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matrilI got bitten by some kind of crazy writing bug this morning and churned out ten pages of stuff, some of it for my orignal novel, some of it for that half-formed AU I've been thinking of, and then this little ficlet. Whew!
Kinder than Killing
Obi-Wan always preceded saber practices with a lecture on the ethics of fighting. Today’s lesson was particularly crucial for Anakin to understand, and he made sure to indicate this by a very sober tone.
“Never kill if you can possibly help it. Killing someone leaves a terrible weight on your conscience, no matter how much they appear to deserve it.”
Anakin took this in seriously, his still-childish face thoughtful. “But what if they’re trying to kill you, and you have no other options?”
“There are always other options,” Obi-Wan answered. “Knock them unconscious and flee. Or, if you need a more permanent solution, cut off a hand.”
“Master!” Anakin exclaimed. “That’s horrible!”
“It’s kinder than killing.” Obi-Wan shrugged. “Besides, then you can take them in to properly stand trial. That’s justice. That’s the Jedi way.”
“I don’t know...” Anakin shook his head. “I think I’d rather be dead than spend the rest of my life missing my hands.”
“Don’t be silly,” Obi-Wan laughed. “They have ways of replacing them; you’d hardly miss them.” He forgot sometimes how young Anakin still was, how so many matter-of-fact things seemed to shock him. “And anyway, we’re speaking of enemies, not ourselves. There are measures you can take, self-defensive measures, to end the combat without having to kill. That is only as a very last resort.”
“But you’ve fought so many times, Master,” Anakin said earnestly. “You must have killed at least a few; you couldn’t help it.”
“Only a very few,” Obi-Wan clarified. “And only one whose death doesn’t still plague my conscience.”
“Who’s that?”
“A certain Sith Lord on Naboo,” Obi-Wan answered grimly.
“That’s the only time?”
“That’s right. And since the Sith once nearly succeeded in eradicating the Jedi, Sith Lords are a particular exception.”
“Oh.” Anakin was silent for a moment, than looked up at Obi-Wan with the grin that accompanied his emerging sense of humor. “But how many hands have you cut off, Master?”
“Ah, now, that I’ve lost count of,” Obi-Wan laughed. “Get your practice saber, young Padawan. It’s time for a sparring session. Hopefully we’ll both emerge with our limbs intact.”
Kinder than Killing
Obi-Wan always preceded saber practices with a lecture on the ethics of fighting. Today’s lesson was particularly crucial for Anakin to understand, and he made sure to indicate this by a very sober tone.
“Never kill if you can possibly help it. Killing someone leaves a terrible weight on your conscience, no matter how much they appear to deserve it.”
Anakin took this in seriously, his still-childish face thoughtful. “But what if they’re trying to kill you, and you have no other options?”
“There are always other options,” Obi-Wan answered. “Knock them unconscious and flee. Or, if you need a more permanent solution, cut off a hand.”
“Master!” Anakin exclaimed. “That’s horrible!”
“It’s kinder than killing.” Obi-Wan shrugged. “Besides, then you can take them in to properly stand trial. That’s justice. That’s the Jedi way.”
“I don’t know...” Anakin shook his head. “I think I’d rather be dead than spend the rest of my life missing my hands.”
“Don’t be silly,” Obi-Wan laughed. “They have ways of replacing them; you’d hardly miss them.” He forgot sometimes how young Anakin still was, how so many matter-of-fact things seemed to shock him. “And anyway, we’re speaking of enemies, not ourselves. There are measures you can take, self-defensive measures, to end the combat without having to kill. That is only as a very last resort.”
“But you’ve fought so many times, Master,” Anakin said earnestly. “You must have killed at least a few; you couldn’t help it.”
“Only a very few,” Obi-Wan clarified. “And only one whose death doesn’t still plague my conscience.”
“Who’s that?”
“A certain Sith Lord on Naboo,” Obi-Wan answered grimly.
“That’s the only time?”
“That’s right. And since the Sith once nearly succeeded in eradicating the Jedi, Sith Lords are a particular exception.”
“Oh.” Anakin was silent for a moment, than looked up at Obi-Wan with the grin that accompanied his emerging sense of humor. “But how many hands have you cut off, Master?”
“Ah, now, that I’ve lost count of,” Obi-Wan laughed. “Get your practice saber, young Padawan. It’s time for a sparring session. Hopefully we’ll both emerge with our limbs intact.”
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