Characters The Jedi Way - Jedi Discussion Thread - Jedi and the Force in The Clone Wars

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?For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times. Before the Empire.? --Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi

[image=http://www1.theforce.net/jc/icons/thephantommenace/JediTemple1.gif]


Welcome to The Jedi Way. I am your host, The_Jedi_Index, otherwise known as ardavenport.

This is a discussion and index devoted to the Jedi Order leading up to and during the Jedi Purge. These ancient guardians of the Republic and followers of the Force found themselves intertwined with the history of the Republic. While the Star Wars Saga was built upon the story of such Jedi as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Master Yoda, their story is but one of the Jedi Order. This thread?s purpose is to explore all of the Order?s stories.

This thread is first and foremost a discussion forum. This is the place to discuss and seek information for fics on topics such as:

- The life of a Jedi, from being brought to the Temple Crèche, to life as a youngling, Padawan, the Trials, Knighthood, and the eventual attainment of the rank of Master
- Jedi not normally discussed, such as Adi Gallia and Plo Koon (and maybe even Yarcel Poof)
- The Jedi Code (relationships, selflessness, tranquility, etc.)
- The Force, specifically the differing perceptions of the Force shown throughout the films like midichlorians and the Living Force
- Force powers are connected to the Light and Dark Side respectively
- Jedi history, hierarchy, and specialization
- the Jedi Purge
- The Jedi Council

The following subjects are welcome as well, but are not the primary focus of this thread:

- pre-Republic Jedi and Jedi ancient history
- post-Purge Jedi who might have survive the Purge ('cause we know they're there)
- lives of canon Saga characters, like, Obi-Wan and Anakin
- OT Jedi training
- post-ROTJ Jedi ways

The sock will wait for at least a week of inactivity before starting any new topics of discussion. But all are welcome to begin their own discussion topic at any time, though it is preferred that people wait for one discussion to be inactive for a few days before starting a new topic.

This thread was originally begun by Luna_Nightshade, but has been adopted by ardavenport. The original Jedi Way Thread has been locked because of problems editing the first post.


HELPFUL LINKS

Here are some helpful starting places for research on the Jedi Order. I will add to it as I find others.

Star Wars Wiki links (always helpful for quick searches)

History of the Jedi Order
The Jedi Order
The Jedi Purge
The Jedi Trials
The Jedi Temple
The Jedi Council
The Jedi Code

Other helpful links to be added as they are found.

 

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INDEX


This thread is also here to be a place to index Jedi-significant stories. However, this is not meant to be a comprehensive listing of all Jedi-heavy stories in the forums. Basically, the criteria is too broad. Should it be any Jedi story, or just the ones with lots of training and Jedi philosophy? Stories set in the Jedi Temple? OCs or cannon characters or both? What if it's a Jedi story where they're on a mission where they're not acting like Jedi? Etc. It gets complicated fast.

So, the stories in this index will:
- have Jedi as main characters or as the main focus of a story
- include some aspects of Jedi life and/or philosophy in the main plot
- have had their links received by pm to the sock that fit the first two content criteria
- stories that the sock comes across and that fit the first two content criteria (the sock does have a preference for completed stories, but WIPs will be accepted if sent in by pm)

So, if you are an author with Jedi stories, or a reader and know of some, please send just the link to the sock, The_Jedi_Index. The sock will look them over and, if they fit the above criteria, add them to the index.


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A-H


Alexis_Wingstar

Left Behind
MAIN CHARACTER: An OC padawan named Vance Tiin
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Tiin keeps a journal to sort out his thoughts and feelings after falling in love with another padawan.
REASONS FOR INDEXING: The story involves a young jedi dealing with his feelings and there is much introspection on what is means to be a jedi. He even talks about the jedi code at length at one point.


ardavenport

Possessions
MAIN CHARACTERS: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan return to the Jedi Temple after a long and difficult mission.
REASONS FOR INDEXING: Qui-Gon's thoughts and experiences when examining the practicality of possessions and his lesson to Obi-Wan about the possessions of the Jedi Order's.

Pretense
MAIN CHARACTERS: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan meet the cook after having dinner.
REASONS FOR INDEXING: Qui-Gon faces someone who was not too pleased that his child was taken to be a Jedi.

The Heart of the Jedi
MAIN CHARACTERS: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Jedi Council, Jedi OCs
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Master and Padawan both learn from each other and from the simple construction of a new lightsaber.
REASONS FOR INDEXING: Obi-Wan builds a new lightsaber with Qui-Gon's guidance, and Qui-Gon takes Obi-Wan to Illum to complete it.

Jedi Dreaming
MAIN CHARACTERS: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Jedi OCs
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Obi-Wan learns of the deceptive nature of dreams and that even Jedi cannot discern imagination from possibility.
REASONS FOR INDEXING: Obi-Wan learns about dreams and visions while Qui-Gon is on a mission for deeper Jedi knowledge.


earlybird-obi-wan

Luminous beings
MAIN CHARACTERS: Obi-Wan, Anakin, Yoda
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Anakin sees Luke after he has defeated the emperor.
REASONS FOR INDEXING: Very short, one-post story about Anakin remembering what his masters taught him.

Lure of the holocron
MAIN CHARACTERS: Obi-Wan, Anakin, Jerec, Jocasta Nu, Ameesa Darys, OCs
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Jocasta Nu tangles with Obi-Wan and Anakin. Anakin sees a Sith artifact and gets lessons from Jerec (from Dark Forces). Palpatine is very interested.
REASONS FOR INDEXING: Jedi interactions w

 

Reserve.

 

Reserve.

 

Great idea for a thread. I'm surprised it hasn't been done before!

 

Originally, I wanted to revive this thread to discuss the new Jedi Vs. Sith book that's come out (which can come up later). But something else interesting has turned up on the Ultra-Stressed Jedi Students discussion:

How big is the Jedi Temple? And what's in it?

From ROTS (and Anakin's height and a lot of ratios), I estimated that the Temple is about 575 m on a side, 200 m high for the main building, plus 220 m for the main tower in the middle. That's pretty big, but what's in it? Especially for writing a story. I use the movies, the JA books, plus the cross-sections book for reference, but otherwise I make things up. What does everyone else do?

 

Well, I think it's safe to say that not everything was shown in the movies, and though more has been explored in the books, not everything has been gone into. I tend to try to stay with what is known, but, I also make up things that would concievably fit.

 

I agree. Whenever I try to write or envision the Temple, I normally first try to figure out if the area would be practical (Jedi seem to love practicality), and then if it is practical, I try to figure out if I could see Obi-Wan or someone of the sort using this area on a regular basis.

Someone should really write a whole story just describing the Temple, however. It would be so useful.

I really like the idea for this thread...

 

Here is another helpful link: Jedi Code

 

Well, this is actually the second Jedi Way thread, but the first one lapsed and got locked. So, this is the second try.

A story just about the Jedi Temple? I suppose it might be about remodeling....or cleaning....or maintenance.

Aside from the movies, the best official source I've seen for the Jedi Temple is the complete locations book, and that seems to only compile information from various EU book sources without giving you much that is new. There is so much that is so basic that is unknown, especially where Jedi live.

For my fics set in the Jedi Temple, I walk characters through the things they'll do in the Temple and work out the places that they'll have to be and what I'll have to make up if they need to be in some place that isn't in the movies or books. Some of the things I've thought up are:

- single rooms for Jedi, furnished spartanly in a Japanese style and with only a holographic window.
- living area corridors and intersections with plants
- living area meditation rooms
- eating halls
- reception area for med center
- treatment room and single private room for med center
- a 'crystal chamber' where old but usable lightsaber crystals can go in case someone needs to make a new saber at the Temple
- mission operations room
- training areas
- basement storage for the archives
- a grooming area to get your hair cut and nails done
- an unnamed 'supply' area for getting fitted for new clothes and stuff
- and probably a few other things that I've forgotten

What have other people invented for their fics?

Here's an interesting little factorid......as far as I can tell, the Jedi Temple is the only place on Coruscant where you see plants. Unless I missed something in Padme's apartment. And the only reason for that is because the set designers re-dressed the Council room to be the training room where Obi-Wan talks to Yoda during younging saber practice in ATOC. But it turns out to be a nice little visiual where everything on Coruscant is constructed, but the Jedi have a few living plants.

 

I haven't really made anything up. It frustrates me that there's very little real information as to living quarters and if the Padawans live with their masters or not. There seems to be barracks in the Complete locations book. So I can't figure out if it's more barracks or more individual rooms.

What I want to know is how long it would take to get from one side of the Temple to the other. What if you had to get somewhere fast? I know there were horizontal turbolifts but surely they must have done a heck of a lot of walking!

 

Barracks??? OK, I completely missed that in the Complete Locations book. I think I'll ignore it, wherever it is. I decided on single rooms because it was a fairly monastic way to go for Jedi and it was the easiest way to deal with multiple species/genders/ages whatever. As soon as you're dealing with roommates, whoever is assigning rooms for the Temple has a new whole level of complexity to deal with. If they're all separate rooms, just assign one when needed, maybe modify it if needed and that's it.

I absolutely refuse to refer to Jedi living spaces as 'quarters'. It's a Temple, not the Starship Enterprise. I don't care if the set designers called Yoda's meditation chamber in ATOC 'Jedi quarters' in the 'Star Wars 365 Days' book that John Knoll did. I also use 'lifts' instead of 'turbolifts' for the same reason. Did anyone ever say 'turbolift' in any of the movies?

Incidentally, the 365 Days book shows a "Mace's Office" set that they built in that before Lucas decided that it made the Jedi look too tied to a bureaucracy. I'm really glad they changed that.

I think all those long majestic hallways are how Jedi keep in shape. How fast someone got from point A to point B in the Temple would depend on the start and end points (number of levels, stairs, halls?) and whether they used the Force or not. A sedate walker might take a half hour to stroll from one end to the other, but If it were really important an athletic knight might do it in only a few minutes.

 

I think it would keep things nice and zen-like if Jedi are walking long, winding, twisty hallways to get from one side of the third-of-a-mile-plus span to the other. No one's ever on time, but there's lots of thinking along the way: Sounds Jedi-ish to me.

 

I always imagined Jedi kids living together in dorm/barrack style rooms until they were chosen as a Padawan, at which point they live in a small 2-bedroom apartment-esque location with their Master, until they become a Knight, and get their own place.

I've also played it where the Padawans each have their own room in a hall with other Padawans (again, like a dorm configuration), while the Masters have a similar setup nearby.

 

It really IS frustrating that there's such a lack of information about the Temple besides the clips we see and the cross sections is very limited. I really wish there was a more complete map. The Complete Locations map, isn't even that fully complete. Like Diane said, it doesn't show the initiate wing, or anything like that and that's very useful information. Maybe we could take it upon ourselves as a group project to map out the Temple? I've always thought that would be such a highly useful resource, if anybody were to tackle that sort of project.

If I had skill in drawing, I would, but I don't. My hubby has all the skill and he in fact did study cartography in college, but I'm not sure I could convince him to map the Jedi Temple, just because it's so huge.

 

I'm really hoping that once LucasArts gets around to making KOTOR 3, they'll include a level in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. The Dantooine Enclave seemed to have dormitory-style rooming, but that doesn't tell us much about how Coruscant operated. Of course, the Temple seems to be mostly abandoned by the time the second game rolls around, but still- it'd be awesome if they could provide a point of reference as to what the Temple was like at some point in history, since so far it's only been seen in recordings.

 

in one fanfic story, I cannot think of the author right now, they included a laundromat in the temple.

 

That does sound very Jedi-ish to me, too. But I think that Jedi are probably on time, they're just not in a hurry.

Laundry!! Huge dryers of tumbling brown Jedi robes, nice and warm. Aaaaaaaaaah, now there's a lot of story potential. The Jedi would definitely use droids for that. Perhaps each hallway of the living area has its own laundry chute? But then how does everyone get their clean clothes back? Droid delivery? I suppose so. But I guess everyone would have to have more than one change of clothes.

Off-hand, I don't think anyone does their own washing/dusting/cleaning/whatever on Coruscant, whether they're Jedi or not. That's what they have droids for. I suppose at night, huge zamboni-like machines cruise the hallways of the Temple keeping them polished. So, while the Jedi lifestyle would be very spartan as far as possessions go, they would still have all the other conveniences of life in the GFFA.

I also imagine Jedi kids living together in dormitory settings. But I imagine that as they get older they're assigned their own rooms.

I always write Jedi rooms as having their own fresher. No communal bathrooms in living areas of the Temple for me. Mostly for the same reason I imagine single rooms; it's much easier to handle the diversity of gender/species/whatever by just assigning everyone their own private space.

But there must be freshers in the other parts of the Temple, too. Where people eat or meet, just convenience. I would expect those to be nice.

 

Ah, but if they have droids and machines to do the cleaning and dusting, that limits the discipline masters can give wayward padawans!

"You have to clean the refresher for a month for that, Anakin."

"But master, how can I when the droids do it automatically?"

 

My father's answer to that question would've been handing me a toothbrush I'm sure Obi-Wan can do the same for Anakin

 

Ooooooooh, but I never picture Jedi using manual labor as punishment. They would use something much more tailored to whatever the offense was. Physical punishments are too easy to blow off once they're done. And since Jedi train their students to master their fear, then fear of a punishment wouldn't keep them in line anyway.

Padawan not studying, lying? disobeying? I think those would be handled with direct confrontation and intervention, with heavy emphasis on learning why they had to change their ways. Probably with some serious peer pressure thrown in, but with a hint of a reward of approval if the problem behavior is stopped. And the intervention wouldn't be considered done until it produced results, too.

The one-on-one arrangement with master and padawan means that the apprentices have a lot less room for getting into trouble, especially when they're younger.

But I suppose that if droids do clean everything on Coruscant, then where would Jedi learn to clean anything other than themselves? Or cook? I don't think that their education would be complete without those skills. Hmmmmm, those would be interesting classes indeed.

 

As far as living quarters go, I've usually pictured dormitory style for the younger kids, maybe single or double occupancy for the older initiates. Like some others here, I've always thought Master and Padawan teams had a two-bedroom apartment with a kitchen, and that Masters without Padawans had a one-bedroom or studio. I also think that they would be decorated however the individual Jedi wanted. Just look at the Temple itself- large and spacious (itself a luxery on Coruscant), elegent, with statues and tile decorations everywhere. The Jedi may live simply, but they have the best in what they do have. As long as the individual Jedi didn't go overboard, or become too attached to their belongings, I don't really see the Council having too many restrictions on what an individual Jedi can have in their own space.

My reasoning for the Master-Padawan apartment is simple. Most learning really doesn't happen in the classroom. It happens during daily life, by example from those closest to you. Padawans will learn best when they see their Masters practise Jedi behavior all the time, even behind closed doors. I don't see much difference between how a Jedi acts in public or in private. (In fact, I think that if there's a disconnect there, it's a sign that the Jedi may need help.) If a Padawan doesn't live with his Master, there isn't much room to inforce meditation immediately upon waking, or discipline for getting needed activities done (remember, they're teenagers), correction for misbehavior, or simply, trust. It's much harder to trust someone if you don't spend time with them, and since the vast majority of Jedi risk their lives and have to rely on their Padawans to do the right thing at the right time, it needs to be built. Furthermore, if a Padawan needs advice, he shouldn't have to travel all over the Temple looking for his master. He needs to be available, even and especially at the odd hours of the night. Using the comm system and leaving messages just don't cut it. Finally, on missions, it would be very hard to adjust to a new planet, culture, etc. and also have to learn to live with another person, either older or younger, both with their own set of routines that could very well clash. It's much easier to do it ahead of time, adjusting to life together at the Temple than on a mission which may well have diplomatic or lethal repurcussions if something goes wrong.

As for punishment, I think it would depend on the exact circumstances and the punishment would be taylored to fit the Padawan. It could include cleaning or phyiscal activity, more studies, etc., as well as meditation on why that activity was wrong. It would depend entirely on the personality of the person, not on what happened. (Though I do think there are some activites, like fighting, that would have a more universal punishment.)

 

I hadn't really thought of it before, but it seems to me that single rooms for masters and padawans would reinforce the 'no attachments' rule for Jedi. But I also think that padawan and master would spend most of their time together and having their rooms in separate places would not be a barrier to that, though I assume that the padawan's room would be close to wherever the master's was.

I think I also lean toward single rooms because I don't want to write Jedi cooking and washing dishes in the Temple. In that setting, I just want droids to do it.

Anakin explicitly says in ATOC that possessions are forbidden to a Jedi, but obviously there have to be limits. If Jedi had no possessions at all they would walk around naked with no lightsabers. I suppose the loophole to that rule is that the Jedi Order legally owns everything. So, the Jedi is forbidden possessions, but the Order has quite a lot. Their rooms would have some standard furnishings, but decoration could be added depending on the occupant's taste, within reason. Informally, I think of the 'no possessions' rule is not being applied to their lightsabers or anything a Jedi uses day to day or very small things that a person could carry. But I would suppose that a Jedi would be expected to accept losing everything and move on if there was a need for it.

 

I don't care if they are raised jedi, young padawans would get into too much trouble if they had their own room. Children are children no matter what... and young teenagers double that! Plus, if there were truly 'no attachments' there would be no master/padawan bonds. You can't have a bond and absolutely no attachment.

I can't imagine Jedi being lazy and having droids do their cooking and cleaning for them.

I agree with you on what you said about possessions though.

 

To what degree do you think this prohibition would be carried? Would there be no personal effects allowed on their person or in their rooms? I wonder how that might fit with the EU, where the Corellian Jedi are bestowed the Jedi Credits after they reach the Knighthood. There's also a tiny mention of signet rings awarded to padawans in Rogue Planet. I suppose those aren't what the Order would consider to be flashy tokens, but those still speak of certain levels of achievement that don't quite seem to fit with what the Jedi are supposed to stand for.