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Beginning Sith Philosophy, Friday

"Today has us halfway through the code," Lana announced, smiling. On the board was written: Through strength I gain power.

"This one's a bit more concrete than we started with," she pointed out. "The strong gain power. It could be power in the Force, power in the government, power over yourself. So, let's discuss: is it true that the strong gain more power? What sort of strength should you start with, and what sort of power does it lead to? Is it something you should aim for?"

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Strong!

Graham Cracker

Liberty Hazlett

Connor Temple

Anakin Skywalker

Illyana Rasputin

Ghanima Atreides

Shane Gooseman

Think about different forms of strength and power.

Discuss!

Even if they weren't exactly the books Libby had been looking forward to curling up with and reading, she had been pouring over the information Lana had given her last week, and thinking about them an awful lot, even praying about them, for more understanding. It had been giving her some interesting perspectives, and plenty of ideas and discussion points, but when they got to today line of the code, she found herself thinking about only one thing...

...and it definitely didn't have anything to do with any Sith books.

There was that usual hesitation in her, before she eventually ventured out with, "You know, there's actually a line in my belief system that says it's actually the meek who will inherit the Earth..."

And, of course, there was a lot more to it than that, but boy, was she curious about what there might be to say about that, especially in contrast to today's lesson!

Lana perked up. "That sounds fascinating. How is it supposed to happen?"

"Well," said Libby, the interest giving her a little bit more confidence as she gave a small smile, "through God, of course, as with all things. It doesn't necessarily mean to be meek in all things. Of course, it's always good to be humble and non-confrontational, but that doesn't mean you just have to submit if someone is being oppressive or cruel. But, most of all, it means being meek to God, to humble yourself before Him and acknowledge that we humans are fallible, that we're prone to sin, and that, because of that, we fail. It means that the meek are the ones who acknowledge that there is no strength as powerful as God's and put their faith in him to lend us His strength. And when you have that, well, then, the whole world can be yours. That real power comes from accepting our faults and putting our trust in something much stronger than we can ever be alone."

Lana thought about that. "The Sith don't have any concept of God the way you do," she said. "Or sin, I don't think. Still, it seems to me that being meek and being strong aren't necessarily exclusive, unless I'm misunderstanding? How do you know what strength is yours and what is God's?"

"Well, that's just it, isn't it?" asked Libby. "It's all God's. I get my strength from Him. Without God, I have no real strength. And the meek are those who understands and accept that..."

She then bit her lip, with an uncertain hesitation before venturing, "Just like the Sith get their power from the Force...right?"

"More or less," Lana agreed. "Submitting to the Force and doing its bidding is a more Jedi outlook, whereas the Sith see our power as coming from our ability to use the Force, and less as the Force having any sort of will of its own.

"So does your strength come from God in that you were born with it and he determined what you would get, or do you channel his strength?"

Libby took a moment to write that down, about the difference in the outlooks on the Force as a source of power. She wanted to think on that one a little further before she said anything more about it.

The questions, though, were much easier. "Oh, you're definitely born with it, although sometimes, you have to cultivate it, practice and be mindful of your strengths, just like how you're not born with strong muscles, you have to work for them. And....I guess praying is a bit like channeling that power, too. I know I always feel stronger after I've prayed."

"Is prayer a bit like meditation?" Lana asked. "Meditation is how I'd calm my mind and reach for the Force if I wanted a deeper connection."

I think it is true, if you include mental strength and strength of character in there too" Connor offered after some thought. "Back home we had bene dealing with some nasty stuff. It took a team with a lot of different strengths. We had leaders, fighters, planners, teachers, techy folks, and others. (give you one guess which one Connor fell into). It took the entire team coming together and using varied strengths to overcome things."

"A variety is definitely good," Lana agreed. "And mental strength is definitely included."

"Why do you need power?" Anakin asked.

"That's next week," Lana quipped. "But since we're taking each line separately, it's a valid question." She shrugged. "I would say part of it is to have control over yourself and your own path. To help steer the galaxy the way you think it should be. Of course, different people will have different ideas of what that involves, but if you want your own vision to be a part of it, you need some form of power, don't you?

"Personally, I also follow the philosophy that knowledge is power, and vice versa. I like to seek out all the knowledge I can, and that often means having the power to both seek and comprehend that knowledge."

"I would say resilience empowers you to change a situation," Illyana said slowly. "I have seen many, many, 'strong' people break, shatter completely, against a stronger foe, or because they would not or cannot 'bend.'"

"I know at least one Darth that would agree with you there," Lana said. "Mind you, it took him dying to figure it out, but at least we have the benefit of his counsel now. I definitely think there are different kinds of strength, and adaptability is one."

Graham was pondering over this one quite a bit before he offered up his thoughts.

"Is this a 'might is right' sort of thing?" he wondered. "Because that's definitely one road to power, but I don't think it's the only one. There's a reason why, to be a Knight of Daventry, you have go excel in challenges of Wits, Speed, and Strength! Chivalry and Beast-Eye Hunting, too!"

Lana took a moment with the unfamiliar phrase. "Partly, yes. That's certainly a reading that many Sith go with. I would argue strength of wit is another. I'm less sure about beast-eye hunting," she said, amused. "That seems oddly specific."

"Ohhhhh," Graham gushed, his eyes sparking with excitement, "the Capturing of the Eye of a Hideous Beast is the central showpiece of the Tournament! It's your one chance to prove your individual merit on a person quest; they don't let you move on to compete in the Duels unless you complete it! But there have many many competitors who have tried to use wit over strength in that one, too! That's why they keep having to add addendums to the rules!"

That, and they just loved adding addendums to practically everything.

"Is it acceptable to talk a beast out of its eye, then?" Lana asked. "Is a 'hideous beast' a specific type of beast, or just any large and ugly creature?"

She was sort of picturing a gundark, but it didn't take much to be smarter than one of them.

"There have been previous attempts to pass off at least one cantankerous ex-wife," Graham offered. "Which is to say, there seems to be some wiggle room for interpretation."

"My family did not become god-emperors of a universe by being pushovers," Ghanima said dryly. "Strength -- of will, physical, psychological, financial -- all contributed to the power we hold today."

"But it is cunning that will keep us there. Strength without intelligence is a fleeting power, and a painful fall."

"Do please come teach half my galaxy that, would you?" Lana said, rolling her eyes. "Luckily some do understand, but never enough."

"I remain of the opinion that most of your galaxy's leadership ought to sit through a few of my various classes," Ghanima teased. "Your Force users seem to go erudite to the point of apathy and entropy, or all-consuming ego passion, and never find the balance."

"You might like a few of my current group," Lana said, "but you're not wrong overall. Think we could get both Councils to sit in a room and listen to you? I'm willing to lock them in."

“I think you need to do know what to do with that strength, if you want power,” Goose considered, thinking of Killbane right at that moment, “I have this adversary, he was part of the same program I was growing up and I’d consider him strong but he’s only after the next big score, if he gets to get back at me while doing it that’s a bonus for him but that’s as far as his ambition goes,” he said, “it’s not like say the Queen of the Crown, where she gets her strength through enslaving and stealing a person's energy to power her army and then she gets more power that way, and she always wants to expand her empire,”

"They both sound like some Sith I know," Lana said. "I think you're right, though. Too many people treat power as an end in and of itself, but there are more lines to the code, more things to reach for, to use the power for. You have to have a goal, otherwise the power doesn't do much good."

She's here!

Is it naptime yet?

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Beginning Sith Philosophy, Friday

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