#i am in my elite apologist era again

[elitehoe]

I JUST KNOW WITH THE STIPULATIONS THESE PETTY BITCHES ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO GET DEATH TRIANGLE TO THROW A CHAIR AT NICK AND PROBABLY THROW A PUNCH AT MATT

[allronix]

You ever realize that you are totally recycling a dynamic from another fandom? Worse, recycling a *headcanon* from another fandom?

Back in the bad old days where this handle came from, I wrote a lot about how the Trill culture was egalitarian enough to pass Federation muster on a surface level but up close, there was some severe issues with stratification between the Joined elites who saw themselves as possessed of greater wisdom and being better fit to lead society but had to remain a above and apart from the Unjoined because it was all about the symbiote. The Unjoined were taught that it was their duty to serve and accept the leadership of the Joined with their greater wisdom, internalizing they were lesser. It was considered a great honor for families to give up their children to the Symbiosis Program so they could be Joined. They essentially lost their son or daughter in the process but again, great honor. But while this internalized inferiority, contentment with their lot, and idealism about the Joined was the default mode of the locals, a significant minority were chafing under this and greatly resented the Joined.

I realized as I was writing the Onasi boys (especially with why Dustil was a Sith, even though the Sith burned the planet) that I had that same dynamic going on with the Jedi and the Telosians. Telos was an Agricorps planet. The Jedi found the Sensitives at infancy and raised them in the Temple (and despite the apologists, VERY little suggesting it was warm and fluffy). But if they weren't suitable for swinging sabers (or in Mical's case, no spare Master to take him), they got a one way ticket to Telos. While official sources like The Jedi Path call them valuable contributors, the in universe reality calls them washouts and failures. They grow the Jedi's food, maintain equipment, do admin work, etc. They are the "working class" lay brothers. And a very telling line from Kreia is that they were to "Seed the planet with farmers and laborers."

This implies they aren't subject to the marriage and family bans the "warrior class" Jedi are under. There's also the unsettling idea that...look, you have a bunch of Sensitives where they can be monitored. They are free (maybe encouraged) to marry and have children. Force Sensitivity runs in families...

Yeah. My cynical ass is gonna go there. (@tragicfantasy-girl , this is kinda why I can't be too mad at Obi Wan. He was given this fate in Legends until Qui Gon needed him to stop Qui Gon's ex-Padawan, and it probably messed Obi Wan up to the point where he felt he had to prove himself the "perfect" Jedi...and by the standards of his era, he is that image of perfection in every way, good and bad)

The Jedi would probably not have a clue just how much they lean on people like Telosians ("They were raised as part of our family! We see them as valuable...") and most of Telos probably does believe that the Jedi are their betters and it's an honor to serve but a large chunk of Telosians would probably say something far different if you got them out of Jedi earshot. (Again, looking at the Onasi boys)

And dudes of all genders, I am totally enjoying playing with this disconnect; a culture that is made up of children the Jedi discarded would have probably develop some customs and culture both heavily influenced by the Jedi but also showing a troubled relationship to them as well.

So any fellow KOTOR fans (especially Carth fans) have ideas on what some of those customs could be?