Fixing Our Broken Pieces || The Bad Batch

Chapter 16: Please Let Me Go

"This place is like the cosmic force." In her hands was the very timeline of this universe just a step away, the ability to stop a conversation, fight, battle, or war was laid on her shoulders. Yet she didn't feel tempted.

It was the same place she had her recurring dream. Except for this time she was aware of everything around her. She could think her thoughts, see her surroundings and recognise some of the people speaking to her. She saw the long paths that stretched as far as her vision would reach and wondered if there could be an end. Familiarising the mysterious space, she recognized the triangular and circular portals in front of her that was sketched in the sacred Jedi textbooks in the most restricted section of the Jedi temple. The section was only usable to Jedi masters.

They called it the world between worlds, a realm beyond existence that observes all of time and space within the universe. She cruised along her path, taking her time to think why the force would grant her access to all points of time. Each voice, whenever it was the past or future, spoke words that held meaning to her. Words that she needed to hear,

"Rebellions are built on hope,

No longer certain that one ever does win a war, I am.

"The First Order wins by making people think they are alone. We're not alone, good people will fight if we lead them,

The time to fight is now,

This is our most desperate hour."

In the distance stood a lone wolf. The second part of her dream was where she would follow the wolf until she woke up. This time she was able to decide for herself whether to follow this creature or not. The wolf waited from a far distance and she started to worry if it would run off, so she ran a straight path up towards it.

"Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny,

"In a dark place, we find ourselves and a little more knowledge lights our way,

"Difficult to see; always in motion is the future."

The voices quieted down to silence once she reached the paws of the Loth-Wolf. She didn't expect it to be as big as it was. She had to tip her head back to make eye contact with its calming yellow eyes. Its head turned, directing her to the right where another path opened up and at the end was one of the circular portals.

"Dume," it nudged its nose to push her along.

"Alright, alright," she laid her hand on its soft fur, not thinking about how it knew her name and made her way down.

♫♫♫

"Truly wonderful the mind of a child is,

You can't save your master and I can't save mine,

Many of the truths that we cling to depend on our viewpoints,

"You can't stop change any more than you can stop the sun from setting."

Someone stood by the portal, their back facing her. Their skin was scorched with burn marks that had eaten away at his skin. A familiar feeling sunk into Orla, something felt intimate about this person.

"Orla," their head turned and as their eyes met her she instantly recognised them. An older version of Caleb stood before her. His hair had grown out that was cut unevenly and remains a beard that looked like it had been sliced by a single blade. She continued to step towards him until she reached his hand. With her finger, she dragged up the burns and blisters carved in his skin and then cupped both hands around his cheek. She held his face so delicately as he could break at any moment and she would lose him forever.