Star Wars fic
I've been thinking about Star Wars a lot recently - mostly in the context of running RPGS - and I needed somewhere to put this.
The exile's analysis:
The Jedi have failed, and massively. Their supposed aims were guardianship of the Force, protection of the Republic, protecting galactic peace, and continuation of their own traditions. In all but one of these they have failed, and that one... well, I don't expect it to last.
You must understand the context here. As recently as a decade ago, the Republic was a relatively inoffensive, and ineffective, institution. Planets had their own governments, and whilst the Senate did hand down new laws with little respect for situation, enforcement was generally lax except when it came to things that could be softly-enforced, like taxes. In a military sense the Republic had more of a militia approach – asking member planets to lend forces, rather than having their own. Given this context, the Separatist war plan makes sense. The war was supposed to be fairly quick: declare independence, demonstrate the power of our military, and offer a simple peace on fair terms – our laws and taxes within our space, theirs within theirs. Does this seem so unreasonable? It should not, in any sense. Of course, the problem is what happens when things do not go to plan.
Two important things went wrong. First, the Jedi got a hint of a Sith involved with the separatists. During the trade disputes preceding the war, two Jedi encountered a Sith apprentice on Naboo. I heard rumours of it, and then acquired testimony and video footage from officers within the various Naboo-ese military branches – a red-skinned man in black, wielding a lightsaber with two red blades. I still don't know who this was or why he was involved, but he definitely seems to be a Sith. Having got a hint that Sith were involved with the Separatist cause, the Jedi decided to oppose the secession body and soul, lending their considerable political influence to crushing the movement.
Even more importantly, the clones were created. The Republic had demonstrated considerable antipathy to sending their own children out to die, but when the great and noble citizens of the Core Worlds realised they could send out armies of “expendable” clones, they were suddenly a lot more keen! There was still opposition on grounds of ethics and expense, but between the adventurers, the ambitious, the murderous, and of course the Jedi, they managed to fund an extremely large army and navy.
The result is, the Republic is determined, which means it is a battle of production. Bluntly, we cannot produce ships and droids fast enough compared with their ships and clones, so they are going to win. But I digress, our near certain defeat was not the subject at hand. That was the Jedi. She sighs
So let us return to their aims: guardianship of the Force, protection of the Republic, protecting galactic peace, and continuation of their own traditions.
The Republic has become a remarkably militarised place over the course of this war. Victory has been considered such a high priority that any cost is worth it. The Chancellor controls the army and navy, which in turn control both the war and policing of everyday life. The courts are now military too. A citizen can be accused of something, arrested by clone troopers, tried by military officers in secret, and executed, with every stage being handled by military personal whose chain of command ends with the Chancellor. Meanwhile planets are governed not as they would choose to be, but by governors appointed, again, by the Chancellor. In this sense then, the democratic ideals and internal peace of the Republic are dead. The Jedi have failed to protect it.
They have also, obviously, failed to protect galactic peace. They could not stop the war, indeed they hardly tried. Once they saw a Sith they were all for it.
The Separatists raised a droid army, who have died in the millions. This is, of course, a terrible thing to do. Ethically unforgivable. And yet, the Jedi have done worse. Because the key difference between a droid army of child soldiers and a clone army of child soldiers is this: The Force does not care about droids. The Jedi accepted the use of clone-children as combatants, and millions of them have died in battle. This has marked the Force, greatly strengthened the Dark Side. What's somehow even worse is, this was entirely predictable! The “great” and “wise” Jedi order did not merely embrace the idea of child soldiers, born to die, these supposed “guardians of the living Force” did that knowing the wounds it would cause to the living Force, and simply decided it wasn't important compared with prosecuting a war against a bunch of people who might, or might not, be associated with a Sith!
Finally, in doing all this, they have all but abandoned their own traditions. The next generation of Jedi, if there is one, will know that Pacifism is a virtue... except when people choose to leave the Republic. That consideration and wisdom are virtues... except when there are Sith to hunt and a war to fight. That negotiation and peaceful compromise is to be encouraged... except when dealing with Separatists, or criminals, or people who disagree with the direction the Order has taken, or people who disagree with the direction the Republic has taken. That government by the Chancellor is not to be questioned, that justice is the preserve of the military, and that “peace” is “kept” by building the largest military force in known history and using it to crush all resistance.
I left the Jedi some time ago, over smaller differences than these. I thought the Order hidebound and blind, emphasising pointless rules over values. But now... now they don't even have rules. Many still live and still call themselves Jedi, but the Order has been destroyed just as the Republic has. It is a shell with the same name, but a different structure and purpose.
The best outcome would have been a quick Separatist victory. That might have led the Republic to consider its actions and values, renewing itself. It might even have led the Jedi to do the same! But with the arrival of the clones, we have all been damned, or damned ourselves. There is no chance at all that the Chancellor will give up his “emergency” powers. He will rule the Republic until his death. Grievous should have killed him, not taken him prisoner. But that chance was lost, partly due to damn fool Jedi, and we will not get another.
The exile's analysis:
The Jedi have failed, and massively. Their supposed aims were guardianship of the Force, protection of the Republic, protecting galactic peace, and continuation of their own traditions. In all but one of these they have failed, and that one... well, I don't expect it to last.
You must understand the context here. As recently as a decade ago, the Republic was a relatively inoffensive, and ineffective, institution. Planets had their own governments, and whilst the Senate did hand down new laws with little respect for situation, enforcement was generally lax except when it came to things that could be softly-enforced, like taxes. In a military sense the Republic had more of a militia approach – asking member planets to lend forces, rather than having their own. Given this context, the Separatist war plan makes sense. The war was supposed to be fairly quick: declare independence, demonstrate the power of our military, and offer a simple peace on fair terms – our laws and taxes within our space, theirs within theirs. Does this seem so unreasonable? It should not, in any sense. Of course, the problem is what happens when things do not go to plan.
Two important things went wrong. First, the Jedi got a hint of a Sith involved with the separatists. During the trade disputes preceding the war, two Jedi encountered a Sith apprentice on Naboo. I heard rumours of it, and then acquired testimony and video footage from officers within the various Naboo-ese military branches – a red-skinned man in black, wielding a lightsaber with two red blades. I still don't know who this was or why he was involved, but he definitely seems to be a Sith. Having got a hint that Sith were involved with the Separatist cause, the Jedi decided to oppose the secession body and soul, lending their considerable political influence to crushing the movement.
Even more importantly, the clones were created. The Republic had demonstrated considerable antipathy to sending their own children out to die, but when the great and noble citizens of the Core Worlds realised they could send out armies of “expendable” clones, they were suddenly a lot more keen! There was still opposition on grounds of ethics and expense, but between the adventurers, the ambitious, the murderous, and of course the Jedi, they managed to fund an extremely large army and navy.
The result is, the Republic is determined, which means it is a battle of production. Bluntly, we cannot produce ships and droids fast enough compared with their ships and clones, so they are going to win. But I digress, our near certain defeat was not the subject at hand. That was the Jedi. She sighs
So let us return to their aims: guardianship of the Force, protection of the Republic, protecting galactic peace, and continuation of their own traditions.
The Republic has become a remarkably militarised place over the course of this war. Victory has been considered such a high priority that any cost is worth it. The Chancellor controls the army and navy, which in turn control both the war and policing of everyday life. The courts are now military too. A citizen can be accused of something, arrested by clone troopers, tried by military officers in secret, and executed, with every stage being handled by military personal whose chain of command ends with the Chancellor. Meanwhile planets are governed not as they would choose to be, but by governors appointed, again, by the Chancellor. In this sense then, the democratic ideals and internal peace of the Republic are dead. The Jedi have failed to protect it.
They have also, obviously, failed to protect galactic peace. They could not stop the war, indeed they hardly tried. Once they saw a Sith they were all for it.
The Separatists raised a droid army, who have died in the millions. This is, of course, a terrible thing to do. Ethically unforgivable. And yet, the Jedi have done worse. Because the key difference between a droid army of child soldiers and a clone army of child soldiers is this: The Force does not care about droids. The Jedi accepted the use of clone-children as combatants, and millions of them have died in battle. This has marked the Force, greatly strengthened the Dark Side. What's somehow even worse is, this was entirely predictable! The “great” and “wise” Jedi order did not merely embrace the idea of child soldiers, born to die, these supposed “guardians of the living Force” did that knowing the wounds it would cause to the living Force, and simply decided it wasn't important compared with prosecuting a war against a bunch of people who might, or might not, be associated with a Sith!
Finally, in doing all this, they have all but abandoned their own traditions. The next generation of Jedi, if there is one, will know that Pacifism is a virtue... except when people choose to leave the Republic. That consideration and wisdom are virtues... except when there are Sith to hunt and a war to fight. That negotiation and peaceful compromise is to be encouraged... except when dealing with Separatists, or criminals, or people who disagree with the direction the Order has taken, or people who disagree with the direction the Republic has taken. That government by the Chancellor is not to be questioned, that justice is the preserve of the military, and that “peace” is “kept” by building the largest military force in known history and using it to crush all resistance.
I left the Jedi some time ago, over smaller differences than these. I thought the Order hidebound and blind, emphasising pointless rules over values. But now... now they don't even have rules. Many still live and still call themselves Jedi, but the Order has been destroyed just as the Republic has. It is a shell with the same name, but a different structure and purpose.
The best outcome would have been a quick Separatist victory. That might have led the Republic to consider its actions and values, renewing itself. It might even have led the Jedi to do the same! But with the arrival of the clones, we have all been damned, or damned ourselves. There is no chance at all that the Chancellor will give up his “emergency” powers. He will rule the Republic until his death. Grievous should have killed him, not taken him prisoner. But that chance was lost, partly due to damn fool Jedi, and we will not get another.