Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time! You guys are the only reason I
write. *wipes tear out of eye* You guys are beautiful! Thank you! (Yes,
I'm in a very weird mood) Sorry for the shortness. Writer's block strikes
at the oddest times....
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Chapter 5
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For the second time in one day, Obi-Wan awoke to the sound of voices. This time, however, the voices were familiar, but not at all welcome.
"He'll be all right, won't he?" Jaina whispered.
"Of course he will." This voice belonged to Corran, and Obi-Wan had to use an extreme force of will not to flinch. "He was drugged, not poisoned. He'll come out of it pretty soon. Now, why don't you go help your mom. We'll be landing soon."
"Okay."
Obi-Wan heard the door hiss open and footsteps trailing away, and then he was alone with Corran. Fury welled within him, and he opened his eyes.
"Obi-Wan! You're awake!"
Obi-Wan just glared at him. "You lied to me."
Corran frowned. "What?"
"You lied to me. You never told me you were a murderer."
"Murderer? Why, because I was in Rogue Squadron?" He cocked his head. "What did they tell you in there?"
"They told me enough." Obi-Wan looked away. "You said that everything was better after the Emperor died. Better for who?"
Corran was taken aback. "For everyone. The Emperor ruled by fear. We took that fear away."
"Took it away, or replaced it with a different kind of fear? So you decided who ruled what planet, who lived, and who died?"
"Wait a minute, go back to the murderer part. Who did I murder?"
"Six smugglers. Hacked to pieces." Obi-Wan looked disgusted. "Is that why you left CorSec? You were running from your crimes?"
Corran burst out laughing. "That?" He saw the look on Obi-Wan's face and quieted down, but couldn't wipe the smile from his face. "You know, I ran into this exact same problem when I joined Rogue Squadron. I didn't kill those men; they never existed. I had to get away, so I faked reports about their deaths."
"Why should I believe you?"
Corran frowned. "You shouldn't, not without proof. As for how good life was after the Emperor's death, that's just my opinion."
"Your opinion?" Obi-Wan snorted. "That's just a different point of view."
"True. But it's many people's point of view, if that's the case."
"People like who?" Obi-Wan demanded. "Your fellow Rebels? Of course that would be their point of view. It's what they're fighting for."
Corran sighed. "What makes you think we're evil?"
"I have seen rebellions before." Obi-Wan winced. "I have even taken part in one. Nothing comes from them but bloodshed. They do not change anything."
"But we have changed something!" Corran frowned. "Okay, just for a while, but we can do it again." He paused. "We have to."
"WHY? Why do you have to?" Obi-Wan cried. "I have seen no great suffering. The people on Cej seemed happy! Why take that away from them so you can rule?"
"The people on Cej were only happy because if they weren't they would be suspects." Corran said viciously. "How well do you know happiness? Can't you feel beneath the current? Or have you experienced so little happiness that you assume to exist without battles is to be content?"
"Have you seen so much bloodshed that you assume battles must be fought whether they are needed or not?" Obi-Wan snapped back.
"Why do you think I want to rule?" Corran asked, calming down a bit.
"Why else would you be fighting?"
Corran looked disgusted. "Don't be stupid. You fought as a Jedi. Are you saying that every battle you fought was for power?"
"Of course it wasn't. We were protecting the people."
"Exactly!" Corran cried. "So are we. You are using Cej as an example, but that is hardly an average world. Cejians are notoriously happy people. If they can't do anything, they live with it." He hesitated. "Other worlds are not so lucky. It's like the Jedi Purges all over again, but it's not just Jedi they are killing."
Obi-Wan's eyes widened. "Jedi purges? Who killed Jedi?"
Corran groaned. "I shouldn't have told you that."
"No, tell me!" Obi-Wan was horrified. "Who killed them?"
"The former Emperor." Corran whispered. "And now Kyp is following in his footsteps." He winced. "You wanted to know what happened to my grandfather? He was killed in the Purges. I never knew him."
Jaina popped in unexpectedly, surprising the two. "Dad says we're landing." She smiled. "Hi, Obi-Wan. So you finally woke up, huh?"
"Uh, yeah." Obi-Wan muttered. He turned to Corran. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know..." He sighed.
"It's all right." Corran smiled halfheartedly. "Just goes to show, you can't trust an Imperial."
Jaina looked back in forth between them. "Right. I totally agree." She paused. "What are we talking about?"
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Reviews are always welcome!
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Chapter 5
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For the second time in one day, Obi-Wan awoke to the sound of voices. This time, however, the voices were familiar, but not at all welcome.
"He'll be all right, won't he?" Jaina whispered.
"Of course he will." This voice belonged to Corran, and Obi-Wan had to use an extreme force of will not to flinch. "He was drugged, not poisoned. He'll come out of it pretty soon. Now, why don't you go help your mom. We'll be landing soon."
"Okay."
Obi-Wan heard the door hiss open and footsteps trailing away, and then he was alone with Corran. Fury welled within him, and he opened his eyes.
"Obi-Wan! You're awake!"
Obi-Wan just glared at him. "You lied to me."
Corran frowned. "What?"
"You lied to me. You never told me you were a murderer."
"Murderer? Why, because I was in Rogue Squadron?" He cocked his head. "What did they tell you in there?"
"They told me enough." Obi-Wan looked away. "You said that everything was better after the Emperor died. Better for who?"
Corran was taken aback. "For everyone. The Emperor ruled by fear. We took that fear away."
"Took it away, or replaced it with a different kind of fear? So you decided who ruled what planet, who lived, and who died?"
"Wait a minute, go back to the murderer part. Who did I murder?"
"Six smugglers. Hacked to pieces." Obi-Wan looked disgusted. "Is that why you left CorSec? You were running from your crimes?"
Corran burst out laughing. "That?" He saw the look on Obi-Wan's face and quieted down, but couldn't wipe the smile from his face. "You know, I ran into this exact same problem when I joined Rogue Squadron. I didn't kill those men; they never existed. I had to get away, so I faked reports about their deaths."
"Why should I believe you?"
Corran frowned. "You shouldn't, not without proof. As for how good life was after the Emperor's death, that's just my opinion."
"Your opinion?" Obi-Wan snorted. "That's just a different point of view."
"True. But it's many people's point of view, if that's the case."
"People like who?" Obi-Wan demanded. "Your fellow Rebels? Of course that would be their point of view. It's what they're fighting for."
Corran sighed. "What makes you think we're evil?"
"I have seen rebellions before." Obi-Wan winced. "I have even taken part in one. Nothing comes from them but bloodshed. They do not change anything."
"But we have changed something!" Corran frowned. "Okay, just for a while, but we can do it again." He paused. "We have to."
"WHY? Why do you have to?" Obi-Wan cried. "I have seen no great suffering. The people on Cej seemed happy! Why take that away from them so you can rule?"
"The people on Cej were only happy because if they weren't they would be suspects." Corran said viciously. "How well do you know happiness? Can't you feel beneath the current? Or have you experienced so little happiness that you assume to exist without battles is to be content?"
"Have you seen so much bloodshed that you assume battles must be fought whether they are needed or not?" Obi-Wan snapped back.
"Why do you think I want to rule?" Corran asked, calming down a bit.
"Why else would you be fighting?"
Corran looked disgusted. "Don't be stupid. You fought as a Jedi. Are you saying that every battle you fought was for power?"
"Of course it wasn't. We were protecting the people."
"Exactly!" Corran cried. "So are we. You are using Cej as an example, but that is hardly an average world. Cejians are notoriously happy people. If they can't do anything, they live with it." He hesitated. "Other worlds are not so lucky. It's like the Jedi Purges all over again, but it's not just Jedi they are killing."
Obi-Wan's eyes widened. "Jedi purges? Who killed Jedi?"
Corran groaned. "I shouldn't have told you that."
"No, tell me!" Obi-Wan was horrified. "Who killed them?"
"The former Emperor." Corran whispered. "And now Kyp is following in his footsteps." He winced. "You wanted to know what happened to my grandfather? He was killed in the Purges. I never knew him."
Jaina popped in unexpectedly, surprising the two. "Dad says we're landing." She smiled. "Hi, Obi-Wan. So you finally woke up, huh?"
"Uh, yeah." Obi-Wan muttered. He turned to Corran. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know..." He sighed.
"It's all right." Corran smiled halfheartedly. "Just goes to show, you can't trust an Imperial."
Jaina looked back in forth between them. "Right. I totally agree." She paused. "What are we talking about?"
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Reviews are always welcome!