Guardians of Light

The Force

'You're a force sensitive Clarke.'

Lexa immediately disregarded the statement. It was far too abrupt an opening for such a delicate matter, but perhaps that would be the best way to approach it? Keep it clear and direct. Was there really any use in skirting around the truth and wasting more time?

There were many factors to consider, all of which the Jedi soon realized she had no more time for as Clarke stared back at her expectantly, a brief flash of concern lighting her eyes as she returned the steady stare of the silent woman.

'Uh, are you okay?' Clarke finally said to break the silence, having been waiting patiently for the Jedi to speak for the last ten minutes, only to find herself the subject of an ominous silent stare instead.

Lexa was leaning against the foot of her bed, unknowingly having lapsed into silence, deep in thought as Clarke perched on the swivel chair next to the desk, patiently waiting for some form of communication. The Jedi shook herself out of the stupor and decided that her first instinct would have to do.

'You're a force sensitive Clarke.'

Silence loomed over the room once more as Lexa watched the newest member of her crew closely, scrutinizing the micro-changes to her expression in search of how she was reacting to the information. Much to her surprise, the blonde was surprisingly quiet for a change and bowed her head forward, waves of hair concealing her face for a moment before she flicked it out of the way and looked up with an unreadable expression.

'I know.'

The response was entirely unexpected.

Shock, confusion, even upset had been prepared for, but this? This had not been part of the plan.

'You do?'

'A friend upset me once, over what I couldn't tell you, something silly no doubt. I went into quite the state of rage and, before I knew what was happening, I had lifted my hand to fend her away, to be alone with my deteriorating mood, and she fell backwards.'

It had been more of a push really, as if something had been launched towards the unsuspecting girl. Clarke paused, remembering the event as if it had been no more than a few days before, a memory that would forever stay with her.

'Not far, but I didn't lay a finger on her. It was like something had been unleashed deep within me and it drove her back before I could even blink. She tripped over a rock and went flying. I just stood there for a moment, staring at her as she looked back at me in horror. Of course I went to help her up, but she was terrified and wanted nothing more to do with me. From that moment I knew that there was something different in me that I didn't understand, something that I didn't want.'

The tale was nothing out of the ordinary. It was usually a highly emotional event or outburst that triggered the connection with the force, an innate instinct to harness its power.

'Do you have any mastery over your abilities?' Lexa quizzed the woman, unable to tell whether she was even aware of when she was utilizing them. Weeks earlier Clarke had used the force to project her honest intentions towards the Jedi but it could have been pure instinct that had resulted in the action rather than a controlled thought. Desperation sometimes overcame willpower.

'I never wanted to,' Clarke answered, shaking her head slowly. 'It was different and people don't like different, so I learnt to suppress the instincts, to be like everyone else. It was just easier that way, and I wanted to depend on my own skills rather than those that I didn't understand.'

Many force sensitives had a similar story. Some came from planets and families that would shun powered individuals, and most would rather hide their abilities than be outcast by their loved ones. Some people believed it to be nothing more than trouble, after witnessing the outbreak of the Galactic War it was hardly surprising that many blamed the Jedi and Sith for the destruction scattered throughout the galaxy.