The Weaving Force: Chapter 84 (Patreon)

Chapter 84:

Taylor:

As I made my way through the docked ship, I kept my eyes closed, listening and ‘watching’ the men, the engineers, the droids. My visit was unannounced, like I wanted it to be. 

My memory still recalled what happened with Dennis and Yoda and while I couldn’t realistically keep track of everything that happened on a kilometer long ship like the Venators; I could still keep any saboteur on their toes by showing up whenever it damn well suited me.

It also let me hear certain conversations;

“You hear the news yet?”

“What?”

“Heard they’re gonna be assigning us Commander Dallon as our CO.”

“Again?”

“Not just again, permanently

“If you’re pullin one on me, I swear I’m throwin you out the airlock next time we break atmo.”

“Nah, I’m serious.”

“Well I know I’ll be sleepin good tonight; heh.”

“I’m not.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Where Commander Dallon goes, Commander Hebert follows.”

“Yeah- and?”

“Bugs are probably gonna be all over the ship. I swear I can feel them crawlin on me now.”

“You’re paranoid.”

He wasn’t. 

Still; it was good to know the sentiments of the men. Conversations like this had been happening frequently as word spread through the 707th battle group. Most were, if not happy at least accepting of the possibility that Vicky would be their new, permanent commander.

Those that were happy were proud that they’d be serving right alongside the woman that was rapidly becoming something of an icon across Republic propaganda media.

The ones that were ‘less happy’ recognized that getting someone like Vicky in command meant they’d be assigned to the heaviest fighting places. 

Because options on who the Jedi could call to send after Targets like that were limited. 

Yoda, Windu or Vicky were the immediate, easy answers. Everyone else, even me, had some caveats associated with the answer.

So they weren’t wrong in the deduction that their assignments might get more dangerous- but I was glad that, caveats aside, Vicky’s assigned Battlegroup were men that overall wanted her with them. 

So, they’d just have to deal with the bugs cause it was non-fucking negotiable. 

Still, spying wasn’t my only reason for coming here.

The doors to the bridge hissed as they opened, offering a dominating view of the ground side Shipyard, dozens of sister Venator class ships being loaded up with millions of Clones at this very moment, getting ready to ship off to the next front. And once they were gone there would immediately be another to take its place,ready to be re-armed, loaded up and shipped off as well.

The bridge itself was empty, mostly. There were some maintenance and engineering droids running system diagnostics but still, no organic crew, no clones.

Just me, and Karla.

The Twilek made her way to the main windows, needing to stand on her tippy-toes to look outside of them, holding onto the deactivated computer panels to help keep her balance and rise that extra little bit. 

“That’s a lot of clones.” She mumbled. 

I nodded, a sound of acknowledgement at the back of my throat. “It is.” I said. “Can you guess why we came here?”

She turned to me, blinking, I could sense her confusion, but she didn’t try to pretend otherwise as she simply shook her head, her Lekku, flailing a bit as she did.

“General Hebert Ma’am.” 

There was a crack of boots clacking together at the heels- a salute from the newly arrived clone.

The sound startled Karla, the little red twilek jumping slightly. It would have been cute, if not for the fact that I saw her reflexively reaching for a Lightsaber before she caught herself. 

I… decided not to mention that. 

“We’ll be serving on this ship, or ships like these until the war is done.” I explained. “So, we need to be ready for that; right?”

The question was rhetorical, but Karla still offered a hesitant, unsure nod- not quite knowing where I was going with this. 

So I decided to make it clear. 

“Karla, where are the emergency escape pods? How far away are they from the bridge?” I asked. 

She blinked. “Ummm…” She thought- then… smugly pointed to the only available set of blast doors leading out of the bridge. “That way!” She beamed.

I snorted “Cute.” Was my deadpan response. I guess I walked right into that one. “Bridge officer?” 

“General, there are a total of nine escape pod launch bays, four on each side of the ship’s main body; one at the back of the command tower intended for use by the bridge crew in the event of catastrophic ship failure. They can indeed be reached ‘That way’” I couldn’t see his face past the helmet but I got the impression he was smirking just a bit. “In the event of an emergency- the secure elevators can have both sets of doors open, if they’re berthed at bridge level granting access to the pods.”

“And if they’re not at bridge level?” I asked; that seemed like quite a big design flaw. 

“Maintenance access routes are available as a backup alternative ma’am. Under ideal conditions, average speeds mean that a bridge evacuation can reach the pods in just under one minute through the elevators, one minute and forty seconds on average through maintenance access.”

“In the event of enemy boarding actions, or any other necessary scenario, what interior defenses or lockdown procedures are available?”

“Ray shields at every major junction can segment the ship, isolating attackers or boxing them into a single area. Every Venator has a dedicated defense detail meant to repell boarders. Almost every area of the ship can be vented into the void if need be. The Bridge itself has its blast doors, and ray shielding that can run on backup power for almost three hours if the primary generators are destroyed or compromised.”

I turned, looking towards Karla, who was listening, but I could tell she didn’t really understand why I was doing this.

So, I decided to explain. 

My hand reached out, placing it atop her head as I knelt to be at eye level with her.

“I’m not always going to be here.” I said. It was an admission that hurt to make, but I had to be honest, for both our sakes. “I’m going to be leading men far away, or down on a planet while you’re on a ship, or on a ship while you’re on a planet. There are way too many things that can happen that I just… can’t plan around or do much about.”

She nodded. 

I continued “I don’t want you to ever have to kill someone again… Not until…” I stopped myself. ‘Not until you’re ready’ was a stupid thing to say- no matter how much she, statistically, would have to at some point. “I don’t want you to.” I finished. “So… we’re gonna prepare you.” Wherever we are, wherever we go- we’re going to have a plan.” I nodded firmly. “A plan to run away. A plan to call for help. To hide. Anything you or anyone else needs to do to stay safe until I can come back or someone else can help. You will be ready. I won’t ever leave you helpless like I did last time. That… That I can promise.”

Her eyes glimmered with tears she held back, fear and uncertainty in her heart, but she looked at me dead in the eye and nodded. Determined.

She didn’t ever want to be helpless again either. 

I took a deep breath. “Bridge officer; where is the Primary generator located and what are its defenses?”

The clone, having politely waited for us to finish, continued speaking as we both listened. We’d take this information, memorize it. Make plans with it.

She would be ready.

—

Luminara Unduli:

“How are you feeling?

Her question was soft… dare she say- fearful. 

Barris didn’t immediately answer, staring at the stumps of her legs, bandaged now with clean white strips after a second, long surgery to remove the useless tissue in preparation to receive her prosthetics. 

She stayed staring long enough that Luminara felt the need to speak up once more. 

“Barris?”

The girl startled this time, as if remembering her Master was here. “Oh I’m… I’m sorry Master what did you say?”

“I asked how you were feeling” she repeated gently.

“I’m fine.” Barris answered her voice just as soft.

A lie. Unduli knew it- sensed it. 

Barris had not been ‘fine’ since she had to ask where her legs were.

And Unduli didn’t know how to help her.

Meditating on the loss, expelling the grief and the pain and fear into the Force. Barris was trying, Unduli knew she was.

But it was simply… too much. Too soon.

Her fellow Masters, Master Ti, Kenobi, Rancisis, Windu, Yoda. All of them said that time would help. 

But she felt so… useless. 

A Master should be capable of helping their Padawan. 

She’d been with Barris every step of the way since Illum, during her first treatment, during the surgery to prepare her limbs for the replacements, even when she went to get measured for the bionics.

She could feel even then how Barris recoiled at the feeling of cold steel on her stumps, the dread in her heart as she recognized that the limbs were voids in the force where once her two limbs had been. 

And Barris had still tried to hide those feelings, smothering them deep within.

They weren’t released into the Force, they were merely pushed down, tucked away where she’d hoped Unduli wouldn’t perceive them.

Her Padawan had never hidden anything from her before.

It was all so… heartbreaking.

“Do you need anything?” She asked instead, hoping some answer would be forthcoming. That she could do something tangible, something that could ease the burden, if only a little bit.

But Barris shook her head “No master, I’m fine.”

Jedi should not hate.

But she found herself disliking the word ‘fine’ right about now.

Unduli smothered her sigh, not wanting to show impatience or reprimand, not now, Barris didn’t deserve it.

Then, she sensed something, presences in the force, signatures, familiar ones, marching towards them.

Barris noticed a second before the door opened. 

“HEY!”

The cry was exuberant and joyful, utterly shattering the stillness and peace in the Healing ward as Master Dallon marched into the room.

Unduli opened her mouth ready to ask what the woman was doing here exactly when she noted something rather… odd.

Dallon’s eye, the cybernetic one, was… gone, the hole covered up by an eyepatch.

Then, being pulled into the room on a hover chair- a Clone trooper, missing his left arm.

And behind them Padawan Iskt, and Trilla; the Trandoshan was also in a hover chair, being pushed by Trilla, one hand on the ‘handle’ of the chair, and the other, cut off at the wrist.

“We came to visit!” Dallon declared with a bright smile. 

Barris blinked, as off guard as Unduli herself was- “I… what.”

“Came to see you little commander.” The trooper declared with a smirk. “Figured you’d prefer the company of your fellow limbless.” 

Barris opened her mouth, then shut it, opened it again and shut it again.

Before anyone could actually answer her, if they were even going to, there was another knock at the door.

“Hope there’s room for those with all limbs intact.” Knight Skywalker and Padawan Tano, finally, brought up the rear of the group, the Knight smiling thinly as Ahsoka smiled at Barris, marching past everyone to get to the bedside.

“I suppose we can tolerate your- many limbed presence!” Dallon sniffed haughty. “But only because your Padawan is cuter than you ever were.”

Skywalker gasped, a hand pressing to his chest as though genuinely offended. “You dare!?”

“What about Cal?” Barris asked, still seemingly gathering her wits

“He was a bit too busy with Master Rancisis today” Dallon answered- perhaps too quickly.

Undili had heard of the accusation leveled against Hebert, and she could only guess how that affected Dallon’s choice on approaching Cal, Rancisis’ Padawan for this.

She herself was… conflicted- regarding Dallon and Hebert. She knew that the war would be going far, far worse without them. But they represented a genuine danger that went beyond the war, beyond the immediate threat of the separatists. 

They did not act, or think as Jedi should. 

This… well meaning as it was, kind as it was- simply stood as proof of that insidious difference. Something that if left unchecked, uncorrected, would spread through the order and cause, perhaps as much damage if not more than the separatists were doing right now.

“I gotta say Vicky.” Knight Skywalker smirked. “This little club of yours has some pretty high entry requirements. Not sure you’re gonna be getting many members.”

She sniffed. “Not with that attitude!”

“Iskt has all his limbs.” Barris cut in, her voice numb; still not quite fully caught up.

“He lost a lung!” Master Dallon… defended? Explained? “That counts! Right?” She looked at the trooper and Trilla for confirmation.

For his part, the Trandoshan gave a reply. 

“Limbs are temporary, membership is for life.” He hissed out in that rough, slithering accent all Trandoshans held. 

A chortle.

Unduli turned, her eyes landing on her apprentice who’s tremulous, hesitant smile flickered and died across her face several times before her laughter overtook her, hesitant, barely there giggles rising, sorrow and confused mirth leaking from her like wisps of smoke as tears began to leak from her eyes.

Unduli wasn’t sure if she was laughing or crying.

Frankly, neither was Barris.

She reached over, placing her hand on her apprentice’s shoulder as Barris finally… seemed to allow herself to cry.

—

Vicky:

Overall, Vicky would say the visit had been a success. Barris had always been a bit… she wouldn’t say ‘standoffish’ but distant at the very least. Part of that; she was sure, was her following Unduli’s example. Unduli similarly held herself at arms length and it was natural for a student to want to emulate their master. 

She’d been a little concerned that it might be ‘too much’ but she decided to take the gamble. A lot of things she’d heard from some of her friends like Master Allie and other healers painted… a pretty bleak picture.

So she figured if her visit couldn’t exactly make things worse so it was a ‘nothing to lose’ scenario, so to speak really.

She was glad Anakin had the time to bring Ahsoka along, and to show up himself. She’d asked him specifically to come with just incase she needed a bit of a buffer between her and Unduli, he and the other Jedi Master were friends of a sort; or at least, Ahsoka and Barris were friends, it seems that Anakin had followed his student’s example on that one.

Cid had been more than happy to come along and Iskt too had been happy to ‘play up’ his injury a bit. Most of his Lung had already been repaired by Trandoshan regeneration, and Trilla had even delayed her surgery to replace the hand for it.

Even she had removed her bionic eye for it- something that was extremely uncomfortable. 

But it was all for a good cause.

They wanted to remind Barris, by far the worst injured, that she wasn’t in this boat alone. And for the most part, it seemed to have worked. 

Mostly.

It seemed honestly like the girl could have done with a good cry that she just hadn’t let herself had.

It was moments like this that Vicky fucking hated the Jedi code.

They didn’t want people. They wanted drones in this order.

She washed her face in the sink, the steaming hot water felt good, but she was honest enough with herself that she was just… delaying.

The door hissed open.

“Oh no.” She gasped, over-dramatically. “An intruder in my bathroom where I am vulnerable and exposed!” She crossed her arms over her fully clothed chest.

Tay snorted, rolling her eyes, though Vicky did sneak a little smile onto that face so she counted it as a win.

“And here I was coming here to say that I’m proud of you.” She said. “Deep moment ruined before it started.”

“...Not to take advantage of my vulnerable and exposed state?” Vicky winked with a… less than pure smirk.

Tay laughed. “You’re fully clothed.”

“We can fix that!”

Tay did smile… and she didn’t say no. Walking forward Vicky felt a little thrill crawl up and down her spine as… well let's be honest here, her wife closed the distance with a look that told her that for all her protests she very much approved of Vicky’s thought process.

Tay leaned in close, and god her height advantage was fucking unfair as Vicky had to crane her head up to keep eye contact as Tay’s arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close.

The brunette tilted her head and leaned in.

Then- as Vicky was ready to close her eyes and dive in for the kiss she knew was coming, her bitch of a wife smoothly leaned past her to the side, and came back with the bionic eye in one hand. 

“Are you delaying again?”

Vicky, defiantly, held her previous pose, ready for the kiss as her lips pursed. “You… are a cruel and vindictive bitch. You are absolutely still a villain; you have deceived me since you haven’t reformed at all and I hate you. And I will smite you.”

Tay’s answer was flat and deadpan… and somehow oh so fucking smug. “Will the smiting be done before or after cunnilingus?”

“After, if you know what’s good for you.” She warned.

Tay chuckled, and when she leaned in this time she did kiss Vicky, their lips pressing together. 

‘Good girl.’ She thought, very loudly.

Tay, in response, offered the barest little nip with her teeth as she pulled away, a warning that she had every intention of still being ‘in charge’.

Bitch.

She leaned in again, and this time kissed the edge of Vicky’s missing eye, where the thin, barely there scar tissue converged. “Come on.” She pleaded, holding up the eye. “I know it sucks- but we don’t want infections or anything happening.”

Vicky groaned, leaning forward to miserably plant her head over Taylor’s chest as she rubbed the back of Vicky’s head.

One hand rose miserably, grabbing hold of her stupid stupid eye.

“Just get it done.” She whispered to herself, throwing her head back and opening her eyes wide as they would go.

By this point the process was familiar to her and she mostly did it by feel. The bionic would “contract” for extraction and cleaning, something that needed to be done at least once a month but preferably once every ten days and then expand when inside the eye socket itself. 

The issue was the neural connectors.

As the eye slipped in it was like a shard of ice spearing her brain, her whole spine rippling with a sensation that was not unlike painful pins and needles; limbs trembling, fingers spasming, a brief moment of eternity as a migraine lanced through her skull immediately and she felt like she was about to throw up.

Taylor held her through the process the arms around her waist going from flirtatious and suggestive to supportive, all but carrying her full weight as Vicky momentarily lost the strength in her limbs.

Then the moment past and Vicky shuddered and groaned in pain, her nails brandished like claws as they dug into Taylor’s arm and shoulder; her forehead plastered all over Taylor’s collar bone

“That always fucking sucks.” she panted into Tay’s modest breasts. 

“I know.” Tay consoled; kissing the top of Vicky’s head “That’s why I’m proud of you.”

Vicky mewled pathetically… perhaps, partially playing it up. “Can I get my reward now?” She tried again, moving to kiss Tay’s neck.

Just as her lips brushed across the exposed pale skin… There was a knock at the door.

Vicky’s thoughts drifted towards murder of the most painful and satisfying kind.

For her. Satisfying for her.

She could hear the smugness in Tay’s voice. “You have my permission to kill the one at the other side of the door if you want.” She said.

Vicky could only imagine that smile on her face right now.

Miss ‘local omniscience’  had known this would happen.

…

Vicky wanted a divorce!

Extricating herself from her bitch of a wife’s arms she all but stomped towards the door feeling Tay’s far too smug smile following behind her.

“There better be a dead body involved in this call or I shit you not there will be!” She warned whoever was knocking on their death wish.

The door opened.

Dennis stood wide eyed at the other side of the door. 

Vicky very genuinely considered killing him for the stupid, shocked look he was giving her.

The fucker wasn’t a Jedi. He should know what people got up to in their apartments! 

“I take it I caught you at a bad time?” He asked. Stupidly.

…

Jabba wanted to boil him alive on Tatooine or something right?

Tatooine wasn’t too far away right?

—

Taylor:

Regardless of how much endless amusement it would have brought me- I did manage to convince Vicky to not brutally murder Dennis in retribution for his heinous crime. 

She sat, still… distracted maybe but listening with at least half an ear.

“You think the Death Watch are on Nar-Shadaa?” She asked, her hands kneading the cup of alcohol in her hand. It was a creamy sort of alcohol. Tasted a bit like coffee and milk. I’d usually berate someone for drinking in the middle of the day but it was either this or shipping Dennis to Jabba’s palace with a bow around his head. 

I’d let her have this one. For Dennis’ sake.

“It’s Militia’s best lead.” the ginger answered, drinking coffee instead. “We’d be walking into a bit of a lion’s den so I was hoping one of you two would come with as backup if you’re available. If it helps, Militia was also pretty insistent I bring at least one of you along.”

“Death Watch is taking part in this war on the seperatists side, and we haven’t seen them since Corellia.” I said, turning to Vicky. “Whatever they’re doing can’t exactly be ‘good’ for anyone.”

She nodded, brows pinching together. “Still… you’ll be heading to Kashyyyk with the other Masters in a few days. There’s no way I’ll be back in time.”

“The hell’s going on in Kashyyyk?” Dennis asked with idle curiosity. “The Enclave there having problems.”

“Something like that.” I answered him absently, making it pretty clear, to Vicky at least that I didn’t exactly feel like sharing. I turned to look at her. “I know you’d want to be there, but its fine. I think I can deal Unlike Dennis I can handle myself.”

“Ouch. My fragile manly pride.” The time manipulator answered drily as he took another sip. “I swear, between you two and Ventress I’m getting daily vasectomies.”

“Where is Ventress anyway?” Vicky asked. 

“Not in the temple.” Dennis answered. “She was gonna come; then she remembered that way too many Jedi were gonna fawn over her for rescuing Master Yoda and beat feet to go ‘see the sights’ on Corruscant. Kinda funny actually.” He chuckled. 

“Maybe you should rescue Master Yoda too.” Vicky mumbled, semi bitterly into her cup.

“I’ll put it as a postscript on our grocery list.” I consoled, before I decided to refocus on the matter at hand. “Alright- so if Vicky goes there what exactly are we looking at in terms of Op parameters?”

Dennis’ smile was all teeth and eager malice.” Almost taking my question as a yes in and of itself.

“Glad you asked.”

—

“Nar-Shadaa Orbital Docking Control C.F We read you. Please confirm ID”

“Sienar courier class, designation Red Wake, SFID number 1799228643; requesting permission to dock.”

A momentary pause.

“Docking request received, identification confirmed. Please allow access to your nav comp to upload accepted flight path to the hangar bay.

Komari allowed the intrusion, watching as the auto-pilot booted up to bring the ship in.

Her Master had apparently entrusted the Mandalorians with a weapon system of some kind.

It was time to see if the war dogs could deliver something of value.

(X)(X)(X)

Somehow I think this chapter should be titled "Vicky is frustrated"

No reason at all. Just random feeling I got from her while writing this :p

In other news;

No.1
We still need a new artist for our art comissions, if anyone has a suggestion/recommendation it would be much appreciated :)

No.2
Remember everyone that we also still have a discord channel where you can each discuss the various events of the Patreon chapters and other things available Here:

https://discord.gg/B8Mcks32

No.3
We also have a TV tropes page that could use some love Here:

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/TheWeavingForce

And lastly;

For the upcoming chapters (Everything involving Nar-Shadaa, and the temple/Taylor. I think the best way to handle things would be a "return to form" to the way the fic innitially started. Where one chapter focuses on "Nar-Shadaa" and the other side focuses on "Taylor/The Jedi/Kashyyyk" simply because "juggling" these two things per chapter would make it feel IMO very disjointed and jarring.

Its not 100% decided, but I think that's how I'm gonna do it for the sake of "quality" even if it might be a little frustrating in the short term to have to wait to get to the part you're most interested in.

Also, can you guess who Vicky might end up having a rematch with on Nar-Shadaa? I bet you'll never guess :p