Monday Morning Lectures on Onderon (Open)

[Darth Vulcanus]

"So you're saying that we should, what, attack Jedi?" a young girl called from the back of the class, her pen tip raised in the air.

"I'm saying to be mindful, but not just of Jedi, of anyone who has governmental power." Seph corrected, leaning over into his desk; eyes locking on the girl for just a moment before they began to shift over the class again. "History teaches us a lot about government and freedom and how easily those two can suddenly become enemies. All of us, the people of the Republic, have known far too much pain to simply look the other way when something suspicious happens at the Senate Building. We owe it to ourselves and our Republic to be mindful of everyone and everything who scampers up to a politician's chair."

As he was speaking, Seph suddenly winced as a muscle cramp rode up his arm. He tried his best to hide it behind a smile, but clenched teeth gave it away. Quickly he stood straight up again, his teeth clenching tighter. Damn pain.

"Throughout the Republic's history you can see the dangers of not knowing your leaders. Palpatine created a Grand Army that he used to defend the people of the Republic. Later, it turned out that not only did he orchestrate the Republic's death but that he was Sith Lord. Yet, people clapped and cheered when he took away their freedoms."

"He was a Sith though, not a Jedi" A boy called from the front of the room.

"The Jedi make you feel safer? What is really the difference between the two?"

"The Jedi help people, they are sworn to protect the Republic. The Sith only destroy and kill."

"Ah, but that is only what the Jedi would have you think. The Jedi will murder just as easily as the Sith, history proves that. During the Old Republic The Jedi, against the will of the senate, began a holocaust against the now extinct Sith Pureblood species. A species that only became violent after the Jedi banished their own kind to their planet without a trial. Those Jedi were banished for just studying the darkside. Those Jedi then fought back and rallied the purebloods behind them in name of their own freedom; so the Jedi wiped them out for it."

The room fell silent for a moment and Seph kept it so, he wanted the message to sink in. "The same people that practically rule the Republic, are the same people who slaughtered an entire species for disagreeing with them. How can you help but not be suspicious of their intentions? Its a patriotic duty to be suspicious of people like that; because the day your not is the day they suddenly pass a bill that bans their history from schools and people like us are hushed away to keep their past secret."

"What I want you to take away from today is that you can't put blind faith in the government. I'll leave you with this, The Jedi are a religious organization right?"

The room was filled with a series of nervous replies

"So they are a religious organization who has committed genocide, banished those who disagree with them and use the Force. Now, they are taking high-level seats in the government and have close ties to almost everyone in the senate and military; so close that they often advise them and give them orders." Seph leaned in closer to his class "Now, who else does that sound like to you?" Seph questioned, pointing to the location of Coruscant he had hanging on his wall.

Ring, ring, ring

The bell signaled the end of class and the students quickly shot up and began gathering their materials. "You all have your projects on The Great Hyperspace War due next week; remember that I have a special treat for whoever does the best presentation!"

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@Seph Nopelis

In the press of students exiting the class, a plainly-dressed, dark-skinned woman of middle years attracted no attention lasting longer than half a second. Grandiose bellicosity might have been the hallmark of her careers, and she'd had several, but along the way she'd also learned how to not be noticed. It didn't take Force tricks; all it took was leaving the weapons, armor, hooded cloaks and glowing eyes at home.

"Mr. Nopelis? I don't think we've met. I'm Shira Karrde." He might, of course, recognize her face, even though she'd worn a different one as Sith Empress many years ago. But that was an occupational hazard. "I overheard the end of your class lecture, and I wanted to commend you." A little formal for everyday language, but that, too, was an occupational hazard. "The Sith genocide is a fascinating period -- and a difficult subject to tackle on the Republic's capital. I'm sure you're covering the Pius Dea era and the Ruusan Reformations too?"

 

[Darth Vulcanus]

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

Well, this was something you didn't see everyday. A gorgeous woman talking to Seph, that literally never happened before he left Ession. His mother may have counted to him, but to the rest of the galaxy that just made him even creepier.

"I don't believe we have either, Mrs. Karrde" Seph's lips curled into a quaint smile as he outstretched his hand to the woman. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I only wish you would have been apart of the welcome wagon that met me when I got here."

As the woman continued to speak, Seph's face curled and he suddenly struck the desk with his palm; bracing his body against the desk. "I'm so sorry about that, I hope you don't mind if I sit down." Seph squirmed his way around the desk, easing himself down into his chair before motioning Ashin to take a seat at the spare on the end of the table.

"Thank you. I think that kids should hear the whole story, not just half truths. Most governments have a knack for sweeping things under the rug, its a disgrace honestly. Naturally that means I'll go over the Reformations and Pius Era as well, it's all apart of a long history that these kids need to hear about to make informed decisions if you ask me."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Seph Nopells"]

"I don't mind at all, thank you." 'Shira' entered the room, but slowly. She'd lost count of the number of times she'd reinjured her right knee, and the limp was always noticeable. She took the seat he indicated.

"It really is about informed decisions, isn't it. The challenge, of course, is talking about the lessons of ancient history in a way that's applicable to more recent, even modern issues...while avoiding the temptation to be that professor. The one that preaches his agenda half-veiled or with no veil at all. It's a difficult line to walk when you're passionate about a subject. And," she added after a moment, "when modern politics echo those same old patterns, those same old mistakes, so exactly. One might think there's something endemic to the system, even though the system's gone through feudalism, democracy, and tyranny many, many times since then."

 

[Darth Vulcanus]

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

Seph nodded, a curious brow raised to the woman. "You are quite right, it can be a fine line that is walked. In truth there are two very different types of teachers and, well, speakers in general. There are teachers who speak from their heart and teachers who speak from their reasoning. Teachers who speak from their reasoning present only the cold factual information and half the class tunes out and doesn't learn a thing." Seph paused for a moment and gazed into the woman's eyes, gauging her reaction. It was starting to seem very odd to him that she was here. She could have been a teacher for the university perhaps, but that seemed unlikely to him.

"I speak from the heart. Of course I have historical references to back up what I say but, as you saw, I got the kids really involved. How? Its simple, because I wasn't regurgitating information that had no relevance. I made it relevant to them by making them think. I made it relevant to them because I showed it was relevant to me."

"As far as the state of the modern political system, it is exactly what you say it is. Politicians don't learn from history, that's why the same pandemics plague the Galactic Community over and over again."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@Seph Nopells

"Well, I think we've both known terrible teachers that speak from the heart. The heart doesn't always have a sense of proportion, and the heart certainly doesn't know how to construct a functional curriculum. And I don't know about you, but I've known teachers who understood that good reasoning is a foundation. Logic is about pointing out contradictions, inconsistencies, similarities -- and teaching students to recognize when their reasons for thinking or feeling something just don't hold water. On that account, I'm sure we agree."

 

[Darth Vulcanus]

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

"I think you misunderstand my meaning, Mr.s Karrde." Seph pointed out, leaning back deep into his chair to try and sooth his pain. "A teacher who uses pure logic will always use pure logic. He will become more computer than man when he is up here in front of these kids. However, a teacher who can speak from the heart, will know when to use his logic and when to use his passion. Of course a curriculum is a construct of logic, but even that can have a flare of passion to it; at least when you present it. You see, its all in the presentation that the heart comes into play. If you want kids to really grasp the material, you have to present in a way that is exciting. If you don't give off an aura of excitement or your words seemed rehearsed; you'll lose them"

Pausing for a moment, Seph looked down to his watch. His next class didn't start for awhile, so that gave him some time to find out what this was about. "Your mind is used to decipher the heart, but the heart is where true life sparks from. The only true way to use both logic and mind is to start with the heart; the motivator for all that we do; even learn"

"Now, if you don't mind me asking Mrs. Kardde, who are you exactly?"

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@Seph Nopells

"Ashin Varanin. Grand Admiral, retired."

 

[Darth Vulcanus]

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

Ashin Varain? That was...both highly improbable and not good all at the same time. Seph tried his best to suppress a cringe, pretending to feel reach for his leg in pain just in case she'd seen it. "Ashin Varanin? Well that's a very high standing name to just be throwing around. I find it hard to believe it is you. Why would you be interested in one college professors lectures?" Seph could lie with the best of them, it was basically his job to. Still, she was a Force User and that complicated matters. Lying to normal people was easy, lying to those monsters was supremely difficult.

If this woman really was Ashin Varanin then Seph had problems, big ones. He was careful to cover his tracks on Ession, he doubted anyone could have found him out but there was always that slim chance. Whether that was her reason for visiting or not, it made little difference. She was here and that was a problem...she could suspect something. "Actually, don't answer that yet. It will be lunch soon, right before my next class actually. How about we talk about this more over something to eat, there is a superb diner nearby." He didn't like having to risk his own smear campaign associating with her in public like that, but there were ways to lie around that. What was important right now was throwing off suspicion so there could be a campaign at all.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@Seph Nopells

Ashin smiled faintly. "I just ate. And I don't go out in public, as a general rule. But thank you for the offer, Professor Nopells." She stood with a grimace. "I'd better be going."

In truth, she'd been passing by, nothing more. Old friends had Onderonian connections, and she'd hoped to -- well, that was neither here nor there. This legitimately had been chance, or the will of the Force. She thought of mentioning that just to see if it would stick in Nopells' craw, but it struck her as a little high-handed and superior, even for Ashin Varanin. Instead she settled for being a lesser evil and just...not answering his question.