(Omake) From the Reaper's Journal (Canon)
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
From the Journal of Riphath Althean:
The Force has been called something that flows from life...but it cannot strictly be measured within life. The midichlorian hypothesis was suggested but given the high degree of midichlorians in small life forms near nexuses of the Force they seem to congregate near high concentrations of Force energy, rather than the Force arising from them. Objects placed in areas near nexuses of the Force eventually acquire attributes they did not previously possess without any other cause for these attributes. Given that it cannot be measured, is subjectively perceived differently from person to person within the same tradition and from tradition to tradition, and its use is associated with events observed from multiple viewpoints which are contrary to known natural laws, I have a new hypothesis:
The Force is a supernatural energy field which supersedes chemistry, biology, and physics to a degree limited only by the will of the one wielding the Force.
Since learning of it and learning to use it, I have been trying to understand it in context of the sciences I am familiar with. I have also witnessed a Force-user using his arms after application of a lightsaber to the glenohumeral joint. This should not be possible, but my life was endangered by the fact that it was happening.
The answer, then, is remarkably simple: for the sufficiently strong in the Force, the galaxy functions on belief. Become strong enough in the Force and do anything you want.
There's one problem with that answer though: I am not strong in the Force. I am skilled in the Force, certainly. I am creative with the Force. I am inventive and resourceful with the Force. But strong? Ha. There are better ways to make me laugh. My raw potential doesn't even nudge practice dummies around. I can overawe approximately nobody.
So I need to learn. I need to learn every possible Force skill, Force talent, Force ability, lightsaber form, so that I can find an answer through knowledge and guile. Most folks in my weight class, talent level, pay grade? They're younger than me. They've spent less time in school than I have.
I've learned almost all I can from the Matukai, and now I'm starting to learn from the Blackguard. Masha told me that the Blackguard teach their agents, "Wilders" as they are called, the following skills: lightsaber combat, combat with the Force, battle meditation, military tactics and strategy, and mind tricks.
In my time with Grievous' squad, I learned squad tactics and strategy. Much as I might call my plan in the warehouse a failure, it was tactically sound. I found a way to minimize danger and maximize effectiveness of available personnel. Threat assessment...yeah, that was a problem. If I'd gotten the chance to fully chop off the guy's arm, that would have helped me.
I cannot rely on Skywalker's tactics or Grievous's. They rely on the presence of an overwhelmingly powerful juggernaut--themselves. I tried it in the warehouse and learned the hard way: I am not presently an overwhelmingly powerful juggernaut.
I was a combat medic for a year and I've only been doing the combat part to any significant degree for the last few months. I shouldn't expect to be better at it than people who've been doing it for years. The only thing I should expect myself to be better at is the mind.
Does that mean I'm not going to try to get stronger? Of course not. Being strong makes a lot of battles easy. My biggest strength, the biggest disparity in strength between me and the other folks in my weight class? It's my smarts, my ability to learn. So I'm going to kill them with my brain.
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