2nd Oration / Voice

[dun_moch]

[Dooku's voice on the Network is difficult to miss: deep, resonant, rich, and inexplicably British despite him being from space.]

Good evening, my friends. As his probation officer, I feel it is my duty to inform you that Death the Kid has departed from this universe.

[Pause]

A pity, really. He only had a few days remaining on his sentence. I was looking forward to recommending his freedom from government supervision.

Now then, there is another matter I wish to discuss. I have been considering the role of emotion in the matters of power. ImPort abilities often seem tied to how we feel. Passions such as anger and fear can threaten our control, yet they can also spur our powers to greater heights in times of need.

In my Galaxy, there are two philosophies which have debated these issues for many thousands of years. One believes in the denial of passion. They insist upon tranquility and harmony. It is their belief that only a calm heart, without attachments, can attain true wisdom in serving others. They do not even allow themselves to fall in love...

[The Count's voice drops slightly, becoming a touch darker.]

The other perspective calls this a lie. It accepts passion as the truth of all living things, and draws power from it. It teaches that even the strongest of emotions can be embraced, and disciplined, and used to great effect.

I would be interested to know what my fellow imPorts think on this matter. Are our feelings to be repressed, or embraced? Which path do you believe will lead to greater fulfillment?

[Talk to the Sith Lord about feelings, Network. Also, if you're tagging him for the first time it's a good idea to check out his permissions post!]

Comments

[dun_moch]

[Yes, good, be impressed by the Count's wisdom and experience young man. He has so much to teach.]

It is a lengthy story. But most of it can be explained through power.

I mentioned earlier that emotions can affect the strength of imPort abilities. It is the same way with the champions of the two paths in my Galaxy. They can use their emotions and their focus to master a certain form of energy... granting them power beyond those of most beings.

[leonized]

[... Yes, sure, let's say he's impressed by Dooku. And not just the idea of these two philosophies causing the fall of entire political systems.]

... Uh huh. So they can do this even if they weren't born with the ability to do it?

[dun_moch]

[Totally impressed by Dooku. That's the Count's story and he's sticking with it.]

Only a few are born sensitive to the talent. But great training is necessary to properly make use of it. Most potential candidates are identified while they are still children.

[leonized]

Ah.

[So it is something you're born with. And it's rare. Very unlike how magic worked in his world. At least, he thought of this like magic.]

So those people are the ones who end up in power?

[dun_moch]

[It's basically Space Magic, jargon about energy fields notwithstanding.]

That is the case. Even when they do not openly wield political power, their abilities grant them great influence over galactic affairs. They may be active in peacekeeping, law enforcement, diplomacy... all fields which involve shaping the destinies of others.

[leonized]

Wow.

[The thought of something like that is so beyond him ... imagining those with certain kinds of powers being automatically more likely to influence people was kind of scary, in a way.]

It's not really like that here, though. imPorts have all different kind of powers, with different levels of usefulness.

[dun_moch]

Power takes many forms beyond one's own abilities, and the perception of power is a power in itself. Even the weakest imPort is hailed as a hero by the government of this nation, and entrusted with status, celebrity, and authority.

Consider this: when the natives see our tattoos, they do not know what power we really possess. They know only that an imPort is among them- and they react accordingly, for good or for ill.

[leonized]

[He pauses to consider this for a moment.]

So the perception of power is more important than actually having it. Wouldn't it matter if you were in a position of power and you could only, say, talk to cats?

[He's just asking for a friend, here. Yes.]

At least, it would matter to some people, right?

[dun_moch]

[The Count smirks a little.]

That would depend entirely on who knew the truth of your abilities... and how well you conducted yourself in that position. Perception can be powerful, but it cannot fully substitute for actually possessing power. Trickery rarely lasts forever.

[Just long enough for the successful trickster to, say, reshape the Galaxy.]

[leonized]

Well, yeah. It's not really trickery if you never say what your powers are, though.

[At least, not in his opinion. He got used to never mentioning his powers for a reason...]

I guess some people would feel like they were tricked anyways.

[dun_moch]

They might. That is up to them. You would have to decide for yourself how much their reactions meant to you. There are some who find "lies of omission" quite damaging.

For my part, however, I think that an imPort's powers should be their personal business, so long as they are not acting irresponsibly with them.

[leonized]

I guess...

[He trails off, apparently lost in thought for a moment. Mostly about his "powers", to the extent he has any, and about his second point as well.]