1 Hello there.

I woke up to the ambient lapping of waves.

The waves were glittery...the night awash with stars.

I looked around and heard distant voices...

I looked at the night sky and saw the many celestial bodies that would be foreign to my Earth.

I felt the Force and my connection to it; with it came a vague hint of where I was…

I took a knee and tried to raise myself but stumbled back as memories of someone else's knowledge weaved into my psyche.

No Jedi master I was…but definitely a talented knight.

I would need practice. A lot of it.

It would be required for a full integration…

This connection felt good.

It was warm.

It felt nostalgic...of sitting by a fire, looking at the wonders of the Milky Way far from industrial civilization. And my childish imagination fed on it.

A breeze blew by me, it woke me from my reverie.

...feeling safe and armored with my new knowledge and the wondrous connection to The Force I stood. There was a trodden path that would lead me to the distant voices.

I started my walk to what I hope would be a town.

The voices got louder...

They were becoming more distinct...

I was getting closer and it was good I was neither naked nor wet…

I felt happiness at what awaited me…what this new world would offer.

I had powers that once fueled my escapism. But I knew intellectually that this world was dangerous, and I would need to be sharp--and continuously grind away any dullness, nicks, or impurities.

I felt confident and joyous knowing this world was wrought with wonders and horrors; an expansive and immense world.

It's a childish feeling but it felt like the perfect sandbox for my adventures for whatever goal or destiny I would throw myself at.

And…

…I didn't really care to acquire the One Piece that defined the era.

Freedom and Power was an ever-elusive destination.

And that's the destiny I would follow.

That's my religion.

My mantra.

And freedom was an endless adventure with the occasional rest stop.

Power allows Freedom to exist away from slavery.

Slavery limits vocabulary.

And vocabulary was needed for self-expression.

With limited-expression growth stagnates.

The world dims and loses its vitality.

And with my freedom, I want to write a book about Epiphanies.

My epiphanies.

My truths.

My wisdom.

Because I wanted to understand every decision taken, subconscious or not in reflection of those moments.

That ever-elusive goal of clarity that one can only glimpse in moments of epiphanies.

That state of being lets you know all decisions and what path they may follow…and new ones to be taken.

It may give new recipes, new synthesis'.

This was the path of the traveler, which can be taken physically, intellectually, and metaphysically…

Travel the world.

Travel the path of science.

Or.

Travel through a story, the written or the spoken…

We all want wisdom.

That sweet ''brain blast', heh.

It's ecstasy to understand and make the 'correct' decisions...

To win whatever 'game' we are playing.

Let's see what game awaited me in town.

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I was in town…a bit drunk on a spicy rum after acquiring some currency with the ever-helpful Mind Trick that came with my new connection to the Force.

I realized quite easily and without any struggle that I could never be a Jedi.

For one I'm too cynical.

And, even though I'm no Sith, I know power precedes freedom.

A poor man lacks financial freedom.

Money speaks.

And without it, one can't travel far.

For my freedom.

For my endless adventure.

I would always seek power.

Without it, I would be destitute.

My sandbox would be a narrow tunnel that has one end caved in.

That's why I feel blessed.

This is why I treat the less fortunate with respect and fear.

I have been there in their shoes.

No upward mobility.

I was close to insanity.

A poor man's freedom.

A purely metaphysical one.

That was the dark side that whispered to me…

It was fucking seductive.

But it's against my ever-elusive goal.

It could make me its slave, its bitch.

It wanted me to only be one aspect of myself.

It limited my perspective.

To be a traveler one must be a true neutral.

It required flexibility...and a droplet or two of remorse in your drink in the taverns.

But remorse was a shackle tied to a horse-drawn cart driving towards a dungeon of guilt. And that's a ghost that follows and weighs you down.

But a past epiphany had spoken to me.

It showed the futility of pining over mistakes made and of moments that I could have made a stand and martyred myself to a cause.

I can only be responsible for myself--to not cripple or kill the innocent for my profit…

To not be malicious to the destitute.

In their shoes, I could have appreciated a hero.

But in their shoes, I could have been my own hero.

I could have treaded my path not towards my own destruction that would implicate others to sacrifice for me.

It's callous.

But I have to be responsible for my own love.

Because love for others was transient, ever fleeting.

And because of that, when I'm shocked by betrayal, my vengeance would only be because of principles. And I would still be nostalgic for our time spent together.

Hate was not fuel for longevity.

It's nitro.

It's helpful in bursts.

But it isn't when turning corners.

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I swiveled around a corner somewhat slushed.

I could purge my drunkenness with the Force but decided against it.

I was still cognizant.

It also made me less of a stranger in this port town.

My mission right now was window shopping.

And I also may have thought of acquiring a sword.

I stopped to think for a moment.

Isn't this world mostly port towns?

It's mostly a chain of islands.

Just a really, really long one.

Whatever.

The Force was wonderful.

If I wanted, I would nudge it and it would nudge me back an 'answer'.

Its responses were quite vague.

And it's not because I'm tipsy.

It's-it's.

*burp*

--because without a trance the internet connection was bad.

Still, clairvoyance had its utilities.

*Slaps forehead*

duh.

It's actually one of my top ten superpowers to have. And I have it.

Especially in a world so large and with no internet.

*Rolls eyes.*

I actually love its vague answers.

It allows self-interpretation...self destination.

I won't feel like I could magic my problems away.

It took my initiative and analysis to whittle down the ideas of its abstract language.

The force was not the omniscience/clarity I was seeking.

If I ever really wanted to reach the end.

I would hope an epiphany would strike me down back again to the old dusty trail that never ends.

Because my journey was endless and infinite.

That Omniscience I keep thinking about was only a mind-shattering orgasm.

But, anyway, (*he shakes his head*) the force was an awesome search bar that took my queries and yet may still fail to give that answer I seek because not every webpage was reputable, or user error…myself.

I may not know what I really want.

I may be giving it paradoxes and that's what I get in return.

I may just not comprehend the writing on the wall.

I never said I wasn't a dumbass.

Hence my obsession with wisdom.

Because I could 'never' or ever have been a genius, but I had my moments of wisdom before.

And beyond my years too.

And I like what I felt.

Hence, my life and that endless 'ascetic' *rolls eyes* quest for wisdom like some monk and his pilgrimage.

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I looked at 'my' cutlass...not bad, good balance.

I took a moment to look at the alley where I delved to acquire my loot--there was a drunk unconscious in grime.

Bless his heart that I didn't cut his throat open.

Through the Force, he reeked of the 'dark side'.

Probably did nasty and fucked shit in his life; don't know his life and what led him there but I felt some tiny ass guilt from him.

And I'm no saint.

Let's reserve that bloodlust for later.

I don't feel like murdering a man in his sleep.

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I was tossing a question around my mind--as I walked through the festive town--If using the Force would let me know where my 'karmic meter' was at the moment?

I'm not tipsy anymore and should be finding myself somewhere to sleep, and maybe meditate if I should be saving cats and babies, saving princesses and damsels from dragons.

The streets were filled.

A pickpocket tried his luck against my coin purse.

I grabbed his wrist and clamped it tight until I felt it pop.

I saw some people cringe.

The pickpocket had some grit.

Probably took a beating or two today.

But the lad swung with his good hand at my jaw.

And thus the Force spoke when I mentally sent my nudge and it gave me foresight--a future glimpse, even if it was unnecessary.

It showed me how to evade.

I did.

And really, my danger sense wasn't necessary but it was a test.

I needed to know how trustworthy my spidey-senses were.

Without any Force enhancing reaction or strength, I sidestepped the lad and slid to his left side while crouching in one smooth motion hooking his ankle with an outstretched arm.

I swung his ankle up and away from him causing him to land on the back of his head.

*Thunk*

It spoke of the extraordinary physiology of the natives of this world when his head didn't crack open like a rotten tomato.

The lad wasn't done.

In a stumble, he got up on shaky legs.

The bumbling idiot.

Because he was trying to curse at me.

Didn't see me coming when I had enough of the crowd gathering, and I jammed a right straight into his gut.

Because fuck his lunch and his bowels.

And I dropped him like dirty laundry.

I sent out with the Force a 'don't look at me and forget my face' mental manipulation (mind trick) and was able to slip away without anyone remembering or noticing. I think.

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It was good to know that my physiology was also native.

And now multiply it with the Force and I'm a telekinetic juggernaut if I wanted to...

The beauty of the Force was its versatility.

I could have guided that lad's mind away from my coin purse.

Or his punch.

I had choices.

And the Force helpfully sped my perception until everything was slowed to a crawl even if it was only for a moment.

I can slow my perception.

I have a Danger Sense, or the 'observation haki' (not really, but kinda). I didn't know if they functioned in similar ways?

I could enhance my strength, agility, coordination/balance, and so on…

And I'm not even a master.

Asajj Ventress would be a fucking wrecking ball.

And not to speak of Dooku or Yoda.

This was assuming they aren't 'squishy as hell' compared to this world's insane physiology.

The Force makes me dangerous and my body was only above average and nothing special, yet.

The Force and I were going to grow even more.

I could feel it.

I felt someone looking at me as I was a street away from what I assumed was a tavern that rented rooms from its three stories.

I looked back and saw a curvaceous lady.

Definitely not a Jedi.

I wanted to see if she would put-out for 'some' coins.

"Hello there. I noticed you looking."

"Indeed. I saw your little display."

She must have been far enough to ignore my mind trick.

"So you saw. And are you a fan of violence?"

"It all depends on who it's being administered to."

I raised an eyebrow.

"I was thinking if you were willing to punish some bad men for my establishment?"

Say brothel, please.

"And what establishment is this that doesn't have its own hired muscle?"

"An orphanage. Our only muscles are malnourished boys and girls. And it's not my establishment anymore or ever was. But my previous home. And these bastards like taking some of the boys and girls to some very unkind places as if they were goods!"

Oh.

Oof.

Okay then.

"Uhh. What would your name be...miss?"

"Cassandra."

"And what have you done about your predicament?"

"For one, that lad that you hemmed up is sitting in a basement somewhere blindfolded ready to be asked nicely about some of these 'places'. I saw this lad around the goons that were spiriting away the kids."

"The night is still early. And my fatigue is rather transient. And I do believe it's rather bad luck to deny such a pretty lady."

"The lad is already in bad shape. He should be easy picking. And lady luck is lady luck for a reason."

I smiled.

An adventure was calling.

The story was being written.

And I didn't even need to roll for an initiative.

My smile got wider.

After another query or two, I followed la señorita…

She did note that these establishments were ripe for picking.

And I can't say no to money.

She must be rather surprised at my nonchalant attitude.

But I was eager for violence.

To be powerful and not be a force of nature? Impossible!

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The lad was truly a pity to look at.

He had some licks' that weren't mine.

She did have a taste for brutality.

Cassandra, oh my oh my…

I licked my lips unconsciously.

I may need a bathroom break soon.

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"Didn't hear the lad squeal once? Did you get the locations?"

"Yes."

She didn't hear anything because it was his subconscious that was transmitting the info required. It squealed quite loudly.

"Ok? Where to then?"

...didn't even use my Cutlass once.

I would make a Jedi proud.

This was a path of least resistance and it only took my patience to strain a bit.

With the Force, I took my happy ass inside and brain-addled my targets. None were strong mentally to challenge me.

I looked for the kids...some were more 'tainted than others--some would be too scarred for a healthy life.

They would have their revenge.

All the culprits were subdued and now crowding a basement...their basement.

And they would starve…

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Subdued as they were, I encouraged their victims to 'stomp the yard'.

I pointed out that their testicles were 'the yard'.

They needed this.

To feel empowered.

To feel that they can inflict pain.

And they also needed a good laugh.

Schadenfreude.

I certainly was laughing.

It gave me great relief to smile.

These boys and girls had their freedoms toyed with…in one of the worst imaginable ways…

Poetic Justice was better than my own cruel justice…because these girls and boys were able to regain something that they lost. Even if it is only a fragment.

I could have been selfish and mutilated these men myself in a rage-induced hysteria--especially with the Dark Side on my shoulder being the ever-helpful little 'Screwtape'.

But... What would they gain?

They would lack the introspection of their revenge.

Jerking off to porn isn't better than actually getting some.

They got some.