The Weaving Force: Chapter 11 (Patreon)

Chapter 11:

Vicky

Vicky had never been good with goodbyes. No real way around it. When she was little she pouted, angry that someone was going away. And when she got older she often went around in circles in her own head for days before the actual goodbye and then cried when it happened.

Saying goodbye to the wookies wasn’t much different.

Yeah, she still couldn’t understand a single goddamn word they said, but goddamnit, the fuzzballs had grown on her.

Hell, the momma wookie brought out Vicky’s “biggest fan” for one more circuit around the Wooshyr trees, and the fuzzy little limpet squealed as she hugged Vicky’s neck like a Sloth hugging a branch as they swooped and dove around the high canopies.

So sue her: she got a bit sentimental.

And that wasn’t even mentioning the gifts the Wookies brought over to see them off: A fruit she was fairly sure she couldn’t lift without her Brute rating, and a ceremonial vambrace carved from Woshyyr wood.

And Taylor’s gifts were beautiful as well: a gorgeously carved Ivory necklace with teeth from some local predator, and a ceremonial Wookie knife, its thick blade curved at the top like a bowie knife.

She was pretty sure Tay got sentimental, too. Especially when she handed off Atlas-two to the Chief, who promised to take care of the ‘hatchling’. (How exactly something the size of a freaking Volkswagon that Tay had ridden into battle was a ‘hatchling’ while also being a Bug she didn’t know, but hey: details.)

Then the last round of goodbyes came, and the Wookies gathered round to offer goodbye hugs.

As sentimental as she got, Vicky did not blubber like a little girl, and if Tay said otherwise, then she was a dastardly lying villain who lies… villainously!

Yoda waited patiently as they did all this, standing by his starship with a small, almost encouraging smile, seemingly delighted at the Wookies’ friendship with them.

But alas, it had to end soon, and as the Kashyyyk sun was rising high into the sky, so did Yoda’s ship, carrying Vicky and Tay on their way out to space.

That’s when the Next part of their eventful day started.

Because you see… For all that she knew, intellectually, that they were in space, Vicky was fairly certain she could be forgiven for the act of pressing her face against the viewport of the ship they were riding in the first time they broke atmosphere…

And the first time they could see Kashyyyk from orbit…

And the first time they could see the system sun in the void…

And the first time they saw other planets in general…

And the first time they went into hyperpsace…

And the first time they dropped out of hyperspace…

Basically, Vicky had her face glued to the window of their ship ever since the fasten seatbelt sign had been turned off…or maybe, possibly, probably before that… you know; since she could fly.

Seatbelts were for those lowly non-flying peasant people.

Screw inertia.

She imagined she was much like a little kid on her first plane ride but goddamnit this was so cool!

“Tay, we’re in space!” she gushed, turning to look over her shoulder with a brilliant, megawatt bright smile.

Tay shot her an irritated glare, lifting up her pad.

“I know… might be nice to see it

Vicky blinked, wondering what Tay was talking about when she realized that their little passenger area had only the one window… or was it called viewport?

She winced, offering an apologetic smile and a nervous chuckle. “Ahh… well why didn’t you say anything?”

Taylor’s glare was flat and unimpressed.

Deciding to forgo another opportunity to stick her foot in her mouth again, Vicky ‘scooted’ to the side, by quietly floating out of the way.

Tay’s eyes followed her, then darted over to the window before she peeled herself out of her seat to go and look.

Vicky hung back, letting her take it in and seeing the silent girl’s eyes take on a look of quiet wonder.

“I’ve never seen so many stars, either,” she commented to fill the silence. “Light pollution and all that.”

Taylor nodded then quietly typed something on her pad. I wonder how many of those stars have worlds like Kashyyyk. People. Cultures.” She fingered the ivory necklace, smiling a bit. “Arts and Crafts?”

Vicky smirked one finger tapping her vambrace. “Like the lovable fuzzballs? I don’t think too many are like them. But who knows. Maybe we’ll see some really neat other cultures and stuff… or beat them up.”

Taylor huffed out a laugh, pulling back to settle in her seat.

The ensuing silence was calm, even comfortable.

But the stillness soon let Vicky’s mind wander, never the most patient of people. She couldn’t help it, and her thoughts drifted back to what was said yesterday.

“Hey, Tay,” she began. Taylor’s head didn’t move, but her eyes swiveled around in their sockets to look at Vicky out of the corner of them. “Little green said… he said you saw something in the future, and I… don’t know about…” How should she even phrase this? “My present? Our present?” She shrugged.

Taylor didn’t move, her body going eerily still. Vicky pushed on before she could lose her nerve.

“What happened to us? Do you know? Or maybe just… what happened to me? Who screwed with my head?”

Taylor’s usual stoic mask slipped, cracking like glass as her head hung low.

Vicky’s eyes widened. “You know something!” She wasn’t sure if it was realization, or accusation in her voice.

Taylor’s features scrunched up, expressive in a way she’d never seen while on Kashyyyk.

She reached for her pad, and her attempts at typing out a response was a thing of restarts and quick, harried edits.

Finally she seemed to settle on something.

She turned the pad around.

“If these Jedi guys can’t help you, I’ll tell you.”

“What!? Why!” she asked, standing up, “Someone screwed with my head. You know who and you’re keeping it a secret!?

Taylor turned the pad around to quickly type out her reply.

“Who says what I know is accurate? My head got screwed with, too.”

Vicky opened her mouth, then shut it, sucking down a breath through her teeth. Fuck. That was actually a good point.

But she was fairly sure-

“That’s not the reason,” she challenged, staring at Taylor, eyes narrowed. “It’s a good reason but its not your reason. You’re hiding something.”

Taylor’s jaw worked, seemingly chewing on the words she couldn’t voice.

“Either way; the result doesn’t change. We wait. And if we have no other options… I’ll tell you everything I think I know.”

Vicky glared, but Taylor glared back, refusing to back down on her stance.

Then the door opened.

“Hmm. A Jedi, I need not be- to sense the tension in this room. Hmm?”

Vicky turned, looking at the small green alien; she glared at him for interrupting, he just smiled like an amused grandfather.

She considered for a moment asking him to leave again, but it wouldn’t do to be rude to the guy who was supposedly gonna help them get back home.

So she changed the subject, “How long before we get to your temple?”

“Patience you should have,” he chided, hobbling forward. “But not long. Hours. Meditate you should. Time will pass quicker that way-”

She smirked “Aha!” she cried triumphantly from several feet away! “I knew you ‘meditating’ was just another way to say nappin-”

*Clang*

“Ahh- what the hell” She stumbled, glaring- Wasn’t this coffee table like half a foot to the left a second ago?

Yoda harrumphed, hobbling past them. “When ‘meditate’ I say, meditate’ it is.”

She glared at the little green troll. “So you gonna go ‘meditate’ now?” She could hear her own finger quotes.

“No,” Yoda chuckled. “To sleep I go. Long day it has been.”

Vicky heard a sound, it took her a second to realize Tay was chuckling beside her.

“Oh, don’t you freakin’ start!” she demanded.

(X)(X)(X)

When they arrived at their destination, Vicky had to remember to leave Tay enough room to look out through the viewport.

She was glad that she did. It made the reality of what she was seeing far more… acceptable.

“Wow..” she breathed. “You’re seeing this too right? It’s like… a whole city. The whole planet.”

Taylor nodded.

“Large, Corruscant is, Yoda said behind them, his little legs dangling off of his seat. “Home to trillions it is. Center of the Republic, and home to the Jedi.”

“How many species?” she asked with open wonder.

“Hmm,” Yoda rubbed at his chin. “The Republic and the Jedi have recognized and know of the existence of twenty million sentient species throughout the galaxy. Many will exist on Coruscant. But not all.”

Twenty million…

“Jesus,” Victoria breathed. “On Earth, we don’t even have that many nationalities and ethnicities! And that’s just one planet. How do you keep it all straight!”

“Difficult it is. Missteps and mistakes… often they occur. But to learn to live and compromise together, the foundation of the Republic is.”

Beside her, Vicky heard Tay release a breath through her nostrils, almost a snort, but too quiet to be called such.

She looked to the brunette, her eyes taking on a calculating, analytical look. It sounded like she didn’t buy the pamphlet speech.

Vicky shrugged. She would wait and see. Who’s to say aliens couldn’t pull it off better than humans?

A voice chimed in through the ship’s intercom. “Master Yoda” - it sounded mechanical, a droid or the Ships computer. Did ships have computers? “We are on our final approach to the Jedi temple.”

(X)(X)(X)

Much like a plane back on earth, Yoda’s ship didn’t have any forward facing windows they could use, so Vicky and Tay had to make do with the side window they’d been using, as such, they never got a good look at the Jedi temple itself on their approach.

So when they stepped off the ship, perhaps they could be forgiven at their awe at the sheer size of it.

To put it simply, it was huge.

The slanted, ivory white stonework, the sharp angles, the massive wide open courtyard, the gleaming tower at the top

She felt like an ant, standing in the shadow of a colossus.

Yoda hobbled ahead of them- Little green was surprisingly fast for a guy walking around with a cane everywhere.

They started to follow as he reached the stairs, at the top of which a bald, black guy was waiting for them.

“Master Yoda.” The man smiled. “It’s good you’ve returned.”

“Greetings Master Windu” Yoda answered, his cane coming up one step, then his foot, then his cane, then his foot, then his cane-

Tay’s hands smacked hers back down to her side, her fingers itching to pick up the little gremlin and place him at the top of the stairs.

The black guy, Master Windu raised an eyebrow and Vicky offered a nervous smile back at him, hoping he hadn’t noticed her little… moment.

“I see the Wookies have sent us two guests.” He said, taking a few steps down the stairs to offer them his own greetings, hands clasping theirs. “I am Master Windu. Grandmaster of the Jedi order and current head of the Jedi Council.”

Vicky smiled, shaking his hands. “Oh- hey, we get to meet the guy in charge on the first day. This is much better than the Bureaucracy back home eh?” She elbowed Taylor, who’s features had gone stoic again even as she politely shook Mace’s hands.

“Master Yoda sensed a disturbance in the Force when the Wookies contacted him. I sense now that he was correct.” Windu intoned eyes narrowing. “The force flows… strangely around the two of you.”

“Yeah- little- I mean, Yoda said that too.” She amended, catching herself before she went and called Yoda ‘little green’ outside of her own head to one of his buddies.. “Not really sure what this Force thing is all about though.”

Master Windu, for the briefest moment, looked surprised, before the look was gone so quickly she wondered if it was there at all.

“Time enough, there will be for that.” Yoda said. “Get you settled, we should. Rooms, and Food. Safe, you are in the temple. Our guests you will be.”

Windu nodded. “Master Yoda is right of course. We can speak more and find how the Jedi can assist you once you’ve been shown to your rooms and rested from your long journey.” He ushered them forward. “Please. Follow me.”

Vicky nodded, smiling as Mace turned to lead them into the temple- after they waited for Yoda to finish getting up the stairs of course.

She tossed a look towards Taylor, but the Brunette’s eyes had a far away, distracted look, like she was focussing on something in the distance. Vicky shrugged, figuring she was back to doing her thing of listening to make sure people weren’t gonna slit their throats in their sleep or something.

(X)(X)(X)

Somehow, the inside of the Jedi temple seemed larger than its outside. Massive towering hallways, swooping grand archways, looming statues of ancient heroes, vast mezzanine walkways and rows upon rows of what Victoria could only assume were their equivalent to books in bright blue racks.

There were indeed thousands of people here. If they were all Jedi then the order was as extensive as Yoda had said.

Nearly everyone they passed by greeted Yoda and Windu, she and Taylor drew more curious stares than anything but no one really stopped them.

Their rooms, when they were shown to them were small, but comfortable, the host Droid specified they were meant for Guests who intended to remain at the temple ‘for some time’ It had a private bathroom, two bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen… not that Vicky knew how any appliances worked, but it was nice to have it!

“Well this is nice” She said, turning to look at the still distracted Taylor.

She elbowed the villain in the side, bringing Tay’s eyes to her. “Whatcha listenin to?” She guessed.

Tay shot her an irritated look, typing out a quick reply.

“We don’t know if the room is bugged.”

Vicky shot her a bright smile. “I see what you did there.”

Taylor rolled her eyes.

“I’m listening to everyone I can.” She answered. “The Temple is so big I can’t cover it all; its… irritating. And the surrounding city… It’s a lot.”

Vicky silently boggled.

That’s right, Tay’s bugs weren’t just in the temple. To be listening to everything in a city this massive or at least as much as she could reach around her

“Christ- are you even gonna be able to sleep?” She wondered, then frowned. “You are going to sleep!” She warned. “Even if I have to freakin drug you; you’re never doing that ten day shit again!”

Taylor didn’t look like she was looking forward to the prospect but she did, haltingly, hesitatingly, nod her head.

“Don’t try to cover it up with makeup either I’ll know.”

Again, Taylor rolled her eyes, tap-tap-tapping away her response. “Where would I even get any?”

“I’m sure the girls in this temple have freaking makeup!” Vicky dismissed.

“They’re a bunch of pseudo monks, why would they?”

“Beauty concerns are the same on every planet Tay.”

Taylor’s look was deadpan and flat.

“I didn’t see a wookie with makeup.”

“They called it war-paint.” She reached forward, poking Taylor’s Ivory fang necklace with her vambrace covered arm. Smiling smugly. “And accessories!” She chimed.

Tay facepalmed.

Vicky’s smile was cheeky. “Well- I’mma hit the shower. Catch you in a bit.” She practically skipped into the bathroom.

Everyone had their travel rituals. She needed hot showers and good shampoo, Tay needed to make sure no unwanted stabbings took place. Habits.

(X)(X)(X)

Mace Windu:

Seeing their guests to their rooms was a simple thing, for which Mace was grateful, it allowed him the rather quick opportunity to speak with Master Yoda.

The hallways were large and vast, granting them a sense of privacy if only by distance between them and any others passing through.

“Master Yoda.” He began, a question in his voice.

His old Master could hear it, without words.

“Hmm.” The ancient Grandmaster urged, a small little smile on his face.

“What did I sense Master?”

“Hmmm. Strange the Force flows around our two guests. Unusual eddies and currents flow around them. Its nature we must discern.”

Mace nodded. “I assume you have some idea of what it is? Or at least what we should do?”

Yoda’s smile widened just a bit. “I do.” He said.

And Mace knew he’d fallen into something of a trap from his old Master.

“An idea you’d rather not tell me of.”

“Gone, I will be one day. Then whom will you turn to?” Yoda chided gently. “Good experience this is for you as Grandmaster. The Mysteries of the force, endless they are, and rarely do they present themselves so cooperatively. Learn from this you will, Intervene I will, if needed.”

Mace’s feelings at this were conflicted truth be told- it made sense, but it was still somewhat humbling to recognize he still had so much to learn and even more daunting to truly understand he had suchlarge shoes to fill.

“I understand,” He said. “Regardless of the strangeness of our guests, I did come to meet you for a reason, Master.”

“Uneasy you are.” Yoda said. “Unlike you. Troubling, this news must be.”

He never could hide much from Yoda.

Mace took a breath. “Master Dooku has come to the temple from Sereno. He was searching of you… He’s… inquiring once again over Master Qui-Gon’s death-” Mace hesitated. He rarely told Yoda what to do, but the look in his old friends eye- “While he is no longer a member of the Jedi order-” He hesitated over his next words. “I do not believe it’s right to… obfuscate the details further in so far as the Count is concerned… he has a right to know Master Yoda.”

He saw the Grandmaster’s features crumple. The decision to suppress information of the Sith Obi-Wan had confronted had been theirs together but to lie to a Master over the death of his Padawan- with Dooku having been Yoda’s padawan no less, must have troubled the Grandmaster deeply.

If Dooku did something regrettable because of that decision, Mace knew better than most the depth of devotion Yoda held for his students.

“Speak to my Padawan, I will… your words, consider them I shall. .”