"Great Master, you shouldn't teach that Mandalorian youth like this. It doesn't conform to Jedi doctrine, and the Council won't approve of such behavior," Obi-Wan stated, standing before Qui-Gon after the training concluded.
Qui-Gon Jinn paused, his gaze calmly meeting his Disciple's worried eyes. He did not immediately refute, "Obi-Wan," his voice as gentle as ever, "I hear your concerns."
"It's not just concern, Great Master!" Obi-Wan eagerly took a half-step forward, suppressing the agitation in his voice. "Jedi tenets are clear—The Force training must begin in childhood, under the guidance of the Temple, honing one's Heart-Nature through restraint and calm. Kote... he is too old. He has strong personal emotions, a clinging to Mandalorian traditions! The Force in his hands is merely a tool, Master. You have personally witnessed how history repeats itself when power is uncontrolled. Are the lessons of those who fell to the Dark Side not profound enough?"
Qui-Gon Jinn listened quietly, his gaze distant, as if piercing through the Disciple before him to see a more distant scene. In the distance, Kote was tired but excited, wiping away sweat, trying to savor the feeling of The Force flowing through him.
"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon Jinn finally spoke, his voice low and powerful, "The tenets you speak of are the cornerstone of safety. I have taught you this, and I have lived by it for most of my life. But The Force itself is far grander and deeper than the rules we have set. It is not merely what the Jedi Council says is the essence of The Force."
He raised his hand, pointing in Kote's direction. "What you see is an older, emotional youth with obsessions. What I see is a Soul who instinctively answered The Force's call in a desperate situation and displayed astonishing talent. His emotions, his Mandalorian spirit, are not destined to lead to the Dark Side. They are his roots, the unique source of his power."
"But that is also his greatest weakness!" Obi-Wan retorted. "Power is strengthened by emotion, and it is also twisted by emotion! The flame of vengeance for his people still burns within him. This strong personal motivation is precisely the breeding ground for the Dark Side! Outside the Temple, without Systemic teaching and continuous supervision, how can he resist such temptation? What if he loses control..."
"Then do you think, by turning him away, allowing his innate talent to fester in ignorance and potential anger, that it would be safer?" Qui-Gon Jinn countered, his gaze sharpening. "The Force within him has already Awakened, Obi-Wan. It will not disappear because we do not teach him. It will only be like an untamed wild horse, ready at any moment to drag him into a more dangerous abyss. I teach him not to circumvent the Council—though their red tape can sometimes be frustrating—but to give him the necessary guidance, when he most needs to understand this power and learn basic control. To make him understand that The Force is not just about combat and revenge; it is more about perception, balance, and connecting all things."
"Even so, this should be the Council's decision! Privately training an outsider with a complex background is a blatant disregard for procedure, a challenge to our creed..."
"Creed?" Qui-Gon Jinn's voice uncharacteristically carried a hint of severity. He took a step forward, closer to Obi-Wan. "Does the creed state that we should abandon someone who might fall to the Dark Side at any moment? Are we to let this talent and this promising young man be wasted, or even pushed towards the Dark Side, merely because he doesn't fit our perfect template for recruiting Disciples, under our rigid rules?"
He took a deep breath, his tone softening, but his gaze remained firm. "Procedure is important, but sometimes, perceiving the will of The Force and acting from one's true Heart-Nature can bring us closer to the essence of Light than rigid adherence to rules. I understand your loyalty, Obi-Wan, but in this matter, I believe I am walking on the path guided by The Force."
"As for the Council... when the time is right, I will face them. But for now, preventing a Soul who might turn the tide in the future from sliding into darkness, guiding him to understand rather than fear his own power, is the responsibility I, as a Jedi Knight, must bear at this moment." He looked at Obi-Wan, "Your concerns, I keep them in my Heart-Nature. They remind me to remain vigilant, but my decision will not change."
"Very well, Great Master, I will report this to the Council," Obi-Wan said, preparing to return to the ship to report the matter. But Qui-Gon called him back and gave him the blood sample he had collected from Kote earlier, asking him to test the mitochondrion content.
While the two were arguing, my protagonist, Kote Vizsla, was still meditating. Numerous pebbles floated around him, and his mind was contemplating the future direction. Just then, he saw it!
A shadowy figure, a blood-red lightsaber, and those classic Sith eyes, along with fallen Jedi and Mandalorians!
These nightmare-like visions made Kote fall directly to the ground, and the surrounding pebbles also dropped. "Is this the future? Is that figure the future Darth Vader or someone else?"
Facing the confusing future, a voice within Kote constantly urged him to become stronger, to use the hyperion to empower himself.
In this situation, Kote could no longer continue meditating, so he returned to his clan's location. Looking at the children, his thoughts gradually became clear: to protect his family, he needed to become stronger. Therefore, he decided to bring the weapons and equipment from the hyperion back to Sundari first, to strengthen the New Mandalorians' equipment, and only by defeating Death Watch could they have a future.
Just then, Satine walked over and sat beside him. "Thinking about Death Watch?"
"No, Cousin, I'm just thinking about when the war can end. So I plan to request the orthodox Mandalorians to agree to their Super Commando Code, to achieve a united front with us and jointly resist Death Watch."
"Kote, as the advisor I appointed, I'll leave this matter to you. But how did you acquire that new type of spacecraft? If we had more such spacecraft, we would win the war faster." Satine fully trusted Kote and gave him full authority, but she wanted to acquire more viking fighters to win the war more quickly.
Kote thought for a long time, considering how to explain this, as he had never thought about how to explain it before. After all, how could a group of children acquire the latest equipment? After much thought, he finally attributed it to his parents, who had long since returned to The Force.
"It was founded many years ago by Vadiel, a weapons company established by my parents, and they left behind many similar design drafts. Relying on scavenging and previous savings, I assembled the viking fighters at a shipyard there," Kote lied profusely.
"Uncle and Aunt really left behind such an inheritance? But why didn't they take the children away from the war to live in Vadiel?" Satine was somewhat suspicious but didn't voice it, as everyone has their little secrets.
"Because there are more children who still need rescue. I cannot stand by and watch them die, so I will not leave," Kote thought of these children.
At this moment, Almec walked over to discuss civilian affairs with Satine, while Kote prepared to first visit the prison to check on the Mandalorians they had captured earlier.