Empatheias IC Inbox

[hadthehighground]

Need to talk with Obi-Wan privately via amulet or want to physically meet him somewhere? This is the place to do it!

Just post with the IC date and the type of post (audio, video, action, etc) in the subject line. If it's an action post please put the location as well.

Comments

[oratorical]

[It's useful advice, and it's what she was hoping Obi-Wan would be able to provide. And it's stuff she'll be sure to also share with Han as suggestions, because even with his dislike of the Force and general disbelief in all that nonsense, she's sure he would be as willing to try anything as she is to help Ben.]

I would think it's normal for a child to talk back.

[hadthehighground]

Oh certainly, even I did as a Padawan.

But Anakin took it a step beyond that. Into blatant disrespect. Which had been unusual even for him at the time.

[And it had only gotten worse. Well.. at times. It wasn't always bad certainly. But Anakin ended up having a knack for defying orders, which hadn't always been a bad thing. He had also become arrogant.]

[oratorical]

[She doesn't respond immediately, because Anakin is a subject that's hard to deal with, and she doesn't know if this is some attempt to try and humanize him or explain his choices to her. And that's the last thing she wants or needs. Anakin is Vader, and that's the end of that.

But in the end, she decides that the potential benefits of this story and how it may relate to Ben and his experiences are worth listening to what may have happened with Anakin.]

Can I ask what he did?

[hadthehighground]

[There was a pause as he considered her question, or rather how to answer it.]

Perhaps its best if I show you.

[And if she's willing he will show her a certain memory.]

[oratorical]

[There's almost a feeling of a wall between them as she watches the memory, to conceal the hatred, disgust, and even sadness she feels as she watches. Sadness, if only because it's hard to watch this knowing what "Anakin" will inevitably do to Padme in only a few years.

But eventually she responds, keeping her tone as even as she's able to manage with this.]

It sounds no different from how he's always been here.

[hadthehighground]

Indeed, but that was the first time. It was very unbecoming of a young Jedi. He allowed himself to become arrogant, thinking more of himself than he should have.

[He paused then as something else came to mind.]

There was also the dreams.

[oratorical]

[Again, there's a pause before she responds, torn between not giving a damn about Anakin and wanting to know in hopes she can use this to help Ben later on.]

The dreams?

[hadthehighground]

Anakin was plagued with nightmares at one point. Of death and pain.

It's not unusual for those who are sensitive to the Force to have visions. But these seemed... dark. They bothered him profoundly.

Of course it's not to say that Ben and Anakin will have the same experiences. It could be completely different for your son.

[oratorical]

[Ah, so it's the Force again, then. It's not Ben that makes that click into place, but her own experiences. All the times she's had a bad feeling about something, thanks to some vague hazy thoughts and feelings she couldn't quite place beyond them screaming that things just weren't right. Leia doesn't know how to feel about that, so as with everything else she doesn't want to deal with, it gets shoved to the back of her mind in favor of focusing on Ben.]

I assume it'll be different depending on just how young Ben is when Snoke reaches out to him.

[Which she assumes had to have been when he was much younger.]

At least, it explains why we sent him to Luke.

[It's not something she intended to say, but telepathy makes that difficult and it gets sent to Obi-Wan anyway. It's slightly muffled, but it's there if he's listening.]

[hadthehighground]

That could very well be. I wish I could be of more help.

[Without either of them knowing more about Ben's childhood it was difficult to know what to do. He at least hopes he helped.]

I can see why you would have, though it seeks Luke wasn't able to help him either, unfortunately.

[oratorical]

...Luke did what he could, I have to believe that. I can't imagine him doing otherwise.

[Because they trust Luke, and Luke knows about this kind of thing, she assumes. And Luke is her brother and she loves him and she knows Ben would have loved Luke and vice versa.]

[hadthehighground]

I have no doubt. Sometimes circumstances are beyond our control.

[Such was the case between him and Anakin. And probably the same with Ben and Luke. Though it is still hard to accept.]

[oratorical]

Would it have been best to not send him away?

[it's something she's thought a lot about and also talked about with Han, but getting the opinion of a Jedi is something that she thinks might help her make a decision for whenever she returns home.]

[hadthehighground]

That's hard to say.

[Again he didn't know the circumstances around it either. He can only present possibilities.]

No child has a choice in where they are born or how they are raised. But there comes an age where they can make choices. Anakin chose to join the Jedi, he was old enough, and always had the choice to leave. If it was Ben's decision to train with Luke, I would say you did everything you could. If not... I would question that decision.

[oratorical]

I don't know whose decision it was.

[But she can't imagine Ben wouldn't have wanted to learn about the Force. His circumstances would've been different from hers. She knows he has an aptitude for using it. She can't imagine a younger Ben wouldn't have wanted to learn how to be a Jedi.]

Perhaps it would have been for the best if Han and I didn't send him to Luke.

[hadthehighground]

Again that's hard to say. Of course, it could be that if you hadn't, he still would have turned out the same way. Or worse.

Trying to guess the future or change its outcome can be very dangerous.

[He had always been warned about interpreting Force visions about the future. This wasn't all that different.]

[oratorical]

And yet we've been given the opportunity to see how the future plays out here. I can't imagine why we've been given this chance, if not to use it as a warning of what may happen if we don't change our behaviors.

[Because Leia and Han have been doing everything they can to fix their relationship and remember things to try and fix the future for Ben. They've even agreed to fight less, and the both of them are happier for that.]

[hadthehighground]

That is true, we have been given some unique opportunities, and it would be foolish to waste them.

However, to think that the only reason we were brought here was for our own best interests may be a bit... well, arrogant.

[One typically isnt brought to a world in peril only to focus on themselves.]

While I believe we should do what we can to improve ourselves here while we can. I also think that worrying too much about our futures may be destructive. It is good to be mindful, but nothing can be changed until when and if we have the opportunity.

[In other words cross that bridge when you get there. Speculation can only do so much other than causing doubt.]

[oratorical]

[Well, Obi-Wan may be right, but in terms of priority for Leia, issues from home top issues in Verens. Which isn't to say she hasn't learned up about the culture and history here, but more that it doesn't change her main goal here.]

Nothing can be changed yet, no. But, should you remember or hear anything about this Snoke, I'd like to know.

[hadthehighground]

Of course.

[Despite his opinion, he wouldn't think to keep any such information from her.]