Jedi Fugitive (The Bad Batch)

91:

Astera:

"Meditation is one of the most important tools you'll have as a Jedi. It will centre you, guide you, strengthen your connection to the Force. Through meditation, you can clear your mind, find inner peace and- Cleex, are you even listening?"

"Yes!" His too vigorous nodding was not convincing - I'd seen him looking at the crabs scuttling over the beaches with more interest than at me. And I'd brought him here to get him away from distractions. He was going to need it if he was going to meditate successfully the first time around.

"Then what have I been telling you?"

"Meditating, inner peace, connection to the Force." I narrowed my eyes at him grinning cheekily up at me. It was a gross oversimplification, but I supposed as long as he got the gist of it.

"Fine. But sit down and listen very carefully to my next instructions." I took a seat on the rock, crossing my legs and settling my hands on my knees. Cleex hopped up next to me and copied my position, peering at me from the corners of his eyes to ensure he'd replicated it perfectly. "Close your eyes and breathe out. Focus on every inhale, every exhale. And while you do, reach out with your mind. Feel the living Force on the planet. Reach for everything out there." Though through it all, I kept my own mind firmly grounded in my body, unwilling to reach out and immerse myself in the Force. The memories always came back when I did. And it was harder to fight them off in that state.

"I can't feel anything." Frustration coloured his voice, and I cracked an eye open, seeing his own squeezed tightly shut and his hands fisted in his lap. If he concentrated any harder, he was at risk of bursting a vein in his forehead.

"You need to relax first, Cleex. Meditation isn't something you'll get by trying too hard. It needs to come naturally. Follow my breaths. In, and out." I inhaled deeply and the boy followed suit, his muscles visibly relaxing and his pinched expression softening by the third breath. "Good. Now try and focus on me. Other Jedi in the Force will appear as bright lights or flames in your awareness. They're easier to sense in larger groups or very close by, so you should be able to sense me easily enough."

"I thought you weren't a Jedi."

I huffed out a breath and dropped my head, once again casting silent thanks to Obi-Wan for being able to put up with my younger self as long as he did. "I'm not. But let's assume I am for now." Mostly for lack of a better term. "Can you see me?"

"Ye-es." He hesitated for a second before his forehead finally smoothed out when he realised he could, in fact, sense my presence. "Yeah, I can."

"Now stretch that awareness out. Just like you feel my life force, feel the Force of the planet. It connects everything together here, as it does everywhere.

"It's working!" A laugh of pure delight broke free from him. "I can sense everything!"

"Good job." I couldn't help but smile a little in answer. "But don't get too ahead of yourself just yet. That's only the surface of it. The more you meditate, the more you see the balance in everything. And eventually, you can learn to use it to seek answers. To process anger, fear, pain and to achieve that same balance within yourself."

"But Jedi aren't supposed to feel those things." His brow furrowed again and his head turned in my direction, eyes still closed like he was pulled towards me. "Master, I can feel you're unbalanced. Have you been meditating?"

"I- what?" I hadn't, but that was because there were more important things we had to worry about, like the Empire being after Omega. There was barely any time to meditate these days. But I was doing fine without it.

I was spared having to answer by the comm on my vambrace pinging and I hurriedly jabbed the button, rising to my feet before he could ask any more questions.