The Force Betrayed: Cal Kestis x OC

6.

Nine Months Before Present-Day

Sakana had been finding it harder and harder to make her way up to the Wroshyr trees as the Empire spread further into the planet. It seemed like there were stormtroopers hiding behind every tree, every rock. New transports full of soldiers were arriving each week, driving the creatures and herself further into the shadows of the planet. Even so high up, it became harder for Sakana to feel safe.

She had taken down a good handful of stormtroopers while traversing the terrain, but she was no where near good at fighting them. Her lightsaber skills were quite weak since she had never really been able to get proper training on Kashyyyk. She was learning as she defeated more enemies, but it was an uphill battle.

When she finally reached her new meditation spot, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. She knew she was still too far away for the Empire to find her, but not so far that she would start panicking again. She thought often about the Origin Tree, and if she would ever be able to climb it again.

She kneeled on the tree and began the first steps of her new meditation practice. She was still unable to meditate all the way, but with each subsequent try she had been able to reach the Force again. She was proud of herself for the progress, but she knew she still had a long way to go.

She hadn't been able to access any further entries in the journal; she hadn't been able to master the Force push again, despite how easy it had been for her before everything. She was close, though, and she knew it. This could finally be the time that she figured it out.

With her legs tucked underneath her as she kneeled, she calmed herself down until she was in a peaceful state. When she was focused enough, she began to reach out to the Force. The process had become smoother now, and connecting to the Force had become infinitely easier. The hesitation that lingered still held her back, but she was just happy to be able to even somewhat meditate again.

As she reached out, her vision became white, and she began to meditate. She manifested the same black box that she had been practicing with and it appeared in front of her. She pulled it slowly towards her, giving herself time to react.

As it came closer to her, she focused on her hand, feeling the pressure as she pushed against the air in front of her. She pushed and pushed with all her might until the box began to slow. It was working.

She focused harder and pushed further until the box actually started to move backwards. It was barely moving, but it wasn't going forward anymore. Sakana had learned how to push again.

She pulled the box back to her again slowly, and when it was moving towards her, she attempted to push it back. This time, the box went backwards with ease and even gained a little momentum. She felt a smile creep up onto her face as she pushed the box further and further back.

In her excitement, she pushed the box once more with great speed, and she watched it smash into the white background of her meditation. It violently shattered into a bunch of pieces with a loud crash, and Sakana's vision instantly disappeared before her.

Her eyes shot open as she woke up. The process of coming to was smoother now, but she still couldn't shake the fear of waking up to her planet in flames again. When she realized that everything was alright, a grin spread across her face.

She pulled the journal out of her pocket and pulled it open with the Force. That had been the easy part, and usually as far as she got with it. But she had managed to push the box; surely she could push her way further into the journal.

She felt the Force pushing against her, trying to force her out, but she resisted. She pushed back with her new strength, fighting it even though it felt like it might consume her. She knew she was so close, she couldn't give up now. The Force was flowing through her, in her, all around her, and she embraced it. The Force stopped pushing, and she fought her way through.