Star Wars: Saviors of the Broken

Chapter XVIII

"To become our best selves, we need a clear mind, an open heart, and a deep connection with the Force." - Vizsla Kwerve, from Collected Wisdom of the Jedi Masters

The Black Mariah had just landed on a small planet in the Outer Rim, and Mikey Way had never felt more homesick. He was thousands of lightyears away from Coruscant, and already, he missed his family, his friends, his school, his home. He missed having a sense of normalcy, but after what had happened on Alsakan, he knew that was something he could never get back.

As they all left the ship, Mikey could feel the tensions among the group. Pete and Patrick hardly spoke to each other, and Frank had seemed strangely guilty ever since they'd left Utapau. Mikey had no idea what was going on, but he tried his best to stay out of it. The last thing he needed was to get involved in his crewmates' drama.

He looked around for a moment, appreciating the scenery. Truwel wasn't too open, like Utapau, or too claustrophobic, like Coruscant. There were highways running across the landscape and huge skyscrapers looming in the distance, but there were trees and mountains too. It was the perfect blend of nature and technology, but Mikey still knew he should be home. He'd seen enough of the galaxy. All he wanted was to go back to Coruscant, back to how things were before.

"There's a rebel group operating somewhere in this city, and I need to give them my cargo," Frank said. "Maybe we could split up and look for them?"

"Sounds good," Gerard said. "Maybe you and I can search the north side of Truwel City, Patrick and Ray can take the south side, and Pete and Mikey can take the west side? If something goes wrong, we can return to the ship."

Frank nodded, but Pete said, "Actually, I could teach Mikey how to use the Force instead."

Mikey was about to protest, but Gerard said, "That's a great idea."

"I don't need to be taught," Mikey argued.

"Yes, you do."

"Who's going to search the west side of the city then?"

"Frank and I can do that."

Mikey sighed, but it seemed like there was no getting out of this. Gerard, Frank, Patrick, and Ray all headed into Truwel City, leaving him alone with Pete. He still wasn't quite sure how he felt about the eyeliner-clad Jedi - he'd barely gotten a chance to get to know him - but he was sure that training with Pete wasn't going to help him return to Coruscant.

Pete smiled slightly and said, "So Patrick says you're a Force user, huh?" Mikey nodded reluctantly. "I'm surprised the Jedi Order didn't find you."

"I was hidden in plain sight, I guess," Mikey said.

Pete shrugged. "It's not worth worrying about now," he said. "I'm supposed to teach you about the Force."

"You're just doing this to get away from Patrick, aren't you?"

Pete's eyes opened wide, and then he scowled at Mikey. "That's none of your business," he said.

"I thought Jedi were supposed to be honest about their emotions."

"If you listen to people like Patrick, Jedi aren't supposed to have emotions." Mikey stood there with a perfect poker face, and Pete smiled again. "I think you'll make a great Jedi. You just need someone to teach you."

"And why are you teaching me?" Mikey asked. "You're my age."

"There aren't a lot of other options right now," Pete said. "Besides, I've been a Jedi for most of my life. I think I can teach you a thing or two." Mikey gave Pete a suspicious glance, but Pete paid no attention. "Close your eyes," he said. "Reach out. Try to feel the Force flowing around you."