67 BBY: Vow of Justice

In 67 BBY, as Darth Plagueis usurped the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith from his master Darth Tenebrous across the galaxy, a young Ki-Adi Mundi was learning what it means to be a Jedi.

In Vow of Justice we meet a young and fresh Ki-Adi Mundi, newly minted as a Jedi Knight and looking to right the wrongs of the universe, particularly; to right some wrongs done to his kin.

For many years Ki-Adi’s family was harassed by raiders who abused his father and stole his family’s food and supplies.  Unable to stand up to the gang leader, Ki-Adi's father simply capitulated to the raiders’ demands, and paid tribute to them whenever they arrived.

Years prior and only a boy at the time, and  much to his father’s sorrow, Ki-Adi was taken by a mysterious Jedi woman to begin his Jedi training (is this particular Jedi the Dark Woman as some have suggested?).  Decades later Ki-Adi Mundi returned home hoping to be a hero to his people.  Vow of Justice is the story of Ki-Adi’s struggle to handle his need for revenge.

“Justice is the fruit of compassion”, Yoda reminds Ki-Adi before the young Jedi returns to his home world to confront the raiders who used to abuse and steal from his family.  “Hate the act but pity the being – lost his battle with the darkside he has” says Yoda, paraphrasing the great Christian theologian St. Augustine who said “Love the sinner, but hate the sin”.  To win his battle with the darkside Ki-Adi must learn to love his enemy. Fortunately, it is a lesson Ki-Adi eventually learns.

Indeed, Bin-Garda-Zon did lose his battle with the darkside, but Ki-Adi did not.  Once Ki-Adi found the raiders responsible for harassing his family, the once powerful gang leader was now a shrivelled old man, incapable of defending himself.    Tossing aside the old man’s fruitless attacks upon him, Ki-Adi walked away, leaving the old man to his bitterness and frailty.

“For the former chief, there is no greater punishment than that which he’s brought upon himself – to be rendered inconsequential.  Justice has been served”

The tale ends with Ki-Adi Mundi dismantling the group of raiders, and returning home the hero he hoped he would be.

For my next post I’m going to take a look at Scott Allie’s Star Wars: Jedi: The Dark Side.  Until then my friends, may the Force be with you.