fandomhigh | So You're In the Middle of a War, Monday, Period 4

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So You're In the Middle of a War, Monday, Period 4

"Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to a class about war. Taught by a pacifist. Who is now an officer in the Republic Navy back in my home galaxy after only being drafted two months ago," Zayne greeted. "My name is Lieutenant Zayne Carrick of the Republic Hammerhead frigate Reciprocity, and for the past couple years I've been increasingly involved in a war between the Republic and a nomadic group called the Mandalorians."

"It's mostly been an accident. A couple of you already know my story, but as a pretty quick recap, I was a fugitive wanted for a crime I didn't commit, this happened just as the Mandalorians started to get bolder with their invasion, and I kept finding myself somehow tied into some big moments in the conflict. I've seen worlds bombarded and made uninhabitable for what will have to be decades at least. Probably longer. I have friends who stumbled across the site of a genocide. I was at the unveiling and neutralization of a superweapon in the form of giant space worms. I've met, angered, bargained with, and been imprisoned by leaders on both sides of the war. And all of that was before I was even drafted."

"I'm pretty much getting at three things. First, naturally, I'm going to ask you to introduce yourselves and give at least a brief overview of your involvement in war. Second, to show you that even though I'm a pacifist who doesn't believe in killing people, I've still seen a lot of the ugliest parts of war up close. And third, to make it completely clear that war is completely kriffing nuts."

"One final point before I open the floor to you guys," Zayne said. "Obviously, I know that my views on war and fighting are considered insane by... well, most people who are actually involved the business of fighting. I don't expect anyone else to share my opinions, and I certainly won't think poorly of anyone who actively disagrees with me. When you get down to it, this is a class about you, how your experiences influence you, and helping you live through them. I'll be happy if anyone decides my position is a good one to take, but I really wouldn't be doing my job if all I did was preach and reject anything that wasn't within that view."

"Okay, let's get to introductions. Hopefully you aren't sick of them already."

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With an icon suggesting what war is good for.

Yeah, I'm feeling abstract.

Atton Rand

Stannis Baratheon

Marasiah Fel

Ulrik of Denmark

Anakin Solo

Try not to interrupt and call him a damn hippie.

Even if he totally is one.

Ahhhh, war. Finally, something on this accursed island that Stannis could understand!

...Even if mostly just from a philosophical and preparatory point of view. Either way, listening and thinking and just being in generally familiar territory had him feeling more content than he had in the last forty-eight hours.

A pacifist involved in a war? That sounded about normal to Anakin, because even if he didn't think so (or put too much weight on it when he did think about it) there were a lot of viewpoints in his uncle's Jedi Order that were kind of contradictory anyway. It reminded him a bit of his endless arguments with Jacen, but he'd never yet known Zayne to really push his point of view on anyone. Therefore, no scowling on his part yet.

Who are you and what are your experiences with war? Be as detailed or vague as you're comfortable with.

"I'm Atton," Atton said, kicking back in his seat in a way that wasn't entirely respectful of Zayne's authority. "And I lost most people I know to a war between the Republic and a nomadic group called the Mandalorians."

Just because he liked you slightly better than the other Force-sensitives on the island didn't mean he was going to be particularly nice to you, Zayne.

Really, Zayne should have expected the guy with a big grudge against the Jedi from roughly his time to be in his class. That's just the way things went.

"If you don't mind me asking, were you involved in the war any more directly?" With Atton being in high school he would presumably be too young to have fought, but war was kriffing insane.

"If by 'directly' you mean 'spent my time in refugee camps for the past few years', then yes, I guess I was," Atton told him.

Three years in the Republic army. Time in Revan's. He wasn't sharing either, thanks.

Edited 2012-07-03 01:21 (UTC)

"That would be pretty direct involvement, yes," Zayne said. It certainly helped explain the surliness. "Thank you for sharing, Atton. I know it's probably touchy for, well, very good reasons.

"Don't mention it," Atton said, kicking back in his seat.

Even more. How that chair was staying upright was a mystery.

"My name is Stannis Baratheon, of the House Baratheon," said Stannis, "and I have no personal experience with war, though I am still quite young. War is a terrible thing, Lieutenant, I can agree with you on that, but it is also inevitable, for men there will always be dishonorable men and the abuse of justice and good will. If I must fight a war to defend what is honorable and right, then I will gladly and proudly do so."

Proudly, at any rate. Stannis didn't look much like one to do anything gladly.

Edited 2012-07-02 12:15 (UTC)

"I'd like to disagree with you about the inevitable thing, but I've learned enough about the distant future of my galaxy to know that's wishful thinking," Zayne said. "Still, if it's inevitable, the best thing you can do is be ready for it. Sounds like you have a start toward that.

"My name is Marasiah," she began, choosing her words carefully especially if Atton was probably going to use them against her at some point. "I was too young to be as close to the most recent war as I would have been otherwise, though it had a profound effect on my life. The war ended... unfavorably for the galaxy, and we are still dealing with the fallout from that."

Welcome to as vague as her time could possibly get.

"Sorry if I just assume, but is this the same galaxy that I'm talking about? With Jedi and never being more than a couple dacades from a cataclysmic war of some sort?"

It seemed likely, if only because this was Zayne's class and of course someone talking about another galaxy meant his.

Well, not so much with the Jedi these days...

"Yes," she answered. "Very far after your time."

"That's usually the way it goes," Zayne said. "Glad to have you here, Marasiah."

"Ulrik of Denmark," Ulrik introduced himself. "House Oldenburg. My country was until rather recently involved in a war with the United States of Europe- which I suspect none of you have heard of, even if you are from this world. We are allied with the USE now, which is at war with Poland and had a- well, I suppose one might call it a civil war- to contend with as well when their ruling monarch was temporarily incapacitated."

"So you're pretty much just bouncing from one war to another with all kinds of political intrigue," Zayne summarized. "Well, you'll probably have plenty to relate to in this class."

"Anakin Solo, Jedi Knight," he said with a quick glad you're back nod of recognition toward Zayne, who made more sense to him than the other Force-sensitives on the island these days did. (If Atton made something out of that introduction later, well, let him. Anakin would just deal with that if it happened.)

Continuing the trend of people from versions of his galaxy ~~who were amply demonstrating how their canon lives up to its name~~, he added for the benefit of people not Zayne, "We're dealing with a galaxy-wide war at home right now." His expression -- and something of his Force-sense, to anyone who could pick up on it -- gave a hint of his ongoing frustration at being kept out of it. "I got caught up in some of the early battles, before I was sent here. My sister's in the military and right in the middle of everything, and the rest of my family's pretty deeply involved. We just always are."

Dominant Skywalker-Solo genetic trait. What were you going to do about it?

"That definitely seems to be the case," Zayne said. "Thanks for sharing, Anakin."

NOW you can call him a damn hippie.

ALL I WANT TO DO IS BE ABLE TO SLEEP AT A REASONABLE TIME.

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So You're In the Middle of a War, Monday, Period 4

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Talk to Zayne

OOC