maskormenace | 10th Oration // Voice

10th Oration // Voice

I have a task available for any imPorts looking for work. A simple retrieval, quite legitimate.

[An image of the item in question is attached.]

Something was taken from me earlier this year. A weapon I crafted with my own hands, long ago: my lightsaber. A curved hilt, which emits a red blade of energy when activated. Powerful and elegant, if wielded by the proper hands. It is past time that it returned to my care, and I am prepared to offer a most handsome reward to anyone who assists me in this task. Should we be unable to agree on a fitting financial compensation, I am quite prepared to trade in favours or information instead.

[Dooku is kinda broke right now.]

Rest assured that I desire this item for no sinister purpose. It is my own creation and rightful possession, and I have keenly regretted its absence during recent perils.

I encourage all of you who don't have some manner of weapon or suitable powers to think carefully of how you, too, can defend yourselves. We live in dangerous times, and our enemies are many. Tell me, are you prepared to protect your own life and the lives of those around you when danger threatens? The time may come for you, if it hasn't already, when you will have to answer this question in ways beyond the hypothetical.

[OOC note: Characters tagging the Count for the first time are encouraged to check out his permissions post!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You are no Jedi.

Besides, it's not like you're helpless without it.

Indeed I am not, thankfully. Yet I still cannot rely solely on the Dark Side to protect myself. If I had possessed my saber when General Grievous attacked me, I would have avoided terrible wounds.

I mean, you do kind of owe Grievous an apology, for all that stuff you did to him.

[ What're you doing, Kanan? Oh, just being cheeky to a Sith Lord. ]

Do you genuinely believe that a being like that would ever be satisfied with a mere apology? My suffering is the only thing that he desires.

[ No, Dooku, that was a joke... ]

My other option would be to lament the fact that as long as you're both still here, you're going to be caught in a never ending cycle of violent reprisals that, at best, will only harm the two of you, and more likely and worse, will cause lots of collateral damage.

I'm getting tired just thinking about it.

[What is a joke

Besides the Jedi code that is HA BURN]

Perhaps you feel so fatigued simply because you lack the endurance to face the truth. The cycle will end when one of us is Ported out or persuaded to abandon hostilities.

[The persuasion will be in Grievous' direction, and likely involve lightning.]

[ Dooku plz, now you're just repeating his own words back to him. ]

I literally just said that, except it sounded less evil.

You know and I know that this is completely pointless and self-destructive and all either of you has to do is stop. But you won't.

[ Because at some point, when you fall so far to the dark, there's just no coming back. ]

Have you never been hurt before, Jedi? Have you never desired to avenge a wrong done to you and those you value? Did you never wish to strike back against the Empire that wiped out your entire Order?

Of course I have. But I had a choice, just like everyone. We always have the choice.

And you chose the path of passivity, of course. Some of the deepest traditions of the Jedi survived the purge, it would seem. Yoda would be pleased.

[It might be a compliment to Kanan, but it sure as heck isn't one to Dooku.]

There's nothing passive about how I've lived my life.

[ And Kanan sincerely believes he has a lot more to show for his than Dooku. ]

And while it's nice to think that Master Yoda would approve, it doesn't matter all that much. I know the good I've done.

Of course you do.

To be perfectly honest, there are times when I envy such certainty. I felt much the same way, when I was your age.

I was lost for a long time. But learning to trust the Force, and let it guide me, has allowed me to see with more clarity. However much I know you don't want to hear that.

I have heard such nonsense before, and learned to reject it. The Force is a tool to be used, not a guide to be followed. It responds to our will, not the other way around. The Jedi weakened themselves when they rejected this truth.

How arrogant can you be? To think you or anyone can control the Force. The Force is life itself. No one has that kind of power, and it's shortsighted and foolish to think otherwise.

You're serving the Force, Dooku, regardless of what you choose to believe.

How blind can you be? If I am serving the Force, then how can you possibly condemn my actions? And how can either of us call ourselves Force users unless we can make this power answer to our wishes?

You are in denial, Kanan Jarrus. You would be wise to let go of these old dogmas, before they destroy you.

You still have the ability to choose. We all serve the Force. But we can choose how. We use the gifts the Force has given us - but it is so much bigger than any of us can ever comprehend.

I'm not speaking in dogmas. I'm speaking from my own experiences. And it speaks to how far you've fallen, that you think my own destruction is what I should fear most.

I suppose you are happy to lay down your life on the altar of Jedi ideals. All a part of serving the Force, is it not?

Such a willingness to follow and be sacrificed is easily exploited by your enemies... as I know from experience.

[As a Jedi? As an enemy of the Jedi? Both?]

I don't choose to risk myself for ideals. I risk myself for people. But then, you can't imagine anyone or anything being more important than yourself, can you?

I imagine the fate of the entire Galaxy, Jedi. It is for that purpose that I have directed my work. Your petty aims betray a limited perspective.

And you're deceived by your own arrogance. The fate of the galaxy isn't yours to direct. Never has been, never will be.

And yet that fate was changed, by my design. You cannot deny that my involvement in the Clone Wars altered the shape of the Galaxy forever.

I can, actually. I mean, first of all, no one in their right mind should ever be proud of having a hand in a war that resulted in billions of deaths.

But also, nothing lasts forever. Many of the changes you set in motion are already changing again within one lifetime.

You participated in that war yourself, as I recall. Only in a much smaller way.

I assume you refer to the foretold victory of the Rebellion against Palpatine's rule. While this was hardly what was foreseen, the fact remains: the Old Republic has been swept away forever. Whatever the Rebels establish will be something new, not a return to what was before.

Yeah, I fought in the Clone Wars. And I'm not proud of it.

And whatever the Rebellion establishes will have nothing to do with you. If it hadn't been you, change would've come from some other person or event. You didn't do anything the Force didn't will.

(no subject)

dun_moch - 2018-11-17 01:58 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

kanyounot - 2018-11-17 16:21 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

10th Oration // Voice

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice; sorry for the delay!

voice; no probs!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)