The Jedi From Earth: A Star Wars Story #Wattys2023

Part 193

******, Lothal

      Hera had landed the Ghost at the secret base used by the Lothal resistance far from the capital. Ryder had arrived far longer before they did and had given bad news. "The Empire destroyed most of our fighters while they were on the ground" he had said, "and we can't contact Yavin". Clara felt isolated and trapped inside by the news, yet she wasn't fearful or made anxious by it. Though hearing the almost demonic voice of the most powerful man in the entire galaxy made her unable to sleep, she had never understood how this one man wielded absolute control over trillions upon trillions of beings until then, any man who sounded like that and had a large military could do anything with little to no opposition.

    Because of that Clara wandered the base quietly and aimlessly for not long until she saw a figure sitting on one of the ledges, with the bright moonlight she saw it was Ezra. Clara had seen how distraught he'd been by Kanan's death and decided to check on him. She walked up and sat down next to him on the ledge, "Hey" she said reassuringly. "Hey" Ezra replied quietly and with little enthusiasm in his tone. "You doing ok?" Clara asked sympathetically then noticed dried tear marks on his cheeks even though his head hung low. "Yes" Ezra replied with a tone suggesting he was holding in his emotions, Clara instantly saw right through it. "No you're not" she said calmly. "Kanan's dead, and he's not coming back" Ezra said and a tear rolled down his cheek again.

Clara could sympathize with and understood how he felt, her own mother had passed away from lymphoma when she was in the eighth grade. "No he isn't, and you can't change it" she said. Ezra then stood up, "I wish I could" he said before walking away from her. Clara figured she should just let him process it on his own, having experienced the passing of a loved one as well she knew it was best.

********* Imperial Palace

Shawn managed to stumble back into his room after being disoriented from the excruciating pain in his head. The disorientation made everything appear warped and discolored in two second long intervals, meanwhile it felt like nails were being driven into his head. He clicked the button and managed to make it three feet before falling face first on the floor from being disoriented. "Oh my, now this is a familiar sight" Malgus said almost mockingly while materializing before Shawn and staring down at him. Shawn managed to look up at the specter, "shut up" he said with angst before removing his weapons and tossing them up to his desk, though they passed through Malgus's fog like form before landing with loud clank sounds upon the metal. "Well then I presume you don't wish to know how it is you've been afflicted by that creature" Malgus said in a chastising tone.

     Shawn managed to get to his feet and walk over to his bed and plop down, "I guess" he said without any real hint of interest in his tone. Malgus walked or rather appeared to walk a few steps closer before he explained, "that creature was using his variation of a mind trick upon you, though it is far more stronger and more compelling than a normal mind trick" Malgus explained, "unlike a normal mind trick that merely uses persuasion or suggestion, his variant forces ones mind to bend to his will, in other words he was not merely attempting to persuade you to tell him what he wanted, he was ripping the words from your mind". "When I was alive, I witnessed the after effects of this ability firsthand, and a poor soul was in the same state as you".

"However" Malgus said while pointing at Shawn, "that trinket you have can counter these effects". Shawn reached into and down the collar of his shirt and pulled the talisman out, which swayed slightly while fading from its natural blue color and a blood red color back and forth. "How?" He croaked out. "Focus on it, listen to it" Malgus said. Shawn stared at the changing colors and knew that utilizing the talisman in its current state would leave him more open to the dark side, something he did not want to even imagine falling victim to. "I'm not gonna use the dark side" he replied in a forceful tone. Malgus didn't appear angry at the remark but Shawn saw it in those yellow eyes that bore into his soul the same way the Emperors' did.