more imbued in my Galaxy!
"So far, I've noticed that it seems like it's only the Human species that is Force-sensitive on Earth; no other species! My Galaxy, there are many other species that are strong in the Force...anyway, with such Force-strength in my Galaxy, it seemed to augment our technological abilities. That, plus certain elements on some of our planets were conducive to the right metalic materials it took to construct such strong starships."
"So..." Jacob now stood and then began to pace; the mere scale of Salvitor's history bathing him in awe! "Your Order, the Sith...you've all been traveling through space for, literally, millions of years?"
Salvitor was beginning to get uncomfortable with the conversation. For Jacob's Force-sensitivity had, apparently, made him more able to catch on to things quicker than others on Earth. And that meant more questions...
"Yes...our Dreadnaughts had been transiting interstellar space for millions of years."
Silence from Jacob. He then slowly turned to face his Jedi teacher.
"Salvitor, you realize that anthropologists on Earth say that the Human species has only been around on this planet for something like three-hundred thousand years...not even half a million years!"
"Yes, I've read several articles on your Internet about such things. That, and those documentaries on those televisions."
"Then--if your civilization has been traveling for millions of years just to get to Earth in generational ships--"
"How did my Galaxy's version of Homo sapiens develop there and the Milky Way's version develop on Earth at such different times?"
Both men, now, stared at each other. Even the mighty Jedi looked puzzled at that point, Jacob noticed.
"Trust me, Jacob, the Order discussed that issue for many years and we still don't--"
"Wait...discussed how old Humans are on Earth for years?"
And here it comes, Salvitor thought to himself.
"Jedi Salvitor," Jacob said with a formality that denoted to Salvitor that he needed to be straight with the young Earthen, "how long have the Jedi and the Sith been on planet Earth?"
Salvitor sighed, and he, too, got up from the bench; looking at downtown Chicago from that old train stop. Sunlight was still shining in the afternoon; forcing him to squint.
"The Dreadnaught I was born on is so big, Jacob, that it's basically one of Earth's medium-sized city within a starship...even now, some Jedi have not set foot on Earth! I've only been here a few years, after I received my mission to come and recruit Forcers in this region of North America."
"Wow! So, then, your gigantic ships are still around somewhere!" Jacob was having visions of a trip to the Dreadnaught, Salvitor could see.
"Actually, it's only one, Jacob." The Earthen's head snapped in the Jedi's direction. "It's always been one. At least, in this solar system. The history of how and why my Order left our home-galaxy is so ancient, that even among our precise Jedi library it gets muddled in the details...something about some long ago-defunct Empire that was relatively short-lived and was replaced with a Republic system that we still, mostly, have today..."
The Jedi shrugged; his head shaking pensively. "Accounts by some Jedi that are even older than I am, say that something horrendously bad happened in our home-galaxy and the Jedi had to quickly find a way out of our Galaxy. None of the Jedi know what that event was...Several Super-Dreadnaught class ships were launched, most of them going to different nearby galaxies; some, to far away galaxies."
"And your ship was one of the generational ships that went far and away from your home-galaxy," Jacob summarized, his head also nodding; finally getting some of the answers he'd been wanting to hear for two weeks.
"Indeed," Salvitor said quietly with another nod. This time when he looked away toward downtown Chicago, his tone was more menacing. "So many eons had passed in the travels of my Order's Dreadnaught, that, somehow, a Sith movement had emerged from within the ranks of the Jedi aboard the starship! As big as Super-Dreadnaughts are, Jacob, they're a small place to be when the population within that ship has turned against one another! Anyway, some believe it was because the Force has the tendency to bring 'balance' to the universe. Some Jedi aren't so sure of this, Jacob.
"For several millennia, war was fought within our Order's Dreadnaught between the Jedi and the resurrected Order of the Sith."
Jacob gave a face of thought. "If there were all these wars going on within your generational ship, Jedi Salvitor, wouldn't your ship had been in danger of imploding in space from all the fighting, or going off course, or something?"
Jacob noitced how Salvitor froze upon his last guess. Jacob did a slight gasp. He slowly walked up to his teacher; Jacob's head tilted in thought.
"Your Order and the Sith are in my solar system because your Dreadnaught crash landed, didn't it?"
A slight smile from Jedi Salvitor creased. "Your Jedi abilities serve you well, Jacob."
"Well, some would say it's more about thinking things through...so, where is it?"
Salvitor had been mostly looking at the Chicago skyline for the past minute. He turned his attention to his pupil. "Where's what?"
"The ship, Captain Jack Sparrow!" The Jedi frowned for the lost reference. "Local joke...where is the Dreadnaught, now, Master?"
Salvitor's turn to cock his head inquisitively. "In the ancient times of the Jedi Order, the pupil would call the teacher, Master. It's the first time you've called me that...I think I rather like it!"
"Fair enough. Master, you're stalling, and I don't need the Force to see that!"
A chuckle from Salvitor, as the middle-aged Jedi became more animated. Whenever he thought deeply on the history of his Order's trek, his mood would always become glum. "I'm sorry, my Apprentice. But that is something the Order agreed to keep secret from all of Earth. It's bad enough that many of this planet's citizens have spotted some of our scout ships--imagine what would happen on Earth if they were to see the Dreadnaught itself!"
Once again, the Jedi had surprised the young Earthen. Jacob's eyes were wide open. "You're talking about all the UFO-sightings! So, that was the Order all those times?"
"Not every sighting, Apprentice," Salvitor said as he gathered his duffel bag and placed his water and a couple of other things into it; getting ready to leave the rustic station. "And certainly not the Jedi all the time. Every since the 1950s, the Order has noticed that the Sith have been extra busy with their scouting missions on Earth! We suspect with the advent of Earth-powers' space technologies, it caught the eyes of the Sith...we strongly believe it's one of the reasons why the Sith decided to start recruiting Earthen humans that were latent-Forcers!"
“And I suppose some of those alien-sightings are real,” Jacob said, half-way to himself; his eyes cast down in thought. “Only, they're not Martians or from some planet-X, or something...they're members of your Jedi Order!”
Salvitor was nodding in approval. He slapped one of his hands on Jacob's shoulder, indicating it was time to go. “Most likely. Some may be Sith, Jacob, I must warn you. Oh, and by the way, you are not to share any of this information I've been telling you for the past two weeks with anyone, Jacob...absolutely no one. It's true most humans would not believe you, anyway. If popular culture is any indication. But the implications of the human population finding out about its history being tied to the Jedi and the Sith would create an even wider global conflict than Earth already has on any given year!”
“And that would open the door to the Dark Side of the Force for the entire planet,” Jacob said, stopping where he was as it occurred to him the bigger picture of things.
Jedi Salvitor observed him, noting how such understandings of the Force seem to radiate with Jacob at such an early stage of his Jedi training!
They were bo
th now walking away from the small station and toward Jacob's car, which was parked several yards away. They got into the early-nineties vehicle and drove off; done with Jedi business for the day.
~~fin~~
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