The Games We Play
Journal Entry 4
IR 1256, day 20
The Games We Play
Our glorious society is so very different from the mewling pathetic democracy of the Republic. We have a society based upon merit, ruthlessness, strength, and power. Many would label the Empire as evil, but viewed with an impartial lens, it allows every one of us to seek our own freedom. Freedom to achieve greatness, or die trying. Freedom to follow your lusts, or fall prey to the lusts of others. Freedom must be earned, not given.
Those republic fools that think freedom is a birthright will be crushed beneath the heel of those that are superior to them in every way. It is as inevitable as a sunrise.
From an early age we are taught the rules of the perilous games of the empire.
Here is a common younglings game all across the empire. It is called Pop goes the Traitor.
The rules are simple; you need two or more younglings and a droid to play. The droid runs the game. One of the younglings is randomly determined to be the enforcement officer, and one of the younglings is randomly determined to be the traitor. Those roles could be the same individual.
The children hide. The droid signals the enforcer by comlink to begin the game (and tell the enforcer their role); who then seeks out the other children and brings them before the droid. The enforcer demands to know if the youngling is the traitor. If there is no response from the youngling, or an incorrect response is given, then droid shocks the youngling. The shocks become progressively more powerful, and finally... Pop Goes the Traitor.
While this is happening, other younglings can group together to overpower the enforcer and end the game. This often happens, and can be very painful for the enforcer.
And the traitor can end the game by using their comlink within 1 meter of the droid, “deactivating” it.
Of course, no one is told who the traitor is…
When I observed younglings playing this game (as a slave, I had no time to play), one of the craftier strategies I saw was pre-game sabotage of the droid. The game also teaches about shifting alliances, acceptance of pain as a part of life, and the inevitability of betrayal. All in all, the game is very instructive about life in the Empire.
This is enough for today.