#melidaan

I nearly died making this. My ambition got waaaaay ahead of me, but the moment I saw the prompt list, this is exactly what I wanted to do and @amarcia emboldened me with her amazing art and comics.

Whenever Jedi June is around the corner, I think of her because there is no one on Tumblr who draws Jedi like her, not only in terms of favorite subjects but also in terms of philosophy. The Jedi, loved and respected, represented as they were meant to be.

Jedi, jedi june and amarcia are entwinned in my mind so I always try to... kind of... try to channel the vibes and the style, as a token of my respect and love of all three.

I hope I get somewhat close with this. I'm wiped out so I don't have much more in me.

If you like this, I cannot recommend you enough to go stroll the archives of the accounts @jedijune and @amarcia. Beautiful, amazing art awaits you out there.

“Are you going to get that?” 

Cody looks up from his absent-minded stabbing of the deconstructed cinnamon roll on his plate.

Obi-Wan nods at his comm, eyes gleaming, and only then does Cody notice the steady beeping. He reaches down, sets it on the table, wipes at his mouth, fends off Obi-Wan’s fork when the latter attempts to take advantage of his distraction to snatch a piece of his second pastry–

And accepts the call.

“Marshal Commander,” Cerasi says. “A moment of your time, if you will?”

She’s flanked by Nield and Clasby. All three of them are neatly dressed in dark blue tunics, the likes of which Cody had only seen once before–

At the funeral.

Official business.

He squashes the sudden urge to wipe at his face again and straightens. “Triumvirate,” he says, and the whole table falls silent. “You have my full attention. What can we assist you with?”

“Ah,” Cerasi says. Her gaze flickers to the left, and Cody glances over just in time to see a disbelieving smile bloom across Obi-Wan’s face. “Fortunately, no action on your end is yet required. We are calling to inform you of the results of some recent legislative activity that occurred this morning.”

So. First thing first.

The problem is two fold: one, whether or not Obi-Wan was wrong to abandon the Order to figh with the Young, and second, the matter of the probation.

And of course, Qui-Gon's role in all that.

Let me start of by saying that, yes, I do think Obi-Wan was wrong to do what he did. Not moraly, but in facts and consequences for others. Don't come at me with the pitchfoks and let me explain.

There 10 000 jedi for 4 quadrillions people in the galaxy far, far away. Just by the number, they physically cannot help everyone. Nor should they have to! Jedi are negociators, facilitators and investigators. It is not up to them to make the system work. They are elbow grease in a -supposedly- already functionning system. So, due to their limited numbers, they have to limit and choose where they intervene.

Jedi and the Senate have long decide to pick these missions by a democratic process of selection. The elected representatives of the people are the one who vote on where the priorities for jedi interventions lay.

And since the Republic is a democracy, there is a legal separation of power. Jedi can't just go where it was voted they should go and do there whatever the hell they want there. They can't dispense off governments and their laws, customs, culture and choices just because jedi decided they knew better. Jedi help the people there. They don't make decisions for them.

Accountability, preventing abuse of authority, keeping each other in check, preserving freedom of self-determination, respect of governments' autonomy, equal treatement of all.... There are a multitude of very valid reasons for the separation between legislative, executive and judiciary powers.

The gffa is a special place and the jedi are a special people. There is probably some leeways for them to dispense, in certain specific situations, for the due process. But not entirely! Just, some.

War crimes and genocide are probably amongst those exceptions, but it would still need to be proven in galactic court. Think of the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo and the chill way the Senate decided to make a commitee so they could "assess" the situation. The Senate wouldn't just take jedi words for a situation like Melidaa/Daan. Hard evidences, investigation and a senatorial agreement of intervention decided by a majority vote would be what could make the Senate waves a government's rights to govern themselves.

And there is a difference between acting within the legal parameters provided for jedi, as representatives of the Republic, and acting as a religious follower of the Force, as it dictates a jedi should.

When it's at cross purpose, it threatens the legality of jedi actions, and probably the leeway power-hungry politicians give those seemingly over-powered individuals most of them fear.

So, a jedi dispensing "justice" in the way he thinks is justice, outside of due process, without the approval or demand of any governing official and/or body, it augments the risk of society deciding jedi are overreaching and therefore shouldn't have the legal authority to act without consultation anymore. Or at all. And in the end, isn't it what just happened? The clones killed the jedi under the Sith's chips influence and people cheered in relief to be "free" of the threat of the jedi.

(I'm basing myself on comics, here. Considering we're talking about the books, I think it's fair.)

The jedi can do as much as they do because they are a recognised and state sanctionned legal power, in a sort of no-men's land cross-road between diplomats, specialised tactical forces and intelligencia agents. And their reputation as monks-space-wizards, of course.

Obi-Wan, by going against the mandate of the Senate, threaten that.

Because if one jedi goes rogue, what's to say more won't follow? And if representatives of the Republic can't trust jedi anymore to act within the boundaries of the law, why should they have legal, executive and judiciary powers other citizens don't?

It's normal Obi-Wan was put on probation. He did exactly what jedi shouldn't do: let his emotions get the better of himself, lost the ability to see the situation with a clear head, act outside of his legal parameters of actions, without thinking of or caring for the consequences.

He acted on impulse, to save the children of Melidaa/Daan, yes, which is moraly commendable, yes, but also to sooth his own emotions. To stop the situation that was causing him distress, outside of the boundaries of the law for jedi, regardless of the consequences for the jedi Order and the billions of people they may not be able to help anymore if the jedi lost their freedom of action and its state sanctionned legality.

There's a lot of things he could have done to help the children of Melida/Daan beside what he did.

Don't get me wrong. I don't blame him for not having a better idea, he was just thirteen. Children were being killed by adults who had already been fighting each other for centuries. Hard not to feel a sense of urgency or to have a better solution at that age. Even harder to watch impassively.

But as a jedi, he should have stood by and watched. Because he should have been able to think on the situation impartialy until a legal, effective solution was found. It is what his duty as a jedi demanded of him. That he bears witness, without intervening. Because the legal governments of that planet didn't want jedi help, neither the Melidaa, nor the Daan.

He had to have that emotional strengh, if he was to be a jedi. To be able to abide by the legal decisions of the governing bodies of that planet, no matter how terrible, because it was their planet. And jedi have to respect of the autonomy of the peoples of the Republic to govern themselves. Otherwise it's not a democracy anymore.

And if you think Democracy is wrong, I put you to the challenge to find a better way for people to govern themselves, because people have been trying for centuries irl and no one have found one yet. Unless, of course, like Anakin, you think a dictature is a grand idea. In which case, you can go open a history book.

You probably think I'm terrible for saying that or that a Democracy that abide by children mass murder shouldn't exist. But we don't know that total annihilation of children on Melidaa Daan is what would have happen without Obi-Wan's intervention. All we know is that, in the end, he was not the key element that help stop the war. He helped some, but the one who saved the children are the adults jedi, who got the approbation of the Senate to intervened, the leaders of the Young who convinced their adults to make peace, Qui-Gon who helped settled the treaty between the Melida and the Daan and the people of Melidaan who made it stick.

Think, for one moment, if special foreign agents you cannot fight against because they are too powerfull, came and make you stop do something you think is necessary for your society? Would you be happy? That they change not a trivial aspect of your society but its very fabric?

That you don't think children murders and mutual genocide is necessary, good, fine. Me too. All the people who thinks jedi had it coming in RotS can get the f*ck out here.

But in this particular case, we judge the Melidaa/Daan with our own values. And jedi can't do that.

Because jedi have to respect the values of all. Because they represent the Republic, who represent all the peoples.

And unless the people in question ask for help, jedi cannot act legaly. And if you say jedi should just act illegaly, (aside from the fact it wasn't necessary in the end,) we go back to the problem of jedi loosing their legal, executive and judiciary special powers that help them save billions because of overreach.

Would you leave billions to suffer to help just one planet? Would you abandon Alderaan, Naboo, Chandrilla, Ord Mantell, Bith, Corellia and countless other just to help one Melidaa/Daan?

Sorry to quote Spock there but the needs of the many do outweigh the needs of the few. And the jedi are the guardians of that: the safeguard of most.

If, like me, you think it's horrible no more can saved or helped, you can get angry at the people of Melida/Daan who made the situation horrible in the first place, those who perpetrated it, and the outsiders, civilians and politicians alike, who witnessed the situation and did nothing.

Again, there is four quadrillion of people in the galaxy far, far, away. Certainly more than enough to help one planet. To reach for galactic peace if they all work for it.

Like Obi-Wan said in The Clone Wars, if civilians had all stood up and decided to stop the war, it would have stopped. Nothing politicians can do it they are all fired. Galactic War went on because the majority of people just let it go on. Not enough protested or fufilled their civilian duty to hold their governement accountable for their actions.

It shouldn't all depends on the jedi. And it certainly shouldn't depends on just one boy who had neither the knowledge nor the know-how to stop a centuries old civil war, with a side of children genocide.

But he choose to try. And, of course, he didn't came up with much better than "fight back", because he had no experience in warefare, diplomacy or politics, nor access to the ressources the jedi do have in case such as these. This is also the strengh of the jedi Order: strengh in numbers, support in term of hardware (weapons, tools, vehicules, ect) and legitimate influence on how the Senate punishes a planet that break galactic laws (economical embargo, emprisonnement of the leaders of terrorist/genocidal movement, ect).

He had the emotivity and impulsivity of someone young and had no one with his best interests in mind to help him cool off and look for others options rather then "stay and give up on the jedi path" or "leave and forget about Melida/Daan completely".

He did wrong but it was a mistake to be expected of someone his age, with no training and support.

And this is where Qui-Gon failed him.

By not offering support, no matter his own distress at Tahl's injuries or how Obi-Wan disobeying him awaken Xanatos' related PTSD. Because he was the Master and Obi-Wan the padawan. He was supposed to be able to master his own emotions and put Obi-Wan's training first.

Instead, Qui-Gon let his emotions get the better of him and blind him until he couldn't see the situation for what it was. He was so caught up in his own trauma about Xanathos, about his fear of making Obi-Wan like Xanathos because there is something inherently wrong with his teachings, his fear that there is something wrong with his judgement and those he choose, l5ike Xanathos,) his fear for the critical condition of the woman he loved that he didn't see his padawan was in emotional turnmoil and needed help.

He let fear blind him.

And Obi-Wan did need help. He needed someone to help him work through his outrage and horror at what was done on Melidaa/Daan, to be able to view the situation impartialy, and help to think of a workable solution to help the people on Melidaa/Daan while still being within the legal boundaries of the role of the jedi. Which is what Qui-Gon did, in the end. He came back and helped make the treaty that ended the war.

But, at the time, when Obi-Wan needed his help, he let his negative emotions, his attachements to Xanathos and Tahl, his pride in his own councel, his fear of repeated failure, his fear for Tahl's life overhelmed him. And thus Obi-Wan was left to make this life-altering decision without support.

I've seen a lot of people saying he should have just knock Obi-Wan out and grabbed him. Which -yes. One hundred percent. But again, this is something we wished for based on our own values.

Jedi's values say serving the Order is something that has to be done voluntarily, that one should respect one's autonomy to the fullest extent whenever possible. (Remember Mace giving droids killing people the choice to be re-programmed rather than destroyed?) And Obi-Wan has made it very clear what his will was, there.

"Obi-Wan was just a child." It's very canon, not even legends, but canon, that children are treated as seriously as we do adults very early in their lives, in the gffa. Padme became queen at twelve. Anakin swore a lifetime of servitude to the jedi Order (agreement to become a padawan) at nine. And no adults in the gffa had any problems with that.

"Qui-Gon didn't take the time to discuss the situation with him and argues his decision. " Yes. But, considering Tahl was dying, I think he was right to rush. What he he should have done was come back once Tahl was safe, to discuss it some more, rather than make it all hinge on a two minutes conversation. But he did come back, in the end. Months later, maybe, but he did. And that's why people feel so ambivalent toward him. Because Qui-Gon is exactly who G. Lucas wanted him to be: the reminder to the audience that jedi aren't infallible all knowing, all powerfull superheroes. That they can make mistake. Because they are just people.

In conclusion, for the first part of the Melidaa/Daan Problem, I think Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were both wrong. Obi-Wan, in his choice, blindness to its consequences, and Qui-Gon in letting his attachements and fear get the better of him and consequentely in failing in his duties as a Master.

Now, onto the probation part.

I think a lot of people who criticize the probation have never been on one imposed by kind people who act from a position of honest goodwill with their most sincere best interest at heart.

It's not meant to be just a sanction, to say 'this was wrong'. It's an opportunity to have all the time in the world to reflect at lengh without any other demand on your time. It's a chance to improve, to open your mind to points of view you might not have seen before, to understand better how your own emotional mechanism work that it put you in said situation in the first place, to review the situation with more insight, to gain wisdom about past event and about yourself.

Failure is an opportunity for growth and probation is a an opportunity to dedicate your focus solely on reflection and emotional/social recovery.

That said, it's not how it's presented in the books.

It's all "You did wrong. Do your time and maybe Qui-Gon will take you back". There is no blame assigned to Qui-Gon, no self-admission of failure from him, no discussion of their bond, their duties to one another, their actions and what it means, no admittance of a need for changed behavior, no chance for growth...

I feel that they wanted to keep it simple because it's a book aimed at a young audience. But by wanting to avoid difficult discussions kids might not understand or be bored by, they by-passed the concepts of probation, guilt, accountability, and the responsabilities and boundaries of the role of jedi entirely and thus give a completly skewed view of the event and how jedi work when one of their member make a mistake.

I think it's a false short-cut, a misrepresentation of the jedi and a disservice to the audience, no matter how young. Because rather than struggling with understanding "adults can make mistake but it doesn't mean you're blameless by elimination or that every adult's entire authority should be put in question", the story ends up telling "You should never question authority. Adults are always right so you just shut up." And that's a terrible message to give, because it's definitively wrong.

It's not because an adult is wrong once you never have to obey them as a minor ever again or that they are wrong about everything on this particular matter. This fear of having to justify authority, it come from a place of not being sure of its reasons other than "I'm the boss" or how to explain it to a child well enough they will accept to obey to that authority. It's the fear not being able to justify the legitimacy of one's authority. And acting on fear, that's not the way of the jedi.

Qui-Gon clearly had wisdom and intelligence, beyond this incident. He was capable of thoughfull interpersonnal interactions or he wouldn't be the jedi everyone say he was. And Obi-Wan himself wouldn't regard him as highly as he did either.

He can be uncertain faced with Qui-Gon's everything but, come on, he's no shrinking violet either.

How many thirteen years old has the gall to stand up to such an intimidating adult the way Obi-Wan did? But he did. And yet, he still thinks Qui-Gon is strong and wise and a good jedi and wants to learn from him.

So, Qui-Gon screwed up. The problem was Qui-Gon have been screwing up a lot and, each time, they talked about none of it, neither with the High Council, the Council of Reassignment, nor between themselves. He didn't apologised either, so it build up and up until it actually became so big it was impossible to do adress without changing fundamentally who they were as characters in the story.

This is where the Order was supposed to intervene.

A neutral third party with authority over them both, a duty of overview, and recognised wisdom. They should have torn down that built-up mess of unspoken issues and make Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan work through it. Do a thorough review of eveything problematic that happen between them from the start, so that everyone can say their piece, offer insights into the other's actions or POV, and prompt apologises where necessary.

Not in an accusatory way. In a way that say "this is where Qui-Gon failed as a jedi, as a master because .... Here is how you might improve."

Transformative justice rather than punitive justice.

Opportunity of betterement of self, in his role as Obi-Wan's master, as a jedi in the Order whose actions can influence other jedi, as a jedi and therefore a representative of the Order to the wider galaxy, as a representative of the Republic... This is what was taken from Qui-Gon too.

And from other jedi.

By not condamning them both, the Council announce to the rest of the Order that they found no fault in Qui-Gon and that the fault fall solely on Obi-Wan.

The intelligent masters who have experience in padawanship before, or the perceptive knights, will know it's not true. It take two to make a relationship. To think a 13 years old apprentice was just as responsible for this mess as his 43 years old Master is just foolish. The social judgement of Qui-Gon's actions was maybe just done behind closed doors.

But not all jedi may see this. And that open a whole new can of worms where the blame is put solely on the shoulders of a 13 years old learner, instead of partially on the learner and mostly on his 43 years old teacher.

That say to the othe jedi "The wisest amongst us have decide it's just the padawan who screwed up."

And since it was no small screw-up with priors, the youngest and most dogmatic/short-sighted/mean members just turn on him.

That's to be expected. It's the normal reaction in any society to shun a member condamned by its governing body, when he threaten the society as a whole. Which Obi-Wan did (see above).

And that's where the Council messed up again. Either they don't see it happening or they do but don't do anything about it, when their role is to regulate the Order, in addition to decision making and interpretation of the will of the Force. So, it's allowed to go on and fester. It let those toxic emotions and behaviors grow. When those are emotions that open the door to the Dark Side! It taint the Jedi. Against a thirteen years old.

Again, I know it was written this way to probably make the probation, an act of self-reflection on one's mistakes and change -something no one, especially not a young audience, enjoy practicing- still a Dramatic Arc (tm). Look at mean padawans! Look at the masters who ignore him! Obi-Wan alone against the world! But he will prevails! Because he's the hero!

Yeah... no.

Self-reflection is difficult and boring. No one likes to spend days on thinking what they did wrong, what they missed, trying to internalised different point of views, how they should improve. Especially when the stakes are that high and the initial motivation that just, that moral.

But it was a mistake for how the jedi function in-universe, and he should reflect on what else he could have tried, on why he acted as he did, why he made the choices he did, what motivated him and what are sensitive points for him. So that he can learn from this and do better next time, in another mission. So he can understand the mechanisms of his own psyche better and recognise when he find himself in a situation where his emotional reaction might be a danger for his impartiality and how to safeguard against it.

That's just part of growing up.

Learning, making mistakes, learning again, putting in the work, even when it's unpleasant or boring... This is also what it takes to become a jedi. Not just telekinesis, mindfuckery or lightsaber fighting.

The attempt to make it seems unnecessary or even something grand to fight against where Obi-Wan is this righteous innocent lamb, just to make the episode exciting, it did a disservice to everyone: Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, the jedi, the Council...

I was always furious at how the functioning and the philosophy of the jedi was completely warped just for gratious storytelling purpose.

Or worse, because that's the author's honest opinion of the jedi Order. There is more than enough opinion the jedi are unfeeling cold bastards in the world already. To add to it just to make things dramatic... Ugh!

But this is what we've got so this what I think should have happened instead, if we stay with the canonical characterisation and motivation of jedi, as individuals and as a group.

All that to say, I have long wish for someone to have a go at it and cut this bullshit in half. Or more. And extract from it what a fall-out with in-canon motives, philosophy and good characterisation might look like.

And here we are! Finally! And not just a past wrong righten but also a look at how the jedi operate in "peace times" before everything became about the Sith and the war against the Separatists.

Just... the Order and the regular problems of being a jedi in a galaxy far, far away.

Thank you!!!!! I feel like I can breath because something that always bothered me immensely is finally right!

I thought the characters were on point and I love how the author represented Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's relationship. I love how they just said fucked it to the meal plan and went to treat themselves something appetising. I love how they opened up to each other and how each want the best for the other.

I loved the stories and everything in it. I loved the view at all the different jedi. I love how all the bullying might finally be adressed. I love when Obi-Wan talk about the war, even though it broke my heart. I love the chance to see regular citizens as characters. I love the description of the Temple and regular life there. I loved everything!

So a big, heartfelt thank you to this author!!! It was great serie and a great read and something that absolutely missing for me! I encourage everyone who struggle with the treatment of the aftermath of Melidaa/Daan in the books to read it!

Jaesh, his father asked, why do you stay? 

I must help them, Jaesh said. If I leave they will be crushed.

Why must you be the one who holds the sky? his father asked.

Will you help me hold the sky? Jaesh asked.

And his father said yes, you are my son and my heart, and so he shared the weight.

Jaesh, his mother asked, why do you stay? 

I must help them, Jaesh said. If I leave they will be crushed.

Why must you be the one who holds the sky? his mother asked.

Will you help me hold the sky? Jaesh asked.

And his mother said yes, you are my son and my duty, and so she shared the weight.

Jaesh, his brother asked, why do you stay? 

I must help them, Jaesh said. If I leave they will be crushed.

Why must you be the one who holds the sky? his brother asked.

Will you help me hold the sky? Jaesh asked.

And his brother said yes, the work here is not yet done, and so he shared the weight.

Jaesh, his sister asked, why do you stay? 

I must help them, Jaesh said. If I leave they will be crushed.

Why must you be the one who holds the sky? his sister asked.

Will you help me hold the sky? Jaesh asked.

And his sister said yes, I will not leave you alone, and so she shared the weight.

Jaesh, the people asked, why do you stay? 

I must help you, Jaesh said. If I leave you will be crushed.

Why are you the one who holds the sky? the people asked.

Will you help me hold the sky? Jaesh asked.

And the people said yes, because the burden you carry is not one of your making, because peace made for all must be made by all, because you chose to stay.