The Weaving Force: Chapter 100 (Patreon)

Chapter 100:

Taylor: 

I felt a groan claw its way out of my throat, my whole body feeling like I’ve been walloped by a giant Wookie paw.

“Hmm, awake now are you?”

I opened my eyes. Or at least forced the left one to pry itself apart, wincing at even the dim light filtering in through the curtains. 

I felt something squirming against my chest, swiveling my eye downwards to see Angelica happily nuzzling me, little squeaks and chirps almost saying ‘Good morning’ as my little Light Side lightbulb emitted a soft warmth and feelings of happiness towards me. 

I squeezed it tightly; turning my eyes away, towards the voice. 

“Master Yaddle?”

The kindly green master smiled at me; floating over a pitcher and wooden cup until both fell into her hands, letting her pour a bit for me as she sent the cup over.

“I thought the Force was supposed to be used only when needed.” I teased, smiling a bit to let it show on my face.

“Short, my arms are.” She shot back with a smirk of her own.

“Fair…” I said, reaching forward to grasp at the offered cup so I could get a drink.

The wooden cup was smooth as glass. Wookie woodworking was a marvel.

The water was room temperature at best. But in that moment it felt like the best damn glass I’d ever had.

My hands shook as I stretched out to give the cup back. Master Yaddle’s arms were, as she said, too short. So she took it with the Force, floating it out of my grip.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“Hmm. In Coruscanti days, or Kashyyyk days?” She smiled cheekily

I let myself laugh a bit  “Kashyyyk.”

“Two.”

So almost four in ‘normal’ time. 

I fell back onto the pillow, my cheek almost enveloped by the overly plush thing. “And the Council’s decisio-”

I stopped, my thought process feeling as though it crashed into a brick wall with the sudden memory that invaded mind.

Starlight gathering beside her Padawan; invisible to everyone else.

"Compatible Datapoint Found. Destination?"

I shot up from the bed; Angelica giving a startled squeak. “Karl-”

A stick bonked me on the arm.

Yaddle shook her head. “Fine your Padawan is. Recovering you still are.”

I rubbed the spot on my arm. This had better not become a thing. She was not Yoda and I wasn’t Vicky.

“I have to check on her!” I protested, only to have Yaddle poke me with her stick like… well… a disapproving grandmother. 

“In a bed you’ve been. For two days. Clean yourself you will, eat and bathe you will. Go out there looking as you do now and only distress them further you will.”

I winced.

Shit. Did I look that bad?

Judging by the flat look in her eye, I did indeed look “that bad”

I sighed. “They’re worried.” I grumbled.

“A moment longer to care for yourself won’t worry them any more, she admonished, thwacking her stick twice on the mattress. “Now. Up. Up.”

She hopped off her seat, marching over to the side of the bed to, absurdly help me to my feet.

I tried to stand, and was suddenly glad she was present as my legs felt like noodles, shaking like a newborn foal’s I leaned on the bed, Yaddle’s Force power coiling around my waist like an arm to hold me up until I got feeling back in my limbs.

Together we made our way to the bathroom.

I placed Angelica on the countertop.

The mirror was a bronze plate, shined and polished to a literal mirror sheen.

Even so, I could see that Yaddle was right.

I looked like hell.

I brushed my teeth first, washed my face second- then brushed my teeth again for good measure. 

And stopped Angelica from eating the toothpaste. 

Yaddle remained in the room, her back turned to me, the tendril of Force power still coiled around my middle jut incase I fell as I undressed and stepped into the shower.

Once there, she allowed me my privacy, as in, she withdrew her touch; but she was still waiting inside the room.

The water was cold. Wookies always liked their showers cold. The hair made things hot enough for them. 

But, luckily, with a thought, I heated it up myself. The heat control that could light fires that would devour armies of droids now doubling as a flash boiler.

I closed my eyes. Stepping under the flow and letting it wash over me the warm water pouring through my hair, and washing off the grime and sweat accumulated over several days bedridden. 

Wookie soaps were cream based things, almost like shampoo, held in wooden bowls resting on little corner shelves. digging my fingers into it, I began to wash my hair, feeling like my own life was being breathed back into me with every pass of my fingers over my scalp. 

But still I had to ask.

Why?

Why did you do it? Why did you want this?

I knew the Administrator well enough to… understand. To know that she did things for a reason even if I didn’t understand it or didn’t agree with the decision- there WAS a logic to it. A through line.

Her mind brushed against my own and I cracked open the proverbial door a bit, just a bit and she knew what I was asking.

“New datapoints found. Greater understanding.”

Her ‘words’ gave me a headache, her presence was still overwhelming. But a headache I could deal with

Why Karla?

“Subject; Karla Important to Host. Symbiosis with subject beneficial to all”

What do you-

I felt a tap on my ankle, my eyes trailing down to see Master Yaddle’s stick lightly smacking me in the leg.

I opened my mouth, ready to answer when a drop of bright red fell down splashing onto the currents of water trickling down the drain. 

I brought my hand up, wiping at my nose to see that, yes. I was bleeding.

Yaddle pulled her stick back, as I felt the Queen administrator pull away.

I really had overtaxed myself hadn’t I?

I hadn’t even had the chance to ask her what power she gave Karla.

I took a deep breath, letting it out in a huff. Irritated. And I tried to let the feeling go as I finished my shower. 

Spreading my senses, both insectile and Force wise through the village I soon had everyone around me tagged, knowing exactly where they were and what they were doing.

I peeked my head out around the curtain, and Master Yaddle floated a towel into my face.

“Thanks.” I mumbled, taking the thing and beginning to dry myself 

Yaddle began to walk outside, apparently now trusting that I had the strength to not fall over as she marched out to begin opening some curtains and windows, letting the sunlight in and the smell of sickness out.

Minutes later, with Angelica riding on one shoulder and nuzzling my cheek we were finally stepping out of the hut; and I had to admit, I felt like a human being again.

I was still hungry- but that was going to wait.

“Commander.” Orwell nodded, standing up from a bench he’d been sitting on; and I had to wonder if my clones were taking watch on it in shifts just to keep an eye on me.

He didn’t have his helmet on, so I could see his relieved smile clearly, even if I couldn’t read it in the Force. “Glad to see you on your feet ma’am.” He said with a sharp salute. 

“Glad to be on them.” I answered back before turning. “Bring me up to speed on the others since I was out, I need to see Karla.”

I began to walk, keeping my pace relatively slow for Master Yaddle’s sake. The old woman didn’t quite hobble like Yoda, but she still had some shorter than average legs. 

“So you know already?” My demolitions expert asked. 

“That she has new powers, yes. Unless you mean something more specific.” I answered quickly. “Has something happened?”

“No.” Orwell answered, scratching at the back of his head. “Honestly, it looks like everyone’s just been giving her space.”

“Giving her space or avoiding her?” I asked pointedly, tossing Yaddle a look.

The old woman shook her head. “Wish to wait we did, the ‘expert’ you are, in the Shards. Foolish it would be, to stumble into needless mistakes.”

“That’s… a good point.” I conceded begrudgingly. No one on this planet besides me knew anything more than the bare bones minimum, if that, about shards or how powers might affect people. 

Walking in blind might do more harm than good depending on what Administrator had given her.

“She’s been acting normal enough.” Orwell nodded. “Two of the others are with her most days. She stares at people for a lot longer now though.”

“Stares?” I asked. “Like, she’s analyzing?”

The demolitions expert nodded. “We haven’t said anything. Didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. Figured she was working through it.”

I nodded, grateful. My Squad really were the best a girl could ask for.

We walked through the wookie village, many of the large man bears seeing me and growling out happy greetings and well wishes, with a few of the older ones apparently taking their cues from Chewie and either patting me on the head or ruffling my hair. 

I really had to get back at the giant throw rug for making this ‘a thing’. 

But still, it didn’t take us long to find them, I knew exactly where they were after all.

Asimov was the first to spot me. Master Halis a second after

“Commander!”

Pratchett rounded on us, and Karla and Ahsoka immediately after, their sparring match coming to an end

I could feel her force signature, still the same, still her but… different. Like Vicky’s. A cold undercurrent beneath the surface now.

I nodded towards Pratchett and Webber, offering a small, reassuring smile as I made my way closer to Karla.

My Padawan stared at me with wide, wide eyes. And I sensed the barest hint of… nervousness? Fear?

I tried not to let my hurt feelings show at that; hoping it was a misunderstanding of somekind. 

“Karla?” I called, bending down slightly, hands on my knees, Angelica crawling to rest on my head. “What’s wrong?”

I felt… the undercurrent. The power move. Its cold touch brushing against my mind and Karla winced, her nervousness returning tenfold.

And I understood, even without the force.

She wasn’t afraid of me.

She was afraid of using her power on me.

It’s ok. I opened the iron bars of my mind. Reassuring her with feelings and actions in the force.

She wouldn’t hurt me.

Queen probably wouldn’t either.

And so, neither would this power.

The cold touch brushed across my innermost thoughts, and I saw Karla’s eyes well up with tears her lightsaber hilt slipping from her grasp before she took one step, then two, before she was sprinting across the wooden platform.

“Master!”

She screamed and before I knew it I had an armful of bawling Twi’lek, feeling her whole body shaking as I held her close, rocking her in my arms as I ran my hand between the Lekku atop her head.

“Shh. It’s ok. It’s ok.”

I felt the cold power coil inwards, turning back in on her, touching her mind now, and Karla’s emotions went… still. Unnaturally still. Unnaturally quickly as she sniffled, wiping at her eyes, recomposing herself in a way I’d never seen before. 

I took a deep breath, leaning down to pick her up, pulling her close, and grateful that the Force allowed me the extra ‘superhuman’ strength to do this easily. She wasn’t quite my ‘little’ red firecracker from the creche anymore. 

She hugged my neck, burying her face in my shoulder and hair.

“Come on.” I whispered, turning around and walking away. “Whatever it is. We can figure it out together. Ok?”

She nodded, little arms clutching tightly. 

Komari:

Her eyes fluttered open; her body, her entire world throbbing in pain and cold.

She was laying down on freezing metal. The ceiling above her was also metal

She could feel the throb of her blood in her ears coinciding with the beeping of a heart monitor; her breath fogging the mask infront of her mouth.

As awareness returned- that heartbeat began to race. 

An operating room?

Her fear spiked, the pounding of her heart punching the inside of her chest.

No. No no no! Not again!

She moved to stand; the beeping became a rapid screeching staccato in her ears, drilling her skull with noise as the straps on her wrist snapped taut, holding her down.

No no no no!

Panic, not blood rushed through her veins. 

She could hear things breaking the metal walls groaning, panels trembling shaking as nuts and bolts snapped and popped but all of these things were distant; like she was stuck listening to it all with her head underwater as she pulled and thrashed.

Her heart was in her throat, she couldn’t breathe; her blood all of it drowning out the whole world!

She felt something, cold metal pressing down on her shoulders. A droid!.

She lashed out, the Force answering her call and heard a shout and a crash.

She thrashed, and thrashed, pulling on the straps with all of her strength, feeling her chest and stomach burn, the wet stickiness of blood cloying her skin and pooling along her back and legs.

There was a flare, a sense of danger in the Force as she tilted her head narrowly avoiding the red flare of a blaster bolt as it sizzled past her eyes. 

“Don’t shoot inside of the ship!”

Komari’s breathing thundered through her senses, her eyes trembling inside of their sockets, pupils the size of pinpricks before she forced her head to turn, her head moving like it was on a ratchet hinge towards where the shot had come from.

It was a girl.

Young; with soft, honey colored hair glaring at the Sith with all the hate she could muster. 

But her hand… that blaster was steady; aimed straight at Komari’s head.

She heard a sound, someone moving, breathing; getting air back into their lungs.

A man, a Mandalorian stepped up beside the girl, shoving the gun downward before the T shaped visor rounded on Komari his body tight with tension. 

“I’d rather no one blast holes in my ship while we’re in fucking hyperspace. But make no mistake Sith, you start shaking my ship apart again and I’ll put one between your fucking eyes myself. 

She settled going still as she tried to think, tried to feel. Herself, the force, her injuries.

She almost immediately regretted the decision, the pain along her insides making itself known; the blood from re-opened wounds oozing out, now pooling on the metal slab she was laying on.

Her thoughts flashed, returning immediately to… her.

She could see it again. That fist rushing straight towards her impossible to dodge.

“How am I alive?” She croaked. Her voice scratchy, her throat dry. 

“Orders.” The Mandalorian snarled. “Old man told me to get you out. I got you out.”

He inched his way forward, one step, then two. “You busted my droid. So I’m gonna have to fix these wounds. Don’t want you bleeding out before you can remember what in the Corellian hells you did to actually hurt the flying bitch.”

Komari’s eyes widened, the flash of the image playing in her mind, feeling the phantom impact of her kick as it impacted. As flesh gave and Dallon was, for the briefest instant hurt.

She’d… She’d hit her.

“Girl. Go and get some of the medical supplies so I can work.” The man called. 

The child still clutched at the gun in her grip, but Komari barely even saw her, barely even had eyes for her.

She just stared straight up.

All of this…

Years of effort. Of pain. 

Training. Fighting. Growing in power, more than she’d have ever dreamed of. She’d clawed and pushed and tore her way this far, living through agonies and tortures and indignities beyond counting…

And all she had to show for it… 

Was laying half dead on a slab… while Dallon walked away with a split lip.

The hate seethed within her. A twisted, corrupting, black poison coiling around her heart.

But it didn’t give her power.

Komari felt her eyes sting. The pain radiating outwards from somewhere deep within her mangled spirit until a sob clawed its way out of her throat, her tears burned as they leaked out. Her hands rising to press the palms into her eyes, as if physically trying to push the things back into her flesh.

But they wouldn’t stop.

The pain did not go away.

It just grew and grew until she could swear it would swallow the whole of her. Even the wretched bomb laying somewhere in her chest; setting it off.

She hoped it did…

Because she had no other way of escaping this hell.

—

Taylor:

Emotion.

That was her power

She could read emotions in others. UNDERSTAND them. 

And she could utterly control her emotions.

As a Parahuman… it was nothing special. Lisa could likely replicate at least half of it on her own. Thinker three, or five tops. 

But as a Jedi… it was… good god it was like she’d been handed an automatic grenade launcher or something. With a live grenade strapped to her chest.

I tried not to let my panic show, but felt the power brush up against my mind. 

“You’re worried about me.” 

I looked to her, my Padawan staring back up at me with a guilty expression.

We were sitting on a bench, at the very outskirts of the Jedi Enclave grounds. There were eyes on us of course, too many were far too curious and Jedi were a gossipy bunch of clucking hens no matter what temple you were in. But we had privacy by virtue of sheer distance. 

I sighed, brushing my fingers through her scalp.

“I am.” I admitted. No use hiding it. “You’re… still a kid Karla, and emotions are… complicated even for adults. Sometimes people are upset but want to hide it. Sometimes they’re happy but need to pretend and there can be…” I threw my hands up. “Any number of reasons. This is…” I sighed. “It’s a huge burden that’s now on your shoulders.”

“And-” I hesitated, just a bit. “Controlling your own emotions, shutting out or turning on things like anger, sadness, happiness whenever you want… that can be dangerous too.”

“Because of the Dark Side?”

“Because emotions are necessary!” I said, and I could taste the irony of someone like Me saying that. “Having full control of them… It can really hurt you in ways I can’t even foresee!

Her mouth twisted. Thinking. “W-well… I can at least turn it off and on.”

I blinked. “Y-you can?”

She blinked, and squinted, her power once again brushing across my mind. “You’re surprised… was… is that not normal?”

I shook my head. I didn’t know of any Parahuman powers that just had… well… a fucking off switch. God knows I could have used one every now and again for a good night’s sleep in the early days. 

“No. But That’s good… that’s very good.” I sighed. “Still, I can’t imagine your power likes being shut off.”

“No.” She answered. “Mr. Care Bear doesn’t like that.”

I… cannot even begin to express what my face must’ve done in that moment.

“Mr. what now?”

Karla blinked. “Mr. Care Bear.” She answered guilelessly. Then she smiled. “Miss Vicky’s bedtime stories remember?” She said. “She said that the Care Bears from your world helped people by making them feel good emotions! So, My power is like a Care bear!”

…

…

…

How is this my life?

(X)(X)(X)

And so here, upon the hallowed ground of chapter 100; we now solemnly christen our latest character.

Mr. Care Bear!

[Happy Shard Noises]

(I would like to remind everyone that Karla is 10 years old. She is allowed to name her power Mr. Care Bear if she wants to!)

(I will also remind everyone that Her Master is the Mistress of Min-Max. If Anyone can brainstorm a way to jailbreak a "mediocre" thinker power, its her!)

Next chapter we'll be returning to Coruscant where everyone will finally see eachother again :D