GALDANA || the mandalorian

PART THIRTY-FOUR

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The curiously radiating off of Ahsoka was intense and confounding. The two of them sat across from each other, the sun not helping the humidity swirling around them. Fwega blinked as another wave of emotion washed over her, even stronger than Din's.

"We're not linked. Why are your emotions so strong?"

Ahsoka lowered her hood, gesturing for Fwega to do the same, which she complied.

"I have heard of your kind, your majesty."

Fwega flinched. "Please, it's just Fwega. I'm not a queen anymore."

"I apologize, Fwega." She glanced at Fwega's sorrowful face, watching the scars on her cheek ripple as she frowned. "How much do you know of the Force?"

"I've heard rumors, but I never paid attention enough to where I would believe it."

Ahsoka sighed. "I figured." She picked up a stone and willed it upwards, Fwega watching with fascination. "The Force is what binds us, what brings us together. And it doesn't just make rocks float." She paused for a minute, regarding Fwega. "The Force can allow us to sense emotions."

Fwega's sharp intake of breath spurred Ahsoka's words forward and she continued before Fwega could comment.

"Galdonians, from what I can figure, were practicing a new subset, or aspect, of the Force, only dealing with emotions. I'm guessing that the other aspects faded eventually. The Empire got ahold of the rumor that there was a half planet full of force wielders and decided to solve two problems at the same time, eliminating both Alderaan and Galdana in one swoop."

"I'm- force sensitive?"

Ahsoka cocked her head. "In a way. You only wield one aspect of the Force, while I wield many."

"And what about linking?"

"From what I can tell, it's just honing in your ability to one person, sharing your energy, making two parts one. The best way is to have the same strong emotion at the same time."

Fwega put her head in her hands, her elbows resting on her knees. "How do you know all of this? More than me, their queen?"

"I went to Alderaan, for a spell, with my master. I travelled to Galdana, on the opposite side of the planet from Alderaan, and learned as much as I could from your point of view. I think I saw you, once. You were very young, yet still queen. The atmosphere was so cheerful, so festive."

Fwega's hands shook and her sorrow overwhelmed her to the point where Mando could feel it too. He walked over briskly, setting a hand on her shoulder once he was close.

"That's enough, Ahsoka."

She nodded and gestured to the child, who looked at Fwega from his place in the knapsack, worried. "May I?"

Mando set him down on the rock beside her, kneeling down in front of Fwega to try to look at her face. She looked at him and stood up, scrubbing at her eyelids. She glanced at Ahsoka. "Thank you, Ahsoka. I mean it, thank you."

Ahsoka nodded and turned her attention towards the child, speaking to it through the Force as Fwega and Mando walked to a place a stones throw away where they could converse privately.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." Fwega swatted Mando's hands from her face but he persisted, swiping at her tears. She was laughing now, either as a defense mechanism or as a way to placate him.

"Was it about Galdana?"

"Yes." Her mood sombered. "My people were force sensitive, in a way."

"Like the rock-floating thing?"