Right you are, ‘troopers. It’s that point in the issue where we announce the victor of last month’s contest. I’m sure you remember what that was all about but to refresh your memory, we challenged you to write a short – 2000 characters – piece, putting yourself in the shoes of a young Jedi/Sith pre-battle.
Now, we thought all the entries – as always – were superb, but @stringcheeze’s piece, for us, stood out above all the rest, depicting the story of a young Jedi master looking to inspire the younger warriors, pre-battle!
Congratulations, @stringcheeze! You are this month’s winner!
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As a padawan, my master gave me a sage piece of wisdom — despite terror and overwhelming odds, courage is defined as having the strength to follow one’s convictions.
When I asked whether he had ever been terrified, his eyes met mine. With stunning candor he answered the question.
“Every day of my life.”
I was awestruck. It was not an answer I expected from a Jedi Master so deeply seated in the Force — only now do I know what he meant.
It takes a startling amount of courage to watch history repeat itself time and time again and not hide oneself away from it. To watch civilizations decimate themselves over petty squabbles, or to bare witness as those of faith and humility are butchered by avarice and hatred.
I constantly feared our efforts were in vain. For every seeker of knowledge and proponent of peace we saved, we lost countless others to the forces that threatened to consume all hope in the galaxy.
The vibrations in the deck plating changed as the Abundance left hyperspace. I felt the presence of my first lieutenant beyond the door before he pressed the chime. Palatable anticipation rolled from him in waves and once again we were at the precipice, balanced on the knife edge between success and failure.
“Fifteen standard minutes, colonel.”
“Thank you, lieutenant.”
He was so young. Just like his fellow soldiers, he was full of idealism and zeal. At that moment I realized what else my master meant. To guarantee my men something to believe in and stand behind, I would release my fears and put my trust in the mission. My convictions would become their convictions and my strength their strength. Together, we would overcome terror and become courageous.
YOU ARE READING
Tevun-Krus #5 - DecoPunk
Science FictionThe Crew at @Ooorah takes on the little-known subgenre of DecoPunk! And what a doozy it turned out to be. Check out the final product of OOORAH's newest contributors here!
