driftfleet | may mingle (blameless!)

No, they don't. [he's in complete agreement] I guess - luckily, I'm very stubborn when it comes to certain things. And they - understand. It isn't arguments all the time.

[She crosses her arms over her chest, still a little unsure.] Well... good.

At least-- at least you don't have to deal with that here.

[he smiles a little wider and nods]

No, I don't. I get a lot of questions, though - like you do. But I can't really blame people for wanting to know, either.

No... I don't either. But-- it's just so different to what I'm used to, that's all. Back home, nobody looks twice if you're blue, green, red, or have five tentacles coming out of your face.

I think I really like your world. [his smile widens] But I know what you mean. But when I get those reactions, I don't know what to do about them. It's one thing running into other mutants, but - it's entirely different when it's someone from a separate world from ours, you know?

I think that's understandable.

After all, if you'd told me six months ago I'd be having casual conversations with people from other universes, I wouldn't have believed you. It's still kind of hard to believe when I think too hard about it.

Ah - yeah, I know what you mean. Six months ago, things were nice and quiet and - none of what's been going on the last couple of months.

You mean here? Or... back home?

[he opens his mouth, then - pauses, because he has to actually think about how long it's been, if six months is the right estimate. God, but his sense of time was a mess]

Back home, I mean. I've only been here a month.

... It seems like everyone here has problems at home. I haven't yet run into anyone who comes from a world at peace.

Yeah . . . that's the impression I've been getting. [it's a little depressing] There's a war going on back home, but - none of us are involved in that. The one thing we were involved in, we managed to handle.

... I'm glad to hear it. Though-- if there's one thing I've learned about wars, it's that everyone's involved eventually. Even if they're not participants.

That's true. [his smile is a little weak] I have a friend who's enlisted, so it's still - not something I can ignore.

Huh.

[She gets that look on her face like she's thinking about something again-- it's clear by now that Ahsoka's every emotion expresses itself on her face as soon as she has it. She leans against a nearby wall then, arms crossed. Then she reaches one out to him-- not to take, just as a casual gesture.]

Do you mind if I ask you a hypothetical? You might have a unique viewpoint. It's related to something going on in my world. But people from my world aren't very good at being objective about it-- for obvious reasons.

he tilts his head at the expression, much like before - and at her question he nods, straightening a little out of his usual slouch]

Of course you can. I don't know how objective I'll be, but - I'll certainly try.

Okay. Here goes.

Your planet [because what are countries in Star Wars?] is involved in a war where you're dramatically outnumbered, but losing said war would ostensibly mean that many planets would be annexed by a corrupt superpower. As such, your only options are to surrender, or find some way of dramatically increasing your ranks overnight-- either via the draft, or via artificially created humans, born in a lab and raised for the sole purpose of the war.

The first option means leaving billions to suffer. But the second and third options remove free will-- either that of the civilians, or that of the clones.

I'm curious. As a civilian from a world with a war going on who is personally affected by having a friend in the army-- which would you pick? There's no wrong answer, by the way. Or rather... maybe I should say, there's no right answer. I just want to hear other people's opinions.

[All the answers are wrong. The Clone Wars never should have happened in the first place. But this is Ahsoka, trying to get an outside perspective.]

[oh, this is a difficult one, and not - one he that he's at all qualified to answer.

But he can be objective about it. He crosses his arms and frowns, his expression thoughtful for a long moment. Admittedly the planet part throws him, but - technically it's the same. How many countries are involved in the war back home anyhow? Officially and unofficially. And he's familiar with the draft, and all the problems that caused]

Objectively?

The first option isn't one, I think. Leaving billions to suffer - at all, really, I wouldn't choose that.

[he tilts his head, frowning deeper for a moment] The war going on in my world now - my country has a draft for it. And it - didn't go over very well. It still isn't. A lot of people were angry about it and refused to participate, and I heard a lot of people fled to other countries to avoid it. There's a whole lot of repercussions to forcing people to fight in a war.

And - it doesn't seem fair to - even if they're a clone, they're still human, right? To raise them only to fight in a war . . . doesn't seem ethical to me. Strictly - from a scientific point of view.

[man, Ahsoka, these options all suck in the end. He finally sighs and makes a face]

Is there a compromise between the last two options? To - find a way to gather civilians who are willing to fight, but make sure that the clones have something - more than just a life at war?

... I think that would've been a better option, yes. Not good, but better.

The Republic chose the third option. But you're right-- the clones are still human. But a lot of people don't see it that way. They're not given an option to fight or not-- their personalities are genetically pre-programmed before birth to create perfect soldiers, willing to serve the Republic. And if a clone somehow still refuses to fight, they're labeled as defective or deserters, and executed. They have no rights. They don't even technically have names-- just numbers. Instead they assign themselves names, within their own ranks, to assert their individuality. But not everyone uses them.

With the war drawing to a close soon one way or another... anti-clone sentiment is high, but people don't think about what would've happened if they hadn't been there to fight for them. I can't help but worry about what's going to happen to them in the future, once there's no more war to fight.

[he can't help but look a little angry and disgusted - it's bad enough that these clones are being born just to fight in a war, but to alter them in such a way to make them do that. It amazes him sometimes, what terrible things science is really capable of.

He huffs out a noise after taking a moment to reign in how he feels]

That's what I'd be worried about, too. Especially if they're being programmed like that a genetic level. Without that - then, what really comes into question is if they're able to adapt to a life without war, or if they're able to adapt what they know for other purposes. And something like that, I think, would require outside parties helping them. Teaching them how to - mm, function in a civilian society.

I'll say. I'm not and clone and I'm still having trouble with it!

I think anyone with a shred of common sense would have trouble with it.

[Ahsoka sighs.]

Not to mention... passing laws is one thing, but getting the public to accept them is another one entirely.

Mm, that's an understatement. And they're not afraid of letting - whoever's in charge know that they don't like it.

Yes. Even governing bodies aren't immune to public pressure. I've learned that much first hand.

I have too, but not - in the same way you have, probably. I used to work for a government agency. You'd hear about a lot of different things in the break room, so to speak.

may mingle (blameless!)

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