THE WAR OF THE WORDS - Part Two

You were the Chosen One. It was said you would destroy the Sith, not join them. Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness! It's a sequel, you have to read it...



Last week I wrote about words... and about when a boy becomes a man and a man becomes a Jedi, and Jedi becomes a Man. That was about becoming a Man with a capital "M" (This is symbolic, not sexist, it applies to female Jedi as well).

This is about a Jedi becoming a man.

* * *

It is a story of love and loss, brotherhood and betrayal, courage and sacrifice and the death of dreams. It is a story of the blurred line between our best and our worst. (Matthew Stover, "Revenge of the Sith")


* * *

It's no secret around these parts, or anywhere in the galaxy, that I love Obi-Wan Kenobi. And not just because the young Obi-Wan is hot and sexy. Which he is, but that's beside the point.

To me, Obi-Wan Kenobi is the epitome of a Jedi Knight. He is not perfect, but he is the best of the Jedi. Not as arrogant as Anakin, not as stubborn as Mace Windu, not as rigid as Yoda, he nevertheless lives his life as a Jedi. He was dedicated, faithful, courageous, and above all, honorable.

And he is rewarded. He becomes a Jedi Master, he is chosen for the Jedi Council. He is a war hero, and yet a peacemaker, known for his negotiating skills, he has the respect of the Republic. He fights the war with words.

And so he goes to Mustafar, in spite of his reluctance to do so, and does his duty as a Jedi. He tries to save Anakin with words, but to no avail.

"The boy you trained," Yoda had told him, "Gone he is, consumed by Darth Vader." In spite of his Master's words of advice, he tries anyway.

"You have allowed this dark lord to twist your mind, until now.... Now you have become the very thing you swore to destroy." Powerful words, but words that Anakin ignores. Even near the end, Obi-Wan tries to save him with words. "It's over Anakin, I have the high ground."

* * *

"I hate you!"

"You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you." At that moment, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the great Jedi Master, becomes an ordinary man. Thinking he has just killed his best friend, the boy with who he has spent almost every day of the past thirteen years, he turns away with his heart broken, his life shattered.

But it is only for that one terrible moment that he is an ordinary man, and then he becomes a Jedi again. He leaves Anakin to the will of the Force, and sets about trying to save Anakin's wife and unborn child.

He volunteers to watch over baby Luke. He sentences himself to exile on a harsh and unforgiving planet that sucks the very life out of his bones, aging him far beyond his years.

I love old Obi-Wan Kenobi, too. When I first saw ANH, which was called "Star Wars" in those days, I wished I had old Ben Kenobi as a grandfather. Someone wise, and compassionate and caring, yet strong and brave. A crazy old wizard? I don't think so. He was still a Jedi Master.

He lives with, and somehow makes peace with, his regrets. How do I know this? Because, when baby Luke becomes a young man, Obi-Wan accepts his duty to teach Luke the ways of the Force. He honors his promise to Master Yoda to watch over Luke, for as far as he may know, he could be the last of the Jedi. If he doesn't teach Luke, who will?

* * *

I joked that I always tell Obi-Wan not to give up to Vader on board the Death Star, and he always does it anyway.

I don't think Obi-Wan found death to be anything but a relief from his torment. He probably welcomed it. His premature aging had left him feeling useless, and clumsy, and in pain. Yes, he still carried his regrets with him into the afterlife, but as my friend Jedi Master Mina points out, he thought he'd be more useful to Luke as a Force ghost.

And that's a valid point. As a ghost, he is free to explore the depths of the Force, to continue learning, and to appear to Luke when he needs help without Luke having the burden of looking after an old man.

He helps Luke with words when he can't with actions.

* * *

For all my friends on the Internet, here on this site and on other forums I hang out at, all brought to me by a shared love of Star Wars, I am thankful. Without their words these past few years I would be a lost soul, a Jedi without thought or purpose.

So, my words to all of you this Thanksgiving, is Thank the Maker for Star Wars... Star Wars is after all, only words, but words that have brought a galaxy to life, and life to this galaxy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

THE WAR OF THE WORDS

When does a man become a Jedi? Or is it the other way around... Words that changed our beloved GFFA for better or for worse...

THE WAR OF THE WORDS or WORDS THAT CHANGED A GALAXY

"Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi" (Qui-Gon Jinn, TPM)

The true beginning of our tale, when the wheels of Fate were set in motion.

Qui-Gon: "Promise me you will train the boy!"
Obi-Wan: "Yes, Master..."

Poor Obi-Wan, how could he refuse his dying master's last wish? Barely trained himself, he was too young and inexperienced to be training anyone, much less The (supposed) Chosen One.

How many times he must have regretted making that promise. But he has become a true Jedi, and cannot go back on his word.

"I love you." (Padme Amidala, AOTC)
"I'll do anything you ask." (Anakin Skywalker, ROTS)

Stupid, stupid kids...

"You must do what you feel is right, of course." (Obi-Wan Kenobi, ANH)

And Luke does, even with confusion and grief in his heart, he goes with Old Ben and takes control of his own destiny. He becomes a warrior, and a hero, realizing that he must have been meant for greater things than being a farmer.

Obi-Wan: "If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

Don't do it, Obi-Wan! (I say that every time, and every time he raises that saber and lets Vader kill him. OK, he saved the mission, but he might have been more useful to Luke and the Rebellion alive...He never listens to me...)

"No, I am your father." (Darth Vader, ESB)

Here's where out hero takes a fall, literally. Showing his first bit of true Jedi wisdom, he realizes that the unknown or even death is better than turning to the Dark Side.

This is why Obi-Wan told him, "If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone. I cannot interfere."

My response would have been, "Why the heck not?" But it was a true test of Luke's character. He faced the easy way out, the temptation of power he could have had by taking his father's hand and going with him, and he resisted it. This is where this particular man becomes a Jedi.

"I am a Jedi, like my father before me." (Luke Skywalker, ROTJ)

He has faced down his worst nightmares, his deepest fears, and is ready to accept his fate, even if it's death, but he will not turn evil.

He could easily have said, "OK, Palpy, kill the old man and I'll help you run the Empire!" But no, that is not the Jedi way. And this where this particular Jedi becomes a man.

The true battle for control of the Galaxy Far,Far Away was fought with words. Words that changed the galaxy, words that turned boys into men, and men into Jedi and Jedi into Men.

That is the way of things, the way of the Force.

JEDI IN PINK SOCKS

>
Here it is, the long awaited follow-up to "Jedi in Purple Underwear"...

Aw, Artoo, what am I doing here? In Scottsdale? It's like something out of a dream. A pretty nice dream, the weather is good. I'd give it an A+ in dreams.

Saturday night I went out with the Rebel Legion and the Dune Sea Garrison of the 501st to work the sidewalk out in front of the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Why? Because Charlie Ross was there with his "One Man Star Wars Trilogy" and we got in for free!

I wore blue underwear this time, to match my lightsaber... Hansgirl will be happy to hear that the strategic placement of eight hairpins kept my head from falling off all night...

Whoever said storm troopers aren't nice haven't met these guys. And Boba Fett knows me from somewhere, probably the RL forum, and damned if I can remember what he said his name was, but when I said I was Granny-Wan to someone else he looked up and said "Granny???!" LOL

One of the troopers had a working Artoo unit that he built! A fantastic piece of work. He had it roll up to the curb when the local trolley pulled up, and the driver opened the door and Artoo rotated his dome in a "no" and then rolled away. The driver and the passengers were all laughing hysterically.

One passerby was desperately trying to get us to go to the Martini Ranch across the street. Perhaps he afraid his drinking buddies wouldn't believe him... "Are you guys headed for the bar? Oh, you gotta come with me!"

A rude young woman asked Darth Vader to grab his crotch for a picture... he just ignored her and I told her, "move along, move along..."

Two young men with beers in their hands stopped to chat, one trying to get the other to go in to see the show... "We grew up on this stuff, man!" But apparently the other man was more interested in the bar scene... hell, you can do that any night...

Somewhere the City if Scottsdale Cultural Council had pictures of another Jedi and I dueling Darth Maul... somewhere there are tons of pictures of me and the rest of the group in cell phones... all over the valley there are tourists calling home with, "You won't believe what we saw tonight!"



Yes, that's me on stage with Charlie Ross... woo-hoo! What a nice man. I passed on the opportunity to go party with him and the group... Hey, it was late, and I'm old.. and it was Dutch Treat and I'm saving my pennies to go to Wondercon...

That won't be as difficult now that I have two costume projects in the works for other people... I can spend their money and still have the fun of making costumes.... More to come on that front in a later blog...

Luke: I thought you were black!
Vader/Anakin: No, that's just my voice. That's James Earl Jones. It's a rather long story, and I'm pretty busy dying right now, so maybe you could look it up on Star Wars dot com. Or ask one of those people up there in costume, if they don't know I don't know who would!"

If someone comes up with some better pictures, I’ll update...

And that be all...

MORE PHOTOSHOP FUN!

or... "yes, baby, I like it like that...."