Force is strong with this one

               Force is low with me today though, but let’s say that in average it is pretty damn strong with your truly. These past 2 weeks were really challenging, so I reached back to the most comforting area in my life – Star Wars. I promised that this list will go on and on, so here we are with part 3! Lots of mature and somewhat unknown reasons for you Lot.

For reading pleasures, please put this playlist on – whenever you stopped the last time, keep it going! ?

You can also go back to my SW posts here:

•  PART ONE OF THIS SERIES
• PART TWO OF THIS SERIES
• First look at The Mandalorian – I had no idea what a treat it would be…
• Clone Wars overview and why you should start watching it
• Episode IX review
•  Star Wars story: A thousand generations

Usual disclaimer that there is no logic when it comes to order, however… There is a pattern that I followed subconsciously. Wow. Kudos to anyone who spotted it. Kudos to me, because it is very Nolan-ish.

REASON #21 – “Never tell me the odds!”

               There are a lot of things that could be said about Han Solo. One is sure though – when he set his mind for something, there was no going back. Going against the odds was Han’s specialty. He knew the risks of the gamble; after all he hanged out with Lando ?

You might be thinking why I chose this line as one of the reasons. If you think about it, sometimes the chances for something to happen are very slim. Being a risk analyst, that is part of my job to have a “sense” if and/or when something can or would happen. Work is one thing, the other is life.

               Sometimes I just want to take a risk without anyone telling me that there is a small chance of succeeding. It’s not a matter of winning, it’s a matter of giving it a shot, learning on the job. Besides, it is absolutely distracting, having someone at your ear, whispering “bitter nothings” to ground you, bring you back on Earth. Screw that, I belong out there, in Space. Among the stars. And that is where I am going to shoot for. The Force is with me!

REASON #22 – The Role models (to be continued)

               Tarre Vizsla is not just any role model. For quite some time, he was a hero to the nation. Planet, entire world. Let me start with the basic information, that he was Force sensitive. Like me! Seriously, though – he was the first of the Mandalore, to be included in the Jedi Order.

Eventually, he became a Jedi Knight and forged the Darksaber – which became a symbol, a legend. Of course, it is a powerful weapon, but the legacy, the heritage it carries… There is no greater force, than the power of belief. After his passing, the saber was kept in the Jedi Temple, only to be stolen by the Mandalorians. And so, the war has begun – the struggle of understanding the Force, lack of knowledge and communication.

               As for Tarre Vizsla a human, he might have been a dangerous addition to the Jedi Order. Even prior to the possession by the Force ghost of Sith King Dathka Graush, he was known for his “obsession” with the ancient Sith species and their traditional disciplines – alchemy and magic. Who knows what would have happened with him in this Universe?

Tarre is a great example of what happens, when people follow and worship you blindly – with no criticism or common sense. For the Mandalorians, the one thing that mattered was that the Jedi Order decided to keep the Darksaber, safe in the temple. The creed turned Vizsla into a “God” and it makes me think of Dune a lot. Nevertheless, Tarre Vizsla, the best light-sided Force wielding hero (as voted in the 15^th Wiki Awards) is someone worth remembering, as a key character in the Star Wars universe.  

REASON #23 – C3P0

               Threepio was one of the most annoying, funny and memorable characters in the franchise. He was perfectly balanced, with the right amount of righteousness, irritation and lighthearted attitude. I must admit to you Lot, that I never really liked this droid, but it grew on me eventually.

Partially, because I read George Lucas’ biography and realized the struggle Anthony Daniels went through with bringing this character to life. For that – eternal kudos. Serious and easily offended Threepio teamed up with goofy and sassy Artoo, to make one of the best on-screen dynamic duos in the history of film.

               If I was to ever make a droid ranking, Threepio would not be on the top; but over the years I learnt to value him, as an essential part of the gang. He was smart but very obnoxious about it, which made it hard to like him. However, his sacrifice in The Rise of Skywalker was one of the saddest scenes in the saga. Sure, we got him back at the end, but still – he was ready to let go of his life and friends, to save the Hope. And for that, I will always have a spot for him in my heart.

REASON #24 – “Godspeed, Rebels!”

               If you didn’t hold your breath, once you realized what Admiral Holdo will do, you are a heartless monster, let me make that clear. There was no other way, than to sacrifice one in order to save thousands. And that kind of “stunt” is not only impossible to pull off; it’s very hard to accept. And when you think about it, we have never seen anything quite like it, no? So violent, but beautiful. Inspiring, but heart-wrecking.

Rian’s technical-excellence nature came out with this sequence – the score and sound vanished, the radiant colors went dull and dark. The only thing that kept shining was Holdo’s dignity, grace and sly smile. This maneuver was so unexpected and it sparked the rebellious fire. She has awakened the Force in so many…

Admiral Amilyn Holdo taught us the tragic lesson on leadership. Calling the shots is not always easy and pretty. It takes guts and knowledge, skills and experience. And in the end, you must always remember: true leader goes down with the ship.

REASON #25 – Chirrut Îmwe

               Pure-hearted warrior, that proved that the Force can be strong in you, if you are brave enough to trust it blindly. Okay, well not exactly since he had help, but you know what my point is. Let’s start with some background details, though. Chirrut was one of the Guardians of the Whills alongside his longtime friend Baze Malbus. Both of them joined Saw Gerrera’s partisan’s underground world.

Initially, Chirrut was not involved in many missions, kind of stuck on the sidetracks, until he proved his skills and abilities as a soldier. Sadly, with Saw intensifying his attacks, the Empire strikes back, hurting the civilians on Jedha; leaving more and more children without parents. That was something Chirrut and Baze did not agreed with, so they decided to save the children, and sent them away on a stolen Empire ship.

The partisans were supposed to help, but as it often goes… This was a fight for greater good and given the choice between saving children and destroying the flying weapon, hovering above the city, partisans decided to betray Chirrut. He and Baze Malbus parted ways with Saw Gerrera on awfully bad terms.

               19 years later, we meet him again in Rogue One, where he makes a “spiritual” connection with Jyn (though she is not aware of that). The Force was strong and pure with him; this is why he could “sense” enemies and strike them first. And even though he lacked Force abilities, he was a true believer in the Jedi way. He feared nothing, as he said it, “for all is as the Force wills it”.

In the movie, director Gareth Edwards allowed Donnie Yen to flesh out the character as he saw fit – which is one of the greatest things any film director can do. One of the traits that Yen created for his character was Îmwe’s blindness, which source was/is kept a secret.

               For me, Chirrut Îmwe is a mental mentor – strong believer in an idea, he never had a chance to encounter. He wasn’t “wielding” the Force. But that never stopped him from believing in it, letting it guide him. And that is something to admire.

REASON #26 – I make my own luck mindset

               This theory, the way it was explained in Star Wars is one of my favorites. Why? Because even though it is something that already exists in real life, with a typical SW twist. Luck is the belief found in several cultures by which good or bad events occurred to beings of the Galaxy, based not on merit, but on other factors: some people thought they could influence luck by charms (like Han Solo’s dice), others thought they could create their own luck. And of course, there is a group that believes that there is NO such thing as luck.

I am somewhere in between, with a nod towards making your own luck. Making or helping it with your actions – ultimately though, we are the ones responsible for all the “I want something good to happen” kind of things in our life.

               Take a look at George Lucas – he is a visioner. He invested a lot of his money into making Star Wars films but he knew that it would pay off one day. He knew. And decided to make his own luck, on his own terms. I know that this mindset is hard to incorporate, but you can always start with one step at a time.

REASON #27 – Ursa Wren

               Shout out to all the female Mandalorian warriors! I am always down for some tasty empowerment. Ursa was a part of Death Watch. In 19 BBY, she took part in the Siege of Mandalore under the command of Bo-Katan Kryze of the Nite Owls. And even though the Rebels are on my watch-list, I know my strong females.

Ursa always had well-being of her clan in mind, which only proves that it was in the Mandalorian’s blood. The houses, the clans, family and blood – always coming first. Even though it was family that caused the pain – her daughter Sabine decided to abandon the family to join the Imperial Academy of Mandalore. Ursa regarded her daughter as a naive idealist whose alleged selfishness had endangered the interests of her family and clan.

               And I think that this is one of the things that makes Ursa Wren worth remembering – she was a mother in times of war. She had to witness her children growing up in this awful reality, making decisions influenced by the cruelty of conflict. In the end, she chose Sabine and protected her with all fierceness. That’s how mums are.

REASON #28 – TIE fighter

               TIE fighters were always so damn elegant to me, you know? Twin Ion Engine/Ln Starfighter if you will, were the standard Imperial starfighter seen in massive, massive quantities throughout most of the Galactic Civil War and onward. They were the heirs of the T.I.E. starfighter and the V-wing starfighter, which were developed for the Galactic Republic. Current TIE was manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems.

Now that I think about these ships, they were kind of shit. Lack of life support system, so each TIE pilot had a fully sealed flight suit. No hyperdrive, no combat shields. No wonder they produced so many of them, if they served as tiny distractions until the big ships came in. That was part of their design – attack in numbers. As Baron Soontir Fels said: “For every TIE fighter you shoot down, a thousand more will take its place”.

               TIE fighters were fast and very maneuverable, though. That does not mean that you could actually crash them with Force quite effortlessly. And damn, they look just good. From a purely aesthetic perspective: they look fine.

REASON #29 – Plot twists

               You need to rethink your life, if you never ONCE breathed out with terror hearing “Luke, I am your father”. And I don’t mean just the first time ever. I mean every goddamn time. It’s so iconic!!! And excuse me, Leia being Luke’s twin sister????? Hello 911 what is your emergency? Oh hi, I AM HAVING A NERDY HEART ATTACK.

Seriously though, there are so many plot twists that make me love Star Wars even more. The one I hate: with midi-chlorians and being Force sensitive – that one is just pure BS. But let’s focus on the good ones: Luke on Crait was just a Force projection?! THE CLONES PROGRAMMED TO MASACRE THE JEDI? Oh, my heart is bleeding. Kylo Ren is Han and Leia’s son? POE WAS A SMUGGLER?

But one, the one I will always and forever remember – everyone dies in Rogue One. Holy crap I was so surprised, caught off guard and knocked right down by this choice. Sure, I should have seen that one coming, but damn. DAMN!

REASON #30 – I am the one with the Force and the Force is with me…

               Oh, you know what? This line is my email signature at work. It’s so simple yet so meaningful. The electric charge it carries is amazing. The Force. If you believe in something, it can help you achieve more. I’m not saying that it will change your life entirely for sunshine and rainbows, evergreen path of success. No, that’s not how the Force works ?

For me, it’s like a personal mantra. Something no one else can say to me – it’s my personal you’ve got this kind of thing. My own words of encouragement. And as long as it helps me do things in life with confidence, I would say I’m good. The Force is with me.

BONUS REASON for February 21^st – FAN CREATIVITY part III

               The importance of music and impact of swiping the original tune to… All time classic. Oh boy, I laughed so hard when a friend of mine sent me this link. Michal, thanks a lot!