Chapter -2 - Prologue Part 1: Dying

My name is Jerid and I was 25 years old. I am currently standing in a world of whiteness, everywhere you look it was white. Behind was a world of white, to my left was white and to my right was white but in front of me was an old man in a white gown with white hair and a white beard. But before we begin this story let me tell you about my past and how I got to here.

It all started when I was a little kid when I first watched the movie Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. After watching that movie, I became fascinated and obsessed with the Star Wars Universe ever since. Since that first movie, I became a Star Wars Fan. I read all the Star Wars books and comics. I watched all of the movies from The Phantom Menace to the last one The Rise of Skywalker, I have seen all 12 movies and all of the cartoon especially the Clone Wars. I even played all of the video games from Star Wars Battlefront II 2017 to Star Wars: Knights of the of the Old Republic I & II (SW:KOTOR) to Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds but my favorite video games would have to be Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR), and Star Wars Empire at War.

I really loved the SWTOR and Star Wars Empire at War games. In SWTOR, I played as every class and romanced all of the women and I even used a mod so I could romance Vette and Jaesa at the same time when I did the Sith Warrior Class. The reason I liked Star Wars Empire at Wars was that it let me control the armies and wage battles and conquer planets which I found fun and exciting. I was able to successfully conquer the galaxy in the game with all of the factions from the original version and from my favorite game mods that let me conquer the universe as the Republic or Separatist during the Clone War Era.

I even joined the volunteer organizations: the 501st Legion and the Rebel Legion. For the 501st Legion, I cosplayed and dressed as Darth Revan who was one of my favorite characters in the Star Wars Universe who I felt was the most powerful and the best force user ever. He was a master of the light side and dark side --- war and peace. I try to be like Revan, a force user who was neither a sith or jedi. Revan had followed his own philosophy and morals. I also do the same and follow my own morals and philosophy. For the Rebel Legion, I was a 501st Clone Trooper. I choice to do that instead of a jedi was because I found that they were not that great, don't get me wrong. I respect their fighting skills and abilities, but their ways of doing things didn't really suit me, especially given how things turned out with Ashoka Tano in the Clone Wars and etc. I choice the clone trooper because I really love their armor and their cool paint designs.

Besides doing volunteer work for the 501st Legion and the Rebel Legion, I was a dedicated swordsman and martial artist. Since I learned of Star Wars, I took up swordsmanship and martial arts to become as powerful as a jedi and a sith. I did a little bit of fencing, kung fu and karate which I was great at but my main passion and focus was Kenjutsu and Kendo which was where Jedi and Sith Lightsaber skills were inspired from. I was great at kendo and even won some national championsh.i.p.s in America. I even went to Japan to study under many different dojos to learn their styles.

While I went on my martial artist journey in Japan, I learned about many different sword styles and how to use different weapons like a bo staff and spear. I even learn Niten Ichi-ryu which was dual blade wielding like the Jedi Saber Style: Jar'kai. I grew to love dual wielding and I took it up as my main style of fighting. I have been in Japan for four years, and after learning all that I could, I packed my things and mailed my katanas to America. The katanas were gifts and awards given to me by my many Sensei's over the years. After four years, felt it was time for me to go back home to America.

It has been a long and meaningful life for me. I did so much in my life to become like the powerful and lightsaber using force users of the Star Wars Universe. I enjoyed everything I have done in my life, from joining the 501st and Rebel Legion to learning swordsmanship in Japan. I found that I was one with myself.

It wasn't until the evening that everything changed. I got off a train in Tokyo and started heading to the airport by foot. It wasn't until I was walking by a street when I saw a little girl running after her puppy who escaped from her grip. They both ran into the street when there was a loud honking sound and tires screeching, there was a big truck heading right towards the little girl. With my many years of martial arts training, I was able to act on reflex and jumped into action. I ran into the street, and I was able to pick up the girl and her puppy but it was too late to run out of the trucks way, so I did the only thing I could do. I used my own body to shield the little girl and puppy from harm. When the truck hit me, it sent me flying into the air with the girl and puppy.

When we were about to hit the ground, I turned my body in mid-air and use my body with protect the girl and puppy. We kept rolling and we stopped 10 feet away. I was on the ground on my back with the little scared girl and puppy hugging onto me. I let them go and I started to feel like my whole body was broken and I wasn't able to really breath. The little girl was on her knees looking at me with a crying face, with the remaining of my strength I smiled at her and patted her on the head to give her a show of encouragement. Even though I was putting on a brave face for the little girl, I was slowly dying.