I often think - what if the Jedi had always been allowed to form relationships? Many of my stories involve Jedi, or fallen Jedi, in relationships of one sort of the other. I don't mean friendships, or peer relationships - I mean relationships of passion and love.

Would Obi Wan have been so blind to the changes in Anakin Skywalker if he had been his real son? Wouldn't he have been able to sense the problems before they arose? The same could be said of Anakin. If he had been allowed to retain contact with his mother, he might have sensed the impending danger before it had happened - he might even have been there to prevent it.

The isolation of an individual from all that he has known and that he has grown up with can cause more problems than it can solve. Yoda sensed this when he first met Anakin. This was the reason why many Jedi were enroled in the academy as infants, and isolated from their parents. The Jedi assumed that growth with the Force required complete dedication and resolve - yet Luke was able to learn enough about the Force to challenge and technically defeat his father Anakin - within a few short years. As he grew within the Force, he was still surrounded by friends and family - only being isolated whilst on Dagobah.

Eventually, his relationship with Mara Jade developed - and in some ways counterpointed his role as a Jedi Master. In fact, had it not been for the intervention of his sister whilst fighting against the reborn Emperor - he may never have survived to become a true Jedi.

Maybe, to become a true Jedi - you have to understand the passions and beliefs that lead to the Dark Side. Maybe you have to know your enemy before you can defeat him. It could be that by isolating themselves from the rest of the galactic population, and by serving - instead of joining - the Jedi were the cause of their own demise. In the end they fell victim to their own propoganda - and it was their downfall.