibles, so it was cool to see in the middle of a Star Wars story.

 

Live and vivid... Keep up, I have my new favourite.. Besides JW of course...
DW

 

*sigh*

I'm waiting on my most excellent of betas to arise from her bed (she's in Australia) and give me the edited version of my next post. But! I was excited to see there were more posts, so I figured I'd do a little answering while we wait!

Baby_Death_Star: Why does everybody assume that Dorran Kaine is a bad guy?? I guess all just have an built-in lack of trust for those smooth, aristocratic types, eh?

BTW, I'd like you to know that your continued efforts at putting my work in .pdf format are greatly appreciated. I have 3 or 4 friends (2 on TF.n) that are reading my work just because it's accessible in this way. So thanks. BTW, because you're so good to me, I might limit my haitus after I'm done with Descent to start on the Sequel to FoTS (since you seem to be so excited about it). BTW, PM me if you'd like to know some of the titles I'm choosing from for the sequel.

Cherrylightsaber: Thanks for coming!! [face_hug] I'm happy you're enjoying it.

Rassick: Good to have you back, buddy. Believe it or not, I don't have as much trouble with Yoda's grammer as I originally thought. It's switching between his grammer and normal people that's a challenge! LOL! I think sometimes I'm a little too strict with his grammer. GL had Yoda break his speech patterns a bunch. glad you liked the parable. You find parables not just in Christianity, but also in Shaolin monks. I always pictured Yoda as the ancient Shaolin priest.

Darthwalker: Welcome!!! So happy to get a new reader. I'm planning on visiting JW (I'm assuming you mean JW_Titus, right?) I've heard great things about him and I'm fascinated by his Sith Wars series. Maybe BDS can give me a .pdf file so I can read through it quickly. Anyway...I'm really glad to know that the story's making you happy. Hopefully, I won't disappoint.

Ok...I'll post as soon as I hear from mithrissa. I expect that to be in an hour or two.

 

Well...I haven't heard from my Beta. So...I'm going to post anyway *cringe.* If it sucks, it's all my fault!
Don't blame her, OK? Hope you enjoy anyway.

EDIT: The great Mithrissa has come through. I have adjusted the content to reflect her edits. Thanks Mithrissa!!

--------------------------------The Cloud Of The Dark Side-----------------------------------------

?Master Yoda, you need to explain yourself!?

?Explain myself, to the likes of you, I will not!?

Rizza stared at Yoda in disbelief. The man in the hologram that Yoda glared at was handsome by human standards. His graying hair was cut immaculately short, his face blemish-free and clean shaven. Broad shoulders filled his Jedi robes. A wide brown belt covered his small waist, from which hung the silver hilt of his lightsaber. What struck her the most about him was how affable he looked. It surprised her, given how rude Yoda was being to the head of the Jedi Council.

?Yoda, we don?t have to do this! What is wrong? Perhaps we can help.?

?Starting the mission early, I am. Need more than that, you do not.?

Yoda ended the transmission before Qui-Lek had a chance to respond. He tossed the portable holotransceiver back into the cockpit of the ship and walked into the holding area. He looked at Rizza for a moment and tears welled in his eyes. Yoda bit them back and walked to the main doors, a bag slung across his shoulder. The doors lowered into a ramp that touched down on the surface of Migruna III. Yoda started out.

?Tell my mother, we should.? Her voice was a whisper. Yoda kept walking down the ramp onto the soft earth, as if he hadn?t heard her. It was early morning in Prime Village. The suns were still below the horizon and the light was just beginning to break. A thick fog lay low on the ground and the fresh smell of the dirt, wet with the morning dew, filled the air.

?Please?? Her quiet voice broke with emotion. Yoda turned to regard her.

?Do what you will.? Yoda sighed, his brow knitted tightly. He was finding it more and more difficult to use the Force to calm him. Something was encroaching on his connection with the Force. He couldn?t put his finger on it, but he knew that it was close. It felt like a cloud in the Force?a cloud that permeated everything as surely as the morning mist. He had to penetrate the cloud.

He noticed the tears in her eyes. She was scared. He considered that it may not have been wise to explain his vision to her. Perhaps it was not wise to share his vision with the Tribal Council either. The need to comfort her washed over him but he knew that what he really wanted was for her to comfort him. He needed to be alone.

?Meditate, I must. Into the woods, go I will. In the Force, hope I do, an answer exists. Your mother, contact. In the Outer Rim, stay she must. When complete your communication is, find me. The Tribal Council, address together, we will.?

Rizza walked down the ramp slowly and stood in front of him. Her eyes were wide as she looked into his. ?Scared, I am.?

Yoda nodded and turned his back to her. He began walking into the woods. Before long, only a dark silhouette remained in the murky wisps of white.

Rizza cried.

?Fear leads to the dark side.? Yoda?s voice boomed from the impenetrable haze. Rizza?s nod didn?t stem the tide of tears that flowed from her eyes. She stared at the space where Yoda had entered the mists until even the shadow of his form faded from sight. She wasn?t sure how long she continued to stand there, staring at the nothingness. Finally, she wiped her eyes and trekked up the ramp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He couldn?t feel the stump beneath him. The customary pressure on his legs didn?t register in his brain. He no longer smelled the fresh morning air. He didn?t experience the damp sensation of the fog as it lapped against his skin. His eyes were tightly shut. His breathing was so deep and slow that the rising of his chest only occurred once or twice a minute.

Yoda was deep in meditation.

 

Yay, I get first reply.

If I'm lucky, one day I'll read somebody talking about Yoda and reference my description of his culture without realizing it!

I know what you mean. A few weeks ago, I was talking to a friend about Mas Ammeda and started refrencing stuff from "Fall of the Sith" without realizing that it was only a fanfic.

Back to the point, great chapter! So Yaddle doesn't talk like other migru, I never knew that having not read anything about Yaddle before. I wonder if Yoda and Yaddle will get a chance to speak about Rizza.

I keep wondering who this voice is that keeps speaking to Yoda, if I had to guess I would say that Politician for some reason. Post again soon!