Shadows of the Force [Captain Rex x F!OC]

Echoes of the Force

✧ Anakin's POV ✧

Stella sat quietly across from me in the cramped bunkroom on the cruiser, her eyes vacant as she stared at the floor. She was exhausted, haunted. I could feel it—like a deep pull in the Force. Her presence held a strange resonance, a faint response I'd rarely seen in someone so untrained. Something was different about her, and I needed to understand it.

I knew just the person to contact. Activating my holocomm, I opened a channel to Obi-Wan. His blue hologram flickered to life in front of me, brow already raised, as if he'd somehow guessed there'd be complications.

"Anakin," he said, studying me intently, "is everything alright?"

"I think I've found something... or rather, someone" I glanced over my shoulder, lowering my voice. "Her name is Stella. She's a survivor from a planet called Earth, a place that isn't even mapped. And there's something else... she's not trained, but I can sense her in the Force. It's faint, but it's there"

Obi-Wan's hologram nodded thoughtfully, taking in each word with that look of concentration he had. "That's rare," he admitted. "Does she know?"

"Not yet" I said. "She's lost everything, Obi-Wan. Right now, she's just trying to survive"

Obi-Wan tilted his head slightly, something like sympathy in his gaze. "Bring her to Coruscant, to the Jedi Council. They should be informed, especially if she's Force sensitive. But be cautious, Anakin, this kind of grief she carries could affect her in ways we don't yet understand"

I nodded, then shut off the transmission, feeling Obi-Wan's words sink in. Grief could make a person strong... or dangerous. And if Stella really was Force sensitive, her emotions could complicate things more than she realized.

The stars were still streaking by in the cockpit windows when I made my way back to the crew quarters, hoping she'd managed some rest. But as I entered, I found her lying awake in the dim light, her arms wrapped around herself.

I could tell she'd been wandering earlier, her hair was mussed from whatever attempts she'd made to sleep, and she looked more lost than ever. The ship's sterile walls and strange faces weren't doing much to comfort her. I could understand that; the first time I left my home planet, everything felt strange too. Alien.

"We're nearly at Coruscant" I said, trying to sound reassuring, though I knew she had no idea what that meant. "You'll be meeting some people, friends of mine. They're called the Jedi Council. They might be able to help with answers, to explain what happened, maybe even why you're here"

"Why I'm here?" she whispered, looking down, like the words themselves hurt. "I don't know if I'm ready for answers. I just... I don't know if I'm ready for anything"

"Sometimes," I said, choosing my words carefully, "the Force brings us to places we don't expect. And I know it sounds strange, but you're stronger than you think. I'm not saying it'll get easier, but... you're not alone"

Her gaze softened a little as she looked up. She hadn't said much since we'd found her, but something told me she'd taken in every word.

I nodded, then let her have her space