Master Va'an on Mercy

[Patriot]

It has been a dream of mine to create a story in the Star Wars universe about a reformed Sith lord (not necessarily Jedi - as he has many problems with Jedi and they with him, but not evil). I've worked through a variety of the details, but the actual story itself keeps shifting in my mind and hasn't taken any useable form. I basically want to inject Christian ideals and principles in a decidedly secular/pagan universe and it is difficult to marry the two together in a cohesive manner. However, I did like the following snippet I came up with in the shower (as most of my best thinking is done in the shower). It involves a dialog between Master Va'an and his student Kolo.

"I once thought that way," Va'an stood and began to move toward Kolo, "mercy is for the weak and all that. As a matter of fact, I built my life on that statement and several others like it." He gestured to Kolo, "but when I was in a position very similar to the one you are in now I suddenly realized the truth."

Kolo shifted uneasily, "The truth?" He moved the blade of his saber a hair closer to the man cowering before him.

"That the weak are never in a position to grant mercy. Only a person with a position of strength ever has the opportunity to be merciful.”

Looking unsure of himself, Kolo adjusted his grip on his saber, "But weaklings do grant mercy, I could give you countless examples. . ."

Va'an smiled, "They can only grant mercy from a position of power. They don’t grant mercy to those in power over them, only to those they hold power over. Mercy is more sure a sign of strength and power than justice will ever be. Once I realized this truth I began to question the other maxims I had drilled into me by my former master. I soon came to realize that there was a thin veil between these ideas and the truth. Thin enough that at they appeared to hold truth, but on closer inspection they were only a twisted version."

Va'an was standing beside Kolo now and reached out with his hand. "Because I say it is truth doesn’t mean it is. You will need to examine these things for yourself. But in the meantime. . ." He placed his hand over Kolo’s and deactivated the saber, “grant this one mercy.”