Jedi Storytime: Rise of Fantastical Forces

Junior Recruits

Featured song:

Heroes (We Could Be) by Alesso, Tove Lo (Hard Rock Sofa & Skidka Remix)

____________________________

Mila had Kara, Ahsoka, the twins, and Myra each take turns showing their powers in a simulator to demonstrate their powers while she brainstormed designs for their suits.

Myra was definitely super powerful as a rocker. She literally could electrify the room by rocking out on even just an air guitar, but she preferred using a real guitar to create the soundwaves that could throw anyone off balance.

Anakin's plants were surprisingly powerful for a hero of his size and age. He could grow plants at alarming speeds, make vines grow in braids to make them stronger, and even create plants that gobbled things up. Well, basically really big venus flytraps.

Ahsoka was very skilled for someone so small and so young. She could be an Olympic gymnastics champion someday and win gold every time if she wanted!

Kara was fast beyond belief. Despite being a civilian for more than half her life, she found any chance she could to exercise her power in the event she got to use them again.

Carmine.... He was a special case. He didn't seem to do much when it came his turn to demonstrate his power. This, Carmine's family didn't find surprising. He wasn't a big fighter, and he was always an anxious kid.

"Does Carmine even have powers?" Mila said. "Granted, he is the offspring of one super parent and one non-super parent."

"He does have powers." Shmi said. "But he rarely uses them."

"What kind of power does he have?"

"Carmine makes music." Kara said. "He basically can weaponize any musical instrument by playing it, and he has a very powerful singing voice. I'm talking siren song."

"Really? Well, Carmine," Mila found a guitar and gave it to Carmine. "Why don't you play a little song and show us what you can do?"

Carmine looked at the guitar in his hands and tried to strum, but he felt nervous. He didn't have remotely any experience performing in front of people, so his hands were a little shaky as he held the guitar, and the string snapped when he tried to play it, scaring him into dropping the guitar.

The boy just ended up running to his mom, crying.

"Oh, Carmine. It's okay." Shmi soothed, hugging her son.

"Is he okay?" Mila asked.

"He should be. Carmine just has really bad anxiety." Shmi explained. "Other kids have picked on him for it since he was small, and it's made it difficult for him to do anything without fearing humiliation."

Carmine just kept crying into his mom's shoulder. Even if heroes weren't illegal now, Carmine had so many doubts about how well he would do as one. He was sure he'd mess up somehow, and people would call him the worst hero ever and he'd be ostracized for the rest of his life. He was terrified of a lot of things too. Spiders, the dark, snakes, heights, roller coasters, bats, bugs, sharks, that wasn't even half his fears.

"Carmine, it's okay." Shmi soothed again.

"I can't be a hero! I'm too scared!" Carmine said.

Brenda decided Carmine needed a pep talk. She asked Shmi if she could take him under her wing for a moment. Brenda had Carmine sit so she could speak with him, and she showed him a picture she always held in her locket of the day she and Mace got married.

"You know, Carmine. You're right. Being a hero is scary. Heroes run in while others are running out, but that doesn't mean the heroes aren't afraid. I didn't always know my husband was a superhero."