                              Way of The Force

Disclaimer: Your eyes can deceive you. Don't sue.

< >: Thoughts

                                 Chapter Two

                              Growing in Force

Shampoo winced as she and her two training partners stood upside down. They
had been like this for more than two hours and her face was flushed with all
the blood rushing to her head. This was unlike any other kind of training
she had ever been through before. Her great-grandmother had put her through
a series of balance exercises in the past. Presently, she could walk a tree
branch no wider than an inch thick without stirring a leaf. However, she had
never been put through this kind of exercise before, especially with her
great-grandmother balancing on her feet.

What was even more amazing was that Ukyo and Ranma were supporting Jarrick,
who happened to weigh at least one hundred and forty pounds more than
Cologne. The Jedi Master was standing with one foot on the sole of Ranma's
right foot and the other on Ukyo's left. The two youngsters were straining
to keep him up as they slowly, but surely hoisted themselves from
headstands, to handstands.

Jarrick stood with arms crossed as he continued to lecture about the Force
and the meaning of this exercise. "Remember, students. Personal balance is
MORE than just being able to stand on one's own feet, or in this case...
one's own hands. It is also a discipline of the mind and spirit. Let the
Force flow through your very beings and keep you as firm as the trees. Let
my weight become yours. You are not holding up your own bodies and mine, but
rather two amounts of Force. Let your minds think of them as one. You may
think that I'm talking about two different things, but as my master had told
me, there is NO difference! The Force encompasses everything and everyone."

Both Ranma and Haruka Kuonji's daughter began increasing their concentration
as they rose even higher. Both started using their senses of awareness
toward their own bodies. Slowly, ever so gradually, they straightened out
their arms and were firmly standing on their hands. Then, they started
shifting their weight to one arm as they raised the other. To Shampoo's
amazement, both Ranma and Ukyo started standing on their baby fingers with
no apparent strain.

Jarrick looked down at Shampoo and shook his head. "Shampoo... what are you
doing still down there?"

The youngster began to protest. "Shampoo trying, but..."

The Jedi shook his head. "No. To quote my master Yoda, you will NOT try.
DO... or DO NOT! There is NO try!"

Cologne glared down at her relative. "Shampoo, you WILL do as Jarrick tells
you." She gestured to Ranma and Ukyo. "Do not let these ones think of you as
unworthy of his teachings."

Shampoo closed her eyes and began summoning up all of her strength to lift
herself and her great-grandmother higher, but Jarrick shook his head again.

"No, Shampoo! You hear with your ears, but you still do not listen! Now, let
us start again with the basics."

The purple-haired girl suddenly stopped straining as the Jedi's voice
suddenly became so compelling that she began hearing his words on a level
that was beyond the physical sense. It was if every fiber of her being had
stopped just to heed her master's instructions.

"The Force surrounds us all and is within each of us. Let the Force WITHIN
be one with the Force WITHOUT. Let it flow through you like the wind through
the branches of a tree, touching each and every leaf. Extend yourself beyond
the confines of your body. Now... lift."

The Amazon girl began feeling... something... enveloping her, supporting her
as the tension in her arm muscles began to fade. She felt herself become
lighter and she no longer seemed to feel her great-grandmother's weight on
her feet. She had no sensation of weight at all as she straightened out her
arms, and then spreading out her fingers. Finally, after what seemed to be
an eternity, she opened her eyes and saw that she too was balancing on one
finger.

The Jedi Master nodded as he continued with his lecture. "The Force is what
binds everyone and everything to each other, but it is also a link to that
which has been, that which is, and that which is yet to be. Past...
present... and future..."

"WHOA!"

CRASH!

Ukyo's sudden yelp caught nearly everybody by surprise. As a result, the
three Jedi trainees lost their concentration and tumbled to the ground.
Cologne, being the nimble martial artist that she was, easily controlled her
fall to land on her feet. Jarrick, being the Jedi Master that he was...
didn't even fall.

The aged Amazon was quite surprised to see Jarrick still hovering in midair
without any support whatsoever. She had seen him levitate large rocks and
things, but never himself. She tried focusing her senses on him to discern
just what kind of chi technique he was using. However, she only found a
minute manipulation of his own inner energy, nowhere near enough to keep him
aloft. So just WHAT was keeping him suspended? She came to the conclusion
that it must be this... Force he kept on talking about. She had long known
that Ranma's sensei was someone very special, since the day they had met
some seven years ago. He was in control of a power that was unknown to her,
and she wanted to learn more of this Force. At first she had thought that it
was new kind of chi manipulation, but her senses told her that it was
something more... a LOT more. That mind trick of his was just a small sample
of his talents.

She smiled and looked down at her great-granddaughter who was sprawled on
the ground next to Ukyo and Ranma. Her heir would do her family proud once
she mastered this power. Jarrick had said that the Force was strong in her
family, and that Shampoo had some considerable potential to learn the ways
of the Jedi, even though she had been an infant at that time. He had
promised to return in seven years time, to begin her instruction to become
what he called... a Jedi Knight.

At the very least, Shampoo was free from that lovesick idiot, Mousse.
Jarrick had warned that the training may take years and that Shampoo would
have to travel outside of the village. Cologne had thought that it would be
worth it, as she went along, since she was Shampoo's only living relative.
The elder had been keeping in touch with the village via letters and a few
visits and she thought that this journey would be an excellent way for her
great-granddaughter to see and learn about the world. Such knowledge would
serve her well, when she eventually took her great-grandmother's place as
matriarch.

There was also the fact that Ranma showed considerable promise and perhaps
would turn out to be a good choice for a husband for Shampoo. At the very
least, he might become a good ally, as well as the other girl.

She watched as Jarrick slowly descended to the ground beside his pupils,
then crouched down to address Ukyo.

"What is wrong, Ukyo?" Jarrick had sensed a slight disturbance in the Force,
just before Ukyo had lost concentration. In that instant, he had exerted his
own levitation powers to keep him from dropping when Ukyo inevitably fell
down.

Ukyo rubbed her head as she sat up. "I... saw my father... in pain."

At that moment, another yelp was heard a few meters away. Haruka Kuonji had
just set up his portable grill and started cooking lunch for the group, when
he had accidentally splattered some hot oil on his hand. It happened
occasionally to all cooks, even to an expert like Ukyo's father.

Jarrick looked over to where Haruka was shook his hand before dunking it
into a pail of water. Other than a slight burn, he was no worse for wear.
Still, Ukyo's sudden vision got him to thinking. He had been suspecting for
some time that Ukyo's primary ability in the Force would be the power of
premonition. He would have to look more into it later.

----------

"I think that the training is going well." Haruka commented as he, Cologne
and Jarrick sat around the campfire. It was somewhere around midnight and
the three children had gone to sleep in their tent.

Ukyo had progressed nicely with her lessons in her family's school of
Okonomiyaki Ken. With Ranma and now Shampoo helping her to train, the chef
had no doubts that his daughter will live up to his expectations as heir to
their family's discipline.

Cologne was also pleased that her great-granddaughter now had some friends
to talk to, as well as training partners. She had been worried that Shampoo
was lonely for company as the other Amazon children had been distancing
themselves, and began showing some hostility toward her. She wasn't certain
if it was because Shampoo was the great-granddaughter of an Elder, or
because of jealousy since she showed exceptional talent in the martial arts
and was above the other children. The only other person who would approach
her was that near-sighted moron, Mousse. However, the purple-haired girl
wanted nothing to do with him. It could be because he had once mistaken a
cow for her and later proposed to a pig.

Ranma, Ukyo and Shampoo had become fast friends over the past few weeks. All
three children had experienced lonely lives of nothing but training and they
had soon formed close bonds to each other. Cologne had insisted that she
accompany Jarrick and Haruka on their journey, which the Jedi Master had no
objections to. In exchange for teaching Shampoo to use the Force, the Elder
had agreed to instruct the other two trainees in Amazon techniques. As an
Elder, she had given the two youngsters honorary Amazon status, on the
condition that they would not reveal the secrets of her teachings to any
other outsider. She had sensed the great potential within the two. Ranma's
primary asset seemed to be speed and agility, and she could see him
mastering the Chestnut Technique in the near future. As for Ukyo, she had an
affinity for weapons and some considerable endurance. Perhaps she could be
taught the Backusai Tenketsu? Her family's unorthodox methods of combat
could also be added to the Joketsuzku's own styles.

"Yes, I'd say that all three of them are progressing well." The
three-hundred-year-old matriarch commented as she took a sip of tea.

Jarrick nodded slightly. He couldn't get over just how much Cologne reminded
him of his master Yoda. "They are quite talented. They will make excellent
martial artists. However, it will take a little longer for them to hone
their Force powers."
"I'm certain that my great-granddaughter will be up to the challenge!"
Cologne said with confidence.

The Jedi Master smirked as he sensed that someone was listening in on their
conversation. "I should hope so. Tomorrow, I'm going to have her stand on
her head with Ukyo's FATHER, balancing on her feet."

"EEP!"

Jarrick chuckled a bit when he heard Shampoo's squeak, and then the rustle
within the tent as the little girl scrambled back to her sleeping bag.

----------

A few days later...

"Master Jarrick?"
"Yes, Shampoo?" The Jedi Master replied as his three disciples were
stretching out their tired limbs after a strenuous session of martial arts
training. Both Haruka and Cologne were hard taskmasters and all three were
nursing bruises and aching joints.

"I thinking about what you say to Shampoo before."
"Oh? And what did I say to you?"

"You say for Shampoo no try. You say DO or DO NOT! Is no try!"

"Ah, yes. Those were the very words that my teacher told me." Some fond
memories of Yoda came back to Jarrick as he nodded.

"Shampoo no get it." The little Amazon girl said in confusion.

Both Ranma and Ukyo also nodded as the boy said, "I was kind of wondering
about that too, Master."

"It didn't make any sense to me either." Ukyo added. "How can you do
something that you've never done before, if you don't try?"

Jarrick motioned for his students to sit down as he explained. "It didn't
much sense to me either, when my Master Yoda told me. Then, I later realized
that he wanted me to clear my mind of all doubts, for they were preventing
me from succeeding. When you 'try,' you still hold doubt in your mind and
there will be the possibility of failure. When you say you will try, then
you are saying that you CAN fail. When you say that you will DO, then you
leave no doubt in your mind and become focused on your goal. Now, there will
be failures, but it is the successes that you should concentrate on and
remember the mistakes of the failures. You will all learn to use the Force,
of that I have no doubts. So long as you learn to DO instead of simply
trying."

Seeing the befuddled looks on his pupils made Jarrick decide to hold off on
explaining more, as he motioned for his students to rise.

"Eventually, you shall all come to understand the meaning to what I had said
to you to today. It is time to begin your next lesson."

----------

A year later...

"We do not have anything of value." Jarrick said calmly to the bandits, as
his group's path was being blocked by a band of highwaymen. Though Cologne
and the others could have easily dispatched the five robbers, they instead
let the Jedi Master handle the situation as they knew about his skills with
mind tricks. This was the first time they were seeing Jarrick influencing
several minds at once.

"You don't... have anything of value." The leader of the cutthroats said as
he lowered his large knife. The others also nodded and let down their arms.

"It would be too troublesome to bother us." Jarrick continued.

"It would be too troublesome to bother you." The leader repeated as his
cohorts nodded in agreement.

"It would be best for you to leave now."
"It would be best for us to leave now."
"Goodbye."

"Goodbye." The head bandit said as he and his band turned around and
disappeared into the woods.

When the danger had passed, the three children let out sighs of relief and
the other adults relaxed. Ranma looked up at his sensei with awe.

"Wow! That was great, Master Jarrick!"

The Jedi nodded as the group continued on. "You and the others will need all
of your energy for today's lessons, and I saw no reason for you to waste it
fighting those hoods."

"That was VERY impressive." Cologne said.

"Indeed!" Haruka agreed.

"I didn't know you could do that trick with lots of people at one time."
Ukyo remarked.

"Well, it helped that those bandits were all weak-minded and followed their
leader."

"Weak-minded?" Shampoo inquired.

"Yes. You see the Force can be very persuasive, and those who are
weak-minded are easily bent to its will. Ranma's father was a prime example
of a very weak-minded individual."

"But my Pop's a strong martial artist. I mean... you have to have a pretty
focused mind to be a martial artist, right?" Ranma said in Genma's defense.
Even though he no longer traveled with his idiotic father, he had to give
Genma SOME credit.

"Even a total idiot can be a genius in one field." Jarrick countered. "He
may be good at the Anything Goes, but that does not make him strong in
mental prowess. I saw his life through your eyes, Ranma. He is a virtual
SLAVE to his appetites, particularly that fat stomach of his. And he does
not think very much about consequences. He's only interested in the quick
fix and the instant gratification. Furthermore, he does not excel in
thinking things through or responsibly."

"What do you mean?" The eight-year-old boy asked.

The Jedi took on a serious look as he replied. "Ranma... he made you do all
those bad things when he was training you. He STOLE Ukyo's cart. He threw
you into that pit of starving cats without reading the entire manual. Now
can you HONESTLY tell me, that your father had thought long and hard about
those things, before he put you through all that?"

The boy bowed his head with a bit of shame as he replied quietly. "No."

"Exactly. As much as I hate to say this to you, about your father, to put it
simply... he's an idiot. When I say that he's a slave to his appetites, I
meant it, in both a physical and figurative sense. Money and food are his
two main goals in his life and he will do whatever it takes to get them...
regardless of who gets hurt in the process."

Ranma took on a look of shock at his master's harsh words, but that was to
be expected. After all, before he had met the Jedi Master, life with Genma
was the only life he had ever known.

His sensei continued on. "Ranma... he STOLE Ukyo's dowry. He did not
consider her feelings in the least. All he cared about was getting a quick
meal for nothing. He broke his promise to take her along because he did not
want the responsibility. He ignored the warnings of subjecting you to the
Neko Ken, because he was too eager to gain a powerful and dangerous
technique. Those kinds of people are so weak-minded, that it doesn't matter
if he happens to be a master in one field. And I hate to be telling you this
now, but I looked into the past through your eyes, and discovered that
Ukyo's family was not the only one that Genma had cheated, using you as a
bargaining chip."

"Huh?"
"By my count, he had promised you to five others. One time, he had engaged
you to a man's daughter for no more than a fish, a bowl of rice, and two
pickles."
"Say what?!" Ukyo eeped.

"Ranma father very stupid!" Shampoo chirped.
"You're putting me on!" Ranma said.

Jarrick shook his head. "It's the truth. The past does not lie for it has
already been written. And you will find that Genma's weak-mindedness is not
the only kind. People who are extremely vain and arrogant can also fall prey
to the Force, as well as those who are ruled by emotions such as anger or
pride. Obsession can make one vulnerable to Jedi mind tricks, and
individuals who refuse to see the undeniable truth are considered
weak-minded as well, for they cannot accept nor adapt to new ideas, thoughts
or opinions. Those who follow orders without question are no more than
puppets. And those who choose to ignore responsibility for their actions and
blame others for their misfortunes can be manipulated."
"So how can we tell between weak and strong minds?" Ukyo asked.

"Well... though young, you three are strong in mind. Otherwise, I would not
have taken you on as my disciples. You question things that are beyond your
knowledge. You adapt to new situations and ideas. Cologne and Haruka are
also considered strong-minded, for they know the values of honor and
discipline and what they stand for. Ranma's father uses honor as an excuse
to rationalize his criminal actions. And when it does not serve his
purposes, he simply disregards it. He supposedly made that promise out of
'honor' to take Ukyo along in exchange for the yattai. However, once he got
his hands on it, he became unconcerned with honoring the bargain." Jarrick
Yor gave Ukyo a sympathetic gaze, in which she nodded in understanding.

"I... get it." Ranma said sadly as what little respect he had left for his
father dwindled even further.

The Jedi Master gave his student a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Do not
worry, Ranma. The lessons and truths that you learn today will aid you in
making decisions in the future."

----------

Four years later...

Ranma, Shampoo and Ukyo, now twelve years olds, were quite shocked when
Jarrick Yor had decided that they were old enough to know the truth about
him.

The three youngsters stared in awe as they stood with Cologne and Haruka in
front of... it.

It was an old Corellian YT-1200 light freighter. Like all ships of its line,
it sported a saucer-shaped body with the cockpit module located off to one
side. The main drive systems were mounted in the rear in four nacelles. Two
were on top and two were on the bottom. A tri-laser mount was centered on
the top of the ship and a dual ion cannon was presently retracted in a
hidden housing on the underbelly. The entire craft was about three hundred
meters in length and four hundred and fifty meters in width. It had been
built to be a light cargo carrier and courier craft, but over the years,
Jarrick had modified the ship so that it had larger compartments to house up
to five crew members in relative comfort and replaced the original
hyper-drive systems with a 0.30 Class Drive. He had also added a proton
torpedo launcher in the rear and concussion missiles launchers near the
pilot's cabin. And for added security, the ship was also equipped with a few
hidden and heavily shielded compartments, which could even evade detection
by Force senses.

Jarrick had not piloted the ship since he had come to Earth twelve years
ago, preferring to leave it hidden in the large cavern that he had fashioned
for it, in the mountain ranges near Lake Biwa. However, the freighter had
not been left unattended when the Jedi Master began searching for pupils. He
had left... a couple of caretakers.

The children and their guardians were still entranced by the sight of the
starship, that they didn't notice a pair of automatons approach them until
they stopped in front of them and addressed them.

"Greetings, Master Jarrick. It has been some time. And we can see that you
have brought guests."

Jarrick's pupils, the Amazon Elder and Haruka Kuonji took their eyes off the
ship and gazed upon the two droids.

The one who had spoken to them was a protocol droid of the 3PO line. His
designation was GX-3PO and like all droids of his make and model, he was
capable of comprehending and communicating in millions of alien dialects. He
had a bipedal and humanlike appearance, though he had a brilliant copper
hue.

Beside GX-3PO was his astromech counterpart, which happened to be one of the
most dependable maintenance droids ever created. It was an R2 unit with the
designation of R2-G1. Like all R2 units, R2-G1 resembled a garbage can on
two squat legs. However, within its cylindrical body was a wide array of
devices and manipulator arms to perform complex repairs and maintenance
programs. It was R2-G5 that had kept the ship in prime condition. Without
him, the craft would have long degraded into a useless hulk that was only
good for collecting dust.

Both droids had developed complex personalities with the lack of memory
wipes, due to Jarrick's long absences in searching for Jedi disciples. The
last time they had seen him was when he had secretly brought Haruka Kuonji
to be healed in the Bacta tank. GX-3PO had become more insightful and at
times, acted on his own prerogative, for the good of his master of course.
Though he followed a kind of pacifist way of doing things, (he was a
protocol droid after all), he wasn't above defending himself or his master.
He had been modified with a wide-screen deflector shield projector and a
hidden stun blaster in his right arm. Purely for defensive purposes of
course.

R2-G1 on the other hand, was a bit of a smart-aleck. He was very sassy and
was prone to speak his mind and his opinions, whether one asked for them or
not. It was a good thing that he could only communicate via beep, clicks and
whistles, (Droidspeak), since some of his comments were never meant to be
spoken or understood. However, despite his lack of subtlety, he was fiercely
loyal and did his job damn well. One of things that he took great pride in
was his work. He knew that someday, his master would once again take to the
stars, and it was the droid's job to make certain that the ship would be
ready. And with the lack of standard replacement parts and such on this
primitive world, the little droid had to be creative and improvised with the
natural resources of his surroundings. It was also a good thing that Jarrick
had in his possession a small, repulsor-field cargo transport, which the
astromech droid used frequently to scavenge for scrap metal and components.
On late nights, R2-G1 would secretly visit salvage yards, as well as old
World War II bases on Okinawa and Iwo Jima. He would often return with large
piles of derelict hulks, rusting metal frames, frayed wires and obsolete
computer components. Thanks to the holographic projector in his rotating
dome head, he could easily cloak himself and the transport so no one would
spot him. Once he brought the materials back to the cavern, he would use the
ship's equipment and his own devices to refine the materials into substances
and devices that could be used to maintain the ship, himself and his fellow
droid.

R2-G1 acknowledged the return of his master with a series of beeps and
clicks as he introduced them to his new disciples.

----------

As time went on, all three children soon began finding out some things that
they never realized before. Ranma had found that he had an affinity for
technology and science and was scoring high in academics. Apparently, his
strongest powers in the Force included a talent for mathematics and logic,
as well as increased sensory perception. The only reason why he had never
known about his hidden abilities, was due to his father's overemphasis on
the martial arts and nothing else. Once he got into Jarrick's ship, Ranma
found all that technology fascinating and soon began tinkering with the many
devices. The Jedi Master encouraged his pupil to broaden his horizons and
discovered that Ranma was able to use the Force to guide him in dismantling
and reassembling machines. At present, Ranma could take apart the entire
sensor array of the ship and put it back together blindfolded. Every now and
then, he'd assist R2-G1 in the ship's maintenance protocols, and was even
learning about interstellar navigation and piloting.

However, his strongest Force powers were in mind manipulation. He soon
became proficient in all of Jarrick's mind tricks and could probe the inner
recesses of a person's psyche. His sensory perception, though still being
developed, could now feel the impressions of others at great distances. This
also made him more aware of other people's feelings. He had come a long way
from the insensitive and rude child that Jarrick had met and took under his
wing eight years ago.

As for Ukyo and Shampoo, they too had begun to discover powers that were
previously unknown to them. The Amazon girl had proven that she was not the
ignorant barbarian that some people believed her to be. Within a year after
she had begun training in the ways of the Jedi, she soon mastered the
Japanese language and began speaking other tongues as well. This was partly
due to her being with GX-3PO and hearing him talk in many different
dialects. Jarrick had been very surprised when he started hearing her speak
Huttese and Twi'leki. Apparently, her Force powers lay in language
comprehension and communication. She also had the strongest telekinetic
powers of the three.

As for Ukyo, Jarrick's suspicions had proven to be correct. Her affinity for
the Force allowed her exceptional precognition skills as well as being able
to predict the result of any given event with uncanny accuracy, so long as
it was within the near future. For instance, she could predict a coin toss
with more than ninety-nine percent certainty. It was also impossible to win
against her in a game of rock, paper, scissors. This talent also had its
uses in battle as she could anticipate her opponent's movements. This made
it harder to beat her and one had to be faster than her in order to get the
upper hand.

Ukyo had also begun showing signs of energy deflection and absorption. The
Jedi Master had noticed that she never got burned whenever she touched the
hot grill. With some more training, Haruka's daughter might be able to
deflect blaster bolts with her hands.

----------

And as for a certain martial artist and all-around glutton...

Genma just couldn't understand it. For the last six years, he had been
searching for his son, with no success. The strange thing was, every time he
thought he had found him, something would happen, (for the life of him, he
couldn't remember how or why), and he would find himself somewhere else with
his memory spotty and missing details. It would take him some time before he
was able to remember just who he was searching for. And he knew that if he
didn't find that boy before he returned home to his wife, then he would be a
head shorter... literally.

The truth of the matter was that Jarrick Yor knew that Ranma's greedy and
unscrupulous father would try to reclaim his son to use as a bargaining chip
and reeducate him in those thieving ways again. After all the hard work it
took to break Ranma out of those habits, the Jedi Master was not about to
let that idiot make his disciple more susceptible to the Dark Side,
especially at this point in his Jedi training. So, every time Genma would
encounter them, Jarrick simply used a few mind tricks to send him away with
temporary amnesia. It was a very simple matter since Genma was always very
weak-minded.

Though it would have been better if the Jedi Master had permanently erased
Ranma's existence from Genma's memory, he didn't want to risk it. With the
fat martial artist's probable IQ level, such a process might cause him brain
damage, (not that anyone would notice). Instead, Ranma's sensei decided that
having Ranma learn to think on his own would be better. Once he was able to
be totally independent, then he could handle his father as he saw fit.



Two years later...

Ranma Saotome, now age fourteen, tugged at the collar of his school uniform.
He felt very uncomfortable in the clothes and wished he was wearing his
usual attire of loose pants and Chinese shirts. However, ever since Jarrick
had enrolled him at this junior high school, he had to conform to the dress
code. As for Shampoo and Ukyo, they had been enrolled at an all-girls school
a few blocks away.

The young Jedi in training missed the company of his childhood playmates and
sparring partners. Though they were girls, Ranma had gotten used to their
presence and had long since abandoned the chauvinistic ideals of his father
about them being weak. Shampoo's great-grandmother was one of the harshest
instructors he had ever studied under, next to Master Jarrick, and the old
woman was not one to be taken lightly. The training in the Chestnut Fist and
the Breaking Point were prime examples.

However, thanks to his amazing talent to pick up techniques, he soon
mastered both skills and several others. His old buddy Ucchan also managed
to learn them as well, though it took a little longer and she ended up
taking more hits than he did. Luckily, Jarrick's powers included healing and
there was also the Bacta Tank.

As he headed toward the cafeteria, he suddenly felt the presence of some
people who were directing hostility toward him. He stopped as three of the
school's bullies barred his path.

"Well, look what we have here." The first boy said as he gave Ranma a sneer.
He was a few inches taller than he was and was leaner. "If it isn't the new
guy."

The second tough was heavyset and had beefy features and he joined with his
companion. "Yeah. And we should properly welcome him here."

The third bully nodded as he punched one fist into his other hand. "Since
you're the new kid here, we're going to let you buy us all lunch! And
whatever you've got left, we'll be glad to take it off your hands. So fork
it over."

At this moment, Ranma weighed his options. He gauged his opponents' skill
levels and found that they were WAY below his martial arts abilities and he
could easily pound them all into the pavement. However, he did not want to
draw attention to himself and get into trouble with the school board.
Furthermore, retaliating against these three would only make more enemies.
His father had taught to him to always fight back, but Jarrick had taught
him that there were other ways to fight back without the use of fists and
feet. There were other ways to overcome problems without violence. Physical
power should only be used as a last resort. And seeing that these three were
weak-minded...

"You don't want to bother me." Ranma said quietly.

The three toughs took on a kind of dazed look as they said in unison. "We
don't want to bother you."

"You don't want my money."

"We don't want your money."

"You've decided to skip lunch today."

"We've decided to skip lunch today."

"Have a nice day."

"Have a nice day." The three boys took on goofy, smiling faces before waving
to Ranma as he walked off.

As he approached the cafeteria, he sighed as he saw that it was same mob as
always, with every boy fighting over the few remaining breads and scraps of
food that was left. Currently, the lunch lady was holding the last curry
bread in a set of tongs and was about to toss it into the crowds.

Just as he was about to use his levitation powers to send that morsel
sailing toward him, a voice called out to him.

"Ranma! Over here!"

The young Jedi and martial artist turned and smiled as he saw Ukyo and
Shampoo waving to him from outside of the building, just beyond the school
gates. He saw that Ukyo was holding out a box and signaled for him to join
them.

"Hey Ucchan! Hey Shamps! What are you doing here?" Ranma asked as he went
over to them. Both girls were garbed in the standard dress outfits of their
school.

Ukyo smiled as she handed her childhood friend and fellow Jedi trainee the
box containing a freshly-made okonomiyaki. "Here, Ranchan! I thought you'd
like to have some REAL food, instead of that lousy cafeteria junk!"

"Hey that's great!" The young Jedi said as he took the box, opened it and
smelled deeply. "Mmmm. It smells good! But what about you two?"

"We already had lunch, so we thought to bring you something to eat." Shampoo
said. "In fact, great-grandmother and Ukyo's father had told us, before we
left for school this morning, that they'll be making lunches for us from now
on. You left so early that you didn't get one."

"Hey! That's super! This sure beats fighting the mobs." The boy began
wolfing down the Japanese pizza.

Little did the three children know that they had narrowly averted a fateful
encounter between Ranma and a certain lost boy, who had just found his way
to the cafeteria, after a week-long trek through Japan. At that moment, the
lunch lady called out to the mob.

"ALL RIGHT! HERE IT IS, THE LAST CURRY BREAD OF THE DAY!"

"I GOT IT! I GOT IT!" Ryoga cried out as he leapt for the bread.

He caught the bread and immediately began devouring it. A short distance
away, Ranma paused in his eating as he felt a slight ripple in the Force,
then shrugged as it passed. He felt as if he had just missed something, then
went back to eating his okonomiyaki. The two girls had also felt the
disturbance, but dismissed it as it faded away.

----------

Some time later...

Ranma held up a wooden practice sword and used it to deflect the stun bolts
of the seeker that was buzzing around him. The Jedi Master was sitting
nearby as Ranma practiced in the ship's hanger.

The device that Ranma was practicing with, was a metallic globe that hovered
in the air via repulsor fields, and jetted about on small propulsion
thrusters. It was the size of a baseball and had two antennae protruding out
of it. Every now and then, it would shoot out short bolts of energy at
Ranma. The trainee had to either dodge the shots or use his weapon to
deflect the shots. The beams were set to low power and did no more damage
than a bee sting. The wooden sword was coated with a reflective resin to
deflect the energy bolts. What made the exercise more challenging was that
the seeker was using complex evasion patterns and Ranma was blindfolded. The
boy's sword skills were being tested as he and the other disciples were
nearing the time, in which they would begin crafting their own lightsabers.

Ranma, Ukyo and Shampoo were all excited when Jarrick had told them that
they would soon be building their own Jedi weapons. After witnessing their
master use his own energy blade in demonstrations, the three students in the
Force were eager for the chance to wield such an elegant and powerful
weapon. The lightsaber was the very symbol of a Jedi Knight's status and his
or her mastery over the Force. As for Haruka and Cologne, they were both
fascinated at the weapon and its uses. The Amazon matriarch could easily
conceive the advantages of having such a blade and she had been having
thoughts of building her own. Though she hadn't been going through the same
training as her great-granddaughter, she had been picking up on many of
Jarrick's teachings and had developed certain Force powers of her own,
including his mind tricks.

As Ranma waved about his practice blade and nimbly sidestepped to his left
as the seeker whizzed by and let loose with a trio of shots. Two beams
missed his side by millimeters, but the third gazed his behind, making him
yelp.

"Yow! Are you SURE that thing is on its lowest settings?" Ranma gritted as
he backed away a bit from the sound of the seeker.

Jarrick nodded as he replied. "Yes. That's its lowest stun setting. The
problem is that you are still trying to guess where it is, since you can't
see it. This exercise is to help you develop your other senses and to let
the Force guide you."

"It's really hard since I can't see it."
"In the words of my fellow Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, your eyes can deceive you,
so don't trust them."

"But if I can't see it, then how am I supposed to fight?" Ranma asked as he
heard the seeker move to another position. "I'll be lucky if I could stop
one shot!"

"Once again, in the words of Kenobi, there is NO such thing as luck. It is
simply another facet of the Force. Now, Ranma. I want you to relax. Think of
your metal exercises and let the Force FLOW through you. FEEL the seeker's
movements and intent in the Force."

"How can a machine have an intent? I mean, it's not alive."

"ALL things contain a measure of the Force. The ground, the trees, the
ship... even the seeker. It is only certain individuals such as you and I,
who are able to harness the Force and use it to our advantage. However, we
also must SERVE the Force, for it is what binds and connects us all. Now
then... let yourself go and USE the Force to GUIDE you."

Ranma relaxed as he lowered his practice sword down in a neutral stance and
let down his guard. The seeker hovered higher as it prepared to execute a
series of complex maneuvers and firing patterns. There was a deadening
silence as Jarrick waited.

The seeker then whizzed down in a zigzagging dive, firing off several
staccato shots at Ranma's torso. An instant before they struck, Ranma raised
his sword and held it up at just the right angle, deflecting all the shots.
The seeker then zipped to his right flank and fired another volley at his
unprotected side. However, Ranma pivoted on one foot and brought up his
wooden blade to deflect those bolts as well. The seeker then tried another
position behind him, but all of its attacks were parried with a series of
intricate countermoves. Then, with a rapid thrust forward, Ranma managed to
strike the front of the seeker, just as it tried to fly over his head. The
pressure sensor registered the hit, and the training program ceased with the
device hovering motionless some three feet in front of him.

"There. I told you that you can do this." Jarrick said as his pupil took off
his blindfold.

----------

Two more years later...

"My students, I am VERY pleased at how far you have all progressed." Jarrick
said as he addressed Shampoo, Ukyo and Ranma in a field near Tokyo. Nearby,
Haruka and Cologne were standing and listened as the Jedi addressed his
disciples.

As of now, the okonomiyaki chef had set up a permanent business in the city
and was now running a successful restaurant with his partner, Cologne. The
shop advertised okonomiyaki and authentic Chinese Amazon cooking and it was
a popular lunch and dinner spot. It was a good source of income and allowed
the three Jedi trainees to attend school. As the they were now about to
attend high school, Jarrick had decided that it was time for the more
advanced training, which included... building their own lightsabers.

Over the last few years, Jarrick had been sensing a great disturbance in the
Force and he thought it would be best, that his pupils be prepared as soon
as possible. He knew that some day, he would have to confront the Empire
again and whatever conflict that he would encounter would also affect his
disciples. In the last nine years, they had all grown strong in the Force
and it was likely that the Emperor also sensed their presences, though they
were very far from the Empire's influence. However, it would only be a
matter of time before the Imperials would find them.

Jarrick took out his lightsaber and ignited it in front of his pupils. "My
students... the time has come, for you to take your next step as Jedi
Knights."

----------

Ranma gazed upon the basic blueprints of a lightsaber as he sat at a
worktable near Jarrick's ship. The principles were straightforward enough.
Basically, a lightsaber was just a handgrip with a power cell, an energy
emitter and a focusing crystal. Those were the fundamental components to
create the energy blade. However, Jarrick had said that one could customize
his or her weapon to suit one's taste and needs. It also made the weapon
more personal. Some Jedi had their lightsabers equipped with blade length
controls or pressure sensors to deactivate when released.

Thinking along those lines, Ranma then recalled something that he had seen
in Master Jarrick's holocrons. It had information about a Sith Lord named
Darth Maul and his lightsaber.

----------

In another part of the hanger...



Shampoo looked at her own copy of lightsaber blueprints and nodded her head.
Though she wasn't as proficient at technology as Ranma, she understood the
principles and began thinking about how her Jedi weapon would look like. Her
sensei had told her that she could customize it in any way she saw fit.
Shampoo felt that it should be more... Amazon, in keeping with her heritage.
Then she came up with an inspiration as she remembered back to the old
legends and the deities that her tribe worshipped. The Chinese Amazons were
descended from the Greek varieties when they migrated into Asia centuries
ago, and they held great reverence for Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and
Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt.

----------

Somewhere else...

Ukyo shook her head. She had wanted so much to build the first spatula
lightsaber, but there were too many problems in designing an energy version
of the giant weapon she had started carrying on her back. The energy emitter
that would form the blade would have to be designed so that it could form
the square, flat head. And as she thought more about it, she realized that
such a wide blade would be very tricky to wield, especially if she only
wanted to stun her opponent. Furthermore, a large blade would use up a
tremendous amount of energy, and emit high amounts of heat. She wouldn't be
able to use it to flip her opponents as she could do with her normal Battle
Spatula. She would also have to design a long handle and that would take too
long and too much extra circuitry.

Ukyo sighed as she saw that it was just a pipe dream. She would have to
build a more standard saber. She took out one of her small throwing spatulas
and twirled it absent-mindedly as she considered her options. It was then
that she took another look at the weapon in her hand and then looked at the
giant spatula that was laying off to one side. She smiled as she came up
with a way to integrate her family's trademarks into her new Jedi weapon.

----------

Some time later...

Ranma wiped the sweat off his brow as he peered over the bubbling pot of
blue liquid. He squinted his eyes and saw that something was forming at the
bottom of the vessel, near the center. He nodded as he used a stirring rod
to tap the shape to one side so that it wouldn't stick to the surface of the
pot.

Using the chemical salts and compounds that were stored on Jarrick's
cruiser, Ranma had decided to create his own focusing crystal. Though it
would have been easier to find one in the quartz-laden mountainsides near
the ship's hanger, the boy had decided to make his own, thereby ensuring
that there would be no impurities, which could interfere with the projection
of his lightsaber's blade. He had to be very careful and make certain that
his crystal would take the right shape with no cracks or uneven edges. A
small aberration could cause the weapon to malfunction or even explode in
his hand.

An hour later, Ranma drained the pot and retrieved the rough crystal when it
cooled down. It was about the size of a golf ball and was a dull, aquamarine
color. He held up his new crystal to the light and nodded as he saw no
foreign particles within it. He then set it down on the worktable and began
using the advanced tools to polish all the rough edges and shape it so that
it would fit into the compartment within the handgrip.

Nearby was a metal cylinder that Ranma had been constructing while he waited
for the crystal to form. It was about thirty-five centimeters in length and
seven centimeters in diameter.

----------

Shampoo smiled as she went into her backpack and pulled out several
gemstones. The village where she was born, owned a gemstone mine within the
Bayankala Mountains. Normally, the gems were nothing more than simple
baubles as the Amazons had very little use for money. Her great-grandmother
had taken a sizable amount of the precious stones to use for traveling
expenses as they journeyed with Jarrick and the others.

She smiled as she selected a brilliant emerald which was very symmetrical
and pure. She always liked the color green and decided that it would be
perfect.

----------

Ukyo gave out a shout of joy as she located a small hunk of white quartz
that would suit her needs. She looked over it and found that it could be
refined with no trouble. Master Jarrick had said that any crystalline
substance can be used, so long as it was pure and had a highly refractive
surface. She quickly pocketed the stone and headed back to the hanger.

----------

"They're certainly taking their time." Cologne remarked as she ate her
dinner. It had been a week since her great-granddaughter and the other
trainees had begun constructing their lightsabers.

"Think of this as an exercise in mental discipline." Jarrick said as he and
Ukyo's father ate with the matriarch. "A lightsaber is MORE than just a
weapon." He took out his own lightsaber and ignited it. "It is an extension
of a Jedi's essence. It is the very symbol of our discipline. They aren't
very easy to make and a well-built lightsaber shows our dedication to the
Force." He deactivated the sword and continued speaking. "I have a feeling
that those three will surprise us when they complete their lightsabers."

----------

A few more days later...

Ranma narrowed his eyes as he fitted the last of the conductors into the
handgrip and began closing the access panel. The power cell was fully
charged and all the circuit relays checked out. He had been meticulous in
every step of his weapon's construction, like a master craftsman that was
creating a samurai sword. He had double and triple-checked every procedure,
making certain that once the lightsaber was activated, it would work
flawlessly. As he locked down the final panel, he gazed at his creation.

The entire handgrip was silver-coated and had rubberized sides for better
handling. It looked as if it was made of two sections, that were joined at
the ends. Each end had an emitter array that resembled the tines of a tuning
fork.

Ranma then stood up, took a deep breath, then pressed the activator stud.

At one end of the device, a bright, blue-white shaft of light shot forward
and formed an energy blade of approximately a meter in length. Ranma held a
hand close to the blade and felt no heat, assuring him that the conductors
were doing their job. He gave the new weapon a few practice swings, causing
it to produce a metallic hum that changed in pitched as it was waved back
and forth. He then swung at a nearby cavern wall and cut through the solid
granite, leaving a deep gash.

The young Jedi nodded as he saw that the energy blade was cutting as it
should. Now it was time for the second test.

Gripping the hilt with both hands, he made a slight twisting motion and
pulled the ends of the handle apart. The two sections of the handgrip
telescoped outward and revealed a third section within. As the handgrip
elongated to twice its length, the second emitter array ignited and set
forth an identical energy blade. Ranma's lightsaber had just become a
double-edged lance.

The teen began twirling and swinging his weapon in graceful arcs. With more
room for his hands, Ranma's double-bladed lightsaber was easier to handle
than Darth Maul's and gave the weapon greater reach.

----------

Shampoo smiled as she held out her completed Jedi weapon. It was a
cylindrical handgrip that was thinner than Ranma's, being only five
centimeters in diameter. However, she had added her own surprises as she
turned on the weapon.

The green blade shot forward and shimmered like a beacon. It was thinner in
diameter, compared to Ranma's, almost like a fencing foil's. However,
Shampoo had purposely made it this way for a reason. With the energy more
focused and tighter, it could thrust through her target with exact
precision. It could also slice with more accuracy and there were those OTHER
surprises.

She pressed a hidden switch on the other end of her weapon. The blade
suddenly shortened to about a length of about ten inches while the handgrip
extended its hidden sections until it was five feet in length. The Amazon
marveled at her new Saber Spear. In addition to the added reach, she had
also installed a small deflector screen generator which would protect her
hands and the haft of the spear from blaster bolts and enemy lightsaber
blades. The butt end of the spear had a miniature stun projector that she
could use if she needed to defeat a foe without killing him. All she had to
do was to poke the person and the contact trigger would send out a small,
focused stun bolt that would cause an ordinary man to drop unconscious.

Shampoo twirled her spear with practiced ease and began putting her weapon
through its paces.

----------

Ukyo carefully fitted her throwing spatula into the slot of her lightsaber.
Once the connectors snapped into place, the okonomiyaki chef took a deep
breath and pressed the activator button.

A silver-white light shot forward as the spatula became the weapon's emitter
array. However, due to its shape, the energy blade that was formed was
flatter and resembled that of a two-edged broadsword's. Ukyo smiled as she
knew the ramifications of such a shape. With its wider area, she found that
she could deflect blaster bolts easier. With its flattened edge, it also
gave the sword more powerful cutting ability. She then used the emitter
adjustment controls to widen the dispersal field of the blade. The energy
then spread out into a kind of fan shape, which could serve as a kind of
shield if Ukyo needed to stop a barrage of bolts at once. She then decided
to test the final option of her Spat-Saber. She returned the blade to its
normal shape and turned it off, while pushing a hidden switch with the front
end pointing out. The throwing spatula was launched like a rocket and shot
through the opposite granite wall like a hot knife through butter.

Ukyo nodded at her handiwork. If her weapon were to ever run out of power,
she could still fight back with this last-ditch option or hit a target at a
distance. She still had the OTHER weapon as well.

Her large Battle Spatula was lying on the worktable as she placed a new
throwing spatula into her lightsaber before hooking it back onto her belt.
She picked up her traditional weapon and looked over the modifications she
had made on it. She had used the technology of vibroknives to turn her
weapon into a Vibro-Spat. The handle now contained a ultrasonic generator
which could make the edge oscillate at millions of cycles per second,
enhancing the slicing power. Though it was not as effective as her
lightsaber, it could still cut through titanium without using as much
energy. She could also control the intensity of the vibrations so that she
could stun a person if she chose to.

Ukyo was happy that she had become the first okonomiyaki Jedi Knight.

----------

Jarrick was pleased when his students demonstrated their new lightsabers,
and was especially impressed on their ingenuity and creativity. The three
had come a long way from what they had been when he had first met them.
Shampoo had grown from a shy, little girl, into a very voluptuous and
attractive young lady. She wasn't the simple, country waif anymore and she
had a vivacious personality that radiated a joy of life.

Ukyo was no longer the bitter and dejected child. She too had blossomed
nicely and would turn the heads of many males. She was somewhat more serious
than her Amazon counterpart, but she carried herself with a kind of
open-mindedness.

As for Ranma, he was a far cry from the rude and arrogant boy that Jarrick
had found ten years ago. He was polite and more in control of his emotions.
He had grown tall and strong from better child care and was able to make
decisions for himself. One could only imagine how he could have turned out
if he had remained with his father.

Now the question was, were they ready... for the Empire?

To be continued....

Author's Notes

Whew! Long chapter. In any case, Ranma, Ukyo and Shampoo will be continuing
on with their training as they now enroll in high school at Furinkan. There
will be more personal interaction between the three and so on. We will also
be seeing some of the Nerima gang and the eventual encounter with the Tendo
family. Some special events will happen which will have our Jedi trio
looking toward the stars. As for who Ranma eventually ends up with... well,
you're just going to have to trust in the Force.

THE JEDI MIND TRICK

As far as I can tell, the standard Jedi mind trick is a form of indirect
hypnosis, in which the user gives the recipient suggestions or simple
orders. He or she does not have to have eye contact and by using the Force
to manipulate a person's subconscious, the Jedi can have the person carry
out simple instructions without even knowing it. There is a catch. The
person has to be 'weak-minded.' That is to say that the person must not have
some kind of defense against it or isn't aware that he or she is being
controlled. If one is strong-willed enough, then he or she can resist it.
However, should that person's mind have the slightest doubt or is mentally
exhausted, then the Jedi can take control.

GENMA: This trick definitely works on him since he IS a slave to his
gluttony. As I said before, any idiot can be a genius in one field. He's
good at martial arts... period. Everything else...

SOUN: Overemotional and very little mental strength. Obsessive behavior over
the pledge and uses honor to hide behind and cover up his own short-comings.
He'd be a pushover to the mind trick.

NABIKI: Cunning, level-headed and very aware of the facts. The trick
wouldn't likely work unless she was distracted or mentally exhausted.

KASUMI: Hard to tell if the trick would work or not. Her apparent
obliviousness to the outside world may all be just an act.

RYOGA: Always depressed and blames others for his misfortunes. Easily taken
in by lame disguises and tends to become obsessive. The trick would work.

KUNO: You're kidding, right? He's vain, arrogant and refuses to accept
simple logic and twists everything to suit his world. Total hypocrite when
it comes to honor and rationalizes everything that he says and does. Any
Jedi novice could take control of his pea brain in his or her sleep.

MOUSSE: Highly obsessive, especially when it's about Shampoo. Refuses to
accept the simple truth that she doesn't like him and deludes himself about
him and Shampoo eventually marrying. He's arrogant and thinks highly of
himself. Very vulnerable to the mind trick, especially if Shampoo uses it.
Heck, she might not even need it. Mousse would probably jump into a black
hole if she told him to.

KODACHI: Like her brother Kuno

AKANE: Driven by anger, petty concerns, pride and arrogance. Thinks of
herself as the best, though she had never encountered better opponents
outside of Nerima. Will never admit that she could do any wrong and that
she's always right. The mind trick would work unless she had trained
extensively to resist it. Anyone see her doing that soon?
