"Eternal life…" Qui-Gon and Anakin were currently holding a lesson between the two. Teacher and student.
"The ultimate goal of the Sith, yet they can never achieve it; it comes only through the release of self, not the exaltation of self. It comes through compassion, not greed. Love is the answer to the darkness." Qui-Gon continued.
"In fact the very words I have just spoken I had also explained to Master Yoda."
"According to the Jedi tradition, death was a part of life, and it meant becoming one with the Force. In death, sentients lost their ability to communicate with the living, but mastery of certain obscure paths of learning could avert it."
"An example being the method to preserve ones consciousness after physical death." Qui-Gon then continues. "Today I am going to teach you this method. This technique."
"Now, I do not believe you would need this technique anytime soon but to know it is of the utmost importance for those who wish to live on after physical death."
"Where was this technique created? Its origins. Its history."
"I dont know that and no one else knows the origins of it as well, but we know it exists. I have told no one else about this technique, not Obi-Wan and not Master Yoda." Qui-Gon then continues. "Strangely enough, I also have some type of phantom pain in relation to that in particular."
"Like at one point I had told Obi-Wan and Master Yoda..."
"So the origins of that knowledge, as well as its history, are not known." Anakin states with a questioning undertone redirecting the conversation that nearly went off topic.
"Oh, yes. Well, I was the first of the recent Jedi who rediscovered this secret with the assistance of a shaman of the Whills." Qui-Gon states. "Today I will reveal to you the secret to keeping your individuality after becoming one with the Cosmic Force."
"I have a question, why is the desire to have eternal life frowned upon. If it is possible through the way, the method you have discovered even though it is only after death why do we, should we not desire to do so."
"Good question, but first I will tell you why or at least the explanation of why it is a method that is not as eternal as it seems. It is only meant to be temporary."
"This state was temporary, as Force ghosts were an intermediate state between life and afterlife; after a certain amount of time, they would then have to move on to the Netherworld of the Force, another realm of existence."
"You were told of this other realm by the ones who had assisted you?"
"Yes."
"Is it possible to extend your time as a ghost indefinitely."
"That is also possible but I am unsure as to how one would do that other then becoming the embodiment of absolute selflessness."
"Absolute selflessness is the key to becoming a Force ghost then?"
"It is one of the many factors but I have very little research on this topic and even though I know of the method, I have yet to try it out myself." Qui-Gon then continues jokingly. "I am still alive, or did you want me to die to test it out?"
"No Master, I would never imply such a thing." Anakin states in mock seriousness.
"That is a relief. For a second you had me believe that you were willing to have me die just to see me as a ghost."
"It would be interesting wouldn't it?"
Qui-Gon chuckles a little already use to the antics his young apprentice gets up to. "Come now, I believe it is enough talk and we should enter meditation so I would properly guide you."
"Yes Master."
Anakin and Qui-Gon then spend some time in meditation, while Mace Windu is a teacher of great methods his style is more oriented towards combat or things to do with militaristic action. That is just the way he teaches, the physical side s and aspects.
Don't get him wrong, Qui-Gon can also teach physical based things when it comes to the Jedi it is just not his strong suit when comparing himself with Master Windu. But he does have something up on the purple wielding lightsaber Jedi.
Theoretical teaching capabilities.
Anakin has learnt alot of things to do with the Force from him, including most of his Force based abilities as Qui-Gon has quite the varied skillset. He may not be as powerful but there was a reason he was offered a seat on the Council.
It was most unfortunate that he had declined, at least what others would have said. 'There is more for me to do, and I believe if I join the Council something bad would happen. Something wrong.'
Qui-Gon had sensed many things and somehow had a feeling at least at the time that if he joined the Council he would not have meet with his new apprentice.
"Meditating is cool and all but I dont think I will get anywhere if you dont help me here." Anakin speaks up at the silence and lack of teaching from Qui-Gon.
This wakes him up. "Oh, I apologize. That is my mistake I was just reminiscing about a few things."
"Quite distracted, you are. Teach your padawan, you should." Anakin furthers his joking attitude in a mock impression of Master Yoda.
"Very funny. I suggest we begin... Truly this time."
Anakin sighs while his eyes are closed while in a meditative position. "I guess is where the fun stops."
Anakin and Qui-Gon then spend the rest of their time together for the day in meditation and in training. Qui-Gon teaching and guiding Anakin when it comes to the special technique he had learnt and Anakin thinking of uses for such an ability.
[]
Coruscant.
At the turn of the new year alot of things were starting to pick up. Specifically things that had been happening over with Sienar Technologies, the corporation that Anakin had slowly been taking over from the inside.
It started with the son-father duo that he had saved and then started to expand to the rest of their clan. They had after all been apart of an even larger group, larger clan with even larger backing within politic governments all across the Galactic Republics worlds.
Raith the current C.E.O was thinking and all of a sudden had gotten an idea, an idea or concept so grand but shouldn't really be put to use.
He had discussed this idea and concept with one of his personal acquaintances, specifically one that he would call a friend but not in a proper sense. Just in the sense that is beneficial to remain in casual contact with the man.
Wilhuff Tarkin.
Wilhuff Tarkin was born into the Tarkin family, an old, wealthy and powerful clan that had originally been granted the world of Eriadu and still remained dominant in the politics and business of Eriadu and the Seswenna sector, as well as carrying strong influence in galactic politics.
Raith and Wilhuff had meet around 10 years prior, he befriended Raith Sienar and they had come to an understanding of each other.
Wilhuff had tried to convince his friend before about helping in and participating in the fiasco that was the Naboo invasion.
Raith remembered his words. "I hope you understand what could be at stake here. At the moment we are merely useful lackeys. We are below the level of awareness of those who will command the galaxy. If this planet and its ships are as useful as they appear to be, we will be richly rewarded."
Wilhuff continued. "We will be noticed. Some already share my belief that this could be very big."
But Raith had matters to take into his own hands, things that he couldn't control. At least not now, not with the way things had been developing as their corporation and the people within the clan had capitulated to Skywalker Industries.
'It all started on Dantooine.'
Getting over his thoughts he started to begin talking to his friend about the concept he had come up with. "I have to to tell you about something of epic proportions, at least in the terms of what I envision."
"Envision, do you? What is it that you come to me with some excitement."
"I wish to bring into being a Expeditionary Battle Planetoid."
"I remember you had told me that even though you have control there are some things that cant be done if you wanted to."
"Yes, the person who is now controlling us must have some relation to that Skywalker Industries and in fact I had heard that there was a rebellion there that had put the very same people related to the corporation in power."
"I have heard of that too, but from what I understand even though they have come to power there seems to be another power at play." Tarkin then continues. "There may be more to it then what meets the eye."
"That is true, but I think we should stay on topic. I was just talking about my designs for this Expeditionary Battle Planetoid. I think you would be most interested and something that the one above would be interested in as well."
Tarkin was fascinated by the design of such a grand contraption. "Unbelievable, with this you would be able to, in theory destroy a planet."
"Yes, I have taken to calling this project the 'Death Star.'"
"What a fitting name considering its capabilities." Tarkin pauses before his mind runs a million miles a minute trying to think up of ways to use this to his advantage. "Say, do you think I could have these schematics."
"Unfortunately, even though we have become friends and have an alliance to help gather important information, I cannot give this away."
"Why not." Tarkin would be lying if he was not disappointed.
A massive space station designed to control star systems, which featured a giant turbolaser powered directly by the station's core.
Tarkin saw tremendous potential in the concept, especially if the defensively potent design's weapon was upgraded to provide sufficient power to ruin a world; fear of such a weapon's visitation, he believed, would solve the ancient problem of how to keep order in a galaxy too large for any fleet to patrol effectively and deny support to guerrilla movements.
What would happen next over the sequence of a few days would inevitably ruin Tarkin's plans, thankfully the security for his friends failed research lab was not at the top of his priorities.
He would unfortunately fail in the end to get anything of use which will further setback Darth Sidious as one of his most loyal supporters to be had failed miserably with no recourse.
The plans for the 'Death Star' would never reach Sidious' ears, but who is to say that engineering at this level would go unnoticed.
Especially when Anakin knows the immense potential of such a product, why wouldn't he come and swoop in to take what he needs while leaving anything else as leftovers.
[]
When it comes to the ability Qui-Gon had taught him, Anakin knows that he would have to keep this secret from other Jedi as it would seem Qui-Gon did not want to pass it down to anyone. Not yet, not even to his use to be student Obi-Wan.
'Now that I think about, I am pretty sure Qui-Gon thinks of me as more then just a normal apprentice and may even see me as a son. That is also quite possible with how he views Obi-Wan.'
'The youngest is always spoiled, I guess.'
The technique taught was not the only version, and was most certainly not only related to the relinquishment of selfish desires as many people who were not Jedi and were not aligned to the light come use similar techniques.
Some Sith Lords learned similar techniques, which in some cases allowed them to physically interact with their environment. This ability also allowed the force user to interact with both living beings and other force ghost.
An interesting fact to take away was how there was a mention of another realm so to speak. That even within the Force itself there existed a place that parallels the idea of a place to go to after death, somewhere your spirit resides after becoming one with the Force.
An afterlife.
This opened up many possibilities and to Anakin how could he miss out on potentially creating something that was his own personal dimension.
And one such idea coincides with another thing he had to consider. The droids had been seeing him as their creator, their god and had indicated as such within the beginnings of their culture.
If he could somehow crate an afterlife of his own, connected to him where he could access and pull upon the combined might of other souls to aid him, the potential would be unbelievably powerful.
The idea he has, is to create a matrix of sorts.
A heaven for the living droids that died but instead of becoming one with the Force they conglomerate and create a matrix that combines various droid based souls into a massive machine that would work for him.
The concept itself is great and he has ideas and workarounds on how to start such a massive project but he is unwilling to just tell the droids to sacrifice themselves for him even when he knows they are willing too.
So he would just have to wait.
First he would have to create the dimension, connect it to solely himself and make sure that only droid souls connected to him would go into it. Second would be that he has to teach the droids the ability in case something unfortunate happens to them.
One might be thinking how Anakin would be able to tell when a droid passes. It is when the non-organic midi-chlorians start to dissipate leading to the death of a droid.
He had already started to see things like this happen but only at a slow rate. As he learns more and more about the Force, about himself and midi-chlorians he knows that even if he created life it is imperfect.
They cannot be immortal or have an eternal existence, but if he is successful they could get their very own droid heaven.