Did Darth Vader And His Inquisitors Fulfill A Dark Jedi Prophecy From The High Republic Era?
Imagine being a Jedi youngling during the High Republic Era. It may have been only a few weeks since you left your familiar family home, your parents, and your siblings. You have started to bond with your fellow younglings at the Jedi temple. As you become more comfortable and more accustomed to your new daily routines, you may also find yourself in some late night shenanigans with your new friends. Of course good younglings must stay in their beds at night, so when you are caught outside of your beds, you are treated to a sort of boogeyman rhyme to scare you back to bed.
"Shrii ka rai ka rai
We're coming to take you away
Shrii ka rai ka rai
We're coming to take you away
They'll do what they can
And they'll do what they must
But when they do find you all you'll be is...
Dust."
As these children grow up and mature, their memory of the rhyme fades away. The boogeyman is not real after all. In true Halloween fashion, (a tradition which obviously does not exist in the Star Wars universe) what if the boogeyman was real?
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What if we were to look at this particular rhyme from a certain point of view. As pointed out by Screen Rant, Darth Vader and his Inquisitors essentially became the boogeyman referred to in this nursery rhyme. In the aftermath of Order 66, Emperor Palpatine sent Darth Vader and his Inquisitors to hunt down any surviving Jedi. In addition, they were tasked with searching for Force-sensitive children. They would scour the universe, kidnapping children from homes and orphanages. These children would either join the Empire and train to become spies and agents of the Dark Side, or they would be killed. In essence, Darth Vader and his Inquisitors are literally "doing what they can" to take the children away. When they do find their targets, all they will be is dust.
Apparently, this strangely frightening nighttime rhyme was particularly well-known among the Jedi of the High Republic Era as Jedi Master Vidyarvrik would sing it to younglings when they would not sleep. Some had said it was Vidyarvrik’s way of forcing the young Jedi to confront their fears at an early age. This is also one of the first steps in learning to deal with their fear of the unknown, and we all know that fear is a path to the Dark Side of the Force.
Like many rhymes, this particular one has a basis in reality, and is not just something totally made up by Jedi Master Vidyarvik. This rhyme in particular appears to refer to an ancient creature of old which apparently existed millennia ago. According to Star Wars: Trail of Shadows #1, these predators hunted Force-sensitives in order to feed on their midi-chlorians, reducing their victims to dust. This could be the original reason why Force-sensitive children were given to the Jedi, as the Jedi had the power and capability to protect them from this danger.
As it is with a lot of the vague Jedi teachings, some sayings are perhaps foreshadowing something more sinister as a sort of a warning for dark times to come. However, as millennia pass, the true meaning behind the saying or rhyme becomes lost with the passage of time. Like a long game of telephone, its original meaning gets twisted with its telling. Even in the time of the High Republic when the Jedi was supposedly at the zenith of their power and enlightenment, they have already started to dig their heels in certain beliefs and methods without any further explanation than tradition. After all, it has been done for millennia, there must be a good reason for it. Why fix something that apparently works. This would be their downfall as they refused to flex with the changing times.
Perhaps the rhyme is a warning of ancient danger. Perhaps it is a warning of future danger. Its true meaning remains with the original author, whose identity was lost to history.
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