He starts moving again, towards the heart of the field, and nudges her gently on the shoulder to encourage her to follow him. The subject they’ve moved on to is still too abstract for his tastes, but he decides that he will not abandon this as easily as the aforementioned contemplation on hope. At least this had some substance and thus it finds some traction in the dark crevasses of his mind. Of course, Skywalker is too embittered and his emotions have simpered in a dank coffin for too long to have a reasonable opinion on the matter. In his world the boundaries of power and authoritarianism weigh too heavy to be lifted to such utopic heights as his newfound company speaks of. Slave to his reason and infatuated with discipline, the black stallion simply does not believe that individuals can govern themselves in such a way. He has witnessed too many failures, in all aspects of life, to believe in the value of the individual, to believe in what is good.

Besides, the one thing that constantly echoes between his ears is the feverish hunger for absolute power and ways in which he can obtain such a position. “That sounds charitable,” he finally answers with the same light tone of voice, as if they were speaking of the weather and not ideologies, “but I don’t think highly of it, to be honest,” without anything else than absolute neutrality adorning his voice he continues speaking, while gently shaking his head. “The problem with this idea is the perception of what is good and just – it is not the same to everyone and above all it is not a constant thing. It is easy to say that you fight for what is good but it is much harder to define what is good and what isn’t.”

A pause and a smile: “let me take tyranny for example. If the tyrant acts on behalf of his subjects, leading in a way so that they are pleased with his every decision. If he strengthens the herd, gives everyone meaningful tasks, makes sure that everyone is happy, should we still consider his rule illegitimate simply because he is a tyrant?”

Skywalker’s heart beats a little quicker – he will not deny that he wishes to be a tyrant, that his word should weigh heavier than anyone else’s, because he believes that this is the way to truly bring happiness to his people. In that sense there is still some altruism left in him, albeit twisted and corrupted. “And suffering,” he speaks slower now, “is sometime necessary in order to achieve something else that, in the long term, will relieve it.”

S K Y W A L K E R.

WC: 445
Adalaide