Jaina Solo (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sticksofthejedi) wrote2013-07-12 04:04 pm
sticksofthejedi) wrote2013-07-12 04:04 pm
Entry tags:
Memory 70
Memory: Gavin Darklighter and being equal to others in the light of the mission to Garqi.
Received: Day 264, afternoon
Form: Small penguin plush. Squeeze for memory.
Summary: Addressing Solo family privilege.
--
Jaina reports formally as a Lieutenant to Colonel Gavin Darklighter's cabin on the Ralroost. She's extremely uncomfortable, and glad for the opportunity to talk to him because of a recent operation in which the military had faked her twin's death and she hadn't been warned ahead of time. Gavin's at a table, going over information on a data pad, with a holocube display nearby of his family. There's a lot of respect for Gavin here, because he's one of the few famous figures that had been with Rogue Squadron through the initial adventures that made the squadron pretty much the face of the New Republic's space forces.
Gavin says he should have talked to Jaina about this earlier but while the operation at Garqi was unfortunate, it was necessary. Operational security demanded no one know the Lost Hope was meant to be destroyed in action (though in retrospect, considering what they named the ship it should have been obvious . . .). Jaina notes she knows now only Admiral Kre'fey and the techs that prepped the ship knew what was going to happen. Gavin couldn't have warned her. That's kind of what Gavin wanted to clarify -- he's heard through the grapevine that she's had a charitable public assumption that if he'd known, he would have told her.
He wouldn't have. The decision to keep it secret was made higher in the chain of command, and he would have respected the demands of security, even knowing that she wouldn't have passed that information on to others. Jaina feels betrayed and staggered because he's telling her she's been putting too much trust in him. But then she's surprised by her anger -- she's always thought she didn't have an expectation of special treatment, but her reaction implies otherwise. Shouldn't there be considerations for siblings -- Jedi siblings? Didn't the New Republic owe the Solo-Skywalker family at least the effort to avoid inflicting mental anguish on her, after all they'd done for the galaxy?
No, of course not. Jedi have abilities others do not, but this does not make us any better than anyone else; and for the purposes of my time with Rogue Squadron, I am a pilot first, not a Jedi. And from there, even if you assume anyone owes the Solos something for what they've done for the galaxy, the New Republic doesn't owe Jaina anything.
Gavin: I didn't speak to you earlier by design, and while I might have saved you some pain, I thought a little now would be better than a lot later. When I came into the squadron I was your age, and I had a burden: Biggs Darklighter was my cousin, so the Darklighter reputation landed firmly on me. Like you, I was young enough to believe I could do anything. I was lucky enough that those in the squadron accepted me, helped me along, and enabled me to uphold my family's honor. You have a much greater burden, and one that has shifted slightly. You've been born to privilege, whereas I was a moisture farmer's brat. My parents were no one; yours saved a galaxy, and continue to serve it. In that service they made enemies, and you're smart enough to know that once your mother left power, her enemies set about weakening her image, and that of the Jedi.
Jaina: I've met people who figure me for a spoiled Jedi brat. I work hard to prove them wrong.
Gavin: That's very apparent, and those of us in the squadron are very happy you're with us. There are others on this ship, however, and in the service, who don't have the view of you that I do. Part of what happened here was to show them that we play no favorites. There isn't a single person here who didn't feel for the death of your brother, and none of them would have liked to have been in your boots when the Lost Hope exploded. All of them know how much you must have been hurting. And when they learned that your superiors had purposely not let you know - not let any of us in Rogue Squadron know - what was happening, they realized they've got more in common with us than they imagined. They realized that the problem of the Yuuzhan Vong is serious enough that the New Republic isn't playing favorites: not for Rogue Squadron, not for the Jedi, not for any Solos.
Jaina considers that. Even if the actions of the Solo family tended to be crucial in creating the New Republic, they were a few among hundreds of thousands of sentients. Blowing up the Death Stars was important, but it didn't liberate any Imperial planets. Jaina admits to Gavin that she'd needed humbling; he laughs and says that she needed it, but not as much as some people thought she needed it -- and she's not the first Rogue pilot needing taken down a notch or two. Mainly, the entire unit needs to know they're on equal footing. He also wants her to remember that this demonstrates no one is invulnerable, and each of them might be called on to make sacrifices they don't want to make. "If we go out there thinking we're invulnerable, we'll get stupid. Stupid people die, and all too often, they take friends with them."
Jaina thanks him, and Gavin instructs her to inform the rest of the squadron they're to report to the launch bay in two hours. They'll be patrolling in case the Vong try anything Admiral Kre'fey wasn't expecting.
Received: Day 264, afternoon
Form: Small penguin plush. Squeeze for memory.
Summary: Addressing Solo family privilege.
--
Jaina reports formally as a Lieutenant to Colonel Gavin Darklighter's cabin on the Ralroost. She's extremely uncomfortable, and glad for the opportunity to talk to him because of a recent operation in which the military had faked her twin's death and she hadn't been warned ahead of time. Gavin's at a table, going over information on a data pad, with a holocube display nearby of his family. There's a lot of respect for Gavin here, because he's one of the few famous figures that had been with Rogue Squadron through the initial adventures that made the squadron pretty much the face of the New Republic's space forces.
Gavin says he should have talked to Jaina about this earlier but while the operation at Garqi was unfortunate, it was necessary. Operational security demanded no one know the Lost Hope was meant to be destroyed in action (though in retrospect, considering what they named the ship it should have been obvious . . .). Jaina notes she knows now only Admiral Kre'fey and the techs that prepped the ship knew what was going to happen. Gavin couldn't have warned her. That's kind of what Gavin wanted to clarify -- he's heard through the grapevine that she's had a charitable public assumption that if he'd known, he would have told her.
He wouldn't have. The decision to keep it secret was made higher in the chain of command, and he would have respected the demands of security, even knowing that she wouldn't have passed that information on to others. Jaina feels betrayed and staggered because he's telling her she's been putting too much trust in him. But then she's surprised by her anger -- she's always thought she didn't have an expectation of special treatment, but her reaction implies otherwise. Shouldn't there be considerations for siblings -- Jedi siblings? Didn't the New Republic owe the Solo-Skywalker family at least the effort to avoid inflicting mental anguish on her, after all they'd done for the galaxy?
No, of course not. Jedi have abilities others do not, but this does not make us any better than anyone else; and for the purposes of my time with Rogue Squadron, I am a pilot first, not a Jedi. And from there, even if you assume anyone owes the Solos something for what they've done for the galaxy, the New Republic doesn't owe Jaina anything.
Gavin: I didn't speak to you earlier by design, and while I might have saved you some pain, I thought a little now would be better than a lot later. When I came into the squadron I was your age, and I had a burden: Biggs Darklighter was my cousin, so the Darklighter reputation landed firmly on me. Like you, I was young enough to believe I could do anything. I was lucky enough that those in the squadron accepted me, helped me along, and enabled me to uphold my family's honor. You have a much greater burden, and one that has shifted slightly. You've been born to privilege, whereas I was a moisture farmer's brat. My parents were no one; yours saved a galaxy, and continue to serve it. In that service they made enemies, and you're smart enough to know that once your mother left power, her enemies set about weakening her image, and that of the Jedi.
Jaina: I've met people who figure me for a spoiled Jedi brat. I work hard to prove them wrong.
Gavin: That's very apparent, and those of us in the squadron are very happy you're with us. There are others on this ship, however, and in the service, who don't have the view of you that I do. Part of what happened here was to show them that we play no favorites. There isn't a single person here who didn't feel for the death of your brother, and none of them would have liked to have been in your boots when the Lost Hope exploded. All of them know how much you must have been hurting. And when they learned that your superiors had purposely not let you know - not let any of us in Rogue Squadron know - what was happening, they realized they've got more in common with us than they imagined. They realized that the problem of the Yuuzhan Vong is serious enough that the New Republic isn't playing favorites: not for Rogue Squadron, not for the Jedi, not for any Solos.
Jaina considers that. Even if the actions of the Solo family tended to be crucial in creating the New Republic, they were a few among hundreds of thousands of sentients. Blowing up the Death Stars was important, but it didn't liberate any Imperial planets. Jaina admits to Gavin that she'd needed humbling; he laughs and says that she needed it, but not as much as some people thought she needed it -- and she's not the first Rogue pilot needing taken down a notch or two. Mainly, the entire unit needs to know they're on equal footing. He also wants her to remember that this demonstrates no one is invulnerable, and each of them might be called on to make sacrifices they don't want to make. "If we go out there thinking we're invulnerable, we'll get stupid. Stupid people die, and all too often, they take friends with them."
Jaina thanks him, and Gavin instructs her to inform the rest of the squadron they're to report to the launch bay in two hours. They'll be patrolling in case the Vong try anything Admiral Kre'fey wasn't expecting.