COMMENT While I am a big fan of George Lucas’ iconic ‘Star Wars’ franchise myself, I shall look at ‘Rogue One’, its latest cinematic installment, sans the usual technicalities.

I shall not talk of how canon it was or how it is not, how much retconning it does, how computer-generated imagery (CGI) were used to nostalgic or visually jarring effect, how shallow the characters were said to be, or how it was the perfectly orchestrated easter egg-filled set-piece to link the timeline and movies together.

Although there is much debate in all of the above, I would like to focus on the story, and what it tells instead.

For it speaks of not only a tale in a “universe far-far away”, but of something we all can relate to in the confines of our own reality, without the sci-fi addendum and operatic trappings.

Today, I would like to speak of hope in the face of unimaginable odds.

Of fighting against a seemingly unbeatable regime, with all the powers of a death star at their disposal, with all the might of the stormtroopers on their side, and all the facilities that an entire empire, or government can bring to bear.

Much like the ‘empire’, we too, are facing in our own time. One strengthened with draconian laws that it wields without compunction, much like the death star.

Super-weapons by which they hope to cow, terrify, or destroy us, if we but raise our voices or ballots, if not literally blasters or fists.

An empire whose dictates are enforced by unquestioning automaton-like soldiers who do their masters’ bidding with no mind for right and wrong. Just as theirs are clad in white, ours are those that sully the noble colour and royal emblem that they wear.

All in all, a regime long entrenched and loathe to unclench its talons’ grip on power, a coldly smiling mien that has grown unafraid to show naked brutality ad wield power abusively, despite its congenial we-are-your-saviours-who-shall-save-you-from-yourselves spiel.

It can be a daunting and seemingly hopeless endeavour.

“If the empire possesses such a weapon, what chance do we have?” asked an unnamed Rebel Alliance council member.

The council meeting itself a scene reminiscent of our very own ‘rebel’ alliance, which spends time mostly fighting with itself and still trying to find a footing, beyond that of the hero-worship of the ‘Jedi’ they have found no alternative for.

And the movie’s protagonist Jyn Erso provided the perfect comeback.

“What choice do we have.”

For truly indeed, faced with such a Hobson’s Choice, what choice does free men and women have, if they want to remain free, but to join the fight, or surrender to the empire and remain cowed forever.

‘Rebellions are built on hope’

As Jyn continued, paraphrasing what Rebel Alliance Intelligence Captain Cassian Andor told her earlier in the movie, “We have hope, rebellions are built on hope.”

And if formal rebel alliances are hampered with such bureaucracy and infighting, then maybe what we need are rogues that will carry on the fight regardless. Those dedicated to the fight who have nothing to lose.

For if there is no one brave enough to start the fight or sense enough to stop the bickering, they will be no hope for the future. In this fight, sometimes some of us needs to go rogue. Every avalanche needs that one defining snowflake to trigger it, and every rebellions its rogues.

But the truth of the matter is, while “fragile” hope, as the Whitney Houston song goes, “is hard to kill”, its vessels are not as lucky. For the only thing more fragile than hope are we who are its vessels.

And unlike most of the other ‘Star Wars’ movies with their somewhat happy endings, ‘Rogue One’ made no such pretenses on the fates of its main protagonists, all of whom will die, no matter how adorable they have become, despite their so called lack of depth.

And say what you may, it would take a hard heart not to at least shed one tear for the rogues, the heroes, that gave their lives at the movie’s ending, all for but a smidgen of hope in a fight they will never gain anything in.

But that is the other lesson from the movie, sometimes in the fight against oppression, many of those who fight the battles in the war, will not live to see its end, nor reap what rewards that victory has to offer.

Like Jyn’s father the unwilling Imperial weapons scientist Galen Erso, we sometimes do what we must to keep our existing or future progeny safe. As the long-suffering rebel extremist Saw Gererra said it, to “Save the rebellion! Save the dream!”

We sometimes must do what we can, in our own way, fighting openly in the battles, helping behind the scenes, or even working from behind enemy lines, even if we know it is already too late for ourselves.

However sometimes it is better that way for it would give the future a fresh start, without those who spend too much time looking into the abyss, as we fight the evils within it.

As philosopher Friedrich W Nietzsche said it, “If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” And those who have long battled beasts and monsters in time may become one themselves. Though like Gerrera and Andor and his bunch of infiltrators, their redemption in is the cause they believe in.

And in any case, maybe this is what it means when we deal in hope, an undiscovered country we fight for that we may never see, which the children of the country’s future may one day enjoy. Long after the sacrifices that have gone before and the many yet to come.

One can only hope, after all.

HAZLAN ZAKARIA is a member of the Malaysiakini team.