Fixing Our Broken Pieces || The Bad Batch

Chapter 16: Please Let Me Go

"I still don't understand," he approached her without warning, "your vitals didn't change throughout your unconscious state, even when you woke up nothing shifted. What kind of logic could have caused that?"

Orla stepped down quietly from her bed and ushered Tech into the cockpit where they could talk without waking Hunter up who was sound asleep.

"Where I went isn't as simple to explain," she wondered for a moment. "let me start at a place where you may understand."

Tech took a seat, intrigued by her wording.

"There are many parts to the force, the living, cosmic and midi-chlorian force. The living force is the most commonly known, it is what flows between all life, your focus should be in the moment and in the presence of that living force. They're also made up of both the light and the dark side but they fight each other to gain control. When I say the force is something that binds us all together, I'm talking about the living force. It can even grant you the ability to be present after death. The cosmic force is very closely related to the living force. It is the energy that binds everything together through space and time. By listening to the cosmic force you can hear the will of the force and fulfil its will. That's where I was, the world between worlds, a place where everything exists at once. My brother spoke to me there."

"How?"

"From his future death. Telling me to let go, to stop blaming myself for leaving him. He showed me he lived a fulfilling life and even though I know in the end he dies, it makes me feel at peace to know at this moment he's safe. The Jedi code was to never have attachments, Yoda would always tell me to never grieve over loved ones but rejoice for those who transform into the force. The answer was complicated. It's annoying how much of Yoda's lessons are starting to play out, and I just didn't get the picture at the time."

Tech felt sorrowful hearing Orla explain that she already had come to terms with her brother's death. That she had no time to grieve or be sad because of forbidden attachment. But she seemed so composed that he couldn't feel bad.

"So that's it, that's all you saw?"

Orla gave a black stare, thinking over what Dooku had said. How could she explain Dooku and how he revealed Sidious' new apprentice to her? That this apprentice may soon come after her and there will always be a possibility of him finding her. That she'll have to watch her back until the day finally comes,

"Nope, that was it."

Tech was unsatisfied with how quickly she got away. Something was telling him that wasn't all, but he was sure that if there was something important she would tell him without a doubt, so he turned away and slept peacefully while Orla slept with her saber close to her.

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With Anakin being the last thing on her mind, it brought her a dream of their first duel as padawans. Anakin was 11 and Orla was 15. Even with a fairly big age gap, Yoda saw how similar they were in their training, both driven by challenges and competition. Even Obi-Wan was curious to see them paired together, it had been only two years of training Anakin after his master's death and he learned a lot from watching Yoda. Usually, duels were used with Jedi for pairing a padawan with a Jedi knight or master. But it became more frequent for Yoda to teach the importance of combat skills against each other in case paired up against a Sith. Especially if that Sith or dark side user was a former Jedi.

Orla heard about Anakin from Yoda when speaking to the council. They talked of the chosen one and believed he would bring balance to the force. She worried that this could turn Yoda's attention away from her; this duel was a way to prove herself and to Yoda, she was a powerful Jedi and a force to be reckoned with.

With a fierce look in her eyes, she stepped into the arena and Anakin stopped with a little more swagger. She held herself high though she didn't quite hit her growth sprout and was only an inch smaller than the 11-year-old padawan. She positioned her feet and lightsaber the way Obi-wan would which caught his eye and a small smirk grew on his face. Orla had heard the way Obi-wan, only a padawan, fought and defeated a sith for the first time in almost 1000 years. So she merged her quick sharp technique with Obi-Wan's precision.

Orla made the first move, putting Anakin on the defensive. Anakin found himself having to think quickly on his feet which built up adrenaline and he started to push her back as their lightsabers clashed. They used the entire space that was available forcing each other back and forth with every swing. Neither broke focus nor eye contact, living in the moment and Orla forced her foot into the ground to keep her balanced, once Anakin was pushing enough force onto her. At the right moment, she slid to the ground and laid her hands on the ground to handspring over him as he fell forward. She landed back on her two feet while Anakin stumbled to the ground. He tried to stand but she had already put her saber to his neck, she had won. She could feel Anakin's frustration and anger which she didn't feel often in Jedi, Yoda always warned her to never be motivated by anger. So she gave him her hand to help him up.

Yoda wore the same face of concentration, she rarely saw him show pride but instead always came back with corrections and criticism. Even if it made her a better Jedi, seeing how other masters tended and held a close bond with their padawans made her feel envious to have that with her own.

"Discuss this with Obi-Wan I will return to your studies if you can."

She thanked her master with a bow and was the last person out of the arena. The door closed behind her but with everyone gone, instead of returning to the archives to look through the chosen one prophecy as she planned, she was instead in what Yoda might have to say about her fight. Maybe for once he might show some pride or boast about how great his padawan has come. Just once.

"Your padawan did well, it's impressive how much strength she has, she's very well connected to the force." Obi-Wan complimented.

Yoda hummed, deep in his thoughts, "she has no patience, she wants too much in a small amount of time she needs to learn to slow down. It was the same with Dooku."

"If you're saying you're not ready to take a padawan I can-"

"Necessary that will not be, a good thing her determination is but worried I am to what path it could lead her down."

"Well with all due respect I think trust goes both ways, she's not Dooku she's loyal to the force and the order."

Orla couldn't listen to his response; she rested her head on the door, forced back tears and left.

Yoda turned his head to the door, sensing her leave, "yes, Believe in her I do."