Author's Note: This is just a small piece that was inspired by a line from Shaindl's story "The Roads We Travel Shatter and Split". It is archived on "Sunset over Coruscant". At one point it is said that Mace wondered at the weight Yoda had to carry. It is a wonderful story and I can only recommend it to anyone. Should you not have read it, yet, do it now. I promise, you won't regret it.
This was written in the middle of the night and I apologize for any mistakes resulting from it. Please tell me what you think! I cherish every review: good, bad or whatever you want to say!
The Galaxy's Weight
The setting sun painted the skyscrapers of Coruscant a brilliant pink, a slightly lighter shade than the cloudless sky. The planet's three moons were already visible, standing close together. The view would have been beautiful if it hadn't been for the constant roar of speeders and spaceships.
The lone figure standing on a balcony of one of the higher towers of the city watched all this with large but tired eyes. His shoulders were slumped, his entire posture seemingly one of defeat. But had someone looked into his eyes he would have seen a strengh that surpassed that of the greatest warrior. It wasn't a strength born of anger or bodily superiority, but one of knowledge and a spirit that often seemed unbreakable. The wisdom that shone from these eyes came from hundreds of years of learning and teaching. Those eyes had seen generations beeing born and die again. They had seen whole worlds disappear in the time it takes the eye to blink or whole species slowly waste away into extinction. He sighed, a vulnerability echoing in it that he never showed when others were around. Not because he perceived it as a weakness that he was too proud to admit to but because he couldn't afford it, because the Galaxy couldn't afford it.
He belonged to an order that wouldn't be able to fulfill it`s task much longer. With any other order that would be a problem but just that: a problem. With this order it would mean the end of everything the people of this galaxy trusted in. For the Jedi's task wasn't to help a minority or give hope through religion but to preserve the peace on thousands of planets. They had fulfilled this task for generation after generation but the end of this era was approaching fast. For their numbers were decreasing and the trust of the people was slowly fading. Of this order, the small being on the balcony was the leader. Not officially. There was a council of 12 who were the official leaders. But the Jedi knew that in truth it was just this being who held the fate of the Galaxy in his old hands. He knew that the others would never go against him in their decisions. For now. And while this responsibility weighed heavily on him he was also glad that he had it. For he also knew that the day the other council members would go against him, would be the day the fate of the Jedi would be sealed.
He was a legend even while alive and rarely left the place where he now stood. He had seen his share of the world. Now he observed those who were about to venture out there. Every time he laid eyes on those young beings, still so hopeful, so full of life he asked himself the same question: When would they lose this innocence to the cruelty of the world?
He sighed again, closing his eyes and shaking his head slowly. That day came for everyone. But he had a feeling that there would be a day when thousands would lose it much too early, along with everyone else.
It wouldn't be much longer now to that day. He would live to see it and those that lay beyond. Of that, he was sure. Would it be his fault then? Would it be anybody's? That was the one question all the wisdom in the universe couldn't answer.
And with the weight of the Galaxy's problems on his shoulders, he turned his back to the sky of Coruscant wishing he could do the same to the future.
This was written in the middle of the night and I apologize for any mistakes resulting from it. Please tell me what you think! I cherish every review: good, bad or whatever you want to say!
The Galaxy's Weight
The setting sun painted the skyscrapers of Coruscant a brilliant pink, a slightly lighter shade than the cloudless sky. The planet's three moons were already visible, standing close together. The view would have been beautiful if it hadn't been for the constant roar of speeders and spaceships.
The lone figure standing on a balcony of one of the higher towers of the city watched all this with large but tired eyes. His shoulders were slumped, his entire posture seemingly one of defeat. But had someone looked into his eyes he would have seen a strengh that surpassed that of the greatest warrior. It wasn't a strength born of anger or bodily superiority, but one of knowledge and a spirit that often seemed unbreakable. The wisdom that shone from these eyes came from hundreds of years of learning and teaching. Those eyes had seen generations beeing born and die again. They had seen whole worlds disappear in the time it takes the eye to blink or whole species slowly waste away into extinction. He sighed, a vulnerability echoing in it that he never showed when others were around. Not because he perceived it as a weakness that he was too proud to admit to but because he couldn't afford it, because the Galaxy couldn't afford it.
He belonged to an order that wouldn't be able to fulfill it`s task much longer. With any other order that would be a problem but just that: a problem. With this order it would mean the end of everything the people of this galaxy trusted in. For the Jedi's task wasn't to help a minority or give hope through religion but to preserve the peace on thousands of planets. They had fulfilled this task for generation after generation but the end of this era was approaching fast. For their numbers were decreasing and the trust of the people was slowly fading. Of this order, the small being on the balcony was the leader. Not officially. There was a council of 12 who were the official leaders. But the Jedi knew that in truth it was just this being who held the fate of the Galaxy in his old hands. He knew that the others would never go against him in their decisions. For now. And while this responsibility weighed heavily on him he was also glad that he had it. For he also knew that the day the other council members would go against him, would be the day the fate of the Jedi would be sealed.
He was a legend even while alive and rarely left the place where he now stood. He had seen his share of the world. Now he observed those who were about to venture out there. Every time he laid eyes on those young beings, still so hopeful, so full of life he asked himself the same question: When would they lose this innocence to the cruelty of the world?
He sighed again, closing his eyes and shaking his head slowly. That day came for everyone. But he had a feeling that there would be a day when thousands would lose it much too early, along with everyone else.
It wouldn't be much longer now to that day. He would live to see it and those that lay beyond. Of that, he was sure. Would it be his fault then? Would it be anybody's? That was the one question all the wisdom in the universe couldn't answer.
And with the weight of the Galaxy's problems on his shoulders, he turned his back to the sky of Coruscant wishing he could do the same to the future.