Work Text:
The End of an Era
“All that has been said is true, from a certain point of view.”
The Jedi Temple on Coruscant is a magnificent sight to see. That is probably one of the only things people of the Galaxy can unanimously agree on when it comes to the Jedi. Not may go there, it's been unofficially established that the Temple is for the Galaxies most important matters not for just any simple qualm. Of course, it is heavily known that this is of the Senate's doing, not that the Jedi are aware of any of this looming shadow of taboo that encases them. Although, nowadays people don't quite care to differentiate whose fault it is that the public is discouraged to ask for aid from the most generous and moralized community of sorcerers in the known universe, and some lack the education too. Even if they did lack the education, most people in the galaxy have never met a Jedi before or even know what they are like apart from the spacer tales they've heard.
The Senate isn't subtle with its blatant possessiveness over the Jedi and their Order. The manipulation to harness and exploit their power hasn't gone unnoticed by the Senate's many enemies. But the Jedi's history makes them beloved, if not idolized by the majority of the educated masses as well as the many political and religious factions because of the Jedi's unconditional understanding and acceptance of all of the galaxy's inhabitants. They are the galaxy's most precious creations and devastatingly lethal arbitrators. Because of this everyone wants their favor, and that is where the Senate's possessiveness and greed stem from. And for the longest time, the Jedi have been distrustful of many outsiders for the lack of light in the Force when surrounding matters the Jedi are involved with, and even asked to take part in. The reluctance to get involved with matters grew, and the Jedi have distanced themselves from everyone. This gave for controversial views about the Jedi and their favorability.
That was until the Jedi had to take in outsiders as their own. They were called, and addressed themselves as their own race, the clones.
Oh, and did the Jedi take them in as their own. The clones had, remarkably, enamored the Jedi in such a short amount of time for them to be so protective of them, as if they were of their own younglings. Though it seems the clones were just, or even more so, enamored by Jedi than they are of them. The clones are reported to be viciously protective of the Jedi, although no reports are specific as to how. Though from the frequency of the reports, the Jedi do little to discourage this behavior, if at all. Although, from what had been expected of the clones from the Senate and political factions, the Jedi have granted the clones much more freedom than they were supposed to receive. And it seems the clones were aware of this as well.
When the existence of the clone army on Kamino was introduced to the Senate, the Kaminoan's had instilled the expectations for their creations in many of the senator's and the majority of the public would watch the Senate on the Holo net. They were given the impression that the clone army was a far more superior army than the CIS's droids. In short, another droid army with the benefits of changing and adaptability of organics, which is believed to be what makes life forms a step above droids. It explains the rather abusive treatments of the clones both verbally and physically from what the clones call nat-borns (natural borns). Though, in contrast, the Jedi were distrustful of the Kaminoians as well as had their own views of all lifeforms, no matter their origins. The Jedi believe all life is sacred, and that is exactly how they approached the clones.
This approach that the Jedi took was probably a given to the people who know or were informed about them or a subtle surprise to those who weren't. But to the clones, it was a declaration of loyalty, a claim of allies, friends, or family. Not much is known of "clone culture", as clones were never given civilized rights or political voices of their own, aside from through their Jedi, but from what is mentioned in the Jedi records, the clones have a mixture of all different kinds of cultures, but the first and most prominent one is Mandalorian. And from what little is known from them, Mandalorians take loyalty, trust, integrity, honesty, family, and bonds very, very seriously. The clones take after the Mandalorians religiously, and many of their customs. The clones are undoubtedly smart and aware of how most of the galaxy viewed them because of the Kaminoians, they also learned quickly how the GAR Officers view them. But meeting the Jedi, observing how they treated them, how they put their lives before their own, how the clones' loyalty, trust, devotion, and love was not only accepted but returned. That alone struck the clones to the very core of their beings.
The Jedi gave them as much freedom as they could without hindering the clones' existence in the Republic. They condoned and encouraged individuality, names, family, curiosity, friends, habits, opinions, independence, and feelings to call their own, to make their own. Whenever the Jedi were questioned about these absurd "teaching lessons" for the clones they answered one of two ways, depending on who asked them. One explanation was that if the clones could make unique intricate plans, the CIS droids would be at a disadvantage. The other was that each clone felt different in the force, unique and special, though people assumed they were talking about their souls, auras, force signatures, slight differences in appearances, or even the starking different personalities they all have.
No one is truly sure what exactly the Jedi meant by the more religious statement. All, except the clones. Every time it's heard or said in front of the clones, they preen, sit straighter, stand tall, bristling with something not unlike endearment. After all, loyalty means everything to the clones. The Jedi mean everything to the clones, the ones that never fell to the "dark side." That sentiment stated right up until what made the clones different from each other in the force, went dormant. The Jedi were purged on the Supreme Chancellor's orders, contingency order 66 if records are to be believed. The galaxy, as a people, had never known the peace that followed the war would be so oppressive. All they knew was that the only thing that didn't stay after the war was the Jedi. Compared to the atrocities executed by the empire, they know now that the Jedi were what kept them safe.
But now,—they're gone.