Words build bridges into unexplored regions
Adolf Hitler
"Words build bridges into unexplored regions."
Because if were going to have a story involving a cult leader of Sky racists, we might as well quote Hitler while were at it. Here is another one
The art of leadership... consists in consolidating the attention of the people against a single adversary and taking care that nothing will split up that attention.
I own nothing but my own Ideas
There isn't much of a time when you could call yourself innocent, but you were young once. You weren't rich, and you certainly went hungry at times, but you had your mother.
She would tell you stories, make you laugh, and hold you when you cried. And there was no one else in the world you loved more.
But that didn't last. You are called to go elsewhere, and must leave your home, language, people, and mother behind, and it hurts so bad, but you can't cry about this anymore. It's supposed to be an opportunity.
Your teachers don't understand. They seem to understand that your homesick and nervous, in a general sort of way, but they can't understand why. You know why. You miss your language, and your home, and your freedom, and especially your mother. You're terrible at blending, and do not seem to have the personality for the person they want you to become, no matter how suited they believe you would be to it.
And because you're terrible at blending, and you aren't the kind of person they want you to be, there is only one thing you can think of to do. You stand out. You are an Icon, both attention grabbing and terrifying. They respect you, but do not trust you.
They fear you, and that is good, because fear will prevent them from hurting you. This is preventative.
You're terrified of them, and what they would do to you for not being enough like them. This fear will define you for the rest of your life. You are a fighter.
You grow up from a scared fighting child, into a scared fighting young man, and like all the other young men, you are sent out into the battlefield. Here you excel. Here violence is the answer, and you always have been exceptionally good at violence. And in this time of war, you meet someone. Someone kind, and accepting, and beautiful, who loves you in spite of your sins, self hatred, and violence. Someone you wouldn't deserve in a million years, and yet wants you anyways.
1. One day you are asked to commit an unforgivable atrocity by an authority you respect.
2. You commit said atrocity maniacally, with excessive violence.
3. Though redemption is offered, you are not sure you deserve to be redeemed.
3.1 You take it anyway. You are a reborn man.
3. 2 Any fool who thinks he could redeem you is a maniac. You built your own prison, and will damn well lie in it. You deserve no less.
4. Your wife gets pregnant and will not (does not) make it out alive.
5. You will not raise your girl. You gave up the opportunity to do so long ago. (One day you will betray her in the worst way possible).
At the end on another long chain of violence, you will be offered redemption. You take it not for your souls sake, but for your child's.
I didn't mention Luke to avoid breaking the narrative.
Because I was playing infinite, and thinking about Star-wars a lot lately, when I discovered I found similarities between Anakin and Booker, especially if the theory that Booker has Native American heritage is true.
I'm not putting in names to see if anyone else makes the connection.
Both were taken away from their home, mothers, and family, at a young age, to train at something that had no idea or chance at being. (Jedi and White). Then they go to war, fall in love, and commit an atrocious war act (killing innocents), give custody of their daughter up. Additionally Anakin and Comstalk, take rebirth, though Anakin and booker don't feel redeemable.
Then Anakin and Comstalk both torture their daughters, and send them on a path to kill lots of people. And kill lots of people (though Elizabeth cared less about Bookers slaughter of Columbia then Leia did of Alderan)