( video | un: kenobi )

[jedies]

[ The stream goes live with two men standing in front of the camera. They both look a little stiff in front of it, though the bearded man seems more relaxed and casual while the taller one seemed a little . . . frowny ]

Greetings, my name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. And this is my compatriot and partner, Anakin Skywalker. We hail from Coruscant and are part of the Jedi Order.

The Jedi are keepers of peace … most of the time.

[ Before Obi-Wan can say anything, Anakin looks over at him with a shrug. ]

I’m just saying.

[ Obi-Wan sighs. ]

Yes. Well, nevertheless. We would like to offer our services to the public. We’ve been trained in negotiation, trade and, yes, the art of a good fight. If you need support or bereft of someone to help you . . . then we’re happy to serve.

And blowing things up. We’re good at that too!

[ Obi-Wan looks skyward as if imploring a higher deity. ]

Yes. We’re good at that too.

Comments

[have_hat_will_travel]

In some ways, it reminds me of the place I was before I was here - I, like a surprising number of those here, have been pulled to different worlds multiple times, oddly enough...

[jedies]

Is that . . . common?

[have_hat_will_travel]

It's less uncommon than you'd think, which is scary to think about.

And there's a lot of worlds that it happens at, on top, form what I've heard so far at least...

[jedies]

[ creepy. and definitely out of his pay grade. ]

Well, I hope not to make a habit out of it.

[have_hat_will_travel]

Neither do I, but this world's better than where I started by so much I'd prefer to stick around...

[jedies]

What was it like before?

[have_hat_will_travel]

... That one's...

The short of it is, it was a world ravaged by Orcish armies at the command of the monstrous Demon Lord of Wrath. The Lord of Wrath is slain now, but the world has a long, long way to go before there will be any real peace.

Sanitation was barely a concept, starvation the growing norm outside a very few places that managed to be both prosperous and well-armed enough to resist Wrath's armies, and even they were often only saved by the machinations of his rival demon lords and their minions.

For all of the worst King Majestas threw at us... he was nothing compared to the suffering that my homeworld is in. And the worst part is... Even if I wanted to go back, I can't. I would simply be hunted down and killed for reasons beyond my control if I did.

[jedies]

I'm sorry to hear that.

[ and he is, truly. it is hard when your home is against you. ]

[have_hat_will_travel]

... Better off here where I have basic freedom and can try to enjoy myself rather than just. Being locked into a mission forever.

[jedies]

Locked in by whom?

[have_hat_will_travel]

... I was one of those minions of one of the rival lords against the Demon Lord of Wrath.

Free will was something I wasn't even able to realize I had or wanted for years. Only after getting pulled to another world, away from my 'queen', was I even able to recognize the concept - and then it took a friend stepping in to actually make me free.

But now that means I'm a traitor and would be hunted the moment I arrived on my home world.

Kinda rough.

[jedies]

Rough is certainly one word for it.

But who knows? Perhaps it'll change. Or you will be the one who changes it.

[have_hat_will_travel]

I have been. Bit by bit. I have actual friendships now, people I can trust - who were willing to reach out to me even when I was under Majestas' influence - and afterwards.

By any reasonable measure, I'm better than I was. But trying to be better than that... I guess all that can be asked is I keep trying.

But... Enough about my pain. Please.

[jedies]

Of course. My apologies.

[have_hat_will_travel]

... It's definitely not your fault.

The incidents with Majestas just.. Got to me. And I realize, you may not know that name.

In short, he was some kind of lion-headed... Thing, I'd class him as Abberration-type but that's a thing specific to my world. Among other things, people who looked into his true eyes, even through broadcasts, either were locked into nightmares of their own worst moments... Or fell under his control, becoming pride-ruled servants of a mysterious 'goddess'.

I was the second category. I remember every second of it, and... Yeah. It's a lot easier for others to forgive me than for me to forgive myself.

[jedies]

Oh, I'm familiar with Majestas.

[ especially with the chaos of the last month, when many of them were under its control. obi-wan came perilously close to that. ]

Perhaps instead of forgiveness, you should let it go. There's nothing you could have done to overthrow his control.

[have_hat_will_travel]

You faced off against him, too, then?

[jedies]

Briefly, but yes.

[have_hat_will_travel]

... I wish I hadn't been one of those fighting on his side, but that power... Urgh.

I'll never look at angels the same way again.

[jedies]

Angels aren't common where I'm from but we're familiar.

[ he shakes his head. ]

And they're meant to be much nicer.

[have_hat_will_travel]

Yeah. Doesn't mean I want to be one, especially not one casually fighting to destroy people and bring pain. Not very Good acts.

[SOmething about the way she emphasizes Good... Huh.]

[jedies]

I've always found that good means in the service of a higher ideal instead of yourself.

At any rate, it was clear that none of the angels were in control.

[have_hat_will_travel]

... Which probably says something very different.

And... Higher ideals, huh? That's definitely something I'll need to think about...

[jedies]

[ a weird thing to say, but people are different here. ]

I'm sure you'll come to your own conclusions.

[have_hat_will_travel]

And I can only hope they're as good as they need to be.

Thank you - I didn't mean to take up this much of your time with my own issues.