Welcome to the #6 edition of 60 Standard Minutes.

[Guest Admiral_Antilles]

Welcome to the #6 edition of 60 Standard Minutes. As I promised, in this edition I investigate the Jedi. I will investigate the Jedi, their hierarchy, and everything in between. I would like to thank you all for giving me such high ratings on my past editions; it gives me a smile to do this for all of you. I would also like to thank Trej for putting my editions in the encyclopedia section of SWR. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I have researching and doing it.

 

Jedi Knights

The Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice from the early beginnings of the Old Republic. They were highly trained in the use of the Force, and employed the elegant Lightsaber as their weapon of choice. In the beginning, the Jedi were merely scientists and scholars who debated on the unusual energy field - the Force - which seemed to emanate from certain individuals. Over time, as knowledge and understanding of the Force grew, this loose affiliation coalesced into the Jedi Order. They protected the Republic from all threats, including the Clone Wars. They were also used to settle disputes and contentions for rulership due to their overall neutrality and their ability to search out the truth via the Force.

 

After the destruction caused by the Great Hyperspace War and the Great Sith War, the Jedi and the Old Republic began to work much closer together, combining their strengths to ensure no further threats to the galaxy erupted into full-scale war. However, over time, the Jedi became a highly insular Order, and rarely mixed with the very citizens they were sworn to protect. They wrapped themselves in rules which stagnated the Order and turned their connection to the Force into more of a scientific relationship. However, their connections to the Force still gave them great power.

 

When Senator Palpatine assumed the throne of galactic Emperor, he realized that the Jedi Knights were the only true faction that could stand between him and the galaxy, and so he dispatched a series of extermination forces to eradicate the Jedi. He nearly succeeded, for the only Jedi known to have survived were Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the Jedi Master Yoda. Despite Palpatine's efforts, though, many Force-sensitive beings managed to survive the Jedi Purge, including Luke Skywalker and Streen, simply because they were not adept enough to control the Force. It has been estimated that there were 10,000 Jedi active in the galaxy at the time when Senator Palpatine took control of the galaxy. As Luke Skywalker began training new Jedi more than twenty years after the fall of the Old Republic, there were roughly 100 active Knights when the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the galaxy, with dozens more in training. During the conflict their numbers were reduced by half, and most of the survivors were children who were not yet trained enough to become full Jedi Knights.

 

As Master Skywalker contemplated his new understanding of the Force - not a simple delineation between light and dark, but a more profound definition of the ways in which good and evil fight for control of an individual - he chose not to return the Jedi to their roles as an unbiased police force. Luke reasoned that the Jedi Knights of the Old Republic were once a meditative order that was drawn deeper and deeper into the machinations of the Republic when its Chancellors called for their help in mediating disputes. As this call for help escalated into the battle legions of the Clone Wars, the Jedi became less interested in the nature of the Force and more interested in separating good and evil into light and dark halves to the Force. The Jedi of the Old Republic, according to Skywalker, lost sight of the fact that the Force moved through an individual, not from them. In the end, Skywalker chose to allow Kam Solusar and Tionne to re-establish a training center on Ossus, which served as the foundation for a new Jedi Order.

 

Every government must have laws, every faction rules; this is the code of the Jedi:

 

Jedi Code, The

The tenets of the Jedi Knights, the Jedi Code was established from the writings of Jedi Master Odan-Urr some 4,000 years before the Battle of Yavin. The basic Code has altered in form but never content over the millennia, and goes as follows: "There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no chaos; there is harmony. There is no death; there is the Force."

 

Among the other basic tenets is the notion that a Jedi Knight or Master can only take a single Padawan apprentice. This ensures that a teacher cannot gain undue influence, and mirrors the limitations imposed by the Sith Lords. Among the deepest beliefs contained within the Jedi Code is that a Jedi will consider the actions of the Force before undertaking any action. This meant that a Jedi had to ensure that they were acting without emotion in every situation, so as not to draw power from the Dark Side of the Force. Among the most prominent teaching of Master Odan-Urr were the following:

 

• "Certainly a Jedi should know the Code, by word and by heart. But seemingly every Jedi is in some fashion negligent, from the lowest padawan to the highest Master. Consequently, were someone to demand, 'What is the true meaning of the Jedi Code?' the Jedi who promptly answered would be rare indeed."

• "Every Jedi should spend time meditating each day on the will of the Force. The reason for this is simple: If one has unwittingly acted contrary to the will of the Force, recognizing the mistake soon after may still give on time to make amends."

• "To be brave in battle proves nothing. A Jedi should be prepared to put aside fear, regret, and uncertainty and either fight, run, surrender, or die."

• "If a Jedi ignites his Lightsaber, he must be ready to take a life. If he is not so prepared, he must keep his weapon at his side."

• "Do not come to rely on the Force to the detriment of your other senses and abilities."

 

Every system needs leaders, and this proves true to Jedi aswell. These are the most wise and powerful of all Jedi and they are the Jedi Council:

 

Jedi Council

In the years leading up to the Clone Wars and the fall of the Old Republic, the Jedi Council consisted of twelve Jedi Masters elected to guide the actions and goals of the Jedi. They had a spectacular chamber located in one of the four council towers of the Jedi Temple, located on Coruscant. The Council was made up of five lifetime members, four long-term members, and three limited-term members. At the time of the Battle of Naboo, the Council consisted of the following members:

 

• Lifetime Members:

 

o Mace Windu

o Yoda

o Oppo Rancisis

o Plo Koon

o Yarael Poof

 

• Long-term Members:

 

o Eeth Koth

o Even Piell

o Depa Billaba

o Saesee Tiin

 

• Limited-term Members:

 

o Ki-Adi-Mundi

o Yaddle

o Adi Gallia

 

By the time of the Battle of Geonosis, Coleman Trebor had replaced Yarael Poof, and Shaak Ti had replaced Yaddle. With the destruction of the Jedi Order at the hands of Emperor Palpatine, the Jedi Council was banished from history. It’s existence was later discovered by Luke Skywalker, during his research into the Jedi of the Old Republic. He longed to re-establish the Council, but the New Republic Senate feared that it would give the Jedi an elitist presence.

 

However, when Cal Omas was elected Chief of State, he vowed to work with Luke on recreating the Council. They agreed to create a High Council that consisted of six Jedi and six New Republic officials, mirroring the twelve-seat Council of the Old Republic.

 

Every person needs a mentor and teacher, this also holds true to Jedi.

 

Jedi Masters

Those Jedi Knights who became extremely talented and powerful in the use of the Force were often trained to become Jedi Masters. The criteria were for becoming a Jedi Master were somewhat nebulous, and over time it became mainly an honorific to describe those Jedi Knights who taken on a padawan learner. Sometimes, an individual who performed as an exemplar of the Jedi Order would also be given the title of Jedi Master.

 

The position of Jedi Master was, however, actually bestowed upon an individual, but the Jedi Council made no formal declaration about the differentiating factors. The Jedi Masters' roles were varied, from teaching the young Jedi Knights in the use of The Force to acting as intermediaries for the Old Republic. During the early years of the Jedi Order, Jedi Masters often took more than one apprentice, spreading their knowledge whenever possible. This all changed after the Battle of Ruusan, when the Jedi Knights believed that they had become too scattered to control. Taking a cue from the Sith, the Jedi Council limited a Master to a single padawan learner.

 

This limitation was removed in the wake of the Battle of Endor, as Master Luke Skywalker was forced to train as many individuals as possible to rebuild the Jedi Order. The Jedi Masters were not exempt from Palpatine's Jedi purge, and the Jedi Master Yoda is the only known Master to survive. Yoda was able to pass on his vast knowledge of the Force to Luke Skywalker, who continued to train in the use of the Force after Yoda's death and become the newest Jedi Master. It is rumored that the best and truest Jedi Masters do not truly die, but move on to some mystical state of being. Their physical bodies cease to exist, but their living essence is absorbed by the Force. No explanation has ever been given for this occurrence, but it has also been observed that certain Jedi Knights have also disappeared after dying.

 

Because every government need a headquarters.

 

Jedi Temple

Located in the former Galactic City, on the planet Coruscant, this complex of spires and buildings was the base of operations for the Jedi Knights during the Old Republic. Construction of the Temple was proposed by the Jedi to the Galactic Senate some time after the Great Hyperspace War, and despite the Senate's desire to recognize the efforts of the Jedi in defeating the Sith, the Temple met with many obstacles.

 

First, the Senate feared that a Jedi stronghold on Coruscant would increase the likelihood of another Sith invasion. Second, the Senate wanted to avoid any direct association of the Jedi Order with the government. The Jedi, however, had no intention of making either mistake, and established a training and meditation center that would serve as a temporary base of operations for the Jedi Council. In the aftermath of the Great Sith War, both the Jedi and the Senate agreed that a tighter union of their forces would be required to ensure the safety of the galaxy, and the Jedi Temple was allowed to expand and become the center of the Jedi Order. The central Temple Spire rose a kilometer above the surrounding cityscape, and was surrounded by four individual Council towers. All five towers were supported by the main building, which sunk its roots deep into Coruscant's crust. The ziggurat shape of the main building, coupled with the five spires, was meant to symbolize a padawans path to enlightment through the Force.

 

There were several contemplation stations located on each of the four smaller towers, where a Jedi could go be alone with their thoughts. Each of the four towers faced one of the ordinal directions, and they bristled with antennae and sensors that provided the Jedi with continual information from across the galaxy. Many Jedi historians wondered at the placement of the Temple on Coruscant, where all native life had been swept from the planet by the millennia-long urbanization, and yet more than a trillion beings lived out their lives.

 

In the aftermath of the Jedi Purge of Emperor Palpatine, much of the Jedi Temple was destroyed, either by war or demolition. Jedi Master Luke Skywalker debated whether or not to build a new Temple, fearing that such a symbol of a centralized power structure may have led to the downfall of the earlier Jedi Order.

 

Because everyone must test their skills at some point, to learn their true self.

 

Jedi Trials

This was the name given to the series of milestones a Jedi padawan learner had to successfully complete to earn the promotion to the status of Jedi Knight. Before the trials could begin, a student had to first construct their own Lightsaber and demonstrate proficiency in wielding it, both from an offensive standpoint as well as its use in self-defense.

 

Among the later trials was a demonstration of an individual's facility with the three aspects of the Force: alter, control, and sense. Knowledge of the Jedi Code and its application and the use of sound judgment were also key trials. Lastly, a student had to accept and complete a solo mission, without instruction or guidance from their Master. This mission could be prescribed by the Jedi Council, or it could be a past mission which demonstrated the student's ability to act alone. Only when all the trials were completed, would the Jedi Council consider a student for promotion.

 

I hope you all enjoyed this edition of 60 Standard Minutes, and I hope that you will look forward to #7 when I investigate the starfighters of the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire.

Edited July 23, 2004 by Admiral_Antilles

[AdmiralFishface]

Your thread title is wrong.

 

The rest is fine

[Guest Admiral_Antilles]

Oh whoops, hold on.

[Guest Admiral_Antilles]

fixed.

[ADarkJedi44]

Another great edition, as always! The next one sounds great, I can't wait

[Guest Admiral_Antilles]

I figured a few would...

[Guest Admiral_Antilles]

Just bumping this. I think a few people missed it.

[Paul]

Very good edition, though I myself am a Sith fanatic. Keep up the good work.-Grand Moff Conway

[Mad78]

As usual I really enjoyed deepening my knowledge of SW. Wel done, keep it up and if you ever need any help you know where to find me

[Guest Admiral_Antilles]

I am glad you both enjoyed it, and I will keep that in mind, Mad.