There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no death; there is the Force.

We infiltrated the complex easily enough. There were only a few Geonosians standing guard. The majority had likely been ogling over their favorite form of barbaric entertainment, and Master Windu took care of the few sentinels quickly enough. As we crept through the rock tunnels drawing closer to the great arena, the sounds of the crowd grew louder. I had to check my excitement -- and my fear.

There is no emotion; there is peace.

Master Windu split us up into groups and hurriedly gave out directions.

"Wait for my signal," he commanded.

Waiting was hard. It's always been hard for me, and I was tense and anxious. I had been on dangerous missions before, but none where I felt that the stakes were so high. Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker were respected Jedi, and Senator Amidala was an influential political figure. I worried about them, and my only desire was to see them safely back to Coruscant. But my worry would not help in the battle; I focused on the Force to calm my nerves.

From our position in the shadows of the alcove we could see the battle raging in the arena. We could see the captives making valiant attempts to escape, but with three ferocious monsters attacking relentlessly, the odds were against them. I shifted my grip on my lightsaber hilt. The jeers from the Geonosians were pounding in my ears, adding anger to my subdued anxiousness and anticipation. Master Jocasta Nu would say to be mindful their culture, but culture could not excuse this torment that the Geonosians tried to pass off as justice.

There is no passion; there is serenity.

A flash of purple caught my attention, and I looked up to see Master Windu standing in the top box by Count Dooku. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but he saluted quickly with his lightsaber, and I recognized the signal.

We burst from the shadows, our lightsabers jumping to life all around the arena. The Geonosians squawked and scattered, some running back into the corridors, others taking flight.

I tried not to smile, but I couldn't help it. The Geonosians were scampering away from us, running from our shining blades. It seemed victory had come much easier than we thought it would. My recent trials were more difficult than this.

Then the blaster fire started.

Hundreds of battle droids poured into the arena, firing a deadly barrage of blaster fire. Almost as one, we Jedi leapt down onto the arena floor and charged them, cutting through metal and deflecting shots.

I turned fully to the Force. It was like music to a dance. It guided my hands, my feet, my whole body as I deflected and dodged blaster bolts. My defense was perfect; my lightsaber whirled, reducing many droids to sparking pieces. The shrieking sound of passing blaster fire stung my ears, and as hundreds of metal feet steadily marched forward, the ground beneath my feet trembled; but I refused to be intimidated by mere machines. I pressed on, slicing and slashing.

But our numbers were dwindling, and the survivors pulled back into a circle. Each time a Jedi died, I felt it through the Force. The pain, the sorrow, the bitter sweetness of becoming one with the Force pricked at my heart. My eyes began to tear, and I saw everything through a watery blur. Once I tripped on a collapsed Jedi's robe and almost fell, but I recovered quickly. My friends were dying. When a wave of heart wrenching emotion began to wash over me, I tried to reach out and caress the dying Jedi, saying a last farewell. I realized that tears were actually sliding down my cheeks in grief. We were being slaughtered by machines.

We drew back, pulling our circle together more tightly as more Jedi fell. The battle droids were overwhelming us. The Force washed over me unlike ever before, almost reassuringly. And I knew.

There is no emotion; there is peace.

Super battle droids closed in around us, firing rapidly and incessantly. Even a Jedi could not block all those shots. A blaster bolt ripped into my chest, and it burned as if it was on fire.

There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.

I fell to my knees, my lightsaber thudding to the ground beside me. To breathe was to endure torture. My vision faded. I reached out blindly, my hand actually clenching the air as I grasped the Force. The Force felt as though it was ebbing away from me and then coming back again, like the tide, gently calming, then withdrawing, readying me for complete immersion.

There is no passion; there is serenity.

Against my blackened vision, sparks of white light had appeared swirling around in the way stars swirl around in the galaxy. The Force? it was time to become one with it. I was calm, accepting. I just hoped Mace Windu and the captives would get away, or our mission would have been in vain. I was willing to give up my life, as I was aware might be required of me any mission. I cried only for the other Jedi, my friends and colleagues. I would not cry for myself.

There is no death; there is the Force.

The arena had vanished; the sounds of battle had vanished; my body had vanished. The twinkling lights in my vision grew brighter and brighter, and spun faster, pushing back the blackness. I would have gasped if I had had any breath left, but all I could do was stare in wonder at the dazzling brightness. A dozen consciousnesses were brushing over me; most of them I recognized as old friends. They were whispering farewell.

There is no death?

The spinning lights exploded, and I was gone.

There is the Force.

Original cover by obaona. HTML formatting copyright 2003 TheForce.Net LLC.