Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen

[Sreeya]

Andraste's eyebrows raised as he rattled off an obnoxiously long name. Not only that, but it sounded strange. As if from a galaxy far away. A galaxy with a history of bloody battles in arenas. Where had that thought come from? Maybe she needed to lay off the deathsticks... Andraste coughed and pulled into a landing bay, the ship's engine humming as it came to a stop. She grabbed her lightsaber and rose from her seat, stretching.

"Christian, has anyone ever told you that you're entirely too cheerful? If you hog up all the happy, it'll leave everyone around you depressed and wanting to slap you."

She did not wait for an answer to the strange question, exiting the ship. Andraste took off her shoes and wiggled her toes, feeling the grass underneath her feet. It was a refreshing change from stepping on blistering hot sands.

"You Jedi are the naturey type, yeah? Warn me if I'm about to step on a thorn..or bantha poo.."

With that, she began walking towards the nearest city. She knew the way, having been on the planet before. Already it was apparent that something was off. Andraste had to bite back a knowing grin, glancing sideways at Christian to catch his reaction.

 

[Matt]

''To cheerful? Yes....I suppose I am but I always get put with rather miserable people so have to offset there miserableness which I am fairly sure is not a word with my cheerfulness! Just so happens that you are a fairly happy person so I am more then likely just annoying to you!''

Christian laughed as he looked up at the sky seeing the beautiful blue sky that seemed to go so well with the wide open plains....He still didn't like this place no matter how nice it seemed.

However, as they came towards the city he knew something was so very wrong. He could feel it in the force as strongly as he could see it, the feeling despair and horror....Death was ripe here.

''What on earth is happening here?''

 

[Sreeya]

"Miserable people? I figured Jedi train you to always be cheerful... can't have gloomy looking protectors of peace. I mean, would you want to be rescued by someone that looks like he hates life and cuts himself? You'd take your chances fending for yourself.."

Andraste grinned as he commented on the eerie atmosphere. It was a stark contrast to how regular and ordinary the town looked. People were out and about, going about their daily lives. There were markets selling goods. However, it was obvious that something was being covered up. Death loomed like a rancid odor, and Andraste did not need to find the dead bodies piled up to know they were there. However, to her, it was all a culmination of darkness, so naturally she thrived in it. Andraste took a few steps forward, laughing at Christian.

"What's wrong? Do you have a 'baaaad feeling about this?'"

She wiggled her fingers ominously to mock him on how spooked out he appeared. Andraste turned around to face the town again, stepping into it. Right away they attracted attention, with various people glancing over curiously. Andraste lowered her voice so only Christian could hear.

"Listen close.. do you hear it?"

Labored breathing. Coughing. Groaning. There were children that were working, adults in a slump. Andraste looked all around as she continued walking.

"This place is dying. All the people are dying. Isn't it awful?!"

There was a hint of mockery in her voice once more. She did not let him know that she was leading him towards a hospital.

 

[Matt]

Christian laughed at her words but it was a forced laugh with none of the normal warmth behind it. How could this be happening on a planet like Dantooine? Dantooine was a industrial mid rim world with some of the biggest and best farms in the galaxy.

But the force and his own eyes were showing him horrible sights, his ears were now taking a battering from the endless groans that were escaping people's lips. Children as well.

''Why have you brought me here Andraste? To try and get under my skin?''

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste grinned at his question, continuing down the path till she came across a building with a long line extending out of it.

"There is hope here. There you see a doctor giving them medicine. You see someone helping these people."

She looked around, noting all the sickness around them.

"Why, then, do they suffer?"

Andraste grasped Christian's hand and yanked him off to the side, pointing at the poorer people in the city. Shockingly, they looked completely unaffected by the disease. Andraste rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Would you imagine that? Those that don't have access to medicine are doing damn well. Look! The children are even skipping! I wonder why that is.."

She looked over at Christian.

"Are you beginning to understand what's going on here?"

 

[Matt]

This made no sense whatsoever. How could the richer people be sicker then the poor? It made no sense and went against most things in the galaxy. It was wrong of course but the poorer always suffered more then the richer...

But here was proof of the opposite....What was happening here?

''The Poorer families must have a great immunity to diseases growing up in the worst areas of the city? Is that it Andraste?''

Christian had had more pleasant quizzing sessions then this one.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste smiled at his question.

"This is an example where survival of the fittest reigns supreme. The rich get sick, they go to the doctor, the doctor babies the virus and they lose the symptoms. Soon enough, they get sick again and ultimately it claims their lives. The poor have had no access to medicine so they were allowed to build up natural immunity so they can fight this off. They can do this because they haven't been helped."

She continued walking further into the town, up until she found a homeless woman sitting on the side of the street. She looked malnourished, her bones brittle and her life energy was a dimly lit candle that would burn out any moment. Andraste pointed to her.

"Do you see that woman? That's an example of people doing good for others. Don't believe me?"

She turned to Christian.

"That woman used to work at a cantina where her boss wasn't very nice to her. He verbally abused her, but she put up with it and worked there anyway. This was some time ago and Jedi were sent to this place to investigate the ruins of a temple. However, one of them passed through here and found this woman being mistreated. He stood up to her boss for her and got her out of that terrible job. She was happy and he felt as if he truly helped someone. He went about his merry way back to his Jedi temple."

She turned to the woman again.

"The boss had spread rumors about her and within this community, news travels fast. The woman could not find work anywhere and had no means to leave the planet. So she was forced to give up her home, her family, everything. She now sits on the streets, wasting away. Where is that Jedi now?"

The woman, as if on cue, laid down on the duracrete, curled up to try and stay warm.

"Point is, Christian, that Jedi set out to help others, but how often do you check up on the aftermath of your choices? You intrude into the affairs of others and solve their problems for them. What happens when you leave? You obviously don't keep up with what's going on with them following your visit. In the end, you do more harm than good. Jedi see the world through rose tinted glasses, but they don't understand the harsh realities that everyone faces."

 

[Matt]

Christian listened intently to Andraste's words and couldn't help but think of himself in such situations. Had this happened to the people Christian had helped across the galaxy? Had he been thinking of nothing more then the smaller picture when all along there was heartache happening after he had departed.

''But.....But it can't always be like this surely? These are merely the worst case scenarios aren't they?''

It had to be, it couldn't be possible that every person the Jedi had helped in the galaxy had turned out so painfully bad after the jedi had left, no he was sure of it.

He had to be sure.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste raised an eyebrow at his question.

"I don't know, Christian, and don't call me Shirley. Have you ever bothered to go back and check? Have you also checked if other Jedi had done the same? It's so easy to rush in, be a hero and then leave. There's this saying...the road to hell is paved by good intentions. Don't ask me where it's from, but it makes sense."

She began to walk back out of the town, standing in front of the hospital once again.

"Even if it were worst case scenarios, this is a town nobody knows about in Dantooine. Can you imagine how many millions or billions of people are out there left to fend for themselves after Jedi came in, solved their problems for them and hightailed it? What this galaxy needs is hardships to condition people to become strong. Jedi are a hindrance to that."

Andraste grinned.

"Even Sith have more of a purpose and help by posing problems to overcome. Are you beginning to see?"

 

[Matt]

Christian couldn't help but smile at the reference to Shirley but he was deeply in thought, Her logic seemed harsh and he knew if the Masters of the Jedi were here they would break through her walls of logic.

And yet Christian saw the logic in it, he had always had problems with the order and the masters thinking them out of touch with the real galaxies problems but was it this bad truly?

''I see....Your point in this Andraste but the sith have committed atrocities across the galaxy for thousands of years. How can you justify that as helping people more then the jedi?''

He knew it was the right thing to say and the jedi thing to say....But too himself he was slightly ashamed as he wanted to know hr answer more for his own knowledge rather then trading barbed words with a sith.

 

[Sreeya]

"Simple, it's the survival of the fittest. Nature and the galaxy itself commits atrocities. There are merciless disasters that kill and destroy and have no regard to whether it inflicts damage on women or children."

Andraste thought for a moment.

"However, the thing to remember is that Sith are aware of their actions and they fully accept that fact. Being a Sith means acknowledging that you are human and that you have flaws. We go a bit overboard with it sometimes, yeah, but I'd rather that than wear a mask of justice and secretly help nothing. Jedi condition Force Sensitives to uphold the role of hero and sacrifice a sense of self in many ways."

She shrugged.

"I don't need to convince you of one thing or the other. As we speak, seeds of doubt have already been planted in your mind. And I did not try to sway you one way or the other because I am Sith. If I were acting as a mindless Sith, I would have had you killed on Tanaab. However, I think it's important for Jedi to learn how flawed the doctrines they preach are."

Andraste looked into his eyes then.

"How does it make you feel knowing you taught padawans to repeat the same exact mistakes? How does it feel knowing that countless others they 'help' will end up with nothing and on the streets? It's a never-ending cycle."

 

[Matt]

''I always tried to teach my padawan's to think outside the box I swear it. I know the Jedi order is not perfect Andraste but it is only not perfect because people aren't perfect. Atleast that is what I always thought....Well I thought alot of things like the sith were monsters and the Jedi tried to be angels....Perhaps we were only kidding ourselves''

Christian couldn't stop himself from sounding like he was pleading with the women to understand him but he abashed himself straight away. How pathetic of him.

''You speak much sense but are you not unique in the sith? Are you not something of an oddity in that you are not a clinical monster? I saw the other ones of your kind at Tanaab and they seemed little better then bundles of hate with no purpose''

Christian went silent for a moment as he went through his mind trying to think of something to justify his existence as a Jedi...Something to show for his time.

''You have shown me something, will you let me show you something important to this.....discussion of ours?'

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste chuckled at his question.

"I suppose I'm a bit strange. However, the teachings of Sith capitalize on what sentients already possess. Passion, emotions, and other things that are inherent. It's better to embrace it than to subjugate."

He piqued her curiosity by his second question. Andraste paused for a moment, mulling over what he had said. She looked into his eyes, looking for flickering evidence of lying or hostility. Sensing neither, Andraste shrugged.

"I suppose, as long as it's not a trap. In that case I really might have to cook your genitalia and it won't be fun for either of us."

 

[Matt]

''Trust me, I have made an unshakeable vow that I shall not get up to any shenanigans and I speak nothing but the truth my lady friend''

Christian went quiet for a moment thinking it over in his head...Yes this was something he was truly proud of as a Jedi and he would show this off to Andraste and prove to himself as much as her that the Jedi did some good in this galaxy.

''Have you ever been Tatooine my dear? Wonderfully hot place but has a special place in my heart, will you allow me to put in the coordinates into your navi computer so you can take me there?''

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste shrugged.

"It can't be worse than Korriban."

She looked at him suspiciously as he asked to put the coordinates in. At long last, she shrugged again.

"Be my guest."

Andraste was curious as to what he had to show her. She guessed that it was only going to be some sort of example of Jedi being righteous. Andraste rolled her eyes at the thought. However, she would humor him. After all she did drag him all the way to Dantooine after putting him in a cage. Speaking of which, he was getting rather comfortable around her. She scowled at the thought. She would have to keep her guard up around him.

 

[Matt]

''Wonderful!''

After the ship exited hyperspace Christian smiled as the wonderful dustbowl came into view before them. Many saw it as nothing more then a horrible place that was an eyesore on the galaxy and they had a point but...Well he found it strangely beautiful.

''Would it be possible to land near Anchorhead please?''

This was all just a little bit odd despite the trip to Tatooine being slightly awkward in that he didn't find it too odd sitting on a ship with a Sith next to him.

This galaxy was a bit odd.

 

[Sreeya]

"I lied."

Andraste wiped sweat off her brow. It accumulated within seconds after she stepped off the ship.

"This might actually be worse than Korriban."

Although she couldn't exactly see it yet, she could sense the misery and anguish within the citizens of this sparse city. The heat was excruciating, the sun glaring down upon her pallid features. She knew she would be burnt to a crisp. Perhaps this was all a clever ploy by Christian to make her miserable. Andraste turned to look at him.

"Okay let's make this quick. I don't want to be stuck here longer than I have to.."

 

[Matt]

Christian beamed at Andraste as she gave him a rather cold look...Well to most people it would have been construed as cold but Christian saw more of a I'm loving this weather look.

''Isn't it delightful here?''


The heat had seemed to rejuvenate Christian's spirits and he knew the truck into the city would make him feel truly back to his old carefree self rather then this rather dour fellow he had become in the last few days.

''Now, I shall tell you why I asked to be brought here. In Anchorhead there was well a prostitution ring that had been set up by a rather nasty fellow who I stopped and freed the ring and also I managed to get all the ladies into jobs in the town! Now I am not one for self promotion but I know I did a good job...A brilliant job! Something even you shall admit to I hope once we get there''

He said this as the City came into view.

 

[Sreeya]

"Why... is everyone looking at us strangely?"

For that was the case with the citizens of the city as soon as the two stepped in. Andraste and Christian looked like obvious Force users, and she could tell right away that the people around them weren't too thrilled to see their arrival. The people that were around and about, anyway. The city, for the most part, looked almost empty. Andraste could sense anguish and pain all around them. She felt uncomfortable under the constant gaze of the citizens, and she quickened her pace, looking at Christian.

"I thought we were expecting a warm welcome. They're staring at us like we just killed their mothers."

Andraste scowled back at a man that was gawking at her, and he quickly looked down in fear, scurrying away.

 

[Matt]

''Well I....Well it must be you scowling at them as this is the friendliest place on the whole bloody planet! Well atleast it was''

Christian moved through the streets feeling more and more unease at the entire situation but his heart did a leap when he saw Tarkin's cantina which despite being slightly morbid in that it was named after a mass murderer was the home to a particular Rodian who was Christian's good friend.

''Here we are Andraste, this is the place where my good man Tiikin is the proprietor of this place and he will start us on our journey of...Happiness!''