jedi, mandos, & etain

[kradeelav]

[ see this post for explanation & the masterlist of this meta series ]  

even after a few thousand words on vau’s distrust on jedi in the galidraan section, i still wanna take a sec and poke more at why they’re (an unusually  interesting plot point + ) almost accidentally the nightmare fuel of SW?

also want to tie it in with Etain because the actual perfect dear handles all that suspicion so better than most folks give her credit.

 

so!  –  as we know,

jedi can use the force in almost an unlimited amount of ways, depending on curiosity and ambition - here, the focus will be on three powers: mind reading, force-persuasion, and mind wiping.

• >> it is impossible to know if you’ve consented to any of your actions around a jedi master <<
• not only do they have the ability to analyze what your wants and fears are -
  •  (already bad enough, and easily exploitable if you know people)
• - not only can they force you to do anything they want -
  • (i still cannot fucking believe that obi-wan gets away with as much shit as he does in the movies - like don’t get me wrong, i love a good ol’ heroic yarn-romp of a movie where the good guys win yadda yadda but jesus christ -  sry i have FEELINGS ON THIS)
• but after all of that – you can be left with no idea that any of the above had happened.  and no way to do damage control.
  • (part of me wonders this is why the jedi code was so strict - they know that with attachments come very messy relationships which inevitably leads into broken hearts … and teenagers with broken hearts are not known to make rational decisions and do not know just how incredibly dangerous the ‘can i just mind-wipe that last argument again so we can be together again pls  ;_;’ line of thought is.)

imagine, for the clones- how much of a double whammy this is:

they lived their entire childhood in fear of being exterminated by the kaminoans for failing to meet standards.  the kaminoans were all but the unseen omniscient eye with their watchful studies - calculating to see which batches were exceeding expectations or not. 

(if you didn’t do well, out the door you went, also as a lesson to the others.) 

• imagine, then, now that they’ve had the taste of finally being able to trust their own mind and actions … and then having to serve under jedi who are not only able to read bodies, but reach into minds as well.
• (like shit, if you were used to the idea of authority being perfectly willing to exterminate you for failing, and you constructed your entire mental safe haven on the fact they at least can’t read minds …  just … put yourself in their shoes.  goddamn. )
• the clones who prefer to submit to absolute authority would be relieved to have someone have that control again.  the more independent clones are the ones that would sign up for O66 in a heartbeat, simply to rid themselves of that fear.

I don’t know what’s worse, honestly.

(sidenote: i would bet money this is partly why kal went ballistic on Etain for the safe word thing on Ordo - his mind instantly went to ‘shit she’s going to use her powers like that’, and he didn’t want her to think that’s remotely the same thing - and it’s … really not.  ordo’s perfectly aware of why kal drilled that automatic response to the safe word, and it only incapacitates him for a split second, aside from the potentially endless implementations of force-persuasion)

(like, there’s a reason ordo specifically has a conversation with etain about mind-rubbing specifically, later on. and asks her ‘so how many times have you done that, again?) 

(… part of me wonders what he would have thought if she said anything but ‘only in training, and only with consent.’)

(Etain, as we all know, wouldn’t dream of violating the clones like that - but, again, and I’m on Kal with this one - these are men who saw the worst of Jedi at Galidraan (and having a blind eye to the commando training), so he’s … not exactly … particularly forgiving that early on.

the one saving grace is that there’s not too many jedi that can do such things effortlessly - just what we’ve seen of the EU, it’s only the higher-level masters that can do that reliably. (qui-gon, mace, etc.)   and those that truly fear enough of the jedi to actively study their weaknesses are probably able to uncover that fact real quick. 

(aka also probably why vau is still super chill around zey who is an unfortunate combo of black ops mentality + said jedi powers.)

(i like zey i really do but … geeeeeez…  talk about ‘nsa agent who can mind wipe you and shit’ level of paranoia. )

.

this is why etain’s so amazing despite all of the above - she understood right off the bat that consent is e v e r y t h i n g when you’re dealing with suspicious, traumatized people who have historically been the enemies and been on the other side of the sword er, lightsaber.  she asks atin before helping to heal his traumas.  she asks a bloody boatload of questions to kal and vau to understand their fears.  she actively answers vau’s own questions about her limits.  she asks scorch if he wants help like atin and respected his no. she (seen above) answers ordo’s questions honestly.

the only two times (the interrogation scene and then the weequay in the first book? lemme know if there’s more) that we see her do a force persuasion thing is:

• (a) super early on before she really understood the implications
  • like, understanding these wiggy power dynamics as early on as she did - after being in an institution that deliberately minimizes them - is … So Important and it is such a goddamn accomplishment that she gets it.  breaking free of an entire lifetime of carefully-tuned dogma bullshit (perfected for centuries) that says ‘controlling lesser-able ppl is fine when you need to. :)))’ is … it takes a strong mind.
• (b) Etain was thoroughly nauseated afterwards both times and made herself ask and understand why.  she didn’t just shudder and ~disconnect~ from the violation and take the easy route. 
  • ( that scene after finishing vau’s interrogation when she looks in the mirror and sees the parallels between herself and vau as far as using control is just … a goddamn. poetic. masterpiece.)
• © i think it’s also telling that she left the jedi order after both of those experiences … she had her reasons with her kid and understanding what the clones went through … but i bet that was not a non-zero reason as well. 

she’s not going to excuse that bullshit.  not at all.

 

etain is love, etain is life, ok?  ♥