Semi-random pre-blog question: Is there an official way to pronounce "Githany?" If not, how do you guys pronounce it: "Jithany" or "Githany?" Just curious. (For the record, I think "Jithany" sounds better. But that's just me.)

As you probably guessed from my question, I've just finished reading Darth Bane: Path of Destruction. And very early on, I had an epiphany - a reoccurring one, too. It was rather simple; I already sort of knew it. Yet that revelation led to another, which led to a blog! And not the blog I had in mind when I last blogged, either. That one is now patiently waiting until my Darth Bane fever subsides. Yeah - I really liked the book! My epiphany? Oh yes. Wanna hear it? Okay.

I could never be a Sith.

And for that matter, I could never be a Jedi.

Like I told you: simple. But as previously stated, said epiphany led to an additional revelation. And the revelation cleared up a question I thought I had answered, but my answer was incomplete. But I'll stop talking in circles. The revelation was about bringing balance to the Force. I realized that I am a pretty balanced person. In some matters I can be very black and white, like with matters of right and wrong, and how people should have to deal with the consequences of their choices. I'm big on justice, which can be good, but it can also leave me short of mercy, and that's not good when mercy is needed. Yet in many areas I can see the grey very clearly, or both sides of the story, or exceptions to the rule, or whatever you want to call it.

I'm very "grey" when it comes to the Jedi and the Sith. The story of Darth Bane cemented into my head the fact that I could never be a Sith, no matter how much I like to joke about it, or how much I wish I could look and be that cool. I could never fully embrace the dark side, because I could never repeatedly choose to do something I know is wrong. I could never kill people - innocent, guilty, or somewhere in between - just because I'm mad, for example. It's just not me. I could never fully embrace Sith teachings because they go against everything I believe.

On the other hand, I could never be a Jedi. I believe the "no attachment" rule is silly. I couldn't live without being attached at some level to something or someone! And the idea of just being so . . . emotionless . . . is a very depressing one indeed. (Gasp! See, there's an emotion right there!! ) It really seems like the Jedi either just tell you to pretend you don't have problems, or they tell you how bad it is to have those problems because they lead to the dark side. They don't ever show you how to work through your problems so you don't go to the dark side. I'm sorry, but just because I might decide to believe that elephants don't exist, doesn't mean they don't exist. They're real whether I face the truth or not. Just choosing not to feel a certain emotion doesn't mean you don't have it, and it doesn't mean it'll go away. You have to work through it.

These are only a few of the problems I see with both orders - it would take too long to name them all, and you can probably fill in the blanks for yourselves. The point is that because I'm so balanced between the two, I could never choose either side. When I realized this, my revelation came. For the Force to be balanced, there needs to be some kind of "in-between" order - neither Jedi nor Sith.

Up until now, I've always said that "bringing balance to the Force" means that there are no longer any Sith. But that never really made any sense to me, since "balance" means an equal measure of two or more things. In this case, those things are light and dark. And destroying the Sith destroys the dark so then there's only light. Yet at the same time, the Force doesn't really have "light" or "dark" sides - it's how you use the Force that matters. Yet at the same time (again!), the Force can apparently "become" how it's used, and then in turn it can affect the way you use it. Mace Windu says this in Shatterpoint, if I remember correctly. For example, if you use the Force in anger, the Force gets "angry," and anyone else who taps into the Force nearby will feel your anger. If the Force is "angry" enough, it's quite possible that you could end up drawing that anger into yourself along with the Force. It's a never-ending cycle. (Which brings up an interesting "chicken and egg" question . . . .)

Confused yet? So am I.

My first inclination after my revelation was to say that "balancing the Force" is not an accurate phrase. It should be more like "bringing balance to the way the Force is used." But considering my last point, the "endless cycle" means that "bringing balance to the way the Force is used" would cause the Force itself to be "balanced." So the phrase is technically fine.

But what about this "in-between" order? The Jedi survived, and the Sith . . . okay so they technically survived too . . . . Oh well - ignore that fact for a moment and maybe I can worm my way out of it eventually. Anyway, because of Luke, the Jedi Order lived on. However, it was definitely different than the Old Jedi Order. Now, I have not read any post-ROTJ EU as of yet, so I'm basing the following stuff off of what I've read in the old Essential Chronology and what I've heard. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong and/or add your own observations in the comments. But certainly the most obvious difference between the two orders is that people had attachments. Luke - the Grand Master - got married, for Pete's sake! People flew to the other side of the galaxy to save people they cared about, I'm sure! They owned things. I'm sure they sometimes felt grief so deeply that it drove them to do things that the Old Jedi Order would not approve of in any way, shape, or form.

In short, I think the new order was - dare I say it - more human. And that's what they needed to be. They needed that balance. The Sith were a little, uh, too human. They were like small children - selfish and only thinking about their own desires. The Jedi were like sacrificing mothers on steroids - they tried to help everyone else but didn't allow themselves to enjoy life at all. But the New Jedi Order managed to help others and themselves.

All those confusing and repetitive paragraphs to say: I think the Force really was brought into balance, and I finally feel like I understand why. And Anakin truly was the one to bring it into balance (although Luke certainly helped to finish the job), as his Chosen One destiny stated. If he hadn't destroyed the old order, the new one couldn't have come about.

MTFBWY as you ponder other great Star Wars mysteries,
Jade